Kardinal started rapping at the age of eight, and was winning competitions by the time he was 12. Also at the age of 12, Kardinal performed live and on stage for the first time, with Nelson Mandela in attendance during his first visit to Toronto.[2] By 1993, he decided to drop his alias "KoolAid", and went by the moniker Kardinal Offishall after being inspired by the great 17th century French politician Cardinal Richelieu.
Kardinal was signed to a publishing deal with Warner/Chappell Music Canada at the age of 20. In 1996, he released his first single "Naughty Dread", which was featured on the Rap Essentials Volume One compilation and earned him a Juno Award nomination for Best Rap Recording. In 1997, Kardinal released his debut album Eye & I on Capitol Hill Music. The only single from the album, "On Wit Da Show", had considerable video play on MuchMusic. Kardinal was also credited as a major contributor to the late 90's renaissance of Canadian hip hop. In 1998, he was featured on the Juno-winning single "Northern Touch" with the Rascalz, Choclair, Checkmate and Thrust.
In 2000, Kardinal signed with MCA Records. He released the album Quest for Fire: Firestarter, Vol. 1 in 2001, which spawned the hits "BaKardi Slang" and "Ol' Time Killin'". The album earned a gold certification in Canada. After MCA folded in 2003, Kardinal's highly anticipated follow up album Firestarter Vol. 2: F Word Theory was shelved along with the single/video for "Belly Dancer" featuring Pharrell, and Kardinal eventually found himself without a label. Had the album been released, there would have been production from Timbaland and The Neptunes among others. He released an independent mixtape titled Kill Bloodclott Bill in 2004 with his production company, The Black Jays, and he also released his second major-label album titled Fire and Glory in 2005, through Virgin Records in Canada only. Hits on Fire and Glory include "Everyday (Rudebwoy)" and "Heads Up".
Kardinal has also produced many songs, including the hit single "Let's Ride" by Choclair, whose album Ice Cold went gold in 35 days and would win them a Juno in 2000. However, it was with the Black Jays team when Kardinal received notoriety for his production work. In 2004, Kardinal and Solitair of the Black Jays created a remix version of Jay-Z's The Black Album and called it The Black Jays Album. Kardinal also did some production on Kill Bloodcott Bill and produced 9.5 out of the 14 tracks on Fire and Glory.
He is one of the few Canadian hip hop artists that have an international audience and has collaborated with artists such as Busta Rhymes, Method Man, Sean Paul, Spragga Benz, Bounty Killer, Little Brother, Stat Quo, Pharoahe Monch, Vybz Kartel, Rihanna, Snow, Pete Rock, Lil Wayne and Akon. A-List producers, The Neptunes requested Kardinal appear on the remix to their smash hit production “Grindin'” with Clipse. The remix was well received across North America, particularly in New York City.
To date, Kardinal is the only Canadian urban act to appear on BET’s Rap City (even freestyling in the booth with Big Tigger), and on MTV’s Advance Warning (which introduces the world to artists on the verge of breaking big, like former guest Kanye West). Kardinal has made brief guest appearances in Rihanna's "Pon De Replay" music video, and Sean Paul's "Get Busy" video, which was shot in Woodbridge, Ontario (a Toronto suburb). He has also appeared on mixtapes from Clinton Sparks and DJ Green Lantern.
In 2006, Kardinal collaborated Akon, Cipha Sounds, DJ Whoo Kid, and various members of the Black Jays family among others. At the 2006 MuchMusic Video Awards, Kardinal walked away with 3 awards for "Everyday (Rudebwoy)", including Best Video, Best Director (RT!) and VideoFACT Award. At the MMVA's, he announced that he had an upcoming collaboration with the Canadian Reggae Band Bedouin Soundclash, now known as the single "Last Standing Soldier" (Remix).
BaKardi Slang
Kardinal Offishall Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Silver turn it up, yeah
We gonna put you on to something brand new though
Nah mean?
Yo
We don't say, "You know what I'm sayin'?"
T-dot says, "Yuh dun know"
We say, "Yo, ah suh it go"
We don't say, "You get one chance"
We say, "You better rip the show"
Before bottles start flyin' and you runnin' for the door
You talking 'bout cuttin' and hittin' skins
We talkin' bout, beat dat face
T-dot niggas will eat your food before y'all cats say grace
Y'all cats is steady saying, "Word"
My niggas is steady yellin', "Szeen"
Half the time we talking about, "More times"
You don't even know what, "More times" means
More times we rocker fresher
More times we come correct
More times y'all think it's the hot, shh
Y'all haven't heard nuttin' yet
Differently, still yuh know
The circle gettin' ill yuh know
Step on the wrong Bally boot and you might get kill ya know
So every time you walk through the dance
Tell a youte, "Excuse me"
Tellin' a jubie, "I like her style"
She's talkin' about, "Abuse me"
Use me, show me how the T-Dot rolls
My style is off the thermostat
Plus I'm comin' from the cold
Yo
(What the... Chill!)
My nigga's in the street throwin' dot slang
Each and every single time we meet
(What the... Chill!)
My ladies lookin' hot, screw face kissin' teet
Representin' the T-Dot
Kardinal rock the party
And T-dot drinking Bacardi
And Kardi drinkin' Bacardi
And T-dot rocking the party
And nigga's jumpin' and whylin'
And ladies showin' a smile
And everybody know it's the T-Dot
So when we singin about the girls
We singin' about, 'di gyal dem'
Y'all talkin', about, "Say that one more time"
We talkin' about, "Yo, come again"
Y'all talkin' about, "That nigga's a punk"
We talkin' about, "Dat youte's a fossy"
For the kids that think I'm comin' wit it
Brother just watch me
A shoe is called a crep
A big party is a fete
Ya'll takin about, "Watch where you goin'"
We talkin about, "Mind where you step"
We backin a two-four of Guinness, we ain't messin' with Moet
And if you runnin' out of liquor the bar might get wet
You're talkin' about, "Yo, that girl's hype"
We like, "She's the bun down"
Y'all say, a DJ battle
We say, clash with two sounds
We rock the hottest things no matter how much it cost
You talkin' about, "Yeah son"
We talkin' about, "Yo, lock it off"
Wheel that and tek it from di top
And just flash up unno lighta and watch the dance rock
Kardinal is gonna show you how the T-Dot rolls
My style's off the thermostat plus I'm comin' from the cold
Yo
(What the... Chill!)
My nigga's in the street throwin' dot slang
Each and every single time we meet
(What the... Chill!)
My ladies lookin' hot, screw face kissin' teet
Representin' the T-Dot
Kardinal rock the party
And T-dot drinking Bacardi
And Kardi drinkin' Bacardi
And T-dot rocking the party
And nigga's jumpin' and whylin'
And ladies showin' a smile
And everybody know it's the T-Dot
Yo instead of your boys
We talkin' about, di man dem
When we talkin' about your bredrin
Yo, we talkin' about your friend
When you say, "The club's over"
Yo we say, "Di jam done"
When you're thinkin' about the west, we thinkin' about Red-1
Big ups and salutations to the Figure IV crew
When you're sayin', "She's a chicken"
She a skettle bam too
When you talkin' about a thug nigga
We talkin' about a shotta
When you think you got it locked, T-Dot comin' much hotta
Ya'll think we all Jamaican, when nuff man are Trini's
Bajans, Grenadians and a hole heap of Haitians
Guyanese and all of the West Indies combined
To make the T dot O dot, one of a kind
Irs said, "We burn kahn"
That mean they puff lah
When we say, "Hell no"
That means, yo dat nuh mek it
Look me in the eye and tell me y'all ain't sold
My style is off the thermostat plus I'm comin' from the cold
Yo
(What the... Chill!)
My nigga's in the street throwin' dot slang
Each and every single time we meet
(What the... Chill!)
My ladies lookin' hot, screw face kissin' teet
Representin' the T-Dot
Kardinal rock the party
And T-dot drinking Bacardi
And Kardi drinkin' Bacardi
And T-dot rocking the party
And nigga's jumpin' and whylin'
And ladies showin' a smile
And everybody know it's the T-Dot
(What the... Chill!)
My nigga's in the street throwin' dot slang
Each and every single time we meet
(What the... Chill!)
My ladies lookin' hot, screw face kissin' teet
Representin' the T-Dot
Kardinal rock the party
And T-dot drinking Bacardi
And Kardi drinkin' Bacardi
And T-dot rocking the party
And nigga's jumpin' and whylin'
And ladies showin a smile
And everybody know it's the T-Dot
The song "BaKardi Slang" by Kardinal Offishall is an ode to the unique slang and culture of Toronto, also known as the T-Dot. The song is a celebration of the city's diversity, with references to different Caribbean cultures and languages, including Jamaican Patois, Trini, and Bajan. Kardinal raps about how the T-Dot is different from other cities, using his own distinctive style and slang.
The song begins with Kardinal introducing the T-Dot slang, which is different from the American slang. He then goes on to give examples of how the T-Dot speaks, including how they say "Yuh dun know" instead of "You know what I'm saying?", "Ah suh it go" instead of "Hey that's the breaks", and "More times" instead of "Often". Kardinal talks about how the T-Dot party, using phrases like "beat dat face" instead of "cutting and hittin' skins" and how T-Dot people will eat your food before saying grace.
The song also features references to the city's geography and landmarks, with Kardinal giving a shoutout to the Figure IV crew and Red-1. Kardinal also talks about how the T-Dot is not just Jamaican, as there are people from all over the West Indies, including Trinidadians, Bajans, Grenadians, and Haitians. He also references IRs, which is a colloquialism for police officers. The song emphasizes that the T-Dot is a unique city with its own culture and way of life.
Line by Line Meaning
Silver turn it up, yeah
Start playing the music louder
We gonna put you on to something brand new though
We're introducing a new cultural language
We don't say, "You know what I'm sayin'?"
T-dot says, "Yuh dun know"
We don't need to clarify, we already know
We don't say, "Hey that's the breaks"
We say, "Yo, ah suh it go"
That's just how things are
We don't say, "You get one chance"
We say, "You better rip the show"
Do your best or else face the consequences
Before bottles start flyin' and you runnin' for the door
Get out before things get violent
You talking 'bout cuttin' and hittin' skins
We talkin' bout, beat dat face
You're talking about sex, we're talking about music that makes you dance
T-dot niggas will eat your food before y'all cats say grace
We're so hungry we can't wait
Y'all cats is steady saying, "Word"
My niggas is steady yellin', "Szeen"
You're agreeing, we're excited
Half the time we talking about, "More times"
You don't even know what, "More times" means
Most of the time we're having more fun than you can imagine
More times we rocker fresher
More times we come correct
More times y'all think it's the hot, shh
Y'all haven't heard nuttin' yet
We always keep it fresh, and you haven't seen our best yet
Differently, still yuh know
The circle gettin' ill yuh know
We're unique and still getting better
Step on the wrong Bally boot and you might get kill ya know
Don't mess with us, we can be dangerous
So every time you walk through the dance
Tell a youte, "Excuse me"
Tellin' a jubie, "I like her style"
She's talkin' about, "Abuse me"
Be polite to everyone, compliment people but don't go too far
Use me, show me how the T-Dot rolls
My style is off the thermostat
Plus I'm comin' from the cold
Teach me your cultural language, I'm different and unique
My nigga's in the street throwin' dot slang
Each and every single time we meet
We use our cultural slang every time we meet
My ladies lookin' hot, screw face kissin' teet
Representin' the T-Dot
The women look great and are showing off the T-Dot culture
Kardinal rock the party
And T-dot drinking Bacardi
And Kardi drinkin' Bacardi
We're partying hard and drinking Bacardi
And nigga's jumpin' and whylin'
And ladies showin' a smile
We're dancing hard and having fun
We singin' about, 'di gyal dem'
Y'all talkin', about, "Say that one more time"
We're singing about the girls, you want us to repeat ourselves
Y'all talkin' about, "That nigga's a punk"
We talkin' about, "Dat youte's a fossy"
You're insulting someone, we're saying they're a pussy
Ya'll takin about, "Watch where you goin'"
We talkin about, "Mind where you step"
You're reminding someone to watch their step, we're telling them to be mindful
A shoe is called a crep
A big party is a fete
We have our own words for things
We backin a two-four of Guinness, we ain't messin' with Moet
And if you runnin' out of liquor the bar might get wet
We prefer beer to champagne, and if we run out of alcohol things might get wild
We rock the hottest things no matter how much it cost
You talkin' about, "Yeah son"
We talkin' about, "Yo, lock it off"
We don't care about the price, we're going to party anyway
Wheel that and tek it from di top
And just flash up unno lighta and watch the dance rock
Start the music over and let the party continue
When you think you got it locked, T-Dot comin' much hotta
You think you're partying hard, but we're going to party even harder
Ya'll think we all Jamaican, when nuff man are Trini's
Bajans, Grenadians and a hole heap of Haitians
Guyanese and all of the West Indies combined
To make the T dot O dot, one of a kind
We're not all Jamaican, we're a mix of cultures from the West Indies that make the T Dot unique
Irs said, "We burn kahn"
That mean they puff lah
When we say, "Hell no"
That means, yo dat nuh mek it
We have our own slang for smoking and for saying no
Look me in the eye and tell me y'all ain't sold
My style is off the thermostat plus I'm comin' from the cold
You can't deny that you love our culture, I'm unique and different
And everybody know it's the T-Dot
Everyone recognizes that the T-Dot is a unique cultural place
Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: Jason Harrow, Rodney Price
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@kingcaprice74
How does this only have a million views??!!! This was the jam back in the day!!!
@str8alphamale
Wayyy better than Drake. How did the T.O. let simpleton Drake change up tradition from the name of T.O. to the 6. Smh...
@asithaellepola6388
Innit juss!
@Redouannoir
This doo doo. That's why
@IshmelMcanuffVEVO
This is how the black list the real one of the greatest to do it and underrated many of our own is sell out mhhh Kardinal I one of the legends Pushed aside When you don't sell your soul you don't get much support
@YYYDEUSYYY
Sounds so bad
@markhargreaves1069
Was searching for this song since I was 14. I'm 34 years, my 20 year quest is completed.
@SW-jg7yh
Saaame haha much music at my dad's house in the 90s
@AmandaOxford
Top tune. Glad you found it!😘
@doncatalog
Yikes. I was lucky. This poster was hanging up in the record store that I used to go to way back, until I eventually purchased the CD. Glad you found it. Salute!!!!