Sterl Le Moor: The Hip Hop Won't Be Televised . . .
(click a title for a music video)
2nd Issue in Azur Magazine:
I met Sterl LeMoor in the last issue and he had done a very nice video piece or documentary called Lone Star. He's from Texas and, I guess, the documentary focused on his career in rapping and as a communications major in college. You can search google for Sterl LeMoor, Lone Star and watch a multi serries of video samples that make up the Lone Star or Documentary - I believe one section of the documentary is called Lone Star. . .but you can grab the concept of the multi series from that section - on . . .Regardless. . .I spoke with Sterl and he said he was expanding his concept of writing a new mix tape based on the problems we've been having with police brutality and the plight of Africa America post Obama. I sat down with Sterl and this is what he had to say . . . . Azur Mag: Basically, we decided to do a second interview because .. .Sterl LeMoor is working on another mix tape project . . .um . .so I was going to ask you. . .if you had any current projects or mix tapes in mind . . .and you said . .yeah . . .so . . um. . .Let's talk about . . .is this next project related to Martin Luther King . . ? . . or is it just the police brutality . . .cases that have been sprouting up . . . Sterl: Ahh . . .it's definitely . . .influenced and brought to notice by . . .the police brutality . . . I think that playe a big role . . .in why I want to do this tape . . .but . .um . .to help . . turn . .these observations to a message . . .I do referrence people like Martin Luther King and Malcolm X . . .people that were . . .they use to talk about these issues . . .but they were ultimately silenced . . . but I, definitely, think that . . .their style and approach to it . . .was what made them . . .who they were . . so . . .I do use a lot of influence from them . . .to come up with these . . .different . . .poems . . . Azur Mag: So . . .that's, basically, what the next projects going to be. . .so . .how many songs are going to be on the project . . Sterl: Ahh . .right now . .I'm thinking about . . .five . .six songs . . .I wasn't thinking anything big . . .more like an EP . . .idea . . but . .ahh . . I honestly couldn't tell you . . .it could range from five to eight . . .because I might have a couple last minute ideas. . . I want to put down . . because . . .the idea is to keep all very relavent . . .and . .um . . .centered on . .what's going on now. . .so . .I may have . . .some last mintue input . . that I want to . .ahh . . .if I want to talk about something that just happened . . .or something . . but . .um . .I'm, definitley, looking at a . . .five to eight range . . . Azur Mag: So . .can we, actually, get . . . copies of the tracks. . .or . . are you going to put it on soundcloud? . . . Sterl: Ahh . . .yes . .it'll be on soundcloud . . . I'm going to upload it to . .DapTiff, . . .as well . . .and LiveMixTapes . . . I'm tryign to make it as available as possible . . .but it will . . .be available . . .on all media outlets for download . . .I'm not going to keep it from anyone. . .I want . .as many people as humanly possible to hear it . . .so it will be on youtube. . .all of that stuff . . . Azur Mag: That's cool . . .that's cool . . .um . . I guess you're planning to promote the project . . .through networks and media. . is that correct . . ? Sterl: Yes sir . . . Azur Mag: Alright . .that's cool. . .so . . what about the next video that you have playing . .now, I really like that Martin Luther King . . .video that you have . . .that you did the first time . . .Was that your first video . . .or . . .How many videos have you done? Sterl: That was, actually, my very first video . . . Azur Mag: That's an excellent video . . . Sterl: I appreciate that. . .I . .ahh. . .I knew from the beginning I wanted to take. . .a different approach to my music. . . video . . .I didn't want to . . you know. . .essentially . . look . . like a music video . . .that gave it more substance . . .and . .so . a lot of my videos . .are going to be . . ahh . . .geared toward. . .the . . .story . .or turn of events. . .or something like that . . .That's how I came up with that idea . . . Azur Mag: Right . . . Sterl: . . .and my next video . . .um . . it's regarding . .to the next up coming case . . .My next video will probably be . . .a lot darker . . .um . .feel like . . this. . .particular project will bring . ..me to a darker . . place . . .ahh . .simply because . . .I'm coming from a state . . .of anger . . and . .ahh . . .and confusion . . .and so . . .I think that . . .visually . .that will show . . .through my videos. . .and the different styles . . .that . . .I tried to use . .to . .ahh . . .convey my message . . . AzurMag: Right . . .right . . .um . . .Yeah . . I mean . .we're all getting kind of upset . . .and everything . . .I mean . .I'm just like. . .really happy . . .that Obama's in office . . but at the same time . . .it's going to end soon. . .so it's like. .either . . .republicans are going to step up . . or . .we might get another democrate who . . might, actually, prolong . . .what's been going on. . .and, actually, fix the problem . .I don't know what's going to happen . . .but . . .I mean . . I don't know . .I'm just . . kind of sad . . .about what's . . .about to happen . . .How do you feel about the current administration, right now . . .? Sterl: Ahh . .. I honestly . . .a little bit worried . . .in seeing guys like Donald Trump . . .leading the poles . . . right now, at the moment. . . .but . .ahh. . .I do think that . . .ahh . . .um . . .things are getting ready to change . . .um . . for the worst . . .after Obama leaves office . . .I'm . . .not too sure . . .exactly what's going to happen. . .Like something is going to happen . . .um. . .and . . it's . . .really going to be bad for this country . . .I think an uprising is on the way. . .You know. . .it's almost like the same turn of events . . you know . .even back in the 60's . . .it's going on right now, with the riots . . .and the . . .police brutality is coming back . . .a big . .you know .. .national issue . . .So . . I just think that . . .if something doesn't stop this. . .then . . .the same thing that happened then will happen again . . . Azur Mag: Yeah . . .I got this new album by Kendrick Lamar. . . called To Pimp A Butterfly . .and I thought he was putting some woman down . . .but . .when I listened to the album . .I realized he was the butterfly . . . so . . .I was kind of scared from that point of view . . .but toward the end of the album . . .he was talking about . . .like. . .you know . . .the poor is going to eat the rich . . .and everything . . .He just got into it. . .(laughs . . .) . . . .it just sounded a little like your project . . .you know . . .for a second, there. . . Sterl: I, definitely, think . . .I mean . . . .that was an excellent thing for Kendrick to do . . .and I believe he's on the right path . . .because . . .somebody has to talk about that . . .you know . .I'm glad that . . .with the platform that Kendrick . . .had . . he . . .still . . allows himself to open up and talk about . . .these things . . .and . . um. . he was even bigger that. . .his album went platinum. . .You know. . the last time I remember someone trying to release an album .. .that . . it didn't do so well . . .It's definitley showing that more . . .people are open to caring and being aware of what's going on . . .but . .um. . .defititely . . .these . . .ahh. . .I guess the people of America are finally . . .starting to open their eyes as to what's going on out here . . .and so . . .people like Kendrick . . people like . . .myself . . that are coming up with these . . .musical projects . . .to help put the issues on front street . . .I definitely think it's gonna . . .help in that effort . . .to wake everybody up . . .and say hey . . we need to do something about this . . .so . .I encourage . . .artist to . . .and I'm not saying. . .that. . .everything you make a song about . . needs to be about that . . .but . . .definitely . . .there's a time for everything . . .so . . definitely . .it's important to give perspectives. . .and pass on information to your listeners. . . because . . if we don't pass on that information . . .it will be . . .forgotten . . . Azur Mag: That's true . . .yeah . .we were talking about . . .some artist who were . . .favorites in your musical library . . .You mentioned J Cole. . . .How do you feel about him. . . ? Sterl: Um . .I mean . . .I love J Cole story . . .he really . . ahh . . .J Cole . .as an artist. . .gave me . . the hopes that I need . . but. . .um . . .I definitely think . .. he's . . .doing the right thing - showing people that . . .you know . . .you can go and do these things . . .and still remain who you are . . .and still remain conscious I think J Cole is doing a good job of not letting . . .you know . . his life style get to who . . .he is and what's important in life . . .and that speaks volumes . .because . . .it shows a million other people that . . .you don't have to be a certain kind of way . . .to fulfill and image . . or anything . . .like that . .you know . . .I, definitely, think . . um . . .Koran. ..can revoke the testimony to show. . .you can stand strong in. . .who you are . . and still make it some where . . .so . .shout out to Kendrick . . .shout out to J Cole . . .for real . . . Azur Mag: Yeah! (laughs . . ) . . .Alright. . .that's cool . .that's cool . . .so . .what's Lonely Road Media up to as far as . . .your up and coming projects on . . .video . . .are they going to have anything to do with it?. . . Sterl: Um . . .I may . .incorporate with them . . .um . .for . .a visual . . .I know I'm going to reach out and try to . . network with a few other videographers, as well . .but I, definitely, . . .will . . be working with Lonely Road . . .on a couple of up coming projects . . .Like . .for example. . .we have this . . .Black Lives Matter, Cypher that we're ready to release . . .and . .um . .that's sort of like the first visual project . . in the start of the . . .um. . .awareness movement . . .that's going down in the southern area . . .and um. . .it's a Cypher . . .but it's . . .put in the scenario. . .of . .you know . . .race relations . . .and ultimately . . .what's going on. . . between whites and blacks . . .and . . .we came up with a . . .movie like portrayal of this . . .to go along with the Cypher . . so I, definitely, . . . .um . .think everyone will see . . .kind of how Lonely Road . . .gives it a perspective . . on . .what most would call the music . . .video . . .This is kind of . .what will separate Lonley Road . . .from a lot of other production companies. . . Azur Mag: Cool . . .cool. . . .Yeah . . I like what they did with that last project you had. . . .um . . .if I can remember . . the Lone Star. . whatever you guys did . . .Was that the name of the project? Sterl: Yeah . . .that was the name of my first . . kind of . .web series . .trial effort . . .called the Lone Star . . .and that was . . .just an idea . .we got together and came up with . . .I like the style of . . .that he uses to shoot his vision . . .His visual stuff . . . Azur Mag: Yeah . . .that's cool. . .ok . . .I guess I'd like to slow down here . . .Is there anything you'd like to say to your viewing audience. . .right now . . .or . .I mean . . .is there . . .or . .are there any last words . . .? Sterl: Um . ..the only thing I'd say is. . .that we need to . . .be aware of our surroundings and .. . .we need to know . . .what's going . . .on. . . and never think that . . .ahh . . . . paying attention to news . . .and reading . . .is. .unnecessary . . .because we need . .to . . .know what's going on. . .in order to pass. . .this information on . . and come up with a solution . . .to fix these problems . . .that's all I want to say . . . Azur Mag: That's cool . . .that's cool . . .What's the name of your soundcloud. . .web site, again . .? Sterl: My soundcloud is. . .soundcloud.com/sterllemoor - and again . . .if you google Sterl LeMoor, Lone Star . . .or Sterl LeMoor, The Next MLK . .you will find the appropriate youtubes for each video . . .
