MC Shadow - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Kory Neely, better known as MC Shadow is a Canadian rapper, producer and author, who achieved fame for being the first white rapper in Canadian musical history (second only to the Beastie Boys

Beastie Boys

Beastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....

internationally). His group The Get Loose Crew was the first Canadian rap group to produce a mini LP and the the first to effect international sales. Neely also had a brief solo career and worked with R&B singer Kaye Sergeant after The Get Loose Crew split ways in 1990.

Early Years: 1984 to 1987

In early 1984 the Def Force Sound Crew -- consisting of band members Chris Jackson (Dj JEL), Len Grant-Stuart (Mix-Master Len) and Kory Neely (originally named "White Shadow") -- was formed and played (DJ'd) at their local junior high school, Valley Park Junior High, and at community center dances in Flemingdon Park

Flemingdon Park

Flemingdon Park is a multicultural community in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located in the North York district of the city. It is part of federal and provincial electoral district Don Valley West, and Toronto electoral ward 26: Don Valley West...

, Toronto.
After defeating local artist MC Rumble during rap battle at an underground party, Neely decided to aim for a recording contract and international recognition.

Get Loose Crew: 1987

In 1987 both Neely and the group changed the names: the former to "MC Shadow", the latter to "Get Loose Crew". The act began self-producing demo tapes played on Ryerson University

Ryerson University

Ryerson University is a public research university located in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its urban campus is adjacent to Yonge-Dundas Square located at the busiest intersection in Downtown Toronto. The majority of its buildings are in the blocks northeast of the square in Toronto's Garden...

(then Ryerson College) Radio Station CKLN 88.1.

With no Canadian labels showed an interest in the group, they decided to begin their own label, East Park Productions, eventually signing a global distribution agreement with Electric Distribution in Markham, Ontario.

Get Loose Crew - The Album 1988

The Crew, with Neely as the frontman, recorded the first rap album in Canadian history in 1988, though the pres was considered a "mini-LP" because it only featured four tracks with accompanying instrumentals. The single "Wannabe" reached number 5 on the local urban chart in May 1988.

In June 1988 the group was featured in STREETSOUND magazine, a national publication. Neely commented on the early Canadian rap scene and the importance of the group's performances:

“When people come to a show, they’re critical. They come to see a performance. It’s got to be rockin’. From beginning to end. It has to be an organized performance, unlike four years ago, when everybody would just jam. No fighting, no chain snatching, no B-Boy destruction”.

Kory Neely became a court officer with the Toronto Police. And was terminated on Mr. Neely was discharged on August 28, 1998, for allegedly making grossly inappropriate and racist remarks to a
group of Young Offender prisoners, several of whom were black. Calling them niggers and porch monkeys. He appealed this decision on November 4th, 1999 which denied.
http://www.policearbitration.on.ca/stellent/groups/public/@abcs/@www/@opac/documents/awards/00-002.pdf

JUST Me: going solo 1991

Neely became the first Canadian rapper to be included in a multi-track CD compilation when his collaboration with Kaye Sergeant, "What I'm Sayin'", was featured on Mega Dance Volume 1 in 1991. This cut also received the FACTOR new talent demo award in May of that year.

JUST Me: 1994

In 1994 a second multi-track CD compilation, America’s Most Wanted - Freestyle 94, contained "Do a Little Dance" (also featuring Kaye Sergant). The duo completed several unreleased projects and after a several tours with Self-Defence and former Get Loose Crew members, the duo decided to part ways.

Discography

Album information

{| class="wikitable"