Uproxx Covers HHCF Founder plus, FREE PDF download of Bobby Bruce and the Bronx Available

The book Bobby Bruce & the Bronx by Adisa the Bishop is now available from this day forward FREE in PDF form. Please enjoy it and share it to all the people you think might benefit from it. 

HHCF as you knew it will be no more. A new organization with a refined approach to spreading the power of the fusion of Hip-Hop, chess and martial arts will be rolling out soon all over the world. More on that coming soon. Thank you all for your support. 

Free download of Bobby Bruce & the Bronx: The Secrets of Hip-Hop Chess. 

Please also enjoy this amazing article on Uproxx how to use Hip-Hop, chess, and stoic philosophy to stay focused during the quarantine. Shout out to Steve and Dane for giving shine to what I do. 

Musashi Mindstate Tea by Adisa the Bishop

#MusashiMindstateTea 

I want to thank all the HHCF and the BCP Army (Bishop Chronicles Podcast Army) for all

the amazing feedback from my posting of the Cloud Scroll Tea recipe. I am going to share

with you another recipe to help you and your friends and family stay healthy. This is a recipe

I have been using for more than 20 years. However, I strongly caution any and all people on

high blood pressure medicines to seek a doctor's advice before drinking. This tea is relaxing

beyond measure for me. However, it is potent and will impact your blood pressure.

I prefer to share this tea with friends while playing chess at home.

Whenever I have had a long stressful day, or, I anticipate having a rough start to my day I

make this tea the first and last thing I drink. 

Darjeeling tastes good. Like the tea your granny might make for you in the morning or after

dinner. It really is smooth by itself, but with a little honey it is truly divine. I however began

drinking it because of its antibacterial functions. 

Golden Tips Tea website noted: 

1. Provides Essential Antioxidants

Darjeeling tea is abundant in antioxidants such as thearubigins and theaflavins.
Together, these
complex compounds combat free radicals, neutralize harmful chemicals during
digestion, and eliminate toxins. Deficiency in these antioxidants accelerates cellular
damage, raises the risk of chronic illnesses, and speeds up the process of aging.
Drinking Darjeeling tea
bridges the deficit
in antioxidants.

2. Reduces the Risk of Cancer

Darjeeling tea contains polyphenolic compounds that inhibit the growth of cancer in several
ways and stop tumor development. Darjeeling tea also has anti-mutagenic properties
that reducethe frequency of cellular mutations. You can find a more detailed study here

3. Ensures Adequate Hydration

When it comes to combating dehydration, dietician, doctors, and nutritionists recommend
drinking at least eight glasses of water a day. Adding a cup of Darjeeling can contribute
to your total levels of hydration.

4. Relieves Stress

Stress plays a significant role in high blood pressure, skin conditions, heart problems, asthma,
depression, arthritis, and anxiety. In other words, stress leaves your immune system in a vulnerable
state and opens a floodgate of diseases. Darjeeling tea eliminates stress by regulating the
production of a stress hormone in the body called cortisol. That's why drinking Darjeeling tea
makes you happy!

On another note, a single cup of Darjeeling gives your body a tiny dose of caffeine to restore
mental alertness and improve focus. In some cases, you may even experience an energy boost.

5. Boosts Cardiovascular Health

Darjeeling tea increases blood flow and reduces the oxidation of LDL cholesterol. Furthermore,
it is rich in quercetin. The compound has been found to reduce the risk of atherosclerosis, which
is the buildup of plaque in the arteries that can lead to a heart attack or a stroke.

6 Facilitates Weight Loss

Studies have shown that drinking Darjeeling tea reduces belly fat and speeds up weight loss.
Blends of tea with higher levels of oxidation are more effective in achieving weight loss than their
alternatives. Semi-oxidized Darjeeling tea is highly effective in facilitating weight loss.

Scientists believe this could be due to the high concentration of catechins, which are naturally
occurring antioxidants that increase fat burning and boost metabolism.

7. Lowers the Likelihood of Parkinson's Disease

Many researchers in India believe that certain bio-active compounds in Darjeeling tea, particularly
L-theanine, could play an active role in preventing neurodegenerative diseases such as
Parkinson's. Older adults are more susceptible to Parkinson's than their younger counterparts.
It is because of a combination of stress, poor food habits, and an unhealthy lifestyle.

Half a teaspoon of Cat’s Claw. Cat’s claw is a fantastic tree bark. I first learned about it from
a Japanese friend of mine. Their father was prescribed it to help him treat cancer. Many years
later I was wrongly diagnosed with high blood pressure and ischemia (a problem where the
circulation in the heart. The hospital was trying to put me on meds, but the pharmacist told me
the meds he was trying to put me on were not needed (I was 25 at the time). 

That woman saved my life. I got a second opinion from another Dr. The second Dr. told me I
was fine just lay off salt a bit. In a panic I went online to look for natural remedies for high blood
pressure and I looked it up and BOOM- it said it helped reduce high blood pressure. 

So, I started using it and since that day, I have never EVER had high blood pressure as an issue.
I’m Black. Which pretty much means I’m born with high blood pressure. It is because of this fact
that I am issuing a warning. A stern one. 

Cat's claw is a wood vine that grows wild in central and South America, particularly in the
Amazon rainforest. ... Cat's claw has been examined for its effects on sleep-wake disturbances,
fatigue, anxiety, and depression in patients with cancer. I used it here with the darjeeling tea
because it is antiviral as well. By combining these we have a drink that is antibacterial from
darjeeling and antiviral from cats claw. Be sure to buy the cats claw that looks like shaved bark
DO NOT get the powder.

Parasites such as Babesia and bacteria such as Bartonella cannot withstand the strength
of cat's claw.I encourage you to research it extensively, as the benefits of it are many.

Directions for Musashi Mindstate Tea by Adisa the Bishop

Take one tea bag (never more than 1 teaspoon) of darjeeling and teaspoon of cat’s claw into a pot of 8 cups of water. Use honey and lemon to taste (it is my understanding that lemon and lime juice help activate the best what is in the cat’s claw). But I don’t like the lemon in it too much. Add honey to your taste if you like, but very little. Remember if you triple sugar up your tea you ruin a lot of its potential to help you heal. 

Be healthy, read books, exercise and stay positive until next time.

WARNING: CAT’S CLAW CAN HAVE REAL EFFECTS ON YOUR BLOOD PRESSURE. DO NOT USE THIS IF YOU TAKE BLOOD PRESSURE MEDICATION, OR HEART MEDICATION OF ANY KIND. USE THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK. I SUGGEST GOING TO A MEDICAL DOCTOR BEFORE USING IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. FDA HAS NOT APPROVED ANYTHING I HAVE WRITTEN

How Martial Arts Can Teach Nonviolence

It is a story I told before, but I had not fully considered the implications of the moment I
learned about Bruce Lee. I was 9 years old when my dad brought home spanking
new technology. A VHS machine and tape deck. The first two movies he had were
Alien and an unknown film called Return of the Dragon. After watching the alien break out of a
guys stomach I was happily avoiding watching that film in its entirety. My 9 year old mind just
wanted to know “Who was this dragon?Where did he go? What is he returning to do?”
Boy were all my questions answered. 

After finishing the film and making some nunchucks out of sawed off  yellow
broomsticks and some chains my older cousin Steve let me borrow (he went
onto become a karate master himself). I bonked myself on the head and hands
over and over until I had some half decent skill. I also went
crazy buying any magazines that were connected to martial arts of any kind.
I also took up Judo and, while not being very good at it, I did love it. 

Being a natural born reader, the magazines helped me understand so much of
the mystery behind the men and the motives of their movements. One of the first
magazines I ever bought burned an image in my head possibly forever. The story
was about a Buddhist Monk in Thailand. The monk is in his robes, head shaven
and eyes gently closed in meditation. To his left as a young aspiring Thai
boxing champion cut deep into the heavy bag with his shin bone. The young
students lean cut body was dripping sweat in his display of full force and focused
on the heavy bag before him. The story went onto note that the Monk had created
a space for young poor kids to train and learn about
Buddhism in hope of them valuing peace.

It may appear hard to conceive, but people who train in martial arts are some of
the most peace loving people I have ever met. I think this is because most people
think they want to hurt someone. But people who really know how to harm someone
don't take pleasure in it. This is part of what keeps them calm when things get socially
tense. The truth is that knowing how to choke someone out almost demands that the
person with that skill understand the value of life.

That is how I always understood the picture in the old magazine. Even that that age, I got it,
but I could not have said it out loud. But I understood it. I saw Bruce always try to figure a way
to think things through and help solve problems. He never wanted to fight. I loved his family and his
Because of that unique entry into martial arts, I always had an understanding that the way of the
warrior and the pursuit of nonviolence were eternally connected. I consider these kinds of events
the some of the seeds of what became the
HHCF philosophy on nonviolence. 

I recommend anyone trying to take their wisdom about inner peace and greater global
peace train in jiu-jitsu, judo, kung-fu, boxing, thai boxing- whatever. Read books like
The Art of Peace, The Art of War, The Prince, anything by Marcus Aurelius Clausewitz and others. Play chess casually to add to your understanding of the art of war. If you train and you do that, you will see things others cannot see socially
and do things other cannot do personally. 

For more on Thailand and Thai Boxing catch Fightworld on Netflix.

Learn more about the connections between Hip-Hop, chess and nonviolence by subscribing to the Bishop Chronicles Podcast on Spotify, iTunes, Mixcloud or Libsyn. You can also buy the book  Bobby Bruce & the Bronx: The Secrets of Hip-Hop Chess by Adisa the Bishop on Amazon. 

Broken Rhythm: Bruce Lee, Musashi & Music

Broken Rhythm: Bruce Lee, Musashi & Music

By: Adisa the Bishop

                       Legendary scene in Return of the Dragon starring Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris

No one debates the cultural impact of Bruce Lee. This is especially real inside the Hip-Hop subculture. His roles as a martial artist and philosopher ensures  his status as possibly the most legendary martial artist ever. However, one of the most fascinating things about Bruce Lee is really not his fighting. It is his dancing. More than that though, it is valuable to look at how his dancing impacted his approach to fighting. Futhermore, it is powerful to study how this fusion of dancing, fighting and music seem to be eternally connected.

Bruce Lee was a champion Cha Cha dancer. In fact, his first job in America was as a dance teacher. This may appear boring on the surface to some people. However, for those who are authentic lovers of music (especially Hip-Hop) it makes the man even more fascinating. The first movie I saw that had Bruce Lee in it was Return of the Dragon. Even then, it showed  a glimpse of his love of shrouding devastating attacks hidden in rhythm. In the final fight scene, Lee fights Chuck Norris at the Coliseum in Rome. Chuck remains formidable as an opponent as long as Bruce stays within the traditional scope of kung fu and karate. However, once he starts hiding his attacks in a boxers rhythm (a la Muhammad Ali) Chuck cannot follow Bruce’s form and soon loses the battle. Few knew his ability to find and break rhythm was rooted in his Cha Cha background. But this connection goes much deeper than one film or one man.

Fast forward to the 2004 martial arts thriller, Hero. Jet Li plays a character called Nameless. In one scene Nameless has a powerful sword fight at an outdoor chess house in the middle of a rain storm. It is a soul stirring exchange of movement, music and strategy. As they unsheath their weapons an elderly blind man plays a sad but beautiful song. The old man plays in the rain slightly exposed to the elements of nature . Before he dives into battle, Nameless reflects on the idea that “Martial arts and music share the same principles. Both wrestle with complex chords and rare melodies.”

Nameless and Sky clash physically and mentally at  the outdoor chess house in 2004 classic Hero.

A few years ago I was given a book called The Straight Lead, by Teri Tom. The Straight Lead was Bruce Lee’s favorite and arguably his most powerful punch. In the book, Tom makes a compelling case for the connection between music and martial arts. “The way fighters play with time is very similar to the way musicians interpret time. You can play behind the beat, on the beat, or syncopate. Staccato or Legato. You can chose to play or let the rhythm section pass you by. The tempo may vary from adagio (slow) to allegro (quick). To the time, you can then add dynamic variations- pianissimo (soft), mezzo forte (moderately loud) or fortissimo (very loud). Fighting has analogous variables. “ The connections between music and martial arts is hard to see in today’s times. This is mainly because in the modern technology wave of mind numbing Worldstar and Instagram knockout clips, the art in “martial arts” has largely evaporated. Nevertheless, it is not gone altogether.

I cannot say for sure that Mayweather studies dance. But when I look at his footwork against McGregor’s mummy-like movements in the first round (although McGregor does appear to use the straight lead with some effectiveness in the first few rounds), Mayweather does move like a seasoned dancer. Not just that, the patterns with which Mayweather strikes his opponents have rhythmic patterns. This was something on my mind as I watched the flight. The more I watched, I saw how the flow of his footwork was levels above McGregor. They say Mayweather pulled McGregor into “deep water”. Water, like dancers and fighters, has to flow. McGregor was drowned in the flow.  

Legendary undefeated self-taught swordsman Miyamoto Musashi is celebrated by martial artists and entrepreneurs the world over for his book The Book of 5 Rings. He killed his first opponent at the tender age of 13. In The Book of 5 Rings he talks about the importance of understanding the rhythm of battle when dueling with swords. It is broken down into several sections: the Earth Scroll, Water Scroll, Fire Scroll, Wind Scroll and the Void Scroll (also known as the scroll of emptiness). Each is admired for having its own sense of rhythm. But more than rhythm, like Teri Tom, he focuses on timing:

Timing is important in dancing and pipe or string music, for they are in rhythm only if timing is good. Timing and rhythm are also involved in the military arts, shooting bows and guns, and riding horses. In all skills and abilities there is timing.... There is timing in the whole life of the warrior, in his thriving and declining, in his harmony and discord. Similarly, there is timing in the Way of the merchant, in the rise and fall of capital. All things entail rising and falling timing. You must be able to discern this. In strategy there are various timing considerations. From the outset you must know the applicable timing and the inapplicable timing, and from among the large and small things and the fast and slow timings find the relevant timing, first seeing the distance timing and the background timing. This is the main thing in strategy. It is especially important to know the background timing, otherwise your strategy will become uncertain.

While it is simple to just passively look at that idea as just an odd relatable tidbit of information, it is not something easily done. While doing some research on his life, you can find an old scroll about his life called Busho Denraiki. Muashi did not write about himself much. He wrote about swordsmanship. But in the Busho Denraiki you learn that Musashi was not just a swordsman, he was an accomplished painter as well. Further, Musashi was also accomplished in the highly regarded Japanese tradition of Noh dancing. William De Lange’s Origins of a Legend: The Real Musashi notes that Musashi adopted a son named Iori. He notes that, “Irori was taught the Noh dance in plain clothes, it seems Musashi was a keen practitioner of the art.”

Nowhere in De Lange’s work does it attempt to explain how this unequalled swordsman found the time to learn let alone teach Noh dancing. However, the fact that he did know the art of Noh well enough to teach speaks volumes about how the role of rhythm in battle came so natural to him as a fighter.

Currently African American MMA fighter D’Juan Owens spends time in Kampala, Uganda and Dakar, Senegal teaching both b-boying and martial arts to kids. He teaches them the connectivity in both. RZA of Wu Tang Clan teaches a lot about these elements not only in his books, but the entire discography of the Wu Tang Clan is an embodiment of that concept.

Khnum Muata Ibomu aka stic.man of Dead Prez is a respected rapper, archer, vegan health advocate, activist and dedicated martial artist. Songs like Way of Life and Back on my Regimen are excellent examples of how music and martial arts connect in contemporary Hip-Hop. His knowledge of martial arts, music and strategy are so deep I had to ask him his thoughts.

“Practice is the way we get better in the application of rhythm” he told me. Stic said he feels that there is “Some science but it is also art. Self expression is required. My studio is a sacred space just like a dojo for experimentation and practice. Lyrics are precisely chosen and placed just like strikes and footwork.” Finally he notes that both music and martial arts are used “to serve a greater good.”

Jeet kune do, bboy/bgirl dancing, boxing, ballet, brazilian jiu-jitsu, capoeira, noh dancing, swordsmanship - all styles, all contain rhythms. Outside of the practicality of each art, each style speaks to us on an artistic and internal levels. Does every martial artist need to study dance in order to be a better practitioner? Maybe not. However, to totally ignore the importance of dance within the fighting arts is to cut oneself off from new insights and opportunities for victory.

LISTEN to this this episode of Bishop Chronicles Podcast on Bruce Lee and his love for dance and how it informed his fighting. 

Adisa, The Bishop is the Founder of the Hip-Hop Chess Federation and host of Bishop Chronicles Podcast. He is a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at Heroes Martial Arts and author of The Iron Hook Scroll and Bobby, Bruce & the Bronx: The Secrets of Hip-Hop Chess available on Amazon.

Bishop Talks RZA, Camp Tazo and Zen Experience in Shaolin

The other week Adisa the Bishop was invited to teach the philoosphies of the Hip-Hop Chess Federation in Staten Island (aka Shaolin). It was at a special private gathering for young creatives hosted by Camp Tazo and RZA of Wu Tang Clan. Shaolin Monk Shi Yan Ming, Sifu (teacher to RZA in kung-fu and zen philosophy) also taught at the session. Adisa brings you along on a fun, yet deep dive dealing with self exploration, education and the power of personal expression.

Adisa the Bishop talks about this one of a kind experience on his podcast, Bishop Chronicles. To download and listen to the show right now visit www.bishopchronicles.com or subscribe on Spotify, Mixcloud, Libsyn or iTunes.

You can also follow us on IG @bishopchronicles or @realhiphopchess ENJOY!

Also be sure to follow @tazo tea and go buy some today...

                                                      

Women's History Month Chess Spotlight: Jennifer Shahade

March is Women's History Month and we begin by celebrating one of our favorite women in chess, WGM Jennifer Shahade! She is arguably one of the most consistent, innovative and groundbreaking women in chess ever. It is not just because of her chess gaming. It is because of her books, her videos, her podcasts and her drive to push the limits of chess culture (especially where girls, women and other minorities are concerned. Please check out this TED Talk by Jennifer and we encourage you to get any of her books to your daughters, moms, nieces, aunts, sisters and friends. She is truly an inspiration.

Camp Tazo Presents: Guided Meditations w/ The RZA

Camp Tazo (and event curated and actualized by the good people at TAZO Tea)  recently hosted an artists retreat in Shaolin (aka Staten Island NY) to help them overcome blocks in their creativity. RZA of the mighty Wu Tang Clan put together a series of guided meditations for the campers and they are now here for your personal consumption! I hope you enjoy it! They are truly enlightening ideas and we at HHCF are sure they can help you grow in your personal and professional life.

On Friday Bishop Chronicles has an entire show talking about my visit to Camp Tazo. Subscribe to the show on Spotify, iTunes, Mixcloud or Libsyn to listen or visit www.bishopchronicles.com to listen in.

PEACE!

The Mic and the Chessmen (REPOST)

This essay on Hip-Hop and chess was written by Grandmaster Maurice Ashley and I in 2014. It ran in Ebony Magazine in 2014. I just found it sitting in one of my drive files. I figured to celebrate Black History Month I would repost it. Enjoy...

-Adisa The Bishop

The Mic and the Chessmen   

By: Adisa Banjoko and Grandmaster Maurice Ashley 

I don’t play either side or the king, I play God/ Heavenly wars played out on hand
carved boards
- Rakaa Iriscience, 64 Squares in the Cipher 

Thinking Like A King 

About seven years ago I was speaking at San Francisco Juvenile Hall talking to teen boys
about and being an author as a career choice. I was promoting my first independent book
release Lyrical Swords: Hip-Hop and Politics in the Mix. Despite often connecting early
and easy with kids this talk was crashing and burning like no other talk I had given
before. I glanced in my backpack and remembered there was a chessboard in there.
I held the board up and asked, “Who here knows how to play chess?”

To my astonishment, about 75% of the room raised their hand. “OK, that’s good!”
I yelled out with a smile. “But who here is the best?! Only keep your hand up if you
know you are thebest.” Only a few hands went down. “Alright here is what's going to
happen” I declared. “We are going to have a tournament. Whoever wins gets a book.
Circle up, let’s do this.”

The energy in the room became electric. I saw racial and other social barriers fall right
in front of me, because of chess. The entire scene blew my mind. 

I asked myself, “How did these kids know so much about chess?  An avalanche of
rap lyrics from Public Enemy, Wu-Tang Clan, and EPMD collapsed on my brain
simultaneously. Hip-Hop gave methe answer. As I exited the concrete hallways
with the flickering fluorescent lights in the stairwell,I said “This is something big.”
Within the next year, I founded the Hip-Hop Chess Federation
(HHCF) nonprofit 501(c)3 to teach chess and life strategies to at-risk youth.
We use martial arts philosophy to reinforce the lessons that rap and chess teach. 

Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA and Rugged Monk of Black Knights (R) playing Chessmaster Emory Tate (L)
and others 

For some, it might easy to default to the Wu-Tang Clan’s rise as the apex of this fusion between
rap and chess. Yet to start and stop it from Enter the 36 Chambers denies the full scope of the
relationship between the game of kings and Hip-Hop. 

The truth is, when Brooklyn’s own Bobby Fischer beat Boris Spassky in September of
1972, chess was huge. Those games were aired on PBS and the network had it’s highest
ratings ever! In November of 1973 a young gang leader from The Bronx named
Afrika Bambaataa founded the Zulu Nation to cultivate Hip-Hop and promote peace
throughout the city and the world. At that same time the movies from the Bruce Lee
and the Shaw Brothers were taking over America. The strategy
ideas from Eastern Philosophy started to spread into the streets of NY. A perfect
cultural storm was brewing.

Street chess games played on the corner, the parks and those played in prisons would
ultimately serve as the glue between these subcultures. Neither chess, nor Hip-Hop
would be the same again. 

Jay Z is respected for his rap and business skills, playing chess in Italian Vogue

Chess gave Hip-Hop political, social and spiritual symbolism for metaphors no other
game hasgiven them.  RZA, Will Smith, 50 Cent and others represent a growing number
of chess playing rappers who have amazing business minds of the industry.  So its not
just good for the art its good for business.   

Reflections of the Grandmaster 

At first look, it might seem strange that there may be any substantial connections

between the world’s most intellectually revered board game and the dynamic

musical art form that is Hip-Hop. Chess, an ancient practice over 1500 years old,

often today conjures up images of rich old men on park benches.To blend that high-brow
image with the effervescent rush of inventive lyrics, pulsating, at times rebellious beats can
seem hard to bring together. But that is only if you are looking at the surface.

Grandmaster Maurice Ashley giving play-by-play coverage of Sinquefield Cup

And yet, the stereotypical differences that seem to create a cavern between chess

and hip hop soon wilt under closer inspection. For one, with the advent of the digital

age and ready-made computer instruction, today’s chess is a game for the young.

The best chess players in the world are under 30. Public

school teams are represented in full glory every year at national scholastic chess

championships, with the most accomplished team in the last ten years, I.S. 318,

coming straight out of Brooklyn.

Even the slow grandfatherly pace no longer holds water. The most popular form

of chess, is Blitz Chess, where players compete with less than five minutes
to complete all of  their moves lest they lose the game on time. At that speed,
chess becomes a blendof sophisticated pattern recognition, intense focus and
spirited improvisation.

Watching two players bang out moves with precious few seconds on the clock can

thrill and hypnotize as much as Mike Relm or DJ QBert   slicing up a turn-table.

Magnus Carlsen is putting a youthful face on the future of competitive chess. 

While chess can be coldly analytic, it’s the perpetually creative and individualized

styles that separates the players at the very top. World Champion Magnus Carlsen

plays in the style of Common. He does not care to insert himself into the battle with a

whole lot of ego. Instead slowly enveloping his opponents with subtle ideas

and smooth syncopations they succumb to his skill and assuredness that

somehow always seems totally effortless. On the other hand, Hikaru Nakamura,

America’s top player, mimics NWA with his gangsta’ style. He comes straight for the

jugular with vicious blow after vicious blow, to eviscerate his opponents

with killer movement. He’s not giving a damn what the world thinks about his overly

aggressive style and brash personality. It may say something about the nature of life

and competition that when the two face off, the calm and cool Carlsen almost always

endures. Stylish doesn’t mean a lack of determination.

American chess player Hikaru Nakamura’s attacking style of play is likened to N.W.A’s
aggressive
rap style.

It should then come as less of a surprise that musicians have embraced the art form

of chess as a means of relaxation and creative expression. 

Like music, chess has gone through its evolutionary stages as well. From the

Romantic Era, scientific period, Hypermodern period, to the digital age where
more and moregreed is good- chess continues to change with the times. Hip-Hop
has gone through similar
evolution's. Look at the old school lyrical party styles of the Sugar Hill Gang, to the
intellectual
flow of Rakim to the rage of Eminem rap has changed significantly.
The science ofthe DJ’s mixing and scratching methods,  graffiti,  Bboy’ing 
and all the branches of Hip-Hop dance
have also grown immeasurably from the early 1970’s.  

The fusion of Hip-Hop and chess is beautiful and dynamic on many levels. There is a
mountain ofstill untapped potential in this artistic and intellectual union. The amount of
lyrics about chess in
the rap world can be cool, or dark and often times very inspirational. However, if today's
MC’s are
really going to take the  fusion to the next level they are going to have to raise the bar
on their knowledge of the game. Read The Immortal Game by David Shenk, Chess Bitch
by Jennifer Shahade and Birth of the Chess Queen by Marilyn Yalom. After reading about
the Black Moorish conquerors of Spain taking the game to Europe, algebraic notation,
we should see rappers naming champions other than Bobby Fischer. There is still much
more lyrical work and history breakdowns
to be done! There are still new graffiti murals and DJ tracks to be made. I look forward
to hearing
and seeing more from the chess and rap community as this beautiful phenomenon
continues to grow. 

Adisa Banjoko is the Founder of the Hip-Hop Chess Federation. They fuse music,
chess and martial arts to promote unity, strategy and nonviolence. Maurice Ashley is the
first Black Grandmaster in chess and host of Millionaire Chess in Las Vegas Oct. 9th.
Adisa Banjoko will be at the World Chess Hall of Fame’s Living Like Kings exhibit 
which runs October 9th 2014 to April 26th 2015 in St. Louis Missouri. 

+++++

To learn more about how the fusion of Hip-Hop and chess can improve your life
subscribe to the Bishop Chronicles Podcast on Spotify, iTunes, Mixcloud and Libsyn.
Bishop Chronicles is brought to you by the good people at Pharcyde TV!