Hip Hop Chess Teams w/ A Plus, Rakaa Iriscience & Sunspot Jonz for New Album

Adisa Banjoko

Adisa Banjoko

San Jose, CA -Props to longtime journalist, emcee and martial arts expert Adisa Banjoko and  The Hip-Hop Chess Federation (HHCF) . Last week they released a mixtape album called Street Games Vol. 1 will be available for FREE download on November 15th 2013 at www.hiphopchessfederation.org. The album highlights the connections between music, chess and martial arts and their connections to unity, strategy and nonviolence.

Featured on the album is A Plus from Hieroglyphics who hosts the mixtape while DJ Rob Flow oversees the production. Additional production was provided by Ronnie Lee of the Seven Trees Music Center in San Jose as well as contributions by Mike Relm and Rhapsodist.

Rakaa Iriscience of Dilated Peoples, Sunspot Jonz of Living Legends, Zumbi of Zion I, Black Knights, Quadir LateefJasiri X, Asheru (Boondocks Theme Song), Tajai from Hieroglyphics are all featured on this HHCF compilation.

Additional wisdom illustrating the power of chess, martial arts and Hip-Hop are given by authors Jeff Chang and Dr. Joe Schloss, Jiu Jitsu master Ryron Gracie and Women’s chess Grandmaster Jennifer Shahade.

Adisa Banjoko, Founder of the HHCF noted  “ Street Games Vol. 1 was made with no budget. All of the rappers, engineers and producers gave their time and their art to make this compilation possible. This is a project done funded with love only. Neither the HHCF nor any of the artists involved will profit from the project.

This compilation is a testament to the power of art over aggression. In it we illustrate life strategies through chess, illustrate triumph of patience through the pain and a showcase a wisdom beyond war. We are thankful to all the artists, martial artists and educators who helped bring this idea to reality. It was orchestrated with the hope that teens and young adults trapped in American urban war zones will be inspired to actualize their potential.”

It is 100% curse free which making it an ideal teaching tool for urban education programs.

Below is a cut from Kalhi with Introduction by Ryron Gracie called Technical Flow.. Its accompanied by an essay of the same title written by Adisa

For many years people have discussed the connections between chess and martial arts. I’ve been a casual student of chess and jiu jitsu for a while and I have seen many overlapping themes. My earliest memory of the correlation is watching Rickson and Royler Gracie play chess before one of Rickson’s matches in the movie Choke. In recent years we have seen the emergence of the Checkmat team (known for being very aggressive and strategic in competition) and recently an instagram photo of champions Roger and Kyra Gracie playing chess in their gi’s popped up on the net. If that was not enough, jiu jitsu clothing brand CTRL Industries has dropped a limited edition set of gi’s named after chess pieces. “The Rook” and “The Knight” have gained a lot of internet buzz among jiu jitsu players online. Little by little the connections seem deeper and more authentic.
Read the rest of A Technical Flow  HERE
Sunspot Jonz

Sunspot Jonz

Rapper Sunspot Jonez who is featured on track called 64 Squares in a Cipher with Raka Iriscience and Zumbi  disses recently released killer of Michael Jackson, Dr Conrad Murray

 “Chess moves
What the best do
I jump kick
Side flip
Check you
Like ya names Conrad Murray
Not true to the code
How ya Lose ya common sense
When it comes to the dough
Never do that
Like bust a wack rap”

 

Sunspot Jonz of Living Legends Disses Conrad Murray in first verse

 

Below is an essay accompanying 64 Squares in the Cipher

Rakaa and Gumby

Rakaa and Gumby

“I don’t play either side or the king, I play God / Heavenly wars played out on hand carved boards / Rakaa’s many moves ahead, learned to sacrifice to win / Angels share the tables with the ones that lived a life of sin.” – Rakaa Iriscience

People close to me know that my chess-playing skills are nowhere near that of a master. My friend once rightly joked “You are easily the worst chess player to ever make the cover of Chess Life magazine.” He’s right though. My game is at the level of a guy who likes chess, but never really pursued it on a competitive level. My addiction to the game came from the philosophy I got from the outcomes of the games I played and watched. That, and the fun I have irrespective of the outcome.

For some intermediate and advanced chess players this seems to be a source of deep frustration. No matter what I do, or the members of this organization there is constant complaining about my rating, or the ratings of the rappers,  MMA fighters or jiu jitsu players who support HHCF.  I think the thing many of the chess players from this group lack is a greater understanding of the game on a social and cultural level.

They are so obsessed with the game they love that they see any attempt to “alter” its true nature as an offense to something they are deeply passionate about and skilled at playing. In their obsession however, they miss the cultural essence of chess on a global scale. The international appeal of HHCF confuses so many “serious” chess players. So let me share my vision more fully for those  unclear on thee concept. Let me also say that I realize this is not an easy concept to grasp and I don’t fault anyone for not knowing the converging histories of Hip-Hop, chess and martial arts in America. But I lived this, with millions of other people, so, I know its real and I have seen the fusion enlighten and inspire.

I think I saw something that said a little more than half a billion humans can play chess around the world. Now sit back and think to yourself, “How many of those people are active competitors who plan on become masters?” The answer after a few seconds should be a resounding “Almost none!” People love the game of chess because its fun.

The games you play with your brother before leaving to school. The game your grandmother won that made you cry when you were 9. One night my wife and I were given a free weekend at a lavish hotel in the silicon valley. We were going to go to a restaurant, hit the club and stay out till dawn. That is what we initially told ourselves. We spent hours of it sitting in a hot tub locked in 23-hour chess battle on the 64 squares. The water got cold.  We took the game to the main room and stayed up till after 1am trying to win—that’s the chess I’m about. That’s the chess this planet enjoys. So few can remember if granny was breaking out the Kings Indian on them. Nobody remembers if they used the Sicilian Dragon on their opponent in that lunch hour. They just remember the fun. The purity of the fun and personal connectivity in that moment means more than any sheet of algebraic notation.

At the same time, let me say without reservation that if it were not for those that seek to take chess to the highest heights from a competitive and academic perspective, the casual players of the world would have nothing to aspire towards. Players like Magnus Carlsen, Viswanathan Anand, Jennifer Shahade, Irina Krush, Yasser Seirawan and Maurice Ashley are the living cornerstones we stand upon even when we don’t know it. They must all be properly acknowledged for what they have achieved. It is no small thing.

Nevertheless, I’ve played games with Hip-Hop stars Casual, RZA, Traxamillion, Amir Sulaiman I will never forget (I often came up short). One time Big Rich and Balance brought some husky Russian dude to play me at a restaurant. It was electric. This summer I played an amazing game with a young San Jose rapper named Society. It was such a positionally close game II named that match The Battle of Tai Chi. Our positions were so mutually intense and the pressure so high, we were both sweating and thinking and rethinking our moves. It was like a  match between Tai Chi warriors in a Jet Li film.
The HHCF tournament at Rock The Bells ended with a street dude from Compton challenging a classically trained player who had just ethered everybody and the dude from Compton won. Off the hook. You can’t make these things up. It’s real life, its real chess and just because the players or fans can’t list the name of every opening or endgame strategy does not make it less legitimate.
Jahi credit (BFresh Photography)

Jahi credit (BFresh Photography)

At Hiero Day 2013 in Oakland, HHCF had a table of chessboards set up right next to the All Tribes Zulu Nation booth. After Ronnie Lee and I set up the tables, we just walked away and it automatically was packed with players. Boyfriends lost to their girlfriends, strangers clashed leaving fallen opponents lost in mental anguish and some just passed by to learn the game. I played  nasty battle with rapper/educator Jahi. We had been trying to catch up to one another for years (life gets in the way, things fall apart) but on this day we vowed to play. It was stressful for both of us.

Crowds swelled to get a peek at the tactical exchange. When it was over, we were all laughing and talking about opportunities taken, missed and lost. Then an Ethiopian college girl walked up and asked me how much it cost to play. I’m like, “Chess is free.” She just nodded and pointed as if to say “Move then.” I knew she was a killer from her question. She came after me like the blood of Queen Nzinga pulsed in her veins. I was a goner for sure. Then, daybreak! A missed opportunity to check me put me in a position where I had to check her repeatedly into a mate or perish. I  pulled it off, but my mind was jello after. I needed a sandwich and some ice tea to recover from those matches.Whoever said chess is only a game for your brain, surely lied. Your whole body feels the stress.

I saw rap producer Ronnie Lee go head to head with some Latino street dude just as my game ended. Ronnie is a way stronger player than I am. This dude came in and started throwing pieces at Ronnie so hard (it was his last game of the day) and Ronnie was positionally on the ropes. Slowly though, the guys aggression caused him to poke holes in his own structure trying to eat Ronnies pieces. I saw him snatch a piece of Ronnies with a grin that soon dropped his jaw. The guys knight was now too far away to protect his king. He knew Ronnie was going to ride his castes down the H file and end it. He shook his head, laid his kind down. “Good game, man” he said with a smile and shook Ronnies hand. That’s the chess we seek to promote. That human chess.

Observing the landscape of the jiu jitsu and in the Hip-Hop world, I find people of similar mind states. They are so in love with the purity of jiu jitsu, Rap or b-boying that they cannot see the connections to chess and respect it lightly because of a line from RZA or Jay Z or 50 Cent. I have said from the beginning that this organization is not for everyone. Not from a place of arrogance or exclusion, but, from a place of intellectual insight. The self-discovery that comes from playing chess, listening to Rap music and training in jiu jitsu and studying the philosophies from those paths has already altered how we see ourselves, humanity and art. Who knows what this fusion will unveil to us through consistent exchanges of intellectual, artistic and physical improvements?

You gotta have an open mind to roll with HHCF. If you are locking into the path of the 64 squares only- the HHCF may not for you. If your love for the gentle art or MMA is too narrow to see anything else- I encourage you to keep walking. If you are all about your rap ciphers but you can’t see past the 5 elements of Hip-Hop- HHCF might not be your thing. We are an organization of people who know they are not one trick pony’s. We know that we are all connected.

This fusion of art and logic, of mental and physical combat was meant to unite people within. Then that unity should flow outward their local and global community. It was meant  to unify the minds of young boys and girls to inspire them. We hope to enable them to be able to  manifest whatever vision of themselves resonates within their heart. That is it. So if you want to know who the members of the HHCF are- look out your window. Now look in the mirror. Welcome to the HHCF.  For more information on what we do and how we do it, visit  . Educators who would like an HHCF branch in your area please email contact@hiphopchessfederation.org

Hip-Hop Chess Federation & SF Universal Zulu Nation Chapter Team Up For Coat Giveaway

Adisa Banjoko

Adisa Banjoko

San Francisco, CA- Founder of the Hip-Hop Chess Federation (HHCF) Adisa Banjoko aka “The Bishop”, and All Tribes Chapter of the Universal Zulu Nation in San Francisco have joined forced to give away winter coats to teens.

“We will be giving away more than 50 coats that All Tribes collected as donations during the end of 2012” said All Tribes Minister of Information DJ Kool Dizzy. “We are using John O’Connell as a distribution point because HHCF told us that some of the kids here were coming to school in just t-shirts. The San Francisco Bay Area has seen some freezing temperatures over the last few weeks. We knew we had to take action.”

“I know the holidays have technically passed, but we see young people in need of warm clothing all over” said Adisa Banjoko of HHCF. “The Universal Zulu Nation has always worked hard to help kids and I knew they were working on a coat drive. I invited them to give the coats to some of the kids at John O’Connell and everything just came together. We hope those seeing HHCF and Zulu working together,  inspires other individuals and groups to work together and help people in their area. The strategy here is to keep kids warm, plain and simple.”

zulu All TribesThe coat give away will be Friday January 18th 2013 at John O’Connell High School and will be exclusive to the students of the school.

For more information on Hip-hop Chess Federation visit www.facebook.com/hiphopchess and for information on All Tribes Universal Zulu Nation Chapter visit www.facebook.com/AllTribesSF .

No Sellout-The Secret Malcolm X Tape w/ The FBI

Bay Area journalist Adisa Banjoko aka The Bishop who heads up the Hip Hop Chess Federation came to our SF State class yesterday and laced our students up with the important role Islam has played in Hip Hop culture.  One of the main topics he touched upon was the strong presence of Malcolm X and what he meant to Hip Hop.. We discussed the songs he was sampled in. We talked about the rappers who referenced him.. Adisa definitely went in..

He closed out the discussion by talking about Cointel-pro and Black Pro– the government program that proceeded it. Adisa talked about how the government had gotten over 3000 people throughout the country to spy on Black organizations and report their activities back to the FBI. Many people wavered and sold us out. others stood strong. We talked integrity and never selling out. He brought forth this  ‘secret recording’ that was made by the FBI when they approached Malcolm after he was suspended by Elijah Muhammad for mis-speaking after President Kennedy was assassinated.What we heard was absolutely riveting on a number of levels.

To start it was crazy to hear how bold and upfront our tax payer supported government agencies were in terms of going out and destroying our leaders and undermining the Black Liberation struggle. These guys were over the top bold in asking Malcolm to spy and sell out the Nation of Islam then known as the Black Muslims.

What was impressive was Malcolm’s resolve and his intelligence… he shut these FBI agents down..  This is definitely a MUST listen..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8CSQopxEf8

Here’s another link just in case

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Z4giEVP57c

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Immortal Technique & Hip Hop Chess Federation to Address Escalating Latino Gang Violence in SF

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Hip-Hop Chess Federation and Immortal Technique Unite to Address Escalation of Latino Gang Violence
Rapper Immortal Technique, The Brown Berets and Author Cesar Cruz to Speak at John O’Connell High School
 
Immortaltechniquered-225Nov. 3rd 20090- San Francisco, CA– The Hip-Hop Chess Federation (HHCF) is proud to announce that it will host Immortal Technique at John O’Connell High school in San Francisco, CA on Nov. 5th. He will address the rising climate of violence by Latino gangs in the SF Mission District.  This is a closed door event, specifically for John O’Connell students. Immortal Technique will be accompanied by the Brown Berets of Watsonville. Additionally Cesar Cruz, author of History of North & South: Bang for Freedom will be showing a short documentary on past peace resolutions made by Norteno and Sureno gangs.
 
“I have had a long history of working with street organizations and with community leaders that come together to try and avert self destructive actions such as the ones we face here.” stated Immortal Technique. “I do not claim to have all the answers but I am more than willing to share my time and energy to try and look at the roots of this and other conflicts to find solutions rather than just continue a cycle of hatred and vengeance.”
 
“Our children are murdering one another with no sense of remorse” stated the HHCF’sCEO, Adisa Banjoko. “The Hip-Hop Chess Federation remains committed to fusing music, chess and martial arts to promote unity, strategy and non-violence. Immortal Technique is a Hip-Hop artist who has a special place in the hearts of Latino youth. He’s been a true ally of the HHCF for a long time. John O’Connell High Schools faculty and staff have always been proactive in their approach to keeping their students effectively informed. We’re honored to have Immortal Technique and the Brown Berets share their ideas on the best moves we can all make, to reach an authentic and enduring peace on these streets.”
 
For more information contact Adisa Banjoko: bishop@hiphopchessfederation.org 

For more info on the Hip-Hop Chess Federation visit: www.hiphopchessfederation.org 

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Hip Hop Chess Tourney Kicks Off in SF This Weekend

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Hip-Hop Chess Federation Adds “All Queens” Panel to  West Coast Kings
& Queens Tournament
Rappers, Scholars and Artists Gather to Inspire SF Youth

hip-hop-chess-federation-225Sept. 22nd 2009, San Francisco, CA- The Hip-Hop Chess Federation is
proud to announce the West Coast Kings & Queens Tournament. The
Hip-Hop Chess Federation
is the world’s first organization to fuse
music, chess and martial arts to promote unity, strategy and
non-violence. There will be a traditional rated chess tournament,
people can learn chess basics, watch graffiti art battles, b-boy
ciphers, celebrity chess matches, martial arts exhibitions, prize
giveaways and more! It all takes place Oct. 10th 2009 at John
O’Connell High School
from 9AM to 6PM at 2355 Folsom St. @ 19th in San
Francisco, Ca. ADMISSION IS FREE FOR ALL AGES.

Celebrity guests inculde Rakaa Iriscience from Dilated Peoples, rap
legend Ray Luv, Traxamillion, Casual from Hieroglyphics, Balance and
Big Rich, Conscious Daughters, T-KASH, DLabrie and others to be
announced. The event will be DJ’ed by KMEL Street Soldiers DJ Malcolm
Marshall
. There will also be a special All Queens Life Strategies
Panel where Birth of the Chess Queen author Marilyn Yalom, Conscious
Daughters
, rapper Melina Jones and Jean Hoffman of 9 Queens will
discuss how young girls can step forward with positivity and
confidence into the future.

“It was time for the HHCF to do something specifically to celebrate
the power and impact of the artists from the west coast,” said HHCF
founder and CEO Adisa Banjoko. “We always provide safe, family
friendly environments for people to discover their true potential in
life and have fun. So many young girls out there love the game of
chess. We wanted to set something up just to celebrate the queens. We
wanted to give these girls direct access to women of knowledge and
strength, in hopes that these young ladies will follow their lead.”

“We are enthusiastic and grateful to all the celebrities, kids and
educators coming together for the Kings & Queens Tournament,” said
Banjoko. “This organization has been hurt badly by the failing
economy. Yet by forging strong strategic alliances we’re still pushing
ahead. These are tough times for many of America’s youth. Nevertheless
the HHCF remains unflinching in our goal to share the countless
educational and artistic life options for them in this world. We are
grateful for all the rappers, chess masters and martial artists who
have donated their time to teaching kids healthy alternatives to
violence on the streets. Since our explosive beginning there have been
many imitations, but there is only one Hip-Hop Chess Federation! See
you all there.”

All who wish to compete in the Kings & Queens Tournament can sign up
today at:http://www.bayareachess.com

Partners for the West Coast Kings & Queens Tournament are Bay Area
Chess and WuChess.com. Other sponsors include JW Foundation, 9 Queens,
www.thechesspiece.com, www.thechessdrum.net, 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu SF,
www.mikerelm.com.com, Heroes Martial Arts and Upper Playground. For
more information on how to participate visit
www.hiphopchess.blogspot.com
WATCH KINGS & QUEENS VIDEO:
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xadbnk_hiphop-chess-w-rakaa-traxamillion-t_lifestyle
Media Contact |    Meko Gaborski (323) 335-4497
gaborski@shinkenpublicrelations.com