Prolific drops a video for “The Grind,” which was produced by Anno Domini and directed by Niko Stupin.

The Grind is set in a desolate graffiti-splattered urban sprawl. The raw artistic background of Toronto’s graffiti alleys, downtown in the blocks between Queen and Richmond, reveal a music world separate from nightclubs, flashing lights and screaming fans; a world in which the environment is unforgiving and real. Prolific fills the alleys with his raw hip-hop abilities—a variety of hard-hitting punchlines and double-time runs. He even doubles as the DJ for the scratches on the hook of the song. With years of battles, cyphers, live shows and studio recordings under his belt, Prolific’s earned the authority to drop knowledge on the rap industry: “Learn to love the hate, and then deflect it / or better yet dissect it so you can redirect it.”