::: PUMAH'S BIOGRAPHY :::
Having been in his passion for a minute now, producer, arranger, vocalist and songwriter Deonis ”Pumah” Cook first began singing at the tender age of four. He developed his musical techniques by listening and emulating certain songs he heard and would then play them back on a Casio keyboard owned by his mother. Though, it wasn’t until he joined the Grammy Award-winning collective, God's Property, that he truly began to realize his musical potential. As part of GP, Pumah was mentored by a multitude of talented artists and individuals. With such an enormous and overwhelming amount of gifted people surrounding him, he quickly learned to act as a sponge, soaking up every bit of information he could and taking advantage of the opportunity placed before him.
As far as production in concerned, Pumah has only worked seriously with a select few, one of whom is widely known as Chicago emcee Brownlion. Since meeting a few years back, the two have formed a chemistry and brotherly bond that rivals that of DJ Premier & Guru, Pete Rock & CL Smooth and Talib Kweli & Hi-Tek. So much so that Pumah produced every last track on Brownlion’s upcoming debut Free Music (Innersoul), a project on which he also serves as Co-Executive Producer. He is currently in the studio with friend/artist out of Louisiana, DeLoach, banging out his new project. He also recently contributed his vocal talents to the new Fred Hammond project.
Pumah has had the privilege of working with many artists such as Kirk Franklin, Musiq Soulchild, Kiki Sheard, Fred Hammond, Jontez, Darwin Hobbs, Eykah Badu, Kim Burrell, Geno Young, Uncle Sam and emcee Brownlion. He is also currently a member of Myron Butler & Levi and performs as a soloist on the song entitled "Alright" from the project Set Me Free (EMI), on which he also served as a drum programmer, writer and arranger.
::: HOW THE ALBUM CAME ABOUT :::
After many months of hard work, Pumah has finally unveiled his debut album, KAT PHOOD (PadKat/Zuology). Fueled partially by the untimely passing of his musical mentor and icon, the late-great James “J-Dilla” Yancey, the album is a product of love, joy and heartache. Pumah describes the album album as a medium to bring back the gritty, street feel of Golden-era Hip-Hop, intentionally straying from the all too-polished sound and simplistic stylings of today's musical scene. Songs such as "Stray Kat" and "The Lick" display his gift and the artistry in chopping samples, while the original compositions "PadKat", "FK" and "He Kat, She Kat" give insight into the musical mind of Pumah through various complex chords and melodies.
"This music that I make is for Hip-Hoppers, but most importantly, it's for those who are lost in a world of commercialism, materialism and idiocism (laughs). Although this is not a project filled with bars and bars of lyrics, I know my purpose from God is to touch the hearts of anyone who is willing to listen with open ears and an open mind through my music, " says Pumah.
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Interests: GOD, Basketball, Eating, Conversing with Folks, Fixing Things (It may cost you a little, It may cost you a lot...but it's gon' cost you!)
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