| Socalled | |
| Background: | solo_singer |
| Birth Name: | Joshua Dolgin |
| Birth Date: | December 28, 1976 |
| Birth Place: | Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |
| Origin: | Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Genre: | Jewish hip hop, klezmer |
| Occupation: | Rapper, record producer |
| Instrument: | Piano, accordion |
| Years Active: | 2003–present |
| Label: | Piranha Musik, Label Bleu, Dare to Care Records |
| Website: | socalledmusic.com |
Joshua Dolgin (born December 28, 1976), better known by his stage name Socalled, is a Canadian rapper and record producer, known for his eclectic mix of hip hop, klezmer, and other styles such as drum & bass and folk music. A pianist and accordion player, he has taught the latter at Klezfest London, where he has also run workshops in "hiphopkele".[1] He has played with clarinetist David Krakauer's Klezmer Madness!, Michael Winograd and has also worked with artists such as rappers C-Rayz Walz, Chilly Gonzales, funk trombonist Fred Wesley, and Sophie Solomon. Dolgin has Ukrainian, Romanian and Russian roots.[2]
Dolgin's Socalled collective and guests celebrated the Jewish Festival of Lights with the seasonal concert "Hip Hop Hanukkah" in 2007.[3] He is the subject of The "Socalled" Movie, a documentary released in 2010 by Garry Beitel for the National Film Board of Canada, which also features Krakauer and Wesley. The documentary includes footage of the first "Klezmer Cruise", in which a boatload of klezmer fans sailed down the Dnieper River in Ukraine.[4]
In 2013, his remix of Moe Koffman's "Curried Soul" became the new theme music for CBC Radio One's As It Happens.[5]
His 2011 recording "Work With What You Got" was co-written by and features vocals by calypso musician The Mighty Sparrow.[6]