Quest for Fire: Firestarter, Vol. 1 [EXPLICIT LYRICS]

Kardinal Offishall

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 20, 2006)
• Original Release Date: May 22, 2001
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Explicit Lyrics
• Label: Mca
• ASIN: B00005J9U6
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #196,696 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com's Best of 2001
There's a refreshing sense of originality to Kardinal Offishall's approach to hip-hop. Unlike many of his Canadian rap contemporaries--Choclair and the Rascalz, for example--Kardinal makes no attempt to sound like he's from the wilds of Brooklyn, Queens, or Atlanta instead of his native Toronto. In fact, he's one of the few Canadian MCs who makes Toronto's unique cultural mash-up an integral part of his sound.

Quest for Fire: Firestarter, Vol. 1 is as much a dancehall reggae album as a hip-hop record, with Kardinal bringing out his West Indian background on roots thumpers like "Ol' Time Killin'" and "Go Ahead Den." Handling most of the album's production himself, the rough-voiced MC also veers into R&B on "Powerful," comedy on "UR Ghetto 2002," racial politics on the stirring "Man by Choice," and hip-hop pop on "Husslin'." And for those not familiar with the T-Dot, Kardinal also breaks down Toronto hip-hop lingo on the anthemic "BaKardi Slang." It's slick, but not in a cloying, saccharine way. While Kardinal's obviously shooting for international attention, that's not coming at the expense of his original sound. An impressive debut for an artist who's come to define Canadian hip-hop. --Matt Galloway

From URB Magazine
What with the ridiculous exchange rate, you'd think U.S. labels would be scooping up Toronto rappers by the dozen. But until recently, not even one Canadian rapper had been signed, which means local legends live with their moms, current superstars take public transit and Kardinal Offishall name-checks Guess, not Prada.

But the fact that all Toronto rappers are "underground," at least in the financial sense, is misleading. While there are the requisite freaks of the industry, transmitting murky beats from six feet under, many local artists make music that's polished enough to fit into the Billboard charts next to the Neptunes' latest slice of funk.

Kardinal Offishall is one of those, and his major-label debut is a slick introduction to how Toronto gets down. The multitalented artist does double duty as MC and producer on his first full-length. Right off the bat, with the crisp, double-time "Bakardi Slang" (a T-Dot version of Big L's "Ebonics"), Kardi lets uninformed listeners know that A) the locals don't speak French, they have their own slanguage, and B) though Toronto is just north of the border, it ain't no wannabe New York.

Firestarter moves smoothly from bassy, programmed beats that rival Timbaland's ("Bakardi Slang") to sample-based stunners ("Husslin'"). Mostly party-oriented jams imbued with peppery Caribbean flavor, Firestarter is more about dance-floor heat than the incendiary politics favored by fellow fire enthusiast Capleton. Kardinal may not be a brilliant MC, but his overflowing charisma and that saucy rude-boy stance make Firestarter a perfect soundtrack for summer in the city.

Lizz Mendez Berry

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ladies Lookin' Hot, SCREWFACE kissin teet, reppin' da T-DOT!, June 1, 2001

By	Josh (T.O.) - See all my reviews

I find it quite AMUSING when rappers like Lil' Kim and Missy try sing with Jamaican Slang. (They probably need coaching for weeks just to get one phrase :)... but they get an A+ for effort, hehe

It was just a matter of time before the hip hop world discovered Reggae and West Indian culture, just like it has assimilated Spanish and Latino, especially with regards to verbal slang. Particularly, the dancehall reggae world must look exotic, rough and menacing to the uninitiated - a perfect candidate for hip hop to squeeze into it's mold

GOOD thing Kardinal (a man with a REAL Carribean background) came to set the record straight, and show that the Multicultural T-DOT is the ORIGINATOR of mixing these two worlds without loosing the essence of either.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Kardinal Offishall: Quest For Fire: Vol.1 Firestarter, September 30, 2002

A Kid's Review

Kardinal is Canadian and not afraid to show it unlike some rappers from Canada like Rascalz & Choclair. Kardinal Offishall does'nt try to imatate people like DMX, Nelly, Ja Rule, Redman, P.Diddy, Method Man, Coolio, Tupac R.I.P EXE. You get the point so here's a list of the songs on the album and my rating for each on.
*****************************************************************
1. Intro- Good Intro Solid Backround- 7.5
2. Bakardi Slang- The Smash Hit Single and by far his best- 10.0

3. Mic T.H.U.G.S- Good, But not his best- 6.0
4. Husslin'- Good Song nice beat too- 8.0
5. Ol' Time Killin'- Maybe better than Barkadi Slang- 10.5
6. Money Jane (Remix) Feat. Sean Paul & Jully Black- Good- 9.5
7. Man By Choice- A song about racisiam- 9.0
8. Maxine- OH MS.MAXINE- 7.0
9. U R Ghetto 2002- Good Ol' Ghetto- 8.0
10.Quest for Fire Feat. Solitair- FYAH!!!- 9.5
11.Powerfulll- GREAT!!!- 8.5
12.G Walkin' Feat. Glenn Lewis- It's OK- 6.5
13.Gotta Get It Feat. The Saukrettes- AWSEOME- 9.5
14.On Wid da Show- Pretty Good- 7.5
15.Go Ahead Den- SWEET!!!- 9.5
*****************************************************************As you can see most of my ratings are high and really good coments. So if you don't have this CD then go get.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Solid Hip-Hop Release By Canada's On Kardinal, May 24, 2001

By	dOc "undergroundmuzic" (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews

Tight flows, tight tracks and lyrics....... yeah I'm all for that. Kardinal first was introduced to me on the Tony Touch mix-tape #61 "Comin' Of Da Storm" featuring the track "Mic THUGS" (one of my favorite tracks on the CD). Representing T-D.O.T., Kardinal and Choclair add a new style and twist to the hip-hop game. If this one doesn't hit big on radio, underground should appreciate the realness this CD offers. Sorry, no bling-blinging on this one. For real hip-hop heads only. Favorite tracks: Bakardi Slang, Maxine, Quest For Fire, Powerfull, Go Ahead Den..... cop this CD fast!

oNe