Local Graff Art 2

In the spirit of the giving season I offer the next installment of the Local Graff series. 

Below are some pics I shot in Amsterdam Oost (East) by a place named Flevopark. This park is known as one of the meccas of graffiti, because of all the tall walls and low police intervention. While roaming the area looking for good pics to post, I was fortunate enough to see a group of talented artists paint a new mural in front of me.  Check the pics below. 

The Original Statue of Liberty Was Black

Very few people know the origins of the massive statue that stands in New York Harbor greeting travels from across the globe. The Statue of Liberty was a gift from the French to signify the end of slavery. There is evidence that supports claims she originally resembled a black slave with broken shackles on hands and feet. 

The artists Edouard Laboulaye and Auguste Bartholdi intended the statue to be a monument that would commemorate America’s commitment to liberty and equality established by the Declaration of Independence. You can view the original designs on display in the Museum of the City of New York. 

When the American government saw the designs they refused to have an African-American be a National Monument and sent them back. They preferred to have a monument that was European and made no references to slavery. Auguste Bartholdi redesigned the statue to resemble the face of his mother Charlotte Beysser Bartholdi. The only remnant of the original design is the chain (from the shackle) showing from under Lady Liberty’s dress. 

There’s also a rumor that the redesigned statues official title is Liberty Enlightening the World. Her construction was funded by the Masons and she is holding the Masonic Torch of Enlightenment, also known as the Flaming Torch of Reason. The same woman is used in the logo for Columbia Pictures.

There’s a large plaque bearing masonic symbols on the base of the statue.

Just sharing a couple of fun (rumored) facts about the Statue of Liberty you probably didn’t know.

Novicane Video Release

What's Poppin People, 

The wait is over! Here is my new video "Novicane" off Tha Audio Bully album. The theme of the clip is showing the contrast between light and dark obsession. 

My new album is on the way and plans are already being made for the clip to "Speaking Chinese." Once the track is re-recorded and mixed, the video is on. It's going to be sunshine, beaches and beautiful women.

Watch the clip below, leave a comment and tell a friend to tell a friend. Thanks for the support.

New Muzik

I've been enjoying the new muzik coming out. There seems to be more underground Hip-Hop rising to the surface. 

Time is short and my work load long. So check out the new tunes by State Property, DB tha General, Redrum, Caddy da Don ft. Fat Trel, and Nas ft. Arlissa. Be on the look out cuz the new video Novicane will be released soon.

Local Graff Art

I've been spending allot of time biking around the city. I'm editing the video for Novicane and looking for ideas on which visuals to use.  I draw inspiration from nature and going around Holland on bike, you always find something new.

This post is the first in a series of posts I will be doing sporadically dedicated to local graffiti art. I see some nice pieces when riding and recently I started taking pics. So far I've only shot pieces from West Amsterdam and the Centrum. As I travel there will be graff art from the rest of the city.

Don't get it twisted, I'm not limiting the location to Amsterdam. I ride there the most but I'm going to post graff pics from other cities also. I've seen some interesting work while riding the train to Den Haag and Rotterdam. 

There's allot of dope street art that only people in Holland get to see. So I'm going to share it with the world. Check out the pictures below. 

Designer Babies

We are at the point technologically where humans can play God. 

Up to this point all a parent could do was give their child advantages after they were born. Such as wealth, status, education etc. Now thanks to advancements in genetics a parent can design their ideal child at conception. Enter the designer baby.

Science has identified the genes for intelligence, obesity, depression, heart, liver, kidney disease, alcoholism, addiction and numerous other conditions that affect society. Now they can isolate the desired traits a parent desires in their future child…say tall, blue-eyes, blond hair and have it created. 

Sound familiar? It should. Hitler used that as the description of his master race. Some scientists believe this technology will be used to create a master race. Which will eradicate all people weaker, different, or disabled. With techno-evolution (technology sped-up evolution) we could alter the course of mankind or destroy it. 

History has shown, for just as many experiments that are successful there are an equal number of failures. This fact has led to speculation that the technology will be used to breed mutants, which are abnormally gifted in all things. The whole subject sounds like a bad sci-fi novel but the science exists and is already in use. Watch the documentary below for more details.

Tormented Art

Amedeo Modigliani  (July 12, 1884 – January 24, 1920) wasn't an extraordinary painter or sculptor. What made his work famous is the story behind the art. 

I never knew of Modigliani until I saw Andy Garcia play a fictionalized account of his life in the film Modigliani. In the film Modigliani is an up and coming Italian painter who becomes the art rival of then famous Pablo Picasso. He battles with canvas, Picasso, addiction and his love of women. My favorite line from the film is also the best description of the artist. "Why must you suffer for your art Mo, when all you have to do is paint." 

Afterwards I researched Modigliani and found his real history far more interesting than the movie. Modigliani made tormented art. He suffered and lived with illness his entire life. He was born into a wealthy Italian Jewish family who were well established in their community. Modigliani contracted pleurisy when he was 11, then a few years later caught typhoid fever. When he was 16, he contracted tuberculosis which later claimed his life at 35. 

During his brief career Modigliani was a man obsessed with art. He would sometimes do up to 100 sketches in a day. He loved alcohol, drugs and women just as much so he was often homeless and broke. During those low periods he would sell sketches and paintings for necessities, so the majority of his work is lost history.

The art that remains has become far more famous than Modigliani dreamed. He was a talented, and tormented man who only managed one art show in his entire career. Back in 2010 a series of his paintings from 1917 sold for over 68 million dollars. A testament that his art was before his time. 

Below are some paintings from Amedeo Modigliani, the man, myth and legend. If you would like to see more of his work click the link: Modigliani Gallery.

Aussie Hip-Hop

There are numerous reasons to visit Australia, also known as the land down under. Most people go for the sand, sun, and beaches but recently people have been checking for Hip-Hop.

I was fortunate enough to visit Perth, in Western Australia, several years ago. While I was there most days were filled with Bar-B-Q's on the beaches, surfing, and sun-bleached blondes. (try saying that sentence fast 5 times) I was only there for a short time and didn't see much urban culture. Most of the nightlife was rock bands and the clubs played a mix of pop and top 40 music. Some of my friends who were in Sidney at the time told me they were in the Hip-Hop hotspot.

The Aussie Hip-Hop scene has been independently developing since the late-eighties. Most of their early exposure to Hip-Hop came from television and radio programs. Before the music became popular, other elements of the culture (like break-dancing and graffiti) had already taken root. Their scene is grassroots and underground. Most of the early releases were done by indie labels usually run by the artists themselves. Their style is a blend of Reggae/American rap combined with European influences and local slang.

Just like everywhere else there is a division of wealth, community, and resources. These topics were brought to public attention by Aboriginal (Australian indigenous people) rappers like Brothablack, Local Knowledge, Native Ryme Sindicate and others who are considered conscious MC's.

Recently there has been an explosion of Aussie talent hitting the airwaves. Iggy Azalea made headlines when she signed with T.I.s southern imprint Grand Hustle. Bliss n Eso made a global impression with their album "Flying Colours," from 2008. I like those cats. The Hilltop Hoods, have a track "Nosebleed Section," that reminds me of "Paul Revere," by the Beastie Boys. 

Below are tracks from Iggy Azalea, Young Warriors Ft. OutLawz, Bliss n Eso, The Last Kinection, and The Hilltop Hoods showing that, there is a lot of talent rising from the land down under.