Conscious Styles
YGB in Boston Phoenix
Young Gifted and Black makes responsible rap cool
If you look closely in the 2002 video for Public Enemy's "Gotta Give the Peeps What They Need," you'll see a 13-year-old Jesse Winfrey playing the background. He was hanging in Roxbury's Funky Fresh Records when front man Chuck D entered the Dudley Square landmark with a cameraman in tow.
Winfrey, who now performs as Catch Wreck, has remained tight with his anti-establishment heroes, and opened for Public Enemy two weeks ago at the House of Blues. Chuck D knows what's up; along with his other Young Gifted and Black (YGB) counterparts, Winfrey is leading a revolutionary and enlightened rhyme movement in Boston.
Launched in 2007 by Dorchester native and community soldier Vernon C. Robinson, YGB has evolved from a series of events into a collective of socio-politically astute MCs, poets, and singers. As a whole, they don't endorse drug dealing, gun toting, or ill-gotten gains. As individuals, some participants — including Winfrey and spoken-word prodigy Sofia Snow — push further, fighting the power on such issues as police brutality and CORI reform.
"There's no buffoonery at my events," says Robinson. "I don't need to tell them what to write about, because the youth that I'm dealing with knows what's going on. They're leaders with a higher consciousness than most of their peers."
In the "each one teach one" tradition, Winfrey and other movement veterans are paying lessons forward by recruiting young new talent. Since it was built without a dime of outside funding, YGB might not be on the radar of philanthropists or politicians. But with Catch Wreck and his brethren expanding their positive base, it may be time to take notice.
"Deval Patrick should be paying a lot of attention to this," says Jamarhl Crawford, an outspoken Boston activist and Winfrey's mentor since Chuck D introduced them at a Public Enemy show in 2002. "We've spoken with [political leaders] about getting funding to help [YGB] grow in the future, but if you look at what's been going on in the streets, it clear that something needs to happen right now."
Winfrey, who recently dropped a mixtape dubbed The Young & The Restless, rocks the eighth biennial YGB showcase at OrigiNation Cultural Arts Center in Egleston Square this Saturday. YGB expects 200 attendees this time around.
"For the most part it's not cool or mainstream to be an activist," says Winfrey, "and with our music and movement we're trying to promote responsibility and make it cool."
Read more: http://thephoenix.com/Boston/music/106993-young-gifted-and-black-makes-responsible-rap-cool/#ixzz0xFWUh1hd
NEW VIDEO
Illiam Savant (@IlliamSavant), Catch Wreck (@CatchWreck), and Rey Leon (@ReyLeon617) combine to form Grindmode (#Grindmode) !! Video directed by the one and only Rene Dongo!
Illiam Savant and Catch Wreck will both be in the building for Young Gifted and Black on August 21, 2010 @ Origination in Egleston Square. Be there!
YGB 8 - UPDATED INFO
Saturday, August 21st 2010
The YGB Movement, BloodSkinLand Productions
& Voices of Liberation presents
YOUNG, GIFTED & BLACK - The 8th Revolution
The bi-yearly youth explosion returns for the 8th time with a collage of poetry, spoken word, rhyme, song, dance, etc.
@ OrigiNation Cultural Arts Center
11 Walnut Park, Roxbury/Egleston Sq.
(off Washington St. next to LaundroMax behind Citgo gas station)
5:00pm - 8:00pm (doors at 4:30pm)
$5.00 admission / Free for 12yrs and under
With performances by:
LARISA OSORIO
KETCHUP
J-ONES
DEEMA FAISAL
ALLEGRA FLETCHER
CATCH WRECK
ASHLEY ROSE
SOFIA SNOW
ROCKY
TYRONE
GIANELLA FLORES
and more!!
With a special performance by:
DAKARAI (6yr old emcee!!)
Hosted by X-RATED
Music by DJ Nito
For more info contact VCR at 617-480-7663 or bloodskinland@yahoo.com
RSVP via Facebook
Directions / RSVP to YGB 8
RSVP to Young Gifted and Black - The 8th Revolution on Facebook.
The event will take place on Saturday, August 21st 2010 at 5PM
@ OrigiNation Cultural Arts Center 11 Walnut Park, Roxbury/Egleston Sq. (off Washington St. next to LaundroMax behind Citgo gas station) For more directions see the map below:
View Larger Map
YGB 8 - August 21, 2010
The YGB Movement, BloodSkinLand Productions & Voices of Liberation presents
YOUNG, GIFTED & BLACK
The 8th Revolution
The bi-yearly youth explosion returns for the 8th time with a collage of poetry, spoken word, rhyme, song, dance, etc.
@ OrigiNation Cultural Arts Center
11 Walnut Park., Roxbury/Egleston Sq.
(off Washington St. next to LaundroMax behind Citgo gas station)
5:00pm - 8:00pm (doors at 4:30pm)
$5.00 admission / Free for 12yrs and under
With performances by:
LARISA OSORIO, KETCHUP, J-ONES, DEEMA FAISAL, ALLEGRA FLETCHER, CATCH WRECK, ASHLEY ROSE, SOFIA SNOW and more!!
Hosted by X-RATED
For more info contact VCR at 617-480-7663 or bloodskinland@yahoo.com
Welcome
Welcome to the new Young Gifted and Black web site, we are constantly adding and updating it. Hit us up with suggestions and if you are a young artist of color who are doing some things and have some skills, get involved. If you are local to the Boston area, support the Young gifted and Black bi-annual Shows- the next one coming late this summer.
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