Quest for Fire: Firestarter, Vol. 1 | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | April 10, 2001 | |||
Recorded | 1997–2000 | |||
Genre | Canadian hip hop | |||
Length | 66:40 | |||
Label | MCA Records | |||
Producer | YLook (exec.), Anne-Marie Smith (exec.), Figure IV Ent. (co-exec.), Kardinal Offishall (co-exec.), Solitair, Saukrates, Tara Chase, Mr. Attic, Yaadmaneverywhere! | |||
Kardinal Offishall chronology | ||||
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Singles from Quest for Fire: Firestarter, Vol. 1 | ||||
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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. [1] 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.
In August 2000, Kardinal signed a deal with MCA Records, after the underground success of his EP, Husslin' . The strategy of the MCA project was to license his older material and release it as an album, to familiarize consumers with him. [2] [3] [4] It wasn't meant to be a big-budget album. [1] The album helped introduce the world to the "T-dot sound", and Kardinal's reggae and dancehall-influenced style of hip-hop. [4] [5]
The album's first single was "BaKardi Slang", which appeared on the Billboard Hot Rap Singles chart. In the anthemic song, Kardinal breaks down Toronto's slang. [6] [7] The second single, "Ol' Time Killin'", received heavy rotation on music video channels. A video for "Powerfulll" was released in Canada.
The songs "On wid da Show" and "Husslin'" are previous singles, released in 1997 and 2000 respectively. A remix of "Money Jane", originally released in 2000, also appears on the album. In the song "U R Ghetto 2002", he disses American rapper Bishop for copying his idea, which originated from the song "U R Ghetto When". [7] [8]
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [9] |
The A.V. Club | favorable [10] |
RapReviews | 7/10 [11] |
The Source | [12] |
URB | favorable [13] |
One year after its release, 25,000 copies of the album were sold in Canada. [14] It received generally favorable reviews from music critics. The Source gave the album 3½ out of 5 mics. [14] RapReviews.com gave it a 7/10 rating, calling it a "mixed bag," and stating "there are also some perfect 10's to be found here." [7] The A.V. Club gave the album a favorable review, praising its "impressive musical and lyrical consistency." [15] AllMusic gave it 2½ out of 5 stars, noting that Kardinal "displays only flashes of promise here." [16] The album was nominated for Best Rap Recording at the 2002 Juno Awards.
In 2021, the album won the inaugural edition of CBC Music's Canada Listens competition, a musical version of the CBC's long-running Canada Reads . [17] It was defended by writer and broadcaster Kathleen Newman-Bremang.
# | Title | Producer(s) | Featured guest(s) | Length |
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1. | "Intro" | 1:21 | ||
2. | "BaKardi Slang" | Solitair | 4:33 | |
3. | "Mic T.H.U.G.S." | Kardinal Offishall (co-produced by Solitair and Tara Chase) | 3:50 | |
4. | "Husslin'" | Kardinal Offishall (co-produced by Solitair and Tara Chase) | 3:45 | |
5. | "Ol' Time Killin'" | Mr. Attic | Jully Black, Allistair, IRS, and Wio-K | 4:39 |
6. | "Money Jane" (Remix) | Kardinal Offishall | Sean Paul and Jully Black | 6:56 |
7. | "Man by Choice" | Kardinal Offishall (co-produced by Solitair and Tara Chase) | 4:39 | |
8. | "Maxine" | Yaadmaneverywhere! | 4:58 | |
9. | "U R Ghetto 2002" | Kardinal Offishall (co-produced by Solitair and Tara Chase) | 4:24 | |
10. | "Quest for Fire" | Kardinal Offishall (co-produced by Solitair and Tara Chase) | Solitair | 3:59 |
11. | "Powerfulll" | Kardinal Offishall (co-produced by Solitair and Tara Chase) | Jully Black and Tara Chase | 5:59 |
12. | "G Walkin'" | Kardinal Offishall (co-produced by Solitair and Tara Chase) | Glenn Lewis | 4:35 |
13. | "Gotta Get It" | Saukrates | Saukrates | 4:25 |
14. | "On wid da Show" | Kardinal Offishall (co-produced by Solitair and Tara Chase) | 4:39 | |
15. | "Go Ahead Den" | Kardinal Offishall (co-produced by Solitair and Tara Chase) | 3:58 |
Chart (2001) | Peak position |
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U.S. Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums [18] | 57 |
Region | Date |
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Canada [8] | April 10, 2001 |
United States | May 22, 2001 |
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, record producer, DJ, and record executive. Often credited as Canada's "hip hop ambassador", he is regarded as one of the country's best hip hop producers, and is best known for his distinctive 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.
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.
Eye & I is the debut album of Canadian rapper Kardinal Offishall, released independently in December 1997, on Capitol Hill Music, and distributed by St. Clair Entertainment. The album was critically acclaimed. One single, "On wit da Show", was released from the album.
Not 4 Sale is the fourth studio album by Canadian rapper Kardinal Offishall, released September 9, 2008 on Kon Live/Geffen 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 ".
Husslin' is an EP by Canadian rapper Kardinal Offishall, released independently on April 11, 2000, on Figure IV Entertainment, and distributed by Fat Beats Records in the United States. The title track, "Husslin'", was one of the hottest 12" singles of 2000. "And What?", featuring Saukrates, was released as a single in 1999. "Husslin'" and "Mic T.H.U.G.S." also appear on Kardinal's second studio album, Quest for Fire: Firestarter, Vol. 1. An updated version of "U R Ghetto When", known as "U R Ghetto 2002", is on the Quest for Fire album.
"Belly Dancer" is a song by Canadian rapper Kardinal Offishall featuring American musician Pharrell Williams, who produced it with Chad Hugo as The Neptunes. Released on March 25, 2003, it was originally the first single from the former's unreleased album, Firestarter Vol. 2: The F-Word Theory.
"Ol' Time Killin'" is a hip-hop song by Kardinal Offishall featuring Jully Black, Allistair, IRS, and Wio-K, released in 2001. Produced by Mr. Attic, it was the second single from his second album Quest for Fire: Firestarter, Vol. 1.
"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.
"On wit da Show" is a hip-hop song by Kardinal Offishall. It was the only single from his debut album Eye & I. The song also appears on his second album, Quest for Fire: Firestarter, Vol. 1. The original version of the song was released in 1996 as a B-side of "Naughty Dread". In 1997 Kardinal recorded a remix of the original, which was released as a single.
"Naughty Dread" is a hip-hop song by Kardinal Offishall. It is his debut single, released in 1996 on Knee Deep Records, before being featured on the Rap Essentials Volume One compilation album. The song contains a sample of "Natty Dread" by Bob Marley & The Wailers. It earned him a Juno Award nomination for Best Rap Recording in 1997.
"Bang Bang" is a hip-hop song by Kardinal Offishall. Released in 2004, the single appears on his mixtape, Kill Bloodclott Bill. The song, which contains a sample of "Bang, Bang" by Nancy Sinatra, was nominated for Rap Recording of the Year at the 2005 Juno Awards.
"Money Jane" is a song recorded by Canadian DJ group Baby Blue Soundcrew featuring Canadian rapper Kardinal Offishall, Jamaican musician Sean Paul, and Canadian singer-songwriter Jully Black. It was released by Universal Music Canada in 2000, and was the first single from the group's debut studio compilation album Private Party Collectors Edition; a remix was included on Offishall's 2001 album Quest for Fire: Firestarter, Vol. 1. "Money Jane" is a Canadian hip hop and dancehall song with lyrics about a wealthy woman who provides financial and material support for her male companion. The song is noted for its influence on Toronto's hip hop music scene, and is credited with launching Paul's international music career.
Figure IV Entertainment was a Canadian independent record label, specializing in hip hop music.
Canadian rapper and record producer Kardinal Offishall has released five studio albums, one extended play (EP), thirty-three singles, and five mixtapes.
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Kardi Gras, Vol. 1: The Clash is the fifth studio album by Canadian rapper Kardinal Offishall, released October 30, 2015 on his independent label Black Stone Colleagues Inc. and Universal Music Canada. It is his first studio album in seven years. The first single, "That Chick Right There", peaked at #68 on the Canadian Hot 100.