Classified Moving On Up

Classified is making moves in the rap game, something that takes on extra importance when your base of operations is the port city of Halifax, NS.

The reality of the geographical location is that label reps won't be at your shows checking you out on a consistent basis. In order to attract attention, you have to work that much harder to make a name for yourself out there. Believe me, Classified, the 23-year-old who doubles as Luke Boyd knows all about this.

He's a charter member of the Prolific Hip-Hopper Club. After all, in his eight years in the business he has managed to release 10 albums. While his last, Unpredictable, managed to make some noise, including the release of the title track's video and citation from The Source Online as Unsigned Hype for "Now Whut," it seems entirely possible that his latest will upstage it in the recognition department.

Union Dues, the latest from Classified, has been making waves across the country. Not only is the album doing well in his hometown, but within the first couple months of its release the disc was charting at campus radio stations in Fredericton and Ottawa. Beyond that, Classified is poised to make a big impact on the T-Dot with his track "Yuh Dead Now," which is a collaboration with Dan-e-o and D-Sisive, two of Toronto's most respected rhymers.

On top of this, tracks from Union Dues have already been added to numerous compilations being put out by Canadian and American companies. Putting out albums is one thing, but in order to make noise an artist has to take it to the people. This fact has not escaped Classified, who recently completed his first swing across Western Canada.

Following a score of dates in British Columbia as well as stops in Winnipeg, Saskatoon and Calgary, this ill rhyme sayer was quite impressed to learn not only that the local fans knew who he was, but that they "knew the words to my songs." A

ll this touring and releasing album continues to pay dividends. Most recently, word has come up that an agreement with Meanstreets, a United States distribution company, has been reached to stock Union Dues in U.S. record stores.