Premiere: Spotifys Frequency Presents The Free Studio Documentary Showcasing The Freedom Of Black Creativity – Vibe

In February, Spotifys Frequency, the streamers celebration of Black culture, creativity, and community hosted the Free Studio, a four-day residency to provide the space and resources for Black creators across various mediums to explore and expand their creative boundaries. The process was captured and formatted for a short film documenting the rising artists whose work is making an impact on mainstream culture.

When it came across my desk, it was just like, yes. I just realized at that moment, [that] documentary filmmaking is what I was born to do. And right off the bat, I just felt so connected to this project, shared director Anthony Prince Leslie of Equator Productions during a conversation with VIBE.

Ultimately, this is a creative studio for the freedom of Black expression, and free Black expression for me is being unapologetic in all the unique, complex ways we are as Black people, dancing to the beat of our own drum, sharing our culture without boundaries.

He continued, I just wanted to just show these artists in their true light and who they are. Them being able to be their best self and that shining through their work is the main thread between all of these seven artists that I got to work with.

The Black creators or platforms selected include Mike Brown of The Art Of Letting Go Podcast, visual artist and designer Shefon Taylor, dancer and choreographer Thom Kitt, musician Doechii, rapper Larry June, Vic Mensa, Indigo Mateo, and Richie Reseda of the Abolition X podcast, and music producer Sango.

The team commissioned filmmaker Anthony Prince Leslie to create a documentary exploring Black creativity, expressed Kimberly Summers, Hip Hop and R&B Manager, Artist & Label Partnerships at Spotify to VIBE in a statement describing how some of the artists, as well as the director himself, were selected.

With that in mind, we selected artists that embody the energy of unfiltered, creative expression through their music. Sangos ability to tell a story through different sounds, rhythms, and melodies is undeniable. Hailing from the Bay, Larry June brings an authentic perspective and sound to tracks, which people gravitate to and feel like theyre home. And of course, Doechii is that girl. Her presence, her energy, really cant be explained and it comes through in all of her music and the accompanying visuals. All of these artists prove that blackness is not monolithic and cannot be defined or confined by one genre or sound.

The 11-minute documentary uses its time well, portraying the meaning and motives behind each talents lifes work. This is done by capturing behind-the-scenes footage at recording studios, dance studios, recording sessions, and intimate conversations with Leslie in the artistic community fostered by Frequency. Developing the visual encompassed its own creative process and as a filmmaker, Leslie moved with intention.

I wanted to show these artists in their own world and who they are and this bubble. Because sometimes we find ourselves and realize that were in our own bubble. So technically, I got this angle thats streamlined throughout each artist where were overhead with the fisheye lens, shared the Brooklyn-bred filmmaker. It creates this circular motion around all the artists and we get to live in their world for a second, overhead, and see what it looks like in the snapshot. Then we dive into who they are and try to dig a little bit beneath the surface, metaphorically. Theres a lot of, Hi, my name is. And I think I just wanted to get to the meat of it.

Spotify Frequency was launched in May 2021 as the brands way of empowering Black creators. The division was created in direct response to the current social and political climate in which Black voices in music, fashion, business, and more continue to be left out and their contributions underappreciated and underrepresented. Officially, Frequency is described as a global initiative and holistic destination for celebrating Black art, entertainment, creativity, culture, and community both on- and off-platform.

Frequency is invested in exploring Black creativity and highlighting the importance of creating spaces dedicated to it while celebrating Black creators. Our goal with Frequency is to continue to build community and highlight the different stories and sounds through intentional partnerships with artists, producers, songwriters, and creators, explained Summers.

Watch the Free Studio Documentary directed by Anthony Prince Leslie presented by Spotify Frequency above.

Go here to see the original:

Premiere: Spotifys Frequency Presents The Free Studio Documentary Showcasing The Freedom Of Black Creativity - Vibe