Mubarak Adeyemi, otherwise known as TheHonestGuy, uses soulful melodies and grooves to attract his audience to the R&B genre. Now based out of Toronto, the Nigerian born artist wants his music to be accessible and pull in a diverse crowd. He was exposed to R&B at an early age and uses idols like d’Angelo and Kool & The Gang to influence his music. That combination of soul and funk has heavily inspired his work in creating what he calls “funky soul”.

Growing up being socially isolated, he finds his best inspiration when writing alone. He uses real people and situations to base his music off of, for example, he wrote track “Hanging with You” after spending the day observing couples on Toronto island. He has released several albums since coming onto the scene, one of his more popular works being How To Make Love (2021). This album earned him a JUNO nomination in the Traditional R&B/Soul category at the 2023 JUNOs. It was a critically acclaimed hit, ranking high on Spotify, Apple Music, and CBC Music; he quickly became an artist to watch in the genre, with his tracks even played on television. His latest album, VELVET SOUL, earned him the JUNO win in the Traditional R&B/Soul category at the 2025 JUNOs.

Awards

• JUNO for Traditional R&B/Soul Recording of the Year (2025)