MC Shadow (aka Kory Neely), born June 30, 1970 is a Canadian hip-hop artist, music and film producer, actor, author and Executive Producer. He is known by his stage names MC Shadow or Shadow and recognized as the first Canadian white rapper to be recorded, making him second only to the Beastie Boys internationally.[1] As frontman for the hip-hop group Get Loose Crew they became the first Canadian rap group to independently finance, produce and secure distribution of an authentic hip hop mini-LP to sell outside Canada claimed by the Hart House at the University of Toronto.[2][3][4]
Inducted into the Canadian Museum of Music (MOMC) in 2020,[5][6] he was proclaimed as one of the First 50; architects in Toronto’s Hip-hop[2] and among the "prominent members of Toronto's Hip Hop history and the history of Canada's culture industries" according to University of Toronto Hart House, Francesca D'Amico-Cuthbert, a postdoctoral Fellow at the Jackman Humanities Institute.[7] In 2024 he was immortalized in A Great Day in Toronto Hip Hop a black-and-white photograph of 103 key players from the Canadian hip hop scene in Toronto.[8][9]
Neely’s interest in hip hop music began at age 11. As a B-boy he would breakdance in the Square One Shopping Centre in Mississauga where his dance crew would be chased out by security guards. At age 14, in 1983, he moved into Flemingdon Park where he teamed up with fellow classmates to form a DJ group Sun City Force Crew where he learned to DJ. The name was changed to Def Force Sound Crew,[10] where he assumed the name White Shadow and became the groups frontman as vocalist. The group pitched their first demo tape called "Licence to Slice" to DJ Ron Nelson, who promoted and played their music on his radio show, 88.1 CKLN-FM.[11] Nearly two years later, in 1986 he officially adopted the name MC Shadow, and the group adopted the name The Get Loose Crew and began recording independent demos and submitting them to major record labels.[10]
1986–1990: Get Loose Crew and East Park Productions
In 1986, unable to secure a major recording deal the group decided to create their own independent hip-hop label, East Park Productions. In 1987, after signing a distribution deal with Electric Distribution they brought about the first Canadian rap group to record and release an authentic Hip-Hop mini-album distributed and sold internationally.[12][13] His first chart recognition came with the song "WANNABE", which ranked 5th position in May 1988 on the country’s first urban music chart CHEER Backfield in Motion national music chart.[14][1][5][6] Despite chart success, radio and a television appearance on a national broadcast show Switchback the group did not release a follow-up project and disbanded in 1990.[4] He teamed up with fellow bandmate Carl “MC B” Badwa and formed the group Double Trouble. The duo ended, and Badwa moved on to win a Juno Award for Best R&B Soul Recording for "Dance to the Music".[15] as B-Kool, in the group Simply Majestic with Capitol Records.
1991–1993: Just ME Compilation and Unreleased Album
In 1991 he signed with independent label 'Altrax Records' and toured with former bandmates as an opening act under the group name JUST Me sponsored by Much Music Television show X-tendamix hosted by Master T (Tony Young). He recorded a pair of singles ’’What I’m Sayin’’, and ‘’Do a Little Dance’’ with local R&B singer Kaye Sargeant and were released in a compilation project by Mirgin/UKA Records. An album titled “MC Shadow - Unreleased” was shelved after recording deals with Attic Records and Strictly Rhythm Records failed to materialize.[6] Unpublished material would surface in a US Television series – Front Men in 2019.
2005–2017: DJ Shadow - Live and On Time DVD Documentary
DJ Shadow sampled the Get Loose Crew song WANNABE for his "Pushing Buttons" video concert Live! In Tune and On Time, opening at the Mayan Theatre in Los Angeles in 2004. The performative opening utilized the lyrics as wordplay between performers DJ Shadow, Cut Chemist and DJ Nu-Mark, and was included in his June 2004 DVD.[16]
2005–2017: Nardwuar
Music journalist and interviewer Nardwuar, has sought validation of the Get Loose Crew’s musical accomplishment by other established hip-hop artists during interviews. In a 2008 broadcast with Maestro Fresh Wes, Nardwuar asked if the GLC record was the first one to come out of Canada, and if it was released before he made his own debut. Wes confirmed that the claim was true and acknowledged the accomplishment. Kardinal Offishall also avowed the Get Loose Crew's status in Canadian hip-hop during an interview in 2005 where Nardwuar highlighted their achievements with him. In 2017, featured in NOW Magazine a captioned photograph appears of Nardwuar holding a copy of the album, proclaiming it as “the first Canadian rap record, produced by The Get Loose Crew in 1988.”[17]
2010–2015: T-Dot Pioneers and CBC Hip Hop Summit
The Toronto Free Gallery T-Dot Pioneers exhibition in March 2010 presented the history and culture of Toronto hip-hop with an exhibit featuring the Get Loose Crew album. In 2011, the Canadian Broadcasting Company (CBC) hosted a Hip-Hop Summit as a follow-up to the T-Dot Pioneers Exhibit, showcasing the groups album,[18][19][20][21] including a brief tribute to the group by summit host and artist Buck 65 during the closing show. In September 2014, columnist Colin Gillespie BlogTo article ‘’10 most collectible Toronto albums of all time’’ included an honorable mention reporting it was “the first Canadian independent rap release to achieve international sales and featured MC Shadow, the first Canadian white rapper to be recorded, making him second only to the Beastie Boys internationally”.[1]
2015-2020: The Trilogy Project and Front Men
Returning to the Canadian independent charts in 2015 "Resurrection", "Lost" and “Lullaby of Pain” was documented in the 5th spot on the Indie Music/College Radio Chart !earshot.[22] and part of a praised music video trilogy dubbed “The Trilogy”.[23] In 2017 (2021 & 2024) he was credited as a Composer and for his music in US Television series Front Men [24] for several songs used from the JUST Me catalog.[5][6]
2020–2024: University of Toronto – Hart House First 50 Architects
The Jackman Humanities Institute at the University of Toronto conducted the first-ever academic study in Canada on the history of Toronto Hip-Hop in 2020. The research project focused on tracing the development of Toronto Hip-Hop and the challenges faced by practitioners and culture industry professionals from 1985 to 2020. A credit course of study called 'Hip-Hop Culture' explores both historical and modern contexts. Dr. Francesca D'Amico-Cuthbert,[25][26] a Post Doctoral Fellow at the Jackman Humanities Institute, documented the historical relevance of Hip-Hop in Canada and proclaimed the Get Loose Crew as "prominent members of Toronto's Hip Hop history and the history of Canada's culture industries."[27][28][5][6]
In 2021, the Museum of Canadian Music inducted Shadow and also with his group Get Loose Crew, documented by author Adam P. Cray and published by the MOMC.[5][6][29]
In September 2023, the University of Toronto's, Hart House with York University exhibited "The First 50 - Toronto's Hip Hop Architects." recognizing 50 influential figures who built Toronto's hip hop scene. The creative journey including his likeness among the Get Loose Crew was immortalized in the 2023 art exhibit, "The First 50: Toronto's Hip Hop Architects". exhibition poster.[30]
Personal life
Neely reportedly had cancer in 2017 which stopped production of the music video trilogy.[31] In 2024 on Christmas Eve he suffered a near fatal heart attack resulting in major open-heart surgery.[32]
1 2 3 Gillespie, Colin (September 21, 2014). "The top 10 most collectible Toronto albums of all time". blogTo. Toronto: Zoomer Media. Retrieved October 1, 2023. Toronto's short-lived Get Loose Crew featured MC Shadow, the first recorded Canadian white rapper, second nationally only to the Beastie Boys.
1 2 "The First 50: Toronto's Hip Hop Architects". University of Toronto. September 22, 2023. Retrieved October 1, 2023. "of 50 of the most influential figures of the Toronto Hip Hop scene (between the years 1980-2000)"
1 2 Nazareth, Errol; D'amico, Francesca (May 2, 2012), D'amico, Francesca (ed.), Urban Music, Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, retrieved October 1, 2023, The group later disbanded in 1990 into other notable groups…
1 2 3 4 5 6 Adam P. Cray (16 April 2021). "MC Shadow Biography". Amazon.com. Retrieved April 5, 2025. Inducted into the Canadian Museum of Music in Alberta both as MC Shadow and the Get Loose Crew, it signaled the long-awaited official affirmation of the groups contribution in Hip-Hop and ultimately enshrining his group and himself as artists in Canadian music.
↑ Adam P. Cray (16 April 2021). "Get Loose Crew". Robert Williston. Retrieved April 5, 2025. They recorded their first studio demo tape in Aurora, Ontario (August 15, 1986), a song called 'Licence to Slice' (written July 26, 1986) and submitted to Ron Nelson's Saturday afternoon program which received airplay on CKLN.
↑ Nazareth, Errol; D'amico, Francesca (May 2, 2012), D'amico, Francesca (ed.), Urban Music, Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, retrieved March 28, 2025, ...the Get Loose Crew, comprised of Chris "DJ Jel" Jackson, Kory "MC Shadow" Neely, Len "Mix-Master Len" Grant Stuart and Carl "MC B" Badwa, became the first Canadian rap group to produce a mini LP on their independent label East Park Productions, and the first to achieve international record sales.
↑ "The Get Loose Crew". University of Toronto. September 22, 2023. Retrieved March 28, 2025. ...the Get Loose Crew became the first Canadian rap group to independently finance, produce and secure distribution of an authentic Hip Hop mini-LP to sell outside Canada.
↑ Jackson, Chris (17 January 2016). "Chris Got Rocks Talks Love, Props and TDot Documentary". Breaking Wreckords Radio (Interview). Interviewed by Maloney. Toronto: Breaking Wreckords Radio. Event occurs at 0:06. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
↑ Stevens, Samantha (October 23, 2015). "Music Review – MC Shadow". The Voice. Alberta: Athabasca University. Retrieved April 5, 2025. MC Shadow's latest singles are phenomenal and a credit to the rap and hip-hop genres.
↑ D'Amico-Cuthbert, Dr. Francesca (September 1, 2023). "Hip Hop Culture". University of Toronto. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
↑ "The First 50: Toronto's Hip Hop Architects". University of Toronto. September 22, 2023. Retrieved October 1, 2023. the Get Loose Crew became the first Canadian rap group to independently finance, produce and secure distribution of an authentic Hip Hop mini-LP to sell outside Canada.
↑ Adam P. Cray (16 April 2021). "MC Shadow Biography". Amazon.com. Retrieved April 5, 2025. "Due to a serious health issue in 2016, production was temporarily halted after filming the second installment Lost."
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