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Re Cap: Dj Uncle Ralph McDaniels ( honoring him for his outstanding contribution to the birthing of Hip Hop)

I am going to reminisce here:

I am gonna tell ya why he is important to me, to Hip Hop, the Urban community and to creativity. Being Born and raised in Harlem, I grew up viewing that drugs, alcohol was a common thing/activity that my neighbors and my neighborhood often do. That activity lead to also many crimes around the city, and has affected many families from venturing out at certain times of the day and or night.

I remember also my personal family crisis, and also coping with it through art. I often STAYED at home and drew on sketchbook ( black books) to pass the time before I go back to school again the next day. ( yeah I didn’t have a life). But at that time it didn’t bother me. I remember also during these street wars, and HOT times where safety was a major issue, that my brothers and I often STAYED together in a room. Sure our black and white color tv didn’t look that good, but it did its job. Sure our home was cold and there no heat, but were wore coats to sleep, Hey you gotta do what you gotta do ...

Mentioning the above experience with siblings lead us to "congregate" with one another, and explore what we have learned from school or the streets. These get together (as family must often do), we cherish them a lot to the point that we looked forward in reconnecting every day. One spring afternoon, we had a hold of an original black book from a dear friend, this book was crazy cool and had experienced graf writers all up on it. We were all in the art buzz to start mimicking and teach ourselves what they have learned from this book, that we began immediately . This let us to turn that darn tv on. I am not sure who turned on the tv, but I remember the them song, and VIDEO MUSIC BOX being on. " WOOOW, did you hear that beat?! who’s that on the Mic.? Biz Marc and Slick Rick... a few that sprouted here and there in this episode?

I didn’t know them , but how they did their thang was NICE. My brothers and I can stay to this day, how we can never forget how influential turning that TV was for us, because from there on, we were all hooked, and we were always together creating art on the floor our bedroom that we eventually made into a studio. Thank You Dj Uncle Ralph McDaniels for pushing forward your vison to capture what many youth in the streets where willing to express, at the time where MTV were not allowing African American music in their program. Thank you Angela McKenzie for welcoming me and my brother Tomas in his Tribute show at Bowery Poetry Club! Love ya and oh what a feeling to finally meet a great inspiration.

Photos taken by Victoria Holt!

for more photos check out her facebook link and as well Joann Gomez link :

http://musiclookslikethis.smugmug.com/Music-Photography/Uncle-Ralph/11368145_ZQcp5#798551458_rCCLL

March 11, 2010 ( Painting on a nude model ) FIGHTING FOR FUTURES event

 

Momma's Hip Hop Kitchen ( Saturday March 6 ) ( presenting a banner with other artists.

The Volumes increases as the empowerment of important women issues are surfaced to the masses, as to how we all need to help one another in our community and with oneself.

Very proud to have participated last year and this year as well, contributing to a banner that will be shown at the event Saturday March 6th. I will * hopefully sell some t shirts and have my son with me. I do hope to see ya there too, in a most needed of encouragement and acknowlegement .

A big thank you to Lichiban, and Amanda Diva for helping with the banner, you all did a fantastic job!

Sey One: Fundraiser RE CAP: Good cause GREAT NIGHT!

Oh meng, I had so much fun meeting my art buddies, and all the new faces there. Perhaps there will be coverage since I saw many many cameras and lights all around sprinkled here and there at the Bar. I donated a few of my favorit paintings, and I really asked Meres to paint live, since I am a bit incomfortable talking and mingling. tee hee. The agreement is I paint live and the art I create that night will be placed in auction. All proceeds to help his art buddy recover and get more treatment to help fight a medical conditions that is always affecting his body.

Here but just a few pictures of the night. My brothers and I worked on a dyptic canvas. * I took a camera and took a picture of my brother painting, and thats what I ended up creating, with his canvas looking like a black book, and my brothers were to create imagination out of it. I hope you like it..

( this canvas was donated by AR1 for his boy that passed away by the tag street name called " OUCH")

Reunited: My moms trip to the city and back home to Beacon

Friday 12, 2010, I made up my mind and had also the funds to travel way upstate and see my mom. I was also was given the liberty to bring her home to celebrate my son's birthday party. I took this chance to have my brothers see my mom, since they are both tremendouly busy ( as well as my dad...), to see her.

It was Novermber 27, 2008, since my mom last seen New York City, and in her own words: " I dont miss it much "

Her stay at my new crib in the bronx was short one, but was very heart warming dispite the cold wearther and snow storm. Love ya mommy, always. My the Lord Bless you as he has blessed me with your presence...

Wesly, Tomas, Jorge, and me...

"Bullets & Love" Fun experience... Re CAP

TONS I mean TONS of ILL art on them walls of FRESTHETICS store up in Brooklyn! Hot works displayed while savoring platters filled my belly! After the amount of people packed this store, poetry and then a Live Painting on a topless model, by me and my brothers and a few art friends... ( See One, Spaze Craft to name a few). Awesome night of art mingles and spectators...

My brothers Tomas, and Jorge with a little help from my son Wesly, created the mannequin for this show. Group art, group Love...

Re Cap: "One Wont Do" \\ A Tribute to the Great J * Dilla FEB. 5th

Thanks to Jessica from I Heart Dilla, and many others that where at the Tribute of J * Dilla, on February 5th, for allowing me to painting along side with Crystal Clarity that night! I had so much fun. See One, another Live Art Performer, was there, which was even cooler, was that he WON the J Dilla t shirt design competition and was selling his shirts for others to get and all proceeds went to the J Dilla fund. That night was special for not just the many fans of J Dilla, but for his mother who so happens to be there and was apart of the audience that enjoyed all the LOVE and all the shout outs of her son. Such a great musical influence J Dilla was, and I was able to witness such appreciation while listening to the many people on stage. Donuts and Lyrics were served with the essence of real hip hop beats...( before I begin, all of these photos are from Elizabeth Allen, aka, No Body Beats The Liz 2010 and MLLTphotos). I saw many many people that night, too many to give a shout out to, but I will post a few picture of the night here... I do hope you enjoy them.

SEY ONE: donating some art for the Fundraiser Group Art show: February 17, 2010