For some reason, the marriage of Canadian rap and UK garage is an unlikely one, but it really needn't be. "Distance" is the new single from Vancouver-based rhymer and producer Teon Gibbs and South East London singer Rian 'IAMTHELIVING' Peters, the latest in a series of collaborations between the pair following last year's "Puppa" and "Between The Groove".
Tapping into the early 2000s when the sounds of garage and hip-hop reigned supreme in the UK and Canadian charts respectively, Peters and Gibbs have hit on a fusion sound that has been sorely under-explored. Commenting on the blend, Peters said, "There needs to be more cross-genre collaborations in Vancouver; more Black voices uniting and creating music together."
Speaking on what inspired the track, Teon added: "It feels like being in love is no longer cool in culture. To us, building with someone authentic is doper than just a hook-up. 'Distance' is a song about doing whatever you can do to make a relationship work, even when the odds are stacked against you."
