1.) What is your favorite movie, and why does that movie stand out to you?
2.) Rap is said to be a street art and a part of hip-hop culture because its birth was conceived on city streets. In this vein of thought; can stickers also be another part of hip hop culture?
3) Just as rap has had pioneers and those who pushed to make the art form great. Would you consider yourself one of the pioneers of sticker culture, especially given your role in the new StickerMovie documentary that has premiered. If not you, then who would consider a sticker culture pioneer?
Agent5Smith:
Question 1:
I don't have one favorite movie. Here is my top 5.
1 - The Matrix
2 - Breakfast at Tiffany's
3 - Black Orpheus
4 - Clueless
5 - Pan's Labyrinth
Question 2:
Graffiti is one of the elements of hip hop, and graffiti artists play a pivotal role in the existence of sticker culture that should never be overlooked or dismissed. Also, sticker artists are heavily inspired by hip-hop. In the book Stickers: Stuck-Up Piece of Crap: From Punk Rock to Contemporary Art, DB Burkeman talks about the homages to RUN DMC in sticker art. European artist Kid Zuku created three volumes of Step Into the O Zone, a book dedicated to stickers with the Mos Def logo, which was inspired by RUN DMC. In Sticker Movie, we pay tribute to MF Doom and his impact on sticker culture. Not to mention, the promotional stickers by artists and record labels you find at shows and in record stores. Stickers creep into everything. Hip Hop is no exception, and sticker artists owe a lot to Hip Hop culture.
Question 3:
I am not a pioneer. I'm not trying to be humble, I'm being honest. I have strong feelings about documentarians who take credit for something they did not create by aligning themselves with the true innovators of a culture who put in the work. Call someone a pioneer in their respective fields of film, writing, or photography, but don't give them credit for pioneering the culture. Artists push the culture forward. I worked my ass off to make Sticker Movie, and so did our entire team. I love this culture and I am a member of this community, but I am a writer and filmmaker who makes stickers. I'm not a sticker culture pioneer. There is a difference. I will, however, take credit for being one of the few openly Black women in this community and pushing for diversity. I want to see more women of color taking up space in this very white male-dominated scene. People do not like it when I call it out, but it's the truth. I want to ensure that all people feel seen here and can be their authentic selves.
Thank you Agent5Smith for the precise answers and insights! much appreciated
Be sure to watch STICKER MOVIE documentary!
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