Not 4 Sale, the second major label release from Toronto emcee/producer Kardinal Offishall, will in all likelihood be his biggest commercial success.  With the lead single “Dangerous” featuring the omnipresent Akon running the airways prior to the album’s release, Kardi is poised to get more airplay than he had with past efforts.  And while the gritty, underground charm has all but been abandoned, present still are Kardinal’s cultural roots and sound sense of songwriting.

Kardi relinquished a lot of the production duties this time around.  Previously, he had been on the boards for the lion’s share of the work on his previous albums.  Here, he is only responsible for the production on three of the sixteen tracks.  However, despite not exclusively being hands-on with the sonic craftsmanship of most the album it is clear that Kardinal, as an accomplished producer in his own right, was able to control the musical direction while maintaining his unique voice and approach to songwriting.  “Bad Like We  Bad” which is heavy on the hip-hop/reggae aesthetic and reflective of Kardi’s Jamaican heritage shows that, when in complete control of a song, the result is nearly flawless.  “Bad Like We Bad” is preceded by “Dangerous” (the lead single), “Digital Motown” with electro-soul sensation J. Davey (another very radio-friendly song) and “Gimme Some” featuring The Dream.  These songs while relatively light on the Yardie-factor are nonetheless respectable achievements in pop songwriting and are hopelessly accessible to those with mainstream sensibilities. 

Kardinal is able to balance these pop attempts with the likes of the bass-heavy “Goin’ In” which employs a simple drum track that enables the listener to focus on Kardinal’s rhymes: “Some say I have more neuroses than LD, I curb your enthusiasm precisely/New York got me more than Spike Lee, cuz I leave Knicks on your face if you spite me…”  “Ill Eagle Alien” employs an adaptation of the legendary dancehall standard “Here I Come” by Barrington Levy to spit self-righteous raps that border on peachiness but are wholly Jamaican in tone.  So too is his tag team effort with Caribbean pop sensation Rhianna on “Numba 1”.  Kardinal turns in a frenetic and energized lyrical performance that is coupled with Rhianna’s alluring hook and bridge that, when combined with the tribal beat, make the cultural chemistry of this song undeniable.

To look at this record through the critical lens of traditional reggae or the reggae/hip hop hybrid would be flawed.  This is a pop record through and through.  The appeal of Not 4 Sale lies in Kardinal’s unique ability to craft an album that is mainstream and accessible in scope from a voice that is seemingly obscure and relatively unknown (despite his veteran and storied underground career).  His ability to shape and balance an album of authentic Caribbean sensibilities with radio-friendly hues is an accomplishment.  The results aren’t always Grammy-worthy, but for the most part the songs work in a way that maintains the artist’s roots and integrity.  Not 4 Sale is indeed for sale as the glossy production and marquee guest appearances would suggest.  If it works out in his favor, good for him.  It is rare that an artist of this kind of determination and honesty gets a shot at this kind of commercial success.