B FRESH Photography and Media

Bound For Love

Rebecca McDonald — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 07:08:57 +0000

Bound for Love (BFL) is transmedia project visually enticing viewers behind-the-scenes into the underground world of the Twin Cities fetish scene. BFL was directed, produced, filmed, written and edited by Rebecca McDonald of B FRESH Photography and Media.

Through six intimate vignettes, this multi-platform narrative explores alternative sexual lifestyles, through the mediums of documentary film, photography and written narrative. McDonald spent six months intimately documenting eight characters–Jean Bardot, a professional dominatrix, Charger who loves pony-play, Bondage Mischief who is into Western-style bondage, Sybil the crossdresser, Lady Lin who loves her shibari and fire play, and three young artists who makes home made sex toys at Free Range Silicone.

BFL was the cover feature in City Pages’ 2012 Valentine’s Day issue, and remains to this day, one of the most widely viewed Village Voice Media stories, with over 300,000 views in the first few days alone.

By Rebecca McDonald
Photography by B FRESH Photography and Media
Special thanks to Mark Graff and Bardot Studio

Mistress Bardot slides into the latex nun habit, her gloved hand smoothing the veil against her cheekbone. She emerges from backstage, charmingly steps into the crowd, and greets friends who traveled thousands of miles to see her.

The Mistress begins her ascension to the stage, gracefully parting the kinky people like a sexual sea. Bardot’s intuitive eyes scan the room—her beaming, cherry-painted smile hinting at secret pleasures.

She ushers a lucky redheaded schoolgirl to the fore, and enjoins her to kneel. Bardot’s bouncy laugh calls attention to the naughty scene about to transpire. The crowd swells with expectation.

Welcome to the Fetish Ball.

There are dozens of fetish groups and organizations in Minnesota, some dating back as long as 40 years. According to FetLife, the global kink social network, there are nearly 12,000 registered fetish practitioners in our state. You wouldn’t know it from looking at us, because the citizenry hardly wear their sexual peccadilloes on their long sleeves.

“People can be fired because they are kinky in their private life,” says Susan Wright, author and policy director of the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom. “Or they can lose custody of their children.”

Wright works to dispel stereotypes and fight stigmas associated with the fetish lifestyle. Media coverage of sex is often sensationalized or made out to be a joke, Wright says, and because of antiquated laws, consenting adults with alternative lifestyles aren’t protected against discrimination.

If you are adventurous enough to think up something kinky, it’s probably happening in Minnesota, maybe right next door as you’re reading this.

But this isn’t a story about sex. It’s a story about love.

Charger

Charger is known by many as the kinkiest person in Minnesota, and his favorite fetish of them all is dressing up as a pony.

“I’ve done stuff that people only dream about,” he says with a jolly laugh, and scratches his brow. “I’ll try anything once—twice if I like it.”

Charger flops his pony gear out of its suitcase, the leather saddle making a sharp slapping noise as it meets the table. He repositions the pony tail, brushing the knots out with his fingers. A smirk crosses his handsome, scruffy face, as he recalls the day he fell in love with pony play.

Charger grew up on a ranch in Montana, always admiring the symbiotic relationship between the trusting, powerful horse and his handler. One day he sat down at his computer to look at porn. He remembered it started like any typical day, but what he came across in his browsing would change his life forever. Even though he had been into kink for more than 20 years, a flush of virgin excitement took over his body as he witnessed Lady Cheyenne ride a human pony.

“It struck me so hard that within 30 days I had designed and bought equipment for my own pony outfit, spending nearly $2,000,” Charger recalls. “It’s still the same gear I use today.”

The first time Charger transformed into a pony, the endorphins rushed through him like he had found his first true love. It was only a short time before he began his public appearance as a pony.

Several months after seeing the video with Cheyenne, Charger showed up to a Twin Cities event on a warm summer afternoon in June. His sudden, fully formed appearance overwhelmed even veterans of the local leather scene.

“They were in complete awe,” Charger says.

Charger’s handler helps him slip on the horse body wrap, which laces up like a corset. The roughness and texture of the pony suit becomes a part of him, and his breathing shifts into a more methodical, beastly pace. He bends over and places his arms in crutches covered in leather, bringing his back level to the ground.

“It’s very satisfying to me when a woman tells me that the movement she feels is the same as riding on a horse,” Charger explains. “And when it’s the right situation, I kind of blank out a little.”

It may take a few hours before he drifts into the “headspace” of being a pony. It has gotten to the point where he has given so many rides that his body shakes from exhaustion at the end of the day, the leather soaking wet from sweat. He gets emotionally charged from pony play, especially the power exchange.

“[Pony play] is a hard fetish to describe to people,” Charger says. “When they can’t understand, I have them put on a piece of the headgear, and you can watch their eyes literally change.”

Bondage Mischief

“I hate feet without stockings!” Randy belts out as he places the red ball gag in Lady Lin’s mouth. “They have to have stockings on.”

He turns his white Minnesota Vikings hat backward and brings the Nikon D5000′s viewfinder up to his squinting eye. He shoots a few frames, and cautiously steps around her.

“I wanna get some close-ups on your butt ’cause it looks soooo good like this!” Randy says.

Randy first saw Lady Lin’s picture on FetLife about two and a half years ago. He was immediately astonished by her butt—so much so that he left a comment.

It turned out she had just moved to the Twin Cities from Virginia. Within six days of commenting on her rump, Randy was working with her. It was instant chemistry. As a bondage model, she knew exactly what he wanted in a scene and never failed to deliver.

Lady Lin’s enthusiastically curvy body rolls around Randy’s carpeted living room floor as she tries to free her hands and ankles, which he has tied behind her back with rope from the Home Depot.

Not even a ball gag can keep her mouth shut. Her demands are muffled in distress.

“Come back! Don’t leave me here! Honey, please don’t do this to me!”

Randy lets her struggle for five minutes as he sits back and films with his JVC Everio.

His fascination with seeing beautiful women struggle dates back to when the neighborhood kids would play hide and seek, boys against girls. When the boys cuaght their prey, they’d tie her up at headquarters until all were found.

Then came the Playboy magazines he found in his father’s closet. And who could forget Wonder Woman on television during the ’70s, with her shiny red latex boots and magic lasso?

From then on, he was hooked, and there was no turning back.

Before the internet—even before VCRs—people from all over Minnesota would descend on downtown Minneapolis to get their kinks satisfied in the back rooms of book stores.

“It was always an adventure to go down to the seedy part of town, sneak in, and sneak out with your little brown bag full of bondage magazines,” Randy recalls wistfully.

The video scene with Lady Lin is over, so Randy switches back to taking photos. This time, his strobe reflects off Lady Lin’s red-rimmed glasses, but Randy focuses his attention on getting the best angle of Lady Lin’s 32Ds pouring over her teal corset.

Bondage Mischief, his damsel-in-distress website, is becoming a 24/7 job, with more than 125 subscribers and site updates almost every day of the week. Confined to a cubicle, Randy brainstorms new bondage scenes at his day job until the clock strikes 4:30 p.m., when he jets home to play.

Randy wraps Lady Lin into the cream-colored straitjacket. As he settles back into his plush armchair, the timer begins, and he quietly discovers an angle that accentuates her plump bottom as it squirms.

“Oh, and make sure you look at the clock and don’t escape too quick,” Randy tells her, before whispering an aside to the voyeur next to him: “I don’t have to tell this to most girls, but Lin’s good at escaping.”

Lady Lin

Lady Lin gets a kick out of shocking people. Whether it’s walking around in a collar and leash or randomly barking at people, she’s always causing a scene.

She attributes this fearless attitude to growing up in San Francisco. She always knew she was different, but it wasn’t until rooming with a couple of lesbians who introduced her to the fetish community that she realized she was kinky.

Wearing a white polka-dotted spaghetti-strap dress, she invites her playmates in for practice. She motions toward her living room, which is stocked with kinky toys used for fire play and Shibari—Japanese bondage.

Standing confident at 5’5″, Lady Lin radiates a warm friendliness. She’s turned on by teaching techniques to newbies, and excited by learning fresh ones herself. When she connects with friends in the kink community, she experiences love on a deep level.

“I am clear about my play partners’ boundaries because we communicate and negotiate limits,” she says. “It’s so important for a top to read the bottom. I know how her body moves when she’s excited, the kinds of smiles she will start using. I know the look in her eyes.”

Lady Lin leans over bare legs comfortably draped across the coffee table as she reaches for the fire wand. Standing up, she readjusts the spaghetti strap that had fallen off her right shoulder. Her hand grazes over the secret code tattooed on her outer right bicep.

She smiles and reassures her guests they will not be judged.

“If you fuck up, we know you are trying, and we’re here to catch you,” Lady Lin says. “We are all here to learn.”

Sybil

“This is how to perfect your look,” the ex-Mary Kay consultant explained to her husband, handing him a guide to makeup techniques.

Her willingness to learn was undeniably touching. There is nothing she wouldn’t do for her husband.

To this day, when the makeup kit is brought out, Sybil emerges. And when Sybil is loose, watch out.

Most of her life, she’s not Sybil, because Sybil lives as a man who enjoys cross-dressing, bondage, and BDSM.

“I love what I do. I hold a little secret that I carry around all day,” Sybil confides. “I have this pretty girl character I can spring out on you at any time.”

It all began at the age of 7 when he got his hands on Cosmo, and some of those old detective magazines with girls tied up on the cover. He imagined what it was like to be a woman, to dress like a woman, but didn’t have the guts to make a first move.

It wasn’t until that toasty Halloween evening in Boca Raton, Florida, at the age of 20, that he got his first taste. That began a lifelong obsession with satin, lace, corsets, stockings and garters, leather, and latex.

Dressing up in women’s clothing was a different sensation than anything Sybil had ever experienced. Some compare this rush to a runner’s high. Sybil doesn’t need sexual release to have a good time.

“Bondage is about the sensations. I love the feel of being tied to something, my freedom being taken away—I give control over myself to someone I completely trust,” Sybil explains. “It feels good to be wrapped up and kept. It feels like I am loved.”

Free Range Silicone

“The most rewarding part of our job is knowing we are getting people off,” Joshua exclaims, pouring iridescent pigments into the mold, his head cocked to the left as he inspects the flow of the silicone goo.

When John, Amy, and Joshua found each other, they realized that their collective fetish was a love for creating orgasms. And so their “synergistic interdisciplinary art practise,” as they call it, began—crafting handmade silicone sex toys under the name Free Range Silicone.

Formally trained in sculpture, these young artists want to, as their tagline says, “help people get they fuck on ‘mo betta.”

Joshua looks up as he completes the top-secret process of sealing the psychedelic mixture into the mold and says, “The intensity of discomfort can be exciting, too. Like sharp bits of pain that linger out, and kinda sparkle at the finish.”

John adds: “Pleasure is anything that makes you feel worth something.”

Amy reaches for a bucket of recycled silicone materials and shuffles across the room to find the scissors. She returns to mix the unique shapes into a bold blue pigment she created. Joshua adds a scoop of cosmic neon colors. As the particles fold on top of one another, they settle into a tranquil harmony.

“It’s like I birthed a baby from the molds,” Amy says. “The process of creating something with your hands is erotic. This is my ultimate labor of love.”

Specializing in custom fetish objects such as dildos, cock rings, masturbation sleeves, butt plugs, kinky finger puppets, and dental dams, Free Range Silicone believes that sex toys are essential to maintain a happy and healthy sex life.

But stimulating your senses isn’t the only goal this threesome has on its collective minds. They also enjoy fostering the community’s cultural growth by hosting workshops and encouraging discussion.

“You can’t forget voyeurism is participation,” John says. “So if you are going to just look and watch, you are, in essence, part of the kinky activity. And you are actually involved in kink whether you talk about it or not.”

Jean Bardot

The theater goes silent as Jean Bardot snaps back. She scans the mass of smiling faces from the stage and takes a bow to the roar of applause.

After seven months of intense planning, the Fetish Ball concludes, and the last guests are ushered out. For at least one evening, they enjoyed a space where they were accepted, free to be themselves, not judged or looked down upon.

“Everyone should be able to feel this loved,” Bardot says.

Growing up in a conservative suburb of the Twin Cities, Jean Bardot found her place at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. From falling in love with latex to interning with Prince in his costume department, she always knew this was the work she loved.

Alice Mizrachi

Rebecca McDonald — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 04:02:53 +0000

Originally posted on GRITtv.org

Alice Mizrachi isn’t just an artist–she’s a community organizer, too. A graduate of the Parsons School of Design, Mizrachi’s shown her work around the world, and yet her favorite canvas is New York’s walls. Mizrachi’s built a global network of women artists as co-director of the Younity Arts Collective, and now she’s working with young people. This piece was produced by Rebecca McDonald of B FRESH Photography and Media for GRITtv, and special thanks to Noisemaker Media for the music.

Da Circle

Rebecca McDonald — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 22:27:19 +0000

Check out the behind the scenes photos by B FRESH Photography and Media from Da Circles’s music video “Napalm” featuring Immortal Technique. The music video was filmed on May 22nd and 23rd 2010 in Brooklyn, NY.

Noisemaker Media, Viper Records and Da Circle Present “Napalm”. Goodtime Slim and Fatz D’Assassin are more than just another brand of revolution rap. They are the revolution. On Napalm, Immortal Technique joins Da Circle to plot a coupe de tat on the industry and set the world stage ablaze with their fiery rhetoric and revolutionary chants. This Fyre Department-produced soundtrack sets the pace for Slim and Fatz to establish themselves as a formidable duo who spit no frills politically-insightful rap. Napalm takes us on a journey of a Young Man [Jordan Anthony James] who finds martyrdom as the only salvation to liberate himself from the slavery of freedom and the ignorance of war. Napalm holds no pretense of being a vehicle that carries a cryptic message or present itself as a puzzle with encoded political implications. Simply put, this is ART. A piece that acts as a mirror which reflects the fear-based agenda propagated by a politically-motivated media industry which pursues an initiative that discredits acts of social revolution and disguises it as an anti-American crusade. If the revolution will not be televised, then the revolution must start now.

Download Da Circle’s “The 360 Deal” LP: bit.ly/gMwf3K

For more info on Da Circle, please visit: dacircle360.com

Follow Da Circle:

Facebook: on.fb.me/gUULvg

Twitter: twitter.com/dacircle360

Myspace: myspace.com/dacircle360

Follow Immortal Technique:

Facebook: on.fb.me/fvA3xW

Twitter: twitter.com/immortaltech

Myspace: myspace.com/immortaltechnique

For more info on Viper Records, please visit: viperrecords.com

For more info on Noisemaker Media, please visit: noisemakermedia.com

www.vimeo.com/noisemakermedia

www.youtube.com/noisemakermediaone

Follow Noisemaker Media:

Facebook: bit.ly/fUWk6o

Twitter: www.twitter.com/noisemakermedia

MySpace: www.myspace.com/noisemakermedia

Album Artwork by KupiArt | www.kupiart.com

Wu-Tang Clan

Rebecca McDonald — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 02:18:26 +0000

Originally published on City Pages

Inspectah Deck of Wu-Tang Clan talks to City Pages’ Web Editor Jen Boyles in an exclusive video interview backstage at the Wu’s sold-out show at Epic Sunday night. B FRESH Photography and Media was there to film and catch photos of the show.

Born Jason Hunter, he and his large and long-loved clan of New York rap personalities delivered a late-night set of classics with Deck taking the reigns for the first several numbers that included tracks from the group’s best full-length to date, Enter The Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers — an album to which he largely contributed.

After the show, Inspectah Deck took a few minutes to talk to City Pages about Minneapolis fans, his upcoming album planned for 2011, and of course, our unique weather.

“This is one of the coldest cities I’ve ever been in, for real,” he says.

Check out the full 2-minute video below, and don’t miss his public service announcement at the end.

Here are some photos by B FRESH Photography and Media:

Check out a slideshow of the opening acts here:

Wu-Tang Clan + MPLS 4eva: Rappers and fans show off their gear

Keri Hilson

Rebecca McDonald — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 04:51:19 +0000

Behind the scenes of "No Boys Allowed"

Check out the video interview and behind the scenes photos of Keri Hilson’s photoshoot for her upcoming album “No Boys Allowed” to be released on December 21st. It was an amazing experience working on set to capture Miss Keri Baby doing what she does best. Here is an excerpt from an interview I did with the She’s So Fresh crew about the experience:

“The most exciting shoot I have ever done was behind the scenes documentation for Keri Hilson’s photoshoot for her new album “No Boys Allowed.” It was not exciting because she is a famous R&B singer, but was incredibly exciting to see the inner-workings of a large-scale production. Growing up, I would look at album covers and magazine spreads, and always wonder went on behind the scenes to make it happen. I got a chance to see first-hand the process- from the inspirational images Keri gave to the photographers before shooting, to the stylist selecting the wardrobe, to the hair designers working their magic. Keri was such a down-to-earth person, and I am honored to have interviewed her.”

Filmed by Mark Carranceja (Noisemaker Media) and Rebecca McDonald (B FRESH Photography and Media).

Photography by Rebecca McDonald of B FRESH Photography and Media

Photography by Gomillion and Leupold

Immortal Technique

Rebecca McDonald — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 06:54:18 +0000

Immortal Technique in Minneapolis

(FREE MIX)

Originally published on City Pages

Written by Rebecca McDonald, photography by B FRESH Photography and Media

Immortal Technique isn’t your typical rapper. He raps about colonialism and racism rather than about girls and booze. Instead of spending money on chains and rims, he has wisely invested his money and given to humanitarian causes such as opening an orphanage/hospital in Afghanistan with Omeid International.

After returning to the U.S. from his trip to Afghanistan, and hitting up the stage at Soundset ’09, Gimme Noise caught Technique, who was in rare form: on vacation — in Minnesota. We chopped it up about his favorite place to eat in the Twin Cities, how he spends his time off, managing his investments, his love for classical music, and of course, revolution.

B FRESH: So you are taking some time off in MN? Did you catch a case of MN Nice?

Immortal Technique: I took a couple of days off because honestly, I don’t very often get to do that. I work ALL THE TIME. My entire life is built around ‘Objective, objective, mission complete. Objective, objective, mission complete.’ But I’ve been here a bunch of times. The first time I came out to Minnesota, my boys back home were like “You’re going to Minn….esota? Fuck is out there? And I was like, ‘Yo, B, they made the call. I’ll make the trip. I’ll tell you when I get home.” It was mad love. Then the first show I ever did at First Ave was something K Salaam set up-an event with Brother Ali… I like it out here. It’s cool.

BF: What is your favorite place to eat in the Twin Cities?

IT: Pizza Luce.

BF: People have described you as a revolutionary artist, but what does that work really look like?

IT: When you talk about being revolutionary you’re talking about getting things done in an unconventional manner…You are talking about taking an idea and reinventing it, or coming up with a brand new, original idea that you can give to the people. Revolutionary work is difficult because it puts you in direct conflict with the world of a performing artist. It’s almost impossible. It is impossible, I’ll say, to be a rock star and a revolutionary. And rap stars are the new rock stars. So, to go and fight that life, it’s very difficult.

BF: What are some of the challenges?

IT: I am sometimes accused by my peoples as being way too serious, or I’m angry or I bark orders at muthafuckas, but I live in a world where everything is so serious and the stakes are so high that I can’t afford the people around me to make mistakes, just like I can’t afford to make mistakes. I’m so on my business and managing my investments, and putting my money into groups that are helping people…I bought my grandmother a house, I put my sister through college, paid off my father’s car, bought hundreds of acres of land in South America…It’s revolutionary work because we are not trying to do this with some corporation controlling everything. We are trying to do this independently; we are trying to change the actual face of the music industry- a revolution, within the industry itself, to prevent them from controlling the rest of the culture. And it is guerilla war, because I am not fighting this thing to win. I am hopelessly outnumbered, and I am fighting a war with nothing, compared to what they have. And yet, I have managed to stake certain ground and hold it. And be like “Y’all can have all that commercial shit, but this right here, is mine. And you have to act right. And if you don’t, you’ll have to get kicked the fuck out.”

BF: While you are doing all of this traveling, what are you listening to on your most recent road trips?

IT: When I’m driving, I like anything from hip-hop to classical to opera. I’ve had Big L- ‘The Big Picture,’ I had some old DJ Clue mixtapes, Mozart’s opera ‘Don Giovanni.’ I like Classical music- my mother used to play it for me when I was in the womb. I always grew up liking that sort of thing. People be bugged out when I’m in a tour van or some shit, blasting opera, just tearing down the highway. People are like “Yo man, what are you doing.” I tell them, I just like this music, and if you don’t like it, you can get the fuck out- find your own show.

MORE:

B Fresh Photography was in the B96 studio to snap shots of Peter Parker talking to Immortal Technique. Click here for her all-access slideshow.

Late Monday night, Parker released the mixtape “Mr. Peter Parker Presents How Hard Do You Hustle Vol. 6 ‘The Best of the Worst’ Hosted by Immortal Technique.”

Technique opens the mixtape by saying “…We gon’ machinegun down all that fake-ass hip-hop that shouldn’t even be on the fuckin’ air. This is the best of the worst. Good night muthafucka.”

Chuck U

Rebecca McDonald — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 04:57:57 +0000

Illustrator Chuck U talks Robozoology, inspiration and hippies

Originally published at City Pages

Written by Rebecca McDonald, artwork courtesy of the artist

Chuck U is a Twin Cities-based freelance designer and illustrator, mostly known for his album covers and show posters around town. He doesn’t offer a complex examination of societal ills or provide introspective solutions to life’s problems. What he does offer is something cool to look at. When was the last time you thought about “monkeys as the new people” or an “old hotdog mill (see below)?” Chuck U likes when people to make up their own stories about his work, reminding grownups in a playful way that there isn’t anything wrong with using your imagination once in awhile.

After eight or so group exhibitions, Chuck finally decided to do a solo show at Nickademus Art and Framing called “Robozoology” featuring paintings and posters done over the past year (2009). We wanted to know more, so we hit him up.

BF: You have a new gallery show at Nickademus Art and Framing. Where does the title “Robozoology” come from?

CU: I was originally going to call it “Art is None of my Business” but my brother hated that name. So we sat down and thought about it. The word cryptozoology-ish, came up a few times, but that kinda sucked, then somehow we landed on “Robozoology” since I like to add robot parts to alot of my animals. Not sure which one of us actually coined it, but I’m going to go ahead and take credit anyway.

BF: What inspired this project?

CU: I don’t look at the show as a project. Its more like a collection of little projects. To be honest, I have no idea where my inspiration comes from. I’d would say “everywhere and everything” but that sounds kinda douche-y.

BF: You are known in the Twin Cities music scene for your posters and album covers. What elements in the Robozoology collection are different/similar from that work?

CU: A lot of them are similar in style to some of my more recent album covers (ie: the MN Beatle Project: Vol 1, or Dance Band “Geekadelic”) as far as lots of line work and stuff. The difference is that for these I didn’t have to make anyone happy but myself. No client to please, so I was free to get a little more weird.

BF: What objects are currently on your drawing table?

CU: I actually just cleaned it off the other day. But on my computer desk is a gorilla riding a shark.

BF: Tell us about your most memorable time painting.

By far the live paintings I’ve done at the Bella Music festivals have been the most fun. Nothing like 3 days of camping, music, and hippies for an environment to paint in. All of these stoned hippies would come up to me, and go into these long, ten minute explanations about what they think is going on in a print. That is my favorite shit in the world.

CLICK HERE TO SEE A SLIDESHOW of Chuck U’s art

Chuck on artwork (in order of appearance above):

“Monkeys Are the New People”

I spent an insane amount of time on this one. I had it pretty much how it is after about 2 weeks, but then, like an idiot, I kept trying to add other stuff to it. I did that for over a week, before I realized it looked best how it was.

“The Old Hotdog Mill”

This one started with just the buildings on the top, but it didn’t feel done. I taped another piece of paper to the bottom and kept going in that fashion until it was 4 sketchbook pages taped together. From there I scanned it in, cleaned it up, and colored it.

“Aristo- Trash”

Not sure where the idea came from, but I thought it would be cool if there were some sophisticated gentlemen sipping tea and smoking cigars in their underwear. After that, I added the trailers and the other stuff. I originally wanted them to be wading there feet in a kiddie pool, but it didn’t look right so I added a grill instead.

Brother Ali

Rebecca McDonald — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 04:13:39 +0000

5 Questions with Brother Ali as ‘Us’ approaches

Originally published in City Pages

Written by Rebecca McDonald, photography by B FRESH Photography and Media

Brother Ali’s forthcoming album is upon us. That’s right, Rhymesayers’ lyrical heavy-hitter is back again, but with a more introspective tone than ever. The album Us will “touch on the strengths and flaws of the human condition, exploring drug abuse, divorce, homophobia and many more topics that most people are scared to touch in their own lives, much less on an album for the world to see,” according to the release. We caught up with Ali at his recent video shoot in the Warehouse District to get personal, and get the scoop on his tour and new album.

B FRESH: The upcoming album is called “Us.” It was going to be called “Street Preacher,” so why the change?

Brother Ali: A fan gave me the title “Street Preacher,” the message being: connect with other people by embracing who we really are. I set out to make an album of stories from the people I love and give my listeners an intimate look at a side of life they may not be familiar with. “Street Preacher” was the working title until the album was done. Siddiq [of Rhymesayers Entertainment] and I were listening through the finished album and came to the conclusion that the title didn’t end up matching the content…I don’t “preach.” It’s just not who I am–I ended up telling stories about “Us.” The all-inclusive, greater “Us” that makes the world go ’round. So we decided to rename the album what it’s really about–Us.

BF: You will be rolling worldwide for your “Fresh Air Tour” with Toki and Evidence in less than a month. How will this tour give fans a breath of fresh air? Where does the name come from?

BA: The idea is to celebrate life and appreciate what we have. We’re not concerned with what the magazines and videos and rappers tell us we need to own to enjoy life. We’re blessed to be who we are and we appreciate life no matter what challenges it throws our way.

BF: On the new single “Fresh Air,” you talk about buying a house. How does it feel to be able to buy a home for you and your family with money you earned doing what you appear to love- rapping?

It’s a dream come true. There’s no other way to say it. There’s nothing lavish about my lifestyle– I’ll probably never be on MTV Cribs but I’m the luckiest son-of-a-bitch that ever lived.

BF: On Twitter you tweeted “You know you’re in love when you and your girl can make Wendy’s in car with the baby feel like a date. God is Good!” Where is your favorite place to take your wife out on a date?

BA: Steaks outside at Nye’s. A walk by the river at St. Anthony Main and a good movie. The rest is none of your business. *wink*

BF: Being away from your family while on tour must be challenging. What plans do you have in the works before you leave?

BA: Being away from them for long periods is literally torture for everyone involved. Just thinking about it makes my heart sink. It’s the evil downside of what we do. I’m really blessed to have a supportive wife and I try to make every minute count when we’re together. When we’re home, I’m able to create my own schedule so I can spend every minute with them. I’m an extremely hands-on dad. The goal for the next few weeks is to get Faheem off to a good start in the new school year.

Free MP3 of ”Us”: CLICK HERE

Playdate

Rebecca McDonald — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 09:50:26 +0000

Playdate comes to Minneapolis to ‘redefine nightlife’

Originally published at City Pages

Written by Rebecca McDonald, photography by B FRESH Photography and Media

A national movement focused on redefining nightlife has finally come to the Twin Cities, and just in time. “Playdate” gives young adults an option aside from clubbing, a welcome change considering the local nightlife that’s been even more limited after the recent closing of clubs like Visage, Trocaderos, Axis, Element, and Bellanote.

At Playdate, mingling, networking, relaxing and having fun over an adult version of childhood favorite games like Twister, Jenga, musical chairs and Simon Says gets people to interact and talk rather than have to yell over loud music to be heard. And it’s not just for young singles — at Playdate’s opener in Minneapolis,. there were adults in attendance from ages 21 to 60. By filling chairs with hot singles and Simon announcing ‘Drop it like it’s hot,’ a night on the town becomes something entirely unexpected.

If your style is a bit more competitive, impress all of the ladies with your Wii bowling skills or resurrect your hula hoop talent to woo the gentleman. Either way, you won’t regret skipping a night of barhopping just once.

ReadNex Poetry Squad

Rebecca McDonald — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 05:36:34 +0000

Interview and photos by Rebecca “B FRESH” McDonald of B FRESH Photography and Media

Last February, I took a journey to the Mall of America in Bloomington, MN to meet up with a phenomenal crew of people I met during my travels in New York. The ReadNex Poetry Squad kept in contact with me, and before departing for the Twin Cities, they gave me a ring, asking about places they could book shows, perform etc. We decided to take the opportunity and shoot, so I recently pulled out these photos and sat down with them to catch up on life, touring, their new album and music video release and what is in the stars for 2011.

B FRESH: Can you describe to readers who the Readnex Poetry Squad are?
The ReadNex Poetry Squad: We are a group of 5 artists, emcees, poets, community leaders, activists, educators, a singer, a couple of break dancers, a comedian, and idealists that believe that positive change is possible through love, education and voice.

BF: How did you all meet and start working together?

RNPS: We all met by accident at Orange County Community College (now known as SUNY Orange). A few of us met at a college club we formed called REACH. The club’s mission was to reach out to our community. Be it in the form of food drives, educational events, cultural trips, open mics, etc. At some of the open mics we vibed with each other and appreciated each others talents. Four members of the group formed out of this collective exchange of words ands vibes. DJ H20 joined the group a few years later. He’d been attending open mics and the college with us as well.

BF: How would you describe your work, what you do, and your musical sound?

RNPS: Our music sounds like serenity mixed in with the revolutionary battle cries of a child that demands justice, love and mental stimulation. We use Hip Hop & Spoken Word Poetry to empower, to motivate, and to edu-tain as many ears that our beats and voices can reach. The music sounds like what it should sound like for each individual that listens. Poetry stems from the Greek word Poeses. Thus we create and our listeners decide the rest.

BF: You have your new album out in stores now, and a music video dropping. What does this all mean for you as poets, and the direction you are moving in? What make you all different than the rest out there?

RNPS: We are and will always be Poets. We are lovers of music, good music, and have been privileged to find artistic ways to incorporate our loves and make something tangible for the world to hear and see. The music video was definitely something we always wanted to do and we are so grateful to have done it. What makes us different… to sum it up we LOVE. We love each other, the art form, the people and everything else. We are driven by love and that’s just it.

BF: How do you balance all of the things you do as activists/artists?

RNPS: We both love and are passionate about the work we do. Somehow all gets figured out from that love.

BF: What inspires you to create together? What are some highlights of collaborating together? And how do you address creative differences and obstacles in your process of creating?

RNPS: Something one of us might have learned during our travels or research. The emotion on the face of a child or the laughter that child’s spirit emanates. The green of the trees, the anger caused by injustice or the joy and vibing out with each other. This all serves as inspiration.

For our single “Be’ Dif’Rent” we all built upon the concept in our own way. The beat was made, someone’s verse was written, that verse inspired someone else’s and so on. Then when the track was almost done one of us heard and thought “I wanna get on this” and wrote the final verse for it. It was a collaborative effort that kept being built upon again and again as we inspired each other.

We’ve worked with each other for almost 10 years. We trust each other. We believe in each other and genuinely care about each others thoughts, words and moves. When a “creative difference” arises we work with each other, find common ground and try to combine ideas as much as possible. A creative difference is merely an opportunity to create.

BF: You have been traveling extensively recently. Are there any places that are unforgettable, or that you would never want to return to? Tell us some tour stories!

RNPS: We each have our own individual favorites or least favorites. Latin’s favorite is San Antonio and hearing a ten year old explain (after a brief workshop we facilitated) why Hillary Rodham Clinton was an excellent Senator. For Decora it was the love we received from the people of Detroit during the US Social Forum. For DJ H20 it was the energy of the crowd at Trinity College during a performance of ours and Free loved the vibe of Chicago while walking in search of sneaker shops. Jarabe del Sol loved being in the desert of New Mexico during Dooda Desert Rock and enjoying both the land and the indigenous love. Least favorites there aren’t many really. We’ve become very skilled in adapting and finding the good in all of our experiences.

BF: What can’t you live without on tour?

RNPS: Latin needs high protein food on a regular basis (one of the 3 vegetarians on the road). He gets…unhappy to say the least, otherwise. DJ H2O needs his toiletry bag. That man needs to be clean. Jarabe needs a space to meditate. Free needs a brief retreat every few days from all the male energy. And Decora needs enough sleep.

BF: What are your plans for the rest of 2010? Any new projects? What should we expect from The ReadNex Poetry Squad?
RNPS: Ok so we usually like to keep suspense going….but here we go….more videos, more music and the sky is the limit as we prepare for 2011 and a European Tour for the summer.

BF: What piece of advice do you have for up-and-coming artists/activists/poets?
RNPS: Never give up! Regardless of what anyone tells you (at times that negative voice in your head) always keep reaching towards your dreams. “The day we stop running after our dreams is the day our dreams stop running after us”-Latin

BF: If you could change anything in this world, what would it be?
RNPS: Love. We need more love. We need to love our fellow human. Our neighboring creatures. Love the land that we’re eternally connected to no matter how much or how long we may fly through the clouds. Love each other and love all that is. “All we need is love”-The Beatles.

BF: Anything else you would like to say?
RNPS: We’d like to thank all that read our words. All that took the time to learn about something “Dif’Rent and all that have been by us over the years. Peace, Paz, Salaam and Learn, Educate, Repeat!

For more info on the ReadNex Poetry Squad, please visit:
http://debeforerecords.com/

Follow the ReadNex Poetry Squad on:
Twitter: http://twitter.com/Readnex
MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/readnex
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/people/ReadNex-Poetry-Squad/742880640