Kaleigh
Luke Boyd, mostly known by his stage name Classified, is a Canadian recording artist and producer who grew up in Enfield, Nova Scotia.
From an early age, Classified was exposed to the inside workings of the music industry after watching his father perform with his band. Classified fell in love with hip hop music, listening to artists like Snoop Dogg, Jay Z, and Nas. Class credited them for his inspiration and for creating his favorite rap albums of all time, stating so in his song “They Call This (Hip-Hop)”.
After signing with Shitt Records, Classified released his first album, Time’s Up Kid in 1995 at the age of 19. He went on to release two more albums with Shitt Records before leaving to create his own independent record label Halflife Records.
Classified released five studio albums before he released Boy-Cott In The Industry back in 2005. This album exposed him to mainstream success within Canada. Just a year later, Classified shared his deepest thoughts on his 11th studio album Hitch Hikin Music, which is considered to be one of his best albums, and is even considered one of the greatest Canadian rap albums of all time.
Between 2009-2016, Classified released four studio albums:
- Self Explanatory (2009)
- Handshakes & Middle Fingers (2011)
- Classified (2013)
- Greatful (2016)
He has a unique flow and delivery compared to most Canadian emcees. He writes his lyrics in a way that seems as if he’s speaking directly with the listener. Rather than striving for commercial success, he uses lyrics that could easily relate to the problems many people face today.
I try and write as if you’re sitting in a room with me and we’re having a conversation. I never got into this to be famous, but to get my point across, be honest and make real music.
Classified is greatly recognized as one of the greatest Canadian rappers to ever hold a mic. He has received widespread recognition throughout the music industry, recieving multiple awards and accomplishments in his career. He’s had the opportunity to work with many great emcees over the years, varying from Royce Da 5'9 and Snoop Dogg, to the legendary east coast producer DJ Premier.
Despite not knowing what’s to come in the future, Classified knows one thing for sure: he will never forget the roots from which he came.
When I put out an album, my main thing is always ‘What are we doing in Canada, how are we pushing it here?’ Touring across the country so many times, and seeing what I built from having 10 or 15 people coming to shows to having a couple hundred or couple thousand coming to shows, it’s rewarding. It feels good. My career was built in Canada.