MUMBAI: “Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown,” that Shakespeare dude once said. But as Canadian hip-hop legend Saukrates takes stock of his life in his latest single, “Comin’ Up,” he isn’t feeling anxious as much as determined—clear-eyed about who he is, the challenges he’s weathered, and how many miles there are left to go before he gets the full measure of props he so richly deserves.
In a rapid-fire, three-minute stream of consciousness, Toronto’s master of the mic veers from memories of his hardscrabble past to visions of the future, while never giving short shrift to the hard-hustling realities of the here and now. One minute, he’s toasting to fallen comrades (“Lookin’ back, reminiscing, how many have left us/ OG’s who used to squeeze with the best touch”); the next, he’s eagerly anticipating a day when he’ll be “out in the clear”—“sittin on’ like half a million/ In a crib on some acres.” In the meantime, he has a stern warning for groupie freaks who might try to tie him down and distract him from his vision. Because when it comes to being about that life, this seasoned street sage absolutely knoweth whereof he speaks. (Sorry, we’ll stop talking like Shakespeare now.)
“Comin’ Up” is the climactic track on Saukrates’ new album, Bad Addiction, a 12-track magnum opus that showcases the phenomenal personal and musical growth he’s exhibited throughout his remarkable career. He calls the record a “time capsule,” since it’s comprised of recordings he made between 1999 and 2004 that have never before seen release.
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“It’s based on a pirate radio show, with interludes and everything,” Saukrates told The Hip Hop Museum.
The album is bound to solidify its author’s status as a key figure in Canadian music, and as a tireless collaborator who’s done groundbreaking work with the likes of Nelly Furtado, Nas, Method Man, Redman and Drake (whose style of combining melodic singing and rapping Saukrates helped pioneer). Keeping that tradition alive, the record features guest appearances by Shakari Nyte (“Hope”) and Roam (“Awesome”), as well as the aforementioned Redman and longtime co-conspirator Masta Ace on the previously released single “My Pager Burnin Up (Easide of Thangs).”
Saukrates’ PCDs have been exploding since 1994, when he set out on the career path that’s since gotten him recognized as one of the architects of Canadian rap. His impact has been felt across the musical landscape of North America—not only as a solo performer, but also as a founding member of the hip-hop collective The Circle and the lead voice of his own outfit, Big Black Lincoln. Over the years, he’s won multiple JUNO Awards (and been nominated for still others) and taken home a Much Music Video Award. This year, he’s up for an Emmy, for his collaboration with the Washington Capitals NHL team on the record “Caps 11.”
In 2024, Saukrates celebrated his three decades of influence by releasing a special anniversary edition of his 1999 solo debut, The Underground Tapes. Consisting of a whopping 42 tracks, the record features 21 classic songs, each of them accompanied by a narration from the artist himself that explains the tune’s unique attributes and significance.
Saukrates can afford to wax nostalgic every now and then, because the position he occupies in today’s marketplace is getting stronger by the minute. Take his recent signing with Frostbyte Media Ltd., a Canadian boutique label within the SRG-ILS family. SRG-ILS is distributed globally by Universal Music Group’s Virgin Music division, giving him access to a wider-than-ever universe of ears. At the same time, his personal MySeat app is now available on Google Play and IOS, meaning that a treasure trove of his exclusive content is readily accessible to fans worldwide. Expect lots more excitement and invention in 2025, because with a creator as restlessly inventive as this one, there’s always something new “Comin’ Up.”
