Considered the least bankable of hip-hopﾒs four elements, hip-hop graffiti is also the least respected by law, being the only one of the four elements you can be prosecuted for if caught in the act, and in some cases itﾒs a federal offense. Today aerosol art continues to survive in the urban underground scene and the fashion world, while also quietly maintaining an unrealized presence in modern comic books and graphic novels. Check out the obvious graffiti styles of Humberto Ramos and Lesean Thomas for reference.
In 2009, with the introduction of Imajimation Studios The BLOKHEDZ, hip-hop illustration finally gets some way over due props. The animated project was originally introduced as a comic book in 2004, as a gritty urban tale that takes place in Empire City, a megapolis described as ﾓNew York City on steroidsﾔ. The main character is a (gifted) chosen emcee named Blak (voiced by Talib Kweli). Blakﾒs supernatural rhyme skills give him the ability to control minds. His power is also realized in the visual spectrum by powerful blasts of stylized graffiti, that idea alone should be a revelation for true hip-hop graffiti heads. With itﾒs tight animation and up tempo action scenes, The BLOKHEDZ could be the beginning of a new and exciting trend in the hip-hop movement. The technique of using hip-hop styled art and music together, to tell dramatic and thought provoking stories, while also being realized as a new profit model. While The BLOKHEDZ project isnﾒt the first of itﾒs kind, it is the fist pure hip-hop animation project positioned for a world wide audience. Now please without further ado, check out the trailer:
Chad Kiser and guest contributor Norff Wess sat down with Brandon Schultz, who is the creative director of Imajimation Studios, and one of the main conceptualists behind the innovative comic book to the animated webisode series The BLOKHEDZ. You can check The BLOKHEDZ 24-7 at www.missiong.com. Also for more information go to www.BLOKHEDZ.tv.
Exclusive Brandon Schultz Interview
You can also catch the video of DJ Khalil, Talib Kweli and Phil The Agony laying down vocals for the second act of the BLOKHEDZ animated series below:
DJ Khalil, Talib Kweli & Phil The Agony Working On The BLOKHEDZ
Stay tuned for more from Dubcnn, Norff Wess and Imajimation Studios!
