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Watching you watch us tickles me.
August 27, 2009 at 8:25 pm / No comments / View M.J.'s Profile / Follow this Maroon on Twitter!
If you’ve got HBO, be sure to tune into the HBO Documentary “Which Way Home,” Rebecca Cammisa’s new documentary that follows Central American child migrants traveling on top of Mexican freight trains to the U.S. These children chase down “The Beast,” and risk life and limb for the possibility of something more, something they’ve only dreamed of and have no idea how to attain. Thousands of immigrants cross the Mexican landscape as “passengers” on these freights, about five percent of which are children traveling alone, it’s unknown as to how many actually make it across the border. “Which Way Home’ was a selection at both the 2009 Tribeca and LosAngeles Film Festivals.
Be sure to check out this morning’s interview with Rebecca Cammisa:
WNYC’s Morning Edition (08/24/09): Child Migrants in “Which Way Home”
August 24, 2009 at 6:35 pm / No comments / View Brew's Profile / Follow this Maroon on Twitter!
When I met Aja Monet at Nuyorican Poets Cafe, I was fresh off the plane from Portugal, high off of the experience of meeting, and speaking with, inspired spirits and and old traveling souls. I had no idea who she was, and more to the point I had no idea that, more than once, I’d find myself trying to regain my breath. She stepped away from the mic, off the stage, and projected her voice. Her truth bounced off the brick walls and weaved though the balcony; words echoed a life that stretched far beyond her nineteen years, and her voice had all the resonance and regality of Phylicia Rashad’s. She reminded me that I didn’t have to leave the continent to find truth. In fact, two years later, any time I speak of Miss Monet I simply state: “Aja Monet is the Truth.”
“Angels will tear the wings from their backs and beat the shit out of you with them. Feathers splattered wet like abstract art, for they will fall in your vanity, wishing to be human, just so they can show you how it’s done.”
-Aja Monet, “She Lives”
I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing her open mic poetry series, “Blah, Blah, Blah,” it featured some of the dopest spoken word poets on the scene including Def Poets Lemon, Mahogany Brown, Oveous Maximus, and Beau Sia. I got to take in her last NYC performance, before she heads to Chicago, there’s no need to mention that she tore the stage down. Tomorrow night, at the House of Yes, Amanda Diva, Oveous Maximus, Miz Metro, Nyle, and many others will hit the stage to celebrate Aja’s 22nd birthday and bid her farewell. Come through, and don’t forget to tell her and at least three other people that their beautiful. It’s all love. Hosted by the ever-poetic Black Cracker, and KSwift, with DJ Jasmine Solano and DJ Tara of the cuts.
For Truth, click this.
August 21, 2009 at 3:10 pm / No comments / View Brew's Profile / Follow this Maroon on Twitter!
Artist: Vhils
Where: Lisboa, Portugal
Check out more of Vhils here.
August 20, 2009 at 12:25 am / No comments / View Brew's Profile / Follow this Maroon on Twitter!
If you happened to miss last month’s screening of the Nomadic Wax documentary, “Democracy in Dakar,” you’re in luck. There is a surprise screening of “Democracy in Dakar” tonight at 7pm, at the Maysles Theater in Harlem.
Democracy in Dakar
Magee, McIlvaine, Chris Moore, Ben Herson 2008, 69 min.
Democracy in Dakar is a groundbreaking documentary film about hip-hop youth and politics in Dakar Senegal. The film follows rappers, DJs, journalists, professors and people on the street at the time before during and after the controversial 2007 presidential election in Senegal and examines hip-hop’s role on the political process. Originally shot as a seven part documentary mini-series released via the internet – the documentary bridges the gap between hip-hop activism, video journalism and documentary film and explores the role of youth and musical activism on the political process.
Peep the trailer: Democracy in Dakar Trailer from Nomadic Wax.
Democracy in Dakar Trailer from Nomadic Wax on Vimeo.
August 17, 2009 at 12:01 pm / No comments / View Brew's Profile / Follow this Maroon on Twitter!
hi.
this music video just broke my heart, put it back together again, kissed me on the forehead, then gave me a hug.
happy summer!
s.s.
artist: maylee todd
http://www.myspace.com/mayleetodd
August 15, 2009 at 10:13 pm / No comments / View s.s.'s Profile /
A little late on the jump, but it’s never too late for a space odyssey of “nebula-jazz” and “interaglactic-soul.” Transmitting from the Space Needle…Enter: THEESatisfaction. THEE emcee, Stasia, and THEE Diva, Cat, are interstellar refugees straight out of Seattle by way of Mars. Snow Motion, their second mixtape, dropped on August 7th, is a kick drum/space-synth/jazz infused twenty minutes. These two are on that lyricist/songstress Floetry vibe, laced with a little Lucy Pearl, and injected with all the otherworldliness of Janelle Monáe.
Snow Motion takes us on journey through “Spaceways” to Wonderland, awakening sexuality, and reparations for slavery and colorism. These ladies have lofty musings on the “happy clouds, and the sad snow” in “Bob Ross,” and get deep on “PTSD” (Post-Tramatic Slave Disorder). Not to get too heavy, their lead track,”Waltz,” is an almost echos neo-soul version of every rap song that talks about how they don’t dance. The only different is Cat and Stasia do get down and do a little two-step, and they’re full of suprises, “Me like a box of choc-co-lates/…/I’m a Dancing Machine/Right foot, left/You Got Served/Who got next?”
Get ready for a space odyssey, peep THEESatisfaction’s Myspace page and website for Snow Motion and other musings.
August 15, 2009 at 10:18 am / No comments / View Brew's Profile / Follow this Maroon on Twitter!
© Kehinde Wiley, Napoleon Leading the Army over the Alps, 2005
The first time I saw this Kehinde Wiley painting, fashioned after Jacques-Louis David’s painting Bonaparte Crossing the Alps at Grand-Saint-Bernard, I was instantaneously struck with a feeling a familiarity…”Where have I seen this before?” Wiley’s made a name for himself, over the past few years, with his remixes of 17th through 19th century portraiture with contemporary urban black men aesthetic.
Black Light, 2009. Works by Kehinde Wiley
Black Light, his first monologue, released through PowerHouse Books this June, Wiley photographs his subjects in the same vain as his paintings. Black and brown men, traditionally posed, dressed fresh and to the nines, each exuding such an air of regality that it’s impossible that they could be anything less than a member of Napoleon’s royal court….
August 10, 2009 at 1:07 pm / No comments / View Brew's Profile / Follow this Maroon on Twitter!
Folks keep asking about this piece, so I figured I’d make it it’s own post. To anyone who has seen it or heard about it… yes, 21MC did indeed make a custom apron for Dante Fried Chicken. Hand screened and hand sewn at the 21Trillion Collaboration Studio, it turned out magnificently and we were happy to see this thing come to life
Shouts out to Mimi on the construction, to S’aint Yacque for putting in the black & gold chain neck strap, adorned with both coyote & buffalo teeth!!! and to King Texas for the awesome photography.
August 9, 2009 at 5:39 pm / No comments / View M.J.'s Profile / Follow this Maroon on Twitter!
Been a pretty quiet saturday at the collaboration studio. I’m cranking on zero sleep and kinda coasting through the tail end of this inventory update. However, the week itself seemed pretty eventful. Finishing up 21Trillion projects (which I will post about shortly), managing this website update (YAY NEW NAV!), sorting on new designs for fall and trying to tie up some loose ends.
Our good friend and fellow maroon, Mimi (who some of you may recognize from the 2008 Tropics campaign) has been in town as of late. Seems she’s leaving Oakland to be a full-time Brooklyn wizard, which is great news for us.
Over the past few days Mimi has stopped by, shot the shit, goofed off, modeled the new tees, worked miracles and somehow made a makeshift visor + tank top with one single scissor swipe. Gotta love it!
And not to be outdone… just after stitching together Mr. Fried Chicken’s custom apron in time for him to wear it for the last episode before Sweden, the woman started putting together the last of the Pharaoh Ponchos remixes!!! Come people! Recognize!!! What can’t we do with help from the gods?!?!?
August 8, 2009 at 4:56 pm / No comments / View M.J.'s Profile / Follow this Maroon on Twitter!
President Obama said Friday that he was ”surprised and deeply humbled” by the decision of the Norwegian Nobel Committee to award him the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize. The committee said it ho…
Kenyan authorities have begun to move residents out of Africa’s largest slum – the Kibera settlement in Nairobi. Officials expect to take from two to five years to clear the slum, which…
An undercover investigation has found that up to two gorillas are killed and sold as bushmeat each week in Kouilou, a region of the Republic of Congo.
It seems that the new 3.1 iPhone OS update kills both tethering hacks and the ultrasn0w unlock hack. Be especially careful since there might be no way to undo the iPhone update – update and b…
Former executive editor of music at BET.com, Andreas Hale hit “send” on an explosive e-mail that sheds light on some of the inner workings (and malfunctions) of the once revered company.
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