Sitting comfortably at a friend’s home just north of downtown Toronto, Daniel Caesar revels in his recent fame.
“I feel like I’m dreaming all the time,” the artist said.
Twenty-two-year-old Caesar, who hails from Oshawa, Ont., is in the midst of a five-night run of sold-out shows at The Danforth Music Hall. But, this is just his most recent accomplishment since he released “Freudian,” his debut album, in August. He has been nominated for two Grammy Awards, including “Best R&B Album,” and for his performance of his hit song “Get You.”
Caesar’s soulful sound has garnered attention from some of the biggest names in music, including Chance the Rapper, who debuted a new song alongside Caesar on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
But, Caesar admits that it was a struggle to get to where he is today and that it “has been a long time coming.”
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The artist never completed his high-school diploma and was booted out of his private school in Oshawa.
“I was never the best student. I spent a lot of time being in class…while I was supposed to be paying attention, I’d be writing songs.”
Soon after leaving school, Caesar moved to Toronto in hopes that his music would take off. He was homeless at times, and often couch-surfed to get by.
“Everything I owned, I could fit into three duffel bags,” Caesar said.
But, after he released his EP “Praise Break” in 2014, things started looking up for him.
Today, Caesar boasts more than 14 million YouTube hits on his “Get You” music video, and he’s gearing up to tour Europe in the new year.
But, he said, nothing is more important to him than coming home to see his family in Oshawa.
“I miss my family so much.”
He’d also like the new friends he has made throughout his journey to meet his family.