The Team
Chief Consultant Firm – Black & Brown, LLC
Chief Consultant Firm: Black & Brown, LLC is a multimedia entertainment consultant firm.
Danielle LeBlanc – Chief Consultant
Danielle LeBlanc has a long interest in the intersections of art and community. She is a visual artist and has won an Honorable Mention Award at a New York Art Exhibition. She has had the privilege of participating in the Maysles Institute’s Filmmakers Collaborative Documentary Course and the Third World Newsreel’s Production Workshop. Danielle is working to capture in film the story of her mother and the group of women her mother befriended when she first came to the United States. Coming from Dominica, Trinidad, Jamaica and Costa Rica, they all met in the apartment building Danielle’s family lived in when she was little. Far away from their families, they created family among each other. Over 30 years, they have shared graduations, house fires, unemployment, promotions, foreclosures, births, deaths, and many, many, many family gatherings full of laughs and love.
Danielle is invested in promoting entrepreneurship and community development. Currently, She consults with start-ups and nonprofits, including We Global Arts Festival. Prior to that she was Senior Director at the microfinance nonprofit, Grameen America. Ms. LeBlanc worked at LISC, where she provided capital loans to nonprofit organizations. And she managed a grant program for capacity building and capital projects while at the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone.
Ms. LeBlanc has a Masters in International Affairs from Columbia University and a Bachelor’s degree from Brown University. She serves on the board of Women Advancing Microfinance-New York and is Treasurer of Brown University’s Inman Page Black Alumni Council. She is also one of the officers of the Commonwealth of Dominica Improvement Association. Danielle was deployed as a Red Cross volunteer to Gulfport, Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina and served as a volunteer disaster responder for four years. And she is a 2010 Leadership Newark Fellow.
Aaron K. Appiah – Chief Representative for the Continent of Africa
Aaron Dates was born Aaron Appiah – Korang to Ghanaian parents from Mampong – Ashanti, is the CEO for two big entertainment firms namely house of Maasela and Swagglunagh, both companies operates in areas of events and advertising.
He started with passion for entertainment he started at a very early stage in his life working as an event planner, later on at the age of 20 he managed multiple awards winning artist “Wutah Kobby” thru which they produced more than 10 hit songs that made waves in Ghana and beyond.
With his skillful and affections to this work, he landed the role of a Chief Operation Manager of House of Maasela… which he has been able to successfully created two annually events in Ghana.
Contact Information: Tel.: +233245650745 | Email: aaronappiah90@yahoo.com | Twitter: @aarondated4real | Facebook: Aaron Dates
Ousame Niang aka Pisko The Don – Francophone Countries Representative
Ousmane Niang is a native of the ‘Patte d’Oie Builders’ in Dakar, Senegal. He was born on December 26, 1981 and started his musical career in Hip-Hop in 2003. He would Rap mostly in English, and brought new blood to the Senegalese Hip-Hop scene with his own style and originality. His love for American Hip-Hop Culture and Rap grew while listening to 90s hits by Wu-Tang Clan, 2pac, Notorious BIG, and Nas.
In 2003, under a dare, he participated in a rap contest with the artist named Kaze Blue. Craven A. Cigarette organized the contest named “Represent”. Kaze Blue won second place behind the group “Under Shiffay”.
After this competition, Ousame Niang decided to perform with Kaze Blue, under his true name Cheikh Dielany Diop with G-Money. They created the ‘FREE Group’. In 2006, after the death of G-Money, Pisko continued his path with Kaze Blue. Their video “Between Us” made a huge impact on the music scene.
In 2009, Pisko decided to make an album dedicated to Senegalese Hip-Hop entitled: “Hip-Hop Tuning”. After “Hip-Hop Tuning”, Pisko made a mixtape entitled ” Beyond the Music” which featured Kaze Blue, Admow Flow, Baby Tchek and G-Meize. This mixtape is composed of all aspects of Hip-Hop culture. The single “Way of Club” with his partner Kaze Blue, has authentic sound in a mind of ambiance, humor, and deliriums. In addition to the mixtape, Pisko is featured on songs with the following talented artists such as Lady Zee, Carbo, Cheeky Blaze, and Res KP.
Pisko the Don is also a radio personality on a Hip-Hop broadcast radio station widely known in Dakar 97.37 FM. Pisko’s radio show is titled “Another Game” and he also acts as a columnist. He is currently working on his 3rd album named “Éclipse” with 8 tracks produced by Pypa, who is a beat maker and producer. Pisko is also working with Nostalgie 90.3 FM, a well known radio station in Sénégal and in lot of francophone countries. Nostalgie have over 9 million listeners in West Africa. Pisko the Don – welcomes you into his world full of creativeness and inspiration.
Electronic Press Kit: www.reverbnation.com/piskothedon
Video Links: Limay Doundou: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MW_ypN_9NU&feature=share&list=PL73B92E7807EEA21F&index=11
Fresh in this Game by Lady Zee feat Pisko The Don: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQrQ667aKMI&list=PL73B92E7807EEA21F&feature=share&index=12
Booking Details for Pisko the Don, Baby Tcheck, Cold Blooded, and G-Meize: Mr. Ousmane Niang | Tel.: 00221-779732218 | Tel.: 00221-776558689 | Tel.: 00221-338355573 | E-mail: piskothedon@gmail.com
Pape Cisse – Multimedia, Branding & Marketing Director/Consultant
Pape Cheikh Cisse aka PAPCISS is an artist from Ivory Coast with multi-dimensional value. His musical career began after attending several concerts of international renowned artists. He flirted with several music studios during his adolescence. Pape is influenced by local, native, Dancehall, Reggae and Rap music that rocked his childhood. In 2009, he recorded his first professional rap song and continues to collaborate with young Ivorian artists. In 2012, he helped to create with a group of friends the successful Ivorian web series: “Soyee Situation”. Pape Cisse is very active in the audiovisual, marketing, branding, music, graphic design and visual creation sectors. Versatile as a Marketing professional and exceptional artist; Papciss sings, writes and makes Rap music both French and English languages. As an universal artist, he performs all of his work in African coloration that he claims proudly.
Social Media Link: Instagram: @papciss
Video Links: Encaisser Payer – http://youtu.be/E1-HUqbFb7w
Situation Soyé – https://www.youtube.com/user/situationsoye
Booking Details: Mr. Pape Cisse at Rebirth Entertainment | Tel.: +225 02 81 91 39
Jason Williams – Marketing Assistant/Hip-Hop Interviewer
Sergio Monteiro – Asian Countries Representative
Sergio F. Monteiro grew up in Washington DC and Hong Kong. The oldest of three siblings, he went to the University of New Brunswick in Canada.
Growing up in DC, it was hard not being influenced by the history embedded in American literature. The Cabo Verde Embassy in DC was his only reminder that he was from a different culture than the one he was growing up in.
Reading the works of Richard Wright, Chinua Achebe, Alex Haley, Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Jose Saramago inspired him to one day try and produce works of literary fiction that could encapsulate the history of a place as well as its present day problems and achievements.
”I love writing so I wanted to write stories that lovers of mystery novels and political thrillers would dive into and learn something in the process”
Other American Dreams, his first novel, combines history, social discourse and a story he hopes will draw readers inward and leave them with a sense of not only what daily life is like on the Cabo Verde Islands, but also the idea that as humans on this Earth, we can only ever be the sum of our experiences.
Social Media Links:
https://www.facebook.com/oadthebook/
Emmanuel Obeng aka Soul Nana – Music, A&R and Educational Consultant
Born into a legacy of music, it was destiny for Soul Nana to pursue a career writing, producing, and performing. The son of internationally known Ghanaian drummer Rim Kwaku Obeng, Soul Nana was nurtured at a very young age by musical greats like Fela Kuti, Osibisa, and Lumumba.
Not long after immigrating with his parents to the United States, Soul Nana became immersed in the genres of Funk, Soul, Jazz, and eventually, Hip-Hop. Building upon a solid musical foundation and blessed with his mother’s work ethic, Soul Nana was signed to Coolio and managed by Paul Stewart in 1994. During this time Soul Nana worked with Montell Jordan, Xzibit, Jimmy Cliff, and the late Oji Pierce.
In 2000, Soul Nana made his transition into music production. By 2004 his first placement, “Lots of Girls” featuring Spragga Benz became the single for Slip N Slide artist, Don Yute. After winning the 2007 Sha Money XL Beat Battle in Phoenix Arizona, Soul Nana went on to work with Rayven Symone, Jodeci, The Cheetah Girls, Keith Robinson, Anjulie, Nikki Grier, Busta Rhymes, Maino, and many others. Nana continues to hone and develop his production skills. Like those who influenced him, he is never satisfied. It is that very same commitment and passion that has recently drawn him back to the desire to perform.
Soul Nana has diligently worked on his delivery and lyrical acumen in order to honor his rich musical heritage, making clear his determination for excellence on both sides of the microphone.
Soul Nana’s sound is drawn from the vast well of his past experiences, fusing Pop, Hip-Hop, R&B/Soul, Rock, Dance, and Reggae with traditional African Vibrations.
G.H.A.N.A: God has appointed Nana Already
Social Media Link: Instagram: @soulnana
Electronic Press Kit: http://www.soulnana.com/
Video Link: Dedicated – ft Meaku: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpEoaQlJ4hs&feature=share&list=PL73B92E7807EEA21F&index=30
Booking Details: Only1soulnana@gmail.com
Ralphy Salas – Music, A&R and Educational Consultant
Multi- Platinum Producer and Songwriter: Rap, R&B, Pop & Latin Hip-Hop
Born of Puerto Rican and Dominican parents he hails from New York City’s Bronx River Section of the Bronx; Ralphy J. Salas also known as Rated “R” of 1st Team Productions has earned the title of a quality and promising “hitmaker” in the industry. His keen talent and zealous rise as a producer and songwriter has gathered him a place in the elite circle of highly sought-after Rap, R&B, Pop and Latin Hip-Hop music artists. He has worked and produced songs for industry’s heavyweights such as DMX, Lil Kim, Black Rob, Mr. Cheeks, Krazy Bone, Jadakiss, Fat Joe and co-wrote with Justin Timberlake of N’SYNC.
Rated R was featured on MTV’s special documentary entitled: “DMX-Pain and Perseverance” and the documentary entitled: “The Outlaws – Behind the Scenes.” He was a panelist for the Latin Grammy’s 2001 pre-events and Music Biz 101 Conference in Miami. Rated R is a member of Business Music Incorporated (BMI) and is a speaker for various workshops and non-profits organizations.
Social Media Link: Instagram: @yorated
Serwah Asante – Fashion Consultant
Serwah Asante is the Creative Director/ Founder of xo ASANTE. After graduating from Dartmouth College with a BA in Sociology, Serwah continued her studies at the Fashion Institute of Technology, NY. In 2011, Serwah launched Rue 114 (later changed to xo ASANTE) as a platform upon which to celebrate beauty and style at all sizes. Inspiration for the xo ASANTE brand is deeply informed by the designer’s Ghanaian roots, New York City upbringing, and eternal love of travel. Each collection is born of the global perspective and responds to the call of what today’s woman; whether in Laos, Lagos, or Los Angeles; needs to be edgy, unique, powerful, and always feminine. Serwah also serves as Director of Strategic Partnerships for the International Coalition for African Fashion (I-CAF), where she coordinates partner relations with governments, organizations, and individuals to build a strong community to promote and sustain the global industry of African Fashion.
Website: www.xoasante.com
