Beats n’ Beans is a series conceived by Grammy-nominated artist, producer and educator Kokayi that engages people around the sights, smells and sounds of art, music and coffee. Every Second Friday at Byrdland Records (7/9 is next), Kokayi will be spinning his latest music and providing a window into his creative process. Kokayi is inspired by the sights and sounds of a record store and the smells and tastes of coffee. Kokayi provides the beats and we’ve partnered with local coffee roasters Others Coffee to provide the beans.
About Kokayi: Preeminent Improvisational Vocalist, GRAMMY-nominated musician, Creative DSGN for projects with Grammy-nominated artist Goldink and artist/musician Guillermo Brown (James Corden Show). He can be heard on Whose Hat is This? Everything’s Ok, Goldlink’s At What Cost, MTV’s Rebel Music, Kevin Hart’s Laugh At My Pain, A’Larrache (Canal +), I Ain’t Scared of You: a Tribute to Bernie Mac and over 60 titles spanning: Jazz, Hip Hop, Rock and R&B. School of Improvisational Music (guest faculty), \ OneBeat mentor, freelance music emissary with the U.S. State Department, Music Supervisor – Untitled Interactive Games. Chief Ideator and co-curator of BeatsnBeans: a discussion series on creativity, coffee culture and the re-imagining of creative spaces. Recipient of the Halcyon Artist Fellowship, DCCAH Artist Fellowship and Sister Cities Grants.
About Others Coffee:
Brian Raupp, a graphic designer and musician, and Ashley May, an illustrator and painter, form a dynamic Washington, D.C.-based barista couple whose first date was during a chilly December in Charm City. The Baltimore-area natives had one of their early dates a few years ago at Ceremony Coffee, just around the corner from the Walters Art Museum and Lineup Room recording studios, where Raupp often recorded his music. Sharing an affinity for Baltimore, a knack for people, and a love of caffeine, they pushed themselves to start Others Coffee.