Ghetto Concept is a Canadian hip-hop duo formed in 1989 by Kwajo Cinco (Kwajo Boateng) and Dolo (Lowell Frazier). The group hailed from Rexdale and Lawrence Heights respectively, and helped kick start the Toronto independent hip-hop scene in the 90s. The two MC’s met downtown at the Toronto Eaton Center. Cinco was impressed with Dolo, asking him to join him in a performance, and from there they would build Ghetto Concept. They began sampling and using recordings of his fathers’ Ghanian records. Using those recordings, Cinco asked friend and DJ Born Swiff to mix some tracks together. They put a mix together and showed it to Julian Arthur who ran Groove-A-Lot, one of Toronto’s earliest independent hip-hop labels. The result was their debut single “Certified” which would go on to win a Juno Award for Best Rap Recording in 1995.

The group continued to work with Swiff and friends Mr. Attic and Mr. Murray. These three producers would become known as Da Grassroots, one of the most influential production groups for Toronto in the 90s’. While overhearing Mr. Attic playing a jazz beat from his car, Cinco began rapping over it and their next major hit “E-Z on the Motion” was born. The track introduced member Infinite on the mic and became an instant classic. The track would appear on BET and the influential New York show Video Music Box, both huge feats for the era. “E-Z on the Motion” would win them another Juno award for best rap recording for the second year in a row in 1996. Unfortunately, following the death of his brother, Infinite would take a step back from the group after releasing tribute song and video “Much Love” in ’96. He re-emerged the following year with Juno-nominated track “Gotta Get Mine” featuring Divine Brown. The rapper would and go on to have a successful solo career.

Despite two back-to-back Junos, the group was still not signed to a record label. Taking things into their own hands, continuing on as a duo they created label 7Bills which later become known as G7 Label. Through this label they released self-titled album in 1998, which includes tracks like “Krazy World” and “Precious Metals”. Their second album, Ghetto Concept Presents… 7Bills All-Stars: Da Album, released in 2002, introduced members Angel Dust and Ray Smooth. The album also featured their most popular hit “Still Too Much”. The track was a remix of their previous song “Too Much” and featured an all-star lineup of artists including Maestro, Kardinal Offishall, Red-1, Ironside, and Snow.

While touring Canada and the US, Ghetto Concept helped bridge the gap not only between their two neighbourhoods, but between Canada and south of the border. They rapped on what they experienced with integrity, lending inspiration to other Toronto hip-hop artists and paving the way for more independent labels to spring-up.

Awards

• Juno Award for Best Rap Recording (1995)
• Juno Award for Best Rap Recording (1996)