Alternative soul singer-songwriter Cookie Rabinowitz started out as an introspective folk singer with reclusive tendencies and oversized pimp-like glasses. While struggling to make ends meet, he found himself working in an infamous Philly gentleman’s club as a DJ, and discovered his music being pulled in a different direction. The “on the job demand” for rugged beats and smoldering hooks took his music far, far away from his sensitive singer-songwriter world.
This revelation has ushered in a new era of bump music Cookie has dubbed “Four Eyed Soul.” The Four Eyed Soul vibe is both futuristic and classic. The moniker is a nod to Philly’s rich history of Blue Eyed Soul, and Cookie’s aesthetic encompasses this smoothly sophisticated sensibility as well as hip-hop, classic soul, rock and R&B. Fittingly, the first release from Cookie Rabinowitz is Four Eyed Soul (Electric Roots).
On the hypnotic and bubbling grind of “Sing Alone, Sing Alone,” Cookie sings of disconnect in the social media age. “Everyone is so shut down just starring at their phones. You see friends hanging out together, but both of them are on Facebook when their real friend is right next to them,” he says.
The swirling vintage soul of “Crakka Smile,” replete with molasses falsetto, is a smoldering and stanky “grin and bear it” message. The profound “Blue” is an empowering and positive statement on racial tension.
Cookie discovered his own artistic authenticity through working with hip-hop pioneer Schoolly D outside of music. The two, plus Cookie’s co-guitarist Erik Horvitz, began creating collaboratively on the animated urban music interview show, The Cookie Rabinowitz Show. Cookie eventually toured with Schoolly along with a cadre of iconic rappers, including Public Enemy, and this tour became a turning point in his creative continuum. “The hip-hop community really embraced me. It was eye opening. Schoolly let me do my thing and shine – I was able to sing and play guitar at 3,000 capacity venues,” Cookie recalls. “That inspired me to dive into that world.”
Cookie Rabinowitz is a solo artist backed by a crew of Philly soul all-stars. Cookie's band’s sweat-soaked musicality and silken grooves have enabled them to hold their own sharing stages with a broad array of respected artists. It's not uncommon for artists such as Schoolly D, Peedi Crakk, Cee Knowledge aka The Doodlebug, to jump on the stage and participate in the show.
In addition to his onstage profile, Cookie is one of the creators of The Cookie Rabinowitz Show. Cookie has also contributed his voice and his songwriting talents to television shows such as The Ghost Whisperer, Men in Trees, and Cartoon Network's Aqua Teen Hunger Force.
Looking forward on his musical journey, Cookie says, "It all comes down to that moment where you look at yourself and say, ‘I need to do this.' Now I’m ready to share my music with everyone."