#Sama'an Ashrawi

[strawberry-boogie]

(feature image by Shayan Asgharnia)

I first came in contact with Los Angeles based superhero Sama'an Ashrawi a few months back. I was at my 9-5 when he hit me up via email to talk about the Afrofuturistic web series that he was co-producing for DUST. He had found a piece I’d done on Missy Elliott’s love for spacey visuals and we soon started chatting about media, art, and futuristic Black life.

I figured out pretty quickly that Ashrawi was way more dope than I could’ve ever imagined. He’s met Herbie Hancock, Ladybug Mecca, Thundercat, and countless other legendary creative pillars. Since we’ve been in touch, he’s shared great stories about his life with me and I’m grateful that someone with his experience is that open. I mentioned that I wanted to interview him and he quickly and graciously accepted. So, without further ado, here is my chat with Sama'an Ashrawi, Trill Gladiator.

⭐️

Who are you?

My name is Sama’an, my friends often refer to me as “dad” because:

a) I like to make sure everyone stays hydrated when we go out dancing

b) my dance moves are pretty stiff (almost nailed a Milly Rock last weekend, but I’m not quite there yet), and

c) because I am very much into puns.

I also get called “William Miller” a lot because my hair and career have a lot of similarities to the kid from the movie Almost Famous. This clip = me. From a young age, I’ve been able to gain the trust of, and land interviews with, really big names. I was 20 when I interviewed Raekwon for the first time, 21 when I interviewed Kendrick Lamar and Damian Marley.

What sparked your interest in Afrofuturism?

The short answer is: a combination of things in my upbringing.

The long answer is:

Since I was a teenager, I was into the music of Hendrix and George Clinton and watched plenty of Star Trek thanks to my parents; they met in college as political activists and over the years have introduced me to their many friends who were veterans of various liberation movements. My parents and their friends taught me intersectionality before I was introduced to that term in college.

Though I can’t be sure if it happened on Twitter or in the classroom, I discovered the music of Sun Ra and Fela Kuti and the idea of Afrofuturism as I pursued a minor in African Diaspora Studies. The Af Am classes I took were hugely important in shaping my understanding of the uniqueness of the psychology of the African American experience, but I think it was my parents’ homegrown education that gave me the foundation to be aware of and open to those ideas.

(shot by Sarah Jasmine Montgomery)

College changed my life. It’s where I paid my dues. It’s where I met so many of the people who would open doors for me and help me set my sails. Many of them I still work with to this day. But I think the two most important things I did in college were: becoming a producer at, and eventually entertainment director of, Texas Student TV (our student-run TV station) & minoring in Africa & African Diaspora Studies.

I think when people try to downplay the history of racism in this country, pointing them to Sun Ra is a great rebuttal because it’s like… things were really so bad that Sun Ra wanted to take black people to a whole new planet. That Sun Ra’s escapism was so heavy and yet he could still present it in such a beautiful amd melodic way still blows my mind. In general, I think art that comes from marginalized communities has the ability to cut through the static in a way that is unparalleled— more than a speech ever could.

Have you learned anything in the last week?

Hmmmm what have I learned in the last week? I learn so much from my friends every day, you’re making me want to start a journal dedicated to the things my friends teach me. Some wisdom that my big brother Gary Clark Jr just imparted to me is: when you’re collaborating with someone, it’s like a dance; if you’re moving at two different speeds, you’re gonna trip each other up. So if you feel like you’re moving faster than the other person, pump your brakes.

(shot by Marco Torres)

How did you meet Bun B?

I just had the treat of witnessing him tell this story last time I was in Houston. It’s way more cinematic when he tells it, but, we met almost exactly 7 years ago, in July of 2010. It was the summer after my sophomore year at The University of Texas and I had just been handed the reins to produce the hip-hop show at our school’s student-run TV station, Texas Student TV. The show had formerly been called ATX Most Wanted, but our entertainment director at the time, the now Emmy-winning Tabitha Lipkin, said she wanted me to come up with a new name.

I had driven to Houston from Austin to cover Trae Day— underground legend Trae Tha Truth’s city holiday and its corresponding concert. (PS Trae gave me a lot of my first looks, and for that I am forever grateful—later, when I became entertainment director at the TV station, I would get his videos and cartoon sketches played on the station. PPS I may or may not have a cameo in this music video, I’ll let you find it though)

At any rate, Lupe Fiasco happened to be at Trae’s concert and so I went right up to him and introduced myself; my sister was with me and she got a great, sweaty picture of us together that I need to dig up. (As the years have gone by, Lupe has been a sort of enigmatic mentor figure, appearing a few times a year to give me encouragement or advice, and whenever I’ve needed to do an interview, he’s always said yes.)

Anyway, at Trae Day I also met a rapper named Troublesum; she and I struck up a conversation and she asked, “Are you going to Bun B’s album listening session tonight?”

I was like, “I had no idea that was even a thing.”

So she gave me the deets and a few hours later we met back up there. This was Bun’sTrill O.G. album which has the distinction of being the last album given 5 mics by The Source. Troublesum introduced me to one of Bun’s managers, Bone, I gave him my spiel and asked if I could interview Bun. He said, “Once we’re done listening to the album, I got you.”

You’ve gotta know that growing up in Texas, Bun is looked at as a Greek God, mythical and omnipotent. I thought it would take me years to meet the man, let alone interview him. Here I was, just a few months into my “career”, and I was in a studio sitting next to Lupe Fiasco and Young Buck (lol) waiting to interview Bun.

The new name for the show I had come up with was simple and to the point, “Longhorn Hip Hop”; Our school mascot is the Longhorns, so it made sense. I told myself, okay, if it sounds good coming out of Bun’s mouth, it’s gonna stick (Bun would tell me I should say “pause” here, but this isn’t his interview so I’m not gonna say it!) So we did the interview, it went well, and Bun said something like, “Shoutout to Longhorn Hip Hop; Hook ‘em Horns, baby,” and I was like, “Yup, that’s it.”

Then I ended up at a lot of events over the next few months that Bun also was at and built up a good rapport with the people around him; I think understandably Bun is wary of letting new people into his circle, so he kept his distance from me at first to see if I was a genuine person. But the way Bun likes to tell it is that the breakthrough moment was when I showed up to his bodyguard Truck’s birthday party the next year, that was what made him initiate me into the Trill Gladiators. When Bun tells the story he always emphasizes the fact that, “Sama’an came allll the way to the HOOD” haha but for me it was more about supporting the people who supported me. And to this day, Bone, Truck, and Bun, among others, have always been there for me.

Do you feel lit? You’re pretty poppin in my opinion, but how do you feel about yourself?

Haha you know, I’m not sure I’ve ever used the term “lit” un-ironically mainly because I’m not sure it’s for me to say. I think I’ve done a lot of cool stuff, can’t deny that, but I’ve still got a lot of growing to do. One person who inspires me a great deal is Hannibal Buress; I look at how long he grinded it out before he caught his big breaks and it motivates me to keep going.

How do I feel about myself? Truthfully, maybe this says a lot about me, but I never take selfies. Is that weird? Like if you follow me on snapchat, you’ll rarely if ever see me post selfie pics/videos. What does that say about me? Idk.

What’s the most important part of your creative process?

Movement. Going for a walk, or a drive to a far away place, or playing basketball. Something about taking in new surroundings helps me get my ideas out, especially if I’ve got writer’s block.  

Write three sentences. One for the past you, one for the current you, and one for super duper grown up you.

Past – Maybe don’t tweet so much.  

Present – Sometimes growth is stressful and crying is okay.

Super Duper Grown Up – Please tell me I grow up to be a late night talk show host.

That’s all folks! Thanks for reading~

-Brooklyn White

[mskam]

Tuesday, June 7th, at Arlo’s Ballroom

Come and turn up with my friends and I as we celebrate another year of life.

Facebook invite:

https://www.facebook.com/events/1636122119967737

The El Tiempo Taco Truck will be on deck, drink specials will be available, and all your friends will be there.

[ikbangz]

Talkin bout the mixtape (before it came out) and his trip to China 

[fuckyeahlupefiasco]

Lupe Fiasco talks UGK with Sama'an Ashrawi (by Sama'an Ashrawi)

[emturner]

Sama'an Ashrawi: Co-producer of Texas Student Television’s (TSTV) Longhorn Hip-Hop. Longhorn Hip-Hop, formerly known as ATX Most Wanted, is a student run TV program that interviews different bands and artists, primarily those in the rap and hip-hop culture, who come through Austin. He is also the Director of Entertainment Programming at TSTV, putting him in charge of 13 different shows. He goes to album release parties, gains access to exclusive events, and gets to socialize with celebrities on a regular basis. 

On how Sama’an handles his work he says, “For me, the way I approach everything, I take it very seriously. A lot of people think my life is one big party but it’s not.”   Other than simply interviewing artists, he likes to get to know them as people and gain their trust and respect. “I kind of view building relationships as part of my homework” Sama’an says. “It’s been really nice to have that kind of relationship with people where I can go to them for advice…on a personal level.”   One artist in particular that he has built a close relationship with is Bun B, a Grammy-nominated Houston rapper and a Rice University professor.

“He goes out of his way to do things for me that provide no real benefit to him. I think the biggest reward is having that type of relationship where I can look to Bun for advice and mentorship.”

On what Bun B says of Sama’an: “His approach is mature and humble, and his affection for hip-hop is deep and sincere. He reminds me of a young me.”  

Some of the people Sama’an has interviewed:

Lupe Fiasco Damian Marley Chamillionaire Paul Wall Pharrell Bun B Big Boi Slim Thug Chuck D

[samaanashrawi]

Shoutout to the citizens of Planet Earth for getting my Flying Lotus interview to 5k views. I