New Haven Academy Future Project students come to Yaakov and Ryan Kline’s writing workshop
Yesterday I released a music video project that I worked on with Ryan Kline.
The dancers in the video are New Haven teens who are involved in an incredible group called The Future Project. A program that empowers high schoolers to undertake projects related to the things they are most passionate about. Laura, who is the head of the program at New Haven Academy, a local magnet school, is the one who initially put us in touch with the dancers and brought us in this afternoon to show the video, do some Q + A, and do a workshop with the kids.
This is the fourth or fifth workshop I’ve done with high schoolers this year, and I’m ALWAYS blown away by how talented they are. Beyond any writing prompts/advice/ or feedback I give to the kids, I’m always inspired for my own work. Ryan also did a workshop with students that were interested in doing video work.
It was an invigorating escape from the grind of school. Well needed during finals period.
The film was made by the brilliant Ryan Kline- he’s an incredible film maker, check out his website –
The dancers are Naquan Asberry, Roosevelt Dingle, Terrance Draughn, Nico Lopez, and Kassad Mayo – local New Haven teens who are part of The Future Project
Produced by- Ryan Laemel, Tom Harrison, John Mcgowan, and Dor Mizrahi
Paul Thompson lives in Vancouver. So, being in Seattle for a teammate’s wedding, I had no choice but to go visit him.
The trip is actually quite easy and painless. I took Bolt Bus up. Only a 4 hour ride. I would definitely recommend Bolt Bus to Greyhound. Which I took back. Greyhound was 2 hours late coming back and the bus was half as nice. I have no complaints, but simply a recommendation for others thinking about taking buses around. However, it’s incredible how much nicer buses are in South America. I think it’s because so many more people depend on buses there for long distance travel than they do here.
I didn’t get a stamp for my passport though! Apparently Americans don’t get them. I was devastated to say the least.
I didn’t take this picture
Vancouver is beautiful, but I spent most of the time simply talking to Paul. One of my favorite people to talk to in the world and I haven’t seen him for six months!?
We went on a couple of beautiful runs in Pacific Spirit Regional Park which is right behind his house. A completely different type of run from what I was doing in Boulder, but equally beautiful.
Nor this one.
Besides discussing music, writing, and movies, we also made a song.
Zinn and Beckett holding up our mic
Paul’s camera shy though
LCTC a tribute to childhood friends and runners. Take a listen and download HERE
Now I’m in Seattle (in a coffee shop… classic.), where my teammates Chris Ramsey and Allie Rue are getting married tonight. Then I fly back to New Haven on Monday (oh my god.)
Many of you may know that I’m part of a hip hop collective called dispossessed.Records. I started this group with two of my best friends Paul Thompson and Sean Baddeley. We soon added the brilliant Zach “Z” Johnson and most recently have brought in John Daniel. Even though our group has undergone a diaspora that’s spread us from Minneapolis to Michigan to Vancouver to wherever I am, we’re still devoted to making great music.
A few weeks ago we released our first collaboration album as a collective: “dispossessed. Volume #1” Many of the songs are B-Sides or songs that didn’t fit on albums, but they coalesce into a vibrant project. I rap on tracks 3, 5, and 8, but please take a listen to the whole thing!
Along with the album, we released our first item of merchandise! Designed by yours truly, it’s a comfy cotton T. Buying the shirt is the best way to support us right now because the money we raise will allow us to create music and videos, set up shows and make more merch for you all to wear!
Paul Thompson’s new album Escapism released a couple of days ago. Unfortunately I wasn’t home to witness it. There are some phenomenal tracks on here. You can download the album for free, but please consider donating some money to help support our forthcoming record label. Also check out the track with me on it.
This was the best concert I have ever been to (okay, disclaimer, best concert featuring one group, I would take soundest before this one).
It was supposed to be yesterday (Saturday), but I guess it snowed, so they added a third show. A “Snowout.” Chris had to study for his finals, so Sean and I went.
At first they had this weird movie playing, and the music took forever to start (this is a common experience I’ve had at concerts).
Nosferatu
When they started, it was Lazerbeak and Paper Tiger, the two DJs of the group who showed some of their skills.
Paper Tiger and Lazerbeak
Then they brought the 5 rappers: P.O.S., Dessa, Cecil Otter, SIMS, and Mike Mctlan. They had a cool setup with a stage that jutted out into the audience added on to the normal main stage. At first they did a few songs that all or most of them rapped on. Then they each took turns doing a short set of their individual music.
P.O.S.
Mike Mctlan
SIMS
Cecil Otter
Dessa
When that was done, it was another hour of them randomly doing their best hits, whether one or a few on each song.
This was another show to support my claim that an all ages show is better. There were a bunch of people around my age, and most of us started going crazy when they played songs we liked (including this girl in front of us who hugged me when P.O.S. started doing Optimist). I didn’t have that same experience at 18+ shows.
What made it phenomenal was the overwhelming variety of music. From P.O.S.’s punk rock rap style, to Mctlan’s almost hardcore style, to Dessa’s lyrical style, to Cecil Otter’s reserved metaphorical style. I never got bored of listening because they would each play a few songs and then someone else would take a spin. And Doomtree is awesome at what they do. Basically, whenever one was rapping, the other four rappers were in the back hyping them and getting the crowd going. The energy level was incredible. Because of the stage set up there was a ton of crowd involvement and the entire time they were within 10 feet of us. They were having a ton of fun, dancing and singing to each other’s songs, and it made the crowd have a great time.
So in case you didn’t hear, I released a rap album a week ago. It’s called the Bloomington EP. EP stands for Extended Play not Eden Prarie. The idea behind the title is that its songs inspired by living in Bloomington and living a suburban lifestyle and shedding light on a lot of the stresses that are experienced by people in this lifestyle as well as a lot of the contradictions that exist in Suburbia. A lot of this album was inspired by Paul Thompson. Who also released a record called The Departed. Available Here. He also just started up his blog, so you should check that out. I’ve been writing poetry randomly in my journals for a few years, but about a year ago Paul was the one who inspired me to put that into rapping, and he as well as Chris Shirriff were big reasons I got into the hip hop genre in the first place. This is album is an amalgamation of songs I’ve been making over about the last year, so the first few were recorded on my laptop mic and then they develop in quality. I hope you enjoy the album. Let me know what you think about it (good and bad). Download it Here and click on this button:
(the other ones are fake and adds and stuff. As long as you only click on this button you will not get any viruses). This will put it in a .zip file. It needs to be extracted onto your computer with Winzip or Winrar. If you can’t get it to download for any reason (it should take between 5-15 minutes to download) email me: jacobsandry@gmail.com and I’ll gladly send you a hard copy. Track list is here.
Random Stuff
I was out in Concord, Massachusetts over the past weekend to visit my family for thanksgiving. It’s the only time of the year I really get to see my extended family on my mom’s side because they all live on the east coast (well, a lot of my cousins are all over the world right now, but that’s generally where they’re located). I always like a chance to get away from the everyday repetition and see my family.
Lately I’ve been working everyday at TC Running Company. Adam, the store’s owner, keeps trying to convince me not to go to college next year and stay at “TCRC University” with professors Adam Lindahl, Mountain man Kurt, and countryman Josh Moen. Speaking of which, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking and I’m going ahead to re apply to some other colleges. I know the college application process is inanely stressful, but I figure that as long as I have the opportunity, I should see what some other options are. Some schools I’m thinking about: Princeton, Stanford, Swarthmore (of course), Columbia. Please let me know your thoughts.
I’ve also been coaching the Edina Cross Country Club. Edina’s high school team, going out to the national meet in Portland on Saturday, but MSHSL rules say that their real coaches can’t be involved post-season so they asked me to come help out. It’s a fun group of guys, and I don’t really do much but tell them what workouts to do and run with them.
Lopez Lomong, some of the guys I coached to regionals, and myself
These are the guys going to nationals, and Lopez Lomong
I’m also coaching debate at Jefferson. I’m working with the novices who have their Novice state meet coming up this weekend (unfortunately I’ll be in Portland and can’t make it). It’s kind of weird because I just started with them a few weeks ago and their season is basically already ending. But they’re a fun, smart, crazy group (of all girls).
Atmosphere Concert
Chris and I went to the atmosphere show at first ave. This is the 5th time I’ve seen them in concert in the last couple of years, and it’s always phenomenal.
When I called Chris 4 hours before the concert started, he still didn’t have a ticket, so we craig’s listed a guy and picked up a ticket in Uptown before heading over to the concert.
We were at the 18+ concert, the all ages was the night before. And after going to the all ages show last year, I have to say that I actually prefer an all ages show. First of all, at the 18+ show I felt really young (I would probably feel a bit old at the all ages show, kind of inherent with being on the border like that). Second, the all ages show was more energetic. Mostly high school kids who knew a lot of the songs and seemed thrilled to be there. I got the “I’m trying to be cool and just stand here” vibe from a lot of people at the 18+ show.
Grieves is another favorite artist of ours who if you like Atmosphere, you should also check out and he opened up for Atmosphere, which was awesome.
Then of course Slug and his crew tore the house down.
If you haven’t heard:
So the next blog will be when I get back from Portland.
I have sent all my payments for my trip to South America in (excluding flights)! So now I need to focus on my Ethiopia trip. 70 days until I leave.
Journey Through Babel 