Submission declined on 27 January 2026 by ChrysGalley (talk). This draft is not adequately supported by reliable sources. Wikipedia's verifiability policy requires that all content be supported by reliable sources. Reliable sources include: reputable newspapers, magazines, academic journals, and books from respected publishers. Unacceptable sources include: personal blogs, social media, predatory publishers, most tabloids, and websites where anyone can contribute. Replace any unreliable sources with high-quality sources. If you cannot find a reliable source for the material, it should be removed. This draft's references do not show that the subject meets Wikipedia's criteria for inclusion for music. The draft requires either: evidence that the subject meets any of the specific criteria for music; or multiple published secondary sources that: provide significant coverage: discuss the subject in detail, not just brief mentions or routine announcements; are reliable: from reputable outlets with editorial oversight; are independent: not connected to the subject, such as interviews, press releases, the subject's own website, or sponsored content. Please add references that meet these criteria. If none exist, the subject is not yet suitable for Wikipedia. It is often easier to prove the notability of an album or artist than an individual song or band member. If the subject is not yet notable, consider improving a relevant existing article instead. If you would like to continue working on the submission, click on the "Edit" tab at the top of the window. If you have not resolved the issues listed above, your draft will be declined again and potentially deleted. If you need extra help, please ask us a question at the AfC Help Desk or get live help from experienced editors. Please do not remove reviewer comments or this notice until the submission is accepted. Where to get help If you need help editing or submitting your draft, please ask us a question at the AfC Help Desk or get live help from experienced editors. These venues are only for help with editing and the submission process, not to get reviews. If you need feedback on your draft, or if the review is taking a lot of time, you can try asking for help on the talk page of a relevant WikiProject. Some WikiProjects are more active than others so a speedy reply is not guaranteed. How to improve a draft Wikipedia:Contributing to Wikipedia – a basic overview on how to edit Wikipedia. Help:Wikitext – how to use the markup Help:Referencing for beginners – how to include references Wikipedia:Article development – how to develop your article Wikipedia:Writing better articles – how to improve your article Wikipedia:Verifiability – make sure your article includes reliable third-party sources You can also browse Wikipedia:Featured articles and Wikipedia:Good articles to find examples of Wikipedia's best writing on topics similar to your proposed article. Improving your odds of a speedy review To improve your odds of a faster review, tag your draft with relevant WikiProject tags using the button below. This will let reviewers know a new draft has been submitted in their area of interest. For instance, if you wrote about a female astronomer, you would want to add the Biography, Astronomy, and Women scientists tags. Add tags to your draft Editor resources Easy tools: Citation bot (help) | Advanced: Fix bare URLs Declined by ChrysGalley 4 months ago. Last edited by Kuru 4 months ago. Reviewer: Inform author. Resubmit Please note that if the issues are not fixed, the draft will be declined again.

Submission declined on 25 October 2025 by MediaKyle (talk). This draft's references do not show that the subject meets Wikipedia's criteria for inclusion for music. The draft requires either: evidence that the subject meets any of the specific criteria for music; or multiple published secondary sources that: provide significant coverage: discuss the subject in detail, not just brief mentions or routine announcements; are reliable: from reputable outlets with editorial oversight; are independent: not connected to the subject, such as interviews, press releases, the subject's own website, or sponsored content. Please add references that meet these criteria. If none exist, the subject is not yet suitable for Wikipedia. It is often easier to prove the notability of an album or artist than an individual song or band member. If the subject is not yet notable, consider improving a relevant existing article instead. Declined by MediaKyle 7 months ago.

• Comment: You can't use direct URLs inside an article, and in any case Instagram is not considered reliable, see WP:RSP. Wikipedia can't be used as a source either. The sourcing also uses a lot of references to the band's own Bandcamp site, which is self published. There is a lot of evidence of AI usage too (Rule of Three, specific wording not leading to specific facts).
  So quite a lot of this falls outside Wikipedia's policies and guidelines. The submitting editor is invited to review the policies and guidelines, given they are being paid. See also WP:YFA and WP:REFB. ChrysGalley (talk) 20:23, 27 January 2026 (UTC)

• Comment: This article is mostly unsourced, and what is sourced is nearly entirely attributed to Bandcamp. In order to demonstrate the notability of this band, the article will have to refer to a range of secondary, reliable sources which are independent of the subject. Everything you write about in the article must include an inline citation, and I would strongly advise that you do not use LLMs to assist you in any way - formatting issues and such will be fixed by other editors along the way. Regards, MediaKyle (talk) 16:29, 25 October 2025 (UTC)

• Comment: In accordance with the Wikimedia Foundation's Terms of Use, I disclose that I have been paid by my employer for my contributions to this article. Theplugpemedia (talk) 18:00, 24 October 2025 (UTC)

LAL Forest is a Canadian electronic and soul music collective formed in Toronto, Ontario, in 1998.^[1]. Known for their fusion of politically conscious lyrics, experimental sound design, and community-driven activism, the group has been a key force in shaping Canada’s diasporic and underground music scenes. The core members are vocalist and poet Rosina Kazi and producer Nicholas “murr” Murray, both of whom have played influential roles at the intersection of art, politics, and social justice within Toronto’s independent creative landscape.

LAL was formed when Rosina Kazi, a queer Bangladeshi-Canadian artist, and Nicholas “murr” Murray, a Barbados-born producer and founding member of the Juno Award-winning hip hop group Da Grassroots, met while working in the dance department of an HMV store in downtown Toronto. Initially collaborating with a rotating group of musicians, the project evolved into a duo focused on vocals and electronic production.^{[citation needed]}

LAL released their sophomore album, Warm Belly, High Power, in 2004 to critical acclaim. The album, which combined electronic textures with soul and global rhythms, was named Best Soul Album of the Year by Exclaim! magazine. Around this time, bassist Ian De Souza, of Indo-African heritage, joined the group, enriching their live performances with an improvisational jazz element.

Their live shows during this era combined dancefloor energy with political commentary, addressing migration, colonialism, and systemic inequality in Canada and beyond.

In 2008, LAL released Deportation, a politically charged concept album featuring over 20 guest artists and vocalists. The record served as a response to the post-9/11 climate of surveillance, deportation, and racial profiling in North America. It amplified the voices of Indigenous, migrant, and refugee communities living in Canada and further cemented the group’s reputation for creating politically engaged art.

Musically, Deportation drew from dub, ambient, and jazz influences, representing both mourning and resistance.

In April 2016, LAL released Find Safety^[2] through Coax Records^[3], a label founded by Canadian musician Rae Spoon. The album explored themes of belonging, identity, and resilience among QT/BIPOC (Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour) communities. It also reflected the political energy ^[4]of contemporary movements such as Idle No More, Black Lives Matter, and the refugee and disability justice movements.

In addition to their music, Kazi and Murray co-founded Unit 2, a Toronto-based community art and performance space that hosts independent shows, workshops, and gatherings centering queer, trans, and racialized artists.

LAL’s 2019 album Dark Beings was longlisted for the Polaris Music Prize in 2021.^[5]

Critics praised the album’s innovative production and its blend of electronic experimentation with political introspection. The project reflected on surveillance, love, and liberation through a diasporic and queer lens.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, LAL created two visual albums; Meteors Could Come Down^[6] and Spectacular^[7], directed by filmmaker José Gracia. These works featured collaborations with Black, Brown, Queer^[8], and Trans artists and explored visual storytelling through movement and sound.^[9] More to come on this Documentary in 2026.

LAL also performed internationally, including at Live at Leeds 2021, alongside acts such as Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes, Sports Team, and The Big Moon.^[10]

Rosina Kazi

Rosina Kazi (she/they) is a singer, poet, curator, and community organizer.^{[citation needed]} They have programmed and consulted for festivals including Masala Mehndi Masti, Mayworks, the Afro-Latin-South Asian Festival, and Luminato Festival.^{[citation needed]}

Nicholas “murr” Murray

Nicholas Murray, known professionally as murr, is a Barbados-born composer, producer, and sound designer. A self-taught musician, he began producing with dual tape decks before co-founding Da Grassroots, a pivotal collective in Canadian hip hop. In addition to his work with LAL, murr has created sound designs for theatre productions including Out the Window (Luminato, 2018), Noor (for which he was nominated for a Dora Mavor Moore Award), and A Suicide-Site Guide to the City by Mammalian Diving Reflex.

His sound work integrates narrative storytelling with experimental production, reflecting his roots in hip hop, dub, and electronic music.

Over more than two decades, LAL has maintained an enduring presence in Canada’s independent music scene. Their work merges activism with art^[11], embodying a decolonial and intersectional approach to music-making. They have influenced a generation of queer, trans, and racialized artists by modeling an autonomous, community-rooted creative practice.

Through their recordings, live performances, and the communal energy ^[12]of Unit 2^[13], LAL continues to challenge mainstream narratives around race, gender, and belonging in the Canadian arts landscape^[14]

Category:Birthdays by person