Joyful Rebellion is the sophomore album from Canadian rapper K-OS that is destined to be a hip hop classic. This Canadian visionary returns with what is unquestionably his best work to date. Tracking the spiritual crossroads of hip-hop, reggae, soul, and flamenco, ‘Joyful Rebellion’ stirs each of these ingredients into an album that, at the very least, deserves acclaim for blending classic and often forgotten Afro-sounds into the current hip-hop scene. Features the hit ‘Crabbuckit’ and many more.Hip-hop continues to grow up, expanding beyond the ‘hood and outside of its American birthplace. Like France’s IAM or Britain’s Dizzee Rascal, this Canadian rapper puts a unique internationalist spin on contemporary rap. K-os is a skilled rhyme-slinger who openly loathes “bling rap” (“Emcee Murdah”) and who harks back to rap’s golden era on cuts like “B-Boy Stance,” a James Brown breakbeat-fuelled number. However, like Andre 3000 and his “Hey Ya” pop affectations, K-os’s strongest material might be the tunes that are the least hip-hop-inspired. Between the foot-tappin’, finger-snappin’ “Crabbuckit” (with a rhythmic backdrop that mimics Ray Charles’s “Hit the Road Jack”), the reggae-pop mix of “Crucial,” and the wily Michael Jackson impersonation of “Man I Used to Be,” the wide array of musical reference points show rap’s sonic possibilities. The ultramodern blend of frenzied turntable scratches and classical strings on “The Love Song” is reason enough to cop this. –Dalton Higgins
Joyful Rebellion
Pinned on December 24, 2012 at 6:55 am by Jessica Buckley
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“Hip Hop’s not dead; its really the mind of the EMCEE” It isn’t easy being an emcee, let alone, being one from Canada. Most are quick to stamp on a label, but it is their own loss because K-Os’ sophomore album “Joyful Rebellion” although under-appreciated and overlooked, was one of 2004′s best sounding albums. Not that the lyrics were bad, that’s not the case at all. Songs like “EMCEE Murdah”, “Commandante”, “Papercutz”, and “One Blood” showcase maturity and the ability to step out of the mainstream box and not cater to its demands. However, what shines best is the eclectic production; ranging from the reggae-rock of “Crucial”, old school vibe of “B-Boy Stance” & “Clap Ur Handz”, the Latin-flavored “Commandante”, and the “old-mixed-with-new” sound of “The Love Song”. Also notable is K-Os’ versatility; with a sort of “Wyclef Jean”-esque delivery, K-Os can both rap and sing. With that said, there is one thing that tends to bother me; now I’m all for the “rebellion against the superficial materialistic mentality”, but K-Os, despite good intentions, tends to be a little overzealous with this particular message; numerous times its either stated or in subtext, regardless, it can get tedious. But in the end, a socially conscious emcee is better than an ignorant one.
Very Impressive I didn’t know what I was getting into when I chose to play this in my store one day. I’m glad I chose to though, because this album is extremely diverse, extremely fun, and K-Os just brims with talent.I can’t name songs specifically, but I can say that K-Os does an amazing job blending different styles of music. This album is truly hard to classify (although we find space for it in our Rap section) and that’s something I like. I like genre-busting music. There’s aspects of rock, hip hop, rap, a little dance, and some singing. This album is a great way to spend an afternoon, and you won’t find yourself bored or disappointed.It lost a star (and again, I wish we could do half stars) because of my inability to pull any specific songs or sounds to mind. I know I like it, but it’s perhaps a tad forgettable.Do yourself a favor and pick this up.