Disturbing tha Peace for 25 Years
The foundation of my lens-based art is built on doing “BTS” or Behind the Scenes camera work, which I began doing in 2007. At the time I didn’t have a grandiose artistic vision or voice that I was aware of, but I did know I was creatively capable and able to follow instructions. This journey began with a simple instruction from Big Jeff Dixon, co-manager of Ludacris from 2000 til this day; he said, “learn all this camera shit, from these niggas, so we can start our own shit!”
So, learn from these niggas I did which turned out to be the quickest and most lucrative film school I could have gone to; not just because every artist budget has a line item for BTS, but because you get to learn how every pro on the spectrum does their work. Whether it be music videos, photo shoots, concerts, movies, anything that an artist like Ludacris is called to do, I got to watch how EVERYBODY on that set did their job and within 3 years that crash course made me feel confident enough to go out on my own and start making films. I have made dozens of films since 2007, but even more so I blossomed into the artist I didn’t know I was making curating art shows, doing my own art shows, photography commissions and in the past few years facilitating opportunities for other developing artists to show their work by starting a film festival called AUDIO VIDEO FEST that just had its second successful run earlier in October. I’ve written a book about being an artist and I have apprenticed artists to help them bring their visions to life, all because I took the time to observe what was going on behind the scenes.
When I saw the fliers for One Music Fest and Ludacris as headliner for his 25th Anniversary, I knew I had to hop back Behind the Scenes one more time in a role that helped me develop the photographic eye that has made my visions what you see today. Concert photography is NOT easy, every moment is fleeting and there are so many to record at a festival like OMF. These days EVERYBODY got a camera so I didn’t have to do as much running from the pit to backstage as I used to ( sometimes I would just jump off stage) in fact I relished being able to capture those moments that no one else would see because when the larger story is retold, maybe some of these images can help fill in the blanks, but more than that also help acknowledge the people who make all this shit come together. By the time the fire and smoke start shooting out the stage all people really see is Ludacris, but even he would want to take the time if he could, to acknowledge every single person that helped him deliver one of the best shows he has ever done in his life! Truly blessed to be part of this legacy and to witness the greatness that has no doubt rubbed off on me in a major way. After 25 years (nearly 20 for me personally) “WE STILL JUST GETTING STARTED”!