The iTunes generation opened the floodgates for genre-bending artists to make their way into mainstream media consciousness, leaving genre-based radio in a state of flux. In return, the line between hip-hop and rock has been blurred beyond the point of recognition.

Within the current musical landscape, filled with artists who constantly cross genre boundaries, distinguishing where one genre ends and the other begin a feat of Herculean proportions.

In his 2008 mixtape, “Colin Munroe Is The Unsung Hero,â€Â the 29-year-old Ontario native blends rock, pop, hip-hop and soul — further crossing genre boundaries.

“The Unsung Hero” is an introspective exploration into the life of an artist searching for salvation from the mundane. But the tape, a prelude to his forthcoming studio album “Don’t Think Less of Me,â€Â is anything but.

Inspired by The Beatles, Van Morrison and underground hip-hop artists J. Dilla, Munroe takes his queue from each and offers up a tape that sounds as if it were produced by John Lennon and Kanye West.

Like Lennon, Munroe possesses an anti-rock star persona that makes his music accessible and gives listeners something tangible to relate to whether he̢۪s singing about hope or despair. At times, however, the humility in which Munroe approaches his music paints him into the role of an underdog. This ability to capture the humanity behind the music- making process is perhaps his greatest strength.

In “Piano Lessons,â€Â a rebellious ballad about finding creative direction, Munroe sings “When I was 10 they said go and take piano lessons, when I was 12 I said I’d take them no more.â€Â It’s this “march to the beat of his own drumâ€Â attitude that sets the tone for the rest of the album.

“Cannonball,â€Â the album’s highlight, pairs Munroe with up-and-coming Toronto musician Drake. The song, an ethereal ode to destiny, builds to a crescendo on a soaring guitar riff, a steady rhythmical beat of a crash cymbal and synthesized hand claps. At the song’s peak Drake takes the lead while Munroe croons in the background until the song explodes into a fiery cannon.

But the tape’s strongest aspect is found in its leaps in genre. From bubblegum-pop songs like “Will I Stayâ€Â to soul-bearing, indie-rock songs like “Brick in the Wallâ€Â to rock-infused hip-hop on tracks like “To Find a Heroâ€Â Munroe takes his calmly voice through a musical voyage.

The most rousing pop moment, however, is the infectious “As Much as You,â€Â a song about yearning for a lost love where Munroe serenely sings over an electro-inspired beat accompanied by vocodor.

For Munroe, musical diversification drives his creativity and if nothing else his music makes for an interesting listen.