Rascalz

by Jon AzpiriThis quintet from Vancouver, Canada, prides itself on representing every aspect of hip-hop culture: MCing, DJing, graffiti, and breakdancing. The Vancouver quintet made up of MC's Red 1 and Misfit, DJ Kemo, who is also an accomplished graffiti artist, and breakers Zebroc and Dedos, has achieved remarkable success by becoming Canada's best-selling hip-hop group ever. The group from Canada's West Coast have been instrumental in uniting Canada's nascent hip-hop scene. Their 1997 anthemic single "Northern Touch" was a collaboration with other Canadian artists such as Choclair, Checkmate, Kardinal Offishall, and Thrust. The single earned the Rascalz a Canadian Juno Award, but the group caused a stir in the Canadian music scene after refusing to accept their Juno as a protest for the lack of support for urban music by both the Junos and the Canadian music establishment. The group formed on the East Side of Vancouver, where they competed as breakdancers. They released an independent effort in 1991. Their 1997 album Cash Crop became one of the few Canadian hip-hop albums to reach gold status. With the release of their 1999 album Global Warming, the group was poised for commercial success while still staying true to hip-hop's roots.