Fists Up Louisville!
Fists Up Louisville, the Resistance is Here.
Louisville’s underground resistance has planned one hell of a happening this upcoming Tuesday entitled, Fists Up: Rhymes, Beats and Art for the Revolution. The ERUPTION occurs at The Mammoth, located downtown on 744 South 13th Street. The Mammoth and Liberation Frequency will present the pro-revolution party featuring live hip-hop, art, graffiti, and an open-mic to propagate Marx’s dream of a proletariat takeover.
Could this be legit: Activism budding in our youth, despite its addiction to HD screens and social media?
Protest movements, art, and hip-hop can alarm many whites in the burbs; but many like me are intrigued by the idea. I decided to hunt down those in charge of the event, which led me to Taylor Gunsauley, a major leader and coordinator of Fists Up.
“Most people call us the Black Cats but I just call us the crew”, he told me outside of the crew’s hangouts. I soaked in the surroundings of an apartment off Brooke Street. While three girls, liberally pierced, cooked for the group. They showed me their garden and picked some fresh beans for a pasta dish. A neighbor had about 15 chickens and an even larger garden, and we joked about the sanity of a man housing chickens in an urban backyard.
On the other hand…
Is it insane to know exactly the healthfulness of your meat, and the freshness of your fruits and vegetables?
We discussed problems with American food, and food distribution. As well as Citizens United, American Neo-Colonialism, the environment, Occupy Wall Street, student debt, nationalized healthcare and many other sensitive social topics. Most of all, we discussed the problems of our corporate world and the ‘motherf@&kers sitting in the clouds’ who lead it. The general consensus seemed to be that today’s kings no longer desire worship and praise but rather secrecy as they avoid all accountability, transparency and moral responsibility. Untouchables and unknowns now rule the world.
Taylor has experienced the trials of today’s activists. He traveled with the Occupy movement and was arrested in front of the White House as he and the environmental group, The Tar Sands, protested drilling in Canada. Now, Taylor and The Crew want to bring the fight closer to home by putting on an event that will raise Louisvillians awareness about all the “f*&ked up shit happening here and around the world.”
What better way than by using the power of art, music and the spoken word?
Fists Up is The Crew’s largest planned event to date. Rebel Diaz, a Bronx group, is the headlining hip-hop outfit and they show no mercy when attacking social tragedies. This is not food for the bubblegum hip-hop crowd or yuppy gatherings to encourage the party lifestyle of drinking, clothes, cars and promiscuous sex.
No, No, No.
This is revolution rap and a call to arms: A time to choose whose side you’re on. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Dr05tXktSo
I’ve never heard so many socio-political references by a group before. It got my blood going. I wanted to join the fight for humanity and join the revolution, ambiguous though it may be.
Like Rebel Diaz, Mic-Well, Reel-9 and some local hip-hop artists will preach about the uprising, the poor, and the inequality in America. Topics that most of us try to avoid. Yet, there is massive disparity, a dying middle class and a socially divided populous here in the U.S. Scary times! This is why there is so much fear, anger and anguish among most socio-economic levels and no one will be afraid to say so July 3rd at Fists Up.
Besides hip-hop music will highlight artist showcases, and graffiti workshops. Taylor’s graffiti style is to out top corporate officials by wheat-pasting them. Some artists have a less confrontational tone. Zach Penland opts to take plastic bottles found roadside and turn them into painted spiders. He then returns the art roadside, in to bring more attention to the waste that plagues our everywhere.
Art and music will always tango. But to have a “resistance” movement here in Louisville primarily geared around hip-hop and street art is very special.
My day with Taylor took me to parts of town that most affluently raised white-suburbanites have never seen and believed to be dangerous. Yet, a day spent there led me to some of the most engaging and rewarding conversation I have ever had.
Will this event spark a revolution, while avoiding the pitfalls of drug usage and free riders??? Probably not. But at least the crew is trying to be a change agent, rather than just talking about it. All of this leads to making Fists Up one of the most intriguing, weird and anticipated events this summer. I can’t wait to see what happens, who comes and if communal spirit is produced.
As I packed my things I was invited for dinner. Taylor and I sat down with the girls and talked more about history, politics and the determination it will take to make any sort of difference. A few other friends joined us.
I realized that this wasn’t a crew. This was a family, and it felt incredible to be welcomed-in with open arms.
Come see how the struggle is displayed via art and music down at The Mammoth.
Art showcases and open mics begin at 7PM. Booked acts begin around 10PM.
-MHHT.