Corey James has built a worldwide following through an array of rap music releases, one-of-a-kind Hip Hop workshops, and an extensive international touring schedule spanning close to a decade. As if that weren’t enough he is also a highly sought-after DJ and is a songwriter for various artists, commercials, and television. His song “Here We Go Again” was featured in NBC’s Winter Olympics commercial promos and he has written and performed music for a number of prime-time television shows.

 

As an official U.S. Ambassador of Culture, his talents have taken him across the world, with an especially strong following in Europe and Africa. To date, he has performed and held workshops in more than 28 countries including Cabo Verde, Hungary, China, & Turkey.   

 

His rap single “Last Call” remained at number one on the FlaixFm dance charts in Barcelona for fourteen weeks. As a force in the Hip Hop community, he has been a repeat guest speaker at numerous universities including NYU and The New School in New York City. 

 

In 2016 Corey James was a featured performer at the Atlantic Music Expo in Praia, Cabo Verde. His live performance set--a unique mix of traditional remixes, hypnotic hip hop, and high energy dance music—garnered so much attention that it sparked a series of festival bookings including the Timitar Festival in Morocco where he played for a crowd of more than 80,000 and Sziget Festival in Hungary.

 

In 2017 brought Corey James to Houston, Texas where the NFL invited him to DJ the Official NFL Pre-Party for Super Bowl LI. He has also been the resident featured DJ at the NBA London games since 2016 playing for more than 18,000 fans. In 2019, in addition to DJing the big game, he also received the “Beats By Dre Artist Spotlight” highlighting his career as an independent artist.

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Closer to home, Corey James is deeply committed to his community. Alongside his various mentorship initiatives, he is also the founder of Soul Cypher, a groundbreaking somatic coaching program designed to empower individuals through creative expression. As a Vinyl & Digital DJ instructor, he shares his passion for the art form with aspiring artists. Additionally Corey James lead bi-weekly freestyle rap workshops for senior citizens, offering them an outlet for self expression and promoting cognitive health. 

 

At the heart of his endeavors is Freestyle Mondays, the NYC-based Hip Hop event he produces, hosts, and co-founded. Freestyle Mondays is NYC's longest-running Hip Hop event featuring a live band. The popularity of the series extends well beyond U.S. borders with satellite versions having been launched in the Czech Republic and France.

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“Each part of what I do--what I’ve done as an educator, Emcee, DJ, Coach, writer, and as a human being--has contributed to my success on a larger, more worldly level. Each element of what I do has opened doors for other elements in every area.” -Corey James Gray