Documentary Screening of "DiverseCity"

Where he's my official foray into video! Naya and I have produced a short called "DiverseCity" that was accepted by the Cambridge Free Speech Shorts Video Festival. "DiverseCity" looks at a group of Brandeis students who tackle issues relating to race, gender, religion and class which culminates into a show which Naya directed. Naya and I hope that this would be start of documentary work observing similar issues in our own community.

Screening details from the CCTV website: Wednesday, April 23rd. Event will take place at Cambridge Community Television (CCTV) located at 675 Massachusetts Avenue in Central Square, Cambridge. The event will begin with a networking and a reception at 6:30 p.m.; the screening will start promptly at 7 p.m. Following each screening, there will be a Q & A session with producers.

BET-J "My Two Cents" Theme

It's official. I've produced the theme song for the 2008 early season of BET-J's talk show "My Two Cents". The song features Bryonn Bain, who is also a co-host on the program. Many thanks to Bryonn for helping make this happen!

2007 Urban Music Awards

It's that time of year and I'm fortunate enough to be in the running again for producer of the year honors for the 2007 New England Urban Music Awards. The winners of each of the music categories are determined by artistic merit and online voting. I need your support - please cast your vote at urbanmusicawards.org. Also vote for Iyeoka for poet of the year, Omega Red for rapper of the year and The Jugganautz for producer company of the year!

Omega Red and The Press performs at The Modern Jan 6, 2007

Backstage with Wu Tang at Avalon, Boston

Method Man and Francis

Francis and Inspectah Deck

OIC 35th Anniversary Gala at the NJ Performance Arts Center

The Opportunities Industrialization Center (OIC) was founded in Philadelphia in 1964 by Dr. Leon Sullivan. OIC is a decentralized network of employment and training programs, bound together by a common commitment of helping the poor, unemployed, and under-employed improve their quality of life.

Iyeoka prior to show at NJ Performing Arts Center

On Sept. 29, OIC celbrated had its 35th anniversary gala at the beautiful NJ Performing Arts Center, in which Iyeoka was one of the featured performers along with legends Marcus Miller, Al Jarreau and the beautiful and talented Rachelle Ferrell. The key speaker was Ambassador Andrew Young.

Francis with Civil Rights great - Ambassador Andrew Young


Francis with legend Al Jarreau


Francis backstage with the lovely Rachelle Ferrell


Iyeoka and Francis

Omega Red performing in NEMO Showcase, Sept. 29

Omega Red is among the few Hip Hop artists selected to perform at the 2006 NEMO festival. NEMO is New England’s largest music festival in which over 300 bands and artists perform over 30 venues in three days from Sept. 28-30. Please come support Omega Red and the rest of power line up!

Friday September 29, 2006, Venue: Harpers Ferry. Address: 158 Brighton Avenue Allston, MA. Line-Up: Omega Red with Audible Mainframe, The Boston Afrobeat Orchestra, AfroDZak, Mr. Nash. Ticket Price: $8, Doors: 8pm, Ages: 21+

Come see Omega Red at NEMO

2006 Billboard Music Awards, Atlanta

Chuck D and Francis at 2006 Billboard Music Conference

Akon and Francis at the 2006 Billboard Music Awards.

Francis with Producer Brian Cox

Francis with his super publicist Ajuba Gaylord Gamble at the 2006 Billboard Music Awards

Francis with Billboard Executive Editor Tamara Conniff

Francis with Producer DJ Smurf

Francis wins two New England Urban Music Awards!

Iyeoka and Francis winners at the 2006 NE UMAs

On the evening of April 15th, the Berklee Perfomance Arts Center hosted the inagural New England Urban Music Awards, which recognizes the excellence of individuals in the New England area music scene. I'm happy to say that I won producer of the year honors. It's really unbelievable as I was selected from a field of over 30 producers. More incredible yet Omega Red and I won company producer of the year as The Jugganautz. I'm also happy to say that Iyeoka won the female poetry category and that Omega Red also won in the rap category. Pal Justin Springer won promoter of the year, The Foundation won rap group of the year, and Ahmir (fomerly One Luv) won RNB group of the year. Big ups to Vudoo Soul who was a finalist for RNB male vocalist.

I like to thank fans and supporters who nominated me for the award. Those who know me know how much of a grind this music game can be. It's extremely humbling and satisfying to be recognized for the hard work I've put in over the years.

Get Loose

Francis with Omar, Jimmy Conway and Omega Red after recording how new single breaking into clubs. Check out track here.

Debut of Sophie deep house remix for Scamper

Boston Indie sensation Scamper

Francis branches out into Boston's indie rock world by remixing Scamper's hit single Sophie off their Leave Your Glasses On LP. The remix debuts on their podcat this evening. Download podcast episode 1.6. The remix concludes their podcast. Fortunately their music is a little tighther than their wit :) (just joking guys).

Blue Wave Saturdays

Francis with promoter Justin Springer at The Blue Wave. You need to check out his RNB nites on Saturdays.

Omega Red opens for G-Unit and Roc-A-Fella DCU Worcester

Francis backstage with Omega Red and Anthony Brice

Omega Red opens up for G-Unit and Roc-a-fella at the DCU. Although the show was little disorganized, it was nevertheless Red's biggest show yet. He was made special mention in the review of the show here.

Francis is a guest panelist at Northeastern University Music program.

Move It & Use It

Project: Think Different throws down its annual fundraising event featuring the Empowerment CD pre-release. This compilation includes tracks I've produced for Melissa Li and a track collobo between Iyeoka and the Foundation. There will be live performances by The Foundation, Iyeoka (which I will be backing her on keyboards), Lyrical, Mingo and Afrodzak.

Thursday, November 17, 2005, 6pm-9pm, Embassy, 36 Landsdowne Street, Boston MA 02215. Donation: $25+, $10 (under 21)* For tickets and information contact: Amelia at 617.557.9200 or amelia@projectthinkdifferent.org. Project: Think Different is creating a renaissance in music, film and video that increases civic engagement and inspires people to THINK DIFFERENT about their power to create positive social change.

Omega Red featured in Source Magazine

Omega Red is featured in the October issue of Source Magazine in Off The Radar: "Boston's Omega Red sets tracks ablaze and shows off his lyrical dexterity with his latest street banger. Splitting gangsta and introspective ryhmes about sruviving the game of life, the kid continues to set the record straight about what goes down in the streets of New England."

Force to be Reckoned With

Never leave home without your favorite lounge chair.

Omega Red is a Finalist in Scion Next Up Competition

This is huge - Omega Red is a top ten finalist for the Scion Next Up Competition. The winner of this will get to have a music video produced which will air on MTV2. Needless to say that this would be huge if he were to win this, but he can only do so if he gets votes on this website. So don'tdelay - please logon to www.scionnextup.com by Sept. 29 and vote!

Lee Wilson and Iyeoka at the Blue Wave Gallery

Much props to Lee Wilson for producing a great show at the Blue Wave at the Four Point Channel, which of course included Iyeoka and very impressive performances by JT and Sparlha Swa. It was so good to hang with Iyeoka and friends. She gave such a rousing performance of Blink of an Eye, which I hope she posts on her website soon.

Lee Wilson and Iyeoka at the Blue Wave

Come out and see Lee Wilson and Iyeoka at the Blue Wave.

Jupiter One EP Release

My old pal K Ishibashi's band Jupiter One just released their EP. I helped track vocal and violin tracks. Check out their website for more info!

Producing Lover Come Over

Jugganautz just finished production for Vudoo Soul's Lover Come Over. Pictured above is guitarist extrodinare Angela Johnson Swan and Chris Vu (Vudoo Soul), who came ever so close to making it onto American Idol.

DJ Tom, Thursday nite residence at Whiskey Park

My brother Thomas Phan, aka DJ Tom, have shared the love of house music, specifically deep house music since Ben Watt and Jay Hannan's release of Lazy Dog and going to Miami for Winter Music Conference. Now with all the hip hop I'm doing, Tom laments that I'm not doing enough house music beyond some of the remix work I do. There's only so many hours in a day....

Lantern Festival Forest Hills

A moment of tranquility

Omega Red Redtape CD Release Party at Harper's Ferry

Me and Omega Red chilln before the show.

Shake dat ass!

Kiki Breevlife, Nomadik and Lee Wilson

Secret Weapon

Superstar publicist for Omega Red and the Jugganuatz, Ajuba Gaylord Gamble

Sandy's last day

Last day for Phanai's first intern, Sandy Lakhan

In the Studio with Vudoo

Francis and a personal moment.

Working out an arrangement

Shea on MSN Road Tour

My good friend Shea Rose has been selected to participate in the MSN Road Tour, where she and 5 other music fans tour America's music fesitvals this summer in a pimped out coach bus. Check out her blog!

U2 Vertigo Tour - Fleet Center

U2. What can I say. An unbelievable concert. Same energy since I saw them last in their elevation tour.

Dead Prez' Stickman and The Foundation in the studio

Me and Stickman from Dead Prez

Stickman blessing the mic

The track is a collabo between The Foundation and Dead Prez. Eroc and Optimus.

Chillin in the loft

The Omega Red Mix Tape drops on May 6. Francis recorded and mixed the album, which is hosted by JAMN 94.5's own DJ Roy Baroboza.

Andrew Swaine Photo Shoot

At Andrew Swaine's studio

Shakura stylin!

Omega Red so soave

Anthony Brice keeping a watchful eye

Iyeoka feature at Lizard Lounge with Jeff Robinson Trio

Sounds like revolution!

The Jeff Robinson Trio

Another picture?!

Omega Red at JAMN 94.5 with DJ Roy Barboza

Omega Red at JAMN 94.5 with DJ Roy Barboza

Chilln in the studio

Anthony Brice holding it down

Iyeoka's CD release parites have been scheduled for March 31in Boston and April 3 in New York at the world famous Nuyorican. The bill is going to feature Regie Gibson (seen in the movie Love Jones), Bryonn Bain, Oz Okoawo, and Curtis King. Francis will be playing keyboards along side the Jeff Robinson Trio. Please come out show your support!
Boston:Wednesday March 31, 2004Center for Latino Arts(Villa Victoria - Home of Soul Revival& Critical Breakdown)85 West Newton Street, Boston617-927-1730
Doors @ 7:30pm (All Ages)$7 advanced / $10 door

Ayisha featured in Boston Globe

Janauary 23, 2004. Ayisha is the featured artist in the Boston Globe's Weekend Arts section, written by veteran reporter Steve Morse. The Globe hails Ayisha's album Until as "innovative" and "stunning". The Globe goes into depth covering Ayisha's amazing personal story and the origins and Francis' process for producing this album. To view the article, click here. Here's the reprint below:

Words of power sounds of promiseBy Steve Morse, Globe Staff, 1/23/2004

Ayisha Knight is unstoppable, but nothing has come easy. By the time she was a teen, she had already faced a lifetime of adversity that might have paralyzed a lesser soul. She was born deaf. She was the confused daughter of a white Jewish mother and a half-black, half-Cherokee father who left them. She was raped by a family friend at age 13. And she experienced enough racism and alienation to keep her locked in a shell. Through the arts -- poetry and photography -- she eventually found her way out. Now she reveals bold details of her journey in a CD she can't hear, one that is believed to be the first musical album structured around the verse of a deaf poet. Her friends in the Boston arts community recited her verse and added music -- mostly hip-hop beats and other contemporary textures -- to this powerful testimony. The disc was produced last year, but there was no official release, and only now are people beginning to take notice.

"Some people said I was crazy to [encourage] this, but I just trusted the people around me," Knight, 33, notes through her sign-language interpreter, Diane McKeon, in a recent interview at the Diesel Cafe in Davis Square.
Knight is a short, vibrant woman whose eyes dart behind wire-rim glasses. She answers questions so expressively through her signing that you can see the charisma that rallies everyone around her. "I just wake up full of ideas, and I can't wait to write them down," says Knight, who lives in Cambridge. "Being deaf, I see the world through a different pair of eyes."

Her stunning CD, "Until," is also a multicultural marvel, for it features the spoken-word (and occasional singing) voices of a variety of poets of mixed descent, along with the music of Francis Phan, a Vietnamese-American who composed it in his Slingshot Studio in Cambridge. And the CD has been co-released by two new multicultural labels -- Phanai Records (run by Phan) and Empowerment Records, led by Scherazade Daruvalla King. King also directs Project: Think Different, which uses music, film, and video to promote social change.

"All the vocals were prerecorded, and then I went in and did the music on top of it," says Phan, who used synthesizers to craft and orchestrate the sounds.

"It's a huge leap of faith for Ayisha to let us do this," says Phan, who is also a computer programmer and designer of Knight's website, www.ayishaknight.com. "But she would challenge me as I did it. Someone would tell her that the vocals could be more prominent here or there, and she would ask me about it. But I was also able to be very creative with it. It was just an incredible experience."

The original idea for the CD came in a brainstorming session with two poet friends of Knight, Toni Asante Lightfoot and Oz Okoawo, together with Phan. "They asked me what I could do, and it went from there," he says. The aim was not just to make music, but to spread the tale of Knight's survival. A Manhattan native who also lived in Berkeley, Calif. (where she was raped in a basement), Knight, with the help of a deaf therapist, was able to cope with her emotional wounds and attend Galludet University, the national university of the deaf in Washington, D.C. That's where Knight first began presenting her poems in sign-language performances at a coffeehouse 10 years ago. "Her art provides a forum for healing and transformation," King says. "And we believe we can use spoken word and hip-hop as an alternative media to reach people."

"Ayisha can't hear us, but she inspires us," says Lightfoot, the poet who did much of the dramatically phrased spoken-word work on the album. "And I've got to say that Ayisha has more lyricism and more rhythm than many people who can hear." Knight moved to Boston in 1998 and attended a South End poetry reading three years ago that Lightfoot gave at the Blackout Arts Collective in the Piano Factory. Other local poets such as Okoawo (who would put up much of the money for Knight's CD) and Nuri Chandler Smith read her poems at future meetings of the collective, and both also appear on the CD.

They and others who attended the Blackout Arts Collective meetings were likewise floored by Knight's verse. "She made a large contribution to the poetry community," says Iyeoka Ivie Okoawo, a Nigerian-born slam poet (and Oz's wife) who has a CD coming out on Phanai Records tomorrow (the label's second release). Knight performed at some of the readings, using sign language while another poet read her work and gave her visual cues. "I was blown away. She captivated me so much that I would dance to her pieces," says Wyatt Jackson, a local dancer and choreographer who has worked with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.

Knight's CD is basically divided into three chronological sections, starting when she was a confused teen on "Vocal Conundrums" and "Ebony," in which she writes, "zombies . . . want me to cling to the charred driftwood of biracial shame." That leads to later poems in which she is able to open up and share her pain.

"Until" is a percussive, hip-hoppy track with a revelation about being "not Jewish enough because my skin is black, not Cherokee enough because each generation gets divided in half/ Some see me as not straight because I share my life and love with a woman, but there are others who are quick to let me know I'm not lesbian enough because in the past I've loved a man/Not enough labels to go around/Not enough STRENGTH to say ENOUGH!!!" The last section is all about empowerment. "Royalty Revisited" talks of her "remarkable divinity" and of being able "to walk in beauty." It refers to such influences as her mother (who honed Knight's interest in photography, a passion that has led to various exhibits of her work), Harriet Tubman, Coretta Scott King, Alice Walker, and Angela Davis. "Each woman is my steppingstone," she writes.

"I'm proud of all my cultures now," says Knight, who hopes to launch a national performing tour. She envisions the album playing behind her as she performs a sign-language interpretation. An aide would cue her timing, while slides of her photos (which include studies of the homeless) are shown. She has performed this way at the Paradise Lounge and the Milky Way and has upcoming shows in New York and Ohio.

Knight also wants to make a videotape in different languages of the poems on the CD, as well as a dance production based on the music. On another front, a video for the song "Until" has just been made by Ben Liu, a Boston University student who is a Project Think Different intern. "I'd like to send the video to [cable stations] BET and MTV," Phan says. "I know some of the videos on those stations have budgets in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, and we obviously don't have that. But we're going to see what happens." And why not? Aiming high -- and never settling for less -- is what Ayisha Knight is all about.

© Copyright 2004 Globe Newspaper Company.

Coming February 2004 - The release of Iyeoka Okoawo's highly anticipated music spoken word album "Black & Blues", produced by Francis for Phanai Records. Iyeoka Ivie Okoawo is a Nigerian-American poet/singer residing in Boston. In 2003, Iyeoka has won Performance Poet of the Year" and "Slam Poet of the Year" for the 2003 Cambridge Poetry Awards, Iyeoka initially gained national attention in the National Poetry Slam.She has been featured at the House of Blues in Boston, and Avalon where she opened up for the hip-hop/soul recording artist Musiq Soulchild. Iyeoka was showcased in Russell Simmons' Def Poetry Jam airing on HBO and was a highlight on the late night CBS hip hop show The SOURCE ALL ACCESS.Look out for Iyeoka as the featured poet for the Turner Broadcasting presentation of the 12th Annual Trumpet Awards Ceremony in January 2004. The Trumpet Awards Black Cultural Explosion is a prestigious event celebrating the contributions of African-Americans who have helped shape this great America.

Francis emcees Insurgent Voices at the Somerville Theatre, on Thursday, November 20, a scholarshp concert to promote Asian American Arts. Please click here for more information on this very worhtwhile event.

9/26/03. Ayisha will be the sole feature on NBC affiliate WHDH Boston Channel 7's Urban Update, Sunday October 5, at 11:30am, right after Meet The Press. The program is hosted by Byron Barnett. Appearing on the program will be Ayisha, her ASL interpreter Diane McKeon, album performer Toni Asante Lightfoot, Scherazade Daruvalla King, and myself. This will also mark the world premiere for the music video off the album's title track, Until, produced by the incredible videographer Ben Liu. The viewership for Urban Update is 175,000! Please spread the word.

Currently in the studio: Reggae traks with Rasta, reppin Trinidad

Currently in the studio: Francis producing tracks with OneLuv

07/09/2003 With Jeff Robinson and Ayisha Knight for WMBR radio interview

05/31/03. Francis records and mixes "Fool's Love" for KISS 108's Medford Idol winner Melissa Powell. Melissa was schooled under the guidance of Mattie and Taihisha Grant for this performance. Melissa performed "Fools Love" at the Kiss Concert 2003. Also performing at the concert was Ja Rule, TLC, Dream, and Ashanti.

Ayisha Knight's "Until"

05/28/03 Ayisha Knight's debut album drops on Francis' new label, Phanai records, for what is likely to be the first music spoken word album released by a Deaf person. Featuring the spoken word perfomances of Blackout Boston's Toni Asante Lightfoot, Nuri Chandler Smith, Oz Okoawo, and Alex King, Francis wrote and produced the music for the album. Ayisha is a truly gifted poet and story teller. Please check out Ayisha's website http://www.ayishaknight.com/ to learn more about Ayisha, and how to order your copy of the album.

05/15/03. Francis officially launches his new company "Phanai Entertainment". Phanai is a combination of a production house, recording label, and artist management company. This has been four years in the making, and the journey is only beginning. Check out www.phanai.com for more details.

05/05/03. Francis appears with Project Think Different on Channel 7 WHDV-TV's Urban Update to discuss how music an be used to promote positive messages in society.

03/18/03 Francis completes mixing down Omega Red's forth coming album, which includes two Asiatic tracks: "Turn You On" and "Like Wuht". Check out his incredible website www.createasuperstar.com. His album is due to drop early summer. Listen for Omega Red on HOT 97 and JAMN 94.5 and call in and request his tracks!

Kristen Magro

Feb. 2003. With inevitable comparisons to Jewel, singer/song writer Kristen Magro teams up with Madison for "Last Word", an elctro-acoustic track produced by Francis. As a high school senior, this remarkable young lady compiled "Last Word" and more of her songs into an album she used to help fundraise for breast cancer research. To listen, click here.

Feb. 2003 Multi talented Rob O'Dwyer switches gears between acting, siinging and driving beatup blue Volvos. As one of the former forntman for the "Buck Dewey Big Band", Rob and Francis has been doing tracks that are slightly off kilter, melding old school breaks with cheezy synth lines that would make Beck proud. If things are resting a little heavily on your shoulders, listen to "Push On Through" here.

02/13/03 Omega Red headlines at the Copa Grande, in Randolph MA.

Feb 2003. Damani's single "Move" is pressed to wax, which was then remixed by the Clipse (as you know is the firs tact to be signed to the Neptunes' Star Trak label.) Francis recorded and mixed the original track, produced by Clinton Sparks. Check out Clinton's website http://www.clintonsparks.com/ for more info.

Show at VietAid

The Clipse, Damani and Clinton Sparks

01/11/03 Performed "Our Youth" with spoken word artist Shiuan Butler and folk artist Melissa Li for AARW and Work In Progress at the new Vietnamese Community Center in Dorchester, MA. The song is a poignant piece about the pressure today's youth have to face. Illustration of performance below courtesy of Diep Nguyen.