The Urban Sophisticates

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Live alternative hip-hop with a horn section.

tracks

: 1 Greene Street
: 2 Philadelphia
: 3 Just Not Urban Enough
: 4 Fools of the New School
: 5 London Trenchcoat
: 6 It's Like That (white Sneakers)
: 7 Guerillas in the Midst
: 8 It's Gotta Be the Hardest Thing
: 9 Take the Train Home
: 10 Apartment 3a
: 11 My Appology
: 12 Missing My Love

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By Location

USA: North Carolina

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notes

Not long after The Roots placed their stamp on live hip-hop, a new band is quietly building buzz along the eastern seaboard. Welcome to live hip-hop courtesy of The Urban Sophisticates.

Formed in Greensboro, North Carolina in 2002, The Urban Sophisticates are founded on faith and family. Consisting of brothers Benton and Aaron James(MC and vocals), Tim Hooker(guitar), Jeremy Denman(trumpet) and Sal Mascali(trombone) The Urban Sophisticates have burst onto the live music scene. Surviving on talent and desire, this band is out to make more than a little noise. Mixing live drums, guitar, bass, trombone, trumpet, and a witty, self-deprecating lead rap vocal reminiscent of the “Philly” sound, The Urban Sophisticates have created a unique blend of live Hip Hop music. It is by no accident that this group has achieved a great deal in a relatively short amount of time. Drawing from the diverse musical backgrounds of its members, The Urban Sophisticates continues to blur the line between a traditional Hip Hop group and a live band.

The Urban Sophisticates are poetic, spiritual, and catchy. Songs like London Trench Coat and Just Not Urban Enough, deliver the band’s sarcastic, social commentary, while at the same time showing that the band doesn’t mind poking fun at themselves. Snappy lyrics accompanied by horns all blended with the elements of hip-hop have made listeners from Chicago to Charlotte take notice. Being chosen out of 400 possible acts for the new band showcase at the national Cornerstone Festival has also been instrumental in the early success of the band.

“They were the best new band at Cornerstone this year. The music is fun with hooks you cannot get out of your head. Just Not Urban Enough and It's Gotta Be The Hardest Thing make you bob your head and sing along and laugh all at once. They're definitely doing something different...”

-Chris York
A&R Sparrow Records

Though only together for a short time, The Urban Sophisticates have spent the last year sharing the stage with such names as KRS – ONE, Mars Ill, The Toasters, Weekend Excursion, Blindside, Sixpence None the Richer, and Switchfoot. With the release of their self-titled debut CD, The Urban Sophisticates look forward to breaking new markets, reinventing hip-hop and introducing their sound to a wider audience.

reviews

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author: Smooth_G
Omg!!! i love CDbaby!!! i love "The Urban Sophisticates"!!!Unique!! cant wait for more!
love it
author: Emily
Love this CD... really mellow yet, well.... sophisticated. "Just Not Urban Enough" cracks me up every time I listen to it.
AWESOME !!!
author: Fylodindon
Great cd... I love this guys ! Come in France, pleaaaaaaaaase !!!!
Awesome!
author: Julie Roszkowski
This CD is awesome! It is so "chill" and intoxicating! If you have a chance to see them do it live, definitely go for it. Otherwise, rock out to this great CD!! I can't wait for more!
AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
author: Fernando
Thank u guys, I goy the cd ok and as I was listening to the cd I coulnd´t get out of my car until it finish the whole cd, thanks again and I`ll be waiting for new releases!!
Finally something new and fresh!
author: Sam R.
This cd is amazing and I was fortunate enough to see the band live when they played in Philly a few months back. What a great show! However I am kind of upset that another company has taken over the urbansophisticates.com URL. What's going on?
Just Plain Good
author: Mary Beth
I got the CD about a week ago and I haven't taken it out of my car yet. It's original in a way that doesn't lend itself to the pigeon hole of "hip hop" or any other genre. It's just plain good.
URBAN HAD REVIVED THE DEAD GENRE OF HIP_HOP
author: michael
This CD is awesome, this group has really revived a dying genre of hip-hop, this CD although not known well, will be the building block of a long and lustrious career of this group.
Best music to just chill to
author: Sam
This cd is the best hip-hop cd never known. It definatley needs more attention. The lyrics are great, the beats are great, the vocals are great, the trumpets are great. It's just awesome. If you really want a cd that's easy to listen to as well as a cd that never gets old, then pick up yourself a copy of this classy album. It'll "light your world on fire" as it says in Young Love.
Beautiful - Get Ready To Blow Your Mind
author: Jess H.
This album is amazing... I picked it up after seeing them play at C-Stone 2004. We listened to it the entire drive back (about 6 hours) and did not get tired of it! So many layers, such good lyrics. I myself am not usually into this sort of music... but The Urban Sophisticates have completely blown my mind. See them live, it's a must! Good crowd mix too (everything from punks to rude boys to world musicians); that's how awesome these guys are!
Oh so chill
author: Rachael
Wow, all I can say is wow. I heard them at Cornerstone NC 2004, and I was hooked, especially when they sang the song with the line "I'm gonna marry a girl from Chapel Hill". Being a girl from the Triangle, damn, that was great! It's so chill, u just want to sit back and bob your head, and the ryhmes are so catchy. And as a trumpet player, that was such an endearing quality to see the brass. And the "Italian Stallion" I think. Thank god we can see groups like this mixin' it up. Two big thumbs up, can't wait for the next release.
Hip-Hop has still got a soul
author: Lee Margadant
The Urban Sophisticates have joined artists such as K-os, Common, and the Roots to breath life into a genre of music MTV has raped for a massive profit. The Urban Sophisticates have shown that hip-hop can provide a listener as much depth and quality as Miles Davis and B.B. King's works from the past. On the Sophisticates self titled album they offer a listener a much needed trip back to the days of the great jazz and blues artists. They draw you in and allow you to feel that laid back "nothing can touch me!" feeling, with a blend of soulful hip-hop and jazzy tunes. Thank you Urban Sophisticates, for helping this listener to find hip-hop's soul once again.
You have no idea
author: E. Baumer
As far as being a great band, this band pumps out some of the best tracks I've ever heard. You think you know everything about hip-hop, jazz, blues and funk until this group smacks you in the face with their self-titled composition like a wound up, wet towel in the gym locker room. I bought the album from this website after seeing them live in Delaware at the Ground Floor. First of all, nothing compares to their live show, but buy this disc. It's like take-out from your favorite restaurant. You won't be disappointed, especially when the lyrics are pouring out of your head through your ear drums and you're not even listening to the CD.
It gets your head to Rockin'!
author: Teresa Barton
I had never heard the name The Urban Sophisticates until I saw them at the Cat's Cradle in Carrboro, NC. Then I got into the beats and found myself rockin my head and dancin. I love the rhymes and the brass. They are now my new favorite band. The Urban Sophisticates ROCK!!!!
The next BIG thing in the music industry...
author: Nick Rage
The next Big thing in the music industry is once again comeing out of the south, North Carolina to be exact. In the early 90's we saw many a great band come from Seatlle,WA. But as of late the eye for new music talent has been set on the "dirty" south. We've seen many new bands coming from the south this year like Shinedown, Trapt, and Grammy nomineed and Billboard award winning Evanescence from Little Rock, Arkansas. Is it any suprise that we would be looking a the next big thing in the Hot AC radio genre to come from the south too? This the first of what will be many albums from The Urban Sophisticates has a little something for everyone on it. If you like bands with horns like The Supertones, Chicago, and Sublime then this CD is a must for your Christmas wish list. With roots in Jazz, Hip-Hop, Urban Funk, and Classic Rock the Sophisticated sounds that come in this CD package is most definately an inovative new sound that the whole world should hear. At the end of the day only one question beckends to be answered...Are you Urban enough? I know I'm Urban enough. Radio DJ Nick Rage of River Hits KWKK 100.9FM Dardanelle/Russellville, Arkansas

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The Urban Sophisticates