Tommy Paxton-Beesley (born 1991), also known as River Tiber, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer.. Chart Attack, May 12, 2016. His Grammy award-winning contributions include Kendrick Lamar’s "Savior" and Kaytranada’s "Freefall", plus Grammy nominations for songwriting and production of global hits by Drake ("No Tellin’"), SZA ("Broken Clocks"), Travis Scott ("Astrothunder"), James Blake ("I Keep Calling"), Giveon ("Like I Want You"), Kendrick Lamar ("Savior"), Charlotte Day Wilson ("Cyan Blue"), and Kaytranada ("Hold On").
Tommy Paxton-Beesley launched River Tiber in 2011. He is embedded in a circle of Canadian musicians including Daniel Caesar, Kaytranada, BADBADNOTGOOD, Charlotte Day Wilson, Frank Dukes, Jazz Cartier, Justin Nozuka, and Sean Leon. Shared compositions and musical conversations including samples, beats, backing vocals and textures have been interwoven and shared between these artists. River Tiber’s voice and instrumentation have formed the cores of work by artists including Travis Scott, James Blake, Giveon, Post Malone, PARTYNEXTDOOR, Freddie Gibbs, Ghostface Killah, Camila Cabello, Kodak Black, Jhene Aiko, Ty Dolla $ign, and Usher.
Background Paxton-Beesley was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario. He also spent a year in Italy as a child, where he lived near the Tiber River. Growing up, he took part in community music programs and attended the Claude Watson School for the Arts. He attended McGill University before graduating from the Berklee School of Music."Sound of the 6ix: How Drake inspired Toronto to mint its own music". The Globe and Mail, July 30, 2016.
He released his debut EP The Star Falls in 2013, and followed up in 2015 with When the Time Is Right."River Tiber: 'When the Time Is Right'". Exclaim!, September 14, 2015. A track from the latter EP, "No Talk", was sampled by producer Boi-1da for "No Tellin'", from the 2015 album If You're Reading This It's Too Late."Who The Hell Is River Tiber and Why Is He Suddenly Everywhere?". Noisey, February 26, 2015. Paxton-Beesley has also collaborated with BADBADNOTGOOD on their 2015 album Sour Soul, with Kaytranada on his Polaris Music Prize-winning 99.9%, and with Jazz Cartier on a track for Hotel Paranoia.
He released his debut full-length album Indigo in 2016."River Tiber: Indigo". Exclaim!, June 21, 2016. In 2017, he won a MuchMusic Video Award for "Acid Test","Acceptance and diversity get major stage time at MMVAs". Hamilton Spectator, June 19, 2017. and the song was a shortlisted finalist for the SOCAN Songwriting Prize in 2017."Punk Phenoms PUP Win $10,000 SOCAN Songwriting Prize". Canada Newswire, July 12, 2017. During the end of the decade, he worked with Toronto artists Charlotte Day Wilson and Daniel Caesar.
On December 9, 2022, he released his sophomore record "Dreaming Eyes"."River Tiber: Dreaming Eyes". Killbeat Music, December 9th, 2022. The album release was accompanied by a music video for the track "Hypnotized" which was conceptualized and directed by Leo Aguirre."ATWOOD MAGAZINE’S WEEKLY ROUNDUP". Atwood Magazine, December 16th, 2022. “Hypnotized” was also sampled on Kendrick Lamar’s "Savior" from his 2023 Grammy Award-winning album Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers."Best New Canadian Tracks This Week: Skiifall, River Tiber, Zeina". Complex, December 9th, 2022.
Personal life He is the brother of actress Alex Paxton-Beesley."Grolsch Open House River Tiber". ION Magazine, September 4, 2014. He is the son of visual artist Philip Beesley. .
Discography Studio albums From Now On (2011) Synapses (2013) Indigo (2016) Dreaming Eyes (2022) Dreaming Eyes (Instrumentals) (2023)
Extended plays The Star Falls (2013) When the Time Is Right (2015) Spirals (2025)
Singles
"Prophets" (2014) "West" with Daniel Caesar from Indigo (2016) "Illusions" (feat. Pusha T) / "Gravity" (2016) "Acid Test" from Indigo (2016) "Patience" (2017) "Deep End" (2018) "Taurus" (2019) "Nevada" (2019) "Rainbow Road" / "Hypnotized" (2020) "Sent from Above" (2021) "Peace" / "Here or There" (2023) "Tell Her" / "Stranger" [with Justin Nozuka] (2024)
As featured artist
Kaytranada – "Bus Ride" and "Vivid Dreams" (feat. River Tiber) – from 99.9% (2015) Selena Gomez – "Kill Em With Kindness - River Tiber Remix" single (2016) Jazz Cartier – "Tell Me" (feat. River Tiber) from Hotel Paranoia (2016); also producer Junia-T – "Tommy's Intro" (feat. River Tiber & Sean Leon) from Studio Monk (2020) Sean Leon - "Memories (Reprise)" (feat. River Tiber) from In Loving Memory (2023)
Songwriting credits indicates a featured artist contribution.
indicates an additional/co-producer contribution.
indicates a background vocal contribution.
Year Artist Album Song Co-written with2014 Justin Nozuka Ulysees "Right By You" Nozuka "Sweet Lover" BadBadNotGood III "CS60" Matthew Tavares, Chester Hansen, Alex Sowinski, Frank Dukes2015 Drake If You're Reading This It's Too Late "No Tellin'" Frank Dukes, et al. BadBadNotGood & Ghostface Killah Sour Soul "Ray Gun" (feat. MF Doom) Tavares, Hansen, Sowinski, Frank Dukes, MF Doom"Experience"Tavares, Hansen, Sowinski, Frank DukesPartyNextDoorN/A (later released on 2020's Partypack)"Things & Such" (fka. "Kehlani's Freestyle"Frank Dukes, et al.Travis Scott Rodeo "Oh My Dis Side" Frank Dukes, et al. Mac Miller GO:OD AM "ROS"Frank Dukes, et al.Mac MillerGO:OD AM"Perfect Circle/Godspeed"Frank Dukes, et al.2016Kaytranada99.9% "Bus Ride"Kaytranada "Vivid Dreams" KaytranadaJahkoyForeign Water"Selfish" Frank Dukes, et al.Usher Hard II Love"Make U a Believer"Frank Dukes, et al.2017SZACtrl"Broken Clocks"Frank Dukes, Daniel Caesar, et al. Jhené AikoTrip "Never Call Me"Frank Dukes, et al.2018Travis ScottAstroworld"Astrothunder"Frank Dukes, Matthew Tavares, et al. Charlotte Day WilsonStone Woman"Falling Apart"Charlotte Day Wilson, Matthew TavaresCamila CabelloRomance"Feel It Twice"Frank Dukes, Matthew Tavares, et al.2019KaytranadaBubba"Freefall" (feat. Durand Bernarr)Durand Bernarr, Louis Kevin Celestin2019Daniel CaesarCase Study 01"Entropy"Daniel Caesar, et al. "Cyanide"Daniel Caesar, Matthew Burnett, Jordan Evans, et al."Open Up""Superposition" (feat. John Mayer)"Too Deep to Turn Back""Are You OK?"Giveon Take Time "Like I Want You"Jahaan Sweet, et al.2020James BlakeBefore"I Keep Calling"James Blake, Charlotte Day Wilson, Matthew Tavares, et al.2023Kendrick LamarMr. Morale & the Big Steppers"Savior"Kendrick Lamar, Mario Luciano Dragoi, Mark Spears, Ronald LaTour, Daniel Tannenbaum, Tobais Breuer, J. Pounds, Sam Dew2024KaytranadaTimeless"Hold On" (feat. Dawn Richard)Louis Kevin Celestin, Dawn Richard2024Charlotte Day WilsonCyan Blue"Money"Charlotte Day WIlson, Jack Rochon, Jason Robinson, Jonah Yano2024SmileyDon't Box Me In"Spill The Tea"Alexandre Morand, Jacier Pearson, Ryan Golden, Kaleb "KK McFly" Harper2025Drake & PARTYNEXTDOOR$ome $exy $ongs For You"SMALL TOWN FAME"Aubrey Drake Graham
Other credits Albums Justin Nozuka – Ulysees (2014); musician BadBadNotGood – III (2014); guitar, violin, cello BadBadNotGood & Ghostface Killah – Sour Soul (2015); cello, violin, trombone, guitar, organ Tess Parks – Blood Hot (2015); co-producer, drums, guitar, bass, tambourine, cello Kingsway Music Library – Colors (2015); musician Tracks Daniel Caesar – "Death & Taxes" from Pilgrim's Paradise (2015); music Sean Leon – "This Ain't 2012" single (2015); additional vocals Freddie Gibbs – "Insecurities" from Shadow of a Doubt (2015); additional vocals Daniel Caesar – "Won't Live Here" single (2016); music Charlotte Day Wilson – "Where Do You Go" from CDW (2016); producer, bass, cello, violin, synth Post Malone – "Cold" from Stoney (2016); background vocals Charlotte Day Wilson – "Let You Down" & "Falling Apart" from Stone Woman (2018); strings, synth, vocals, drums Kaytranda – "Freefall" from Bubba (2019); synth
Awards and nominations
YearAssociationCategoryNominated workResult2016Grammy AwardsBest Rap AlbumIf You're Reading This It's Too Late (Drake) (as songwriter) 2017 iHeartRadio MMVAs Best MuchFACT Video"Acid Test" SOCAN Songwriting PrizeBest Song – Anglophone Best Song – Anglophone"Won't Live Here" (Daniel Caesar) (as songwriter) 2018Soul Train Music AwardsThe Ashford & Simpson Songwriter's Award"Broken Clocks" (SZA) (as songwriter) 2019Grammy AwardsGrammy Award for Best Urban Contemporary AlbumCTRL (SZA) (as songwriter) 2019ASCAP Rhythm & Soul AwardsAward Winning R&B/Hip-Hop Songs"Broken Clocks" (SZA) (as songwriter) 2019Grammy AwardsBest Rap AlbumAstroworld (Travis Scott) (as songwriter) 2023Grammy AwardsBest Rap AlbumMr. Morale & The Big Steppers (Kendrick Lamar) (as songwriter)
Touring Ensemble/Instrumentation 2024-25
River Tiber (Tommy Paxton-Beesley) vocals, guitar, bass, trombone, keys, drums weaa.org
John Mavro (John Mavrogiannis) — guitar, piano, drums, backing vocals weaa.org
Dan Only — keys, synths, bass, backing vocals weaa.org
Guest performer: Justin Nozuka — keys, background vocals Killbeat Music
Projections: Maritza Campos, Leo Aguirre
References