Ghetto Concept | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Genres | Canadian hip hop, East Coast hip hop |
| Years active | 1992–present |
| Labels | Groove-a-Lot Records, 7 Bills Entertainment, G7 Records |
| Members | Kwajo Cinqo Dolo |
| Past members | Infinite |
| Website | G7Records.com |
Ghetto Concept is a Canadian hip-hop duo from Toronto, Ontario, composed of Kwajo Cinqo and Dolo. Infinite, who is currently a solo artist, is a former member of the group.
Kwajo Cinqo (Kwajo Boateng) and Dolo (Lowell Frazer) formed Ghetto Concept in 1992, hailing from the Rexdale and Lawrence Heights neighbourhoods of Toronto. [1] Infinite (Desmond Francis) also joined the group as their DJ and eventually contributed to its music as a rapper. [2] [3] Their first single "Certified" was released in 1993 by independent label Groove-a-Lot Records. In 1994, they released their second single "E-Z On Tha Motion". "Certified" and "E-Z On Tha Motion" would go on to win the group Juno Awards in 1995 and 1996 respectively. 1995 also marked the departure of Infinite from the group, who, following the murder of his brother, pursued a solo career as a musician afterward. [3] He would be known in later years for contributing vocals to the soundtrack of the video game Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike . [4]
In 1994 they were featured in Andrew Munger's documentary film Make Some Noise . [5]
Ghetto Concept, now the original duo of Kwajo and Dolo, created 7 Bills Entertainment Inc. in 1996 and released the single "Much Luv", which featured past member Infinite. [6] The duo released their self-titled debut album Ghetto Concept in 1998, along with the singles "Krazy World" and "Precious Metals"; Sticky Fingaz was featured on the remix of "Heavy Metals". In 1999, they received gold certification for their single "Too Much", which was featured on The Baby Blue Soundcrew's "Private Party" album. In 2001, Ghetto Concept signed a licensing deal with BMG Music Canada. [7] That same year, they released a remix of "Too Much" (entitled "Still Too Much"), which featured Maestro, Kardinal Offishall, Red-1, Ironside, and Snow. On March 19, 2002, they released their next album, Ghetto Concept Presents...7 Bills All-Stars: Da Album.
On February 21, 2004, Ghetto Concept's longtime manager, Elliott Reid-Thomas, was murdered. [8] That same year, the group changed the name of their label to G7 Records Inc. During this time period, they recorded music in Toronto, Los Angeles, New York and Atlanta. In the years since, they made their catalogue of music available on all major music platforms.
Ghetto Concept performed on March 29, 2011, at CBC's Hip-Hop Summit, [9] along with fellow Canadian artists Maestro Fresh Wes, Michie Mee, and Dream Warriors at an event that was the first of its kind in Canada. The concert was staged at CBC's Glenn Gould Studio and hosted by CBC Radio 2. [10] Additionally, the event and Ghetto Concept themselves were also highlighted in Love, Props and the T.Dot [11] a documentary which was hosted by CBC Toronto's Dwight Drummond. [12]
In 2018, three of Ghetto Concept's pictures were featured in the McMichael Canadian Art Collection gallery in Kleinburg, Ontario, which also hosted portraits from the legendary Group of Seven.
Drop the Beat was a Canadian television series produced by Back Alley Film Productions, which aired on CBC Television in 2000 and 2001. A short-run dramatic series, the show was one of the first television series in the world centred around hip hop music and culture.
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Kwajo "Cinqo" Boateng—known by stage name Kwajo Cinqo—is an artist, producer, CEO and member of two-time Juno Award-winning hip-hop group Ghetto Concept. Initially beginning his career in 1992 alongside Dolo and Infinite, who was introduced as a new member in 1994, Kwajo is now the President and CEO of Global 7 Entertainment Inc. (G7). He is also an artist/producer under G7 Records—a subsidiary of Global 7 Entertainment Inc..
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