Canadian rap royalty, Kardinal Offishall is set to receive the 2023 Social Justice Award from Canadian Music Week next month.

The Toronto-born emcee will receive the award at a ceremony on June 10 during the CMW Conference and it will be presented to him by another Toronto legend, Master T, who ruled the MuchMusic airwaves with his show Da Mix when Offishall broke out onto the scene in the mid 90s.

Offishall’s hits from that period helped open up the Canadian rap scene to mainstream audiences and his collaboration on 1998’s Juno-winning hit, Northern Touch, with the Rascalz, Choclair, Checkmate, and Thrust helped cement his status as a Toronto music icon.

His 2008 smash hit, Dangerous, featuring Akon, took over the radio-waves and roared up the Billboard Hot 100 Chart, making him the first-ever Canadian rapper to succeed in that feat.

Offishall would go on to collaborate on hit records with Lady Gaga and Rihanna before popping up on Canadian TV as a judge on Canada’s Got Talent alongside other national celebs like Howie Mandel, Lilly Singh, and Trish Stratus.

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Along with performing and producing his own work, Offishall’s philanthropic side has always shone through. 

He has done extensive personal and professional mentorship of young Canadian acts, been an ambassador for Canadian music abroad, spent years involved with WE/Free the Children, and led a career that's been illuminated by acts of community work along the way.

If you’d like to attend the star-studded award ceremony on June 10, you can register online for the CMW Conference.