While fans with a passing interest might believe Canadian hip-hop this summer begins and ends with Drake, Nova Scotia’s Classified and London, Ont.’s Shad have each release fantastic singles in the last couple weeks.
So often a song’s video detracts from the tune itself, but “The Day Doesn’t Die,” already the third from this year’s Hand Shakes and Middle Fingers, is hands-down Classified’s most interesting video to date. Watch for yourself, but the clip is refreshing and chilling in its maturity. This is how you grow up gracefully in rap.
Classified, “The Day Doesn’t Die”
Juno winner Shad’s “Flawless,” produced by Toronto’s Frank Dukes and featuring scratches (remember them?) by DJ Dopey, is the first single from the forthcoming New North compilation of T.O. hip-hop assembled by the good folks at the radio show/blog The Real Frequency. While Shad is more known for flipping conceptual rhymes and tackling serious topics (more akin to the Classified joint above, actually), “Flawless” is a fun slice of simile-heavy braggadocio rap over a grumpy beat. Canadian hip-hop is alive and well.
