TURNING PASSION INTO TANGIBLE IDEAS, LIKE VIRGIL ABLOH
Yes, I do have hobbies. I enjoy attending concerts in my spare time (or at least I used to before becoming a busy mom)! But there was a time when I couldn’t step foot in a venue without getting downloads.
For example, during Lauryn Hill’s show at Brixton Academy, my brain started bubbling with ideas. Like, ‘How can I make this shit more dope? What is it that I want to see?’ I wasn’t quite sure until living in Los Angeles. Unlike London or NYC—cities brimming with visual stimulation—something about LA’s sparse landscape makes it feel like an endless blank canvas. That does something for a city gal like me because it pushed me to explore the depths of my surroundings. Then, one night, at Bryson Tiller’s concern, it came to me, ‘If one of these artists hired me, how could I turn their voices into visual art?’ By that time, I was playing with various VFX apps, so turning his show into my visual parade felt like a no-brainer.
I had no idea I’d be so inspired by Virgil Abloh’s brilliance (RIP) until I saw Lil’ Uzi Vert’s ‘XO Tour Llif3.’
While I have interviewed Virgil before and seen him spin a DJ set at AFROPUNK, this music video showed me how connected I felt to his visual aesthetic. I don’t even really notice Uzi despite hearing the vocals. In retrospect, I wish I had a more personal encounter with Virgil. And it’s a shame because when I was younger, one of my career aspirations was to be a music video director.
Note: Virgil was the furthest thing from my mind when shooting these videos. I only realized what I attempted to do while writing this post several years later.
But, anyway.
Below are some clips I played around with.
SWV (SISTERS WITH VOICES)
I didn’t do anything here, but I saw a ton of opportunities to create some amazing effects. If they hired me, maybe?
H.E.R.
This was such a great concert. I liked that I was able to keep the focus on H.E.R.’s voice, which is so strong.
BRYSON TILLER
Bryson Tiller is one of my favourite people. I felt the energy at this concert, and my camera did too. I could definitely create some amazing content for Bryson.
METRO BOOMIN, BIG SEAN, SWAE LEE
What intrigued me the most about this show was the crowd, which was huge. However, the concert still managed to feel intimate. A lot of famous people came through and performed, these were the ones that stood out to me.
MURA MASA
Ah, Mura Masa at O2 Academy Brixton. Let me tell you, Mura is one of my absolute favourite people. If you want to experience talent and boatloads of energy, you have to check him out.
Lil Uzi Vert
Lil Uzi Vert is controversial, but I’ve always liked his music (and persona). I didn’t expect him to be this close, but I’m glad he was since I saw him up close. Virgil Abhloh did some fantastic work for Lil’ Uzi; maybe I can follow suit.
Beyoncé
This woman is a machine. By no means does she need an additional hand to create content for her, but I still would.
NAS
What else can I say? Nas, is Nas! This concert was a long time ago, maybe over ten years or so. I didn’t think about attending concerts from the angle I do now, which you can probably tell.