Rapper DLabrie, and O.G. soldier for the HHCF tangles with Adisa Banjoko

Yo, my brother from another mother, Dlabrie finally locked horns on the chessboard. It was so dope!!! We played old jams froms PE, NWA, Busy Bee and the Funky 4 plus 1 as we drank tea. He's been a true soldier for the HHCF and he is sooo skilled on the mic. But lyrics to not win chess games!! LOL...

He made and early mistake in the gae and I kept the pressure, but it was a hard win.

Check the photos below!!!


DLabrie the EOG enjoying Chinese tea at the 64 squares.


Two soldiers clash on the eternal four corners of combat.


The Bishop of Hip-Hop's mental fitness crushes DLabrie. It takes a nation of millions to hold me back from taking DLabries king. Its a chess thing.

Listen to a clip DLabries "Life Strategies" from this Geek TV HHCF coverage:



You can catch Dlabrie ripping shows as he tours across the world. Check out one of the hottest rappers in the game at:

www.myspace.com/dlabriemusic

Its all about the endgame, in chess and in life

-HHCF

Chess Icon Josh Waitzkin on martial arts and chess

The Art of Learning is the official book of the HHCF



-HHCF

Knowledge of proper technique and strategy is how David beat Goliath

-HHCF

The first book on Hip-Hop, Chess & Martial Arts...

Incisive, real, and always bold, Adisa Banjoko is one of the rare writers who really matters. If you care about the destiny of our generation, you need to arm yourself with "Lyrical Swords".
-Jeff Chang, Author of "Can't Stop Wont's Stop"


Lyrical Swords Vol. 2: Westside Rebellion is the first book to illustrate the relationship between Hip-Hop, Chess, martial arts and non-violence. It features interivews with RZA, GZA, Nas, Slick Rick, Paris, Run DMC and Jam Master Jay, Will.i.am, Spider Loc, Ray Luv, Mix Master Mike and many others. Get it today at www.lyricalswords.com !!!

Hip-Hop Video Shoot in Oakland on Sunday!! Rappers come together to stop the violence!

SUN:SQUASH IT VIDEO SHOOT: COME SUPPORT OAKLAND

Happy New Year Friends and Family,

We will be shooting the second half of our anti-gun violence hip hop music video based on our current single
"Squash it!" this coming Sunday.

Featuring: Tru Vibe Records, Keldamuzik, DLabrie & MORE!!

1) We will shoot the night club scenes at Dorsey's Locker located at 59th Street and Shattuck from 8a.m. to 12 noon. The address there is 5817 Shattuck Avenue in North Oakland. We will need extras dressed like they are going out to a night club.

2) We will have hors d'doeuvres at Downs Memorial United Methodist Church, located at 6026 Idaho Street (two or three blocks east of San Pable Avenue between 60th and 61st Street) also in North Oakland, at 1:30 p.m.

3) At 2 p.m. we will shoot scenes of a staged memorial service there. We will need extras dressed in black to be in the pews pretending to mourn the death of a loved one or friend.

4) If you will be attending both scenes, I recommend that you wear a black outfit that you could wear to both church and a night club.

I know that the National Football League playoffs are going to be televised then, but if you can get away for a while to support us we wil greatly appreciate it. This video is part of a movement to stem the tide of violence in general, and black-on-black crime in particular.

For more information about the music video, the single, or our upcoming album, contact Wendy Ingram (510) 350-7280

Stop watching bum fights and see how skilled dudes put it down

Muhammad Ali




BJ Penn "The Prodigy"



Bruce Lee (an amazing interview)

HHCF EXCLUSIVE with Def Poetry Jam's Amir Sulaiman!!!

The Warrior Poet: Amir Sulaiman

Amir Sulaiman is one of America’s most courageous and skillful poets to emerge in the last 20 years. He burst nationally onto the scene through Russell Simmons Def Poetry Jam. He is physically intimidating. But he is so nice, you can easily forget that you are in the presence of a giant.

His latest album, Like A Thief in the Night is a must have album for music lovers of every genre. Amir Sulaiman is also a lover of the chess. He gave a few MC’s some scrapes and scars at the Chess Kings Invitational in 2007. In this interview we talk about Hip-Hop, poetry, the spirituality of Bob Marley and the power of love.


Amir Sulaiman ripping the set on Def Poetry Jam

HHCF: Tell me about Like A Thief in the Night.

AS: It’s a genre defining album. Its taking the growth and development of spoken word poetry and Hip-Hop, and R&B into a single project. Its creating something real fresh, real new- because the people need that right now.

HHCF: This is my favorite spoken word album in the modern era. I grew up on Nikki Giovanni and The Last Poets, The Watts Prophets. I’ve always felt that a majority of the guys today spend a lot of time mimicking that style of delivery and cadence. You have a very fresh style. What is the source of that freshness?

AS: I think that is was because I did not grow up on Nikki Giovanni and the others. I came fresh outta Hip-Hop. So my lyrical inspiration comes from Nas, Wise Intelligent, Black Thought from The Roots, So, I approached it from the vein of them, Chuck D and others.

HHCF: I know Bob Marley is a hero of yours. Talk to me about that affects you as a human being and an artist.

AS: The big thing to me about Bob Marley to me is…He is loved all over Africa, all over Asia, all over Europe. He did not create this effect by submitting to the will of the market. Jay- Z has a song where he talks about “dumbing down his lyrics to double my dollars”. Many times people go pop by dumbing down what they do.

Marleys ideas were very sophisticated, very spiritual and controversial. Very few people are Rastafari. Its not like he was like “I wanna be popular, so let me talk about the religion of these other people”. His songs were almost missionary in nature. He was about Selassie- Jah all day!!

Yet, because he spoke with such sincerity and such a human element within itself that he was able to transcended peoples prejudices and bigotry. Humans in general consider him to be one of the worlds best artists.

HHCF: So how does that affect your music in general?

AS: I’m Muslim. I’m not one of those guys who you might hear “Yo, I heard so-and-so is Muslim”- its obvious what I’m on. I mention Allah (God) and His Messenger in my music all the time. But it is not exclusive in appeal to Muslims.

Its not like Gospel music. Like “This is for these people and those who believe in this thing”. If you don’t believe in that thing, its not welcoming.

I got invited to do these poems at the Congressional Debates in Atlanta in 2004, in classrooms, prisons and all kinds of places. The people know that they are not excluded from what I do. They say “OK, this is what he is on [the Islamic faith] but that does not exclude me.


Amir Sulaian video Spit

HHCF: Another thing about you is your physical frame. You are over 6 feet, over 200 pounds. Did you grow up as poet? ‘Cause I can imagine you in high school being this huge dude writing poetry.

AS: In America we have a very fragmented standard of manhood. If you look at the great men of the past you were a poet and a warrior and a scholar. It was just like that. It was nothing for you to literally take a mans head off. It was also nothing for you to be a scholar, or a farmer. None of those things contradicted each other.

So, I’m a big dude. I played football and wrote rhymes and I battled dudes. All of that. Its all a part of my personality.

HHCF: As an artist of your caliber, who do you listen to right now?

AS: I’ not listening to too much rap right now. I’m waiting for Andre 3000 to stop playing around and put out an album. I listen to a lot of Radiohead. I’m always listening to Portishead. Kanye and Commons stuff is nice.


RZA, Joslyn Rose of BET, Amir Sulaiman, Adisa Banjoko and DJ Kevvy Kev at the Chess Kings Invitaitonal

HHCF: One of the songs How Beautiful Are You deals with rape. It deals with that it takes for a woman to heal through that trauma. As a man, what gave you the courage and vision to write that?

AS: This is one of the benefits of the poetry culture. In poetry this kinds of subjects are not as taboo as they are in Hip-Hop. Rap requires a certain bravado, or what they call swagger.

It amazes me how much people talk about swagger. Its as if they confuse swagger and honor. Swagger and honor are not the same thing. Swagger is something to be seen. It is pretense- it is a show. Honor is something that is rooted and its real. Swagger is often rooted in fantasy. Now honor, can lead to swagger. But swagger cannot lead to honor.

So me opening up in this way on such a sensitive issue…Women will come up and be like “How can you know this stuff and speak on it as a man?” Obviously it comes from Allah (God) because I have not ever experienced anything like that.

Its just something that occurred to me when I was in college. Specifically as it related to one sister I knew and the relationship she had with other men and herself.

People just need to know that someone cares about them. That they matter.

For more info on Amir Sulaiman visit:

http://www.myspace.com/amirsulaiman

© 2008 Hip-Hop Chess Federation.

Chess gives you undeniable truth in black and white...

"I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality". -Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

HHCF Exclusive Interview with Scarface!!

As promised, the Hip-Hop Chess Federation will begin 2008 bringin' you exclusive interivews with the best artists on earth. We start with the living legend known as Scarface. Scarface is one of the best rappers of all time. Before crunk was dream in Lil Jon’s trunk- The Geto Boys ran the South. Scarface, Willie D and Bushwick Bill changed Hip-Hop forver. In order for T.I., Luda, Lil Wayne, etc., to have a crown to fight over- somebody had to make it first. All of today’s Southern rappers should hit one knee and recognize the presence of the eternal King of the South. Cop the new Scarface solo release, Made asap!

In this interview, Scarface talks about the early years of the rap game, fatherhood and chess.



HHCF: What did it take to make a hit rap record back in the day when you dropped We Can’t Be Stopped ?

Scarface: I don’t know. We just wrote what we felt. We just wrote our feelings, man. We didn’t do anything spectacular. We wrote the moment.

HHCF: So now we fast-forward to 2007. What does it take now?

Scarface: The same thing. Write the moment. Whatever is going on at that moment is what you need to write.

HHCF: But when you dropped We Can’t Be Stopped there were not all of today’s advertising tools and digital media forms. How do you approach putting an LP out today as opposed to ten years ago?

Scarface: Ten year ago we relied on word of mouth., publications, billboards, bus stop ads- now you just go online. Google what is coming out next! If you go online right now you can find out what’s coming out tomorrow. Now you can go online and do in seconds what it used to take weeks to get out, otherwise.

I like the conventional way of getting things out. The internet has its pros and cons.

HHCF: Do you yourself get online and try to measure the market and see where things are at?



Scarface: No, I don’t. I use the internet to look up stuff that interests me. I do not look up record sales, or who likes me or who doesn’t.

HHCF: How do you keep yourself in the mix? I mean, you are a star- so maybe the mix is coming to you.

Scarface: I’m a Geto Boy in real life. I’m from the ghetto, and in the ghetto all the time. I sit in my neighborhood and do what I do. Play cards and dominoes, drink- everyday. It’s not a shock to see me in my neighborhood. Some stars go to their hood and everybody wants to take pictures with them- because they never see ‘em. I am always in there. I never left.

HHCF: So when you look at different rappers now who have a platinum ringtone before their album drops- what do you make of that? Its it good? Is it bad? Does it matter?

Scarface: I ean if they are getting paid for it its cool. If its gonna keep them out the streets and outta the penal system- F!@# it. Sell you some ringtones. As long as they are not in the penitentiary giving away that free labor, I’m cool.

HHCF: How would you rate the quality verses the quality of rap today verse ten years ago?

Scarface: Ten years ago, honestly- on a scale of one to ten in the high nines.

HHCF: What is it today?

Scarface: I can’t even answer that. Some people still take the art seriously. You can always bank on Dr. Dre to have an amazing album come out. There are still people that take rap seriously, believe it or not.

HHCF: Who are your three favorite producers and lyricists?

Scarface: Producers? Dre, Marley Marl, Tone Capone and [inaudible] Joe. I could say those four. Lyricists? All of them- especially Souljah Boy.


HHCF: OK- I’m not even going to quote you on that because I know you are joking. So, I’ll just erase that part. Seriously, who do you like?

Scarface: Souljah Boy is the best rapper since me! I ain’t BS’ing. He ain’t trying to overdo it. I do not know what he’s saying- but it sounds like a winner to me, man!

HHCF: I really can’t tell if you are joking or not- and its bothering me.

Scarface: I’m not joking. I like Souljah Boy. He sold a lot of ringtones for real. Listen to what I’m saying. He did this s!@# himself- he’s seventeen. You’re talking to me about business? He blew himself up- feel me? That’s a business minded seventeen year old. As the parent of a 17 year old, I have to respect that.

What is he saying? I don’t know what the F!@# he is saying. But I think he’s brilliant.

HHCF: Isn’t it funny that the parents of kids who listened to the Geto Boys didn’t know what y’all were saying? Now we got kids who listen to rappers like Souljah Boy and we’re like “What’s he saying?

Scarface: What is he saying?!?!? But I tell you what! I coach little league football. If one of the kids on the field plays that song there will be no peace on my sideline!! I coach seven and eight year olds. As soon as the first notes drop- they go nuts on both sides of the field. You know he blew himself up right?

HHCF: Yep, on the myspace and youtube shot.

Scarface: That’s amazing right? I think there is something to him. If he could blow himself up, what could he do with the next guy that’s really doing something.?!?

HHCF: What are three rules of business that you live by?

Scarface: I refuse to be denied. I refuse to compromise. I will not kiss a** to be accepted.

HHCF: I think I saw you on MTV or BET and you had a chessboard in your home. Are you a chess player?

Scarface: Everyday in life. I love the game. All my movements are eight moves ahead.

HHCF: What are the best three books that taught you about living life?

Scarface: The Bell Curve, Behold A Pale Horse and the Holy Qu’ran.

© 2008 Hip-Hop Chess Federation.

Embrace every loss, they hold the seeds of your ultimate victories!

“You may learn much more from a game you lose than from a
game you win. You will have to lose hundreds of games before becoming a good player”. - Jose Raul Capablanca