Lamar is a muse for the ages, a lens through which we can explore the love within both our hearts and others'.
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Just this year, they have released a line of custom Williams Sonoma kitchen appliances, a collection of cookware and pantry ingredients and were given the rare chance to collaboration with Wolfgang Punk for the Oscars Govenors Ball. Not to mention the highly sought-after Air Jordan, Beats by Dre and Awake NY collabs they created the year before.
Clearly, far be it for this group to let their tenth anniversary come and go without a bang. For ten years of Ghetto Gastro, the collective is publishing a book, titled Black Power Kitchen, that is as much a cookbook as it is a work of art, a manifesto and celebration of Black culture as a whole. Focusing on the idea of food as a path to freedom, this publication is replete with recipes and commentary that initiate conversation on inclusion, race and accessibility.
For the book release, Ghetto Gastro came together with Square and Cash App Studios to produce a one-night-only pop-up restaurant Downtown. We got the chance to chat with the group about their book and ten years of being — over delicious, inspired bites while Smino sang in the background. And what, we have to ask, could be better than that?
In which ways does your partnership with Square work alongside your own messages about entrepreneurship?
Square’s mission is economic empowerment which is also one of our core values so we’re proud to partner with them to bring to life our own restaurant pop up in celebration of our first book “Black Power Kitchen,” which drops October 18th.
We’ve been evasive but who knows, one day opening up a permanent space for our community might be in the cards.
You talk about food being a cultural intersection: what do you think is at their core that connects food to fashion, art, music?
Music, fashion, and music are great vessels to explore creativity and tell compelling stories. One thing about food is that it is essential to human life — we all gotta eat. All these mediums also work well together. Like Deon Primetime says: “You look good, you cook good, you play good — you get paid good”, ya dig?
Often the word “freedom” is used in conjunction with food in dialogue around Ghetto Gastro. How is your new book offering a taste of that same ethos?
Freedom of expression and freedom from oppression — the overall vibes and intentions we’re setting. We’re hoping to leave folks with an understanding of the multidimensionality and ideology of Ghetto Gastro. We also drop a lot of game with recipes for success on deck. We’re giving you food for thought! You just do the dishes.
What is your favorite cookbook, or what was the first one you owned?
My favorite printed matter on the planet is honestly Black Power Kitchen. Pick it up or grip up — you know the vibes.
If you had to describe the work you do — with the pop up, the book, the billion other projects you’ve spawned — in three words, which would you choose?
BLACK, BLACK, BLACK.
Built by the professional park builders California Skateparks, the space will provide skaters a safe haven during the undoubtedly rough Winter months in New York City.
Members of the Vans family like John Cardiel, Ben Kadow, Rory Milanes, DeDe Lovelace, and Alex Dondero spun the decks on stage next to skate-themed funfair stalls, food stands, a photography exhibition, and an oddly sophisticated wine tasting. Adding to this, 20% of the food and beverage sales went to the Checkerboard Fund, a foundation to build equality and inclusivity within the scene, as well as the Stoked Mentoring, which will take place during the cold season.
However, the highlight of the event was, of course, the opening of the skate space. Thanks to the unskateable weather conditions, slots in the hall to show off a gazelle flip or ollie impossible became rare the the later it got. Amateurs next to pros like Beatrice Dumond or Dick Rizzo were shredding the ramps and rushing down the halfpipes while hipster dads taught their kids how to make their first trick on the board. Finally, the bash ended with the premiere of the new video You deserve it by Alltimers Skateboards.
To RSVP for a slot, visit the Vans Skate Space 198 website.
At the show itself, editors left, sickened by the messaging. And now, the internet is in a state of reaction and discourse: fans of Kayne in the past are confused and conflicted, his former collaborators are taking a stand against his work and the harmful statement so overtly expressed. We hope to consolidate some of the important opinions that have been expressed over the last day, and urge our readers to react and have their voices heard as well.
Guap Dad 4000 goes in on an Instagram video, declaring, “No. No. I love Kanye. I love Kanye, but no… Aside from the fact that White Lives Matter was just an empty blanket statement created in a racist response to Black Lives Matter which was created because we were being murdered, still are, and people already know that White Lives Matter. You don’t need a shirt for that. Not Kanye West.”
“...Kanye says he feels like he is at war, but with who? For thousands of years since the determination that aesthetics and value should go hand-in-hand since someone decided that black versus white is the proper metric to denote evil versus good, since African ancestors were brought to this and other lands on slave ships, since Indigenous ancestors were slaughtered in the gentrification wars of the colonizers… WHITE LIVES HAVE MATTERED.” Says Venus X, continuing, “This is propaganda. This is violent. It’s also just terrible fashion.”
Dazed US Editor who left the show midway, Lynette Nylander, told press, “It doesn’t matter what the intention was… it’s perception to the masses out of context, as well as implication of the choir made up of children that all looked under 10. He knew what he was doing and it was harmful.”
Jamie McCracken also touches on the children’s choir Ye coordinated to perform at the show, “He made children wear it. Who doesn’t understand the weight it has. Being controversial shouldn’t just equate to the opposite of common sense. It’s lazy and it’s dangerous.”
In a screenshot of a text conversation Ye posted himself, designer Mowalola Ogunlesi addressed Ye’s online attack of editor Gabriella Karefa-Johnson who criticized the tees, “I also don’t think u should insult that writer. U could actually have a real conversation about the tee.”
Tremaine Emory's post dived in deep, touching on the references to Virgil in one of Ye's post-show captions, “I gotta draw the line at you using Virgil's death in your 'ye' is the victim campaign in front your sycophant peanut algorithm gallery Your best friend Virgil, NEGRO PLEASE, this time last year you said Virgil's designs are a disgrace to the black community infont of all your employees at yeezy -ASK LUCETTE HOLLAND...I GOT ALL THE 'RECEIPTS' (don't let me get into the things you said about v after his death) Ye tell the ppl why you didn't get invited to Virgil's actual funeral the one before the public one at the museum. You knew Virgil had terminal cancer and you rode on him in group chats, at yeezy, interviews...YOU ARE SO BROKEN. KEEP VIRGIL NAME OUT YOUR MOUTH…KEEP @gabriellak_j NAME OUT YOUR MOUTH…Your not a victim your just an insecure narcissist that's dying for validation from the fashion world.…take care…..at least we'll always have 'UGANDA'”
“This is bullying and weird…” Commented photographer Quil Lemons on Ye’s post, “This is really sad, as someone who really used to admire your contributions to fashion and black culture... today it became apparent that something’s not clicking in your mind. Elevator not going all the way up of all things that could’ve been done this is a new low. Accept criticism. Also support where is it? This is just gross.”
Campbell Addy added on to the furious chain of comments building on Ye’s post this morning, “Nah, this aint it. Coming for someone because they dont share the same opinion of your work is corny. What happened to discourse? What happened to being able create and understand not everyone is going to grasps it. This is bullying, and is such a low blow. Extremely dissapointed.”
Kimberly Drew posted on her own story two slides: “I make a lot of room for Kanye, but this is baseless, dangerous and unintelligent. There is subversion and then there is indoctrination and compliance,” followed by the simple, concise statement, “True genius doesn’t need gimmicks.” These are only a few of the sentiments that are being spread around. Your voices are equally important and deserving of a platform. We encourage you to share your opinions, and engage with the conversation.
