Tuesday, January 26, 2010

THE MAN WHO GOES WITHOUT MOVING




If you have been seeing th FRESH photos from events like OAKLAND IN BLUE and FRESH STEPS than you already know his work. IAN DAVIS (known as I.D) is a genius with the camera lense. He captures amazing moments! But dont belive me peep it yourself! Heres the link to his flickr check him out---->
ID ON FLICKR

Hers some shots from the OAKLAND IN BLUE sho this past Sunday (in the post below the video THE BRIDGE which is both Dat and Melina's first video.










Check him out and contact him if your in need of a photographer for an event. Alot of the portraits that he captured i have used as references in my new pieces of art, Ill post them soon...

Monday, January 25, 2010

THE BRIDGE IS HERE

OAKLAND IN BLUE was another success (shout to the FRESHVIBE TEAM). Last night was amazing, Melina Jones brought her flavor. She did her set with some new jams,and took it back aswell. Her voice, her flows her spirit, her Frisco pride had the crowd rawking. I took a break from painting (live art of ms. Melina) to witness her performance, and watch the video projected on a big screen for everyone in Somar to see. The house was full of love, Bay Love, Oakland in the building and Frisco as well. BAY AREA LOVE all around. This is a love song, a hood song, a turf song, a good song...

THE BRIDGE
Don't they Do DAT so well, don't they just meld, and blend there styles yet stay true and unique to themselves. There are a lot of deeper meanings to the song, which is why i don't mind hearing it over and over again so i been playing it on repeat and i suggest you do the same. Melina and Dat are unique to hip hopers not afraid to laugh and smile, and it makes them ever so much more love able, but don't get it twisted they are viciously talented and will whoop you in a instant in a hip hop battle.

The theme of bridgeing together two (rivaling) cities with this project was actualized in a very fly way. The video is fun, it was filmed in a day, I love the excellent quality of the video, the split frame shots accent the vibe. Erica Eng really went in and made some amazingly polished visuals for this song. The video has cameos with Will Bracy, who produced the song, Reza (former member of DoD.A.T's crew The Attik) This i a great look for the Bay, two emcees coming together, lyrics are powerful and the energy uplifting. These two artist are humble, and have huge hearts, they mentor and show support to other artists coming up in the game, and they really mean each word of there lyrics, which shines thru when they perform because you see the passion and the heart.

"dont force it 49ers took they portion...wanna know bout love and hate, participate open up her golden gates, it would be great if we could link at 8 get chill by the bay discuss the panthers fuck it ill hop bart and meet by the campus"
-DAT

'How we interact so dig able send my message via light rail but did you get it tho adoration for you is reciprocal if minimal, 5 and dime, i kidnapped your heart like criminal' -(rare breed) -Miss Melina Jones


"CANT WAIT TO SIT BY THE LAKE AND POLITIC" Both of these artist are consciously politically involved in their communities. This song shows that you can also make feel good jam and interweave a positive message into the lyrics. In my opinion they put other emcees to shame, whether conscious its emcees with no delivery or style, or swagger overloaded commercial artist with so substance, cause they keep it fresh and they speak on it, and make it look easy so they get three thumbs up from me.The Bridge is something that is bigger than this song, even bigger than these two artists, these two cities, never wrong to bridge folks together, its about unity, something universal, yet so bayish and oaklandishly & friscociously talented.

THE LYRICS PAINT A SCOPE THAT INSPIRE ME, i wanna paint a series of illustrations from this song. Wind in Melina's hair and a smile like there ain't no cares, Dat telling jokes on his daily travel unraveling flows like a loose shoes string, these two artist go without moving, like ID who does the photo shooting, the harmony is soothing, and with this beat it feeling like no loosing, flavor just juicing out their mouths as they spit, these spittas are really coming with it, so real, that you can't help but feel it, and some how full of jokes to keep you laughen through the sun and the pain the smiles and the rain, it gives me pride and honor to say that I am at all connected with the team responsible for making this Collaborative project happen.

look out for both artist DO D.A.T. and Melina Jones as they continue to make moves and amaze us with all that they do.







Sunday, January 24, 2010

THE BRIDGE


THIS IS AN EXCLUSIVE BEHIND THE SCENES LOOK AT THE VIDEO ::THE BRIDGE:: FEATURING MELINA JONES. TO SEE OAKLAND IN BLUE PRESENTED BY DAT FEATURING MS MELINA HERSELF AND THE VIDEO PREMIERE COME TO SOMAR TONIGHT, ITS FREE 21+ AND I WILL BE LIVE PAINTING. CHECK THE TEASER AND COME THRU---->

The Bridge :: Behind the Scenes Trailer from FreshVibe Media ® on Vimeo.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

ART from the Heart


ART BY: WREN LOVE aka WRENAGADE
PHOTOGRAPHY BY OAKTOWNS FINEST: IAN DAVIS


Monday, January 18, 2010

FRESH LADY SPITTA & FLY MAMA ALERT: Jazz Monique Hudson

The first time I ever saw this talented women perform, her words were captivating, her energy was amazing, as she painted stories with scripture and rubbed her pregnant belly. She is dope. Since then I have seen her perform at countless events and I am always immensely impressed. Some peoples spirit shines through so beautifully when they bless a mic. No matter if she is spitting poetry of singing like song birds do, she brings love and grace and phenomal talent to everything she does. I don't know her personally but she keeps good company...
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This is a double shout out because she is a mama, and I give props to her for raising her son, it aint easy and some how she does it all. For that I give her infinite props!
check back for more posts about this talented WOMAN!

its The King of Loves Birthday

Years ago i went to see the Youth Speaks show where Chinaka Hodge spit a poem she had written that vividly painted the man known for envisioning a dream of equality and breaking barriers. the visuals her words created are still in my head and will be imprinted on my retna till the end of time. Today a friend called me up and said he had VIP tickets to a warriors game, I excepted and we went. Through out the game there was interviews from the Warriors players and slideshows with quotes of the King. I love that my community honors him, but I think it is just as important to humanize him, he is an icon but he is and was also a person, with immense talent and vision to speak to people, but a person like you and me nonetheless. The best way to continue his legacy and to honor him is to never stop working for Progress no matter who is our president it is on us to be the change we wish to see, it is on the people. I started painting live at an MLK tribute and never finished the piece but when I do I will post pictures and any one who wants to buy it I will donate the money to HAITI relief. Now is not the time to go to sleep, in fact the closer we get to the dream this man envisioned the more delicate and pressing progress become. Like the shot clock at a warriors game every effort to make the dream happen is essential, critically needed to make sure that dream does not turn into a nightmare.

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

You are beautiful at any weight

There is a big difference between discomfort and pain. This can be applied to your body in a yoga class, or speaking about race and images in this country and the media. I am not trying to make any body feel uncomfortable, well only people that uphold a system called society that oppresses and puts people in boxes based on the way they look, and anyways who said being uncomfortable is such a bad thing. Comfortableness is the ingredient that keeps people in bad relationships, even sometimes abusive keeps you doing bad habits, in poverty and lots of other things. Uncomfortable is not pain it is the feeling that things need to change in order to grow. So attention I may throw out words that make you feeling un easy like the D word (diet) and analyze a system that boxes people in based on raise and continues stereotypes to continue keeping people of a darker shade oppressed and limited.

This may seem a little out there, some folks may think Im coco to put race race and body image in the same topic (i don;t know these people but they may exist). But I know for me they have always been connected. Being raised in a prodominantly Black community I was always aware that while the folks around me were more likely to tease a girl for being a bag of bones then a thich chick, the rest of the country was all trying to be a size zero. I was exposed to all types of food, some of it very healthy and not. I was raised by a village of woman of all sizes and walks of life. And over the years my weight has fluxuated from thick to skinny.


Exploring Body Image
is one of those topics I usually associate with the media's perpetuated views of super models, and those health education documentaries that talk about eating disorders, but I want to talk about it on a personal level, and also look at how race and today's pop culture/media and stereotypes play into it. My focus is more on women's body image because I am a woman, I can only write on my experience, and what I hear from others, and see in the magazines and movie screens...

It all starts with food, toxic food continues a lot of other toxicness, in poverty stricken communities especially. The bottom line is no matter what race everyone deserves to be healthy, and healthy and skinny are not the same word. As I do more work in the field of sustainability I want to promote sustainable healthy eating. Just in that same way that Obama said "it shouldn't be considered 'un-black' to for a kid to open up a book and read." Same goes for eating habits in any ethnic group. Its one thing to have homecooked dishes interwoven into your culture from past generations in your family that you don't want to change. But its a whole differenty thing to have a tradition of eating fast food nation and dieing of diabeties and heart failure. Healthyness is not a white thing or a race thing its a human thing. I believe people are beautiful at any weight. Health is not only an image thing its a I wanna live my life without pain thing. It might be uncomfortable to begin to eat things that are better for you and cut out all the junk food, but it will take away pains. Trust.

It is called comfort food for a reason, it doesn't mean it should be your daily meal!

I say all this because this is the background yes you should be healthy! But that is completly separate from the immense amount of pressure most people, (women especially) feel to be skinny. Its the reason people develope eating disorders. So I want to stress that difference because some folks are naturally bigger and some folks are naturally skinnier and I am sick of people having little tolerance for the huge spectrum that is beautiful. "You are beautiful at any size" - dpesn't mean you can go eat whatever you want and stuff your face and never excercise, it means that if you practice a healthy lifestyle and still dont look like a skinny girl in a fashion magazine, you are not less, you are just as beautiful, and the problem is only that you are underrepresented, not anything to do with you.

I am guitly of being vain, of skipping meals to compete with skinny girls, and I am breaking bad habits to hold myself to what I say. It is about empowerment, health, strength, as well as wanting to look a size that complements me, and makes me feel good about my figure.

Saturday, January 2, 2010

CO-LAB


I get higher i make flyers...heres the back

MLK EVENT AT NEW PARISH FEATURING ALL THE HOMIES



I just made this flyer, and there will be more coming below is the rough with a map, the back is coming soon. This is gonna be a great event PRESENTED BY FUX WIT IT ENTERTAINMENT, PRESENTED by FUX WIT IT ENTERTAINMENT.





See You there!