Jansport J on love and music

the evolution of an
artist's masterpiece.
Black Actress:
Degrassi’s
Sweetheart
Andrea Lewis
All grown Up
Jansport J
on love
and music
printedbyRW.com/ttr
TALES OF A TROUBLED ROMANTIC
BY: JOEKENNETH MUSEAU
--An anthology of poetry exploring themes
associated with romance. Writings are the
result of observations and experiences
documented throughout a course of several
years.
--$55.00
contributors
brendan
logan
smith
Brendan Logan is a St. Louis filmmaker and photographer,
born and raised. Since his Polaroid, preteen days, Brendan
has loved takinh photographs. He puts that same passion
into his fashion photography and deep love of independent
filmmaking. This issue he casts his camera on the lovely Ellie
Kraus from Mother Model Management, in our Woman,
Arrived fashion feature.
Loren
Lee
Loren Lee is a freelance writer based in Los Angeles, Ca., but
was raised in the Midwest. She has written for online publications MadameNoire and StyleBlazer. She also manages
her personal blog, StylishDemeanor.com, with the intent
to celebrate style in various forms through fashion, music,
beauty and lifestyle. Never one to be labeled ‘the loudest
person in the room,’ she’d rather let her outfits and written
words speak for her. She visited Jansport J at his California
studio for our cover story, For the Love of Music.
Justin
Whaley
Justin Whaley is a freelance writer whose works have
appeared in GQ, NYLON and Flavorwire. When he’s not
writing, you can find him digging through thrift store bins
for fashionable finds or sipping Malbec at his neighborhood
dive. He gushes about Michael Shead and his persona,
Bridgette, in our SEW What section this issue.
what we’ve seen
table of contents
issue no. 6
6 SEW WHat
fashion designers are
stitching their way to
the top
9 ART BEYOND
we've traveled to
Argentina to get the
scoop on a cool
magazine
10 WOMAN,
ARRIVED
there’s no better time
than now
16 marttise hill
a filmmaker shooting for
the big screen
20
andrea
lewis
what we’ve heard
22 FOR THE LOVE of MUSIC
jansport j loves the
music he's making and
wants you to love it, too
what’s happening
26 COMING SOON
cool things to look
out for in the coming
months.
We want to hear from you! Contact us at sculptmag@gmail.com.
on the
web
Sometimes we just can’t fit everything
into one issue. Head to our Tumblr
for features that you didn’t see in the
magazine.
4
S C U L P T Magazine | January 2014
editor’s letter
Looking For
What's Next
This year will mark year four of s c u l p t magazine, and it’s amazing
how far we’ve come. The publication started in 2010 with me simply
wanting to feature my artsy friends and the cool things that they
do. Now, we’ve come into contact with some of the coolest, on-therise artists of the 21st century. From New York to California, we are
noticing our small imprint move across the nation.
Lately, we’ve been musing over what’s next for us. As we reflected
over this idea, we sought to find artists whom we’ve deemed the
“New Next.” This group of artists’ popularity is not simply about
the amount of Twitter followers or Facebook likes they have, but
rather the fact that we see them as prominent game changers in their
respective industries.
Since it’s our fourth year, we’ve multiplied things x2. We released
two issues with two separate covers bearing the profiles of Jansport J
and Andrea Lewis. We also celebrated a long time coming with two
parties hosted in St. Louis and Columbia, Mo. (where it all started).
Focusing heavily on editorial pieces this issue, our features include
a bevy of artists including to-be director, Marttise Hill, a profile on
an Argentine arts magazine and our two cover stories, who both hail
from California.
Issue after issue we bring to life something that we truly believe in
and something that our readers appreciate. What’s next on the map
for us might include a dynamic website, an iPad app and maybe even
some print issues for the traditional-reader in you. We can’t confirm
it all yet, just know that we’re working hard to bring you something
big and better. After all, bigger and better is the only way to strengthen the platform that our artists stand on.
Continue to inspire,
Rikki Byrd
what we’ve seen
SEW
WHAT
dani nichole
The Midwest and the South might not be considered the most fashionable places, but these
two designers are proving differently. Both
Dani Nichole, a Southern Belle taking over
NYC, and Micheal Shead, a proud Midwesterner in no rush to leave St. Louis, are showing why there’s no better time to take over the
fashion industry than now.
-CICELY HAIRE AND JUSTIN WHALEY
sister, who passed away in March of 2009. So when she boarded her flight
to the Big Apple, she had just $150. “I cried on the plane ride,” Dani says.
“I was sitting at the airport in Memphis and I said to myself, ‘This is what
you want. I hope you’re ready.’” And she would have to be.
On her first day at FIT, Danielle was already employed full-time, taking
a seven-class course load and walking everywhere because she hadn’t
anielle Evans is a bit of an anomaly in New York City. Her
figured out the NYC subway system.“My teachers would embarrass me.
easy smile, thick southern accent and humble spirit stick out
People would ask about my accent. I got so skinny. I had so many breakamong the bustling crowd of straight-faced New Yorkers.
But those things have gained her just as much opportunity
downs,” she says. But she couldn’t lose focus. By the end of her first year,
as her hard work, persistence and ability to sew with her eyes she was already hunting for internships.
She landed a position with Bad Boy’s Derek Roche (personal stylist to
closed. The 27-year-old CEO of Dani Nichole Designs has maintained
Diddy). Her work ethic, intuition and transparency set her apart from
her Memphis charm, even while working in fashion’s most cutthroat
the other styling interns. One night, while working with Roche in Miami,
market.
Danielle insists that she was born with an interest in fashion. She
she remembers taking a moment just to sit on the beach and cry. “It was
worked at a fabric store, studied sewing in high
how I could go from moving with $150
“When you’re good at unbelievable
to doing this in a year. And I was only 23.”
school and even accessorized her uniform as
But even with the red carpet treatment she got on
best she could. Still, her dreams of designing
what you do, people
Roche’s styling team, Danielle still felt out of place.
were just too vast for small town Tennessee.
come.”
Her heart was calling her to create her own imprint.
When it came time for college, she applied to
the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in
By March of 2013, she was out on her own, designing
under the name Dani Nichole. Months later, she was showing at Fashion
New York City.
Week.
Her application process wasn’t easy. During the second part of her inHer client base now includes such notable names as Tisha Campterview with the Institute, she was asked to sketch on the spot with other
bell-Martin, Tamar Braxton and Fantasia, and a working partnership
applicants. After catching a glimpse at the skilled handiwork of the other
competing students, her confidence was killed. She eventually balled up
with Toya Wright. “When you’re good at what you do, people come.”
her designs, threw them in the trash and ran out of the room into the city.
While her southern drawl, sunny disposition and urge to help others
set her apart from other New Yorkers, her story is actually very similar to
That could have been the end of her story, but a semester later she had
theirs. She is one of many who have packed up their bags and their bank
been accepted.
accounts and sought the American Dream in the city that never sleeps.
A lot had happened since her first trip to New York City. The fashion
student was forced to quit her two jobs to take care of her terminally ill
D
6
S C U L P T Magazine | January 2014
michael
shead
B
ridgette is the envy of many and the friend
He began creating and continued sketching, and
of all. She’s a twentysomething gal about
his skills only developed further from there. When
town who works hard and plays hard.
it came time for Shead to apply for college, he had
Looking chic is her forte; she can shift her
two in mind: the Fashion Institute of Technology and
meeting-appropriate morning getup to a
Parsons. Unfortunately, neither worked out –– finanfierce look for night with what seems to be the wave of cial reasons, mainly, as the top fashion design schools
a magic wand. And though many envy her, that envy
don’t come cheap. But after making a shift in his
lies within aspiration – they want to be like her. She’s
original plans of going to college, he decided to stick
a sister, a daughter, an aunt, a friend, and that ultra
with what he knew, study what he didn’t and build his
classy style savant you’ll
ever-growing clothing line. “I’d rather
“My overall goal is to be the kid who is hands-on and can
see in street style blogs.
She’s also a persowork for a company and not have a
be able to say that I’ve go
na – as in she’s almost
degree and prove myself,” Shead says.
imaginary. But real in the dressed every woman in Since then, his career has sparked
eyes of Michael Shead-in his own backyard. After interning
every walk of life.”
the young designer who
under Jill Manoff, the former fashion
created Bridgette as his
editor and originator of St. Louis
muse--she’s the driving force behind his design style
Fashion Week at ALIVE Magazine, Michael has since
and the direction in which he takes his personality as
become a local design celebrity in St. Louis. He’s
a designer. He creates for Bridgette. “I know where
shown in St. Louis Fashion Weeks since, and he’s even
she shops. I know where she lunches,” Shead says.
launching his e-commerce shop in April 2014 for his
“She understands fit and how a garment should fit her
spring collection. “My overall goal is to be able to say
body.”
that I’ve dressed every woman in every walk of life,” he
But before the Bridgette persona owned the catwalk
says. “To say I can dress a woman in Uganda and dress
and leapt onto the bodies of many St. Louis women,
a mother who lives in Japan or some 17-year-old girl
she had to be developed, just like Shead’s design skills
who lives in south London, to me that’s success. In my
and aesthetic.
eyes, that’s legendary.”
Michael Shead started sketching fashion designs for
What truly will prove legendary for Shead is
comic book characters when he was eight. As a comic
Bridgette’s ascension from an ideal persona to the “it
book fan, he hated what the characters were wearing.
girl” ladies everywhere will want to model their styles
So, he thought, why not dress them himself and make
after. For now, it’s Shead and Bridgette taking St. Louis
them to his liking?
by storm, one chic look at a time.
art
beyond
Meet La Curandera, an arts magazine in
Argentina making major moves. Luckily,
they stopped to give us the inside scoop
on how they came to be and where they’re
headed. We’re hoping it’s toward a
friendship with us. -IESHIA MCDONALD
M
ariel Breur really likes the
color pink. It was one of the
first things she complimented
me on-- my pink laptop case. Contrary
to her bright personality she most often
wears black and subtly displayed her
obsession of pink in bags, shoes or
jewelry. Her hair is an asymmetrical bob
with a shaven side, a perfect portrayal
of her artsy nature. But what makes
her different from the typical magazine
editor is the fact that her professional
career and personal life have been able
to coincide successfully and not clash.
Her intriguing personality and countless
connections within the art community
of Buenos Aires is what has allowed
her own publication to thrive within its
first year. She is a magazine editor and
curator by day and stand-up comic by
night; this woman is the definition of a
quintessential queen of all trades.
Mariel got her taste of the magazine
industry while in college, back in 2008.
She interned at Ramona Web, an online
art magazine in Buenos Aires. Shortly
after leaving Ramona Web, Mariel
became the art editor for Revista Dada
Mini, where she met her future friend
and business partner Eugenio Palma
Genovés. “I first met Eugenio while I
was working at an art gallery,” Mariel
says. “Some time later we ended up
writing a piece together for Dadá Mini
and the moment we finished, we knew
we wanted to do more things together
in the future.”
And just like that, the seed for
launching their own magazine was
planted. It wouldn’t be until December
2012, that this seed would grow into La
Curandera.
The want for a more relatable appreciation for art is what drives La Curandera.
Often featuring street art as opposed to
compositional art, their magazine has
become a haven for up-and-coming
Latin American artists.“Step-by-step we
took all kinds of editorial and design decisions and then the name La Curandera
came up, and we knew that this simple
word enclosed everything we wanted to
say about art,” Mariel says.
A “curandera” or “curandero” is a
healer who dedicates his or her life to
creating remedies for mental, emotional,
physical and spiritual discomforts. “We
believe in the healing power of art and
we know that in Argentina, to make a
living with art, you need to make some
magic,” Mariel says.
Both Mariel and Eugenio wanted their
magazine to change the conversation
and discussion of art. “We wanted to talk
about art like people talk about music,
TV and other popular stuff,” Mariel says.
Their publication is the platform for
uncommon trends and pieces that are
less commonly referred to as art, such as,
graffiti and fashion.
“Although its [La Curandera] main topic
is art, it understands that art is an influence of so many other things,” Mariel
explains. “The Latin American identity
is also something no other art magazine
has. Many publications in Argentina
seem to look constantly to what happens
in Europe and the US, and though we
love their culture, we choose to look inside and search our roots--our own pop
culture. La Curandera is one-of-a-kind.”
“... we know that
in Argentina, to
make a living with
art, you need to
make some
magic.”
S C U L P T Magazine | January 2014 9
W
Model Ellie Krause takes control in
Michael Shead’s s/s 2014 collection.
oman,
Arrived
photographs by brendan logan smith
collection by michael shead
12
S C U L P T Magazine | January 2014
Marttise is
the man
in the
chair.
On a cloudy day in St. Louis, he
yells “quiet on set” in the hallways
of his alma mater, Clayton High
School. The filmmaker is working on his newest film project,
Prom Date Blues. Surrounded by
family and friends, and a dedicated cast and crew on the final day
of filming, Marttise knows that
it wouldn’t have been possible
without them. This project means
much more than what viewers will
see on screen--it’s a representation
of Hill’s journey in film. Especially
since that journey started in the
very school that he is standing in.
by RIKKI BYRD
E
LOVING WHAT YOU DO
nding a relationship doesn’t come easily, especially when
you’re in love. But when it’s to embark on a greater path and
possibly a bigger vision, it’s sometimes necessary. That is
where this story begins.
“I was focused,” Marttise says when attempting to critique
his growing body of work. When asked what he meant by
“focused,” he responded that he had just broken up with his girlfriend
when he arrived to Singapore, where he’s been studying film since 2009
as a graduate student in New York University’s Tisch Asia program. Per
his breakup, the filmmaker had fallen in love with something else. Not
with another woman, but a film that Marttise says he ate, drank and slept.
He titled it, Love, Guns and Amy, a black-and-white western centered on
a woman who has two men in love with her. The film has become Hill’s
favorite thus far. “My girlfriend was my movie,” Marttise says. “The time
and commitment that you put into a relationship was put into the movie.”
No cable. No video games. No partying. Just Love, Guns and Amy. “24/7,
365, that’s where I was at.”
His portfolio is a growing body of work ranging from short films,
documentaries and music videos. In addition to Love, Guns and Amy,
he has written and directed eight short films including Connection, Four
Bar Blues, New Billy, Boom and his upcoming project Prom Date Blues. In
addition, he has worked on 36 other film, commercial and music video
shoots. “Collectively I look at them as a learning experience,” he says.
The beginning of his experience with film did not begin in Singapore,
however. It began at the age of 10 when he would assist his uncle with
filming family functions. The hobby later evolved into a career for the
aspiring director. In high school he participated in broadcast journalism
courses and clubs where he
says he shot on handycams.
While attending Morehouse
College from 2005 to 2009,
he landed a position as the
video production coordinator for the college’s football
team. While at Morehouse,
Marttise also met his best
friend Julius Pryor. Since
then, they have developed
not only a long-lasting
friendship, but have also
fused together their love for
film to potentially become
the next generation of dynamic filmmaker duos since Spike Lee and
Ernest Dickerson.
friendship between he and Julius. Beyond the obvious support the friends
give each other, the two work hard to perfect their craft by investing what
is needed to bring their films to life.
M
PERFECTING HIS CRAFT
arttise’s films tend to develop, taking a short turn to throw
off the audience’s predictability, but still rendering a sense
of believability, which is what he strives for and what he
believes Hollywood has gotten away from. Although he
calls himself a “simple-moviegoer,” Marttise still has his
critiques as a filmmaker. “Hollywood is safe,” he says. He
thinks that most Hollywood movies are predictable. What he looks for is
structure. Getting to the point of the film has to make sense, while still
entertaining the audience. It has to come full circle. Much like his favorite
film, Mo’ Better Blues, by Spike Lee, who Marttise is most inspired by. He
says Mo’ Better Blues is one of Lee’s most complete films.
As we sat and traded interpretations of films at a pastry bar on the Delmar Loop in St. Louis, it is evident that Marttise is ready for the film industry. He can critique a film, talk about the pros and cons of Hollywood
and name his favorite directors at the drop of a dime. While I called out
film titles by Spike Lee, such as Do the Right Thing and Red Hook Summer, Marttise carefully and eloquently critiqued them. His passion was
evident, pouring uncontrollably over each word and critique, you can tell
that this is what satiates his appetite for film. The man knows his stuff.
Spike Lee isn’t the only director on Marttise’s radar. The long list of
directors that he is most inspired by include, Penny Marshall, the Hudlin
Brothers and 12 Years a Slave director, Steve McQueen. Despite the heavy
influence that these directors have on Marttise, that’s not to say that the
aspiring director doesn’t have
a mind of his own. In fact, his
upcoming film, Prom Date
Blues, sends the message of
finding yourself and being
yourself.
In Marttise’s words: “Prom
Date Blues is a coming-of-age
comedy about a unique African-American teen’s attempt
to find his mojo with the ladies
before he graduates from
high school.” The awkward
high-schooler falls in distant
love with the prettiest girl in
school and makes an attempt to take her to prom. It’s a typical guy-getsthe-girl film that Marttise ensures all of us can relate to, but he’s written
in a delightful twist. “The uniqueness about my story is this kid is an old
soul in a young man’s body.” The main character is the son of divorced
parents and lives with his mother. He’s a late bloomer, attempting to
discover what exactly a man is, without the constant presence of men in
his life. He’s smart. He’s quirky. He’s awkward. He’s human. Just like the
rest of us. “It’s a personal story for me,” says Marttise. “The message is
you love yourself for who you are, you be proud of who you are and then
everything else will follow. The confidence you have for yourself, the love
you have for yourself will exude naturally, organically.”
Natural and organic, much like the love for film Marttise found three
years ago while working on his first film in Singapore. Last summer, he
returned to his hometown, St. Louis, sowing his roots, to not only give
back, but to also give more, to himself and his craft. When asked how
he continues to grow, producing more and better films, Marttise says it
is about betting on yourself and investing in yourself. “That’s the great
thing about film school. You have the opportunity to take a risk, and the
bigger the risk the better,” Marttise says. For Prom Date Blues he has done
just that. This film will be a marriage, of some sorts, to the love of his life.
When he completes his film, which is also his thesis, he will graduate
as a director from New York University. Through sickness and through
health, to death do them part, Marttise and his camera will be hand in
hand hopefully coming to a theater near you.
“The message is you love
yourself for who you are,
you be proud of who you
are and then everything
else will follow.”
P
WHAT FRIENDS ARE FOR
ryor is present for Hill’s latest project in St. Louis. He’s the
producer, and this is just as much his project as it is Marttise’s.
“At the end of the day, nobody can do it by themselves,” Julius
says, who attends New York University’s Tisch Program in
New York City. “It’s something that’s genuine because it’s
something that’s not based around work; it’s based around
true friendship.” In their many collaborations, the two filmmakers often
switch roles: when Marttise directs, Julius produces and vice versa. Prior
to shooting Prom Date Blues, Marttise visited New York to produce
Julius’s latest film Lovesong, which they are now wrapping up the editing
process on and preparing to send to film festivals
When asked what the two have to offer the growing world of film, the
duo says “style and substance.” This is something they have been developing since 2006, when they shot their first film titled Noir et Blanc (Black
and White), a five minute black-and-white thriller about a schizophrenic
man who believes he has to kill his therapist. Julius developed the concept and the two entered it into Campus MovieFest, a student film festival
that gave them the equipment needed to produce the film. Although
Marttise does not consider it in his growing portfolio, it is still a project
that he says he is proud of. Not only did it give him a realistic glimpse
inside his long-awaited career, but it also sparked the withstanding
18
S C U L P T Magazine | January 2014
At first glance, you’d probably say “Oh, yeah, Hazel, the black
chick from Degrassi,” however, you would be doing yourself
a true disservice not to take a second look. Canadian born
actress and singer, Andrea Lewis has not only worked
alongside heavyweights such as Diahann Carroll, Dr. Maya
Angelou and Wesley Snipes, but she is also the creator of the
newly debuted web series Black Actress that premiered in
2013. We caught up with Miss Lewis on her perspective on
acting, self-image and what prompted her to create her very
own show. -RANDI CAHILL
Andrea
Lewis
20
S C U L P T Magazine | January 2014
What do you love most about your new web series, Black Actress?
AL: I love the fact that it’s out and it looks exactly like what I had in my
head five years ago when the idea was sparked. It feels good to see a
dream come to life.
How do you personally relate to your character ‘Kori’?
AL: Well, Kori is inspired by a time I had in my life. I was once very similar to her in terms of her insecurities and lack of confidence in herself as a
person and an actress. And most of her crazy scenarios have happened to
me or one of my friends in real life so I can definitely relate to that stuff.
Do you feel your show will increase a dialogue about black-acting
professionals?
AL: I feel the show will open up viewers eyes to what it’s like for an actor
of any color. A lot of the comments on the episodes have been from
people who aren’t in the industry and didn’t know that auditions were
so awkward or that casting agents can sometimes be your friend and
sometimes your enemy. I also have gotten a lot of feedback from working
actors/entertainers, who can completely relate to the story and feel like
they are watching scenes from their own lives. We need to show the other
side of the story sometimes, and Hollywood isn’t as glamorous as you’d
think it is.
What black actress inspires you?
AL: Honestly, all black actresses inspire me, from the award-winning
ones to the newcomers out there grinding. I love to see people who look
like me working hard for something they believe in.
Are there any actor(s) or actress(es) that you would like to collaborate
with?
AL: I would love to work with Nia Long. I’ve met her a few times at
events and I think she’s great. I grew up admiring her so it would just feel
awesome to be on screen with her. I would also love to do something with
Tisha Campbell and Tichina Arnold. They are some of the first funny
women that I can remember watching on TV.
What is one of the most memorable moments you’ve experienced in
your acting career?
AL: Every project I’ve done from film, TV or stage has its own special
memories. This past April I filmed a movie with Loretta Devine, and I
had an epiphany that I was going to be the exact same way when I’m her
age. She was singing and telling jokes the entire time and it was one of
those moments where I realized I’m right where I belong.
Do you think you grew up with enough positive, black female
images via the media?
AL: I grew [up] watching Sister, Sister, Smart Guy, House Party, Fresh
Prince, The Cosby’s and a lot of Spike Lee movies, so I always saw
positive reflections of myself on television. But a little after the 90s
and early 2000s, there was a big shift and you didn’t have shows with
an all-black cast, and when you did see a black woman on TV, she
was more of an added dose of color on the screen instead of being a
real character. I was fortunate, though, that I had a point of reference
with all of the shows I had grown up on, but I longed for the good ol’
days. Those were the times when TV/films just made you feel good.
Have you personally seen improvement over the past few years in
regards to a stronger presence of black actresses in TV and film?
AL: I have in TV with shows like Scandal and Sleepy Hollow and
even Deception with Megan Good despite it being canceled now. We
also have a ton of films with black actresses in it this [past] year from
12 Years A Slave to The Best Man Holiday so things are definitely
happening, slowly but surely.
What advice would you give a young lady of color aspiring to be an
actress?
AL: My advice for any young girl of color pursuing an acting career
would be to have a reason bigger than why you are doing this, a mission
that you are trying to accomplish. It has to be more than just wanting
to be famous or see your face on the big screen. This industry is so hard
and you’re going to have a lot of negative energy coming your way while
fighting through it so there has to be a positive motivation that keeps you
grounded and persistent in your pursuit.
You’ve played roles in TV/film projects that have ranged from Livin’
for the Love: The Natalie Cole Story to Down in the Delta to the popular
Degrassi: The Next Generation. Which one has helped you grow the
most as an actress and/or a woman?
AL: All of the roles that I’ve had in some way or another have helped to
shape me into who I am today, and I’ve been extremely blessed that I’ve
worked with a lot of strong women. Down in the Delta I worked with
Alfre Woodard and Loretta Divine and it was directed by Maya Angelou;
it was like a dream come true. Ms. Angelou gave me a signed copy of
I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings. She also gave me the best piece of
advice when I was 12 years old: “Everything happens in it’s time.” Acting
requires a lot of patience. When I was in Degrassi I had the comfort of
being on a series and developing life-long friendships with my cast and
crew, but being on that show made me realize that I wanted to do a lot
more than just be “the best friend,” and I should never settle.
What have you learned the most about yourself in creating Black
Actress?
AL: I’ve truly learned that I can do anything I want. I always wanted to
write/produce/act/sing in my own project but I was scared, or I would let
people tell me I couldn’t do this or that and let them limit me. I’m glad I
finally got the courage and proved to myself what I always knew I could
do. I was truly in my comfort zone with every step of this show and it felt
like it was only the beginning of truly becoming the artist that I want to
be.
*THIS INTERVIEW WAS CONDUCTED VIA EMAIL.
Tune in and watch the first season of Black Actress
every Tuesday at 4 p.m. PST/7 p.m. EST on Youtube channel:
youtube.com/issarae written by and starring Andrea Lewis. Produced by Tatyana Ali, Brian Walker and Issa Rae.
F
L
or
the
ove
of
Music
by loren lee
P
 
osted in the office of Delicious
Vinyl Records on Sunset Boulevard, music producer Jansport
J unconsciously strokes his
trademark beard as he reminisces about how he got his start in the music industry. The seasoned,
creative-type has production credits for artists such as Snoop Dogg, El
Prez and DOM KENNEDY, to name a few. He has also been busy in the
studio with seven solo albums under his belt, including the Soul Provider LP set to drop on Feb. 18, 2014.
Interested in finding out what it takes
to make it in the music industry? Jansport quips, “Are you ready to work five
or six years for free? Work every single
day at your craft? It takes a lot to do
anything in this industry and you must
always work on your art.” It’s amazing
to hear someone speak passionately
about his profession, especially when
the road to get there wasn’t easy.
Born in Anchorage, Alaska, Jansport
J (whose real name is Justin Williams)
eventually moved to Covina, Ca.,
where his love for music grew and was
diversified. Just 25 minutes outside of Los Angeles, J embraced the laidback vibe of Covina, especially when it came to music. “When you grow
up with white kids, Mexicans and black kids, you’re used to versatility
and you kind of listen to different types of music,” says J. “It would be
cool to listen to Westside Connection, then also listen to No Doubt or
Metallica. All that was cool because that’s what your friends listened
to. It influenced my music by giving me songs later down the road to
sample and paved the way to keep my musical tastes versatile.” It wasn’t
until he was about 11 that he even understood what a music producer
was. “Today, I think a music producer is the backbone. You produce the
music. You make the beat. You work with the rapper on the concept.
You help build the record. You’re kind of like the power of molding the
music. People always have these debates about being a producer versus
beat maker, but I really don’t care about any of that. I think it’s all about
guiding the record.”
Before deciding to get serious about producing music, Jansport toyed
with the idea of embarking on other professions, including becoming a
rapper, professional basketball player and a marketing/advertising executive. His childhood raps about Thomas Edison to the beat of Coolio’s
“Gangster’s Paradise” and his stint at Pepperdine University studying
marketing and advertising proved to be no match to his true calling. “It’s
funny,” Jansport J says. “I had to go to college to realize I didn’t want that
life. But it was nice to know I could exist in that world, but even nicer
that I realized I didn’t want to.” After mustering up the courage to share
his dreams with the world, the hip-hop lover created a Myspace page full
of his own beats. To gain a following, he visited artists’ pages he admired
and would add people who commented on their work. Apparently, this
method worked well. In 2008 he released his first album, The Carry On
Experience, a project bearing a bevy of rappers, including one of his early
supporters BE.Water. “I didn’t know what I was doing. I just knew I wanted to do it,” says J. “So, I emailed a bunch of rappers and was like ‘can you
rap on this, can you rap on that.’ Put it together, pushed it out and kind
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S C U L P T Magazine | January 2014
of been running ever since.”
Now, Jansport is sprinting toward his dreams faster than he’d ever
imagined. After trading his books for beats, he even went on to apply the
principles of marketing to defining his own brand. Now, people who are
fans of his music can pick up on certain notes that define his self-proclaimed, soulful and organic sound. His latest collaboration project
with rapper El Prez, Urban $treet Americana, was inspired by the tale of
the real American story. “We have this Apple pie American dream that
people feed you, but it’s really about people in the hood coming up sometimes,” J says. His latest solo LP, For Love, was obviously about love, but
Jansport J delved a little deeper to express some of the negative aspects of
the emotion: vices, addictions and heartache. Utilizing only instrumentals and samples, J intended to let this album speak to the listener sans
lyrics. His heartfelt beats told a love story, but didn’t force you to forget
your own. Genius. When asked about the biggest difference between
working on collaborations versus working solo, J says that it’s a compromise. “You bring your ideas, they bring theirs, there’s greater potential for
success, and then if they say something you never thought of then that
raises the ceiling on what we can do. You’re feeding off their energy,” says
J. However, J finds that working solo is more therapeutic. “I’m getting
out exactly what’s been bottled up
in my mind or heart for however
long,” he gushes. “I can play any
track and remember exactly what I
was going through at that particular point in time. It’s just so much
more of me.”
Finding inspiration for an album
is a varied process for Jansport. He
likes to create in his little apartment by keeping potential samples
playing in the background while
completing mundane tasks such as
washing dishes. He insists, though,
that you must get out of the house,
too. To create you have to look at art, go to events and shake hands. “I’d
see someone I admire, go up to them and just introduce myself. Then it
was on me to stay busy and create. That way when they hear or see my
name again they can remember me,” J says. Although, he has made a
name for himself in the industry, he has fears. He jokes about being afraid
of dolls or dummies, but is seriously afraid of becoming complacent. “I
am afraid of the mountaintop. Ambition is important to me. I want to
be the best and work with certain artists, but I’m afraid of getting to the
point of feeling like I’ve accomplished everything I want to accomplish.
What do you do after that?” When you think about it, that’s such a hard
question to ask yourself, regardless of your calling in life. For Jansport J,
and for us all, only time will tell.
“I am afraid of
the mountaintop.
Ambition is
important to me.”
Follow Jansport J on Twitter and Instagram @JansportJ
and listen to his tunes and JansporTjmusic.com.
what’s happening
coming
soon
The year 2014 looks promising for these artists.
From books to mixtapes, we’ve got the inside
scoop on the happenings of the year. Trust us,
you don’t want to miss out.
transweight.
dr. sharrell luckett
Dr. Sharrell Luckett isn’t your common college professor. She’s fearless, funny and unapologetic about
who she is. In her first book, Transweight (Poems
from an Undercover Fat Girl), Luckett takes you into
her experience of losing nearly 100 lbs. Offering
poems on life, lust, love and loss, Dr. Luckett takes
you on a journey with her as she discovers herself,
and hopefully helps you do the same. It’s available
for purchase on Amazon, so we don’t see why
you’re not reading it right now.
10K Hours
souls of liberty
We think we’ve slowly entered a self-imposed best friendship with these guys. Souls of Liberty are the exact definition of evolution. Set to drop this spring, their upcoming
mixtape, 10K Hours, will be released for the masses to hear.
They’ve already given their dedicated followers an inside
peek releasing two songs, “Family” and “Future Millionaires,” and a video for the former. Hear both tracks on their
SoundCloud and prepare to have them on replay come
spring.
Tailored pieces
an online vintage boutique
She’s written for us before, but that’s not the hunch. She’s written for InStyle, Ebony and Essence, as well (wait for it). She even
launched her website, TailoredSilhouette.com, last year, but that’s
not it either. Adding to her growing list of accomplishments,
LaParis Hawkins, brings you Tailored Pieces, a new online
boutique that had its soft launch in January, but is sure to reach
heights by the end of the year. Catering to the likes of both men
and women, LaParis does the thrift hunting for you, curating
some of the dopest vintage pieces to add to your closet. Ready. Set.
Shop.
before the war
a game
Mr. St. Louis himself just will not stop until
he puts his city on the map. A-GAME is at
it again, this time knocking down walls and
barriers that no one will expect. Collaborating with Frathouse Productions, the rapper
with sickening and memorable verses will
release Before the War in February. With an
already growing track list that we’re impatiently waiting to listen to, A-GAME has
something else in store--in March he will
release an album. Make space in your iTunes
library now!
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