Kardinal Offishall is a 50 year old rapper, songwriter, producer, DJ & record executive from Toronto, Ontario, Canada who made his debut in late ‘97 with Eye & I. The sophomore effort Firestarter: Quest for Fire albeit major label debut under MCA Records would make him the ambassador of the Canadian hip hop scene even if Fire & Glory, Not 4 Sale, the Nottz-produced A.M.T.R.I.M. (Allow Me to Re-Introduce Myself) mixtape & Kardi Gras: The Clash were all welcomed to mixed reception. Over a decade later & he’s returned for his 6th studio LP.

“Heavy’s the Head” triumphantly opens up talking about the weight of the crown he’s wearing whereas “40 Acres & a Ferrari” featuring Black Thought & Stove God Cook$ finds the trio discussing it not being too late for them to receive those 2 things over a boom bap instrumental. “All Nighter” featuring Konshens & T-Pain goes for a pop rap vibe talking about staying up for an evening with their partners but once “Kiss Me When I” admits he hates it when his lover leaves, “Top 3” featuring Buju Banton & Idris Elba ends the 1st leg with a boastful reggae anthem.

Nesta appears for the remix to “My Brother’s Keeper” to kick off the 2nd half continuing showing more love towards Jamaican culture while “When You’re in Love” once again confronts themes of romance over a more subdued beat. “Bombay Sunsets” featuring Idris Elba returns to the boom bap so they can bring it hardcore & after “When There’s Smoke” aggressively talks about the consequences of any beef poppin’ off, the title track ends Firestarter 2: everyday, sometimes… telling us the way he’s been feeling since the previous full-length.

Admittedly: I wasn’t so sure whether or not Firestarter 2: everyday, sometimes… would live up to the expectations set out by the predecessor considering almost everything he’s done since has left audiences divided. And contrasting the previous installment capturing Kardinal Offishall at the height of his career, this sequel provides a glimpse of where he’s at a quarter of a century later as the ambassador of Canadian hip hop maintaining his signature dancehall style outside of some boom bap & pop rap detours. I can respect that.

Score: 3.5/5

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