NewSouthMovement

A recent interview with Afro.com, several brainstorming sessions I’ve had internally with myself and periodic dialogue between BG have prompted today’s blog topic – What is the NewSouthMovement? Eventually, BG and I will do a Podcast to further discuss the NewSouthMovement, but for now I’d like to offer my definition of NewSouthMovement and my thoughts on the beauty and genius behind the term - which I believe allows for multiple interpretation of the phrase.

One of my favorite hip hop groups of all time is OutKast. Growing up in the South I fell in love with their lyrics, but as I got to understand their story, I admired their contributions to hip hop and the Southern Culture. Legendary Southern Hip-Hop group OutKast debut their first album Southernplayalisticcadillacmuzik on April 26, 1994. OutKast and Southernplayalisticcadillacmuzik are credited with laying the foundation for Southern hip hop. Upon its release Southernplayalisticcadillacmuzik received positive reviews from music critics and helped distinguish Southern hip hop as a credible hip hop scene, amid East Coast and West Coast hip hop’s market dominance. The album and the group have since been viewed by writers as an important release in both hip hop and Atlanta’s music scene.

History Behind Creation of NewSouthMovement:
NewSouthMovement was a term first coined by BG. During one of our many email chains surrounding the birth and evolution of “FreeLunch Podcast”, BG coined the phrase NewSouthMovement. For me, the term struck a cord and provided a name “Label” to describe what he and I envisioned for FreeLunch the Podcast and FreeLunch the Blog. Our strategy was simple; we’d take our individual blogs (previously written under pen names) and merge them into a single blog site. Once the podcasts were recorded, mixed and mastered, we’d upload them to the blog too – creating this Southern museum for our “Art”. After careful consideration, I bought into the idea – actually believing it to be brilliant. The blog would stand as a platform for two intellectual brothers in different stages of their careers and personal lives to share their viewpoints on a wide range of topics. The brilliance behind the blog would be the Southern flavor mixed with raw uncut posts ranging from social issues to autobiographies to prayers; all unique, creative, authentic and really offering a Southern voice. Later, the blog could become a historic reference point for ehistorians to study and understand the time period and happenings of that period. So post such as “A Prayer” (An Authentic Prayer – in a secondary way illustrates how important religion is in the Southern Community) or “Problem With A N-Word” (An Authentic post surrounding the national conversation around the N-Word, but offering a Southern Perspective) offering a deeper, more thought provoking post then the actual post itself. As I’ll later discuss, the podcast would provide thought provoking commentary on a wide range of topics from living your truth to relationships to out of the box thinking.

Definition of NewSouthMovement:
NewSouthMovement is bigger than one single thing and it can’t be placed in a box- its freedom, a cause and a conscious movement to:

1. Push the Southern culture forward in an area (Podcast) dominated by East Coast and West Coast perspectives, by providing a Southern perspective/voice on social issues.
2. Educate Southern listeners to the podcast platform. Prior to launching FreeLunch Podcast, Friends and Family members in the South never heard of a podcast. Podcast are one of the fastest growing markets in the country. The South is and should be a great market to target new listeners and new audiences.
3. Youths, in particular southern youths, to live out their dream. The launching of FreeLunch the Podcast on July 3rd can stand as an example of a dream coming true. Hopefully it can also offer hope to young folks in Mobile, Alabama and in the Houston, Texas areas dreaming to do more than the status quo.
4. Inspire listeners to live out their truth. There are several podcast and post that cover living your truth – blocking out the noise and using your intuition, God and the universe to drive your life.
5. Act as a platform for other Southern artist (i.e. potential podcasters, artist, musicians, and authors) to leverage and advertise their art form. For example today, the opening intro music for each podcast is by Southern artist K.L.U.B Monsta. Secondly, Dia Reddo from Mobile, Alabama designed and created the FreeLunch logo.

Objective For Podcasting and Blogging:
Similar to OutKast’s legacy in hip hop, I’d like to think that BG and I are Southern pioneers in the podcast industry. And we are using the podcast platform as our core competence to make a conscious effort to provide a Southern point of view in a market(s) dominated by East Coast and West Coast perspective. I started blogging and podcasting for multiple reasons including:

1. Fulfill my calling/purpose
2. Provide an authentic personality in what I believe to be a non-authentic, social media dominated society.
3. Allow my soul to be experienced thru other creative means.
4. Leave my legacy
5. Inspire Others
6. (Most Important to me) Maximize my potential – while my parents are here to witness it.

I believe art is the soul’s expression. Therefore, I believe it’s important for all human beings to express themselves thru their God given artistic gifts. For me blogging and podcasting is one of the avenues I use to express that soulful side. More importantly, blogging and podcasting allow me to contribute to the NewSouthMovement.

How will you contribute to the NewSouthMovement?

Tight Tight