TRIBES Magazine - June/July 2009 Issue #30
Up Close with the Creators of
THIS DAY-ANIME
By Leslie Cunningham
Each of us has a unique story to tell about how Hip Hop has shaped our lives. From the South Bronx to Cabrini Green - didn't matter where you lived- Hip Hop influenced everything from fly FUBU fashions to NWA politics. If you're too young to remember, though, there is always This Day-Anime.
After the overwhelming response at a recent west coast screening, This Day Anime creators are ready to tell their story, a zany Asian influenced anime film about the golden era of Hip Hop, to the world.
Hip Hop enthusiasts and visionaries, they're from Go-Ill (Chicago's city side). Reggieknow is chief creative officer for Ad-itive and the marketing brains behind those 90's Sprite commercials featuring Hip Hop greats like Bambaattaa, Nas and KRS, and more recent campaigns like 50 Cent's Vitamin Water. Nowenen (known because he used to rap "now and then") is a writer and tireless educator who believes in the natural connection of Hip Hop and the classroom. His knowledge and love for Hip Hop is vast.
Together, they are also the originators of "Dem Dare", Go-Ill's trendsetting collective for Chicago-based hip hoppers of the 80s and 90s. This Day Anime takes us back to 'dem' days through the minds of colorful characters like Eamona, Diz and Lavell. Influenced by the works of visual artists The Mighty Shirt Kings, Gnome and Ralph Bakshi (Coonskin), This Day is best described by its creators as Seinfeld meets Yo!MTV Raps with the humor of Family Guy. Plans for a cable series and a DVD feature release are in the works, but for eager hip hop heads and animation fans who just can't wait, This Day hits Comic-Con in July 2009. A demo is also currently available for viewing online at thisday-anime.com.
In an exclusive interview with TRIBES Magazine, Reggieknow and Nowenen share more about growing up in Go-Ill and future plans for This Day-Anime.
TRIBES: Everyone's perspective on Hip Hop is different. Tell us about growing up near Michigan Ave and how Go-ILL shaped your perspective?
Reggieknow: I totally agree on the different perspectives of hip-hop and it would really be a blessing for everyone if we allowed each other a respected freedom to have a perspective one wishes to claim. It's unfortunate that we have said/unsaid rules of what artists you have to like or not like; it seems like such an archaic mentality. What kind of hip-hop world are we molding if it's mandatory we walk alike, talk alike, dress alike, eat alike and like Like soda alike, are you too young to remember "Like" soda? But moving on...I'm happy to say I actually grew up on the west side of Chicago, home of Trixter, Slang and the great Triple. But to help explain Michigan Avenue and why it's defined as more than a street, I present the difference between go-ill and chi-town in Chicago. One exudes city life, while the other embraces its country roots. Go-ill is a different state...of mind. My response is from the backlog of my Dem Dare Faculty [research Dem Dare's influence on Chicago Hip Hop] practices of the late 80's. We were all so-called African-American and Hispanic men from bad parts of the South and West Sides of Chicago, who did the knowledge. In making decisions to be civilized and enjoy the finer things, we planted our flag on Michigan and Oak, and the rest is "ourstory". I do respect both Chi-town and Go-ILL in their efforts for Chicago, but pardon my Darian honor...we're the tallest building.
TRIBES: How long have you been working on This Day? How close is the series to being aired on TV/Cable?
Reggieknow/Nowenen: As it is now, a couple of years. We, of course, have worked hard to perfect the characters, their personalities, and relationships. There was so much detail that went into creating This Day. It was our goal to make sure This Day maintained the traditional anime-style of storytelling. We wanted to keep This Day true to that art form; anime is a very sophisticated medium and the stories are elaborate, clever, and complex, so we did that with This Day. The Asian influence on Hip Hop is not new, but This Day expresses that relationship in a completely different way. There are people who are interested in the project, like Wood Harris of HBO's The Wire and we are in talks with othersÉwe hope to bring it to TV and/or cable soon.
TRIBES: I won't give the ending away, but this is a serious 90's wake-up call! Will future episodes of This Day touch base on similar issues?
Nowenen: Yes, we wanted to keep some of the issues current and relevant to that 80's and 90's era, but the demo is actually a piece taken from This Day, the movie; we have a film and a television series ready to go. The overall concept of This Day deals with the umbrella issue of Murphy's Law, however, keep in mind that we are dealing with anime, so what you believe you saw in the demo, may turn out to be something completely unexpected throughout the filmÉagain, anime storytelling. In reference to the episodes, the anime situation comedy will precede the movie. The television show, tackles many issues and current events, for example, when DIZ wears 27 the OJ Simpson Football Jersey (see Hertz on his jersey,) he says, "Kramers watch a lot of Tom and Jerry, but this shit ain't no cartoon." That line itself is so hip hop, because in the This Day World people say "Kramer" instead of the "N" word, which speaks to that issue at the comedy club [when TV Seinfeld's Kramer spouted racial slurs during a stand-up routine]. Diz also refers to "cartoons," while being animated himself...so, there is that oxymoron aspect where we visually show one thing, and verbally refute it at the same time. The episode issues cover a full spectrum, from getting out of jail and attempting to enter the workforce, to current politics and health and wellness. If you look closely at the LAVELL Snipe (picture) you can see that he has a traditional orange Hermes pocket square. You'll also see an image of Oprah and Mr. Chavez, the CEO of Hermes, and in the dialogue bubble, we wrote out the apology he gave to Oprah while on her show. It is a direct reference to the issue in Paris when Oprah was denied entry into the Hermes boutique.
TRIBES: How was the reaction to THIS DAY at the Zune/LA public screening?
Reggieknow/Nowenen: The response was overwhelming. The crowd was extremely excited that there was an anime based completely in 80's and 90's Hip Hop. People mentioned how refreshing it is to see a smart, Hip Hop project, which speaks to such a huge audience, whom nobody seems to be talking too. There were so many different people who represented different things - music, fashion, anime, sneaker heads, skaters, film, techs, toy collectors etc. All of these different people have an appreciation for hip- hop, and it goes to show how large hip-hop is, where so many people from various backgrounds could all enjoy This Day, and it means something personal to each one of them.
Visit thisday-anime.com or myspace.com/thisdaysucks to view and learn more about THIS DAY.
