This blog (not just this entry, but the whole blog's existence) is meant to be about 2 things: What I create, and what inspires me. Last year on New Year's Eve I did a retrospective that was (almost) strictly focused on music. It was in 2 parts, here and here. This year, more than any other, I felt myself growing way past just being a musician. So naturally my inspirations aren't just music either. This is what inspired me the most, outside of music in 2013.
Idle No More
I think the most pressing (and least-talked about) issue of our time is climate change. We are talking about the future of life on this planet here. 95% of scientists agree that climate change is at the very least partially a man-made phenomenon, yet the United States mainstream media gives those few scientists that disagree, at least half of the airtime as everyone else speaking on the issue. In 2013 global carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels have hit a record high, and as scientists agree, if we as a species don't do something to change this soon, climate change becomes irreversible. You see, there are methane gases trapped in glaciers on this planet's poles. As those glaciers melt, more methane is released into the atmosphere... and we're talking about a planet that heats up so fast it becomes uninhabitable for life in just a few generation's time. Don't just take my word for it. Do the research. Allan Savory did a great TED Talk on using livestock to basically imitate nature, to fight desertification in order to keep the world habitable. Naomi Klein wrote an excellent article on "How science is telling us all to revolt" - which brings me to one of the movements that inspired me the most in 2013, Idle No More.
I became aware of the Idle No More movement in December of 2012, as flash mob videos of Indigenous people taking over shopping malls and crowded city centers with song and dance, started to go viral. It was such a powerful, necessary and public reclamation both of land and tradition. When I learned why it was happening, my heart sunk: Canada was taking away what sovereignty Indigenous people still had, re-writing every treaty, and doing it all overnight. The reason: Oil - from the tar sands in Northern Alberta to be specific - and pipelines. Now, keep in mind everything you just read about climate change and then add this to it: The oil produced from those tar sands releases 3 times the amount of greenhouse emissions as most of the oil we use, due to the energy required to extract and process it. This is potentially one of the biggest threats to Planet Earth in a time when we need to cut those carbon emissions more than anything else. And it's still happening, fast. Of course the Indigenous people in Canada whose lands are right there are the most affected, and it makes sense that they would lead this movement (I believe we should follow their lead) but it is an issue that all of humanity has to deal with... one way or another.
In Seattle, there were several Idle No More teach-ins where I learned about these issues, re-connected with old friends, and built new friendships. One of my new life mantras actually comes from something I heard at one of these teach-ins in Seattle: It was from a brother who made a commitment to himself and the group to not isolate himself any longer. He spoke to all the reasons why it is so easy to isolate himself; from awkwardness to time issues, which I feel on such a personal level... but how isolation is one of the biggest contributing factors to all the problems we face. We can only overcome them together. He said it twice as eloquently as I could. For more information on Idle No More please check idlenomore.ca
Dream Defenders
The other movement that inspired me the most in 2013 is Dream Defenders from the state of Florida. Black and Brown Youth who mobilized themselves after George Zimmerman's acquittal in the senseless murder of Trayvon Martin. They occupied the Florida State Capitol for an entire month in an effort to enact what they called "Trayvon's Law" which would of repealed the stand your ground law, banned racial profiling, and put an end to the school to prison pipeline. The work they are continuing to do now is necessary and on-point. Something that I realized about justice in the days after Zimmerman's acquittal is this: justice is a process, not a conclusion. Justice was not served in that trial, nor do I believe that it even exists in the US Courts or the Prison System today. I believe The Dream Defenders are what justice in action looks like. Please check them out and keep following them at dreamdefenders.org
Arise For Assata
In the month of May, the United States Government placed one of my heroes and greatest inspirations, Assata Shakur on a "most-wanted terrorists" list and they placed a $2 million bounty on her head. I urge anyone reading this to go pick up Assata's autobiography, and learn more about her life, and her case. It is easily one of the best books I've ever read. I think about her affirmation of life all the time. In the wake of this news, Alixa Garcia of Climbing PoeTree (already one of the most inspiring groups I know anywhere) has been creating a new piece of art every single day to envision the freedom of Assata Shakur. Check it out now at ariseforassataproject.tumblr.com
Homeboy Sandman wrote one of most important articles I read all year, and it meant a lot to me that it was written by another Independent MC. To love and embody an art form while maintaining a critical eye on how it's used, is literally what we have to do to survive, and Homeboy Sandman gave a shining example of what that looks like with this article. Even the photo I used for Homeboy on the right (this might not of been what was intended) is an example of what Frantz Fanon calls double-consciousness: the state of constantly having to be aware of who you really are, and the contradiction of how you are perceived at large.
The article makes some crucial connections I had never seen made before, from how a mere 232 media executives controls the entire information diet of 277 million people in the US, to how some of those media executives have a huge stake in the Prison Industrial Complex, to why rap music on the radio is what it is; and how that music is being used to target, incarcerate, and enslave an entire generation. Read the article here.
Questlove
While we're on the subject of Hip Hop artists expanding beyond just making music, I've got to talk about Questlove of The Roots! He published his first book Mo' Meta Blues in 2013, which I thought was brilliant, both in content and form. From the story of his life told through the music he listened to, to the hilarious 2nd, 3rd and 4th voices that offered (often contradictory) footnotes and different perspectives on both the history being talked about, and the writing process of that history... it was everything that a Hip Hop artist's memoir should be. A book that remixes and attempts to transform how such books are even written. In addition to Mo' Meta Blues... Questlove's incredibly vulnerable article about Trayvon Martin that was all over the internet, made him my favorite new writer I read in 2013. Looking forward to seeing more artists writing books in the coming years... (there's a lot I know working on em!)
Life With Jeannie
Another Hip Hop artist, one of my favorite emcees actually, that has constantly encouraged people to imagine themselves differently and go hard for your dreams no matter how many roads you may have to invent along the way is Jean Grae. She debuted her long-awaited sitcom Life With Jeannie on Christmas Day, and like Questlove, I believe she did a bit of remixing the form of what a sitcom could be. I mean... the show is hilarious, you should watch it right away, and I would of had it on this list even if this didn't happen... but there were some technical issues on December 25th, and the show didn't go online exactly at 8PM as was promoted... so at 8PM she turned on Ustream and had an interactive video chat with her, the crew of the show, and anybody that happened to sign in. This was live for 4 hours until the show went online. I tuned in for a few minutes, and not to knock the show... but the live video chat was as funny as the show itself. Later, half an hour after the show went online, they all went back on Ustream to take questions. I don't think that level of vulnerability and interacting with your audience has ever happened for a TV show. Maybe it wasn't even possible. Props to Jean Grae and the whole crew that make Life With Jeannie possible. Hoping the show takes off in 2014! First episode posted above.
Nnedi Okorafor
If you read this blog, or follow my music, you should already be familiar with one of my favorite voices in speculative fiction: Nnedi Okorafor. At some point in 2013, and only after reading 4 of her novels, I realized there was a common alternate universe in all of them. (Genius!) I'm currently getting into her recently released collection of short stories Kabu Kabu. I also have to say Nnedi's occasional tweets on her writing process have been a constant inspiration as well. Looking forward to Lagoon in 2014!
(artwork on the left by John Jennings)
Hamda Yusuf
In March, I performed alongside my brother Ka.lil as Abyssinian Creole at the Youth Speaks Seattle Grand Slam. It was an especially special night for me as there were 3 young East African poets who represented hard! This meant the world to me, because I remember being 18 years old in Seattle, and one of only 3 East African poets on the whole scene... as well as the only East African emcee I knew of anywhere, up until I was 24. (I first heard K'naan and met Burntface around 2005) Anyways... Hamda Yusuf had me on my feet cheering all night at the Youth Speaks event, and then again as she did her first TED Talk later in the year. Will be posting that video as soon as it's available. Look out for Hamda more in the future!
The 2013 music retrospective is coming next...
Idle No More
I think the most pressing (and least-talked about) issue of our time is climate change. We are talking about the future of life on this planet here. 95% of scientists agree that climate change is at the very least partially a man-made phenomenon, yet the United States mainstream media gives those few scientists that disagree, at least half of the airtime as everyone else speaking on the issue. In 2013 global carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels have hit a record high, and as scientists agree, if we as a species don't do something to change this soon, climate change becomes irreversible. You see, there are methane gases trapped in glaciers on this planet's poles. As those glaciers melt, more methane is released into the atmosphere... and we're talking about a planet that heats up so fast it becomes uninhabitable for life in just a few generation's time. Don't just take my word for it. Do the research. Allan Savory did a great TED Talk on using livestock to basically imitate nature, to fight desertification in order to keep the world habitable. Naomi Klein wrote an excellent article on "How science is telling us all to revolt" - which brings me to one of the movements that inspired me the most in 2013, Idle No More.
I became aware of the Idle No More movement in December of 2012, as flash mob videos of Indigenous people taking over shopping malls and crowded city centers with song and dance, started to go viral. It was such a powerful, necessary and public reclamation both of land and tradition. When I learned why it was happening, my heart sunk: Canada was taking away what sovereignty Indigenous people still had, re-writing every treaty, and doing it all overnight. The reason: Oil - from the tar sands in Northern Alberta to be specific - and pipelines. Now, keep in mind everything you just read about climate change and then add this to it: The oil produced from those tar sands releases 3 times the amount of greenhouse emissions as most of the oil we use, due to the energy required to extract and process it. This is potentially one of the biggest threats to Planet Earth in a time when we need to cut those carbon emissions more than anything else. And it's still happening, fast. Of course the Indigenous people in Canada whose lands are right there are the most affected, and it makes sense that they would lead this movement (I believe we should follow their lead) but it is an issue that all of humanity has to deal with... one way or another.
In Seattle, there were several Idle No More teach-ins where I learned about these issues, re-connected with old friends, and built new friendships. One of my new life mantras actually comes from something I heard at one of these teach-ins in Seattle: It was from a brother who made a commitment to himself and the group to not isolate himself any longer. He spoke to all the reasons why it is so easy to isolate himself; from awkwardness to time issues, which I feel on such a personal level... but how isolation is one of the biggest contributing factors to all the problems we face. We can only overcome them together. He said it twice as eloquently as I could. For more information on Idle No More please check idlenomore.ca
Dream Defenders
The other movement that inspired me the most in 2013 is Dream Defenders from the state of Florida. Black and Brown Youth who mobilized themselves after George Zimmerman's acquittal in the senseless murder of Trayvon Martin. They occupied the Florida State Capitol for an entire month in an effort to enact what they called "Trayvon's Law" which would of repealed the stand your ground law, banned racial profiling, and put an end to the school to prison pipeline. The work they are continuing to do now is necessary and on-point. Something that I realized about justice in the days after Zimmerman's acquittal is this: justice is a process, not a conclusion. Justice was not served in that trial, nor do I believe that it even exists in the US Courts or the Prison System today. I believe The Dream Defenders are what justice in action looks like. Please check them out and keep following them at dreamdefenders.org
Arise For Assata
Homeboy Sandman wrote one of most important articles I read all year, and it meant a lot to me that it was written by another Independent MC. To love and embody an art form while maintaining a critical eye on how it's used, is literally what we have to do to survive, and Homeboy Sandman gave a shining example of what that looks like with this article. Even the photo I used for Homeboy on the right (this might not of been what was intended) is an example of what Frantz Fanon calls double-consciousness: the state of constantly having to be aware of who you really are, and the contradiction of how you are perceived at large.
The article makes some crucial connections I had never seen made before, from how a mere 232 media executives controls the entire information diet of 277 million people in the US, to how some of those media executives have a huge stake in the Prison Industrial Complex, to why rap music on the radio is what it is; and how that music is being used to target, incarcerate, and enslave an entire generation. Read the article here.
Questlove
While we're on the subject of Hip Hop artists expanding beyond just making music, I've got to talk about Questlove of The Roots! He published his first book Mo' Meta Blues in 2013, which I thought was brilliant, both in content and form. From the story of his life told through the music he listened to, to the hilarious 2nd, 3rd and 4th voices that offered (often contradictory) footnotes and different perspectives on both the history being talked about, and the writing process of that history... it was everything that a Hip Hop artist's memoir should be. A book that remixes and attempts to transform how such books are even written. In addition to Mo' Meta Blues... Questlove's incredibly vulnerable article about Trayvon Martin that was all over the internet, made him my favorite new writer I read in 2013. Looking forward to seeing more artists writing books in the coming years... (there's a lot I know working on em!)
Life With Jeannie
Another Hip Hop artist, one of my favorite emcees actually, that has constantly encouraged people to imagine themselves differently and go hard for your dreams no matter how many roads you may have to invent along the way is Jean Grae. She debuted her long-awaited sitcom Life With Jeannie on Christmas Day, and like Questlove, I believe she did a bit of remixing the form of what a sitcom could be. I mean... the show is hilarious, you should watch it right away, and I would of had it on this list even if this didn't happen... but there were some technical issues on December 25th, and the show didn't go online exactly at 8PM as was promoted... so at 8PM she turned on Ustream and had an interactive video chat with her, the crew of the show, and anybody that happened to sign in. This was live for 4 hours until the show went online. I tuned in for a few minutes, and not to knock the show... but the live video chat was as funny as the show itself. Later, half an hour after the show went online, they all went back on Ustream to take questions. I don't think that level of vulnerability and interacting with your audience has ever happened for a TV show. Maybe it wasn't even possible. Props to Jean Grae and the whole crew that make Life With Jeannie possible. Hoping the show takes off in 2014! First episode posted above.
If you read this blog, or follow my music, you should already be familiar with one of my favorite voices in speculative fiction: Nnedi Okorafor. At some point in 2013, and only after reading 4 of her novels, I realized there was a common alternate universe in all of them. (Genius!) I'm currently getting into her recently released collection of short stories Kabu Kabu. I also have to say Nnedi's occasional tweets on her writing process have been a constant inspiration as well. Looking forward to Lagoon in 2014!
(artwork on the left by John Jennings)
Hamda Yusuf
In March, I performed alongside my brother Ka.lil as Abyssinian Creole at the Youth Speaks Seattle Grand Slam. It was an especially special night for me as there were 3 young East African poets who represented hard! This meant the world to me, because I remember being 18 years old in Seattle, and one of only 3 East African poets on the whole scene... as well as the only East African emcee I knew of anywhere, up until I was 24. (I first heard K'naan and met Burntface around 2005) Anyways... Hamda Yusuf had me on my feet cheering all night at the Youth Speaks event, and then again as she did her first TED Talk later in the year. Will be posting that video as soon as it's available. Look out for Hamda more in the future!
The 2013 music retrospective is coming next...
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