After browsing the iTunes Music Store I found this album by hip-hop artist K-OS. I’ve heard his name in underground hip-hop circles for quite a while but I’ve never actually listened to him before. I had to pick up this album because of the review I read online. I can’t even describe this album. It is more than hip-hop. Where OutKast and Gnarls Barkley left off, K-OS picks up and takes us further. It is definitely a trip through great melodies, beats, and lyrics. I wouldn’t call this a hip-hop albums as it incorporates many different styles. He does some R&B, some rock, some funk, some disco, and does it all very well. The song “Valhalla” is reminiscent of Ricky Nelson or Chuck Berry where “Born to Run” is a mix of Michael Jackson and reggae sounds. Mixing so many genres on one album is a tough feat to accomplish, but K-OS does it so well that the flow is able to continue from one track to the next. It really is a journey through genres. It’s this type of variety in an album that I love. Here are two of my favorite tracks from the album:
Valhalla
[audio:http://pieceofshep.com/audio/08-Valhalla.mp3]
Highway 7
[audio:http://pieceofshep.com/audio/12-Highway-7.mp3]
I recently obtained Tech N9ne’s new album that is releasing on Tuesday. This is just an album to tide his fans over until his next release Killer. This album, which is an album of collaborations with other artists, is a really solid album for being an album they are putting out just to keep his name coming out of people’s mouths. The album features the Strange Music artists, including the underrated Kutt Calhoun, the very talented and versatile Big Krizz Kaliko, and the street sounds of Scatterman and Snug Brim. The album also features artists outside the Strange camp; artists such as Yukmouth, Joe Vertigo, and Big Scoob. For those fans that just started listening to Tech N9ne, this album will sound very different from his last two. For the long-time fans, this will bring them back to the days of his The Calm Before the Storm album or his collaborations with the 57th Street RDVs. For many, this album signifies Tech’s return to his more street or gangsta sound. I don’t know about that, I just know it’s good music. A couple of my favorite tracks or his track “Message to the Black Man,” a song questioning where the support from the black community is, and “Fan or Foe,” a song questioning the intentions of fans and people Tech meets. For an album entitled Tech N9ne Collabos, I would have liked to have seen some more outside guests, as the Strange camp appear on Tech’s regular albums (Big Krizz Kaliko on almost every track on Everready). I also wish the rest of the Strange camp would get the exposure that Tech receives. I think everyone who has listened to more than one song featuring or by Kaliko knows his amazing talent and he is someone to look out for, whether he’s singing or rapping. All in all, if you are looking for a solid album of some really good music, check this album out. You can download the first two songs from the album, “Midwest Choppers” and “Gangsta Shap” on iTunes. The album releases on July 17th. While I don’t expect this album to make any kind of impact on the charts, it is one that can definitely help Tech’s career.