Though responsible for some of the most exciting new music around, Canada is not noted for its hip hop exports. Step forward K-OS (pronounced "chaos" and an acronym for "knowledge of self" - real name Kevin Brereton), the self-styled frontman of Canuck rap. Sounds exciting, right?
Man I Used To Be is slick. And no, I don't mean Craig David slick; I mean the-male-incarnation-of-Lauryn-Hill slick. K-OS's smooth lyrical flow is the chalk to the production's jangly, polished cheese (and yes - that description was as fun to write as it is to say it out loud). Despite his struggle to reach the mic for the clutch of Juno and MuchMusic gongs in the way, K-OS oozes credibility, and almost single-handedly proves that Canadian musicians are by no means limited to songs about funerals or irony.
The more I think about it, the harder I find it to fault the man. With any luck you'll see him appearing in more than just Death From Above 1979 music video cameo roles in the near future.
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