K-Os has always been one of those artists on the brink of success. Maybe it’s his Canadian heritage that’s holding him back; his smooth hip-hop has swiftly flown under the musical radar for nearly all of his 17-year career. However, his 2002 single “Superstarr Part Zero” deserves to be heard. Drawing his beat from Soho’s old-school dance track “Hot Music,” K-Os shows us sampling at its best: the beat’s piano and drum swagger meshes perfectly with his soulful hook and fast-paced rhymes. The scratching and rich backing vocals don’t hurt either. K-Os’ message is an early iteration of “Hip-Hop Is Dead,” mixed with a bit of self-lauding. The track’s disparate elements combine to sound at once classic and modern. Although “Hot Music” has been sampled to no end — Missy Elliott, anyone? — there is no doubt that K-Os has done it best.

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