KILLAWATT RECORDS was born of necessity and chance; when Red1 ventured to release a project independent of the influential Rascalz crew, he was offered the opportunity to start his own label but retain major label distribution. April 2004 saw the creation of one of Canada’s most innovative and visionary musical projects: Killawatt Records.
Gathering talent from all coasts of Canada, Killawatt is as much a mentorship initiative as it is a label; “I had learned so much as part of the Rascalz,” explains Red, “so many highs and lows, mistakes that young artists make again and again that I felt I could probably help some up-and-coming artists avoid those same pitfalls.”
The Canadian hip-hop scene needed something to bring it together, and even before “Northern Touch” famously combined Vancouver and Toronto artists, Red1 was of the mentality to unite in a common cause, feeling that it’s easier to to accomplish goals with a shared vision. In essence, it was this line of thinking which brought HeatWave and Lamar Ashe together under the Killawatt banner.
Since its earliest inception Killawatt Records has represented good music, social issues and party vibes alike. It’s about music with substance and real change for communities: real hip-hop, reggae, r&b, any music as long as it carries a positive vibe and a genuine message. Red 1 feels that “the way the industry’s become that’s not necessarily the case with a lot of artists these days, so we want to take it back, put back the essence that’s been missing, that goodness you used to feel getting into music.”
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