Toronto Accent and Dialect from the 1980s to mid 2000s

[@tdotsblessing]

Everyone make sure to SHARE this video to anybody speaking ignorantly about how Black communities in Toronto talk‼ People in Toronto need to be proud of where they're from and rep it 🤧Outsiders can still say what they want about how we sound, but it's what makes us, US. And it's not going anywhere anytime soon💯

[@luvjssica]

💯💯💯💯💯

[@DEANDREXBENNETT]

T.O. STAND UPPPPP

[@thephilosopher7173]

Ppl make fun of the accent because of those who stretch it and over compensate. None of the ppl in this video _try_ to have an accent, but I distinctly remember after Drake popped off and eyes were on Toronto, ppl started over exaggerating their speech similar to how the dudes from 4Yall Ent. talk during their skits. Toronto is full of over-compensators.

[@Thuja814]

1986 Rub a Dub Style Inna Regent Park, from Juno Award Winner & creative writing teacher Lillian Allen …with the Jokerman font ;-) kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z363gZiaj8ySZrs

[@Natalie-k9h]

Jamaica land we love they have nothing our us 🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲🇯🇲🔥🔥🔥.

[@TMBpk]

The actual Toronto accent is nothing like the fake “Tik Tok Toronto Accent” that’s going around online. People just deliberately exaggerate it and nobody in the city ever talks like that. This video is more reality of how people sound…and if you have a good ear, you’ll be able to differentiate the East End Scarborough accent from the West End Jane & Finch / Weston accent.

[@thehandleishothott]

Time stamp the clear difference please

[@boredguy5805]

People definitely talk like that dude, but it's mainly high school kids. I go to my local library sometimes and hear it all the time

[@NickyPixar]

I live in Toronto and yes the accent is like the TikToks. Most people still speak normal here, but as you drive by young people without culture you can hear it

[@WeTrustInBando]

@@NickyPixaryou kids are stupid Those are rich Children From nice homes 😂trying to copy yuh know

[@Kj637-]

Excellent explanation! wish people understood this.

[@tin12ify]

this video just hit the algorithm, it gonna do numbers

[@Vazo999]

🤣 It's true

[@tin12ify]

@@Vazo999 just came back after 4 days I was right

[@p0pov13]

Bro 2 whole hours is wild lol

[@tin12ify]

@@p0pov13 its a documentary compilation what you expect

[@songotenson]

yep

[@davidbremang7557]

you can hear the jamaican influence in the whole accent from 83

[@noahisuku5338]

It’s literally the Jamaican accent

[@thunderthighs3450]

@@noahisuku5338 well no shit, those are jamaican black guys, obv everyone else won't sound like that

[@bobzyurunkel]

They are literally from Jamaica lol

[@swagmundfreud666]

@@bobzyurunkel But it's not like a Jamaican accent purely. It's been watered down by the Canadian accent.

[@rowanjun]

@@bobzyurunkel The 2 young men are not Jamaicans, influence yes, but not from Jamaica (one is Guyanese the other is from Dominica - not DR) hope this helps with your understanding. Bless

[@thecountess]

Torontonian here. I've always said "tings" and the actual way we pronounce TORONTO is the same way people be saying it on the clips in this video. I honestly dislike how these Tik Tokers exaggerate the Tdot accent. The influence of Caribbean/West Indies slang has been going on for decades, them kids these days did not come up with it. I grew up with a lot of Jamaicans or 1st generation Jamaicans or Trinidadians amongst other ethnicities, and it influenced how I express myself, it has stayed with me even though I now live in Europe. I am Hispanic from Toronto. Thanks for this video. Love it.

[@tdotsblessing]

Real talk! As a man who also is not Yardie but grew up around them you're talking that realness💯💯💯💯

[@rayang9929]

noone cares nerd

[@davidbawtinheimer7762]

Dun know

[@devongiguere3721]

​@@tdotsblessingI'm from Oshawa and have Trinidian and Jamaican half-siblings as well as friends growing up. This video brought so much nostalgia man. This is some working-class history and I am really thankful for you uploading this. We need more of this shit

[@thecountess]

@@devongiguere3721 Zeen.

[@isadorabarrow594]

As a Caribbean migrant coming from Barbados in the early 2000s, i didn't understand what a major influence West Indian culture had on the fabric of Canadian society. Thank you soo much for this video! Fascinating 🙏🏾

[@deepblue2]

As a Torontonian myself, I've learned and realized that the Jamaican accent has had a big influence on the Toronto accent over that period of time from the '80s. This is great footage by the way and thanks for uploading this.

[@BIGNEM]

Caribbean community brought it, African community influenced it, Canadian culture embraced it and other communities mixed into it from all corners of the earth that lived in those communities. The Toronto accent used to be healthy until social media warped it and turned it into a caricature of itself. With random suburban kids from Yukon to Ohio now influencing pop culture and recreating it into a nasally rat sound the original essence has been killed on a PR level. Little do they know the real "accent" is still alive and healthy in our communities. 💫

[@starkgamescharmbracelet]

What African countries influenced it…?

[@YourmomWjjwbejekeg]

@@starkgamescharmbraceletexactly what i was wondering the only african country i can think of is somalia and thats only in the west end

[@wolfkidex]

​@@starkgamescharmbracelet somalia?

[@starkgamescharmbracelet]

@@wolfkidex what Somali words are used besides wallahi/wallah..? What general list of Somali songs/ artists are played at most poc parties?

[@ricardovalentine4199]

hearing "loafting" all the way back in 1983 at 2:35 is crazy. would've thought it to be more recent word

[@Shortfarmingking]

Every thing you hear is from the older generation.

[@Eiramilah]

I remember hearing that in the 90's

[@hirosato1548]

my god i keep saying it but people are like 'loafing'?

[@seamslatasha3598]

OMG that's where my friend got that pronunciation!!! When I was a kid in the 90s I had a friend that grew up at Jane and Lawrence and she would pronounce loafing as loafting and it was a whole furious argument that has stuck with me until this day! lolllllll It was such an aggravating mystery to me because I was such a nerd as a kid.

[@ChezzMedia]

@@seamslatasha3598 as someone who grew up on the strip, its 100% loafting fam hahahaha

[@brodiethegoaty849]

I grew up in Detroit so crossing the bridge to Canada to drink at 19 was the norm. I met a young rapper that eventually came to my studio to record and taught me the subtle differences in the dialect influences in Toronto. He now goes by Tory Lanez.

[@e8ghtmileshigh1]

Nah he goes by inmate 534567

[@tonysnow759]

@@e8ghtmileshigh1😂

[@quietman208]

I really appreciate this video. I’m from Pittsburgh but for some reason the Toronto accent really fascinates me. I don’t like seeing all the hate it gets online, even though the modern accent does sound a lil “silly”, I find it disrespectful and ignorant. Especially coming from other black people, it’s like they don’t know that we’re a diaspora all with our own unique dialects.

[@JericCamps]

It's just exaggerated for social media purposes. But the "Toronto" accent is a real thing as you can see here.

[@knowheartbeats]

It's cool when I see people from other places fascinated. I've been to united states quite a few times, the south , nyc , LA and never had anyone make fun of my accent before, it's always the opposite to be honest

[@chilichinashop]

The limitless amount of dialect and slang around the world is what makes language so beautiful, and even though I’m glad people know that the exaggerated ‘Toronto man’ accent on social media isn’t authentic, I also agree with you that instead of purely hating people should be open to actually hearing what the nuanced dialect sounds like from the city.

[@catregime]

This is incredible…like whoooooo is logging all this footage???? The Blessed One this is amazing. Thanks for putting this up.

[@finalcutgod]

truly appreciate anyone who archives shit like this. and anyone who compiles things like this.

[@tdotsblessing]

@catregime @joshi-toshi Thank you I greatly appreciate both of y’all’s comments🤧🙏🏾. Make sure the share the video anytime you hear ignorance on how we talk💯

[@dev00008]

The people who were alive at the time...

[@JD-ny3vz]

Aye this was interesting to watch as a NYer of West Indian descent I have a lot of family in Toronto. You can hear the West Indian and Canadian mix with even a little NY/US East coast mixed in. I would think the hip hop influence from the 80 with NY being huge and probably similar demographics so family members etc.

[@LOUD_army]

Exactly, a lot of people don't realize that Toronto was a part of the history of hip hop way before hip hop went to other cities.

[@JD-ny3vz]

@@LOUD_army Main Source for example NYC/Toronto connection

[@LOUD_army]

@@JD-ny3vz are you on instagram?

[@headienutburn]

The primitives should have stayed on the US east coast. Toronto and the GTA are crime ridden cesspools now.

[@unsub8924]

There are a lot of West Indian Caribbean people in Toronto, also Nigerian and Somalians Ethiopian Ghanaian...

[@SVPREME101]

Ed the Sock in the hood....this is Toronto Nostalgia

[@mikedenheyer6769]

This is RARE footage. Going back to wes and Michie mee going forward with the masterplan radio show on CIUT. Then Ghetto concept and the GRASSROOTS (best production team in toronto 90s hip hop). I never seen any of this specific footage. This is crazy. The Grassroots team were such a huge inspiration.

[@MrChefjules]

Big up

[@Tabimusic]

You are a blessing fr. I love people that keep archives and archives from Toronto are so rare.

[@tdotsblessing]

I’m glad you loved it! I had to do something for the culture🤧🫡

[@mimibynature]

Look at a young Maestro Fresh Wes ❤ he really put Toronto on the map!

[@SomeDudeQC]

89 was mine

[@BGambino1215]

Mitchie Mee too

[@Brizza032]

@@BGambino1215she killed it with the leaders of the new school and Shabba ranks at varsity stadium to kardi to black eyed peas( on electric circus) no furges, to opera -government-Massey-multiple west venues. Project bounce, MORNING RIDE. If you know, you know. It’s been pleasure setting a scene for everyone through hospitality over the 25 years.

[@RafaelLopeztattoos]

proper🏆 theres a doc in Prime Vid, "Drop the Needle" that portrays the evolution of toronto sound and nightlife. Play De owner is a glaring representation of what toronto culture is. another revelation for me as an immigrant was getting into UK sound in the early 00's realizing were a commonwealth country to UK, we share a ton of similarities in culture including slang from patois to uk street slang. was blown away to hear this in Jungle/DnB Mcing which toronto was huge in during mid-late 90s rave scene

[@GPWYR]

55:57 that’s Bundawg, better know as Bunso. I used to play ball with him and his bro Pressa (Beenie) at this age, Raptor ball at Oakdale CC. #iykyk

[@Brizza032]

I was raptorball coach of the year 2001

[@eAddiction]

51:38 that little boy in blue was Jordan Manners. Miss him

[@GankBott3M]

that's crazy lol I be listening to them same guys pretty regularly

[@GPWYR]

Can’t forget Dada better know as Houdini , he used to ball at Oakdale CC too #llhou #raptorball

[@sarahgordino6695]

Thank you to whoever put this together. Very very nostalgic. As someone who grew up in Jane Finch in the 80s/90s this hits different.

[@Diggi1027]

As a man from Compton/Watts/Long beach alike I am glad this popped up on my feed. I was always interested in the Toronto scene. With that being said I am visiting a friend there next year.

[@tdotsblessing]

Say word? I hope you have a blessed time here👍🏾💯

[@moho472]

Thank you for this video. Its so frustrating to see the culture we have get over exaggerated to the point where it becomes a dog whistle for racism. The old ones do not talk like what you'd see on social media today. This is the real Toronto accent, and I'm glad we're pushing back. Edit: Grew up in Islington and Finch, then moved to Sauga; the culture still exists in parts of the suburbs where poverty is rough. However, nobody knows about this because its surrounded by million dollar homes.

[@tdotsblessing]

Real talk you spittin real shit🙏🏾💯 I greatly appreciate you for watching. Make sure to spread the word

[@knowheartbeats]

Fighting back, couldn't have said it better

[@beaner2907]

Fantastic video! I really appreciated this, thank you! This should win some kind of award. It's like a mini documentary.

[@tdotsblessing]

🤧💯🙏🏾

[@sroberts00]

Thank you for this! I knew something was weird with the 'modern' Toronto accent but I couldn't put my finger on it. I moved here in 2000 and spent a lot of time in Black spaces (I'm non-Black POC) and don't remember anyone talking the cartoonish ways they do now. Of course there was always a Caribbean-infused accent, but not the forced caricature that's been making the rounds. I saw someone share a video of a young (probably suburban) non-Black woman doing the modern accent and they said she sounds like a "drunk moose" and I've been inconsolable. 😭

[@justcallmeE_410]

idc about the accents that much, people make fun of mine all the time from Baltimore, USA. It became a meme for a while also. This was very informational tbh, thanks for the upload.

[@CR416__]

I grew up in Toronto and the accent has always been consistent lol.. we’ve been a melting pot of people from time. That’s why our accent is so unique

[@krusher181]

Id say it’s pretty similar to certain London accents tbh, it’s definitely interesting but not incredibly unique to hear Caribbean accents blend into other types of English.

[@KillahManjaro]

Jane and Finch was my old stomping ground back in the late 80's 215 Gosford Blvd. Thanks for the upload this brought back so many memories from back then. 1!

[@omnipotentiq]

OG!!!!!

[@stainerrr84]

Jane / Tretheway

[@stainerrr84]

1555 Jane St

[@Mobius89]

This was an absolutely FANTASTIC doc with premium footage. Thank you for this as a life-long Toronno manz. And cut like an Adam Curtis documentary - genius.

[@tdotsblessing]

My pleasure🫡

[@JHamTD]

Seeing this video is incredible as it puts to bed a lot of the misinformation regarding the origin of the accent and shows it was a natural development similar to what happened with the African influence on Portuguese from formerly enslaved Black people in 17 and 18th century Portugal. Another thing that I love to see documented is the mobilization of the state (police) against the black population in Canada but also specifically Toronto which is often denied even though it's documented in the stories from those that lived in Blackhurst (Bathurst and Bloor), Eglinton West and other early black neighbourhoods in the city. The stories of Andrew Evans, Sophia Cooks, Lester Donaldson, Marlon Neil, Andrew Loku and many others all speak to this long history of targeting black folks in this city. SO many that push mythology about Canada's liberal history could not tell you who one of those names are, or where Africville was, or why there is a black woman on their 10 dollar bill they bought a double double with. Thos same people will bob their head to a song with a bassline but deny relevant history and claim to be an ally or that their black adjacent because they used to sag their pants as a teenager. Documentation is how the lies are dispelled. Great compilation. You really did something with this.

[@UnprofessionalAthlete]

The one man said "open like autopsy" loool that was hard

[@dasstreets]

This is a really cool time capsule. Thanks for sharing!

[@isthatreallywhathappened]

I really appreciate it. I hate when I see those disgusting Brown, White and Asian TikToks mocking our accents. This is how WE talk. I will always be proud of OUR community. "Toronto mans" trope is coded in racism. These people don't have a license to mock our lived experiences.

[@andrewmorrison3344]

I didn't realize the accent went back so far That's kinda cool

[@Shortfarmingking]

Where the hell did you think It came from. White high schoolers?

[@kristianolliviere9045]

Adam "Edge" Copeland has a Toronto accent

[@KahinAhmed72]

That nickname hits harder now. LOL 😂 Edge = ✋🍆😛

[@atriskyouthtv]

Best doc ive ever seen in my life fam nuff love and ratings

[@tdotsblessing]

Love brother🙏🏾❤

[@SomeDudeQC]

Yet there was a very popular post on a popular Canadian subreddit the other day that claimed this accent didn't actually exist! Could it be that the post was bigoted? No, no, all the comments swore they weren't being hateful.

[@somarvitor]

The people that claim this accent doesn't exist haven't been to the west end of the city (rexdale/Etobicoke) or the very east end (Scarborough).

[@jas1565]

​@@somarvitorthey also aren't Black, arent in Black spaces and don't interact with Black people.

[@jas1565]

@@user-ro8ru4wz2o attributing this accent to "gang life" is racism at its finest. The accent belongs to the Black immigrants and first generation Black Canadians who created it.

[@joshwuzhere1]

@@user-ro8ru4wz2ookay yt boy 😂😂

[@daowonimdee]

Reddit is filled with white raysists, including raysists from Canada. They don't know jack about black Canadian history or culture.

[@PristineReviews]

why so many people mad about this? i grew up in gta and things vary alot from community to community. this is merely showing that it has always been a piece of the identity. not everyone talks like this

[@Gkg__sfgh__-fghf]

Exactly! I’m almost 40, and all the black kids I went to school with sounded no different from the white kids, or kids of other ethnicities, and for most kids in elementary school nowadays it’s still the same way. 😂

[@TalentedTenth]

I think some people mix up the idea of accents with slang. Toronto slang used to just be Jamaican patois or slang mixed with our regular North Eastern Canadian/ US tone and grammar. If you were in Toronto in the 80's you listened to WBLK outta Buffalo and probably had friends and family in the states and UK. The early 'accent' was based on that Caribbean background with a very slight North East US inflection. When BET came to Toronto in the mid 90's some people started adopting a full on US slang and accent (which was weird). Eventually that morphed into the nonsense we hear today which i call 'Suburban Yawdie Slang' cuz it started in places like Brampton, Scarborough and Sauga. This is a byproduct of white black kids disconnected from their Caribbean roots by 2 generations mixed with white suburbanite kids who wanted to mimic the lingo. It has lead to the abomination we now call the "Toronto Accent"...

[@WillisAmak]

Very on Point man, Im Toronto born and this is a fact

[@Gkg__sfgh__-fghf]

Exactly! 😂 I’m almost 40, and the black kids I went to school with sounded no different than the white kids and other ethnicities and it’s still the same for most kids in elementary school these days😅, I only hear this “new” lingo from highschoolers which I never heard before in my life😆

[@shwntol]

This is iconic footage thank you for archiving Tdot history!!

[@swagmundfreud666]

Great piece of history. I've always been uneasy about the hate that Toronto's accent has been getting on social media lately. I grew up in Calgary, and there's a unique accent there too but it never got bulled up on socials like Toronto's did and made fun of. The whole debacle stinks of covert racism.

[@bigol9223]

Lol forgot only white people can be mocked for making obnoxious sounds

[@tdotsblessing]

Real shit💯🙏🏾.

[@SomeDudeQC]

The hate it's been getting is from bigots who don't acknowledge it even exists.

[@bigol9223]

Canada's accent has been derided long before the modern squeaky Toronto yute version got attention.

[@halfbasic2990]

If you notice, the toronto accents these kids put on is much more extreme and annoying. It's because it's objectively goofy. Also, Calgary accent was made fun of far longer (the Bob and Doug Mckenzy accent, and all hollywood depictions of the Canadian accent is basically the Alberta accent)

[@Thoumike]

Amazing work, and thank you for listing all your sources, i have so much to watch

[@DanielKeithMorrison]

This video is more than the accent, its hip hop culture well documented.

[@chantillycolwilly]

My bf was telling me that Jamaican is a massive influence on our, Toronto accent. It makes a lot of sense.

[@fiyamage]

London accents as well

[@chantillycolwilly]

@@fiyamage I was saying that too, but he said that's because there's a lot of Jamaicans in Hackney (in England), so their slang is very similar to Toronto.

[@JinBrownSkrr]

Real history 🔥

[@knowheartbeats]

This is a perfect document , it showed so much more that just an accent man. Trust me this shit gonna go way viral. It gives alot if insight man. This is for all these people and there "fake accent" bullshit and this just started, nah , YALL are just hearing and being exposed to it because media OUTSIDE OF THE CULTURE is making it a mockery now. Big up yourself yute.

[@tdotsblessing]

All love over here fam🤧 Don't worry I got yall💯

[@biaxcarr]

As a true Toronto shorty, this really did something for the soul! Thank you for putting this together and exposing me to an authentic, raw history🫶🏽✨

[@tdotsblessing]

All love🫡🫡🫡

[@jwillwork3683]

We locked in on reddit, Happy to see you doing number brother!

[@tdotsblessing]

Appreciate you big dawg🫡 Numbers going up!

[@Akil1998]

Seeing from the start of this film how the police treated young Blacks in Jane and Finch in 83 shows why things are the way they are now. It is by design.

[@bushwacka5187]

By design? For what purpose and by whom?

[@Akil1998]

@@bushwacka5187 You don't think the targeting of Black men(from the miseducation system to the incarceration of Black men)it is not by design. I can try to explain it to you, however who knows it feels it. Some in Canada think this is just a American problem, however it has been very prevalent in Canada as well. Hell the carding system we see today in Toronto is the equivalent of stop and frisk. Also again look at what is spoken about in the start of this film and fast forward to what we have going on today. It isn't a coincidence. Again whether you whether you call it the system as a whole, the government, the state etc. It is by design.

[@Redemption203]

Black people dont even make up the majority of demographics incarcerated in Canada its actually white ..stop trying to make Canada on the same level of issues as U.S wannabes

[@Danyurism]

@@Akil1998 once you grow up you realize it has nothing to do with color and everything to do with class. toronto has always been divided into classes not colors.

[@Danyurism]

​@@Akil1998 in the 90s all you had to do was have a fitted on and baggy jeans and you were a target. Ask anyone on road in the 90's if the baseball caps hit the floor when you seen the boy. music down hats off. shit was no joke.

[@guile6735]

2005 summer in Toronto was beyond fun.

[@Cnote456-h5x]

The Real Toronto DVD....nuff mans are dead and locked up from that vid🤐

[@buckeyefan05]

Do you believe that Drake in some ways put Toronto in a bad light in terms it’s contributions to Hip Hop? I ask because I’m from America and I remember artists from Toronto like Kardinall Offishall, Choclair, K-Os and Eternia, but Drake is the one that gets noticed when you talk about black Toronto.

[@YouYewelz]

We look at that like it's Hanna Montana. Most of the Toronto stuff that we keep as music are dancehall guys. This whole city lives off rap, but it's yours. To my understanding, in Canada we don't have the law where we can rap crimes and say 'artistic expression' in court. To what I understand: no - they pull that shit right up in court in Canada.

[@YouYewelz]

There are invisible legal differences between our countries. We can get violated for making rap, like how in England, you can get stop-and-frisk stopped for wearing a bubble coat. It makes differences for maneuvering.

[@Akil1998]

​@WaveQuakeTV They can use your lyrics against you in America as well. Look at the whole Young Thug, YSL situation. However yes in Canada we are different than America kind of where law is concerned.

[@freddie5ive]

Toronto hiphop got absolutely no respect before drake lol who are you kidding

[@LyricLyricLyricLyric]

@@freddie5ive UR HIGH, who is Toronto face for hip hop if its not him, I get the hate train but stop the lying.

[@borzica]

Hip Hop culture in Toronto in the 90s was electric!!

[@anthonybarros2920]

damn bro this video so thoughtful. What an awesome collection of clips throughout toronto's history.

[@mirandapillsbury7885]

born in 1994. I remember almost all these eras. I feel really sad in some weird way because that time was very dark for some reason yet also really special. Everyone had some street cred (or pretended too)...everyone was tough and rough and the days seemed darker and shorter...now it's all a little brighter and more positive I think and a little bit better socially but idk...I still crave those dark days sometimes

[@kuruptzZz]

In 30 years it will be an indian accent

[@Princesszz15]

Lmao😂😂

[@Nondisclosed]

Hahaha

[@KardiFan2000]

Yoooo! 🤣🤣

[@UConcept1]

At Trudeau's rate...give it ten yrs.

[@KahinAhmed72]

LOL 😂 I’d rather be dead than to have an Indian accent.

[@bluehibiscus502]

Awwww! Young Maestro Fresh♥. His face hasn't changed much.

[@SinksTears]

As a Torontonian from J&F this being in my recommendations scares me... But i will be watching all of it.

[@upnhere8513]

I remember hearing 'still' a lot growing up sorta as a replacement for 'know what i'm saying.' Not sure if that is distinctly Toronto or what? Suckin on teeth too. Some examples in this footage still.

[@starza22]

Idk why you guys keep wasting your time educating people that are committed to misunderstanding. There's nothing that people who discovered this on social media could ever tell me about my own accent

[@melmcallister6293]

I can tell u y’all sound weird asl w all those scarbluff whimsical ass sayings y’all got 😅

[@DEANDREXBENNETT]

Ohhh brother get this guy out of here 🤦‍♂️

[@tks4829]

They do it because they're begs looking for validation from the same people that disrespect them. Loser behaviour. From when you see what kind of videos go viral "representing" the toronto accent it should be obvious that most of this discourse is just the blind leading the blind

[@psyche4867]

Uh..uh..uh nobody’s implying that you should be happy people are learning your own background?! Sad augmented view on it

[@OlObuffalo]

@@melmcallister6293 LOL

[@ronidanza1488]

Been a good while since I saw the real Toronto much appreciated for this

[@curbantula]

It used to be real jamaican/caribbean accents. It has now evolved to white jamaican accents with a little taylor swift

[@koisan5300]

😂

[@akaashmoney]

Thanks for the video fam this was necessary

[@ZebbMassiv]

I grew up on Driftwood and Grandravine in the early 1980s.

[@thiernobah6453]

All I can see is the evolution of Hip Hop from a revolutionary art to a Death cult. And it’s still going on…

[@sharkysplash1415]

Honestly I went to Jamaica recently and heard the exact same lingo even “crodie”

[@DigitalWaqf]

I don’t mind people tryna clown our Toronto accents… but I can’t stand it when they say we got it from London. The only British accent we heard growing up was the Queen’s tea and biscuits English 😂

[@nuffaction5464]

Wrong.

[@jaygrizzly2706]

Most your guys that are big rappers in Toronto now all was listening to uk rappers growing up themselves. Do you know how massive k koke is in Canada? We all influence each other in the world anyway so it’s no biggie but Toronto is hella multicultural in a good way 👍

[@KardiFan2000]

@@jaygrizzly2706 He's talking about BEFORE the new generation. We were influenced by NYC and our Caribbean heritage, and that was it. The UK influence didn't come until the 2010s.

[@jaygrizzly2706]

@@KardiFan2000 i was just referring to him saying “the only British accent we heard growing up was the queens tea and biscuits” I assumed the person writing was around my age or between 25-30 which means he would have known about tre mission/grime and Canada uk rap link ups but I’m guessing by yours and his comments that he’s way older like 50 if he’s saying he only knows the queens English…

[@KardiFan2000]

@@jaygrizzly2706 I can't speak for the other guy, but I'm 36 (not 50 lol) and me and my bredrins, even in our 20s weren't influenced by y'all. It wasn't until grime, afrobeats, and dubstep really went mainstream over here 10-ish years ago when we started watching y'all.

[@doeeyes2]

I grew up in Little Portugal, TORONTO (Dufferin and Dupont) and that majorly influenced the way I speak, also with Little Italy around the corner.Ive been told i have an Italian accent, especially the way my sentenced end in a question ya? The toronto accent is immagamation of many different cultures. Interesting fact: Toronto is the most multicultural city on the planet.

[@joeytoribio2035]

Fam, that yute spittin bare facts in that last interview. 🔫🔫🔫🔫🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@_416_]

I looked the ghetto profit dude, died in custody R.I.P

[@mhikeybalatbat]

curious if you can pinpoint when the accent changed into what it is now. how it exists now is almost like a caricature of what it was

[@mhikeybalatbat]

just read your caption 😂

[@quietman208]

I’m not from Toronto so my opinion don’t really mean shit, but I would guess the rise in drill music and Jamaican diaspora in general played a big part in it

[@r.malcolmkr2052]

2005

[@r.malcolmkr2052]

Jamaicans were the first black minority group to immigrate in large amounts to Canada. Sometime during the late 90's early 2000's other large groups immigrated, so the accent didnt get phased out but started to morph. This is just my guess, and from this video it seems to have transitioned well into 2005.

[@Bandemic.Loot.Toronta]

The accent is still here. On the world stage Toronto is still a baby and ppl are witnessing it during its infancy pretty much. The accent that gets promoted on media has truth to it but it's more like a troll ting still. Gotta put shade on tdot in some type of way I guess

[@m.al-h9108]

toronto accent is just a anglicized jamaican accent

[@user-hg6vd2iz7m]

aside from some people being too enthusiastic about emulating the accent, i suggest you should feel happy that people admire your community so much that they like to talk like you talk.

[@asswipe-fl7hq]

Cool shit dude :p

[@Hqwef]

T dot era alot dont realize there was a list that went platinum 90s early 2000s before Toronto was known as the 6ix. Alot to young to realize drake didn't put Toronto on the map he just continued to keep Toronto relevant commercially.

[@GanjaDaddi_]

Big facts, gotta understand the history.

[@highmedic2351]

I only heard of accents being made fun of today, and I spend a lot of time on social media. After watching this video, I am even more confused. This just sounds like people speaking with a Jamaican accent, which most people joke about in a playful/happy way. Yah mon! Anyway, I am glad to learn more.

[@sherlockbonez]

I have been to so many of those buildings for work, these kids all act tough til their mom shows up

[@tdotsblessing]

Your mom is the #1 person who should be able to bring fear out of you anyways, no matter how tough you are. Fear God and your mom.

[@thestatpow5]

"he has a gun right now, would you like to get shot" is craaazy LOL.

[@MikeStoan]

This is dope!!!

[@encored]

I was going to search for Toronto accent and Kendrick Lamar’s song and this video appeared before I could even search for anything

[@Akil1998]

More people need to see this. History!

[@tdotsblessing]

Make sure to spread the word. Show this video to anybody speaking ignorantly on the accent. We gotta put an end to the slander that we get.

[@edmundo2dot0]

Can't make a video like this without Dwayne DeRosario

[@tdotsblessing]

Completely forgot about that legend 🤦🏾‍♂💯

[@Hopper622]

These are who Drake think he is.

[@OldTalez]

Great video. Really appreciate the history lesson. I'm tryna find the video snippet at 1:28:36 Too short for shazam

[@lydianyakundi5749]

I love this …what a gem!💎

[@gotgrainslikerice5311]

This video is a gem

[@yohannesolliverre2121]

How tf we go from this to wah gwan delilah 😭

[@MoStaccs]

1995

[@knowheartbeats]

People outside the culture trying to emulate it plain and simple.

[@Jazzwithlaz]

"Toronto Patwa". From what I'm told theirs a Big Jamacian community up here in Toronto.

[@broadwaye984]

I don’t hear a Toronto accent. I just hear Caribbean people that live in Toronto.

[@KardiFan2000]

There is some of the local Canadian/Torontonian accent mixed in with Caribbean accent though, which makes it unique.

[@catregime]

…whose Caribbean accents were affected by the local Toronto accent…which is more like a central Canadian accent.

[@JTCFC1]

There is definitley a Toronto thing that doesn't exist in the Caribbean accent. Its like they raise their tone at the end of the sentance.

[@daowonimdee]

Its a black Toronto accent. You've obviously never been to the Caribbean.

[@KardiFan2000]

@@JTCFC1 That feature of the accent is known as "Canadian raising"... it's also noticable in the Midwest accents in America.

[@lonewolf7047]

Do you have the old Flemo documentary?

[@srirachaaaa]

So basically it’s always been some twist on the West Indian accent lol

[@Zeppelin9113]

Drake taking notes heavily af alie???

[@Hqwef]

A Truth!

[@alwaysonroad365]

Torontonian ebonics. And then the Somalis came and put their dialect in it, and now you got a Jamaican/Somali influence in the culture of today.

[@WillisAmak]

Youre so wrong its disgusting. The only influence Somalis have is "Walahi". I grew up in Jane/Driftwood to Lawrence Heights which has alot of somalians. The MAIN influence is Jamaican dialect, "Blessed", "true", "ting", "cyattie", "alie", I can go on for DAYS. Even the lingo and how Torontonians speak is PURELY a Jamaican accent that is speaking "proper".

[@alwaysonroad365]

@WillisAmak that's really not Somali's only word, nor did I say Jamaicans weren't the main influence. Chill out fam, it ain't dat serious crodi. Two twos ur movin kinda dess, still. Should probably nize dat before the mali's hear you and fawad to ur ends wit da habad and give you a hot leggaz. Funny thing is, no real Toronto cat talks like that full out, super exaggerated. I've been around and I know a one two about the culture and who brought what to the table. And it's Somali's not Somalians, I'd figure they would have told you as much seeing as you grew up with them.

[@mmmghool]

There's def a more recent trend of somali/arabic/islamic slang being mixed in. Walahi, bismilah, habibi, miskeen, etc.

[@NoName-nb1yu]

Damn these older rappers were so well spoken.

[@UndergroundArchive2]

First half u gotta note they're tryna sound professional u can hear the Jamaican accent suppressed if u listen close

[@NoName-nb1yu]

@@UndergroundArchive2 nah the accents are fine, thick or not. when they're being interviewed, what they're saying is actually insightful and interesting. If you listen to any Toronto rapper like k money or pressa or anyone like that, it sounds like they're fried out of their mind and can't even put a full sentence together lmao

[@UndergroundArchive2]

@NoName-nb1yu they js not tryna hide it anymore cuz it's recognized around but before I even remember as a scarb kid they used to conceal the lingo to js their ppl only and be professional around others cuz I'm half Jamaican but bc of the new ppl including the tiktoks now ppl think that's what it is

[@cronstrubzo]

drake watched this vid and took notes

[@AdrianLemos-u5r]

Scarborough Toronto in the 90s was live

[@insight1239]

You fail to realise that some of them were immigrants or were not born in Canada that's why it sounds mixed so they influenced what we see now with slangs from everywhere

[@justingrant4860]

Our " accent" is simply proper English as in pronouncing almost every letter lol with a splash of patois....born and raised in Toronto and I'm almost 40( west end ..rexdale) ....it was just a simple dialect ....these kids today have exaggerated this accent to the point of stupidity and we never spoke the way they do today

[@Gg_blanco]

The most disturbing thing lately is that LATELY everyone keeps talking about how "annoying" the toronto accent is and how it is "forced". I have never noticed a new accent recently. I have heard the same accent as long as I can remember. The people calling it forced and fake, literally grew up outside the city. CLearly. This is very obviously connected to the fact that our hiphop scene is on the map now. So everyone is being exposed to how we speak here.

[@s.s.9990]

thank you posting this.

[@NR-di7cm]

This video is great, thank u