There's a moment on any legend's path when the fire burns because it is smoldering in anticipation of a bigger blaze. That blaze is "LET EM OUT," for Kardinal Offishall. It's a war cry from one of Canada's most revered musical icons, warning that he's coming back to the heart of the battlefield with no apologies and complete conviction. Self-written and self-produced, "LET EM OUT" is quintessential Kardinal, pure and unfiltered, unapologetic, and undeniably derived from the rhythmic DNA of hip-hop, dancehall, and reggae.
This is a message, movement, and mission statement folded into a tracksuit of tough beats and sharp-elbowed delivery. The Toronto grit remains, but it has been polished, a blade not too dull but with a sharper edge, honed by experience, sharpened by time. Kardinal's decades in the game as an artist and currently as Global A & R Executive at Def Jam have been feeding into his most recent creative streak. But rather than watering down his sound to meet the demands of today's algorithms, he doubles down on the music that moved him in a willful, soulful, and grounded truth. Kardinal is taking back the dimension of hip-hop that asks you to think hard, not only to bob your head.
This is a grown-man rap for heads who remember when rhymes had substance and hooks had fire. There's no commercial compromise here, only a creator letting the truth pour out, bar for bar. As a preview of what Kardinal promises will be "some of his best work to date," "LET EM OUT" is a reintroduction. The type of song makes you sit up, rewind, and recognize that the real ones never left. They'd simply been waiting for the right moment to release it. That is Kardinal Offishall, uncut and unbossed. And if this is just the prologue, hip-hop had better hold on to its hat because that's precisely what the next chapter sounds louder, bolder, and more true than ever.
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