BLACK DYNAMITE
Interview with Carl Jones by Adult Swim
Black Dynamite has been slowly infiltrating his way into all forms of media ever since actor Michael Jai White first conceived the character in 2006. After a critically acclaimed film in 2009, the Black Dynamite team joined up with executive producer Carl Jones (of The Boondocks) to take Dynamite into television.
Excerpt:
Adult Swim: How has art affected your life personally?
Carl Jones: In a lot of cases, art is all a lot of young people have to make a difference in their lives or their communities. Whether it's music, dance, visual art or even sports at an optimum performance level is also an art. More than a form of expression to me, it's an escape from poverty. People always say that money is the root of all evil, but in reality, it's poverty. Poverty drives people to killing each other over sneakers and colors and shit. Not to mention blocks or project buildings they don't own. If we all were wealthy, the latest J's would not have the same value on them. When you possess more, you have more to lose. When you have more to lose, the more you value your life. But when you have nothing to lose, there is no value on life, therefore you will risk it. Today, rappers are becoming multi-millionaires. Graffiti artists are becoming fine artists and successful entrepreneurs by turning their tags into high priced toy lines and clothing, they are becoming brands. It's a new day and time now, artists don't have to starve anymore. I honestly believe some of the best art is made out of poverty, along with the desperation to be heard and seen. For years, I would hustle in the streets all day and night, them come home and spend hours drawing and writing for free, dreaming of the day I would do it full time for a living so that people could hear and see my stories. Then, after getting shot at with bullets barely missing my head, my wife Monica said, "Alright, it's time to go nigga!" [laughs]. We moved out to LA and the rest was history. So to me, art saved my life."
Pick up a copy of the July 2012 issue of Juxtapoz to read the complete story.
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