okplayer interviews K-OS

[bigted]

http://board.okayplayer.com/okp.php?az=sho...21277&page=

OkayWriter CANDACE L. sat down with K-OS last week and exchanged words. Here's the OKP exclusive.

Somewhere off the southern coast of Spain lies a land of milk and honey, an oasis of endless greenery, an abundance of precious metals, rolling mountaintops, hyper-intelligent superbeings - a veritable Paradise regained. Or is it somewhere south of Cyprus? Or still ebbing in the middle of the Atlantic? Wherever it is, was or could’ve been, the lost city of Atlantis still captures the imagination of scholars and armchair philosophers alike. The possibility that a wealthy, technologically advanced society could veer so deeply into the dark recesses of excess to warrant destruction by God is a solemn reminder for many living under certain modern world powers.

But morals/schmorals - that’s depressing and really hard to dance to. It is this storied world Toronto rapper K-OS ventures to on his latest album, Atlantis (Hymns for Disco), not to play the role of lyrical archaeologist, but hip-hop explorer, uncovering gems in a variety of genres and musical styles.

“Sunday Morning,” the first single off the album, embodies a hand-clapping, party-starting mixture as every Toni Basil wannabe is compelled to grab her pom-poms and join the fray. The pep rally quality is definitely one missing from hip-hop, but k-os isn’t on a crusade to please any particular crowd. On “Born To Run,” he says, “If you can’t dance to this, it doesn’t matter,” yet he effectively creates the most danceable tune on the album. Perhaps it was a challenge to find something wrong with this song, too. Often accused of being too preachy (read: says ‘God’ too much) on his previous albums, Exit and Joyful Rebellion, Atlantis finds K-OS reaching out to all the world of music has to offer and digging out MTV-friendly hits, obscure bangers and yes, still saying ‘God’ whenever he feels like it. Balanced between metaphysical metaphors and the sincere demands of a rap fan in turmoil, K-OS walks the fine line between artist and preacher without making any compromises.

A strong sense of identity is clear on Atlantis, as K-OS continues to forge a singular style that captures the eclectic experimentation of Electric Circus, the pop accessibility of The Love Below and the electronic space rock of George Clinton.

“I’m like a voyeur that watches MTV and then watch what’s going on in London, then I see what’s going on in Spain, then I take all that and put it into my music. So my image is really in art, postmodernism, which is the idea that you take from a whole bunch of things to create something new.”

Back in 2003 when K-OS declared an end of ‘The Jiggy Era,’ on “Superstarr Pt. Zero,” one might assume he was picking sides, proclaiming himself the ambassador to all things new and officially hip-hop ordained.

“I think up to that point I had accepted a lot of the music that was out because I could relate to it; I could relate to the struggle within it, but I kind of got tired of the struggle. People talk about struggling all the time instead of coming up with ideas of how to face that struggle. So the end of the jiggy era wasn’t necessarily the end of that type of music. It was an end, for me, in sympathizing with it and trying to create something new that was like an alternative to that.”

Mission accomplished. No one hearing the playful storytelling of “CatDiesel” or the forceful melancholic singing of “The Rain” could mistake it for anything remotely jiggy or readily familiar. K-OS has incorporated more of his singing on this album, making him possibly one of the best singer/rappers doing it right now, mainly because his vocals actually sound good, but also because the blend between the two is seamless. His lyrical prowess is never sacrificed for a pretentious ditty nor does he cheapen a sincere vocal demonstration with a token verse, just to make sure he doesn’t lose the rap purists.

As if his unique style doesn’t set him apart enough, how many OkayArtists readily admit getting pummeled by Al White himself, Justin Timberlake?

“Music’s very competitive, so a song will come out like a Justin Timberlake song…and I’m not feeling that. It’s not necessarily that you don’t feel it, it’s just so good, it’s kicking you’re a-s so much that you’re like, ‘I’m not feeling that.’ So I usually end up liking songs six months after they’re popular because I’m like, ‘Yo, this is kind of brilliant, actually’ after the people have liked it.”

Maybe we all can’t relate to the delayed appreciation of “Senorita,” but it’s that kind of open-mindedness that keeps K-OS so fresh.

“Born To Run,” for example, utilizes so many energizing elements, not just K-OS’ vocal gymnastics (one minute singing, the next talking or rhyming), but also his musical ADHD as he switches from fast-paced disco dance tune to whipping out ye olde acoustic guitar to remix his opening verse. The schizophrenia works well for him. He attributes this to having no strict image to which he must adhere.

“The image of L.L. Cool J was a very honest image for him, but it was also very powerful and influenced other people to sort of become his image. The image of Big Daddy Kane was a very powerful image for him, but it doesn’t mean that everybody can be that…You can take from other people. You can amalgamate other people’s styles, but it’s important to know who you are.”

Though he’s not averse to playing a part, K-OS is more interested in honest, self-exploration through his music.

“There’s a lot of acting going on in music…It’s good to play roles, but it’s also good to speak what’s from your heart, too.”

After seeing the floodwaters rise in New Orleans almost two years ago, K-OS followed his heart and called his mother in hurricane-prone Fort Lauderdale. After a discussion of Noah’s flood, the seeds were planted for the theme of his next project.

“My whole thing came from understanding how important that element is…how important water is, but at the same time how we kind of abuse it in a way. Human beings are not really environmentalists by nature; we take a lot of things for granted.”

Taking a cue from fellow OkayArtist Mos Def, K-OS found inspiration in “New World Water” when setting on his own high seas journey for Atlantis.

“I think my water theme was more just respecting that element…In Canada, we happen to have the most pure water source on the planet in Montreal, they still buy water from outside Canada when in fact we have the largest water source. So even the fact that people buying water becomes a trendy thing, too, it’s hard for people to respect it and not just glamorize it.”

Water isn’t the only thing commanding respect on Atlantis. Already a chart-topping, record-breaking, platinum-plus star in his homeland, no one could mistake this album as too spiritual, too thinky, too this or not enough of that. What we hear is the impressive evolution of a contemporary artist, the prototype of today’s postmodern rapper, influenced by a rich palette of sounds and ideas and meshing them into something revolutionary. With each album, the proof of K-OS’ depth of talent only grows. This lyricist/producer is well on his way to being more than ‘that Canadian rapper.’ If we’re lucky, he’ll be hip-hop’s Atlantis, no mere enduring myth, but a living, breathing escape from the darkness.

Candace L.

[JumpinJack AJ]

Very good article...THANX!!

[Silver Tiger]

Thanks for posting that. Cool stuff.

And musically, "Born to Run" is one of the best tracks on the album. They're all top notch tho.

God Blessa!