Canada has always given the global hip-hop community one of the best rappers and songwriters of all time. The hip-hop scene in the country began in the 1980s. Though it was mostly underground in the beginning, it started becoming popular worldwide in the early 2000s. Many Canadian rappers are highly popular in the United States and the rest of the world. Here is the list of the 5top Canadian rappers who have acquired vast fame in the global hip-hop industry:
#1 Drake
Aubrey Drake Graham, better known by his stage name Drake, is the most popular Canadian-American rapper of all time. His first breakthrough was as an actor in the popular television series Degrassi: The Next Generation. He signed a record deal with Lil Wayne’s renowned production house Young Money Entertainment in 2009. With them, he released his first album, ‘Thank Me Later’ in 2010. It was on the number one spot on the Billboard 200 and gone platinum.
He collaborated with the top artists in the scene like Lil Wayne, Eminem, Kanye West, Jay-Z, Rihanna, and more. He has won Grammy Awards for Best Rap Album, Best Rap Song, and Best Melodic Rap Performance. Some of his most remarkable tracks are, ‘One Dance’, ‘Hold On, We’re Going Home’, ‘Too Much’, ‘Lord Knows’, ‘Hotline Bling’, and more.
#2 Kardinal Offishall
Born as Jason Drew Harrow, Kardinal Offishall took the stage name when he started his music career. Born in 1976 in Ontario, the gifted Canadian rapper is one of the most popular rappers in the world. He stepped into the scene in 1994. He has worked with the biggest labels in the industry like MCA Records, Virgin EMI Music, Universal Music Canada, and more.
The record producer and rapper started his musical career in the underground hip-hop scene of Canada. After he signed a record deal with MCA Records in 200, he released his second album, ‘Quest for Fire: Firestarter, Vol. 1’. It was a huge hit on the Billboard chart. He collaborated with Akon, Saukrates, Estelle, Nottz, and many more. He was Universal Music Canada’s creative Executive Director in 2013. In 2015, he released a new album, ‘Kardi Gras, Vol. 1: The Clash’ under Universal Music Canada.
#3 Classified (rapper)
Classified is a Canadian rapper born in 1977 as Luke Boyd at Enfield, Nova Scotia. He released his first EP, ‘Time’s Up, Kid’ under his very own production house Half-Life Records in 1995.
He released his ninth album, ‘Trial & Error’ in 2004, collaborating with popular Canadian artists like Eternia, veteran, DL Incognito, and Maestro. The album became one of the highest-selling records in 2004. He teamed up with Shady Records artist Royce da 5’9”. He has opened for top artists like Busta Rhymes, Nelly, Snoop Dogg, The Game, Ludacris, Black Eyed Peas, and many more.
He first acquired mainstream success with his 2009 single, ‘Anybody Listening’. His 2010 single, ‘Oh…Canada’ reached number 14 on the Canadian Hot 100 and received platinum certification by the CRIA. His 14th album ‘Handshakes and Middle Fingers’ reached number 7, on the Canadian Albums Chart.
#4 Saukrates
Born in 1977 in Toronto, Amani Wailoo, better known by his stage name Saukrates or Big Box is a successful Canadian rapper and producer. The Guyanese artist is a household name in Canada due to his unique approach to the genre. He is one of the members of the Canadian hip hop group Big Black Lincoln and Redman’s Gilla House collective. He is also the co-founder of Capitol Hill Music.
He released his first track, ‘Still Caught Up’ in 1994. His first work received the nomination for Best rap Recording at the Juno Awards in 1996. He once again was nominated for the same award at the 2000 Juno Award for, ‘Money or Love’. He teamed up with Skratch Bastid and Classified for his 2012 song, ‘Anything Goes’. He was also featured in Maestro Fresh Wes’ seventh album, ‘Orchestrated Noise’.
#5 K-os
K-os is one of the pioneers of the Canadian alternative rap scene. He is a singer, songwriter, and producer. Born in 1972 in Ontario, the talented artist began his musical career in 1993. He achieved vast success within a very short period. He performed all over Canada and other countries. His first single, ‘Musical Essence’ was released in 1993 and the second one, ‘Rise Like The sun’ was released in 1996.
He took a long break after that and resurfaced in 1999 and again in 2002 with a brand-new album, ‘Exit’ the next album, ‘Joyful Rebellion’ in 2004 acquired platinum status in Canada. He released his fifth album, ‘Can’t Fly Without Gravity in 2015. He was the third best-selling artist in the Canadian hip-hop scene from 1996 to 2016.