Classified Shows No Signs of Slowing Down

When it comes to hip-hop artists, Classified (a.k.a. Luke Boyd) is the real deal. Not only does he write his own lyrics and beats, but he is also a producer and has his own record label, Halflife Records. The Halifax-born rapper has been in the music business for more than 14 years, and he’s showing no signs of slowing down.

Classified’s latest album, Self-Explanatory, drops this month and he feels it is stronger than any of his previous work. “[We] took a lot more time with this album,” he says. “Musically we used a lot more live instruments and lyrically [we] tried to come with more topics.”

Lyrically, Classified strays away from stereotypical rap topics and instead prefers meaningful words that tell a story. “I try to make a beat that you move to, but lyrically still come with some real s***,” he explains. “Not just talking about, ‘Shake your a**’ – not just stupid s*** you’ve heard a million times, you know?”

Besides insightful lyrics, Classified also gets innovative on his latest album. He created six tracks, all titled Choose Your Own Adventure (yes, just like the books), and at the end of each song, you get to decide how your story will go, for example: wanna go to the club or wanna go home? “That’s what’s cool about music – doing different s*** that no one’s done yet,” says Classified about this unique aspect of his album. “So I’m definitely excited for people to hear it.”

Classified is currently on tour throughout Canada, with dates in BC and Alberta. So, after touring, what’s up next for this hip hopper? “When we’re not touring, [I’m] just in the studio producing for other people, doing a lot of beats for other cats, so if I’m not on the road, I’m usually in the studio working on something.”

After 14 years in the biz, a Juno nomination and 40,000 records sold in Canada, Classified could just be resting on his laurels. However, for this dedicated hip-hop artist, hard work seems like more than just a means to an end, but rather a way for him to continue to fulfill his passion.