The Urban Sophisticates

LOS ANGELES (Urban Sophisticates Official Website) - The Urban Sophisticates, a Greensboro based band, won the Disc Makers Independent Music World Series (IMWS) Southeast showcase held last night at the Velvet Underground in the Hard Rock Café in Atlanta, GA. As the grand prize winners, The Urban Sophisticates (www.theurbansophisticates.com) took home their share of $250,000 in prizes, including recording gear, instruments, CD manufacturing services, and more.
"I couldn't be more thankful and excited that we won the Southeast showcase," said Benton James, M.C of the Urban Sophisticates. "It was a great honor to even participate in this event and the industry contacts we made will definitely take us to a higher level. The prizes are such a blessing that we would like to thank Disc Makers, Billboard and Taxi. We would also like to encourage any band to enter this competition in the future for the experience and exposure to industry professionals."

- top 40 charts.com

In a musical expression of town and gown relations if there ever was one, this weekend features the Chapel Hill Music Festival with three evenings of live bands on and off the UNC-Chapel Hill campus. The festival will have both student musicians as well as performers with links to the Carolina community. All proceeds from the event will go toward music education and support programs in local schools. With assistance from UNC-Chapel Hill's Center for the Study of the American South, the funds will make their way to primary and secondary school teachers for use in alternative music education programs such as "Blues in the Classroom," and others learning tools. The festival is planned to become an annual event, essentially setting up an endowment for these vital programs.
This is an ambitious first run for the fest. Here are a few selected listings, which cover five different venues. On Thursday, April 15 at UNC's Great Hall, they've got pop-rockers The Balance, The Nathan Davis Band and Urban Sophisticates, among others, while over at Local 506 on the same night is Neverending, Velvet and Parklife. On Saturday at Hanes Art Center, they'll have edgy rock from the Quarantines, along with Pico versus Island Trees, and Spencer Acuff, while at The Fuse on campus is Big Fat Gap and Ashley River Rising, with some acoustic sets by folks like Alysson Light at the Toy Lounge, and over in the Union they'll have various hip-hop groups (to be announced). On Saturday, it's back over to Hanes for The Never, Valient Thorr and Evoka. For more information, visit www.chapelhillmusicfestival.org.

- The Independent

The Urban Sophisticates is a band that screams out the words "if there are rules to how we're supposed to do this, sorry, we didn't know, please excuse us." They come at your with a new sound, and a very tight and complete sound at that. This band consists of Benton James on the lead vocals, Aaron James on the background vocals, Tim Hooker on the guitar, Ricky Nxumalo on the bass, Romondo Jessup and most profoundly Jeremy Denman and Sal Mascali on the trumpet and trombone. They come at you with jazz chord structures, a hip hop beat, some fantastic horn-blowing and one of the coolest, smoothest vocalists you'll hear in hip hop these days. The lyrics will drive you mad because you want so badly to say "these words don't rhyme!" But, somehow, everything is relative and you know that you're wrong so you just sit silent in enjoyment and contemplation. Instead of telling you about how much they like their favorite alcoholic beverage, how much they paid for their clothes, and how much they pay for their women, they do things the way it's REALLY supposed to be done. These guys are bringing good music back.These guys just don't realize how far away from being like everyone else they are, or maybe they do, and just don't let us know and like to bask and revel in our praise. Who knows? All I know is that these guys are awesome, and are worth your time and effort to see them if they are playing nearby. Give these guys a hand for being awesome. 12/14/04

- No Comment Rock radio

The Urban Sophisticates claimed the title of top independent act in the Southeast as the grand-prize winner of Disc Makers Independent Music World Series Southeast showcase last week at the Hard Rock Cafe in Atlanta. The Greensboro-based hip-hop group walked away with $250,000 in prizes including recording gear, instruments and CD manufacturing services.

More than 1,300 unsigned bands and independent artists submitted entries for the Southeast region. Disc Makers is the nation's leading CD manufacturer for independent musicians. The company held the contest in each of the four regions of the country as a way to help independent artists gain exposure and make connections with top music-industry executives.
- Go Triad

The hip-hop live band has been done to death for quite some time. More often than not, it serves as anything from a gimmick and a distraction to an otherwise lack of talent.

The Roots have been doing it for years successfully, similar groups such as Red Snapper have been incorporating upright bass and live drums into their tracks for a while now as well.

Going into Friday night's show at Wetlands dance hall, it was a question of what made the Urban Sophisticates any different than those groups.

For starters, Urban Sophisticates shouldn't even really be viewed as a hip-hop band per se - it is really a funk band with some heavy hip-hop tendencies.

Think something along the lines of Sly and the Family Stone with Guru as the frontman.

Openers included the imminently forgettable Brandon D and the ill vanilla supertroop of Kerbloki.

Kerbloki, a white hip-hop duo, has nothing resembling actual talent or artistic merit but everything in the way of entertainment.

The perfect description of the group's sound would be the amalgamation of "Lazy Sunday" from "Saturday Night Live" and one really bad early '90s Beastie Boys track on loop.

A huge projection screen behind the duo played clips from classic films in time with the music. The selection was almost as entertaining as their performance with pieces from "The Warriors," "Breakin'" and even "Wild Style."

The Sophisticates themselves put on a classy performance complete with slap-style bass, a brass section and funked-out guitars.

The set was comprised of old standards of the band and several interesting sets of covers, including a particularly fantastic rendition of Kanye West's "Touch the Sky."

That Curtis Mayfield will never sound as good as it does with live horns and a good "wokka-chikka" guitar.

The group blended a set of original tunes and creative cover songs to pique interest. Those standards included Wyclef Jean's "Gone till November," Justin Timberlake's "Like I Love You" and even "No Diggity" by Blackstreet.

However, the song that moved the crowd the most by far was the hometown favorite, "Chapel Hill," with the endearing hook, "I'm gonna marry a girl from Chapel Hill, before I go on tour."

All in all the band encapsulated the warm feeling and smile that soul is supposed to bring to an audience, allowing for one of the closest performances to the spirit of '70s funk any one will ever see while still adhering to the honest-to-God politics of hip-hop.
- The Daily Tar-Heel

"We own Hip-Hop, You just live here" claims The Urban Sophisticates on their track "To the Top" from their 2005 self-produced album "The Coward's Anthem". After thoroughly listening to this record, I am not sure I disagree. Forming in 2002, and hailing from Greensboro, NC, the Sophisticates are a hip-hop fusion group led by frontman and head MC, Benton James and backed by a live band, including a horn section, mixing underground hip-hop sound with everything from jazz to reggae/ska to gospel. The end result is positive music with a positive message without being preachy, which can thoroughly be heard on "Coward's Anthem", the second full length album from the Urban Sophisticates, and exudes about as much of a high energy vibe as their live shows. I honestly can't say there is a track on this album I don't like, however, a few key tracks to listen for are:"Chapel Hill" with its smooth guitar rythyms and catchy hooks, "Kaos Mathematics, featuring DJ SK providing hardcore hip-hop fans with a strong dose of the scratching we all love to hear and "Fake Gun Hands", a song that carries a strong message about today's violent state, and how we can help to end it. The Urban Sophisticates have been praised by by GoTriad, a local entertainment zine as one of the top five bands to see live, and has prompted Greensboro entertainment attorney, Charles Blackmon, who has assisted Grammy winner Jill Scott, to scramble to sell 'The Coward's Anthem" to major record labels. An easy sell, if you ask me. "The Coward's Anthem" is a must buy for any lover of true hip-hop, not to mention their first "Self Titled" LP from 2002. With music like this potentially hitting the airwaves, I can invision positivity in hip-hop again, something that has been missing for years. I hope you enjoy this album for years to come. I know I will be. See you in the trenches. --Reverend Mike

- Heavy Contat.com

“We are the fools of the new school/and we are young and naïve/driving straight into the unknown/at a Carolina sunset.” Based in North Carolina, the promising young group “The Urban Sophisticates” independently released a self-titled LP last year featuring 12 tracks showcasing their unique sound. As a hip hop band, complete with bass, guitar, and drum players, they are similar to such bands as the Roots or 4th Avenue Jones. However, the Sophisticates also feature a trumpet and trombone player, adding a distinct element that helps make the group stand out. They mix classic rock grooves with jazzy horn sections, old school hip hop beats, and deliciously funky basslines to create a sound all their own, and the best part is that the band isn't afraid to let loose and jam, as their debut CD shows. One song (Guerillas in the Midst) is completely instrumental, and many others feature extended periods where the vocals are in the background or drop out completely, leaving the musicians with room to show-off their instrumental skills. Lead rapper Benton James brings it all together with his smooth, laid-back style of rapping that at times resembles spoken word. His voice seems to stay on the same even keel throughout the CD, which brings up one minor gripe with the album: the hooks. Many of the hooks feature Benton James using the same voice inflection as he does in his raps. They need to mix it up just a bit more to make the hooks stand out a little more. A small complaint, to be sure, but still something the Urban Sophisticates can improve for their next album. Lyrically, Benton is able to cover a wide variety of topics. His sarcastic sense of humor is able to shine through in such tongue-in-cheek songs as “Just Not Urban Enough,” or “London Trenchcoat,” while “Greene Street,” “Fools of the New School,” “It's Like That,” and “It's Gotta Be the Hardest Thing,” have more of a light, fun, party-vibe to the lyrics. Along with the more light-hearted songs, Benton also gets serious, revealing his insecurities and baring his soul. On “Philadelphia,” he raps about his homesickness. “I only get to see it a couple times a year/my fear is that it could just be the last time/if it is the last time, breathe a deep sigh of relief/while the howl of the tires and street speaks to me/Repeat to me why I leave, cause I can't remember/something having to do with the long December...” He covers the same topic with the album's closing track, “Missing My Love,” rapping, “The more I'm taught the finer things in life/the more and more I just miss staring at the sky lights.” In “My Apology,” Benton lets us know he's not perfect, but he's trying. “I haven't got it all figured out quite yet/but I hope you forgive me, I'm such a mess.” While Benton won't make your head spin with his wordplay and lyricism, he has distinct poetic style that fits the music very well. He uses metaphors beautifully, as evidenced in “Take The Train Home,” a song describing his relationship with Jesus. The Urban Sophisticates debut LP is one of the freshest albums I have heard in the last few months. Creative, original, fun and energetic, yet also serious and reflective, this is an up and coming group that I highly recommend you check out.

Suggested Listening: 4th Avenue Jones, Mars Ill, Ill Harmonics

Key Tracks: “Take the Train Home” “Missing My Love” “Just Not Urban Enough”

Review Rating: 3.75 out of 5 stars

Reviewer: Paul
- Hip-Hop for the Soul

“Label it what you want,” Benton says. “I tell everybody that we’re a live hip-hop band, but there’s so much more to us if you listen.”

Right now he’s testing the limits of the stool that’s propping him up '" Benton is a big man and he makes the thing look like it belongs in a first-grade classroom. He’s sensitive about his size; the opening lyric of the title track on the band’s new CD, Coward’s Anthem makes that clear: “I know I’m not the handsomest/ and the car that I drive ain’t the fanciest/ but if I took a couple inches off the waistline/ would it be enough for you to want to be mine?”

After the refrain brother Aaron comes in with the bridge, singing sweet like Nate Dogg with brass accents in the background: “I’m not lazy won’t you please believe me/ I’m just a brother that likes to chill.”

“It’s a song about having feelings for a girl and not having the courage to say it,” Benton says.

He slid me an early copy of the disc at the office earlier in the day and it spent the rest of the afternoon making my head bounce.

The CD represents nearly eight months of recording, writing and mixing '" Benton himself worked on it with the dedication of a legionnaire, spending more nights on the studio couch than in his own bed.

“I was just trying to get noticed,” he says. “We’re gonna make the big Christmas push, see if we can’t sell some of these records.”

There are no b*%^#es and hos here. No references to firearms or violence (except in the tune “Fake Gun Hands,” a kind of indictment against street crimes that begins with a plea: “Somebody call an ambulance right now”). No scratch DJ, save for a cameo by DJ SK on “Kaos Mathematics.” No ‘N’ word, no benjies, no dubs and no playas.

Well, maybe a couple of playas, but also well-crafted, self-revelatory lyricism from this guy who’s insecure about his size, unsure about women, still mourning the death of his father and trying to make it in a confusing business with nothing but a carload of talent, a trunkful of ambition and a really killer band '" Tim Hooker on guitar, Romondo Jessup on drums, bass player Ricky Nxumalo and a horn section consisting of Jeremy Denman on trumpet and Sal Mascali on trombone.

“I didn’t really get into hip hop until maybe four or five years ago,” Benton says. “I was into Counting Crows, Pearl Jam, all these angsty artists with all these deep meanings... rock lead singers have a way of getting this vibe across. My style is trying to get a feeling across with some metaphor, but also trying to get a story across.”

The work is rife with witty metaphor (Benton proclaims, “Let’s take it back like Cosby sweaters,” in “Coward’s Anthem”) and artistic flourish '" in “Breakups,” brother Aaron sings a capella, “A treasure chest of memories plays like/ old vinyl singles” with just a second or two of needle hiss and pop in the background.

Another great cut, “Soul Crime,” is a short, slow-funk lament sung by the trumpeter’s sister, Mary Nicole Denman, understated and minimalist with a modicum of distortion on the mic, way different from the others - YES! weekly

The Urban Sophisticates walk away with their share of a $250,000 grand prize package and the title of top independent act in the Southeast

Pennsauken, NJ - September 25, 2006 - The Urban Sophisticates, a Greensboro based Hip Hop Group, won the Disc Makers Independent Music World Series (IMWS) Southeast showcase that was held on Thursday, September 21st at the Velvet Underground in the Hard Rock Café in Atlanta , GA. As the grand prize winners, The Urban Sophisticates (www.theurbansophisticates.com) took home their share of $250,000 in prizes, including recording gear, instruments, CD manufacturing services, and more.

"I couldn't be more thankful and excited that we won the Southeast showcase," said Benton James, M.C of the Urban Sophisticates. "It was a great honor to even participate in this event and the industry contacts we made will definitely take us to a higher level. The prizes are such a blessing that we would like to thank Disc Makers, Billboard and Taxi. We would also like to encourage any band to enter this competition in the future for the experience and exposure to industry professionals."

The Urban Sophisticates were one of six finalists competing before a panel of twelve judges that included Lynn Oliver, Associate Director of Writer/Publisher Relations for BMI Atlanta, Steve Jones, President of Brash Music and Jason Walden, A&R and Artist Development executive at both Capricorn and Velocette Records where he has worked such notable and varied acts as 311, Widespread Panic, Cake, Beulah and Jucifer.

Over 1,300 unsigned bands and independent artists submitted entries for the Southeast region of the IMWS. The other finalists included Will Champlin ( Nashville , TN ), Clarence Dobbins ( Nashville , TN ), L'Angelus ( Lafayette , LA ), The Swear ( Atlanta , GA ) and Uncrowned ( Atlanta , GA ).

Produced by Disc Makers, the nation's leading CD manufacturer for independent musicians, the IMWS is the country's most exciting live music showcase series, giving musicians a unique opportunity to showcase their talents, make valuable industry contacts, and compete for their share of $250,000 in recording gear, instruments, CD manufacturing services, DJ equipment, and more. The showcase is judged by music industry executives, media, and celebrities, and features live performances from the six finalists.

"Disc Makers prides itself on helping indie artists succeed, and the IMWS is just one of the many things we do to help these artists get to the next level," says Tony van Veen, Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing at Disc Makers. "We have been coming to Atlanta for a number of years and would like to thank the city, the Velvet Underground, and our sponsors for making this year's event another tremendous success."

IMWS showcases are held in each of four regions throughout the country ( Midwest , Southeast, Northeast, and West). The regional focus of IMWS helps independent musicians make an impact in their own backyard and make connections that can help advance their careers. The competition is open to musicians of all genres not currently signed to a major record label. Professional music screeners from TAXI select 100 semi-finalists from the entries and the editors of Billboard Magazine choose the six finalists.

Recent winners include this years West winner, Pasadena's Rose's Pawn Shop and Midwest Winner, Dallas' Dura Hale, as well as Los Angeles' bang SUGAR bang (West 2005), Arlington, Virginia's Brice Woodall (Northeast 2005) and Orlando's Plain Jane Automobile (Southeast 2005).

- Hip-Hop press.com

Earthy, contemporary and authentic, The Urban Sophisticates mix up hip hop, R&B and groove in the vein of the Black Eyed Peas, the Roots and Outkast. What makes this album so interesting and noticeable is the way these guys build their songs. You won't see them blowing their wad on the first track. There is a sense of plot, of pay-off, of an earned apex. They know how to slowly draw you in and hook you, keep your attention and hold you engaged until the end without pulling out all of the stops unless the song asks for it. In other words, these guys know how to craft a full-bodied track with intelligence and stamina. Alt hip hop fanatics, hold onto your seat.
- Cd baby.com