Kanye West

"For 400 years? That sounds like a choice." - Kanye West, Slavery in Washington D.C. by Maxwell Young

Last week, performance artists Maya Sun and Maps Glover poignantly resurrected images of American slavery on the greens of Dumbarton House in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C.  Completed in 1800, the Federal style landmark is preserved to showcase the lifestyle of the first government officials who took office in the United States' new capital, the District of Columbia.

Maps Glover and Maya Sun performing 'The Landing' at the Kennedy Center March 15, 2018.

Maps Glover and Maya Sun performing 'The Landing' at the Kennedy Center March 15, 2018.

Supporting the post-colonial decadence were indentured servants, and while slavery in D.C. wasn't as overt as the textbook cotton-picking, plantation life that is synonymous with the South, slaves were used as chauffeurs, childcare, and to fetch groceries from the market.  In fact, roughly 20 years before the Civil War, Georgetown University sold a number of slaves to settle financial debts.

However, few primary sources of slave life in D.C. remain due to loss and destruction, which is why Dumbarton House commissioned Sun to create a moment of tension at the estate.  Professionals young and old, white and black gathered in the courtyard for wine and cheese, some, noticeably uncomfortable by the two artists' three-part retrospective.

The beginning was lighthearted, though short-lived as they frolicked on the front yard--Glover playing a violin and Sun seemingly care free in a floral dress, braiding Glover's hair.  It was reminiscent of a Sunday on a plantation or after dusk when the master fell asleep, the slaves free to ease the pain and suffering of indentured servitude.  The second part represented a harsher side of reality.  Sun stood on a trading block hooded and chained--livestock--while Glover observed the scene through the reflection of a broken mirror pane as if to recall the original context of why his ancestors and other black bodies were brought to America.  Later, Sun emerged from Dumbarton House dressed in a suit introducing herself as "Professor Sun."  Not only was this a liberating juxtaposition to images of bondage, but it also symbolized the knowledge and power of black people, integral to the education of future souls.

"I felt appreciated by my ancestors.  I was incredibly moved when I was under the hood.  I was definitely in a different space than what was around me," Sun said.

From a macro lens, Sun’s performance piece was perhaps more relevant given Kanye West's comments calling slavery a choice just a couple days prior.  Where Kanye chose to glaze over realities of oppression and control in the matter of a thirty second sound bite, Sun and Glover echoed two different aspects of slave life with a refusal to forget the African American experience.

Teyana Taylor drops The Cassette Tape 1994 by Maxwell Young

The 90s vibes are quite apparent in Teyana Taylor's The Cassette Tape 1994.  The five song project plays with sounds that epitomize the decade in which R&B and hip hop became the center stage of popular culture. Boom bap production, riffs and melodies that were championed by the likes of Janet Jackson and Aaliyah, while also sampling the classic "Poison" all round out this nostalgic mixtape.  Listeners are also privy to a single feature on "Who's Gonna Make it Home" in which boo/Cleveland Cavalier shooting guard, Iman Shumpert, showcases his emcee skills, kind of resembling an Andre 3000 flow.  Production of the mixtape stems from G.O.O.D music founder Kanye West, Sham "Sak Pase", and others.  The tape is available for download now on Audiomack.

 

adidas Yeezy 350 Boost a Symbol for Creativity by Alex Young

Since Kanye West stepped into the limelight he has been on a challenging mission to create outside of his musician box. He is a glorified rapper, but many have doubted his artistry, design-eye, and creative ingenuity. For a genius this is frustrating, and Kanye voiced his feelings in the following 2013 interview with BBC Radio 1's Zane Lowe:

Well I’ve reached a point in my life where my ‘Truman Show’ boat has hit the painting, and I’ve got to a point that Michael Jackson did not break down. I have reached the glass ceiling as a creative person, as a celebrity. When I say that it means I want to do product I am a product person, not just clothing, but water bottle design, architecture, everything that you could think about. And I’ve been at it for 10 years and I look around and I say, ‘Wait a second, there’s no one around here in this space that looks like me and if they are they’re quiet as fuck.’ So that means wait a second, now we are seriously in a civil rights movement.

Every project, every interview, and every meeting Kanye West fights for creative achievement no matter who you are. His frustration he expressed in 2013 came to a head in 2014 when Nike refused royalties in his contract, despite the success of the Air Yeezy silhouettes. This led to a welcoming home for Mr. West at adidas as he states, "adidas was a company that was flexible and used to dealing with creatives enough to allow me to create something that was very close to my heart." Yeezy Season 1, adidas 750 Yeezy Boost, and the newest development--adidas Yeezy 350 Boost are all products of Kanye's struggle he wishes everybody to enjoy

Following the success of his high-top 750 sneaker Ye extends his footwear prowess with the low-top 350 causally dressed in a grey-melange Primeknit® upper. At first glance the sneaker is easily compared to Nike's Roshe Run, but the 350 boasts a minimalist aesthetic seen as reflective rope laces mix with the grey colorway and the heel tab appears to be added solely for function. Walk on clouds thanks to adidas' comfortable Boost sole unit. The next installment to Kanye's vision releases globally at select adidas locations on June 27 for $200 USD. "Never stop fighting no matter what anyone says, no matter how they try to compromise you, compromise your vision," says the artist, and let this sneaker be a testament to that very statement.

Kanye West Changes Album Name by Alex Young

Monday brings important music related news via Kanye West. The self-proclaimed genius is changing the name of his forthcoming album So Help Me God, to SWISH, he announced the news yesterday from his Twitter account. You may remember 'Ye got "Swish" trending back on March 16 when he tweeted consecutive nude photos of his wife Kim, it is also heard in "All Day" . He may even change the name again according to his most recent tweet, but for now SWISH it is. The album could release any day now, stay tuned.

Wale featuring Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign - The Summer League by Alex Young

DC's poster boy Wale is preparing to drop his fourth studio album, The Album About Nothing, a week from tomorrow. Today brings us a preview of the work to come as his single "The Summer League" featuring Ty Dolla $ign and Kanye West has surfaced. Listen to the groups encouraging pleasantries below and pick up Wale's The Album About Nothing on March 31 on iTunes.