Is there some creative hot sauce that they're sprinkling in the food up in the Great North? Canadian artists are on fire. First, Nelly Furtado rocked our pop world with "Loose" a few years back, then Toronto's hometown hero Drake stormed the US rap scene, and now we've got another great in Canadian rapper k-os. Unlike the other aforementioned two, k-os has yet to achieve the Stateside mainstream attention and success that they currently enjoy, but that can change if America tunes in. Consider k-os's "I Wish I Knew Natalie Portman" his flare signal to the US.
Listen to k-os' "I Wish I Knew Natalie Portman."
The song doesn't actually feature or mention Natalie Portman. She is merely a metaphor for America. Lady Liberty, watch out, Natalie Portman might take your spot. k-os explained the metaphor in further detail to the Toronto Sun:
"I think Natalie Portman is the best America has to offer, the
ideal that America has to offer," said k-os, who sampled Phantom
Planet's California on the song.
"I think it's my subversive thing on, 'Go south, Kevin.' I was
afraid of America for a long time. When I toured, I opened for a band
called Gym Class Heroes, and it was the first time I went to Alabama,
Oklahoma, New Orleans. It blew my mind because I had considered myself
a fairly well-read, intelligent person (but I ) had all these preconceived notions about America based on press and I was meeting
amazing people every time, every night, so that and Obama becoming
president, totally made me cut ties with fear of America. So I Wish I
Knew Natalie Portman over this California beat is kind of like I'm
ready to sort of immerse myself in that. Maybe it's not really
necessarily about being a superfan of a beautiful woman."
The song samples the familiar "California" tune by Phantom Planet, but it's the sing-song hook, coupled with the haunting "can't r
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