Kardinal Offishall and Haviah Mighty headline free November show in Halifax

What do you get when you bring one of Canada’s most influential hip-hop figures, a recent Polaris Music Prize winner and two Halifax music powerhouses together under the same roof? The answer: One hell of a concert.

On Thursday, Nov. 9, Mr. “Everyday Rudebwoy” himself—Kardinal Offishall—will perform a free concert at the Marquee Ballroom (2037 Gottingen Street), as part of the TD Music Connected Series. Joining him on-stage are Haviah Mighty, winner of the 2019 Polaris Music Prize for her album 13th Floor, reggae-roots royalty Jah’Mila and “Future meets Fugees” rapper Kayo.
Hailing from Scarborough, Ont., Kardinal Offishall (born Jason Harrow) cut his teeth in Toronto’s hip hop scene in the 1990s before earning hits with 2000’s “BaKardi Slang” and 2001’s “Ol’ Time Killin.” In a 2013 list of the “greatest Canadian rappers ever,” CBC Music ranked Kardi third, behind Maestro Fresh Wes and Shad. His song “Dangerous” with Akon reached #5 on the US Top 100 charts and has gone on to sell more than 3-million units in Canada.

Haviah Mighty, meanwhile, is a burgeoning star in her own right: After 2019’s Polaris success, the Brampton, Ont. singer-songwriter’s follow-up, Stock Exchange, won the 2022 Juno Award for Rap Album/EP of the Year.

The Jamaican-turned-Haligonian Jah’Mila’s debut full-length album, Roots Girl, was a Coast pick for one of the best albums of 2022. Kayo is one to watch, too: Hailing from Castries, St. Lucia, he’s lived between the island and Halifax since moving to study marketing at Saint Mary’s University at age 20. His latest album, Trip, is a lush, seven-track foray through hip hop, soca and Afrobeat that sees Kayo sounding as smooth and in-the-pocket as ever.

Tickets are first-come, first-serve as of noon on Monday, Nov. 6. Doors open at 7pm. The show is 19+.