New Look. Same BRIC.

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New Look. Same BRIC.

Date

Oct 18, 2016 • 7:00 PM

Cost

FREE w/ RSVP

Location

BRIC House Stoop
647 Fulton Street
(Enter on Rockwell Place)
Brooklyn, NY 11217
United States
Get Directions

Courtesy of Bradd Marquis

CREATED BY: Angela-Renee Coakley and Danny Simmons

PRODUCED BY: Coakley Entertainment, LLC


What’s your story? New Yorkers are like no other, and thrive in what can be labeled the most aggressive city in the world. That makes for an interesting medium for sometimes unlikely interactions and happenings. “If you can make it here you can make it anywhere.” Join us for Def Stories, featuring a mix of comedians, lyricists, performers, authors and more, sharing some of their anecdotes with you! 

MUSIC BY: DJ Spencer Blake

SPECIAL LIVE MUSICAL PERFORMANCE BY: Bradd Marquis and rap star Skyzoo

HOSTED BY: Angela-Renee Coakley

FEATURED STORYTELLERS: Torae, host of  The Tor Guide on SiriusXM, Hip Hop Nation Channel 44; Kecia E. ColeAshley August 

SINGER/ACTIVIST/PERFORMANCE ARTIST: Steff Reed

CHOREOGRAPHER: Jamal Story

. . . AND MORE!


ABOUT THE ARTISTS:

ANGELA- RENEE COAKLEY (Producer): Coakley Entertainment (CE)  Marketing and Productions, an event marketing, event management, and event production firm was founded by Angela-Renee Coakley in 2003.  Angela Renee was first hooked on the arts & entertainment while studying with Alvin Ailey as a teen. The Brooklyn native decided to head West to Los Angeles where she accrued an impressive resume in both event and media production. Her clients include Pepsi, Lipton, Nascar and Cover Girl to name a few.  Her company has produced concerts and events for entertainers such as, Patti Labelle, Sinbad, John Legend, Chaka Khan, Gladys Knight, Estelle, Zac Brown Band and Pharrell.

While behind the camera, she started as the producer for a local variety show in Las Vegas starring George Wallace, Michael Colyer, Tony Terry, Mary Wilson and more... Her talents were then recognized by Cirque Du Soleil, for which she took on a production role. Soon after, her home the East Coast, summoned her abilities in which she worked on several Indie films including, The Bluest Note, Danny Simmons’ Footprints, and recently co-produced buzzing Indie sensation The Lost Book of Rap. Angela Renee is fusing her skills into building an annual film and live music festival, as an outlet to all creatives and she remains a creative architect in many facets of media and entertainment. 

BRADD MARQUIS: They say there are no more good guys and that nice guys finish last. Soul singer/songwriter and actor/producer Bradd Marquis has every intention of laying these myths to rest with the release of his third commercial release, Thank You. Enchanting audiences long before his 2007 album debut, the critically acclaimed Finding My Way, Marquis projects the kind of clean-cut, old school charm unseen since the days of Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, and the iconic men of Motown.

SKYZOO: Growing up just a block away from The Notorious B.I.G., watching him go from local corner boy to rap superstar, Skyzoo couldn’t help but dream big. The Brooklyn, NY native saw life in all of its "heaven and hell" juxtaposition, being from the infamous home of both Jay-Z and "Do The Right Thing". He started rapping at age nine, writing about what he witnessed on his daily routines as a child. Those years of observation and living have turned into first person narratives that have labeled Skyzoo as a "new legend" and have led to his albums being critically acclaimed by fans and critics alike. His storytelling has been commended by all walks of literary life, from hip hop royalty to university professors and everyone in between.

ASHLEY AUGUSTAshley August is an actress, playwright, touring spoken word artist, multiple time Grand Slam Champ, hip-hop junkie, professional shower krumper and NYC's 2013 Youth Poet Laureate. As an actress, she got her start at 14 in the off-Broadway production of "Love: A Circus in Three Acts" and has since been featured on such great stages as the Apollo, The Great Hall at Cooper Union, and The Triad Broadway House. She began her poetic journey in the summer of 2009 at Urban Word NYC where she quickly established herself as a rising star when she became a Youth Leadership Board Member, participating in several highly acclaimed competitions, including the Urban Word Grand Slam Finals and the New York Knicks Poetry Slam. In 2012, August landed a spot on the Urban Word Youth Slam team winning a ticket to California to perform at the Brave New Voices national poetry competition. In December of the same year, she was cast in the spirited off-broadway festival Black Ink, where she wrote and starred in her own one woman production, collaborating with award-winning choreographer and director, Nicco Annan.

TORAE: Torae is an American rapper from the Coney Island section of Brooklyn, New York. He has released a number of solo albums and collaborative works, and gained recognition by collaborating with DJ Premier and Marco Polo. In 2014, he and fellow Brooklyn rapper Skyzoo released their collaborative album, Barrel Brothers.

KECIA ÉLAN COLE: is an Emmy-nominated TV Producer and Editor who won a New York Press Award for a segment she produced and edited on Hurricane Sandy. She began pursuing film and television production after she was given an 8mm camera by an Academy Award winning director, and a mini dv camera by her dad. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in magazine journalism from Kent State University, where she founded and edited an on-campus magazine. Kecia’s editing work has been featured in music videos by Talib Kweli and Fat Man Scoop, and a short film by noted filmmakers Malik Sayeed and Arthur Jafa. She has also freelanced with ABC's Good Morning America Now and BET. She is currently a Senior Producer and editor for BRIC TV where she is a Series producer on 4 series: B-Side, Brooklyn Made, Brooklyn Is Masquerading As The World & BK3K.

STEFF REED: Steff Reed is a singer, songwriter, producer and self-taught multi-instrumentalist who is currently touring and working on the follow-up to his self-produced debut EP, #TheIntervention. Reed is also promoting his latest single "Frontline" which has been heard at marches and protests throughout the east coast and mid west. The song reflects on the difficult time we face dealing with police brutality, much like great artists before us with songs that made question the harsh realities like Marvin Gaye's “What’s Going On?" Reed has won various awards for his work behind the scenes as a songwriter, composer and producer: working with artists such as Trey Songz, Swizz Beats, Jhene Aiko and Raekwon.

JAMAL STORY: A dancer, Story is known for his wide-ranging physical skill set that includes Ballet, Modern, Jazz and Gymnastics. He has worked with Cher, Madonna, Complexions, and Donald Byrd/the Group, and has performed on Broadway in the original casts of both The Color Purple and Motown: the Musical. An advocate for arts education, Story has two degrees from Southern Methodist University, and incorporates a firm basis in pedagogy and kinesiology in his teaching. Between gigs, he maintains his affiliation with LA Dance Magic and with the University of Missouri Kansas City, where he taught for the Division of Dance as a full-time, ad interim professor. He was the Assistant Choreographer for Senor Discretion, Himself at the Arena Stage in DC, and worked with Doriana Sanchez on creating disco material for her numbers on So You Think You Can Dance. With his company, Schehimazade Productions, he lives, ever after,  happily choreographing, teaching, writing and consulting as an independent contractor. 


BRIC’s Stoop Series illuminates the arts and life around us in Brooklyn through artistic performances, presentations, participatory activities and dynamic conversations. Explore music, visual art, film, media, storytelling, comedy, and other creative fields. Grab a coffee or a cocktail and engage with some of the most innovative artistic voices in Brooklyn's ever-expanding cultural scene. On the monumental interior stoop of BRIC House – there’s something different every week!

This program was made possible in part by TD Bank.

PLEASE NOTE WHEN RSVPING: 
* Admittance is first come, first serve.
* The Stoop has a limited capacity and seating is NOT guaranteed.

 

Venue Information:

The Stoop at BRIC House is a public cultural gathering space featuring free, drop-in programming, and offering a place to sit, observe, and participate in multi-disciplinary work. 

Beginning Nov. 1, 2022, attendees of any BRIC House programming will no longer have to show proof of vaccination or a negative test to enter the building. Masks are encouraged but not required in all BRIC operated spaces. If you have questions regarding this protocol, please email Safety@bricartsmedia.org. For our full BRIC House COVID-19 policy, visit: https://www.bricartsmedia.org/safety.