#SXSWAdventures

[thesearch-continues]

004: Turks, Toronto & Texas

It's been a while! I hope you ain’t forget the kid! Life has been life-ing but we still here and the search continues.

So after graduation I started off my travels with a long overdue family vacation. This was MOST of the fam so just imagine 30 Jamaican's trying to navigate a cruise. It was with Carnival, which wasn't the best but I was there for the drinks and laughs! My first cruise ever was with Royal Caribbean and my standards were up. The ship went from Ft Lauderdale to carnivals private island in Bahamas, Puerto Plata in Dominican Republic, and Grand Turk in Turks and Caicos.I enjoyed the time, but I honestly wished I did something like this with my friends I feel like family cruising has it's limits. But overall I had a great time and got to see a few things. 

More importantly I had PEOPLE TO SEE AND THINGS TO DO ON LAND!!! On my search I got an opportunity to work with an American heritage brand. they were looking for someone to shoot a visual campaign for a classic cent that was made specifically for a hotel in NYC that winter. So I went to work. I connected with my friend Vinny Seda, he was the perfect look for what the ad called for. the city was pretty cold and gloomy, so we tried to wrap filming on Lexington Ave early. Right before this shot Vinny says to me "bro you know it's supposed to snow tonight right? and it did. I hit roll and we film this walk on Lexington, and the snow falls on que! Still one of my favorite moments filming. Vinny and I have made some great stuff since. Give him a look that's my guy! So we finished the campaign the company loved it and I was off to my next adventure!

I arrive to Austin, Texas. The music festival season in the spring is always a great time. I'd visited Texas before, so as soon as I landed I grabbed me some Whataburger and connected with my guys Henny Retro and Prince-to get the adventure started. Austin during SXSW is always a place to see some of your future favorites and genuinely have run ins with some of your favorite people. From after parties to- smaller intimate shows. You never know what or where you'll end up. Now I was only there for three days before my next trip, so I had to make use of time. After sitting down with the guys and planning out a content capture schedule I sat down to think up some cool locations to film at. Years back A friend of mine and I had our car break down on the road when we went out for lunch and while we awaited the roadside, She brought me to a nearby Creek that was so beautiful, I promised I'd return. So I did! So now years later Here I am Trying to find my way back to this spot, honestly retracing my steps and I do find it. This time I save it in my index and we film a music video called "Hate or Shine" for Retroi$awesome. It looked like something out of Nat Geo haha! Following that we shot a nice Music Video for Henny Blanco. A memorable time with my brothas man I'm so glad that my last time in Texas was that much fun. But let's continue!

Before Heading home to Jersey I decided that I needed to Visit the six, a friend of mine was staying there and she invited me to come se the city! So hey why not? 

I arrive In Ontario sometime the next day and I'm excited, I haven't been in Canada for over 4 years and would love to see what they got going on. After getting in and settled I met with a old friend and I hit the town, we visit the Ripley's believe it or not aquarium, the Rec room in downtown Toronto. It was a lot of fun, tthe first time really exploring downtown Toronto with someone from home felt refreshing. I was only there for 2 days so She surprised me with a dinner at the CN tower. The restaurant is still one of the coolest experiences ever. You take a huge elevator to the top and then when you walk in you see the counterclockwise rotation of the restaurant. I was so lost when I first walked in. I had to look at the floor. To recalibrate ahaha! We had so much fun and it was a blast but it was now time for me to take that trip back to Newark international for a nice tall glass of EWR blues.

To finish up my mini north American tour I reconnect with Retro and some of the MENTIS homies to visit the Brooklyn museum. One of my favorite Music artists Yasiin Bey (Mos Def) was debuting a new album that could only be heard in an art exhibit, Once played all the way through. No phones where allowed just you other fans and art lovers. Heck there was even a newborn baby was there! Everyone listening to the album and viewing the artwork. As Bey touched on life, death, and time. in the center of the exhibit was a huge moral tribute to the late Nipsey Hustle. Where he was immortalized in paint and beautiful tapestry. One thing I loved about the entire experience was that when you leave you feel apart of something larger than yourself and if you want to re-listen to the album you must look inward and recall the memory of sound. A real spiritual journey accessed by memory. "Negus" 5/5 stars.