Classified (rapper)
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| Classified | |
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| File:2011 MuchMusic Video Awards - Classified.jpg
Classified at the 2011 MuchMusic Video Awards
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Luke Boyd |
| Born | December 13, 1977 Enfield, Nova Scotia, Canada |
| Origin | Enfield, Nova Scotia, Canada |
| Genres | Hip hop, Canadian hip hop, East Coast hip hop |
| Occupation(s) | Rapper |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1995–present |
| Labels | Atlantic, HalfLife, Urbnet, TM3, Sony BMG Canada |
| Associated acts | Alyson Barnhart, B.o.B, Brother Ali, Buck 65, Chad Hatcher, Choclair, DJ IV, DL Incognito, Eternia, Jay-Bizzy, Jordan Croucher, Mad Child, Maestro Fresh-Wes, Moka Only, Royce da 5'9", Dave McIntyre Sound Improvement |
| Website | www.classifiedofficial.com |
Luke Boyd (born December 13, 1977), better known by his stage name Classified, is a Canadian recording artist and producer from Enfield, Nova Scotia.
Contents
Life and career
Classified attended Hants East Rural High School in Milford Station, Nova Scotia. He started his own production label, Half Life Records, and released his first full-length LP called Time's Up, Kid, in 1995.[1] After years of working on music 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 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.[2] He also teamed up with Shady Records recording artist, Royce da 5'9"[2] and opened for Ludacris, Snoop Dogg, Busta Rhymes, The Game, Nelly, MC Grizzly, Captain Capota, Nas, The Black Eyed Peas 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 Trent James, Royce Da 5'9", Jay Bizzy, J-Bru, A-Wall, 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."[3] The album reached #46 on SoundScan's Canadian R&B/Hip-Hop albums chart. The singles "The Maritimes", "5th Element", "No Mistakes", and "Find Out", which is the lead single of his 11th studio album, Hitch Hikin' Music, were all Top 20 hits on MuchMusic and MTV Canada that year. The music video for "No Mistakes" won him an MMVA for MuchVibe Best Rap Video. Boy-Cott-In the Industry also earned Classified a Juno Award nomination for Rap Recording of the Year in 2006.[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. In "Hip Hop Star", he eschews the current bling-bling culture of popular hip hop to remind people that life is not about trying to impress others. 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". Hitch Hikin' Music also received a Juno Award nomination for Rap Recording of the Year in 2007.
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 Maritimes".
In early 2009, the hit single "Anybody Listening" brought Classified to mainstream success as it peaked at #52 on the Canadian Hot 100 and the music video received heavy rotation on MuchMusic. Classified's thirteenth studio album, Self Explanatory[6] received highly positive reviews from the critics and debuted on the Canadian Albums Chart at #25 making it Classified's first album on that chart. At the 2009 MuchMusic Video Awards on May 21, 2009, Classified won the MuchVibe "Best Hip-Hop Video of the Year" award for "Anybody Listening" directed by Harv Glazer and produced by Robert Wilson of TwoThreeFiveFilms.[7] Off Self Explanatory, Classified would enjoy more mainstream success in early 2010 with another hit single, "Oh...Canada" peaking at #14 on the Canadian Hot 100 and was certified platinum in digital downloads by the CRIA.[8] Also in early 2010, Classified received three Juno Award nominations, which was for Rap Recording of the Year, Single of the Year, and Video of the Year.[9] In early 2011, "Oh...Canada" received a Juno nomination for "Single of the Year".
On March 22, 2011, Classified released his fourteenth album, though it was only his second major studio album, Handshakes and Middle Fingers. The first single off the album, "That Ain't Classy" reached #45 on the Canadian Hot 100. The album debuted at #7 on the Canadian Albums Chart."That Ain't Classy" also features in the hit EA football game Madden 12.
In 2013, Classified would reach the height of his music career with the release of his fifteenth album, eponymously titled Classified, which had debuted at #1 on the Canadian Albums Chart, earning him his first chart-topping album and would be certified Gold by Music Canada a year later.[10] The first single off the album, "Inner Ninja" reached #5 on the Canadian Hot 100, earning Classified his first top ten hit and highest charting song. The song has been certified 4x Platinum in digital downloads by the CRIA.
In March 2013, it was announced that Classified signed a deal with Atlantic Records.[11] In April 2013, Classified won an award at the 2013 Juno Awards for "Rap Recording of the Year" for his song "Inner Ninja".[12]
On November 10, 2013, Classified released a remix of Inner Ninja featuring guest vocals from Olly Murs.
In March 2014, Classified co-hosted the 2014 Juno Awards along with Serena Ryder and Johnny Reid [13] as well as releasing a new single "Higher" featuring B.o.B.[14]
On Jan. 15th 2016 Classified will release his follow up to 2013 self titled "Classified," called "Greatful" Two singles has already been released: "Filthy" which features DJ Premier and "No Pressure" which features Snoop Dogg "This album feels like what I've been working towards my whole career," Classified said in a statement. "It took me longer than any other album, it's more personal and I got to work with my heroes in hip-hop. I'm excited to get this out to the fans who have listening to me since day one and the newer listeners who just started listening."
Discography
Studio albums
- Time's Up, Kid – 1995
- One Shot – 1996
- What Happened – 1996
- Information – 1997
- Now Whut! – 1998
- Touch of Class – 1999
- Unpredictable – 2000
- Union Dues – 2001
- Trial & Error – 2003
- Boy-Cott-In the Industry– 2005
- Hitch Hikin' Music – 2006
- Self Explanatory – 2009
- Handshakes and Middle Fingers – 2011
- Classified – 2013
- Greatful - 2016
Compilation albums
- While You Were Sleeping – 2007
Mixtapes
- The Joint Effort – 2012[15]
Singles
| Year | Song | Chart peak | Certifications | Album | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAN [16] |
CAN Alt [17] |
IRE [18] |
NZ [19] |
||||||
| 2000 | "Unpredictable" | — | — | — | — | Unpredictable | |||
| 2001 | "Yuh Died Now" (featuring Dan-e-o & D-Sisive) |
— | — | — | — | Union Dues | |||
| 2003 | "Gossip/This Is For" | — | — | — | — | Trial & Error | |||
| "Heavy Artillery" (featuring Rocky Ninja) |
— | — | — | — | |||||
| 2004 | "Unexpected" | — | — | — | — | ||||
| "Just the Way It Is" (featuring Eternia, DL Incognito & Maestro Fresh Wes) |
— | — | — | — | |||||
| 2005 | "5th Element" | — | — | — | — | Boy-Cott-In the Industry | |||
| "Unexplainable Hunger" (featuring Royce da 5'9" & Choclair) |
— | — | — | — | |||||
| "The Maritimes" | — | — | — | — | |||||
| 2006 | "No Mistakes" | — | — | — | — | ||||
| "Find Out" | — | — | — | — | Hitch Hikin' Music | ||||
| "Feelin Fine (Remix)" (featuring Jordan Croucher & Jay-Bizzy) |
— | — | — | — | |||||
| 2007 | "All About U" (featuring Chad Hatcher) |
— | — | — | — | ||||
| "Hard To Be Hip Hop" (featuring Maestro Fresh Wes & DJ IV) |
— | — | — | — | |||||
| "Fall From Paradise" | — | — | — | — | |||||
| 2008 | "Trouble" | — | — | — | — | Self Explanatory | |||
| 2009 | "Anybody Listening" | 52 | — | — | — | ||||
| "Oh...Canada" | 14 | — | — | — | |||||
| "Up All Night" | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "Quit While You're Ahead" (featuring Choclair, Maestro Fresh Wes & Moka Only) |
— | — | — | — | |||||
| 2010 | "They Call This (Hip Hop)" (featuring Royce da 5'9" & B.o.B) |
— | — | — | — | ||||
| 2011 | "That Ain't Classy" (featuring Ashley Coulter) |
45 | — | — | — |
|
Handshakes and Middle Fingers | ||
| "The Day Doesn't Die" | 83 | — | — | — | |||||
| "Maybe It's Just Me" (featuring Brother Ali) |
— | — | — | — | |||||
| "Unusual" (featuring Joe Budden) |
— | — | — | — | |||||
| 2012 | "The Hangover" (featuring Kayo & Jim Cuddy) |
— | — | — | — | ||||
| "Anything Goes" (featuring Saukrates & Skratch Bastid) |
71 | — | — | — | Classified | ||||
| "Inner Ninja" (featuring David Myles) |
5 | 49 | 37 | — |
|
||||
| 2013 | "3 Foot Tall" | 34 | — | — | — |
|
|||
| "Pay Day" | 50 | — | — | — | |||||
| "Inner Ninja" (remix) (featuring Olly Murs) |
— | — | — | 33 | non-album single | ||||
| 2014 | "Higher" (featuring B.o.B) |
31 | — | — | — |
|
TBA | ||
| 2015 | "No Pressure" (featuring Snoop Dogg) |
— | — | — |
|
Greatful | |||
| 2015 | "Filthy" (featuring DJ Premier) |
— | — | — |
|
Greatful | |||
| 2015 | "Noah's Arc " | — | — | — | -
|
Greatful | |||
| "—" denotes a release that did not chart. | |||||||||
Music video chart positions
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | "Find Out" | MuchMusic Countdown | 17 |
| 2007 | "All About U" | MuchMusic Countdown | 20 |
| 2009 | "Anybody Listening" | MuchMusic Countdown | 3 |
| 2009 | "Quit While You're Ahead" | MuchMusic Countdown | 22 |
| 2009 | "Oh...Canada" | MuchMusic Countdown | 5 |
| 2011 | "That Ain't Classy" | MuchMusic Countdown | 3 |
| 2013 | "Inner Ninja" | MuchMusic Countdown | 1 |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | "Boy-Cott-In the Industry" | Juno Rap Recording of the Year | Nominated |
| "No Mistakes" | MuchMusic Video Awards MuchVibe Best Rap Video | Won | |
| 2007 | "Hitch Hikin' Music" | Juno Rap Recording of the Year | Nominated |
| "Find Out" | MuchMusic Video Awards MuchVibe Best Rap Video | Nominated | |
| MuchMusic Video Awards Best Independent Video | Nominated | ||
| 2008 | "Hard To Be Hip Hop" | MuchMusic Video Awards Best Post-Production | Nominated |
| MuchMusic Video Awards MuchVibe Best Rap Video | Nominated | ||
| 2009 | "Anybody Listening" | MuchMusic Video Awards Best Post Production | Nominated |
| MuchMusic Video Awards Best Director | Nominated | ||
| MuchMusic Video Awards MuchVibe Best Hip Hop Video | Won | ||
| 2010 | Juno Single of the Year | Nominated | |
| Juno Video of the Year | Nominated | ||
| "Self Explanatory" | Juno Rap Recording of the Year | Nominated | |
| "Quit While You're Ahead" | MuchMusic Video Awards Post Production of the Year | Nominated | |
| "Oh...Canada" | MuchMusic Video Awards Director of the Year | Nominated | |
| MuchMusic Video Awards MuchVibe Hip Hop Video of the Year | Nominated | ||
| 2011 | Juno Single of the Year | Nominated | |
| "That Ain't Classy" | MuchMusic Video Awards MuchVibe Hip Hop Video of the Year | Won | |
| 2012 | "Handshakes and Middle Fingers" | Juno Rap Recording of the Year | Nominated |
| "The Hangover" | MuchMusic Video Awards MuchVibe Hip Hop Video of the Year | Nominated | |
| 2013 | "Inner Ninja" | Juno Rap Recording of the Year | Won |
| MuchMusic Video Awards Video of the Year | Won | ||
| MuchMusic Video Awards Hip Hop Video of the Year | Nominated | ||
| MuchMusic Video Awards MuchFACT Video of the Year | Won | ||
| MuchMusic Video Awards Your Fave Video | Nominated | ||
| 2014 | "Inner Ninja" | East Coast Music Awards Fans choice Video of the Year | Nominated |
| East Coast Music Awards Rap/Hip-Hop Recording of the Year | Nominated | ||
| East Coast Music Awards Song of the Year (Inner Ninja) | Nominated | ||
| "Classified" | East Coast Music Awards Album of the Year | Nominated | |
| East Coast Music Awards Songwriter of the Year (David Myles ft. Classified - So Blind) | Nominated |
See also
References
- ↑ [1] Archived October 6, 2008 at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Bliss, Karen (July–August 2005). "Classified", Canadian Musician, 27 (4): 78.
- ↑ [2][dead link]
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- ↑ [3] Archived August 11, 2007 at the Wayback Machine
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- ↑ [4] Archived May 30, 2009 at the Wayback Machine
- ↑ [5][dead link]
- ↑ [6] Archived March 7, 2010 at the Wayback Machine
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External links
- Classified Official website
- Classified Official HalfLife Records website
- Muchmusic.com
- Classified on Vyou.com
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- Pages with reference errors
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- Articles with dead external links from February 2015
- Articles with peacock terms from July 2012
- Pages with broken file links
- Articles with hCards
- 1977 births
- Canadian hip hop record producers
- Canadian rappers
- Living people
- Musicians from Halifax, Nova Scotia
- Canadian songwriters
