Kardinal Offishall

Origins

Kardinal Offishall was born Jason Drew Harrow on May 11, 1976, in Scarborough, Toronto, to Jamaican parents, and grew up in Flemingdon Park before settling in the city's Oakwood-Vaughan area. In 1993 he co-founded the Circle, a crew that also included Choclair, Saukrates, Jully Black, Solitair and Tara Chase. His first recorded verse came in 1994 on Saukrates' "Still Caught Up," and his debut album Eye & I appeared in 1997.

Breakthrough

A guest spot on the Rascalz' "Northern Touch" (1998) made him one of the new faces of Canadian rap, and the song won the 1999 Juno. A year later he won another Juno as producer of Choclair's "Let's Ride," and he signed with MCA in 2000. Quest for Fire: Firestarter, Vol. 1 (2001) blended hip hop with the reggae and dancehall of his Jamaican-Canadian upbringing, a mix that came to be called the T-dot sound. Its single "BaKardi Slang" became his first Billboard chart entry and helped spread the "T-dot" nickname for Toronto. "Ol' Time Killin'" was also a hit, and the album was nominated for a Juno.

Mainstream Success

After Fire and Glory (2005), he signed to Akon's Kon Live. "Dangerous" (2008), featuring Akon and produced by DJ Kemo and Häzel, reached No. 2 in Canada and No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100, going quadruple platinum in Canada. It won the Juno for Single of the Year, and Not 4 Sale won Rap Recording of the Year. "Numba 1 (Tide Is High)" and "Body Bounce" followed, and he appeared on the RedOne remix of Lady Gaga's "Just Dance." He also cut a collaborative album with producer Nottz, A.M.T.R.I.M. (2012), joined the all-star "Wavin' Flag" charity single for Haiti in 2010, and released Kardi Gras, Vol. 1: The Clash in 2015.

Legacy

Kardinal became a Toronto ambassador at a time when few Canadian rappers were heard abroad. He joined Universal Music Canada's A&R team in 2013 and was promoted to senior vice-president in 2021, and he helped set up the B.L.A.C.K. Label Coalition to direct industry money toward charities. He has also served as a judge on Canada's Got Talent. His song "Run" became a theme for the Toronto Raptors' 2019 championship run.