Quest for Fire: Firestarter, Vol. 1
Studio album by
Kardinal Offishall
ReleasedApril 10, 2001
Recorded1997–2000
GenreCanadian hip hop
Length66:40
LabelMCA Records
ProducerYLook (exec.), Anne-Marie Smith (exec.), Figure IV Ent. (co-exec.), Kardinal Offishall (co-exec.), Solitair, Saukrates, Tara Chase, Mr. Attic, Yaadmaneverywhere!
Kardinal Offishall chronology
Husslin'
(2000)		 Quest for Fire: Firestarter, Vol. 1
(2001)		 Fire and Glory
(2005)
Singles from Quest for Fire: Firestarter, Vol. 1
  1. "BaKardi Slang"
    Released: 2001
  2. "Ol' Time Killin'"
    Released: 2001

Quest for Fire: Firestarter, Vol. 1 is the second studio album by Canadian rapper Kardinal Offishall. It was released on MCA Records, his first album for a major label. It is a recompilation album, which includes older songs and demos that he used to get signed.[1] 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.

Background

In August 2000, Kardinal signed a deal with MCA Records, after the underground 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.[2][3][4] It wasn't meant to be a big-budget album.[1] The album helped introduce the world to the "T-dot sound", and Kardinal's reggae and dancehall-influenced style of hip-hop.[4][5]

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.[6][7] 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 respectively. 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".[7][8]

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[9]
The A.V. Clubfavorable[10]
RapReviews7/10[11]
The Source[12]
URBfavorable[13]

One year after its release, 25,000 copies of the album were sold in Canada.[14] It received generally favorable reviews from music critics. The Source gave the album 3½ out of 5 mics.[14] 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."[7] The A.V. Club gave the album a favorable review, praising its "impressive musical and lyrical consistency."[15] AllMusic gave it 2½ out of 5 stars, noting that Kardinal "displays only flashes of promise here."[16] The album was nominated for Best Rap Recording at the 2002 Juno Awards.

In 2021, the album won the inaugural edition of CBC Music's Canada Listens competition, a musical version of the CBC's long-running Canada Reads.[17] It was defended by writer and broadcaster Kathleen Newman-Bremang.

Track listing

# Title Producer(s) Featured guest(s) Length
1. "Intro" 1:21
2. "BaKardi Slang" Solitair 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'" Mr. Attic Jully Black, Allistair, IRS, and Wio-K 4:39
6. "Money Jane" (Remix) Kardinal Offishall Sean Paul 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 4:35
13. "Gotta Get It" Saukrates 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

Chart positions

Chart (2001) Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums[18] 57

Personnel

  • Kardinal Offishall – producer
  • Glenn Lewis – performer
  • Sean Paul – performer
  • Saukrates – producer
  • Chris "The Glove" Taylor – mixing

Release history

Region Date
Canada[8] April 10, 2001
United States May 22, 2001

References

  1. 1 2 Kardinal Offishall: Northern Exposure HipHopDX. Accessed on October 29, 2008.
  2. ↑ Kardinal deal something to rap about JAM! Music. Accessed on September 24, 2009.
  3. ↑ Kardinal Offishall - Man on Fire Archived 2009-11-01 at the Wayback Machine Exclaim!. Accessed on September 24, 2009.
  4. 1 2 Kardinal Offishall Biography MapleMusic. Accessed on September 24, 2009.
  5. ↑ Into the fire JAM! Music. Accessed on September 24, 2009.
  6. ↑ Quest for Fire: Firestarter, Vol. 1 > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles Allmusic. Accessed on September 24, 2009.
  7. 1 2 3 Kardinal Offishall :: Firestarter Vol. 1 * Quest For Fire RapReviews. Accessed on September 24, 2009.
  8. 1 2 Kardinal fires up Cdn. hip-hop JAM! Music. Accessed on September 24, 2009.
  9. ↑ Allmusic review
  10. ↑ The A.V. Club review
  11. ↑ RapReviews review
  12. ↑ The Source review
  13. ↑ URB review
  14. 1 2 Has Canadian hip-hop truly "arrived"? HipHopCanada. Accessed on October 18, 2009.
  15. ↑ Firestarter Volume 1: Quest For Fire The A.V. Club. Accessed on October 18, 2009.
  16. ↑ Quest for Fire: Firestarter, Vol. 1 > Overview Allmusic. Accessed on September 24, 2009.
  17. ↑ "Kardinal Offishall's Quest for Fire: Firestarter, Vol. 1 wins Canada Listens 2021". CBC Music, April 15, 2021.
  18. ↑ Quest for Fire: Firestarter, Vol. 1 > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums Allmusic. Accessed on September 24, 2009.
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