Naru Kwina

Naru Kwina is an Artist\Educator with over 25 years experience in early childhood

development, administration, and conflict resolution. As a community activist, Naru initiated a

Black men’s forum, a playgroup for children of color, and has lent his talents to various events

surrounding youth education, environmental awareness, political prisoners, AIDS, and healthy

life styles choices. Naru is also a veteran in the Bay Area Hip Hop scene. In 1987 (as “Sir

Quickdraw”) he became one of the first artist from Oakland to to record a rap record. Naru has

performed with Run DMC, George Clinton, Last Poets, Spearhead, Digital Underground, ,Dead

Prez, The Coup, Zion I, Living Legends, Azeem, Sir Mixalot, Medusa, Xzibit, EA Ski and CMT,

Mr FAB, the Luniz, Dru Down, and Hammer, and many other artist.. Naru was the co-founder

and lead vocalist of the group "Organic Creations", which blended Hip Hop, Jazz, Spoken Word,

and Theater. Naru's 1998 NAP (Never Again Project) was a ground breaking Double CD that

featured spoken word, hip hop, and a touch of jazz, and soul. In 2004 Naru started a company

called Hip Learning which he use's to this day as a vehicle to teach. Hip Learning incorporates

music, and educational lyrical content as a means of teaching mainly science to children around

the globe. “Cultivating minds with rhymes”.

Naru, In collaborating with the African Scientific Institute was awarded a 2004 Creative Work

Fund Literary Arts Grant. Which he used to turn Hip Science into a 1 hour play., In 2007-2008,

and 2019-2020, Naru was awarded the City of Oakland Cultural Funding Program grant, and in

2009\2010 Hip Learning was awarded the Oakland Indie Award for Youth Empowerment. To

learn more about Hip Learning, visit Mr. Kwina’s website: www.hiplearning.org.

Also in 2004 Naru Kwina co-founded Alternative Minds Foundation with his wife Jora Trang. Out

of the need for innovative educational projects in the Bay Area that incorporate artistic

expression, cultural diversity, and that appeals to a variety of learning styles.

Alternative Minds have produced various programs like Afro-lit, Enviro-War, as well as

partnering as a fiscal sponsor for organization like Krip-Hop, and Balance Entertainment.

Naru continues to release music which is his first love.

Titles include, The Effects of Moonbeams on Mood Swings, Permission 2 Think Freely, Do the

Spinny Clap, Mystified, Naru Kwina and Strong Soul “Da Livinroom Legendz Project”.

2020 release Hip Learning. Our World, Our Planet.

Naru’s latest project “The Gos-Spell” is now also available for your enjoyment.

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