Classified (rapper)

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Classified
Birth name Luke Boyd
Also known as Class
Born December,13,1978
Origin Enfield, Nova Scotia, Canada
Genre(s) Hip hop
Occupation(s) Emcee
Years active 1995—present
Label(s) HalfLife, Urbnet,Sony BMG Canada
Associated acts DL Incognito, Eternia
Website http://www.classifiedofficial.com/

Luke Boyd, known professionally as Classified, is an underground Canadian rapper and producer from Enfield, Nova Scotia.

His 2005 album Boy-Cott-In the Industry reached #46 on SoundScan's Canadian R&B charts. His singles "The Maritimes", "5th Element", "No Mistakes", and "Find Out" were all Top 20 hits on MuchMusic and MTV Canada that year. His video for "No Mistakes" won an MMVA for MuchVibe Best Rap Video.

Boy-Cott-In the Industry earned him a Juno Award nomination for Rap Recording of the Year in 2006,[1]; Hitch Hikin' Music resulted in a second nomination in 2007.

Contents

[edit] Career

Classified attended Hants East Rural High School in Milford, Nova Scotia. He started his own production label, Half Life Records and released his first full length LP called Times Up in 1995. [2] After years of perfecting his craft and sorting through label contracts, Classified produced, recorded and released his ninth album, Trial & Error, and signed a nationwide distribution deal with Toronto-based, URBNET Records. Containing collaborations with up-and-coming Canadian artists like Eternia and DL Incognito, as well as Canadian rap veteran, Maestro, the album was one of the highest selling independent rap albums in Canada in 2004.

In addition to the release of Trial & Error, 2003 and 2004 were busy and evolutionary years for Classified. With the continuous support of VideoFACT, he was able to release two additional music videos for the singles "Just the Way It Is" and "Unexpected". Classified also continued to master his production skills and joined forces with some of Canada's most prominent emcees, including Choclair and Maestro Fresh Wes.[3] He also teamed up with former Columbia Records recording artist, Royce Da 5'9"[3] and opened for Ludacris, Busta Rhymes, The Game, Nelly, Nas in his hometown of Halifax, and Black Moon.

Classified's tenth album, Boy-Cott-In the Industry, was a high point in his career. The album includes guest appearances by Choclair, Royce Da 5'9", Jay Bizzy, J-Bru, Spesh K, and Mic Boyd (Classified's younger brother and fellow MC). He has said he enjoys doing music with other people: "It keeps things exciting and there are tons of talented people in Halifax so you make connections 'cause it's not a huge scene." [4]

Riding high off of Boy-Cott-In the Industry, Classified released his eleventh album Hitch Hikin' Music. Produced like previous albums by Classified himself, it is arguably some of Classified's finest work. On "Fall From Paradise", Classified reflects on the difficulty of staying fresh and on top. In the hip-hop meets classic rock song "All About U", featuring singer Chad Hatcher, Classified shows the extent of his growth from his early releases. He eschews the current bling-bling culture of popular hip hop to remind people that life is not about trying to impress others. In "Hip Hop Star," he muses about how some people act like he's a major celebrity, while others ask "when the hell he's gonna make it". The rest of the album includes guest appearances by Jay Bizzy, Mic Boyd, Jordan Croucher, Preacher K, White Mic and more. Four singles have been released off the album: "Find Out" (which won the 2007 East Coast Music Award for Best Rap/Hip-Hop Single[5]), "Feelin' Fine Remix", "All About U", and "Hard to Be Hip Hop".

Classified enlisted the help of fellow Nova Scotia native Joel Roy to beatbox during some of his songs. The actual singles that Roy beatboxed for are unknown but it is believed that he can be heard in the single "The Martimes".

[edit] Discography

[edit] Singles

  • "Gossip/This Is For" – 2003
  • "Heavy Artillery" (featuring Rocky Ninja) – 2003
  • "Unexpected" – 2004
  • "Just the Way It Is" (featuring Eternia, DL Incognito & Maestro Fresh Wes) – 2004
  • "5th Element" – 2005
  • "Unexplainable Hunger" (featuring Royce Da 5'9" & Choclair) – 2005
  • "The Maritimes" – 2005
  • "No Mistakes" – 2006
  • "Find Out" – 2006
  • "Feelin Fine Remix" (featuring Jordan Croucher & Jay Bizzy) – 2006
  • "All About U" (featuring Chad Hatcher) – 2007
  • "Hard to Be Hip Hop" (featuring Maestro Fresh Wes & DJ IV) – 2007
  • "Fall from Paradise" – 2007
  • "Trouble" - 2008
  • "Anybody Listening" - 2009
  • "Oh Canada" - 2009

[edit] Charts

Year Single Chart Position
2006 "Find Out" MuchMusic Countdown 17
2007 "All About U" MuchMusic Countdown 20
2009 "Anybody Listening" MuchMusic Countdown 3

[edit] Awards

At the 2009 MuchMusic Video Awards on May 21, 2009, Classified MuchVibe "Best Hiphop Video of the Year" award for Anybody Listening directed by Harv Glazer and produced by Robert Wilson of TwoThreeFiveFilms.[6]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Devlin, Mike. "Nova Scotia rapper stays true to his roots", Times-Colonist, 2006-10-13. Retrieved on 2008-10-17.
  2. ^ http://www.hiphopcanada.com/_site/entertainment/interviews/ent_int256.php
  3. ^ a b Bliss, Karen (July–August 2005). "Classified", Canadian Musician, 27 (4): 78.
  4. ^ http://gauntlet.ucalgary.ca/story/9976
  5. ^ Video of Classified receiving an ECMA from the Trailer Park Boys on February 17, 2007.
  6. ^ MuchMusic Video Awards Nominees and Winners

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classified_(rapper)"
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