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words-by-slay-blog · 5 years ago

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Faker Than Snow on Tha Bluff

2014 was perhaps the best year of J Cole’s career.

Like now, that summer was a summer of unrest. Protests erupted not only in Ferguson, but in various cities across the country, in response to the police murder of an unarmed black man. The #BlackLivesMatter movement had reached national consciousness. They demanded justice against Darren Wilson, the murderer, and an end to police brutality.

While most celebrities remained silent, J Cole was eager to show his support. He showed his face at the Ferguson protests, in a show of solidarity. After that, he dropped one of his most memorable singles, “Be Free”. It wasn’t a usual J Cole song. Not only was he singing on it, but it was much more raw: a sad cry of frustration in response to the familiar spectre of Black death. It was melancholic; it was serious; it shed light on how many were feeling. He even performed the track on Late Night with David Letterman. A few months later, he dropped Forest Hills Drive, his magnum opus, and cemented his status as the quintessential “conscious” rapper. Many hip hop heads looked to Cole as a leader, a role model, an example for what rappers should strive to be. He became a voice for our generation.

Six years later, history would repeat itself. Again, the police killed another unarmed black man. In fact, other police murders came to light around the same time: Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, to name a few. Protests sprang up all over the country.

But this time, it was different. As days rolled by, the list of names grew and grew. The protests swelled more and more, reaching critical mass. Their demands were more far-reaching: defund the police and an end to white supremacy. Antagonized by police forces, these protests often turned to violent clashes. Despite this, more and more people showed out. What began in the city of Minneapolis became a global movement, of black people fed up with a world that doesn’t value their lives (and allies standing with them). It’s a moment that is both exciting and nerve-wracking. We haven’t seen this much momentum since the Civil Rights era. With this newfound leverage comes pressure: we don’t know when we’ll have a moment like this again.

Now, organizations and institutions rushed to make shallow demonstrations of support, if only to save face. Celebrities of all sorts tweeted messages of solidarity, some genuine, others to avoid public backlash. Statues are being taken down and streets renamed. But that only does so much.

Like last time, J Cole put out a song, presumably about current events. But it differed from “Be Free”. Rather than a reflection on #blm, it reads like a confession: he has much more to learn; he isn’t the woke leader people make him out to be; he wants to do more but doesn’t know how. And in doing so, he asks the black woman in the song, in the most “respectful” way he could, to sweeten her tone and get him up to speed.

And as you can expect, the public received his new song… differently this time. “Snow on the Bluff” itself became an enormous distraction, turning a long-deleted tweet into a social media firestorm.

I will say this straight up: this wasn’t it, chief.

And as a fan of J Cole, I’ll honestly say I’m disappointed. This is how he broke his silence? The issue is less so with the message, or how respectful he’s being, but more so with how he’s using his platform. Now is not the time to check a black woman’s tone. Black people of all genders are ticked off right now, if you couldn’t tell.

But bro… what did he do wrong? Didn’t he already make a song about this? Hasn’t he talked about these issues his entire career? He was being respectful: we don’t need another “Be Free”.

Maybe another “Be Free” isn’t what’s needed now. There’s been so many bars about police brutality and black plight: would another “Fuck the Police” really change anything?

But it’s impossible to ignore how big a platform J Cole has. He’s the man who went triple platinum with no features. He has an army of stans who hang onto his every word. As a voice for a generation, duty calls.

No one is asking him to become the spokesperson of the struggle. As Dave Chappelle said, “the streets are talking.” Activists on the ground, and educators who have done the reading are who we should listen to right now. The sheer size of Cole’s celebrity could drown out the voices of those on the ground. The communities in question can speak for themselves better than any platinum rapper can.

However, is that an excuse to stay silent? Or to be careless about how you use your platform?

The fact of the matter is this debate he sparked became more divisive than the tweet in question. Even if his intentions were pure, he unintentionally sicced his army of fans onto a fellow rapper who has been doing the work. (click here for more: https://www.nonamebooks.com/books)

Imagine what good he could do if he had just used his platform differently. Imagine if, instead of throwing up his hands and saying that he didn’t have the answers, he uplifted the voices of those who might.

It’s obvious that Cole cares deeply about these issues. He might do more behind the scene than we realize. But the question is, how can he do more with the voice and platform he has?

Yes, your commitment to the struggle shouldn’t be measured by how many tweets you post. But with great power comes great responsibility. This was a misuse of that power.

Maybe it was wrong to expect or hope for more from Jermaine. Maybe we are witnessing the limit of the traditional “conscious” rapper. But it’s a question all of us are wrestling with right now: how can we do more? It’s one Cole himself ponders at the end:

“But damn, why I feel faker than Snow on Tha Bluff?

Well maybe ‘cause deep down I know I ain’t doing enough”

#j cole #snow on tha bluff #noname #protest #blacklivesmatter #hiphop #social media #conscioushiphop

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youngandhungryent · 4 years ago

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#FreeFriday ?: Ice Cube Accuses Warner Bros. Of Halting ‘Friday’ Franchise

Source: Ray Mickshaw / Getty

West Coast legend Ice Cube may have made headlines for attempting to negotiate on behalf of Black America. Still, it appears his contract with Warner Bros. is what needed the closer examination.

According to Cube, production studio Warner Bros. is pumping the breaks on his Friday franchise’s success by refusing to produce any further content bearing the cult classic’s name. On Friday (Feb 26), the “Good Day” rapper took to Instagram to air out the production house for “hi-jacking the happiness of the culture,” after noting that the company has refused to make more sequels for the film.

“#freefriday from the jaws of Warner Bros. who refuses to make more sequels,” Ice Cube wrote. “They have hi-jacked the happiness of the culture.”

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While the Bootlegs and B-Sides multi-faceted emcee stopped short of any further details, it didn’t stop fans from rallying support for the Hip-Hop icon, equating the move by Warner Bros to that which Dave Chappelle recently experienced with Comedy Central, with the post almost at half a million likes it appears that it won’t be long before Cube achieves his goals as fans poise themselves to rally behind the cause.

“We all can come together to help, it helped Dave Chappelle get his name back,” one fan wrote in the comments.

Earlier this week, during an interview with DJ Khaled, Cube reflected on how he felt about his iconic film achieving monumental success while being his first screenplay as one of the world’s biggest rappers.

“It was like being on cloud nine,” Ice Cube said. “It took a lot of hard work and keeping my head down while I’m grinding to make this come true. We took the story from icons like Robert Townsend who has a dope-ass movie called Hollywood Shuffle, that probably cost $250,000 to make but it’s a classic. So we decided we wanted to make one.”

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Ice Cube’s post is the latest in a series of teasers regarding the franchise’s fourth installment. Over the last decade, Cube and the cast have talked of additional sequels to the original Friday and its two subsequent films, including a teased return of Chris Tucker in the role of Smokey, to no avail, leading to the Hollywood hitmaker’s frustration.

Tucker has since thrown a big ole bucket of cold water on that idea stating during an interview with Shannon Sharpe on his Club Shay Shay podcast that he wanted to move on from the Friday film franchise.

“I wanted to move on because when I did something, I never wanted to do it again,” Tucker states. “Back then, I was all about going to the next level. I had a good sense of like, ‘OK, now it’s time to go do an action movie.’”

“So when they asked me to do a Friday, I was like, ‘Nah, I wanna go do something else. We done did that,” he continued. “…I was thinking about my career, saying, ‘Nah I wanna go do Money Talks or something.’ Let me do my own movie,” he further added.

During a 2019 appearance on ESPN’s The Jump, Ice Cube confirmed he and his team had completed the script for a fourth sequel titled Last Friday and that his goal was to release the film on the 25th anniversary of the original’s release.

“We are pushing for it, we finished the script, we are getting notes from the studio, and it’s going back and forth,” Ice Cube said. “Get into pre-production and start hiring. It would be nice for this to come out on the 25th anniversary.”

Told y’all it’s coming… #Friday pic.twitter.com/p15BEBBnFn

— Ice Cube (@icecube) May 3, 2019

As of press time, Warner Bros. hasn’t responded to Ice Cube’s claim.

—

Photo: Ray Mickshaw / Getty

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alleymuzikradio · 4 years ago

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Big Sean Explains Locking Down His Dave Chappelle Feature On "Detroit 2"

Chappelle knew Sean's pops. Big Sean was able to grab Dave Chappelle for his latest album Detroit 2 on a skit called, “Story by Dave Chappelle.” Chappelle isn't one to just hop on rap albums out of nowhere, so it was interesting to see his name on the tracklist. According to Big Sean, in an interview on Apple Music 1, Chappelle was a fan of his father before he even knew the rapper. “He was like, ‘I love your dad, man. I love your dad,'" Sean stated. “And I was like, ‘What?’ He was like, ‘Bro, I love your dad.' Actually that was the first thing he said to me. I’m like, ‘Yo, what’s up.’ He’s like, ‘Yo, I love your dad, man.’ And then he said, ‘Yo, I’m a big fan.'" From that moment forward, it was mutual respect and love. "But that’s when I was like, ‘Oh, shit.,'" continued Sean. "So when I told Dave I was working on the album for Detroit, he was like, ‘Bro, not only will I do the skit, I’ll come out and do a show with you. You know, I’ll come out and support you just ’cause I believe in you.’ So I appreciate him for being on that level of humility still when he is who he is." Read the full article

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checkoutafrica · 5 years ago

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Meet King Kandoro, the new generation of Zimbabwean Comedy

King Kandoro. Photo courtsey of Madhorofiya Republik

You know you must be doing something right if old people like you.

Dave Chappelle

I remember quite vividly the first time l came in contact with King Kandoro’s stand-up comedy at Chez Zandi in Harare, Zimbabwe. My prior engagement to his art had been through various satire skits and web series. Years in, the Madhorofiya Republik Creative Director has come to be known amongst the best in comedy in Zimbabwe. Since his rise in 2017, he hasn’t stopped perfecting his craft. It is evident in his journey that his success was not by accident but by pure sore hard work. With the success of his Conspiracy Theories special in which he interrogates and challenges his audience’s views on the political and socio-economic discourses in Zimbabwe.

During our conversation the comedic maverick shared how he intends to use his platforms to change the narrative of his generation. He further shared how his upbringing played a pivotal role in his career as it gave him an advantage of how he saw the world and how it equipped him with tools and skills which have become in handy today. He breaks down the role comedians assume in deescalating political tensions and bringing awareness to their audience.

CheckoutAfrica: Why comedy?

King Kandoro: Comedy was the one thing that spoke to me more clearly of all the things that l think l was able to do. Its the way the ideas come to me, that’s how l know that l was meant to be doing comedy. I don’t have to think when l do comedy, l just say out things as they come to me.

How do you think your upbringing or background has contributed to your comedic career?

100%! My comedy is my upbringing. The way l was raised informs the way that l speak now, the way that l see the world and all my biases. How l was raised gave me an advantage of how l saw the world. I come from the ghetto. Ghetto youths are naturally optimistic people; we are born in societies that really don’t have a lot. You literally have to make a dollar out of fifteen cents. It’s a community where you are raised to use the things that are to your disadvantage to your advantage. I grew up learning how to have fun on a small budget, learning how to create with very little. It works well in this day and age because reflective of the current times am having to put those skills to good use. Didn’t realize they were skills then because of the poor background. The most important thing l learnt growing up is the idea of happiness, observing the people l was around growing up there was an underlined importance on money.

In 2017, you mentioned in an interview that the long term goal for Madhorofiya Republik was to inspire one or three people to follow their dreams. Has that goal changed? And how does it feel to see that the movement has grown phenomenally and the blind jump paid off?

It was a beautiful realization at the time that we wanted to create a movement. I would have liked for someone to do this for me and to create a model. There was no intention in the process, so for me, as a college drop-out l had to set aside comedy, I had to put my all in comedy. Staying true to that ideal; its been a journey and the feedback from people who support me has been humbling and reassuring that maybe am on the right path. I don’t think l have done enough for someone to copy me and say l want to model what Kandoro did.

Madhorofiya Socials. Photo courtsey of Madhorofiya Republik

Madhorofiya Socials was one of your first initiatives to gain traction. What was the goal with that intervention?

The idea was trying to cultivate a community for myself, where l would be able to convince people that l am someone they could bank on and it was also to build relationships off social media. At the time there was little buzz on the web series l was doing and l was now trying to convert those relationships. The web series l was doing was meant to increase visibility towards my stand-up comedy. I wanted to create a community where when l had an upcoming show l was going to be guaranteed that l would have at least ten people that show up and have a good time. So Madhorofiya Socials became the platform that the people who watched the skits on YouTube and Facebook would get a chance to hangout with the comedian they watched and hear what more he had to say. It was all meant to be a platform to have a good time, sell merchandise and do Urban Grooves karaoke.

You mentioned that there was not a sense of community in the comedic space at that time. What are some of your comedic inspirations from Zimbabwe?

In 2017, almost everyone was doing their thing and energies started becoming more collaborative. I enjoy Louis The Prince, Doc Vikela, Ckanyiso, Kadem and Tinaye. We performed with each other several times over the years and there is now a sense of community. It helped, we helped shape each other’s material which enhanced the collaborative nature. Comedy is the only art form where we can all win together. Where someone is winning doesn’t mean the other is losing, we can all win at the same time.

Looking at your career, you have always navigated as more than a comedian but more of an entrepreneur. Was that a conscious decision or..?

This is the first time am hearing of this (laughs). To be honest l have never saw it that way, I have always thought that at the end of the day we have to eat. It was never from a “we have to make money” point of view. With Madhorofiya Socials the money that was paid for entrance was enough to cover the expenses incurred with regards to setting it up. I have always believed that as long as we are paying the bare minimums we are good, the idea is to not get debt. My philosophy from day one was that l never worried about the money but more on the product itself. I think with that focus on the product meant we were going out of our way to create brilliant content which made it easy to convert it into material people are willing to pay for. If we had planned it in a way where there was premium subscription beforehand, people would have not been interested.

In these current times there is tension around the world in the socio-economic discourse because of the Covid-19 pandemic, what do you think is the role that comedians play?

Comedians have always been those people who bring up that mirror to society, make us laugh about our own and societal insecurities. I enjoy satire so much because l get to play devil’s advocate. Just before this conversation l had put out material which interrogated the governance in Zimbabwe and it’s interesting to hear people’s views. So l would say that the role of comedians is to create platforms where people can converse. If the role by comedians is played well, comedians can easily create a space where we deescalate the tension. It’s a very important role during these times.

Conspiracy theories opening night. Photo courtsey of Madhorofiya Republik

Congratulations on your successful Conspiracy Theories special. It has been received well demographically. You spent a sizable amount of time on your special addressing political mishaps and bad governance in Zimbabwe. Why was it so important to address those aspects?

For a long time, my stand up has been centred around addressing those aspects. I personally believe that young people were getting robbed, if those things are corrected young people can gain their lives back. With everything that is happening l feel like we have been robbed of our innocence and our future. Going back to how l work. I feel like it’s important in getting people to sit down and really speak, creating that conversation. Like l said earlier it deescalates the tension. When you watch Conspiracy Theories you will realize that almost everything l said creates that conversation where it’s trying to navigate that line of saying our lives are dependent on these aspects. Our lives as so intertwined with the politics. Imagine as young people if we got together and started educating each other about these issues and start dialogues. We are creating a space where our future leaders know what we want what we don’t want.

Taking comedy as a career in Zimbabwe is such a huge blind jump. Do you have any comedians from Zimbabwe that have created a model which inspired you to want to assume comedy as career?

For me it was just a blind jump. It was literally my confidence in my ability at the time believing that if l dedicated my time to this art form it would work. It wasn’t modelled on anyone, I would have loved for it to have been modelled around someone but at the time no one had a successful blueprint. Even in the current industry the young generation have no one to model their careers on but it should be modelled around that self-belief that you can do it.

Does the reception of your skits and stand-up comedy differ? And how do you deal with that disparity if it does differ?

I wouldn’t say there is a disparity per se, because it’s more of which art is easier to consume. Stand-up comedy is a niche market whereas skits are generally popular because they are easier to share and they are easy to relate to. With stand-up comedy sometimes the content might not speak to certain individuals.

I also wanted to congratulate you for being part of the Pungwe Sessions Volume II. How did that opportunity come about and how did it contribute your brand?

I have a relationship with guys who ran the project so it was a “let’s see what we can do” type of situation. There was no marketing plan. I was engaged for skits because the creative direction was to bring about that classic album feel such as a classic Hip Hop album like College Dropout.

You gained quite an audience and following in Zimbabwe. What prompted you to move and relocate to the United Kingdom?

I got married bro (laughs). I moved because l got married, my wife is based in the United Kingdom.

Congratulations man, so how are you managing the transition to the United Kingdom?

So far, things are under lockdown. The lockdown has been a hinderance to a proper transition but we are making it work, trying to maintain normalcy as much as l can. There are limitations in terms of content creation, you can’t be out and about. We will see how it looks like after things get back back to normal but am excited, there is work to be done.

While on that subject, how do you think the move can enhance your career?

I’m excited to see what happens. The first thing that comes to mind is that am now in country that has proper structures where there is an actual comedy industry; there are agencies, promoters, and comedy clubs dedicated to the craft. We will have to see how it goes down on the ground but the thinking is in terms of Youtube partnerships, Instagram partnerships and more collaborative work. The main limitation with doing comedy in Zimbabwe was that as much as people would have liked to support you, there was no disposable income. Whereas in the UK there is more disposable income, people can afford to come to shows and people can afford to pay for merchandise. It’s an exciting thought for what comes next.

Nickk Titan and King Kandoro. Photo courtsey of Sadza In The Morning Podcast.

In summation what would you say has been the most important part of your comedic journey? And why?

The people. Definitely the people. I have had people who have been supporting me since day one. As a creator sometimes you become insecure about what you have created and somebody comes through with those kind words and it just reassures your work. People have always shown up throughout my career and supporting, just look at the support the Sadza In the Morning Podcast got from inception and the phenomenal support Madhorofiya Socials has got. More so, the support the Conspiracy Theories special got and even support from people. Now that l am in a different country creatives have been reaching out for collaborative work and just lending a hand. Am excited for what the future holds.

What advice would you give to upcoming creatives, especially creatives in Africa?

Staying true to your passion; thats the most important thing. Stay true to your vision and not go for trends. If you look at my work, it’s been a slow burner. I wasn’t going for trends. When a clip goes viral it speaks to the work that goes into writing, editing and the filming. And also drawing lessons from successful projects. Figure out how to combine those forces to communicate something important. When you chase viral trends you end up producing work that is irrelevant and kind of diminishes the art. Your content should communicate so simplfy complicated concepts for people.

You have done some amazing work with Madhorofiya Republik, Magamba Network and ZiFm Stereo, you have literally been everywhere. Quite a spontaneous journey, what can your audience expect in the future?

They can expect more work. I’m always going to try to challenge myself to do the difficult work, to write better and trying to create content that resonates. I am always happier when my material resonates with the older generations. Naturally we have that ‘versus’ relationship with the older generation, so I want to take the mantle of representing the generation saying ‘there is more to us’.

Watch King Kandoro’s Conspiracy Theories special below.

youtube

This interview has been edited and compressed for clarity and length.

The post Meet King Kandoro, the new generation of Zimbabwean Comedy appeared first on CheckoutAfrica.

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cashmierathoughts · 8 years ago

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Riding With Casey - Indy Stars Edition

“If you run yellow lights, you have raw sex!!”. Coming to the stage, please welcome CASEY THE ICON! Do I have your attention? Good, because I need it for about five minutes; assuming you read at a normal pace. Excuse the shade, I don’t mean any harm.

I had the pleasure of meeting up with the oh so talented Casey Ross to discuss his show. Perhaps you’ve heard of it, ‘Riding With Casey’? This impromptu show features friends of Casey’s who hop in his ‘06 Sebring to discuss various topics led by the Icon himself. The show got its start when Casey and his friends were riding around, smoking, and they decided it would be funny to record themselves talking about everyday affairs. Prior to this bright idea, Casey had previously been a success on Vine, getting hundreds and thousands of re-vines and being recognized by people in the city for his videos as well as having a show called ‘The Funny Casey Show’ in college.

My goal was to get to the heart of the show; I really wanted to dig deep at the core of ‘Riding With Casey’. How did it get it’s start? How does he choose who comes on the show? Are topics pre-planned? Is there anything he won’t touch as far as discussion goes? Do’s and don’ts in the whip. What’s up!?

“I was with my friends smoking one day and I was like ‘bro, lets make some videos and record ourselves’. This was a long time ago. My ex motivated me to do SOMETHING. She would say, ‘Just do it, you’re wasting time just sitting around.’ My ex is a big reason why I pushed my show. So I did it.”

Behind every man, is a strong woman.. but I digress.

I must admit, I was watching a clip of ‘Riding With Casey’ and your guest mentioned he would rape KeKe Palmer. Rape is a serious thing, that’s not up for debate. So I got to thinking, ‘What won’t this nigga talk about? Is there no topic that remains untouched?’ So tell me, is there anything that you just absolutely will not talk about?

“We will talk about everything. I want riding with casey to be the realest show you’ve ever seen. If people wanna say “fuck the bee-hive” they can say that. If they want to say they don’t want no faggot ass son, they can say that. I want people to feel like they can say whatever they want to say. This is what will bring the attention. Most questions I look up on the internet in compilation with things I thought of myself. As time went on, people brought topics to me. I have a game called views. I ask them questions about their views on current events. Politics, the grammy’s. I just like to get the full person. [This is] All improv. I tell them that this is an interview but I don’t want you to be tense as if this is an interview. It’s just niggas in a car talking. But some people, I do prep and do research”

‘Riding With Casey’ is an inclusive, no holds barred show. Discussions range from: sports, sex, music, everyday life, celebrity drama, current events, etc. as well as a sub-show called Views. On this segment of the show, Casey throws out random topics to get a holistic feel of the person he’s interviewing. When I asked Casey what was his favorite topic discussed, I must admit, I was a little shocked by his answer. One of the most historically controversial topics in the black community, outside of the OJ verdict is the question of sexuality. Mainly that of the black man. Casey reported that his favorite topic on his show to date was the discussion on whether or not his interviewees would rather have a ‘hoe daughter’ or a ‘gay son’. When asked why, this is what he had to say,

“Having a gay sun or a hoe daughter really brings out people’s bias’. I’d rather have a hoe daughter though, with a gay son, I'd feel like I did something wrong.”

Via Casey, he’d rather have a ‘hoe daughter’ because if he were to have a gay son, he would feel the burden of his sons’ decision. As if his daughter being a hoe would have nothing to do with her upbringing..? Hmm. I do agree with Casey about one thing; this subject does bring out the bias’ we carry around with us when it comes to gender roles and what is and is not acceptable in our society. Sure, being a hoe is taboo to some, but being a gay black man is still deemed as debauched in the black culture.

Many people want to know how they can get on the show - including myself. I mean, I literally went as far as interviewing the interviewer just to get a sneak peak of what being on ‘Riding With Casey’ is like. In case you’re still waiting on that invite, from my perspective, it is worth the wait! But the process is still a little unsystematic if you ask me.

“A lot of people ask, ‘How can I get on the show’, ‘Why haven't I been on the show’. I don’t really have a list of people that are getting on the show. There are certain people that I know I have to get. It depends on how serious they are about getting on the show.”

“This season I have to show more of myself too. I’m not just some nigga asking questions.”

Switching gears, everyone is inspired by something or someone that preceded them. In Casey’s circumstance, it was comedian/actor Martin Lawrence. In high school, Casey watched every episode of Martin and now knows every word. According to Casey,

“...Martin is my biggest inspiration because of his show. I love the spotlight. In high school, I started to watch Martin every day after school. I know every episode word for word. His relationship with Gina – he was fun with her. He was on TV, he had the girl and had his friends. [Even though we don’t care about relationships in 2017]”

Most comedians find joy in making light of current events, whether they’re “hot topics”, controversial propositions, race issues, politics, etc. For them, it’s an avenue to educate their audience on what’s going on it the world. It prompts them to formulate an opinion about societal issues all while laughing their asses off. I can’t think of a better way to stay woke. Casey and I talked about what it is about comedy that he finds joy in and it really boils down to him wanting to make other people happy.

“People have literally walked up to me and told me that they watched my vines over and over just to laugh because they were having a bad day.. It’s shit like that. People see the talent and it inspires them”.

While on the topic of other comedians, I wanted to get Casey’s opinion on black comedians, specifically black males, who dress up as women as part of their “act”. A few years ago, comedian Dave Chappelle sat down with Oprah to talk about why he felt the industry was flawed and how they – the industry – always push the “cross dressing” agenda on black comedians. In short, Dave would argue that the conspiracy to emasculate the black man and reduce his/their [the black men] creative freedom within the industry is one of the reasons he left that 50 million dollars on the table and moved to Africa. When asked about his thoughts on dressing up as a woman for shits and giggles, Casey said that growing up watching ‘Martin’, he didn’t see it as a problem. He would mimic scenes featuring Sheneneh [Ref: Martin] and Wanda [Ref: Jamie Foxx] to make people laugh. But my question to him was, would you do it now? Plenty of comedians and actors have done it, and still do it. i.e Tyler Perry, Eddie Murphy, Martin, the Waynes’ brothers, etc. Do you find it necessary to dress up as a woman as part of your act for laughs? Casey looked me in the eye, leaned back in his water stained scrap metal Starbuck seat and said,

“Hell na. When it comes to being on camera, I don't think I could take it that far. Now, I just feel like there’s something behind it now because of what Dave said and the Hollywood world.”

Despite the inspiration Casey receives from legendary comedians that paved the way before him, Casey channels a lot of his influence from his estranged father. It’s funny how the people who we have less contact with shape us. I always like to remind myself that the broken are the more evolved. I also find this to be true for Casey. When I asked him who was the most influential person in his life, he responded,

“As crazy as it sounds, my dad. I don’t have a good relationship – because I don’t want to be shit like him and it pushes me to be better. Sometimes I see myself in him and I know that I have to change that shit. Now, I turn that hurt into motivation and it makes me want to grind hard. When I get rich, I know he’s gonna want to come back around and I’m going to embrace him. Something gotta make them love me. Just like women.”

Casey admitted to me that he will know when he has truly made it because he will then be genuinely happy in life. Know yourself, then grow yourself. With the help, love, and support of family and friends, doors will open, windows will be left cracked, and ceilings will be no more.

Casey has a promising future ahead of him. My third eye senses this. Not only is he a comedian and producer of his very own show, but he is also a fashion designer, cartoonist, and creative director of three different clothing lines. [Shout out: Trust God, So Sick, Cheatah, 7House, and Silent Hustle]. Be that as it may, I would advise that he stays positive and learns to neglect the bullshit on his way to the top. It’s easy to get sidetracked by the things going on around us, but we have to know our focus and maintain just that. I had a blast working with this young man and I advise you to check out his show!

Final thoughts from the Icon:

“Believe in yourself and chase your dreams and do what you wanna do in life and it’s yours. Its not anybody elses, not your moms, your dads, or your friends ‘cause when they die, its up to you. And stop being nice to these bitches. The good guy always loses.”

If you would like to get in contact with Casey about his show, follow him on Twitter @CaseytheIcon or on Snapchat @itsfunnycasey or E-mail him at [email protected]

#RidingWithCasey

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smokeybrandreviews · 6 years ago

Text

Ugly

The day after i saw Venom, i went with my ma to see A Star Is Born. That sh*t usually isn’t my flavor but i’m okay with what i got in this situation. Gaga gave one helluva performance and i’m not mad about all of that Oscar talk. he deserves it, particularly before she got her shine. I was also surprised by Andrew Dice Clay. I didn’t even realize bro could act but, for what little of him we got, my mans was outstanding. peaking of outstanding, this movie REALLY needed more Chappelle. That little bit you got in the preview? That’s it. And it’s not even i the movie. The re’s a bit of him there but it’s a different speech. Dave knocked his time onscreen out of the park and giving him so little to do is a missed opportunity. Still, overall, Bradley Cooper did a wonderful job with his first directorial outing. All that being aid, i got some issues, man. This isn’t really a review, more an observation i’m posting while shooting from the hip. You want a review? It’s f*cking great. Go see that sh*t! You want to know my frustration with this thing? read on.

The biggest thing is kind of the tone. Like, i understand the way this story is told, a famous dude dates an aspiring artist, said artists gets a taste of the fame, said tater eclipses their spouse, something happens and the relationship ends in bitterness or tragedy. This thing has been remade 4 times so i’m aware of the basic plot but seeing it in action was surreal. Like, you don’t hate Cooper��s character, you just feel bad for him. He’s the fading star. I imagine originally, there was a semblance of jealousy that poisons the relationship but there isn’t a hint of that here. He’s a drunk, sure, but that doesn’t really into anything. It’s more a quirk of his character than a deriding condition. Cooper’s fading star finds himself frustrated with the path to fame his wife has taken. When they met, she sang songs full of soul and substance. When she hooked up with this manager, she threw away all of that genuine sound for pop nonsense. It helped her achieve her dream but, i assume, cheapened her voice, in Cooper’s eyes. Even when he was f*cking up, dude was one hundred percent supportive of his wife and wanted her to be the best she could be. Id even he didn’t like the music she was making, he didn’t do anything to sabotage or derail her career, expect for that one time he got way too drunk. But that alcoholism thing wasn’t even his fault. He legit has substantial trauma and tried to address that sh*t, repeatedly, throughout their relationship. Again, you don’t hate Cooper’s character. You just feel bad. And his decision to go out the way he did? Bro, really? THAT was your answer? It felt disingenuous.

The villain in this story, if there is one, is definitely Gaga. She feels so... plastic. he was just so malleable, contorting into whatever form her manager wanted her to be in order to get that shine. Early on, it’s established she has a thing about her looks so whenever anyone comments negatively about them, she spazzes out. You see this, i think, twice in the film and she uses it to garner a certain semblance of sympathy? i guess? I dunno, i’m not the most empathetic of dudes so she just came across as shortsighted, childish, and foolish. A lot, like, A LOT, of the conflict in this movie could have been subverted if sh was just open to being herself. If she was just true to her sound but, knowing the music business as i do, she was only an album in. She had that three-deal obligation to maintain. You make what the label wants you to make until you establish yourself and then you make what you want to make. That’s why most artists make their best work three or four albums in. Usually. Gaga’s character takes that to an extreme though, ignoring the f*ck out of her husband and mildly resenting him when he has his spill. You can see it in her face toward the end. It’s f*cking insane! Just divorce the dude and move on, f*ck!

I liked this movie. The performances were spectacular, the direction was great, the music was phenomenal, and even the the plot was trite, Cooper’s take on that whole dynamic was interesting. Interesting and flawed. But i think that was the point. This was a very human picture, about very flawed individuals, thrust into very surreal circumstances. The resolution of this series of unfortunate events was kind of telegraphed and felt unearned, like it’s the easy way out, but i guess it works. It doesn’t cheapen the overall product. It’s the fact that, literally, at any time, if these two cats went to counseling, none of this sh*t would have happened. If these two, Gaga in particular, has a f*cking dialogue, none of this wold have gone this way. It’s frustrating watching the ending of this movie because i know, for a fact, it didn’t have to go this was. I love my chick. Ive loved my chick for 14 goddamn years. There is nothing antagonistic in our relationship. Competitive, maybe, but competitive with the understanding that whoever wins, we both win in the end, you know? If i’m up and she’s down, she supports me. If i’m down and she’s up, i support her. It seem like that was lost on Gaga’s character because Copper was doing his best to BE that guy and she just took him for granted.

Maybe that’s the point. Maybe that’s his take on this story. Maybe that’s the story Cooper wanted to tell and maybe it’s just too real to separate from reality for me. Either way, check out A Star Is Born. It;s worth a watch on the strength of Gaga and Chappelle’s performances, alone, even of the movie can be resolved with a couples therapy session or two.

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smokeybrand · 6 years ago

Text

Ugly

The biggest thing is kind of the tone. Like, i understand the way this story is told, a famous dude dates an aspiring artist, said artists gets a taste of the fame, said tater eclipses their spouse, something happens and the relationship ends in bitterness or tragedy. This thing has been remade 4 times so i’m aware of the basic plot but seeing it in action was surreal. Like, you don’t hate Cooper’s character, you just feel bad for him. He’s the fading star. I imagine originally, there was a semblance of jealousy that poisons the relationship but there isn’t a hint of that here. He’s a drunk, sure, but that doesn’t really into anything. It’s more a quirk of his character than a deriding condition. Cooper’s fading star finds himself frustrated with the path to fame his wife has taken. When they met, she sang songs full of soul and substance. When she hooked up with this manager, she threw away all of that genuine sound for pop nonsense. It helped her achieve her dream but, i assume, cheapened her voice, in Cooper’s eyes. Even when he was f*cking up, dude was one hundred percent supportive of his wife and wanted her to be the best she could be. Id even he didn’t like the music she was making, he didn’t do anything to sabotage or derail her career, expect for that one time he got way too drunk. But that alcoholism thing wasn’t even his fault. He legit has substantial trauma and tried to address that sh*t, repeatedly, throughout their relationship. Again, you don’t hate Cooper’s character. You just feel bad. And his decision to go out the way he did? Bro, really? THAT was your answer? It felt disingenuous.

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