Geffen Records
2008
Not 4 Sale (Explicit)
About This Album
With over a decade of work behind him, things finally fall into place for Kardinal Offishall on Not 4 Sale, an entirely solid album that sounds like the Black Eyed Peas gone grimey or Wyclef Jean getting down and dirty, all with a Ludacris-styled delivery and attitude. As the Canadian -- "If you're looking for me/I'm 3 hours from Michigan" -- rapper, producer, and dancehall ambassador's first effort for Akon's Kon Live label, it benefits from the fat wallet that comes with it, making great use of its platinum guest list while letting the idea-filled Kardinal run wild in a millionaire recording studio. In 2008 it doesn't come much bigger than Rihanna but "Numba 1" doesn't surround the diva with the usual slickness and polish. Instead, it's an aggressive, tribal interpolation of the reggae classic "The Tide Is High" with authentic dancehall production from Black Chiney member Supa Dups. The witty Kardinal holds his own on the cut, proving himself worthy of standing next to both superstars and tastemakers, but he really shines on another interpolation, "Ill Eagle Alien" where the lines "Call me the immigrant translator/or the poor people's permanent position vindicator" are dropped over a hazy redo of Sting's "Englishman in New York.
Track List (try tracks 2,4,6,7,8,9,11,12 and 14)

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