Red1
Label: Kilawatt Records
The Rascalz’s Red 1, Fit, and DJ Kemo have been the stuff of legend since their 1993 debut Really Livin. Over the past thirteen years and five albums, the critically acclaimed Van City crew has helped pioneer Canadian hip-hop. In the process, they have garnered numerous MuchMusic Video Awards, Urban Music Awards, certified Gold records, No. 1 singles on MuchMusic, and Juno Awards (they famously declined a Juno in 1998 to protest the show’s policy, which excluded urban music from the televised broadcast). With their “Northern Touch” anthem, the group united the country’s top talent—including Kardinal, Choclair, Thrust, and Checkmate— propelling hip-hop to the forefront of mainstream culture.