Written By: Allie Samborn
Photos By: David Dalley
Fans of old school hip hop, especially longtime fans of Canadian rap, had nowhere better to be this week (nor should anyone else have) when K-os hit the stage at the Commodore Ballroom. Despite the largely inattentive crowd, opener Saul Williams put on a powerful performance for those that were listening.
Amidst a cloud of smoke, wearing a headscarf & dark glasses, K-os took the stage and unleashed the beginning of what would be a hit-laden, multi-genre set list. He ripped through amalgamations of songs, that when executed, made one wonder why these connections had never been made before. He remixed “Crucial” from 2004’s Joyful Rebellion with “Roxanne” and a psychedelic version of “Another Brick in the Wall (Pt. II)” into “Man I Used To Be”, showcasing his eclectic tastes and possible influences on those songs. K-os and his band of musically merry bros (RIP Ray Garraway) broke out into a spectacularly cool jazz/trap section that had even the most un-hip in the crowd swingin’ like it was the ‘20s. They also managed to squeeze in homage to those on the rap/hip hop scene that he admires and those he obviously doesn’t. Ripping out a few lines of “Umbrella” then melding into “Aviator” made even the surliest of rap fans dig this version of the Rihanna hit. Vancouver legend ‘Dedos’ also joined him on stage for the majority of his performance.
Halfway through the set he grabbed an acoustic guitar, gearing the audience up for what was expected to be some earth-shattering soul track but instead launched into an acoustic version of “This Hotline Bling Shit” using the lines to call out (namely one) “rapper that is really really an actor, making a book outta one chapter.” That makes one wonder what has happened between the two since their collaboration on the song ‘Faith’. Next up, the audience was prepped to replace “Dre” with “K” as we were treated with a rendition of “Emcee Murdah” mashed with the beat and chorus from “Forgot About Dre”.
On this night, the commentary and banter with the crowd was minimal, but it’s safe to say we won’t Forget about K.