It’s been a minute since my last confession. From last post til now; I’ve seen Spain, I’ve seen France, I saw Munich in my under…. Anyway, I mashed fantastic with Opus Akoben and Steve Coleman in San Sebastien (Spain) Paris (France) and Munich (Germany). Wonderful gigs during this whirlwind jaunt. ( I slept a total of 23 hours in 5 days). Good times. What’s next you may ask. I just finished producing, engineering and mixing, Jali-D’s “Mind Rhymes” (tentative title) It’s a kids album of a different sort, the beats rock and Jali drops that predicates and proper nouns and verbs to keep the tweens involved. I’m working on the follow up to “Mass”, as well as, looking to enlist some of my favorite producer/beat smith’s to remix selected cuts to go directly to my UK DJ fam. According to Mike (mgr) I should be in London in Septemer/October..stay tuned. I have a “rock” ( my man D in Miami said “it sounds like NERD meets Linkin Park”, well i’ll gladly take both of those groups checks if they come my way) band called the Caesarz, not to be confused with the Ceasars..but McDonalds, McDowells… they were first so a name change is in order…I highly doubt that anyone in the other group actually has Caesar in their name. Sharkey and I are “Dastardly”…go to the myspace page. www.myspace.com/dastardlymusic we are four songs in and they sound dope. DJ Roddy Rod and I are F.O.T.O. , the record is in the works and we both are amped.. Mass Instructions will be out in Japan soon, as the ink is almost dry on that deal, and there is a new partnership between yours truly and IODA. IODA contacted me via the “space” and we chopped it about what they could do for my records and we came to a great understanding, tis a beautiful thing, understanding. I’m in the process of reworking the audio section so that some free downloads will be available soon. I’ll keep you up on the skinny, sooner, I promise.

Kokayi returns to DC after standout performance with his band the Caesarz. At the 2008 Afro Punk fest in Brooklyn NY. at 2:20pm Sunday, they bumrushed the Clinton and Myrte Ave stage and set things off properly. The ”early” afternoon crowd soaked up the DC energy and lauded the group as they exited stage right to hand/back slaps and “good jobs” from fellow stage rockers the Carps (T.O) and members of J* Davey (LA) . the Caesarz are set to return to the borough shortly. Kokayi switched gears lending his “sanging voice” to the burgeoning project.  Next up Kokayi jaunts to: San Sebastian, Spain; Munich, Germany and Paris France (July24-26) to reunite with his mentor Steve Coleman and Opus Akoben for a Five ElementsXOpus Akoben live mashup. Post Euro excursion, Kokayi returns to DC to finish recording with producer Sharkey(Drumbums Global/DC) for their yet untitled project as well as finishing production and engineer duties on Jali-D’s Mind Rhymes (tentative title) a hip-hop based project, providing youth with healthier listening alternatives. Kokayi is also set to begin work on his next solo cd and the long awaited collaboration between he and DJ Roddy Rod (Cuba After Market/Blunt Park Sessions/Low Budget) tentatively entitled F.O.T.O..

Hey Friends and Fam

ChartHOP!

Guess who made No. 20 on the DMC UK’s Hip HOp Chart. That’s right check it out below…

EXCALIBAH - DMC HIP HOP CHART: 9th / JUNE / 2008
(Printed in next week’s UK DMC Update, posted online @ www.dmcupdate.com & broadcast live on Pyro Radio)

ARTIST - TITLE (LABEL)

1. Busta Rhymes ft Nas, Big Daddy Kane, Game, Lil Wayne – Don’t Touch Me RMX (White)
2. Roots Manuva – Buff Nuff (Big Dada)
3. Kidz In The Hall ft Pusha T, Cool Kidz & Bun B – Drivin Down The Block Remix (Duck Down/Major League Entertainment)
4. The Roots ft Peedi Crack – Get Busy (Def Jam)
5. Dizzee Rascal ft Calvin Harris – Dance With Me (Dirrty Stank)
6. Sway ft Stush – F Ur X (Dcypher)
7. J Live ft Posdunous – The Upgrade
8. Lethal Bizzle – Keys to the Bently (Lethal Bizzle Records)
9. TB ft Ebony Bones – What You Do (Manor Ent)
10. The Elementz – Crush Mode (OYM Records)
11. Dynamite MC – What!!! (White)
12. Outkast ft Raekwon – Royal Flush (MP3)
13. Immortal Technique – 3Rd World (White)
14. Nas – Be A Ni**er Too (Def Jam)
15. 9th Wonder & Buckshot – The Formula (Duck Down)
16. Baby J ft Shameless, Skibadee & Paul Smith – Apply Some Pressure (Ant/Sony)
17. Estelle – Shine (Home School)
18. J Rawls & Declaime – Dank & Jammy (Illmindmuzic / Polar Ent)
19. No Lay – Know Your Self Out Here (Promo CD)
20. Kokayi – Babylon (PH013 Music)

Send KOKAYI a congrats and tell all your UK mates to keep copping that Mass Instructions. YA DIG. SHo NUFF. (a brief nod to spike lee)

summer summer summertime….who got the slip and slide?

KOKAYI has been busy this month gearing up for the summer happenings. And what better way to start off the summer all properlike than by performing in Central Park. You can catch KOKAYI performing live on SummerStage in Central Park June 21 at 7pm.

KRS KOKAYI KILL THE BLACK CAT

KOKAYI wants to thank everyone who came out and by rocked out with him at the KRS-1 show. It was heard that KOKAYI rhymed his face off and his fearless band had the audience off the serious party mode when they opened up the legend. BIG UPS to singer Rona Rawls who got busy with her remix of “Stress” from KOKAYI’s debut Mass Instructions. And a superdooperwhopper love to all those new folks who pulled out their hardearned guap to cop Mass Instructions. BIG GROUP HUG! UHH

btw pics from show will be in gallery soon

LABCHECK

As always as a producer KOKAYI stays in the lab creating the freshness. Check out his upcoming production on projects by Jali D, Tamara Wellons, Wayna and of course new episodes of my favorite webisode “BeingEddieBlack.com. KOKAYI is also collaborating on some projects with DJ/Producer Sharkey (Babygrande Records/Drumbums GLOBAL) and Producer Extraordinaire Daru.

THe OPUS TRAINS HITS THE ROAD

KOKAYI joins OPUS AKOBEN and Steve Coleman for some international dates this July. If you just so happen to be traipsing around Europe this blazing July, go check out the Opus/Steve Coleman Mashup in such places as Poland, Spain and Paris.

Stay tuned for KOKAYI breaking news, updates etc.

OH LONDON TOWN.

That’s right maties, your boi KOKA will be making his official UK debut MAY 21st in LONDON at the LOOKOUT EVENT. KOKAYI will be a featured artist. LOOKOUT! happens twice a month at Favela Chic in Shoreditch, London. It’s a new live music, dj, dance performance, art exhibition jam, with djs Michael D, Khy Boogie, Alexander Nut, DJ Cavalry and friends hosted by Paz. LOOKOUT! is a platform to showcase live music, dancers, visual & digital artists while throwing a great party!

Location: 91-93 Great Eastern Street (old street tube st.) London, United Kingdom
entry is free before 9pm 3 after 9pm
6pm-1am  

KOKAYI FINALIST IN ARTSCAPES SOUNDOFF CONTEST!! AKA WE’RE GOING TO NEED YOU VOTE FOLKS STARTING MANANA!

You heard it hear first folks. KOKAYI is a finalist in ARTSCAPE’S SOUNDOFF CONTEST. Artscape music lovers and fans will be able to vote for their favorite band from May 1^st to May 31^st. The band that receives the most votes will perform at Artscape 2008, receive a $500 performance check & backstage party for 20 fans( who may include YOU.) SO GET TO VOTING. TOMMORROW AND EVERYDAY AFTER THAT UNTIL THE 31ST.  WE THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!

WWW.ARTSCAPE.ORG

“KNOW US MAYNE” VIDEO RELEASE

Director Trent Watts has completed and edited KOKAYI’s first music video for his single “KNOW US MAYNE”. The documentary style video showcasing DC in its finest and yet not so finest will be available for your viewing pleasure via YOUTUBE this Friday. A link will be forthcoming. KOKAYI’s video celebration party will take place early JUNE. More details on that later. 

KOKAYI/KRS-1 MAY 24th ALL THE WAY LIVE at THE BLACKCAT WASHINGTON DC

Just in case you can’t make it to ole Londontown, go to this one. 

9:30 show flicks

check out the flicks of KOKAYI courtesy of HEDRUSH from the 9:30 show with SPP AND WALE coming…tonight

KOKAYI BARES HIS SOL.  

Did you miss us. We know you did. Or maybe you didn’t Maybe you were in NY on the 16th and caught your boy KOK holding it down proper at Sol Village at SOB’s. Big ups to host and soul superstar Eric Roberson for inviting KOKAYI to share. Def will be back. check out a sample of the night on youtube. There were some nice flicks captured so dopely by Legendary Poet.

Building Peace Through Hip Hop 

 And after NY came the Hip Hop Peacebuilding Festival the next day. Who NEEDS SLEEP RIGHT! KOK hit stage at the Caverns of Bohemia aka Bohemian Caverns in DC along with Oddisee, Bomani, and others. The Sounds in the City Band were there to make it all steamy.

And then Friday, KOKAYI tapped into his cultural ambassador brain for some powerful discourse at the US Institute of Peace.

HELP EDDIE NOW!!  

It’s here. The long-awaited second episode of Being Eddie Black. Go check it out and help Eddie. He so needs the american public to help him make life decisions. And peep the score and music by KOKAYI of course. Gutter Gear!!

KOKAYI AND “THE TEACHER”

NO This isn’t some provocative indie flick. I’m talking about KRS-1.  KOKAYI opens up for him May 24 at the Black Cat.  I’m a need yall to show up for this one.  No for real.

That’s right People. KOKAYI was selected to be a featured artist for this years Central Park Summerstage. KOKAYI hits the stage on June 21 along with JLove Calderon, La Bruja, Lemon and Will Power. To all the KOKAYI supporters, fans and wannabe’s in NY this would be the time to show your face. I mean it’s free. Now that doesnt’ mean you shouldn’t support KOKAYI when he performs at SOB’s Sol Village April 16th.

Happy Spring Peoples,

We all know the spring brings showers, flowers,possible love and KOKAYI.  Well you have to know from the last posting that his record Mass Instructions will be released May 12 in France with a spanking new cover. KOKAYI will def be making his french connection this summer.

Check out KOKAYI in the news section on www.justlikehiphop.com. We know it’s in French so go ahead and use your google translator unless your French is like that. 

AND STILL CLIMBING….

….Congratulations again to singer and songwriter Wayna and KOKAYI! Her debut single “Moonlight Rendezvous” produced by KOKAYI climbed to No. 4  on the Billboard’s Hot R/B Hip Hop Singles Chart. and No. 13 on Hot Singles Sales Chart “.

 Also please keep voting for KOKAYI every single day from various computers and laptops at prohiphop.com. Make KOKAYI artist of the month. And well no KOKAYI did not make into Urb’s Next 100 (insert boos and hisses here). But alas you can still vote for him for URB’s next 1000.

KOKAYI IS ALL ABOUT THE PEACE

KOKAYI will be participating in George Mason’s Peacebuilding Hip Hop Festival. On April 17 he joins Rosetta Stoned, Bomani and others in a concert at Bohemian Caverns.

On April 18 at 2pm KOKAYI will flex his brain muscles and drop the scientifics about all that is peace, hip hop and more as a panel participant at the United States Institute of Peace.

Breaking News

KOKAYI has a big gig announcement for JUNE 21st but sorry kiddies we just can’t let that out yet. soon come….and you better be there.

Just Like Vibes officially releases KOKAYI’’s Mass Instructions MAY 12 throughout all of France. 

 KOKAYI returned from SXSW Sunday and hit the 9:30 stage that same evening in a show along with Wale and SPP(Storm, Priest and Poemcees). check out kokayi’s upcoming blog about the show and his Austin Adventures!

VOTE for KOKAYI everyday this month at www.proghiphop.com to be XM radio’s artist of the Month on their Subsoniq Show. So stop reading this and go there now!! and everyday until the end of this month. NOW and tommorrow and tommorrow and tommorrow and tommorrow and …

Congratulations to singer and songwriter Wayna and KOKAYI! Her debut single “Moonlight Rendezvous” produced by KOKAYI hit number 10 this week on the Billboard’s Hot R/B Hip Hop Singles Chart. “Moonlight Rendezvous” is the first single from Wayna’s upcoming second album Higher Power( Quiet Power/ Face2Face)

This is the first chart hit for both Wayna and KOKAYI. Check out Wayna live at upcoming FYE instores throughout the region and her official cd release party at ZANZIBAR nightclub April 5th.

Hey Young World!

We know it’s been a second since the last post. Well we have some more big news regarding KOKAYI but we’re just not allowed to bust it out yet. But stay tuned fam, you’ll know soon enough. In the meantime, we do hope you’ve been staying up with KOKAYI”s appearances. Keep checking his website. Next Month which starts Saturday, KOKAYI hits the 9:30 stage with his band for the MN8 Wildcard show along with DC’s Wale(www.myspace.com/wale202 and SPP (www.myspace.com/sppwaxworks or www.sppwaxworks.com.

The show is a guaranteed don’t miss on March 16 for only $15.oo. We’re not in a recession quite yet folks so go partay like it’s 1985 or 1991! huh?

KOKAYI has a couple of NY dates lined up. check out the performance page already!

KOKAYI in Bush Country 

On March 13 KOKAYI hops the jetplane out to BUSH  COUNTRY aka TEXAS for SXSW(www.sxsw.com) He may grace a stage or two. Who knows he might rock a cowboy hat and get his River City Rave on! Holla!

French MASSIVE!

April showers bring May flowers and “Mass Instructions” to France. This May The JUST LIKE HIP HOP record label will officially release KOKAYI’s debut album to all of France.

MORE BIG NEWS LATER. WE REALLY WANT TO TELL YOU BUT…..we’re losing our connection….we…..mor…lat…hol..at..you..bis

(dialtone)

disconnection lost…..