TwoTiime pens compelling tracks about pain, hunger, and perseverance. While reflecting on his raw upbringing in his tough westside Ottawa neighborhood, the Canada-born, Los Angeles-based MC rapidly built an audience enamored of his relatable street tales of triumph, tragedy, and everything in between. So far, he has racked up millions of Spotify streams with fan favorites like “Hood Cry” and “Keep It Real.” TwoTiime’s debut single “Priceless,” a small taster from his upcoming mixtape, demonstrates his ability to blend incisive bars with a melodically thrilling delivery.

“As soon as I signed my deal, there were all these new people and new faces. I’m in a different position now, but it’s not over for me,” he explains. “I’m going to be rising to the top. This is my path and I’m just getting started.”

“Priceless” offers a powerful message about how TwoTiime approaches his responsibilities as a person and artist. “’Cuz I’m in a position that you’d never understand / Put food up on that table—see, I always been a man,” he sings over a smooth acoustic guitar riff and heavy bass drum hits. “And I’m sorry, I don’t care about the price of what your ice is / Loyalty and love be the only shit that’s priceless.”

The young Khalid Omar, born in Ottawa to a mother who immigrated from Somalia, was always determined to pursue a rap career. His mom was supportive of his ambitions but tenderly urged him to go back to school, where he’d get good grades. Certain he had what it took to make it, TwoTiime poured all his energy into his music career in 2019.

With the rapper’s limited budget for his music, TwoTiime had to ensure that every studio session counted. “It sounds a little cocky, but I had to get really good, really fast,” he says. “I would book these one-hour sessions in the studio, so I would have to record everything in 25, 30 minutes — I had to give the engineer 30 minutes to mix and master the songs.” This urgency taught him to trust his instinct and natural songwriting gifts, and his early success with singles like “Keep It Real” and “How I’m Comin’” attracting fans and superstar rappers alike.

In 2020, he received an Instagram DM from Chicago drill rapper Polo G that would change his life. In 2021, TwoTiime noticed Polo G in Egypt, while he was vacationing there at the same time, sparking more conversation that eventually led to TwoTiime being flown out to Los Angeles. Polo G was interested in collaborating with him, and the two eventually linked up. They exchanged music and discussed the idea of collaborating. Polo offered him advice on finding the right record deal and being patient with his art. TwoTiime had found himself an influential mentor figure to help him navigate an often tricky industry.

TwoTiime moved to LA to be closer to the industry’s center—an easy decision, except now, he was further from home more than ever. But he inherited his humility, his constant desire for self-improvement, and unparalleled work ethic from his mom. “It means the world to me that I can take care of my family, because I promised them the world,” he says. “I’m not there yet, but I’m going to give it to them very soon.

Through trial and error and piercing introspection, TwoTiime has built a career pillared by honesty and strength. Now, it’s time to deliver on that promise, to become, as he insists, “The biggest artist in the world.”