"BaKardi Slang" is a

hip-hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hi ...

song by

Kardinal Offishall Jason Drew Harrow (born May 11, 1976), better known by his stage name Kardinal Offishall ( ), is a Canadian rapper and record producer. Often credited as Canada's "hip-hop ambassador", he has been regarded as one of the country's most prominent ...

. Produced by Solitair, it was the first single from his second album '' Quest for Fire: Firestarter, Vol. 1''. The single was released in Canada in 2000, before being re-released in the U.S. the following year. It became his first single to appear on a ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' chart, as well as his first Top 40 hit as a solo artist in Canada.

Background

"BaKardi Slang" was the last song recorded for the ''Quest for Fire'' album. According to Kardinal, the song "almost never happened."Kardinal Offishall - Session Transcript
Red Bull Music Academy. Accessed on December 18, 2008. He was about to drive to a casino with Solitair, and as he backed out of his driveway, Solitair put his beat tape in the system. After Kardinal heard the first beat on the tape (the song's eventual beat), he drove back home and recorded the song. The anthemic song's lyrics depict the vibe in

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

. Kardinal breaks down the city's slang in each verse, similar to Big L's song "Ebonics". In the chorus, he refers to himself as "Kardi", which is his nickname. The song popularized Toronto's nickname " T-dot", and became an instant hit in the city.Kardinal Offishall Biography
MapleMusic. Accessed on December 18, 2008. After the single became popular in

Jamaica Jamaica is an island country in the Caribbean Sea and the West Indies. At , it is the third-largest island—after Cuba and Hispaniola—of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean. Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, west of Hispaniola (the is ...

, dancehall artist

Bounty Killer Rodney Basil Price OD (born 12 June 1972), known as Bounty Killer, is a Jamaican reggae and dancehall deejay. AllMusic describes him as "one of the most aggressive dancehall stars of the '90s, a street-tough rude boy with an unrepentant fl ...

recorded a

remix A remix, also sometimes called reorchestration or rework, is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, poem, or photograph ca ...

of the song with Kardinal, known as "BaKardi Slang Refix". The song appeared on Bounty Killer's 2002 album ''Ghetto Dictionary: The Mystery''.

Music video

The

music video A music video is a video that integrates a song or an album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device intended to ...

, directed by Kevin De Freitas, begins with Kardinal rapping in the streets of Toronto, before going into a club. Later on, he drives a

Hummer Hummer (stylized in all caps) is an American brand of Pickup truck, pickups launched in 1992 when AM General began selling a civilian version of the M998 Humvee. Although discontinued in 2010, Hummer returned as a model under GMC (automob ...

through various Toronto neighbourhoods, including Regent Park, Oakwood-Vaughan, and Jane and Finch.

Track listing

12" single

A-side # "BaKardi Slang" (Radio Edit) # "BaKardi Slang" (LP Version) # "BaKardi Slang" (Instrumental) B-side # "

Ol' Time Killin' "Ol' Time Killin'" is a hip-hop song by Kardinal Offishall featuring Jully Black, Allistair, IRS, and Wio-K, released in 2001. Produced by Mr. Attic, it was the second single from his second album '' Quest for Fire: Firestarter, Vol. 1''. Bac ...

" (Radio Edit) # "Ol' Time Killin'" (LP Version)

Chart positions

References

External links

"BaKardi Slang" Official music video
at

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2000 singles 2001 singles Kardinal Offishall songs MCA Records singles Songs written by Kardinal Offishall Songs about Canada 2000 songs Music videos shot in Toronto {{2000s-hiphop-single-stub