Let’s face facts - hip hop has come a long way in the last 25 years. Long gone are the days of hip hop sheepishly hiding in the back corner of your local record store. Now hip hop is everywhere. It’s referenced by and entwined into the lives of not only B-Boys and B-Girls, but even indie rock kids, and – gasp! – soccer moms. Hell, these days you can even turn on CNN and find the newscasters dropping hip hop slang into their inane banter.

This creates a double edged sword for hip hop. Yes, it’s a global phenomenon, reaching from the Boogie Down Bronx to far-off lands. Yet, with this reach, the genre as a whole has become watered down. In the modern day, countless acts like Nelly and Ja-Rule have released countless albums under the pretense of hip hop. But what they really offer is a caricature of hip hop - a funky beat, a catchy chorus, slick with production – but completely void of the elements and intelligence of genuine hip hop, built on the blood sweat and tears of the likes of KRS One, DJ Kool Herc, Public Enemy, The Jungle Brothers, etc.

But perhaps there’s relief and a return to consciousness in hip hop in sight.

Toronto emcee k-os has been quietly taking the world by storm, bringing his own vision and interpretation of hip hop to life. 2002 saw the release of Exit, k-os’ major label debut. The disk showcased his ability to deliver clever rhymes and harmonies that kept heads moving while he cried out against the state of contemporary hip hop. k-os wrapped his lyrics in charismatic beats and acknowledged influences from around the globe though the incorporation of sounds new to hip hop, including mariachi guitars and tabla percussion. Instantly Exit drew critical acclaim, buzz on the streets, and the respect of k-os’ peers. The likes of Nelly Furtado, De La Soul, The Roots, and The Chemical Brothers all lined up to tour or collaborate with him.

August 24th will mark k-os’ return with his latest album, Joyful Rebellion. On first listen, it’s clear that k-os is still hungry to push hip hop forward. The hour of music found on Joyful Rebellion displays a breath-taking musical knowledge and influence – yes, you can hear elements of Bob Marley and Chuck D, but you can also hear elements of The Beatles and The Police. Incorporating both emceeing and vocal harmony, recorded with a live band, and featuring collaboration with fellow Canadian artists Kamau and Sam Roberts, Joyful Rebellion is a glorious testament proving that hip hop is beautiful, alive, and ready to be taken to the next level.

Cord Magazine sat down with k-os to talk further about the creation of Joyful Rebellion (CordMag speaks in blue).

Traditionally musicianship existed in hip hop through the DJ and his turntables. For example, through cutting, scratching, and sampling, Terminator X shaped the sound of Public Enemy. Some might argue that a sense of musicianship doesn’t really exist in contemporary hip hop. However, yourself, The Roots, and a few others are taking risk and elevating hip hop by bringing musicianship to the forefront with live instrumentation. Was this something you consciously set out to do? Did something specific drive you to do this?

To tell you the honest truth… after I saw The Roots in Toronto in 1997 it changed my life. Because it was the first time I understood you could make hip hop on live instruments. That was a revelation to me… it was like “wow”!

The Roots actually perform classic samples and break beats live…

Right, right, and they’d be rapping other peoples’ records, like MC Lyte and Rakim and all that stuff, and I was just like “this is crazy”! The Roots were the spark for me, and when I saw them I knew I was on the right track, because I was already investigating that. But that made me step up and go back to the lab. When I saw them it was like, “that’s it”.

How did the live instruments and elements evolve from your last album, Exit, to your new album, Joyful Rebellion?

The big difference is that there’s a band playing through a lot of the tracks. A lot of the acoustic sounds on Exit were manufactured from loops and stock sounds. But with Joyful Rebellion the entire band actually played together on a lot of tracks like, “Crucial” and “Commandante”. They played off the floor… and that’s interesting because there’s a tendency for bands to get kinda jammy and you don’t know what’s gonna happen. But the groove was maintained, and that’s the thing the band learned from Exit to Joyful Rebellion, that it’s all about the groove and making it sound like a sample.

Another notable difference between your last album and the new album is that you play both guitar and piano on Joyful Rebellion. Are you self taught or formally trained?

I don’t have any training and I really suck! (laughs) I’m probably a better studio player than live… the big challenge with the upcoming live show is for me to actually play on stage. I’ve been playing for 4 – 5 years, I can get my hands around certain ideas, but not in a way that’s extensive. I get a bit nervous sometimes because stepping out into that realm is like a whole new world for me.

And how does that translate into playing with your live band, who are all seasoned musicians?

It’s kinda like how in Radiohead, Johnny Greenwood said to Thom Yorke, "don’t learn music, you stay the ignorant one." Well, I’m the ignorant one! I think some of my ideas, musically, are exciting to the people I play music with, who have no idea where I’m coming from. They’re like, “What chord is that? What are you playing?” and I say “I don’t know what I’m playing”… but sometimes it works.

Although Joyful Rebellion is dubbed your second album, many of us began to take notice of you when you arrived on the Canadian hip hop scene in the early nineties with records like Musical Essence and Rise Like The Sun. Looking back at your evolution as an artist, what inspired you when you first began, what inspired you as during the creation of Exit, and what inspired you during the creation of Joyful Rebellion?

Criticism… by myself and others. The ability to get better and not worse… I think that’s what I’m obsessed with. I’m obsessed with figuring out, “will an artist fall off the more successful he becomes, or can he get better?” Not competing with myself or becoming a caricature of myself, but honestly just listening to [my work] and asking myself “Am I still being progressive? Do I still have passion in my voice?” Because the instant I don’t, I’ll stop. That was sort of happening after the first album, and that was probably why I was so apathetic about it. And then this stuff came to me, and it lets me stay current and excited!

Let’s talk about collaborations on this album. Fellow T.O. emcee, Kamau, who you’ve previously toured and collaborated with, appears on the track “Papercutz.” The two of you are obviously close. How did your relationship develop, and will there be more collaboration for the two of you in the future?

Yeah, I’m putting out some stuff right now… he’s in this other band called Pangea Project. We’re just great friends. He one of those guys that keeps me in check, and he’s a very genuine person, and a very gifted person. That’s how our whole relationship started. I saw him do a poetry reading - at first it wasn’t even about him rapping. He spooked me! He had so much spirit. That’s one of the reasons we’ve stayed so connected… he keeps dropping shit on me!

Are there other contemporary artists you have a real desire to work with?

Black Thought from The Roots. I was talking to him about a month ago about doing a track. I went on tour with them in Europe, so there’s already a connection there. When they were making their record, I flew down there, and they had these jam sessions where I came in and went on the mic and freestyled, just to get ideas. They’re like that, they like doing sessions. I’d love to do a song with him. I’m actually afraid to do it – but in a good sense - ‘cause he’s such a deadly emcee.

What’s next for k-os?

Getting with my live band, and going in a hole and practicing for 3 weeks, and getting a tight show. A murderous show! That’s what I live for right now. I’m almost scared of it, because I wouldn’t want it to be anything less than magical and earth moving. I just want to play… you could live in that universe on stage, it’s such a free place… there’s so much freedom.

Joyful Rebellion hits the shelves of your favorite record store on Tuesday, August 24th.

Elsewhere

By Rob Anand
Photos : Capitol/EMI
Published : August 23, 2004.