The CanCon Catalogue

Back in 1998, the single "Northern Touch" was released. Featuring a number of Canadian rappers, it was a coming out party for hip-hop on this side of the border. Since then, a number of homegrown stars have been touted as "the one"-- the rapper who was going to move beyond these borders and make a splash in the United States and beyond (apparently disregarding Snow, who had done that five years earlier with "Informer"). First it was going to be someone from the song: Rascalz seemed likely, then Choclair. After that, new names like Swollen Members and k-Os started to make waves. But no one made the jump. Until last year when, ten years exactly after "Northern Touch" came out, the man who was brought in at the last minute to be a part of that song (replacing k-Os and Jully Black, who couldn't make the session) and who had in recent times been somewhat disregarded here in Canada, returned in a big way by teaming up with international stars like Akon and Rihanna and becoming the first Canadian rapper in history to hit the top ten in the United States. The song? "Dangerous." The man? Kardinal Offishal, rudebwoy number one, leader of the underground sensations the Black Jays, and an undeniably dedicated and hard-working individual for having made it after so long.

Given the amount that "Dangerous" leans on the already established Akon and the extent to which Kardi has been taken for granted here at home, it's easy to write him off. And while it's true that his latest album Not 4 Sale is nothing if not a commercial venture, it still contains some of the catchiest songs to come out last year, and Offishal's back catalogue is consistent enough that he can be forgiven going pop in order to get some pay-off. I mean, aside from "Northern Touch," which would be nowhere near as good without him, he's got "On Wid Da Show," "Everyday Rudebwoy," "Bakardi Slang," "Ol' Time Killing," "Money Jane,"... the list goes on. And as for those who might accuse him of "going American", well, he is doing a Canadian tour in February, so that's got to say something.

Kardinal Offishall plays tonight (February 17) at Element (formerly Legends). Tickets here.
Kardinal Offishall: site, myspace