Kardinal Offishall says his long-awaited Firestarter Vol. 2 is being released as he reflects on grief and relationships after a stretch of personal deaths.
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Kardinal Offishall is returning with Firestarter Vol. 2: Everyday, Sometimes…, a long-awaited follow-up that he says trades some of his earlier bombast for more candid reflections on grief, relationships and being a 50-year-old family man.
Offishall, whose real name is Jason Harrow, broke through in 2001 with Quest for Fire: Firestarter, Vol. 1 and club hits such as “BaKardi Slang” and “Ol’ Time Killin’,” bringing Caribbean-influenced sounds from his hometown to a wider audience.
He said the industry struggled to meet him where he was, including after plans for a follow-up album involving Pharrell and Timbaland fell apart following a label transition in the U.S.
After parting ways with the label, Offishall said his finances ran low, recalling that after asking about tours, he was told there were none, and describing uncertainty as money dwindled.
While he later toured with Akon and Gwen Stefani, he said life on the road was not glamorous, including recording from the back of a tour bus and sleeping on the bus between stops.
Offishall said his life changed after recording “Dangerous” on the final night of the tour, with the Akon-assisted hit introducing him to a new generation of listeners.
In recent years, Offishall said the deaths of loved ones left him without the emotional space to make another album, adding that he had not anticipated reaching an age where people would pass “like flies.”
He said he eventually found room to heal after nearly a year without another funeral.
Offishall said he is releasing Firestarter Vol. 2 independently, pointing to streaming and direct-to-consumer distribution as factors that give artists more control over how their music is released.
He said celebrity does not protect anyone from ordinary suffering, describing how money, accolades and fame do not come into play when a loved one is sick.
The 10-track Firestarter Vol. 2 includes “Top 3,” which features verses from reggae artist Buju Banton and British actor Idris Elba, along with the title track “Everyday, Sometimes…,” featuring BJ the Chicago Kid.
Offishall said the music reflects days when even getting out of bed feels overwhelming, and he said the album’s themes also address his guarded approach to sharing personal life publicly.
He said opening up about painful topics means discussing subjects with strangers, and he has long described himself as a “pretty private guy.”
Offishall also said he is balancing his public career with industry work, noting his role as global A&R lead for Def Jam Records while taking an approach inspired by advice from Stephen Marley to advocate for artists from within the system.
Looking ahead, Offishall said he and Elba, a longtime friend, have recorded a collaborative project they hope to release in spring or summer 2027, with vocals originally recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic and reworked production added this year.
Offishall is currently on a U.S. press tour, including a stop with radio personality Ebro Darden, and he said the idea of a single “Toronto sound” is limiting, adding that he feels Toronto’s excellence is shown by a range of styles from artists like Drake, the Weeknd and Nav.
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