Kardinal Offishall facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kardinal Offishall
Offishall at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival
Background information
Birth name	Jason Drew Harrow
Born	(1976-05-11) May 11, 1976 (age 49) Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Genres	Canadian hip-hop dancehall
Occupations	Rapper songwriter record producer disc jockey music executive
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	1994–present
Works	Discography production
Labels	In Our Dreams Universal Music Canada Kon Live Geffen M3 Virgin EMI Music Canada MCA Figure IV Black Stone Colleagues Capitol Hill Knee Deep

Jason Drew Harrow (born May 11, 1976), known as Kardinal Offishall, is a Canadian rapper and music producer. Many people call him Canada's "hip-hop ambassador." He was one of the most important hip-hop producers in Canada during the 2000s. His music style is special because it mixes reggae and dancehall sounds with hip-hop.

Kardinal Offishall grew up in Toronto, Ontario. He started his music journey in the city's underground hip-hop scene in the mid-1990s. He formed a hip-hop group called the Circle. He released his first album, Eye & I (1997), and an EP (Extended Play) called Husslin' (2000) on his own. Later, he signed with MCA Records in 2000.

His second album, Quest for Fire: Firestarter, Vol. 1 (2001), was his first with a major record label. It did fairly well on the Canadian Albums Chart. Songs like "Ol' Time Killin'" and "BaKardi Slang" became popular. "BaKardi Slang" even helped make "T-dot" a popular nickname for Toronto. He planned a second part to this album, but it was never released because MCA Records joined with Geffen Records.

Kardinal's third album, Fire and Glory (2003), came out through Virgin Records. Even though critics loved it, the album didn't sell many copies. This was his only album with Virgin Records.

In 2007, he signed with Akon's record label, KonLive Distribution, which was part of Geffen Records. He then released his fourth album, Not 4 Sale (2008). The first song from this album, "Dangerous" (featuring Akon), was a huge hit. It reached number two on the Canadian Hot 100 and number five on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song sold so well that it earned quadruple platinum status in Canada.

"Dangerous" was his most successful song. After that, he was featured on Akon's song "Beautiful" with Colby O'Donis in the same year. That song also made it into the top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100. Not 4 Sale reached number eight on the Canadian Albums Chart and number 40 on the Billboard 200. Another song from the album, "Numba 1 (Tide Is High)" (featuring Keri Hilson or Rihanna), reached the top 40 in Canada and earned gold status.

In 2010, his song "Body Bounce" (featuring Akon) also made it into the top 20 in Canada and went platinum. However, he left KonLive later that year.

After leaving KonLive, Kardinal Offishall became an independent artist again. He started his own record label called Black Stone Colleagues. In 2013, he took on a new role as the creative executive director for Universal Music Canada's A&R (artists and repertoire) division. This means he helps find and develop new music artists. Two years later, in 2015, he released his fifth album, Kardi Gras, Vol. 1: The Clash, which also did well. In April 2021, he was promoted to senior vice-president of A&R for Universal Music Canada.

Biography

Early Life and Music Start

Jason Harrow was born in the Scarborough area of Toronto, Ontario. His parents were immigrants from Jamaica. From age 2 to 13, he lived in the Flemingdon Park neighborhood in Toronto. He then moved back to Scarborough for two years before settling in Oakwood–Vaughan, in the west end of the city. When he was in high school, he would organize parties at the Alexandra Park Community Centre. He also studied Philosophy at York University but did not finish his degree.

He started rapping when he was eight years old and was winning competitions by age 12. At 14, he performed live on stage for the first time. This special event had Nelson Mandela in the audience during Mandela's first visit to Toronto in 1990, after being released from prison.

By 1993, he decided to change his stage name from "KoolAid" to "Kardinal Offishall." He was inspired by a famous French politician from the 1600s, Cardinal Richelieu. In that same year, Offishall helped start the Circle, a group of artists including Choclair, Jully Black, Solitair, Tara Chase, and Saukrates. In 1994, he was first heard on a recorded song, Saukrates' single "Still Caught Up."

1996–1999: Eye & I Album

When Kardinal was 20, he signed a music publishing deal with Warner/Chappell Music Canada. In 1996, he released his first single, "Naughty Dread." This song was featured on the Rap Essentials Volume One album and earned him a nomination for a Juno Award for Best Rap Recording.

In 1997, Kardinal released his first album, Eye & I, through Capitol Hill Music. The only single from the album, "On wit da Show", had its music video played a lot on MuchMusic. Music critics gave the album great reviews. AllMusic said that Kardinal "mixed soul, dancehall, reggae, hip-hop, and a very creative way of making beats on his 20-track debut album, Eye & I." However, the album was not well distributed in Canada, and radio stations didn't play it much, so it didn't sell widely. Over 4,000 copies were sold in the first three months.

In 1998, he was featured on the Juno-winning song "Northern Touch" with the Rascalz, Choclair, Checkmate, and Thrust. The next year, he produced Choclair's popular song "Let's Ride."

2000–2003: Husslin' and Quest for Fire

The Husslin' EP was released on April 11, 2000. It was released independently by Figure IV Entertainment and distributed by Fat Beats Records in the United States. The main song, "Husslin'", was one of the most popular 12-inch singles of 2000. "And What?", featuring Saukrates, was released as a single in 1999. Both "Husslin'" and "Mic T.H.U.G.S." also appear on Kardinal's second album, Quest for Fire: Firestarter, Vol. 1. An updated version of "U R Ghetto When," called "U R Ghetto 2002," is also on the Quest for Fire album.

In 2000, Kardinal signed with MCA Records. He released the album Quest for Fire: Firestarter, Vol. 1 in 2001. This album included the hit songs "BaKardi Slang" and "Ol' Time Killin'". One year after it came out, 25,000 copies of the album were sold in Canada. Music critics generally liked the album. The Source magazine gave it 3.5 out of 5 mics. RapReviews.com gave it a 7/10 rating, saying it was a "mixed bag" but had "some perfect 10's." The A.V. Club also gave it a good review, praising its "impressive musical and lyrical consistency." AllMusic gave it 2.5 out of 5 stars, noting that Kardinal "displays only flashes of promise here." The album was nominated for Best Rap Recording at the 2002 Juno Awards.

After MCA Records closed down in 2003, Kardinal's next album, Firestarter Vol. 2: The F-Word Theory, was cancelled. The music video for the song "Belly Dancer" featuring Pharrell was also not released. Kardinal was then without a record label. If the album had been released, it would have included music produced by famous artists like Timbaland and the Neptunes.

For the 20th anniversary of Quest for Fire: Firestarter, Vol. 1, Kardinal released a special clothing collection called "Firestarter." He created it with urbancoolab, an artificial intelligence fashion platform.

2004–2008: Fire and Glory and Not 4 Sale

Offishall at the eTalk Festival Party, during the Toronto International Film Festival in 2008.

In 2004, Kardinal released an independent mixtape called Kill Bloodclott Bill with his production company, Black Jays. He also released his second major-label album, Fire and Glory, on November 15, 2005. This album was released only in Canada through Virgin Records. Popular songs from Fire and Glory include "Everyday (Rudebwoy)" and "Heads Up." RapReviews.com gave the album an 8.5/10 rating, saying Fire and Glory was "a better album than Firestarter Vol. 1" and that Kardinal's "unique style also sets him apart." The album was nominated for Rap Recording of the Year at the 2006 Juno Awards.

Not 4 Sale is Kardinal Offishall's fourth studio album. It was released on September 9, 2008, through Kon Live/Geffen Records. This was his second album released internationally by a major label, after Quest for Fire: Firestarter, Vol. 1 in 2001. The album was very successful with critics. It included the hit song "Dangerous," which reached the top 5 on the Billboard Hot 100, and the smaller hit "Numba 1 (Tide Is High)." In its first week, 11,869 copies of the album were sold in the United States. It debuted at number 40 on the Billboard 200 chart. By February 15, 2009, the album had sold 34,822 copies. In Canada, it debuted at number 8 on the Canadian Albums Chart, selling 4,247 copies in its first week.

Music critics generally gave the album good reviews. AllMusic gave it 4 out of 5 stars, calling it "an entirely solid album." USA Today gave it 3 out of 4 stars, noting that "his potent blend of hip-hop and dancehall gives him a flavor all his own." PopMatters gave the album a 6/10 rating. The album won the award for Rap Recording of the Year at the 2009 Juno Awards.

2009–2018: Universal Music Canada and Kardi Gras

Offishall in 2010

In 2008, Kardinal was featured on the "Just Dance (RedOne Remix)" by Lady Gaga. In 2010, he was part of the Young Artists for Haiti's version of "Wavin' Flag." This song was made to raise money for disaster relief in Haiti. He performed alongside many other Canadian stars. Also in 2010, he was featured on Raghav's single "So Much." In 2011, he worked with Canadian dance-pop group Audio Playground on their gold-selling single "Famous." This song reached #28 in Canada and #10 on the USA Billboard Dance charts. In 2011, he also worked with singer Karl Wolf on his single "Ghetto Love."

In 2013, Kardinal Offishall and Madchild from Swollen Members were featured on Canadian hip-hop artist Classified's self-titled album on the song "Look Up." He also appeared on the charity single "True Colors" by Artists Against Bullying.

On December 16, 2013, Offishall joined Universal Music Canada as the Creative Executive Director of A&R. This means he helps find and develop new music artists. Besides helping Canadian talent, he also wanted to find international talent, saying, "I'm searching the world for superstars." On October 30, 2015, Kardinal Offishall released his fifth studio album, Kardi Gras, Vol. 1: The Clash. This album included the hit single "That Chick Right There," which reached number 68 on the Canadian Hot 100.

2019–Present: Pick Your Poison and Other Work

On June 4, 2019, Kardinal Offishall released the single "Run." This song was used as the Toronto Raptors theme song during their championship win in the 2019 NBA Finals. It was also announced as the first single from his planned album Pick Your Poison.

In October 2021, it was announced that he would be a judge on the second season of Canada's Got Talent, which aired in 2022. He also appeared as a fictional version of himself in the first episode of the CBC Television sitcom Run the Burbs.

Personal Life

Family

In July 2016, Kardinal Offishall shared the news that his third child, a daughter, was born.

Helping Others

Kardinal Offishall is known for his charity work. Since 2000, he has hosted the KARDI Christmas Party charity event. This event raises money for community projects and good causes. He is also a founding member of Advance, a non-profit group for the music business. During his time at Universal Music Canada, he created the B.L.A.C.K. (Businesses Levelling Access to Change and Knowledge) Label Coalition. This group helps secure money for various charities.

Music Albums

Studio Albums

• Eye & I (1997)
• Quest for Fire: Firestarter, Vol. 1 (2001)
• Fire and Glory (2005)
• Not 4 Sale (2008)
• Kardi Gras, Vol. 1: The Clash (2015)

Albums with Other Artists

• A.M.T.R.I.M. with Nottz (2012)

Awards and Recognitions

• 1999: Juno Award for Rap Recording of the Year for Rascalz' "Northern Touch"
• 2000: Juno Award for Rap Recording of the Year for producing Choclair's "Let's Ride"
• 2000: SOCAN Award for "Husslin'"
• 2001: MuchMusic Video Award – Best Rap Video for "Money Jane"
• 2002: SOCAN Award for "Money Jane"
• 2004: Canadian Urban Music Award for "Empty Barrel"
• 2006: 3 MuchMusic Video Awards – Best Video, Best Director (RT!) and VideoFACT Award for "Everyday (Rudebwoy)"
• 2009: Juno Award for Single of the Year for "Dangerous"; Juno Award for Rap Recording of the Year for Not 4 Sale
• 2009: SOCAN Urban Music Award for "Dangerous"
• 2014: Juno Award for R&B/Soul Recording of the Year for "Can't Choose" (with JRDN)
• 2019: Honorary Degree from Humber College

Film and TV Appearances

See also

In Spanish: Kardinal Offishall para niños

• Canadian hip hop
• Music of Canada