Roundup 001
sharing & celebrating the art that nourishes my soul
This is my first of many more roundups where I am celebrating art that speaks to me and nourishes my soul. From music to films, to the words I read in articles and books, I am sharing the vibes that I hope also resonate with you.
Tems’ single “Me & U” was released last October, she dropped her performance of the acoustic version on her Youtube page earlier in the month. At first glance and listen, it could easily be misinterpreted as her yearning romantic love. Though, she clarified the song was about discovering herself and her path to understanding herself (a topic that is very on brand for me this year). The acoustic version sounds heavenly. I’m hoping this is a sign that we’re going to get more new music from her. She’ll be performing at the Youtube theater on March 6th in Inglewood, CA. I am jealous and anxiously waiting for her to release dates of her NYC appearance.
The Read podcast always cracks me up. It’s light comedy and shamelessly dives into black pop-culture.
It’s honestly one of my favorite podcasts to listen to on a dreadful Monday morning where the work week begins and I can just immerse myself in a variety of that make up black culture without any guilt whatsoever.
Vintage Baldwin, The Discovery of What it Means to be American
I appreciate Baldwin’s relentless discovery of himself as a black man in many of his works. In this essay, he points out that to be a black person in America, you fight so many identities and groups - you reject and run away from claiming blackness in an effort to move through different social classes. But, Baldwin notes his experience in Europe made him rethink about mobility through social classes and his identity as a writer.
I can’t speak to living outside of the U.S. because I don’t have that experience, but I do feel the pressure to use my blackness as a marketing tool – the black writer. A lot of that pressure lies on this notion that we as Americans are constantly looking to level up within our very capitalist economy and you either choose to market your blackness or completely disregard it in order to assimilate. It is very difficult to just be authentic – whatever that may mean. As an artist, you oftentimes have to identify your audience. As for me, a woman who is black, I typically think of my audience as those similar to me. But, I often wonder if I were to dismiss those characteristics, what is left of my identity? And, I truly think that is the one of the most freeing thoughts that has crossed my mind.
First, AI was going to make the kids lazy and unintelligent by taking away their writing skills. Then, AI was threatening the relevancy of our jobs. Now, AI is stealing our content without credit. The New York Times published an article disclosing that Open AI was recreating copyrighted images without credit.
This comes off the heels of the NYT lawsuit against Microsoft’s Open AI for using previously published Times content as a way to train their AI content back in December. There has not been a verdict, but it’s likely Microsoft will walk away clean given that AI tools are oftentimes protected under the Fair Use Act that allows them to use copyrighted content to train and build up knowledge articles to a certain extent. It’s not that far off from how Google Search or other search engines return results with both unlicensed and licensed content, leaving the responsibility on the consumer to research the appropriate credits. So I’m not shocked that AI would mirror that behavior. But, I am hopeful that AI tools and companies will begin to credit creators, and will be amended as part of copyrighted laws, including the Fair Use Act. In lieu of this amendment, AI users should be taking a collective responsibility in this innovation to make sure they are sharing the credit for their own usage as best as possible. Hoping this gets addressed as we step forward in our new age of technological innovations.
Lost, Camden Musique
I stumbled across this video as I was scrolling through my timeline. As soon as artist Camden Musique struck the first key, I was hooked. His talent is not up for debate. (I feel like this song could easily fit into the Succession soundtrack.) Amazed by his live performance, I went deeper into a hole and found his other works. My other favorites are his singles, Alone and Emotional Intelligence.
Rustin
First off, hats off to Colman Domingo for his Oscar nomination. Originally, Rustin was a screenplay by Julian Breece and Dustin Lance Black that was transformed into a Netflix film. Centered around the black gay male civil rights activist Bayard Rustin and his role in organizing the march on Washington in 1963. The March on Washington is often covered with a spotlight on MLK Jr, which is a great honor and I respect that. But, the underdogs and the unwritten, hidden stories of so many civil rights leaders and activists is what I want media to expose more of. I’m so tired of the archaic stories behind the typical names who have historically pushed for change. Media takes a passive stance on pushing the narrative, that change is activated by a “select few.” But, when you truly dive into the hidden stories, you realize there are so many underdogs and so many who would be considered everyday people that have pushed for the greater good of humanity.
“But many of us seek community solely to escape the fear of being alone. Knowing how to be solitary is central to the art of loving. When we can be alone, we can be with others without using them as a means of escape.”
bell hooks
This has been a personal theme for the past couple of months, and will probably be an overarching theme throughout 2024. This year, I’ve been very intentional about spending time alone, immersing myself in different art whether that is experiential art or art that I can enjoy in the space of my own home.
I came across a snippet of an interview where the interviewer commented, “most people aren’t people pleasers, they are manipulators of belonging.” She further clarified that we are in constant longing of belonging to a group or community, and so oftentimes, we manipulate our wants, desires, and hobbies in an effort to fit into or to reach a sense of belonging. But, the true essence of belonging largely depends on knowing yourself and genuine interests so that you match and commune with people who compliment or appreciate those interests. That work can’t begin in a group, but starts within our solitary state.
I’m always looking for recommendations on new podcasts, books, or tv series so if you’ve come across anything, please share in the comments!