River Tiber (musician)


Tommy Paxton-Beesley, also known as River Tiber, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer. 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, Sza, Travis Scott, James Blake, Giveon, Kendrick Lamar, Charlotte Day Wilson, and Kaytranada.
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.
He released his debut EP The Star Falls in 2013, and followed up in 2015 with When the Time Is Right. 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. 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. In 2017, he won a MuchMusic Video Award for "Acid Test", and the song was a shortlisted finalist for the SOCAN Songwriting Prize in 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". The album release was accompanied by a music video for the track "Hypnotized" which was conceptualized and directed by Leo Aguirre. “Hypnotized” was also sampled on Kendrick Lamar’s "Savior" from his 2023 Grammy Award-winning album Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers.

Personal life

He is the brother of actress Alex Paxton-Beesley. He is the son of visual artist Philip Beesley.

Discography

Studio albums

  • From Now On
  • Synapses
  • Indigo
  • Dreaming Eyes
  • ''Dreaming Eyes ''

Extended plays

  • The Star Falls
  • When the Time Is Right
  • ''Spirals''

Singles

  • "Prophets"
  • "West" with Daniel Caesar from Indigo
  • "Illusions" / "Gravity"
  • "Acid Test" from Indigo
  • "Patience"
  • "Deep End"
  • "Taurus"
  • "Nevada"
  • "Rainbow Road" / "Hypnotized"
  • "Sent from Above"
  • "Peace" / "Here or There"
  • "Tell Her" / "Stranger"

As featured artist

Songwriting credits

indicates a featured artist contribution.
indicates an additional/co-producer contribution.
indicates a background vocal contribution.
YearArtistAlbumSongCo-written with
2014Justin NozukaUlysees"Right By You"Nozuka
2014Justin NozukaUlysees"Sweet Lover"Nozuka
2014BadBadNotGoodIII"CS60"Matthew Tavares, Chester Hansen, Alex Sowinski, Frank Dukes
2015DrakeIf You're Reading This It's Too Late"No Tellin'"Frank Dukes, et al.
2015BadBadNotGood & Ghostface KillahSour Soul"Ray Gun" Tavares, Hansen, Sowinski, Frank Dukes, MF Doom
2015BadBadNotGood & Ghostface KillahSour Soul"Experience"Tavares, Hansen, Sowinski, Frank Dukes
2015PartyNextDoorN/A "Things & Such" Durand Bernarr, Louis Kevin Celestin
2019Daniel CaesarCase Study 01"Entropy"Daniel Caesar, et al.
2019Daniel CaesarCase Study 01"Cyanide"Daniel Caesar, Matthew Burnett, Jordan Evans, et al.
2019Daniel CaesarCase Study 01"Open Up"Daniel Caesar, Matthew Burnett, Jordan Evans, et al.
2019Daniel CaesarCase Study 01"Superposition" Daniel Caesar, Matthew Burnett, Jordan Evans, et al.
2019Daniel CaesarCase Study 01"Too Deep to Turn Back"Daniel Caesar, Matthew Burnett, Jordan Evans, et al.
2019Daniel CaesarCase Study 01"Are You OK?"Daniel Caesar, Matthew Burnett, Jordan Evans, et al.
2019GiveonTake 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 Dew
2024KaytranadaTimeless"Hold On" Louis Kevin Celestin, Dawn Richard
2024Charlotte Day WilsonCyan Blue"Money"Charlotte Day WIlson, Jack Rochon, Jason Robinson, Jonah Yano
2024SmileyDon't Box Me In"Spill The Tea"Alexandre Morand, Jacier Pearson, Ryan Golden, Kaleb "KK McFly" Harper
2025Drake & PARTYNEXTDOOR$ome $exy $ongs For You"SMALL TOWN FAME"Aubrey Drake Graham

Other credits

Albums
Tracks

Awards and nominations

YearAssociationCategoryNominated workResult
2016Grammy AwardsBest Rap AlbumIf You're Reading This It's Too Late Nomitated
2017iHeartRadio MMVAsBest MuchFACT Video"Acid Test"Won
2017SOCAN Songwriting PrizeBest Song – Anglophone"Acid Test"
2017SOCAN Songwriting PrizeBest Song – Anglophone"Won't Live Here"
2018Soul Train Music AwardsThe Ashford & Simpson Songwriter's Award"Broken Clocks" Nomitated-
2019Grammy AwardsGrammy Award for Best Urban Contemporary AlbumCTRL Nomitated-
2019ASCAP Rhythm & Soul AwardsAward Winning R&B/Hip-Hop Songs"Broken Clocks" Won
2019Grammy AwardsBest Rap AlbumAstroworld Nomitated-
2023Grammy AwardsBest Rap AlbumMr. Morale & The Big Steppers Won

Touring Ensemble/Instrumentation

2024-25
River Tiber (Tommy Paxton-Beesley) vocals, guitar, bass, trombone, keys, drums
John Mavro (John Mavrogiannis) — guitar, piano, drums, backing vocals
Dan Only — keys, synths, bass, backing vocals
Guest performer:
Justin Nozuka — keys, background vocals
Projections:
Maritza Campos,
Leo Aguirre