Arlo Maverick is a community maven, a champion of underrepresented genres and musical communities with albums packed with features from fantastic Albertans, including Sinzere and K-Riz.

Arlo first discovered songwriting when he saw a girl writing down rhymes during a church service while the pastor was professing, and realized that you don’t just have to listen, you can carve your own narrative. With his cousins and Edmonton scene partners Dirt Gritie and Bigga Nolte alongside their DJ Sonny Grimezz, Arlo formed Politic Live, a collective that opened for Snoop Dogg, Busta Rhymes and Nas. Breaking out on his own in 2016 with Maybe Tomorrow, Arlo found his own voice, but never shut the doors on his collaborators, managing features on almost every track.

His brand of hip hop is intensely musical, incorporating soul, R&B and electronic elements. Live, Arlo brings his community with him, performing a full band and often guest singers and rappers. Now three Edmonton Music Awards deep, his latest is Blue Collar, a typically collaborative and exciting album invested with the competing influences of work and money, both what it can provide you and the weight of the need for it.

Arlo is tireless, also finding the time to produce the documentary Untouchable Crew on the ‘80s breakdance scene in Edmonton for Telus Optik TV and a video series sharing music industry tips for developing artists.

— Liam Prost