We asked Shaq about possible 'Steel' remake, and he didn't say no

Before taking the stage Oct. 23 at Circuit of the Americas after the Formula One U.S. Grand Prix, DJ Diesel, better known as the larger-than-life (and just large) Shaquille O'Neal, chatted with the American-Statesman and hinted at a possible remake of the widely panned but beloved superhero flick, "Steel."

Although the 1997 film is considered one of the worst superhero movies of the genre, and a point of laughter for Shaq, who wore the armor of DC Comics character John Henry Irons, the 7-foot-1-inch star said an updated version of the movie might be worth pursuing. Now, is he serious? We have no clue.

"I did that movie right before the special effects took off," Shaq said with a smile. "The (outfit) was like a costume. But if I ever get a chance to redo that movie I'm definitely ... Matter of fact, I'm going to redo 'Steel.' You heard it here first."

Here's a look at the rest of our conversation with the NBA Hall of Famer:

Shaq was pulling for Lewis Hamilton to take first place at Formula One.

Shaq talked about why he was back in Austin for a second year to perform as DJ Diesel after the Formula One race.

"It's great. There are a lot of people here, a lot of fanfare and I'm looking forward to seeing the race again. Hopefully, my guy (Lewis Hamilton) can pull it off, but it's just nice to see beer and sunny Austin, Texas and everybody having a good time. I love being here, it's a great atmosphere."

(Max Verstappen won after a "dynamic duel" with Hamilton.)

Shaq has a deep love for Austin.

Shaq's Big Chicken was at Formula One and has a year-round presence at Austin's Moody Center. He said he knew Austin was an ideal spot for the franchise because of the fond memories he has of visiting the Texas capital.

"Well, I'm from San Antonio. We used to come up to Sixth Street damn near every weekend. I've always loved Austin, and I've always loved Pflugerville. I told myself when I get done, I'll buy about 500 acres out in Pflugerville. But listen, Texas is a great state, Austin is a great city and the people here are (too). I've always done a lot of business here. I used to do business with Dell, so I used to come here a lot and I've always loved the people in Austin. My daughter once attended the University of Texas. ... So I wanted to put the Big Chickens in the cities where I had a presence."

Shaq picks Giannis to win MVP, Golden State to capture back-to-back championships.

With the 2022-2023 NBA season in full swing, Shaq made some early predictions for league MVP and said which team he thinks will hoist the Larry O'Brien NBA Championship Trophy at the end of the season. Spoiler: He didn't pick my Cleveland Cavaliers.

"I thought Joel Embiid was going to come out the MVP, but now he just made it harder with that 0-3 start," he said. "Giannis (Antetokounmpo) is looking really good. Forty-four points in 28 minutes. I'm headed toward Giannis. The guards always get looked at for MVP, but I'll go with Giannis this year. And the (Golden State Warriors) seem to still be the favorite."

So no hope for my Cleveland Cavaliers?

"Cleveland looks good," he said. "They got Donovan Mitchell who's playing well. Cleveland will be good for him. It's a city that's a hard-working city, and they'll let him know when he's out there messing around. I think that will bring the best out of him. The (Utah Jazz) was too 'Aw,' but every now and then you need to look in the stands and see your fans disappointed so you know to step your game up. "

– Austin 360

Community Vegan makes veganism accessible for all through familiar, savory bites

On the corner of East 11th and Lydia streets, the sweet aroma of Community Vegan’s savory bites draws onlookers and customers to the bustling food truck.

The micro-eatery has become a popular food spot in the East Austin Cultural District with dishes such as oyster mushroom wing baskets, beer-battered cauliflower chicken sandwiches, avocado bites and the truck's signature Vegan Lickin' Good Buckets.

Nearly every meal is crafted by co-owners and vegan cooks Marlon Rison and Ericka Dotson, who shape the restaurant’s flavorful dishes to satisfy cravings for nachos, chocolate milkshakes, southern fried chicken pieces and other popular items.

“It’s all about flavor, right? I know we’re bringing that to the block,” Rison said.

As the Community Vegan name spreads through the city's dining scene, Rison's face grows more familiar, too. Inspired by the logos of KFC, Wendys and other food chains, his radiant smile is at the center of the food truck's sign and its branded products. But beyond the logo, Rison's magnetic energy is the heart and soul of the East Austin operation that opened in September 2021. 

Along with its brunch and main menu items, Community Vegan also offers raw, wildcrafted sea moss packages from Dotson's company, Lott’s Herbs & Remedies; Dotson is a certified herbalist. Sea moss is a species of red algae that grows on coastlines across North America, the British Isles and continental Europe. Advocates say when it's consumed in supplement form, it can help improve heart and gut health and strengthen the immune system.

After seeing an advertisement for Community Vegan, North Austin resident Jai'Sun Alexander stopped by the food trailer in March and since has become a loyal customer because of the eatery's variety and Rison's personal touch.

"(Rison) does a really amazing job at engaging with all of his customers, whether they're first-timers, regulars or whoever," Alexander said. "He makes sure everybody's enjoying themselves or enjoying the food and enjoying the atmosphere. He does a really great job at making great food and making an even greater experience out of it."

Success is still a surprise for Rison. 

“We didn’t expect to create a product and service that could grow into this,” he said. “Like yo, let’s pay these bills and have some fun and be responsible. But fortunately, we’ve been able to do more than that.”

Despite the focus on vegan and herbal options, Rison said they are not trying to convert non-vegans to a meat-free lifestyle with Community Vegan. Only about a third of their customers are vegan, Rison said, and the goal is to broaden the minds of patrons by introducing a veggie-based substitute for the foods they already enjoy, including menu items such as Crab Cake Totchos, "I Used To Eat Fish" Filet Sandwich and Chilli Cheeze Fries.

"By no means are we ‘diet food’ and we don't even put it out there," Rison said. "For us, what we want to do is expose as many people as possible to vegetables, and if that means making it comfortable, we'll make it easier to digest."

Community Vegan co-owners wants to inspire others

Before opening Community Vegan, Rison was a radio host in Dallas and weighed upwards of 360 pounds. As a former powerlifter, he ate chicken, fish and turkey constantly throughout the week and consumed 350-400 grams of protein daily. He quit eating beef in 2004 and pork over 30 years ago, and he decided to make a complete switch to veganism after watching the documentary “What The Health” on Netflix in 2017. 

The film, which focuses on the role of food in health, inspired Rison to take his health into his own hands. He altered his diet – cutting out all meats and processed foods – and dropped 140 pounds in the process. 

Under the “Plantbased G” name, Rison started to share his health journey at speaking engagements and posted vegan recipes and cooking demos on his Instagram page. After seeing his audience grow on social media, Dotson encouraged Rison to write a digital cookbook filled with his top recipes.

In 2020, Rison released “The Quarantine 15,” an e-book filled with 15 (plus one bonus) vegan recipes curated by the Victoria-native.

Rison said he was driven to share his passion for plant-based foods and to encourage other people of color to pursue healthier diets, especially people susceptible to high cholesterol, heart disease and other serious health issues.

“We’ve got some of the worst health out of any of the groups that are out there, and it’s because of what we eat and we’re trying to change that tradition in terms of what we eat and how we eat it,” Rison said. “We want to make sure we give (patrons) options that are veggie-based and healthier for you, and hopefully, that will kind of change the way they approach food.”

Months after the release of the ebook, Dotson and Rison started thinking about opening their own restaurant.

Rethinking his life's path during the pandemic

While Rison enjoyed a career in radio, he said time spent in lockdown made him re-evaluate his life’s purpose. Instead of working for a corporate brand, he wanted to pursue something that added to his family’s legacy, and establishing a restaurant was at the top of his list. 

“For me, I said I have to be more responsible for taking care of myself, my family and my loved ones,” Rison said. “(Dotson) was still hitting me with the idea of the food truck thing, and then I said to myself, you know what, that might be the move for me to take control of my future, my destiny and build something that I can pass down to my kids and grandkids.”

Rison didn’t know whether it would be a traditional brick and mortar space or food trailer, and the only commercial dining experience he had before Community Vegan was as a cook at Popeyes at age 16. Dotson, a native Austinite, saw the potential in a mobile vegan restaurant in the central Texas city. 

The couple scoured the web and saw a listing on Craigslist for a 1973 Winnebago Chieftain in San Angelo. They drove three hours out to the seller, who was willing to lower the price of the rugged 27-foot-long RV once he heard their plans to open a restaurant.

They towed the RV to Austin and spent 10 months and thousands of dollars to gut the worn trailer and replace decades-old appliances. Once the kitchen and other items were installed, Rison and Dotson commissioned local artist Andrew Horner, known as APSE, of the ColorCartelto give the food truck its signature coat and began taking their first orders for food.

To find a home for Community Vegan, Rison and Dotson also reached out to Stuart King, president of King-Tears Mortuary on East 12th Street, who referred them to Austin Revitalization Authority President and CEO Gregory Smith. He directed the two co-owners to the Lydia food truck park.

"We knew we could thrive in the East Austin Cultural District while securing the presence of a Black business on the block," Rison said.

Sharing East Austin’s history, reclaiming the district’s influence

Dotson, the great-granddaughter of Ira Lott and Viola Madison Lott, who built a thriving lumber and housing business in the area, said there’s no better corner for the food truck.

Growing up in East Austin and Round Rock, Dotson said it was an area she used to speed past, as crime was an all too familiar occurrence during the 1970s and 1980s. But she said East Austin also was a community filled with Black and Latino-owned businesses and cultural happenings that reflect the area’s rich history. 

Over the decades, the character of East Austin has transformed dramatically as high dollar residential and commercial real estate companies razed old buildings, priced out longtime residents and crippled the traditionally Black community's past influence.

With Community Vegan’s placement, Dotson said she wants to reclaim the district’s cultural roots and remind folks of the area’s origins. 

“With us being planted here, we can share the story about what was here,” Dotson said. “At one time, it was a happy time. My mom would talk about the time there was a theater down here, and they would all take the bus down and go shopping and all sorts of things. But it’s turned into something very different. So, it’s time to turn over the lead, but with us included. It’s important our faces are here.”

Plans to open second food truck, vegan grocery store

After a year in business with the food truck, Dotson and Rison said the next step is to expand. The duo is working on putting together a second food truck in the fall that is drivable and can directly serve patrons in all corners of the city.

As far as big picture goals, Rison said he's thinking about building a Community Vegan grocery store somewhere in the East Austin Cultural District. That way, more people of color will have access to vegan ingredients and herbal supplies. 

Rison's hope is that Community Vegan becomes a national brand. But right now, he said his focus is to continue advocating for healthier lifestyles and continue putting smiles on the faces of the customers and community members who support the business. 

“We got to represent the block and say thank you,” Rison said. “This is our opportunity to say thank you every day. With every meal, we show our appreciation.”

— Austin American-Statesman

For The Record: How Clipse’s 'Lord Willin'' Established Virginia’s Foothold In Rap

On their 2002 debut album 'Lord Willin',' Clipse’s drug-slinging rhymes and the Neptunes’ pop-centric production established Virginia’s foothold on street rap.

As rap moved into the new millennia, the industry abandoned the antiquities of its past and widened the margins, drawing in musical talents from all corners and elevating them to astronomical heights. Street rap duo Clipse was instrumental in the geographical shift, with 2002’s Lord Willin' establishing Virginia’s foothold on coke rap and a new era of lyrical titans.

By the early 2000s, hip-hop’s maturation was in full swing: Atlanta was building towards its future reign, the boom of Houston’s hip-hop scene was on the horizon, and Virginia’s spotlight grew brighter over the decade as Timbaland, Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo of the Neptunes crafted the era’s most innovative sounds. 

While Timbo went on to guide the careers of Ginuwine, Aaliyah and Missy Elliot, local legend Teddy Riley brought Pharrell and Hugo under his wing. As the Neptunes, the two produced records for the likes of  Ma$e, N.O.R.E. and R&B groups SWV and Total. Eventually, the duo revisited their relationship with two childhood friends who would later chronicle their hometown’s booming drug trade under the moniker Clipse. 

Virginia-based MCs and brothers Gene "No Malice" and Terrence "Pusha T" Thornton aspired to leave a life of selling drugs in favor of cooking up hit records. With the help of Pharrell, Clipse signed to Elektra Records in 1998, and by the next year, had an album, Exclusive Audio Footage, ready to hit retail stores. 

"That album was nothing more than friends together doing something they love," Pusha explained in a 2002 interview with XXL. "No outside interference, no arguing. It was all happy times."

Despite a record slated for a 1999 release date, the group’s triumph was short-lived. The album’s lead single, "The Funeral," failed to make a mark outside of Virginia radio, and the project was shelved. While the album was heavily bootlegged for years — and mysteriously released on streaming platforms this May — the two brothers were dropped from the label.

"I’m gonna tell you who was disappointed the most," Pusha recounted to XXL. "That was Pharrell. He was like real hyped about working with [established artists] but he’s always been like, ‘Yo, we gotta show them how we do it.’"

Determined to shepherd their career success, Pharrell build up enough cache to establish Star Track Entertainment with Arista Records in 2001. He brought No Malice and Pusha in as the imprint’s first signees and released their debut album, Lord Willin’, on Aug. 20, 2002. 

Boasting guest spots from heavyweights like Jermaine Dupri, Jadakiss, Styles P, Faith Evans, Fabolous and others, Lord Willin is a mesmerizing journey through the Thortons' roots in the Indian Lakes section of Virginia Beach —  an environment that fed their hunger for life’s treasures and fueled their rap careers. 

"It was really about establishing identity, and, like, putting our flag in the ground," Pusha recalled in a 2012 interview with Life +Times. "We basically wanted people to understand and know where we were coming from — no one had ever seen this side of Virginia before. We knew that this music was a bit newer."

The Clipse were outside of what the Neptunes were doing, Pusha continued. "This was at a time when Pharrell was hot, the Neptunes were hot. He was on every hook from Nelly to Mystikal, everybody" and is the first voice on "Grindin'." "The intro…basically set the tone for all of those maneuvers and moves. It was just like, 'This is what we are, we’re different. This is the streets, this is Virginia, this is new, this is risk-taking.' Playas, we ain’t the same. You know."

Led by street anthem "Grindin’" and radio smash "When The Last Time," the album is laced with sooty tales about the duo’s drug-and-gun dealings and the glamorized corruption of their past hustle  ("Virginia"), a lifestyle sown from the pillars of their own family tree. On the LP’s "Intro" No Malice raps, "Scouts honor, started with my grandmama / Who distributed yay she had flown in from the Bahamas."

All 13 tracks are produced by The Neptunes, who were at the peak of their powers and fresh off collaborations with Britney Spears, Jay-Z, Usher and other artists. The Clipse meld their minimalistic and radio-seeking production with the rawness of No Malice and Pusha’s coke-slinging rhymes on "Cot Damn" and "Gangster Lean."

Along with the riches of big-time dealing on "Let’s Talk About It," No Malice offered a sign of empathy on "I’m Not You," rapping, "To feed poison to those who could very well be my kin / But where there’s demand, someone will supply / So I feed them their needs at the same time cry / Yes it pains me to see them need this / All of them lost souls and I’m their Jesus."

The production of Lord Willin’ doesn’t always match the gravity of No Malice and Pusha’s mountainous themes and enthralling anecdotes, with the pop-ish sounds of songs like "Young Boy" muffling the accounts of their upbringing. But by all measures, the Clipse’s debut placed the military town and tourist city on the hip-hop map — a foray that was driven by the duo’s vivid lyrics and the Neptunes’ generally immersive production.

Clipse’s first full-length showing landed at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 and sold 122,000 units in its first week of release. It was certified Gold by the RIAA on Oct. 1, 2002, and sold upwards of 950,000 copies as of December 2009, according to Nielsen Soundscan. In validating its classic status, Rolling Stone also ranked the album No. 12 on its 100 Best Debut Albums of All-Time list. 

Lord Willin’ sparked Clipse’s continued success and popularity. Their 2006 follow-up Hell Hath No Fury is now a classic, while the We Got It 4 Cheap mixtape series with Re-Up Gang members and Philadelphia-based rappers Ab-Liva and Sandman is beloved. But in the years since No Malice and Pusha’s third outing, Til The Casket Drops,in 2009, their musical paths couldn’t have grown more detached.

While Pusha has built a stellar solo career with the same coke raps and command he came to the game with, No Malice found solace in his faith. He distanced himself from the rap industry and altered his former moniker "Malice" on Twitter back in 2012.

"Can you imagine how many people went to jail listening to things that I said? Forget everybody else and other rappers and other groups, think about how many times people got pulled over, went to jail (and) my record playing in the car," No Malice told Vlad TV in 2017. "Think about how many times somebody’s head was blown out, and the theme music is still playing."

The brothers have collaborated sparingly over the years, with the group coming together for Pusha’s "I Pray For You," Kanye’s "Use This Gospel" and on the I Know Nigo! compilation cut "Punch Bowl." Every time the duo reunites, fans clamor for another classic from the group, including King Push, who, admittedly, is just as uncertain as the public. 

"I talked to him this morning and he was like, ‘Yo, I’m hearing what people saying,’ but he’s not committing," the "Diet Coke" rapper told The Breakfast Club in April. "Regardless of whatever perspective he wants to attack it from, me and him are creative enough to definitely make it work. That’s not an issue, it’s just him and what does he want to do."

It's been two decades since the release of Lord Willin', but the album has only appreciated in the years since No Malice and Pusha first put the city of Virginia Beach on their backs. While the older Thorton has squared his focus on his spirituality, and Pusha has forged a path as the "Martin Scorsese of street rap," their contributions will remain linked and their legacies forever immortalized.

– The Recording Academy/GRAMMY.com

Beyoncé’s Biggest Sonic Pivot Yet Finds Inspiration In The Past

From the moment Beyoncé announced her seventh studio album, Renaissance, in June, the Grammy-dominating artist sent the Beyhive into hysteria as the fandom clung to every sign pointing to the project’s new sonic and artistic directions. With the release of lead single “Break My Soul,” Beyoncé strayed away from her signature surprise-LP motif, opting for a standard rollout for the long-awaited project that included an internet-shattering British Vogue spread, mysterious box sets, and an open letter published to her website that detailed the gravity of the new release.

Renaissance is Beyoncé’s first solo album since the cultural and visual landmark Lemonade in 2016 and follows the 40-track compilation Homecoming: The Live Album and the soundtrack record The Lion King: The Gift in 2019. She revealed that the July 29 arrival of Renaissance came after three years of recording during the pandemic, a moment of stillness that she “found to be the most creative.”

“Creating this album allowed me a place to dream and to find escape during a scary time for the world,” she wrote in the letter, which went live the day of the project’s release. “It allowed me to feel free and adventurous in a time when little else was moving. My intention was to create a safe place, a place without judgment. A place to be free of perfectionism and overthinking. A place to scream, release, feel freedom. It was a beautiful journey of exploration.”

Creating this album allowed me a place to dream and to find escape during a scary time for the world.

Beyoncé dedicated the album to her Uncle Jonny, whom she described as her “godmother” and the person who introduced her to the vibrance of dance music and the transcendent spirit of Black and Latinx queer culture that she captures in Renaissance. She also paid homage to the “pioneers who originate culture… the fallen angels whose contributions have gone unrecognized for far too long.” On “Pure/Honey,” Beyoncé samples the hit songs of New York club icons Kevin Aviance (1996’s “Cunty”) and the late Moi Renee (1992’s “Miss Honey”). She also enlists Nigerian superstar Tems, Jamaica-born rapper Beam, and “Slave to the Rhythm” singer Grace Jones, gifting fans with an electrifying step into dance music that roars with an ultra-femme and self-empowering energy.

While fans and critics praise Beyoncé’s spotlight on legendary dance songs and artists, there’s been controversy surrounding writing credits and samples on Renaissance — a reality when honoring the greats of any musical past by including their work. The singer removed an interpolation of Kelis’s 2003 hit “Milkshake” from “Energy” after Kelis posted a series of Instagram videos and comments saying she was unaware the song would be sampled on Renaissance. Beyonce also changed a line on “Heated” to remove a term that’s considered ableist.

The album — which boasts credits from heavy-hitters like The-Dream, Syd, Honey Dijon, Hit-Boy, and others — is lush with dazzling grooves and a liveliness made for the enchanting dance floors of the clubs, ballrooms, and kiki houses to which Beyoncé pays homage in what is only the first act of a forthcoming trilogy. Little is known about the two future albums, but Variety reported one or both will feature country-leaning tracks, and many fans predict a further descent into dance music or a return to her R&B and pop roots.

The momentum surrounding Renaissance was nearly squandered when the album leaked online two days before last Friday’s release, but the Beyhive remained patient, awaiting its official drop, and have since basked in the project’s house, disco, Afrobeat, electronic, and techno-driven sounds.

Had to re listen to Beyoncé Renaissance…From the Album title i expected a project w/ in-depth story telling though it’s only act i of a trilogy & w/ great assumption she giving a play theme,so act ii should be story/climax & act iii would be the resolution. https://t.co/zRAvUDM2F4

— SaintRoyll⚜️ (@SaintRayon) July 31, 2022

Renaissance is Beyoncé’s first full venture into dance music and arguably the biggest sonic pivot she’s taken in her career. Inspired by the legacies of disco queens Donna Summer, Robin S., and Teena Marie, Beyoncé conjures hip-swinging tracks like “Cozy,” “Virgo’s Groove,” and “Move.” She pierces the sharp riffs and sensual euphony of “Plastic off the Sofa” with ballad-level vocals.

While the creative direction of Renaissance seems novel for Queen Bey, a few songs in her catalog may have hinted at the eventual artistic shift. They aren’t as bold as her recent effort, but “Blow” and “Haunted” from her 2013 eponymous album have inklings of dance and techno tucked in the background. Featuring production and writing credits from Pharrell Williams, Timbaland, J-Roc, James Fauntleroy, and Justin Timberlake, “Blow” is emblazoned with a funk and disco flare later heard on the new album’s “Summer Renaissance” and “Cuff It.” “Blow” even managed to peak at No. 1 on the U.S. Hot Dance Club Songs chart in 2014.

The songwriter behind “Haunted,” New York musician Boots, said the song was partly inspired by the music of Aphex Twin, who’s known for his ambient and techno styles. The song has a largely minimalistic composition, but its more upbeat moments hint at an atmospheric and darkened electronic sound later explored on the pulsating and thudding “Heated.”

There are other parallels to dance music within Bey’s oeuvre before Renaissance, like the techno-inspired “Radio” and “Naughty Girl,” which interpolated Summer’s 1975 classic “Love to Love You Baby.” Those records illuminated what was to come from the artist, and the direction of Renaissance is in line with the 28-time Grammy winner’s desire to explore exciting new creative passages.

With Beyoncé and Lemonade, the Houston-born singer-songwriter inspired other artists to seek new visual bounds and abandon the age-old album rollout for the wonderment of a surprise drop. She centered her music and 2018 performance at Coachella, later dubbed “Beychella” by fans, on the culture of historically Black colleges and universities, incorporating a marching band, J-setting choreography, and a step show.

Before then, Bey and her hubby, Jay-Z, released the collaborative album Everything Is Love in 2018, with the duo clearing out the Louvre in Paris to film the music video for lead single “Apeshit.” Beyoncé later followed that up with The Lion King: The Gift as well as the 2020 musical film and visual album Black Is King, which saw her step into the world of Afrobeats with “Find Your Way Back,” “Already,” and the Saint Jhn, WizKid, and Blue Ivy-assisted “Brown Skin Girl.”

In all its glory, Renaissance stands on its own as an alluringly fresh artistic dive for the legendary pop star, and its projected (and unsurprising) success is a testament to how well she’s maneuvered creatively. The album is expected to take the No. 1 Billboard spot in its first week. The new dance-forward release has further cemented Beyoncé’s place as an international fixture and luminary artist, and with two other installments reportedly in the works, there may be more achievements to come.

– MTV News

A passion forged: Founder of Austin Warrior Arts shares love for martial arts

At 9 years old, Da'Mon Stith knew his life's purpose. He was going to be a ninja, and there wasn't an invading kick, sword or blade powerful enough to stop him. 

When Stith was 8, his father gave him a toy sword with a bright red ruby on its hilt and a streak of jewels that led to the plastic white blade. It was about as sharp as a cafeteria spork, but once he got his hands on the flimsy dagger, no other toy in his collection mattered and his young, swirling mind was fixated on the world of martial arts. 

What was once a young boy's dream has grown into a lifelong passion, and Stith has explored every corner of it through his practice, his teachings and his own armory. He discovered his true identity in the process.

Growing up with Bruce Lee and Taimak as idols

Before then, Stith idolized martial arts legends and movie stars like Bruce Lee, whose high-flying kicks, rapid strikes and cosmic-level charisma drew the young padawan in. He imitated Lee's moves and tried his best to embody his effortless swag. 

Stith's obsession with martial arts culture grew once he started studying karate at age 9. But with his passion came confusion and, for a time, a sense of self-loathing and displacement. As he was going deeper into East Asian art forms, he was unknowingly pulling away from a culture of his own. 

Without any notable Black martial artists in movies or on TV screens during the era, Stith said he clung to the Asian actors of classic action films and shows of the 1970s and '80s.

"I would tell my mom and other people I was Asian, and I don't look any part of Asian," Stith said. "It was different, but things happen in pieces and in stages. When I found my inner-self, it was like holding my breath for a long time and finally being able to breathe."

It wasn't until Stith saw 1985's "The Last Dragon," which starred Taimak as Leroy Green (or Bruce Leroy), that the 11-year-old Austin native saw a martial arts hero that looked like him and shared his affinity for the combative arts. 

Taimak's Bruce Leroy character became a figure of inspiration for Stith, who started studying karate more intensely when his family moved to Okinawa, Japan, for his stepfather's job on a military base. Okinawa — the birthplace of karate — is also where Stith first recognized African history as his second passion, a discovery that later led to a 25-year career of teaching and practicing African martial arts. 

Through the teachings of his eighth-grade teacher Ms. Gross, Stith learned about the kings and queens of ancient Egypt and the leaders of African empires who ruled the continent and conquered neighboring lands. 

Stith discovered his love for capoeira, African warrior tradition

Stith was struck by his teacher's history lessons, and he started researching warrior traditions rooted in Africa and throughout the diaspora. His curiosity grew after he was introduced to capoeira, an Afro-Brazilian martial art that was created by enslaved Africans in the South American country in the early 16th century. 

Stith, who was studying Jeet Kune Do at the time, began studying capoeira after watching the 1993 film "Only the Strong."

As with "The Last Dragon," Stith was enraptured by the sweeping movements and high-flying kicks in the movie. But more anything, he was drawn to the art form's ties to Western and Central African culture.

"People who looked like me were doing a martial art that I felt I had a kinship to," Stith said. "It wasn't based in Asia or Europe, it was an art form that was very Black and African in its presentation and it filled that void for me.

"I didn't understand the art. I just heard the music and saw the movement and it connected with me."

After moving back to Austin at age 17, he became a capoeirista and began studying the movements of Detroit-based martial artist Kilindi Iyi. He saw an advertisement for $80 worth of Iyi's videos in Black Belt Magazine and watched his instructional tapes for hours on end.

From there, Stith adopted Iyi's deceptive kicks, Zulu and Egyptian stick fighting techniques and sweeping takedowns from historical African martial arts and incorporated them into his form of capoeira. 

Stith said the art form opened up his stiff frame, allowing him to enter a state of free flow he never experienced in other disciplines. But capoeira also debunked the thought that African people willingly gave up their bodies, their names and their cultures during the Trans-Atlantic slave trade.

He began practicing and teaching his own style of the historic art form

As he dove further into African history and martial arts, Stith recognized how many Black men and women fought to obtain their freedom and retain their heritage, often times using the combat skills they learned as warriors of battle. 

"What we're told is they brought us over, we were slaves and lost everything, but capoeira shows that we resisted what was happening to us by taking up arms and passing on our DNA and culture," he said."We tried to retain what we had in this motherland to the new land, which would become the breeding ground for new martial arts found in the diaspora."

By 1997, Stith was teaching to students capoeira da rua, or capoeira of the streets, which is a more practical form of the Afro-Brazilian style that he and his training partners developed in Austin. 

Stith started teaching alongside other martial artists at various sites around town and on the University of Texas campus, including the Anna Hiss Gymnasium and an undisclosed space they nicknamed "The Boiler Room" that a faculty member opened up for his group.

He taught students of all ages and backgrounds the footwork, bladed weaponry, counter and defensive strikes of capoeira. And ever since then, Stith has dedicated his life to teaching the art form. 

"I felt I had a purpose and a destination I was heading toward," he said. "I'm the best when I'm doing teaching and sharing my practice. Seeing them grow, being a part of their lives and giving them a piece of their culture makes me feel good." 

Stith began making the weapons he spent years wielding

In 2012, Stith formed the Guild of the Silent Sword, which includes his group of students and experienced capoeiristas. Even before then, he and fellow capoeira practitioner Jeffrey DaShade Johnson started making African weapons under the Street Forge Armory name. 

At first, the duo wanted other companies to make their weapons, but when they saw how costly it would be, they started crafting them on their own.

Stith and Johnson make sickle swords, short and long takoubas, filipino swords, nimcha sabre and other items under the armory brand inside of Co.lab, a creative space that's free for residents of color. They have shipped custom pieces across the country and as far as Australia and Germany, with items priced between $30-65. 

"I love using swords, and now we have the ability to create and make these instruments that can be used for destruction but also require skill, math and science," Stith said. "It's a good feeling to have a skill nobody can take from you. As long as I have access to material and tools, I can provide for my family and there's something very empowering about that."

While the brand has been official for some time, Johnson said Street Forge Armory really got its start when he and Stith were kids.

When Johnson was 9 years old, he also idolized the martial arts icons of the time and began making his own swords from hacksaw, duct tape, hammers and a screwdriver as a chisel. In Japan, Stith created his own weapons by hammering down old golf clubs and shaving them down into make-shift katana swords. 

The two Austinites didn't know each other then, but their passions would bring them together in 1999. Johnson trained under Stith and years later he decided to go into business with him, hoping to enlighten others with the skills that come with capoeira and the confidence that sprouts from the knowledge. 

"What we're finding is people want to be more healthy and more confident in themselves, but when they go to a mixed martial arts gym, they don't see people like them, or the people that look like them don't identify or think like them," Johnson said. "We're trying to make it accessible to everybody in the community."

While Johnson was aware of the martial arts rooted in Africa and the diaspora, he said there are few people as well-versed on the history and are able to pass it on to students as seamlessly as Stith. 

'It's honestly been a healing space for me'

Four days a week, Stith teaches hand-to-hand combat and stick and sword training to students as young as 8 at his Austin Warrior Arts studio at 9705 Burnet Road. On Saturdays, the groups meet at Mueller Park to trade friendly blows with Ancient Egyptian, Ethiopian and North African weapons. 

Student Natalie Joy, whose been working under Stith for a year, said she's found community in a city she's long felt isolated, especially in the martial arts world. 

"It's honestly been a healing space for me," Joy said. "I've always loved martial arts, but I always felt in those spaces kind of 'othered.' But in this space, I feel very included and very accepted. It is healing to do something that my ancestors did way back, and another way I can connect with them and that's very important and impactful for me."

Beyond learning the combative stances, student Erika Crespo said Stith has lifted her confidence and opened her heart at times when she's needed it most. 

"Coming to these classes has helped me learn how to get close to somebody and trust them," Crespo said. "When you come from a trauma history or you're anti-social, you don't get close to people. But in this case, I had to learn how to go with the flow and trust that I don't react too much out of fear or anxiety. I'm really doing something that's making me feel whole and it's been a hard but really beautiful journey."

In continuing his practices and weapon-making, Stith's dreams as a ninja have taken shape in other ways. While he's far from an agent of espionage, he's dedicated his life to education and craftsmanship, and he's looking to amplify everything with the opening of his own studio.

Having taught at local schools, community center, daycares, fitness centers and other spaces for 25 years, Stith said having a place fully dedicated has been his ultimate goal, and he's been living it for the past three months. 

Stith said he has the studio, but they need help keeping the doors open until they can build up their student base, so he and the Austin Warrior Arts team started a GoFundMe  to help pay for the space's rent. 

So far, the group has reached $9,115 of the $12,000 goal from current and former students of Stith and community members, which Stith said is a testament to the support and importance of African martial arts and history. 

"It's like mind-blowing to be honest," Stith said. "I can't describe what it feels like having this space and knowing it's dedicated solely to this is really humbling."

– Austin 360

We’ve Got A File On You: Wiz Khalifa

Since dropping his multi-platinum selling album Rolling Papers in 2011, Wiz Khalifa has been one of the industry’s most influential and consistent hip-hop artists. The Pittsburgh product has dropped projects nearly every year since 2006, and in that time, has leveraged his genre-fluid sound and magnetic personality to reach the pantheons of rap superstardom.   

Before his career skyrocketed with “Black and Yellow” and “Roll Up,” the rapper, born Cameron Thomaz, was a freshly unsigned artist in 2008 who was forced to take his career into his own hands after a short stint at Warner Bros. Records. He shifted his focus, dropping mixtapes like Deal Or No Deal and the wake-n-bake classic Kush & Orange Juice as “albums” and building his fan base online by uploading YouTube clips of him freestyling, smoking pot and performing on stage.  

From there, Young Khalifa drew in millions of fans with his infectious laugh and genre-hopping hits like “The Thrill,” “We Dem Boyz,” “Work Hard, Play Hard” and other records, eventually elevating him to international heights. Along with his music success, the “Bake Sale” artist has taken up acting roles in the Apple TV+ series Dickinson, FOX’s animated comedy show Duncanville and the upcoming film Spinning Gold, where he plays George Clinton in the biopic about Casablanca Records head Neil Bogart. 

Even as he’s evolved as an entertainer and businessman with Khalifa Kush and Mistercap, Wiz has continued to crank out projects with long-time collaborators and Taylor Gang affiliates Cardo and Sledgren on Wiz Got Wings and this year’s Stoner’s Night with Juicy J. In adding to his legacy, Wiz is set to release Multiverse on Friday, his third project of 2022 and his first full-length album in four years. 

On the new album, the 34-year-old artist teamed up with producers Hitmaka, Scott Storch and others, crafting a project that pulls you into a cosmic and ethereal music experience. Singles like “Bad A** B*tches,” and “Iced Out Necklace” showcase Wiz’s usual knack for club and trap hymns, while “Memory Lane” delves into the artist’s often understated degree of introspection. 

For Multiverse, Wiz was driven to bring his creative ideas to life and make the best music possible – and to have fun doing it. Ahead of the album’s arrival, we chopped it up with Wiz over the phone to talk about the inspiration behind Multiverse, some of his biggest musical moments, funniest soundbites and a few weed-tales along the way. 

Multiverse and Vinyl Verse (2022)

STEREOGUM: What was the idea going into the new album and how was the creative flow this go around?

WIZ KHALIFA: “It was to make the best music possible and to have fun and try to come up with something I haven’t done before, but (also) to really get ideas out that I’ve been having for a minute.  The album kind of took shape on its own with me just trying to create different moments for myself, whether it be a fun and upbeat moment like “Iced Out Necklace” or club moment like “Bad A** B*tches” or, you know, more serious or soulful moments or segues into things that lyrically I can do. But musically it’s really cool and it kind of takes you on a journey. That was the idea behind it, just to make something that gives people a chance to sit down and really enjoy some sh*t.”

STEREOGUM: You worked with Hitmaka a good deal on this project. How did the creative process differ from your past projects?

WK: We’ve made songs like “Something New” and “Letterman” and a couple of singles, but we haven’t really had a chance to go in and make our own style of how we collaborate. That’s my main thing, I love working with talented people and I love developing our own pattern and our own formula, and that’s what I feel like we had a chance to do on this one. We set aside songs that might work for other people or might be cool for other people, but make them really cater them to me and how I work sonically and the vision I want to get out there. I don’t think we’ve had a chance to do that until the work that we did on this album.

STEREOGUM: The idea of “Wizzlemania” has really been built around this album. Tell me, what’s a moment in “Wizzlemania” look or feel like?

WK: “Wizzlemania” is when the whole world understands what’s going on in my mind, and it comes out in different forms. It reminds you of what a high-caliber artist looks like and what you want to expect from yourself or the work you see from other people. It just redefines what that greatness (is). It redefines style, it redefines fun and it redefines freedom. A lot of people find themselves through Wizzlemania, and it's a fun time the entire time for everybody.

STEREOGUM: How do you feel the new album will add to your legacy as an artist?

WK: As an artist, it shows a lot of growth and things that people might know about me or might not (know). It gives me an opportunity to touch on a lot of different subjects and talk about things in different ways, but still get the same respect or reaction. And it shows a lot of freedom as far as taking risks, designing things the way I see them fit, and also not going straight towards a trend or what they see as popular, but to create something else and give people the option to dive into it.

STEREOGUM: Along with the new album, you and Logic are set to co-headline the summer tour, Vinyl Verse. Many don’t know this, but you didn’t actually meet Logic in person until recently. How was that experience and what made you decide to go on tour together?

WK: It was good to meet him finally in person. He’s super cool online and with the music and stuff like that, so any interaction that I had with him is dope. But it’s not very normal to have multi-platinum selling songs with somebody and never meet them, but that’s the reason it makes sense to go on tour. Clearly, our fan bases really support each other hand in hand, whether it's records, making the numbers do what they do or even just the message. 

It’s good to just have that common ground, and with me and him, we’re both at that point where we’re used to what we’ve done for the game. But we’re bringing it to the next level and opening everything up for people to do things great in the next 10 or 15 years. So, if that takes us finally coming together and hitting that stage, then that’s what we’re ready to do.

The 10 year anniversary of Rolling Papers (2021)

STEREOGUM: A large portion of your fan base looks back to Rolling Papers as your magnum opus. Many of them were first introduced to you through that project and it clearly had a big impact on your career. With you just a year removed from celebrating its 10-year anniversary, could you tell me what that album means to you?

WK: It’s a really special album for me. I had my first No. 1 on that album, and I think it was before streaming had come into play, so I’m pretty sure there’s a plaque in one of my rooms that had four or five of the first singles that I dropped on that album that all went multi-platinum like instantly. For me, it was like, “Damn, alright. I guess we’re doing big things.”’ It kind of solidified me as one of those guys who is going to do bigger things in this game than just come in and make a song and go away. It kind of put me up there in my own (mind) and my expectations were huge.  

You mess with Wiz and you get this certain type of look that goes with it, and it helped turn me into an international artist as well. I did a lot of collabs at the time and features that gave me an opportunity to show my skill, compete on a high level and gain that fan base, too. It definitely opened up a lot for me, and I put in a lot of work all the way up to that point just with mixtapes, being on the road and building the brand of Taylor Gang. So, it was perfect timing. I felt like I was ready to carry that on as opposed to it just hitting me and then having to catch up to it. I was already there mentally.

“See You Again” (2015)

STEREOGUM: Based on YouTube views, streaming numbers and other metrics, “See You Again” is your biggest song to date. Looking back, how big of an impact do you feel that song has had on your career?

WK: That song made me out of this world. Up until that point, I was a regular human being, but then people were looking at me like a “thing.” The amount of weeks that it spent at No. 1, I think it was like 13 or 14 weeks as the No. 1 record, almost broke history but it’s tied. And then it being one of the most streamed songs on YouTube, I think it fluctuates as the most viewed song ever. You don’t f*cking wake up and be like, “Yo, I’m going to have the most viewed song ever in the world,” but it happened to me. 

I’m super thankful and grateful for it and the message behind it is one that’s timeless. It helps people get over loss, or helps people heal or helps you grieve or whatever. Unfortunately, those situations go on all the time, but to have a song that touches you in that moment and to be the writer of that song that touches you is a really big privilege.

STEREOGUM: Was it “See You Again” or another song that really gave you that reassurance that you can really move and operate in various musical lanes and still make a major record?

WK:  Yes, that was always my goal and approach with music. Whether people saw it or not, I wanted to show how multifaceted I am. To display that was always the point where people, I don’t want to say still don’t get, but it’s not as obvious to them as it is for me that I’m not just a rapper. Songs like “See You Again” help that and there are plenty of other moments on different albums that I have where I show that. 

It’s songs like “The Thrill,” one of my classic flips of a song that was already out, that show that I’m able to mix and mingle and blend in and out of different genres. That’s something I’ve always showed throughout my whole career. It’s something that I'm happy and super proud to be able to do and still be authentic and be looked at as somebody who makes great music, and not just in one pocket or style of music, I can exist all over the place.

STEREOGUM: On “See You Again,” it features singer-songwriter Charlie Puth. Do you have any interesting stories about interacting with him? He seems like a really interesting guy.

WK: Yes, he’s a cool dude. I don’t want to ruin his image or anything like that, but I just remember getting him really stoned.  We were practicing “See You Again” and I was drinking lemonade with weed-infused in it, and he f*cking loved it. He’s really talented on the piano and coming up with grooves. And this fool got high and just came up with the smoothest little groove about the weed, and I was like, “Man, you need to smoke more.” Those were some fun times of him just being like real innocent and cool, but also open to the experience. That’s what I always remember.

Mac and Devin Go to High School (2012)

STEREOGUM: How was the filming experience?

WK: That was crazy because I literally just moved out to LA like a week before we started shooting, and (Snoop Dogg) was so attached to me like, “We need to shoot a movie, we need to do this and do that,” and we literally hit the ground running. The way that Mac and Devin developed their relationship in the movie was really how me and Snoop developed our relationship in real life. I was getting to know him as a person on set. 

Every day I was hanging out with his kid, we were recording the album afterward so we would film all day and then we would go to the house and record all night. I was learning his patterns, how to communicate with him and what to expect and what not to expect. It was kind of fun to start off kind of nervous and then by the middle and end of the movie, I didn’t feel like I could do anything wrong. I felt like I really knew him. 

What stuck out to me was just how caring and generous Snoop is. Me being there for the first time, I didn’t know what to expect but he was really hands-on and made sure my costume looked good and my lines matched me and who I was trying to portray. I hadn’t really dealt with that from somebody who was really in the game. I was more used to people being standoff-ish and not really trying to help other than to embarrass, but I saw that he genuinely cared about seeing me look good in the movie, too. 

That sh*t really f*cked me up. I’m like, “Damn, Snoop wants to make sure I look good, too.” So, that was a major thing I picked up from that was how nice and how genuine he is and how good he treats people, whether it’s the cameraman, the lady bringing the water or the person holding the script. Every person has a role, and they all need to feel good while they’re doing that role.

STEREOGUM: With you talking about how genuine and kind Snoop was, did you learn how to navigate in the industry as a rapper from him? I heard you talk about in past interviews how you don’t like how some rappers can be arrogant or dismissive toward non-celebrities in certain moments.  

WK: Definitely because of him. It’s hard not to learn how to make people feel good from Snoop. I’m genuinely a nice person, so it would be more difficult for me to be an a**hole than it would for me to be straight-up kind. I’m naturally like that, but when I met Snoop, I look up to the n*gga so much and he’s so much richer and so much cooler than everybody who acts like an a**hole and he’s not an a**hole. So, that’s not who you have to be. Sometimes you might think just because of people’s reactions or whatever happens like, “Ok, I got to be like that because I’m in this position.” But he let me know to be rich, famous, cool and a real inspiration, you don’t have to be an a**hole, you got to be a nice guy. That reassured me that if Snoop is that cool then everybody should be that cool. He set the bar. 

The “buff Wiz” pic (2018)

STEREOGUM: You’ve talked about how going viral is like an art for you. When you posted the picture of you shirtless with boxing gloves on, did you know it would blow up the way it did?

WK: Yes, it was strategic. People love a good magic trick, and for me to have a regular body to just popping up looking buff as hell, that gets a lot of attention. And it got to be shot right. I was in Miami and I had just trained at the ​​Fontainebleau, like outside the hotel, and you know how Miami is, it kind of rains like every five minutes and sh*t, so it was just a good scene.

It felt like we were filming a movie, so I’m going to go ahead and invite people to it. I hadn’t been really showing too much of my private life. Like, people knew I was in the gym or whatever, but they hadn’t seen the full progress of it. It’s just all about timing. I know my path isn’t so oversaturated to be meaningful, so if I can give you some meaningful content, it’s going to go far. You know what I mean? I think that’s what people can get from me.

They know it means something. I’m not just doing it literally for (Instagram), but the gram loves it or whatever platform that I choose to use. I use it with intent, and that’s the way I feel like I’ve navigated throughout my career.

ATL Freestyle (2008)

STEREOGUM: After your record deal with Warner Bros. ended, I heard you talk about how pivotal of a time 2008 was in your career. At that time, you went back to Pittsburgh and began focusing on showcasing your music and personality on the Internet. What inspired that move and what was the early reception like?

WK: The inspiration was that I was signed to Warner Bros in 2007, and by 2008, I didn’t have a record deal anymore. But I learned from being signed over there. Things were a lot different back then. The way they worked radio back then was different, the way they broke a new artist was totally different, everything was structured totally different. So, at that time, they had these things called a flip cam and they really didn’t know what to do with the camera. They were just like, “We’re giving these to every artist and we’re having them document their day,” or whatever. And I’m seeing what the artists are doing and I’m like, “That’s terrible” and “That looks stupid.” 

So, I’m like, “Give me a flip cam” and they’re like, “No, you got to be a certain tier of an artist,” and I’m like, “Oh, really? That’s cool.” But I looked the camera up on my computer at the time, and I found out you could buy the camera at Best Buy – it was like $60. I went and bought the camera and then I was like, “Cool. What’s the platform I can upload these videos on?”. I didn’t know where else to put them, so I made my YouTube channel and that’s how it all happened. 

I bought the camera and the (ATL Freestyle) was literally the first video I recorded and I uploaded. I gave it just a generic name, but I knew that’s where I wanted to build from – doing freestyles, me in the studio, b-roll of me smoking weed, me in the car with the homies, us doing shows. I knew that was my lane as far as content and what I wanted to show the people. And that was just me doing my research and kind of being sensitive to what the labels were trying to do but, in my mind, I really knew how to do the sh*t and take it over and do it my way.

STEREOGUM: Was there ever a video you recorded that made you think, “There’s no way we can drop this on YouTube”?

WK: There’s definitely some footage that I didn’t put out, but I edited everything. I uploaded all the stuff to my computer and then I would chop it up based on what I wanted and what I thought was cool and what I was promoting at the time. A lot of times I was promoting a mixtape or something like that, so I’m playing the songs behind (the video) and then I got a sidekick and started having fans hit me up on the email on there. So it was direct contact with the fans and that was like a whole other vibe as well. 

I was able to just make videos, talk to (fans) through the videos and through email as well. It was a real interactive thing, but I was in control of all the content all the way up until I started buying bigger cameras and getting different cameramen involved to get the same effect. But I can’t even say there was a lot of stuff that didn’t make it. 

When I woke up during the day, I knew what I was going to film to make an episode just so I didn’t get a bunch of bullsh*t, and then I knew what I want to give people too because I know the last video I did. So, I was already mapping it out in my head, and by the end of the day, I had checked everything off and I was able to dump it and create the episode.  

The Breakfast Club interview (2018)

STEREOGUM: Wiz, I think you started something behind The Breakfast Club interview you did back in 2018. You said men have to break their bananas in half before they eat them or their “sus.” I think you were ahead of the “no glizzy” eating wave before it got started. 

WK: Yo, that was wild. Even with the shorts, they talk about “hoochie daddy shorts” and all that sh*t, but who was getting ridiculed for wearing short shorts? Like, come on now. And now it’s a style trend; you embrace that for the whole summer. N*ggas wear short shorts proudly, but I’m cool with that because as proud as I am, I want everybody to be proud. But at the end of the day, it takes somebody standing up and not being afraid to be themselves.

Conan smoke session (2016)

STEREOGUM: Another viral moment: You let Conan hit the weed and got him higher than he’s probably ever been. How did that come about?

WK: That was wild. I didn’t even think he was going to hit the weed to be honest. We were kind of just chilling backstage. I thought I was just going to go there to go on the show … but I got him pretty f*cked up.

STEREOGUM: At this point and even earlier, the world kind of placed you in this “approachable, weed-smoking rapper” lane. Was there a moment you thought “I need to be that kind of artist” or was it a lane that you naturally fit within?

WK: It takes a lot of programming for people because they’re used to their thoughts about how it affects people or what their job is or whatever. And through me and through time, I was able to prove that all of (people’s) reservations about weed weren’t really true. And when professionals see me come in and handle myself, I speak really well and I’m really personable. They give me a script to read or something like that, I knock it out. I’m just really knowledgeable about my job and how to do it, and they see me functioning off pot and it just makes everybody so much happier.

It’s definitely a blessing and it’s definitely a privilege. It’s something that I use to my advantage because them seeing me as free and as open as I am, it kind of opens their mind up to the ways it can be used and that you don’t really have to judge or put that same stigma on everybody that smokes pot. There are some people who abuse the privilege, and there are some people who don’t act correctly when it comes to pot bringing everybody together. And them knowing that my motives are pure and genuine, you might f*ck around and have a good a** time hanging around me and it just brings it all together.

STEREOGUM: You’ve recently dove head first into the mushroom and psychedelic industry with Mistercap. What was the shroom experience that changed your perception of the drug and inspired you to get into the business?

WK: I’ve always done my own research with psychedelics. I never knew it was going to be as popular as it is now, but with seeing the shift and how people’s minds change, it’s opening a lot of people up to the possibilities of what they can do. It’s something that’s still developing, and with all the business, medicine and mental health research, we’re going to keep finding new things about it. And the thing about weed and mushrooms is we’re all finding out better and better stuff. I’m just giving it time and just letting it all develop. And like I said, as people’s experiences with it change, there’s not going to be anything that people could tell them that would make them feel that it might not be the right thing or it might not be good for them. It’s just a matter of getting to that point and I’m just being really patient and just distant in the space while it’s here. I’m here to help people have those experiences with it.

STEREOGUM: You posted a video of you blowing smoke from a “canagun” in his cousin’s face, but how would you engineer a mushroom gun? I like the name “mushgun.”

WK: I like a shroom-ray. I feel like mushrooms can be absorbed through skin somehow, so whatever is going to do it, we’re going to make it absorb through your skin with the shroom-ray.

“Spinning Gold” (TBA)

STEREOGUM: You were cast as George Clinton for the upcoming “Spinning Gold.” How did that role come to fruition and what was filming like?

WK: It was cool as hell doing that. I always take the opportunity to learn, read the room and see how a real production comes together. All the actors are great, all the comedians are great and the writing is amazing. The costumes are crazy. I pick up on all that sh*t by just having the (costume) fitting and having them come over to show me what the mood board was for my character and their friends actually go on set because I love getting dressed. So, to be able to dress in some funky sh*t and act a little bit crazy and do what I do is a really good opportunity. And I’m always there to learn, as well as execute and perform. 

The thing about acting is that people don’t give a f*ck if you’re a rapper, a musician or popular in your field, you have to come there on time and do your job. And you got to stay there the amount of time that everybody’s there and you really got to work. Nothing is really handed or given, and it’s just different but it’s super fun. And I like being on that end, as well as being a superstar in rap. But I like to build, I like to grow and that’s part of my growth.

Ken Car$on and other artists (2022)

STEREOGUM: You mentioned in a past interview how you really rock with rapper Ken Car$on. , What other artists are you excited about?

WK: For me, if I come across your album or mixtape, I’m going to f*ck with you if I can listen to the whole project. I like everybody who’s popular. Just some of the clips I hear on IG, like there’s n*ggas from Chicago, there’s n*ggas from New York, there’s n*ggas from Florida, there’s n*ggas from the A, there’s n*ggas from Detroit, there’s n*ggas from The Bay, there’s so many n*ggas, right?  Hella of them. But for me, I’d say since the year started, I’ve really been in my own world and I’ve just been listening to things that inspire the type of music I’m going to make. It’s hard to tune everything out, but that’s just where I’m at.

STEREOGUM: I heard you mention you don’t like criticizing younger rap stars looking to ascend in their careers. Why is that?

WK: I feel like art is up for interpretation, so if I have an opinion on something that doesn’t mean that I’m right or wrong, that’s just my own personal opinion. To criticize somebody to what I think is right or wrong, for me, I just don’t even have that right to do that because a lot of these kids are going to have huge fan bases. They’re going to sell millions of records. They’re going to sell millions of tickets to shows regardless of what me or any other individual might think would be better or worse for them. It’s not really my place to say what’s good or bad, it’s my place to nurture and do what’s right or wrong. I’m more about behavior and how you treat people than what you actually do.

– Stereogum

A Requiem For Hip-Hop’s “Clout Era”

Think back to 2017, a time when rap’s hyper-punk and vibrantly rugged sound emerged from the deep pantheons of SoundCloud and YouTube’s outer rim. Artists like Lil Pump, Playboi Carti, Lil Yachty, and others arose from the cracks and introduced a new pyro-trap and emo-rap wave that set the internet ablaze.

The endless sorrow of XXXTentacion’s “SAD!” and the zaniness of Lil Pump’s “Gucci Gang” helped popularize a sound once perched in rap’s subterrane, which paved the way for other purple-haired and tattoo-faced stars like Juice WRLD, Lil Xan, Tekashi69, and Trippie Redd to enter the genre’s newest musical locus. With their arrival, a new legion of artists rolled in with microwaveable hits that fed Internet drifters and school-aged Gen-Z’ers in search of an artist that emanates today’s rebellion. They found it in the mumbled lyrics, off-key melodics, and piercing chants of the era’s rappers and trap crooners, who floated over pulsating beats and lo-fi mixes. The music was undeniably of the now, and the artists’ celebrity grew as their sound and antics on social media became more outlandish.

By the time this music found a mainstream profile under the banner of “SoundCloud rap,” we were nearing the end of what podcasters DJ Akademiks and Adam22 recently defined as the “clout era,” a period that saw artists with limited musical talent, maybe one or two mild SoundCloud hits, and a flair for virality thrust into the industry spotlight. As they dove deeper into drug-induced stunts, dubious pranks, and the highest acts of troll-ery, these artists landed high-profile record deals and gained millions of fans and social media followers by drawing onlookers into their wild lives outside of music. But as declared on the Off The Record podcast last month, the clout era died just as quickly as it was born, leaving many artists in musical purgatory and the dens of Internet culture’s past.

What distinguished this era from rap’s fleeting successes and one-hit wonders of the past was its emphasis on outrageous online behavior. Although there were some genuine innovators among the bunch, this was a time defined by minimal musical talents whose drug-induced rants, contentious interview moments, and brainless claims (yes, Kid Buu still thinks he’s a clone) fueled their celebrity and budding rap careers. While the lives of street artists like YoungBoy Never Broke Again, Kodak Black, and others were the subject of countless YouTube videos and mooted Twitter threads, the quality of their music was the catalyst of their success. But for many artists of the clout era, their talents simply paled in comparison, forcing them to depend on their wild escapades. And although TikTok has introduced the world to artists like the Boyboy West Coast, iLOVEFRiDAY and even two-time Grammy winner Lil Nas X via the mega-hit “Old Town Road,” much of their early success and virality came from the millions of TikTok users and fans who used clips of their songs for their own videos. As those vids blew up online, more people were drawn to the artists’ music and personas, a process that differs vastly from what young artists were doing in the mid-to-late 2010s.

At the height of the clout era, an artist’s lifeline was dependent on their next viral moment. When their music fell on deaf ears, they leaned on videos of them getting kicked out of hotels, calling out their supposed “opps,” and detailing their life’s wildest moments on Vlad TV interviews. For a time, that landed them at the top of blog feeds and in the minds of hip-hop fans. But after Tekashi69 – the industry’s top clout-baiter at the time – landed in jail in November 2018, DJ Akademiks says the era as we knew it was finished: “I’ve never seen an era just be like — it’s not even a ushering out period, that shit is just corny. You can’t imagine anybody doing what [Lil Pump] was doing and what all these guys that got super-viral were doing back then … that shit is a dub.”

The influence of the clout era began to wane after the passing of XXXTentacion, Lil Peep, and Juice WRLD, genuine innovators who were rising cultural figures at the time of their passing. Losing many of the scene’s biggest stars stripped the era of much of its allure and exposed the dangerously drug-fueled lifestyles often tied to its music, which ultimately led to Peep and Juice WRLD’s fall. The decline was compounded by the rise of Brooklyn and New York drill, with artists like Pop Smoke, Fivio Foreign, Sheff G, 22Gz, and others flipping the hip-hop soundscape on its axis. Pop Smoke’s “Welcome To The Party” and Fivio Foregin’s “Big Drip” marked the sonic shift toward slower beats and a darker, grittier, more realist aesthetic, a movement that eventually forced clout-era artists out the industry door.

Meanwhile, a new generation of SoundCloud rappers began to emerge, with artists like Ken Car$on, SSGKobe, Yeat, BabySantana, SoFaygo and others adopting a similar aesthetic and rip-roaring rebellious sound, but without the same exploits of the clout era. After seeing how the careers of those artists came and went, the new brigade of underground rappers is steering clear of their stunts and focusing on the music: “One of the main reasons why Lil Pump was so big was because of his antics,” artist Midwxst told Complex in a recent overview of the scene’s new wave. “But sometimes you have to learn, OK, you shouldn’t make your whole persona based around these things.” SSGKobe added, “I definitely feel like there’s less gimmicks now. I feel like a lot more people are genuine in this underground scene. They’re more true to themselves than trying to fit in.”

Where does that leave the original clout-era products? As their initial hits and viral moments came to pass, several of those rappers failed to make major splashes on Billboard or regain the momentum they had at the peak of their powers. With their fading celebrity, many have stopped making music completely or have done so inconsistently over the last few years. While artists like Lil Xan fell to the background due to concerns with his physical and mental health, others like Ugly God stopped releasing music for reasons still unknown to fans. The “Water” artist, known for his salacious lyrics and brash attitude, hasn’t released another project since 2019’s Bumps & Bruises. In response to the YouTube clip from the Off The Record podcast, which had Ugly God and six other artists on the video’s thumbnail, the Indiana-born artist made a tweet out to Akademiks and asked him to stop grouping him with the other artists of the clout era.

While artists Lil Pump and Smokepurrp have maintained their activity, their profiles have dwindled consistently throughout the years. Between the two artists, Purrp recently went viral for performing in front of a nearly empty crowd in Pontiac, Michigan for his We Outside Tour. The Florida rapper dismissed the video, writing in an Instagram tour recap, “Tour been lit DONT BELIEVE THE HYPE, I love what I do and ima give my fans a show regardless, I bet they won’t post this tho.. WE OUTSIDE!¡”

Along with the encouragement of drug use, the era was built on viral-chasing raiders like Tekashi69 who brought the tactics of online sensationalism to the streets. He blended the two worlds, but after countless videos of the “STOOPID” artist goading his enemies and taunting authorities on social media, his antics finally caught up with him and he landed in jail for firearms and racketeering charges in 2018. But even after his release in April 2020, despite Billboard. 6ix9ine’s last project, TattleTales, fell massively short of expectations. The 2020 album was projected to sell over 100,000 equivalent album units in its first week, but it only earned roughly half that. He’s barely been heard from since, though he’s apparently still got enough juice to get recent single “Giné” into the lower reaches of the Hot 100.

There are other artists who are wedged in a space of complacency, as they either haven’t fallen off musically or haven’t left the minds of hip-hop fans. Names like Lil Yachty come to mind; he semi-successfully rebranded as a Michigan rapper and is still being tapped for interviews and to perform at major festivals like this year’s Rolling Loud. Artists like Doja Cat, Trippie Redd, and Playboi Carti have further ascended from the bounds of the clout era by continuing to pen Billboard-topping hits and maintaining the intrigue they first held as new acts. After declaring her cow status on the forgotten viral hit “MOOO!,” Doja Cat has become one of today’s biggest pop stars, and even nabbed a Grammy this year for the SZA-assisted “Kiss Me More.” While Trippie Redd and Playboi Carti haven’t reached the heights of Doja, the two artists have broadened their fanbases and expanded their catalogs and now sit near the top of a short list of still-relevant clout era alumni.

To continue leveraging their stardom, other artists have redefined themselves or pivoted completely to other career paths. Viral sensation-ista Bhad Bhabie first graced TV screens in 2016 during an appearance on Dr. Phil. The “Gucci Flip Flops” rapper parlayed her “Cash me outside” moment into a music career and signed with Atlantic Records in 2017. But after the music label dropped the then 18-year-old in 2021, Bhad Bhabie shifted to OnlyFans content, and in April posted receipts showing earnings of $52 million on the subscription service. While he still makes waves as an artist, clout-era alumnus Blueface has branched out into the reality TV world with Blue Girls Club TV, with the YouTube series placing the Los Angeles-born artist among the list of most-talked-about artists on social media and blogs like The Shade Room.

The best days of the clout era are long gone. Fans will never have a chance to see how generational talents like XXXTentacion, Juice WRLD, and Lil Peep would have fared in today’s soundscape, or if they would have kept the prior era alive, but their music has inspired other young artists to reach their career heights and to do it their own way. As for those still living, who remain young enough to theoretically recapture the musical and cultural force they once had: Can the likes of Lil Pump, Ugly God, and Lil Xan ever hope to thrive outside the ecosystem that launched them? If not, they can at least look forward to the SoundCloud rap package tours that will surely be popping up 10-15 years from now because nostalgia is the most potent clout of all.

— Stereogum