Toronto, a world class metropolis of over 5.3 million people, is an overlooked hotbed of talent. One of those talents is the city's rapper K-os, who has been receiving some serious critical acclaim in the States the past few years.
Intrigued by his musical talent, Ballerstatus caught up with T-Dot's K-os when he dropped into NYC for business. Already platinum, the rapper is focused on expanding his realm even more into United States. K-os discusses what success means to him, his heritage, and why he'd rather be called a northern rapper before you call him a rapper from C.
.. we'll just leave the rest blank before he snaps.
K-os: My name is K-os -- Kevin Brereton a.k.a.
Sloppy Joe, a.k.a Canadian man on the scene.
Ballerstatus.com: Canadian by way of Trinidad..
.Your parents are Trini right? Ballerstatus.
com: No doubt, West Indians representing. Your parents are Jehovah Witnesses though, so you're a Jehovah's Witness right? Ballerstatus.
com: So how did that affect you pursuing a rap career? K-os: No. You're not really supposed to listen to music or do anything that involves music.
My parents didn't grow up as Jehovah Witnesses themselves. They also contradicted a lot of their ideas because they liked a lot of music. My dad has an extensive record collection and my mom is a great singer.
She used to dance around the house, so it's kind of hard not to love music because my parents love music. It was a part of my reality. Ballerstatus.
com: Do they support you now? K-os: Well yeah, of course. I'm doing well.
Ballerstatus.com: Describe your sound to the (American) audience? K-os: If The Police and A Tribe Called Quest did a record, that's my sound.
Ballerstatus.com: So you have widespread success in Canada..
. What do you want from the American audience? K-os: Every time I'm hyped to read these interviews and I see "The Canadian Rapper," I'm like, "Why can't I just be a musician or an emcee.
" I would love if they could see me as a musician and take the Canadian out. Although I do talk about me being from Canada a lot, I could imagine how that makes the impact. I mean, I'm West Indian by nature, you know?
And people say that hip-hop came from the West Indies. What about the West Indian rapper? But, that might be too threatening.
K-os: In America, there aren't a lot of people who are black outside of America, who people can relate too. Like I can be black and from Switzerland, I can be black and from Paris, I can be black and be from London..
. but it's very not often where people in America where people go, "Wow I feel like it would be cool if the future America could open up to other black identities." Ballerstatus.
com: Well New York tends to be at the forefront at that. I mean, you'll hear reggae and reggaeton on our main hip-hop stations. With that being said, have you considered New York as one of your targets to try to break into first?
K-os: Of course. I have family in Flatbush. I used to come to the city all the time.
There are so many bands here that embrace their West Indian culture and that's what I always found. I think it's a matter of time before people are open to everything. Ballerstatus.
com: Let's go back a second. Why does it bother you so much when you get connected to Canada? You're not just representing a city as a lot of rappers in this country do.
In America sometimes it's just a borough or neighborhood a rapper's representing, but you have an entire country riding on your back. K-os: For sure, I never looked at it that way. But it's like there are so many rock bands from Canada, and actors -- Jim Carey, Avril Lavigne.
But, they don't call her the Canadian singer Avril Lavigne. No one's like, "Jim Carey, the Canadian actor Jim Carey." It's just Jim Carey.
But in hip-hop, it's like the Canadian rapper. You know Captain Kirk whose William Shatner is from Canada, but no ones like "Captain Kirk from Canada," he's just Captain Kirk. Ballerstatus.
com: But I mean, even though...
lets say for instance Southern rap, which has exploded and has continued to dominate as a region, people might still refer to someone like Lil Wayne as a Southern rapper. K-os: Okay, so call me a Northern rapper. K-os: You should go with that.
.. Ballerstatus.
com: Yup, I coined the phrase...
Ballerstatus.com: Outside of yourself, what's the sound coming out of Toronto? I mean, in general, what area of America does it sound close too?
New York area, Chicagoland...
? K-os: I could give you a list of people who are respected in Toronto, who go to New York for the summer. And they come back with the slang, the shoes, the mixtapes, the videos out the boxes.
If your TV's still f---ed up, you're picking up signals from Rochester or Buffalo stations. In Canada, people go back and forth from New York, so we get a lot of New York influence. I'd say it's closer to that than any city.
And then, of course, Chicago or Philly influence. Anything connected with the East Coast relates to Toronto or Montreal. Ballerstatus.
com: At the end of the day, does it matter how many album sales you generate in the States? K-os: No. I do well in my home country.
Over there, I'm double platinum. That's way more important to me. If I do well in America, then it's a feat.
For someone from where I live to do well here, it would be amazing or a part of history. I really believe in that kamikaze idea that if you don't end up being that guy to help break down the doors for someone, someone else will do it. And I think that's where my sanity comes from.
I don't wake up saying, "I have to do well in America." I'm like, "If that happens, so be it. If it doesn't, one thing that I know for sure is that.
" My joy comes from playing live shows and meeting new people and finding new artists to collaborate with. Ballerstatus.com: What would your dream collaboration be?
Sting and A Tribe Called Quest? K-os: [laughs] Nas, Black Thought, Lauryn [Hill], Andre 3000..
.those are the people I respect to the fullest.
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