"Man I Used to Be" is a song by Canadian alternative rapper k-os. It was released in January 2005 as the third single from his 2004 album Joyful Rebellion.

"Man I Used To Be"
Single by k-os
from the album Joyful Rebellion
ReleasedJanuary 2005
GenreAlternative hip hop
Length3:47[1]
LabelEMI Canada
Songwriter(s)Kevin Brereton [2]
K-os singles chronology
"Crabbuckit"
(2004)
"Man I Used To Be"
(2005)
"The Love Song"
(2005)
Music video
"Man I Used to Be" on YouTube

Content

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The song tells the story of a man who has gone through rough times and wishes to be back the way he was originally. According to the Joyful Rebellion liner notes, the song is indeed about Michael Jackson in particular, as well as k-os himself (and people in general).[citation needed]

Music video

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The video, directed by Micah Meisner, begins with break dancers in the hallway of an apartment building and K-os is in his room packing to leave, taking a box of seemingly great importance. k-os hails a taxi outside of the Hotel Waverly and two men fight a duel by dancing on the sidewalk. A bag man, pushing a cart with a neon light, sings the lyrics, and k-os riding in the taxi, disappears by opening his box, which teleports him to the cockpit of a spacecraft in space. Footage of Maasai is seen on k-os's screen and the spacecraft enters warp drive.

Charts

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Chart (2005) Peak
position
Canada CHR/Pop Top 30 (Radio & Records)[3] 4
Canada Hot AC Top 30 (Radio & Records)[4] 12
Chart (2014) Peak
position
France (SNEP)[5] 52

References

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  1. ^ http://new.music.yahoo.com/videos/KOs/Man-I-Used-To-Be--21275897 [dead link]
  2. ^ "ASCAP Songview repertory entry for this song". Retrieved December 13, 2023.
  3. ^ "R&R Canada CHR/Pop Top 30" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1599. March 25, 2005. p. 32. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
  4. ^ "R&R Canada Hot AC Top 30" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1594. February 18, 2005. p. 52. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  5. ^ "K-Os – Man I Used to Be" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved September 9, 2020.