About
Secret Scriptures is a hip hop crew based primarily out of Toronto, ON, consisting of five core members; Āthmaan (producer), B1g Z (rapper/producer), no god. (rapper), Nonazz (rapper/producer), and Sneaky Preacher (rapper). Our main focus as a collective of artists is to produce high-quality music, often blending different eras, styles and sounds with our own unique lived experiences. We are passionate about sharing our ideas, thoughts, and values which stem from our environment & upbringing in this generation.
As artists, we each aim to leave an imprint on listeners in our own distinct ways through our solo work, inter-collaborative projects, and as an entire group.
no god.
no god. is a 20 year old rapper from East York that is currently based out of Ottawa, ON. He has been writing and making music since early 2022, and debuted in 2023 with two albums as one half of NODUO, along with Nonazz, with ‘NODUO’ (self-titled) and ‘Harvest Moon’, as well as appearing as a featured artist on dozens of projects since his start. no god.’s writing style is grounded and reflective, often finding a balance between intelligent, anecdotal thoughts and sensible expressions of emotions. He executes his rhymes with precise patterns & flows, and delivers them with a carefree, youthful vocal tone with a natural bounce. While he does not have a solo album out yet, “Harvest Moon” is his strongest showing on a project to date. He brings an urgent presence to B1g Z’s production, tackling themes like the passing of time and grappling with constant change. He is still quite new to writing raps, however he has a musical background through playing the piano as a child, which help shaped his feel for rhythms and melodies as an artist. He would often write poetry and stories in his free time, prior to making his own music a couple years ago. no god. is one of the three founding members of Secret Scriptures, along with Nonazz and Sneaky Preacher, when the group was initially created in February 2022.
Nonazz
Nonazz, often referred to as just Nazz, is a 20 year old rapper and producer from Mimico, who is currently based out of Toronto, ON. Nazz has been writing and producing his own music since 2019, and released his first album ‘Guilt Trip’ (which is no longer available anywhere) in 2021. Soon after, he began figuring out his sound that he would continue to refine with future releases, but first broke out in 2022 with ‘The Turning Point’, his first album fully produced by the young producer prodigy klwn cat, as well as his first fully produced compilation album ‘Traffic’, featuring many known underground talents. These albums established the foundation for Nazz’s sound as both a rapper and producer. As a writer, his biggest strength is his cryptic yet descriptive imagery, showcasing dense rhyme schemes that pair with a smooth flow and deep, bass-y delivery that allow him to glide on any beat. His signature production style is very similar to his rapping style; he specializes in sampling loops that often have a colourful, moodier feeling to them, paired usually with softer boom bap percussion, reminiscent of The Alchemist. Nazz’s true breakout year as an artist was 2023, when he released four solo albums, two albums with no god. as NODUO, and two EPs. The clear standout from his 2023 solo projects was ‘GREYMATTER’ with klwn cat, a complete 180 of their first project together, embracing a dark, edgier sound with strange sample flips that had Nazz experimenting heavily with an aggressive, unrelenting flow and cadence over 9 tracks and less than 20 minutes in runtime. On top of his musical creative work, Nazz is also a talented photographer, as shown on his Instagram feed, with an affinity for capturing striking, evocative moments of city life. Nazz is one of the three founding members of Secret Scriptures.
Sneaky Preacher
Sneaky Preacher is a 19 year old rapper from Leslieville, who is primarily based out of Halifax, NS and Toronto, ON. Preacher has been making music since 2021, when he first started linking up with B1g Z, prodbyjaxn, and another friend of theirs named Jake. He spent a lot of time honing his craft before officially releasing music of his own, but he first popped up on various features (mostly for Nonazz) before dropping his debut album in the duo The Outdoorsmen along with Z, titled ‘Outlandish Fashion’ in July 2023. This album helped established the essence of his style that he would go on to further refine on The Outdoorsmen’s latest release, ‘The Great Outdoors’. Preacher’s writing can be described as absurdist, since he often uses abstract phrasing to flip all kinds of references in thought-provoking ways, or creates hilarious imagery by painting bizarrely eccentric sequences. Lyrically, his versatility is his strength, since he can rap with bravado using strong wordplay and heavyweight punchlines, he can drop contemplative verses with subtle imagery that conveys his emotions, and also uses imagery to reflect & comment on the state of the world both directly and cryptically. Preacher has a booming delivery and distinct voice that can cut through any beat. His rhyme schemes are intricate and layered, which contrast in a unique fashion with his unpredictable flow patterns that often dive into unconventional pockets, before returning to more standard rhythms within the same verse. While he does not have a solo album out yet, ‘The Great Outdoors’ showcases how well-rounded and full of personality he is as an MC. Sneaky Preacher is one of the three founding members of Secret Scriptures.
B1g Z
B1g Z is a 20 year old rapper and producer from Leslieville, who is primarily based out of Halifax, NS and Toronto, ON. Z has been making music, both beats and rapping, since 2018. He started pursuing music more seriously in 2021, when he started working with Sneaky Preacher, prodbyjaxn, and their friend Jake more often. So far, Z has three released projects under his belt, two of which as both a main rapper and primary producer (‘Outlandish Fashion’ and ‘The Great Outdoors’ as half of The Outdoorsmen), as well as one album as the main producer (‘Harvest Moon’ with NODUO). As a rapper, Z’s style is one of a kind due to the unique tonality of his voice, which is often malleable, animated and dynamic, fitting whatever tone it is that the song calls for. He brings heart, raw energy, and versatility to a song, crafting catchy hooks that he can sing effectively or rap with passionate vigour. As a writer, he excels in being very direct, yet still crafty and clever, providing a lot of wit and charisma in his wordplay & punchlines. However, he may also get straight to the point when describing more serious matters, providing thoughtful, poignant commentary through storytelling or anecdotal observations. His rhyme schemes are sharp and cutting, which pair well with his methodically structured flows. He also has a natural affinity for songwriting, with a strong feel for writing choruses and bridges, and crafting cohesive songs. As a producer, Z creates beats with beautifully melodic grandeur, often sampling various songs in one instrumental, extracting their most evocative elements. His beats serve as arranged compositions, well layered with many sections and a one-of-a-kind aura. He offers a maximalist style of hip hop production, akin to Nujabes or Exile, that is rare to find in today’s underground hip hop landscape. ‘The Great Outdoors’ is the best demonstration of Z’s rapping to date, as well as his bets production along with his work on ‘Harvest Moon’, since he has not released a solo debut yet. Z has studied music for awhile and has played multiple instruments at different points in his life, which has shaped his artistic values and creative process. He is the first person outside of the original three members to join Secret Scriptures back in December 2022, making him the fourth member.
Āthmaan
Āthmaan is a 20 year old producer from Etobicoke, who is primarily based out of Waterloo, ON and Toronto, ON. He has been producing beats since 2020, and made his mark immediately in underground hip hop communities after being virtually unknown, producing the entirety of ‘Midnight Oil’ by Sunmundi, which was released via Damn That Noise in February 2023. With ‘Midnight Oil’, Āthmaan pushed the ever-popular drumless hip hop sound in a completely new direction, warping Indian samples into ambient and spacey canvases with a somber, sometimes haunting tone for Sunmundi to urgently pour his heart out on each track. As impressive and inventive as his production is on that album, Āthmaan has since explored many different styles, refusing to stay confined to a singular sound. His two EPs could not be more different from one another; ‘Walks in the Winter’ is a warm tribute to the holiday season that has Āthmaan flipping Christmas songs in a pristine yet cozy manner, retaining the joy and nostalgic feel or each song, whereas ‘Nothin’ But Blue Skies’ tackles the sentiment of youthful nostalgia in a totally opposite way. ‘NBBS’ has Āthmaan manipulating samples with an alluring ambience paired with intricately swung drum grooves, making for a hypnotic listen. Āthmaan excels in creating beats with a very distinct atmosphere and spotless feel, always accounting for every detail; his drums are crisp and razor sharp, and he layers samples and/or synths in a way that accurately amplifies the mood he’s aiming to evoke. One aspect of Āthmaan’s artistry that allows him to stand out is how he embraces his Indian heritage, often incorporating Indian folk music or Bollywood soundtracks into what he samples. Additionally, he’s had over ten years of training in tabla (traditional Indian drumming), as well as experience with other percussive styles, that have helped influence how he programs his own drums, often implementing complexly woven grooves into his instrumentals. Āthmaan was the latest to join Secret Scriptures in December, making him the fifth and final member of the crew.
NODUO
NODUO is a hip-hop duo formed originally in late 2022 by Nonazz and no god. Their discography currently consists of two albums (their self-titled album ‘NODUO’ and ‘Harvest Moon’ produced by B1g Z) and a collaborative EP with the duo Tomorrow People, titled ‘NOTMRW’. Nazz and no god. have contrasting styles that pair well with one another, with Nonazz’s smoother flows and deeper vocal tone balancing out no god.’s sharper rhyme patterns and higher-pitched delivery. They tend to focus on creating dense rhyme schemes and vivid imagery over evocatively layered production to convey their mental state and experiences at the time of recording. The two have been friends since 2021, which is notably before no god. started making music. They initially bonded over a shared love of similar music, primarily underground hip-hop. Their mutual bond over music helped establish a common ground for creative directions once NODUO was formed.
The Outdoorsmen
The Outdoorsmen are a hip-hop duo formed in 2021 by B1g Z and Sneaky Preacher. Their discography as a group consists of two projects: ‘Outlandish Fashion’ and ‘The Great Outdoors’. The two have been childhood friends since birth (along with their good friend and ‘Vainglorious’ saxophonist Ciaran), who would fall out of touch then reconnect once more during the COVID-19 pandemic. They started recording music over Z’s production along with their friends Jake and Jackson (the latter being ‘prodbyjaxn’, a producer and the primary audio engineer for all their albums). Both of The Outdoorsmen ended up going to the same university out in Halifax, which allows them the benefits of making music in-person with one another throughout their studies. Stylistically, Z and Preacher bring out their larger-than-life personalities on dynamic, grandiose production (usually handled by Z). They both have a great sense of humour and potent voices that lets them bounce off one another with refined chemistry. Both of their albums thus far show that they know how to manage the balance of serious subject matter with lighthearted or hilarious moments.
Secret Scriptures 