Rebirth of a Nation [The Experience Magazine]

T I M E S

PRODUCTIONS

The Experience Magazine REBIRTH OF A NATION staff

Editor / graphic designer || Jay stone Managing editor / PR || Kitty Leigh assistant editor || amanda flowers head of photography || Jon alonso assistant director || brielle lynn contributions:

CAMILLE MOORE

CAMILLE MOORE appears courtesy of SOEMANCIPATED

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dA ruoY EREH SEOG

REBIRTH OF A NATION TABLE OF CONTENTS

P. 10 - UNPLUGGED P. 18 - THE EXHIBITIONIST P. 24 - ALL THE ABOVE P. 34 - ART IS THE DEFINITION

P. 42 - GET IT HOW YOU LIVE: RISE OF THE STRIPPER HOE P. 46 - THE FLOWER THAT ROSE FROM THE CONCRETE JUNGLE P. 54 - UNITED | UNDERSTAND | UPLIFT: THE BLACK EXPERIENCE P. 62 - BLACK vs AFRICAN AMERICAN

CONTACT Kitty Leigh - katarinac525@gmail.com Amanda Flowers - amandafair9@gmail.com

The Experience Magazine

Samantha Herasme: Unplugged Authenticy is part of the fabric of visual arts. Realness has long been credited as a unit of measurement. Maybe, its because real artistic visions are hard to come by. JS: In my research I found that you’re like a walking book of inspirational quotes. My favorite was “I live to create::I create to live.” What does this mean to you?

When I cease to create (because life gets in the way or what not) I feel stifled… like I’m existing but I’m not alive.

SH: My everyday fuel is my passion for the arts. I love every possible form of expression, writing, fashion, photography, drawing, dancing, of course, you name it. Expressing yourself and creating go hand in hand for me. When I cease to create (because life gets in the way or what not) I feel stifled… like I’m existing but I’m not alive. So, in general, I guess it means I feed off of creativity - im inspired and motivated by it, I seek it, embrace it, in myself and within my surrounding. JS: Tell me about how growing up in NYC the art scene of the world helped shape you into who you have become.

Interview by: Jay Stone Photography by: Jay Stone & Kitty Leigh Edited by: Amanda Flowers

SH: NYC taught me how to be authentic and unapologetic for it. There is so much diversity and variety and the right amount of “fuck it” attitudes in these streets it’s impossible not to embrace who you are, as a person and as an artist. I think that’s the main impact the NYC art scene has made on me… an immense amount of self awareness and assurance. That right there, I think, is the only foundation you need towards self-fulfillment.

JS: You are big on music. Was being a musician something you were interested in at some point? SH: Oh yea! I’m super connected to music! I played drums for a bit when I was younger. I’m actually thinking about getting back into it. I thought I could sing for a while too, but I don’t know how true that really is lol. JS: How did you discover the love to dance & turning it into performance pieces? SH: I discovered movement when I was about 2 years old. My parents have me on camera dancing to “Ice Ice Baby” lol. My father was a DJ and my mom worked for Sony BMG in the 90’s so I understood and connected to music very young. I just knew I had to express my understanding and love for it in some form, so I began dancing in my room as a child and by maybe 9 years old I started making up dance routines for family bbqs, forcing my cousins to perform with me lol. I choreographed my first talent show performance in junior high, came into my own as a dancer in high school, and the rest is history. I wanted to be a choreographer ever since. JS: I asked this question because watching your Travis Scott choreography piece; it made the actual song better. Having an accompanying visual,that focused more on movement isn’t the norm. What goes into your process when creating a performance piece? SH: Good question. I like things to happen organically so how it begins is I’m usually listening to music and a song will come on that will randomnly give me a vision or

idea of how it could play out visually. I have to figure out the vibe I want to give out first and foremost and then all else kinda falls into place. Everything plays a key role in the overall product, the lyrics, the beat, the movement, the attitude, the setting and eventually the film style and editing. It’s important to me that all of those things are precisely pieced together and have meaning. My process is more so self-reflection and reinvention than anything. It is me asking myself what side of me I want to display and how can viewers connect to my feeling(s). I see my pieces as my diary entries, very personal and justifed. JS: When did you start the “herasme.” brand? SH: In 2013 I took dance very seriously and decided to brand myself. I have many plans for the brand but I started it essentially for my small business, “herasme.Movement”, a dance service in which I provide private dance/fitness instruction according to my own teaching program. I’ve been slowly developing it ever since. JS: I think its dope that you’ve built on top of your passion & turned it into a full fledge entity. Where do you see yourself in another five years? SH: Thank you thank you! In five years I definitely see the “herasme.” brand flourishing. I’d love to have worked with a roster of successful dancers, choreographers, and musicians by then. My own fashion line is also in the works so I’d love to also have a store by then. The future is actually very clear in my head, it’s just up to me to grow into the person I need to be to get there. “Refine your mind” and never stop doing so. I live by that. I believe that’s the key to getting where you need to be, being exactly where you should be, and reaching new heights. In five years, the world will know my art.

Samantha

Herasme

INSTAGRAM.COM/itsherasme itsherasme.com

I interpret my art as just that, a story.

THE VIRGIN ARTISTe “I am something of an exhibitionist”

THE EXHIBITIONIST /ex·hi·bi·tion·ist/ noun 1. a person who is extravagant in nature, attracting ttention.

Ashleigh Alexandria INTERVIEW BY: JAY STONE PHOTOGRAPHY BY: JEAN ANDRE ANTOINE

Ashleigh Alexandria

JS: Life can be very hectic. What are some of your tricks for getting into your creative space? AA: I am constantly conjuring up concepts in my head whether it’s for my body arte series or painting series. I have a lot of down time at my job so I am drawing almost every day. I also paint every Tuesday Night at the Delancey in the Lower East Side as a part of the Collage Movement. So I pretty much try to keep my creative momentum going on the daily. JS: When did you realize you wanted to be a visual artist? And how did you get into body art? AA: I have been an artist since I remember putting pencil to paper. I have a drawing book from when I was at least 4 years old. So I would say being a visual artist comes naturally to me. I choose to refer to myself as a visual artist because I am into several different forms of art, not just painting. There is videography/ screen writing, installations and photography. As far as the body art goes. It’s a fairly new series I am working on. I use to love shooting

and creating scenes and styles with outfits and background scenery but I figure what better way to showcase my two passions of developing imagery with set designs/stories lines and painting is by combing the two. I’m working on making my series as organic as possible, seeking to find the essence in my subjects, while still focusing on the art itself.

JS: What are some of the things that inspire you and your body art? AA: What inspires me is the past. I strive to keep nostalgia and that déjà vu feeling, alive. Those good feelings you get from seeing old photographs of loved ones back in the day. It’s a time that is extinct however, I want my audience to see the details in my work and be taken back into time. Eventually, I want to mesh everyday life with the body art, placing my subjects in the most unlikely of settings and situations. JS: I believe your work is like live visual stories. How do you normally interpret your art? AA: I interpret my art as just that, a story. Some are true. I try to intertwine my models with their own stories so that a piece of them is embedded in the shoot; they have a lot of say in how they would like to be portrayed. JS: Your body pieces are like public streams of creativity. Did you ever experience fear putting yourself out there in terms of body art? AA: Yes I still have my qualms about it. It’s probably the most riskiest thing I have done so far. I feel that my designs ease that bit of discomfort for me and maybe others that aren’t so use to this type of ‘body’ of work by me. Once I get into painting my models it is no longer just a nude shoot. That is when the art shines through, accompanying my subject/model . The production then comes together.

23 JS: You also regularly paint on canvases. Tell me about differences in using an actual canvas and using the human body as a canvas. AAH: As I paint on people more I find that it has its challenges. With the body there are several curves, dents and grooves and depending on who I use can all translate differently when painted on human form. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mostly about gauging where to put what and which colors to use to compliment the overall story. I get to freestyle. However, when I paint on canvas I usually am painting portraits so thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more concentration , more detail that goes in to making something out of nothing. JS: Where is it you see yourself and your work in the next decade? AA: In the next decade I see myself owning a gallery and helping young black and brown youth find their niche in the art world. The future of our people is at stake and I would like to make a difference in how the next generation views art.

INSTAGRAM.COM/thevirginartiste la-virginarte.tumblr.com

All the Above

Ike Slimster

INTERVIEWED & SHOT BY: JAY STONE 25

The art of being able to pull off any and everything is extremly admirable. Something about being able to control your art in various forms of media makes an individual the ultimate creator. That is how I look at Ike Slimster. A graphic designer, music producer, videographer, fine artist and more, he just creates. Each aspect of his craft has been carefully orchestrated over a span of his young life. So it comes as no surprise we found this great artist to pick his brain and learn what exactly he plans on doing with his ever expanding artistic skills and mind. JS: How do you manage wearing so many hats? From photographer, to graphic designer, to producer and more…. Is there ever a feeling of exhaustion? IS: It comes naturally, ever since high school, before i even identified them as tools for trade or an ambition, i was just passionately curious to learn it all, my obsession was being able to convey a message or project my visuals with sounds and images in as many ways possible, and that’s still the goal really. the exhaustion does happen, especially moving to new york and realizing that people will want to utilize you or your abilities, especially the conflict of knowing your abilities should be used to help people but you still want to maintain the uncontrolled fluidity of your work, the business side of things can desaturate that and that’s where the exhaustion lies. JS: When did you have a sense for the arts? IS: Bruhh, all my life, since like 2 year old stick figures, I just kept building, some skills analyzed and crammed to be used later when the tools where 26

available to me, for example; painting, it costs in space, tools and time. JS: Brother, you have some wonderful work all around. Tell me about your passion for each field [Graphic Designer, Photographer, Producer, videographer] IS: Graphic design came second in my venture into art, shortly after coming to America (lol) ...I became a bit (ok maybe not a bit), addicted to the internet and everyone knows how much of a big deal torrents were and still are. After surfing through these app stocked blogs and websites, I discovered photoshop, gimp, corel and many more apps i just kept experimenting with, it was definitely a hobby and slowly became a passion, we’re talking 8 hours straight trying to create vectors and image manipulations As for photography, that came third, after learning to manipulate images, I want create mine with my images, I wanted to create the images as well as manipulate them, I wanted to show people how vividly I saw life and people, all the colors and details, so I start-

ted with a little samsung coolpix pocket cam and with time I graduated to currently being able to use a canon 7d. Producer - this came simultaneously with photography, (in reference to the app surfing phase) I also discovered music making apps from wavepad to FL studio to adobe audition, it got pretty deep, because at the time I was mentally dead ambition wise, I was just over working myself , 10 hours on these apps, no food or water, I don’t even know why , I was just so into it. Videography - as with everything else, (in reference to the term “passionately curious”) I just wouldn’t stop, I started making visuals to go along with the music I was creating, just cinematic feels, playing with motion pictures to tell a story, meaning that whatever I made up in my head, I could put together in clips, that was awesome to me.

“Black women come in so many varieties, so much beauty, it’s hard to capture in any medium and my goal is for every other man to view black women the way I do, not in sexuality but in deity, with every smile and every character.”

JS: One thing I really appreciate is while going through your IG, you can JS: I notice you mentioned early see your growing process and the Russian graphic design work being of major influence. Yet, I notice your fan base building up right with you. Nigerian roots all over your artwork. Considering the field we’re in, what advice would you give a young artist How important is it that you incorlooking to breakthrough? porate where you came from while IS: Honestly, I don’t know, just keep fusing it with other styles you’ve going at it and maintain your true learned? nature, I have loved vivid colors and IS: Its embedded, there’s no staging contrast for forever and still never let or cool artist come-up gimmick here, it go, I may stray from the norm but I I just can’t help it, my mom, grandmother, aunties and sister dressed like maintain that true nature and be patient, I remember wanting to be like on occasion, my idea of the natural the other artists on instagram and beautiful woman is that and our art is tumblr who were able to do big pieces a reflection of who we are and what we’ve seen, you can see the hints of my and get that “wow” effect but I never had the money or the space, so I influences all over my work and it’s important to me because that is how I continued with what I could, paper , have an identity, identities are birth of ink and occasionally even my phone as a digital coloring pad till I was able fusions I believe. to afford the space and the painting equipment’s, so don’t stress it, life is too fluid for you to ever stress anything, when we live in a world where anything can happen.

JS: You have an affinity & appreciation for black women and it shows heavily. Tell me about this appreciation that is displayed through you work. IS: They are radiant, personalities and outlook on life, and this is not a pro black statement, it’s just me being honest, black women come in so many varieties, so much beauty, it’s hard to capture in any medium and my goal is for every other man to view black women the way I do, not in sexuality but in deity, with every smile and every character. JS: You’re a real soulful dude. I was listening to your instrumentals and it took me back. As if I was listening to some old Erykah Badu, Tribe Called Quest type music. I wish I rapped just to get on these beats! For a young man where did you get this keen sense for this sound? Have you

tried getting these out to a major? IS: HAHAHA, thanks man, i just love soulful music, I wanted more of it sampled and made, but there weren’t enough out there, beat makers /musicians were always trying so hard to be experimental, very few stuck to program, making music feel good!, I wanted to make music I could coast to, those al green/ Sam Cooke drum breaks, the sax floats and major keys they ride on, like I close my eyes and feel it and then the syncopation of percussions you follow to the eventual drops, the midway break and crescendo, aaahh! Its all so good! As for going major, not really, I’ve tried to send them to instrumental blogs, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t but I always stick to making sure it’s something I would feel if it wasn’t me making it.

JS: What is your particular outlook on things? In society? In our black culture? In our art culture & scene? I ask because you define the idea that one can do anything they set their mind to. So what is it that gets you up and going throughout the day? IS: I think society is ever progressive from the large scale to the plutonic, whatever we believe or think will make advancements over time and we fail to understand that as a society, everything you are or will be will pass, whenever we encounter an obstacle, we do two things, challenge it or reset, find spirituality and humility, nothing new under the sun but once people understand that things don’t end with a decision, we also have the reprecaution, which we call karma which has been demonized and when seen as negative can hold us back in

making any life changing decisions. but whether we move or don’t move, everything else will, now you can live your life or watch it go by, most of the miniscule things we think matter, don’t on a deathbed, think about it. The black culture is also ever progressive and malleable, I think we fail to realize this, there will be ignorance as much as there is consciousness, the ying and yang theory, the ignorance is what gives your consciousness any value, each is important to each other vitality, so preach, don’t condemn, self love with self reflection, do whatever makes you happy but always in moderation. my nindo (means ninja way, got it from Naruto lol)

JS: There isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even enough time to get into your photography & videography work. Yet just to round this all up, what is your ultimate goal with being the total package? IS: To be a creative director, I want to have a lab and a team where we can create, basically like art consultants, bunch of kids in t shirts and vans with crazy art vision, naw mean.

INSTAGRAM.COM/IKESLIMSTER ikeslimster.com

VAKSEEN LLC

ART IS THE DEFINITION INTERVIEW : JAY STONE PHOTOGRAPHY: Michelle Facundo

Otha “Vakseen” Davis is “Providing the cure for wackness” everyday. this isn’t arrogance, this is pure, admirable knowledge of self. his sense of art has followed him from a boy to a man, creating his own lane along the way. women, beauty, adversity and society are all the aeshetics behind the visions of vakseen’s art. his entreprenurial mind helped get his foot into the music world all the way never forgetting where he came from and who he is: the definition of art. JS: It’s hard to create a vision of beauty and trying to be original at the same time. How did your particular artistic style come about? How do you communicate your vision onto the canvas so effectively? VK: I was at a distinct point in my career where everything I was creating was selling, but it wasn’t challenging me from a creative standpoint. I was also in search of a specific style that would allow me to drive in my own lane and establish a niche brand. I’ve learned that’s an essential key to success from my work in the music business. The first painting in my current style (Ignorant Butterflies) just sort of happened. To this day, when I create, I get these visions and then work quickly to bring them to life. Granted, I have to bring the vision to full fruition, but everything starts with the vision. I know exactly what I want but that’s all God. That first piece challenged me and gave me an opportunity to share my thoughts, as well as a message. I was pretty hooked from that point. After creating 2-3 more paintings in that lane and getting great feedback, I switched all of my focus to this new direction and have never looked back.

and Otha “the musical entrepreneur” VK: It’s hard to say that my dad being in the military played a role in me being an artist, but I do recognize it’s a part of my journey. The military kept him working a lot and he was always out to sea on duty. My mom basically raised me, so that probably allowed me to be more in touch with my feelings and emotions. Maybe if my dad wasn’t in the military I would’ve been more inclined to be an athlete, like he was. Who knows haha. I had a pretty normal childhood from what I recall...

I grew up overweight, so I wasn’t always the most confident. I wasn’t a hermit or anything, but I was insecure. Society does that to people. Especially with the importance we place on each other’s outer appearance. It wasn’t until I was much older that I was able to love myself, and express the inner voice that my childhood circumstances wouldn’t allow. When you can’t find JS: Lets go deeper... tell us about your the words, or even worse, aren’t upbringing and how being a military kid allowed to vocalize your feelings molded you into the all around artist you within an accepting environment, are today. Who is Otha the “fine artist” it’s amazing how creativity can

serve as a conduit for emotional release. Art helped maintain my sanity in this crazy world. As for the artist versus the entrepreneur, they’re definitely the same person. My journey, I wouldn’t change for anything in the world. Although I’ve been an artist from day one, I’ve spent most of my life pursuing a music career. It wasn’t until I moved to LA in 2011 that I really started to take art serious. People kept seeing my old work from high school and the few sketches or whatever I’d done since and sort of opened a new path for me. God will definitely talk to you; you just have to listen. It’s pretty crazy to think I’ve only been pursuing art since January 2012. Sometimes I get anxious, wanting things to move a little quicker and have to remind myself of that fact. JS: In my research I noticed that you’ve worked with many industry stars and major brands. How did it feel being able to contribute to the likes of many big names? VK: It’s truly a blessing. My humble beginnings as an intern in the music business laid the foundation for everything I’ve been able to accomplish in the biz and in the art world. My biggest focus has always been making an impact on the culture so working with established artists definitely allows you to do just that. I have to stress that I’m just as excited about the lesser known artists I’ve worked with. I’ve always felt I’ve been underrated so I’m all for the underdog. Being able to help break an act from the ground up is a special experience, if not more special than working with known brands. JS: Is it safe to say that your passion for the arts is the peace of mind in such a hectic schedule? VK: Absolutely. When I’m painting, I’m just there, in the moment. It’s almost as if nothing else exists. That’s an amazing experience and extremely therapeutic. Everything can be chaotic in the music business or life period, so art provides the perfect balance to my life.

“Women are God’s greatest work of art and I believe life as we know it, evolves around women. My creations definitely evolve around women and focus on their natural allure and the insecurities created by Pop culture. In essence, my art is a reflection of society’s idolization of beauty and the surreal, superficial times we live in.”

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JS: What do you draw inspiration from when creating your pieces? VK: Life. Women. Beauty. Adversity. My art deals with personal identity and evolves around society’s idolization of beauty, the enhancements women endure to obtain this level of “perfection” and the impact this has on our society. High end fashion magazines are a big inspiration for my creative process. I’m also a fan a dope art so even going to a gallery opening and seeing dope new work is a big inspiration. It puts me in competitive, creative mode. JS: Your work has such an interesting style and with the shapes and figures, it builds up the viewer’s curiosity just like a good piece of art should. What is the meaning behind your work? VK: Women are God’s greatest work of art and I believe life as we know it, evolves

around women. My creations definitely evolve around women and focus on their natural allure and the insecurities created by Pop culture. I can’t fathom being a woman in this world. We live in a society where everything you see in the media is perfect; these perfect images that are supposed to represent an image every woman can relate to. It’s not realistic and there’s no balance. Nine times out of ten the images have been photoshopped, the models have had some sort of procedure done or they’re engulfed in makeup or high end fashion. It’s been happening for so long that perfection is the new role model. I’m not against fashion or enhancing yourself. My issue is with beauty being defined for us. This perfection is creating insecurity and forcing our young women to hate their own natural beauty. Instead of embracing individuality, imperfection and loving your unique self, we’re

championing cosmetic surgery and anything that covers up your true beautiful self. We’re creating a new breed of carbon copies where everyone has the same lips, nose and wears the same clothes. In essence, my art is a reflection of society’s idolization of beauty and the surreal, superficial times we live in. Each painting I create is a unique portrait of an insecure soul with an incredible story to share JS: You have some of the most creative pieces of art I’ve seen. I have a big appreciation for abstract and clean visuals. How do you normally begin your process? VK: Thank you! Everything starts with the vision. From there, I attack my creative process the same way a cosmetic surgeon would. I use high end fashion and beauty magazines to clip and surgically collage the perfect features together, which brings my ideas to life. From this point I recreate everything by drawing, then painting these beautifully insecure souls onto the canvas. Initially, I would create using both acrylic and oil or water color paint. Now, I solely work with acrylics. My pieces come to fruition quickly, so I love the flexibility, depth and complex layers acrylic paint allows for. JS: Who are some of your favorite artists? VK: I love the OG’s like Rene Magritte, Picasso and Salvador Dali. These guys paved the way for surrealists like myself. Aside from that, I’m truly a fan of anyone doing something creative to enhance the culture. JS: How has all of this translated in your Vakseen LLC business? VK: There’s always room for growth and advancement, but I’m blessed to be in my fourth year of working for myself. Amongst the exciting projects I’m working on at the moment, we had the #1 record and an international smash last year (Pitbull’s Timber). I’m also currently in a position where I’m transitioning art more into the forefront of my career. The traffic I’m

blessed, but I work very hard and smart. JS: Has there ever been a time in the industry that you ever felt discouraged? How did you get back up off your feet? VK: Haha every day! If it’s not my clients, it’s business politricks or art. My newest painting actually had me feeling very discouraged. There was a lot of fine detail and sometimes that can simply overwhelm you mentally. It ended up taking me two weeks to complete, when it usually takes one, but I worked through it. I’ve come to learn and accept that anything worth doing comes with adversity. That’s what gets me through the feeling of being discouraged; knowing the end result will be well worth the journey. I think patience and persistence are VERY key. JS: Tell us a little bit about the scene in Los Angeles. How do fine art and music mingle in California? VK: LA is an incredible place for a creator. With all of the creators here there’s a natural energy that you just feel. That’s actually what sold me on the move from Miami. I love that you can find music and art literally everywhere. The two worlds work hand in hand, but they’re still two completely different scenes. That’s pretty interesting to me. The same people you see going to art shows aren’t generally the same ones you see at music events or in the studio. But both fields are definitely related. I’m actually working on a special project where the sole focus is to fuse the two worlds. I can’t wait to share that with you guys! I did two album covers last year as well. I’m definitely looking forward to doing more. JS: Ultimately, what is the legacy you want to leave behind?

VK: My goal is to enhance the culture in any and every way possible. Music, art, fashion, food, you name it. I love creativity! I love the culture and the fact that we have the ability to change it through our actions. We can easily complain about how much bullsh*t there is out.....or we can do something about it. Quality is everything! That’s where Vakseen stems from. Day in, day out, I’m focused on providing the cure for wackness.

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Vakseen.com Instagram.com/vakseen/ Society6.com/vakseen

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GET IT HOW YOU LIVE

THE RISE OF THE STRIPPER HO THE RISE OF THE STRIPPER HO THE RISE OF THE STRIPPER H THE RISE OF THE STRIPPER HO THE RISE OF THE STRIPPER HO

THE RISE OF THE STRIPPER HO HE RISE OF THE STRIPPER HO THE RISE OF THE STRIPPER HO THE RISE OF THE STRIPPER HO THE RISE OF THE STRIPPER HO

KITTY LEIGH

Every person in the world has an opinion about everything, especially when it comes to women more; specifically Black women. Black women get picked apart from head to toe: literally. If they have a weave, no weave, permed, natural, chopped, or long hair everyone has something to say. If a Black woman wears make up or no make up, if she likes to have her breasts out or covered, if she wants to be a hoe or a virgin, there’s always an opinion and, quite frankly, in 2016 Black women are over it.

image via MTV/VH1 Women like Amber Rose and Cardi B don’t give a f*ck about our opinions, they just tryna make that “Schmoney” as Cardi B says. The world revolves around money, and who the hell are we to judge them for what they did to survive. It’s funny to me that the people with the most to say have little to no idea what it’s like being poor. Cardi was living with a f*ck boy who abused her; stripping paid her way to move out and escape a violent relationship.

THE RISE OF THE STRIPPER HO We have no problem being disgusted by these women but not the men who pay to see them? Amber Rose has been slut shamed by her ex, Kanye, more times than I can count, her p*ssy must be good because he can’t seem to keep her name out his mouth. She’s even been slut shamed by her ex husband who she has a child with. I can only imagine how painful that must be for her. She [Amber Rose] said in a Vibe interview once, “If a stripper changes her life she’s still a stripper. If a drug dealer changes his life he’s a business man, entrepreneur, etc…?” Amber Rose has done so much with her life and all people see is a stripper hoe. She’s been a model, an author, an activist, and most importantly a mom. It’s shameful the way we pick apart our women and whats worse, women can be the number one slut shamers.

image via GQ

45 The same way Black people have reclaimed the N-word, women are doing the same with words like bitch, hoe, and slut. For some reclaiming these words are a form of empowerment. They feel ‘I’ve been hurt and shamed by these words for so long,’ they said f*ck it I’m going to embrace it with pride. You can’t hurt someone if they are confident and happy with who they are. We are quick to look down on other women who flaunt their bodies, who are prostitutes or strippers, hell we look down on women for having sex just for fun. It’s like we can’t help but degrade each other to feel better about ourselves, or we are just ignorant either way it has to stop. You can support the movement or not, but 2016 is the rise of the stripper hoe and there ain’t nothing we can do about it. I support these women. I bought Amber’s book How to be a Bad B*itch and was blown away by the amount of self-empowerment I felt while reading it. It’s all about loving yourself and being the best version of yourself! I bought Cardi’s mix tape Gangsta B*tch Music Vol 1 and literally listened to it on replay for weeks! I felt so much pride hearing her unapologetic hood lyrics and knowing she is an Afro Latina like me from the Bronx! So either embrace it and love our sisters, or shut it up. These women want the best out of life and they f*cking deserve it. It doesn’t matter that they popped they asses for dollars; it doesn’t make them less than or undeserving. My biggest concern for women like Amber, Cardi, and Blac Chyna is that they survive the mutilations they performed on their bodies. Body modification is a hustle for most women, the bigger the ass and breasts the more money they make and it pains me to know that one day their ass shots might kill them. We must never look down on them though, because one of the reasons women mutilate themselves is for the industry but no one says anything about it. If the industry didn’t want fake ass and breasts, I guarantee most if not all the women would be natural. But everyone has an opinion right?

KITTY LEIGH ALSO appears courtesy of PHARAOH TIMES KITTY LEIGH Revolutionary Dog Walker/Artist/Writer Gemini Conspiracy Theorist

www.soemancipated.com

The

Flower >>>

That

Rose

from the concrete jungle Viv Moran INTERVIEW & PHOTOGRAPHY BY Jay stone

It’s hard to not like Viv Moran and the art she brings into this world. My first introduction to her comes in the form of a brilliant Mos Def painting. Her vibrant style is infectious. Not yet able to speak the English language, art became her escape and means of communication. Her ability to write further pushed her artistic senses. It led to her being the ultimate creator of herself. The curtain call on Viv’s career will be when she becomes a teacher, molding and ushering in new young artists. For her, it will be her best creation yet. JS: You just recently did a show at The DL in the Lower East Side with a ton of artists. How was that experience? VM: It was great! I love old school Hip Hop. Tupac & Biggie are actually two of my favorite rappers. I love being in a space where I can just be myself and be surrounded by artists. JS: You also were invited to participate in the WOMEN art exhibition presented by the League of Women’s voters of the City of NY. How much of an honor it was to take part in such event? It was so big for me to even be considered as one of the artist to display art work. I’m still a bit insecure about my work. I pretty much just got back into the game, so I don’t really think I’m even that good. Plus to be in a room full of other artist whom I think are so much better really made me a bit nervous. It’s my first exhibition. Over all the experience was incredible!

JS: How did you get into painting and when did you realize you had a love for it? VM: Art became a huge part of my life when I moved to the US when I was 4 yrs old. My Family and I came from Peru, its located in South America. We had family in South Jamaica, so that’s where we stayed. When I started school I didn’t speak any English, art was my outlet and my source of communication. I was so depressed, I missed my family. I didn’t really have any friends so I painted. When I got to junior high school, that’s when it became more serious. My art teacher encouraged me to go to auditions for art schools. But my father had other plans, I actually went to a tech. high school, I can pretty much take a computer apart and put it back together, and those big copy printers too. Art came back into my life in 2013 and I haven’t stopped since. Art & writing became my outlet, a way for me to express myself and my feelings.

JS: Has residing from Queens played a part in your artistic side? Or did it come later on? VM: Well, Queens only played a part because I moved to South Jamaica when I came to the US as a little girl. I developed a knack for art later on

THE EXPERIENCE MAG

The

Flower That

Rose

from the concrete jungle

VIV MORAN “Life inspires. Music inspires. Everything I do, what I write, what I paint, comes from my heart.”

JS: One of the questions I was looking forward to asking: what was the inspiration behind the Mos Def piece? It was basically my intro to you and I loved it. VM: I love MOS DEF! I fell in love with his lyrics when he used to host Def Poetry. That’s also how I became a writer. The way he expressed himself spoke in volumes to me. I started to listen to more of his music. He’s not just any rapper, he’s a true lyricist, a poet. He’s definitely not afraid to express himself and that’s the type of person I aspire to be.

so my art can mean different things to other people. There’s no right or wrong with art and I love that! I want to be able to bring out different emotions with my art without saying a word.

JS: I get a free spirited but also edgy vibe from you and your work. Describe your particular style and the creative process behind it. What inspires you? Life inspires, music inspires, everything I do; what I write, what I paint, comes from my heart. I don’t think I have a particular style. I can pretty much go from abstract to landJS: I read you also write. Which form of expression do you prefer? Painting or writ- scapes to surrealism and mixed media. It just ing? And why? depends how I feel that day. As for my creative process, I’m a huge procrastinator. I work best VM: I love both equally! when I’m under pressure. Everything comes to Writing helps me express myself with words, me all at once and for me that’s the best time to create and just let things flow. it helps me get in touch with my emotions. I didn’t grow up like that. We weren’t big on expressing ourselves (my family), my parents are more the types to say “Great job, now do better” kind of people. My journal became my confidant, I could pretty much say what I wanted, I could cry, curse and not be judged. Art pretty much just turns my words into pictures. Everyone interprets art differently,

JS: What has been some of your personal favorite pieces? VM: I have a piece called “Two Peas” it was one of the first I painted when I started to paint again in 2013. It two people split in the face. It can either be two men, two women, or just one person. I love all the colors in it and the patterns. I have a piece called “Upside Down”. The movie UpsideDown inspired me. It’s a tale of two people from opposite sides of the same world who fell in love and went through great lengths to be together. My piece just includes two women from opposite sides of the same world, and one is lowering down her heart to the other with this magical rope that defies gravity.

Then there’s “Nirvana”. Which is me in a Salutation seal position (yoga pose) with the sun setting in the background and I’m surrounded why all these colors. It’s my soul at peace, I’ve reached nirvana. JS: What are some of your aspirations in the future and where do you see your career as an artist taking you? VM: I’m going back to school. I want to work on my art and writing so I can perfect my craft. I actually want to be a teacher. For special needs kids. I want to teach them to express themselves in ways they can’t so they don’t feel alone. I feel like art and writing can bring out the best in everyone. If these kids can get that, people might be able to understand them better and not judge them so soon.

WHO SHOT YA?? VIV MORAN

INSTAGRAM.COM/BLACKFLOWERSGROW

INTERVIEW & PHOTOGRAPHY BY Jay stone 54

nite nderstand plift

the

BLACK

experience

Caught in a trance, I sat as powerful and sharp words met my ears and the rest of the audience. In front of us, was David Roberts but as he stood on that stage performing his sermons of truth, he was someone else. He was, a black man, a strong black man who was aware of himself. The power and passion that was projecting out of him had the audience a buzz. Having read and heard of “the black god” I couldn’t help but ask, is this he? He was D-Black and being lucky enough to hear his spoken word weaving tales of the black struggles and triumph gave the audience incredible energy and life. Immediately, The Experience Magazine linked up with him to pick the brain of a king and how he prepares to remind the world to be black, unapologetically

JS: First off, thanks again for taking the time to work with us. I really appreciate it. After the show at Word Up, I was really blown away. How do you get up for that? DB: I try to remember the cardinal rule of all performers: “Know your audience”. I combine that with my mantra for D-Black, which is: “Understand, Unite, Uplift”. These reminders help me set up my performance playlist for the night and HOPEFULLY they’ll respond positively to it.

JS: When I saw your piece, you put out a lot of emotion. What about your work invokes such passion? DB: I’m a very passionate person, very sensitive as you can see. With alot of my material, I am discussing alot of the pain of being Black and hopefully through my catharsis it The energy and passion behind it was so can help others. forceful but seemed effortless. What does being on that stage mean to you? IT’S EXHIL- JS: I’m still having a hard time trying ARATING!!!!! Lol it feels good to know there to decide which piece was my favorite are people who feel the same way you feel. between the “Story of Hip-Hop” and “I It feels good to know that you’re inspiring Apologize.” Which to you is your personal people, making people think, and also being favorite? the voice for those who are afraid to use their DB: “Hip Hop Fairytale” is dope to me beown. cause of the griot-storytelling of hip-hop’s life from birth to now. Many people have JS: How did you get into theater? What done this Common (I Used To Love Her), were some of your influences coming up? Erykah Badu (Love Of My Life). This is my DB: I actually have my degree in accounting homage that I hope serves not only as a and realized I didn’t want to pursue that. So I dope piece but a blueprint as to what went began trying to model. That was very short- wrong and how it can be prevented. lived. Lol/Smh Then I went to a play one day and really enjoyed it. I approached the direc- “I Apologize Pt. 1: The Rapper” is a character tor afterwards and I was welcomed aboard driven confession from the hip-hop genernot only as a beginning actor but as an intern/ ation as a whole to the Black community. I personal assistant. love the emotion in that piece. It’s necessary to let certain feelings out so they can be reMy influences include “Raisin In The Sun”, ally looked at and examined. Because of this Langston Hughes or any poetry that moves there is a bit more of a special place in my my soul, pop culture, Sidney Poitier, Jeffrey heart for this piece as opposed to “Hip Hop Wright, Denzel, Forrest Whitaker, Wesley Fairytale”. Snipes, Bill Cosby, Don Cheadle, Eddie Murphy, Sophie Okonedo, Loretta Devine, Laurence Fishburne, Hip Hop culture, neosoul era, History of Egypt, metaphysics, my mom, etc.

What we must do as a collective is return to that sense of solidarity, consciousness, and group economic power that gave us Black Wall Street,The Abolitionist Movement, Civil Rights Movement, Harlem Renaissance and some many other pioneering legacies that are just as important today as before. 56

JS: You come off like a wise guru; there is a sage-like presence you give off while your performing. I think that is important especially when teaching the black knowledge of self. I read that you are basically very proud to be your mother’s son and proud to be able to look at black culture from “both sides of the fence.” Did you always have this level of conscious? DB: Thank you for the compliment. I DEFINITELY did not always have this level of consciousness. There were little tidbits of consciousness but it definitely grew once I became an actor and poet. The people I was around just exposed me to things that I wanted to do more research on. What I will say though about ANY information you bring into your vessel is to be mindful of: “What that information is?, Who it’s from?, How are you going to use it? And how is it serving you?” JS: Tell us about both “The Black Experience” and “Moment of Clarity.” DB: “The Black Experience” was my first dvd project. It was mainly comprised of some of my written works from my chapbook: “just my thoughts”. Some people were saying that

“the book is good but you need to be SEEN”. Haha so that spawned the dvd. This project is comprised of 12 live performances speaking on different issues concerning the Black community from interracial issues: “4 Men”, Black pride: “Black People”, interracial dating: “Interracial Trilogy”, pseudo-revolutionaries: “A Convo With Pseudo”, etc. This dvd focused on the really heavy stuff. “Moment of Clarity” was way more fun. I talk a bit more about myself, light hearted subjects (the exhilarating feeling of the right kiss with the right person: “Electricity”, the ills of being a chain smoker: “Smoker’s Testimonial”, a fan asking a celebrity to stop his heinous actions: “Fan Letter to DMX”), but still not losing focus on the deep topics as well: (creation of the ghetto: “Welcome to What They Call The Ghetto”, experimentation vs. orientation of homosexuality: “REALLY?!!!”, an apology from the white collective to the Black community for past/present atrocities: “I Apologize Pt III: White America”). This dvd is 16 live performances plus a photo gallery.

Unite

Understand

JS: As a strong black man whose aim is to bring about black unity and social awareness, which would you say is a more important need for the black community? A singular leader like Malcolm X, MLK Jr, Huey Newtown, and Fred Hampton. Or, a new social movement with not one single person in charge? DB: I think when we look at the times of the Civil Rights Movement there have always been a number of different leaders for a certain collective NEVER just one person. What we must do as a collective is return to that sense of solidarity, consciousness, and group economic power that gave us Black Wall Street,The Abolitionist Movement, Civil Rights Movement, Harlem Renaissance and some many other pioneering legacies that are just as important today as before.

uplift

JS: What in your opinion is your best work to date? DB: Ohhhhh goodness!!!!!! Haha so tough to say. I guess I will play it safe and say I haven’t done it yet. That feeling is what helps to keep me pushing. JS: Finish this sentence. “When its all said an done, I want to be remembered for……..” DB: Being the man who left a blueprint for how things went wrong and showed how to prevent it from ever happening again. -Being the man who did it HIS way. -Being the man who reminded us to be Black, unapologetically.

www.davidrobertsdblack.com Youtube.com/user/DBLK504/feed

BLACK VS

AFRICAN AMERICAN

Are You Black, Or Are You African-American?

CAMILLE MOORE As a Black person in America, the whole concept of identity can be a little confusing. Since Black people were first brought to the United States during the slave trade, our ‘label’ has changed several times. Nigger, Slave, Negro, Black, Colored, African-American – what we’ve been called seems to change at least once every few decades. Sure, you can say that how we’re labeled isn’t that important, but the truth is, these labels play an interesting role in identity, and the concept of community. Shoot, hear somebody identify using the ‘wrong’ term around the ‘wrong’ people, and all hell will surely break loose; which brings me to my point. I know y’all remember a few months ago, when Raven-Symone damn near broke the Internet by announcing that she is “not African-American.” I’ll admit, I was more than a little put-off by that, and I was right there with everyone else sharing memes and statuses about how clueless poor little Olivia Kendall (FYI her last name wasn’t Huxtable) was. I mean seriously, how could she say something so ridiculous?! However, the ideas of race and ethnicity are things that have come up pretty frequently in conversations I’ve had with friends over the last month, and sometimes they bring me back to Raven and her seemingly stupid statement.

image via CNN

BLACK But was Raven really denouncing her affiliation with Black people (she says she wasn’t, but let’s be real, she’s on mute to most of us at this point)? And if that’s not what she was doing, then why did so many people take it that way? Well, I anyway, what I’m trying to get at — if you couldn’t already tell — is this: are Black and African-American really interchangeable or are they two different things that sometimes intersect? Ima go with B on this one. In my mind, identifying as Black denotes race, while African-American denotes ethnicity. So for me, it is completely possible to be Black without being African-American (although I consider myself both). After all, there are millions of Black people in the world who aren’t American so to apply the term African-American to the entire race of Black people is simply incorrect. I think as Americans, regardless of race, we seem to have a hard time accepting the fact that we don’t make the rules for race and identity for people in other parts of the world. Think about it, the default among American people in general seems to be to call Black people African-American. It’s almost as if it’s offensive to call Black people Black. You even got fools calling Black people in France African-American because they’re scared to utter the word Black. With so much debate about the term African-American, Raven certainly isn’t the only Black person who chooses not to identify as such. But does that necessarily mean that they’re denying their Blackness and their ties to Africa? I don’t think so. I also think policing how people identify can be extremely problematic, but that’s another discussion for another day. I’ll write more about how I choose to identify in another post, but this one is for y’all.

Do you identify as Black, African-American, or both? Share this post with your friends and family to find out what they think.

AFRICAN AMERICAN Camille Moore appears courtesy of SoEmancipated Camille enjoys having meaningful discussions about race, class, gender, and sexuality and the intersectionality that they create. She hopes that her writing will spark meaningful dialogue among people all over the world.

www.soemancipated.com

PHARAOH TIMES PROJECTS LIST JAY STONE: THE EXPERIENCE MAGAZINE 2016 SEASON KITTY LEIGH: REVOLUTIONARY DOG WALKER || TBA JAY STONE: BLACK MADONNA || MOTHER’S DAY JAY STONE: REBIRTH OF A NATION JAY STONE: AMEN || FALL 2016 DRUGS: THE SOCIAL EXPERIMENT || TBA JAY STONE X ANDY REMY : ISIS & THE SUNRISE KINGDOM #2018 pharaohpharaohpharaoh.tumblr.com/