Pants Velour
Pants Velour is an American hip hop group from New York City, New York. Pants records for Tommy Boy Entertainment.
Pants Velour | |
---|---|
Origin | New York City, New York, United States |
Genres | Hip hop |
Years active | 2006-present |
Labels | Tommy Boy Entertainment |
Website | www.pantsvelour.com |
Members | Niki Darling, vocalist Josh Raff, emcee Eli Northrup, emcee Sam Coe, guitarist Jordan Battiste, keyboardist Max Calkin, bassist Richard Curtis, drummer Cenophia Mitchell, backup vocalist |
Past members | Nellie Thompson Sarah Charness |
Origins
In 2006, Eli Northrup, Nellie Thompson, Sam Coe, and Josh Raff formed Pants Velour while undergraduate students at Cornell University.[1] After graduating in 2007, the members reunited in New York City in 2008.[2] Eli Northrup is a rapper in the group and has also been considered a "Hypeman" who pumps up the crowd.[2] Niki Darling is the lead singer of the group.[3]
Career
Pants Velour has played shows alongside Mobb Deep, Dru Hill, Magic!, and members of Black Sheep, A Tribe Called Quest, and Naughty By Nature.[4][5] Dial 7 Car and Limousine featured Pants Velour in a popular ad campaign.[6][7][8] Pants Velour has performed in Europe.
In 2011, Pants Velour made a hip hop video entitled "Charlie Sheen: Always Winning," which became a YouTube sensation.[9] The song was inspired by Sheen’s interview on ABC television.[10] At the time of the video's release, Eli Northrup was a law student at New York University School of Law. Above the Law (blog) ran a blurb on the story, and it became a big story in the legal community.[11] Am Law Daily’s Careerist blog called it “fast and saucy—especially amazing coming from a serious law student.”[9] While in law school, Northrup regularly performed with Pants Velour.[12]
In 2012, Pants Velour represented Manhattan in the Battle of the Boroughs.[13]
In 2013, Pants Velour played at New Music Seminar.[14]
In 2014, Pants Velour signed with Tommy Boy Entertainment. The group played at CMJ 2014 in New York City, New York.[15] The group released a music video for 'All In.' The video was produced by Howard Buksbaum and Danny Ameri of Very Nice Industries. Broadway World called the video cutting edge, a technological wonder and a visual feast.[4] Pants Velour was the opening performance for Dru Hill at B.B. Kings in NYC in October 2014.[4] Pants Velour was a supporting act for Magic! at Webster Hall.[4] 'Taxidermist,' was currently #30 on the zipDJ Urban chart.[4] The group has played at the Highline Ballroom.[16][17] Pants Velour teamed up with Socialfly to release a music video called #DoTheSelfie.[18][19]
In 2015, Pants Velour performed at Pianos (club).[20] The group also performed at the Brooklyn Bowl.
Musical style
USA Today described the group as a “unique brand of hip-hop, R&B, and pop”,[21] and The Washington Post described them as a combination of ”today’s pop-soul and yesterday’s hip-hop.”[22] The group has also been described as a combination of the Beastie Boys and The Black Eyed Peas.[13] They have been characterized as infusing hip-hop, pop, rock and soul together.[23]
References
- Rokitka, Steve. "Cornell's alma mater goes hip-hop". Cornell Chronicle. Retrieved 15 May 2015.
- Catalano, Jim. "Hot Pants". Cornell Alumni Magazine. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
- Kats, Jeanette. "NP PREMIERE: RYAN SKYY – "DONE" FEAT. NIKI DARLING". Noise Porn. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
- "VIDEO: Pants Velour Unveils Cutting Edge Music Video for 'All In'". Broadway World. Music News Desk. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
- "About Pants Velour". PantsVelour.com. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
- Flegenheimer, Matt. "In Clash of the Jingles, a Battle of Sixes and Sevens". nytimes.com. NY Times. Retrieved 19 May 2015.
- Bromwich, Jonah. "CARMEL VS. DIAL 7: A LIMO SERVICE JINGLE SHOWDOWN FOR THE AGES!". Village Voice. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
- "Pants Velour: The Band Behind that Mind-Blowing Dial 7 Commercial". Power Animals. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
- Chen, Vivia. "NYU Law Student Unrapped". The Careerist. lawjobs.com. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
- "Charlie Sheen inspires Hays Fellow Eli Northrup's hip-hop alter ego". NYU Law School. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
- Weiss, Debra. "NYU 3L Contemplates Charlie's Sheen's Winning Life in YouTube Rap Video". abajournal.com. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
- Reed, Graham. "Man and Music in Harmony". law.nyu.edu. NYU Law Magazine. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
- Laermer, Emily. "Gotham Gigs: Fiddling around". Crain's. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
- Donnelly, Alessandra. "2013 New Music Seminar: Invading NYC". The Aquarian Weekly. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
- Kangas, Chaz. "A COMPLETE GUIDE TO HIP-HOP AT CMJ 2014". Village Voice. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
- Mester, Amanda. "Exclusive Interview: New York alternative hip hop group Pants Velour has arrived". AXS. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
- "Pants Velour - Highline Ballroom". Highline Ballroom. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
- "Do The Selfie". Pop Culture Video Magazine. Archived from the original on 20 June 2015. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
- "Do The Selfie - Iggy Azalea - Fancy Parody - OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO #DoTheSelfie". YouTube. SocialFly. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
- "Sumner, Shane Maux & Lilly Wolf, Pants Velour, Eleventh Ward, A Fragile Tomorrow". Live Nation. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
- Lopez, Korina. "Exclusive video: Pants Velour saunters into StudioA". USA Today. Retrieved 15 May 2015.
- Jenkins, Mark. "Editorial Review of PANTS VELOUR's Album: "The Quest for the 7 Jones"". Washington Post. Retrieved 15 May 2015.
- "Crowd Surfing, Doggystyle and Curly Hair. Pwetty Sessions Presents: Nightline with Pants Velour". Artsy Magazine. Retrieved 8 August 2015.