Showing posts with label Hip hop. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hip hop. Show all posts

Friday, October 14, 2011

I Gotta Hustle

Now that Homecoming is over life has gone back to relative normality. I have far more time to work on projects I'm not obligated towards. At the moment I'm working on a music video for Alabama rapper, Drama. I've come into contact with some very talented artists because of my work with North Greene records.

I usually shy away from doing music videos. This doesn't mean I'm not interested in the industry, but many of the artists that approach me usually have very sub-par music. Anyone that knows me understands I'll turn down money if a project doesn't interest me. In this case, if your music isn't well done I'll pass.

Drama and Trent surprised me. When I listened certain tracks I felt as if I were listening to something on the radio. From there I've been working with both. I'm focusing on Drama's video at the moment, but I'll more than likely work with Trent soon. Still, I have done some photography work for him.

Trent Bolden

RED

Trent B&W



I Gotta Hustle

You can find Trent on Twitter. To check out more of Trent's work click here. I recommend "I Gotta Hustle." To see more of our work together go to Flickr. Also, Que The Lights is now on Twitter. Be sure to follow us!





Saturday, March 19, 2011

I Can't Give You, What I Don't Got!


A while back I got the chance to work with native Birmingham group, Dat2.
Dat2 is a hip-hop collective consisting of Thad Weller, Mario Leonard, Dave Johnson, and Squeeze (you wish you had a nickname that awesome). Their sound is fast-paced blend of hip-hop, rock, and soul. What really made them stand out in my opinion, was there use of live band in their recordings in comparison to most music that works strictly on synthesizers and pre-recorded beats.

Their frontman, Thed, has quite the personality which becomes quite evident as you work with him. I could describe him, but I'd rather let the footage do the job.


I Don't Got from Micah Russell on Vimeo.
Music Video

Artist: Dat2
Song: "I Don't Got"
Album: "Live From Malcolm's Reading Room"

Director: Micah Russell
Director of Photography: Xavier Burgin
Camera Operator/Assistant Director: Alex Newberry

This the first time I've worked on a video project where I wasn't the head of it. This is also the first time I've been with a team that had far more experience than I did. Director,Micah Russell, is a TCF senior whose body of work speaks for itself. You can check out some of his work here. Camera Operator, Alex Newberry, is another TCF senior at the University of Alabama whose work precedes herself. Check it out here.

I  learned a substantial amount about working with individuals who are more experienced than me. You must be willing to realize there will always be individuals who are more knowledgeable in your area of expertise. You must choose whether this is a positive situation or an adversarial one. Are you going to learn from them or resent them. As far I'm concerned college is not the place to have an elitist attitude on any subject.

Micah ended up not only being the director, but the post-production editor for the video. I ended up working on two specific parts of the production. I took the main character out to the majority of the locations before filming and photographed him in action to give Micah a feel of where we could shoot the ongoing action.




























The actual story in the video differs, but the feel of the video becomes apparent from the pictures we took before we went into production. Overall, the experience gave me a good lesson on the necessity of pre-planning, story-boarding, and just having a good general (visual) idea of what you want to do.

I'm planning my next short film now so all of this will come into play.

To check out the video plus other work I've done click HERE 



Saturday, January 1, 2011

Homophobia and The N-Word

When it comes to incidents in popular culture I'm usually the last person to input my two-cent. This philosophy plays an underlying role on the blog as well since I try to make sure any writing appearing here pertains to the overall theme I've established.

Film, Photography, & the industry which I aspire to enrich.

Simply, I want to keep myself on topic. If I talked about everything that entered my head this blog would lose the essence of its purpose. Every once and a while I do find myself pulling the edges to bring you a topic I find interesting.

This just happens to be one of those instances. The music and film industry are in many ways synonymous. Without one the other would not capably function. From Star Wars to the minute renditions of Robot Chicken, the industry of film, and television have a strong need for voice acting, sound effects, beats, and most notably, music.

So it is with this reason I find this topic very relevant on a personal and business level. What did the gay person say to his guest sharing his bunk bed? Do you want it on top or bottom? What does a black NBA player say to his son? Nothing, he pays the child support and leaves

Sour taste in your mouth yet? Recently, I caught wind of the incident between Chris Brown and Raz B via media-takeout and the messy people that congregate facebook and twitter.

Chris Brown (left) - Raz B (right)
Long story short, Chris Brown got pissed off with Raz B when his singing contemporary weighed in on Rihanna and his relationship. In retaliation Chris Brown went to twitter and announced every butt-plugging, dildo wielding, dick discombobulating homophobic slur he could think of for Raz B. 

This stems from Raz B.'s previous confession that he was allegedly molested by hip hop/R&B top individuals in the industry, such as Marques Houston. 

Not the main point of this post though.  After the words heated down, Chris Brown later apologized for his actions and stated that he was not a homophobe. Of course, the bedazzled and disturbingly loyal fans of C. Breezy allowed him a free pass using the logic that since Chris Brown apologized for his actions he couldn't possibly be homophobic.

Now, everyone has jokingly (usually in the confines of your friend's house away from windows and wire taps) enlisted the aid of a gay joke or two to combat the banal existence that is your homeboy...I'm pretty sure a black joke comes out of the blue for shits & giggles. It happens. 

This small nugget of logic spreads the gates open for so many conflicting problems I can't begin to point out, but this is the most obvious.  If Chris Brown is allowed to publicly call someone a fag that is gay, publicly apologize,  and state he is not homophobic then we agree he is not homophobic...It is obvious that a white person who calls a black person a nigger, who publicly apologizes,  and states he is not racist. Has anyone noticed the discrepancy yet?

How can we allow Chris Brown a free gay pass and not allow non-black people a free nigger pass whenever they feel the need to rage? Chris Brown popped off at the mouth in a moment of humiliation and anger, but since he is absolved due to his temporary state of being "pissed the fuck off" must we not do the same for individuals who are angered by an African American and use the N-word?It's the same concept, just on a racial scale. Even out the playing field. I do believe in the idea that a person cannot necessarily be prejudice and still use words of derogatory or inflammatory nature. 

When you get pissed off you look for the quickest words to ignite the other parties emotions. It just so happens that fag and nigger are the cues for these two specific groups. So...by C. Breezy's president do we assume that anyone who uses racial or homophobic slurs in a bout of rage is not racist or homophobic if they apologize and state they are not...

Or do we condemn them no matter the circumstances of their situation.  Point blank, as a black person you cannot endorse Chris Brown's apology and his reasoning, yet get pissed off the next time a white person utters the word nigger in a fit of rage.  This will be a prime example of hypocrisy in colors (literally and figuratively).

Think wisely about this next time when you're ready to go off as well. I can honestly say when I've become amply pissed off at someone I may pull out the verbal abuse and get creative you shitty quiff belching vagina munching laxative induced shit stain of existence...but at no point have I ever felt the necessity to get back at a person I'm mad at by using their sexual orientation or race. 

This especially stands true in the industry I'm working towards. Friends in higher places can be more beneficial than a body work in certain instances. This kind of behavior is the perfect template for burning bridges. Individuals may have opinions, but for the sake of their career they silence the most radical, racial, or misogynistic ones (at least until they are important enough to where they can run their mouth). 

May times celebrity status or stardom allows one a free *say something really racist or stupid* pass  (Kanye West, Glenn Beck, Mel Gibson, Calvin Klein, Michael Richards), but it is not without consequence.  Just look at Kanye till recently or Mel Gibson right now. Michael Richards (Kramer) has essentially ended his career because he couldn't control himself. One of my friends passed this quote to me when I shared my exasperation with her-

"Speak when you're angry and make the best speech you'll ever regret." 


Sunday, December 19, 2010

Welcome To the BattleGrounds Pt.II

If you've been keeping up with the blog for a second you'll remember I wrote a post entitled Welcome To The BattleGround

In the post, I recorded a rap battle between two well-known Tuscaloosa MCs. The individuals hosting the battle decided to work with me again to record a larger battling venue. This was the result from the previous battle they changed their name from BattleGrounds to VME (Verbal Manslaughter Entertainment) plus attracting new faces to battle. They didn't have a logo for their company so I decided to create one for the sake of the videos. Three battles were held that night plus cyphers.




Tuesday, November 30, 2010

I'll Meet You at North Greene

North Greene Records (which consists entirely of UA undergraduate students) has been working with me recently to finish & amp their resurgence into the rap game. The group purports that their sound is a unique compliment to the way we examine southern rap culture. I can get with it!

I'm always interested in working with individuals who I know work hard themselves. Friends, clients, models and co-workers should all have a similar concept of my work ethic- I'm thorough. Once I start a project-I'm GOING to finish it.

Most importantly, I have to feel a NEED to work on the project. It's the urgency that makes me work best. Any project I pick up I'm going to work with the kind of diligence that warrants and brings about more work. The client's project is a reflection not only of his subject matter, but my skill and propensity as a blacksmith of tangible redefinition (could've just said editing there. I'm being fancy on this piece)

I've learned you've got to be willing to help those around you in order to build a good rep. This goes beyond friendships

To clarify the guys I did this project for were my dorm-mates. We even went in together and produced an online radio station show for the campus our freshmen year. This plays into what I'm saying. It's not so much about the friendship (though that makes play a factor). It's more-so the understanding I can trust these individuals to stand by their word & work just as hard as I do. That's all I ask.

 Who is North Greene?



Monday, October 25, 2010

Welcome to the BattleGround



Welcome to the BattleGround



This was definitely one of those projects found myself enjoying. Editing this piece made me appreciate the case behind mood & atmosphere. I ended setting the piece in widescreen and desaturated the entire battle leaving the video in black&white. This made the ominous feel of ongoing flow come forth. You ended up focusing more closely on the rapper, his lyrics, and the expressions behind the words.
To check out the next installment of BattleGrounds click HERE

---Xay B.


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