Kardinal Offishall has a message for his fellow Canadian celebrities: you've got to step it up at home.
This is coming from a Toronto hip-hop star who has been a seemingly inescapable presence in the domestic arts and entertainment scene for decades.
At the 2021 Juno Awards, he took viewers on a comprehensive journey through Canada's rap music history and more recently voiced introductions for a program of influential 1990s Black American cinema earlier this year at Toronto's TIFF Bell Lightbox.
He's also appeared as himself on an episode of the CBC sitcom 鈥淩un the Burbs鈥 and next month he'll slide into one of the judges' chairs on the new season of Citytv's 鈥淐anada's Got Talent.鈥
When asked why he's chosen to make his personality a central part of the local cultural scene, he raises a different question. Why aren't other famous Canadians doing the same?
鈥淚 don't want to call out anyone,鈥 he prefaced in a recent interview at the headquarters of GhostLabel, a Toronto fashion brand he often wears at appearances.
鈥淏ut some of the biggest artists that we have - how incredible would it be if they actually showed up?鈥
Major events in other world-class cities seem to have no trouble drawing star power. He points out New York Fashion Week as one example. Why shouldn't Canadian cities see the same support for their creators?
The potential is certainly there. Arguably, there are more famous Canadians in the entertainment world than ever - the Weeknd, Justin Bieber, Ryan Gosling, Shawn Mendes and Avril Lavigne to name just a few.
And while Drake is often courtside for the Toronto Raptors and Ryan Reynolds is waving the flag in his own ways, most of the biggest Canadian celebrities live outside the country and rarely turn up at homegrown events unless they're being honoured by an institution.
Kardi - as his fans affectionately call him - is different in that sense.
Rising to fame in the early aughts, he helped construct a sturdy, mainstream Canadian hip-hop empire with his friends years before Drake was even thinking about the blueprints for his Toronto mansion.
The rapper's 2008 dance floor filler 鈥淒angerous鈥 with Akon made him the first Canadian rapper to crack the Billboard Top 100 charts, where it topped out at No. 5.
Search Kardinal Offishall on Google and you'll find his frequent presence on red carpets for Toronto Fashion Week, local charity fundraisers and Canadian music gatherings. He's known to MC events he believes in and proudly notes he was a vocal supporter of the fledgling Toronto Raptors long before the bandwagon rolled into town.
All of this activity earned him the unofficial title of 鈥淐anada's Hip-Hop Ambassador,鈥 a name that causes him to retch at its mention.
鈥淪orry, I threw up in my mouth a little bit,鈥 he jokes.
OK then, how about 鈥淐anada's Arts Ambassador鈥?
鈥淗mm, not really, but I get it. Thank you.鈥
The longer you talk to the 46-year-old performer, born Jason Harrow, the more apparent it is that he dislikes most titles given to him. Except there's one he's particularly proud of lately.
Earlier this year, it was announced he joined the executive ranks at Def Jam Recordings, the legendary hip-hop label co-founded by Rick Rubin.
As the record label's first global A&R representative, Harrow is responsible for discovering the next generation of talent and fostering relationships for lasting careers.
It's a step up from his former gig as senior vice president of A&R at Universal Music Canada where under his tenure the label saw the rise of various newcomers, including Juno-winning R&B singer Savannah Re, who was championed by Canadians Boi-1da, Jessie Reyez and Wondagurl.
When Def Jam came calling, in a stretch of roughly two years in the job, Harrow decided it was worth the leap.
鈥淯niversal Canada is super dope, but if you compare it to sports it would be like going to prep school,鈥 he explains, of moving to the label that is known for elevating the careers of Jay-Z, DMX, Ludacris, Rihanna and Kanye West.
His experience at the Canadian label 鈥渞eally sharpened the blades鈥 for the big leagues, he says. Now he has 鈥渕ore resources and more opportunities鈥 at his disposal to reach the masses.
In his new role, Harrow answers to CEO Tunji Balogun and executive vice president LaTrice Burnette as he scours the globe for untapped talent. The overarching goal is to encourage a 鈥渞esurgence of the Def Jam culture,鈥 from music to its lifestyle and branding extensions.
He's already signed at least one act, an R&B singer from Texas named Susan Carol, who previously appeared on his 2021 collaborative track 鈥淔reedom Heights鈥 alongside Jully Black and R&B newcomer Emanuel.
Beyond that, he's scoped out South Africa, the United Kingdom, Ghana and Jamaica to find other Black music, he says. His experience at Def Jam has already proven to be much different than his past executive roles.
鈥淵ou get on these calls where you don't have to blackspain yourself to anybody. Everybody gets it,鈥 he says.
鈥淭hat's why, for me, it feels like a dream job. Everybody speaks your language, they're on the same page, and they have the same goals.鈥
Pairing that personal connection with his knowledge of the music industry, Harrow says he's confident his Def Jam era will be fruitful, especially at a time when many record labels can't see beyond TikTok and social media to discover new talent.
鈥淭o me, these are all reactive tools, meaning by the time it's gone viral, you're reacting to something that's already happened,鈥 he says.
鈥淚 tend to be able to see the magic before a lot of the tools that people use in 2023.鈥
Somewhere in his flurry of plans, Harrow hopes to release new music. He's cagey on when that might take shape or if Def Jam will be involved.
His focus, for now, is on the many projects he's juggling outside of his own hip-hop career. And he's fine with that, he insists.
鈥淚've done all the other stuff ... got a bunch of plaques at home, toured the world, done this, done that,鈥 he says, adding that he's focused on ways to 鈥渄iversify鈥 his career.
鈥淎ll the pressure is gone with everything I do and I can just focus on the passion,鈥 he adds.
鈥淢aybe not for everybody, but for me, that is truly success.鈥
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 21, 2023.
This is a corrected story. A previous version said Kardinal Offishall signed Savannah Re. In fact, he was an A&R at Universal Music Canada during her rise to fame but did not sign her.
A Los Angeles prosecutor said on Thursday he is asking the court to resentence Erik and Lyle Menendez after they have spent 34 years in prison for the shotgun murder of their parents, after new evidence emerged indicating they were sexually abused by their father for years.
The Maritime Sikh Society says the body of a young employee who died at a Walmart in Halifax last weekend was found by her mother.
As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau faces growing pressure from within his own caucus to step aside, former B.C. premier Christy Clark says she is open to returning to politics.
The federal government is slashing immigration targets to levels that will flatten population growth as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau admits the government did not get the balance right after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Montreal police say four teenagers suffered stab wounds after an altercation near John F. Kennedy High School in the city's Villeray鈥擲aint-Michel鈥擯arc-Extension borough on Thursday.
Four people are dead and another is in hospital after a Tesla driving through downtown Toronto at a high rate of speed crashed into a guardrail and struck a concrete pillar on Lake Shore Boulevard.
A new lawsuit alleges Vince McMahon knowingly enabled the sexual exploitation of children by a WWE employee in the 1980s.
Voting officials say recounts in two ridings that could determine the outcome of British Columbia's election won't start until Sunday afternoon.
The Ottawa Police Service has identified the woman who was stabbed to death at Paul Landry Park on Uplands Drive Thursday morning.
Participants in a federal public inquiry are calling on Ottawa to take bolder action against foreign interference by making effective use of legal tools, closing loopholes and fostering public education.
U.S. authorities earlier this year knew the whereabouts of a former Canadian Olympian who is now on the run for allegedly running a transnational drug trafficking ring and orchestrating murders in Ontario, according to Ontario court documents.
The Maritime Sikh Society says the body of a young employee who died at a Walmart in Halifax last weekend was found by her mother.
Montreal police say four teenagers suffered stab wounds after an altercation near John F. Kennedy High School in the city's Villeray鈥擲aint-Michel鈥擯arc-Extension borough on Thursday.
Voting officials say recounts in two ridings that could determine the outcome of British Columbia's election won't start until Sunday afternoon.
The Saskatchewan RCMP is calling off its dangerous persons alert after two people were arrested in the Tobin Lake area Thursday afternoon.
A Los Angeles prosecutor said on Thursday he is asking the court to resentence Erik and Lyle Menendez after they have spent 34 years in prison for the shotgun murder of their parents, after new evidence emerged indicating they were sexually abused by their father for years.
An Israeli strike on a school where displaced people were sheltering in the central Gaza Strip killed at least 17 people on Thursday, nearly all women and children, Palestinian medical officials said.
Donald Trump said Thursday that if he wins the White House, he will fire special counsel Jack Smith 'within two seconds' of taking office.
Colorado funeral home owners accused of misspending nearly US$900,000 in pandemic relief funds and living lavishly, all while allegedly storing 190 decaying bodies in a building and sending grieving families fake ashes, pleaded guilty Thursday to federal fraud charges for defrauding customers.
Elon Musk's super PAC didn't announce a winner for its "daily" $1 million giveaway to registered swing state voters on Wednesday, the same day news broke that the Justice Department warned Musk鈥檚 group that its sweepstakes might be illegal.
Widespread flooding and landslides set off by a tropical storm in the northeastern Philippines on Thursday left at least 24 people dead, swept away cars and prompted authorities to scramble for motorboats to rescue trapped villagers, some on roofs.
As Prime Minister Justin Trudeau faces growing pressure from within his own caucus to step aside, former B.C. premier Christy Clark says she is open to returning to politics.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is digging in, saying 'yes,' he's staying on as leader of the Liberal Party of Canada. His assertion comes less than 24 hours after telling his MPs that he'd reflect on his future in the face of a deadline imposed by defectors in his caucus, and that鈥檚 left some feeling 'disappointed.'
Participants in a federal public inquiry are calling on Ottawa to take bolder action against foreign interference by making effective use of legal tools, closing loopholes and fostering public education.
Quebec's health department says it will be ready to meet the expected demand for advanced applications for medical assistance in dying when it begins accepting those requests next week.
A Colorado man has filed the first lawsuit against McDonald鈥檚 relating to its E. coli outbreak linked to Quarter Pounders that, so far, has led to at least 49 illnesses across 10 states, including one death.
Radon is a radioactive gas found in nearly every Canadian home. A new research study is putting a renewed spotlight on the invisible, odourless element that is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in Canada.
London Ont. born astronaut and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen spoke with thousands of high school students across the country today about the upcoming Artemis II mission.
Diverse firefly species lit up the night during the late Mesozoic period, scientists have confirmed.
European scientists have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm capable of interpreting pig sounds, aiming to create a tool that can help farmers improve animal welfare.
A new organization that aims to help people struggling with addiction officially launched in Ottawa Thursday, named after the late Matthew Perry.
Argentina's police raided the Buenos Aires hotel where ex-One Direction singer Liam Payne stayed before dying last week after falling from a third-floor balcony, a government official said Thursday.
A new lawsuit alleges Vince McMahon knowingly enabled the sexual exploitation of children by a WWE employee in the 1980s.
Boeing factory workers voted against the company鈥檚 latest contract offer and remain on the picket lines six weeks into a strike that has stopped production of the aerospace giant鈥檚 bestselling jetliners.
Rogers Communications Inc. is selling a minority stake in a portion of its wireless network infrastructure for $7 billion amid a 'pivot' in strategy as it seeks to pay down debt.
Shake Shack has announced plans to open two more Toronto locations in the coming months.
A Toronto man who only recently checked a Lotto 6/49 lottery ticket he bought back in June is now $2.5 million richer.
Within a year of dating, 31-year-old Siara Rouzer crossed a major relationship milestone. The guy she was seeing was no longer a boyfriend but her partner.
A new resident at a Manitoba animal rescue has waddled her way into people's hearts.
The Vegas Golden Knights made defenceman Shea Theodore their highest-paid player Thursday, signing him to a seven-year contract worth an average of US$7.425 million per year.
Chris Boucher was back, for at least one game. The veteran forward spent most of last season at the far end of the Toronto Raptors' bench, rarely seeing playing time.
An 18-year-old has filed a lawsuit over the ownership of the ball Shohei Ohtani made baseball history with when he became the inaugural member of the 50-50 club.
A town in southern Alberta will be one of the first to let golf carts be driven on select roads as part of a provincial pilot program.
An increased risk of fire has prompted the recall of thousands of Honda hybrid vehicles in Canada.
A senior executive for Volkswagen in China has been deported for allegedly using cocaine and marijuana while on vacation in Thailand, according to Chinese authorities and German media reports.
A new resident at a Manitoba animal rescue has waddled her way into people's hearts.
Hundreds of people ran to the music of German composer and pianist Beethoven Wednesday night in a unique race in Halifax.
He is a familiar face to residents of a neighbourhood just west of Roncesvalles Avenue.
A meteor lit up our region's sky last night 鈥 with a large fireball shooting across the horizon over Lake Erie at around 7:00 p.m.
Residents of Ottawa's Rideauview neighbourhood say an aggressive wild turkey has become a problem.
A man who lost his life while trying to rescue people from floodwaters, and a 13-year-old boy who saved his family from a dog attack, are among the Nova Scotians who received a medal for bravery Tuesday.
A newly minted Winnipegger is hoping a world record attempt will help bring awareness for the need for more pump track facilities in the city.
A Springfield, Ont. man is being hailed a 'hero' after running into his burning home to save his two infant children.
Hortense Anglin was the oldest graduate to make her way across the platform at York University's Fall Convocation ceremony this week. At the age of 87, she graduated with an Honours degree in Religious Studies.
An update on the health-care piece of Mayor Ken Sim's pledge to hire 100 mental health nurses to pair with 100 police officers has revealed just how little resemblance what is being implemented bears to what was promised in 2022.
Voting officials say recounts in two ridings that could determine the outcome of British Columbia's election won't start until Sunday afternoon.
The last weekend of October brings events celebrating Halloween, Diwali and more to Metro Vancouver.
U.S. authorities earlier this year knew the whereabouts of a former Canadian Olympian who is now on the run for allegedly running a transnational drug trafficking ring and orchestrating murders in Ontario, according to Ontario court documents.
Four people are dead and another is in hospital after a Tesla driving through downtown Toronto at a high rate of speed crashed into a guardrail and struck a concrete pillar on Lake Shore Boulevard.
It's a dream for many Canadians, trying to save up enough money for a down payment on their very first home. That was also the dream for the Esmeralda family, a family of five with two dogs who currently live in a Scarborough apartment building.
A Calgary business owner is frustrated and looking for answers after Google removed his business' profile without warning, resulting in a loss of bookings and damage to his company鈥檚 reputation.
International graduate students at the University of Calgary say recent changes to the cap on international students, along with more cuts to Canada's immigration targets, is causing uncertainty -- and could drive talent away from the country.
Vaccine fatigue is likely to blame for a slower start to the fall immunization campaign in Alberta, according to an infectious disease expert.
The Ottawa Police Service has identified the woman who was stabbed to death at Paul Landry Park on Uplands Drive Thursday morning.
A new organization that aims to help people struggling with addiction officially launched in Ottawa Thursday, named after the late Matthew Perry.
A man is facing charges after copper wire and a utility trailer were stolen from a business in eastern Ontario Wednesday.
Montreal police say four teenagers suffered stab wounds after an altercation near John F. Kennedy High School in the city's Villeray鈥擲aint-Michel鈥擯arc-Extension borough on Thursday.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and on Thursday the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation held a brunch in downtown Montreal featuring a special guest: Matthew Knowles.
Quebec's health department says it will be ready to meet the expected demand for advanced applications for medical assistance in dying when it begins accepting those requests next week.
The man who cut up the body of his grandson's mother is going to prison after the Alberta Court of Appeal overturned his previous sentence.
One person was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries after a reported shooting on Wednesday night.
Some Edmonton public school support staff walked off the job Thursday morning, after the province stepped in on Wednesday to prevent strike action.
The Maritime Sikh Society says the body of a young employee who died at a Walmart in Halifax last weekend was found by her mother.
WorkSafeNB is investigating after a man was killed in a workplace incident at a tire shop in Moncton, N.B., last week.
The Nova Scotia Liberals are accusing former member Fred Tilley of accessing party files one day before he crossed the aisle to join the Progressive Conservatives.
The Manitoba man who brutally murdered his partner and two young children stood in court, voice wavering, and apologized for his actions that ended the lives of three people he said he loved very much.
A pair of councillors in the RM of Springfield plan on bringing forward a motion to opt out of Plan 20-50 when they are first able to.
A Winnipeg teenager has been charged with multiple offences after a stolen car crashed in St. Boniface Thursday morning.
After two days of advance polls, more than 119,000 people have already cast a ballot in-person for the 2024 Saskatchewan election.
A former tire recycling company in Saskatoon is announcing additional layoffs months after a dispute with the provincial government.
A man is dead and two other people were injured in a two vehicle collision north of Regina on Wednesday evening.
Erick Buhr, the man on trial for second-degree murder in the death of his grandmother Viola Erb, took the stand Thursday to testify in his own defense.
One Ontario couple is taking a different approach to growing their family.
U.S. authorities earlier this year knew the whereabouts of a former Canadian Olympian who is now on the run for allegedly running a transnational drug trafficking ring and orchestrating murders in Ontario, according to Ontario court documents.
The Saskatchewan RCMP is calling off its dangerous persons alert after two people were arrested in the Tobin Lake area Thursday afternoon.
A former tire recycling company in Saskatoon is announcing additional layoffs months after a dispute with the provincial government.
Saskatoon police are investigating a series of suspicious fires that were lit in the Mayfair neighbourhood on Thursday morning.
The Maritime Sikh Society says the body of a young employee who died at a Walmart in Halifax last weekend was found by her mother.
The Gathering Place board chair Peter Gregory is vowing to fight to keep the doors to the Cassells Street soup kitchen open after the District of Nipissing Social Services Administration Board denied their six-figure funding request.
Settlers landed in Moose Factory around 350 years ago, but to Indigenous people, it has been their land for many generations.
When she took the stand at a London courthouse on Thursday, 21-year-old Kaiah Edmonds testified that she arrived at the bush party off of Pack Road in a vehicle driven by one of the accused - Carlos Guerra Guerra.
The Hyde Park Business Improvement Association is taking steps to re-brand and dramatically expand its boundaries.
London police are asking for the public鈥檚 help identifying a suspect involved in a robbery on Sunday.
The trial of a Canadian soldier accused of sexual assault resumed on with the accused taking the stand, and painting a very different version of events from what the court heard from the complainant.
Emergency crews were called to attend a fire that broke out in a grassy area in Barrie on Thursday morning.
A haunted house in the Ontario Town of Innisfil is causing a real scare for some people a week before Halloween.
A former Lakeshore man is facing a 10-year prison sentence after he was found guilty on drug charges.
Speeding along Walker Road is a concern for residents who live, work and drive through the major Windsor artery, but according to one city councillor, implementing traffic calming measures is not a feasible solution.
The Chatham-Kent Police Service is investigating an indecent act report it received.
Mounties on Vancouver Island are investigating after a set of popular driftwood sculptures was reportedly stolen last week.
Voting officials say recounts in two ridings that could determine the outcome of British Columbia's election won't start until Sunday afternoon.
At least 1,749 people have died from toxic and unregulated drugs in British Columbia since the start of the year 鈥 a rate of more than six people per day, according to the latest data from the provincial coroner's office.
Dave Lindsey began growing giant pumpkins to bring a bit of magic to his grandkids' Halloween.
A U.S. District Court judge in Montana has sentenced a 27-year-old man from Kelowna, B.C., to 18 months in prison for using fake names to buy guns with the aim of selling them in Canada.
Nearly two years after a man was stabbed to death in downtown Kelowna, RCMP have made an arrest in the case.
The Municipality of Crowsnest Pass deserves a better shot at becoming a significant tourism hub than the UCP government is giving it, an NDP shadow minister said as the southeastern Alberta community gears up for a coal mining plebiscite.
A three-game road trip across the prairies got off on a sour note Wednesday night as the Medicine Hat Tigers defeated the Calgary Hitmen 4-2.
A town in southern Alberta will be one of the first to let golf carts be driven on select roads as part of a provincial pilot program.
Police seized drugs, $70,000 and a large gold chain in a drug trafficking bust earlier this month in Thunder Bay.
An annual event held in Sault Ste. Marie is back for the 29th year to ensure local kids get the winter clothing they need as the temperature dips.
The lack of 24-hour public washrooms has been a long-standing issue in the Sault, especially considering the rise in homelessness.
Investigators found the remains of a 77-year-old American man on Wednesday at the scene of a fire that destroyed a hotel in western Newfoundland earlier on the weekend.
Police in western Newfoundland say a 77-year-old man visiting the province from Kansas is missing after a fire at a hotel in Deer Lake, N.L.
At 2 p.m. on Thursday, the scene at the Lions Club in Clarenville, N.L., rivalled any rowdy St. John's bar that thumps with music late on a weekend night.
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at 愛污传媒. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop.聽Read about us.
