Perhaps the mainstream breakthroughs of artists like Drake and Anjulie will finally lay waste to the myth that the Canadian music scene doesn't have its own take on the urban sound. Those looking for new names in hip-hop should perk up their ears in the direction of rising Toronto rapper/producer Miles Jones, who offers up a mix of R&B, electro, reggae and pop influences on his polished sophomore album, 'Runaway Jones'.

It's unsurprising that the young emcee brings a wide scope of sounds to his music, as he comes from a long line of music enthusiasts. His father, 'Deadly' Hedley Jones, was a pioneering radio and club DJ in Toronto and his grandfather was a Jamaican jazz and ska musician who helped found legendary reggae recording studio Studio One.

Jones has been busy making a distinct name for himself, recording his first album in 2006 as a thesis project for his studies at McMaster University and drawing on his burgeoning skills as a songwriter and producer when he was invited to participate in a Canadian Idol songwriter's conference.

Hip-hop heads will nod approvingly at Jones' list of collaborators on 'Runaway Jones.' Guests like London, Ont. rapper Shad, Brooklyn-based Percee P, and Ghanaian singer-songwriter Kae Sun lend their talents on several tracks. Jones also enlisted hot Detroit producer Black Milk to put his unmistakable stamp on first single 'Never Too Late,' which features a straightforward but thoroughly impressive old-school hip-hop sound.

Opening with a string-laden intro that gives way to a loping beat, 'Never Too Late' features Jones' easy, rolling vocal flow that brings to mind Talib Kweli. Like Kweli, Jones clearly relishes spitting clever wordplay and lets his rapping ride the melody instead of overwhelming it with a more forceful delivery.

Lyrically, there's no false posturing or 'street' bravado -- in fact, the entire tune centres around a chorus that insists, "It's never too late to say sorry." Factor in the thumping yet mellow groove and you've got yourself a good end-of-summer jam that sounds far more seasoned than you'd expect from a relative newcomer -- further proof that there's a new generation of Canuck artists ready to unleash their own unique spin on urban music.