“I have my first question…When is Barbados bringing me back down there?” Kardinal Offishall asks as he turns the table on CiRCUIT by posing the first question of the interview.  Kardinal performed on the island back in 2K2 and is anxious to get back to these shores for a second performance. “I’m tired of everybody comin’ from Barbados over here saying Kardi, you need to come back. I know I need to come back!”   

Best known for his mammoth hit BaKardi Slang, which lit up Europe, the US and the Caribbean, Kardinal is a Canadian rapper whose Caribbean heritage is reflected in his music. 

Apart from his Bajan appearance, ‘Kardi’ has other links to Barbados. Kardinal collabed on a Rihanna track called Rush, and made an appearance in her Pon De Replay video.

He’s also done collabs with a number of international acts including Dizzy Rascal, De La Soul, Lil’ Wayne, The Clipse, Ludacris, Busta Rhymes, Will.I.Am, Vybz Kartel, Bounty and Cham.  He’s recently been signed to Akon’s label Konvict Muzik, and is clocking in some major studio time working on his upcoming album called Not For Sale.  CiRCUIT manages to pry him out of the studio for a quick interview.

Give us some information on your Caribbean Roots.
Well, I’m a first generation Canadian. My whole family came over here to Toronto [from Jamaica] in the 70s…But as a youth I used to spend all my summer vacations in Jamaica. So I was raised a certain way and kept the culture. My dad used to be a DJ back in the 70s as well, so he had an extensive collection of music so I just grew up with the music and the vibes.

So basically you were born in Canada but maintained a strong Caribbean link?
Yeah...I mean you don’t have a choice really when you’re in Toronto. The majority of black people in Toronto are of West Indian heritage.

Tell us a little bit about your music. What makes your music different?
The way that I look at my music is that it is mine. The thing that makes it unique is that my music is a direct reflection of who I am as a person.  As long as I am doing music that comes from inside my heart and my mind, I will never sound like anyone else. That’s the basis of my music.

Anyone in the Caribbean that you would like to collaborate with?
Capleton. Because he is the “fire-man” and I’m the “fire-starter”.  He’s a person that has the most amount of energy and he is an incredible artiste, and I think that would be a tune that would done the dance for sure if that collabo came around…

Any chance of hearing you on a soca joint?
(Laughing) The soca thing man, lemme show you something…I dunno if the knees them can keep up like how them used to. Bwoy, soca is something where ya hafta drink ten Red Bulls to keep up with them artists.  But I would love to do a collabo…I would love to do something.

Anything fun about yourself? Any hobbies?
To tell you the honest truth….I don’t have any hobbies ya’ know. Everyone tells me I need to have a hobby, but I don’t have any.  It seems like every moment I have is spent on the music thing. Because music is my work it seems like I’m working all the time…but the thing is that I love it.