by Jaz Bowens
Cee Knowledge & The Cosmic Funk Orchestra is a eclectic band of seasoned and talented musicians from Philadelphia who blend hip hop, jazz, blues, and everything in between to produce awesome innovative and smooth hip hop. Lead vocalist Cee Knowledge (Doodlebug), vocalist Kai Chi (Flosama Been Rhymin), drummer Gary Dann (The Iron Lion of Zion), Adam Charlton (12) on guitars, Mitch Beer (professor of the low end theories) on the base, and DJ Nex Millen, among others, make up the band all about originality and authenticity. Recently, they have been making strides to perfect their music and get ready for their album To Life, Love, and Loot, available August 12th.
It all started organically and with ease years ago when Cee Knowledge embarked on a journey in 2001. “Many of the MCs, Kai Chi, Reality, Eddie Cane, Cassous, and more had been together for years. Then we wanted to get a live band together so my manager, who has also managed a bunch of hippie jam bands, called together some friends that he knew and they began to play with us,” Knowledge says. “When everyone met we came together like family. As if we knew each other for years. Then, after some touring throughout the years and having some come and go, we continued on and formed another band which is now the Cosmic Funk Orchestra.”
Communication, musical inspiration, and vision is what keeps the group on the same page. You can here how in-sync the band is through their music. It flows, it’s smooth, and they always allow each other to shine. For example, their current single “Bandits” from their upcoming album is a great song that shows just how all members are able to collaborate, incorporate different sounds, and showcase all of the band’s talent. Each time you listen to “Bandit” or any song on the new album, you’ll hear new sounds, elements, and vocals.
Writing music is just one aspect that seems to comes easy to them. It’s evident. “It started off with me coming to the band with music I had wrote, but once they learned them we started writing music together,” Knowledge explains. “After a while we all came up with ideas, shared them with each other, and started recording. Whether it be on the road, on stage, or in the studio…there is always a time where inspiration comes to us.”
Throughout the years, Cee Knowledge and The Cosmic Funk Orchestra has been able to stay true to themselves, their sound, and music amongst the ever changing music industry and unauthentic artist by doing what they know. “I stay close to my friends and family and what got us to where we are today,” Knowledge says.
The album has been a longtime coming and new fans and old who have been with them from the band’s inception are ready for To Life, Love, and Loot. “If you’re into original hip hop with a good message, Cee Knowledge and The Cosmic Funk Orchestra is what you need to listen to,” he says. “We incorporate all types of musically talented people. We are original and make sure all of our music is live instrumentation.”
To see them in all their glory, check out The Fish Tank, an outdoor block party August 16th in Philadelphia. It’s all free and open to all members of the community. To learn some more about Cee Knowledge and The Cosmic Orchestra like them on Facebook, add them on Twitter, and listen to their music on soundcloud. Also remember to look out for their album on August 12th.
