The My-Stery: Now Put Some Vodou On It

As I study more about myth and religion, I am starting to understand the art of different artists more. For example, Janelle Monae. The first time I heard Monae was in her video for “Many Moons.” Actually, the first time I saw her was in Big Boi’s “Morris Brown,” but I didn’t know it was […]

Otherworldly Videos: Aja Monet’s What I’ve Learned…

The Nuyorican Poets Cafe Presents “Aja Monet – What I’ve Learned” A Camovement by Cam Be & Aja Monet Aja Monet is the youngest to win the Nuyorican Poets Cafe Grandslam Championship title in 2007 at the age of 19.

Otherworldly Videos: Interdimensional Black People

In his “Threatdown” segment of The Colbert Report, Stephen Colbert uses a multidimensional explanation for why Black men in New York City are stopped and frisked so much (there are more stops done than the number of Black men actually living in the city). Another well done satire from Colbert.

Otherworldy Videos: Cosmosis

From Miatta Kawinzi Created during my iaab artist residency in Basel, Switzerland, Cosmosis reflects on dualities of alienation and belonging, inner and outer space, and human-shaped and natural environments. The title references osmosis, the process of absorption, as it applies to navigating an unfamiliar environment, and as it applies to the cosmos as the realm […]

Rewind: Ooh

Mary J. Blige’s “Ooh” I was trying to remember and was searching for this song for weeks; I finally found it! The video was always striking to me because it shows her confronting the different aspects of herself and the ghosts that haunt her.

Otherworldly Videos: Afropunk Presents….

Wangechi Mutu Sanford Biggers Barron Clairborne On MAY 24th at BROOKLYN MUSEUM, Afro-punk pictures presents “The Triptych,” in association with Weeksville Heritage Center. This short-film series (Dir. Terence Nance, Dir. of Photography Shawn Peters, Co-Dir. Barron Claiborne) highlights the work of artists Sanford Biggers, Wangechi Mutu, and Barron Claiborne. Live music and a Q&A with […]

Originally posted on New Ish:
If you’ve enjoyed the SHAOLIN JAZZ – DREAM GIRLS Photo Shoots (Part 1, Part 2) then get to know the DREAM GIRLS better with a series of video interviews (produced by Tewodross Melchishua (That Soul Cinematic (TSC) where we discuss music, style, jazz among other topics. To watch the videos…

Modern Griots: Onyx Ashanti

Onyx Ashanti created a new style called Beat Jazz,” which is all produced on two handheld controllers, iphone and a mouthpiece. This is how he describes his work and himself: I am what can only be described as a cyborg musician. in other words, the music I create live, can not be replicated without technology. […]

Art of This World: Robert Pruitt

Artist Robert Pruitt will be releasing a comic, “Towards A Walk In the Sun,” at the Studio Museum of Harlem in July. As an artist, he is greatly influenced by Romare Bearden and recently premiered his work “Conjuring Woman” in “The Bearden Project.” “Conjuring Woman” and his other work are interesting in how he shows […]

The My-Stery: The Web

During the past several years, quite a number of books and essays have come out about connections between African diasporic cultures, and computer and digital technology. For example, Ron Eglash wrote “African Fractals,” a book on the similarities between African fractal designs in such things as textiles and braids, and modern computer designs. Since he […]