Rize from the K-Os

Saw David LaChappelle's documentary on krump and clown-dancing in LA last weekend. Visually amazing, the narrative structure of the film was strictly generic, following both the "they dance because they are oppressed" line and the "from the deepest heart of Africa to the urban wastelands of America comes .... RHYTHM!" LaChappelle, who has made a number of "hard candy" music videos (or so I've been told, I haven't seen them) brings this MTV aesthetic to the film, which is a bit of a stretch, literally, for a feature-length film.

Here in Montreal, hanging out with a friend who is working on the Montreal hip hop dance scene (you did not know there was one, did you) I saw some videos of Canada's #1 hip hop artist, K-Os. Most of the videos feature dance but not in the cliche MTVH1BET form -- they are actually having fun not gyrating for male visual pleasure, and they are all of all races and genders. One video in particular "The Man I Used To BE" stands out in memory for its intelligent use of dance as part of the story of the video, rather than just a videotaped strip show. K-Os is the one contemporary hip hop artist I've seen who openly admits to Michael Jackson as an influence. How refreshing to be here in Canada, on holiday from 'black authenticity,' US-style.