The Knuckles
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The Knuckles

St. Louis, Missouri, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2014 | SELF

St. Louis, Missouri, United States | SELF
Established on Jan, 2014
Duo Pop Hip Hop

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This band has not uploaded any videos
This band has not uploaded any videos

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"TheKnuckles- Set 1"

“Set 1” is an ambitious collaboration E.P. ripe with heavy bass lines, a robust selection of drums and an overall industrial vibe that reminds me of a large mysterious warehouse. The Knuckles are a hip hop/soul duo from St. Louis, Missouri featuring STL natives Rockwell Knuckles and Aloha Mi’Sho. Rockwell, or Rocky, is also known as one half of the Hip Hop group the “David Ruffin Theory“. Aloha, a solo artist that has appeared on “American Idol” and known for her own solo project, “Badd The EP“.

When I listened to this E.P. the first time around, I obviously had no idea what to expect. That being said, still I was blown away by what I heard and almost wasn’t expecting to hear what I had. Everything felt very foreign, but in a good way, it was fresh and inviting. The music is all very original and almost exotic, yet still very recognizable and familiar. I heard bits and pieces of some of my favorite artists and songs. I heard an eclectic collection of sounds and styles coming together seamlessly. Production for “Set 1” was successfully executed through the collective efforts of Trifeckta, Jackpot Hitz and Wysh N Joel as credited.

The Knuckles recently performed at this years A3C Festival in Atlanta, and are also in the process of working on an as of yet untitled project to be released in the near future. This project is an excellent showcase of both Rockwell, and Aloha’s raw talent as individuals and their genius in this collaborative new space they share. Rockwells rhymes and lyrics hit hard while Aloha, still strong yet gentle, cradles you home safely with her vocals. These two have a substantial amount of potential and range. I can only imagine how powerful of an experience they provide live. They feed off of each other’s energy in the studio enough, add a stage and audience, it surely is amplified.

THE KNUCKLES - SET 1
Exotic and Adventurous
Thought Provoking
Seamless - Jon Barnett- World Wide Mixtapes


"Artist Spotlight: TheKnuckles Next Level Music From The Heart of St. Louis"

“This music is different and it’s going to be huge! It’s like the Eurythmics if they were black…like Iggy Pop and Debbie Harry from Blondie got together and made great music every day.” This is what he told me. Who is he? Well… he is Rockwell Knuckles leader of the Bullet Train Army and founder of Mech Industries, where they build robots. To the uninitiated hip hop head he is perhaps one of the most prolific hip hop artists in the nation to hail from St. Louis. For the initiated we actively wait for his music to drop on popular blog sites such as 2DopeBoyz, The Smoking Section, and others. He is no stranger to Meka or Gotti. This time in the creative process of audible awesome Rock is not alone. If it were even possible one who is as beautiful as she is talented has stepped aboard the Bullet Train as a co-conductor taking it to more destinations and even higher heights is none other than Aloha Mi’sho. First known for performing on American Idol in 2005 the same year Carrie Underwood took the prize. Aloha has been a highly sought after vocalist recording several records and releasing her own project in 2010. Though still young in her career she possesses the intellect and poise of a veteran performer. Her fan base among men and women is very strong. Proudly representing Girl Nation she lends strength to the cause of independent women being sure and confident in her own ability and striving to reach the top. t was after seeing several Instagram posts with the hashtag #TheKnuckles that I became curious of what was going on with the two artists. Whether there were videos of the two in the lab or great photos from popular photog Amy Harris the two were slowly making an impression and I became restless. I asked Rock, how the concept came about in a phone interview I had with both artists. “We knew each other since we were kids, “Rock explains. “While working on a TV pilot (Krayzie Bone‘s Backstage TV Series) together we decided we would give it a whirl. We hopped in the studio in December and one song, turned into three songs, turned into 5 songs…now we have like 50 songs. She and I decided that we are band and we are called #TheKnuckles.” I told Rock that I was aware that Daniel ‘Skid’ Mitchell former A&R at Bad Boy Records was blown away by the records he heard from the duo and I wondered when we might get a chance to listen. With Rocky there is no rush. He is more than content to let the creative process have its way. I asked them both to describe the sound they are creating a little more. “It’s a cornucopia of soundscapes. It’s not just Hip Hop stuff or R&B stuff, it’s just heavy. It is actual music,” says Rocky. Aloha adds, that there are no words to describe working alongside with Rocky and together they bring elements out of one another. “I’ve never done anything like this before and it is kind of overwhelming and uncontrollable and it feels like it is supposed to happen.”
theknuckles2There is an awesome energy surrounding the two accompanied with a high degree of respect for one another. I was able to get a dose of the back in forth between them that I am sure leaves everyone who witnesses them in stitches. In describing how the lane was wide open for this type of offering to show St. Louis in another light, Rock instantly chimes in and busts Aloha for her almost cliché statement, “of putting St. Louis on the Map.” They go back and forth for a moment each asserting how “Northside” each one of them are ending with Aloha demanding that I quote it exactly as she said it. Speaking for them both Rock says in his humble opinion what they are accomplishing what has never been done before. Music lovers are certainly in for a treat with #TheKnuckles project which should be making its way in the universe in late spring or early summer. I would stake my reputation that it is going to be one of the greatest albums ever. You can follow them both on Instagram at @alohamisho and @rockwellknuckles #TheKnuckles - DeWarren Smith- Delux Magazine


"St. Louis musicians release music to benefit Standing Rock protestors"

Rapper Rockwell Knuckles, who performed at the Nov. 6 show with Aloha Mi'sho as The Knuckles and whose song "Laundromat" appears on the release, pointed to the police response and the problematic history between the U.S. government and Native Americans as reasons to support the tribe and its allies.
“These government officials are beating, abusing, pepper spraying indigenous people of this land,” he said. “I feel like the indigenous people of this land have been browbeaten and hurt enough.”
For Knuckles, the protesters are exercising the right to free speech and the right to assemble — their only way to make their voices heard.
“They’re trying to kinda step in the way of big business in a very polite, civil way,” Knuckles said. “All they can do is step in the way.”
Like Koehler, he believes the Standing Rock protestors’ efforts will protect water resources downstream from the pipeline.
“It’s all connected. That’s why you have active people here who relate to Standing Rock,” Knuckles said. “They don’t’ want those people’s water to be poisoned so we end up dealing with that same … here.” - Willis Ryder Arnold- St. Louis Public Radio


"Urban pop duo the Knuckles bridges R&B, hip-hop for feel-good sounds"

Two of St. Louis’ veteran urban music performers have joined forces. R&B singer Aloha Misho and rapper Rockwell Knuckles are now known as the Knuckles.

You know them both. We first saw Misho (aka Aloha Mischeaux) when she competed during Season 4 of “American Idol,” the same year fellow St. Louisan Nikko Smith made it to the top 10. (Carrie Underwood won that season.) Misho’s top-20 finish made her the show’s most successful female contestant from St. Louis. And Rockwell Knuckles (Corey Barnett) has been a respected and distinct star of the city’s underground hip-hop scene.

“It’s an interesting combination — something you have not seen to this degree,” Rockwell Knuckles says.




Indeed, male-female duos with singers from different genres are uncommon these days. They describe what they do together as “urban pop.”

“I’m rapping, she’s singing. We can touch various formats, do all sorts of songs,” he says.

One St. Louis promoter described them as the Fugees — minus Pras (the less-acclaimed member of the trio the Fugees that featured Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean).

“When I listen to the Knuckles, it’s feel-good music,” Misho says. “I listen to this music like I’m not a part of it. If I’m feeling a certain kind of way, I know what song I can listen to make me feel all right, to feel good. And I want other people to feel that way.

Rockwell Knuckles says he’s proud of what they’ve put together. “This is the best work I have ever done, and I’ve had a few moments in time.” He says their song “Laundromat” is the perfect introduction to who they are as a duo.




The idea of Misho and Rockwell Knuckles kicked into high gear a couple of years ago while they were working on a TV pilot spearheaded by Bone Thugs-N-Harmony’s Krayzie Bone. It was Bone’s own version of an “Entourage”-type series, about four rappers from St. Louis, and Misho and Rockwell Knuckles were cast members.

Before that, Misho and Rockwell Knuckles had thrown around the idea of working on an EP, but it never materialized.

After the TV pilot got hung up in development, the two focused on making music together.



They went into the studio to record one song, which turned into three songs. The next night they recorded three songs, which turned into five songs. And on it went.

“The next thing you know, we had a million songs,” he says. He estimates they actually had closer to 250 songs.

They’ve been recording songs as the Knuckles ever since.

The debut EP, released in September, is “Step 1,” which features “Laundromat,” “One God,” “Faded” and “Love Potion.” It’ll be followed with “Step 2” in January featuring the new “Ugly People.”







Putting out “Set 1” was tricky for the Knuckles. They couldn’t decide which of the many recorded songs should make it onto the EP. “There’s so many different vibes and energy on this record, so we gave a little bit of everything,” Misho says.

She first became familiar with Rockwell Knuckles after seeing him perform at the Missouri History Museum. Her first reaction: “Oh my God — it’s a male me. He was something else. I’d never seen anyone command the stage like that in person that was tangible to me.”

They officially met sometime after “American Idol,” and he was taken by how much she knew about him. Of course, he knew who she was: “She was St. Louis’ sweetheart.”

The Knuckles perform Sunday night at Delmar Hall as part of PoeFest. They say they’ll continue with their solo careers, which will intersect with the duo project. Rockwell Knuckles will write and produce on Misho’s upcoming solo project Fat Aloha and the Girl Nation.

“No matter what, we are the Knuckles,” he says. - Kevin Johnson- St. Louis Post Dispatch


"Best of both worlds: STL music stars team to form music duo The Knuckles"

“It’s rare to find someone that you can connect with musically on this level, because your thing is your thing,” said singer Aloha Mischeaux. “And I’ve been doing my thing by myself on my own for a long time.”

Individually, she and rapper Rockwell Knuckles have had the local music scene’s stamp of approval for several years now.

She was a top 32 finalist for “American Idol,” the recently defunct television show that enjoyed cultural phenomenon status at the height of its popularity.



He was a runner-up for the DTP Madness hip-hop competition presented by Hot 104.1 FM and rapper Ludacris’ Disturbing Tha Peace record label.

Both have enjoyed radio hits and received national buzz for their respective solo work, but a chance encounter while working on a television project would change the course of their musical direction by creating an intersection.

The television show never managed to take off, but the silver lining came in the form of the creative partnership that they say came together organically about a year-and-a-half ago. Their natural chemistry compelled them to go into the studio and make songs – and they never stopped. They soon joined forces as the duo The Knuckles.

The past 18 months they’ve created more than 200 songs. They released the album “Set One” last year. “Set Two” is being finalized for an early spring release.

“The stuff I’m making with Aloha is so powerful because I don’t have to slow down for her,” Knuckles said. “The level of making music I’m trying to attain is easier because I’m doing it with her.”

The work of The Knuckles sounds absolutely nothing like their respective solo work. It’s almost as if they are coming from a place of oppositional defiance when it comes to making music that fits into a format conducive to radio airplay – or a particular genre in general.

On one track she might be singing with a cadence usually reserved for rap. On another track, he might be singing. Regardless of how anti-industry the music comes across, the sound they’ve teamed up to create raises the bar of expectations and potential for them as artists – who have joined forces to create something completely left of what is expected from them individually.

“We’re throwing stuff at the wall and just seeing what works,” Mischeaux said. “For the first time, I didn’t have to fit into a radio format, a box, a skirt or a certain hairdo. I was just myself all the way and it was just so easy. I’m in a group with somebody that I don’t have to explain myself to. It’s just a certain feeling that I feel we have in our music.”

That feeling can best be described as creative freedom.

“There’s no box or formula, but it works,” Knuckles said.

Last year they took The Knuckles on the road playing festivals and were featured on several local shows – most recently rapper Tef Poe’s Poefest last month at Delmar Hall.

They also recently released a video for their song “Ugly People.”

“The song looks at people going at things for the wrong reasons,” Knuckles said. “Some people are chasing things to show off how beautiful they are to everybody to hide how ugly they are inside.”






He calls their songs lighthearted mission statements.

“We’re not being preachy, but we are representing what we feel,” Knuckles said. “We just want to have a consistent amount of content to push out because we want people to get emotionally attached to what we have to offer.”

She hopes that through listening to what they have created, it will encourage others to liberate themselves as well.

“Do not conform. You are enough – you are definitely enough, but only if you believe it,” Mischeaux said. “I want to do some great [expletive] and I think I’ve just touched the tip of the iceberg. It’s beyond music. It’s a feeling. And that can translate to so many things.”

He knows that not everyone who rocks with them individually will be down for the ride of The Knuckles, but hopes they all will at least be inspired by what their new partnership represents.

“You don’t want in, we understand,” Knuckles said. “But we’ll continue to have fun, laugh at ourselves when we fall – and try to learn how to fly.”

The Knuckles can be on social media platforms Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @theknucklesband. For more information on the group, visit www.theknuckles.net. - Kenya Vaughn- St. Louis American


"Meet the brand-new dynamic duo known as The Knuckles"

When Corey Barnett (a.k.a. Rockwell Knuckles) and Aloha Mischeaux (a.k.a. Aloha Misho) perform, their chemistry suggests a hip-hop duo who’ve been sharing the stage for a decade. (The reality? It’s just been a couple of years.) Offstage, it’s the same dynamic: They talk at a mile-a-minute clip, finishing each other’s sentences, building complex layers of hilarious conversation, high-fiving after good one-liners. They pull sips off the same glass of wine. They’re simpatico on seemingly every level and, yes, they’re very aware of it.

Immediately they knew they had something in TheKnuckles. Misho describes their relationship as “peanut butter and jelly, yin and yang, doughnuts and more doughnuts, chicken and doughnuts.”

“It’s like bird meat and pastry,” Knuckles agrees, finishing Misho’s riff.

Misho recalls their first collaboration: “We’d been doing things separately. I’d always respected what he’d done. He’d respected what I’d done” (which included a short stint as a contestant on American Idol). By the time the pair was cast in a projected comedic reality show, they’d decided to collaborate. They clicked immediately.

Knuckles is co-owner and manager of the Cherokee Street performance venue Blank Space. The daughter of Alderman Freeman Bosley Sr., Misho is the founder of a nonprofit called GRLNTN (Girl Nation), which is all about “female empowerment, love, and understanding,” explains Knuckles, adding that Misho will be throwing parties called Supergirl at Blank Space. Knuckles and Misho also collaborate on TheKnuckles Network, a “multimedia entity” and reality show inspired by their lives.




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Photo by Matt Marcinkowski



No stranger to collaboration as a guest emcee, Knuckles was immediately pushed and inspired by Misho. “I found myself having to keep up with what she was putting together,” he says. “As far as writing, vocal production, her whole approach… It’s very intimidating if you’re not equipped for the moment.”

The first few days in the studio yielded the beginnings of an EP as their tracklist kept growing. “We had a million gazillion songs,” recalls Knuckles.

Now, with a new album on the horizon, Knuckles says, “it all goes back to us being the best us. It’s about stockpiling a bunch of music that doesn’t have an expiration date—coming up with music at any given moment, in any given situation. It’s about building our own sound, having our own niche.”

Misho figures that releasing a lot of music is also necessary. At the moment, they’re “putting it out bit by bit—feeding the internet, because the internet likes to be fed.” They’ll also continue to mix and match at live shows, playing with rock bands as well. “I enjoy performing with any other entertainers on the scene—a cornucopia of bands,” says Knuckles.

Misho agrees, adding that they’ll be doing that “as long as we’re TheKnuckles”—a comment that produces another high-five.

Find song tracks, videos, and live show info at theknuckles.net. - Thomas Crone- St. Louis Magazine


"Favorite Local Band"

Sometimes two heads really are better than one, and that proved true when singer Aloha Misho and Rockwell Knuckles joined forces to form the Knuckles. The duo mixes pop, soul and hip-hop into a feel-good blend. By pulling from different genres, the Knuckles nicely find themselves welcome in different musical circles. The Knuckles’ new single is “So Much to Say.” KCJ - Kevin Johnson-St. Louis Post Dispatch


Discography

Still working on that hot first release.

Photos

Bio

Somewhere in between the internet, strip clubs, the Zeigeist and St. Louis we see TheKnuckles. The pop duos range is wide reaching, where they touch on power ballads, lost love and well...flexing. Two voices coming together is what makes this pairing so unique. Both coming from St. Louis and carving our their own respective following, the two have decided to join forces as a modern day Mickey & Mallory. This is a stick up motherfuckers. Enjoy the show :)


Band Members