It’s Friday, so here’s the video for “Northern Touch” by Rascalz

Not only is this one a classic, but it’s also a major moment in the history of Canadian hip hop. And yeah, if you lived here in 1998, and you had a TV or a radio, then I’m sure I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know.

But man, look it up. Canadian hip hop in general hadn’t had a single hit in seven years, and this one broke on the air all over North America, hitting the top ten in most major markets. It marked the end of a major industry slump for the genre and opened up new doors for so many others to follow – including video director Little X, who went on to be huge in his own right. Not only that, but they did it all on an independent label!

What’s more, when the Rascalz won the 1998 Juno for the Cash Crop album, they declined the honour because it was presented along with the technical awards as part of the untelevised portion of the ceremony. “In view of the lack of real inclusion of black music in this ceremony,” the group said at the time, “this feels like a token gesture towards honoring the real impact of urban music in Canada. Urban music, reggae, R&B, and rap, that’s all black music, and it’s not represented [at the Junos]. We decided that until it is, we were going to take a stance.”

As a result of that stance, the rap category became a part of the televised ceremony the following year – when the Rascalz were honoured again for “Northern Touch,” and gladly accepted.

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