MMIM: How did you come up with the stage name Kardinal Offishall?KO: I didn’t want to be another “Little” something or “Young” somebody. In history class we studied a French person named Cardinal. Then the “Offishall” part came because everything I do is official. I just wanted for my name to be as unique as the music
MMIM: Where does your motivation for rapping/performing come from?KO: My family motivates me first and foremost. They encouraged me to take this rap thing seriously. They were the ones who gave me the tools early on. Second the love of hip hop. Hip hop has been the strongest force that has shaped me as a person.
MMIM: When did you realize that you wanted to be in the music business?KO: When I went to college. I knew that I was gonna get straight As and the music was going to be wack or vice versa. I took the leap of faith and joined the music business in college.
MMIM: Do you think fans in the U.S. respect you as much as fans back home in Toronto?KO: Yeah just for different reasons. When we’re watching the Olympics, we watch the US basketball team. But when Americans watch it, they support the team also because the team reps where they come from. So the respect is there but for different reasons.
MMIM: We read that you turned down an offer to sign with Def Jam, what were your thoughts at that time to decline Jay-Z’s offer?KO: It wasn’t about declining Jay Z. One of his people wanted to mess with me. That’s my dude still. But Konvict was the best for what I was trying to do then and in the future.
MMIM: The new album to be released this summer is entitled, Not for Sale. Give us the reasoning behind this title.
KO: I made a t-shirt with that logo and a lot of people gravitated towards it. And my music is the most important thing to me. I wanted people to know at the end of the day, my music is not for sale; I’m not changing myself for money.
MMIM: What can your fans expect from this album?
KO: Nothing but the most energy, fire, innovation and creativity they’ve ever heard.
MMIM: Who in the game right now, would you like to work with (producers and artists)?
KO: The guy who produced Lollipop (Jim Jonesin). Also Raaphel Saadiq (both as an artist and a producer). I’d love a Kanye joint too. I love that Comfortable shit yo. Artists, Luda, Cee-Lo, 3 Stacks, Kanye, and Jay before he does his secondary Michael Jordan back to retirement thing.
MMIM: If you weren’t making music, what would you be doing?
KO: On TV – Definitely. As a host on MTV. Something where I could use my mouth. I have a personality where I cant be behind desk. Or maybe a radio host.
For more information on Kardinal Offishal click here.
Kardinal Offishal’s project hit shelves September 9.
