Keith Sweat returns to Toronto alongside Grammy-nominated producer Roy Hamilton III to spotlight their rising Afro-fusion collaboration, Working and Working II. With over 10 million streams and a growing global radio presence, the project connects New Jack Swing legacy to African and Caribbean rhythms, highlighting a powerful Canadian partnership during Black History Month.
Toronto is once again at the centre of a meaningful musical convergence. R&B icon Keith Sweat is heading to the city with Grammy-nominated producer Roy Hamilton III, co-founder of Toronto-based label The Singers Company, at a pivotal moment in their creative partnership. Their Afro-fusion collaboration, Working, and its remix, Working II, featuring Nigerian breakout star Qing Madi and rap heavyweight Lil Wayne, are gaining strong international traction and signalling a bold new chapter.
The timing, during Black History Month, deepens the resonance. A pioneer of the New Jack Swing era is reconnecting with African and Caribbean sonic traditions while partnering with a Canadian independent label. It is legacy meeting evolution in real time.
A sound bridging generations and continents
Few artists have shaped late 20th-century R&B as profoundly as Keith Sweat. Emerging from Harlem in the 1980s, he helped define New Jack Swing by blending traditional soul vocals with hip-hop production. His debut album, Make It Last Forever, and hits like I Want Her, Twisted, and Nobody cemented his place in music history.
Now, nearly four decades into his career, Sweat is stepping into a new chapter. His collaboration with Roy Hamilton III signals a deliberate embrace of Afro-fusion, drawing from African highlife, Afrobeat percussion, Caribbean rhythm, and contemporary R&B.
The remix single Working II has already surpassed 10 million streams, while the original Working reached #2 on Radio Monitor. Both tracks continue to chart globally. This momentum is laying the foundation for an upcoming project titled International Sweat.
Hamilton III describes the sound as a fusion of influences spanning Fela Kuti, Tony Allen, Desmond Dekker, Toots and the Maytals, Bob Marley, Roy Hamilton, Sam Cooke, and Otis Redding. It is an intergenerational dialogue between African, Caribbean, and African American musical traditions.
The Canadian connection reshaping the narrative
At the centre of this evolution is The Singers Company, the Toronto-based artist development label co-founded by Roy Hamilton III. While Hamilton’s résumé includes over 70 million albums sold through work with artists such as Michael Jackson, Britney Spears, Justin Bieber, and Ariana Grande, his current focus is on building sustainable careers through strategic artist development.
The media kit outlines his role as Executive Producer and Head of A&R at The Singers Company in Toronto. Beyond production credits, Hamilton has discovered and launched internationally recognized talent, reinforcing his reputation as a mentor and industry architect.
This partnership carries particular weight for Canadian audiences:
- A Canadian independent label is helping shape a global R&B legend’s next sonic chapter.
- New Afro-fusion material is positioned for Canadian content recognition in 2026.
- The project bridges Toronto’s diasporic communities with mainstream North American R&B.
Toronto’s music ecosystem has long thrived on cross-cultural currents. Afrobeat, dancehall, soca, and contemporary African pop dominate streaming charts and club rotations across the GTA. Sweat’s new direction aligns with the city’s lived reality, where Caribbean and African rhythms form the backbone of nightlife, radio, and youth culture.
Qing Madi and the next wave
The collaboration also highlights generational exchange. Qing Madi, an 18-year-old Nigerian singer-songwriter and viral TikTok creator, represents the digital-first African music movement that has redefined global pop. Her presence on Working injects youthful energy and continental authenticity.
The remix, featuring Lil Wayne, adds transatlantic commercial reach. Together, the collaborators reflect the layered evolution of Black music: Harlem roots, Jamaican-American production, Nigerian vocal stylings, Canadian label infrastructure, and Southern hip-hop influence.
It is a reminder that Black musical innovation has always travelled fluidly across borders.
Black music legacy in motion
Keith Sweat’s return to Toronto is also an opportunity to reflect on legacy. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, New Jack Swing reshaped R&B by centring groove, vulnerability, and crossover appeal. That movement laid the groundwork for artists who followed, from Montell Jordan to Bruno Mars.
Sweat’s current Afro-fusion exploration extends that lineage rather than revisiting nostalgia. The music acknowledges ancestry while engaging present-day sonic trends. It underscores how Black artists continuously reinterpret their heritage through contemporary production and global collaboration.
Roy Hamilton III’s own lineage reinforces that continuity. As the grandson of legendary singer Roy Hamilton, he carries a multigenerational commitment to integrity and musical excellence. His stated mission emphasizes equipping artists with both creative and business literacy, an approach that aligns with long-term sustainability rather than short-term hype.
Toronto as cultural crossroads
Toronto’s position as a diasporic hub makes it a natural incubator for Afro-fusion innovation. African and Caribbean communities shape everything from radio programming to festival lineups. Streaming data consistently reflects strong demand for Afrobeats, amapiano, dancehall, and Afro-Caribbean hybrids across Canadian markets.
Sweat and Hamilton’s presence in the city during Black History Month amplifies this context. It signals recognition that Canadian audiences are active participants in shaping global Black music trends.
The potential CANCON implications add another dimension. A project developed in partnership with a Canadian label opens pathways for radio programming, industry recognition, and homegrown cultural ownership of globally relevant sound.
A conversation worth having
With both Keith Sweat and Roy Hamilton III in Toronto together, this moment offers a unique opportunity for dialogue around:
- The evolution of New Jack Swing into Afro-fusion
- The global rise of Afro-Caribbean sounds in Canadian markets
- Independent label strategy in a streaming-driven economy
- Intergenerational mentorship within Black music
It is rare to witness a legacy artist recalibrating his sound in collaboration with a Canadian development powerhouse while engaging emerging African talent.
Where legacy meets the future
Black History Month often invites reflection. This visit invites participation. It demonstrates that Black musical heritage is not static; it expands, remixes, and reinvents itself.
Keith Sweat’s catalogue remains foundational. His new Afro-fusion direction shows that influence does not end with past accolades. It evolves alongside cultural currents and emerging voices.
For Toronto, this collaboration represents something tangible: a seat at the table in shaping the next chapter of global Black music. When a Harlem-born pioneer, a Jamaican-American producer rooted in Toronto, and a Nigerian Gen Z star converge in one city, the result is more than a single release cycle.
It is evidence that Black music continues to move through networks of trust, mentorship, and shared ancestry. And in 2026, that movement runs straight through Toronto.
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