K-Os: "Atlantis: Hymns For Disco"

K-Os has long been the sole holder of the "best living emcee" title of my heart. The man not only has incredible skills on the mic, but he is one of the few hip hop artists alive today who aren't afraid to call out the genre's biggest stars as being fake and selling out for the cash ("They're steady scheming for that #1 spot, these emcees they won't last"). For that, K-Os will always have the respect of many artists in the industry, while also receiving the scorn of those whom he clearly parallels. Beyond that, though, K-Os has time and again proven himself as a well-rounded artist who can not only rap, but sing, play guitar, drum, etc. He's a fantastic artist. His latest album, "Atlantis: Hymns for Disco," clearly shows off the wide array of his talents, but at the same time, it feels less focused, and less powerful than his previous efforts.

The lead-off track on the album is "ELEctrik HeaT - the seekwiLL" a song that really captures the emcee skills of K-Os in ways that many of his previous songs have failed to do. It has a classic hip hop sound to it, and it's much more friendly that his previous opener "Emcee Murdah." It's a fairly decent track, though lacking anything that will make it truly memorable. It's followed by "The Rain," a song in which K-Os forgoes rapping for singing in a very bluesy/soul style. The chorus finds the artist asking, "When the rain comes down will you be around? When the sun comes up will you always steal my fire?" His vocal abilities are full displayed here, and the song is memorable if only for that reason alone.

"FlyPaper" is the next track, and by far my favorite on the album. In it, K-Os weaves meaningful lyrics with an unbelievably catchy chorus. He contradicts himself, saying, "I'm not one to repeat myself, but if it ain't broken, don't fix it," but it's difficult to get upset as you're almost guaranteed to be singing along to it in no time. "Equalizer" silences anyone who has ever criticized K-Os for his lack of complicated rhymes, and it's difficult to keep up with them a lot of times. Never fear, however, he's sure to give you a break with a nicely-sung chorus and a catchy bridge. "Sunday Morning" is probably K-Os' most accessible song to date and really transcends genres like no other song of his has done before. Here, he proclaims "Every day is Saturday night, but I can't wait till Sunday morning" over a great drum beat and intricate instrumentation.

From here, the album is really a mixed bag. There are high notes, like the high energy "Born to Run" or the classic K-Os sounds of "Mirror in the Sky," but there are also a few missteps such as "Black Ice - Hymn 4 Disco," which is K-Os' misguided attempt at creating a disco song. "The Ballad of Noah" features an excellent performance from Buck 65 and K-Os, where the artist once again revisits his childhood. It's complemented by the chorus, "When you reach a dead end trail, pray to God. It never fails."

Overall, "Atlantis" carries on K-Os' tradition of blending and blurring genres and redefining what hip hop can be (or rather, keeping true to what it was meant to be). But in the end, fans of K-Os' passionate lyricism as demonstrated in the past by songs like "Emcee Murdah" or "The Love Song" are likely to be disappointed. This is definitely K-Os' lightest album, but at the same time it just might be the album that gets him recognized by the millions of people who have always turned a deaf ear to the artist. Whether that's selling out or not is really up for the listener to decide. Fortunately, "Atlantis: Hymns for Disco" has enough good songs on it to keep anyone who listens to it entertained and inspired for some time. In the end, that's probably all K-Os was hoping for.

Recommended for fans of K-Os and anyone who finds boredom in grills, rims, and the objectification of women.

Key Tracks:
1. "FlyPaper"
2. "Equlilizer"
3. "Sunday Morning"
4. "Mirror in the Sky"
5. "Highway 7"

6 out of 10 Stars