Independent Rapper Connor Price Just Joined One of Gaming’s Biggest Virtual Bands — And the Internet Is Losing It

Anyone who’s followed Connor Price’s career for any length of time knows that he’s pretty much run on his own steam without label support. This hasn’t seemed to have hindered his progress. On the contrary, he’s managed to build a substantial following and produced a steady stream of well-received releases, all without major label backing.

Now the independent Canadian rapper has landed one of the most unexpected collaborations of the year: a starring role in HEARTSTEEL. A virtual pop group assembled by Riot Games, HEARTSTEEL features a roster of League of Legends champions, alongside nine-time Grammy winner Anderson .Paak and K-pop star BAEKHYUN.

After Three Long Years, HEARTSTEEL is Back

HEARTSTEEL’s return to the scene was a long time coming. After all, the group hadn’t released new music since dropping its debut single “PARANOIA” in 2023. Racking up over 200 million streams, the track transformed six fictional League champions — Ezreal, Kayn, Sett, K’Sante, Yone, and Aphelios — into a legitimate music franchise.

Riot Games announced the group’s return on September 14 and dropped the new single, “Live My Life,” on September 18. A reveal post on the official League of Legends account boldly proclaimed, “THE BOYS ARE BACK,” racking up over 2 million views within hours.

There have been a few changes to the lineup. Only BAEKHYUN remains from the original lineup, voicing fan-favorite Ezreal. Anderson .Paak steps in as K’Sante, and Connor Price assumes co-leader and rapper duties as Sett. Also on board is Frequent Price collaborator, Nic D, who rounds out the cast as Kayn.

Not Just Any Collab

Price isn’t exactly coming onto the scene out of the blue. As mentioned previously, he has a fairly well-established independent career highlighted by viral collab series like “Spin the Globe”. He has also frequently collaborated with actor and DJ Idris Elba.

Even so, Price’s inclusion in the HEARTSTEEL lineup is a definite step up. More than a mere video game, League of Legends is a global fandom with hundreds of millions of players. Riot’s virtual groups have transitioned from fictional bands into real cultural moments. HEARTSTEEL’s predecessor K/DA is a good example, having leveraged its K-pop stylings into a genuine chart phenomenon.

Now, as part of this universe, Price has a valuable opportunity to reach an audience that probably would have never heard of him through traditional hip-hop channels. Even rappers with major-label budgets rarely get the chance to make such a crossover; much less so an independent artist.

For Riot’s Global Head of Music and Events, Maria Egan, the group’s return is more than just about nostalgia. She stated: “Our virtual artists give players a completely different way to experience the champions they love, reimagining them in this alt fantasy being pop stars.” (Source: NERFPLZ.LOL — HEARTSTEEL Is Back)

For BAEKHYUN, who is actually an avid League player in his off time, the reunion is as much a personal as a musical accomplishment. As he said: “I’m really excited to be collaborating with League of Legends again.” (Source: esports.gg)

“Live My Life” was produced and written by Grammy-winning songwriter Jon Bellion, the same writer behind hits for Eminem and Justin Bieber. Described by the label as embracing who you are without apology, the song’s message of shaking off self-doubt will likely resonate with many listeners.

What’s Next for Connor Price

For Connor Price, HEARTSTEEL is unlikely to be a one-off detour. He’s built his catalog on exactly this kind of unexpected pairing — jumping between genres, scenes, and now, apparently, fictional universes — without ever needing a label’s blessing to do it. If the crossover introduces a wave of new listeners to his back catalog, it fits neatly into a career built on finding audiences in unlikely places rather than waiting for one to be handed to him.

Whether Riot brings HEARTSTEEL back for a bigger moment — a Worlds appearance, a full project, more features — remains to be seen. But for Price, the calculation is simple either way: another platform, another audience, still no label required. The rest of the independent hip-hop scene may want to take notes.