Black Jays
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| Black Jays | |
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 Black Jays |
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| Origin | Toronto, Ontario |
| Country |  Canada |
| Years active | 2000-present |
| Genres | Rap/Hip hop |
| Labels | Konvict Muzik blackjays.com |
The Black Jays are a Canadian hip hop movement, and an Independent record label. MC/producers Kardinal Offishall and Solitair (along with rapper Ro Dolla) wanted a rebirth for their production company, Silver House and the Girl [S.H.A.G.], and it came in the form of a new name; The Black Jays. The name holds significance in its direct lineage from the hometown Toronto [T dot] baseball team, the Toronto Blue Jays. Along with a new name, came a new vision, a new drive and a new focus.
As of 2006, Dancehall artist Lindo P is now part of the Black Jays family, along with R&B artists Nicole Moses and Darryl Riley.
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[edit] General Info
“Black Jays…is the Team!”, is the rallying cry! Without fail, it causes the unfamiliar to pose the question, “who are the Black Jays”? The better question is…what are the Black Jays? The Black Jays managed to turn the spotlight on themselves when they inadvertently created an instant classic. They reworked the 'final' Jay-Z offering, “The Black Album”, and added their brand of Black Jays production creating the “The Black Jays Album”. The Black Jays Album created an international stir. It wasn’t long before copy-cat albums were popping up on the internet and gaining media attention [reviewed in The New York Times]. XXL Magazine even questioned Solitair on the phenomenon the Black Jays had started. That was just the tip of the Black Jays iceberg.
Solitair and Kardinal went into producer overdrive, stockpiling beats and exchanging ideas and concepts at a feverish pace along the way. The Black Jays archive boasts thousands of beats and hundreds of completed songs. The dynamic duo has been honing their production skills for a combined 20 years. They realized some beats they created would be better served for other artists and have shared the wealth.
Both Kardinal and Solitair have worked with an array of international artists and are both accomplished artists in their own rights so artists selected for Black Jays projects have to be of the utmost caliber. Each artist is drafted on their merits, not because of affiliations.
The Black Jays took the show on the road in early 2004 when Kardinal Offishall brought co-captains Solitair and Ro Dolla with him across Canada opening for 50 Cent, G–Unit, and David Banner on the “Beg for Mercy Tour”. 10, 000 kids per show “throwing their Black Jays up” is an overwhelming sight. Every city on the tour had the same result, a sea of hands in the air with middle and index fingers pressed together pointing up and thumbs curved forming a J. The fans had spoken. The Black Jays movement was official!
The Black Jays were faced with the daunting task of continuing to wow fans after the success of "The Black Jays Album", and their show stopping performances on the Beg for Mercy Tour. Yet, once again…they did it! They wowed them with the now legendary “Kill Bloodclott Bill” [KBB] mixtape. Not only is there Black Jays production, but all of the featured artists brought their A-games and recorded nothing but fire!
The demand for KBB goes beyond any expectations the Black Jays could have had. The barometer of the demand is gauged best by the number of internet sites that started selling bootleg copies of KBB. What the Black Jays are is top notch production team helmed by Kardinal Offishall and Solitair showcasing high caliber artists creating great music. But, it’s also more than that. The Black Jays are a movement. The fans have solidified that. The movement has only just begun. Run with it, or get run over by it! Black Jays…is the Team!
[edit] Black Jays International
Kardinal has made it known that Black Jays are no longer just a Canadian movement, but a worldwide movement with a number of affiliates which include a variety of artists, deejays, and producers. The most prominenantly known is New York City's Cipha Sounds of Hot 97, and Shade 45 fame. Others include Black Chiney (a popular Jamaican Sound Crew) who are responsible for the "Kopa Riddim" which was made popular on tracks by Nina Sky and Akon featuring Kardinal.
[edit] Artists
- Kardinal Offishall
- Solitair
- Ro Dolla
- Lindo P
- Nicole Moses (Nikki Mo)
- Darryl Riley
