Kardinal Offishall - Ol' Time Killin'

What this video is

Released in 2001 as the second single from Kardinal Offishall's album Quest for Fire: Firestarter, Vol. 1 on Geffen Records, 'Ol' Time Killin'' arrived at a pivotal moment for Canadian hip-hop asserting itself on the international stage. Kardinal, a Scarborough-raised artist of Jamaican descent, fused Toronto slang, dancehall rhythms, and hard hip-hop production in a way that was commercially unprecedented for a…

Why it matters

A landmark text in Canadian hip-hop history, 'Ol' Time Killin'' demonstrated that Caribbean-inflected Toronto rap could secure major-label support and generate credible visual production values. The video helped establish Little X as a premier director for Black Canadian artists and contributed to…

The director

Born October 31, 1975, in Toronto, Canada, of Trinidadian and Swiss descent. Formerly known as Little X. Began career as intern at MuchMusic before becoming protégé of Hype Williams. Founded Toronto-based production company Popp Rok. Has directed videos for…