K-os

If you can’t dance to this, it doesn’t matter, raps K-os on his latest disc, Atlantis: Hymns for Disco. However, it does matter. In fact, that very idea has put the Canadian rapper at a musical crossroads. His latest is a mash of different styles and sounds, from acoustic numbers to straight-up, old-school jams. But to some critics back home, it’s just a little too mainstream. Angered by a negative review in a Toronto paper, K-os responded by calling the black writer an Uncle Tom. But the inner turmoil leads to some pretty good tunes, which you can dance to. And legions of new fans, especially here in the States, are doing just that. Not that K-os has sacrificed lyrical substance — dude’s actually sorta deep. It’s just a pretty safe bet that you’ll be shaking your ass off when he takes the stage.