Yes! (k-os album)
Encyclopedia
Yes! is the fourth album of alternative hip hop
artist k-os
, released on April 14, 2009 in Canada
by Universal Music Canada
. The first single, "4 3 2 1
", was released to radio in December 2008 and peaked at #98 on the Canadian Hot 100
, also the video premiered on February 17, 2009. "Burning Bridges" and "I Wish I Knew Natalie Portman
" are the second and third singles respectively. The album also debuted at #9 on the Canadian Albums Chart
. On November 17, Yes! was released on iTunes in the United States. The video for "I Wish I Knew Natalie Portman" was released on November 23 as promo for the US physical release in February 2010. The video for "Zambony" was released on July 14, 2010, as promo for the US and UK physical releases as well.
's The Warehouse Studio
, Mushroom Studios
, and k-os' home studio. A working title for the album was called Souls on Ice, after a line from "Zambony".
Before recording Yes!, k-os relocated from his hometown of Toronto to Vancouver and changed record labels from EMI
to Universal Music Group
-Nettwerk
. k-os has said of the album, "this album to me is taking those passionate feelings I have and transmuting them into something that's fun -- because I'm having so much fun right now."
On the album cover, k-os is shown painting a wall red with a paint roller
, while holding an Ensoniq
ASR-X Pro sampler
in the other hand. Also, a black acoustic guitar
is leaning against the wall, and the word "Yes!" is displayed, similar to k-os' debut album Exit
.
The album was included on the longlist for the 2009 Polaris Music Prize
.
Speaking on "I Wish I Knew Natalie Portman", k-os said, "this song started because I went over to Saukrates
’ house. He invited me over and he was playing a bunch of music because we were trying to get together on a track. And as the story goes, after playing me five or six tracks he was like, ‘oh yeah, and I got this thing’. And I was like, ‘God, dude I have to rap on that.’ And he’s like, ‘that?’ I was like, ‘that’s Phantom Planet’. I didn’t even know it was an OC thing. And he sliced and diced it on his computer, left his verse on it and left a whole second verse for me to write my verse to. And I had that song for a year, no, six months. I was rolling on tour and then by accident we were playing Whistler, DJ-ing and we were running out of songs and we played that song. The crowd was just like, ‘I’m on the run!’ and they’d never heard it before. And I was like, ‘this is going to be on my next album,’ and it was actually the last song that I added to the record. And so his verse is on it, and by default Nelly Furtado is on it. She’s the one singing, ‘can’t really make you love me.’"
pre-order
of the album.
Alternative hip hop
Alternative hip hop is a sub-genre of hip hop music. Allmusic defines it as follows: -Origin:...
artist k-os
K-os
Kevin Brereton , better known by his stage name k-os , is a Canadian rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer...
, released on April 14, 2009 in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
by Universal Music Canada
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
. The first single, "4 3 2 1
4, 3, 2, 1 (k-os song)
"4, 3, 2, 1" is the first single by k-os from the album Yes!. The music video premièred in February 2009. The song samples "Soul Flower " by The Pharcyde.-Song meaning:...
", was released to radio in December 2008 and peaked at #98 on the Canadian Hot 100
Canadian Hot 100
The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007...
, also the video premiered on February 17, 2009. "Burning Bridges" and "I Wish I Knew Natalie Portman
Natalie Portman
Natalie Hershlag , better known by her stage name Natalie Portman, is an actress with dual American and Israeli citizenship. Her first role was as an orphan taken in by a hitman in the 1994 French action film Léon, but major success came when she was cast as Padmé Amidala in the Star Wars prequel...
" are the second and third singles respectively. The album also debuted at #9 on the Canadian Albums Chart
Canadian Albums Chart
The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS...
. On November 17, Yes! was released on iTunes in the United States. The video for "I Wish I Knew Natalie Portman" was released on November 23 as promo for the US physical release in February 2010. The video for "Zambony" was released on July 14, 2010, as promo for the US and UK physical releases as well.
Background
Yes! was recorded at a number of studios, including VancouverVancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
's The Warehouse Studio
The Warehouse Studio
The Warehouse Studio is a music recording facility in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, owned by Bryan Adams.- The building :The Warehouse Studio is housed in the oldest brick building in Vancouver, which is located in present-day Gastown...
, Mushroom Studios
Mushroom Studios
Mushroom Studios was a music recording facility located in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada with a long history in Canadian music. It has now been relocated to Toronto, Ontario, Canada....
, and k-os' home studio. A working title for the album was called Souls on Ice, after a line from "Zambony".
Before recording Yes!, k-os relocated from his hometown of Toronto to Vancouver and changed record labels from EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
to Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group
Universal Music Group is an American music group, the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations...
-Nettwerk
Nettwerk
The Nettwerk Music Group is the umbrella company for Nettwerk Management, Nettwerk Records, Nettwerk One Publishing, Nutone Records, and Artwerk. With over 150 employees, the Vancouver-based company has offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, Boston, Nashville, and Hamburg...
. k-os has said of the album, "this album to me is taking those passionate feelings I have and transmuting them into something that's fun -- because I'm having so much fun right now."
On the album cover, k-os is shown painting a wall red with a paint roller
Paint roller
A paint roller is a paint application tool used for painting large flat surfaces rapidly and efficiently.A paint roller typically consists of two parts: a "roller frame," and a "roller cover." The roller cover absorbs the paint and transfers it to the painted surface. The roller frame attaches to...
, while holding an Ensoniq
Ensoniq
Ensoniq Corp. was an American electronics manufacturer, best known throughout the mid 1980s and 1990s for its musical instruments, principally samplers and synthesizers.- Company history :...
ASR-X Pro sampler
Sampler (musical instrument)
A sampler is an electronic musical instrument similar in some respects to a synthesizer but, instead of generating sounds, it uses recordings of sounds that are loaded or recorded into it by the user and then played back by means of a keyboard, sequencer or other triggering device to perform or...
in the other hand. Also, a black acoustic guitar
Acoustic guitar
An acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
is leaning against the wall, and the word "Yes!" is displayed, similar to k-os' debut album Exit
Exit (k-os album)
Exit is the debut album of underground hip-hop artist k-os, released 26 March 2002 in Canada and 28 January 2003 in the United States by Astralwerks....
.
The album was included on the longlist for the 2009 Polaris Music Prize
2009 Polaris Music Prize
The 2009 edition of the Canadian Polaris Music Prize was presented on September 21, 2009 in Toronto at the Masonic Temple and broadcast live online for the first time in its short history...
.
Speaking on "I Wish I Knew Natalie Portman", k-os said, "this song started because I went over to Saukrates
Saukrates
Karl Amani Wailoo , better known by his stage name Saukrates , is a Canadian rapper, singer, and record producer of Guyanese descent. He is the co-founder of Capitol Hill Music, and lead singer of hip-hop/R&B group Big Black Lincoln...
’ house. He invited me over and he was playing a bunch of music because we were trying to get together on a track. And as the story goes, after playing me five or six tracks he was like, ‘oh yeah, and I got this thing’. And I was like, ‘God, dude I have to rap on that.’ And he’s like, ‘that?’ I was like, ‘that’s Phantom Planet’. I didn’t even know it was an OC thing. And he sliced and diced it on his computer, left his verse on it and left a whole second verse for me to write my verse to. And I had that song for a year, no, six months. I was rolling on tour and then by accident we were playing Whistler, DJ-ing and we were running out of songs and we played that song. The crowd was just like, ‘I’m on the run!’ and they’d never heard it before. And I was like, ‘this is going to be on my next album,’ and it was actually the last song that I added to the record. And so his verse is on it, and by default Nelly Furtado is on it. She’s the one singing, ‘can’t really make you love me.’"
Track listing
- "Zambony" - 3:46
- "Astronaut" - 3:14
- "Burning Bridges" - 3:32
- "Uptown GirL" (featuring Emily HainesEmily HainesEmily Haines is a Canadian indie rock singer-songwriter. She is the lead singer and keyboardist of the band Metric and a member of Broken Social Scene. As a solo artist, she performed with her own name and under the alias Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton...
& Murray LightburnMurray LightburnMurray Lightburn is a Canadian musician, best known as the lead vocalist and principal songwriter for The Dears.Lightburn has been called "the black Morrissey" due to his vocal similarity to the former The Smiths lead singer. Incidentally, The Dears toured as Morrissey's opening act during...
) - 3:38- Contains a sample of "Love BuzzLove Buzz-Shocking Blue:"Love Buzz" is a song written by Robbie van Leeuwen of Dutch rock band Shocking Blue.-Nirvana:The American grunge band Nirvana recorded a cover version of the song for its 1988 debut single, released on Sub Pop in the US. It was the first single in the Sub Pop Singles club. A...
" by Shocking BlueShocking BlueShocking Blue was a Dutch rock band from The Hague, the Netherlands, formed in 1967. Their biggest hit, "Venus", went to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in February 1970, and the band had sold 13.5 million discs by 1973, but the group disbanded in 1974.-Members:...
.
- Contains a sample of "Love Buzz
- "I Wish I Knew Natalie Portman" (featuring SaukratesSaukratesKarl Amani Wailoo , better known by his stage name Saukrates , is a Canadian rapper, singer, and record producer of Guyanese descent. He is the co-founder of Capitol Hill Music, and lead singer of hip-hop/R&B group Big Black Lincoln...
& Nelly FurtadoNelly FurtadoNelly Kim Furtado is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer and actress. Furtado grew up in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.Furtado first gained fame with her debut album, Whoa, Nelly!, and its single "I'm Like a Bird", which won a 2001 Juno Award for Single of the Year and a 2002 Grammy...
) (Produced by Rich Kidd) - 3:10- Originally a Saukrates and Nelly Furtado collaboration entitled "On the Run", this track is the only track that does not appear on the Yes! It's Yours remix album, due to the fact it was a late addition to the album.
- Contains a sample of "California" by Phantom PlanetPhantom PlanetPhantom Planet are an American alternative rock band from Southern California. Formed in 1994 in Los Angeles, the band consists of Alex Greenwald , Darren Robinson , Sam Farrar and Jeff Conrad . The band is best known for its track "California", which became the theme song for the Fox TV series,...
.
- "4 3 2 14, 3, 2, 1 (k-os song)"4, 3, 2, 1" is the first single by k-os from the album Yes!. The music video premièred in February 2009. The song samples "Soul Flower " by The Pharcyde.-Song meaning:...
" - 3:54- Contains a sample of "Pure Righteousness" by Lakim Shabazz.
- "Eye Know Something" (featuring Becky Ninkovic) - 3:36
- Contains a sample of "I Know There's Something Going OnI Know There's Something Going On"I Know There's Something Going On" is a song recorded in 1982 by ABBA singer Anni-Frid Lyngstad . It was the lead single from her solo album Something's Going On. The song was a huge hit around the world during 1982 and 1983.-Song history:...
" by FridaAnni-Frid LyngstadAnni-Frid Prinzessin Reuss von Plauen , is a Norwegian-born Swedish pop singer...
.
- Contains a sample of "I Know There's Something Going On
- "The Aviator" - 3:27
- "FUN!" - 5:27
- "Gotham City" (hidden track)
- "Mr. Telephone Man" - 6:06
- "blackjackjohnson" (hidden track)
- "WhipC.R.E.A.M." - 2:56
- "The Avenue" - 9:23
- "The Backseat" (hidden track)
iTunes bonus tracks
The following tracks were available with the iTunesITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
pre-order
Pre-order
A pre-order is an order placed for an item which has not yet been released. The idea for pre-orders came when people found it hard to get popular items in stores due to their popularity. Companies were then given the idea to allow people to reserve their own personal copy, before the release, ...
of the album.
- "Dance In Your Car"
Singles
- "4 3 2 1" (January 2009)
- "Burning Bridges" (April 2009)
- "I Wish I Knew Natalie Portman" (July 2009)
- "Zambony" (July 2010)
Charts
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Albums Chart Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
9 |
Yes! It's Yours
Yes! It's Yours is remixed version of Yes! containing tracks mixed by producers from all over the world. The album will be made available through concert venues with donations.Track listing
- "Zambony" (Phil Azer Remix)- 2:22
- "Astronaut" (Tee L. Remix)- 3:17
- "Burning Bridges" (TheSoundCrate Remix)- 3:37
- "Uptown Girl" (Jalyn (Film Composer / Music Producer) Remix)- 3:41
- "4 3 2 1" (TheSoundCrate Remix)- 3:55
- "Eye Know Something" (Herr Kaschke Remix)- 3:15
- "The Aviator" (Len Afrosaxon Remix)- 8:42
- "FUN!" (Ric Notes Remix)- 3:00
- "Mr. Telephone Man" (Len Afrosaxon Remix)- 6:18
- "WhipC.R.E.A.M." (Remot Remix)- 2:44
- "The Avenue" (Zach W. Remix)- 4:44
Charts
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Albums Chart Canadian Albums Chart The Canadian Albums Chart is the official album sales chart in Canada. It is compiled every Wednesday by U.S.-based music sales tracking company Nielsen Soundscan, and published every Thursday by Jam! Canoe and Billboard, along with its sister charts the Canadian Singles Chart and the Canadian BDS... |
23 |