CEE KNOWLEDGE the
DOODLEBUG (Digable
Planets) & The COSMIC FUNK All STARS, Dialectics, Devine Carama,
& Unseen Handz @ The DAME (367 E Main Street, 40507)
Cost: $7
CEE KNOWLEDGE THE
DOODLEBUG & THE COSMIC FUNK ALL STARS
Hip-hop in the '80s, jazz in the '60s, and funk in the '70s are all
well-documented revolutionary expressions in Africa-American music.
Less familiar, though, is their meeting in Cee Knowledge and the Cosmic
Funk Orchestra in 2009, and beyond. Cee Knowledge is the Philadelphia
hip-hop vocalist better known as
Doodlebugof the Grammy award-winning hip-hop trio Digable Planets. Knowledge
grew up in a city full of musical traditions from the cosmic jazz of
the Sun Ra Arkestra to the new Philly soul of Bilal and Musiq Soulchild
and the groundbreaking hip-hop of the Roots and Eve.
He first expressed his love of funk, jazz, and hip-hop together in
Digable Planets, which won a Grammy for Best Rap Performance in 1993.
At Howard University, he met Mary Ann "Ladybug" Vierra, a
Brazilian-American singer from Maryland. With Ishmael "Butterfly"
Butler, they founded Digable Planets in 1991 and released a highly
acclaimed single, "Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)." The single
received both critical acclaim and commercial success. Digable Planets
were leaders in hip-hop's incorporation of jazz music along with
contemporary acts like A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, and The Roots.
The group's sophomore album, Blowout Comb, was ground breaking for its
time due to its widespread use of live instrumentation and experimental
sounds. Both 'Reachin' and 'Blowout Comb' are hip-hop classics that
have inspired the works of contemporary artists such as Common and
Erykah Badu.
When Digable Planets disbanded in 1995 after two successful albums
and a handful of warmly received singles, Knowledge felt a void in his
music career. From early concerts at the Deer Park Tavern in Delaware
and at the Philadelphia Music Conference, he forged the early lineup
for Cee Knowledge and the Cosmic Funk Orchestra from hip-hop and jazz
musicians in Delaware and Philadelphia in 1999. For his first solo
project, he released Live From the 7th Dimension, Vol. 1 early in 2000
and Return of the Cosmic Funk in September 2000. Cee Knowledge &
The Cosmic Funk Orchestra is the first official solo project to come
out of the grammy award winning Digable Planets camp. Cee Knowledge aka
Doodlebug (CK) once again brings his unique
vocal stylings to the table this time coupled with the gritty yet
abstract rhymes and "street jazzoetry" of his supporting cast (the
original seven and a crescent crew). The Cosmic Funk Orchestra combines
the veteran artistry of Cee Knowledge (a.k.a.
Doodlebugof Digable Planets) & dj soulbuck, cash i$, kai chi aka flow sama,
been rhymin, ms gnomia gre (pronounced no-me-ah gray), indian black and
reality.
Cee Knowledge's discography includes the platinum plus selling
Reachin (A New Refutation of Time and Space), the critically acclaimed
follow up Blowout Comb, Red Hot and Cool (Stolen Moments), Marvin Gaye
Tribute featuring Madonna, BoyzIIMen and others, the Coneheads
soundtrack, the Panthers soundtrack and more. CK has also toured the
world with the likes of James Brown, Sade, Guru,Tribe Called Quest, De
La Soul, Ziggy Marley, D-Influence, Amber Sunshower, Marcus Miller and
Roy Ayers to name a few.
His first solo project entitled "Return of the Cosmic Funk"
features guest appearances by Roy Ayers, members of the legendary jazz
band Sun-Ra-Arkestra, Ladybug and a host of others. Also included is a
full color comic book co-written by CK and Thomas View with artwork by
Kim Ladee called "The Epic of the Heaven and Earth Assocation." The
latest project is called "The Intifadah (the uprising)" which is slated
for a spring 2009 digital release on
root70lounge.com(Japan) and later that same year cee knowledge will be releasing
another project called "Futuristic Sci Fi" featuring members of the cfo
allstars and a new york based crew called the deviants of reality.
DIALECTICS
is a Lexington based coed indie hip-hop group that delivers
philosophical, political, and everyday reflections on life through
complex rhymes that leave audiences amazed and inspired. Utilizing all
live instrumentation, Dialectics craft organic music aimed at making
party people dance and elevating consciousness. Led by published poet
and MC Eric Wilkinson, the group delivers masculine and uniquely
feminine perspectives rooted in the experiences of MC Emily Bruner and
vocalist Niah Soult. Dialectics features Lexington's illest and most
widely acclaimed DJ JK-47.
myspace.com/dialecticsbeatsDEVINE CARAMA is a socially conscious MC who spits fiery vocals and
sick rhymes on a wide gamut of topics revolving around conscious
living, struggle, urban existence, fatherhood, and the state of
hip-hop. Not only an MC but also a spoken word artist, Devine can go
toe to toe with any lyricist around.