This ‘true blood Newfie’ is taking the country music scene by storm

From cleaner to the Canadian Country Music Awards, musician Dax is set to perform in the Maritimes.

While attending college and playing basketball in Wichita, Kansas, Dax worked as a part-time janitor in the school’s art department.

Little did he know, the job would change his life.

One day, Dax found himself tearing down art displays after a poetry event at the school where he found himself thinking of writing his own poem.

“I wrote my first poem, showed it to a teammate,” Dax tells CTV Atlantic. “He was like, “Wow! I can’t believe you wrote this,’ so that made me keep writing poems, and those poems eventually turned into music.”

He later started posting inventive videos for his music online, quickly growing a huge following.

“I was, like, ‘If I can personally talk to one million people myself and I’m providing a good service, then there’s no reason it shouldn’t spread.’”

Dax released his breakthrough track in 2017, along with two successful Eps and a studio album since.

Earlier this year, he released a country crossover remix called “Dear Alcohol,” an instant viral sensation.

“The response has been amazing,” said Dax. “People are getting the lyrics tattooed all over their body and things like that.”

He was even invited to perform the song at this year’s Canadian Country Music Awards.

“It was just cool, and they were really open and showing me a lot of support and love,” said Dax. “I was nervous as hell.”

The Nigerian-Canadian rapper grew up in Ottawa and has lived all over the United States, but his roots stem from the East Coast.

He may have only lived in St. John’s, N.L., for under a year, but Dax considers himself a “true blood Newfie.”

And he’s excited to be back in Atlantic Canada for two shows this month. Dax is performing in Moncton on Dec. 10 and in Halifax on Dec. 11 in support of his latest album “Pain Paints Paintings.”