Misnomer(S)

Misnomer(S), the Brooklyn-based hip-hop sister duo, is everything you want but nothing you would ever expect. SOS, “Sis on Strings,” is a master violinist who when given the stringed instrument is an unstoppable, musically-inspiring force. Younger sister, Knewdles, “Kickin New Elevation When Daily Life Expects Sobs,” is the emcee and rapper of the group who spits nothing but fire on the mic. Although their femininity might lead you to certain assumptions, Misnomer(S) definitely breaks every mold. These two Korean-American sisters have talent oozing from their fingers and with a new album on their hands, they are ready for superstardom.
”American Eyes,” is the name of the album and if you appreciate good music, save up a couple bucks because this CD is a must-have. With songs like, “Blame it on Biggie,” and “Whoohoo,” these girls are about to bring hip-hop to a whole different level. As soon as the beat drops and the violin begins to play, Knewdles and SOS challenges the rap game with their fearless lyrics and contagious energy.
“American Eyes,” will drop in September 2009.

- www.seoulbeats.com

So as you know, when we arent tucked away in the studio
producing & writing for some of the biggest names in music...
we are looking to enjoy new music & anything culturally relevant to our experience.

one thing we like to do is flip to the local "community television station" BCAT and take in some of the public programming they have... many times... there's not that much to see
so it's usually a few seconds and click... onto another station (food network or Boomerang).

but today we turned to BCAT and were taken in by a new group called Misnomer(S), a hip hop 'Band" of sorts, the line up is sisters... Knewdles (MC & Producer) & SOS aka sis on Strings (Viiolinist, Producer) Chesney Snow (Beatbox) & Jim (Bass). they literally kept our attention for the rest of the show...

so we figured we'd shoot them a note on Myspace... when we found their Myspace we saw they had a show TODAY right here in Brooklyn... IN AN HOUR...

so we called up the homie Pismo & shot out the house to check them out live, at Brooklyn coolout spot the "TwoFiftyEight Cafe"... they had an anniversary party with performances by Misnomer(S), Brand Nubian's own Sadat X & underground favorite Pack FM...

the show was LITERALLY on a Bed Stuy Brooklyn Street corner...the energy was great...

Also Performing was underground favourites...Pack FM & Mr Mecca
(you should know dude from that "Plucking Daisies" joint... google it...)

of course Sadat X was there to orchestrate a singalong... at least thats what it was like...
the crowd (as they should) knew all the words to his verses on
"Punks Jump Up" "Slow Down" & "One For All"...

he also gave a few verses of a new joint called "My Life", it was hot too...


link to full review: http://ladyandatramp.blogspot.com/2008/10/out-and-about-brooklyn-ny.html
- www.ladyandatramp.blogspot.com

R.I.P. to the femcee? Really? What are people listening to these days? Last I checked, Jean Grae was still very much alive. Lyte is still going. Hell, even Latifah can still hang when she’s focused. Estelle. Psalm One. TLM. Invincinble. Misnomer(S). No, my favorite rappers don’t were skirts but I do have some favorite femcees that can wreck mics with the best of the fellas.

Link: http://therapup.uproxx.com/index.php?s=lyte




Misnomer(S) - Special MSG

www.therapup.uproxx.com


Misnomer(s) consists of Brooklyn rapper/TRU regular Knewdles and her violinist sister SoS. Yes, I know what you’re thinking: “Didn’t Miri Ben Ari already try this violin thing and fail?” Let’s just say it wasn’t quite like this.

Thoughts?

Link: http://therapup.uproxx.com/2008/04/misnomers-special-msg.html - www.therapup.uproxx.com

Then the two Korean sisters of Misnomer(S) broke out a unique mix of hip hop MCing and a violin hooked up to an amp. It was like nothing I’ve ever seen before...
Following Generation Next was Adesola Osakalumi & Friends, who threw down some incredible breakdancing moves – without losing their hats! Plus, there was a Michael Jackson impersonator, who honored the King of Pop with his Moon Walk.

Link: http://peopleplusparks.com/2009/08/18/dancing-in-the-streets-dance-party-st-marys-park/ - www.peopleplusparks.com

so there are two sisters. their names are knewdles and sos. together they make up Misnomer(S). I met these two young women back in 2006 when someone suggested to me that I check out their music because what they were doing was unique, one rhymed and the other played the violin. they were creating Hip Hop music, telling their own story in their own way. oh, and they're Korean. so my curiosity was piqued.

since then I have watched these two sisters grow as Hip Hop artists and artists in general. so because these are ma gurls, I had to introduce you to them if you don't already know. what they are doing is different and FRESH, which why this week, "They So Fresh"..ha!
Knewdles (Kickin New Elevation When Daily Life Expects Sobs), holds the mic and is responsible for production. artistically, she feels deep, digs deep and comes through with songs speak about life, growth and gaining understanding of the world around us.
Sos (pronounced "sauce") (Sis On Strings), has blessed the music of artists as diverse as her own group Misnomer(S) to Jay Z and Alicia Keys. she molds Classical with Hip Hop with Jazz and, as co-producer, compliments Knewdles' flows creating a fresh dimension of sound.

and Misnomer(S) is introducing the world to their sound through the conviction that's evident in their live performances as well as their radio and television appearances. building a steady following across a diverse audience, they're now focused on self producing and recording their album American Eyes, while still performing and contributing to their BedStuy Community through their open mic "The Age of Hip Hop: Youth Open Mic and Workshop".
I asked the sisters about their journey...and they each had their own answers..honest and real:

me: let's lay it out on the table, what is it like being female, korean hip hop artists?
KNEWDLES: yo... i could go ON & ON. the short answer is that i like to say im the minority within the minority within the minority. female, asian, and my partner is not my producer or DJ or even another MC, but a violinist-- and my sister at that (so u can add another "minority" to the mix). when your status is that black sheep, it is what it is. 2 sides to 1 coin, with advantages and disadvantages. some people expect less, theyre thinking, "how good can they be?" and others expect more, like, "if they have the balls to be who they are and do hip hop, then they'd better be bringing that next level shit". whatever the case and wherever it's coming from-- from audiences to fellow artists to industry folks-- i can always tell what attitude im working with. its important to know, because it helps in maneuvering. all the gimmicky aspects in us that people react to make it easier for me to navigate thru the real and bull shit-- especially once they've heard our music or seen us perform and it's clear that we're not just some gimmick.
SOS: My first answer is... it's dope! I feel like I have access to a world I never thought I would be a part of growing up. I never imagined as a kid that I would be making hiphop music and so to be doing so now, as an adult, in this age at this time, I am rather amazed at the journey which has led me here and the choices I have made to be doing what I do.
My second answer is... it's challenging because there is no path laid out before us or examples of other female, korean american hiphop artists for us to watch or learn from -- either successes or failures -- but that is also what is very exciting about it. we're forging a new frontier!

me: how does your family feel about the path you ladies have chosen?
KNEWDLES: my family supports the choices we've made. but it's not a blanket thing. they are old world immigrants who made good in a new country and they only trust quantifiable measures of success. so if i'm in the same place in 5 years, or even 1 or 2 years, then i'm sure their occasional "why don't u go back to school and get a higher degree" comment will become a lot more frequent. in my opinion, i think they quite believe in what we're doing, but they lack some faith that the world might actually accept and facilitate it.
SOS: it has taken some time for them to really understand what and why we are doing what we do but in the process of watching us struggle, determine and create they have come support us and enjoy our music. what they fear most for us is that we are not happy and victorious in our lives, so as long as we feel good about what we do and continue to grow as human beings, women and artists and support ourselves as well, then they are happy too.

me: have you ever experienced any sort of discrimination, sexual, racial or otherwise? if so, how did you deal with it?
KNEWDLES: on some level i feel like the discrimination is always there, both sexual and racial. but i can't quite pinpoint this or that experience to show u what i mean. it's just steeped into everything, in terms of the gigs we get asked to do, the people who approach us, the opportunities that are presented to us, etc. i think exploitation goes hand in hand with discrimination, and in that regard i can think of definitive experiences we've had where people (men) looked at us and saw dollar signs, or saw us as the way to break into the asian market. i am all for exposure and international success, but i will only work with people who respect me for my talent and my saavy, people who aren't solely interested in milking me for whatever they're trying to get out of the game.
SOS: being female and playing the violin in the hiphop world has made certain opportunities available to me that have not been to my male counterparts, like playing with some of the big name (always male) hiphop MCs -- they always want to be backed up by female string players! on the other hand, because the opportunity is available to me precisely because i am female and qualified can sometimes mean that there is a certain casualness in the interaction (not necessarily with the artist themselves, but with their crew) that can be iffy or challenging to negotiate at times.

me: how often do you create together? or do you create separately and come together with your ideas?
KNEWDLES: to be honest, we have been so consumed with our own hustles and with seeing our album and tv show to the finish line that we haven't done much creating together in recent times. being sisters makes it both incredibly easy and and incredibly difficult to be creative together, especially with the kind of crazy relationship we have. in the past, i was pretty isolated in my process, i would come up with lyrics or a beat and then sos would come into the picture. but i'm much more interested now in having a truly collaborative process, both with my sister and with other producers and artists i want to make music with. i was just saying to sos today, i think our debut album "American Eyes" is more like a historical greatest hits album, because it kind of covers the past and all that we had to go through to clear the slate clean, if that makes sense. now that we kind of know what we're doing and what we want, it's like we're finally ready to move forward and do things truly together. or maybe i should say "i" and let her speak for herself, lol.
SOS: hard to say. it's been a little bit of both and both together at the same time.
so keep checkin for Misnomer(S)! because you could be walking through Target one day and see them looking down at you from the commercial and print campaign they did for Converse One Star for Target. or download the ringtone done in conjunction with Target/Converse One Star. or catch them on the mic at a show, or on Pandora Radio. these sisters are on their grind and coming to ear near you!
so til next week peeps! I <3 u all supporters of sistas in Hip Hop!

Link: http://www.wesofresh.com/2009_08_01_archive.html

and

http://www.thebloomeffect.com/blog/2009/08/28/fresh-flava/ - www.wesofresh.com

Whatever the reason, there was a summit to celebrate this holy union: the AM Classics. This nationwide tour made its stop in NYC last Saturday. The Asian Hip-Hop Summit was a sort of “East meets West” Coast of talent, with some of LA’s finest being hosted on home turf by some of NYC’s flyest in BK (all day, baby!)...

And I can’t say enough about The Misnomers – two sisters: one an MC, one a hip-hop violinist. These ladies are the truth. They come at you with meaningful, articulate flow infused with soul-chilling musical prowess.


http://blog.mtviggy.com/2008/09/09/asians-hip-hop-perfection/ - www.MTViggy.com

The show was hosted by TastyKeish, who is most notably known for hosting WBAI 99.5 FM's "Rise Up Radio" on Friday nights...

This small venue was packed with hip-hop heads that were put into the right mood by the smooth cuts and mixes performed by DJ Chela... Little did I know that she was nominated for "Best Female Mixtape DJ" in the 2005 Justo's Mixtape Awards. Shiiiiit, Saigon has gone so far as to say that she is "the hottest female DJ in the country." Well, last Thursday night at the "She's So Fresh Showcase," Chela proved to me how sick she really is...

The first act during the showcase was a group named "Misnomer(S)" comprised of two sisters, Knewdles (the MC) and Sos (the violinist). Knewdles is an acronym for "Kickin New Elevation When Daily Life Expects Sobs" and Sos is an acronym for "Sis On Strings," and this girl can kill it live on the violin. As most of my blog followers know, I'm a huge Wu-Tang head. My favorite album of all time is "Wu-Tang Forever" because of the highly string influenced production from the RZA. These ladies put me into a zone with the first song they performed over Wu-Tang Forever's "Bells of War" beat with Sos performing all the strings live on stage. For anyone who is a fan of Miri Ben-Ari's violin contributions to any of Kanye West's beats, then you'll love the shit that Misnomer(S) has created. Sos has contributed to the production of some big name hip-hop artists such as Jay-Z, Kanye West, Alicia Keys, DJ Green Lantern, Immortal Technique, and Hasan Salaam. The combination of Knewdles' aggressive delivery and Sos's sinister melodies, made for an excellent performance that was highlighted by someone accidentally turning the power off of the record spinning, which forced Knewdles to spontaneously slow down her flow to match the dwindling beat in a "Matrix" style exhibit for the crowd. Needless to say, that shit was ILL. (For more info on Misnomer(S) visit their MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/hiphopmisnomers and their Twitter page at www.Twitter.com/Misnomers.)

Peep a clip of Misnomer(S)'s performance at the Karma Lounge below:

Following Misnomer(S) were Nemiss, Eagle Nebula, Bless Roxwell, and RA the MC. All of which tore the Karma Lounge down. Peep some of the footage of their performances below:


link:
http://hiphopandbullshit.blogspot.com/2009/11/shes-so-fresh-showcase-ii.html - www.hiphopandbullshit.blogspot.com

NY Post, Thurs May 17, 2007
"With a killer live show, it's no wonder this group's developed such a loud, loyal following!"


supporters of Misnomer(S):

Target
Converse
Nelson George
Kevin Powell
Fab 5 Freddy
DJ Disco Wiz
Martha Diaz
Sadat X
Toni Blackman
Homeboy Sandman
Hasan Salaam

- multiple

My last act before leaving was the sister duo group Misnomer(S) made up of Knewdles (the MC) and SOS (The Violinist). While meeting them, they were both soft spoken but once in the van with their track playing on the stereo, Knewdles like a true performer had the van singing chorus on their track "Bombshell" with SOS backing up her sister on vocals and elegantly plucking away on the violin (she couldn't play full violin while driving, someone might've lost an eye with that thing). Misnomer(S) also performed another track, "WooHoo"? before I left. The music didn't end after I departed though, Joe kept filming as two other artists came in, Paul Marz and Final Outlaw. The van continued to travel up and down Flatbush Ave, bumps and all. Check out the videos of their interviews and performances!



link to full review:
http://www.pepsicointernetweek.com/?p=419 - www.PepsiCoInternetWeek.com

www.aatheory.com

Misnomer(S) is hot


I love them, you love them, and if you don’t know them yet then get ready for some talent. Knewdles and SOS, two sisters from Bed Stuy, NY who make up the hip hop duo Misnomer(S), have just released a compilation video of their performances and it reminds me once again why I interviewed them and why I’m such a fan. 
Watch the Korean American sisters do their thang here:

link to full review:
http://aatheory.com/2009/11/misnomers-is-hot/



www.thisis50.com

Misnomers featuring Knewdles & SoS 'Bombshell'


That's what for sale!' Misnomer(s) featuring Bed-Stuy sisters Knewdles (Kickin' New Elevation When Daily Life Expects Sobs) and SoS (Sister on Strings) kick it with power with their hit 'Bombshell' on Dollar Van Demos.

link to full review:
http://thisis50.com/video/misnomers-featuring-knewdles



www.madbloggers.com

Check It... Misnomer(S)

Caught this video of Knewdles (MC and producer) and Sos (violinist and co-producer). Sound is dope and they are definitely talented. Together the Korean sisters make up the crew, Misnomer(s). The video includes Chesney on beat box. As always, figured I’d share.

Check out more of their music at
www.myspace.com/hiphopmisnomers

link to full review:
http://www.themadbloggers.com/2009/05/check-it-misnomers.html




www.hailmegatron.net

Misnomers (Knewdles x S.O.S) – WooHoo (Dollar Van Demos)


Alright, I have a confession. I said this Asian woman didn’t blink and looked kinda creepy last time I posted about Dollar Van Demos but DAMN she can rhyme. I eat my words and take back what I said. Her partner in crime can play the violin too. They both get busy with Dollar Van Demos. Get in. Do your thing. Get out.

link to full review:
http://hailmegatron.net/2009/08/12/misnomers-knewdles-x-s-o-s-woohoo-dollar-van-demos/



www.hailmegatron.net

Misnomers feat. Knewdles & S.O.S. – Bombshell (Dollar Van Demos)


New Misnomers in the Dollar Van? I’m all about that. This time they rip up “Bombshell”. I can’t wait until their album drops. Shit is gonna be EPIC!

link to full review: http://hailmegatron.net/2009/09/21/misnomers-feat-knewdles-s-o-s-bombshell-dollar-van-demos/



www.a-tunes.net

Misnomer(S) Performance from SOLA Street Festival


Check out this recent performance of Misnomer(s) from the SOLA Street Festival in Bed Stuy Brooklyn from over the weekend. They performed their track ‘Too Many Things’ over the instrumental for ‘Bells of War’ by the Wu-Tang Clan. It was a pretty heartfelt performance. I like the MC’s energy though her voice takes some getting used to. The violin is always a nice touch. I’d like to see her go toe to toe with Paul Dateh in a violin-off haha.

link to full review:
http://a-tunes.net/2009/09/21/misnomers-performance-from-sola-street-festival/



www.damnyc.blogspot.com

July Show '09 Misnomer(S)


The Misnomers are two very unique Korean sisters, called Knewdles and SOS (Sauce). Since teaming up three years ago, the sisters have been performing countless shows in the tri-state area, making local and national television and radio appearances. The full-length debut album of Misnomer(S), In The Dictionary, will be dropping SOON! Here with a very unique sound are the Misnomers.

www.youthchannel.org

link to full review:
http://damnyc.blogspot.com/2009/07/july-show-09-misnomers.html



- assorted