Chris Rolle, also known as "Kazi" (a shortened form of "Kharma Kazi"), is founder and Co-CEO of One+One Records, a hip hop

Hip hop

Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...

 performer, and a motivational speaker on men's issues in the African American

African American

African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...

 community. He was born in Nassau, Bahamas

Nassau, Bahamas

Nassau is the capital, largest city, and commercial centre of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. The city has a population of 248,948 , 70 percent of the entire population of The Bahamas...

; since 1990 he has lived in Brooklyn

Brooklyn

Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...

, New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

.

In 1994, while in high school, Rolle began an involvement with Art Start as a student in the Media Works Project. He graduated in 1996 from the New York City Public Repertory Company (an alternative

Alternative school

Alternative school is the name used in some parts of the world to describe an institution which provides part of alternative education. It is an educational establishment with a curriculum and methods that are nontraditional...

 arts high school), where he won the Playwrights Competition. In 1997 he taught the Media Works Project curriculum to teenagers coming out of Rikers Island

Rikers Island

Rikers Island is New York City's main jail complex, as well as the name of the island on which it sits, in the East River between Queens and the mainland Bronx, adjacent to the runways of LaGuardia Airport. The island itself is part of the borough of the Bronx, though it is included as part of...

 prison, and in 1998 he led Art Start's anti-racism PSA project, which received coverage from the Bravo cable network in the documentary Fire, Risk and Rhythm.

He then went on to found, in 1999, Art Start's Hip-Hop Project, which eventually led to collaboration with Russell Simmons

Russell Simmons

-External links:** * * * * * * from the US Holocaust Memorial Museum* *...

 and others, led to his major role in the documentary The Hip Hop Project, executive produced

Executive producer

An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...

 by Bruce Willis

Bruce Willis

Walter Bruce Willis , better known as Bruce Willis, is an American actor, producer, and musician. His career began in television in the 1980s and has continued both in television and film since, including comedic, dramatic, and action roles...

 and Queen Latifah

Queen Latifah

Dana Elaine Owens , better known by her stage name Queen Latifah, is an American singer, rapper, and actress. Her work in music, film and television has earned her a Golden Globe award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, two Image Awards, a Grammy Award, six additional Grammy nominations, an Emmy...

, and won him praise from the likes of Doug E. Fresh

Doug E. Fresh

Douglas E. Davis , better known by the stage name Doug E. Fresh, is an American rapper, record producer, and beat boxer, also known as the Human Beat Box...

. He was with the project until September 2003, when he left Art Start to found One+One Records. He was succeeded in his role at Art Start by one of his own students, Diana "Princess" Lemon. Simultaneously, he was a director, actor, and writer for Tomorrow's Future theatre company; his work there included the play A Brooklyn Story.
After his work on the Hip Hop project, he had a lot of options, he could go many ways. One of his good friends Nasir jones aka. NaS is an american rapper. And Kazi wanted to be a rapper so nas helped him.

Since June 2004, he has been a member of Art Start's Board of Trustees. His numerous awards include a Governor's Citation, and the CBS

CBS

CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...

Fulfilling the Dream Award for his play, A Brooklyn Story.

External links

• Official site, accessed online 17 April 2007.