Get Open

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This hip-hop collective has been in existence since 1994, Get Open was founded by SibaGiba (Producer/MC) when he attended SUNY Purchase College for music. The other 4 members, Kiambu (MC), VonMeista (MC/Producer), Zook (MC) Los (Spoken Word/MC) and DJ Jes Lover (DJ/Producer) were also attending Purchase and after two years of collaborating on different music projects, we decided to form a group. Get Open has traveled and performed as headliners in Germany and France over the years and has also opened for artists such as KRS 1/BDP, De La Soul, Jungle Brothers, Tha Alkoholiks, Special Ed, and many others in the US. The group was also featured with the late Jazz Trumpeter Lester Bowie and his Hip-Hop Feel-Harmonic orchestra in 1995, which assembled more than 40 musicians and Get Open. During our senior year, 1996, we gathered our funds, recorded and mixed the songs at the school studios and then released our first 12inch single. It caught the attention of some West coasts DJs like J.Rocc (Beat Junkies), DJ Numark (Jurassic 5), Truly Odd (Heavyweights, Strong Arm steady), Peanut Butter Wolf (Stones Throw) and T-Love the MC, then journalist at URB magazine which wrote a column about our record which got things started out there. From that single, Yellow Productions (France) today known for producing Dance/Pop act Bob Sinclar, offered the group an EP deal which went on to sell 5,000 units in Europe without any promo. It featured Sadat X of Brand Nubian. Following that EP, Ubiquity records offered a LP deal to Get Open. We signed and recorded 18 songs but it never was released due to musical differences with the label. After that situation, Siba decided to invest and form Overtime Records Inc, the first release was a solo 12 inch single of VonMeista featuring Sadat X in association with Ozone Music (Co-Flow-El P, Mike Ladd, etc…). That brought VonMeista to France and Germany for some shows and press. After regrouping, Get Open was ready to release a new single “Overtime” with Vinia Mojica (De La Soul, Tribe, Mos Def, Common) in 2000 when another sour situation occurred with their distributor. Since 2001, the group has been on a hiatus. Siba formed Brüknahm with Mr Wilson and works the Jettsonz Productions (Nina Sky, Sean Paul), Zook is currently finishing a PHD in Criminology @ Cal Irvine, VonMeista makes beats and works for a famous American institution, Bu is a professional masseuse and DJ Jes Luv is a Tour Manager for Bon Jovi for the past 4 years or so.We plan on releasing this song and many of our unreleased tracks and other collaborations over the years on an upcoming compilation called the “Open Collection Volume 1 & 2” coming 2007. Features Vinia Mojica, Rohff (France) Faf LaRage (France), Main Concept (Germany), Joy (France/US) & Chezeré (Screaming Target/Urban Species). And who’s to know we may release a reunion album even thought we never separated. Or even a Greatest hits LP, event though we never really had a hit.Here are some tunes for you to check out. “Overtime”, which has not lost its steam since 2000. “Never Settle” Still believe in this one. Intensity. “Blues Interlude”. Crazy sample. “Oh Yes”, paying respects to the Jungle Brothers. “Yo Bee! Interlude”. Some people will remember these peoples’ voices. “Here & Now” which gave us an identity.