Yoko Gold is a Canadian singer, songwriter and record producer of Jamaican descent, born Moses Peterson and raised between Toronto and Miami. He grew up in a religious household, with both parents reportedly serving as preachers, and was exposed to music from an early age. His interest in music developed naturally through his family environment, while artists such as T-Pain and Cassidy influenced his early musical tastes. He is also the younger brother of Canadian rapper Tory Lanez. Despite coming from a family with a strong musical connection, Yoko Gold has maintained a relatively private personal life, with little publicly documented information about his relationships, education or life away from music. His Jamaican heritage, Canadian upbringing and experiences growing up between Toronto and Miami have all contributed to the perspective he brings to his artistry.
Four: Limbo
Released on August 4, 2023, “Limbo” is a solo single by Toronto-based R&B artist Yoko Gold, released through One Umbrella Records. The song later became part of his debut project, Escape From Limbo, which was released on October 18, 2024. The title “Limbo” is central to the song’s meaning. Yoko Gold uses limbo as a metaphor for being caught between the life he currently has and the life he wants to achieve. Throughout the record, he reflects on uncertainty, ambition, financial struggles, personal responsibilities and the difficulty of making decisions while trying to move forward.“Limbo” has garnered over 649K streams on Spotify and over 20K views on its official music video on YouTube. The song received positive attention from music publications following its release. BuzzMusic premiered the record and praised Gold’s return to the spotlight, while Neon Music later highlighted its atmospheric production and described its central theme as the tension between identity and ambition. Although “Limbo” did not receive major mainstream award nominations or significant professional chart recognition, its reception helped establish the direction of Gold’s developing solo catalogue.
FYI
- One interesting fact about Yoko Gold is that his stage name has a personal origin. His girlfriend used to call him “Baby Yoko,” inspired by Bed Peace, and the name stuck. “Gold” came from a friend who would label his songs as either average or “Gold” when he really liked them. Yoko later adopted the full name to reflect his standard for music—positivity, creativity, and longevity.
Three: Mirage
“Mirage” is one of Yoko Gold’s most notable solo releases and the second single he released in the run-up to his debut project, Escape From Limbo. This track was released on September 29, 2023. The title “Mirage” captures the central idea of the song: the illusion that material success and an extravagant lifestyle automatically lead to fulfilment. Commercially, “Mirage” achieved meaningful streaming success for a solo release from an emerging artist, garnering over 1M streams on Spotify and over 106K views on its official music video on YouTube. The song also received positive attention from Canadian music media. HipHopCanada described Gold as an artist whose musical ability extended beyond the collaborations that initially brought him wider attention, while presenting “Mirage” as a record through which he explored the difference between reality and illusion. The song’s life continued beyond its original 2023 single release. “Mirage” was subsequently included on Yoko Gold’s 2024 debut album, Escape From Limbo, where it became one of the project’s standout tracks. The album itself received a generally favourable response from listeners, with several reviewers on Album of the Year specifically naming “Mirage” among their favourite tracks.
Two: Overtime
Released on May 22, 2026, “Overtime” is Yoko Gold’s latest single release and forms part of his three-track Gemini Moon release. The release arrived alongside two other songs on Gemini Moon, marking his first new project following his 2025 single “Beaming.” Lyrically, “Overtime” centres on desire, attraction and the intensity of wanting to spend more time with someone. The title works as a metaphor for going beyond the normal limits of time and effort for a romantic connection. Rather than being a heavily narrative song, Gold keeps the writing intimate and mood-driven, allowing the smooth production and repetitive vocal phrasing to reinforce the feeling of being caught up in attraction. Commercially, “Overtime” is still in its early stages because it was only released in May 2026. Nevertheless, it has garnered over 122K streams on Spotify and over 13K views on YouTube. The song has already attracted attention from listeners despite being a very recent release. On Album of the Year, “Gemini Moon” currently carries an 88/100 user score based on three ratings, while one of the featured user reviews specifically focused on “Overtime,” describing it as a smooth R&B record and praising Gold as an underrated artist.
Awards/Nominations
- As of 2026, Yoko Gold has yet to receive a major individual music award nomination or win. While his catalogue has achieved significant streaming success, including the RIAA-certified “Hurts Me,” his recognition to date has largely come through the performance of his music rather than major award ceremonies.
- Notably, the music video for his song “Obsolete” won awards at the Austin Under the Stars Film Festival in 2024 and the Los Angeles Music Video Awards in 2025, although those honours were awarded for the video and its creative direction rather than to Yoko Gold personally.
Discography
* Escape From Limbo (2024)
One: Hurts Me
“Hurts Me” is a collaboration between Canadian artists Tory Lanez and Yoko Gold and American rapper Trippie Redd, it was released on June 27, 2023. For Yoko Gold, however, the record became a defining moment in his catalogue and, by a very wide margin, his biggest song to date. Lyrically, “Hurts Me” revolves around a complicated romantic relationship marked by jealousy, mistrust and emotional conflict. The song presents the perspective of someone who feels hurt by the actions of a romantic partner while simultaneously acknowledging that the relationship remains difficult to walk away from. The contrast between the melodic R&B elements and the rap performances gives the record its distinctive character. The song’s biggest achievement came through streaming as it has garnered over 423M streams on Spotify and over 34.6M views on its official music video on YouTube, making it Yoko Gold’s most-streamed track by an enormous margin. Commercially, “Hurts Me” became a major international success. In the United States, the song did not enter the main Billboard Hot 100, but it reached No. 5 on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100, effectively placing it just outside the main 100-song chart. It also charted in several other territories, including Canada and the United Kingdom. Its performance was particularly notable considering that Yoko Gold was still establishing himself as a solo artist when the song was released. The record has also achieved official industry certification. On August 25, 2025, the Recording Industry Association of America certified “Hurts Me” as a Gold single, with Tory Lanez, Trippie Redd and Yoko Gold all listed among the credited artists. That certification is particularly significant because it provides formal industry recognition of the song’s commercial performance.