RH Collectors: DJ RTC
Many music heads are also collectors. There's a common thread between seeking out new and rare sounds and using that same drive to acquire and celebrate other passions that ties collectors of all kinds. RH Collectors is a series that aims to showcase the collections of the various music heads in Chicago and beyond. In our last edition, we spoke to the Stitch Gawd, who showed off her collection of art and memorabilia that she has collected throughout her time in the Chicago music scene. Today, we turn the spotlight onto Closed Sessions + rubyhornet honcho, DJ RTC.
Going back to his early childhood, RTC has been an avid baseball and basketball collector, and boasts an impressive collection. For this installment, I spent time with RTC's card collection and asked to speak on a few choice cards. Peep it below.
If you've got a collection you want to talk about, hit us up. We want to talk to you.
What got you into collecting cards?
I think it was partly playing sports, and playing on teams all based on major league teams. My first team was the [Atlanta] Braves. I was young, like 6 or 7 years old. I just remember watching the real Braves on TBS and all my teammates wanting to be certain players. The first baseball player I really knew and wanted to emulate was Dale Murphy. Later, my brother introduced the concept of baseball cards to me and I got into keeping stats and dove into the card collecting heavy with many of my friends. It turned into a big social activity. My friends and I all played in the same baseball league, and we all wanted to be like our favorite players. We picked our jersey numbers based on those players. We would hang out all day playing sports and/or trading cards. Then from there it became more obsessive, it was all about who could get the most rare cards in your peer group. It was a good era to be a kid in that the popularity of cards was at an all-time high. It was a great way to feel closer to the game.
Ozzie Guillen: 1985 Fleer Extended Rookie Card
Ozzie Guillen was a shortstop on the White Sox from 1985 to 1997. Then he briefly went to The Orioles, then the Braves, and ended his career with the Devil Rays. In 2003 he came back to manage the White Sox. Ozzie Guillen was my favorite baseball player growing up. I modeled my stance in little league after him, many coaches corrected that because it wasn’t an ideal stance for a little kid to have (fundamentally speaking). My dad started taking me to this card shop by Comiskey Park, and I also got a subscription to this magazine called Beckett that listed the value of baseball cards, and I started noticing this thing called the XRC card, which stood for “extended rookie card.” I saw Ozzie Guillen’s XRC in Beckett and finally tracked this down . I don't even know at what point I got it, but it took a while. My dad and I got it at Grandstand in Bridgeport. Definitely a prized card, many Sox fans around my age view Ozzie as the man. I can't speak for older or younger fans, but definitely in my age group, Ozzie was the man. If we could one day throw a Closed Sessions party with Ozzie Guillen in attendance, that’d be great.
Sandy Koufax: 1963 Topps
I connect with Koufax on many levels. One of the great things about baseball, why I also think I like it so much, is that my dad, he kind of got into it with me. My dad's older, he had me much later in life, when I was 10 he was already 55. For him, his generation of baseball player was from the ‘50s and 60’s. Sandy Koufax was revered in every Jewish household, he was one of the first athletes to proudly be Jewish. Game one of the 1965 World Series games Yom Kippur, which is the Jewish day of atonement. Even for Jews who don't go to synagogue regularly, Yom Kippur is the one day where you’re supposed to sit back and observe. Sandy Koufax was the Dodgers best pitch and was supposed to pitch that game, he decided to sit out and observe the holiday and became a Jewish folk hero. That’s one piece of it for me, another is in Sunday School there was this teacher who always labeled me as a trouble maker for whatever reason. Whenever anyone did something, he would blame me and send me to the library. So I would be able to get out of Hebrew class and go to the library, and I actually preferred it like that. I’d have nothing to do, so I'd just check out books. There was a book about Sandy Koufax, and anytime I was sent to the library, I’d find the book and pick up from wherever I left off. I learned that the first few years of his career he was really bad, he was 2-2, 2-4, 5-4, 11-11, ERA was high, he wasn't very good. He had to figure out how to succeed, and its unique because he’s in the Hall of Fame and revered as one of the greatest pitchers ever. He only had a few great seasons, but they were so good that he ended up as one of the best. He also retired early because although he could still play, he said he wanted to “live the rest of my life with the use of my arms.” So I think Sandy Koufax has a lot of things that make him unique: from almost being cut to becoming one of the best, to retaining personal beliefs over sports, and even the idea of quitting while you’re ahead, athletes using their bodies while they still can. Thats why I connect with Koufax on so many levels. This card from 1963 I got at a shop in Skokie. It was one of my first major cards for sure.
Jackie Robinson: 1954 Topps
My brother's friend Josh was cleaning up his room and that included getting rid of a slew of all of his baseball cards. He dumped them all in one big bag. He called me up and said, 'if you want to sort through this bag and keep the cards, that's fine but just know its mostly scrub players, worthless cards.' So I’m like, 'ok, I got nothing to do.' It was summer vacation, I was probably in 3rd or 4th grade. He lived next door, and I went over got this large paper shopping bag of cards. I take them home and start going through them. It's been a few hours, I’ve gotten some good cards but nothing special... I picked up the next card by the back, I see "Brooklyn Dodgers" and some stats and I’m just getting this feeling like, 'oh shit, oh shit.' I was maybe 11 or 12 at the time. It only took a second, but I remember turning the card over in slow motion, in my head thinking 'please let it be, let it be' and I remember just having a heart attack. A real life Jackie Robinson baseball card! My mom had these books at home that were called "ValueTales", they are a series of books that taught kids morals and to believe in themselves etc... There was a book about the story of Johnny Appleseed, Abraham Lincoln, but as cartoons and starting as kids. One of my favorite editions of the series was the Jackie Robinson story, which taught the value of courage. I remember viewing him as this epic figure, and here I was with his baseball card. I remember I was so naive that I called Josh up and was like, 'thank you so much! I can't believe there was a Jackie Robinson card in there,' when he was probably on the other line thinking, 'damn...' It was my prized possession, I had it in a single case, one day I guess I left it on the couch or somewhere, I go to bed, then later hear my mom on the phone, all of a sudden all I hear is 'OH NO, THE DOG HAS THE JACKIE ROBINSON CARD OH MY GOD!" I jumped out of bed, found it in this (ripped) condition, had a meltdown, I probably wanted to kill the dog. I was so sad I probably cried myself to sleep that night. I was so angry and sad I told my mom I didn’t even want it, get rid of it, I didn’t even look at it for maybe 6 months. But she always kept the card around, so later I healed enough to finally put it back in my book and accept it, because it is still a real Jackie Robinson card - it is ripped, but at least I have one, So (Shrugs)...
Michael Jordan: 1990 Upper Deck
For anyone that doesn’t know, really sadly Michael Jordans father was killed the summer after the Bulls won their third championship, the first 3 peat and as a way of coping Michael Jordan stepped away from the Bulls and pursued baseball because that was his dad's dream (to play in the major leagues). Jordan was good enough to get to the minor leagues with the Birmingham Barons, it had always been known before that he could play baseball well. This card was actually from before that, when he would play in spring training games. The White Sox and Bulls have the same owner. If you’re a real collector you have to have this. It was one of the first years of upper deck coming out and this was just a dope card to have.
Bo Jackson: 1991 Topps Traded
This was big because he was severely injured playing football. He had to retire from the sport and took a while off from baseball. Many people thought he was done. He was released by the Royals right before the season started, the White Sox signed him after the season started and everyone was pretty excited. This was included in Topps “traded edition”, which would come out midway through the season every year and multiple brands started following that format, reissuing cards for marquee players. This was the first card of Bo Jackson as a member of the White Sox. It was significant because he was such a famous player and so heavily tied to the Royals. And extra significant to me as a lifelong White Sox fan. My dad used to take my brother and I to Toys-R-Us and we’d buy packs of trading cards and my brother would always end up taking the best cards because he was 8 years older than me. He’d give me some of my personal favorite players that I'd heard of but actually sucked, while he’d pocketed a Mo Vaughn rookie card or this Bo Jackson card. One day I decided it was time to take them back, so I hope he’s not reading this because I did in fact steal this card back from him. So yeah, First ever Bo Jackson card on the Sox, the highlight of the Topps Traded Edition 1991.
Shawn Respert: 1995 Classic Wooden Award Contender (autographed)
My brother went to college at Michigan State and Shawn Respert and Eric Snow were there and they formed Fire & Ice. He is was the school leader in 3 pointers made, and Michigan State's all-time leading scorer. This card is special because it came from his collection, which is pretty interesting that I think about it. He graduated in 1995, and was my favorite basketball player at that time. When he got drafted, I wrote him a letter wishing him good luck with The Bucks and stuff. He wrote back with this signed basketball and that cemented him for me as one of my favorites. He never really made it in the NBA. It came out years later that he had stomach cancer and just never told any of his teams. But man he was a hell of a college player and a great guy.
Kobe Bryant: Fleer Ultra 95-96 Rookie Card
Outside of Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant really opened the floodgates for high school players to go straight to the NBA. This was during the height of my card collecting. Getting a Kobe rookie wasn’t much of a big deal at the time, since he hadn’t done anything in the NBA yet, but I had a feeling that this was gonna be special. Similar to music, and how you can tell certain artists are going to be something special, I saw that with Kobe Bryant and basketball. I got this one in a pack. So many years later during his famous feud with Shaq I remember a lot of people siding with Shaq and at the time I was in teach for america training which was in Long Beach, California. There were a lot of kids from LA in that program and we were on the school bus one day and the radio announced that Shaq had just been traded to The Heat. All the kids were like “oh no!! Fuck Kobe” while I was just laughing since I was just a Bulls fan with no particular stake in either side.
[RH Collectors] Stitch Gawd
Walking in to Stitch Gawd’s apartment is the closest thing to walking into a Chicago rap scene museum that I have experienced thus far. Everywhere you look there is art created by, for, or about Chicago Hip Hop. Art on the walls, art on the floor, even the in the bathroom (which is a shrine to Joseph Chilliams). She has hundreds of signed show posters, photos, paintings, flyers and everything else in between.
Standing in the middle of her living room she looked around and started pointing things out at a rapid pace. “That Max Sansing illustration is from Kevin Coval’s book, that’s an original Hebru Brantley," she says before spotting something from photographer Bryan Allen Lamb (who has done multiple CS photos and docs). "That’s the first piece that Bryan Allen Lamb ever sold, I forced him to sell it to me. I was like, how much did it cost you to frame that, $350? Would you let me walk out of here with it for $450? Like, I Venmo you $450 and I leave with your art? And he said ‘Okay, for real?’ and I said, 'go get it.' So that was the first piece he sold, I made him sell it to me. That’s a Brandon Breau piece over there.”
Because she never sells her own work - creating customized clothing for her favorite artists - she has done a lot of trades. Over the years her continual presence within Chicago’s music scene has led to her meeting, and trading with, some of the most important artists in the city. But it wasn’t until this interview that she fully understood that she is in fact, an art collector.
“Oh my gosh, I’m an art collector! We’ve lowkey been talking about that the whole time… Wow I didn’t know that til right now. Oh my god I’m kinda blown actually," she said. "Art is such a nebulous concept and because it’s so nebulous, we have a hard time giving ourselves the space to grant yes or no, we want to make sure we have everyone else’s opinion before we deem it art or not, but really we don’t have to do that. Wow, so I didn’t know I was an art collector.”
For this edition of [RH Collectors], we asked The Stitch Gawd about some of her favorite pieces. Below you will find a handful of the 160+ works of art and some of the stories behind them. Check back for our full in-depth interview with Stitch Gawd dropping soon.
Sick Fisher
That’s my guy. I bought that on coloring day, I named him Carlos and I thought it was 8 x 11 and in my 600 square foot apartment it was HUGE. I did not have room for him.
Ricardo Cavolo Tarot Cards
Do you know Ricardo Cavolo? Kaytranada’s artist. Because I did that Kaytranada jacket, it was amazing and he was shocked. He’s the nicest guy, Kevin’s the best.
Max Sansing Portrait of Jean Baptiste Point du Sable
My favorite book ever was Chicago: City on the Make by Nelson Algren, but then I really really love Kevin Coval’s last book A People’s History of Chicago. Max Sansing, who is an incredible artist did this portrait of Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, a Haitian guy, the first legit resident of Chicago, guess what? Not remembered all that well in the history books, he has like, one street. Anyway, so Max Sansing did this illustration. I went to the art show for Kevin’s book, and I walked in and just had to get it. I’ve always wanted a Max Sansing piece, he almost never does stuff this small or black and white, he does a lot of mural work, he did the Fred Hampton piece at YCA recently. That’s kind of the scale he does. The chance to have a Max Sansing piece, especially of such a pivotal character to Chicago in my home was unmissable for me. I wasn’t in a great financial situation to go around buying art like that, but I had to have it, I stretched myself to get it and I’m so glad I did because it’s one of my favorites.
Hebru Brantley
Hebru had a pop-up across the street from Lollapalooza the first year that Chance played, and Red Bull had gotten me a free wristband to Lollapalooza. I went to this pop-up and, on my first credit card, this was the most expensive thing that I had ever bought. I was not an extravagant person, this was the early days at the coupon factory, so I fucking stretched myself. I think I spent like $275 on that. But you can’t do that now… he made it.
Lori Dell
I used to manage this artist who did large scale portraiture, she’s Canadian, her name is Lori Dell. She’s done sittings with Javier Bardem, Uma Thurman and Anthony Hopkins. She actually had art in that Tim Meadows movie, "The Ladies Man"... I was categorizing her art because a lot of management things in the art world is translating between the commerce side of things and the art, so I was helping her out, but then I had to get out of Toronto. I kind of had a situation with her son. He was an amateur photographer, this may or may not be a picture that was taken of me while the rest of me was as god intended you feel me? So imagine my surprise when I was called over to the house and Lori was like, “I have a going away present for you.” So I walk into her studio, and lo and behold there’s this massive oil painting of my face from that picture, I know what fucking picture it is, and it is a picture of just my face, but I know what the context is, so I was like, 'how dare you give that picture to your mother for her to paint this glorious oil panting?!?' All of my guy friends have told me you can not put that in your bedroom, that is far too much pressure, especially because my bedroom is bright pink.
Michael Jordan Sketch
This is a really good one actually. There’s this basketball blog where they do basketball art, and this guy did this picture of Joakim Noah and I love Joakim Noah so I asked him to print me a print and he did but he also sent me some of his sketches and I think that’s Michael Jordan.
R64
This is this artist from Indiana named R64. He had this giant piece and it said Daddy’s Girl at the top and she was weeping, it was much bigger. It was like $400. I was like, listen, I can’t afford that but I love this piece so much. I stitch, can I stitch you something for that? And he was like, no, I’m not really interested in your stitching but here’s what’s up. I’ll make a mini version of it and I’ll charge you like $75 for it and I said bet, let’s go. So I stretched myself again, so this was one of my first real ones. It’s an original, a tiny original, but an original you know? That’s the exciting part of it. The adventure in art collecting is having a piece of someone’s work that you really love. I’ve never thought of it as a way to monetize, I just want the art that I want in my home.
The Hebru Wall
These are all Red Bull Sound Select. When Hebru wasn’t nearly as poppin’ he used to do all of Andrew’s posters for him because they were homeboys. Andrew and I were neighbors, we lived like two blocks from each other so we used to see each other in the neighborhood. This one, this guy at Red Bull was trying to make me think that he was cool so he gave me a signed Hebru print, I’m like, you’re so dumb, but I’ll take it. I used to get in line hours before shows because I really wanted the prints.
Langston Allston Print
This is Langston Allston from the show that I did with him.
Runsy Print
Runsy is the fucking coldest. When I and bought this print from the show they were trying to give me a bogus copy and she had words with them and was like “No, she gets one of the good prints”
Vic Mensa Poster
I greened out at this show, I almost threw up on Alex Wiley. Anyway, I was standing in line and he was like, “you look familiar.” I was like, “Vic, we’ve met like ten times.” Tenth times the charm… “Light it up Emma Watson”.
Chicago's "Historic" Torture Reparations Package
Post written by special guest contributor, Freddy Martinez.
Chicago has become the first U.S. city to formally acknowledge torture by its police department. Community activists, victims and lawyers first pushed to expose widespread torture under police commander Jon Burge over twenty-seven years ago. The work began when People's Law Office represented Andrew Wilson's civil lawsuit against Chicago Police and Burge in the early 1980s. Human Rights Watch notes that Wilson was burned by cigarettes and electrocuted by a “black box” for over seventeen hours.
In 1990, John Conroy reported that a different person, Roy Wade Brown, was interrogated by police and his finger was placed in a bolt cutter with threats to cut it off. Furthermore, “he was taken to the roof of the police station and was told he would be thrown off." In another instance, while under police custody, Burge and another officer beat a victim named Will Porch "with a .44 Magnum pistol… emptied the revolver of all but one bullet, and then forced him to play a one-sided game of Russian Roulette." Other abuses included electric shocks to the genitals, beatings, suffocation with plastic bags, and coercions into false confessions. The torture was so endemic that in 2009, Illinois established the Illinois Torture Inquiry and Relief Commission Act to review and investigate hundreds of cases of alleged abuse. The Commission was defunded in 2012, essentially destroying their ability to investigate further.
The torture committed by the Chicago Police Department occurred long before the much-publicized torture of Iraqis by US troops in Abu Ghraib. Indeed as the United Nations Committee Against Torture (UN CAN) notes “However, it [UN CAN] remains concerned that, despite the fact that [Jon] Burge was convicted for perjury and obstruction of justice, no Chicago police officer has been convicted for these acts of torture for reasons including the statute of limitations expiring. While noting that several victims were ultimately exonerated of the underlying crimes, the vast majority of those tortured most (sic) of them African-Americans, have received no compensation for the extensive injuries suffered”. Of course, Chicago did not unilaterally adopt UN CAN's recommendations. The People's Law Office who worked alongside the Chicago Torture Justice Memorial Project, alongside other groups, to lobby for this reparations package. After decades of struggle, the Chicago's City Council has finally created a formal reparations package funded with more five million dollars of compensation to victims among other concessions. The concession package includes a formal apology from the City Council, a public memorial to torture survivors, free enrollment at City Colleges, psychological counseling services and more. Of particular importance is that Chicago Public Schools will create a curriculum that teaches the history of police torture.
To understand the history of torture further Ruby Hornet spoke with Shubra Ohri, staff attorney at the People's Law Office, about the package.
[Interview] Angelo Kritikos: Artist, Photographer, Mermaid Space Alien
Chicago-born, LA-based celebrity/fashion photographer Angelo Kritikos has quickly become one of the hottest freelance photographers in a relatively short period of time. Being named "Top Upcoming Photographer" by W Magazine led Kritikos to shoots with Vampire Diaries' Ian Somerhalder, Pennybirdrabbit, and even Wonder Woman herself (and my current celebrity crush), Gal Gadot. We had the chance to exchange emails with Mr. Kritikos to discuss his work, his approach to photography and art in general, and some of his upcoming projects. Read on to get to know your next favorite mermaid space alien. You can find him online via Instagram, Tumblr, and his personal website. (Note: You can find a gallery of some of Angelo's work at the end of the second page.)
What do you think takes over more when you're doing a shoot: the nerves and anxiety of shooting an established model/celebrity or the confidence in your talent and abilities?
I don't get nervous before shooting... I get excited! No matter how big the celeb or shoot is, I always try to keep my shoots low-key and fun. As a photographer, I feel that my energy on set always sets the tone for the shoot, so I try my best to not overthink things and keep it real. I literally wore this ratchet blue hair extension as a mullet on my shoot yesterday and became this weird character. If the people around me feel comfortable to be themselves, it makes me the most happy. No nerves or anxiety on my sets. Just hella talent.
Who were some of your favorite celebrities you've shot? Do you have any funny anecdotes from those shoots?
Ahhh there have been so many! One of my absolute favorites was shooting with recording artist Pennybirdrabbit. She really influenced me to start shooting more musicians. I love her eccentric style and bubbly personality. I love shooting with celebs that are authentically themselves throughout the shoot.
I've had some really random shit happen on set. One time, an actress completely fainted after breaking a nail. It sounds dramatic and all, but really her whole fucking nail came right off. The whole thing. It was pretty f-ed. Oh, and one time this male model I was shooting pulled the fire alarm (in a college we snuck into) and the whole building had to evacuate. We were shooting in a hallway and all the students and faculty had to exit. When I asked him why he bothered putting his hand near the fire alarm, he replied "It said to 'pull here' - It should say DON'T pull here." What a weirdo right??
What are some bands/artists/celebrities you want to photograph in the future?
I can go on FOREVER. Right now I'm dying to shoot with Cara Delevingne and Jared Leto. Both have such a cool personal style. There's also this really amazing artist named FKA Twigs who I'd love to collaborate with. Shooting with Grimes would be awesome too. Oh and Lana! Lana del Rey. Who wouldn't want to shoot with her???
Do you dabble in other types of photography (i.e. street, candid, landscape, scenery, etc.)?
Nope. I often incorporate street photography techniques in my fashion work, but for the most part, no. I shoot what I like, and I like people & fashion. Ever since I became interested in photography I was always interested in shooting people. In photography class, we'd attend field trips to botanical gardens and cool architectural locations but I was always more interested in photographing my friends.
What would you say defines you the most as an artist and not simply a photographer?
No matter what the project is, I'm always shooting a reflection of my personal style or what I'm going through at that time. I often shoot at places around town that I like to hang out at. I dress my subjects in clothes that I would want to wear. I visualize my subjects in a free world. I just like to create what makes me happy. I love to bring a team together and execute a collaborative vision. I seriously could care less about photography. 'Technically' I'm not a good photographer at all. I don't care if my exposure is correct, or if my composition is perfect or any of that shit. I shoot with cheap equipment because I seriously don't care. I just like the feeling I get when I'm creating art, and right now the camera is my tool to channel my visions (but that can change at any moment.)
If you weren't a photographer, what do you think you'd be doing right now?
I'd be expressing myself in another creative art form. What I meant in my previous answer above (right now the camera is my tool... but that can change at any moment) I basically was saying that photography to me is temporary. One day, I may start expressing myself through writing, designing, music producing... who knows?
Did you work with film in the past? If so, how do you feel about the dwindling 35mm industry? Do you prefer digital?
In high school I took proper film classes but transitioned to digital when I went to college. I loved shooting film and developing prints in the darkroom, but I ultimately prefer digital. I'm not sure if this counts, but I recently picked up an Instax camera and I fucking love it! There is something about instant prints that feels intimate. I love the raw polaroid look.
[Interview] Hebru Brantley: F**king Awesome
“An artist is someone who constantly creates without having to be told when and where," says Chicago's Hebru Brantley. "They do it from the soul.” Hebru Brantley’s personal definition of what an artist is, also serves as a great definition of himself. Brantley, who has been painting for his entire life, has an arsenal of work behind him. They range from pieces created in numerous art studios, graffiti done on city bricks and concrete, recognized exhibits, websites and portraits on the walls of some of your favorite retailers such as Leaders. A master of many styles, he has traveled from Chicago, to New York to L.A. to express his very interesting artwork.
Hebru never stops creating, and rarely sleeps. Just Mos Def claims restlessness to be his number one nemisis, Hebru's main antagonist is time, as there never seems to be enough. That said, we were able to get the dirty handed painter to put down his brush and answer some questions for us. Check it out.
Dave Jeff: PHLIer Than The Rest Of Them
Chicago has a lot of things going on right now, and quite frankly, it’s a crazy place to be in at the moment. There is so much developing in this city, as well as established things exploding and finally getting the attention or recognition that they deserve. Celebs are being spotted in Leaders gear, and some up and coming artists are no longer considered up and coming. One man that's been able to see the movement of it all is Dave Jeff, owner and founder of PHLI Worldwide, recognized as one of Chicago's first sneaker boutiques, and the first to carry its only line exclusively.
In our continuing coverage of Chicago's fashion scene, we linked up with Dave Jeff to discuss street wear's past, current, and future. The PHLI guy lets us in on Chicago's streetwear history, friends and enemies, and bursts some preconceived bubbles...Check it out below.
Sole Junkie: Accidental Genius
The path to greatness is different for every artist. Influence, inspiration, and circumstance play a heavy role in one's passion for and pursuit of the creative arts. Steve Cedre Jr. aka Sole Junkie is no exception, and has perhaps one of the more freakish stories behind his entry into the world of sneaker customization. The story goes that SOLE got into customizing kicks after a freak accident where his son landed on his head, causing him to go to the emergency room with two bulging discs in his neck. Having to stay at home to recuperate from the accident, one of Sole's brothers made him aware of a new art style of sneaker customization coming out of Harlem. So Sole took his brush to his kicks and Sole Junkie the custom sneaker aficionado was born. While the accident itself doesn't play a big role in his current and future designs, it does stay on his mind as a reminder,
"that life is a trip! It can steer you wrong or it can set you on a course you never dreamed of before. It will start it for you, but your hard work will continue it. It is also a reminder of not taking anything for granted or having too big of an ego. You can get it all taken away in a blink of an eye! I try to stay humble...I'm not perfect at it...but it's a work in progress."
Sole has reason not to be too humble. As some years, and many dope sneakers later, Sole is recognized as a top member of the sneaker community and has recently released his first book showcasing his art. The book is in stores now, and we caught up with Sole to talk about his art, both on sneakers and canvas, the importance or lack thereof of formal art education, Obama's streetwear presence, and much more.
Russell Simmons Supports Barack Obama
Russell Simmons has always been a catalyst for change. Along with Rick Rubin, Run-DMC, LL Cool J, and the Beastie Boys, Simmons changed the face of popular culture forever. He later birthed the concept of Hip Hop as a business, and has changed the faces of Forbes Magazine as well in the process. But perhaps Simmons' greatest accomplishments come in the form of his philanthropic organizations and his power to motivate others so that they may be their own catalysts for change.
Last week, Russell Simmons announced publicly that he was supporting Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential election. Simmons cited Obama's own power for change and ability to mobilize voters of all ages and ethnicities as deciding factors for his endorsement.
Ruby Hornet caught up with Simmons last week to talk about the endorsement, Obama's role in uniting peoples of multiple races, and education reform. Check it out.
Ruby Hornet: In your support of Barack Obama, you mention his great ability to mobilize and motivate young people in particular. When we last spoke, you talked in-depth about the power of positive thinking, and visualizing your success. Given Barack's speeches and philosophy, this endorsement seems natural. Why did you decide that now was the right time, and what role did the laws mentioned in "Do You" play in your decision?
Russell Simmons: I've seen something very spiritual come out of the Obama campaign, a transformative component. People who were not inspired are now inspired. That inspiration is what we'll need to promote real change. It's impossible to make a lot of the major change we need without the people's support. When the people take to the streets for change, the politicians who represent them are forced to make change. If not, the people are left to count on the politicians and the lobbyists to represent their interests. One of the major themes in "Do You" is getting in touch with the spirit in you to see in your heart what's true for you. Feeling that component in Obama's campaign and getting to know him better did that for me.
Ruby Hornet: Senator Clinton's main criticism of Barack Obama has been that he makes great speeches, yet lacks experience and may not be able to follow-through. With your endorsement you are in effect saying that you believe he can follow-through, what exactly has given you that confidence?
Russell Simmons: One great example is his ability to run this tremendous campaign. Out of nowhere, he has emerged as a leader and the highest polling candidate for the office of president of the United States. That was an inspiration to me and spoke volumes about his ability to get things done.
Ruby Hornet: In the last election, many artists and entertainers worked very hard to mobilize young people and specifically the Hip Hop generation. In your eyes, what has been learned by the mobilization efforts of 2004 (i.e. Vote or Die), and how can we take what happened in '04 and improve upon it?
Russell Simmons: We already are. We can see voters registered in 04 coming out in primaries.
Ruby Hornet: You say in your endorsement that Barack Obama will continue to transcend race in America and have a very profound impact on those issues. What do you see as that impact?
Russell Simmons: Obama has positioned himself as an American candidate, not a black candidate. He is sensitive to the issues of the poor and underserved in this country and I believe he will make that one of his priorities as president. And, by seeing himself as a president for all Americans, I believe he will be a great equalizer in working to make life better for all Americans.
Ruby Hornet: Lastly, for a couple years I was a teacher as part of Teach For America, a non-profit organization aimed at closing the achievement gap. During my time at TFA I taught in an area of Chicago known as Englewood. The school I taught at has very low-funds, the neighborhood is high in poverty and crime, and the students are far behind grade-level. What do you see as necessary to improve all of our country's schools, and how could Barack Obama spearhead a movement for Education reform?
Russell Simmons: When you don't fund education, you leave children behind. So funding is of paramount importance. There were a couple of things Obama said that inspired me. Art education. When you promote art and creativity in a child, it sparks their imagination. Kids need inspiration to go to work. My Transcendental Meditation practice has been very valuable to me in learning how to achieve focus. That same program, if put into these underperforming schools, would help young people focus and improve grades. Repeating mantras teaches kids to focus. The schools that have implemented this program create quiet time in school where the kids practice their meditation. Children that are diagnosed with ADD may be helped through this kind of program. Instead of giving them pills, we could teach them meditation. And not just for those kids, but all kids. If you go to the schools around the country currently utilizing this program, you would see a dramatic difference in the children and the results they achieve.