The CanCon Catalogue

Shad plays tonight at Lucky Bar. Here's him performing "I Don't Like To" live in L.A. for the Grammy weekend. Not only is his DJ the 2008 world champion, Shad himself plays the guitar. The whole concert can be found here.

Shad - "I Don't Like To" (live at the Canadian consulate in Los Angeles)

Sometimes I feel like I'm something special because not only did I get a Bachelor of Arts Degree (political science/international studies), but I actually got a (temporary) job from it. Inevitably, though, there's a million people out there to knock me off my high horse. Shad is one of those people.

Not only does he have two critically acclaimed albums under his belt, the most recent of which was nominated for both a Juno and a Polaris Prize, but he made his name in the music world while at the same time getting an undergraduate degree from Wilfred Laurier University. And then not only does he get a much cooler job (professional rapper) than me, but he destroys any dreams of intellectual superiority I might have by balancing his pending superstardom by working towards a master's degree from Simon Fraser.

On top of all that, he goes and makes the best music video (see below) I've seen in years! The worst part is, his music is so good (organic hip-hop with a sense of humour) and his live show so well-regarded (apparently he often has a live band, and he's been invited to play the Vans Warped Tour this year), that I am handing over MY hard-earned money to give HIM more. DAMN YOU SHAD!

Shad plays at the Lucky Bar on Thursday, February 19. Tickets here, Shad myspace here.

Further Reading: concert review, mindyourmind.ca video interview, torontoindie.com interview, eyeweekly, the globe and mail, the national post, exclaim.ca

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