Ancient Mith - Ciroc Shot Kool Herc

Ciroc Shot Kool Herc from Ancient Mith on Vimeo.

Beat by Mattr.

Video by Bryan Wade / Blueswade Cartoons

from the album "And The Dead Shall Lie There" on cd,digital and vinyl

Archives & Art Supplies/Anette Records

Any real hip hop fan during the 80’s and 90’s can appreciate the juxtapose of hearing a rap song in the grocery store in present day. Even the thought of such mainstream acceptance, at the time, seemed light years away and the real life trajectory, most likely unforeseen by the biggest enthusiasts. Ciroc shot Kool Herc is an ode to what was, what is and what might have been, in the evolution of said circumstance. The song was inspired by reports of Kool Herc (credited as the creator of hip hop) falling on hard times coupled with celebrations of P. Diddy’s son receiving a full ride scholarship to college. While these two things are unrelated, they invoked questions about ageism, classism, and commercialization in the hip hop community and the greater market outside of it. What better way to bring this to the eyes than a motion comic capturing a colorful, fevered dream within a dream about a fictional confrontation over fortune and legacy between Kool Herc and P. Diddy. 

The animation style is intended to reinforce the dreaminess of the beat and lyrics. The idea of creating the video as a motion comic rather than a more traditional cartoon was to remove the slickness from the art, leaving it as organic and gritty feeling as possible.  Crumpled paper and splattered ink are used to create a sense of something that’s been discarded and rediscovered, like a great old comic book thats been found at a yard sale.  

“Its my hope that the video comes across as a genuine love letter to the legacy of hip-hop and more immediately as a tribute to Ancient Mith's words and music. This project has been one of challenge and discovery for me, and as a print cartoonist working in motion for the first time, really a great deal of fun. “ – Bryan Wade