Navid Najafi

Dancing Double Serpents feat. @doctabarz produced by @ohtorobeats from my album #SecondLanguage Filmed by @nmgnetwork at @hawaiistateartmuseum last year for the closing of the @hawaiicontemporary Art Summit which was a virtual celebration in anticipation of the Hawai’i Triennial 2022 which opened this weekend! I didn’t share this on my platform then but wanted to do so now and congratulate the Hawai’i Contemporary team, their partners, and all of the artists on a great opening to the Triennial 👏

Paniolo Prince and Queen Maile are on the ballot for Favorite Artist of the Year, and you can vote!!! Mahalo to Hawai‘i Academy of Recording Arts for making this happen! How to vote: 1. Click on the link below and click “Nā Hōkū Hanohano - Favorite artist of the Year.” 2. Artists are listed in alphabetical order across two pages. Weʻre on Page 2! 3. To ensure fairness, only ONE vote per IP address will be counted 4. Go to the link in my bio to vote! or go to this url to vote: https://linktr.ee/panioloprince

FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION! Aloha mai kākou, It is a great honor for myself, @supergroupers @illnomadic @drifton_limrik @rx.kapu @ohtorobeats to be nominated for the preliminary ballot for this year’s Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards for HipHop Album Of The Year! If you are a HARA Member, I humbly ask for your vote to make it on to the final ballot. If you aren’t a HARA member but know someone who is and they haven’t listened to this album, please share it with them. I’m Extremely proud of the work that me and these amazing artists did on Ma Ka Hana Ka ʻIke! We are so grateful to be recognized for it in this space. Me Ka Haʻahaʻa, Punahele / SG / Mr. Kapu Ma Ka Hana Ka ʻIke, the powerful new album from Super Groupers, Punahele, Mr. Kapu, and a cohort of artist-educators across Hawaiʻi, blends socially conscious lyricism with Ohtoro’s signature golden-era production to create a sound both timeless and urgent. Rooted in Indigenous knowledge systems and the lived realities of Native Hawaiian communities, the project channels stories of self-determination, land and water stewardship, housing injustice, ʻōlelo noʻeau, youth / community empowerment, and the ongoing fight against environmental harm. The result is music that hits hard,,, lyrically, culturally, and is sonically crafted with intention, depth, and undeniable hip-hop excellence. Also, Mahalo nui to @inalihi @iwinchester and @kelseaarmstrong for hitting abosolute homeruns on this album! It is a soundtrack for those who build, protect, and rise, this is Hawaiʻi hip-hop at its most grounded and most elevated. #HawaiiHipHop #HawaiianHipHop #MakahaHipHop

I’m not crying, you’re crying… but also yeah, we were definitely crying. Thank you to the University of Hawai‘i for a panel that inspired something real. Stories were shared, walls came down, and for a moment, the whole room was connected. Grateful for the honesty, the vulnerability, and everyone who shared that space with us. This is why we do it. 🙏🏽 #MusicWithPurpose #HumanConnection #ArtAndActivism #LiveMusicMoments #ConsciousMusic @uhpresents @universityofhawaii

Last day in Hawai’i 🌺 Guided by our brother and wise shepherd Navid, we made our way down the Pololū Trail to a breathtaking black sand beach. It was powerful, humbling, and deeply sacred. Just beside it, an ancient burial ground, carefully roped off in respect for those who came before. Navid offered gifts to the aunties and uncles who protect the trail and its spirit, then sang a chant asking permission from the ancestors before stepping onto the land. A moment we won’t forget. This journey reminded us that land isn’t just something you visit, it’s something you honor. Culture isn’t something you observe, it’s something you respect. Grateful for the lessons, the people, and the spirit of this place. 🙏🏽 One last stop before home! Eugene, OR. Catch us April 1 at the @hultcenter ! #HawaiiMoments #CulturalRespect #BlackSandBeach #LiveMusicJourney #HonorTheLand

We don’t take moments like this lightly. A week in residence at Shangri La immersed in Islamic art, history, and the stories of our ancestors. This space held our band, a powerful film team, and the people who trusted us with telling their story. As Syrian Americans, building this alongside our filmmaker hit deeper than words. This was more than a residency; it was cultural connection, preservation of heritage, and sincere reflection. We’re just getting started. More from this experience and the documentary soon. #DiasporaStories #IslamicArt #CulturalPreservation #StorytellingThroughMusic #DocumentingTheJourney

Pleased to share a new release today, a heavy-hitting hip-hop track featuring @punahele695 and @illnomadic . Available only on Bandcamp. Check it out, grab a copy, and help support independent music! Produced, mixed, and mastered by SoundGaruda. Much aloha. #AshesOnTheWind
#HiloHawaii
#BigIslandMusic
#HawaiiHipHop
#NewHipHop
#OutNow
#HipHopReels

Super Groupers (Drifton Limrik, Illnomadic & Ohtoro), Punahele & Mr. Kapu "Flawless Victory" [OFFICIAL VISUALIZER] Video by @pigeonhat_ Lyrics by @punahele695 @illnomadic @rx.kapu @drifton_limrik Produced by @ohtorobeats From the album 'Ma Ka Hana Ka 'Ike' OUT NOW (link in bio) #supergroupers #Pigeonhat #hawaiihiphop #zenburecords

Ma Ka Hana Ka ʻIke A powerful new full length album from Super Groupers @ohtorobeats @drifton_limrik @illnomadic , Punahele @punahele695 , Mr. Kapu @rx.kapu , and a cohort of artist-educators across Hawaiʻi, blends socially conscious lyricism with Ohtoro’s signature golden-era production to create a sound both timeless and urgent. Rooted in Indigenous knowledge systems and the lived realities of Native Hawaiian and diasporic communities, the project channels stories of self-determination, land and water stewardship, housing injustice, ʻōlelo noʻeau, struggles for liberation, youth/community empowerment, and the ongoing fight against environmental harm. The result is music that hits hard lyrically, culturally, and is sonically crafted with intention, depth, and undeniable hip-hop excellence. Releasing 12/21/25, on Ke Ao Polohiwa a Kanaloa/Yalda/Winter Solstice, Ma Ka Hana Ka ʻIke (learn by doing) drops first via Zenbu Records on Bandcamp, followed by all major streaming platforms. Check the link in bio. A soundtrack for those who build, protect, and rise, this is Hawaiʻi hip-hop at its most grounded and most elevated. @zenburecords @supergroupers @driftontattoos

Ma Ka Hana Ka ʻIke, the powerful new album from Super Groupers, Punahele, Mr. Kapu, and a cohort of artist-educators across Hawaiʻi, blends socially conscious lyricism with Ohtoro’s signature golden-era production to create a sound both timeless and urgent. Rooted in Indigenous knowledge systems and the lived realities of Native Hawaiian communities, the project channels stories of self-determination, land and water stewardship, housing injustice, ʻōlelo noʻeau, youth / community empowerment, and the ongoing fight against environmental harm. The result is music that hits hard,,, lyrically, culturally, and is sonically crafted with intention, depth, and undeniable hip-hop excellence. Releasing 12/21/25, on Ke Ao Polohiwa a Kanaloa / Winter Solstice, Ma Ka Hana Ka ʻIke drops first via Zenbu Records on Bandcamp, followed by all major streaming platforms. • • #supergroupers #makahanakaike #hawaiihiphop

From the Broken Cassette, Vol. 1 compilation Illnomadic’s minimalist, meditative and hip-hop inflected ode to the Magnolia × Alba (White Champaca) tree planted by Queen Lili’uokalani. @illnomadic will be performing at Capitol Modern this Saturday, September 27 at 2:00pm, along with @jessica_ackerley , @floteson , @maxhigh01 and @jonnypartys Album available this Friday, September 26 on glorious cassette and all streaming platforms Video by @gahlord ʻŌpua typeface by @cjtype

Live at Capitol Modern Saturday, September 27 2:00-3:00 pm: Live improvised music and video installation 3:00-4:00 pm: Beverages, DIY Popcorn Bar (!) and talk story out on the lānai from 3:00-4:00 pm, hosted by @loihiartsfoundation @jessica_ackerley , @floteson , @maxhigh01 , @jonnypartys , and @illnomadic (Illnomadic) will improvise over the drone from “Broken Cassette, Volume 1” in the amphitheater at @capitolmodern . The performances will be both individual, and in spontaneously formed ensembles. The music will be accompanied by the premiere of “Holoholo”, a video installation created by @gahlord for this event. A meditation on the distortions of nostalgia and development — and the grandeur of the lands they obscure — “Holoholo” connects this musical work to ʻāina, in unexpected ways. Admission is free — we hope to see you there!