Common Thred
New York City, New York, United States | INDIE
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Common Thred
Hip/Soul Duo Safeguard Genres Song by Song
By Anita M. Samuels
February 2, 2008
Fontana’s
January 15, 2008
Fontana’s basement lent a cozy vibe for Common Thred
Old and new fans of the Brooklyn-based crew packed the house.
When Common Thred hit Fontana’s stage as part of the Emergenza Music Festival last week, the vibe of the venue changed. Quite suddenly, the room took “standing room” to “breathing room” only. Also evident was that other bands, although similarly talented and whose roots were rock, did not seem to achieve the same kind of adoration as this hard-working duo, whose word-of-mouth reputation as revivers of hip-hop and soul music did not disappoint.
One interesting fact during the band’s set is that the audience were truly listening to the lyrics of songs such as “Good Music”, a medley of fun, yet meditative rhymes by Azteknique and vocalist partner Kovon Flowers who demonstrated his skills, introducing a new style of soulful “scatting” that even the late Ella Fitzgerald would approve of.
Their half-hour set showcased other songs such as “The Method” and “Family” offering self-love and preservation messages, something that usually doesn’t go over too well with die-hard hip-hop fans. However, it is their stage swagger, backed by danceable music from Hip Souldierz their live band, which make Common Thred’s lyrics and overall package bona fide.
Equally notable was their easy-flowing rendition of “Just My Thoughts” about the state of the music industry as they know it, proving that Common Thred’s versatility is the reason for their uncanny likeability and hopefully longevity as artists among a variety of age groups and ethnicities.
That night Common Thred advanced to the second round of the Emergenza Festival and is scheduled to perform at The Bitter End on March 8.
Copyright © 2008 Anita M. Samuels. All Rights Reserved.
- Anita M. Samuels
COMMON THRED: Unbreakable
WRITERS: Shareef Islam, Kovon Flowers
PRODUCERS: Azteknique Productions, Hip Soul Entertainment, Inc.
ALBUM: Sewn (May, 2008)
“Unbreakable” is an obvious invitation to other artists of the genre to debate skill levels. Yet dissimilar to the ritual of old-school rappers out-rhyming the other with verbal sparring that rendered their opponent silent, Common Thred’s persuasive delivery is structured to have rivals dancing along to the music before they realize they’ve been taken to task about their proficiency. Despite whether listeners today believe hip-hop music is a dying genre, “Unbreakable” is the kind of song that demonstrates the virtuosity, creativity and purity of hip-hop and R&B music. It may be premature to say so, but Common Thred seems to be the right bridge to cross back over into soulful nirvana.
Copyright © 2008 Anita M. Samuels. All Rights Reserved.
- Anita M. Samuels
Discography
Album "Eye Of The Needle", Maxi-Single "Unbreakable", Single" Darlin You"
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Bio
Common (komn): Belonging equally to or shared equally by two or more. Thred (thr�d): Fine cord made of two or more filaments twisted together.
Common Thred is a self-contained musical unit that weaves a unique pattern within the Hip Hop quilt. Originating from the borough of Brooklyn , these talented individuals come together to forge a style of music that combines the elements of HIP HOP SOUL, POP, and ROCK. They're artists, writers, poets and musicians who've honed and mastered their craft and created a new sound. HIP-SOUL!!
The HIP-SOUL Duo (which puts you in the mind of a male version of the Neo Soul group Floetry, Black Eyed Peas) are:
Shareef a.k.a. Azteknique - The Tek Baby - The Hip member of the group is a writer/producer/MC who's the architect of the HIP-SOUL sound. Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, Aztek has worked with established artists like AZ, Gedak, SuperStar of the ICONZ,The Bush Babees, Q-Tip and De La Soul. As well as professional boxer Zab Judah. Aztek has remixed songs for TLC, Brandy, Lil Sammy, Missy Elliot, Onyx and Raphael Saadiq. He was also one of the engineers on the Flip Mode Squads and Busta Rhymes album. Recently finished work with Lin-Que ( ISIS) formely of X-CLAN and Talib Kweli. In addition, he plays the keyboards and bass guitar.
Kovon - The Pen Master
A singer/songwriter/musician with powerful and soulful vocals, is The Soul that keeps the HIP-SOUL sound firmly grounded. Born and bred in the borough of Brooklyn, NY, Kovon has collaborated with producers Chucky Thompson and Grammy Award winning songwriter Anita McCloud (Ushers U Remind Me). He has also written and performed songs with Smooth da Hustler, MOP, and late ODB of the Wu Tang Clan. Kovon also plays drums and acoustic guitar.
Collectively and with their band "The Thred", the group has showcased their talents at several places throughout NYC including but, not limited to the Soul Caf�, Rockwells, Crash Mansion, Webster Hall, Fontana's, The Bitter End and several locations in Detroit, MI, Baltimore, Florida, Boston, Philly,. Their music represents the "Common Thred" that can be found in all of us. The love of Good Music!
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