Quest for Fire: Firestarter, Vol. 1
Encyclopedia
Quest for Fire: Firestarter, Vol. 1 is the second studio album
by Canadian rapper
Kardinal Offishall
, released May 22, 2001 in the United States. Released on MCA Records
, the album is his major-label debut. Its a recompilation album, which includes older songs and demos
that he used to get signed. The lead single, "BaKardi Slang
", became his first single to appear on a Billboard
chart. The second single, "Ol' Time Killin'
", was a minor hit. The album received generally favorable reviews from music critics.
success of his EP
, Husslin'
. The strategy of the MCA project was to license his older material and release it as an album, to familiarize consumers with him. It wasn't meant to be a big-budget album. The album helped introduce the world to the "T-dot (Toronto
) sound", and Kardinal's reggae
and dancehall
-influenced style of hip-hop.
The album's first single was "BaKardi Slang
", which appeared on the Billboard
Hot Rap Singles chart. In the anthemic song, Kardinal breaks down Toronto's slang. The second single, "Ol' Time Killin'
", received heavy rotation on music video channels. A video for "Powerfulll" was released in Canada.
The songs "On wid da Show
" and "Husslin'
" are previous singles, released in 1997 and 2000, respectfully. A remix of "Money Jane
", originally released in 2000, also appears on the album. In the song "U R Ghetto 2002", he disses
American rapper Bishop for copying his idea, which originated from the song "U R Ghetto When".
gave the album 3½ out of 5 mics. RapReviews.com gave it a 7/10 rating, calling it a "mixed bag," and stating "there are also some perfect 10's to be found here." The A.V. Club
gave the album a favorable review, praising it's "impressive musical and lyrical consistency." Allmusic gave it 2½ out of 5 stars, noting that Kardinal "displays only flashes of promise here." The album was nominated for Best Rap Recording
at the 2002 Juno Awards
.
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by Canadian rapper
Rapping
Rapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
Kardinal Offishall
Kardinal Offishall
Jason D. Harrow , better known by his stage name Kardinal Offishall , is a Canadian rapper and record producer. He is often credited as Canada's "hip-hop ambassador", and is best known for his distinctive reggae and dancehall-influenced style of hip-hop.-Life and career:Harrow was born in...
, released May 22, 2001 in the United States. Released on MCA Records
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...
, the album is his major-label debut. Its a recompilation album, which includes older songs and demos
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
that he used to get signed. The lead single, "BaKardi Slang
BaKardi Slang
"BaKardi Slang" is a hip-hop song by Kardinal Offishall. Produced by Solitair, it was the first single from his second album Quest for Fire: Firestarter, Vol. 1. The single was released in Canada in 2000, before being re-released in the U.S. the following year...
", became his first single to appear on a Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
chart. The second single, "Ol' Time Killin'
Ol' Time Killin'
"Ol' Time Killin" is a hip-hop song by Kardinal Offishall featuring Jully Black, Allistair, IRS, and Wio-K, released in 2001. Produced by Mr. Attic, it was the second single from his second album Quest for Fire: Firestarter, Vol...
", was a minor hit. The album received generally favorable reviews from music critics.
Background
In August 2000, Kardinal signed a deal with MCA Records, after the undergroundUnderground hip hop
Underground hip hop is an umbrella term for hip hop music outside the general commercial canon. It is typically associated with independent artists, signed toindependent labels or no label at all....
success of his EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, Husslin'
Husslin'
Husslin' is an EP by Canadian rapper Kardinal Offishall, released April 11, 2000. It was released independently on Figure IV Entertainment and distributed by Fat Beats Records in the United States. The title track, "Husslin'", was one of the hottest 12" singles of 2000. "And What?", featuring...
. The strategy of the MCA project was to license his older material and release it as an album, to familiarize consumers with him. It wasn't meant to be a big-budget album. The album helped introduce the world to the "T-dot (Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
) sound", and Kardinal's reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
and dancehall
Dancehall
Dancehall is a genre of Jamaican popular music that originated in the late 1970s. Initially dancehall was a more sparse version of reggae than the roots style, which had dominated much of the 1970s. In the mid-1980s, digital instrumentation became more prevalent, changing the sound considerably,...
-influenced style of hip-hop.
The album's first single was "BaKardi Slang
BaKardi Slang
"BaKardi Slang" is a hip-hop song by Kardinal Offishall. Produced by Solitair, it was the first single from his second album Quest for Fire: Firestarter, Vol. 1. The single was released in Canada in 2000, before being re-released in the U.S. the following year...
", which appeared on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot Rap Singles chart. In the anthemic song, Kardinal breaks down Toronto's slang. The second single, "Ol' Time Killin'
Ol' Time Killin'
"Ol' Time Killin" is a hip-hop song by Kardinal Offishall featuring Jully Black, Allistair, IRS, and Wio-K, released in 2001. Produced by Mr. Attic, it was the second single from his second album Quest for Fire: Firestarter, Vol...
", received heavy rotation on music video channels. A video for "Powerfulll" was released in Canada.
The songs "On wid da Show
On wit da Show
"On wit da Show" is a hip-hop song by Kardinal Offishall. It was the only single from his debut album Eye & I. The song also appears on his second album, Quest for Fire: Firestarter, Vol. 1. The original version of the song was released in 1996 as a B-side of "Naughty Dread"...
" and "Husslin'
Husslin' (song)
"Husslin" is a hip-hop song by Kardinal Offishall. It was the only single from his EP of the same name. The song also appears on his second album, Quest for Fire: Firestarter, Vol. 1. Released in early 2000, the 12" single quickly became an underground favorite, and it was #1 on many college radio...
" are previous singles, released in 1997 and 2000, respectfully. A remix of "Money Jane
Money Jane
"Money Jane" is a hip-hop song by Baby Blue Soundcrew featuring Kardinal Offishall, Jully Black, and Sean Paul. It was the first single from their album, Private Party Collectors Edition, released in 2000. The song was nominated for Best Rap Recording at the 2001 Juno Awards. The same year, a remix...
", originally released in 2000, also appears on the album. In the song "U R Ghetto 2002", he disses
Diss track
A diss track or diss song is a song primarily intended to disparage or insult another person or group. While musical parodies and attacks have always existed, the trend became increasingly common in the hip hop genre as part of the hip hop rivalry phenomenon...
American rapper Bishop for copying his idea, which originated from the song "U R Ghetto When".
Reception
One year after its release, 25,000 copies of the album were sold in Canada. It received generally favorable reviews from music critics. The SourceThe Source (magazine)
The Source is a United States-based, monthly full-color magazine covering hip-hop music, politics, and culture, founded in 1988. It is the world's second longest running rap periodical, behind United Kingdom-based publication Hip Hop Connection. The Source was founded as a newsletter in 1988...
gave the album 3½ out of 5 mics. RapReviews.com gave it a 7/10 rating, calling it a "mixed bag," and stating "there are also some perfect 10's to be found here." The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club
The A.V. Club is an entertainment newspaper and website published by The Onion. Its features include reviews of new films, music, television, books, games and DVDs, as well as interviews and other regular offerings examining both new and classic media and other elements of pop culture. Unlike its...
gave the album a favorable review, praising it's "impressive musical and lyrical consistency." Allmusic gave it 2½ out of 5 stars, noting that Kardinal "displays only flashes of promise here." The album was nominated for Best Rap Recording
Juno Award for Rap Recording of the Year
The Juno Award for Rap Recording of the Year has been awarded since 1991, and is awarded for the best rap album in Canada. It was awarded under the title Best Rap Recording from 1993 to 2002....
at the 2002 Juno Awards
Juno Awards of 2002
The Juno Awards of 2002 were presented in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada during the weekend of 13-14 April 2002.Nominations were announced 11 February 2002 at a news conference hosted by Mike Bullard...
.
Track listing
| # | Title | Producer(s) | Featured guest(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Intro" | 1:21 | ||
| 2. | "BaKardi Slang BaKardi Slang "BaKardi Slang" is a hip-hop song by Kardinal Offishall. Produced by Solitair, it was the first single from his second album Quest for Fire: Firestarter, Vol. 1. The single was released in Canada in 2000, before being re-released in the U.S. the following year... " |
Solitair Solitair Solitair is a Canadian hip-hop MC and producer from Toronto, Ontario. He is currently a member of the Black Jays record label and production team... |
4:33 | |
| 3. | "Mic T.H.U.G.S." | Kardinal Offishall (co-produced by Solitair and Tara Chase) | 3:50 | |
| 4. | "Husslin'" | Kardinal Offishall (co-produced by Solitair and Tara Chase) | 3:45 | |
| 5. | "Ol' Time Killin' Ol' Time Killin' "Ol' Time Killin" is a hip-hop song by Kardinal Offishall featuring Jully Black, Allistair, IRS, and Wio-K, released in 2001. Produced by Mr. Attic, it was the second single from his second album Quest for Fire: Firestarter, Vol... " |
Mr. Attic Mr. Attic Roger Perryman, better known as Mr. Attic, is a Canadian hip-hop producer from Toronto, Ontario. He is a member of Juno Award-winning production team, Da Grassroots.-Career:... |
Jully Black Jully Black Jully Black |Julie]]"; born Jullyann Inderia Gordon; November 8, 1977) is a Canadian R&B singer–songwriter. She has collaborated and written for many artists, including Nas, Missy Elliott, Saukrates, Choclair, Kardinal Offishall, Destiny's Child, and Sean Paul.-Life & career:Black was born Jullyann... , Allistair, IRS, and Wio-K |
4:39 |
| 6. | "Money Jane" (Remix) | Kardinal Offishall | Sean Paul Sean Paul Sean Paul Ryan Francis Henriques , who performs under stage name Sean Paul, is a Jamaican pop rap and reggae singer.-1973–1996: Early life:... and Jully Black |
6:56 |
| 7. | "Man by Choice" | Kardinal Offishall (co-produced by Solitair and Tara Chase) | 4:39 | |
| 8. | "Maxine" | Yaadmaneverywhere! | 4:58 | |
| 9. | "U R Ghetto 2002" | Kardinal Offishall (co-produced by Solitair and Tara Chase) | 4:24 | |
| 10. | "Quest for Fire" | Kardinal Offishall (co-produced by Solitair and Tara Chase) | Solitair | 3:59 |
| 11. | "Powerfulll" | Kardinal Offishall (co-produced by Solitair and Tara Chase) | Jully Black and Tara Chase | 5:59 |
| 12. | "G Walkin'" | Kardinal Offishall (co-produced by Solitair and Tara Chase) | Glenn Lewis Glenn Lewis Glenn Lewis is a Canadian R&B and neo soul singer-songwriter. Originally planning to pursue a career in animation as a teenager, Lewis instead decided to focus on music. His father was a member of the musical group Crack of Dawn... |
4:35 |
| 13. | "Gotta Get It" | Saukrates Saukrates Karl Amani Wailoo , better known by his stage name Saukrates , is a Canadian rapper, singer, and record producer of Guyanese descent. He is the co-founder of Capitol Hill Music, and lead singer of hip-hop/R&B group Big Black Lincoln... |
Saukrates | 4:25 |
| 14. | "On wid da Show" | Kardinal Offishall (co-produced by Solitair and Tara Chase) | 4:39 | |
| 15. | "Go Ahead Den" | Kardinal Offishall (co-produced by Solitair and Tara Chase) | 3:58 |
Samples
- "Mic T.H.U.G.S." – Contains a sample from "Eazy-Duz-ItEazy-Duz-It (song)"Eazy-Duz-It" is a single by rapper Eazy-E, from the album of the same name. It was released in 1989 and written by fellow N.W.A member, MC Ren. It features the song "Radio" as a b-side...
" by Eazy-EEazy-EEric Lynn Wright , better known by his stage name Eazy-E, was an American rapper who performed solo and in the hip hop group N.W.A. Wright was born to Richard and Kathie Wright in Compton, California... - "Ol' Time Killin'" – Contains samples from "The MC" by KRS-OneKRS-OneLawrence Krisna Parker , better known by his stage names KRS-One , and Teacha, is an American rapper...
, "Murderer" by Barrington LevyBarrington LevyBarrington Levy is a reggae and dancehall artist from Jamaica.-Career:In 1976, Levy formed a band with his cousin, Everton Dacres, called the Mighty Multitude; the pair released "My Black Girl" in 1977...
, and "Murder She Wrote" by Chaka Demus and Pliers - "Money Jane" (Remix) – Contains elements from "Jam on It" by NewcleusNewcleusNewcleus is an American electro and old school hip hop group that gained popularity in the early 1980s. They are primarily known for their 12-inch singles "Jam-On's Revenge", re-released as "Jam on Revenge " , and "Jam on It" ....
- "U R Ghetto 2002" – Contains elements from "Les Modernes" by Mark IshamMark IshamMark Isham is an American trumpeter, synthesist, and film composer. He works in a variety of genres, including jazz, electronic, and film.-Life and career:...
- "Go Ahead Den" – Contains elements from "100% Dundee" by The RootsThe RootsThe Roots is an American hip hop/neo soul band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are famed for beginning with a jazzy, eclectic approach to hip hop which still includes live instrumentals...
Chart positions
| Chart (2001) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999... |
57 |
Personnel
- Kardinal Offishall – Producer
- Glenn Lewis – Performer
- Sean Paul – Performer
- Saukrates – Producer
- Chris "The Glove" Taylor – Mixing
Release history
| Region | Date |
|---|---|
| Canada | April 10, 2001 |
| United States | May 22, 2001 |
External links
- Album credits at DiscogsDiscogsDiscogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...