Kardinal Offishall & Keri Hilson - Numba 1 (Tide Is High)

By Gabriel_Heatwave |
Tuesday 25 November 2008 |
8 comments |

New single from Canadian dancehall artist Kardinal Offishall featuring Timbaland protégé Keri Hilson on the hook.

MP3: Kardinal Offishall and Keri Hilson - Numba 1 (Tide Is High)

I like John Holt's original version of The Tide Is High but now I can't help thinking of Atomic Kitten when I hear this tune, which is a shame! Kardinal makes the track though, and hopefully exorcises the Atomic curse.

Some of his MCing in the past hasn't entirely convinced me but his flow and melody have been much more impressive recently. And his lyrical conceit here is pretty neat, contradicting the true love sentiment of Keri Hilson's chorus. In doing so, Kardinal also provides us with another memorable badman commandment: "Badman nah go badda with the wife wife ting".

And Keri Hilson is definitely wicked in the video, which also features a sneak preview of Kardinal's hip hop/ragga relick of the My Conversation riddim, Nina:

Both tunes are on the latest Kardinal Offishall album Not 4 Sale, which is of course actually for sale.

By Gabriel_Heatwave |
Tuesday 25 November 2008 |
8 comments |

Desi on 26 November 2008

He is not a dancehall artist he is a rapper who is influenced by his Jamaican culture... which would be why he uses patois and ting, and could be why you aren't so convinced by him. Listen to some of his older stuff you will see.

Gabriel on 26 November 2008

Yeah true, I thought after I wrote this (and was listening to his new album) that I should've said rapper rather than dancehall artist.

I guess before I've only really listened to his tunes which have more of a reggae/dancehall influence (Badman Nuh Lay Lay, Kopa riddim, Bacardi Slang etc) so I think of him as making more dancehall than he actually does.

BABBZ on 26 November 2008

Kardinal has been growing strong in our city (Toronto) since bout 95, its now that he is getting the world attention, kardi been doing his thang and get mad props from my crew for keeping tingz real, however he is a hip hop artist, In toronto we use patois in our hip hop since most of us are 2nd generation west indians living in a foreign land.

Roots manuva and dem man deh have nothing on Kardi, people really need to check on his old tingz, I swear if you listen Barkardi slang from like 1998 its still sounds fresh and new today, this humble guy will be the next ish in the biz, bless up and good lookin out , toronto got nuff love for the heatwave, y'all gotta come up ere!!!

Ironside on 27 November 2008

I think the awful atomic mutton cover has tainted my love for this tune... Or at least versions with female vocals!

I've been trying to purge it from my mind by listening to the John Holt original over & over!!

There's a nice live version of it from him here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-uL_hPV3uU

Kat on 10 December 2008

OMD feel bare sorry for Keri

He's bare like ''she's just my trophy, my hot hot girl'' lol

naruto-kun on 10 January 2009

owh yeah..very nice song for me..hahah i like it

babyflix on 12 January 2009

wag 1
people
ur my numba 1

mayhoms on 06 July 2009

Hmm. Is it true? :-)