Oakland Rapper T-.K.A.S.H. Drops Supreme Leader!!

Rapper/Endurance Runner T-K.A.S.H compliments his new online release "Supreme Leader" by running in the 2017 San Francisco Marathon to raise awareness to Title IX rights for students in higher education.

For Immediate Release:

Bay Area rapper/endurance runner T-KASH has been active in the endurance running scene for several years now. 

This year, he is once again using his star power to bring awareness to community issues. His next running event, the San Francisco Marathon this Sunday, will serve as a platform to bring awareness for the need of maintaining Title IX rights for students with dependents on college campuses and beyond.

"It's a dear issue to me, my mother went back to city college while I was in high school, and I obtained my college degrees while raising kids", he explained. 

When asked why he waited until now to advocate for this specific time, he said, " The current socio-political climate could put the Department of Education and and Title IX rights for students at risk. I couldn't fathom doing nothing about that."

He is also acknowledging the ten year anniversary of the 2006 Guerrila Funk Recordings release "Turf War Syndrome", which has received countless accolades and solidified him as a globally recognized hip hop icon.

As with all of his previous running events, T-KASH will be sponsored by the Hip Hop Chess Federation, and wearing attire by fellow Oakland emcee Mistah Fab's "Dope Era" clothing line.

"Supreme Leader" by T-K.A.S.H. is now available online and can be found here.

https://soundcloud.com/tomie-lenear/sets/t-k-a-s-h-supreme-leader

Proven.com CEO Pablo Fuentes Donates Apple Computers to HHCF 2016 Summer Program!!

HHCF would like to thank www.proven.com CEO Pablo Fuentes for their donation of eight...yes 8 Mac Books for the upcoming Hip-Hop Chess Federation Summer Camp (go sign up NOW at www.hiphopchess.com- they get packed quick!!) . Now our performing arts and music program will have a totally new edge.

For the last few years we have struggled with having dated computers.  It is one of the main reasons that we have not been able to post regular video updates as we had planned. Last week I posted a photo of one of our dying PC's. He immediately reached out and said he had some Mac Books he could donate.

I went over to their offices in San Francisco and he and Eric Brown were stacking them up and giving me all the stuff I needed to get it going.

Pablo Fuentes is not just the CEO of Proven.com. He is also a student of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, a lover of rap music and an amazing guitar player (check out this article on CEO's that train jiu-jitsu) . Over the last six years ago, Pablo has spoken on Panels to help inform and inspire HHCF kids. We want to thank Pablo and his staff for their kindness.

We hope that more technology and innovation companies in The Bay Area can follow Pablo's leadership skills in helping local organizations in the community to match their leadership in the technology space. The HHCF is working hard to meet the demands for our programs across The Bay Area and the country. If you know a person or a company in the technology field that you think would support and sponsor HHCF please have them email contact@hiphopchessfederation.org. We are a 501c3 non-profit.

RZA Donates to Hip-Hop Chess Federation to Benefit the Youth of St. Louis

For Immediate Release

Contact: Meek Gaborski

888-588-4418

RZA Donates to Hip-Hop Chess Federation to Benefit the Youth of St. Louis

HHCF Board Member RZA Helps Launch Chess Initiative for Juvenile Hall Students in St. Louis

Nov. 1st 2015, St. Louis, MO- The Hip-Hop Chess Federation (HHCF)  is proud to announce it has begun training St. Louis juvenile hall staff  it’s “Chess and Life Strategies” certification program. The HHCF St. Louis initiative was made possible by a donation from board member RZA of Wu-Tang Clan to help HHCF establish itself in the city of St. Louis. October 9, 2014 Adisa and RZA spoke to more than 400 high school youth from Ferguson and across St. Louis. Later that same day Adisa and RZA  gave a short lecture and played chess with incarcerated youth at the juvenile hall. RZA, who serves on the board for HHCF was moved by what he saw in the hearts and minds St. Louis youth. “That night RZA handed me a check and asked me to put together a program to help the youth of St. Louis.” stated Adisa Banjoko. I promised him I would make it happen.

During the October meeting with the incarcerate group of boys and girls about using chess as a tool to control their energy, Wu-Tang rapper said, “Y’all are in here for not controlling your energy, yo. You are here now] for not being analytical about the results of the actions you have taken. I’m the last one to talk in some sense. I’ve been through the same system...Me and my brother got our first gun, when I was 11 or 12...Riding NY city busses looking for what they call, a ’vic’ [victim].” He went onto explain how he taught himself through reading and playing chess to help him make better choices over time. RZA explained how the trauma of watching many relatives and friends die or become incarcerated, led him away from being trapped in the streets. “It’s a game of chess in one sense, but in another it's a study of life. We in the Hip-Hop Chess Federation are striving to bring awareness to American’s, to Black youth,  but to the whole of American youth... That chess study, along with martial arts, along with music-  is the best way to help develop your mind and body and protect you from pitfalls in life that will surely come at you.” The full audio of RZA’s conversation with the incarcerated youth of St. Louis is up at www.bishopchronicles.com .

TJ Jones a staff member at St. Louis Juvenile Hall Family Court wrote a letter to HHCF a few weeks after thier visit stating, “You gave a memorable and powerful presentation to our youth and showed your dedication and motivation to do the unthinkable, connect chess with Hip-Hop...They were so amazed they began to ask  when you were coming back again to have a chess tournament.” TJ and Adisa talked over the course of the next year looking at the most effective ways to get St. Louis juvenile hall staff trained in HHCF methodologies and philosophies. “Thanks to vision and trust of RZA in our our mission, we are currently training their staff in our innovative approach to teaching teens about life though chess. In five weeks, they will be complete in their HHCF Level 1 Certification. So many kids there already love chess, I cannot wait to see the students when we visit again.”

St. Louis based schools and organizations looking to have their staff trained in HHCF Chess and Life Strategies program can email contact@hiphopchessfederation.org and apply. They can also call Bay Area HHCF HQ 888-588-4418.

DONATE to HHCF and Help Kids Get an Edge in Class and in Life!!

American teens fall into drugs, pregnancy and violence after school when they are not involved in activities that cultivate their minds and bodies. Youth violence is the thirs leading cause of death for people between the ages of 15-24. 

We have a new three thousand square foot facility made to help them grow mentally, emotionally and physically to cut this trend and promote nonviolence. We need your help in getting our after school program to kids who currently don't have access to it. 

Reaching our 5k goal will allow 25  kids to take a 12 week session. The grades and emotional well being of the students will be tracked and documented in a short video. You will be able to see the direct impact of your donation.

Our goal is to scholarship local kids in here and train them in chess and life strategies and jiu-jitsu. Your donation will make sure they have the space, the jiu-jitsu gi (what they wear while training) teachers and tutors needed to take them to the next level.Most of the kids I’ve worked with are from tough areas. The bulk are Black and Latino but we work to help everybody we can. In the HHCF we know that the power of and team, is in its diversity. We plan to build our program in the facility first and then spread it across Oakland the the rest of the bay (and the country really). Our previous programs have been in San Francisco, Hayward, and San Jose. These classes will be held in our new Fremont, HQ. We will make a short video of the kids in the program so you see the results for yourself. 

Simply put, American education has been in a state of emergency. Many of our schools and families are broken. Some of our children are being fed right into juvenile hall by corrupt judges. Basically, folks are investing in the failure of our people. I’m asking you to help us counter that by supporting HHCF so we can help kids do better in school and in life on the streets. Once the initial 5k has been raised we will put out a special press release and add a section to our site www.hiphopchess.com that lists your name and your brand on our site, honoring our commitment to working with HHCF to help pave new paths to education and peace. Read what educators and others say about HHCF.

Donate today!! Then share with your friends. 

HHCF Auctioning Lost Autographed Chessboards by RZA, GZA, Rakaa and Waitzkin

For Immediate Release:

PR Contact: Mek Gaborski

(657) 229-2787

memg@hiphopchessfederation.org

   L-R: Rakaa Iriscience of Dilated Peoples, Daaim Shabazz of The Chess Drum, RZA from Wu-Tang Clan and International Chessmaster Josh Waitzkin.

Hip-Hop Chess Federation Auctions Lost Autographed Chessboards by Wu-Tang Clan

Arts and Education Non-profit Raising Money for New Community Center

8/3/15 San Jose, CA- The Hip-Hop Chess Federation (HHCF) has just announced that it is auctioning three autographed chessboards signed by Rza and Gza of the Wu-Tang Clan, International Chessmaster Josh Waitzkin and Rakaa Iriscience from Dilated Peoples. The initial auction price of the boards is $150.00. The boards had been lost after they were signed in October of 2007 at the Chess Kings Invitational in San Francisco. They recently were found as the organization was moving items to take to the new facility. The auction is happening to raise funds for the new HHCF Community Center. The new community center will host various classes on Hip-Hop dance, chess, Brazilian jiu-jitsu and after school tutoring and mentoring programs.

HHCF Founder Adisa The Bishop recently finished serving as an Education and History Consultant on Hip-Hop and chess for the record breaking exhibit at the World Chess Hall of Fame in St. Louis, Missouri. The discussion on chess, martial arts and Hip-Hop as tools for non-violence has swept across universities like University of Connecticut, University Wisconsin Whitewater and Oberlin College among others. HHCF Summer Camps were hosted in San Jose and in East Palo Alto to help keep at-risk kids off the street and planning their future.

RZA serves as the Director of Outreach for the HHCF. In the wake of the police shootings of  Michael Brown and Vonderitt Myers RZA and Adisa spoke to St. Louis youth and visited incarcerated youth.  RZA shared his in depth wisdom about race in America, Ferguson, and the importance of chess as a tool for life strategies and  non-violence.

“These chessboards represent a unique era in the fusion between chess and Hip-Hop” stated Adisa The Bishop “These boards are not going to be reproduced. Whether you are a Hip-Hop or chess history buff, this is a truly one of a kind thing to have for any collector to own.”

To place your bid for one of the three autographed Hip-Hop Chess Federation chessboards visit: EBay now! For more information on the Hip-Hop Chess Federation visit www.hiphopchess.com or follow @realhiphopchess on Instagram.

“

HHCF Philosophy: 3PA > 1NT

Just the beginning of what we teach at the HHCF summer camp. There will be nothing like it on Earth and you'll be glad you signed your kids up. Seats are moving pretty steady. Get your kids in today at www.hiphopchessfederation.org/games !