Bubblegum Club

Tag: hip hop

  • Umaah’s Sheila EP is Vulnerable and Experimental

    Umaah’s Sheila EP is Vulnerable and Experimental

    Before the current wave of soulful songstresses from Durban who blend R&B with hip-hop and jazz, like Red Robyn, Victoria Raw, and Rhea Black, I used to be enchanted on the weekends by Umaah Khumalo, or as she was affectionately known then, Apple. Umaah mostly used to kick it with Ex-Con (Existing Consciousness), a high energy free-flowing new age act that would blend hip-hop with jazz, rock, soul, R&B and whatever else tickled their fancy. Even though she was the smallest member, she never came across as such on stage.

    Umaah has always felt bigger than her surroundings. Like she couldn’t be contained, although, for a while in Durban, she was a bit. I’ve had a few conversations with her over the years. About the struggles of being a young musician, of balancing work with being in a band. About whether or not that band would make it. It didn’t. But that doesn’t mean Umaah won’t. Her debut solo EP as Umaah is a massive step in a direction that could see some success for her.

    Produced by Jozi’s experimental electronic music genius, Micr.Pluto, Umaah is given plenty of space to shine on the Sheila EP over sounds I’m not used to hearing her on. No acoustic guitar or big band behind her. Instead Umaah gets to pair her voice with some good-old fashioned boombap (with Micr.Pluto’s modern touches, of course), trip-hop, and even a few dubsteb wubs.

    The opening track, ‘Baptist‘, is my favourite. The beat kinda reminds me of Nas’s ‘Represent’ and coupled with Umaah’s soulful vocals, it takes me back to the 90s, driving around in my mom’s Uno Fire whilst she’d play R&B compilations with the likes of Erykah Badu and Lauryn Hill on them. There’s a good chance Umaah grew up on Erykah, as she’s the artist I can most liken her to. She’s experimental with her vocals, although she keeps things relatable with an ever-present layer of vulnerability.

  • DJ SistaMatik doesn’t play hits

    DJ SistaMatik doesn’t play hits

    Originally from Soweto, Johannesburg-based Tumelo Kgwathe aka DJ SistaMatik first discovered her passion for sharing music with others at the age of 9 when her uncle gave her a box of tapes. “I played those tapes every day to everyone that came to visit us, and when I look back that’s where it all started. Because I just became that person that always wanted to play music for people,” recalls SistaMatik.

    Introduced to the world of hip hop through American movies, SistaMatik was fascinated by the culture surrounding hip hop. “To me that was like wow, I want to be an American, not in a shallow way but in a really innocent type of way. I just became that kid around the neighbourhood with the baggy clothes, trying to emulate that culture,” SistaMatik explains.

    Growing up in Jo’burg, SistaMatik found that the only place where she could find fellow hip hop heads was at a club called Metropolis run by DJ Blaze. This ignited her passion for hip hop even further and pushed her to learn how to DJ. “When I went there I found that everyone liked hip hop. They [knew] the raps. They play[ed] the music that I like[d], that I [could] never hear on the radio. So I started going there often and then it was like ‘I wanna DJ, I wanna try that out.’”

    The eagerness to learn led SistaMatik and her own sister to ask DJ Blaze for a lesson, which resulted in him starting DJ workshops. “He’s the guy that allowed us to touch the turntables back in those days. So salute to him.” Through these workshops she learned the art of mixing as well as the tricks of turntablism.

    SistaMatik’s sound and taste is constantly evolving, although when she finds a sound she likes, she sticks with it for a while. “I was really big on the Wu-era, but it keeps changing. Because later I was into the boom-bap KRS-One type sound and then I got into the more gangsta, thug music, Mobb Deep, New York street type music. I keep bouncing around different eras and different sounds. But I listen to a lot of hip hop. Local as well.”

    Film continues to play a large role in SistaMatik’s life, and she often finds songs through film. “I listen to film scores a lot. I’ll maybe download the score before I watch the film. That’s my main source [of music].”

    Although she specialises in hip hop, SistaMatik’s sets feature a variety of genres depending on the occasion. “…I love music as a whole. I’m very much against playing hits. The best feeling is when you’re playing and someone asks you ‘What is that?’ [because] they’re enjoying it.” The results are sets that feature a unique mix of underground gems, old school classics and the finest of African rap music.

    Her collaborations include providing scratches on Wanda Baloyi’s debut album, as a live DJ for Yugen Blakrok and an unlikely collaboration with pop singer ChianoSky. She is also looking to work with more people. When asked what her future plans are, SistaMatik reveals that she is aiming to score a South African film before the end of the year. Considering her affinity with film, that seems likely.

  • Ses’fikile – siwu mndeni // celebrating queer spaces and queer artists

    Ses’fikile – siwu mndeni // celebrating queer spaces and queer artists

    Zer021 is an inclusive queer club in Cape Town, and will be the host of Ses’fikile – siwu mndeni on the 20th of July. Translating to ‘we’re here; we’re family’ in English, the name of the event speaks to the importance of queer people celebrating the presence of spaces such as Zer021 as well as the queer artists who continue to push their creative practices.

    Siwu Mndeni is the name of the ongoing collaboration between filmmakers and art practitioners Jabu Nadia Newman and Luvuyo Equiano Nyawose. Ses’fikile is the first project in their collaboration. “The whole inspiration for this project was to acknowledge or pay homage to poc queer club spaces that inspire creatives, drive culture and act as a sanctity for individuals who are discovering themselves,” Jabu and Luvuyo explain.explains.

    Zer021 will be transformed into a gallery space, disrupting ideas around where art can be viewed and who can have access to these spaces. Ses’fikile includes the premiere of the short film/music video produced and directed by Jabu and Luvuyo for FAKA’s latest single ‘Queenie’, produced by Angel-Ho. It will also include powerful photographs taken on set by Daniel Walton. To bring the event full circle, live performances by well-established and relatively new artists and djs will transform the dance floor into an exchange of energetic vibrations through gqom, hip hop, kwaito, house, and experimental sounds.  “The lineup consists of artists, acts and DJs who unapologetically carve out their own path and continue to inspire and give back to the community. The lineup consists solely of poc queer artists and incredible performers who are touring Europe and playing in different countries all over the world, yet are hardly get booked in their own country,” Jabu and Luvuyo explain. The performance lineup includes FAKA, Angel-Ho, Queezy, and a DJ lineup with K$, Nodiggity, Parasite Hilton and Sensitive Black Dyke.

    “Our event will not tolerate any racism, homophobia, transphobia, bullying, queerphobia, sexism, fatphobia, taking up space and in general no discrimination. It aims to be an inclusive space primarily for members of the LGBTQI+ and non binary individuals.”

    Find out more here.

  • Taxan – About That ‘Kite Life’

    Taxan – About That ‘Kite Life’

    Hip Hop is often seen as a music of aggression and raw materialism, but the culture has always had a more abstract, psychedelic side. When I was a teenager, artists like Kool Keith, MF Doom or even Outkast transported their fans to other realms of consciousness. And in the last decade the music has only become more surreal, with the rise of icons like Young Thug and the wild experimentation being conducted on the internet. Just look at a recent hit like Trippie Redd’s ‘Dark Knight Dummo‘, a lysergic sprawl of weird beats and the chorus “I don’t know what planet I’m on”.

    Other planets are a key interest of Joburg based rapper Taxan Greezy, whose nom de plume speaks to his fascination with celestial beings. The cover art for his new single ‘Kite Life’, even features an iconic little green man. The track (produced by deKiller’Clown) features the rapper, who also records under the name ET, dropping excited wordplay over fragmented beats. ‘Kite Life’ is a song which appears to hover on the verge of chaos, but soon reveals its internal logic. For Taxan “everything is placed randomly but comes together perfectly”. And the collaboration with deKiller’Clown is another chance to spotlight the work of their collective, Indiegoat Clan.

    Taxan’s main focus is on pushing this experimental moment in hip hop forward, promising to “never stick to one subgenre or make music for current trends” while “trying to send a good message and switch it up”. The song tells a story of self-realisation: “we should always follow our hearts, don’t let anyone clip your wings and when they do remind them you are still high like a kite! Don’t follow any structures or systems created by society. Create your own ideology of what’s perfect for you. Lastly, don’t do anything for the hype or the likes. ‘Cause it’s momentary but kite life is a frequency that lasts forever. Basically it means stops letting fear of society hold you back, flourish”.

    Taxan also has a music video for the song in the works, with an upcoming solo tape named Chronicles of Xannith to follow. With their free thinking approach, both he and the Indiegoat Clan are poised to fly to the highest reaches of SA rap.

  • MATANGI / MAYA / M.I.A – a documentary about the story behind the star

    MATANGI / MAYA / M.I.A – a documentary about the story behind the star

    The documentary MATANGI / MAYA / M.I.A was collated from footage taken by Maya Arulpragasm and her closet friends over the past 22 years, documenting her life from an immigrant in London to international stardom. Working with her former art school friend Steve Loveridge to produce the documentary, it gives raw insight into the struggles and joys that culminate into the persona we know as M.I.A. It offers a door into Maya’s thinking about topics related to politics, art, identity and the relationship between these.

    Having fled from the Sri Lankan civil war, Maya travelled first to India and finally settled in the UK with her family, specifically a housing estate in southwest London. This journey, her experiences as an immigrant and refugee living in London make up an important part of how she constructed her identity, as well as influenced her approach to music and performance.

    Viewers will also see how pop and hip hop music filtered into her life, offering a sense of feeling grounded while growing up.

    The documentary presents multiple paces and tones. Moments of pause combined with heightened moments of discomfort, sensitivity, vulnerability and bliss. The viewer is invited into a time capsule to experience the building up of M.I.A as a musician and public figure. However, the most prominent aspects of the documentary share the intimate and delicate details of Maya’s discovery of her personal identity and heritage from her point of view, and the point of view of those closest to her.

    “M.I.A. can read sometimes as a project…but actually when you really step back from it, like the film does, I think there is a logic to it, and a sort of consistency in her vision, all the way through, from a long time before she became a musician, just a quest to represent and nail down her identity, and own the positives and negatives about who she was.” – Steve Loveridge.

    The film will be shown as part of the 20th Encounters South African International Documentary Festival taking place from 31 May – 10 June 2018 in Johannesburg and Cape Town.

  • The performers bringing SA flavour to M.I.A’s shows

    The performers bringing SA flavour to M.I.A’s shows

    M.I.A will be performing for the first time in Africa in Cape Town and Johannesburg on the 7th and 8th of June, and some of South Africa’s best talent will be sharing the stage with her. The selection of DJs and performers bring together sonic and creative experiences that touch on South African genres and their evolution. K-$, Jakinda, and Angel-Ho, will inject SA flavour at the performance in Cape Town, passing the torch to Buli, DJ Doowap, Phatstoki and Dear Ribane the following evening in Johannesburg. I interviewed the supporting artists to find out about their connections to M.I.A’s work and what audiences can expect at the shows.

    This will be the first time Cape Town will get to experience one of Angel-Ho’s live sets. When asked about the connection M.I.A’s fearlessness and determination and their own musical journey, they expressed that, “being fearless is something I grew into, being on stage my whole life, I developed a strong sense of self playing the roles of many characters. The same sensibility and comfort of performing is my greatest strength and I think that speaks to my journey to empower the voiceless.” Buli shared similar sentiments stating that, “I’ve always stayed true to my sound. I’ve never compromised my art for the purpose of trying to appeal to mainstream/commercial crowds. I think that’s the one thing I’ve always taken away from observing M.I.A as an artist. She always stays true to herself and sound; she never tries to compromise her music or herself.”

    K-$ will be kicking off with a 2 hour set, taking the audience on a trip down memory lane, and then increasing momentum for a real jol. Jakinda will draw on his Afro-futurist and industrial sound, while allowing space for experimentation. Phatstoki’s appreciation of feeding off the crowd’s energy will be the guiding premise for the set. As someone who enjoys re-inventing herself through fashion and music, DJ Doowap will be mimicking her brightly coloured hair and striking clothing with bass tunes. Transcendental and futuristic will be the name of the game with Dear Ribane, while Buli brings together a mix of electronic and ambient elements backed up by hip-hop based/inspired drums.

    With fearlessness, determination and an understanding of the connection between music and movement as the thread that is present in the journey’s and work of each performer, these shows are definitely not ones to miss.

  • UK artist Haich- Making Life Shine

    UK artist Haich- Making Life Shine

    The writer Grafton Tanner argues that as the culture industry voraciously strip-mines ideas from the past, musicians respond by creating even weirder versions of earlier styles. Artists wildly mix genres and musical eras, expressing the social dislocation of living in a society where the line between the real and the online seems to grow hazier by the day. But this post-genre approach can also result in beautiful and uplifting work. Frank Ocean’s Blonde pushed soul music to new heights of sublime abstraction. The mysterious Jai Paul made instant pop classics that sound like they were sung by ghosts. UK artist Haich is the latest young visionary aiming to transform our idea of what a singer is in 2018.

    Haich AKA Harrison Bernard describes himself as a producer and “still transitioning” vocalist. Originally from the UK, he began his artistic career making hip hop and grime, under his previous stage name That Boy Slim. But something was missing in those aggressive sounds – “When I started making that kind of music, it felt like I couldn’t get the sound to feel authentic. It would feel like an underwhelming copy”. But in opening himself up to new influences something clicked “After getting older and widening my taste, it seems obvious now, but I realised we can do whatever we want. The most avant-garde artists are doing whatever they want, no genre or mood attached. They are paving their own sonic lane- I’d rather try and do that”.

    Two years of hard work produced his debut EP Unbalanced, which dropped last year. A dreamy genre mix, it sounds like James Blake submerged in a downpour of experimental electronics. This week, Haich is putting out the new song ‘Peak’. As with all his work, it’s inspired by the complexities of everyday human interaction in this wild century. “Unbalanced was pretty much all about growth and becoming an adult. ‘Peak’ is more like a distorted love story. I’m inspired by accidents, mistakes, imperfections. I’m trying to make those so- called negative things shine”.

  • New Zealand based jewellery brand 27Mollys release their second collection – Love and Basketball

    New Zealand based jewellery brand 27Mollys release their second collection – Love and Basketball

    The New Zealand based jewellery brand 27Mollys has released their second collection titled, Love and Basketball. The collection consists of handmade pieces in silver featuring a mix of pendants, chains, rings and earrings. As all pieces in the collection are handmade, no two pieces are identical. The unisex collection takes its inspiration from 90s basketball culture, bling-bling and flowers.

    The designer and founder of 27Mollys, Brent Paye teamed up with Capetonian photographer Jabu Nadia Newman to photograph the new jewellery collection. Her approach to photographing the collection was rooted in a desire to have fun with the project combined with definitive aesthetic choices. These ranged from photographing in direct sunlight, using contrasting colours as well as favouring a rich saturated feel. In order to elevate the aforementioned qualities, Jabu photographed the collection on 35mm film.

    Christina Fortune has the 90s kid look down to a T in this selection of images and was a natural choice of model for Jabu who regards her as a muse. “I love shooting my friends and shooting with the same model over a period of time because I’m so inspired by their personality and look.”

    Makeup artist Naledi Mariri was influenced to do a very clean look for the shoot to highlight Christina’s perfect skin and stunning freckles. Her choice was then to add a fun quirk for the eyes resulting in a magnetic look that draws the viewer in.

    The collection was photographed at petrol stations in Observatory, Woodstock and Rondebosch complementing the concept for the collection as well as the look and feel of the shoot. Styling for the shoot helped bring the shoot and collection full circle, taking on hip-hop elements and basketball influence with a soft colourful side.

    To get in on the bling-bling and basketball inspired collection, shop 27Mollys here.

    Credits:

    Photography: Jabu Nadia Newman
    Jewelry Design & Styling: Brent Paye / 27Mollys
    Model: Christina Fortune rep. Fantastic Agency
    Makeup: Naledi Mariri

  • Uncle Partytime converts the dance floor into a space of sonic transcendence

    Uncle Partytime converts the dance floor into a space of sonic transcendence

    Uncle Partytime is a kid whose dj persona was born out of the scene in Braamfontein, allowing him to be plugged into the sonic shifts that his audience craves. Starting off with gigs at Kitcheners and Great Dane, and the Onyx rage parties, he continues to carry with him an ability to fuel the energy in the crowd and convert the dance floor into a transcendental space guided by the beat.

    His sound bounces between hip hop and gqom-wave. Having broadened his gig list to include larger clubs and festivals, he recognizes that his audience is a mix of the old and young. From this recognition he is able to translate the core of this signature sound for both audiences. “It’s always easier with the younger audience because they understand the sound better but it’s always a challenge with the older audience ’cause that’s when I get to teach them about the new wave and still give them what they want to hear,” he explains.

    As one of the founding members of Onyx and as a self-taught dj, Uncle Partytime has been active in expanding the parameters of his career. Simple, tactical moves have seen him able to stretch the imaginary of possibility, and his inclusion in the Red Bull Music Festival this year is evidence of this.

    When asked about the direction he sees himself moving, Uncle Partytime shared that, “I want to represent myself and local music on global platforms. Just have to work harder, learn more and make sure I’m ready when my time comes.”

  • Rare & Sudden Podcast- Doing It For The Culture

    Rare & Sudden Podcast- Doing It For The Culture

    The podcast format was only invented in the early 2000’s, but we have already entered the medium’s golden age. They are cheap to produce and unlike traditional radio you can access content whenever you want. Titles like the true crime podcast Serial and the political satire show Chapo Trap House have become cultural phenomena, with epic story arcs and rabid fan bases. Even Obama has got into the podcast world, appearing on Marc Maron’sWTF in 2015.

    Perhaps the true appeal of a podcast is in its intimacy, like you are listening to the wit and surreal absurdity of close friends. That is certainly the case with South Africa’s Rare &Sudden – aka “The Culture’s Favourite Podcast”. The show is a hilariously candid look at hip hop and street wear culture, with the verbal darts being fired by hosts Rolo Rozay and Hake$y, self-described hustlers with the magic gift of talking endlessly inspired silliness and sarcasm. The show’s intentions are signaled with its Soundcloud banner, a contemporary version of the gaudy album covers endemic to rap at the turn of the century. Rolo Rozay and Hake$y are shown in a DJ Khaled-worthy mansion surrounded by flamingos, Siberian tigers, a lion and for good measure, floating sports cars.

    The tongue-in-cheek attitude towards hip hop braggadocio is central to the podcast, with the host’s making outrageous boasts and dropping ludicrous slang while taking time to remind their audience to add kale and wheatgrass to their lives! It plays on the format of US rap news like Sway in The Morning and Everyday Struggle, while retaining an authentically local voice. And while shit talking is central, the show is also deeply informative, offering insightful opinions on the latest trends in music and fashion. Rare & Sudden is addictive because it warmly pokes fun at a culture the host’s are deeply invested in.

  • Stiff Pap at the forefront of Future Kwaito

    Stiff Pap at the forefront of Future Kwaito

    Since dropping their debut EP ‘Based on A Qho Story’, Stiff Pap have consistently been thinking of different ways to push their sound and live performances, competing with previous versions of themselves. Their agility and future-oriented vision has seen their fan base growing exponentially, revealing how they are plugged into the direction fans want SA music to move.

    Being at the forefront of a new genre, Future Kwaito, Stiff Pap appreciate and embrace its current amorphous nature. This open-ended framing of the genre restricts sonic inhibitions, meaning that global sounds and styles can be combined freely. This demonstrates their understanding of the global music context, with a grounding in South African associations of rhythm and lyrical storytelling. In this way their offering is something familiar yet different.

    “I feel like we’ve gone beyond what people would traditionally understand not just as Kwaito, but even Future Kwaito…We took the sound in a different direction, it’s more industrial and dark,” one half of Stiif Pap, Jakinda explains.

    With their sonic roots in Kwaito, they manage to seamlessly combine this with hip hop and electronic sounds. “We [are] trying to take something which is abstract and European and make it ours. We call it Kwaito instead of hip hop because Kwaito is basically the Southern African version of hip hop. It is a perfect description of what we [are] doing right now, but we don’t want to be boxed [in],” Ayema explains.

    Stiff Pap look to past and present musical history to reinvent the familiar. Their injection into the industry opens up a new avenue of progress for hip hop and Kwaito. “Changing the scene and breaking boundaries is really important to us, we see ourselves as a beacon of hope for all the kids who want to do alternative music.”

    Drawing on the varied sounds of Kanye West, Christian Tiger School, Schoolboy Q, Vince Staples, Teargas and the gqom wave, collectively they continuously attempt to disrupt the musical status quo. “Production-wise, I listen to more electronica than hip hop. I don’t actually know how to make hip hop beats, but in a way we are hip hop artists. So I think we’re showing people that hip hop is a much broader genre than they thought, especially when it comes to South African hip hop,” Jakinda explains, “We’re showing that you don’t have to rap in English to be international. You don’t have to sound American.”

    Style and image play a role in how this is translated for audiences. “A lot of people really like us because they feel like we represent them. We’re young black kids doing left field electronic music. We basically represent the black kids that are weird and different and trying to find themselves.”

    As a duo Stiff Pap represent how disruption can arrive through simplicity.

  • The Sounds of Nigerian Pop

    The Sounds of Nigerian Pop

    While West African pop has come to be dominated by the sounds of Afrobeat, it is more of a catch-all term for the variety of West African pop sounds that are emerging from the region. Arguably, it is Fela Kuti who laid the foundation by fusing Western sounds taken from jazz and funk with West African sounds to create Afrobeat in the 70s. A similar sonic melting pot is present today, with their EDM, house, pop, dancehall, R&B, hip hop and trap coming across as a combination of contemporary Western sounds infused with West African rhythms and melodies.

    West African pop has now crossed borders, transported by the internet and the diaspora to places such as the UK and USA. The growing popularity of the sound in these places has led to an explosion in popularity of the practitioners and sees them increasingly crossing-over and collaborating with other pop stars such as Drake, Snoop Dogg, Wyclef Jean, Skepta and Rae Sremmurd.

    Below are four Nigerian artists who are fusing West African and Western sounds to create their own brand of Nigerian pop.

    Small Doctor – This Year 

    Featuring an infectious rhythm and the ever popular autotuned vocals, ‘This Year’ is Small Doctor’s latest single. Shot in the desert, the colourful, dance-heavy music video is reminiscent of scenes from Mad Max, although with a much more upbeat soundtrack. Hailing from Ondo State in Nigeria, Temitope Adekunle aka Small Doctor broke onto the scene in 2012, releasing mixtapes and freestyles. Singing primarily in the Nigerian language Yoruba, he rose to prominence in 2015 with the release of the singles ‘Gbagaun’, ‘Anobi’ & ‘Mosquito Killer’, produced by Dre Sean. His music is a combination of pop with Fuji music, a popular Nigerian genre which arose from the improvisational Ajisari/Were music tradition, which is a kind of music performed to wake Muslim people before dawn during the Ramadan fasting season.

    Kiss Daniel – No Do

    Sensuous and simple, ‘No Do’ is a ballad and Kiss Daniel’s first single of 2018. Shot in Lagos the video follows Kiss Daniel as he strolls through the streets and encounters everyday life in the area he calls home. Kiss Daniel was born in Ogun State. He is best known for his single ‘Woyu’ released in 2014 which was nominated for Best Pop Single at the 2015 Headies, as well as Hottest Single of The Year at the 2015 Nigeria Entertainment Awards. The single also received a remix featuring Tiwa Savage and Davido. Kiss Daniel showed interested in music from an early age, receiving support from his father and was signed to G-Worldwide Entertainment in 2014. His debut album ‘New Era’ was released in 2016 which saw him winning Album Of The Year and Best R&B/Pop album at the Headies in 2017.

    Reekado Banks – Like Ft. Tiwa Savage and Fiokee

    Featuring label-mate and multi-talent Tiwa Savage as well as Fiokee, ‘Like’ is the latest single from Reekado Banks. Dedicated to the ladies, like so many pop songs, the video takes on a cinematic quality with scenes straight form Noire films and flourishes of 80s neon. Lagos born Ayoleyi Solomon aka Reekado Banks fka as Spicy, has been active as an artist since 2008, although he gained notoriety in 2014 with his Rookie of the Year win at The Headies. Released in 2016, his debut album, Spotlight, was released in 2016 and debuted at number 10 on the Billboard World Album Music Chart. Signed to Mavin Records, he has worked with the likes of  Don Jazzy, Korede Bello, Di’Ja, Dr SID and D’Prince.

    Glenn Mena – Sound it (Freestyle)

    Shot on Lagos Island, ‘Sound it’ showcases Glenn’s skill as a rapper. With a strong dancehall feel, the  track is all about the rhythm and witty verses. Afropolitan model, pianist and recording artist, Glenn Mena had been making music since 2010, however it was with the release of his single ‘Movement’ in 2012 that he his career really took off. Releasing a number of singles between then and 2017, his debut EP ‘Mask&Music’ was released on his own imprint of the same name. Not tying himself to a specific genre, his sound evolves as he grows and learns as an artists.