13/05/2025
Last Friday night launched Mixtape Fridays Vol 1 with .daveguy, , and , along with debuting a Whiskey collaboration with — all at the .
Thank you for capturing the moments and words, ⬇️
———-
Just like a mixtape, the night was a blend of the many facets of the sounds of joy.
The night started off in conversation with Derrick Adams and Swizz Beatz on their new spirited collaboration. Both Derrick and Swizz stress the importance of creating safe space for artists and the importance of supporting their legacy. Derrick Adams highlighted the work he is doing in his hometown of Baltimore. He said, “rest should be fun, sitting on the porch in a rocking chair enjoying silence, listening to the breeze.”
We make space to be active in the many facets of life we enjoy; but do we prioritize calm rest?
Swizz Beatz talked about collaboration and believing in oneself, not being afraid to invest in oneself and others, and challenging us to think and “create larger.” He commissioned Derrick Adams to create one of his largest pieces yet.
At the end of the talk, we crossfaded to Dave Guy accompanied by Stro Elliot performing in the lobby of the Whitney, with natural light filling the room of supporters — but need I say, extended family.
Yesterday was my “day off,” but there are no days off when it comes to supporting friends.
Backed by Stro Elliot, Dave Guy’s trumpet — that brass trumpet — was so powerfully moving it turned the text on the wall backwards. Well, at least it had that inverted effect on me while I was taking photos of him with the backdrop of Glenn Ligon’s AMERICA text-based light sculpture.
Tonight’s music was a family portrait.
With the last crossfade of the night, DJ April Hunt had the crowd dancing to house music, then passed the turntables to Swizz Beatz, who was in the “zone, zone, zone” — digging in the archives of his phone, mixing reggae and hip-hop classics.
