A native of Toronto, this MC/producer got his start in the hip-hop game while studying at York University in the early 1990s. After releasing the singles “Musical Essence” (1993) and “Rise Like the Sun” (1996), K-OS took a break from music before contributing to fellow Canadian crew Rascalz’s 1999 breakout LP GLOBAL WARNING. Released in Canada in 2002, K-OS’s debut album, EXIT, garnered critical acclaim for its alternative approach to hip-hop that blended elements of soul, funk, reggae, and rock and earned a U.S. release the following year. Working with producer Kevin Edmonds, K-OS released the follow-up JOYFUL REBELLION--a similarly genre-bending effort that went platinum and yielded a handful of hit singles in Canada--in 2004.