Okai Drums Up Spirited Rhythms and a Strong Sense of Community

Is Brooklyn in the house? Of course it is! Where else can you discover the best hidden talent? One of the borough’s artistic finds goes by the name of Okai. This Haitian-American Brooklynite is well known in the community as a rapper, vocalist, percussionist, activist, teacher, as well as an inspiration—and he’s everywhere.

Ever the musician, Okai started playing the drum set his local church. In 2004 he began banging on the congas and on what he now considers his main love, the djembe. He would follow the rhythms of those drums into a career in music.

“My sound is heavily influenced by music of the African Diaspora…jazz, racine (Haitian roots), samba,” he tells Brooklyn Roads. Okai’s lyrical content mostly touches on political and global issues, but he admits that his favorite topic is love. “I enjoy singing songs about the process of falling in and out of love.”

In the underground scene, Okai is known as one of the members of the hip hop trio, Regime Change. Together, the three bring back a refreshing sound to the genre reminiscent of the late 1980s and early ’90s. Their bold lyrics and experimental production truly make them one of a kind and walking into one of their shows is equivalent to going to a family reunion. The room is filled with a warm energy, everyone is invited and the night becomes one big party. Hip hop heads should be happy to hear that they anticipate dropping their new album sometime next year.

When Okai is taking a break from Regime Change, you can usually catch him jamming and singing with The Brown Rice Family. The perfect union of the drums, guitar bass, saxophone, clarinet, harmonica and keyboard earned the group first place at The Green Space’s Battle of the Boroughs in 2012.

As they went head to toe with several other bands, it was clear that people wanted more of The Brown Rice Family and the group’s Heartist album is expected to be released in 2013.

Outside of music, one of Okai’s strongest passions is giving back to the community. He is dedicated to giving drum instruction to young people in after-school programs and also has led fundraisers for Hurricane Sandy relief. Okai joined forces with Negus World to create a non-profit organization called Hip Hop Saves Lives. This group of hip hop enthusiasts uses the musical genre to enrich the lives of children. “We encourage the kids to write and record their own hip hop songs reflecting their point of view,” he tells us.

Stay tuned for performances from The Brown Rice Family (including their appearance at the upcoming Red Hook Fest) and Regime Change in the near future. You can also find Okai drumming at the Mark Morris Dance Center making the masses move in delight. If you need some feel-good music in your life, Okai is an artist you should see.