SAUKRATES - BIOGRAPHY
Saukrates arrived on the hip-hop scene of the early-Nineties, a post-Native Tongues rapper and producer who pioneered the Canadian hip-hop scene. He has been awarded multiple Juno nominations for Best Rap Recording and through his career has collaborated with the likes of Drake, Nelly Furtado, Nas, Common, Redman, and Xzibit to name a few.
A fixture in the top-tiers of the Canadian hip-hop scene, he is present as a rapper, singer or producer on almost every Canadian major label hip-hop release over the past 20 years. Providing the likes of K-os, Swollen Members, Jully Black, Rascalz, Kardinal Offishal, and Choclair with his unique style of production that has become synonymous with the Torontonian hip-hop sound. Recently he has maintained his prevalence working with the best of the new breed of Canadian rappers such as: Classified, Shad, Tre Mission, SonReal, and OB Obrien.
In the fall of last...
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SAUKRATES - BIOGRAPHY
Saukrates arrived on the hip-hop scene of the early-Nineties, a post-Native Tongues rapper and producer who pioneered the Canadian hip-hop scene. He has been awarded multiple Juno nominations for Best Rap Recording and through his career has collaborated with the likes of Drake, Nelly Furtado, Nas, Common, Redman, and Xzibit to name a few.
A fixture in the top-tiers of the Canadian hip-hop scene, he is present as a rapper, singer or producer on almost every Canadian major label hip-hop release over the past 20 years. Providing the likes of K-os, Swollen Members, Jully Black, Rascalz, Kardinal Offishal, and Choclair with his unique style of production that has become synonymous with the Torontonian hip-hop sound. Recently he has maintained his prevalence working with the best of the new breed of Canadian rappers such as: Classified, Shad, Tre Mission, SonReal, and OB Obrien.
In the fall of last year he released “Amani” a 4-track EP featuring co-production by Rich Kidd and Snaz, and guest appearances by SonReal. The release of Amani is a defining moment in Saukrates’ career as he wipes the slate clean to begin a new chapter. A chapter in which Saukrates is more introspective, experimental and fervent in his approach to music.
The EP begins with “Kingdom Come”, based around an orchestral soul loop, chopped and spliced by SNAZ, that sets the backdrop perfectly for Saukrates’ staccato flow. Saukrates then harnesses a reflective tone on the Rich Kidd produced “Amani” as he takes on the perspective of his fans on the first two verses, answering their questions on the third verse. Rich Kidd then provides a infatuated Saukrates with a smooth half-time strip club friendly banger on “#FYEO” while Son Real lends his his smoked out sultry vocals on the hook. The final track, “The Big Bang” is a tongue twisting lyrical melee where he discusses his wife, his child and his past, while still slipping in the necessary hip hop bravado. Throughout the EP you can sense a re-birth or more fittingly for Saukrates an artist definitively finding his stride.
In Saukrates’ succinct words:
“Kingdom come: street corner
Amani: intellectual smoker’s lounge
#FYEO: burlesque show
The Big Bang: cipher
Result: all club, all car, all life.”
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