Kensho Kuma 
2nd Floor Samurais are off to a very busy 2016.. Our 2nd official show of the year will be “Japan Rap Night” on 02/21 at the Stork Club in Oakland. Our longtime comrade Shing02 will be returning to the Bay after a prolonged absence, and he will be doing a Nujabes tribute set with Spinmaster A-1.
The 1st 2FS show of 2016 is scheduled to be January 30th @the Chapel in San Francisco. Our comrade Rafael Sarria’s multi-genre band La Gente will be celebrating their album release, and the Samurais are proudly opening for them. Also, ROTC general Emcee Infinite is also on the bill.. This event is sure to sell out, so get your tickets here. Also, be sure to like the 2nd Floor Samurais artist page here.
If we’ve met in real life, you probably noticed that I’m a dedicated vapor.. I use to be a pretty consistent cigarette smoker, and since I switched over to vaping about five years ago, my health has noticeably gotten better. Although the long term (and short term) effects of vaping are still yet to be determined, it is for sure a healthier alternative to traditional cigarettes.
My comrade/ engineer D-Wiz and I will be shooting a video for “We Vape” on 12/16/16 11:00AM @Tasty Vapors (1017 22nd Ave #110, Oakland) in Oakland. We want you to vape, have fun, and possibly sing the chorus, which will be uploaded at a later point. (It’s extremely simple…)Please come dressed in fun funky fresh casual attire. This panda has nothing to do with the video.
“We Vape” is a fun and educational song about vaping, and it will be available for free download soon.
Rymeezee is a San Francisco MC I’ve know since the late nineties, and he was featured on my first debut cassette. It’s reassuring to witness an artist withstand the test of time, strengthen his grind, and continue developing. He is not only an emcee with an expansive catalog, but a fashion brand designer/ owner, juvenile justice case manage and a father of three boys.
Return of the Cypher will proudly have him as the featured performer on 01/31/16. Yours truly will be on hosting duties, alongside DJ Kevvy Kev, the Gem Stone Band, and all of our usual cast of dope characters.
“Pyrex poetry with potency of potpourri/ I know they feel it in the big cities overseas”
02/03 Update: Event went wonderful.. it’s really refreshing to see artists we book at ROTC come through with hella people, bring their own cameraman, and then upload the performance video within few days..
My ROTC comrade Gigio recently released the “Brainshine” video off of his “It’s An Everyday Thang (EP)” produced entirely by DRMDLR’s Tahaj the 1st. The video features cameos by members of his Smooth Beast crew, including my old school folks Monolyth. This dude stays blessing microphones at our event and Hip Hop shows in the Bay on a regular basis, and more importantly, he’s a humble soul who’s a pleasure to be around.
2nd Floor Samurais will be performing live at the Arte y Tapas Holiday Festival on 12/20/2015. The event is at 83 Proof (83 1st St. SF 94105) and tickets are only 5$. The festival is being headlined by La Gente, a multilingual, multi-genre band led by our comrade Raphael Sarria. This is also a wonderful opportunity to check out local artisans and food vendors..
On December 6th, 2015, Return of the Cypher will be teaming up with Hip Hop for Change to bring you our 2nd annual toy drive. For those of us unfamiliar with the above terms, ROTC is a weekly Hip Hop open-mic which occurs every Sunday evening at the Boom Boom Room in San Francisco; it has arguably become SF Bay Area’s most successful regular Hip Hop event, and is frequented by local legends, a platoon of hungry MC’s from literally around the world, and weekly featured performers. HH4C is a NGO dedicated to battling socioeconomic disparities, police brutality, and cancerous corporate rap, through educational outreaches, grassroots canvassing, and local Hip Hop showcases.
Our 2nd Annual Toy Drive will be hosted by Pep Love from the legendary Hieroglyphics crew, feature a ROTC x HH4C mini-showcase, and also the December ’15 ROTC MVP competition. All collected toys will be donated to City Team, which will then distribute the gifts to youth living in impoverished conditions.
12/07/15 Update: The Toy Drive a tremendous success!! We got everything from Spiderman drums to remote controlled puppies to mini jengas!! Thank you for participating!! We made an actual difference!!
2FS comrade/ veteran emcee/ videographer XienHow will be celebrating the release of his “Process: the 7th Sign” album on November 20th, 2015 @the Elbo Room in San Francisco. It has been rumored for months now that the Valencia venue will close its doors, so this may be one of your last opportunities to enjoy a Hip Hop show there. The night will also serve as the release party for SF OG Aukwin, who will be presenting the “Aukthentic” album and will feature Z-Man as the master of ceremonials.
XienHow – “Toe Tagga” Music Video
Universal Zulu Nation member/ 2FS Produced Inkone just released the “We Spit Bars” video featuring Kenn Chron. Directed by OG graff writer Crayone and featuring cameo appearances by yours truly.
“We Spit Bars” Extended Version: Yours truly trading bars with the homies at 1:35.
“We Spit Bars” Short Version
Hip Hop for Change, a NGO dedicated to fighting socioeconomic injustice, police brutality, and the evils of corporate rap radio, through grassroots activism, educational outreach, and Hip Hop showcases, is organizing a Hip Hop Halloween party on 10/29. As you know, I proudly serve as a board member for this organization, and Halloween is the one holiday I care about, so needless to say, I will go all out.. I will be retiring the 510 Japanda Thug costume I have been developing for numerous Halloweens, and will debut something completely new. My group 2FS will be rocking with many of the usual suspects.. This party will also serve as my boy Unlearn the World’s birthday party.
