Yeah ! There ’ s a huge discussion about art becoming interdisciplinary . It should be pervasive . Everything needs to be art . There is a dehumanization without art in a community . It leads to a mass depression . Sometimes being sad is a good thing . But you have to go through the actual emotion . You have to live it , to come out saying , “ I never want to feel that emotion for that long of a period again .” You have to know it . You have to get your back broken .
How is Orlando different than where you ’ re from , and how is Orlando different now than when you arrived ? When I fi rst got here , I got culture shock . It seemed very backwards to me . The big difference is the sense of community in Chicago . For instance , let ’ s say there ’ s trouble in Chicago . Everybody knows about it ; everybody understands that they ’ re living with it at the same time . Another thing is that all your friends are friends for life . You can see each other years apart and still be like “ Yo !! What ’ s up !?”
That ’ s everyone in Chicago . I don ’ t know how it is now , but that was how it was then . When I came here , it was more of a popularity contest . You had your little cliques , of course . It wasn ’ t the same in Chicago . It was a different culture , where hip-hop was invited , where all the classes would walk the streets together .
So , if you ’ ve got a graffi ti artist going to paint , or a businessman going to the Sears Tower , they ’ re walking side by side . They acknowledge each other ’ s presence even without having to say a word . The city moved together .
That was the thing . We had too much in common . Everybody loved the Bulls , loved the Bears , and those were times when those teams were the best . We had the best . How could you not be all about that as a Chicagoan ?
When I got to Orlando , there wasn ’ t that kind of pride . So that was weird to not be hyped about a city I ’ m a part of . That ’ s why I feel like when all these people come here , they ’ re always talking about the city they come from . I ’ d always say , “ Well , in Chicago …” and I ’ d always get the same answer , “ Boy , you ain ’ t in Chicago .”
Now , I ’ ve introduced so much of my Chicago-ness into it , that I can ’ t see Orlando without me . Without the changes that I ’ ve helped to make , and without the infl uences that type of attitude brought . So , now I ’ m seeing more of a driven community . For instance , with ARTBORNE — I don ’ t know if we would have been able to see this magazine come from , what is it , two cats ? What would you say is the core ?
Probably like three or four people ? There you go ! Three or four people ! I ’ m seeing that type of movement happen ! It was just me , when B-Side started , so I ’ m seeing it spread like
33 that . For me , being one person , and then , Boom ! It spreads . Now you guys with four people , Boom ! Spreading it .
I ’ ve traveled the world for music . Some of the best stuff I ’ ve seen has been here . The only difference is that it doesn ’ t get the support . That ’ s what still lingers . So , you do have your little communities , and they are so strong . So dedicated . So talented . But the outside world still doesn ’ t support them !
Do you think Orlando is a force outside of the Central Florida map ? It could be if people learn how to embrace it . I think it could start to happen more due to the recent tragedy . With Pulse , there is so much attention . Orlando is starting to look inward . You go anywhere and it says , “ Orlando Strong ,” “ Orlando United ,” and that ’ s what I ’ m used to , but prior to the tragedy . For me , that pride is built in !
Let ’ s about the B-Side . First of all , what ’ s going on with the B-Side artists ? www . ARTBORNEMAGAZINE . com