Some campaigns worth supportin'

Aerosoul 3 Stories of Queer Diaspora
 
La Pena 2nd Skin Mural project East Willy B Champion of Children-This one didnt make it, but I highly suggest keeping an eye out for them

Jazz Portraits 22- Abbey Lincoln (Vocals)

All it takes is one song, melody, or note. I'm not sure yet which one is my favorite, but something lead me to the amazing vocal talent of Jazz singer Abbey Lincoln. Take a listen to Down here below, Freedom Days, Prayer protest is wheww,

Assessing the damage/ OG mural "Song of Unity"

Some photos I took while assessing the damage at the OG La Pena Mural, Join us as we preserve the "Song of Unity" and rock a new mural.

Join the campaign for 2nd Skin Mural @La Pena

If you'll recall, about two years ago now my collective was invited to paint a new mural inside the La Pena Cultural Center in Berkeley California.....Keep following this post. I will write and add things to it as the campaign progresses. For now, Join the campaign for the 2nd Skin Mural at La Pena Cultural Center.... LINK Peep this mural created by Cece Carpio and Miguel Perez of the Trust Your Struggle Collective

Working on a new pwa

working on a new pwa (positive wall affirmation)

Short Story 12 process

I went to work on this story immediately after the last one and it took quite a bit more research and work than I was expecting. The idea for it was a doodle I did over a year ago. The concept seemed simple enough, a Crew of Turntablists versus a Band. Simple, right?

Wrong, I poured through tons of photos of drum lines and DJ crews to get a vibe for the story poses, the sound of the colors, instruments, and the vibe. It took me quite a bit of just practicing unfamiliar poses to get down some I was proud of. After I got some solid poses down, I went to work on the background, which although is very faint took me a lot more time to paint. Again, looked up background, shadow, and perspective examples to help me craft something I could be proud of.

When i finally got the poses down it was time for me to position them and reposition them on the canvas to see what worked best. This took a lot of trial and error until i settled on a good position for them. Then came the task of painting the background and the characters in the foreground. Doing a combination of both is HUGE! It's like doing two paintings, and i hope I can do it twice as fast next time.

Short Story 12- Gye Nyame State vs Fantastic Phono Freaks

"Mic check one, two, one two.

On the turntables and phonographs on the right side of the ring we have the terrible, the tenacious turntable titans known as “The Fantastic Phono Freaks”. Live and direct, one time for your mind six tables rocking all at once. The freaks throw all kinds of sounds, hooks, and jabs. They cut with style, passion, finesse, and grace. In a wild display of old and new, the crew cued up records and turned the volume up to 10. With hand held tables, marching decks, an old phonograph, a killer sound system, and two custom 1200's the crew was loud!

Adjust your ears, on the left side of the ring we have the royal, regal, and ready to rock ensemble known as the “Gye Nyame State University” marching band. 1st squadron. With crisp chimes, booming bass, horns that rattle, drums that shred, and leadership that strikes hard the band shows off. Striking, blowin’, and smacking like a wrestling match of robots and animals.

Although both groups came to the ring that day to settle a score, there was no victory that day. Just a warm sunset at the courts where all kinds of people came to sit on the bleachers, hold signs,cheer, and bare witness to an incredible competition of sound, technique, and bass.

Typography 21-Hypnotic Brass Ensemble (horns)

Union square is the first place I saw this group play. You see a lot of groups play in the subway, little kids dancing, and amazing guitarists or vocalists. But I had to stop and watch them when I heard them play. After doing some digging, some of my favorite tracks from them are originals and remakes like Spottieottie , Sankofa, and Water.

Hypnotic Brass Ensemble

Character 29- Futuro Jazz

May Love & Light Switches 2012

The new joints for May painted in a storm, with hail, flying pigs, and thousands of crawling menacing lobsters. Nah, just the new ones painted in a car.  Heres a nice Mos Def joint to get you moving them shoulders.

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Jazz Portraits 21- Roy Ayers (Vibes/ Composer)

So much to say about Roy. I think it was in 94 when i heard the Main Ingredient LP and the Blowout Comb that I really began to notice of this legend. I must of played "Searching" over and over and over again that summer on my little boom box. Then of course there was the Daylight sample from A Tribe Called Quest' "Bonita". Once I found about 2-3 cuts that had sampled his music, I began looking for the records. First finding records like Mystic Voyage, then Everybody Loves the Sunshine, then . But here are a few cuts he collaborated on with other people like Vibrations, the Proceed remix,and Take a look at yourself . Roy is arguably one of the illest vibraphone players and an incredible composer whose fusion of styles and sounds has inspired so many young people who continue to sample his music today. Case in point some folks were so inspired they decided to start a documentary project on him! And I cant forget "Aint got time", love that track.