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Arts & Entertainment

Hip-Hop artists Kuf Knotz, Blaqmel, and The Co-Champs Bring New Flavor to Local Coffeehouse

Hip-hop artists bring a new vibe to Newtown Square coffee shop Burlap and Bean on April 29.

NEWTOWN SQUARE– has always had a sense of family and community. On Friday, a different musical flavor was given at the coffeehouse, but still kept it about community and family—literally. 

Opening act The Co-Champs feature twin brothers SammyDimes and Rob Incredible, whose beats and rhymes go against the mainsteam idea of hip-hop. Headliner Kuf Knotz preached on positivity and gave the audience the real flavor of Philly, and it didn't taste like cheesesteaks. 

As for the family part, his back-up singers are his sisters. The Newtown Square coffeehouse isn't known for hip-hop, but their goal has always been to embrace the music of Philly and bring it to the suburbs. Friday evening's show gave the audience a real sound of hip-hop, which is about real life, good beats and even better rhymes.

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The Co-Champs brothers create a sound that is highly influenced by the music their parents played while the two boys grew up in the '80s. Their home was filled with Thelonious Monk, The O'Jays, Marvin Gaye and Shaka Khan. They spent their first allowance on a Run DMC tape.

The Co-Champs still view their sound as a blend of musical influences. When putting a song together they find a core musical element, whether it's a sample from classical music or Steely Dan, as long as it comes together and creates a vibe that makes listeners want to move.

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Their message is very much a part of what they want to represent in the hip-hop community, which is integrity. Sammy and Rob want to represent the "every man," and show that hip-hop isn't just about thug life and gold chains.

Their lyrics create an image so they don't have to.  Lines like, "Voted most likely to blow up" and "Carpe Diem, that's my alma mater" are strong, smart and a little tongue-in-cheek. Their live show is very simple: two brothers, two mics and a backing track. The Co-Champs musically and physically mirror each other for most of the songs, but sometimes they back each other up as closely as an auditory shadow.

Blaqmel was a last minute addition to the bill for the evening. He took the stage with his guitar and mystified the crowd with some great guitar work and an incredible voice. His set was a little less hip-hop, but a lot of soul. He captured a sound more in the vein of Marvin Gaye or Stevie Wonder. 

Headliner Kuf Knotz doesn't just play hip-hop; he plays music for the people. His vibe, his image, and his sound is realistic, fun, and down-to-earth. Knotz doesn't see the idea of fame being about him individually, but more the music.

"Having your art recognized worldwide and praised in some sense," is how he defines fame. This mentality also can be seen through his outreach into the hip-hop community. Once a month Knotz puts together a show at World Cafe Live to highlight members of the Philadelphia hip-hop community. The show includes musicians, dance crews, painters and even artisan jewelers. The next BoomBox Collective show will be May 25.

His latest album, BoomBox Logic, represents what he feels is the major elements of original hip-hop.

"The BoomBox part of the title is just pretty much paying homage to the foundation of hip-hop," he explained. These fundamental elements include break dancing, D.J.-ing, M.C.-ing and graffiti; Knotz believes all these elements connect to the boom box, which include old-school rhymes and still staying relevant to modern times.

Knotz feels older rap was about either having fun or what was happening in the community and he tries to implement that into his sound. He usually comes up with a beat first and then develops the song lyrically, based on event that happened in his life in order to maintain a sense of realism within his music.

The band Knotz performs with is a great combination of old, classic sounds mixed with a modern dynamic. His guitarist plays slick '70s riffs that complement the smooth saxophone. For Friday's show, most of the beats and percussion were played off a laptop paired with a keyboard. There was also one instrument that stood out; one of his back-up singers played a saw.

Fans of The Roots or even Wyclef Jean will enjoy the thick electronic beats paired with a classic groove. His lyrics are simple and truthful, as heard in lines like "Looking in the mirror, and them tears just pile up" or "When I'm not doing this I enjoy the silence."

Near the end of the show, Knotz brought up The Co-Champs and Blaqmel to do a little freestyling, which is a tradition he does at most of his shows. All three did a few impromptu verses about self-love, peace, and a few "props" to Burlap and Bean.

Knotz ended the evening with "Sunny Philadelphia," and got the crowd to take their hands off the coffee mugs and get them in the air. The evening was a reminder that music isn't always about what you play; it’s how you play it. Folk, rock, country, hip-hop, as long as there is passion in the music there will always be an ear to listen.

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