Corey DePina and Kadahj Bennett

00:05 Hello, my name is Corey depina 39 years old today's date is Thursday, January 28th, 2021 reporting from Revere Massachusetts. And today I'm having a conversation with my mentor-mentee. Good friend. Kadahj Bennett.

00:24 Hello. Hello. Hello, my name is kadahj Bennett. I am age 31 today's date is Thursday, January 28th, 2021. I'm reporting live from Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, and I'm having a conversation with my mentor my my inspiration my supervisor. My introduction is zumex in my homie my kindred spirit my boy chords.

00:49 I say what's up KB. It looks like they're letting us take this thing over. They don't know what they did. What a pleasant surprise. So I for the next couple of minutes. We're taking them into our world, which is great to be able to share the world with someone. So I'm so grateful for this opportunity. How you feeling? I'm doing all right. I'm literally posted up watching the snowfall out my window and seeing all the cars drive by there so many Amazon trucks driving by and I kind of like it Like That Christmas Feeling unless you cuz I don't know if imma get the package how you feeling. I'm feeling pretty good homemade office Studio that inspires me to get up and do my thing, such a weird time in the pandemic that you're like talking about where you're at cuz I have this question like your what is it like to be you people who are listening right now. They're like, all right. Thanks for sending the

01:49 This guy are we jumping right into the deepness? What is it like to be me? I don't know that that's a good one. I feel like recently I've been dealing with the notion of Duality. Like there's two sides to everything and it's a it's a spectrum and I don't know where I end up falling on the Spectrum. I'm often in the middle. I know that I love art. I know that I I I love inspiring other people. So I got to do a lot of teaching with my art. I'm a teaching artists phrase that I had learned from you and that I hold very dearly, but I'm also like

02:26 A black person in Boston dealing with a pandemic. So there's there's there's heavy heavy moments of like joy and then like deep dark moments of Despair and I often find myself like feeling like I don't know where I'm supposed to be feeling. That's that's that's kind of me right now. I don't know if that answered anything or that it's like more question gave me everything. You just keep pouring. I love the cup that we filled my man. You are amazing. How do you describe yourself today? I'm a describe myself as really inspired to be we are lucky to be sharing the space with someone who encourages me and the fool who inspires me to look forward to things. I am also really carrying a lot of weight. You know, I'm a I'm an overweight person thinking about healthy habits during the pandemic thinking about people that I love where can I have to get done. I've done what I done of these things for a hour.

03:26 Are there any pandemic at those people to self actualization and my actualization is something I really love and its really dope to be at the core inspired by that helps me both with my art with my supporting other people and are figuring out my balance. I feel like The Duality thing is really interesting. I recently been thinking of the two sides of the same coin and it's been cool to kind of like lay flat and not worry about both sides and be understanding in the truck. We just recently experienced, you know, my heart of the King day and one of the cool things about that time with it remind me about, you know, the courage and capacity that I have to suffer like capacity of the sufferer is super strong and encourages me and I find strength in that so it reminded me of that and I'm leaving you is not holding on to that recently. So who I am today is the person who's trying to love who I can be tomorrow.

04:26 Man, need so many things that I just resonated with me like that. Oh my goodness. I always admired especially recently yourself act actualization Journey, right and then stepping into who you want to be unabashedly not care about what anybody else has to say about it and like loving yourself for doing it back in the middle. Right? I was I I want to build myself up and I want to be who I want to be but there's also like especially in the pandemic time just like is that selfish to be like focusing on me? I feel like I should be focusing on family and community and like other people but we are closed off and it is like incubation mode. It's like I love that and I it's so beautiful to watch you have your metamorphosis moment.

05:26 Ask on first and then your friends and your children and your friends, so I'm not going to put my mask on real quick. I got it like this a whole thing about modeling by example that I've been hitting hitting me in the corner and it's funny because it gets back to that Duality thing of like in order for me to understand myself when I got to meet you where you're at with yours too sometimes and I get inspired by that, you know, I see you to sign makes me feel good which makes the whole process of living a lot more doable come at the end of the day. It's about 2 seconds minutes moments that you spend the energy onto then leave Lasting Impressions and it's like, oh my goodness. I done went so hard every minute the day's over today and what are hard great day, you know, so dope for you. I saw you on stage, right and you were like performing you were doing your thing and you were like working so hard on top of everything else I liked was doing for you and I have that picture of you on my break.

06:26 You always act right at the Oberon a few just like doing your thing. And I want to ask you in those moments. If you were to capture that when you're like really like vibrating like the highest frequency and all the hard work is like coming to fruition. Like how does that feel and into you I know for me, it feels like it's worth it. But those are those words come out your mouth. Like, you know again, I feel like I'm right back in the middle of the like it's it's it's so weird. I don't know if it's like a a pandemic thing cuz like we live in a bubble and it's like everyday you're at home.

07:26 You can't see past 3 weeks ahead of you. So it's just like I don't know a lot of that stuff falls out of my head. But then it's also even thinking back to when we could go out and perform. It was like blacking out like you get on stage and you're in that experience and it's like erotic Madness everything takes over and you're feeling that and you can feel the energy of other people in the room feeling that in the end that right there is so magical and so crazy that that I don't know if it's cuz you came inside man. So right so it it's height man has a lot of elements in it that are socially right for today right was talking about like a black lives matter piece was talking about police brutality was talking about hip hop, which is like the the number one popular. Johndra here in America right now, you know I'm saying that's all that we have all of this stewing in it. So everybody's already connected on that point and then you have you just good one who wrote it in his words feel so volatile.

08:26 Like the actors on their income and have their own experiences and walk the wife's or feel like it's this big mixture and then when the audience is there and like you guys are like saying words and speaking energy into it too is the feels like a spell what is feel like we're casting magic and we're making this this story happen so that the idea of like you be like, I'll just all this energy and they call that on stage and good like I'm on stage fatality, but I can't like show y'all crazy magic stuff happening to and then when it's over it's over and I'm running out to people like what you think about it. I was that did you what did you feel? Like, I don't remember I can let me let me know what that thing was on stage. So that's that's that's really dope that like something that felt so fleeting to me is like hung up over the fireplace light framed and it's like that's such an image that I have cuz it's like you are holding it down, you know you were on stage and like taking up space. I only just on stage with in my heart and in my mind, which is pretty amazing and I

09:26 I think that that puts more value in some almost like we're having right now for me because it's these moments of remembering and sharing that helps this kind of like hold on to those images and revisit them which is pretty dope and it's so amazing and special to have people in your life where you can connect with on those type of levels and be like, yeah, you know, what going all this chaos some of the things that really matter our relationships and like the things that you do in between the work was so dope the kind of be reminded about that. I am, you know, one person is a part of many communities, you know, I'm on the board for like the mass bears and cubs. I have like a group that I'm in called I'm was goes back to the reference of a coin that me and my friends and started and a lot of the things you kind of realize you can't do by yourself. And as you get older you use value not wanting to do it all by yourself. You can't be great at everything but together we can be good at all, you know, which is so dope next time when you speak about revisiting your moments in life.

10:26 I was there to be there and I like you're capturing those things and why you're capturing that I'm capturing the the receiving end this almost like the way Music and Sound Works, you know, there's a person whose creating in the person who is receiving and those things all connects like Memories neurons and feelings with all them play out. You know, I like you're living your life in your quality of life and things of that nature So Dope so like gets back to me. It's like community and how important that is, you know, we talked recently a lot about iron sharpens iron and like I like, you know, you need a support to like be able to go on to the next level and also like letting go of things are going to serve you anymore. I'm giving it to somebody else letting them take it and all that cool stuff. What's one thing that inspires you?

11:14 What is it is funny that goes right back to the me to send me looking out the window. Like life life is weird. Life is funny life is sad. Like I said, there's so much they're like, it's it's just Rife with potential and people are people that mad voyeuristic these days, right? So we love watching other people tell stories, but all the stories are right there. And if you could like take the moment to tell those stories yourself, it's that again is Tasha's the power like right back to you. It is it's funny cuz you and I know a while back we will talk about this like the notion of like if you want to go fast go alone, but if you want to go far, you got to go together, right the notion of community tell us that that I thought that ties back to what you were just playing a second ago and even looking at you right now, it's funny and you saw me and pass over to that.

12:13 That was a workout that play but the the main one of the main Concepts isn't in it was that like time is like a spiral and sometimes it collapses in on itself and it looks like it's a circle or it's flat but like the past and present are always intermingling with each other and it's really funny like sitting here seeing you and your door at what you button up but like I'm also still seeing likes you but you cornrows going back in like one of your polos that it doesn't matter like when you are you're you and I've always and I've always admired that and love that about you. That's something that's really inspiring to just add up just a notion of watching watching people watching your journey has been beautiful or even just like looking out the window watching like the Journey of the snowflakes falling right now. That's that's like dump utiful to

13:07 I don't know just right and I'm sorry if that's like mad existential like everything around me that Loki inspires me. I love seeing like the beautiful struggle anything right now. If you were to not be here, even if you logged off or lost audio electricity cut and we had you no more all that goes with you. Right so know that it's so important cuz it is what it is. There's a hour in storytelling, you know, that's how you know tribes used to sit around the more we're in the Oval Office and we're going to talk about this thing where we share stories and experiences and then be able to connect it's one of those things that I think both during a technical technical technology AIDS in building like personalities are in there. But at the same time they're building community in finding spaces to like talk about things that weren't even brought to the table a long time ago, which is so amazed.

14:07 I think about gender I think about Equity I think about identity and you know it and I also we also work with young people so and this when you got for young person to like yeah, can we dance to it or whatever with you? So refreshing and antenna also an inspiration for me and a gift for us to be able to see that and have that experience and connections still stay cool. I think MTB back in the day used to like measure what was cool by teenagers and like we're like right at the Epic order of it so we can stay cool forever. And so too because even like you did a lot of production in a lot of the place we don't even talk about like the idea like you're active but you're also do what you do music and sometimes that's another thing that might get overlooked like

15:07 Flower in the garden like you your musical Garden is amazing repertoire and you're really humble about that stuff too. But it complements the hard work that goes into acting on top of them taking all that stuff and then teaching it so that approach and being humble about that stuff to do for me is kind of inspiring it kind of goes back to the whole iron sharpens iron thing and being together, but also still being independent Liam like supporting each other and there's the whole thing about like love I'm going to say I'm going to say it's a hot hot word l o v e some people say all the time with you or whatever but there are some things in terms of the word love that I think that goes back to like oneself. But then when you can love other people do it also helps to create a genuine relationship, that's not based off of like gimme gimme gimme. What can I get who you going to think what you who are you? What do you want? What do you want? And what are you going to get it where you going to give but when you coming with us for ideas like

16:07 What do they have and how can you support in inglese acknowledging like love that person's character and being it begins to them become a little bit more or less weight to carry in like less judgmental on oneself or more accepting of others to meet them where they're at in the relationship that I have for people like you that I like that are like Priceless, you know, because I feel like the the difference in that is like one is like familial and like the other just feels like it's transactional, you know.

16:42 But I prayed for you to do for you to talk about that. But Mr. Freaking teaching artists extraordinaire black Excellence of Boston over here. Right but you got to Upright bass in the background of your of your peace right there. You go to you go to different high schools all the time. When you drop in all these verses I feel like people people know you got me going to know you got music either. You know what I mean? You have it just like you actually literally have like a secret garden. I feel like you had like a whole Little Secret Garden to like music that I'm hoping eventually people don't get some bouquets of flowers. Ya waiting for the right time, I guess cuz on top of that we making a change in the world my man, we have Jung Seeds, but I just growing that we have to nurture and the idea of like modeling by example still plays the background in terms of like it washes white as long as shown, you know what I'm saying. Like do a performance and growing but a little bit of like chopping of the of the other four things to happen right now and terms.

17:42 Like me learning how to like strategize and plan I can walk into this place and just knock stuff over man. We also have the nurse was growing underneath it right and not damage that stuff. So it was cool. When I go back to that moment. You know, how did you doubt it? Like, I don't know if this is like a heavy question. But how did you how did you grow the way you are? Like, what was what was the spark that that got you to start like even thinking about doing things like this? And I know people when they're young it is an ocean or just like I'ma knock stuff down like boom. I like look at me but it's like what what what put you on the path to do what you do. Let's pick up the metaphor of the flower right and the seed some some seeds or fall right where they live and some fees are like parachutes. I was unlucky see because of busing and segregation in the know people going to different neighborhoods for learning my C. The flying fish.

18:41 Boston implanted there but my scene had some wings and so I ended up in East Boston and the journey between East Boston Roxbury alone was enough for me to dig some deep roots and also make some solid connections, which is pretty dope to be able to have other people give me some nutrition right that I was lacking in Roxbury and that's just a metaphor for the whole idea of like, you know, Community is important relationships are important supporting young people are learning. Some people are in cycles and then literally Generation generation depression which lock them into a cycle of like limiting themselves to a cap of where their parents or two prior Generations tickets where you can like then break past that and learn past that I'm

19:41 You are one of the first people in your family to get a full-ride scholarship. Go to Hamilton. Just see what do The Roots You dug from here to there that you flew and how you and me to plant the seed in that Institute of education and leave your mark as a black man talking to those black Excellence is a good example of what I'm talking about so that when I get back to a similar because my my parents they experienced busting like you did right. It's my father didn't necessarily have the best situation. He was in Mattapan and got busted selfie and it was it was not a fun time and my my grandmother she didn't want any of her kids getting bused. So it my mother and her brother she went in to pull some strings and like was working at the metco office last minute to make sure she got her kids into Mexico so they weren't doing any PPS. So my mother and my father were both like no that's not going to be for our kids. So I got to I got to go to a private school in Wellesley.

20:41 Country Day School and that's kind of like what what started off my thing now I add you as you're saying right with the nutrients in like how what you take and it's not just the food although the food is a big aspect of it. Right as me being like years later going into the classroom and watching and teaching in schools that had their Arts once cut. It's like, oh you having like Takis and Arizona for breakfast. I got the nutrition there is bad, but it's also not just like what you put in your body like to your mouth seeing all these other located being like this and I can do that and I can and I'm like, but now I see that so imma imma shoot for that to like you said being able to be like uprooted but have you ate your seed spreader East Boston to show different possibilities me being uprooted from from Dorchester and tossed out until Wellesley for a little a little bit I was

21:41 Fertilization for me and Corey dope teachers and amazing artist teaching artists. I think we then go back to certain spaces that I like. Oh, yeah. I know hip-hop. That's that Hamilton movie started in something different. So we can I use a little bit of Our Roots and rational educate you and nurse you based off of what I seed was planted how to grow that plant a Little Bit Stronger, which is amazing to think of when it goes back to the retrospective like having that strong Foundation that then proposed Branch are our lives out in a while something to be able to get whatever we produce back.

22:30 I'm sick so far. So you want to be easy what for you then brought you to music?

22:39 Church

22:41 Emotions and feelings. Yeah, no doubt. I started music back in Roxbury at the People's Baptist Church. My mother on Sundays would let are African-American neighbor Billy do miss the Bell. He was said he would take me and my brothers to People's Baptist church every Sunday and I would go and my biggest thing about going to church is being able to sing in a choir and the first song I ever sat there like or you're too young and I was like what Jesus loves me this I know for the and everyone was like Corey needs to be in the choir who cares if it's too young and that was my first introduction to music and when I went to some white ladies living room when they what I think I can do this here for free. I was like, I ain't leaving it's a freaking goddess Knology. They got snacks teach me something to help me apply for applications. My mom and my dad on the convenience store. He work at 8 in the morning to 8 at Night My Mama did cleaning and the end.

23:41 Can we work for the hospitals and stuff that she's cheated the housekeeping? What is she was at work all the time? So it was either Corey be in the streets or Corey hang out of his white lady's house and get some free education some free hacks for free resources. You know, I used to take the Bus and Train it at 13 year-old from Roxbury to East Boston. It was a day where it snows and it was a snow day, but I didn't know my parents didn't know they spoke a different language and all that. I got on the train and took the train at a young age all the way to school but I usually took the bus got in to the school and some change call my friend will it was like well, can I come to your crib sleep with Mike? Tyson Punch-Out went to Will's house been the host know they there and it took the train back home and nothing happened at the same time. I learn about Transportation what stops to get on and off and like what happens when you get off at Downtown Crossing or what happens when you get off at Back Bay.

24:40 Just get that free edumacation and doing stuff that made a big impact in terms of like going to a different space. Yeah, my friends from my own family are like the stuff. I have like a vague memories of you talking about like being a little church boy back with you to take us to critical break down which they tore that down and I was condos I was so sad and I'm still sad about it because I so much so much history there so much history, but but yeah, no like you were saying the life for Tzu mix again for me was that same type of thing? I don't know if that's what that white lady living room was for you to actually but cuz I cuz I know for me I was a little low home.

25:40 Naughty Boy by my mother was a she worked over at Biogen so she's like a patent and trademark coordinator. So she was busy working all the time. My father had a bunch of different odd jobs. He was like a construction worker. He was like a chef he ate a whole bunch of them like crazy stuff. But again, both of them were like busy and it was always like you need to do something like a productive. I remember I was making the theater when I was at ten acre. I was the first fifth grader ever to perform in the sixth grade musical as I was it was a big old deal and I add my own solo and everything and I remember the the music teacher being like you should go to Boston Arts Academy knows like I'ma go to Boston or in between since I was like, okay, I got like work on my theater. I got to get ready. What do this? Like? I'm not going to bash the school whatever, but I went to some other school for middle school and they didn't really have any that Bart's or anything. So I was always trying to find a way.

26:40 And I was supposed to be going to the Wang cuz they were going to be doing like a after-school theater program, but I got spending got cut or didn't have enough kids or something. And so a roof was like you should check out zumex. It's not necessarily theater, but you can tell stories through music and I'd like to see what this is and I remember calling and it was your warm voice over the phone and you would just already just like family and I was like, I don't even know this man and this is big Burly laugh and like yeah.

27:16 My mother drove me from Framing and I was going to Framingham Jovi from Framingham to East Boston that whole summer forestry program. This is back over in the building across from White Hen. So we like the couches in a little den area. But then I go in the back of my there's a whole Beat Lab here and I just leave the instruments out that you can plug in the microphone and get on stage and just practice I was I didn't want to leave so I was that was my simulator you I was like, I'm going to take advantage of all of this but it's funny cuz I even now like I just recently became the program director, you know, like that's insane crazy to think about this crazy to think about the fact that you know, the music and Creative Education and self-confidence that you get

28:16 Like having access to the art can really impact your life, you know, it can be a driving motivator like for sure. Like I don't know. I'm a high-school Dropout College Dropout in my interview college graduates for positions ization. It's crazy. It's amazing that I got there because of Hip Hop because of something that I thought was not even I thought I was told you wouldn't last and is just a size thing little did they know that you know artists like Wu Tang with teach me mathematics or people like glue with teaching me confidence of Storytelling like it's so crazy how the combination of leaving my garden but then also having the confidence that one finds an art to be able to think like where might you know, my tire has a belt or like, you know, create my own language or slang. It's so confident. It's so amazing hip-hop one of those things or someone like that since

29:16 Play my playlist five senses like last time this time is priceless and all of a sudden everybody feels like my suffering is always going to be a value that I have other people can't can't connect with and not there where I can find my strength to become an artist and I thought I told myself, you know, I told myself during the pandemic I am going to praise myself different. Who am I to let somebody else tell me what my art is worth over. My value is worth. I similar to any Picasso and Michelangelo and price value myself in the million six digits, whatever. I want because can no one ever have or give you an experience. Like I am giving you right now my word that is my worth in my value in anything that I do with the rest, you know, two seconds or like 5 or a million different songs that I write. No one can really

30:16 Bring what you bring. And so I value that and then I think my value in that it then becomes someone I give value to and then people then say it's worth something and that's so interesting how hip-hop at the chorus. And then I took back over in life. No remix Corey in my life that you know what I'm saying? That's so beautiful and I'm so amped and blessed to be able to be like all the time now because I will say that to all of the magic and said that you're saying of Hip Hop, I feel like you show to people via art all the time I think about like my my my development years at zMAX being a kid and likewise like you said tracking on the train at like 13-14 trying to get all the way out to EC to be there for the programs and stuff. You open the door. The music is playing.

31:16 The audience is going we're doing Open Studios at like age 14-15. There's like five graffiti art happening in the background where we're performing at first night with the with the clouds place. Like we're doing all of these like ridiculous things. I didn't know like young people could do and it's all because of like, oh you have this passion for the art you're doing this and it's opening all these doors. Right? And so that was that was crazy magical for me. I want to be in the scholarship. I went to Hamilton College and out there. I was like, okay, what's the let me see if I can put this to practice test a coil with a band. He was doing his music. That's what I'm going to do. We did a whole like college circuit or that wound up getting us to perform at like South by Southwest Festival, like a Grammy party. We opened for Jon Bon Jovi at the Times Square I guess but I wish that I had you still there to help cuz I

32:16 The confidence I don't give it a lot of like second-guessing and being like I don't think this is going to be doing this right like I got the high top fade and this is like a weird or like I'm doing the hip hop on. This message has a lot of like second-guessing what's going on and being back now, there's so much more appreciation like you were saying like a self-appraisal and like understand myself worse and my intellectual property and let the magic of my ideas in the creativity. Nobody can tell my story is a way I can tell him I'm saying there is so much value in that and you need to be able to value your own voice in order to to get the windfall of that. You know, I'm going to take the hit for you my man. Like I'm going to take the hit and tell you how hard it was like, let's say for instance. I took those hit and it got me to the point where I went back to Cape Verde and studied my ancestry all by myself not knowing a language having any connection.

33:16 I got on the plane and went back to where my mom and dad immigrated from a little island on the west coast of Africa. I sat there in a dark room. Wondering what bugs are insects left.

33:27 And what am I doing here what was going to happen, but then I went and I met with all the politicians and teachers and I help students and I met people I took I took a hit in a chance so that I can come back and you say man Corey did that for sure, but that's what it's about. It's like it's about seeing and trying and living and experiencing other things to other people in these experiences. Like we share now, where are the people can like listen and also do that those people do those things. Like I feel like I do those things so that you can see that and say are many took it there. Imma take it there a further, you know, that's so cool. Because No One Ever Knows really gets back to that hole like enjoying what you have right now before the light gets flicked, you know anything as you are in charge of what rights gets flicked on and off in your life, you know, and I've always been one to like turn that light on and let it shine and if not turn it on unless somebody close to

34:27 You know, what sucks is Where I Come From A lot of people don't get to that level in the game. Just so bad. It's as I'm running now. If I'm on level 7 if I'm the director, I need to learn how to go back to level three times and my help out those people in the Spire them so they don't feel bad looking at me being like feeling bad about themselves when they see me doing what I'm doing either because it's not about that. It's a boy, you know, I play the game. I'm on level 3 on Level 3 on level six look at level six a little bit. You got to still go to level four and five before you sometimes it's like it's daunting right but as soon as the kids to you like you going to the museum and sometimes there's like butt ugly are in there.

35:23 It is horrible looking right but why the hanging up in the museum cuz somebody took that created courageous step to make it right. If you don't if you don't do it, then there's no there's no way for it to be out there who are the people in the world to take it in right cement that fear of being like I can't I'm not going to go to the next step. What do you sometimes they might be like a big loss but like most of the time

35:48 Just you right where you are again, but the truth is like that you can just stay stuck on level at the you're at and you awareness is so important. You know, I think for me a lot of my fear came from not being aware. So yeah, it's the cop in your head. I feel right let the thing that tells you like to do that people don't do that. You can't do that. But like there is a so ridiculous because again the absurdity there's so many possibilities you do. I change the voice. My cops voice text is so funny like a GPS voice is like that's was a very great Tricor and I was like, oh my God, I'm so proud of your efforts.

36:50 That's what I've been about negative.

37:12 Now, you know that does change but yeah, it's those those things you said it in the classroom really well now use it a lot. It's like just because someone tells you you can't do it doesn't mean that you can't find another group that accepts you for doing that thing that people sleep with your tribes are out. There are important because somebody tells you know, it doesn't mean you can't do it just means you can't do it with them exactly.

37:47 I did have something to kind of like around this all up at the end. It was like, oh you're here this what's One Word of Wisdom that you would like to pass on to the Future UK be

38:04 Write things down.

38:07 That is important go get some notebooks whatever like I made when I was younger and I think because I might have to I'm just like my mind so elastic I can remember everything you got to write things down and like it's okay to plan things out and do things in smaller increments. You don't have to tackle everything at once right baby steps is so progression that still movement write things down. Take your time Brees NFL. That's that's what I want to I want to say. What do you what would you what would you tell or remind yourself? I will keep reminding myself that you got here.

38:47 You got this i got this far, you know in the moments that made you who you are one always easy, but there's a moment that made you who you are, you know, and where you are as fine and let's celebrate that and keep going. I that's one of the things I'm like been telling myself cuz it's like yeah, let's let's let's I don't think I'll make it to 40 my man. Like I really didn't so be thinking about like, hey 50 looks pretty good from someone who likes stop thinking about what 2240 look like. It's such a good place and I'm also a place of privilege, you know, I turn around look at a couple of other people who know what they're going through during a pandemic and really understanding where I'm at and being able to then, you know help other people go back. I want to be I want to be good to myself and man when you did it you did it you're here generation survive for you to be here Generations.

39:47 Slavery boat segregation civil rights Equity economics housing like for you to be sitting right here right now. Bravo man bravo bravo.

40:05 We have that we bring that with us and everyone we walk on KB everything every every state we get on, you know, every conversation we have that the the the the richness of our voices the the visuals of our where's my experience all that is carried by the experience of our ancestors that we bring to the table with us right now, which is an amazing. That's why I find my strength. So I tell myself remember that Corey every step you say, it's amazing. Yes each that crazy stuff.

40:44 What's your favorite work today?

40:48 My favorite word today is tickled.

40:53 Play but that tickles me. It doesn't even have to like a physical ticket today at this word actually earlier indigenous indigenous and being like what I could use that word of my life weigh more in particularly being like nothing myself to like what's native and Mike what's like rooted in my car. Is a documentary that I saw the other day called indigenous to the funk that I think that you would you would enjoy all those words right there just back-to-back sound plus not ready yet.

41:36 Definitely cool. And then what's

41:42 Your favorite right now.

41:45 My favorite art my favorite art could be a kind of experience or I'm going to say like this. I like postmodern art. I'm into like a fragmented and glitchy things right now. So I've been like watching One Division or Legion Robin listening like Frank Ocean's endless or like Solange's when I get home like they they're their elements of a story that are there but they're not perfectly put together for you. You have to like interpret it yourself. I don't know why I like that. It's like a broken mirror in somebody's holding up a picture in front of the broken mirror and you trying to figure out what the images I like that what about you? What what type of art are you going for these days you take a fan right now of the WVU game.

42:45 The art of it everywhere editors or whatever and creative imagery people in the inside is like a tick tick over it the power that anyone can have by that I find that aren't really interesting and I'm curious about where it goes. Yeah.

43:19 30 made sweaters that look like some of them so I can know what that means. You have the man by no.

43:36 Are they spend the pleasure? Thank you for rising up my day and rising up my conversation. KBS is awesome and likewise Otep. I keep working hard keep doing what you're doing. And yeah, we will we will be calling out of work to do. So. I'll talk to you later.

43:56 Thank you guys. Thank you for listening. Happy Thursday.