#then why /the fuck/ can people influencing and hearing about world events 1st

[cettelegende]

I have always stood for POC and women. Any one who need someone to stand tall for them. When this year started I had over 8,000 dollars I saved over the past year. I now have less than 2000. This world has fell to shambles. I have silently help support those who don’t have what I do. I donated more than half my stimulus check to those suffering from the virus. I have donated to refugees who can’t come to the country. I have donated to shelters to help feed people. And recently to organizations in Minnesota. And I promise you that is 6000 that will not be missed. I will make it back. But this time imma use my voice to speak for those who don’t have a voice.

See my last post was going to be followed by a message fueled by anger and despair that I felt from this event. I was going post on tik tok I was gon put on IG my hate towards those who have opposed this cause. Until I realize my Gma has always taught me that my voice should never be used for hate. There are young black people. My brother and cousins watching me. There are elders who have passed their knowledge and patience to me. They have been dealing with this way longer than me. And I want to influence those watching me. The way they influence me. Today I have cried. Yesterday I cried. This week I have cried. The first puddle of tears was me wondering why does the world hate me and my people. Here in America. Even in China. Then I go to Instagram I see the world. I see the people close to me. Standing for my people. And that led to the second sea of tears. People standing for my life. Every black life. And I thanked every one of them. In a recent conversation with my friend Ruben he told me the Latino community stand with us. And I told him that the same way you stand with me I stand with you. I told him this reminds me of our motto that we always chanted. BLOOD & SWEAT, PRIDE & GLORY. And this means that we will shed our blood and sweat til we get our pride and glory. This fight isn’t just for us. It’s for future generations. And to those protesting and rioting I applaud you for your service for what’s right. But be wary of who you hurt. Be conscious of the small businesses and families that will suffer from the looting. I don’t believe in property over lives. But I believe in the lives of those affected by this. And this reminds of a spoken word from George the Poet. “You realize that everyone from every ghetto every where jump it would cause an earthquake” and that’s exactly we doing. And this include everyone standing with us. This world is now feeling our pain. I can remember I was in 1st grade. It was the last day of school. I was placed in the advance program. And I asked for a bike. And I shocked to hear my mom say “no(they had already bought it for me)you should never expect to be rewarded for doing what you’re supposed to do” and I was like “this said I overachieved” and i heard my aunt tell me something that stuck with me for the rest of my life. “You’re black,you have to overachieve just to be on the same level as average white people.And they won’t take you serious otherwise” I was never allowed to be anything close to average. I was expected to always aim to be the best. Cuz that was the only way people would take me serious. And if I didn’t I would be swept into the black American narrative of “he came from nothing and he’s going to be nothing”. I might have started this race at a disadvantage, but my family pushing me to not let that phase me, made it possible for me to have fair chance of making it in this world. And to those who’ve talked to me recently about how is I’m so nice and can do things like this to help my people (including all my fellow POC and the mothers of this world). I’m not a star. I’m more like the moon. The light I radiate that cut through this dark world is only a reflection of the light that fuels me. I’m a product of those around me. Everyone supporting this cause. Everyone who have brought me up in this world. And imma use my light, my voice, and my influence to light the way for those stuck in this dark world. And I promise you no will silent my voice.

Any line I have to cross to ensure a brighter future for those I love, future generations, those who don’t have as much as I do. I will cross that line with pride. This cause is more than just justice for those lost. This is a fight for a revolution. As said by George the poet said

I don't know anyone who was born and raised here

Spent all them days here without no incidents

So when I watch a child grow into this, I know it's not about coincidence

You go into this mad world with nothing but a phone in your hand

Just a handheld but no ones holding your hand

You can read about the ghetto and watch the film 'Roots'

But you won't get it until you cotch with real youts

Watch ghetto girls play hopscotch in little boots

Even when the food ain't top notch it still shoots

Are we like this 'cos we're here? Or are we here 'cos we're like this?

Either way life wasn't meant to be like this

But we're mentally fighters

Fuck an identity crisis

I'll make it work myself, it's fine the world is mine

But the way you man deal with me is a myth

The only thing you want to bill with me is a spliff

Like shouldn't we be working on an empire?

Don't we have youths we gotta send higher?

I see progress, you ain't gotta try to vision

If change don't come, I'm making it my decision

That's why we got you taking the time to listen

[imogenbennettblogsdp]

Transmedia storytelling - session 6

again as said in previous blog (week 5) I am virtual learning from my home, which as in that blog I felt not as productive as I would have in a class room but under the circumstances I find I accomplished and learnt quite a bit. Also the working in Pjs is a plus...

Web 2.0 is something we have touched on before, in the first sessions which is important as Web 2.0 has become something everyone is very familiar with (even if they don't know what the word means) and that Social Media, with social media its very much broadened to a active audience, we are contanstly looking, creating and thinking about what we are seeing which can be pretty much anything. take my edit instagram account for example, I am constantly seeking new techniques by others (almost collaborating by sharing editing styles with people and I am making ‘User Generated Content’. Also Web 2.0 offers audience participation ‘Participatory culture’, for example the Comment section. this allows the viewer to give feedback, praise and even abuse (even though that's not what its particularly meant for) This gives the viewer a feel of incorporation towards the creator (or photo, video, information- if on wiki).

*Referring to the voice over presentation video* the way marketing use ‘User Generated Content’ is very interesting and it has changed the ways we receive ads and how marketers approach sponsoring etc, I wanted to look more into it/ provide evidence to this and with two popular examples being - Youtube and Game ads.  when you watch a video on youtube by a content creator what do you usually get:

Ads. 

Youtube (a popular Web 2.0 website) is a Queen Bee hive for Ads... swarming. compared to old visual Ads being Ads on tv in the commercial break or flyers, these ads can be incorporated in the video, being at the beginning of the ad like the 1st picture above, or in collaboration with the creator of the video. I found this very intriguing and interesting, Im quite fascinated by idea of marketing and this little investigation (even tho I'm pretty familiar by being a YouTube veteran) so perhaps in future I can explore it more.

As I am watching the ‘Harry Jenkins film’ I now feel more supported in what I have said previously in the Blog, Mostly where I mention my instagram account, he says “what were seeing in the digital age people are taking media into their hands... and innovating and experimenting” with that media which Is exactly what I am doing, I am taking content and mixing it up making it into my own.

‘Conversion Culture” Having different platforms to see it (say youtube, insta and TikTok) which is shaped by us rather than corporations, we have control. we can all collaborate and mix information together (on say wiki) which leads to much more complex ‘than what someone in a board room can come up with on their own’. I also found this interesting and very off topic to the video but I realised that a very Recent and Popular example can  be how the Convid-19 information is spread out, TikTok a very content creator based app which mostly is used by younger generations and if you go on it now you'll see a lot of information on how to stay safe and social distance during this pandemic which is very interesting... Could it be argued that kids are paying more attention because they see this entering ‘their world’? not just seeing it on the news (which they might not watch as heavily as the app). 

interesting as It creates more of a world for the viewer

Talking on the Transmedia topic of having multiple platforms I was shown the Blair witch project website. This fascinated me and reminded me of my personal experience With this, ‘Ingrid goes west’ a film near and dear to my heart, which is mostly based on instagram (and how it effects us) #LIFE. I was reminded of this film as the creators also made Ingrid's and Taylor’s (the influencer in the film) instagram account real which is quite fun and I enjoyed looking into it and felt like she semi excited in a way, provided more of a world outside of the film.

Taylors instagram* I found this so clever and funny, with the captions down to the T. also something to note that loads of fans are allowed to interact with Taylor like Ingrid did, Commenting quotes (especially “Damn girl that looks yummy as fuck!” which is a popular comment you'll see). Its clever if you ask me. I myself have to admit to commenting that quote as- well. (but I'm being involved!) 

Watching the ‘Transmedia storytelling’ video with a cinderella adaptation. watching this had made me think. about A- what story I want to create/adapt. and B- how it links so well to todays generation. And yet again watching this reminded me of something I have seen that is off similar structure. An Ad for the social media app ‘Own it” created by BBC. showing how little connections through sharing can lead to bigger things. (this made helped me understand the Transmedia storytelling video more as I know its all about the connections between things and seeing it visually really helped.)Im not looking forward to doing this task though, storyboarding and mind maps are not my friend and I don't enjoy them, (I may have mentioned this before) but I like to freestyle it and see where it takes me instead of planing and expecting etc. Also Im not a fan of Lucid Charts, I find it hard to use and complicated to what it is which I know is unproductive as I should be using a variety of sites to improve my skills but you can't help but hating something... Lucid chart is my kryptonite.  

For my Transmedia story I decided to do it based off of Joker (2019), I chose this as it has a major event in it which I felt I could use events for, also I really like the film so why not.

I started to think about what I would focus the story around and it was hard to pin-point a certain one, I did pick joker killing the 3 men on the subway (Spoiler!) as that is essentially in my opinion what cracked him into becoming the ‘Joker’. *Refer to the story map in google docs*. Being honest I didn't enjoy it as much as I though I did, I found it quite confusing for what I had to do for a while (so like what directions do I go in? what characters do I use?). Something I also didn't like which is strange is that I didn't like making all the social media accounts... strange because I usually make tons in my own time (I have 6+ personal instagram accounts :/) 

I did start using the software ‘Zeebob’ but I found it quite (this will make me sound snobbish but,) cheap. I just felt it limited me and to what I could create and just didn't seem realistic, 

so I made two on here but ditched it and went for the real thing... making actual accounts for the posts. Guess which is which... the 1st one is zee bob and second is an actual account I made. The upside of making the actual accounts is having the freedom and more ability to do more things (like on twitter I can retweet stuff that I feel the character would and who they follow which adds personality to the account. 

Of course the downside of making actual accounts is that I couldn't fake the likes or followers which takes away the realism to the accounts. 

Out of all the accounts and social media’s I created, surprisingly the @GothamNews was my favourite, probably because i spent the most thought on this; creating the logo (on Canva) .. and finding the cool retweets like the van which I thought was like striking gold to add to the realism.

I did make a mistake that i knew occur from using the same account and changing it (E,G, I made a twitter account and kept changing the name,pictures, retweets etc)... Notice that Arthur’s and GothamNews background photo is the same... well I just noticed that too and its why I need to pay attention to it. so tiny lesson to myself for future and if I was going to do this for real I would create separate accounts and spend more time to trying to find the fitting photos for each character and why? it makes more sense for the news account to have trash as (in the film) Trash was the relevant topic, but joker not so much - he doesn't strike me and the recycling type.

While making the accounts I tried to add as much passive detail as I could... adding the subtle detail, like (as I mentioned) who they follow, retweet, like, what's in their bio, what's their background photo etc. referring a little to one of the earlier sessions in visual design (semiotics 'Denotation and Connotation'). 

(especially Jokers) I paid attention to the way joker writes, to my knowledge he isn't very educated so his writing is very childlike and he writes how he hears (eg  when we see him write ‘hope my life makes more cents etc) it so that was a nice detail I added. 

here are some notes I made for when I was thinking about the map:

- plan event - riot

- bruce Waynes dad saying “stop trash/ campaign

- joker “maybe my life would make more cents if I was dead” 

- Marty “tonights show will be interesting “ 

- jokers video going on air

overall I think I will take the idea of broadening the ‘World’ I create (with film) by creating different platforms. I found this lesson a lot harder than I would of found it in class due to my focus being lost and feeling like im not putting 100% into it unfortunately. 

And who knows maybe ill get loads of followers on one of the accounts and become famous.

[foxcroft-rpg-blog]

Congratulations, Charlie! I’m so excited to add a little more depth to the religious plotlines in Foxcroft with Gabriel. I’m so glad you applied for a custom, and can’t wait to see him in game.

Thanks again for applying! Please create your account and send in the link, track the right tags, and follow everyone on the masterlist as soon as you can. Welcome to Foxcroft!

OUT OF CHARACTER

Name: Charlie

Age: 25

Preferred pronouns: She/Her

Time zone: GMT

Activity: 7/10, I can generally be online and posting every day.

Anything else?: None

IN CHARACTER

Full name: Gabriel Santos

Date of birth: 1st December 1984

How long have they been in Foxcroft: Gabriel arrived in Foxcroft approximately six months ago, reaching the town when the discovery of Adam Foxcroft’s body was still fresh in their minds.

Sexuality: To Gabriel’s father heterosexuality was the only acceptable outcome in another person, and any deviation from this norm was to be met with derision and disgust. Perhaps it is thankful then that, for his sins, Gabriel identifies at heterosexual - although he himself takes a far more open-minded view of the Bible’s teachings.

FC change: N/A

MORE

How do you interpret this character’s personality? How will you portray them? Include two weaknesses and two strengths. (2+ paragraphs) [+] Charismatic / The kind of man with a joke and a smile for everyone he meets, he shakes hands with half the town and remembers the names of their children. At the pulpit he is transformed, a booming voice carrying to the back of the church and filling his congregation with the words of the Lord. Back in the city they called him inspirational, in Foxcroft they might just call him crazy. [-] Hypocritical / The face he presents to the world is a generous man with a good heart, but underneath the surface lurks the violence, the late night whiskey and the family who wouldn’t follow him here. He hasn’t yet found the Bible passage to justify that. He goes to great pains to relax his posture and sound jovial, but inside there is a taut string just ready to snap. [+] Ambitious / Once he was a man with a sparkling future ahead of him. The charity work with inner city kids and long days spent feeding the homeless were not insincere, but there is no denying another motive behind them. He dreamed of the day when he would have a leadership position in the church, a chance that was ruined in one dreadful night. [-] Obstinate / His faith is fixed firmly in his mind, and even in the darkest of days he has not wavered from its path. Not every idea might run deeply as his belief, but once his mind is set it is difficult to change - no matter the arguments that go against it.

How did this character react to the death of Hazel Abrams? Adam Foxcroft? (1+ paragraphs) Gabriel arrived in Foxcroft only after the deaths had occurred, so while it was always sad to hear of such tragic events, the loss was never a personal one to him. What he found much more difficult to comprehend was the town’s reaction – in most communities he had lived in people turned to religion for comfort in times like these. If he was not gently rebuffed by those he reached out to though, he was rejected outright with angry sneers. He gained the impression that he was overstepping his mark by so much as mentioning it – he, a stranger, an outsider, and worst of all, a preacher.  Their reaction to him forced him to learn very quickly that the church’s status outside of the town boundaries was not just a geographical quirk, but a very real representation of the resident’s feelings: religion had no place in Foxcroft, and no place in their lives.

How do they see the town and its people? Think about the different groups of people and prejudices the town holds about them. (1+ paragraphs) Gabriel’s experience has taught him to keep an open mind, but since arriving in Foxcroft he has felt as though is constantly on the defence. While only a few have confronted him directly, there is no denying the frowns and cold stares whenever he is in town. Naturally sociable and plagued with the desire to get exactly what he wants, he has found himself frustrated by the unwillingness to let old scars begin to fade. The straggling congregation that arrive in his church every Sunday appear to appreciate his presence,  but for everyone else he represents a centuries old grudge. He plans to counteract this by modelling the good that religion can bring into their lives – to the poor he will be a charitable man, to the rich he will be the reminder of the rewards that come after life. He only hopes he is good enough to be that role model, because he’s beginning to feel like one man trying to turn back the tides.

Please include 1-2 possible plots your see for this character (1 paragraph brief explanation for each) [1] The longer he spends in Foxcroft, the more the isolation and rejection eat away at him. Some days he is driven half crazy with missing his wife, and other days he think it’s much better that she’s far away, unable to see this pathetic thing he has become. In one moment he is scheming ways to convince her he has changed, and the next he is driven back to the bottle, unable to see a way out of his present situation. One thing is for sure though, that he will never find a way to get through to the town if he lets them ostracise them. Every day he makes a point of pulling himself out of bed and driving into Foxcroft, greeting those he knows and meeting those he doesn’t. He wants to be a familiar face that can be counted on, not a figure of hate and mistrust – and once he convinces them, maybe he can convince himself too. [2] Gabriel is painfully aware that in Foxcroft the church has an image problem – to put it mildly. He wants the residents to see it as a place of safety, not the source of the evil that was perpetrated years ago, and to do that he can only begin with the congregation he has. Gradually he has grown more aware of the rumours surrounding Val Pineda, that there was a night when the police were called to the church, although what happened there seems to have been kept a close secret. He can’t even tell if Valerie played the role of perpetrator or victim, but he would like to find out – and assess whether she is an enemy or an ally in his mission.

WRITING SAMPLE

There are two options here, and you only need to complete one.

The morning was spent in a prison. They put his cell phone in a plastic tray and searched his shoes for drugs. He lifted his arms and opened his mouth at all the right times - he had been coming here for so many years by then that it was second nature to him. Through the gates many of the inmates seemed pleased to see him, calling out “Hey, Santos!” and “Pastor, hey, I’ve been praying like you said.” Gabriel greeted them all in turn, “Your wife been out to see you lately, Shaun?” he asked. Shaun had a life setence for shooting two people while he was robbing a grocery store. They said he was the kind of man who would never be rehabilitated.

He ran three chapel services and two group prayer sessions. It was a gruelling day, the tall walls oppressive around him, the requests for his attention constant. “Why don’t you show them the same respect you show me?” he asked an inmate who had been in trouble for arguing with the guards. “You’re not like them Santos, you’re more like one of us.” Gabriel didn’t know what that meant. He supposed it never occurred to the prisoners who slapped him on the back and showed him pictures of their kids that ‘Prison Outreach Service’ was a glowing highlight of his resume.

The afternoon was worse than the morning. His first drink had only been a quick one (the first one always was). In the bar there was no responsibilities except to himself. He was not pastor or husband, no one needed him to do the right thing or have the right answer. He and ten other people watched the game on a TV screen, and all of them could have been anyone at all. The second drink wasn’t as quick as the first, and the third was slower than that.

Hope was waiting when he arrived home, her arms crossed, her jaw clenched. People who have been married a long time come to have a code, a way of talking to each other that can convey hours of built up emotion, years of history and simmering resentment in a few short words. “Third time this week.” She spat out, and Gabriel knew instantly what she meant. When they argued they always started close together, her finger pushed into his chest, his conciliatory hand on her arm. By the end they were far apart, his arms thrown wide as he swore, her watching him from across the room, her face closed and angry.

By the evening he was on a bar stool again, his back rigid and his shoulders tense. He sank into drinking with an intensity he afforded to nothing else in his life, a mechanical motion of glass to mouth. Gone was the feeling of being a face in a crowd, now there was nothing but him, even Hope was lost to him in some far off distant place. There had once been a time of morning kisses and late night talking, but he was beginning to suspect that those people no longer existed. The perfect pastor and the perfect wife. He snorted into his drink. God help me.

“Guess Jesus turned your water into whiskey.” a man Gabriel half knew said with a nasty sneer.

“Fuck off.” Gabriel told him.

“Pathetic.” the guy said with a shake of his head. Gabriel’s temper snapped.

He woke up the next morning in a jail cell, four tall walls with no window. There was still blood on his knuckles, although he had tried to wipe them clean. He remembered nothing except the feeling of his fist connecting with flesh, the horrible realisation that he was going to do it again and he could not stop himself. At the police station they had taken his cell phone and his shoes. He opened his mouth and lifted his arms so they could search him. He wondered if this was what a life sentence felt like.

EXTRA [THIS SECTION WILL NOT INFLUENCE ACCEPTANCE]

How would you feel about this character dying?: I would be comfortable with this.

Why did you choose this character?: I love the religious history that Foxcroft had and I was really interested in a character that explored that. My original idea was actually a very devout character who arrives in Foxcroft with his or her kids and has to deal with the issues of church, but I wanted them to be more morally grey to fit with the general atmosphere of the roleplay.

Extras: (pinterest boards, mock blogs, aesthetic posts, drabbles, etc.)

How did you find us?: (certain roleplay tags, friend referral, etc.) LSRP tag

[mixtapekings]

Interviews – Sketch

“I started MC-ing,writing around 1992 around my early to mid high school days approximately in that hip-hop golden era timeframe when Big Daddy Kane was still somewhat doin his thing, and I was also influenced by that Rakim song:”Mahogany”…(actually was amazed by that song to the point where I copied the verse of that song on a sheet of paper)….then started messing with a group wit a long-time friend of mine. Then in 94′ was part of another group wit a friend on my old block, around that time I was taking it a lil’ more seriously putting together a demo-tape networking at certain events and trying to get our name out at a couple of underground radio stations, as well as gettin my 1st taste of booking studio-time etc., I was always torn between rapping & artwork….so I took a break from my rap group and went to Art School..(graduated with an Associates Degree in illustration)….but I was always dabbling wit the rap and went to a couple of open mics and recording with a few friends in somewhat of a rap-group as well as doing solo stuff hooking up wit another friend and laying down recordings to do my independent thing. I currently rest in Queens, but I rep Brooklyn…(born&raised). My style is lyrical, flow is kinda jazzy at times story-telling with somewhat of alternative subject matter & content, but at the same time relate-able for the masses.

1. Sketch what’s good? How’s things your way?

I’m good man, thanks…….jus tryin to survive & stay positive..

2. We have seen you making appearances on Digital Dynasty for almost a decade. How did you first get involved with the mixtape series?

I got on the mixtape series thru my boy Tha Advocate, I’ve known him for years now, we’ve always had a kool business relationship, da homie iz always on his grind, respect……whatup Advo!..

3. To date, we know you haven’t dropped a solo mixtape or album yet, what’s on the agenda? Anything for 2017?

Yeah, I def got plans for 2017, I do however got an EP out dat I did awhile back….”Tha Sketch Factor” dat I recorded wit my boy Medina, it’s on Cdbaby, but I got a mixtape in the works for 2017, expected to drop around Summer, Im excited about dat.

Get that here- http://bit.ly/2pN18fy

4. Any idea for a title or anything like that?

Yeah I got some title ideas, but nothing etched in stone just yet, but it’ll be a kool & catchy title defining myself as an artist, not really stressin the title, I’m more concentrating on the music, content, lyrics, beats etc., tha quality of material is more my focal point, the title is jus the icing on the cake.

5. A lot of people may not know, but you got your acting in Tha Advocate’s “Best Friend” music video. Youre role was very believable. What was it like to play that role?

Thanx man I appreciate dat, that was a great experience, I enjoyed doin dat alot, got a chance to get my Al Pachino on…..lol, I’m not gonna front…I was kinda nervous at 1st but once it was lights,camera,action….I was comfortable, it felt natural transforming myself in a role of a dude dat was bad,sinister,decietful etc., To me acting is a form of art, I got natural artistic ability in my DNA so I felt confident dat I could pull it off, I was fortunate to get the opportunity, I’d be open-minded to fuck wit some acting in the future as well.

6. Out of all the songs you have done to date, which is your favorite and why?

Aw man, dats kind of a tough one…..I liked “Rays of the Summer” dat was on the latest Digital Dynasty mixtape, this otha joint “Persevere”, “Sunbeam”, I did a joint awhile back I believe was called “Storytellin”…I got some good feedback from dat song…I tell stories sometimes in my raps, so it felt good to get good feedback from dat song, I got a handful of joints dat I put out, and some I didn’t yet, oh yeah…”So Hard” was a joint I liked too….I don’t know if I have a favorite song….I’m always excited off of what I’m gonna write nex, sorta like wit my artwork.

LISTEN TO SO HARD HERE — http://bit.ly/2oZLnid

7. Outside of music we know you have an Associates Degree in illustration. What avenues are you pursuing when it comes to your art?

Yeah I got a degree in Illustration, well since I graduated I’ve done some freelance work, did some animation related stuff which was a great experience, been in a few galleries etc., got some gallery shows comin up in the near future, I would like to do my own independent thing….I like to have full creative control, so I got some ideas in the works.

8. Which type of art lets you paint a picture better, your words on the mic, or your illustrations?

I think both help me paint a picture, I think one compliments the other sometimes….95-100percent of the time both my art & music is based off of me tryin to express myself….what I’m goin thru….how I’m feeling, experiences etc……….Artwork most people would say is my truest calling, even though I get kool feedback wit my music, but there’s times when I go thru moods that the music can express better or exactly what I’m tryin to convey….and other times my artwork would express things I’m tryin to say……my art always paints a picture….but my music paints a picture too….dat basically da definition of my name “sketch”.

9. So you started in the Golden era, back when NYC had the bull by the horns. Now the rap game turned a full 180! How do you feel about today’s hiphop climate?

Well, I’m not really trying to knock the new skool….there’s some good artist out there….especially underground….but of course you got your wack artist out here too….lol….I think because HipHop is gettin older, it has evolutionized….So artists now can get away wit stuff now dat they couldn’t get away wit back then…..and yeah dat hurts da culture…cats rhymin simple or at times not even rhymin…..lol…..Back then, you couldn’t get away wit dat, or some cats now dat might have ghostwriters….not tryin to take a shot at Drake….some of his shit I like….he makes some kool songs, but skill-wise, originality especially…I’m reppin the old skool all day…..I grew up in tha 80’s….so basically I grew up when hip-hop was born in it’s infancy stages growin….eventhough I was a kid growin up too, I feel kinda fortunate growin up round dat time, I was educated well……so I saw hip-hop before it got commercial & global….when it was still underground & raw…..then the late 80’s goin into the 90’s golden era-time, when I started fuckin wit writin,rhymin…I started studying cats dat are now considered legends so artistically I feel fortunate to learn around dat time…..Slick Rick,Puba & Brand Nubians,Big Daddy Kane,Rakim,Gangstarr,Nas even Eminem….even a whole bunch of artists before them!…..Growin up I use to be anticipating how this or that MC was gonna spit or what they had to say….now? Im not dat excited…maybe cuz the bar was much higher back then, maybe now since I know how to rhyme….some cats jus don’t impress me like when I was younger….I jus think now….there should be more of a balance…..Kool…have your ABC mumble rapper sayin tha typical shit…..but at the same time, give an opportunity to da rapper dats lyrical,original,on some different shit….give him da same amount of spins on da radio, da same amount of opportunities for him to make a living off his craft dat da typical rapper gets…and hip-hop would be better.

10. Any new era artists that catch your ear?

I like J.Cole….I really neva listened to his catalog but some of his shit I heard in a car one time….I felt it was good…some of Drakes shit is kool…I like how he rides a beat sometimes….I neva really listened to Kendrick Lamar but some of his shit I heard was kool….there was a cat named Ol’ Droog dat I thought was good….cats was sayin he sounds like Nas….haven’t heard anything from Droog in da hottest minute though….I really can’t remember anybody else comin to mind right now…so I basically listen to Ol Skool….not even really rap….I was listening Old time Reggae,Rocksteady and some old Rock&Roll.

11. How do you feel about Donald Trump as President?

Donald Trump….man..I don’t know where to start…….lol….dats kinda complex……..but at da same time I wasn’t 100percent agreeable wit Hillary either…..lol……..I plead the 5th man…..lol, I’m not too deep in da politics, but I definitely like gettin educated on what’s goin on & up on politics,current events etc.

12. Back to you and your craft. Can you give us some insight on what exactly you want to put together as your latest project and when you think you would drop it? Any producers or features?

Id like to put a solid album out…like 25 tracks deep….but nowadays a mixtape is jus as kool so I’m aiming for that first….the beats are more instrumental production….but I’m open for dope producers….I’m kinda picky wit da beats though….I feel you gotta be at times, I can basically rhyme over any dope beat…but there’s times when I feel not every beat is tailor made for the type of artist I am….but yeah I’m open-minded for producers.

13. It was good chopping it up with you and we look forward to hearing more from you homie. The floor is yours, let the world know where to catch up with you on social media or the streets!

Thanx man….good lookin out….support dat EP “Tha Sketch Factor”- Sketch Architec lookout for more EP’s I may put out on there as well….check my artwork on Facebook as well as Instagram…..check some of my joints on Advo’s Digital Dynasty series as well as some more shit on future Digital Dynasty volumes….and stay-tuned for my mixtape droppin around summer 2017…..thanx for politikin wit me on this interview……OnE..

Connect with me here- http://bit.ly/2pNs52G

from Interviews – Sketch