R.I.T.C.H.I.E. & K-OS

It’s not often you have the chance to catch a Canadian hip-hop legend on stage, so when K-OS added an East Coast swing to his 2024 tour dates, it was one of those shows that was quickly encircled on the calendar. Kevin Brereton recently cut a swath across the Maritimes, with stops in Truro, Halifax, Fredericton and Moncton, and on each of those dates the talented supporting acts were plucked from their respective scenes to grace the same stage with his alter-ego K-OS. That moniker was ubiquitous through a large chunk of the ’90s, with MuchMusic playing a part in getting the word out on massive tracks such as “Man I Used to Be”, “Crabbuckit” and the beloved “Sunday Morning”, with K-OS eventually fading from household name status.

Andre Pettipas

Even though it has been close to 2 decades since his music dominated Canadian air-waves, his fanbase has not diminished a great deal, as the Marquee Ballroom at 2037 Gottingen was crammed with folks who were excited to see K-OS perform live (this photographer included). When the famed emcee stepped out from the backstage curtain, he was sporting a cowboy hat, boots and mask in what appeared to be an Orville Peck homage. Considering it has been 20 years since Joyful Rebellion, K-OS has not lost a step, his flows were as tight as ever, and he knew how to work the stage in its entirety with his angular movements and smooth footwork.

K-OS

The set was chock-full of fan-favourite cuts (“Emcee Murdah”, “Man I Used to Be”, “Heaven Only Knows”). It also included nods to fellow Canadian emcees The Rascalz (on “Top of the World”), and Saukrates and Nelly Furtado (On the Run). Before you knew it, we were into the closing duo of “Sunday Morning” and “Crabbuckit”, which wrapped up the performance portion of the show. After a quick break, K-OS emerged once more with a bouquet of roses, which he passed out to the lucky patrons in the front couple of rows, eventually turning his back to the room and tossing one over his shoulder, out into the crowd. It was a fantastic re-introduction to the exciting discography that this musician and emcee has amassed over the last two decades.

K-OS

Andre Pettipas

R.I.T.C.H.I.E. & IYARI

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