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Scarborough · 1996–present

Kardinal Offishall

The godfather of Toronto hip-hop's own accent. 'BaKardi Slang' was a manifesto: stop imitating New York, talk how the city actually talks. Everything after him owes him rent.

Scarborough →

Influences

Jamaican dancehallCaribbean diaspora TorontoGolden-era NY rap

Slang they use

scarlemBlend of 'Scarborough' and 'Harlem'. Used with pride to describe rougher parts of Scarborough.+2171
tingA general term for a thing, situation, or sometimes a romantic interest.+1036
yardieA Jamaican person or someone tied to Jamaican culture. Used both descriptively and as slang.+476
gwanin'What's going on'. Used as a greeting or to ask what's happening.+558
dun know'You already know' or 'obviously'. Used to affirm something without needing to say more.+2350

Most annotated lines

BaKardi Slang · 2001
“We don't say 'you know what I'm saying' — t'ings kinda different here”
The founding document of Toronto slang on record. Kardi built an entire song out of the gap between US hip-hop vocabulary and how the city actually talks — Patois-inflected 'tings', dropped consonants, T-dot instead of Toronto. Two decades before the 6ix wave, this is where the accent got its flag planted.

Notable releases

BaKardi Slang · Dangerous · Ol' Time Killin'