New Currency Recording

In one of two conversations leading up to the release of our first print magazine, Kazeem Kuteyi chats with Jamila Amarah, founder of Art + Tax printing shop which will open up later this year in Toronto. Jamila is passionate about creating an accessible community hub for artists to get their prints done. Currently she is accepting donations to cover cost of equipment. Donate here: https://t.co/2iPRqo1rkz?amp=1 To be the first to know about New Currency Magazine Issue 01, sign up here: shop.newcurrency.ca

For our latest conversation, “ON OPTIMISM & THE FUTURE”, we chat with designer and architecture student of @harvardgsd, Jeremy Benson. In our conversation, Jeremy reflects on what has changed for him during the pandemic and how it has caused the removal of “white space”, a concept he breaks down in the podcast. He also shares insight on how institutions, architecture and space are complicit in myths of normalcy which uphold racist systems. Jeremy also presents ideas of what the “new” institution should look like in an increasingly digital world.

For the fifth instalment in our conversation series, "ON OPTIMISM AND THE FUTURE", we chat with creative strategist and producer Roxy Navai.

We're excited to present our latest conversation "ON OPTIMISIM & THE FUTURE", in conversation with with @biancalichanner , a multidisciplinary designer and brand strategist. Available now on our IGTV channel, @spotify, @apple podcasts and soundcloud.com/newcurrency.

For the third in our series, “ON OPTIMISM & THE FUTURE”, we chat with Chieff Bosompra, a Toronto based creative consultant and founder of events company, Undisposable. Chieff shares his insight on the future of brand partnerships, how he is adapting to our new “normal” and more

For the 2nd episode of our new series, "ON OPTIMISM & THE FUTURE" for this period of isolation, we chat with Toronto based DJ and all round music creative, Jayemkayem. In our conversation, she offers her predictions on what the future of DJing and music events might look like, and gives us a window on how she is processing uncertainty.

We’re excited to launch our new conversation series on optimism and the future with artists & creatives in Toronto & around the world. Our goal is to archive the thinking during these times of isolation. We also want this to be a source of inspiration and guidance for our community. For the first of the series, we chat with Spencer Badu.

For our January show on ISO RADIO (www.isoradio.to), we chat with all round creative person, Vanessa Adams on foresight.

During our trip to Paris Men’s Fashion Week, we stopped by Eastwood Danso’s showroom for a quick conversation on his current trajectory. Recently, he’s been featured in i-D, WWD and has made noise by participating in London fashion week and collaborations with converse. He’s doing all of this, while still studying Product Design at Central Saint Martins. In our conversation, we get insight into how he broke into fashion, his thoughts on formal education and how he stands out in a city like London where everyone is a creative.

Recorded on April 4th 2015 No Instagram by Denim Tears and Acyde. Live at ACE HOTEL London Tremaine Emory A.KA. Denim Tears in conversation with Acyde, Virgil Abloh, Jammer, Jalil Peraza and more. Credits to KNOW WAVE radio. This piece of audio is a cultural artefact.

During our field trip to Paris Men’s Fashion week, we had the chance to sit down with Anita Herrera, a creative producer and cultural consultant involved in many projects pushing culture forward at the Map Pointz pop up, a project she helped bring to life. In our conversation, she takes us on a journey, beginning with starting fashion school at 17, working at trade shows, curating parties for big brands and making meaningful and organic connections with people. Anita also sheds lights on the importance of working on projects that have meaning to her and how she is finding ways to monetize her passion for culture. Follow Anita Herrera: www.instagram.com/anitaherrera_ Follow New Currency: www.instagram.com/newcurrency www.newcurrency.ca

UK based Rapper and member of SLOCAL, ITS NATE, a creative collective in London was visiting Toronto for Caribana and dropped into the ISO Radio studio for a conversation with us. Tune into isoradio.to every for 4th Saturday of the month for our residency show. Follow ITS NATE: www.instagram.com/itsnateitsnate

For our latest recording, we interview XYLK, a Toronto based artist who is making noise by making T-shirts that tap into humour and emotion. Xylk broke onto the scene in 2017 with his Frank Ocean inspired T-shirt project, “Boys Don’t Drive” that was featured on Highsnobiety. In our conversation, we talk about the genesis of his brand, his influences and what he hopes to achieve. Xylk also gives pointers for anyone looking to start a brand. https://www.xylk.co https://www.instagram.com/xylk.co/

Chippy Nonstop truly embodies her alias. A curator, radio host, community organizer, DJ, performer, content creator and more. Born in the Middle East and then finding herself travelling around the world due to her father’s job, she ended up in Oakland, California where she spent her formative years. A widely publicized deportation ordeal would lead her to Toronto where she joined a creative community hungry for new. In our conversation we chat about her journey to present, the art of DJing, building community and her DJ workshop series, Intersessions.

Berlin based DJ, Nico Adomako blesses us with a warm up mix ahead of his DJ set at our NXNE Clubland show. It all goes down on June 14th. Purchase tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/new-currency-x-nxne-tickets-62393268947?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

During our last trip to Paris Fashion Week, this past January, we took time out to interview our friend, Jean Charles Leuvrey, known to everyone as “JC”. JC is the founder of Hotel Radio Paris, an online radio platform that champions local talent in Paris and talent from around the world. In our one hour conversation with JC, he shares everything from his time as a banker in London, his time in Barcelona to returning to Paris to start Hotel Radio Paris.

Last Summer, we hung out with Leila Fataar, the founder of Platform 13. Platform 13 is a new type of agency that creates cultural relevance for brands. What does does that mean exactly? Brands looking to connect and do more meaningful and impactful activations within the community are looking to Platform 13 to come up with new ideas. Recorded at the Platform 13 office, Leila charts her story from moving from South Africa to London, to her stint at Adidas, (she was part of the team that oversaw the global re-launch of the Stan Smiths )and present day. We also talk about the importance of hard work and embracing different development phases of one's life.

We sat down with CKTRL, a South London born artist and musician for conversation on his early beginnings, the current state of underground culture in London, and his creative process. We also delved into discourse on the multifaceted nature of Blackness and creating music with purpose. CKTRL is a popular fixture in the underground London scene and is currently focused on building his label and personal projects. His EP, "Colour" is out in March. This conversation was recorded in London, England, Summer 2018.

For our latest conversation, we sat down with Lisbon born and London based, Mr Phomer, a freelance creative and artist that has worked with brands like Redbull, Nike, New Balance and more. We chat about his move to London, his thoughts on identity in his creative practice, creating art in a very political world and the state of creative culture in London. Follow Mr Phomer- @mrphomer on Instagram

Back in June we had a conversation with Tony Goodguy, a Paris based DJ, curator and connector who has his ears to what’s going on around the world. He doesn’t like the term, “DJ”, he more considers himself to be a person that just brings good energy to any party he’s playing. We ourselves have witnessed his DJ sets and understand what he’s talking about. This past year, Tony has single-handedly organized his own tours, made merch, fostered connections amongst people that has led to new project ideas. We ourselves made moves in Paris this year because of Tony. Our conversation is an interesting one that charts his journey from breaking into the scene with his friend Karym to what he plans to do next.

A few weeks ago we hung out with Dreyuh Safo for a conversation on her path through the music industry.f Dreyuh has created opportunities for herself, cutting her teeth as an intern for INK Entertainment which led into a marketing role for RAPSEASON, an imprint under INK entertainment that produces shows for artists local and international artists in Toronto. Most recently, she has stepped down from that role and is currently freelancing and working on some interesting music projects. In our conversation, we talk about her start, navigating the music industry and what she’s up to next.

This past summer, we sat down with London based DJ and creative, Chennessy for a wide ranging conversation that charts his early beginnings to developing his craft. We also touch on how he has built his brand and the importance of knowing your worth, serving the community of DJs around him and more.

This past Spring, we sat down with Ottawa raised, Hip-Hop artist, Keynes Woods for a conversation on his entry into Music, his insights on patience and taking strategic steps to building a sustainable future in Hip-Hop.

The London-based documentary filmmaker Nathan Miller has made an impressive professional debut. His first commission for The Ace Hotel—an opportunity he created for himself while working as a doorman for their Shoreditch location—gave him an instant hook towards documentaries, which lead him to look towards his hometown's rap and grime music scene, culminating in the 46-minute film LDN. The project was so demanding of Nathan's time, he quit all other work to complete it. It's a culmination of months of interviewing, researching and shooting, with a who's who of cameos, from Fredo, to Morgan Keyz, to J Hus. It quickly caught attention of the U.K. music world and Nathan's name and work began to spread. Last summer, he made several trips to Canada to film NORTHSIDE, a shorter, more snapshot-style look at Toronto's rap scene, with clips from Sean Leon, CMDWN and Jimmy Prime giving context to a regional sound that travels far, but perhaps brings less than ideal back for it. His subsequent premiere and online release of the project absolutely brought discussion, primarily around the observation that it took someone outside of Toronto to reflect the scene back at itself. The revelation brought out unexpected reactions, for some. All the while, Nathan's repertoire of abilities to make work capturing stories continued to grow. Now, the filmmaker is running CineClass, an online course designed to share the knowledge and insight he's gained shooting some incredible work. While gearing up for the release of his course, he stopped by our Airbnb in East London to talk his path, when he decided to risk it and go for filmmaking and the things he's learnt along the way. Follow Nathan Miller: https://www.instagram.com/heylooktheresnathan/

Zimbabwe born and London based designer, Tawanda Chiweshe, is in a coveted position that most kids that play and work in the world of design would want to be in. Having graduated from Central Saint Martins and armed with a couple of internships under his belt, he found himself working as a design consultant for Virgil Abloh. While it’s easy to get caught up in the hype and the fervor that comes with working with someone that is adored by so many young people, Tawanda has chosen to focus on the work, keeping a low social media profile and developing personal projects that will help define his design career.  In our conversation that took place at the Barbican centre in London, a week after we met briefly in Paris, Tawanda broke down his design journey, his creative process, his thoughts on education and the importance of participation. Follow Tawanda Chiweshe: https://www.instagram.com/tawandda/

Within five seconds of our meeting, one thing become immediately apparent — Tiffany Calver is radiating happiness. And why shouldn't she be? After years and years of grinding, cutting her teeth as a student of music (which, by the way, she backs up in spades), U.K. media has caught on to her perspective in droves. Last year, Ms. Calver's consistent quality appearances, spinning hip-hop on Radar Radio, NTS Live, Boiler Room, along with touring as breakout U.K. rapper Fredo's DJ, has helped dramatically increase the young journalist, activist and low-key A&R's stature locally and internationally. In a wide-ranging conversation, Tiffany broke down how she used her perspective as a young, black, female music head to her advantage — winning respect far and wide within hip-hop. As the youngest on-air DJ in the United Kingdom AND the only female hip-hop DJ on air in the country, she's quick to advocate for girls who look like her, and has been a stalwart advocate of positive mental health.

Cultural Archivist Glenjamn Speaks On Documenting Life And Cultivating A Content Empire. Listen to Glenjamn’s humble beginnings above documenting culture and shit his friends were doing the whole time in front of him, and how it got him on stage, shooting and working with some of the biggest artists and brands in the world. Read more: https://newcurrency.ca/conversation/glenjamn-interview/ Follow Glenjamn https://www.youtube.com/user/glenjamn3 https://www.instagram.com/glenjamn/ https://twitter.com/glenjamn

South London Collective BORN N BREAD Break Down How They Mixed Friendship With Success New Currency linked up with the incredibly talented Born N Bread collective on a wintry evening in Peckham earlier this year. They touch on everything — from the challenges they faced explaining to their parents what they were trying to achieve, to how to navigate business and friendship — in a very candid, free-flowing conversation. www.newcurrency.ca

Daniel Bailey, Founder Of ConceptKicks Talks Carving Your Own Lane In Footwear Design. Read more: https://newcurrency.ca/conversation/daniel-bailey-conceptkicks-interview/

Italian-born web developer Elia has helped brands like Alyx, No Vacancy Inn and Infinite Archives on web projects. He also worked on creative direction with A$AP, Converse and breakout Compton artist Buddy. Read more: https://newcurrency.ca/conversation/connecting-culture-to-technology-a-conversation-with-software-developer-elia/ Follow Elia online: http://elia.digital/ https://www.instagram.com/elia.02/

Toronto-based artist Tabban Soleimani joined New Currency on a trip to Paris and London and discussed the trip, along with growing your perspective as a creative. www.newcurrency.ca

Caroline SM has spent the past five years championing new and raw talent in the United Kingdom. From working for GRMDAILY, a platform that has become one of the premier digital platforms to discover new music in the U.K. to producing radio shows, she has risen the ranks to become an influential figure within the U.K. Grime and Hip-Hop scene. For those unfamiliar, she is the co-founder of NEW GEN, a platform that helps cultivate new artists. Since its inception,the imprint has produced a compilation album under XL Recordings, begun a radio show that airs on Radar Radio and has a new album in the works for 2018. We met Caroline at XL Recordings office in West London where we spoke in length about her journey, the music business and her thoughts on how Toronto can catch up to the already established underground music infrastructure in the U.K. Follow Caroline: https://www.instagram.com/carolinesmx/ https://twitter.com/carolinesm

Ollie Olanipekun has engineered himself the perfect situation that allows for personal and creative freedom. The constant hustle, being a part of passion projects like BNTL (Better Never Than Late) a leading lifestyle blog based in London and running club nights have all paid off. Currently, he’s the co-founder and creative director of Superimpose Studio, a creative studio that challenges brands to take things to next level. Adidas is one of their biggest clients. In our conversation, we talk about his early beginnings, taking risks, and what it takes to be an entrepreneur. Follow Ollie: https://www.instagram.com/ollie_danger/ http://www.superimpose.studio

In our conversation, which took place off the Seine in Paris, Liza Ostanina talks transitioning from a small city in Russia to Paris, realizing her creative process and the importance of connecting with people IRL. Follow Liza: https://www.instagram.com/ostliza

We met with Ralph Hardy this past July at Radar Radio studios right before he was due to play his weekly radio show. For anyone is who is not familiar with his brand, NANG, it’s a club night, a show on Radar Radio and label that celebrates and champions what’s new and what’s fresh. In our conversation, a day before he played our first New Currency event in London, we got an insight into his journey, DJ culture and what it takes make it in music.

Over the last couple of years, Tom Winslade has positioned himself as the point man for any client in London looking for branding, design and art direction. Through his creative collective, Prevalence, he has worked with global brands like Stussy, Puma and Adidas. We met at our Airbnb in London for a conversation on his early start with clients from Myspace, get his views on education, the value of showing up and the U.K.’s current political climate.

Since picking up the camera six years ago, Zahra Siddiqui’s work has mostly focused on representation. Last year, she held a solo exhibition that featured her on going project, the Invisible Majority. The project consisted of a collection of small canvases featuring a diverse range of people in Toronto. In our conversation, we talk about her journey, her process of creating from a place of mindfulness and much more. Follow Zahra: https://www.instagram.com/zahra_siddiqui

Those who know Mila Victoria personally knows that she’s unapologetically herself. They also know that she’s a brilliant makeup artist that has worked on countless high profile editorials, advertising campaigns and music videos. This past spring we had her frequent collaborator, Spencer Badu, a Toronto based fashion designer interview her for New Currency. In their conversation, Mila shares her story on how she got into makeup, her experience while living in London and her relationship with beauty. Follow Mila Victoria: www.instagram.com/milavictoria Follow Spencer Badu : www.instagram.com/spbadu

Alexia is committed to shining a spotlight and supporting emerging creatives in Toronto. Her platform Lexiquette, which she founded in 2013, is dedicated to putting artists on through interviews and curated exhibitions around the city. Follow Alexia online: https://www.instagram.com/lexiquette/ https://www.lexiquette.com/

Toronto is in the big leagues when it comes to spitting out music talent to world. Marcus Graham happens to be a person that recognizes and celebrates the city’s talent before the world does. Utopia Music Festival is an annual event that he created to bring together Toronto’s premier and emerging artists in one room for a series of performances. It’s a chance for people to discover new talent in their own city. On the heels of the third season which goes down at the Mod Club Theatre in Toronto on June 1st, we had a conversation with Marcus Graham about the festival’s early beginnings, the challenges of putting together a festival and its future.

Brittany Randell is a Toronto-based artist and mother who embodies what it means to be a true artist. She expresses herself through a variety of mediums, whether it be painting, illustration or decorating her beautiful apartment where our conversation takes place. Brittany’s finesse and focus in the past year is something we’ve been paying attention to and we felt it was important that we shared her story. Tattooing is a brand new practice for her. On an unusual warm afternoon this past March, we sat down for a conversation on her entry into tattooing, its culture and the need for more women in her industry.

From our encounter with Shaine Crosbie, he isn’t the type of person to praise himself. Or think that he’s the coolest person on earth. But from afar and to anyone in the creative scene or fans of nightlife and music, it’s not a stretch to consider him one of the pillars that makes Toronto tick. His sets are aggressive and melodic. He puts you onto new music without losing your attention, and exudes an energy that sets the tone and vibes of any party he’s playing at. It’s the reason why he’s toured with PARTYNEXTDOOR, played alongside influential personalities like Virgil Abloh, the mastermind behind OFF-WHITE, and Metro Boomin. For our conversation, we touch on a variety of topics. From how he broke into the industry, entrepreneurship and his new music project, FRISSON that's currently in development. Follow: Shaine Crosbie: www.instagram.com/shainecrsb www.soundclould.com/shainecrsb

While we’re living in the era of Instagram bios reading slash this and slash that, Chief’s Instagram bio simply states - “Maintain the mystery”. From the research I’ve done, the general consensus is that Chief Bosompra’s quiet. And perhaps that’s why no one really knows what he does. But if you’re a creative or scenester living in Toronto, you’ve most likely been to one of his events. What makes Chief’s events unique is his attention to every small, minute detail. I was able to witness this firsthand when I attended an event he organized for Adidas’s EQT release. I noticed that the pink coloured drinks matched the shoes that were on display. Taking a look around, you can tell he has mastered the ability to blend a New York-esque downtown cool vibe to anything he touches. It’s why brands like Adidas, Nike, or Puma come calling when they’re looking to activate a release in Toronto. So how did Chief get started? His finesse and business aptitude can be dated back to his high school and university years. He was the guy that served as a middle-man for iPod sales, and had his clothing brand, Bad Habits while he was in University. While he says he’s only just begun, we felt it was important for people to hear a conversation on his journey so far. Follow Chief Bosompra: www.instagram.com/chieff.b www.twitter.com/chiefreally

“It doesn’t feel real.” Maria reflects on her life since doing a pilgrimage to New York from Boca Raton, a small city in Florida. From interning for Kenneth Cappello, a photographer behind some of the iconic imagery in streetwear culture to working as a creative producer for Made music and Made fashion week, Maria has built a reputation for being the conduit in the execution of creative projects and making things happen. For this conversation, we meet in Toronto. She’s in town from to support 6lack, an artist she’s working with, and to scout locations for Big Sean’s pop-up, another project she’s working on. On her twitter profile, her pinned tweet is a summary of where she’s at professionally, “No one will ever know exactly what I do. You just know when you need me. Scratch that. You just know when you need us.” And that’s the point that sets off our conversation.

We sat down with Bobby Bowen, a Toronto-based stylist and creative director that has worked on projects for artists like Jazz Cartier, Roy Woods and Majid Jordan. In a world where anyone can be a stylist or creative director, Bobby has managed to stand out. In our conversation, we talk everything from his early beginnings, the meaning of style and his place in Toronto’s emerging creative scene. To experience the full editorial for this piece, visit www.newcurrency.ca Follow us on facebook.com/newcurrencymag instagram.com/newcurrency