r-iphone

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iDEMOS (2024) - EP

the iPhone / GarageBand iOS produced Extended Play, by ROPA

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The game of chess is like a swordfight, you must think before you move.

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20 JULY: ‘BLACK AND FEMALE’

THIS ONE IS CLOSE TO HOME. TSITSI IS ONE OF FEW BLACK ZIMBABWEAN WRITERS/SCHOLARS WHO GREW UP IN THE UK AND ZIM. SHE ALSO STUDIED AT CAMBRIDGE BEFORE RESIDING HERE IN THE UK. SHE OFFERS A UNIQUE OUTLOOK AS A ZIMBABWEAN IMMIGRANT IN BRITAIN TO WHICH I UNDOUBTEDLY RECOGNISE MAJORITY OF MYSELF IN. MY COUSIN HAS READ HER NOVELS LIKE THE NERVOUS CONDITIONS. FOR ME, INKNOW TSITSI FROM HER DIRECTORIAL DEBUT, EVERYONE’S CHILD.

ACROSS HER ESSAYS, SHE EXPLORES THE BLACK-ZIMBABWEAN WOMAN’S STRIFE AND HOW IT PARALLELS WITH OUR OWN COUNTRY’S STRUGGLE FOR ZIMBABWE. SHE BREAKS IT ALL DOWN TO IT BEING A CONSEQUENCE OF ‘EMPIRE’ - AND I WAS ENTHRALLED BY HER STATEMENT ON THIS. SHE CRITICS HOW REVOLUTION FOR OUR PEOPLES OF ZIMBABWE AND OUR SELVES CAN ONLY BE ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH EVOLUTION IN OUR MINDSET. DECOLONISING AND SEVERING TIES FROM ‘EMPIRE’ THINKING (FORCED AND UNEARNED HIERARCHY) WILL OPEN UP DOORS FOR THE NEXT ‘CHIMURENGA’ - ONE FROM THE MENTAL PRISON WE FACE INTERNAL AND AS A COUNTRY.

I SHARED THIS BOOK WITH MY KUM AND SHE WAS EQUALLY MOVED. THANK YOU FOR THIS WORK TSITSI. PRIVILEGED.

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12 JULY: ‘INNER CITY PRESSURE’

NEW FAVOURITE READ. THE REVOLUTION TRANSCRIBED FOR MY BENEFIT. READING THRU EACH CHAPTER JUST REAFFIRMS THAT ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE TO ACCOMPLISH IF YOU HAVE THE VISION AND DRIVE. TURN WHATEVER LITTLE YOU HAVE, WHATEVER MICRO PLATFORM, WHATEVER CHEAP EQUIPMENT INTO THAT BIG IDEA. MOBILISING ANY RESOURCE IN YOUR INVENTORY AND SHARE IT WITH YOUR FRIENDS, SIBLINGS, COUSINS n NEIGHBOURS; BUILD A COMMUNITY THAT DECOLONISES THE NARRATIVE THEY BUILT FOR YOU.

FROM BLACK BRITISH MUSIC IS SONICALLY RICH FROM ALL THE DIFFERENT CONTRIBUTING VOICES OF THE ‘BLACK ATLANTIC’. COLONIALISM / EMPIRE TOUCHES EVERY BLACK BRITONS LIFE. BUT WE’VE COME TO NOT LET US DEFINE US THROUGH OUR MUSIC - THATS WHAT GRIMES ALL ABOUT N WHY I’VE BECOME ATTACHED TO IT.

AS A YOUNG BLACK BRITON WHO WATCH THE RISE OF GRIME N UK RAP, READING THIS HAS JUST REVITALISED MY MISSION. I WANT TO EXPLOIT AND BUILD JUST AS THESE SUPASTARS SKEPTA, JME, DIZZIEE, CHIP, KANO AND STORMZY HAVE.

THE PARALLELS ARE UNCANNY. ESPECIALLY FOR THEM, IT WAS COMING OUT OF THE THATCHER ERA INTO BLAIR’S LABOUR; FOR ME, ITS COMING OUT OF THE CAMERON/MAY/JOHNSON/SUNAK ERA INTO STARMER’S LABOUR. NO MATTER WHOS AT THE TOP, LIFE AS A BLACK BRITON DOES NOT GET ANY EASIER SO YOU GOTTA CLIMB YOU’RE WAY OUT OF THE INNER CITY PRESSURE.

ALSO!! SHOUTOUT TO THIS PAGE WHERE SKEPTA TALKS ABOUT CELEBRATING HIS AFRICAN NAME n PERSPECTIVE TO THE SCENE, I FELT SEEN



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6 JUNE: TRIP TO ‘BEYOND THE BASSLINE’

GRATEFUL I TOOK TIME OUT TO EXPERIENCE THIS EXHIBITION. RICH WITH HISTORY, WEALTHY IN KNOWLEDGE. THE EVOLUTION OF BLACK BRITISH CULTURE N ITS MUSIC HAS REALLY SHAPED WHAT UK MUSIC IS TO THE WORLD.

AT THE TIME OF VISITING I DIDN’T ACCOUNT HOW IMPACTFUL THIS EXHIBITION WOULD BE TO MY WORK, BUT HERE WE ARE. THE GRIME NOTES WOTH THE PLAYSTATION 1 n NOKIA 3310 CHANGED THE TRAJECTORY OF WHAT MY PROJECT IS ABOUT n WHO ITS FOR.

IT WAS SO FUNNY TO ME SEEING THESE EVERYDAY GADGETS BOXED UP IN GLASS. THE PLAYSTATION MY OLDER COUSIN WOULD KEEP MY GRUBBY HANDS OFF AS I’D WATCH HIM PLAY COD AT A SPECTATOR DISTANCE; THE NOKIA 3310 BRICK MY DAD USED FOR WORK AND BEEPING FRIENDS; THE CASSETTE CAMCORDER MY MUM WOULD ROCK UP IN US KIDS FACES TO CAPTURE THOSE FAMILY MOMENTS; AND THE CD PLAYER MY SISTER N I WHEN JAM OUT WITH AFTER A LOND DAY AT SCHOOL. AGAIN, FUNNY HOW THE PAST YEAR I’VE NOW STARTED EMBRACING THIS TECH BACK INTO MY LIFE. REPPING MY CD PLAYER ON COMMUTES AND TAPING IT ALL ON THE CAMCORDER JUST LIKE IT WAS IN THE DAY, THINKING HOW WE GOTTA MOVE BACK TO THIS.

THE IPHONE COULD BE THE NEXT FRONTIER IN OUR EVOLUTION; REPURPOSING WHATEVER’S AVAILABLE n AROUND. BEING ECONOMICAL AND ‘MAKING THE MOST OF WHAT YOU GOT’ AS MUM WOULD SAY.

***ALSO SHOUT OUT THE EXHIBITION FOR HONOURING JAMAL EDWARD n SB.TV, BLACK BRITISH RAP WOULDN’T BE WHERE IT IS WITHOUT A PIONEER LIKE HIM. HIS VIDEOS WHERE THE ONLY WAY I COULD EXPERIENCE BLACK BRITISH MUSIC AS A BLACK GIRL FROM ESSEX.