Meet Cody Gibran | Creator of The Cafe Open Mic & Label Manager at Sony Music Entertainment

We had the good fortune of connecting with Cody Gibran and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Cody, career-wise, where do you want to be in the end?
The end goal is to maintain a safe space and platform for artists to grow, develop, network, and express themselves. Most importantly we want to be able to provide opportunities for our artists and help make their dreams come true.

When I’m at the end of my career I want to be able to say we added an experience to the music industry that’s been lost for decades. Places like the apollo or the nuyorican were legendary places that birthed artists and gave them a home. A place they could be understood and tangible. Vh1 unplugged gave signed artists an opportunity to deliver their art to you in the most intimate way possible. Def Poetry Slam and Def Comedy Jam provided opportunity and visibility for legends that were their city’s best-kept secret in a lot of ways. By the end of my career, The Cafe Open Mic will embody all of these influences.
Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
The Cafe Open Mic is a platform I created 6 years ago that has been a safe space and platform for artists from the start. Our band is our brand. Every artist has access to our band for their performances when they sign up at the door. We learn their piece on the spot and create around it. We’re musicians, we’re artists, we’re creatives that love music and love helping artists express themselves.

It hasn’t been easy at all but we got here as a team and we got here with A LOT of belief in ourselves. All of us have unique skillsets and the opportunity to shine in our roles. We could do a lot apart but together we’ve created an environment where helping others make their dreams come true brings us closer to making our ultimate goal a reality. Which is being the next Vh1 Unplugged, Def Jam Poetry, or Apollo.

I’ve learned so much over the last 6 years. The biggest lesson I’ve learned is that leading means sacrifice…but I’ve also learned that if you can see it in your head then you can make it happen. Your job is to figure out how. I can’t say I have all the answers today but I can say I’ve been relentless in figuring out how and every day I look up we’re one baby step. closer.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’m a really lowkey person. I really like enjoy relaxing with a good view. I’d say Dumbo in Brooklyn at night is one of my favorite places so we’d probably go there and get some food at Wray’s. I’d also bring them to The Cafe at some point.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’d like to shout out to the team! If you’ve ever been to The Cafe Open Mic, you know US. Kendall, Kevin, Ben, Eric, Fox, and Danielle. These guys are the best musicians I know and for the last 6 years, we’ve performed with countless artists around NYC and helped make their visions and dreams come true. We’ve grown with each other and learned from each other.

I’d also like to shoutout Sehiii (Kaiqwon), PlaywitRox, Sammy Pisano, and Money Nels for being mentors to me. I never would’ve thought what I wanted to do could be real without them. I saw Kaiqwon doing events when I was 18 and I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. He taught me how valuable real-life experiences are, he taught me that art is meant to be shared. Rox has been a shoulder to cry on and an ear to listen for me from the very start and always reminded me that my integrity was my best asset.

and I gotta shout out my Mom and Aunt for showing me the true meaning of unconditional love. Believing in me and showing me what resilience is. Thank You all for making me who I am.

Website: Thecafeopenmic.com

Instagram: @codygibran

Image Credits
@Seekersociety @Heirjustice @Dwayne_Saint