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k-os to headline CEBL Championship Final halftime show in Winnipeg

k-os performs at the 2025 Juno Awards k-os performs at the 2025 Juno Awards - Getty Images
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The Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) and Winnipeg Sea Bears, in collaboration with the Province of Manitoba and the City of Winnipeg, announced Thursday that acclaimed Canadian rapper k-os will be the official halftime performer of the 2025 CEBL Championship Final, set for Sunday, August 24, at Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg. The game and performance will be televised live on TSN as part of 2025 CEBL Championship Weekend (CW25).

k-os, born Kevin Brereton, is a Juno-winning Canadian rapper, singer, songwriter, and producer known for his genre-blending sound. He gained international recognition with Get Yourself High, his Grammy-nominated 2003 collaboration with The Chemical Brothers. His platinum-certified 2004 album Joyful Rebellion featured the hit single Crabbuckit, which won multiple national awards. k-os remains one of Canada’s top-selling hip-hop artists, with a new studio album, Everyone in Your Dream Is You, executive produced by Drake, expected later this year.

Additionally, Winnipeg-based musicians The Lytics and Boogey The Beat will perform at halftime of the CW25 Conference Finals doubleheader on Friday, August 22. Boogey The Beat takes the stage during the Eastern Conference Final, while The Lytics perform at the Western Conference Final, featuring the CW25 host team Sea Bears.

The Lytics are a local hip-hop group known for their soulful, genre-blending sound and high-energy performances. Gaining attention with their 2009 breakout “Big City Soundgirl,” the group has toured internationally and shared stages with The Roots and Shad. Their critically acclaimed albums blend hip-hop with funk, soul, and indie influences.

Boogey The Beat, born Lesley Boulanger, is an Anishinaabe DJ and producer from Winnipeg known for fusing traditional Indigenous rhythms with electronic beats. He has collaborated with The Halluci Nation and Snotty Nose Rez Kids, and his debut EP Cousins showcases his signature powwow-step sound.

Considered Canada’s largest annual basketball celebration, CW25 will feature the CEBL’s top teams competing for the championship trophy; the annual CEBL Awards, honoring the league’s top talent; the Commissioner’s Luncheon, presented by Telpay, with speakers from NBA Canada, Canada Basketball, Telpay, and True North Sports & Entertainment; the CEBL Coaches Clinic, presented by Fox40; and the free, family-friendly PlayNow CW25 Street Festival from August 22–24 in downtown Winnipeg at True North Square and along Graham Avenue between Edmonton Street and Hargrave Street.

The three-day PlayNow CW25 Street Festival offers live music, food trucks, 3x3 basketball competitions, the Champions Market powered by Third + Bird, and interactive fan activities. More details on festival performers and programming will be announced soon.