Classified’s Canadian Classics Tour Makes Ottawa Bounce

Enfield Nova Scotia hip hop ambassador Classified brought his Canadian Classics tour to a classic Ottawa venue on Friday night.

Doors were scheduled to open at 8PM and upon arrival we were not surprised to see not one, but two lineups of anxious fans waiting to be let in. The VIP line snaked north along Bank while the regular ticket holders lined up in the opposite direction. We overheard excited VIP fans chatting about a meet and greet opportunity and staff responding saying that “he’s in a great mood tonight”. It was easy to spot the maritimers in the lines, either by their somewhat lilting accents or their East Coast Lifestyle T-shirts.

Lucas Boyd, better known as Classified, started his own production label, Half Life Records, and released his first full-length LP called Time’s Up, Kid, in 1995. He would go on to produce, record and release Trial & Error in 2003, which would become one of the highest selling independent rap albums in Canada. He would also go on to be nominated for Juno, East Coast Music, and Much Music Video awards, bringing many accolades including the 2013 Juno award for rap recording of the year for his track Inner Ninja. In March 2014 he was tapped to co-host the Juno awards with Serena Ryder and Johnny Reid. Perhaps one of his most impressive accomplishments, however, was a 2016 collaboration with hip hop heavyweight Snoop Dogg called “No Pressure” from the album Greatful which debuted at #6 on the Canadian Hot 100.

With this tour, Classified is obviously looking to continue his efforts at promoting hip hop throughout the great white north. Newcomers J-David and Michael Daley were given a chance to strut their stuff in front of the buzzing Barrymore’s crowd with short sets that felt like a generous “here’s your shot kid, let’s see what you got”. Both obviously had some talent and got the audience pumped up, but this was not who they came to see and it was smart to keep their appearances brief.

Next up was the man many refer to as the Godfather of Canadian Hip Hop: Maestro Fresh Wes. You may remember this guy as the man who told you to let your backbone sliiiiiiiiiiide in 1989, making him the first Canadian rapper to achieve a top 40 hit. These days he spends more time acting than rapping, as Paul Dwyer on CBC’s Mr. D., but it was obvious to all of us gathered together that his first love continues to be music. He was absolutely beaming as he made his way on stage and took us through a medley of his better known tracks including the one everyone was waiting for ssssssssssssssssssslide… The crowd was particularly enamored with him when he reminded them that he used to be a student at Carlton University here in Ottawa when he got his big break. Maestro performed classic material, as well as cuts off his latest project, Coach Fresh.

Next up was another Canadian hip hop legend, Toronto-native and Juno Award winner Kareem Blake, aka Choclair. Choclair also rose to fame in the late 1990s. In 1999 his album Ice Cold was certified gold in Canada having sold 50,000 copies. The single Let’s Ride won a SOCAN award as well as a Much Music award. Ice Cold won a Juno award for Best Rap Recording in 2000.  Choclair was recently featured on the new Dub J compilation, Blame Me, which was released in August. On Friday night he was obviously very comfortable on stage and had the now capacity crowd bouncing along to the pulsing beat.

Finally, the man who everyone had been waiting for made his his appearance in front of a backdrop obviously designed to make the maritimers homesick – an Enfield Pizza & Grocery prop and an Exit 7 Enfield/Oakfield/Wellington highway sign. Staying true to his roots has been a recurring theme throughout his career. His lyrics sometimes deal with the very real struggle of being an extremely talented rapper from an extremely small town. This can be heard loud and clear in tracks such as No Pressure and The Maritimes (home of the bagpipes, donairs, and Buck 65). Classified has been in the rap game for over a decade and has developed into a confident, accomplished performer with an impressive repertoire to choose from. It was all on display on Friday night.

After a few hiccups with the sound guys, he put on a wicked show, including his go to hits as well as new tracks from his brand new album Tomorrow Could be the Day Things Change. The new tracks seem to have a  more serious tone to them tackling subjects such as aging, sexual abuse, and the legalization of marijuana. As the clock struck midnight, we knew it would happen, he invited both Choclair and Maestro Fresh Wes, with whom he has collaborated many times over the years, on to the stage to perform with him. They seemed to genuinely enjoy each other and even paused to have a photo taken by a fan before ending the night.

The tour continues to make its way through Ontario before heading to the Prairies and the West Coast. Catch it if you can!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MORE PHOTOS