Jay-Z’s ‘Magna Carta’ Features Ontario Teenager, WondaGurl

Music

July 4, 2013

Jay-Z's new record 'Magna Carta Holy Grail' was unveiled today and it features a surprise contribution by a Canadian: a beat crafted by 16-year-old Brampton, Ontario producer Ebony Oshunrinde, aka WondaGurl.

The record, released after a two-week promotional binge, actually features two Canucks: Boi-1da (pronounced Boy Won-dah) and WondaGurl. They join an ensemble of artists that includes Frank Ocean, Justin Timberlake, Timbaland, Rick Ross, Pharell, Nas, Swizz Beatz and Beyonce.

Inspired by producers like Timbaland, Oshunrinde began making her own beats at age nine. From there, she went on to win Toronto's Battle of the Beat Makers competition and signed with the label Black Box, home to Canadian artists like Classified and Shad. Her production was featured on SonReal & Rich Kidd's collaborative record, 'The Closers'.

Oshunrinde sent her beat to Travi$ Scott, a rapper-producer from Houston she met in 2012. Scott happened to be in the studio with Jay-Z when he received the beat from Oshunrinde. A few days later, Scott texted her and said "I'm about to change your life", as Oshunrinde says in an interview for Mississauga.com.

Further exploration of her work can be found on her SoundCloud page.

One million copies of 'Magna Carta Holy Grail', Jay-Z's 12th solo-studio album release, became available to Samsung Galaxy owners Thursday, a few days before it hits shelves. This ensures his best opening week sales figure of his career - even better than the opening week sales of his first four albums combined. He's not a businessman, he's a business, man. Check out a stream of 'Magna Carta Holy Grail' below.