What started off as a hardcore Punk/Thrash/Reggae band in Oakland,Ca. simply phased out due to growing pains (all members were in the 10th grade). Anthony Bryant a.k.a. Dave Id K-OS pushed on and took his Funk, Rock, Reggae and Hardcore influences to the turntables. after getting hired at a local record store, K-OS unleashed his style of mixes and scratches with hip-hop beats cut over his musical influences, which included:
Parliament/Funkadelic, Jimi Hendrix, Sly & the Family Stone, Black Flag, Flipper, and Killing Joke.
The year was 1985, Hip-Hop was in it's infant stage and samplers weren't even popular, George Clinton discovers K-OS mixing P-Funk records at his job. In the Spring of 1986, K-OS was featured on Clinton's "R&B Skeletons In The Closet" LP which also featured Vanessa L. Williams' vocal performance on "Hey, Good Lookin'". Always the pioneer, Clinton forseen what was to become the next big thing in music, Scratchin' and Samplin'. As part of the MixMaster project, Clinton released a series of 12 inch singles labeled as Scratch Pads in order for DJ'S to do their "Thang" with.
By 1987, sampling became dominant, drum machines were puttin' drummers in the unemployment line, Punk Rock became 'Alternative music', and K-OS was introduced to DJ Ricky Vincent (History of Funk's Uhuru Maggot), and DJ Illenstein. Joining Rick's DJ squad giving P-Funk parties around town in addition to spinnin' at the Berkeley Square as opening acts for headliners such as Primus, Limbomaniacs, Smoking Section and Fungo Mungo.
Hip-Hop was bubbling on the West Coast and an unknown rap act, Digital Underground was starting to make noise on college radio. D U wasn't afraid to sample the 'P-Funk' and K-OS had plenty of it and started work with their pre-production crew for the Humpty Dance. The song became a rap anthem, the group blew up very rapidly and the rest is history.
After this explosion of Hip-Hop and Funk fused together, K-OS hooked up with P-Funk in the fall of 1989 merging the Funk with Hip-Hop in various ways. Uncle Jam (Clinton) then arms General K-OS with an arsenal of FUNK from then, on to this day.
1991, K-OS becomes an underground legend in his own right, occasionally resurfacing to work with longtime P-Funk percussionist Muruga Booker, James Gurley (Big Brother and The Holding Company),and Buzzy Linhart . K-OS has also performed with Buzzy and The Big Few with Leon Hendrix on guitar at Eric Burdon's 60th Birthday Party at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles in May of 2001.
2002 saw the merger of Spoken Word/Hip-Hop and Funk with his duo Isolated Compound.
2003 K-OS joined forces with Bay Area Funk band ZootZilla. Playing rhythm guitar, live sampler, drums and turntables. Landing an opening act spot for George Clinton and The P-Funk All-Stars at Studio Z in San Francisco May 11th, 2004.
!!!! Da REAL K-OS !!!! Da REAL K-O$ !!!! Da REAL K-OS!!!!
