Without darkness there is no light, and on his latest effort, rapper/producer k-os aims to show that without the threat of falling, there can be no flight. The Canadian renaissance man returns on September 4th with Can’t Fly Without Gravity, an eclectic record that evades genre boundaries, and sees the kingpin of Toronto hip-hop pulling no punches, and entering his creative prime.
From indie-rock rippers like “Steel Sharpens Steel,” to the Kendrick Lamar-inspired “WiLd4TheNight,” to the ‘80s glam-rock hat-tip “Turn Me Loose,” Can’t Fly Without Gravity is a portrait an artist who is never content to rest on his sonic laurels. Album highlight "Boyz II Men" might be the ultimate Northern posse cut, gathering the OGs of Canadian hip-hop for 6 minutes of glory. Since 2002, k-os has been constantly experimenting and evolving, and in turn, pushing Canadian music forward.
Can’t Fly Without Gravity officially drops on September 4th, but you can stream it on Spotify early below via Dine Alone Records:
Here’s what k-os had to say about Can’t Fly Without Gravity, along with a track-by-track breakdown:
“In the current musical reality we exist in...
the masses frequently use the term "hater.”
This is a term that has always bothered me...
Because it just seems like a low brow label that people use to dismiss criticism.
In this brave new world we live in, where everyone expresses and shares their personality
it’s going to take the public time to realize that just because they create something,
or see themselves in a creation, doesn’t mean that the creation is premium quality, real or authentic at all.
In fact...how would you know what you liked...if you were not aware of what you did NOT like?
This science spawned the birth of the title ‘Can’t Fly Without Gravity.’
If you wanna fly or get 'your thing' off the ground
there’s no hate… or haters.
It’s just this force called gravity that pulls light and oxygen to the core of the planet.
All human beings met this force gravity here...we were born into it,
and we all strive to defy that very force that pull us down.
1. “Snapback”
::: this track was a freestyle.
i spit 4-8 bars unrehearsed
stopped ....
then punched in the next 8 - 16 bars
i wanted to start my record off on a Tribe Called Quest or ROOTS vibration
2. “WiLd4TheNight”
:: inspired by Kendrick
it’s aggressive, because he eats microphones!
and i was inspired to do the same.
