Toronto hip-hop chart-toppers

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Toronto hip-hop chart-toppers

12 July 2010 One Comment

By Del F. Cowie

Saukrates has been a fixture on the Toronto hip-hop scene for a long time. But with the release of Season One, could he, at long last, join the growing list of Toronto hip-hop acts to break big? Here’s a look at the recent history of local chart-toppers:

KARDINAL OFFISHALL
With Saukrates, Kardi was a participant in the early-1990s youth program Fresh Arts. Signed, in 2007, to Akon’s Konvict Muzik, his single Dangerous went to number five on Billboard’s Hot 100.

K-OS
Saukrates appears on the local crossover hero’s latest single I Wish I Knew Natalie Portman. But it was k-os’ 2005 single Crabbuckit that earned him three nominations at the Canadian Radio Music Awards.

K’NAAN
Toronto Life called summer 2010 the “Summer of K’naan” after the Somali-born singer’s infectious single Wavin’ Flag was chosen as Coca-Cola’s World Cup anthem.

DRAKE
The former Degrassi star is now the biggest urban music export in Canadian history. After mixtape and guest spot collaborations with Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, Kanye and virtually the rest of hip-hop royalty, Drake’s first official album Thank Me Later was the most anticipated hip-hop album of the year across North America. Drake makes an appearance on Saukrates’ track Fades Away.