In addition to the release of Trial & Error, 2003 and 2004 were busy and evolutionary years for Classified. With the continuous support of VideoFACT, he was able to release two additional music videos for the singles "Just the Way It Is" and "Unexpected". Classified also continued to master his production skills and joined forces with some of Canada's most prominent emcees, including Choclair and Maestro Fresh Wes. He also teamed up with Shady Records recording artist, Royce Da 5'9" and opened for Ludacris, Snoop dogg, Busta Rhymes, The Game, Nelly, MC Grizzly, Captain Capota, Nas, The Black Eyed Peas and Black Moon.
Classified's tenth album, Boy-Cott-In the Industry, was a high point in his career. The album includes guest appearances by Choclair, Royce Da 5'9", Jay Bizzy, J-Bru, A-Wall, Spesh K, and Mic Boyd (Classified's younger brother and fellow MC). He has said he enjoys doing music with other people: "It keeps things exciting and there are tons of talented people in Halifax so you make connections 'cause it's not a huge scene." The album reached #46 on SoundScan's Canadian R&B/Hip-Hop albums chart. The singles "The Maritimes", "5th Element", "No Mistakes", and "Find Out", which is the lead single of his 11th studio album, Hitch Hikin' Music, were all Top 20 hits on MuchMusic and MTV Canada that year. The music video for "No Mistakes" won him an MMVA for MuchVibe Best Rap Video. Boy-Cott-In the Industry also earned Classified a Juno Award nomination for Rap Recording of the Year in 2006.
Riding high off of Boy-Cott-In the Industry, Classified released his eleventh album Hitch Hikin' Music. Produced like previous albums by Classified himself, it is arguably some of Classified's finest work. On "Fall From Paradise", Classified reflects on the difficulty of staying fresh and on top. In the hip-hop meets classic rock song "All About U", featuring singer Chad Hatcher, Classified shows the extent of his growth from his early releases. In "Hip Hop Star", he eschews the current bling-bling culture of popular hip hop to remind people that life is not about trying to impress others. The rest of the album includes guest appearances by Jay Bizzy, Mic Boyd, Jordan Croucher, Preacher K, White Mic and more. Four singles have been released off the album: "Find Out" (which won the 2007 East Coast Music Award for Best Rap/Hip-Hop Single), "Feelin' Fine Remix", "All About U", and "Hard to Be Hip Hop". Hitch Hikin' Music also received a Juno Award nomination for Rap Recording of the Year in 2007.
Classified enlisted the help of fellow Nova Scotia native Joel Roy to beatbox during some of his songs. The actual singles that Roy beatboxed for are unknown but it is believed that he can be heard in the single "The Maritimes".
In early 2009, the hit single "Anybody Listening" brought Classified to mainstream success as it peaked at #52 on the Canadian Hot 100 and the music video received heavy rotation on MuchMusic. Classified's thirteenth studio album, Self Explanatory received highly positive reviews from the critics and debuted on the Canadian Albums Chart at #25 making it Classified's first album on that chart. At the 2009 MuchMusic Video Awards on May 21, 2009, Classified won the MuchVibe "Best Hip-Hop Video of the Year" award for "Anybody Listening" directed by Harv Glazer and produced by Robert Wilson of TwoThreeFiveFilms. Off Self Explanatory, Classified would enjoy more mainstream success in early 2010 with another hit single, "Oh...Canada" peaking at #14 on the Canadian Hot 100 and was certified platinum in digital downloads by the CRIA. Also in early 2010, Classified received three Juno Award nominations, which was for Rap Recording of the Year, Single of the Year, and Video of the Year. In early 2011, "Oh...Canada" received a Juno nomination for "Single of the Year".
On March 22, 2011, Classified released his fourteenth album, though it was only his second major studio album, Handshakes and Middle Fingers. The first single off the album, "That Ain't Classy" reached #45 on the Canadian Hot 100. The album debuted at #7 on the Canadian Albums Chart, making it his highest charting album to date.
Loonie
Classified Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
["loonie" repeated throughout the song]
[Verse 1: Classified]
Yeah, as I drop my coin into the slot machine
My eyes double in size, you can't stop a fiend
And it doesn't make a difference if I got the means
I'm feelin uneasy, lost and unrational
Bettin on my life, tryin to double up my capital (ha)
I'll make it back, I don't worry what the cost
Tomorrow I'll be here and I'll win back what I lost
Win some, lose some, consumed every day (day)
I started with my crew, now I sit alone and play (play)
I'm crazy, I'm lonely, I feel I barely know me
I'm through with it, one more loonie, am I losin it?
[Verse 2: D-Sisive]
A new record penned, another one spins
One mixed in as the other one ends
I wonderin if the one I just pressed
Will be gripped by the DJ's fingertips
Slipped out of the crate, out the sleeve
Laid on the technique and played out my speak-ers
Ears glued to the show and wait
For my song's debut and my SOCAN change
And when the song don't play, smile gets lost
Fingers ball up, walls get right crossed
Ouch, I can't absorb the hate
I go "Psycho", killer, Norman Bates
[Chorus: x4]
I gets loc'd and loonie
I, I get loonie
[Verse 3: Shad K]
You ever read 40 classics, for your classes, for your Master's
And while on tour rappin, crashin on a little mattress?
It's madness but fact is I, I need to pass
'Cause the masses still don't got a clue who Shad is
No cash to afford a DJ, I'm scratch less
Just in class or ironically with that Class kid
Out of class and back in school fast
Catchin up on what's happened, after mad distractions
Imagine S-K all night rappin
And writin an essay, then next day, on the flight, no relaxin
And I barely get paid
All I gets late penalties, couple C's and a headache
[Verse 4: DL Incognito]
RFI chips and kids got Intel inside me
Don't bother to write things down
Tip of my full QWERTY keypad, 'Shift', 'Tab', backslash, deleted
My album hit the world wide web half completed
A few weeks prior to when I chose to release it
I hear it blarin out your Bluetooth stereo speakers
The boy genius reports all necessary features
So I know them Blackberrys got 3G speeds kid
And here's my thesis, we started with beepers
Now I got more gadgets than a Japanese kid
Plus I frequent, sites indecent
If I lose my iPhone, there go all my secrets
I'm loonie
[Chorus]
[Verse 5: Buck 65]
For me it's the tedium, mass media, the heavy glare
Graffiti and it's the broken glass everywhere
Stress complex, the pressure in ex-projects
Bad news and taboos, women as sex objects
Nipple slips, the price of gas, twice as fast, triple flips
Makin crack, my achin back and crippled hips
The bag of green, the never endin gag machine
Booze and drugs, reviews and plugs, in People magazine
Money for nothin, a payment to fight
The rise of advertising, Entertainment Tonight
Span of limbs, Tanya Kim's, throws of passion
Runnin yokes and funny jokes and shows of fashion
[Chorus]
In the song, "Loonie," Classified and his guest rappers, D-Sisive, Shad K, DL Incognito, and Buck 65, all reveal their own individual experiences that drive them "loony". The term "loonie" generally refers to the Canadian one-dollar coin, however in this context, it's used to describe each rapper's personal struggle with something that is a source of tension or madness. Classified's verse focuses on his addiction to gambling, as he drops his money into the slot machine with hopes of winning back his lost money. D-Sisive's lyrics reflect the emotions of creating an album in hopes that it will be successful, and the frustration of being left off the DJ's playlist. In Shad K's verse, he speaks to the challenges of being a student, trying to balance his passion while completing his education. DL Incognito discusses the overwhelming effect of technology and the information age. Buck 65's verse touches on the diverse list of things that drive people mad. Ultimately, this song conveys the message that life is difficult and all of us are affected by it in some way.
Interestingly, "Loonie" reflects a themed collaboration across Canada as each rapper is from different regions of the country with distinctly different backgrounds. Classified is from Nova Scotia, D-Sisive is from Ontario, Shad is from London, Ontario, DL Incognito is from Quebec, and Buck 65 is from the Maritimes, so the song represents a truly national collaboration. Another interesting fact about the song is its use of nostalgia in sound and beat, reminiscent of 90's hip hop, paying homage to the era, and breathing new life into a favored sound. Classified used different production and samples on this record and went for a straight rap track, which differed from his previous tracks. In terms of cultural significance, this song helped to usher in a new era of Canadian hip hop, marking the genre's place nationally and globally, making it clear that Canadian rap artists had a meaningful voice and unique stories to share.
In terms of the chords for "Loonie," they are not readily available online as the track is mainly beat-driven with a focus on the lyrics and storytelling of each artist.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah, as I drop my coin into the slot machine
Starting the gambling process
My eyes double in size, you can't stop a fiend
Gambling addiction
And it doesn't make a difference if I got the means
The desire to gamble is not affected by the amount of money one has
All I need to succeed is jackpot in threes
Defined success in gambling terms
I'm feelin uneasy, lost and unrational
Feeling unstable and irrational due to gambling addiction
Bettin on my life, tryin to double up my capital (ha)
Risking life savings to gamble
I started with my crew, now I sit alone and play (play)
Alienation due to gambling addiction
A new record penned, another one spins
Song creation
One mixed in as the other one ends
Transition to a new song
Slipped out of the crate, out the sleeve
DJ actions
I wonderin if the one I just pressed
Uncertainty about song reception
And when the song don't play, smile gets lost
Disappointment when a song is not played
You ever read 40 classics, for your classes, for your Master's
Academic struggles
No cash to afford a DJ, I'm scratch less
Financial struggles as an artist
Catchin up on what's happened, after mad distractions
Trying to balance school and music career
RFI chips and kids got Intel inside me
Technology over-dependence
My album hit the world wide web half completed
Album leak
Plus I frequent, sites indecent
Addiction to inappropriate internet content
For me it's the tedium, mass media, the heavy glare
Stress caused by society and media
Nipple slips, the price of gas, twice as fast, triple flips
Negative aspects of society and media
Booze and drugs, reviews and plugs, in People magazine
Influence of media on substance abuse and celebrity culture
Contributed by Blake F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.