K-Os: I'mma Superstar

K-os has been into hip-hop since he was a teenager in Canada. After building a name for himself and recording hit records in Canada, there was only one place for him to go -- the US. So, he took his style of hip-hop, ran with it and took the US on a trip to a different style of hip-hop, opposite what was being heard on the airwaves, opposite of the bling-bling rap we all have heard...And is making an impact with it.

His latest single/video, "Superstar Part 0," is currently in the top 20 on MTV2 and is enjoying roation on on BET. While on a high from the success of his video, K-Os met with BallerStatus in Los Angeles' Renaissance Hotel to speak on the current state of hip-hop, why he's able to break the mold with his music and why "Superstar Part 0" was so successful.

BallerStatus.com: Ok, for the people that don't know who K-os is, tell us a little bit about yourself.

K-os: I'm, 5' 11". I'm from Canada and I'm not a madd rapper. I hate the state of hip-hop and I'm a religious fanatic that hates religion. How about that? Does that make any sense?

BallerStatus.com: You got the album Exit in stores now, Tell us about the album.

K-os: It basically took me my whole life to make. It's a mix of everything. I try not to like have any... not to fit it into any genre of anything, but at the same time, hip-hop is the base as far as the attitude of the music. It's been out in Canada for a year and it just came out here in Feburary. Hopefully people catch on to it and catch a vibe. I just made it trying my best to make something creative and artistic, independent sounding, but at the same time I want the most people to hear it as I can.

BallerStatus.com: How does it feel to finally have it out in the US, for people out here to hear it?

K-os: Wicked man! Because all the music that I grew up from Tribe Called Quest to KRS to Bob Dylan.. All the great things that are from America, so you kinda get the feeling when your in Amercia that you're actually now speaking to the people that influenced you the most. Even though your not American, so America has had a great influence. It feels good!

BallerStatus.com: Who do you have featured on the album and who handled production? What, is it mostly people from Toronto?

K-os: Yea, I handled most of the production along with some friends like Kemo. He's from a band called The Rascals. If you're a hip-hop head you must know of them. My man Russ, he plays guitar with me. He handles some of the musical direction with the guitars, which is heavy on this album. The only person who is really on it is Red-1 from The Rascals because we're friends and I wasn't trying to get alot of American guest appearances, I just wanted to try to keep it what it was, so really it's about a small production team at home and Red-1 kinda being featured on it. He's the only other rapper on there on a song called "Follow Me".

BallerStatus.com: You got the single, "SuperStar Part 0," on the top 20 on MTV2, how does that feel?

K-os: It feels wicked man! What can I say, man, you just hope for those things and they just happen. When they happen you're actually like... "Is this happening? Is this some kind of trick?" I think beyond all the politics of it, I think people have been reacting to it and voting for it and stuff. That's what really makes me happy is that there's are some people out there that feel like I do and are enjoying this whole thing, ya know. Enjoying this new era in music that's about to happen.

BallerStatus.com: Do you have a next single coming?

K-os: Probably "Heaven Only Knows". Which sorta came out on 12" already, but it really didn't come out strongly, so we will get to do a video with that and redoing it. Hopefully that will come out in June or July.

BallerStatus.com: Tell us about what else you got coming and what else you will be featured on out here.

K-os: I might do a song with Mecca from Digable Planets. Yea, LadyBug. She actually reached out to me after she saw the video, then I met her in New York. I think when I do the show in New York we're gonna try to connect and do a track. Umm, some things with The Roots, here and there in September or October. Going back to start recording the next album Sept, Oct which is called "Joyful Rebellion". That's about it really. I'm just enjoying this, living life. I think music is just life right now. Just having fun, ya know.

BallerStatus.com: What artists inspired you, growing up?

K-os: There's too many. The Beatles, all the Mo-Town stuff because my parents listen to that. Everything from Moe Kaufman to Bob James to Coldtrain to my dad's record collection basically, which ranged from Linda Ronstat to Sparrow, which is a Canadian calypsonian. So everybody.

BallerStatus.com: Were you always into hip-hop growing up?

K-os: I started singing at first and all my friends were Emcees. When they started emceeing, I thought it was corny to sing. I started emceeing and I got dissed for a while because I really sucked, but I kept doing it and I got better. That was when I was around 17 or 18. So really, I'm 31 now, so the last 10 years or so, I've been rhyming, ya know.

BallerStatus.com: When did you realize you wanted to take this seriously?

K-os: Probably, when I went to... I bought my first piece of musical equipment, which was an Ensonic ETS. I made the first beat I ever made and the first song I ever rapped on. It was the first single I ever put out. I didn't even front. I was just like, I'd rather start and let people see me develop than like wait to put out a hot single. I think alot of artists do that. They're afraid of critism. When I put out that single and people were like, "Hey man this is cool", but in the back of my mind I knew other people thought it was wack because it just sounded like alot of things. Like Tribe or Digable Planets, but when you're a kid you kinda just grab something and kinda sound like it till you find your own thing. When I put out music, I out it out there, so that's when I start to get reactions and see what I was really about. I think it's a healthy process to put your music out to lots of people just because you're gonna see the real story, ya know.

BallerStatus.com: What artists would you like to work with if given the chance?

K-os: Umm, alot! Black Thought, Lauren, Wyclef, The Last Emperor, umm I dunno there's too many, man. There's so many dope emcees, like Dilated, maybe, any Wu Tang member, like Killah Preist or like Ghostface or any of them kats, 50 cent. I love it all. I think everyone has something to say. I think if you got skills on a microphone then I'm cool. I mean I might not agree with what you're saying, but I would do a track cuz I would get to say what I get to say & they get to say what they got to say.

BallerStatus.com: What is your opinion with the current state of hip-hop?

K-os: Umm, it's just about money making right now. Gangsterism is taking over hip-hop and everyone is getting paid, that's cool. At the same time, there's no balance. People need to play a record that's "Bling, Bling" then they need to play a record that is saying something and I think that is a good balance for kids. You gotta think about children cuz they're the next society growing up, so play your "Bling, Bling" records, play your "baller" records, but at the same time play another record that's not about that.

BallerStatus.com: What do you think K-os will be doing five years from now?

K-os: Probably.. I will probably be married and I will probably be on my third record in the installment of the Crucial Triolgy, which is Exit, Joyful Rebellion and I haven't figured out the third one. That's gonna be like.... You know how Star Wars has three movies?

BallerStatus.com: Yea.

K-os: I'm gonna try to say what I gotta say in this era of my life in three records. Hopefully after that third record, I'll move on to a whole different musical experience. I try not think about it, but the future is just a modified past. You don't really know it. You can't really invite an unknown guest. I really don't know what the F**K is happening. It's like Socrates said... I don't know if you know about that rapper from Toronto called Socrates, but he has a line that goes, "Don't gamble with expections unless you and the future have some type of blood relation". In other words, you don't.. Unless you are the future you don't know. I think we all just make the future up based on our past, so that doesn't leave any room for our real future to exist. I really don't wanna speculate, but if you force me, those are the things myself probably wants.

BallerStatus.com: What affect do you think the internet has on hip-hop music in general?

K-os: None, because people have been pirating hip hop... The first hip hop song I ever heard was, "Nucleus" by Jam On It, by the Nucleus Crew in 1982 and I got that because someone gave me a dubbed tape. I didn't buy that record. I'm sure fans of Metallica didn't first hear Metallica on a Metallica record, didn't buy the record. I'm sure fans of D.O.A or Black Flag didn't hear their records or bought any. It's just more music to pirate now. Music has always been pirated by people that loved it, by people who couldn't afford it. I just think someone that can afford it.. Maybe everytime you download someone's song put a penny in a jar. Maybe after a year you will have, I dunno, 17 hundred pennies, I dunno. Just put a penny in a jar if you download cuz by the end of the year you can just buy the album just to support. You have to have give and take. Even the earliest man had bartering systems, like if I do a painting for you, you have to feed me. If you tailor some pants for me, then I will clean your lawn or something. Ya know, let's share. Music shouldn't be free... It should be free, but it shouldn't go without you giving to the artist that created it cuz he is spending money and hard work to do it, too. That's all I'm saying man.

BallerStatus.com: Are there any sites out there, that you visit regularly?

K-os: Yea, I'm on the OkayPlayer alot... Where else do I go?? That's it really, man. I'm on my website alot. I wanna see what people are saying negative or positive about (laughs) what I'm doing. Sometimes I go to RollingStone.com or something just to see what is fashionable or current. I'm not a huge... I used to surf the web more trying to figure out about religions and stuff more than music. When you do music, you just don't wanna surf the web about that.

BallerStatus.com: What's your website?

K-os: www.K-osexit.com

BallerStatus.com: Any shows or appearance you're gonna be doing in the US?

K-os: We are gonna be in SOBs on the 15th of May in New York. I think after me that night is Spearhead,. It's gonna be an early show, so you gotta get there early cuz there is another show after. That's It.

BallerStatus.com: Are there any last comments?

K-os: Yea I just wanna say that people have been making a big deal about me saying, "It's the end of the G era" at the beginning of the "Superstar Part O" song, but I just feel like it is. Not in the sense that music won't exit. I just think it's time now for balance and hopefully all the fans of hip hop don't get too dismayed or down because things are changing. It always happens like this. There was a time in music when all we heard was native tongues and positive stuff.. not just force people to be a bit more debaturous, so hopefully we get the balance in hip hop. One way or the other. Let them exist side by side and which ever one is stronger will prevail.

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