Saukrates facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Saukrates
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Saukrates performing at the 2015 Burlington's Sound of Music Festival
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Karl Amani Wailoo |
| Also known as | Bigg Soxx |
| Born | March 6, 1978 Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |
| Origin | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
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| Years active | 1994–present |
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Karl Amani Wailoo (born March 6, 1978) is a Canadian rapper, singer, and record producer known by his stage name, Saukrates (pronounced like the ancient philosopher "Socrates"). He is a major figure in Canadian hip hop.
Saukrates is the co-founder of the record label Capitol Hill Music and the lead singer of the R&B group Big Black Lincoln. He is also a member of the Gilla House collective, a group of artists associated with American rapper Redman.
Contents
Musical Journey
Getting Started
Saukrates began his music career in the mid-1990s. His first track, "Still Caught Up," came out in 1994. It was so good that it earned a nomination for Best Rap Recording at the 1996 Juno Awards, which are Canada's version of the Grammys. He was nominated again in 2000 for his song "Money or Love."
Like many Canadian hip hop artists, it was challenging for Saukrates to become well-known in the United States. In 1996, he signed with Warner Bros. Records, a major American record label. However, the label dropped him in 1998, a year before his first album, The Underground Tapes, was released.
Despite this setback, Saukrates signed another big deal in 2000 with Def Jam, a famous hip hop label. He was eventually dropped by Def Jam but continued to make music with Gilla House.
Working with Other Stars
Saukrates is also a talented producer, which means he helps other artists create their music. In 2001, he produced the song "Uh-Huh" for Redman's album Malpractice. He also appeared on the album in a song called "Enjoy Da Ride."
In 2002, Saukrates worked with another Canadian producer named Agile. Together, they produced the track "Heaven" for the famous rapper Nas on his album God's Son. The song also featured singer Jully Black.
Touring with Nelly Furtado
Saukrates has worked closely with Canadian pop star Nelly Furtado. In 2006, he performed the song "..." with her at the halftime show for the 94th Grey Cup, the championship game of the CFL.
A few days later, he showed off his beatboxing skills during her performance of "Say It Right" at the American Music Awards. He even appeared with Furtado on the TV show One Life to Live in 2007. Saukrates also joined her Get Loose Tour as a supporting act and musician.
Later Albums and Projects
In 2009, Saukrates was featured on the song "A-Yo" by Method Man & Redman. He also worked with Canadian artist k-os and Nelly Furtado on the song "I Wish I Knew Natalie Portman."
After many years of work, Saukrates released his second album, Season One, in 2012. It included guest appearances from artists like Redman and k-os. One of the album's singles, "Say I," became very popular.
He has continued to collaborate with other Canadian musicians. In 2013, he was on the song "Anything Goes" by Classified. He was also featured on two songs from the album Orchestrated Noise by Canadian hip hop pioneer Maestro Fresh Wes.
Music and EPs
Studio albums
- The Underground Tapes (1999)
- Heaven's Caught on Fire (with Big Black Lincoln) (2006)
- Season One (2012)
- Season 2 (2017)
- Bad Addiction (2024)
EPs
- Brick House (1997)
- The Bigg Soxx Versions EP (2010)
- Amani (2014)
Voice for Sports
Since 2008, Saukrates has used his distinct voice to narrate commercials for the Toronto Blue Jays baseball team. In 2011, his song "Say I" was used in a Nike commercial featuring hockey star P. K. Subban.
He also narrated a video for the Toronto Raptors basketball team at the start of the 2019 NBA Finals, which they went on to win.
See also
- Canadian hip hop
- Music of Canada
