Siba 40th Bday & HHLOVES FundRaiser

Dres (Black Sheep/Native Tongues), Siba, Sadat X (Brand Nubian/ Lo-Lifes) Grand Pubs Max(in')well in the background (did you see what I did there)

Happy Birthday Siba!!!!

Siba Brüknahm/Author/MC/Producer/Independant Record Label Owner & HipHop Loves celebrated his 40th Birthday with some Hip-Hop's most loved Legends

Peace to the NY family!

  Celia (Les Nubians), Jerome, Siba, Kamala, Ren & Sadat X (Brand Nubian/ Lo-Lifes)

 DJ Kiambu (Alphabet Soup)

Alphabet Soup. Kiambu far right, more info on the group can be found here

 Siba down with the Sheep!

Sadat rippin' it with Kiambu on the 1's & 2's 

Saundi (Brüknahm) back on the 12's!

Can you see a young Saundi ; )

SibaGiba / SBG

   

www.overtimerecordsinc.com

www.hiphoploves.com

www.dvcpress.com 

Brüknahm 2nd LP. CITY OF LIGHT (OUT NOW ON i Tunes!!!)

Our French American Brothers Siba Giga, Kiambu (Alphabet Soup) & Saundi's group Brüknahm have just released their 2nd LP. CITY OF LIGHT. (Recorded in Paris) features a progressive blend of Jazz, Electro & Hip-Hop.
featuring David Murray, Nasheet Waits, Abraham Burton, Rasul Siddik, Get Open among others.

Brüknahm CITY OF LIGHT is available on iTunes here!!!!


Saundi & Siba Giba
We have discussed Siba Giga and The Get Open Crew here. Siba Giba's hard working Hip-Hop ethics did much to inspire us at The Kool Skool. His large production credits include working with Everlast (3X Platinum "Whitey Ford Sings the Blues" LP 1998). Sadat X & Get Open EP (Yellow Production 1997). Bruknahm (Overtime Records/Knitting Factory 2002).
He also worked with Jazz Legend Lester Bowie (Art Ensemble of Chicago), Maceo Parker, Vinia Mojica, Daddy-O (Stetsasonic), Shurik'n (IAM /France), Faf LaRage (France), Main Concept (Germany), and Producer for The Jettsonz Productions (Nina Sky, Sean Paul)

The now hard to get "Freestyle" (Massot/Millet Pub. France-1992) a book of interviews and photos of international Hip-Hop artists including Afrika Bambaataa, The Last Poets, Public Enemy, KRS 1, Rock Steady Crew, MC Solar, IAM, NTM among others, Co-authored with his late mother D.Bardin is a classic. It was a companion book to the Paris-Tonkar "Graffiti art in Paris and France in the 1980s", and we featured it here


Saundi on the keys!
Overtime Records Inc. is an independent music production and publishing company, based in Brooklyn NY. Established in 1999, Overtime Records has released various LPs over the years including the group Get Open (Hip-Hop), Bruknahm (Jazz/Electronica), recently the coffee table book, "Jazz Zoom, Carrying It On" by photographer Desdemone Bardin (RIP 2001).
http://www.wix.com/sibagiba/siba-layout

Brüknahm on iTunes http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/bruknahm/id402976396

Sebastian Bardin-Greenberg

SibaGiba / SBG

Hip-Hop Loves Foundation

www.hiphoploves.com

www.dvcpress.com

www.myspace.com/sibagiba

www.myspace.com/bruknahm

The Return of The Get Open Crew!

The Return of The Get Open Crew!

Indiegogo Project: http://bit.ly/1av9Wqt

The Hip-Hop group Get Open is back in the studio after a 10+ year hiatus. We're preparing a new mixtape and album entitled "The Week-End".
We need your support to make it a success. This crowd funding campaign will help complement our production budget which includes: Mixing by Ryan West, Mastering @ Masterdisk, Filming 3 videos, Hiring professional P.R. and other promotional companies.
We're trying to give ourselves a chance with our comeback project in an ever so changing music industry.
Thank you for your support!

Get Open

     Do you remember when rappers were praised for unique lyrical content as well as the ability to rock a party and make it jump? If you miss catchy lyrics that are also thought inspiring, Get Open brings back that authentic sound infused with consciousness and true school Hip-Hop essence that was all but lost. While the industrial corporate machine that dominates commercial radio and television is happy with maintaining the status Quo, we have seen the recent demand of die hard fans create a resurgence of thoughtful lyrics with rappers like Kendrick Lamar and Lupe Fiasco. Hip-Hop music has come full circle. The time is now for genuine high quality products to come to light. Music stores have all but disappeared but this affords all of us the power to choose what we believe to be good music for ourselves.

Kiambu, Dimitri, Siba & Von of GET OPEN would like to thank you for your generous contributions which will help make this concept a reality.

Get Open Campaign

The Recordings

Daddy-O from Stetsasonic is part of the Get Open Project

The "BlackBook" mixtape will be the first release, a free download; which wlll come with a digital blackbook of Graffti pieces by reknown (US-French) artists.

Featuring Daddy-O (Stesasonic), Little Dany (France), Jennifer Barrett (Jamaica), Baba Israel, Karnage, Jim McElwaine (Tenor Sax) & Stix Bones (Drums).

Production by Imhotep (IAM-France) & SibaGiba

Mid-Summer 2013 release.

"The Week-End", the full length album travels thru the 2 days and 3 nights at the end of the week when folks take time off to relax, party or travel. You'll find a mix of different styles of music, relevant to New York, urban life, a global vision, a sort of soundtrack of the concrete jungle.

Featuring DJ Rob Swift, Jordana DeLovely, Marie Martin, DJ Roger Rekless, Baba Israel & Carlos Vasconcellos

Production by Imhotep/Akhenaton (IAM-France), Glam (Germany) & SibaGiba

Fall 2013 release.

Thank you to all artists involved, especially Glam/58 Beats for the inspiration to make this new record and Joy Poirel & Paul Hackman.

Get Open!

Bio

GET OPEN

This Hip-Hop collective has been in existence since 1994, Get Open was founded by SibaGiba(Producer/MC) when he was studying music at SUNY Purchase College. He met the other 4 original members in school; Kiambu (MC), VonMeista (MC/Producer), Zook (MC) Los (Spoken Word/MC) and DJ Jes Lover (DJ/Producer).

Get Open has traveled and performed as headliners in Germany and France over the years and has also opened for artists such as KRS 1/BDP, De La Soul, Jungle Brothers, Tha Alkoholiks,Special Ed, and many others in the US.

Through a collaboration with composer Saundi Wilson who also attended Purchase, Get Open was featured with the late Jazz Trumpeter Lester Bowie's creation: Hip-Hop Feel-Harmonic orchestra in 1995, which assembled more than 40 musicians and Get Open.

During our senior year, 1996, we released our first 12inch vinyl single.

It caught the attention of West coasts DJs like J.Rocc (Beat Junkies), DJ Numark (Jurassic 5),Truly Odd (Heavyweights, Strong Arm steady), Peanut Butter Wolf (Stones Throw) and T-Lovethe MC and journalist at URB magazine. From that single, Yellow Productions (France) today known for producing Dance/Pop act Bob Sinclar, offered the group an EP deal which went on to sell 5,000 units in Europe without any promo. It featured Sadat X of Brand Nubian.

During this time, Siba was enjoying great success after producing for Everlast's (House of Pain) multi platinum and grammy nominated album "Whitey Ford Sings The Blues". Overtime Records Inc was born and released a solo 12 inch single of VonMeista featuring Sadat X in association with Ozone Music (Co-Flow-El P, Mike Ladd, etc…).

Although still making music seperately, the group has been on a hiatus since 2001.

Siba formed Brüknahm with Mr Saundi Wilson, worked the Jettsonz Productions (Nina Sky, Sean Paul) and in 2009 co-founded a non-profit organization, the Hip-Hop Loves Foundation.

Dmitiri aka Zook is Professor/Doctor in Criminology @ Sacramento State U.

VonMeista is an Information Assistant at the New York Public Library.

Kiambu is a New York State Licensed Massage Therapist.

Siba is a Licensed NY City Tour Guide

DJ Jes Luv is a Tour Manager for Bon Jovi (Not involved in this project)

Budget Needs

The budget for this project is $25,000 which mainly covers the items listed below. Get Open has spent the past 7 months recording, this campaign will complement our pre and post production costs. Other items not listed below will be financed by Get Open.

• $10,000 Album Mixing & Mastering
• $10,000 Promotion/P.R. for 6 months and online/viral marketing
• $  6,000 Filming/editing videos

Rewards

• The WEEK-END CD/Digital Download
• Get Open T-shirts (New Logo)
• Tickets to future shows
• Exclusive music from Get Open
• A limited edition CD booklet (catalog form) by painter Jerome Lagarrigue
• Appearance in a future music video
• Attend a open studio recording session with Get Open
• A private performance by Get Open in your home or venue (in NYC area, if outside NYC or Internatlonal, please contact us)
• Executive producer credits on the new CD

Simple Ways to help Get Open

Indiegogo: http://bit.ly/1av9Wqt

Please post and share this campaign with your family, friends co-workers via Email, Blogs, Forums, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and other social media.

Please use the indiegogo sharing tools available on this page.

Get Open Crew/Alphabet Soup

The Get Open Crew
(from left)Kiambu/Push, Devan/Seyes, Baruch, Siba Giba and friend below
The crew was a collection of DJs, MCs, Producers and Graffiti writers, this was taken by me in New York 1992


Push Seyes 1992
Push was also known as Kiambu, an MC in Alphabet Soup (Headrush) an Early 90's Hiphop group, and Bruknahm. They had the sickest Blackbooks I have ever seen then and since. Next to the Syo (Seyes) throwy is a Omni 156/AOK/XTC/BYI throw up, who we also knew.


Push Blackbook Piece


Seyes83 Blackbook Throw-up


Alphabet Soup Press Shot
The group consisted of:
(from left Nubian, Melkuan, Deflon, Brother Love and Kiambu)

The group came out in 1991, and sounded similar to the Native Tongue's Black Sheep, but the production was a bit more experimental, and it was more openly Conscious/Political. It was released by independent label Akirfa Recordings which I think was based in a Comic shop, because that's where I got my copy, until Kiambu gave me some more to give to UK DJs. I met the rest of the group briefly when they came to our collage to chill with Kiambu.
I have a copy of a radio tape I recorded in London Xmas 1991 of Westwood or someone on Kiss playing it, and it featured in a Hip-Hop chart (Blues & Soul?) when it came out too. The group was forced to change their name to Headrush as there was another group called Alphabet Soup at that time on a major label.


Alphabet Soup E.P. 1991 Cover

Download theE.P. here Courtesy of L. Max Toilet’s “Toiletries” original post

Kiambu became a part of Bruknahm with along with Siba Giba and X-clan associate Saundi, and Released and album under that name and still record under the name The Get Open Crew, working with some European artists and Sadat X (Brand Nubian, LowLife). Deflon produced a track on a Mo Wax compilation in 95/96.

Siba Giba originally from Paris, grew up in New York City, going back and forth. He has released two books, one a Hip-Hop version of the famous original Paris Graffiti Book 'Paris-Tonkar', featuring interviews with KRS-One, Tim Dog, and others in 1992. The other one was a Jazz book project, "Jazz Zoom, Carryin’ It On" started by his mother by Desdemone Bardin, who sadly passed away before she could see it finished. Desdemone Bardin was one of the first French educators to use Hip-Hop as a way to teach English, and was an early promoter of the culture in Paris.
He released his first record with a German label, and recorded a crew track with fellow label mates First Down a UK Hip-Hop group featuring Aroe (Aroe & The Soundmakers).
He runs OvertimeRecords and has produced for California early 90's underground legends Freestyle Fellowship, Daddy-O (Stetsasonic), Everlast (House Of Pain) and others.


He is currently working on The Hip Hop Loves Foundation. The Hip-Hop Loves Foundation (HHLF) educates underprivileged people globally through Hip-Hop culture’s positive and unifying attributes.

He is still making music and here is a exclusive copy of his Swagger Like Us remix
Swagger Like Us SibaGiba Brazil Remix - T.I., Lil'Wayne, Jay-Z etc
Download here

www.myspace.com/sibagiba
www.myspace.com/bruknahm
www.dvcpress.com


'Paris-Tonkar' The French Graffiti scenes version of Subway Art
Info for Paris-Tonkar
'Paris-Tonkar' Graffiti art in Paris and France in the 1980s." Doriath, Ben Yakhlef Format : 21 X 24 à l'italienne. Prix Public TTC: 190 FF. ISBN: 2-908382-09-6.

R.I.P. Big Bill (Will) From The Bronx (Get Open Crew)

R.I.P. Bill (Get Open Crew) by Shucks One (London)

When I was younger I lived in New York for a few years. I don't have any family there so it was a big deal to move there as a teenager, not knowing anyone and only been to the East Coast a few times. After they got used to the fact I allegedly sounded "like Robin Leach" : ) I found the people I met very generous, thoughtful & funny as f**k. I made some great friends and will always be grateful for the memories and experiences i had there.

Charlie B, Bill/Will, friend, Siba Giba, Devan & Shan 1992

Baruch, Siba Giba & Bill/Will 1993

Bill was always someone I could always chat too if I was feeling home sick, or was bummed out. One Thanksgiving I had to work, while everyone went home to their families. I had to do James Bond shit to stay in my room. He literally walked me around trying to get girls I hardly knew to take me home to their homes and donate food to me. He was one of the most positive and funny guy's I knew in NY.

Kal Dog, Baruch, Bill/Will, John, Siba & Charlie B 1993

R.I.P. Big Bill (Will) From The Bronx (Get Open Crew)

Sadly Shan informed me that Bill, now Will has been battling Cancer and recently succumbed to his illness. He remained positive and upbeat to the end, which sounds exactly like him. My respects go out to his family and friends.

Will sad passing brought many old friends together

Will's Memorial Testimonials in the Park

R.I.P. Will

Paris-Tonkar "The French Graffiti Scenes Version of Subway Art"

Paris-Tonkar The French Graffiti scenes version of Subway Art
Cover

Paris-Tonkar "Graffiti art in Paris and France in the 1980s."

Doriath, Ben Yakhlef Format : 21 X 24 à l'italienne. Prix Public TTC: 190 FF. ISBN: 2-908382-09-6. 1990?

This book was legendary, and instrumental in the European Graffiti scene, as there were very few books, if any back then. Many of the writers who featured in the book came to London in the late 80's early 90's and their ridiculously fat-cap tags were everywhere in the West End, and it really influenced London Handstyles.



Nasty 2008

The book documents the groundbreaking Paris scene walls, Subways "Le Metro", and loads of street bombing, with names like (London ex-pat) Mode2, Bando, Nasty, Stem and many more. Its very hard to track down but if you see a copy grab it!

We recently mentioned Siba Giba originally from Paris, a French American Hip-Hop artist, Producer and Journalist . He has released two books, one a Hip-Hop version of the famous original Paris Graffiti Book 'Paris-Tonkar', featuring interviews with KRS-One, Tim Dog, and others in 1992. More info here


Paris Street Bombing


Paris Street Bombing



Nastie by Nasty (left), Again by Nasty


Assorted sketches by Bando & Stem (left), beginning of "Metro section"


Steph production by Stef


Bando Chrome


Mode2 93NTM


Unknown Street Piece


Jon156 (New York Subway Legend and Paris native)


Index fetauring prolific Paris Crews and their members


Bando

Back Cover

More info and flicks found here

ABBEY LINCOLN - Vocalists, Actress & Activist R.I.P.

ABBEY LINCOLN - Vocalists, Actress & Activist R.I.P.

"Hello People, Bonjour a tous. Oi do Brooklyn,

A few days ago the world lost one of its dearest and most talented female vocalists, actress and activist. ABBEY LINCOLN.
I'm extremely sad as she had become one of my favorites. She was not doing well health wise during the last couple of years. A 50 year recording and performing career, married to Max Roach for 8 years. Golden Globe nominated actress for her role in "For The Love Of Ivy" (1968) with Sidney Poitier and music by Quincy Jones.

I never had a chance to see her performing live but did meet her once to offer her my mother's book "JAZZ ZOOM" where she was interviewed and photographed.

Summer 2005... After a long phone conversation, I finally convinced Abbey to personally deliver the book at her home. The visit ended up lasting 3 hours.
Asked me who I was, questions about Desdemone (mama) who she had met a few times, all this over a glass of red wine. Bien sur.
She slowly looked at the book, page by page, once stopping shedding a tear, touching the pictures. Recited a couple of poems, sang a few melodies. I was stunned and floating.
She showed me her home photo gallery which included photos off her and many Jazz Legends: Monk, Bird, Coltrane, Dizzy, Miles, you name them... A photo museum.
Before leaving she offered me a re-mastered DVD copy of "Nothing But A Man" (movie she starred in 1964), she had just received 10 copies.
What more can I say? What an encounter!!!
I was so touched that I sent her flowers a few days later.
MERCI ABBEY

Check out her discography
Suggested Listen:
-Abbey is Blue
-We Insist, Freedom Now
-Who Used To Dance
-Wholly Earth

Peace & Blessings

SibaGiba-SBG-Cha2
Sebastian"
Hip-Hop Loves Foundation
www.hiphoploves.com
www.myspace.com/sibagiba
www.myspace.com/bruknahm
www.dvcpress.com



To read more about Siba, The Get Open Crew and Alphabet Soup check out this Kool Skool feature here