RollerFunk.com Music Talk
Drake at the 2010 NBA All-Star game in Dallas
February 12, 2010
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To say that rapper Drake has held down the city of Toronto on the international stage would be an understatement. Grammy nominations and street credibility are just the tip of the iceberg for what Drake has brought to Toronto. Early last spring 2009 I was on a road trip to Pittsburgh, PA when i turned on my radio and heard Drake's "Best I ever had" played for the first time when I was on US soil. It felt good to hear someone from Toronto representing the city so well. It seems that Kardinal Offishall and Drake have finally brought that musical credibility to Toronto that it deserved. While Kardinal teamed up with Akon to make 2008's smash hit "Dangerous" and Drake teamed up with Lil Wayne's Young Money, both took Toronto artists to another level.
For me, listening to hip hop on the radio in Toronto since the days of Ron Nelson's show on 88.1 Ckln back in the early 80's, we always had talent, but not on this level. It's taken Toronto a long time to officially "blow up". But the talent was always here, it's nice to see recognition on such a large stage.
On my trip to Orlando in June 2009 both Kardinal and Drake dominated local Hip Hop and R&B stations. As a skater, it's also nice to see that both Kardinal and Drake, both artists that I have seen at the roller rink, have made it to such a high level. As Drake performed tonight during the NBA All-Star game in Dallas Texas, and Demar Derozan of the Toronto Raptors competed in the Dunk-In, it was nice to see Toronto on the world stage. Keep striving Toronto, the best is yet to come.
Roller Funk
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