GZA Plays A Game Of Chess While Rapping During Live Performance

Rappers have been known to do weird things at live shows sometimes. Typically it's along the lines of doing a massive stage dive off the top of the scaffolding or something, but GZA is much classier than that.

[READ MORE via HotNewHipHop]

Masta Killa In A Game Of Chess: GZA Is My Son And RZA Is My Nephew (Exclusive Interview Part 1 Of 4)

Masta Killa From The Legendary Wu-Tang Clan Sit Downs With M.Reck For This In-depth Interview 1-4, Part 2 Coming Soon. 

Filmed By Kemetic Eye Films, Edited By M.Reck For #MRecktv, Big D On The Beat, M.Reck Doing It For The Culture. Presented By Gutta Muzic Fillmz

[via mrecktv]

Hip-Hop Chess Federation Combines Tech And Hip-Hop For Two-Day Seminar In San Francisco

The San Francisco based nonprofit organization Hip-Hop Chess Federation is hosting a two-day event focused on hip-hop and education.

The nonprofit’s “University In Diversity: Hip-Hop Ed, Art and Technology” will feature community dialog with teachers, rappers, artists and other innovators to inspire local youth, who are seeking to gain an edge in those particular fields.

Topics during the week include “The Hamiltonization of Hip-Hop: Is Commerce Killing The Culture?,” “Science and Hip-Hop: Innovating Beyond The Code,” in addition to several youth led panels.

Over the years, a variety of rappers have participated in events hosted by the Hip-Hop Chess Federation, including Wu-Tang rapper RZA and GZA, who are well-known chess fanatics.

“In chess all pieces have their own movements,”HHCF founder Adisa Banjoko told AllHipHop.com. “Alone they can do very little. However, united they can achieve amazing things. The same is true in education. We are giving parents and educators a media access to one another so both can find the best tools to get their kids college ready. This is just the beginning.”

Other panelists include Zion I, NBC11 technology anchorman Scott Budman, and hip hop producer Dug Infinite.

For more information on “Unity in Diversity: Hip-Hop-Ed, Art and Technology,” click here.

[via AllHipHop]

RZA Donates To Chess Program To Benefit St. Louis Youth

The Wu-Tang rapper speaks on the importance of chess.

RZA made a donation to the Hip Hop Chess Federation to develop a program for incarcerated youth to learn the game of chess, okayplayer reports. He will also now serve as a Federation board member.
Last month, RZA met with about 400 inmates of a juvenile hall in St. Louis to play chess with the students and detail the lessons that can be learned from the game.

"Y’all are in here for not controlling your energy, yo,” the Wu-Tang rapper said. “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 buses looking for what they call, a vic'."

The Federation, founded in 2006, started as a program to teach chess to under privileged children and has now expanded to include classes in Brazilian jujitsu and performing arts.

"It’s a game of chess in one sense," RZA continued, "but in another it’s a study of life. We in the Hip-Hop Chess Federation are striving to bring awareness to Americans, 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."

[via hiphopdx]

Wu-Wednesday: The RZA Introduces Black Knights & Shaka Amazulu the 7th - The Chessmen!

Black Knights & Shaka Amazulu the 7th Presents The Chessmen Episode 1: 2 Knights & A King LP.
First single and album title of conceptual album themed around the ideas, strategies and theories of the chess game. Coming out end of the year.

Intro by The RZA where he officially initiates UK artist Shaka into the beehive via The Black Knights. Recorded 2010.

GZA Interview at Chess Forum with Brooklyn Bound

GZA spoke with the Fader for the latest installment of Brooklyn Bound in conjunction with Converse. Choosing to meet at the Chess Forum in Greenwich Village, GZA spoke on his fascination for the board game. Saying that he initially played for the first time as a nine-year old, he only got into the game as a twenty-one year old hanging out with Masta Killa, True Master, Jeru the Damaja, and Afu-Ra, all of whom enjoyed playing chess outdoors in the summertime. Later on in the interview, GZA explains how he is currently stuck at the same skill level in chess but is working to improve further over time, and explains that to teach someone chess he would start with the basics. He also mentions that he is currently working on his new album, tentatively titled Dark Matter, an album rooted in his interest in science. No word yet on a release date.

Wu-Art Thursday #26

Every Thursday we will be posting up pics of Wu-Tang artwork from fans, artists and aliens. If you have artwork you would like to share, please email us at: WuArtTats@gmail.com 

By KOPSKY

By Billionaire Girl

By Lucky Sham

By Emmanuel Estrada

By Luciano Filicetti

Grab Your Chessboards if you love Hip-hop!!

Hip Hop Meets Chess to Combat Violence

Grab your chessboards if you love hip-hop...

Once again, the Bay Area-based Hip-Hop Chess Federation is back with another one of its terrific events, blending cool music, scholarship, and the game of kings. Started by HHCF founder Adisa Banjoko, with help from rappers like RZA of Wu-Tang Clan, Raaka of Dilated Peoples, Casual from Hieroglyphics, and others, the event aims to bring kids together with their heroes to play chess.

It's that simple, but the results can be amazing. By playing chess, kids learn about alternatives to violence, and like the game itself, they learn the importance of patience, and thinking about the consequences of a move.

As Banjoko says, "The Bay has had a lot of violence and tension and we put this event together in hope of balancing the nagativity, with a wave of positivity."

If you're interested in playing or helping, the event is saturday the 10th at John O'Connell High School in San Francisco. It runs from 10am to 2pm.

Come for the DJ .. stay for the chess.