EDD Presents: The Gallery Experience (Sneaker Week 2019)

An interactive community experience inspired by Marley's.

Wisdom of Bob Marley...

“No need for children to be sad, all children are innocent, so they should be happy.” -Bob Marley

A happy youth enjoying the tunes of Bob Marley + The Wailers.

(Parents, Thank You for Sharing!)

TGE: How the Concept Came About

After moving to Portland from The South in 2010 there was immediate culture shock. I remember asking a couple of my new co-workers at the time, "Which radio station is the hip-hop station?"... They gave me the same ol' pop station that I had been hearing, but at a specific time..."You have to listen on Friday's from 8-2am." or whatever it was then. This small (to some) detail spoke volumes to the lack of cultural awareness in the area.

By 2013 I became hyper aware of the way surface level/ mainstream hip-hop music was being perceived + consumed by the youth in this region particularly. Noticing that there was a lack of base cultural knowledge, and how many of the things heard were taken for face value and 100% truth.

This led to the thought of "How could we create a cultural experience that would encourage a range of people to think about the music they listen to differently?"

(a page from the original concept deck 2013)

Six Years Later...

“We decided to start with the Marley family, who are known for progressive uplifting content and have been labeled as timeless.”

After letting this idea sit in my back pocket for six years, a close friend who happens to be co-founder of Sneaker Week, provided me the opportunity to bring this idea to life.

I then came together with an amazing project team who helped build my ideas into reality.

We decided to start with the Marley family, who are known for progressive uplifting content and have been labeled as timeless. Many of us from all ages and cultures often look to Bob Marley when we want our spirits lifted. For some, it's the positive words in truth, for others it may just be the funky reggae rhythm. Regardless we wanted everyone to engage a little bit differently; this time including a perspective from different talented artists who created their visuals based off of specific Marley songs and how those songs resonated with them.

(Project Team: *Dee, *Lauren, Audrey + *Chandler)

Artist Collaboration

Not long after our team came together, I reached out to a group of talented creatives; who came through delivering insightful perspectives to bless the overall experience with more takeaways for us all to walk away with.

Shout out!!...

Precious, Chris Dixon, Mundo, Jonny aka RatedRookie, Kyle B. Heart, Ahmad, and the youngest of the talented bunch + YAK for sharing being a part and illustrating their perspectives.

Q+A w/ Ahmad

ED_: Why did you choose those specific songs (Buffalo Soldier/ Crazy Baldheads / No More Trouble / Misty Morning /...) to sample for the tracks that you created?

Ahmad_: "I chose those songs because I thought they complimented the art style and it payed homage to Bob Marley's melodies."

ED_: What did you learn in this process of creating?

Ahmad_: "The thing I learned in this process was the basics of Patwa. I thought it would've been great to incorporate Patwa to my titles and bring the culture of Jamaica."

ED_: How has Bob Marley impacted your life?

Ahmad_: "Bob Marley has impacted my life by being immersed in his music when the days are sullen or gloomy. My mood automatically changes when I hear the first note."

ED_: Why do you believe Bob Marley's music is timeless?

Ahmad_: "I believe Bob Marley's music is considered timeless because every generation has a sentimental attachment to his voice and his message. That will stand the test of time."

ED_: What does every day diligence mean to you?

Ahmad_: "Every day diligence means consistently having resiliency, earnestness and attentiveness to achieve your ultimate goal. No matter how challenging your journey may be."

ED_: What is balance to you? + Why is it important for you to have in your life?

Ahmad_: Balance to me means keeping your composure when the circumstances don't go your way. We have to have balance in our lives because it keeps us level headed and on the right curve. I also believe balance is important because it makes me productive and committed for the long haul with accomplishing dreams.

ED_: What other projects are you involved in? + How can the community help support?

Ahmad_: "I'm working on artwork and music for my uncle's group Aesthete Society. I definitely encourage people to come out and support their next event in the foreseeable future! I'm also working on music for a DC based podcast called Three Guys On as well.

ED_: What advice would you give today's youth?

Ahmad_: The advice that I would give is a quote I read recently. The saying went ..."Do the thing and you shall have the power (Just Do It)."

ED_: Do you have any advice for those who have paved the way?

Ahmad_: Unfortunately, I don't necessarily have great advice for those who have paved the way per se, because they did their best with the tools and resources they were given at that time. I just would like to thank the ones who sacrificed a lot to make sure the generation after them would live a better life compared to the environment they were in.

LiVeLy UP Yourself - ahmadxjamaal

THANK YOU... Sneaker Week / Jupiter NEXT / Project Team + Artist / All Who Participated.

-ED_D