The most interesting thing about this show was not the show. It was the idea behind it. That was Ideas Are Seeds. Bartholomew and Kid Maestro built the whole night around that idea, the thoughts that change a room, a family, a neighborhood. The shirts said it plain. Ideas Are Seeds on the front, Plant Them Junts on the back. I have been a fan of Unapologetic and Cxffeeblack for a long time so this one was right up my alley.
I had seen Kid Maestro before and he brings that same curious, restless energy every time. This time he took it somewhere I did not expect. He had A Weirdo From Memphis, Preauxx, and a few other artists performing in a separate room against a green screen, projected live onto the main area where Maestro was playing. A show within a show. The kind of creative swing you only get from someone treating a concert like a canvas.
But Bartholomew Jones was the one who really stood out to me. First time seeing him perform outside his shop. He co-founded Cxffeeblack. He treats hip-hop and coffee like the same thing. Grown. Harvested. Rooted in soil and people. The man made a song called Coffee Black that turned into a whole movement, a documentary, a TEDx talk, a million plus streams. So on a night called Ideas Are Seeds, of course he showed up.
IMAKEMADBEATS held it down between sets, masked, hood up, lighting himself with a camp lantern in a room that was otherwise pitch black. The guy who built Unapologetic, playing records by lantern light. That lantern was about all I had to photograph him by. Limitations are the fun part.
The crowd was locked in all night. The Green Room is a home game for me so photographing it is always a joy. I want to contribute to what Unapologetic is building. Photos are what I have got. Nights like this are why Memphis keeps me inspired. Enjoy!
