Classified attended Hants East Rural High in Milford, Nova Scotia. He start… Read Full Bio ↴Classified attended Hants East Rural High in Milford, Nova Scotia. He started his own production label, Half Life Records, and released his first full length LP called Time's Up, Kid in 1995. After years of working on music and sorting through label contracts, Classified produced, recorded and released his ninth album, Trial & Error, and signed a nationwide distribution deal with Toronto-based, URBNET Records. Containing collaborations with up-and-coming Canadian artists like Eternia and DL Incognito, as well as Canadian rap veteran, Maestro, the album was one of the highest selling independent rap albums in Canada in 2004.
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.

Talking Shit
Classified Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

things about to hit the fan, hit the floor (classified) the record breaking (introducing) yo (the man, you the mans respect?)yo eh yo, eh yo i straight spit on fake cliques, make graces need braces, and hang em from their laces, i bring it back to basics, keep you wide awake,when you continue talking shit, like classified's a fake, uh uh uh uh, i represent a plus you a minus, i bust on these tracks with these raps and one liners, ten steps behind us, five years to catch up, im a vet on the mic but give me one beer im messed up, seeing double vision both eyes barely open, deep thoughts, arms crossed caught up for a brief moment, my beats potent, spittin words in a descrete motion, with free flowin litature to keep my people open, it shouldnt matter if your white or if your black, if your dope then your dope, if your wack then your wack, breaking boards over backs, of those who not trying, im knocking every internet mc ofline, cover every angle, checking every option, to many one-hit-wonders with they stock already dropping, i sit calm and watch them, move when its right, making moves in the night, i never lose on the mic ->chorus

Overall Meaning

In Classified's song Talking Shit, he is expressing his frustration with fake and negative people, particularly those who speak negatively about him. He warns that things are about to hit the fan and encourages those hating on him to hit the floor. He boasts about his skills as a rapper and puts down those who are not on his level. He emphasizes the importance of staying true to oneself and not getting caught up in the negativity.

Classified's lyrics are powerful and flow quickly, demonstrating his talent as a rapper. He uses wordplay, punchlines, and metaphors to convey his message. He notes that many people in the music industry are one-hit wonders who quickly fade away, while he remains a veteran who continues to create great music. Overall, the song is a testament to Classified's skills and a warning to those who dare to talk shit about him.

Line by Line Meaning

things about to hit the fan, hit the floor
There's about to be a commotion and things are gonna get messy.

the record breaking (introducing)
I'm about to make history with this song.

yo (the man, you the mans respect?)
Hey, what's up? Are you showing me respect?

yo eh yo, eh yo i straight spit on fake cliques
Listen up, I'm calling out all these fake groups who pretend to be something they're not.

make graces need braces, and hang em from their laces
I'm gonna expose these fake people and embarrass them so much that they'll need braces to fix their teeth, and then hang them by their shoelaces.

i bring it back to basics, keep you wide awake
I'm going back to the roots of hip hop and keeping you alert and engaged with my lyrics.

when you continue talking shit, like classified's a fake, uh uh uh uh
If you keep spreading lies about me being fake, I'm gonna shut you down.

i represent a plus you a minus
I'm a positive force and you're a negative one.

i bust on these tracks with these raps and one liners
I flow with ease over these beats, coming up with clever one-liners.

ten steps behind us, five years to catch up
We're ahead of the game, it's gonna take others five years just to catch up to where we are.

im a vet on the mic but give me one beer im messed up
I'm experienced when it comes to rapping, but one beer gets me drunk.

seeing double vision both eyes barely open
I'm so drunk that I can't see straight and my eyes are barely open.

deep thoughts, arms crossed caught up for a brief moment
I'm lost in thought with my arms crossed, but only for a short period of time.

my beats potent, spittin words in a descrete motion
My beats are strong and my rhymes are smooth and slick.

with free flowin litature to keep my people open
My lyrics flow freely and keep my fans engaged and open minded.

it shouldnt matter if your white or if your black, if your dope then your dope, if your wack then your wack
It doesn't matter what race you are, if you are talented, you're talented. If you're not, you're not.

breaking boards over backs, of those who not trying
I'm so determined to succeed that I'll overcome any obstacle, even if that means breaking boards over people who aren't putting in effort.

im knocking every internet mc ofline
I'm going after every fake rapper who's only famous online, and knocking them down a peg.

cover every angle, checking every option
I'm covering all aspects and exploring all possibilities in order to succeed.

to many one-hit-wonders with they stock already dropping
There are too many rappers who have had their one hit song but are already fading away into obscurity.

i sit calm and watch them, move when its right
I take a step back and watch these rappers fail, but only jump in when the time is right.

making moves in the night, i never lose on the mic ->chorus
I make calculated moves when it counts and I always come out on top when it comes to rapping.

Contributed by Jeremiah H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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