He may be known primarily as an artist and cultural tastemaker (before it was the 6, Toronto was known as the T-Dot, largely thanks to him) but Kardinal Offishall has also built a strong career over the last decade as an industry exec. After close to a decade at Universal Music Canada where he established the Black Label Coalition and became a founding member of ADVANCE, Canada’s Black Music Collective, he was hired as the Global A&R lead at iconic New York-based hip-hop label Def Jam early last year. He’s a recognizable figure both behind the scenes and publicly as a judge on Canada’s Got Talent and a philanthropist, this year accepting the Allan Slaight Music Impact Honour at Canada’s Walk of Fame.