Kontrast

Sketch, Koba and DJ Boo comprise the Filipino-American, Brooklyn-transplanted, fearless, irreverent, and unrepentantly radical hip-hop group Kontrast. Their work is at once as hard, unrelenting, urgent and edgy as reality itself from "the West Bank to the South Side of Chicago" while giving expression to another world of possibility without reverting to self-absorbed emo escapism or dog-eat-dog exaggerated tales of street life. Since forming in 2001 Kontrast has been rocking crowds with their signature sweat-drenched live shows, ripe with uncompromising deliveries, daringly conceptual but forward lyricism and anchored by Koba's production that is both inspired by an unimaginable range of influences, from boom bap to bhangra, while staying solidly in tune with the pulse of the streets. They've performed at numerous venues in NYC including SOB's, CBGB's, The Lion's Den, The Frying Pan, The Wetlands and at campuses across the country. Kontrast has shared the bill with such names as Slum Village, Medusa, Immortal Technique, C Rayz Walz, Bobbito, The X-Ecutioners, Outernational, Suheir Hammad, Ricanstruction, DJ Kuttin Kandi & The Anomalies and many more. Their debut album "Pencils" is set to be released in early 2006.