Art, Music, Poetry, Intelligent People
People who still go to the library. People who are obsessed with obscure and brilliant writers, artists, educators, activists, etc and can talk about them ad nauseum, but simultaneously be charismatic and toss back a couple of cocktails. People who are interested in creating artistic communities and sharing resources. People who have a love for music and the musicality of language and wordplay. People who play instruments, write, read, teach, laugh often and have a knack for locating money and opportunities to make it.
DJ Itch 13, Luna Blues Machine, Amy Winehouse, Invincible, Helen Money, Krista Franklin & Alison Chesley, Ugochi, Avery R. Young, Latasha Natasha Diggs, Jimi Hendrix, Mendi + Keith Obadike, Fishbone, Outkast, Gnarls Barkley, Souls of Mischief, Del the Funky Homosapien, James Brown, Tricky, Martina Topley-Bird, Bjork, Lenny Kravitz, The Roots, Jay-Z, Nirvana, Nas, Slave, Funkadelic, Ohio Players, Martin Luther, Hall & Oates, Led Zepplin, MF Doom/Viktor Vaughn/King Gedorrah, Mos Def, Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Rhianna, Bob Marley, Public Enemy, Notorious B.I.G., Soundgarden, Rufus & Chaka Khan, Rick James, Teena Marie, Esthero, INXS, Wu-Tang Clan, Ghostface Killah, RZA, Steely Dan, The Doobie Brothers, Van Hunt, Erykah Badu, Me'Shell N'degeocello, Lewis Taylor, Peven Everett, Citizen Cope, N.E.R.D., Al Green, Aaliyah, Living Colour, Mary J. Blige, Lauryn Hill, D'Angelo, Nina Simone, Aretha Franklin, Prince, Portishead, Dr. Buzzard & the Savannah Band, Blondie, King Creole and the Coconuts, BDP, KRS-One, the Black Crowes, The Rolling Stones, Common, Kanye West, PJ Harvey, Bahamdia, Curtis Mayfield, Beck, Heart
Hard Candy, Heat, Carlito's Way, Carrie, The Eyes of Laura Mars, True Romance, Pump Up the Volume, Notes on a Scandal, Mo' Betta Blues, Girl 6, Kill Bill, vol. 1, Goodfellas, Taxi Driver, Casino, A Bronx Tale, Belly (because it's pretty to look at), Fresh, Daughters of the Dust, Empire Strikes Back, Deep Cover, In Too Deep, The Warriors, Eve's Bayou, Gridlock'd, Sin City, Big Jake, Unforgiven, Devil in a Blue Dress, Brick, Curse of the Golden Flower
Dexter, Law & Order: SVU, Good Times, Half & Half (I know! It's the pits, but what can I do?), CSI: Miami, America's Next Top Model, Criminal Minds, Heroes, Medium
Beloved, Clay's Ark, Parable of the Sower, Dark Matter (vol. 1 and 2), Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, Leadbelly, Drag, Company Man, If Beale Street Could Talk, Passing, Caucasia, Temple of My Familiar, My Soul to Keep, The Living Blood, What Yellow Sounds Like
My mother, Charlette, my father, Matthew, my aunts, uncles and grandparents, my great-great grandmother, Susan Minerva and great-grandmother, Mary Ann, Frida Kahlo, Jimi Hendrix, Jean Michel Basquiat, Andy Warhol, Mamie Till, Toni Morrison, Nikky Finney, James Dean, Chuck D, Greg Tate, Malcolm X, Zora Neale Hurston, Marie Laveau, Romare Bearden, Theodore A. Harris, Rajkamal Kahlon, D. Denenge Akpem, Toofly, Faith 47, Lucille Clifton, Wangechi Mutu, John Coltrane