Brooklyn Vegan Premieres “Let’s Build,” F.Stokes’ Journey On The Streets Of Bed-Stuy

Video: F.Stokes – “Let’s Build”

Brooklyn Vegan Premieres Brownstone Ode From Fearless Beauty Artist F.Stokes

07.23.2013

Critical Praise for F.Stokes:

F.Stokes is a “gifted lyricist.” – Potholes In My Blog

“F.Stokes is one of the most in-demand names on the festival circuit right now.” – Village Voice

The Video:

The new video “Let’s Build” from Chicago artist F.Stokes may have been shot on the streets of Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, but Stokes says the track was actually “made in 1985 or ’86 in a welfare office on the Southside of Chicago. This piece is derived from the cold, empty, hopeless emotions I felt when I saw my mother filling out the paper work as me and my sister waited.” Regardless of the moment when it began to come together, the visuals fully feature the legendary Brooklyn neighborhood, which was the setting for Spike Lee‘s classic Do The Right Thing. No stranger to the BK borough–he recently performed at the Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival–Stokes is fully aware of the link between the brownstones that line the street and the cultural heritage that whirls through the neighborhood: “This video is my personal dedication to the brilliant mind of Spike Lee. The dolly shot–which Spike is known for–is one of the more powerful, yet simple angles in the history of film. As we moved through the streets, the architecture of Bed-Stuy served as my house band, whispering the history Black America note for note as I floated through the streets.”

As the Maria Juranic-directed video, which premiered on Brooklyn Vegan, came together, Stokes looked to the figures in the background for reinforcement that the video was telling the story honestly. He recalls one particular spectator: “The most enjoyable moment was a conversation I had with this little girl who was 4 or 5, and her mother. The girl was highly interested in the process and very camera shy. Her smile assured me that this video was exactly right.”

Watch the video here: http://youtu.be/lMStK9uD_9o

Brooklyn Vegan premiered the video, read more here: http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2013/07/watch_f_stokes.html

Watch Behind the Scenes footage from F.Stokes’ performance at the Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival, shot by Top Shelf Premium: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XK_cFsuT6O8

[youtube]http://youtu.be/lMStK9uD_9o[/youtube] (Remove this link and widget below if not needed)

Please contact Michelle or Dan if interested in talking with F.Stokes.

F.Stokes Background:

F.Stokes is a Chicago born and bred rapper and spoken word poet now based out of New York City. He tells his story with punctuating imagery and glass-like clarity as he looks at the world through the lens of his family’s shared experiences. Growing up as one of six children to a single mother in the South Side of Chicago, he shared his home with people who lived on the edge of violent death, poverty, and ghosts of abuse and addiction. He found solace in writing early on in childhood and soon began to express himself creatively through verse and spoken word poetry as he grew into adolescence and early adulthood. In 2009 he began touring in Europe in preparation for the release of his first album, 2010′s Death of a Handsome Bride. He quickly grew as a prolific artist, releasing the Baked Goods Mixtape in 2011 and Love Always in 2012. F.Stokes has performed at the Montreal Jazz Festival, The Essence Festival, and the Metropolis Festival in Holland. He has also cultivated a particularly strong fan base in the UK, where he recorded an EP with the band Bastille, and in Paris, where has sold out multiple shows and has been featured on Nova Radio. Stateside he has been featured in XXL Magazine, Source Online and HipHopDX, among others, and has toured with the likes of Ryan Leslie, Chall Tuna, Mac Lethal, Arrested Developed and Nas. Most recently he released his new album Fearless Beauty, which features production by Paper Tiger of Minneapolis indie hip-hop collective Doomtree, his most personal and political record to date. He will follow up the release with more tour dates in Europe, including theIndependence Day Festival in France on July 4th.