Vokab Kompany

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Geoff Nigle: Keyboards | Spencer Sharpe: Violin | Aaron Cheatham: Bass guitar | Rob Hurt: Vocals | Matt “Burkey” Burke: Vocals | Alvaro Nunex: Drums

Genre: Electro | DJ, Funk, Hip-Hop & Rap

Sound description: Electronic angst for post-millenium punks.

RIYL: Killer Priest, Lateef the Truthspeaker, MC Souleye, the Mutaytor, House of Vibe All-Stars, Al Howard, Main Flow, String Cheese Incident, Talib Kweli, Beastie Boys, CunninLynguists, Blackalicious, the Glitch Mobb, K-Os, the Cure, FreQ Nasty, Bassnectar, Del tha Funky Homosapien

Upcoming Local Shows

iCal RSS | See past shows

Song Downloads

Discography

Synoposis

Inception: San Diego, 2006

Ex-Band Members: Codie, Percussion Nimai, Bass guitar, Trombone Josh Scott, Flute, Harmonica, Keyboards, Saxophone Obie Scott, Guitar (electric) Barry, Drums Jeremy Holmes, Guitar (electric)

Influences: Stevie Wonder, Cee-Lo Green, Lateef the Truthspeaker, Lyrics Born, India.Arie, Erykah Badu, Blue Sky Black Death, Gorillaz, Outkast, Rage Against the Machine, String Cheese, Galactic, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Beastie Boys, Johnny Cash, Guns N' Roses, Prince, Michael Jackson, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix, the Beatles, CunninLynguists, U2, Blackalicious, 2Pac, Notorious BIG, Bone Thugs, Alice in Chains, the Glitch Mobb, K-Os, the Cure, FreQ Nasty, Bassnectar, Grateful Dead, Bob Marley, Jr. Gong, Phish, Moe, Widespread Panic, Atmosphere, Eazy-E, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Mac Dre, Gang Starr, Zion I, Digable Planets, Everlast, Ziggy Marley, Postal Service, Tribe Called Quest, Busta Rhymes, Alicia Keys, the Roots, James Brown, Fugees, E-40, Kanye West, Timberland, Cat Stevens, Bob Dylan, Bob Seger, Bruce Springsteen, Van Morrison, Rod Stewart, Native Root, Absynth, Deploi, Frame of Mind

Background:

Based in Pacific Beach, Vokab Kompany is a hip-hop, soul, and electro act that performs with a live backing band, usually with around five to seven musicians. Founder and co-producer Rob Hurt (aka Robbie Gallo) spent his teen years near Lake Tahoe, where he first teamed up with Matt “Burkey” Burke, singer/MC of Native Root.

In 2009, the group was nominated Best Hip-Hop at the San Diego Music Awards, and they appeared on the Best of Daygo local hip-hop compilation album. After releasing the album New Kong, they were a featured act on the international networking site perfspot.com. The record won Best Hip-Hop Album at the 2010 SDMAs.

Burkey, a former high school English teacher, reveals a hitherto unknown secret behind two celeb performers not credited on New Kong. “We met the bassist and guitarist for Cage the Elephant, Daniel Tichenor and Lincoln Parish, when we all played the Stay Classy event at Petco Park last year, and they came to our studio in National City.” The result was a new song and overdubs on a Vokab track featuring the rising alterna-rock stars.

“However,” according to Burkey, “Sony had issues with them releasing anything before the new Cage the Elephant album drops, so we needed a pseudonym on our album. The alias we came up with for them is ‘Thumper Oakstreet.’ Bummer, a big corporation trying to ice our big-name guest stars.”

Also in 2010, their song “So Bright” was featured in KIA Summer Sales Event national commercial and an Al Roker segment on the Today Show.

Their 2011 album Quit Sleep features cameos from guitarist Lincoln Parish (Cage the Elephant), A-Plus (Hieroglyphics), Luckyiam (Living Legends), RadioActive (formerly of Spearhead), Curtis Sloan (BLVD), Signal Path, Solovox, Dj Vadim, Random Rab, Freddy Machete, and production by local hero Mr. Ridley and MCs Deploi and Apaulo8.

The band took home a Best Hip-Hop trophy at the 2011 San Diego Music Awards. Violinist Spencer Sharpe got married to Elena Escamilla on September 24, and England’s Prince Harry caught their act when he dropped by the Belly Up on October 15. Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe were also on the bill.

In early 2012, the band Love and Light recorded the Vokab track “Know Me Now,” available as a free download on SoundCloud and BandCamp. Around the same time, they signed a management deal with Michael Burnett, who also manages Iration, and began working on a new full-length with Crush Effect.

“Let It Fly (Solovox Mix)” feat. the Grouch, Souleye, Main Flow, and Apaulo 8 was released in May 2012.

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