Northern Touch
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Northern Touch" is a Canadian hip hop song, which was recorded in 1998 by Rascalz in collaboration with Checkmate, Kardinal Offishall, Thrust and Choclair. It is arguably the most important individual song in the history of Canadian hip hop.
At the end of the 1980s and beginning of the 1990s, several Canadian hip hop musicians, including Maestro Fresh Wes, Devon and Dream Warriors, had significant chart hits, but there were to be difficult years ahead. Milestone Radio applied to the CRTC for an urban music station in Toronto in 1991, which would have been Canada's first radio station devoted to that format, but was denied in favour of a country music station.
The Canadian music industry had a poor history with Black Canadian musicians (see, for example, Alta Moda), and the Milestone decision was the final nail in the coffin: after 1991, there wasn't another Canadian hip hop song on the pop charts for over half a decade.
Rascalz, who had recorded their first album in 1993, survived the 1990s by learning the business aspects of the music industry, operating their own independent label as well as touring and performing. Following their 1997 album Cash Crop, they wrote "Northern Touch" as a sort of anthem for Canadian hip hop's resilience and determination, inviting several other guest musicians to perform on the track. (The song was also originally scheduled to include k-os and Jully Black, who cancelled due to other commitments.)
The song was subsequently released as a single, and garnered radio airplay throughout North America, becoming Canadian hip hop's first hit song since 1991. It was not on the original pressings of Cash Crop, but was quickly added to follow up pressings of the album, due to its popularity.
Cash Crop won the Juno Award for Best Rap Recording in 1998, but Rascalz refused the award because it was presented in the non-televised portion of the ceremony along with the technical awards.
The award was moved to the main ceremony in 1999. Rascalz won the award again, this time for "Northern Touch" itself, and performed the song live at the ceremony.
