Thoughts On: Run The Jewels 2

Recommended Listening: Blockbuster Part 1, Angel Duster

Welcome back to Thoughts On, this week we will be talking about another one of my huge mistakes from 2014. After making the Hip-Hop list I could not help but search out other year-end top lists and see if any of our results stacked up. Granted websites like Complex, XXL, and Spin (which I have a huge personal gripe with) had way more albums on their list because their job is to listen to music year round; but I still was delighted to know that almost all the albums I listened too were on best of lists in some capacity. To me this signaled that I was pretty good at keeping up with the trendy music and filtering out all the garbage, so imagine my surprise when I see this album called 'Run The Jewels 2' getting critical acclaim and I have never even heard of it. Now for reference when I say critical acclaim I mean CRITICAL ACCLAIM, this 11-track album got a 89 Metacritic and jaw dropping scores all across the music world. I hadn't seen statistics this high since Kendrick Lamar. Even Hot 97 (one of the worlds biggest Hip-Hop radio stations) was raving about the album, and their personalities are comically known for not agreeing on things such as this.

So what exactly is Run The Jewels 2? Well for starters it is the second album in the lineup, with the first being 'Run The Jewels' (which also was very well received), and the albums are made by a rap duo known as, wait for it, Run The Jewels. Pretty simple to remember yes? So with that aside WHO is RTJ? Well the duo consists of El-P ( who has been a major producer in underground hip-hop for years and is a well respected veteran) and Killer Mike (a rapper who made his debut with Outkast in the early 00's and has steadily made his own name in the industry, with a few acclaimed albums under his belt). Both of these two have been in the game for decades and have been collaborating together for years. They made an album in 2012 called 'R.A.P music' which was released to rave reviews, and presumably after that they decided to form a duo and drop some of the hottest albums in 2013 and 2014.

Now onto the important question: how did this duo's album come to be known as an “instant classic” in most circles? The answer lies in what a lot of people consider to be “fundamental” Hip-Hop (I put fundamental in quotes simply because times change and you don't have to have this certain mindset to love this album). This albums is hard. The duo spares no expenses and they hold no punches, this album is a culmination of the classic competitive nature of Hip-Hop. Back when what you said was all you had and you couldn't just say you were number one, you had to live and breathe it. RTJ 2 starts, picks up, gets more and more intense, and never stops. From the first song 'Jeopardy' you get a heavy build up of the duo going back and forth and lyrically showing you why they are the best at what they do. From there each song plays off the last with El-P's production getting crazier and more twisted, a perfect backdrop for the duo's anarchist murder infused lyrics. However this is not just some mindless fight/hype music. In the course of the album they talk about uniting against the police, their roots, how religion is used to control many, and how we should all be dishonest just like the government that is responsible for this country. It is amazing how many complex thoughts they were able to squeeze in as they were rapidly firing off lyrics at an impressive speed. Even in songs like 'All my life' where things start slow, the level is raised to just an that over the top amount so that you can still crank up the music and physically feel the bass in your body.

While the J.Cole's and the Kendrick Lamar's have had the smooth/instrumental Hip-Hop game on lock for awhile, the harder more aggressive side of the music has either been lost or poisoned. Rappers like Waka and French Montana creating what have become known as bangers when real bangers are the kind of songs you find RTJ producing. Hard enough to dance to, to pump you up, but also complex enough to make you think. These two have the advantage of being older men who have been in the game long enough to see trends rise and fall and develop their own unique place in rapdom. Also if it helps this album was released under Nas' Mass Appeal record label (the rap legend backed these two gentlemen and that says something). It might take a second for you to warm up to this album if you aren't used to things this intense, but once you break past that barrier you will wrapped up in the hard world of RTJ, competitive abrasive rappers in their prime. Killer Mike and El-P have found the perfect match in each other and I can only hope that their upcoming album RTJ 3 continues to push the envelope and bring some of the fire back to this industry. I give this album the rating of: Listen Soon...like seriously go slap this album.

Thoughts On: Big K.R.I.T's 'CADILLACTICA'

Recommended Listening: Cadillactica

Hello readers and welcome to “Thoughts on”, where I will be giving my horribly unprofessional opinions on things (mostly music) in an attempt to keep myself and you the readers up to date on the entertaining world around us. Jesus that was a sentence. Recently I put out a list with the top 5 Hip-Hop albums of 2014 that a few friends and I made, and it was so fun that I figured I would keep the project going. Apparently I do no think I do enough. So the first few of these Thoughts On's will be on 2014 albums, after that I will try to stay as current as possible.

THIS WEEK we are talking about Big K.R.I.T's 2014 album 'Cadillactica'. From here on I will be referring to the rapper as his real last name, Scott, because typing his stage name is a hassle. I heard this album as part of my mass consumption of 2014 rap and it was the album that caught me most by surprise (I know I have said this about the Pink Print but let me explain). I saw Scott Sophomore year in concert when he was opening up in Syracuse for Macklemore. I had never heard of him before and I was not impressed. The bass heavy over produced performance seemed to have no rhyme or reason and I could not make out any melody or lyrics. Writing this I can see how snobbish this sounds, but considering who I was waiting to see I expected a similar style (they brought out Talib Kweb after Scott and that was more my speed). After listening to this album I realized if I ever meet Scott in person than I owe him a huge apology.

This was one of the most acclaimed studio albums of last year and 30 seconds into the intro I could hear why. This man has master the art of blending smooth music with a fast lyrical style and has crafted an amazing album with it. The blues and jazz riddled album is built around the story of creating a planet (by the name of Cadillactica) and seems to chronicle its progress as its own world. The planet seems to be much like our own and Scott uses it to vent out his frustrations about what the mainstream media wants to see in his music. Granted this is my own interpretation, but Scott has had problems with his music for a awhile now. He is known as one of the best underground rappers in the game but has constantly experimented with sounds in order to be more appealing. After this album I hope that he continues to walk this path of music because this whole album feels surreal. Back in Cali I constanly drive around listening to new music just so I can listen in peace. Doing that with this album I literally felt as though I was drifting through space. In fact the title track of this album (surprise surprise Cadillactica) has been stuck in my head for about three weeks. It is the perfect blend of catchy and musical and hypes me up for life. Other songs such as “Angels” and “Do you love me” have soulful R&B undertones while Scott raps over them with his unique lyrical flair. In “Soul Food” you have him talking about the relatable past of children playing in a front year before a weekly family dinner, only then to go into how those times have passed and that same yard is now empty. Also in order to leave no questions unanswered he also abandons the same planet he just created in the albums last song “Lost Generations” featuring a very controversial Lupe Fiasco verse that you must hear for yourself. This album was clearly an important milestone in Scott's life and he has opened and shut this book before our very ears. This album is like a film, and not just because it was intended to feel that way, but rather because it is so good at subtly making you feel and get lost in its smooth instrumentation.

This album surprised me so much that I immediately made it my job to go through all of Scotts recent music and listen to as much of his work as I can. I found a song of his called “My Trunk” that I remember him performing in Syracuse simply because of the word trunk, and it sounds incredible in it's studio setting. I am a proud man but I am happy to admit when I am wrong and finding this album has helped personally inspire me. This man is as hard a worker as it goods, putting out consistent music while not getting any radio hits, experimenting wit his own sound while staying true to himself. I am not going to rate this album because any rating system I can think of will eventually be ruined with my bias so I will just suggest how you should listen to this. Either Listen Soon, Save for another day, or Skip altogether. Soon, Save, Or Skip. Simple as that. In the Case of Big K.R.I.T's 2014 Cadillactica I suggest you listen as Soon as possible. This album is incredible and deserves to be shared with as many people as possible.

541 Birch Ridge

This is basically a love letter for a house. For context I am a selectively sentimental person. I look back fondly on material possessions and the memories they represent, but I am also aware that without the emotional attachment most things are not worth much. Long story short my Grandma is sick and can no longer live on her own, I have spent the last week or so helping clear out her house, and more specifically today was the last time I got to step foot in her house. We moved out everything and for the first time in 9 years I saw the house as just an empty building, not the second home I had known for so long.

            As I was gathering up garbage and moving things out of the house none of the emotional significance really stuck with me, all I wanted to do was empty the house. My mom has been under stress so it was my job to be the strength. I have moved around 8 times in my life so the site of cardboard boxes and feeling of frustration are not new to me. Each time I have had to watch as my mom struggles to handle things essentially on her own because that is how things have always been. So this time I vowed to be as much as help as I could. As we moved boxes and drove back and forth from my Grandmas house that is about an hour away I never complained. I would do anything for my mom, so I could understand her devotion to hers. But today as we drove to the house my mom brought up that this would be the last time we drove out to this house…

            9 years is like a lifetime for me. As long as I can remember this is the house has been my second home. When I was torn up about leaving my first Pinole house I took solace in 541. Major holidays were spent with me, my mom, and Grammy all gathered in the living room watched the pile of DVD’s we brought or rented so that Grammy could be caught up. I remember all the times mom fell asleep during the movie because she was tired from driving and Grammy and I would always poke fun at her for it. I remember the Mac n’ cheese served that made not eating all day to save space worth it. I remember deserts that were bought by Grammy just to make sure I had something waiting for me when I was there. At night I would go back to my room in the house and just play video games until I got busted for staying up and was told to sleep. I still vividly remember Grammy’s feet shuffling as she made her way to the room to check on me.

            There was an empty box for a Wii memory card sitting on a table in my room there, the box was put there when I brought my Wii over the Christmas I got it and has been laying there ever since. That was in 2007. I threw the box away and only after did I realize that that box has been there almost as long as I have been visiting. This kind of déjà vu type memory flashes kept happening as I cleared junk and slowly all the junk turned into something important. We threw a lot (mostly because I refuse to let my mom hoard things) and afterwards I felt like I just kept throwing away memories. Walking through a near empty living room I was reminded of the time there was an all day Naruto marathon on Cartoon network so I had the TV in the living room and my room on so I could pace back and forth and watch it. Now there was nothing. No TV, no marathon, and no little boy pacing back and forth carefree.

            I understand that this is not the most traumatic thing in the world, but to me one of the only permanent homes I knew just…stopped being that. All the memories, arguments, presents, food, movies, pets, etc. are just gone. My Grammy is now recovering elsewhere and 541 cannot house her anymore. When I went off to college and could only see Grammy on breaks trips to the house were more valuable, simply because I only went a few times a year. I could finally drive up to the house and let my mom relax. I was growing up but still felt like a kid in the presence of the place. Last summer we sold Grammy’s car (which I had known for longer than the house) and that was the same kind of sad on a more minor scale. Things change and nothing lasts forever but I just hate to see this house go. I stayed strong as I looked at the barren shell right before we left, as we watched the garage go down for the last time, as we gave the keys back to the landlord and returned home. I went to visit Grammy on the way back and when she asked about the house I just broke down. It feels like a big chunk of my life is behind me and things will not be the same. I have to go back to school thousands of miles away and things and be left out the loop again. Times like this I regret leaving and wish I could stay to help out…but you cannot look back. I thank you 541 for all you have done for me. in the last few moments of seeing you I saw everything I have done in that house flash before my eyes.

            My Grammy told me as I was crying that she understands all too well the feeling, it was her house after all. She told me that I have started to build a new home in Pinole and in Rochester, filled with family and friends who have my back. I hate to lose 541, which feels like a family member at this point, but I will just have to trust her word. 

             The Star World must continue.

Top 5 Hip-Hop Albums of 2014

           Being a Hip-Hop Head in the internet age is nothing short of amazing and frustrating. On every site, video, and forum you will encounter flame wars over who is the best and why so and so is terrible. On the flip side you get the chance to be exposed to so many different types of artists and sounds that if you ignore all the negative comments what you get is the core of Hip-Hop; you get to learn and explore culture through music. This year I decided to take my love of the music to the next level and create a top 5 list of 2014’s finest Hip-Hop Music. I formulated the idea in summer, but it was not really set in stone until I included two of my best friends and fellow rap lovers Alex & Aiyana into the discussion. However this was no simple task since we all have been listening to an abundance of artists new and old this year, constantly sending each other new music hoping the other would enjoy it. It was in the midst of finals week in December (a great time to get caught up in a new project mind you) that we put an official plan into action (The plan is detailed below this paragraph). So with this in mind we each sifted through a wiki list of all 2014 hip-hop releases which has hundreds of albums, picked a good chunk of music to listen to and just went to town on 2014. There were upsets and debates, and before we get into the actual list I think it is important to understand all of our musical backgrounds. This is NOT an objective list and is a combination of all of our tastes in interests. I love to think that we have good taste in music but if you disagree that is your right. We each put a lot of effort and thought into our own lists and putting them together is no easy feat. We listened to a good 35+ albums to make this list, and anything you could recommend one of us has probably listened to (Ab-Soul, Big K.R.I.T, Common, Isaiah Rashad, Wiz, Eminem, Wu Tang, T.I, Iggy Azalea, and it goes on). Past the Top Five you will see honorable mentions of albums that did not make the list. Let us begin

Here is the process as I posted in the Facebook group I made for the 3 of us:

1.) Come up with your own top 10 list of albums by the time you get home from break (or close to there)

2.) Have reasons why you picked albums because there will be a short write up of each

3.) Send list to other members of this group so we have a chance to maybe listen to albums that we haven’t had the chance to hear yet

4.) We will all meet up in person over break and make this list

for reference here is the list of 2014 hip hop albums: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_in_hip_hop_music#Released_albums

Musical Taste:

Zeke “Zk” Starling- I have grown up around soul, jazz, funk, and early rap for the majority of my life. Childhood consisted of Diana Ross, MJ, Sly and the family stone, Lauren Hill, etc. It was not until I started dancing that I got to develop my own love of rap music. I was always a big fan of Eminem and my mom loved Tupac so of course I drifted to rap with a message or conscious rap. Here I found my love of rap as a form of musical poetry that can be recited over soulful instrumentals to send a personal message or positive vibes with a powerful bass and snare that makes a club banger we can all jam to. As my dancing love grew so did my desire to find more and more music. Now I am as deep in the Hip-Hop world as I have ever been, keeping up with the latest albums, watching interviews, studying chords and sounds within the actual songs (I have been playing music for 10 or so years if that matters) and I think I have a pretty refined taste. A few of my favorite rappers are: Childish Gambino, Kendrick Lamar, Tyler the Creator, Chance the rapper, and Logic.

Alex “Trap 3 House” Elms-  I grew up on pretty much everything but hip hop and rap. My early music taste was shaped almost exclusively by movie soundtracks and my dad's collection of 60s-80s rock. I enjoyed the Beatles, The Who, Electric Light Orchestra, and a lot of mainstream pop music that I had heard from various other places. It wasn't until college that I started branching out into rap, hip-hop, and trap music. Thanks to friends, both new from college and old from high school, I had a wealth of suggestions for classics and more recent releases. Once I understood that rap was about more than just songs about big money, drugs, and women, I gained an appreciation for it that I never would have thought possible. I fell in love with the complex narratives, concept albums, and addictive beats that hip hop provided. I started with artists like Kanye, Eminem, and BoB and let my ear go from there. I'm still finding out more about my style as I find more music, but as of now some of my favorite artists are Childish Gambino, Chance the Rapper, Kanye West, Kid Cudi, and Drake.

Aiyana “Shmoney” H.G- I started listening to rap music in middle school, when my favorite rapper was Lil Wayne. The only rap and hip-hop scene I was familiar with at the time centered around they hyphy movement and mainstream rap music. Thanks to friends with broader music tastes, my curiosity to branch out and find new music to fill my one-dimensional itunes selection, and the greater availability and awareness of underground, underappreciated, and alternative hip-hop, my music taste and knowledge has expanded. My favorite rappers list has changed and increased to include Childish Gambino, Logic, J. Cole, Eminem, and Chance the Rapper. I look forward to continuing my music collection and listening to as many artists and styles as possible.

The Top Five

5.)

ScHoolboy Q- Oxymoron. Recommended listening: Collard Greens

            ScHoolboy Q is quite an interesting individual, being part of Black Hippy and TDE along with rappers such as Ab-Soul and Kendrick Lamar you would expect him to be skilled but this album approaches popular rap techniques and practices with a unique flair that gives Q his own sound. The production could easily be something off of any mainstream rappers album but the way Q utilizes instrumentals and infuses his own over the top lyrical style to tell a story of a gangster lifestyle, drug use and addiction, and fatherhood. You can hear snippets of his daughter throughout the album if you listen properly which goes along with Q’s musical style. The album tends to suck you in and before you know it you can hear how Q has create his own niche of the gangster rap story. At first glance he may just seem like a typical rapper but upon a closer listening you can hear a man using hip-hop in a positive way to escape a devilish lifestyle. This is also a 2015 Grammy Nominee so congrats to Q for getting his work recognized.

4.)

Childish Gambino- STN MTN/Kauai. Recommended: Dream & Retro

          All three of us love Gambino, he is such a talented individual who has been able to release quality work every year since 2008. However the reason this isn’t higher on the list is because it requires being a Gambino fan to truly appreciate. That is not to say you won’t like any song unless you are a prior fan, this is a good collection of music one way or another. But to truly understand the context of this release and how it fits into the complex multimedia narrative you need to listen to his other work. This album is all about the transition of a character from their fictional dream life running the Atlanta rap scene to that same character waking up having to reminisce on better times past. This is probably one of the most original ideas I have ever encountered in rap, because it stems from an ongoing story told partially through music, but it hold up as its own project. This has everything from Gambino spitting over famous southern rap songs, to beautiful spoken word and insight, and Bino’s amazing vocal prowess. Listen to the songs and see if you like them, then do yourself a favor and start from the beginning of Gambino’s albums and discover the genius that is Donald Glover.

3.)

Nicki Minaj- The Pink Print. Recommended: All things go

            This album is one the reasons I have such a problem with how the Grammys are run. The cutoff dates for nominations is somewhere in November so things that come out in the last two months are just forgotten about or left alone until the next year (The Heist was released in 2012 and won best rap album of 2013 in 2014). This album took me by surprise so much so that it prompted me to recruit Alex to officially starting this list. We were both up until 3am listening to this album shocked by how honest and good it was. Now Nicki Minaj is probably best known for work such as Anaconda and Super Bass, either hyper sexual or pop like music that most people write off as shallow. However Nicki’s albums show a side of realness that she publicly never shows. She commands power and carries herself high but the Pink Print shows she is vulnerable just like the rest of us. In fact the recommended song is the title track off the album because right from the beginning she draws you in with smooth sounds and meaningful lyrics. Her style of music does have heavy influence of pop, bit it is done so in such a way that it still carries positive messages or honesty. This album has club bangers, smooth musical jams, and there is a track called “Grand Piano” which is just Nicki singing over a piano and violin. This is the artists more prominent showing to date and you owe it to yourself to listen. If more mainstream rap was like this album I would have no problem with the state of hip-hop today. She is one of the most original figures in rap today and after this album I have even more respect for her trying to be a powerful female figure in a male dominated industry.

2.)

Logic-Under Pressure. Recommended: Soul Food

            Logic is one of the best rappers out there right now. Period. I have heard complaints of how this album just recycles themes of a struggle and his broken home life, but Logic’s pure verbal and lyrical ability speak volumes. This is a conceptual rap autobiography that Logic uses to tell a story in his first studio album debut, and what a great tale he weaves. He mixes a relaxed yet fast rap style with serious undertones and dark messages. Gang violence, domestic abuse, drug abuse, etc are all themes covered in full in this album. Logic is clearly a student of hip-hop, with this album being reminiscent of Kendrick’s Good Kid, M.A.A.D City, with an Eminem flare, and a Gambino style charisma. Logic is no copycat however, he uses what he has learned to develop his own sound, so much so that there are a few tracks on the album that have similar instrumentals. To some this may be a turn off but it goes along with the idea that this is all one story. Logic described this album as his way of talking to everyone whereas his earlier work was directed at his niche fan base. Logic makes a statement and is telling the world he is here and has earned his right to stay. It is rappers like Logic that give me faith in the future of the younger generation of rap artists. From start to finish this is a gripping work (with no featured artists unless you have the deluxe version) because Logic wanted this to show what he could do as a rapper, and I believe he has made quite the impression.

1.) 

 J.Cole- 2014 Forest Hills Drive. Recommended: January 28^th

              Last year I heard J.Cole’s Born Sinner album and it blew my mind. If not for Gambino’s release that album would have easily been my favorite of the year. With that in mind I had huge hopes for this project, especially since I had no idea it was coming until a few weeks before it dropped. When I first saw the track list I was underwhelmed, this was not going to have nearly as much music as his previous work and that worried me. This all changed when I heard the beautiful intro with the thoughts of “do you wanna be happy?” floating around in my mind. All three of us had this album in our own top 5 lists (Alex and Aiyana had it as number 1 and I had it at 3), so it was no surprise when made its way to the top of our collective list. My “low” rating aside this album is a masterpiece that shifts the focus to a personal look at Cole’s life and how came to be where he is now. Usually rappers do this as a first project but Cole took the time to step back and paint a gorgeous narrative in what could be seen as a daring move. This is Not Born Sinner, it is a new work that is musically spilt into 3 Acts, with the production and lyricism following suite and shifting with the story. The album becomes more musical when it needs to be and more lyrical when the story demands it. You find yourself getting sucked into the honesty of the work and how smooth it plays out. The last song is a 13 minute credit song where Cole thanks all the people he has worked with and even then you are just memorized by the background instrumentals and you appreciate the work he has put in. Cole is an intelligent conscious rapper who shows just how far he has traversed in his own life. He has come a long way from trying to make a radio single and this album shows that he is now confident in not just his rap ability, but who he is as a person.

Honorable Mentions!

Zeke: Mick Jenkins- The Water[S]

            Chicago has produced some of the finest rappers in the game. From legends like Common and Kanye to newcomers like Vic Mensa and Chance. This year I caught wind of new mixtape that dropped from another Chicago native: Mick Jenkins. Now out of the 3 of us I was the only one who put this album on our personal top 10 lists, and I stand by the idea that this mixtape is amazing. It carries the theme of water as an entity that we are lacking in our lives and creates songs around the idea of relaxation, finding ourselves, and Jenkins personal experiences in the music industry. It is clear that Jenkins has a message to send with songs like “Martyrs” and he wishes to bring awareness with his unique soulful/jazzy sound.

Alex: IAMSU! Sincerely Yours

This album brings a fresh West Coast flavor in his studio debut. While the album itself is noteworthy overall, 'Su's collaboration tracks are the most outstanding. E40, Wiz Kalifa, and 2Chainz all lend their talents but don't distract from 'Su's raw talent on tracks like "I Love My Squad" and "Martina." As a relatively new artist, IAMSU! leaves a lasting impression that I look forward to hearing more from.

Aiyana: Azelea Banks- Broke With Expensive Taste

Although the tone of her voice appears consistent and similar throughout the album, each song offers a different musical style. From a fast, mellow trance to an upbeat Spanish flare, Azealia Banks brings sounds that contrasts what you're used to hearing on the radio

BONUS:

So if you have read this far then congrats you have finished our list! As a little bonus we give you just a few more songs to listen to if you are interested. 2014 was an amazing year in Hip-Hop and we all cannot wait to see what 2015 has in store.Big thanks to Alex and Aiyana for making this possible!!

Best Single of 2014: Chance the Rapper and the Social Experiment- Sunday Candy

https://soundcloud.com/donnietrumpet/donnie-trumpet-the-social-experiment-sunday-candy

Best Hip-Hop Performance: Kendrick Lamar- Snl I love myself

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sop2V_MREEI

           

BREAK: Artist Reflection

BREAK

My final project is called “BREAK” and I consider it to be the best piece that I have crafted in this class. The initial prompt we were given was “play”, which came to just mean do anything. What I wanted to do was find a way to show people what it is like to be inside my brain, what it means to fight to depression and deal with putting an insane amount of pressure on yourself constantly. After the Ferguson and Garner cases, however, my thinking became much less introspective. I no longer desired to make something for myself, I wanted to share a more universal message because that is the effect I want my art to have on people. So I came up with a master and a puppet concept (almost directly inspired by master hand from the Super Smash Bros series) and got to work. I played around with the idea of fate and how we as humans are affected by it. Your view on fate will undoubtedly differ from mine but in my eyes we are all subject to a kind of fate. We are fated to either be a person who is controlled or not, and it goes deeper than that but that is the core concept. As a creator my biggest fear is that one day I will be in a position where I am not in charge of my own life. This could be because of a job I have, a place I live, or just a change in personality. So to fight this I created a piece where a character literally breaks from the hold of his oppressor...or did he? I left things open ended, not spelling out the whereabouts of the two characters because that is not the point. Freedom and choice are always going to be in a state of shifting intensity, and your relationships to these concepts will change over time. For me now my definition of freedom is having the power to create as much as I got just for the sake of creating. Whether we are on a pre-determined track or not doesn't really matter honestly because we will always be the biggest catalyst in our own lives. This project reminded my how much I champion the idea of self-control. Everything starts with you. Watching my own film made me emotional because it reminded me of how many people are in chains and feel too helpless to try and break free. These chains could be: depression, a job, a bad relationships, etc. yet they are not seen because it is so easy to just accept negative factors that keep you down. Sometimes all you need to do to achieve freedom is be who you want to be, regardless of negative energy that might try and stop you.

This project is my love letter to any artist that has inspired me and pushed me to develop my own idea of what it means to break the cycle of control. In this class I have heard stories of students dealing with so much adversity, yet the videos they make are amazing. We are not all born equal or viewed as equal in this world and that is just a sad fact. However we can make ourselves equal, by standing up for what we believe in and not letting the world control how we see ourselves. That is what this class had reaffirmed in my mind, that my vision to create and inspire will never be squashed by any outside force that would rather see me silent.  

E and Z

“It is amazing how much space is just...out there,” proclaimed Ellie as she gazed up at the night sky.

“Yea, almost like they call it space for a reason,” replied Zee in a sarcastic manner.

At this response Ellie threw a chip at Zee as he laughed at his own joke; soon enough she was laughing as well and the joyful sound filled the empty parking lot they were in. Classes had just let out and everyone was coming home for summer. Zee had done his best to get Ellie alone before she was too busy being everyone else's best friend over the vacation. He had planned it all out beforehand: sitting in the back of his Kia soul with the trunk open and the seats down, looking up at the stars, and no one around to kill the moment. There was silence as the two soaked up the starlight and time slowed to a halt.

“I just bought my plane ticket to Paris today,” Ellie said still staring off in the endless abyss.

“What? Plane ticket? W-when do you leave?” Zee was trying to keep calm and not sound shocked, knowing that his heart skipped a few beats.

“Next month. I told you I got into that study abroad program in York right? Well I just found out that I can go to Paris for a special introduction program for about 6 weeks because of that.”

“What? How the hell does that work?”

“To be honest I am not sure, the email said 'Paris' and I just started screaming. Art History perks I guess.”

“I am pretty sure that is the first time the phrase 'Art History perks' has been uttered unironically.”

They both laughed again...and then silence. Zee felt like all of his planning had just fallen apart. It is hard enough as it is to love your best friend, but how can you love something that physically won't be there? In his head we was going through hundreds of options; individual mental pathways all trying to reach the same destination. How can he make this work? His brain was overclocked, so much so that he simply spouted an automatic response.

“Paris has always been your dream yea?” His words were sincere but Ellie could feel a sort of tension in them.

“Yea, ever since I was little. At this point Paris has become this dumb fantasy for a lot of girls, but as an artist how can I not want to go there? It must be so fucking nice to live in a city that actually values artistic integrity.” Ellie was never one to mince words, it was part of her charm.

“Yea man a city of lights, culture, and class. Seems like the kind of place you'd fall in love in.” Zee mind was still lost in thought, trying to see if he could rob a bank or maybe sell drugs for a month to raise money for a plane ticket.

“Love? I don't know about all that you big nerd, I just want to experience the city.” Ellie looked over and gave Zee a smile. That smile. It was the same smile he had grown so immensely fond of. The smile she gave when they had first met during a summer years ago. The smile he brought out of her all the times she had been stressed or distraught. The smile he couldn't imagine not seeing for months at a time.

“Uh...I mean yea of course, that's what I meant dude.” Zee started awkwardly fiddling with his Zune and Aux cord setup. He had been subtly playing Because the Internet, one of he and Ellie's favorite albums, in the background in an attempt to impress her. Suddenly that all seemed so pointless now. Paris had stolen his chance from him. He was so lost in his own mind that he didn't hear Ellie talking talking to him.

“Are you a traveler?” Ellie asked.

“What?” Zee had no idea where this conversation was going.

“Are you a traveler? Do you see yourself traveling the world and getting as lost in other countries as you are in yourself right now?” Ellie was mocking him, but in a playful way. He could tell the difference, friendship is funny that way.

“No...I am more of a wanderer, lost in thought with a keen eye for pretty words.” Zee's poetic tendencies reared their head without his intention. Creative minds are funny that way.

“So tell me Mr. Wanderer, what is new in your life?” Ellie smiled widened, she had always been a fan of Zee's poetry.

“W-well...there's this girl...” Zee watched Ellie closely as a her smile slowly faded. She had heard that line from him so many times it was almost impressive.

“Ahh, there is always a girl.” Ellie sighed. Some things never change.

“No but this girl is special!” Zee exclaimed a bit louder than he should have.

“They are always special.”

“I mean more special, she is...different.”

“They are always different.”

“You just don't understand.” Zee crossed is arms behind his head and started to take comfort in the stars again.

“You do have a flair for the dramatic. Tell me what makes this girl so special.” Ellie was genuinely curious now, it was rare to see Zee get so riled up over a crush.

“Well...she uh, I mean...fuck.” Zee for once was at a lost for words. Love is funny that way.

“Wow, this girl must be really something.” Ellie was giggling now, clearly enjoying her companions discomfort.

“Well for one thing...she is going to Paris in a month.” Zee said this quietly, but even so Ellie could hear it and the tension suddenly became another passenger in the car.

“Uh...” Ellie felt embarrassed for teasing Zee, and for the first time since the car had stopped moving she noticed the album playing in the background.

“I-im sorry.” Proclaimed Zee. “I wasn't trying to make this awkward or try anything I just...” He reprimanded himself for driving 20 minutes out of town to get to this secluded area, not even thinking about how horrid the drive back would be if he was rejected.

“Nothing to be sorry about.” Ellie sounded nervous but confident. You know someone long enough and things just tend to pop into place.

More silence.

“Hey...when you go to Paris, you will still talk to me right?” Zee's paranoid was showing.

Ellie thought long and hard before looking at Zee. She gave him a smile,that smile, before turning the music on the Zune up, knowing full well that she was one of the only people he trusted with his music. The two sat in the car for what seemed like an eternity, watching the stars tell stories about the planets they surround. In their minds they both knew there was no place they would rather be. Not even Paris.

End.

Where I Stand

I want to make this clear, My Name is Ezekiel Starling and I am a black male. In my life time I have moved and lived up and down the West coast from California to Washington and back again. I was raised by a single mother who taught me to always fight for what I believe in, and that things may always be a tad bit harder for me because of the color of my skin. My father has never lived with us but he has played a big role in how I view conflict and protect myself. My best friends range from Caucasian to Iranian to Pakistani to Nicaraguan to Filipino to African to African-American. My passion is creating art and trying to find new ways to connect, help, and inspire my fellow men. I am trying to stay objective and learn as much from Ferguson as I can. I do not think Mike Brown deserved to be killed.

Let us begin.

I do not agree with the decision to not indict officer Darren Wilson but I can see why that conclusion was reached. Half of the country believes that Mike Brown is an innocent martyr, a young man who has done no wrong and was shot 6 times while his hands were raised in surrender. While the other half has looked more into the case and has seen that there is evidence that paints the opposite picture, that Mike Brown was lunging for Wilson and/or his gun when he was killed. As you can see we have a bit of a problem. If we go with exhibit A, then there is no excuse for not indicting Wilson, as he murdered an innocent man. Yet if we turn our attention to exhibit B (which is what I am assuming the grand jury did) then we see an officer reacting to a situation that he probably never encountered before, thus resulting in a dead body and a ton of controversy. The grand jury most likely just saw Wilson protecting himself, and left it at that. Now before you judge me understand that I NEVER condone murder in any circumstance. If a man broke into my house and I killed him, I would still gladly stand trial for my actions; that is the humane thing to do. Whether or not the officer was defending himself or not it does not excuse his use of excessive force and the fact that he gets off utterly free is a shame. This, however, only serves to reflect a system that we have known to be less than favorable since its creation.

The problem with this event is that it brings up an ugly controversy that completely re-routes the situation and pollutes what we should be getting out of this tragedy. Is this case about race? Would Brown be alive if he was white? Why should we care about this single incident when there is so much black on black crime in certain communities? Where is the justice? These are the kinds of questions and flame wars you will see popping up all over social media/news sites. With all this information it is just so hard to make sense of the situation. So instead of jumping on anyone's bandwagon I formed my opinion and came to my own conclusion. I want to share because I do not want this to happen again. What do I mean by that? I mean that this wall we have put between ourselves as a country needs to be torn down if we are to have any hope of not destroying each other. Brown's family called for peace and change in the wake of this tragedy and I think that is what we should ALL be focusing on. It is so easy to just get angry and rally for a week or two and then just go back to being complacent; we cannot afford to do that anymore. Ferguson NEEDS to be the last example of questionable racism and confusing politics in our modern age. We have come too far as a people to let something like this just be another point of no resolution that is forever forgotten. The whole country is watching to see what we can make of this so let us be intelligent and find some answers.

If you think race has nothing to do with this case then stop reading now because anything I say will be lost on you. Race is a HUGE portion of this because of the ambiguous role it plays in Brown's death. The common retort is that Black people only care about one of their own when a white man kills him, and that if Brown was a white the result would be the same. First off every black person is aware of black on black crime, and I will address its significance later. Secondly, in my mind I have run this question through my head so many times and I honestly I do not know if Brown still would have been killed if he was white, AND THAT IS THE PROBLEM. People who have never experienced racism only think of it as big dramatic showings of hatred and clear cut right and wrong happenings, but to my people (and this is anyone who has experienced it) racism is subtle. Racism is the white lady that clutched her purse tighter when I sat next to her on a train, or white dad who holds his kid tighter when the pass through an “urban neighborhood”. I could go on and on, but the basis here is that racism stems from fear. A fear so strong that it unconsciously has worked itself into the backbone of society whether they want to be or not. Most of my white friends were not taught how to interact with police officers by their parents, they do not have to worry how they reach for a glove box, and they most certainly do not have their worrying mother calling them after every Oscar Grant, Trayvon Martin, and Mike Brown just to see if they are still okay. This is where the concept of privilege comes in, the idea that we are not all on the same playing field, and some people have advantages even if they do not think they do. No intelligent or reasonable person likes this, it is unfair and not a good reflection of our strength as a people, but what can we do?

We can start by working with each other instead of against each other. All the riots and idiotic nonsense that has come from this decision is a bad mark on the human race. Not on black people, not on white people, but ALL of us. These people do not deserve to be taken into the equation and I say we let the cops handle them. What we need to focus on is opening the door for discussion and action. I know so many non-black people whose eyes were opened by this case, people who may or may not have grown up oblivious to what happens who want to contribute. And we need to let them. This is not about just black people anymore. If we are going to save black lives we need to quell the fear that leads to so many black deaths, which involves getting everyone involved. The media portayal of black people is no longer relevant; it is our time to SHOW people they have nothing to fear from us. The Black people who kill and loot and are “thugs”, are the same as the white people who kill and rape. They are not us and we are not them. If we lived in a world where officer Wilson had no reason to have a potential unconscious fear of black people, Brown may still be alive. But he did have a reason to fear us, because we have let the wrong people paint a bad picture of us as a whole. When I think of black people I think of musicians, scientists, and heroes who have changed this planet. We need to make everyone else see that too. It would be nice to think that we are all one people and that race does not matter...but the sad fact is that it does. I want to fight for a world where being black only means that you get to be proud of your culture and heritage, without coming with the unwanted fear and burden of having to do more to stay ahead and stay alive.

All of this is personal opinion and I am not asking anyone to do something I would not do. We need to take this and make it a positive catalyst for the future. Do not let this become just another dead black body. I create, write, and dance to express that I am not just a black person, but that I am human. We need to all fight to show that we are human. This world is bursting with so many colors and backgrounds that it does not make sense to be afraid of them. The violence, poverty, and hatred that is portrayed to be a “hood” phenomenon or part of black culture exists everywhere. We need to fight to enforce a shift in perspective about how our fellow men and women are viewed in this country. Brown's family wants cops to wear body cameras; let's start there. You put a third party like a camera in the mix and you can see if an action is racially fueled or not. I do not want anymore martyrs, I am sick of these faux revolutions leading back to the same conclusion, and I am doing my best to help people see that we are all we have. It should not be about blame, it should be about showing people why change is needed, and then fighting for said change. We have the spark, let us not lose it.

It starts with us.