Kokayi

As one of the most versatile innovators of his generation of interdisciplinary artists, Kokayi continues to forge new ground. The Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter, emcee, producer and educator continues to make music that is an amalgam of his musical traditions ranging from folk to hip hop. Most recently, he provided the score for MTV’s Rebel Music films that focus on social justice and global conflict resolution. Additionally, his songs have appeared in feature films: Kevin’s Hart’s “Laugh at my Pain” and the Bernie Mac documentary “I Ain’t Scared of You”. His most recent singles, “History” and “Part of It”, have respectively eared over 180K listens on Soundcloud and a feature on MTV Iggy. Kokayi has been honored with the 2012 Sister Cities grant for work in Senegal and has served as the 2013 Artist in Residence in Nijmegen, Netherlands. He continues to work as a music emissary with the U.S. State Department, DC Grammy Board Vice President and adjunct faculty with the School of Improvisational Music at NYU.