C. Hannibal digital media, music

That time I went to a barrio in Venezuela to talk to a religious rapper

It was Twitter that led me to this chamo. The story I worked on before that was about bitcoin or something.

I wanted to get back to something that had the potential to entertain in a city that was hyper violent and barely had toilet tissue. It came in the form of a group of guys who made home movies to show to the hood and also rapped on the side.

The leader, Joe, was a rapper who had the story of redemption through God and beats. I met a bunch of guys who were doing some reggaeton-rap stuff. They made a movie that reminded me a little of “I’m Bout it”. It was mostly because of the production value. It’s always the production value with these hood movies.

We went to their hood; their community center. It was beautiful, rising there were the slums, the barrio that ran up the mountain.

And I was safe, because the Garcha twins were right there with me.

The twins were working on Marty’s movie. We had all worked on Marty’s movie by this time.

Watch the video at the top if you haven’t already. It took some time and some care. Plus the kid from the La Linea hood, who hops on to bust a rhyme around the 4:34 mark is everything about hip-hop culture.

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C. Hannibal cinema culture, digital media

Your dream might be a Ja Rule, Ice-T movie

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In this new year of 2014, I wish everyone a chance to get closer to their dreams.

My sister asked me the other day, “what do you do at your job?”

I sad, “Well, I mostly upload stuff to the web and make posts on Facebook and Twitter.”

“I’m really a writer though.”

“That sounds awesome, are they hiring?”

Nah, dude. They’re not. Go paint a picture (she’s a talented artist), or better yet, go write a screenplay.

I met a guy recently who wrote a script. He made it into a movie with Ice-T and Ja Rule as actors in it. The screenwriter also starred in it. You see it? It’s pictured above.

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C. Hannibal cultural history, digital media, interviews, music

Lord Finesse Interview Circa 2006

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Lord Finesse.

A “rap icon” is the lazy way to describe his contributions to the game.

I dug up this 2006 interview I did with the man. This early in my hip-hop writing career, I wasn’t able to decode a 1 hour plus interview. Focus, man…

In this scratchy, rambling interview I’m playing a character that I could best describe as Ralph McDaniel’s ugly step son.

Finesse talks about Dr. Dre, and I ask him about Ice-T.

He talks about Japanese hip-hop friends.

He goes in on Fat Beats Records, and talks about the craft of rap.

Serious rap nerds will get something out of this. I sure thank the guy for the material.

Check out part two after the jump…

Continue reading “Lord Finesse Interview Circa 2006” →

C. Hannibal digital media, visually speaking

HIGH performance work

 

I’ve been so plugged in I’ve been neglecting this space. Sorry about that my fair readers. I’m dropping this on your because 1) It’s funny. 2) It’s creative AND 3) Questlove posted it on Twitter…so it must be good, because, well…that dude is paid and hipsters love and he’s still got hair. He must be special.

By the way, I’m not condoning drug use. (Lucy…Sky…Diamonds)

 

C. Hannibal cultural history, digital media, music

East-West Paperboy Division

I was at a VJ Uncle Ralph McDaniels session in Manhattan over the weekend. While Uncle Ralph was doing damage with the video mixing, the homie Samaha leaned over and asked, “You think he’ll play Paperboy?”
Had to laugh at that one. Sure, Paper Boy is the one-hit gem every West Coaster knows as the jam that rocked outdoor BBQs and skating rinks statewide. In the midst of gangster rap, this Paper Boy guy jacked a funk loop and rode off into the sunset, or did he?

Maybe one day Uncle Ralph will figure out how to squeeze this jam into his rotation, keep an eye out and let me know if you see it. He’ll be streaming his Saturday “Video Music Box” show, here.

C. Hannibal cinema culture, cultural history, digital media

A Vision Inspiring from Paradise

When news hit that visual storyteller Tim Hetherington died last month in Libya, it sent a huge emotional shockwave through the community of not just the news industry, but photographers and people dedicated to working with images. He was a hero, a skilled practitioner and one of the bravest to hold a camera in a war zone. I finally watched one of his last works, an almost 20min film that blends war footage with footage of his times in Europe. Powerful and deep. Check it out.

One of the things I’m finding most difficult in getting my photojournalism and visual storytelling on is telling a tight story. What I mean is, just showing images is the easy part. I can do that. But, putting things together in image and sound and making sense and always having a storyline, shit, man, that’s the challenge. You can shoot all you want and pop it into Final Cut and spit out a long showcase of the things you “see”. Making it all tell a story and having that good narrative is the stuff of experience, practice—-unless you’re just gifted like that, which I’m not.

I know Tim would probably be proud to know that his work will inspire–forever.  Solid storytelling and the bravery it takes to get the facts and images stimulates an understanding of time and history.

If you’re in the New York area this summer check out Tim’s work in an exhibition setting at the Aperture Foundation, through Thursday, June 23 (10:00 am–6:00 pm most days). More info is here.

(video via Frank151)