Kardinal Offishall

Scarborough, Ontario's Kardinal Offishall might finally be cracking his way into the American mainstream, but he certainly hasn't forgotten his roots. In the first minute of Not 4 Sale's opening track, he references Toronto no fewer than three times, as if to point out that American hip-hop came to him, and not the other way around.

For more than a decade Kardinal has been the king of Canadian hip-hop, scheming his inventive wordplay overtop of some heavily dancehall-infused beats. Not 4 Sale proves him to be a legitimately versatile emcee, equally adept at nailing his usual fare on "Bring the Fire Out," and more mainstream club tracks like "Dangerous" and "Digital Motown." The standout track here is "Due Me A Favor," where he plays a sort of anti-Jay-Z, rapping about money and respect–only in his case it's a lack thereof.

Kardinal Offishall makes the most of his swipe at the mainstream here, calling in A-list guests like T-Pain and Rihanna. Fans of his that date back to his 1997 debut, Eye & I, won't be disappointed though, as the man sticks to his guns and doesn't dumb down the lyrics for anyone.

—Nathan Atnikov
09.21.08

With over a decade of work behind him, things finally fall into place for Kardinal Offishall on Not 4 Sale, an entirely solid album that sounds like the Black Eyed Peas gone grimey or Wyclef Jean getting down and dirty, all with a Ludacris-styled delivery and attitude. As the Canadian -- "If you're looking for me/I'm 3 hours from Michigan" -- rapper, producer, and dancehall ambassador's first effort for Akon's Kon Live label, it benefits from the fat wallet that comes with it, making great use of its platinum guest list while letting the idea-filled Kardinal run wild in a millionaire recording studio. In 2008 it doesn't come much bigger than Rihanna but "Numba 1" doesn't surround the diva with the usual slickness and polish. Instead, it's an aggressive, tribal interpolation of the reggae classic "The Tide Is High" with authentic dancehall production from Black Chiney member Supa Dups. The witty Kardinal holds his own on the cut, proving himself worthy of standing next to both superstars and tastemakers, but he really shines on another interpolation, "Ill Eagle Alien" where the lines "Call me the immigrant translator/or the poor people's permanent position vindicator" are dropped over a hazy redo of Sting's "Englishman in New York." The Wyclef-styled awareness continues with the great "I'd rather have a real home sittin' on an acre/then owin' about hundred grand to my jewelry maker." This freedom fighting and socially conscious writing is tempered with hooky club tracks that never fail -- "Dangerous" with the label boss being the obvious choice -- along with cuts that are in touch with the hip-hop or neo-soul underground like "Set It Off" featuring the Clipse and the cool "Digital Motown" with J-Davey and producer Jake One. The man's Jamaican parents are honored with the wonderful Slim Smith sample on "Nina," goose bumps form when Estelle joins the plaintive "Due Me a Favour," and the interludes that are tacked onto the end of some tracks are either hilarious or poetic. How it was released at the end of a summer when it should have kicked it off is anyone's guess, but this instantly gripping, Island-flavored success works under all conditions and has the depth to still be rewarding whenever the next summer rolls around. ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide