on morality and superiority
i’ve been talking maddd shit
i’ve been talking maddd shit (what’s new?)
specifically, said smoke was dedicated to Harper’s Bazaar and an EA artist (respect.)
they say you’ll never see a bitch more successful hating on you (fitting shoes!)
TBF (to be frank)
some quotes vaguely apply to anything (meaning close to nothing)
existing in vacuum, often overused (and never tested)
i sit and stew (anti-intellectualism knocks)
opinions (mine)
get very cloudy
i begin grappling with morals (mine)
do i have the right to project?
do i have the answer?
there (probably?) is no one, but here, i feel it’s worth examining…
in the case of Harper’s Bazaar, my beef began with a yearly subscription (y’all say thanks, Lana <333)
…
for context (some)
i used to love flipping through mags
classics to me included Teen Vogue and Cosmo
maybe J Rag (just for kicks)
…
fast forward to today (in my 27 years on God’s green Earth)
i aspire to respect legacy mags
(un) fortunately for everyone, respect is nothing if unearned and
what continued to arrive on my doorstep felt homey plopped above le toilette
legacy stand for (yt)
i shouldn’t be surprised
yet i continued coming back to naïveté (mine)
…
for context (even more,)
i came of age in the midst of woke culture, the height of DEI, body inclusivity and a Trump presidency
radical tension charged the ground i (we)
walked on
…
a college campus can be really freaky like that,
thousands of dollars spent for what? (the good ole days)
an oasis of thought. the first time i ever experienced real community (alas)
…
life threw a few curve balls at me
and i passed that stage
…
i grew up, payed bills (took what i could)
but no matter the beating, i kept my eyes fixed (on what could be)
…
art helped me escape,
credit lashings ensured my need to put it on the floor
…
suddenly, receiving another piece of mediocrity (legacy)
packaged as what’s hot broke my camel’s back and called beliefs into question
…
is there potential for mainstream today to be more than status quo?
…
this (then)
is when the Harper’s Bazaar Kendrick Lamar cover dropped (interview by SZA no less)
and, finally! i remembered (the game)
winning (behind the scenes)
within the system, in midst of structures (is still winning)
…
my projection made space (for simple truth)
radical optimism can be just as important as brat
this brings me to Amine
i must begin by saying, i will always always have a soft spot for any East African (pursuing a creative career)
Lord knows! representation is all we have. the power of the archive. all that (but)
a musician’s music lacking a certain soul caliber, puts snobs (like moi)
between a rock and a distressing place (a banana! if you will)
…
forcing myself to remember - there’s more (than just music)
…
brand and world building are serious creatures after all
…
art is complex with unlimited facets
…
reach as a metaphorical netting
gotta catch em all (push IP into collective consciousness)
…
maybe status quo is the answer (whatever it is)
it don’t need to make sense (to me)
XX Samra
if you liked this, u might like:
my vintage shop, cross dressin
my podcast, SHE WELL READ
my marketing agency, Samra, The Curator