K-OS:
Joyful Rebellion

Release Date: 25 April 2005

Reviewed By: Oli Marlow

1. Emcee Murdah

2. Crucial

3. Man I Used To Be

4. Crabbuckit

5. B-Boy Stance

6. Commandante

7. Love Song

8. Hallelujah

9. Clap Ur Handz

10. Dirty Water

11. One Hood (Jissy Homicide)

12. Papercutz

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Toronto-born vocalist K-OS has already worked with rap luminaries such as De La Soul and The Roots. He’s collaborated with numerous artists including The Chemical Brothers and already has a Source Award for International Album of The Year under his belt. All this before his sophomore effort was even released. 

The title of his second album, ‘Joyful Rebellion’, suggests that the music contained on the album takes pride in being different from mass marketed hip hop and without use of a better phrase, it does. K-os’ self produced mantra bounces from style to style with each track and utilises live instruments, big beats and his differing vocal talents. 

He displays true diversity and musical passion through the eclectic range of tracks and styles as he mashes up laid back disco funk with hip hop production. Opening track ‘Emcee Murdah’ slips easily into eerie terrain with subtle strings and acoustic guitar riffs before breaking into a flameco-esque chorus that resonates with quick blasting guitar lines, computer squiggles and heavy bass lines; immediately providing a glimpse of the opposing musical styles K-os has merged together. 

The album then journeys into funked-up reggae through the second track, ‘Crucial’, which sees K-os singing over bumpy bass lines, crunchy rhythm guitars and splashy cymbals. It’s the full force of the bass and guitars backed by the subdued organs elevate the track creating a overtly melodic interlude that really brings home how different K-os’ approach to making music is. 

The stand up bass mixed with the textured piano and turntable stabs of closing track ‘Papercutz’ is definitely one of the highlights of the album, as the somewhat spiritual journey of ‘Joyful Rebellion’ draws to a scintillating close. This impromptu jam infused with elements of jazz and soul music takes the track all the way to its eight-minute time limit with immense style and great, lasting effect. 

The most refreshing thing about ‘Joyful Rebellion’ is the mixture of contemporary musical stylings and the depth of K-os’ lyrics. Throughout the album he claims that hip hop’s not dead as “it’s really the mind of the emcee” that’s wasting away; as he strikes out against those emcees “who keep faking, hoping to make the bacon”.  

The album isn’t an all-out assault against emcees who’ve lost touch with their roots in favour of producing watered down, bragadocious music that will earn them their mansion in the hills. Instead it’s a melting pot of music bound by hip hop’s ethics of innovation and the tried and tested boom-bap method all the while striving to be gloriously different from the pop charts. 

‘Joyful Rebellion’ is a hip hop album with a twist. It’s saturated in all the elements of forward thinking, pioneering music. There are more than enough pockets of brilliance that are sure to engulf your attention, although some tracks seem to re-hash stuff he’s said a few tracks before. Ultimately though, it’s the albums range and eclecticism that’ll win you over.  

Rating: 4 out of 5 

Top 3 tracks:

Papercutz

Crucial

B-Boy Stance

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