Shameless Plug…
My latest body of work in the studio, “All Dat Glitters Aint Goals” (Lyons Wier Gallery Sept6-Oct6 2012) inspired me to dust off my mic and drop a few hot bars on these fools. The experience was nothing short of DOPE!
I collaborated with one of Atlanta’s mightiest producers, the homie ILLASTRATE who outfitted me with some banging tracks that really made me step my game up. I went even furthered and made a few calls to some of my ATL hip hop heroes to also lend their talents to the project. The end result is a 5 track EP that features the likes of: Stic.Man (of the hip hop duo Dead Prez), Ekundayo, El Sun and Thunda (from the mighty L.I.U.N.S aka All Nice and Decent crew), Starchile‘s Massive the Victor and Divine Wiz, Methuzalah, Clan Destined, Boog Brown, MikeFlo, Joe D, and G.R.E.A.T. SCOTT.
Look, I can go on telling you about it… or just tell you where you can find it! Go to www.fahamupecouistheshit.bandcamp.com and get the free (yes I said FREE) download, which comes complete with a digital book that features the images from the exhibition and song lyrics.
ALEX CROSS(dress)
Excuse this tear-stained post. I am in mourning, deeply saddened, distraught, inconsolable… CROSSED. And yes, my despair swings from forlornness to fits of pure rage- inciting me to scream “WHAT THE FLYING FUCK?!”
The impetus for my fragile emotional state… you guessed; TYLER PERRY!
Anyone who follows this blog or knows my name is (or at least should be) quite familiar with my disdain for anything associated with Perry. Again, I must reiterate- I am not about tearing anyone down or dare I say “hating” on TP, but I reserve my God-given right to dislike him. I don’t get it. I don’t get him. I nearly wrecked when I saw billboards announcing the latest in the Madea travesties. How or rather who is green lighting this tripe!?
The latest calamity- Tyler Perry trumps Idris Elba in the lead role of the latest John Patterson, Alex Cross franchise film adaptation. Yes, you read right. Elba was slated to replace seasoned actor Morgan Freeman as Alex Cross in the forthcoming release, I, Alex Cross. Unbeknownst to many, when the trailer was released recently, the film stars TYLER em-effin PERRY a.k.a. MADEA as Alex Cross! Isn’t that like casting Mrs. Doubtfire as James Bond? 😐
*sobbing uncontrollably*
Sorry. I just love a good crime suspense story. I’ve long been a fan of Patterson’s Alex Cross character and Idris Elba is one of my favorite actors. But there is absolutely nothing I can see Perry bringing to this role… but a DRESS!
SMH. All is NOT right with the world.
Haciendo Más
Never judge a book by its cover, or a HOME DEPOT by the quality of the undocumented workers loitering about. Snap judgements as such limit your experiences. You never know what you might discover when you take a chance, throw caution to the wind or invite a friendly Mexican guy over to your house for tea. I mean, sure he’s handy at plumbing and adept at dry wall installation. He may even be well-versed in all your gardening and landscaping needs. But that doesn’t mean he’s not skilled in the medical art form of chiropractice or quite possibly a seasoned veteran of the stage and screen.
…Just watch the clip.
Kick… Start…
"Lo End Theory" ©Fahamu Pecou from HARD 2 DEATH 2011 charcoal and acrylic on paper
A brief trip down your memory lane may jar memories of films like Menace II Society and an almost countless number of cinematic attempts at “Hollywoodizing” the hip hop community. These films and the many others like it set the stage and tone for what was implicitly attributed to being the “African American experience”. I remember seeing Menace in the theaters at 18 and instantly assuming my own impending demise in a drive-by or some other gang-related activity. It is important to note that not only were there no gangs or gang activity in my small town of Hartsville, SC (at that time), but I was also a mild-mannered, college-bound teen whose worst offense may have been the fact that I cursed when no adults were around. However, films like Menace colored my perspective on the world and my place in it.
Throughout the 90’s a slew of films like Menace beckoned black audiences to theaters in droves. Boyz in Da Hood, Clockers, Dead Presidents, Set it Off, Jason’s Lyric, New Jersey Drive and so many others I can not recall became a part of our collective psyche. Young, old, black, white; we watched, cheered, laughed, cringed, and moved in time with the images that “shaped black manhood” (and womanhood in many cases). Even those who had never seen any of these films were influenced by this media-based construction of black (male) culture. For some non-black people, their first experiences with black people was what they gleaned from media.
Gangsta rap music parallels the course and influence of films like Menace, championing the most vile aspects of urban depression and angst. Infectious beats mesmerized minds and bodies responded in rhythm. (Sometimes) clever and visceral lyricism painted vivid scenarios purporting to represent what was real in the streets. Both film and music appeals to our sense of cool. Our society idolizes cool. We reflect the cool that appeals to us. We embody cool.
But the cool can be (and often is) cold and bitter. The cool is often presented without its inevitable consequence. It is in this thinking that I begin my latest endeavor, “If Heaven had Heights…”. “If Heaven” is a multimedia project exploring black male representations in popular media. The works in this series range from paintings and performance to experimental animation and digital video.
I’ve recently launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for this project and would appreciate your support! There are some great incentives attached to your support – over and above the fact that this is a much needed dialogue. Please join The 15 Project in supporting this initiative and tell a friend:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/495104247/if-heaven-had-heights
O… That’s funny…
She’s gone from poor southern girl to determined journalist to actress to talk show host to media mogul to now… comedienne!
Not since Dave Chappelle’s “Oprah’s Pregnant skit” have we considered Oprah in such a comedic sense. But the iconic O recently showed her funny bone in a sketch with late night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel that should not be missed.
The two bantered about the challenges of populating a television network with substantive content before Kimmel showed “behind the scenes footage” of his pitch-meeting with Oprah. With ideas like Oprah herself repossessing her popular giveaways affectionately known as “Oprah’s Favorite Things” or the riotous “Book Club Fight Club”, I think OWN would definitely attract the 19-30 year old male demographic with ease!
We may not see Oprah headline the next “Queens of Comedy Tour” but we may just find her chillin’ in a Juicy Couture, hot pink velour sweatsuit in the front row clowning it up with Shaq and Kevin Hart. #MAYBE?
The 15 Project 