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black history Tag

Postcard Deal 3

 

Here is a new set of postcards I just made featuring some figures from Black history, old 80s movies, and even one of my characters. 
Get a set of postcards here
Dig this? Check out the previous set of postcards
December 14, 2022
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Audio: East Bay Yesterday – East Bay Dragons


Please listen: Incredible reporting and editing by Liam over at East Bay Yesterday-and great strength by the members for opening up to talk about their lives, art, and discipline. The Dragons are about to be 60! I created this illustration a few years ago and i’m happy to learn more about their legacy. SHARE LINK

August 27, 2018
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Black is Beautiful (2017) 6 – Frosty Freeze (RSC)

Like many outside of NYC the first time I saw Frosty was in Style Wars. Frosty was one of the original early 80s members of Rock Steady Crew, a pioneering Bboy crew from the Bronx and Manhattan. Frosty was born in 1963 and began Breaking in his teens. Frosty would do some ill moves that were not only acrobatic but dumb founding and unique like his dead man fall, where he would jump up and fall flat backwards. The brother was featured on the cover of the Village Voice, was in many films such as “The Freshest Kids” and “Planet B-Boy”. Its not known to me what he died from at age 44 but he passed much too soon. After seeing his fellow Rock Steady brother Ken Swift on the train, it was apparent that these dudes were really down to earth, extremely talented, and pioneers for hip hop culture world wide. He was an artist with his own style that showed with every move he made.
Sources: Wild Style (documentary), NY Times, The Freshest Kids (doc), 
You can purchase this original piece $40 (includes shipping), please email at info@robdontstop.com. Anyone who has ties w/ his fam, I’m down to donate to any fund they have set up.

February 7, 2017
in Black is Beautiful, General, Series
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Black is Beautiful (2017) 4- Dapper Dan

The first couple times I saw Dapper Dan’s work I didn’t even know it was his. In fact it wasn’t until I saw the film “Fresh Dressed” By Sacha Jenkins that I realized I had been seeing it all along in hip hop culture. The first folks I saw rocking his work were Salt N’ Pepa because my dad had the record (Push it 12″) and Boogie Down Productions LP By Any Means Necessary. Dan is a fashion innovator and pioneer from Harlem New York, who in the early 80s began to custom tailor, cut, and sew his own pieces. We’re talking about pants, bags, hats, jackets, cars even, and what he was doing was not unlike hip hop; he took fabric from established brands like Gucci or Louie Vuitton and cut them to his own style. He began to make clothing for hip hop cats of course, but the underground economists or hustlers out of NY, and once word got around people from all over began to come to his store, which was open 24 hours a day. I would love to see more documentary work done about his achievements, because back then these high class brands did not respect Black youth culture. So, he remixed it and created a self sustaining business. Salute the brother, he is still designing today. 
Sources: Fresh Dressed (documentary), Aol, DapperDanOfHarlem.com
You can purchase this original drawing: $40 (includes shipping) email at info@robdontstop.com

February 5, 2017
in Black is Beautiful, General, Series
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Black is Beautiful 2 (2017)- Phife Dawg

I became a fan of ATCQ when I was 11 years old, and was deeply saddened by the recent death of the Five footer MC Malik, better known to Tribe fans as Phife. Scratch that, I was in shock because I grew up on his voice. This isn’t meant to be a replica of him, but rather a representation of him in peace. I won’t get into his origin story or all the history, because you can go listen to his music and discover that. But I will say I always appreciated his voice, his flow, and his witty and clever thoughts. He was one of those dudes that made you think “Wow, he just said that!” when he rhymed. Nuff respect to his family, wife, the Tribe and Native Tongue Family, and all the Caribbean Americans in Hip Hop culture. And although the documentary showed the turmoil it was pretty dope to see Phife in different parts of Oakland and the Bay. RIP Ancestor Phife Dawg.

February 4, 2017
in Black is Beautiful, General, Series
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Black is Beautiful 2017- Edna Lewis

Here’s the first post for the month. $40 (includes shipping) 8″x8″ mixed media


Edna was born in 1916 in “Freetown” Virginia. Edna was an incredible cool, chef, and teacher. She began cooking at an early age and throughout her life cooked in restaurants, homes, etc. She moved to NYC is a teen, joined the communist party, began cooking for a restaurant called Cafe Nicholson, and went on to teach many what Southern Cooking was really about, linking back to a herstory of growing your vegetables, grains, legumes, fruits, etc and harvesting them. She did cook things like fried chicken but as I understood it, they raised their animals and cooked them for special events. Seasonal dishes and foods. Connected to the land. Besides cooking she was a museum lecturer, author of many cook books, and a historian who passed down the story of how what’s known as Southern hospitality or Southern food came from Africans. So much in her story, I’m just summarizing. First heard of this lady thru author and chef Bryant Terry. Email me at info@robdontstop.com for original


Sources: Ny Times, Edna Lewis Foundation, Doc-Fried Chicken & Sweet Potato Pie

February 1, 2017
in Black is Beautiful, General, Series
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