[Music]
[Applause]
these days you hear a lot about giving
voice of the voiceless well what does
that really mean to my good friend
Antoine it literally meant life and
death Antoine was a member of two
different gangs he was small in stature
but highly respected even feared what
people didn’t know about Antoine was
that he was at odds with himself he was
an active citizen who improv it used
music to express a tender side of
himself that would be looked at as weak
by rival gang members it was this
craziness of the life events one that
caused a lot of things to happen much of
his music was centered around being
unwanted by his father who didn’t spend
time with them at all but would spend
time with his youngest son who was
lighter and complexion it was this
colorism and straight-up favoritism that
caused his father to go to Antoine’s
brothers ballgames not his his father
wouldn’t buy him clothes or sneakers or
even acknowledge his existence these
were the things
Antoine rapped about I know this because
the health ants while working his raps
five days a week along with getting his
high school equivalency then one day he
wanted me to help him enter a rap
contest he wrote about getting out of
gang life he wrote about his dying
mother and of course he wrote about his
father
guess what he won the contest after you
won he got a free photo and video shoot
has his first brush with local celebrity
he even got a job at UPS to change his
way of making money to focus more on his
music and avoid going to jail but not
long after that and so on was picked up
by police for gang activity this past
came back too little too late
antwuan situation troubled me greatly
but if I got to him sooner what if I
were able to show outsiders the inner
wounded child I saw an Antoine Antoine
story got me thinking a lot about
freedom of expression which in this
country is a basic human right but a
city’s like where I’m from Dorchester
Massachusetts why do people feel like
they don’t have a voice just look at all
the racial violence in the news can you
believe it’s almost 2018 despite all the
technological advances resources and
policy why are we almost in the same
place we were 100 years ago
the reason is since its founding our
nation has been in a perpetual state of
trauma many of you would agree that the
only way out of that trauma is to give
voice to the voiceless trouble is the
current platforms are flawed America’s
Got Talent
American Idol the voice x-factor they
all cater to people hurting for
attention but they do not feed the need
for true expression in the moment and in
the places where it’s needed most
freedom of attention is not equal to
freedom of expression parents want
freedom of attention is joining a gang
and committing acts of violence as a way
to survive and gain respect freedom of
attention is flashing wads and wads of
cash and guns on snapchat because that’s
what the highest-profile rappers do
freedom of attention can even be as
simple as wearing your favorite players
Jersey with a big gold chain freedom of
expression on the other hand is going
against the grain and showing Outsiders
that wounded inner child I saw an answer
on the big question is would you listen
or with the filters of the media and a
few outlets we have to get attention
feed your pre-existing perceptions of
pre-existing conditions factor as many
people’s truth comes with filters you
can’t say this you can’t do that it’s
not acceptable it’s not marketable etc I
came to realize some people’s truth is
not welcome
creation is the language of truth so how
do we reach all the other antwon’s out
there I decided to take a vehicle of
true expression to them when I founded
mobile Stu I was only trying to solve a
problem what they’re trying to get
attention it was just a way of creating
equal opportunity for young people that
don’t have the money or the access to
express themselves in a studio mobile
Stu meets people where they are because
it’s more comfortable and less dangerous
than kids busting through rival
neighborhoods to get to a structured
program that nobody thinks is popping
mobile Stu makes people feel like they
matter and have worth because we come to
them just like the ice cream truck
so what’s next for mobile stool and
other platforms like it in my mind we
need to create more unbridled creative
opportunities and even new industries
for our inner cities and beyond
because if drug-dealing continues to be
the primary industry of the streets not
much will change maybe you saw me on The
Ellen Show telling Ellen I like to say
or even on NBC Nightly News for what
mobile Stuart’s done and a movement
called black with blue where we United
cops with kids to create a rap anthem
together despite all the press I’ve
received it can’t be understated that
this is dangerous work you need to have
trust to go in these neighborhoods
you’ve gotta be genuine or you’ll be
sniffed out and the commitment must be
consistent we’re talking about healing
centuries-old trauma and you can’t do
that by sharing sound bites and YouTube
clips on social media sorry
now I’m not suggesting any of you get up
and head to Dorchester with the
microphone strapped to your Volvo that
wouldn’t be advised but the next time
you see a story on the news of an
alleged gang member let go of the
stereotypes
it’s only young people to give up the
Eagles in the false notions of what it
means to be a strong like a man he’s
supposed to cry you should see me cryin
on The Ellen Show it’s on us to let go
of the stereotypes and the filters that
prevent us from seeing these people as
human beings again the next time you see
on the news a story of an alleged gang
member let go of the stereotypes think
of my friend aunt Swan a lost voice that
could have made a lasting difference
maybe it will now
[Applause]
[Music]
you
[Applause]
these days you hear a lot about giving
voice of the voiceless well what does
that really mean to my good friend
Antoine it literally meant life and
death Antoine was a member of two
different gangs he was small in stature
but highly respected even feared what
people didn’t know about Antoine was
that he was at odds with himself he was
an active citizen who improv it used
music to express a tender side of
himself that would be looked at as weak
by rival gang members it was this
craziness of the life events one that
caused a lot of things to happen much of
his music was centered around being
unwanted by his father who didn’t spend
time with them at all but would spend
time with his youngest son who was
lighter and complexion it was this
colorism and straight-up favoritism that
caused his father to go to Antoine’s
brothers ballgames not his his father
wouldn’t buy him clothes or sneakers or
even acknowledge his existence these
were the things
Antoine rapped about I know this because
the health ants while working his raps
five days a week along with getting his
high school equivalency then one day he
wanted me to help him enter a rap
contest he wrote about getting out of
gang life he wrote about his dying
mother and of course he wrote about his
father
guess what he won the contest after you
won he got a free photo and video shoot
has his first brush with local celebrity
he even got a job at UPS to change his
way of making money to focus more on his
music and avoid going to jail but not
long after that and so on was picked up
by police for gang activity this past
came back too little too late
antwuan situation troubled me greatly
but if I got to him sooner what if I
were able to show outsiders the inner
wounded child I saw an Antoine Antoine
story got me thinking a lot about
freedom of expression which in this
country is a basic human right but a
city’s like where I’m from Dorchester
Massachusetts why do people feel like
they don’t have a voice just look at all
the racial violence in the news can you
believe it’s almost 2018 despite all the
technological advances resources and
policy why are we almost in the same
place we were 100 years ago
the reason is since its founding our
nation has been in a perpetual state of
trauma many of you would agree that the
only way out of that trauma is to give
voice to the voiceless trouble is the
current platforms are flawed America’s
Got Talent
American Idol the voice x-factor they
all cater to people hurting for
attention but they do not feed the need
for true expression in the moment and in
the places where it’s needed most
freedom of attention is not equal to
freedom of expression parents want
freedom of attention is joining a gang
and committing acts of violence as a way
to survive and gain respect freedom of
attention is flashing wads and wads of
cash and guns on snapchat because that’s
what the highest-profile rappers do
freedom of attention can even be as
simple as wearing your favorite players
Jersey with a big gold chain freedom of
expression on the other hand is going
against the grain and showing Outsiders
that wounded inner child I saw an answer
on the big question is would you listen
or with the filters of the media and a
few outlets we have to get attention
feed your pre-existing perceptions of
pre-existing conditions factor as many
people’s truth comes with filters you
can’t say this you can’t do that it’s
not acceptable it’s not marketable etc I
came to realize some people’s truth is
not welcome
creation is the language of truth so how
do we reach all the other antwon’s out
there I decided to take a vehicle of
true expression to them when I founded
mobile Stu I was only trying to solve a
problem what they’re trying to get
attention it was just a way of creating
equal opportunity for young people that
don’t have the money or the access to
express themselves in a studio mobile
Stu meets people where they are because
it’s more comfortable and less dangerous
than kids busting through rival
neighborhoods to get to a structured
program that nobody thinks is popping
mobile Stu makes people feel like they
matter and have worth because we come to
them just like the ice cream truck
so what’s next for mobile stool and
other platforms like it in my mind we
need to create more unbridled creative
opportunities and even new industries
for our inner cities and beyond
because if drug-dealing continues to be
the primary industry of the streets not
much will change maybe you saw me on The
Ellen Show telling Ellen I like to say
or even on NBC Nightly News for what
mobile Stuart’s done and a movement
called black with blue where we United
cops with kids to create a rap anthem
together despite all the press I’ve
received it can’t be understated that
this is dangerous work you need to have
trust to go in these neighborhoods
you’ve gotta be genuine or you’ll be
sniffed out and the commitment must be
consistent we’re talking about healing
centuries-old trauma and you can’t do
that by sharing sound bites and YouTube
clips on social media sorry
now I’m not suggesting any of you get up
and head to Dorchester with the
microphone strapped to your Volvo that
wouldn’t be advised but the next time
you see a story on the news of an
alleged gang member let go of the
stereotypes
it’s only young people to give up the
Eagles in the false notions of what it
means to be a strong like a man he’s
supposed to cry you should see me cryin
on The Ellen Show it’s on us to let go
of the stereotypes and the filters that
prevent us from seeing these people as
human beings again the next time you see
on the news a story of an alleged gang
member let go of the stereotypes think
of my friend aunt Swan a lost voice that
could have made a lasting difference
maybe it will now
[Applause]
[Music]
you
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