k-osPosts Tagged ‘k-os’Too esoteric too touch but atmospheric enough to grab like a paint can, tag on the wall. k-os gets X to direct his latest video for the opening track of Yes!, which is available in stores. I’ve already laid out my case in support of this album multiple times so you know where I stand with this. This video features Hayden Christensen, aka Anakin Skywalker, and hometown hottie Tassja Kemp-Jackson. I’m not crazy about the ambiguous plot, but k-os really sells it in this video so thumbs up for that.
I’m not a fan of these kind of multi-posts since it means not being able to give as much attention to each song/piece of news, but this will save my ass time-wise so here you go. First order of business is some good news by way of Toronto singer/rapper/songwriter/producer, k-os. After several albums, he will be dropping his first mixtape, The Anchorman Mixtape, July 23rd. Word is the tape will be for the most part strictly spitting, and there will be a Drake collabo on it. Let’s hope this tape won’t go the way of Jay Electronica’s Act II or Ski Beatz’s 24 Hour Karate School. Spotted @ CityOnMyBack. New music from Big Boi, Diggy, Cee-Lo and Wale after the jump.
Tagged: air borne, alicia keys, anchorman, Big Boi, cee-lo, diggy, download, drake, freestyle, general patton, great expectations, green, k-os, mixtape, mp3, stray bullets, the anchorman mixtape, un-thinkable, unthinkable, Wale
This one is for our Canadian readers, and I feel that this post is well-deserved since there has been some crazy hip-hop and R&B to come from Canada in the last year (for all our other readers, in a nutshell, the Juno’s are to Canada like what the Grammy’s are to the US). As you’d guess, Drake leads the nominations for the hip-hop acts, followed by K’naan and Classified. Both “Best I Ever Had” and Class’ “Anybody Listening” got nods for best single, with the latter also getting a nod for best video (which it definitely deserves). Check after the jump for a list of categories in which our finest in hip-hop and R&B got nominations in and for a link to the full list.
Tagged: anybody listening, best i ever had, Classified, drake, juno, junos, k'naan, k-os, melanie fiona, nominations
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser. I Wish I Knew Natalie Portman feat. Saukrates and Nelly Furtado The best Toronto hip-hop album of 2009 (Tona’s Direct Deposit is a close second) will be released states-side on February 23rd. k-os has been singing, spitting, and producing for over a decade now, and having listened to all his albums I can say that this is one of his best works. Singer/rappers are nothing new, with dudes like B.o.B., Mos Def, and Saukrates all using that style of song-writing; however, k is a veteran triple threat, and so he knows what kind of beats, what lyrical content, and what melodies work for him. As one of the most skilled conscious rappers in the game, it’s about time that k-os gets some major shine.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser. Mos Def – Quiet Dog Bite Hard Ah, the best song category. Even though my choices were limited to hip-hop, I had a nearly impossible time compiling this list and selecting a victor. In the end, I narrowed the short-list down to the songs that got progressively better with each listen and chose the winner from that. “Quiet Dog Bite Hard” might not grab your attention in your first listen. Like me, you might ignore this song for months before giving it another chance. As you give it that second chance, then a third, a fourth and so on, you begin to realize that “Quiet Dog Bite Hard” is an addicting song. It’s lively, up-tempo bounce puts you in a good mood and the beat that drives this feeling is hard to dislike. The Latin flair in the instrumental feels more rhythmic and energetic than any standard hip-hop beat from this year.The quiet “simmer down” hook accentuates the high-energy verses, making the balance in this song on point. Party song or not, Mos Def delivers with some tight lyrics and his flow is just as rhythmic as the beat. “Quiet Dog Bite Hard” is not the best song of 2009 because it draws you in on the first listen; rather, it’s the best song because it retains your interest for many more listens to come. Check out and listen to the full list of honorable mentions after the jump.
Tagged: 2009, 3 AM, a yo, ain't nothing like you, al shux, alicia keys empire state of mind, angels, audio two, ayo, back on my b.s., ballskin, bite hard, blackout, blackout 2, blakroc, boi 1-da, boi-1da, born like this, Busta Rhymes, chillin, Common, dame dash, decision, doom, drake, eminem, enemy of the state, exhibit c, forever, ghostface, gza, Hoochie Coo, house of flying daggers, i wish i knew natalie portman, inspectah deck, jamie foxx, jay electronica, Jay-Z, Jim Jones, john legend, k-os, Kanye West, kid cudi, lady gaga, lil wayne, Lupe Fiasco, man on the moon, mary j blige, Method Man, mf doom, mos def, nelly furtado, only built 4 cuban linx 2, quiet dog, raekwon, Redman, refill, relapse, saukrates, slaughterhouse, solo dolo, song of the year, successful, the black keys, the ecstatic, the end of day, the one, the recap, Toronto, trey songz, Wale
Kid Cudi – Man On The Moon: The End Of Day This was not an easy choice. I was struggling between this and Mos Def’s The Ecstatic for weeks, but ultimately, I felt that Kid Cudi’s Man On The Moon: The End Of Day was the more complete album. Presented as a mini-movie with its division into acts, narration by Common, and movie poster included with the CD, this album took the listener on a trip through Cudder’s mind. Not much straight rapping is actually done on the album (only a few tracks have verses that are solely rapped), but it still felt like hip-hop. Man On The Moon is so far the greatest work expressing the new school of thought in hip-hop, which proves that the genre is not defined as songs performed through rapping just as rock is not defined as songs with guitars. The production on this album was fantastic and it works well with the concept of a voyage through the mind. All that being said, Kid Cudi doesn’t let the album get weighed down by deep, heavy tracks and keeps it all in check with the inclusion of some more light-hearted songs like “Make Her Say” and “Pursuit Of Happiness”. Is Cudi a lyrical maestro? Absoulutely not. But this only makes me eager to see what he’ll be able to achieve once he becomes a more developed artist. See which albums made the list of honorable mentions after the jump.
Tagged: 2009, album, album of the year, attention: deficit, blackout, blackout 2, blakroc, born like this, cd, dame dash, diamond district, doom, in the ruff, k-os, kid cudi, man on the moon, man on the moon: then end of day, Method Man, mos def, Oddisee, only built 4 cuban linx 2, pt. 2, pursuit of happiness, raekwon, Redman, slaughterhouse, the black keys, the ecstatic, the end of day, Wale, x.o., year, yes, yu
Eminem: 3 AM (directed by Syndrome)
If there is one field that hip-hop lags behind in comparison to other genres, it’s music videos. We’re all aware that the phrase “hip-hop music video” has become synonymous with many negative stereotypes, but more and more, rappers have been breaking free from this mould. Eminem is just too batshit crazy to fit into that mould, and so when news spread that the video for the single “3 AM” was going to be premiered on cable-access Cinemax, interest was piqued. Directed by Syndrome, this music video captures the demented terror of the song thanks to its settings, its lighting (which may not seem like a big deal but is absolutely spot-on), and its overall mood. On top of that, Em portrayed the character in the song incredibly, as is proven in the scene where he is sitting in the bathtub of blood and only his eyes are visible. After watching this mini horror movie, you can see why it deserved to be premiered on a channel like Cinemax.
Read the list of honorable mentions and watch their videos after the jump.
Tagged: 2009, 3 AM, 4 3 2 1, 4321, black noise, Common, drew lightfoot, eminem, fresh prince, hot dog garbage, jackin, jackin my fresh, k-os, Kanye West, kenny frankland, kid cudi, lady gaga, lex one, london, make her say, music video, nez, recap, refill, relapse, shad, syndrome, the old prince, the old prince still lives at home, yes
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