The Canadian hip hop scene was established in the 1980s. Through a variety of factors, it developed much slower than Canada's popular rock music scene, and apart from a short-lived burst of mainstream popularity from 1989 to 1991, it remained largely an underground phenomenon until the early 2000s.
Jason Drew Harrow, better known by his stage name Kardinal Offishall, is a Canadian rapper and record producer. Often credited as Canada's "hip hop ambassador", he has been regarded as one of the country's most prominent hip hop producers during the 2000s and is distinctive for his reggae and dancehall-influenced style of hip hop.
Black Jays is a Canadian independent record label, production company, and musical collective, specializing in hip-hop, R&B, and reggae music. Founded in 2000 by rappers Kardinal Offishall and Solitair, it was originally known as Silver House and the Girl (S.H.A.G.). In 2004, the group came to prominence after releasing a remix album and mixtape. The Toronto-based group's name is derived from the Toronto Blue Jays baseball team.
"Grindin'" is the debut single from Virginia Beach rap duo Clipse. The song was produced by the Neptunes, and was issued as the lead single for Clipse's debut studio album, Lord Willin' (2002) on May 14, 2002. The song became a summer top 40 hit, peaking at number 30 on the Billboard Hot 100 on the issue dated August 10, 2002.
Fire and Glory is the third studio album by Canadian rapper Kardinal Offishall, released November 15, 2005 on EMI/Virgin Records, exclusively in Canada. Two hit singles were released from the album, "Everyday (Rudebwoy)" and "Feel Alright".
Sheldon Pitt, better known by his stage name Solitair, is a Canadian rapper and record producer from Toronto, Ontario. He is a founding member of the now defunct Black Jays record label and production team. Solitair has been producing hip hop and R&B for nearly 20 years, and has produced for Nina Sky, Glenn Lewis, Cham, Maestro, Rascalz, Kardinal Offishall, Ivana Santilli, Jully Black, Choclair, and Sugar Jones among others.
Back on My B.S. is the eighth studio album by American rapper Busta Rhymes. It was released on May 19, 2009, through Flipmode and Universal Motown. The production on the album was handled by multiple producers including Pharrell Williams, DJ Scratch, Danja and Cool & Dre among others. The album also features guest appearances by T-Pain, Jamie Foxx, Akon, Lil Wayne, Mary J. Blige, T.I. and many more.
Quest for Fire: Firestarter, Vol. 1 is the second studio album by Canadian rapper Kardinal Offishall. It was released on MCA Records, his first album for a major label. It is a recompilation album, which includes older songs and demos that he used to get signed. The lead single, "BaKardi Slang", became his first single to appear on a Billboard chart. The second single, "Ol' Time Killin'", was a minor hit. The album received generally favorable reviews from music critics.
Not 4 Sale is the fourth studio album by Canadian rapper Kardinal Offishall, released September 9, 2008 on Konvict Muzik and Interscope Records. It is his second international major-label album after Quest for Fire: Firestarter, Vol. 1, released in 2001. It was a critical success, and included the top five Billboard Hot 100 single "Dangerous", and the minor hit "Numba 1 ".
"Dangerous" is a song by Canadian rapper Kardinal Offishall featuring American singer Akon. Produced by DJ Kemo and hAZEL, it was the first single from his fourth album, Not 4 Sale. It was released to radio in March 2008, and on iTunes on April 1. On the week of May 13, at the American iTunes Store, the song was offered as a free download. The song won the award for Single of the Year at the 2009 Juno Awards. In January 2023, the single was certified 4× platinum by Music Canada and 3× platinum by the RIAA.
"Out Here Grindin" is the first single from DJ Khaled's third studio album, We Global. The track features American hip hop artists Akon, Rick Ross, Young Jeezy, Lil Boosie, Trick Daddy, Ace Hood and Plies. It was produced by The Runners and co-produced by Akon, with the hook written by T-Pain.
Matthew Jehu Samuels, known professionally as Boi-1da is a Canadian record producer and songwriter based in Toronto, Ontario.
"Play" is the only single released by rapper David Banner from his fourth studio album Certified. It was produced by Mr. Collipark.
Asher Paul Roth is an American rapper from Morrisville, Pennsylvania. He is best known for his 2009 debut single "I Love College," which peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and foresaw the birth of frat rap, a college-oriented subgenre of hip hop.
"BaKardi Slang" is a hip-hop song by Kardinal Offishall. Produced by Solitair, it was the first single from his second album Quest for Fire: Firestarter, Vol. 1. The single was released in Canada in 2000, before being re-released in the U.S. the following year. It became his first single to appear on a Billboard chart, as well as his first Top 40 hit as a solo artist in Canada.
"Husslin'" is a hip-hop song by Kardinal Offishall. It was the only single from his EP of the same name. The song also appears on his second album, Quest for Fire: Firestarter, Vol. 1. Released in early 2000, the 12" single quickly became an underground favorite, and it was #1 on many college radio charts in the U.S. After its release, radio-tracking publication Gavin Report called it "By far, the hottest 12-inch on the platter right now. With three cuts to choose from, you can't go wrong." The song has a catchy chorus and a powerful horn sample.
"Beautiful" is the third single from Akon's third studio album, Freedom. The song features American pop singer Colby O'Donis and a rap verse from Canadian rapper Kardinal Offishall. "Beautiful" was released to radio on January 6, 2009. The song has also been released in other three international versions, with different featured artists replacing both Colby's vocals and Kardinal's rapping: in Portuguese with Brazilian singer Negra Li, in Dutch with Dutch singer Brace, and in Spanish with Mexican singer Dulce María. The original version of "Beautiful" peaked at number nineteen on the Billboard Hot 100. Outside of the United States, the original version of "Beautiful" peaked within the top ten of the charts in Israel and the United Kingdom.
"Forever" is a song by Canadian rapper Drake, and American rappers Kanye West, Lil Wayne, and Eminem. Written alongside producer Boi-1da, the song was originally released on August 27, 2009, as the third single from the soundtrack to LeBron James's More than a Game documentary, and was placed on the Refill re-release of Eminem's album Relapse (2009).
The discography of American rapper Tyga consists of seven studio albums, three compilation albums, twenty mixtapes, sixty-seven singles and forty-six music videos. In 2008, Tyga released his first studio album, No Introduction, on the record label Decaydance Records. The album was led by the single "Coconut Juice", which peaked at number 94 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and marked Tyga's first song to enter on the chart. In 2010, Tyga and Virginia singer Chris Brown released the collaborative mixtape Fan of a Fan (2010), which included their hit single "Deuces", which peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became Tyga's first song to chart on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, where it peaked atop.
Allow Me to Re-Introduce Myself, also known as A.M.T.R.I.M., is a collaborative mixtape album by Canadian rapper Kardinal Offishall and American hip hop producer Nottz, released June 15, 2012. Originally recorded as a studio album, they decided to release it as a free download for their fans.
