By the time this Montreal MC had released his 2008 debut album, Les racines dans le béton, he was already a veteran, having cut his teeth as a teen in local rap battles and on DIY tracks released online. As his hit 2011 single declared, Koriass is indeed an “Enfant de l'asphalte”, channelling the nerve-wracked anxiety and crackling energy of life on the mean streets. But his authoritative swagger—equal parts JAY Z and Bukowski—is leavened by witty wordplay: amid the breathless verses of the 2013 single “Devenir Fou”, he manages to pack in shout-outs to The White Stripes, The Moody Blues, and Ginsu knives.