From Sudan to Toronto: AFTERPARDI’s Relentless Rise in Rap

Some artists are built for the spotlight from day one. Others fight their way into it. AFTERPARDI, known to friends as simply “Pardi,” belongs firmly in the second category.

Born in Sudan, Pardi’s early life was far from the bright lights of music videos. He grew up in a small village where opportunities were scarce and the nearest hospital was three hours away. “I was actually born on a kitchen table,” he recalls. His parents made the life-changing decision to move to Canada in search of better opportunities — a move that would ultimately set the stage for Pardi’s music career.

By the time he was a teenager in Toronto, music had already found its way into his life. He and his friends would freestyle after school for fun, with no real plan to take it further. But Pardi’s school years were rough — not because he lacked intelligence, but because he felt the traditional path wasn’t for him. At 15, he dropped out and left home. That decision pushed him into full independence, hustling to survive while investing in a home studio to start recording his first tracks.

The turning point came in 2019, when a robbery conviction sent him to prison for a year. “At first, I was mad because I thought I was losing my shot,” Pardi says. “But prison taught me I was focused on the wrong things. I wrote every day, read books for the first time in my life, and started planning my next moves.”

When he got out, the world was in lockdown from COVID-19. Rather than slow down, he doubled his efforts. His breakout moment came with his track Fresh Out, which hit a million views and made people in Toronto stand up and take notice.

Today, AFTERPARDI is not just chasing the dream — he’s building it from the ground up. With a 5-song EP on the way and a focus on originality in a saturated rap scene, Pardi is proving that his past doesn’t define him — his hustle does.

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