In 2018, Drake sampled Lauryn.
In 1998, Lauryn sampled Wu-Tang.
In 1993, Wu-Tang sampled Gladys Knight’s “The Way We Were” from 1974.
44 years of history in a single record. Appreciate that.
For those asking why, the answer is simple. Preservation. Photo albums document decades of generations. If you look through the QTs, you’ll see folks say that they lost theirs in fires or floods. Having a digital backup will help protect your family from losing valuable history.
If you don’t want to spend money on a scanner, just use your phone camera. It’s extra work but you could easily take a digital photo of a physical one and edit it to make a copy.
For those asking how, there are a bunch of photo scanners available. Some more expensive than others. I found one on Amazon for about $90.
Canon CanoScan Lide 400 Slim Scanner, 7.7" x 14.5" x 0.4"
Each record is a different sound, genre, and style from different eras. Follow that web and discover music that you didn’t even know existed. That’s why sampling is important.
Plus, that record is a certified jam. Argue with the sundress wearing shorties if you want to be weird
If you’ve never listened to jazz or you’re interested in it, now is a great time to start. There’s an era of band camp kids that grew up listening to hip hop that are making some funky, soulful shit.
Doing this also opens the door for conversation. Ask your elders about who the people in the photos are and learn your oral history. Setup a microphone and record those stories, too.
“Go flourish, double back and come and get your niggas. Pass the power to your people, there ain’t nothing realer. Faced with this decision, it’s a funny feeling knowing that when you tell the truth, they gon come and kill you...“
My Father is the photographer that I try to emulate the most. I studied his albums more than any other photographer. I always be tripped out when I get the chance to photograph the same folks that he did 20-30 years ago.
I turn 30 in July. I’ve heard horror stories from folks about “feeling old” and how pushing 30 is a bad thing.
Nah, man. Getting older is cool as hell. You can feel yourself changing. Your mind, body, spirit, etc. You meet a new you. People around you sense it, too.
Digital storage is cheaper and more accessible than ever. Google Drive offers 15GB of storage for free. This would allow you to organize and send links to your family to view. You can also catch deals like this on external hard drives.
TDE been having artists on a 2-3 year cycle since the beginning. They put out great albums and make people sit and digest them then leave them hungry for the next one. That’s how you build longevity
As far as that BLM money fiasco goes, that shit has been shaky since day 1. If you are looking for somewhere to donate money, look locally. No national organization is gonna fix your neighborhood. Your community has to come together and do that.
This whole thing of sampling shit from the 90s/00s...that’s cool. Folks gotta get off the hits, though.
Niggas done ate that meal already. Get into those sleeper records and album cuts and flip those. You’ll get those same feels that you’re looking for and it’ll be fresh.
Building generational wealth isn’t just about money and assets. It’s also history and information. Talk to your folks, man. Meet them as people and ask all of the questions. Who you are, what you are, and what your purpose is will become much clearer.
The interesting thing about this era of creatives on the internet is everyone is claiming that they are whatever they are learning at the time.
Photographer, creative director, artist, producer, so on and so on.
No one says “I just got into this.”
What people call streetwear isn’t really streetwear anymore. These are older established brands making their money off of prestige. Streetwear has always been an accessible culture for those who knew what was what. Tap in with smaller brands. That’s where the cool shit is.
I just want to know why $150 is standard for streetwear fashion now. Why are we okay paying $120-250 for hoodies and sweats from brands??? Streetwear ain’t even accessible to most of its main demographic now
Definitely looking at other rappers differently going forward. I wanna see who does and, more importantly, who doesn’t pick up the torch. I know that everybody ain’t built to be leaders but the bar has been set. The blueprint is there. You got the money and platform to do it.
“Your brother said, it was your cousin then him, then you. So, you don't rap what you did, you just rap what you knew. Don't be ashamed, it's plenty niggas that do what you do. There's no malice in your heart, you're an approachable dude”