Brown Rice Family, UnderGround Horns and Negus World event

I hope this email reaches all of you in good spirit and Health. As an artist the years are getting better and better; it would not have happen without all the family and friends that have helped me along the way. I got the opportunity to bless so many big stages, small stages, intimate settings, and many more. I also got to visit  two countries, Brazil  and Australia, that are both under the equator. From the bottom of my heart thank you and I am thankful for all the support that you have shown me this year. When things get hard it is the compliments and handshakes that keep me going.

This year has been fantastic for Brown Rice Family and UnderGround Horns as I have the pleasure of playing with both bands. To celebrate the end of the year we will be collaborating on December 28th (Drom 85 avenue A in the East village) from 7.30pm to 11pm. Last time these two bands came together (march 2013, 92Y Tribeca) it was a festive moment. This time we will be cooking a special Brown rice family/Underground Horns set to cater to both fans, therefore bring your dancing  shoes and your holiday spirit.    Click Here to buy tickets early


Negus World is having its annual Anniversary/New Years party on December 31st. I have worked and been a witness of the growth of the International Negus World movement and I have seen all likes of people embrace the idea of being Kings and Queens. It is an honor to be amongst such dedicated artists or Heartists like my brother Johwell would say. Come and celebrate this movement of Music, Art and Education as they embark their 7th year.  It will be a house party on Grand avenue between Myrtle and Park ave in Brooklyn. Get in touch for details.
Happy Holidays and Happy New Years!

After a wonderful year of music and traveling please come and dance with us at the last show of the year. I promise you it will be very festive and fun. Tell a friend to tell a friend and lets bring in the next year with positive vibration so that we can spread the joyous feeling all over the world. There will be beautiful people in the crowd so come and join us. Please bring your dancing shoes because thats just what the music will do to you. BlissBless.  December 28th at Drom 7-11pm

LEGENDARY HIP HOP ARTIST RAKIM TO HEADLINE AT NYC CARNEGIE HALL - NOV 3, 2013
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
LEGENDARY HIP HOP ARTIST RAKIM TO HEADLINE AT THE WORLD FAMOUS CARNEGIE HALL
Hip Hop Saves Lives Presents, “Let’s Take It Higher,” a Benefit Concert in Honor of Haiti, with Special Guest Appearance by Honoree, DJ Kool Herc ----------
Hosted by Cassie Freeman of VH1’s “Single Ladies” with Special Guest Performance by
“The X Factor” Sensation, ASTRO Kid
New York, New York, (October 11, 2013) – Hip Hop Saves Lives (HHSL) will present an evening in tribute to one of the most significant and dominant American art forms: Hip Hop. The “Let’s Take It Higher” benefit concert will be held at Carnegie Hall, widely known as the most famous and elusive stages in the world, on Sunday, November 3, 2013, at 8:30 p.m. (EST).
Special guest performances to include, World Roots Artists: Zing Experience and Brown Rice Family, along with a special guest appearance by famed Hip Hop producer, Large Pro and rounding out this illustrious evening will be iconic Hip Hop artist, Rakim, who is highly regarded as the most influential and talented MCs of all time. Afrika Bambaataa, affectionately known as “The Godfather” of Hip Hop, will also be celebrated that evening for being one of the originators of the culture.
In honor of the iconic history of the art form, one that has shifted the global landscape, HHSL will create an experience featuring some of Hip Hop’s architects, including the talented and pioneering DJ Kool Herc and the innovative Rock Steady Crew who along with many others, helped to create Hip Hop’s foundation. ASTRO, the imaginative and energetic Hip Hop artist will represent the youth of the movement by gracing the stage. With almost four decades of relevance, Hip Hop, the prodigious cultural movement with African roots, continues to inspire and elevate society at large.
HHSL is a non-profit organization that was created to re-instate the original purpose of Hip Hop. An alternative to gang and street life, Hip Hop, born out of humanity, evolved as a conduit for positivity – the aim is to teach humanity through Hip Hop.

"We don't just teach humanity through Hip Hop, we create humanitarians," says Chad Harper, CEO and Founder of HHSL.
For more details on how to purchase tickets, please visit: http://www.carnegiehall.org/Calendar/2013/11/3/0830/PM/Benefit-Concert- featuring-Kids-Helping-Kids-A-Hip-Hop-Experience/
ABOUT HHSL:
HHSL teaches humanity using Hip Hop as a platform through a youth program entitled “Kids Helping Kids: A Hip Hop Experience,” a program that educates about global “heroes,” and encourages the children to participate in creating various musical and visual gifts for the chosen “hero.” HHSL also produces fundraisers where 100% of the proceeds support schools and clean water initiatives in Haiti.
For information on HHSL, please visit, http://www.hiphopsaveslives.org/.
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Chadhhsl
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hip-Hop-Saves- Lives/241113031596
MEDIA CONTACT: Kelley A. Jackson kajpr1025@gmail.com Ivanna Bond bondquik@gmail.com
For press inquiries please contact, kajpr102@gmail.com.
PEACE LOVE AND HIP HOP 

 

I would like to send a special thank you to all family and friends who supported me this year. Tomorrow October 2nd i will be celebrating another fiscal year(Birthday) and without your support my career would not be happening. I know you are all dying to get me a gift but i only want 2 things this year.

1. Buy your ticket for the Carnegie hall show. On November 3rd BrownRiceFamily and Zing Experience will be playing at Carnegie Hall. This event is sponsored by HipHop Saves Lives and NegusWorld who together run an afterschool program called Kids Helping Kids. This program helps kids in underprivileged neighborhoods explore their emotions and energy through writing, rapping, dancing and many more. The Carnegie Hall show is an opportuntity for these kids to showcasee their talents to the world and understand that good positive music still have a platform.

Music and sports helped me through my high school year but today, we live in an era where due to budget cuts, arts programs are the first to go in public schools. Therefore It is important to have and support mentors and programs like Kids Helping Kids for our youths. We need your help in order for this event to be a sold out show!
So pretty please find it in your heart to buy a ticket and come see this kids perform what they have created and watch Zing and BrownRice take it higher!  
BUY YOUR TICKETS NOW!!!!
http://www.carnegiehall.org/Calendar/2013/11/3/0830/PM/Benefit-Concert-featuring-Kids-Helping-Kids-A-Hip-Hop-Experience/

2.  I would like for all my family and friends to pray for me. It is not an easy road but the movement continues. Peace and blessings.

P.S. Brown Rice Family is performing at Red Rooster in Harlem tomorrow, October 2nd, from 8p-12a. If you are free, come thru and chill with the birthday boy.

Brown Rice Family upcoming shows this week.

This week, Brown Rice Family has 4 shows in NYC.
Hope to see you there!
10/2 (Wed) Red Rooster Harlem
310 Lenox Ave. Manhattan
8pm-11pm

10/3 (Thu) Fashion Week Brooklyn
241 37th street, Brooklyn
Show start 6:30pm
http://fashionweekbrooklyn.com/?page_id=422

10/4 (Fri) WOODLAND
242 Flatbush Ave., Brooklyn
8:30pm-11pm

10/5 (Sat) Live United
Brooklyn Bridge park, Pier 1
12pm-2pm.
http://www.liveunitednyc.org/

I hope all of you are doing well and living your dream. As for me I just came back from Belo Horizonte and Rio De Janeiro, Brazil on Friday and I had a blast. I played the Tudo é Jazz fest in Ouro Preto with UnderGround Horns and the love that we got put me on cloud 9. I feel blessed to be traveling under the influence of music. Here is a link to one of the songs from the festival...

Okay that was the past, what's in the future???

 Brown Rice Family

• Today Sept 23rd and October 7th we are playing at the Legendary Cafe Wha! As usual plz bring your dancing shoes. 115 Macdougal St Manhattan, NY 10012 Door open at 8pm Show 9:30pm-1am Door: $5

• Saturday Sept 28th from 3.15p-5.15p Yuichi and I play percussion for the well renowned choreographer Pat Hall (Afro-Carib dance class) at Mark Morris in Brooklyn. This particular class we will be playing along Master drummer, Dr. Djobi, from Ivory Coast. I am super excited to be drumming next to this fantastic drummer. To all the dancers you do not want to miss this class!! I can't even tell you how many ancestors will be in the building that day.

• Thursday Oct 3rd we are playing for Brooklyn Fashion week. First set is at 6.30pm. Check out what's about to go down in BK that weekend.  http://fashionweekbrooklyn.com/ 

• Saturday Oct 5th  in Collaboration with  Live United, Join thousands of fellow New Yorkers at Pier 1, Brooklyn Bridge Park to celebrate the wonder and importance of reading. It's the key that unlocks jobs, health and happiness. We played this event last year and the kids had a blast. So here we go again. http://www.liveunitednyc.org/ 

•  Sunday Nov 3rd "CARNEGIE YA'LL LET'S TAKE IT HIGHER                Please join us at Carnegie Hall to celebrate the roots of Hip-Hop and pay homage to its "father" DJ Kool Herc. Before all other genres of music Hip-Hop was my gateway into the world of rhythm. So for me it is an honor and pleasure to be doing this event that brings together Hip-Hop+Education=Edutainment

Carnegie Hall 
881 7th Ave New York, NY 10019 
Time: 8:30pm 
Tickets: $50-$75 
Performers: Brown Rice Family, Zing Experience, Kids Helping Kids, Nice and Smooth, Dynamic Rockers
More info and ticket: http://www.carnegiehall.org/Calendar/2013/11/3/0830/PM/Benefit-Concert-featuring-Kids-Helping-Kids-A-Hip-Hop-Experience/

The weekend of November 15th BRF will be touring in the Dirty south for the first time. We will be going to Georgia and North Carolina! Please look out for us if you live in these 2 states on that weekend. If you should have any hook ups to venues that might want to hear our Soul music, please dont hesitate to contact us!

UnderGround Horns

Fresh off the plane still smelling like Brazil. We have some gigs coming up that you should come to.

• Wednesday Sept 25th @12pm Richard Tucker Park in association with Lincoln center. Please come join us if you work around the way. We can be the entertainment for your lunch time. http://www.lincolnbid.org/news/view/free-lunchtime-concert-series-returns-august-7th-%E2%80%93-september-25th

• Friday Sep 27th and 28th from 5-8pm 84 St.Marks beer garden with a whole German theme. If you are a fan of beer you should come thru, they have a big selection. Have a big drink while you enjoy some live acoustic music from UH.

• Saturday Oct 5th @4pm we will be playing at the brand new B.R.I.C. building grand opening on Fulton street in Brooklyn. BRIC House will be a new cultural center for all of Brooklyn—think of it as your new home for the arts. Come celebrate the opening of the new facility with a free all ages block party including live music, food and family activities. http://bricartsmedia.org/events/bric-open-house  

• October 10th @Midnight Nublu 62 ave C we will be doing it again at our normal spot. We always play 2 sets so come early or late to catch UH do its thing. 

Okai Musik
I've been having a crazy fun time thus far and it will continue into the month of October. My birthday is coming up October 2nd and Oct 14th I will be traveling to Australia to visit some really good friends and possibly make some music contacts. Please keep me in your prayers as I fullfil my dreams as a musician/humanitarian to make this world a little better. Much love to all my Negus/Nigist who are taking their careers into their own hands. It's very scary at times but when you are learning to master your own life there are major lessons and rewards at the end of each journey you decide to take.
BlissBless
Also keep an ear out for Strings N Skins, Zing Experience, Monvelyno Alexis, Bombazo dance co, Freddy Fuego tet. 

www.OkaiMusik.com
 www.facebook.com/okaimusik

Flying to Brazil today!!!

Flying to Brazil today to play with underground horns @ a festival in Ouro Preto, then flying to Rio to enjoy the rest of the country. I will keep you posted and post some pics if I can. Wish me well. BlissBless.

Travel Plans

So far I will be going to Brasil with UnderGround Horns in September,
Australia in October, short tour with BrownRiceFamily down south in November, then hopefully Haiti in December, then Cuba in the beginning of the new year. Life is what you make it dont waste anytime.!!!! :)

Tonight: Everyone loves a Brooklyn House party for a Cause. Come thru. BRF and Zing will be present. BlissBless and Jon Bibas on the music tip.. You are invited.

https://www.facebook.com/events/501520399937723/

Brown Rice Family August Schedule

Aug 21st Red Rooster 8pm-mid night
Aug 22nd Waterside plaza 6pm-9pm
Aug 23rd Fundraising party for Carnegie at Okai's crib. 8-9pm jam
Aug 25th BRIC TV shooting at Oko farm &7bites 12pm-7pm
Aug 26th Cafe Wah 8pm-1am
Aug 31st-Sep 1st Cape Cod

BrownRiceFamily.com for more details. 

BRF at Red Rooster on Wednesday. WaterFront Plaza East side and 21st on Thursday. Sunday we are shooting with BRIC combining Organic Music, food and farming in BrooklYn. Next Monday Cafe Wa in the W4th area. BrownRiceFamily.com for details. See you soon!

First time to the South!!

God willing, I will be going to Brazil  September 13th with UnderGround Horns for a  music festival. I love to travel especially when its music related. It feels amazing. I celebrated last night  with my music sister Luisa at Libation in Sullivan Hall. I  had a blast,sweated and danced so much. I was surprised that I didnt end up cramping by the end of the night. . Today Im going to see my Queen and will be in extra bliss. Life is pretty good and im praying for my moms who will be  having a  knee surgery on Tuesday. Im hoping to send  my good vibrations all the way to Georgia so that all goes well. BlissBless.

NegusWold + HipHopSavesLives= Kids Helping Kids(KHK).

Help us put this kids on Carnegie Hall stage to perform the songs they have been creating in the KHK program. Press play to see the campaign.
Click here to see the Carnegie Hall campaign. We need your help.

KHK is an after school program designed to give children the unique opportunity to provide clean water to children in Africa and Haiti while being creative through the beautiful art of hip hop.

We begin to educate the kids on Kool Herc, the founder of hip hop and his original mission. A mission that were to create a positive and creative outlet to promote peace and unity. A mission to offer his peers an alternative to the gang and street life in his neighborhood of south Bronx. Gangs quickly joined the movement and began to battle through break dancing and rhyming. Hip hop was saving lives from its conception.

We teach them that hip hop is a culture with 5 different elements: Djing, rhyming, break dancing, graffiti and fashion. What is one the radio is simply other rhyming element of hip hop. However the majority of it contradicts its original purpose by promoting negativity, hate and violence. Therefore this music is simply rap. Rap was around many years before hip hop in other forms such as nursery rhymes. Even the way we are taught to learn our ABC's is in a rhyme form. Rhyming is not hip hop.

HIP HOP IS A POSITIVE ARTISTIC CULTURE DESIGNED TO PROMOTE PEACE AND UNITY IN ITS COMMUNITY

Zing Experience! Ayibobo

Tonight Im playing with Zing Experience at Red Rooster Harlem 8pm and Friday at @Tonel on the Corner of Rogers and NewKirk 8pm. Come thru and hear some Haitian Roots Rock Reggae Music.

THIS WEEK!!

Tomorrow July 24th-BrownRiceFamily In collaboration with NegusWorld and HipHopSavesLives will be bringing down the house at RED ROOSTER IN HARLEM. BRING YOUR DANCING SHOES.!! 8pm...
July 28th- at Pier I (in Riverside Park South), Manhattan 7:00 pm–9:00pm.......
NEW PROJECT**** STRINGS N SKINS Friday July 26th @Two Boots in Brooklyn. I started a new project with my music sister Luisa on violin called STRINGS N SKINS and we have our first show coming up at TWO BOOTS in Brooklyn 514 2nd street Brooklyn.@Okai Musik on percussion and vocals, Luisa Bastidas on Violin, Jackie Coleman on Bass and Deglel Tecle on Guitar, Kevin Raczka on Drums. Please come support.

My Weekend starts today!!!

This weekend starts today for me in NYC. I think it might be my busiest ever!!!

Today Wednesday June 19th; Shooting a commercial for Nike in Willie B at 8pm with Kevin Raczka. Then im going to Red Rooster to join Zing Experience - Official Page. 

THURSDAY June 20th; BrownRiceFamily and 7bites will be donating food and playing music for a Fundraiser party in Willy B. 115 N7th street. Raising money for instruments for JHS 166 George Gershwin junior high in East NY, Brooklyn. 

FRIDAY June 21st; UnderGround Horns will be playing in front of the Brooklyn Public Library at 5pm.
BrownRiceFamily  Make Music New York Putnam Triangle BY,NY 7pm.
UnderGround Horns Nublu midnight show.


SATURDAY June 22nd ; Cumbe: Center for African and Diaspora Dance. BrownRiceFamily and 7bites will be serving food and Pat Hall will be having a Afro-Carib dance class before our performance. Big time fun. Be ready to sweat and have a good time.

SUNDAY June 23rd; @BPM 237 Kent ave is closing down and they ask BRF to perform at there closing.