TK Wonder
New York City, New York, United States | SELF
Music
Press
"It's not only Revive that's exploring this fertile ground. Drummer Ben Perowsky, leader of avant-garde group Moodswing Orchestra, features hip-hop freestyler TK Wonder on his front line; a June 25 show will toast adventurous East Village club Nublu's eighth anniversary. "The way she flows, it's like a horn player," Perowsky says of Wonder. "If there is any jazz going on in hip-hop, I feel like it's coming from the rappers more so than from the beats. The improv aspect of it is coming from the rhymes, and that's where the jazz is." - Village Voice
The blazing fast rhymes of Baltimore native TK Wonder were brought to this mixtape called “Mars” on Giant Step Records on June 22nd. The mixtape ranging from breakneck (“Testarossa Autodrive” by Kavinsky) to downtempo (“Yeah Boy” by Bloody Beetroots) features a number of big name producers with TK’s hip-hop flavor added to them.
The highlight for me on this mixtape as a Radiohead junkie was the remix of Thom Yorke’s “Hearing Damage” track from the New Moon Soundtrack. TK Wonder’s lyrics were added on top of the pulsating electronic bass beat. I especially liked the sound of waves crashing during an intermission of sorts in the middle of the track. Loved the lyric “Breakin’ more backs than the New Orleans levee” which is especially relevant during these tough times in the Gulf of Mexico area. TK maintains the original great qualities of the track and as my “dawg” Randy Jackson would say, “made it her own.”
I also really enjoyed the remix of CocoRosie’s beautifully haunting retro track “Lemonade.” It definitely has a summertime feel to it (at least the chorus from CocoRosie’s original track does). TK’s remix version is even more interesting than the original track in that her rapping creates a sense of urgency to an otherwise meandering track.
The bass-filled title track “Mars” has probably TK’s best rapping on it. The lyrics roll off her tongue and her vocal performance combined with the driving beat make for an awesome hip-hop dance track.
TK Wonder is a enormously talented rapper and her lyrics were very naturally added to the remixes on this “Mars” mixtape. Her rapid-fire rhymes allow for more lyrics per second which is probably why it seemed so natural for her raps to be in these tracks. Definitely worth checking out this remix even if it is to embrace your inner-emo for the New Moon soundtrack tune from Thom Yorke. I think if people search out this mixtape for the “Hearing Damage” remix, they’ll also discover a wonderfully gifted talent in TK Wonder. Can’t wait to see what’s next from her!
Keep chillin’ - The Couch Sessions
Last but not least in our list of Bounce-Worthy femcees is TK Wonder. According to WaPo, her style rests somewhere between "M.I.A. and Flying Lotus." It's an imaginary pedigree that would get anyone to listen, but it's not that simple. And it's her sheer lack of simplicity that will keep you listening a little longer. TK's catchy chants are at once provocative and runway-ready, due to Taylor McFerrin's frenetic beats. If her lyrics are empowering, that's only because she injects them with a little tough love. Check the cautionary "Celebrity" from McFerrin's Broken Vibes EP and her own "Nightwalker." But listen carefully, because she has a penchant for rapping at lightspeed if the track demands it. She recently performed during the DC's Can A Sista Rock A Mic? festival and by all accounts she owned the evening. - http://www.soulbounce.com/soul/
Interview - Giant Magazine
This week is all about revelations. Firstly, TK Wonder is the greatest rapper alive. She rocked the When Boy Meets Girl IV show at Southpaw which featured acts like Sarah White who pumped out sweet, punky soul that is a pain to classify but easy to shimmy to. With her psychedelic leggings and a feather in her hair, TK looked like Gem playing a game of Cowboys and Indians. But then she spits over Taylor McFerrin's mouth-made beats with the rapid fire diction of Busta Rhymes and the mellow, gravelly tone of Digable Planets' Ladybug Mecca. And the random, robotic dance breaks? She had me at the first hip-thrust. - Giantstep Resident: Mawuse Ziegbe
Discography
Still working on that hot first release.
Photos
Bio
Raised on a nourishing diet of Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson in Baltimore, TK first became interested in stringing syllables together when she performed spoken-word poetry at the since-demolished downtown venue Wetlands. TK Wonder polished her craft at the legendary Sunday night Black Lily events hosted by The Roots. Always drawing raves for her work she would go on to perform at Def Jam showcases, Nuyorican Poet's Café and Nell's.
TK's evolution from poetry to rapping was seamless, as the combination of her stage presence and sharply-honed writing skills merged to create a unique style of telling stories and addressing social issues with intricately-intertwined and multiple-syllable rhymes. She has performed at various venues such as Hiro Ballroom, Studio B, Nublu, Joe's Pub, Hunter College, Le Poisson Rouge, Apollo Theater, the legendary Lyricist Lounge show, Delano Hotel in Miami, The Viper Room,in LA and the Jazz Cafe in London to name a few. TK Wonder has opened for artists such as Nas, Erykah Badu, Duffy, Talib Kweli and J*Davey.
She has been featured in magazines such as Giant, Trace, and Luire, a publication in Japan. TK Wonder has also worked with artist Duke B and together they have opened for artist Kiril Dzjakovski in a few international electronica festivals such as VIP, Exit Fest, Belgrade Beer Fest and Tuborg Greenfest in Europe alongside the likes of N.E.R.D., The Prodigy, The Hives, Afrika Bambaataa, Sex Pistols and Gossip to name a few.
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