Young Hadene’s They Took Me Down is built around a refusal to let one difficult chapter define the whole story. Born in Haiti, raised in part in Florida and now based in Toronto, he describes music as the place where those different environments—and the pressure of building a future across them—can meet without being flattened into one identity.
The album also documents the practical education of an independent artist. Working through Str8hitsRecords has pushed Hadene to think beyond recording toward branding, distribution, promotion and audience-building. In the conversation below, he connects that business discipline to the album’s larger theme: getting knocked down is a moment, not a conclusion.
Listen to They Took Me Down
Young Hadene: The Exposed Vocals Interview
Before you became Young Hadene, what was life like for you, and when did music become something you wanted to pursue?
Before Young Hadene became the name people knew, I was just a young guy trying to figure out life, understand my surroundings, and find my own direction. I was born in Haiti, spent part of my childhood in Florida, and eventually came to Toronto. Moving between different places exposed me to different people, cultures, and ways of living.
Music became a way for me to express things I couldn’t always explain in regular conversations. I started seeing it as more than a hobby. It was a way to tell my story, represent where I come from, and build something of my own. As I kept recording, I realized I wanted to take it seriously and see how far I could go.
How have your Haitian roots and your experiences in Toronto shaped the person and artist you are today?
My Haitian roots are a big part of who I am. Haiti is part of my identity, and growing up between different places taught me how to adapt without forgetting where I come from. Toronto also played a major role in shaping my sound and perspective. The city’s music scene has its own energy, slang, and way of expressing real-life experiences.
I bring those influences together in my music. You’ll hear Toronto drill and hip-hop, but there’s also room for melody, different rhythms, and the Caribbean influence that comes from my background. I don’t want to limit myself to one sound. I want my music to reflect all the different sides of me.
Who or what first influenced your music, and how has your sound developed since your earliest recordings?
I was influenced by the music and environments around me, especially hip-hop and the different sounds coming out of Toronto. Hearing artists express themselves in their own way showed me that you don’t have to follow one formula to make people connect with your music.
My sound has developed through experience. Early recordings were part of learning my voice, understanding my delivery, and figuring out what worked for me. Over time, I’ve worked on my flows, melodies, energy, and the way I approach beats. I want my music to have its own identity, whether I’m making something aggressive, melodic, or more personal.
What is the story behind the title They Took Me Down, and what does it mean to you personally?
To me, They Took Me Down represents the experience of being knocked down, facing setbacks, and dealing with situations that can make you question everything you’re working toward. Sometimes people only see the moment when things go wrong. They don’t see everything that happened before it or what it takes to keep moving afterward.
The title has a personal meaning because it speaks to adversity and the feeling of having to rebuild yourself. Being taken down doesn’t automatically mean you’ve lost. What matters is how you respond and whether you allow that moment to define you. I want listeners to understand that difficult chapters don’t have to be the end of your story.
What was happening in your life while you were making this album, and what did you most want to express?
While working on this project, I wanted to capture the different emotions that come with trying to build something for yourself. When you’re chasing a goal, there are moments when you feel confident and motivated, and other moments when you have to deal with pressure, disappointment, and uncertainty.
I wanted the music to feel honest instead of making everything sound perfect. The goal was to express the reality of pushing forward when things don’t always go the way you planned. I also wanted the project to reflect my growth as an artist and show that there’s more to me than one particular sound or image.
Which track on the album would you play for someone discovering you for the first time, and why?
I’d start with the title track, They Took Me Down, because it connects directly to the project’s overall message. It gives someone a starting point for understanding the themes behind the album and the kind of perspective I want to bring to my music.
For me, the best introduction to an artist is a song that makes you want to hear more. I want somebody discovering Young Hadene for the first time to get a feel for my energy, my delivery, and the experiences that influence what I create.
Can you take us inside your creative process—from the first idea or beat to a finished song?
Usually, it starts with a beat or a particular feeling. I’ll listen to the instrumental and pay attention to the rhythm, the atmosphere, and where my voice might fit. Sometimes a melody comes first; other times, it’s a line or an idea that gives me the direction for the song.
Once I find the pocket, I build around it, experimenting with different flows, pauses, and deliveries. I want the vocals to work with the beat instead of forcing everything into one pattern. After recording, I’ll listen back and make adjustments until the song feels right. The goal is to make something that sounds natural to me and gives the listener a reason to come back to it.
What has building independently through Str8hitsRecords taught you about the music business and yourself?
Building independently through Str8hitsRecords has taught me that making music is only one part of being an artist. You also have to understand branding, promotion, distribution, networking, and how to connect with your audience. You can make a good song, but you still need a plan for getting it heard.
It’s also taught me patience and responsibility. When you’re building independently, you have to take initiative and keep learning because there isn’t always a big team handling everything for you. I’ve learned that consistency matters, and that every release is an opportunity to improve. I want to keep building a foundation that allows the music and the brand to grow together.
What is something listeners might misunderstand about you that you would like this interview to clarify?
I think people can sometimes judge an artist by a song, a visual, or a particular image without knowing the person behind it. My music is one way I express myself, but it doesn’t tell every part of my story or explain everything about who I am.
I’m an artist who’s still developing, experimenting, and learning. I can make drill music and still explore melodies, different cultures, and other creative directions. I don’t want to be boxed into one category. I want people to listen to the music with an open mind and recognize that there’s a person and a journey behind the name Young Hadene.
After hearing the album and learning your story, what do you hope fans take away—and what would you like them to look forward to next?
I hope people take away the idea that setbacks don’t have to determine your future. Whatever somebody is dealing with, I want them to find something in the music that connects with their own experience. You don’t have to come from the same place as me to understand ambition, pressure, disappointment, or the desire to create a better future.
As for what’s next, I’m focused on continuing to release music, improving my sound, and growing Young Hadene beyond one city or one genre. I want to keep representing Toronto while staying connected to my Haitian roots and exploring new creative directions. There’s more music, more visuals, and more of my story to share. I’m building for the long term, and I want the listeners who’ve supported me to grow with me.
Hadene’s story makes the album’s title less a statement of defeat than a line in the sand. The throughline is self-definition: carrying Haiti and Toronto together, refusing a single sonic box, and treating every release as another piece of a long-term independent foundation.
Featured artwork courtesy of Young Hadene / Str8hitsRecords; supplied and used with permission.
