Toronto, Canada
rapper Kardinal Offishall is preparing his second official release, Fire
& Glory.
The rapper recently parted ways with his former label, MCA and
will release the album through a unique, Canada only deal with Virgin, EMI.
Offishall released Firestarter Vol.1: Quest for Fire for MCA,
which produced two hits, “Bakardi Slang" and "Ol’ Time
Killin’” and earned a gold certification in Canada.
Fans anticipated
the follow up to Quest for Fire, originally titled Firestarter
Volume 2: The F Word Theory.
Music industry
business saw MCA absorbed into Geffen in 2003, just as Offishall prepared to
release the album. In the interim, he kept fans hungry with the release of his
mixtape side-project, Kill Blodclot Bill.
“I learned not to ever get wrapped up in a deal like that
again,” Offishall told AllHipHop.com. “I’m not gonna get locked
down with one particular label unless I feel that s**t is right.”
Offishall said his latest batch of material reflected a more
mature mindset due to his travels abroad. The rapper has been in various cities
in the United States, as well as Europe, Japan and his native country, Canada.
“I’m trying to make music that heads feel and understand,”
Offishall said. “You just can’t bring your music to the block. I
want to take it to the world. That’s the only way to penetrate and bring
the world together. That’s what I’m about.”
The rapper is currently
negotiating a deal for the 2006 worldwide release of Fire & Glory,
which features Vybz Kartel, Spragga Benz, Busta Rhymes and Akon, as well as
production by Jake One, Nottz, Akon, Solitair and Cipha Sounds.
