And another well-deserved feature on WondaGurl and her placement on the Jay-Z album. Now if only we could get our national media to start caring about our talent BEFORE they get the big co-sign. Imagine what a world that would be…

Brampton high schooler contributes to new Jay-Z album.

As a 9-year-old, Ebony Oshunrinde used to watch YouTube videos in her Mississauga bedroom of her favourite hip hop artists – Timbaland and Jay-Z – working in their studios.

This week, one of those heroes – Jay-Z – became a collaborator, after a beat produced by the now-16-year-old Ebony was included in the rapper’s new record.

“I listened to it last night in the studio, and I honestly felt like crying,” Ebony said in an interview. “It was a big moment in my life.”

And though the track, titled “Crown,” is earning Ebony attention from music industry heavy-hitters, Jay-Z and his high-flying rapper lifestyle is still worlds away from the teenager’s life in Brampton, where she now lives and has just finished grade 11.

Raised by her travel-agent mother, Ebony taught herself as a 9-year-old how to produce music by watching instructional videos off of YouTube.

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