K-os is the stage name of Kevin Brereton, a Canadian alternative rapper, singer, songwriter, and producer. Another spelling of his given name that he later adopted is Kheaven. The lower case "k" of the alias "k-os" was chosen to make it less intimidating than other rappers' pseudonyms, such KRS-One, whose identities were all in capital letters. Although he claimed in a later interview that it originally stood for "Kevin's Original Sound," it is an acronym for "Knowledge of Self." Rap, funk, rock, reggae, and other musical styles are all present in k-os' music. The lyrics frequently promote a "positive message," yet they occasionally criticize the preoccupation of mainstream hip-hop culture with money, celebrity, and the glorifying of violence.