On this day in 1988: Canada meets an 18-year-old Michie Mee

In 1988, CBC's 'What's New' featured an 18-year old Canadian rapper just before her first record dropped. Nearly three decades later, the Kuumba Festival's She Got Next: Women in Hip-Hop showcase — happening at Toronto's Harbourfront Centre on Feb. 7 as part of Black History Month — will pay tribute to Michelle McCullock, better known as Michie Mee.

Back in the day, the Jamaican-born, Toronto-raised rapper was getting noticed for her original style, which added her Caribbean heritage to the hip-hop mix. "It's the reggae. I add a lot of reggae and it comes natural to me," she told CBC. In the clip, the fresh-faced rapper introduced Canadian audiences to her hybrid style.
 

Not long after this interview, Michie Mee became the first Canadian hip-hop recording artist to sign to a major U.S. label and garnered a Juno nomination for 'Rap Recording of the Year' for her celebrated 1991 debut album Jamaican Funk, Canadian Style — whose 25th anniversary is part of what She Got Next is paying tribute to.

But Michie's achievement was significant not only because it was one of Canadian hip-hop's earliest notable successes. Her sound helped to blaze a trail for first and second-generation Canadian artists of all stripes, those, who marry their roots with new influences to form a unique sound and identity. Her influence can be seen in other artists like Kardinal Offishall, whose 2001 hit "Old Time Killin'" fully embraced his West Indian roots.

In a recent interview with CBC News,, Michie reflected on the significance of Jamaican Funk, Canadian Style, saying, "I got to see a lot very early just knowing that there was a bigger world out there that would accept West Indian culture in terms of music."

Kuumba at Harbourfront Centre, 235 Queens Quay W, Toronto. Feb. 5-7.

Visit the CBC Digital Archives for more throwbacks like this one.