The Videographer's Guide is a unique new series about the changing face of video production and content. A teaser for their second episode reveals a look into some of the ways emerging technology and apps have completely empowered independent brands and entities to shoot and edit their own video. Episode one on the relevance of modern music videos can be seen here.
Words by: F. Garcia
One of Hip-Hop’s most recognizable names came under fire recently for his lyrics on a song that he was featured on. Miami rapper Rick Ross was criticized for his reference to date rape on Rocko’s "U.O.E.N.O." Rick Ross attempted to apologize more than once for the lyric ("I’d die over these reeboks you ain’t even know it/ Put Molly all in her champagne, she ain't even know it/ I took her home and I enjoyed that, she ain't even know it.”) but it was seen as disingenuous because they failed to acknowledge the seriousness of the issue. Rape is no joke (or art) when nearly 1 in 5 U.S. women surveyed in the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey said they had been sexually assaulted.
Protests and petitions against Rick Ross included women’s rights group, UltraViolet, who asked Reebok to end their relationship with the rapper. After several weeks of protest and pressure Reebok finally issued a statement that culminated in saying “At this time, it is in everyone's best interest for Reebok to end its partnership with Mr. Ross."
Hip-Hop artists have long enjoyed the freedom to express themselves but they can find that freedom restricted when they become paid endorsers of multinational corporations. After dealing with the embarrassment of losing his deal Ross issued another apology: “And most recently, my choice of words was not only offensive, it does not reflect my true heart. And for this, I apologize. To every woman that has felt the sting of abuse, I apologize. I recognize that as an artist I have a voice and with that, the power of influence.” Hopefully a few lessons were learned from all of this. One, that rape culture will not be tolerated, two, that Hip-Hop artists should really check their moral values before embodying an offensive stage "persona" and three, everyone read fine print before they sign up to be pitchmen--so that they know what they're risking!
The Guardian recently published an article about wiping away one's digital track record. The method involved deactivating popular social media accounts such as Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, etc. Then the article gets into more details about search engines, photos and forums where users have to apply a more direct approach towards getting rid of sensitive data, sometimes requiring reaching out to administrators of the sites. Read the entire article here. There's even a short video highlighting the process.
No stranger to drama and controversy, it seems like Miami-based rapper, Rick Ross, is in the middle of the crosshairs yet again. This time the incident was literal as the megastar's vehicle was shot at after a birthday celebration at a local club. Hip-Hop journalist, Elliot Wilson, chimes in to try and separate the facts from the fiction. Personally, we think that he does a terrible job of defending Ross' "street credibility" and the allegations that the incident was staged. It's too cloudy to know or say what really happened, but we do know that Ross and Wilson do share enormous Hip-Hop comradery via past press conferences and publicity. Not sure we're getting an unbiased opinion here. It's also interesting to consider that the average Rick Ross lyrics are laced with drugs, guns, death-threats and bravado talk. Life imitating art again?
New York City is an interesting place, especially for advertising. And before there were gigantic printed billboards, there were what are known as "Wall Dogs", painters that specialized in huge, hand-stroked wall murals. Colossal Media is a present-day media company that still focuses on the centuries-old form of advertising. The following is a short that documents the grueling details that go into producing jobs of that stature. Truly remarkable!
Iconic NYC-based streetwear brand, Supreme, has finally received its quintessential New York Times write up. With more than 18 years of design and collaborations under its belt, the infamous label that seems to be so mysterious to some and yet so hypebeast-esque to others, is broken down in a recent article by the paper. Nothing too out-of-this-world, but there are a few gems about how the brand operates and how its founder James Jebbia's handles the business of "cool". Read the entire piece here.
For any other brand, such sightings would be considered a P.R. coup. But they are beside the point for Supreme, which is so fiercely protective of its anarchic downtown heritage that it would rather be ignored by the masses than misunderstood.
What happens when you decide to Jedi Mind Trick the average Barack Obama supporter about some "supposed" Mitt Romney policies? Then, only after they've expressed their distaste for the latter, you reveal to them that the statements are actually all policies already signed into legislation by the current man in the oval office. Kind of changes the way we perceive the average American voter, no? Peep the following We Are Change video, where interviewer Luke Rudkowski cranks this all into action. The revealing answers hit after the 4:30 mark.
This will probably one of the only times we ever (and we literally mean EVER) feature a video off of WorldStar Hip-Hop's ignorant library of visuals. Why this time? Well because someone had the good sense to actually post something inquisitive and thought provoking on there. The piece is a clip from ABC Nightline's report on Chicago's current outbreak of gang violence. Open your eyes and ears to Hidden America: Inside Chicago's Hidden Gang War and take in Diane Sawyer's report on how this violence is affecting the youth, how some hijacked "Hip-Hop" music is fueling it, and how the community is fighting to engage the gangs of troubled youth. Watch the entire report here.
Owned by an ad network, backed by Justin Timberlake and designed by JosephMark, you will now wish you hadn't deleted that account. Peep the re-design:
A good portion of the Hip-Hop community (mostly Nas fans) is up in arms after Detroit author/activist/journalist Dream Hampton tweeted yesterday that rapper Nas' "Untitled" album was largely written by two ghostwriters. Not only did Hampton make the claim, she actually named names--Jay Electronica and Stic Man of Dead Prez. Pretty crazy considering that Nas is probably one of the most heralded Hip-Hop artists of all time and claims to write all of his material. And Dream, who isn't shy of her own legendary involvement in Hip-Hop's history (She actually introduced The Notorious B.I.G. to Tupac Shakur), is sticking to her story. Of course the allegations have been denied by multiple sides. Things also get stickier when fans consider Dream's close ties with Jay-Z (wrote his Decoded book). We all remember the public (but now squashed) Nas/Jay-Z beef from ten years ago. All in all, a very intriguing "he said, she said" this is...
