Best of Atlantic Canada: Hip-Hop

Though not often recognized as a hip-hop hotbed, Halifax, Nova Scotia, has a deep history with the music dating back to the mid-'80s, thanks to trailblazers like MCJ & Cool G (the first Canadian rap crew signed to a major label). Cross-pollination with the city's Sloan-centered indie-rock community in the '90s brought nationwide attention to beatmaking eccentrics like Buck 65, Hip Club Groove, and Skratch Bastid, while a string of Juno-nominated post-millennial releases has transformed veteran MC Classified into a national hip-hop star.