WATCH: My Experience @With_LessWork - Keena "Stay Flyy" Atkinson of R'oujie Wellness
Music can be a positive outlet from life stressors. I question outside of writing and performing the music we all find relief in. How does the pouring artists maintain their presence, patience, and progress all while filling everyone else's cup of emotions?
In my book at least, music is the highest form of art. Still, when most people think of rap music their impressions identify the genre with aggression. I won't ignore the actual fact that music plays a role on human behavior. Which is more relevant in verbal aggression. Contrary to popular belief, physical aggression can't be located as a source from an individual's song preference. Depending on the amount of consumption and if the music has a consistent presence of aggressive content. The listener is more likely to take on the persona of the artists creating the music they consume.
Don't get it twisted, I am not saying aggressive music increases physical violence because (with some exemptions), we are all granted the ability to choose our own actions. What I am saying is don't over indulge in nothing, because too much of anything can be dangerous. Aggressive hiphop today tends to be more underground than in recent years when it was commercially promoted. That was before global nonprofit orgs. like PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) and activists like C. Delores Tucker fighting against animal cruelty and song lyric selections. Hiphop, over time has taken on the role as culprits of America's strategy. Let's detour a bit.
In a devilish attempt to weaken the (at the time) stable black community with drugs and preconceived notions that black people were violent and menaces to society. Former President Ronald Reagan, made it easy for non-black people in America and around the world to view us as overall criminals with aggressive intentions of harming others.
How does this relate to music and wellness? The affects from systematic setbacks paint the pictures of Black America's mental wellness and rebellious approach to songwriting. Those particularly residing in what was once labeled "Drug-Free Zones" and homes of "Welfare Queens." Today's teenage recording artists are children of parents who experienced these traumas firsthand. Giving birth to a black child in America is like giving consent to their foreseeable experience of being traumatized. Exposing ourselves and our children to wellness practices will not only prepare us for adversities but also teach us how to recognize them at home before we demand anything outside the house.
Checkout this breakdown below, courtesy of - Western Michigan University.
Today, rappers are reenacting the lifestyles of past participants of Reagan's wrath. A more known example is someone like "Freeway Ricky Ross" who had two rappers from different eras imitating his involvement in building wealth and bringing down the value of black communities in America.
Drugs are still a known factors in low income communities as well as upper class neighborhoods. However, with the war on drugs, gang injuctions, and mandatory sentencing. Many gang members and drug dealers have converted to sharing their stories through music or investing their earnings into young talented recording artists.
Growing up, music was everywhere and apart of every aspect of my young life. Music was and still is an escape from my life realities in business, relationships, and my family. I listen or write music to become inspired to complete tasks I've created for myself. I was born in the late 80s so rap music definitely had its negative sides but from what I recall, rap music was being used to advocate the opinions of underserviced citizens of America. Which happened to be black people. This approach became an outlet to use as an combative strategy in retaliation of what was being displayed about our culture on the evening News channels.
Music is selective in essence as it is solely an option of preference when choosing to listen or recite music, particularly with aggressive content. LessWork has chosen to include wellness in our lifestyle approach for local recording artists to release life's stressors without verbally expressing words. Local recording artists deal with layers of stigma for being a "local artist", not looking the part, not getting views on their music, and for expressing our realities over bass-filled instruments about what life is like for us. Which isn't always...... pretty.
As writers, we write about our experiences and exposures. What wellness will allow, is for artists to "feel" and "be" without words. Imagine if everyday when we rise to our feet we gave silent thanks by recognizing the small things and sat with our thoughts before attacking daily tasks?
After my first yoga/wellness session with Keena Atkinson of R'oujie Wellness. I immediately thought, "this is the missing piece to our lifestyle." Yes, there is a such thing as hiphop yoga but that preference is performed at upbeat speeds to hiphop songs. Not so much what LessWork intended to offer local artists. Hiphop artists and rightfully so, utilize music as an outlet to release their stressors on records. I also believe if you only tap into your inner emotions verbally, you're limiting your mental capacity. The thing about that is you're releasing from 1 point of view. This isn't always a bad thing but you're not allowing yourself to be dimensional within your artistic expressions. That is what your listeners deserve to hear from you. All of you.
My experience with this particular practice of wellness was that of a light bulb moment. We chose to host our sessions at our office space because I believe in energy and vibrancy. Right next door to our session was Marcus Porter of Oddly Arranged Media hosting a recording session with a hiphop artist who's never been inside our creative hub. I'm not sure exactly what the lyrical content the artist entailed but for them to be able to see and access a yoga session under the same roof as their recording session speaks at a level lyrics can't alone.
Think about the experience of recording a sad, happy, aggressive, or maybe a song that covers all emotions after you've participated in a self-centering wellness session of yoga? Especially under the direction of R'oujie Wellness. "Keena is the key to this unique offering we plan to share with local artists." Keeping things intimate leaves room for feedback. We plan to host our Magic Hour sessions once a month on the number day of each month. For example:
10/10
11/11
not to include 12/12 to allow us to regroup from this wild 2021. No slacking though as we plan to stretch things back out on 1/1.
LessWork ultimate goal is for local hiphop artists to accept and utilize this outlet as such. There will be monthly review sessions held at The Kingdom Restaurant immediately after our wellness session. Located at 1865 Northport Drive, Madison, Wisconsin, 53704.
RSVP your mat today as we're only exclusively hosting 15 participants. The 1st 10 registrants will accommodated with a yoga mat and a bottle of water. Your meal will be sponsored by Kingdom Restaurant so no worries there. For more information visit LessWork Local Lifestyle online.
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Written by: 1neofmani Pen
Photography by: K.I.L.O w/ LessWork Lens
Title: LessWork More Wellness Blog: #14
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