Kuf Knotz Bio

KUF KNOTZ BIO. “I’m seeing peace through this journey of change,” says Kuf Knotz on “Get Free,” the transcendent single from his new album, A Positive Light. “Put your heart in it, soon this game will be mastered. Any other choice and we’re moving backwards.” The song is an offering to a world in need of healing; it could also serve as the summation of Kuf’s own artistic process. Taking cues from sounds spanning reggae, soul, pop and world music, A Positive Light pushes the boundaries of hip-hop. “My music’s always had a pretty broad spectrum as far as influences go,” Kuf says. According to Philadelphia weekly, he pulls “from the party- vibe of DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince, the Philly soul of songwriters/producers Gamble & Huff and the Roots’ emphasis on live instrumentation… Lyrically, Kuf maintains the earnestness, wit and political edge of golden age hip-hop artists like De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest and Erik B & Rakim." Even his name is drawn from a wealth of influences. "Kuf is short for Kufie and Knotz is a play off of my hair,” the artist explains. “My friends used to call me Notty, so I stuck with that, and Kufie is a name given to me in college.” The West African-derived word means “spiritual warrior” and “born on a Friday.” Also known as Ty Green, the Philadelphia native — who currently splits his time between that city and New York — grew up with a grandmother who sang gospel music and a brother who rapped. “It feels really natural to blend genres,” he says. “I’ve always just felt that music is music.” Dance track “Movement Red” is an energetic wakeup call; “Vibrations” fuses futuristic shimmer with an r&b backbone, and “Runnin’” is as heartfelt as it is soaring. “Speaking for the humans whose voice went unheard, reach for every dream and speeding at every turn,” Kuf sings on the latter. And then there’s “Inertia,” which taps Afropop melodies and underscores the spoken verses with gorgeously expressive vocalizations. Inspired to take his own indie-progressive style to the next level, Kuf began work on a collection of upbeat, feel-good music. “I felt like it was important and it was needed in hip-hop,” Kuf says. Armed with his songs, he headed for Amsterdam. The change of scenery allowed him to focus on A Positive Light — his first album in more than three years — and also to team with artists like Hanyo van Oosterom, who added live production, and Mark Gademan, who mixed the tracks. “I was in a circle of really great artists who were doing progressive work,” says Kuf. No stranger to collaboration, the musician was lead MC for The Hustle and The Burn Down All-Stars. Guests on his debut album, Boombox Logic, included Sharon Little, G. Love and Doodle Bug of Digable Planets, among others. Of that album, Philadelphia City paper wrote, “Boombox Logic is a wildly literate triply diverse debut disc.” In fact, of the accolades Kuf has received, it’s those bestowed by fan votes — such as the Independent Music Award for college record label release (album or EP) vocal pop winner — that mean the most. “I’m just doing what I feel,” says Kuf. He hopes that his listeners are “encouraged to do whatever makes them happy, and know that anything is possible.” The musician, who was recently selected to support Ms. Lauryn Hill, has also shared stages with the likes of Robert Glasper, The Wailers, Common, Dr.Dog, Robert Randolph, Arrested Development, Inspectah Deck, SOJA, New York Dolls, Steel Pulse and The Roots. Topping his personal list of performances was opening for Bruce Springsteen at a rally for then-presidential candidate Barak Obama. “That was an incredible piece of history, and to be involved in that was amazing,” says Kuf. Another piece of history: he was the first-ever hip-hop act to support The Boss; the lineup for that show included Amos Lee. So, what’s the key to winning a crowd? Kuf says that audience reaction is on his mind while crafting new music. “There are always some songs in your set where people leave the room. Those are the songs I aim to not write,” he laughs. “My target audience is people who are into conscious, soulful, organic music. My goal is to have my music felt and heard worldwide, to spread the message.” Learn more at www.kufknotz.com. .

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