Ké-
I don't understand why we kill each other. I don't understand why everything is such a competition. And I really fail to grasp a subtle understanding of why the world has to be so fucked up. I know how for the most part but getting into the “why” is beyond this occasion. I rather address self empowerment. Particularly for our people. Our black people.
We've become way too numb to the low-vibrational pollution dumped onto our people. In Layman's terms: a brother shoots another brother and he puts it in a song... and then everybody in the ’hood is dancing and singing to it. And it's nothing to us. Shoot! I'm guilty of it. But sometimes, I take a step back and really take in and digest what's going on.
One thing that I've promised as an artist is to start openly encouraging my brothers and sisters to be aware of where the culture is headed. I think it's important to channel that through music because music is undeniably influential and I like to think of myself as an artist who can be of relevant influence.
It's a challenge to do that because it's like everyone WANTS to hear that “4-5” bars. Everyone wants to blast that music that allows them to tote up imaginary guns. Luckily for me, I've spent all of my music career discovering innovative ways to captivate listeners so I don't need to rely on the “wave”.
I'm all about encouraging my brothers and sisters to vibrate on a much higher frequency for our own good. We desperately need more positive energy among our community and I plan on extending that to others even beyond the music. We all have a responsibility. We all have a purpose.
Samí -
The hard part about aspiring to inspire as a black artist is that -- believe it or not -- there are many of us actually trying to inspire through music and I feel like that's very beautiful but it's become a competitive dog eat dog situation, instead of trying to uplift each other. We TEAR each other down -- crabs in a barrel -- and that makes it difficult because that's where insecurities come in.
The most promising thing is being able to move people. Music is promising itself. Music is a spiritual movement. It's powerful. It's amazing. The things that we can do and what our people in particular have already been doing with music for a very long time has limitless possibilities. It's safe but sad to say that now is a time where something big has to happen to salvage the culture and we plan to do that with our music.
Urban fashion gives you the chance to express yourself the way you want. There are any different ways to put an urban outfit together and be able to feel like yourself -- being able to feel comfortable and stylish at the same damn time. It has grown. It's come a long way. It's beautiful.
I appreciate my black fashion designers and stylists. It just bothers me when our fashion becomes culturally smudged. Baby hairs, cornrows and hoop earrings. You see that on a tall white model during NYFW and it's accepted with open arms. On the flip side, in the streets on a black girl, it's “ghetto”. And not “ghetto” as in just a mere label, but “ghetto” in a derogatory sense.
I don't want to sound biased but I feel like you should be able to wear what you want, yet not necessarily forced to wear something just to fit in and that's kind of what music does these days. Classify. It's an ugly word to me. Even uglier than that: classism.
Like I said, music moves the shit out of people. You hear a song talking about “bussing caps” and killing a “nigga” and your whole aura changes... You feel that, now you're angry now you're in a negative state of mind. Music drastically changed at a certain period in time just to influence people into the wrong direction. It's no mistake. It's all by design. It's definitely time to change that.