peace good folks!
I wanna take a sec and big up all who check for this every friday! y’all are supporting Hip Hop and showing love and that’s love..werd. all I would ask is that you tell someone about these incredible women that I am profiling! spread the word and let the world know about this movement of sistas, and encourage them to support also. ok, that being said: let’s get to it!
who am I featuring this week? well, you know I thought about it and it occurred to me that no woman (or man) is an island. we get support from people all the time that do not rhyme but are integral to making sure the art and the culture is repped hard. so this week my feature is one of the hardest working women I know although she is not an MC. She is a film maker, one of the pioneers in the world of online radio, and all around Hip Hop purist. but there are not too many people, male and female, I know that have a.) supported Hip Hop the way she has and b.) contributed so much to the Hip Hop community around the world…and y’all don’t even know how many times you’ve watched and/or listened to her work. but again, that’s where I come in!
1st: A little history:
Lisa “Cynical” Smith started at WNWK 105.9 Community Radio where she learned how important it is to support independent artists that may not have access to “mainstream” radio. Her commitment to that ideal did not change, it just grew and building on that knowledge base and steadfastness, Cynical, along Evil Dee and Mr. Walt, was among the first to produce an online Hip Hop show, Beatminerz Radio, on 88hiphop.com. Starting out as strictly audio, it soon went to video as the technology became increasingly available. All things come to an end and when 88hiphop.com fell on hard times, she was given one of those divine messages and she was gifted with a camera. Which led to the next step on her journey, producing her own show “IBC” (Illegal BroadCasting), hosted by Channel Live. Combining both Hip Hop and news, it placed her at the forefront of innovation in this art form.
We all grow and we all evolve. Cynical has done both by becoming not just a radio host but adding Film Maker and Director of Photography to her resume, producing “From Sun Up to Sun Down”, a short film on the Prison Industrial Complex in 2002 as well as Bucktown USA TV, hosted by General Steel of Smif n Wessun. And all that is on top of directing videos for Boot Camp Click and Lin Que just to name a few!
and now she has emerged again. Taking all her knowledge and passion for this worldwide genre and partnering with General Steel, she can now add to that list, record label and production company co-founder, with 2 brand spanking new projects for y’all!
A full-length feature film, Khalil Islam: “The Man Who Did Not Kill Malcom X”
AND long awaited solo project from General Steel:
“Welcome to Bucktown” The Soundtrack to Brooklyn!
of course, if you’ve been here before, you know..I had some questions for this incredible woman that wears so many hats:
me: wassup mama! this is really weird because it’s interviewing someone so close to me but we gonna try to keep it professional..lol
Cynical: I know lady, but it’s all good! what would your readers like to know?
me:ok, what motivates you to do what you do?
Cynical: my mom, and making sure I live my life in a way that returns the investment she made in me as a parent. And then my creator, of course, because I have to be true to my purpose, which I believe is to question things and get to the bottom of it, hence the name Cynical..lol. And last but definitely not least, my love of Hip Hop. I was a late baby, my parents were older so I learned a lot about life from Hip Hop, and I’m a true baby of this art. I didn’t learn about Malcolm X in school, Chuck D told me. So my goal with every endeavor is to honor that by doing what I can to help put out good music.
me: no doubt, I know you’re not alone in that feeling. So, how did you know you wanted to move from radio to film?
Cynical: Well, when 88hiphop.com ran into financial trouble the VP of Production came to me and gave me a Sony camera and told me to learn how to use it. It was a gift that kept on giving..lol, because always loving film and photography, I took it as one of the universal message we receive, and I listened. and at first it was to make a living because after 88hiphop ended, I needed a gig. and that camera led to IBC, which led to my first short film.
me: having been apart of this industry for a minute, what advice do you have for young women that believe this is what they would like to do with their lives and talent? from music, to film, to the business side of it?
Cynical: well, as far as music: I would say to always follow your dream and what you believe in but stay true to yourself and what you do. Make use of the internet and social networking because independent artists have never had access to the tools they have now so use them to your advantage. As far as film, it’s kind of the same message. I met the director of the movie “The Spook Who Sat by the Door” and he inspired me because that’s what he told me. he said if he had a million dollars right now, he can’t imagine what he would do with it. so use the technology that you have at your fingertips. and then, with the business..have a tough skin. This is a male dominated industry and women are usually depicted as having one role in it, so you have to learn how to maneuver within this industry without losing your integrity. And then overall, I would say, if it doesn’t feel right it probably isn’t, so listen to your gut.
those are words to live by. This is a woman who has done just that, and has been consistently self employed and her own boss as a result, not to mention her contributions to this art that we all love so much. RESPECT to Cynical Smith! and on a personal note, this is one of my closest personal sistas, I consider her a good friend. I look to her for inspiration because I have seen her in action and have a tremendous amount of respect for her hustle, grind and work ethic. She is truly “FRESH”, if you haven’t figured it out by now.
so, y’all be cool, I’ll be hitting you this week because I saw this amazing film called “The Souls of Black Girls” and I have to tell you all about it, which I will because it is super important to the mission. so y’all stay up stay strong and stay positive till next we meet!! and as a side note, if you know a sista that you think is fresh, you let her know that “She’s So Fresh”, because you know she is!!!
AND HOSTED BY FIONA BLOOM!
