Optikz

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Optikz
Born
Darren Piper

1983 (age 41–42)
Cairns, Queensland, Australia
OriginGuelph, Ontario, Canada
GenresHip hop, rap
Occupation(s)Rapper, singer, songwriter
InstrumentVocals
Years active1990s–present
LabelsRoyal City Records, Systematix Records, Lions Heart Records, Grey Wall Sound
Websiteoptikzofficial.com

Darren Piper (born 1983), known professionally as Optikz, is an Australian–Canadian rapper, singer, and songwriter.[1][2] Active since the late 1990s, he emerged from the underground hip‑hop scene in Guelph, Ontario.

Early life

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Born in Cairns, Queensland, Australia, Piper relocated to Guelph, Ontario, Canada, with his family in 1990.[1] During his teenage years, he became immersed in the local hip‑hop and skateboarding cultures. He was active as a breakdancer until a severe ankle injury from skateboarding and a subsequent spine condition required major reconstructive surgeries, putting an end to his dreams of a skateboarding career. During this period of recovery, Piper began writing lyrics and adopted the moniker Optikz.[3][4]

In the late 1990s, Optikz co‑founded the independent record label Royal City Records and hip‑hop group RCR in Guelph. In 2001, RCR performed as the opening act for prominent Canadian hip‑hop artists IRS, Concise, and Juno Award‑winning hip‑hop group the Rascalz.[5] The group released their debut album, Royal City Records Presents… RCR, in 2002 before disbanding.[6]

Following the dissolution of RCR, Optikz pursued a solo career. He enrolled in the Independent Music Production program at Seneca College in Toronto, graduating in 2006.[3] He then established Systematix Records to release his own work.[7][8]

Career

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In the mid‑2000s, Optikz's solo career progressed with the release of his first underground album, Area Fifty One Nine Covert Ops (2005). The following year, he achieved regional notice with the single "Coming From The Cold," produced by Juno Award‑winner Classified.[9]

In 2006, Optikz won two Top 40 radio talent competitions: Magic 106.1 FM’s "Royal City Sings" contest and 91.5 The Beat’s "Rhythm of the Future Talent Search," leading to work with Juno Award‑winner Marcus Kane on his single "Rise Up" and opening slots for prominent artists.[1][10] He performed at Hiphoptoberfest in Kitchener, opening for Snow, k‑os, and Jelleestone. In 2007, he was an opening act for Nas’ Hip Hop Is Dead tour at Centre in the Square in Kitchener, Ontario, which also featured K'naan and Elephant Man. His second independent album, Focusin, was released in 2008 on his own Lions Heart Records label. Exclaim! magazine acknowledged the album's polished production and honesty but found its thematic focus repetitive.[11] The single "Break" received airplay on MuchMusic, and another track, "Let's Stay Together," held the No. 1 position on Galaxie Satellite Radio's hip‑hop chart for seven weeks in 2007.

In the early 2010s, Optikz wrote and performed a theme song for the national retailer Mark's, formerly Mark's Work Wearhouse, and in 2014 wrote "Go Gryphs Go," the official theme song for the University of Guelph Gryphons varsity teams.[12][10][13] During this period, he also created radio ads for Vegehut Bakery Ltd and Arch.

After a hiatus, Optikz refocused on his own music in the late 2010s, recording new material at Metalworks Studios in Mississauga, Ontario. In 2019, he founded Grey Wall Sound, a professional recording studio in Guelph. Later, Optikz released a series of singles that explored themes of healing and personal trauma, including "Love The Child In Me" (2019), "Dark" (2019), and "So Long Goodbye" (2021). His songwriting gained international recognition when "Love The Child In Me" was selected as a finalist in the 2023 USA Songwriting Competition and received an honorable mention in the International Songwriting Competition.[14]

In 2025, Optikz announced his debut extended play, The Optikz EP. The project was preceded by the lead single "Champion", released in May 2025.[2][15]

Discography

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Studio albums

  • Area Fifty One Nine: Covert Ops (2005)
  • Focusin (2008)
  • Destiny (2011)

EPs

  • The Optikz EP (2025)

References

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  1. ^ a b c Scrozzo, Victoria (10 August 2006). "Now they're paying the Piper". The Record. p. F3. ProQuest 267192869.
  2. ^ a b Struthers, Joy (April 27, 2025). "Guelph hip-hop artist bounces back in new single 'Champion'". Guelph Mercury.
  3. ^ a b "Echo Weekly".
  4. ^ "National Addictions Awareness week: Former GRH patient shares his incredible journey to sobriety | Waterloo Regional Health Network".
  5. ^ Mercury, Jonathan Duncan Guelph (June 18, 2019). "Guelph Musician Darren 'Optikz' Piper fights the trauma of sexual abuse with music". Guelph Mercury.
  6. ^ Volmers, Eric (15 August 2002). "Ranting, revelling in rap; Diverse Guelph band, RCR, battle rhymed at a house party and now heads hip-hop scene". The Record. p. N3. ProQuest 266997440.
  7. ^ "Night Life".
  8. ^ "Cambridge Times".
  9. ^ "Optikz".
  10. ^ a b Mercury, Joy Struthers Guelph (October 5, 2023). "'It wasn't easy': Guelph hip hop artist rises up for a comeback". Guelph Mercury.
  11. ^ "Optikz │ Exclaim!". Optikz │ Exclaim!.
  12. ^ "Musician hits personal gold performing at Calgary show". Guelph Mercury. March 2, 2010.
  13. ^ "'Go Gryphs Go' debuted Tuesday". University of Guelph Athletics. August 26, 2014.
  14. ^ "International Songwriting Competition | the #1 Song Contest for Songwriters".
  15. ^ "Guelph hip-hop artist bounces back in new single 'Champion': You can hear the teaser now for the new Optikx song". Waterloo Region Record. 27 April 2025. ProQuest 3195146172.