Search - K-Os :: Yes

YES! INDEED!

Alexander Gonzalez | 04/16/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I do not usually write reviews, but DAM! I had to for this one! As a long time K-Os fan I have always looked forward to every release with an equal amount of excitement & curiosity as to what he was going to put out next. For an artist to be as diverse as the multiple forms of music that have obviously influenced them, is a special thing. K-Os is one of those kinds of artists. From the opening track all the way to the final now customary hidden track, he floors you with flat out great music. "Zambony" & "Astronaut" are once again futuristic/retro hip-hop gems, while "Burning Bridges" & "Uptown Girl" hit you with the rock/pop influences that he effortlessly maneuvers to so well. A wonderful extension of hip-hop through the eyes of guitar laced tracks. My personal favorite is the strangely titled "I Wish I Knew Natalie Portman", I could care less what the name of this track is, it is absolutely the s***! Bump this one loud because the beat, the rhythmic strut, K-Os flow, even the guest rapper are absolutely killing this track. To keep this short, the rest of the tracks on the album wonderfully display what an artist should always try to do, grow, expand, & challenge themselves. Never forgetting what their fans love about their work, & yet being bold enough to advance their craft & take the chances that allow them the position to truly call what you do art. K-Os, keep doing what you do so well, & to his fans both old & new (even the curious ones), buy the record, because this is definitely one of 2009's finest! Peace!"

K-Os returns to his roots ... but like never before!!!

C. Washington | Los Angeles, CA | 06/29/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I'm a huge K-Os fan -- I have all of the man's albums. I was seriously disappointed when I found out I would have to order his new album Yes! online because it wasn't being sold in stores.



K-Os really returns to his old school-style hip-hop roots with this album while experimenting with new sounds that leave him more "current" than his previous albums. His last album Atlantis, though very brilliant, leaned into a lot of classic/retro pop. I loved the album but it definitely didn't add him any credits as an M.C. but this time he returned showing all of his influences in previous albums with respect to a mature and a very "today" sound.



If I have to knock him one star for ANYTHING it would be he still delves more than necessary into retro sounds -- I think for K-Os to really showcase his talent and remain relevant he needs to be more cutting edge and lead trends rather than stay on the cusps of trends in hip-hop music. However, I am very pleased to see he has found himself and exudes confidence -- the type of confidence that only a man who is comfortable in his skin can convey."

A welcome return to form

A. Moore | 11/22/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"K-os created an absolute masterpiece with Joyful Rebellion, but his follow-up, Atlantis, was lacking in comparison. After an album where almost every track could have been a hit single but also contributed to a CD more than the sum of its parts, the handful of great songs and 60% filler on Atlantis was disappointing.



I am happy to report that his new album Yes!, while not quite hitting the heights of Joyful Rebellion, does get 95% of the way there. This is another great album from K-os and I can heartily recommend it.



For the uninitiated, K-os blends numerous musical styles, quite often in the same song. He raps and sings equally well, and does whichever combination is most appropriate for the song. He skips genres and styles like Beck in the late 90's, and his raps will appeal to fans of A Tribe Called Quest. Musically, he is organic enough for the average Mojo reader, often playing an acoustic guitar, and while he does include some cheeky samples, most songs are performed by a band.



He supported The Roots on tour and it's easy to see why... in fact if the early, not-so-hard Roots had listened to more punk rock, they might have sounded like K-os. He's a multi-platinum artist in Canada, but criminally underrated in the US, to the point that the CD has to be imported if you won't settle for MP3 files.



On to the music: mainly hip hop with some reggae, acoustic rock and a little dance thrown in, but most definitely identifiable as hip hop. The verses are generally rapped and the choruses are made up of very catchy lyrics, generally sung and usually very good for singing along to. K-os has a pop musician's ear for catchy choruses, and I found myself joining in with most of them. He's been very cheeky with the samples - the bass line from Nirvana's cover of Love Buzz and the hook from the theme to The OC are the most obvious, yet they never jar like they would when used by some lesser artists.



After two months of regular listening in the car and on the iPod, I am only now skipping two tracks on the whole album. There are very few albums in the last twelve months which hold up like this. If you enjoy music and are open-minded, this is one of the best albums of 2009."