On the weekend of Jan 19, 2018, history was made in Baltimore. For the first time, there’s a Hip-Hop museum opened in Baltimore city! As a follower of the culture in Baltimore, I speak for many when I say this is a much-needed space for aspiring artists in this city.
Located in the same building as The SAND Gallery, an art museum formerly known as the Incredible Creations Art gallery geared to showcasing the talents of the visual arts of people in the DMV and Baltimore region, the In My Lifetime: Mini Hip-Hop Museum premiered with a similar mission and to also to preserve and educate about hip-hop culture. There has never been a place in the history of hip-hop to be solely dedicated to the preservation and advancement of hip-hop culture until now.
The grand opening took place the entire weekend; from Friday to Sunday. Each day had events catered to educating and informing artists about discussions in hip-hop. The weekend at the museum was filled with book signings, workshops, and discussion panels. Each day was geared toward helping people who were seriously passionate about improving their career in hip-hop.
I decided to attend the grand opening on Friday for the Put Yourself On Discussion Panel. It was a panel that every artist in Baltimore should have made their duty to not miss because it had the right information needed to be heard for any artist who wants to take their career to the next path.
Four panelists who are participants in Hip-Hop Culture shared valuable information on how knowledge gained through fully indulging themselves in hip-hop helped push their growth in their individual fields. To name a few professions that took the floor were artists managers, producers, DJs, publicists, former rap artists, media, and brand ambassadors. Each panelist came from a seasoned background within the industry and with useful input of more than what’s in the forefront of our television screens.
These curators came with tips from avenues many artists who are eager to excel in Baltimore’s art culture are quick to omit. Some advice shared were tips on how to study people who inspire an artist’s craft, how artists should measure progression through monetization and not online attraction, the importance of staying relevant and aware of current events and entertainment news, and staying genuine to what’s desired instead focusing on being ahead of the opponent.
The material picked up at the panel could be applied to anyone pursuing a career in arts, not just people invested in hip-hop. I believe that’s why the audience was so engaged in the conversation. It was more than just about rap and the Baltimore Rap Artist. There were producers, songwriters, and even visual artists present nodding their heads in agreement with what they took in. Because the information was presented generally, I make the statement every artist should have come to the museum’s grand opening. These are resources artists in this city often complain about lacking.
As mentioned before in the first installment of my blog series Quality Vs. Quantity (Part 1), Baltimore’s art culture needs more resources to help artists improve their approach to building a legacy of brands. The In My Lifetime: Mini Hip-Hop Museum is well on its way to becoming one of those sources to help artists improve their quality. The kickoff Put Yourself On Panel was an eye-opener and extremely helpful first attempt at its premiere.
It’s looking up for the “urban” art culture in Baltimore as we see more avenues readily available to help artists. Places like Impact Hub and events like the Baltimore Beat Club help provide resources for improvement and exposure. Artists need to be aware of taking sacrifices with choosing to invest in their career progression. There are more than studio sessions and basement rap.
There has to be a way to publicize the importance of improving their quality to artists. I assume the best way is to keep talking and sharing the little things we do have and spreading what the benefits are when utilized.
But what do I know? I’m just writing myself into existence….
What do you look forward to with the opening of the In My Lifetime: Mini Hip-Hop Museum in Baltimore? What do you think it can offer to the DMV? Leave your comments below.
America is in chaos with continuous brews of police brutality cases arising throughout the country. With two newly found communities added to the growing list, Baton Rouge, Missouri, and Falcon Heights, Minnesota, I would highly suggest our American government consider finding SOLUTIONS to our countries problems now.
Who likes waking up to someone getting shot multiple times on a live stream through Facebook? Not I.
I’m sure many people did not elect to have that option when choosing to sign up for Facebook or Twitter. But as technology has a plethora of triumphs to be proud of, blatant murder witnessed by the eyes of billions of people on more than numerous occasions should not be one of them.
In Baltimore, another city to fall victim to police brutality has taken another hit. Late July, the highest-ranking police officer to be charged in relation to the death of Freddie Gray was found NOT guilty of charges. Not too long afterward, the judge ordered that all further trials in his case be dropped. That news does not fall pleasantly amongst native Baltimore citizens ears as Freddie Gray’s death was ruled as a homicide, and of all officers to be tried, none have been convicted of criminal charges.
Some people feel overwhelmed with current events, which brings me to share five ways of protecting your mental during times of racial unrest. The Internet, which was once a place of leisure, has become a place I now take breaks from; a place I have to escape every once in a while because of its censorship towards black people’s death sentences. As a young black woman, I can share with you a few things that help me remain level headed when stories, like Michael Brown, Freddie Gray, Philandro Castile, and more recently Korynn Gaines strike our media. These are things I’ve got in the habit of doing since the death of Trayvon Martin. Will my list grow longer? Who knows but hopefully I can help the next black person feel better when it comes to these incidents.
One: Sign out of your social media accounts.
First advice I can give you to help protect your mental is to unplug from your social media pages. Those negatively charged digital words that appear on your screens are not worth you draining any of the positive energy you may already have to carry on with your day.
Facebook is the ultimate boxing match for even the most simple and childish debates. If you don’t believe racism exist, you have never read any of the comments on most posts that go viral. Next time you watch a video on Facebook, visit the comment section. Count how many trolls appear down its list. Sometimes even reading those negative comments from the trolls can get your blood boiling.
Signing offline is easier said than done since Facebook has permanently made homage in our lives. It gives us our daily news, connects us to our loved ones, and provides us with our entertainment. But to protect our mental health, I deem it necessary to sign off for maybe just a few hours as we focus on searching for a better way to live in peace while we find solutions for injustices. When debates turn into hateful slurs, time to turn off your screens. That is not loving.
Two: Allow yourself time to be angry only for the day. Then be constructive with your energy when the time calls for it to be useful.
I don’t want to promote anger that could fuel more hate. But when I feel defeated by something like this, which is larger than I am, I allow myself to release any demons that are inside me at the time.
When all charges were dropped in the case of Freddie Gray, I was pissed. Though majority of my emotions could be labeled as sadness and disappointment, sitting in one spot crying and shaking my head at what I don’t understand countless times can easily turn into anger and insanity because of it’s frequency. I’m exhausted there isn’t any accountability for any of the cases around our country involving brutal police actions. Gray wasn’t the first or second to be killed by police. His number is unknown and that is a problem.
For families to be left without explanations and ignored by a government meant to serve them, there should be no expectation from any authority to expect these families to let whatever happened just go. This is the same for every citizen that can relate to feeling hurt by these cases. Expecting anyone to ignore what happened and to let these victims’ murderers get away without any ounce of blame is the biggest slap in the face known to humankind. I give you the permission to be mad, but not for long. After you mope around in your grief enough, you gather your thoughts and fight back!
Three: Get creative.
Many ways you can fight back against police brutality is by turning your anger into something beautiful and fighting a negative with a positive.
During times like these, new artists are born. History has proven that issues like these are windows to large movements, such as the Harlem Renaissance, the Black Panther Movement, and today, Black Lives Matter. Over the weekend, the Korryn Gaines Pop Art Show, an art exhibit organized by Karl Keels, best known as Karlito Freeze of Strong Way Radio, and Milly Vanderwood of Give & Take: An Artistic Experience has open doors for many pro-black artists to show their love and support for beautiful and powerful black women who stood for everything that she believed in. Proceeds from the show were donated to Korryn Gaines’ family.
Photo of Korryn Gaines
Getting creative can be the medicine not only to your needs but it can heal onlookers as well. People who can relate to what you create make themselves available to support when they feel a passion behind your cause. That’s why your anger has to be embraced. It is the passion to drive the change this nation needs.
Four: Find people who share the same interests and think like you.
This fourth tip, I cannot say more than enough. Associating with people who do not relate to who you are can be draining. Their negativity is distracting and can hold a person back from being the best person they can be. To get out of these ruts we must rise out of these dark rabbit holes and find people who can be that medicine to our depression.
Many African American organizations, like Hands Up United, the Black Women in Sisterhood for Action (BISA), and the National Action Network, were formed by people who think the same as their peers. These organizers come together because they were affected by inequality, social injustice, and systemic racism in some way. They work as a family and strategically towards saving their communities. Each group’s mission is to create a better future for minorities in hopes of stopping injustices. This week there’s a similar discussion being formed to talk about the injustices that occurred towards Korryn Gaines.
Once you’ve found people who you share common interests and goals, they’ll become the people that’ll be your support system through making a change in your life and community. When multiple minds come together for a better purpose, great outcomes are its results. In the 1960s, black people united to get the civil rights act passed. Today, black people come together to rise above other civil issues, as well. It’s the circle of life.
Five: Realize that showing support for a fellow brother or sister can be the start to change.
What’s currently happening in the black community can be traced back to the idea that blacks lack support for one another. There is a divide in the black community that Black people must overcome. Racism is the root of that divide. The only way to overcome that obstacle is by acknowledging racism to be that the true reason and to unite through supporting one another.
People all over the country are experiencing the same struggles. We see this all over the news. Lots of people are in their moment of adversity. Times have shown during moments of adversity, black people undergo a period of liberation and develop a “new hope.” When things get tough, they march, sing, worship, and praise together. Often in their hour of liberation, change is adopted. Great things happen and the world’s burdens don’t seem so bad. If all this goes on from adversity, we already know that supporting one another is a huge factor in helping create change. Let’s take that step to make a difference.
These five steps have brought me closer to a reality that many other black Americans are experiencing, as well. It’s time to stop encouraging the hate by continuously condoning it and not doing anything about it. To relieve our stress from all these killings we need to first stop accepting it when we watch it. We have to turn the computer off the next time we watch someone die. With fewer views, I believe there will be less for us to see. We need to put things in place to replace those images, and we have to stick together so it can all work. This can be achieved by considering these five tips.
So what do you say? Would you agree that these five tips can be the start of a cultural healing? Leave your comments below.
This Saturday, December 19, 2015, there’s a new attraction opening for people seeking to quench their “eye” thirsts. Those who appreciate admiring the beauty of an exquisite painting can now see what Baltimore’s most underrated visual artists have to share with the world.
In October, I had the opportunity to take a sneak peek of what I assume should be expected, along with a lot more admirable pieces, at this up and coming art gallery with my attendance at the Jerrell Gibbs art exhibit.
Jerrell Gibbs is one of the many artist who submitted to Doc’s Castle Media in 2014. Art has always been a passion of his, whether it was drawing sketches of his favorite cartoon characters or his favorite athletes. He adopted a lot of his influences from his dearly departed cousin Carlos Batts, “Tatman D”, Ron Bass, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Voka along with many others. While creating pieces stimulating the audience by exuding positive under tones through his work, he aspires to become a well- known freelance artist. I assume beginning with the Incredible Creation behind him during his cultivated, artistic exertion.
It wasn’t until three months ago, I’ve made the connection with my DCM submission box. I’ve finally seen with my own eyes the artwork of such a talented artist.
(I honestly stress that all artist get out there, talk about your work, and never give up! It’s the only way you’ll get the attention you’re seeking.)
Gibbs work is remarkable and I believe he has what it takes to pull the support of a new generation of eyes. He even has a documentary named “Got Gibbs?!” releasing this month, which follows him on a journey towards achieving his freelance arts aspiration. I know there is so much more to expect from Gibbs. I can’t wait to see what more he has to offer.
The Incredible Creation is a brand I started following at the closing of Fall 2013 beginning with the Incredible Creation Blog. Since its emergence, they have expanded in providing a broad band of products and services with a mission created by its founder Milly Vanderwood as an outlet “that artists from all mediums should be able to display their talents, regardless of traditional standards of the “art spectrum.” The latest addition to their extended list of products is the divinely scrumptious Incredible Little Cupcakes.
With exhibits inspired by today’s pop culture, there’s lots to look forward to from this gallery. From exhibits honoring the late Tupac Shakur & Aaliyah, to displays commemorating the artist themselves, the Incredible Creations is providing the leisure for the artist to tell us a beautiful story visually.
“Got Gibbs?!” Trailer
http://youtu.be/rEKAbaENNxA
Come out this Saturday to see more art from Jerrell Gibbs and other Incredible Creation artists at the Grand Opening of the Incredible Creations Art Gallery.
