Koba profile picture

Koba

i am a mountain (move me)

About Me

"Get Over" by Koba feat. DJ Boo
..
"...mad-as-hell Koba delivered one of the afternoon's angriest and most on point performances which drew high praise from the crowd." - Urb Magazine, April 2005
"Koba recited lyrics that earnestly expressed his grievances with the state of hip-hop." - The Nation Magazine, March 16, 2005
Koba is an inventive, irreverent and unrepentantly radical hip-hop vocalist slash producer hailing from Brooklyn, New York. For five years he entertained audiences from coast to coast as part of the Asian-American hip-hop group Kontrast , culminating with the release of their album Pencils . In an increasingly corporate and homogenous genre drowning in the illusory pursuit of bling, exaggerated portrayals of thuggery and the relegation of women to video objects, Koba is working to forge a new musical synthesis. Mixing a gritty musical gumbo consisting of the honeyed melodies of soul, the bounce of Southern hip-hop and the poetry and swaggering wit of today's best lyricists, Koba brings a vibrant sense of urgency fueled by his firmly internationalist world view. "It's not enough to live in nostalgia for the days of Public Enemy," Koba points out, "if it ain't fresh it ain't shit." In his quest for freshness Koba enlists help from Toronto-based co-producer Gamshooter of All Day Productions and the formidable DJ Boo, also of the Juggaknots, who provides the backbone to their sweat-drenched live show.
Koba and DJ Boo have rocked at venues and schools across the country like the future depends on it, sharing the stage with Talib Kweli, Slum Village, dead prez, Last Emperor, Immortal Technique, Medusa, Vernon Reid, C Rayz Walz, X-Ecutioners, Outernational and others at such venues as SOB's, the Knitting Factory, the Wetlands, CBGB's, the Lion's Den, the Middle East and elsewhere. Koba is currently working on his debut solo album Culture War slated for a summer 2008 release. As an aspiring mountaineer it is only fitting that he fights to bring hip-hop to the heights.
Koba's Homepage -- kobasounds.com
Add Koba as a friend on Facebook: "Koba Sounds"
Koba live at the Bowery Poetry Club
..

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 6/13/2005
Band Website: kobasounds.com
Influences: Nas, Lupe Fiasco, Bob (Marley & Dylan), Just Blaze, the Funk Brothers, Lil Weezy, Masta Ace, Marvin Gaye, Outkast, Ice Cube, Anthony Hamilton, KRS-One, Kanye West, Rage Against the Machine, Goodie Mob, Sizzla, Jay-Z, Mos Def, Bruce Springsteen, Public Enemy, Common, Capleton, Jimmy Cliff, The Coup, The Clash, Tool, Damian & Stephen Marley, dead prez, radiohead, Bill Withers, G Rap, Dave Chapelle, South Park, Johnny Cash
Sounds Like: Joe Strummer and Lauryn Hill had a baby
Type of Label: None