This year I started realizing that I wanted to expand my music boundaries. It's a point that everyone comes to. It's manifest destiny. Either way I really wanted to find a hip hop album that could contend for a favorite album of mine. K-Os'
Joyful Rebellion really has done just that. K-Os isn't just rapping though. He smoothly incorporates reggae, soul, and acoustic passages and it doesn't even come off a bit awkward or forced.
Obviously with that being said you might understand that K-Os, while remaining a rapper nonetheless, isn't much like your modern "emcee".
Emcee Murdah is probably the most ironic way to express his take on the hip hop culture. With acoustic licks and orchestra he gets his point across in such a excellent fashion. He is obviously upset and is letting his vocals and lyrics do most of the work. The reggae roots really shine on
Crucial. The bass line in the verses of this song follow K-Os' flow as he rhymes, and the drums and guitar really keep the mood mellow yet fast-paced. The bridge slows down with the bass keeping the rhythm of the chorus while a solo brings the song to an end. The song showcases some of the most meaningful lyrics on the whole record.
I don't wanna change the world
I only wanna stop pretending
What you say? Come again
What you say? Come again now
Nothing left to do but let it burn
I only hope we're all ascending high
What you say? Come again
What you say? Come again now
Commandante has a wonderful acoustic guitar intro quickly leading into an interesting rhythm assault of drums and guitars reminding one of an army marching. The chorus has a real effective melody that leads into a impressive solo.
Hallelujah is a quiet acoustic track with some fairly decent vocals coming from K-Os. The bridge brings in some beautiful orchestrated lines that really brings the emotion to a great height then brings it back down to let the final chorus play one more time.
One Hood is a very strong track. The whole song flows and never lets up. From the acoustic leads and pounding bass in the verse to the chorus where everything kicks in. A solo is played after the bridge while K-0s sings some melodies behind it. The final song on the album
Dirty Water is one of the catchiest on the album. The melodies and the bass lines are just perfect. The verse has some commendable guitar work and some hand claps keeping the rhythm. The song ends with the instruments just leading you out with K-Os singing his lines until it all fades out.
This album is honestly a branch off from hip hop. It includes some of the best rhythms I have heard from an artist within the genre while maintaining a bit of originality. K-Os isn't here to base his song on a line repeated over and over again. He doesn't borrow work from other artists and he surely isn't relying on hooks. The abundant use of acoustic guitars really makes each song they are used on a lot more credible. The guitar work is fantastic. The bass shines quiet well and the drums are solid. It isn't your standard hip hop album and I can't stress that enough.
K-Os -
Joyful Rebellion 4/5
