STIC OF DEAD PREZ | LAURENCE BASS
THE MAKINGS OF
INSPIRED BY THE FILM A BEAUTIFUL RUN
STIC OF DEAD PREZ | LAURENCE BASS
Golden Inspirations.
The ancient Africans of Egypt who created what is widely known as the ‘hieroglyphs’, believed that words contained worlds of life and meaning. They understood that language carries and conveys exoteric and esoteric energy and power in its use, both verbally and visually. Whether hammered into the stone of thousand-year-old temple walls, spray-painted on neighborhood bodegas or written down over the course of sixteen bars --the enduring art of the word has remained a rich source of inspiration throughout the ages.
I was born March 6, 1974, the Year of The Tiger on the ancient Chinese lunar calendar, in Tallahassee, Florida. My mom told me I had already learned to read as early as two years old but before I had even learned to talk, I had already started absorbing and loving all the music of the 1970s and that fascination continued as the 1980s dawned.
I don’t remember whatever happened to the red, fauxleather, multi-zipper Michael Jackson jacket that I begged my mom for after seeing the landmark ‘Beat It’ video’s MTV première, but I do remember the excitement I felt when I started reading ‘Thriller’s liner notes. Those writings spoke to me directly as the listener. The glimpse behind the scenes was like a backstage pass through storytelling. It offered a bird’s eye view into the production led by the incomparable Quincy Jones with his team of master musicians who created that iconic album and it piqued my curiosity, not only as a young kid who was an all out fan, moonwalking my little ass off, but also as an aspiring artist myself. It gave me a better understanding of the process behind the magic and it motivated me. That concisely written handful of pages of liner notes provided a world of insight and I couldn’t get enough of learning about all the small details that went into such an iconic masterpiece.
That feeling continued into my teens when I worked at Amen
Ra’s bookstore on the South side of Tallahassee as a bookshop clerk. The hubby and wife owners, Sharon and Dana Dennard, both doctors of psychology, had a personal collection of albums behind the counter that were pre-approved for in store play, and that’s where I first encountered the genius of John Coltrane’s iconic jazz testament ‘A Love Supreme’.
That entire album, made ten years before I was born, blew me away on a cellular, spiritual level. In between ringing up customers, as those sacred sounds filled the store and enraptured my mind, I leaned against the checkout counter, reading the liner notes on the album jacket enchanted by the journey he had undergone to manifest something so divinely inspired. It was so fascinating to learn later how he isolated himself away from family to kick his growing heroin addiction by composing the four songs that make up the album. It was such a timely and impactful discovery for me— a young teen coming of age during the crack epidemic of the late eighties. The accompanying devotional poem he wrote that he voices
only with his saxophone on the fourth and last entry of the suite, Psalm, was a revelation that gave--and still gives me goosebumps when I hear it. Reading about the details of the album and the moulding of the man who made it, felt like I was unearthing something ineffable that Coltrane wanted to share with me, in particular.
Powerful stories such as these made the music come alive in the deeper dimensions of my psyche and life. Though relatively short forms of writing, these notes found on an album’s back cover or inserted booklets furthered my understanding of the lifestyles fueling the art coming from these giants. I don’t know about you, but since the music industry’s digital revolution and the rise of streaming culture, I’ve truly missed being able to physically hold an album, marvel over the artistic layout of the packaging and experience reading all the nuanced details that helped it come forth. Enjoying experiencing that tactile feeling of discovery, kicking back with some hot tea or a favorite snack and reading through
those awesome analog adventures. Man--those were some golden times.
If you’re familiar with any of my works with dead prez then you may already know that I’ve been an activist for a long time. However, as my life and music career has evolved I have been through lots of challenges and experienced personal growth in profound ways that has changed my perspective and approach a lot. Fundamentally my core principles are still in the same place, yet I’ve been moved towards more appreciation and emphasis on holistic living, health and fitness over the years. Listening to my spirit, as I have learned to do more and more, a seed of an idea began to grow. I started to think more on that unique short writing form and how it could be applied in a fresh new genre of content that blends healthy lifestyle interests with journeys in and beyond music. I wondered and imagined what it might look like to unpack and share holistic lifestyle practices—- in liner note form?
Hmmmm.
As I explored those initial thoughts, another similar short writing example that I had also been intimately familiar with for a number of years came to mind —the political pamphlet. I remembered back in my grass-roots organizing days how significant and formative political pamphlets had been and how even though they were short forms of writing their depth and concise focus made them that much more potent and tactically effective. My creative wheels started turning more and after more research and considerations—a new creative venture, inspired by all these elements, emerged.
Enter Granular. Liner Notes for Living Well
Granular is an innovative health and wellness publication series presented by RBG FIT CLUB providing a deluxe artistic literary experience with compelling, long-form writing at the
center. These collectible editorial booklets are presented in the high-end fashion they deserve.
The vision for Granular started to crystallize during a wideranging conversation I had with writer Laurence Bass when I hired him to pen the story behind the extended music video film project I directed and produced in association with lululemon titled A Beautiful Run. The sum of that two-hourlong phone call soon manifested itself into the companion booklet you now hold in your hand. We agreed that content is more king than ever in this oversaturated digital age of media consumption, but the analog experience of the written word, akin to the era of beautifully written liner notes, is greatly missed. In our independent circles of creatives and lovers of art, we each heard the genuine unsatisfied craving out there for a return to and celebration of that timeless, analog liner note experience.
The team of outside-of-the-box thinkers I’ve begun to
personally assemble for Granular share my belief that there is a great value and service we can provide through the craft of short form writing for our fellow students of life out there who aspire to healthier lifestyles. Like those old-school liner notes concisely brought granular details to light in ways that engaged, interested and educated us all at once, that feeling is the prime inspiration behind the Granular ethos.
Our vintage aesthetic style, narrative voice, wide-spanning cultural tapestries, nutrient dense details, practical actionability and depth to brevity ratio is the Granular distinction. We’re invested in the art, design, creation, presentation, and care of content that moves people with richly-developed storytelling. Each Granular experience shares best ideas, tools and practices for our readers’ complete well-being.
That’s what we’ve come here to do.
Our first pilot issue takes a look at the film A Beautiful Run—it’s creative intent, and relevancy, and it’s message and momentum for the future of Fit Hop. Laurence Bass unpacks the potency of the film and helps to distill some of the most valuable details. Many thanks to him for his teamwork, consummate professionalism and literary excellence seen on each page of this issue. For future Granular installments, we have some great things in store, more practical takeaways and a few other surprises, but you’ll have to wait for that.
I also want to acknowledge our partnership with lululemon.
I’m beyond grateful for their support in helping bring the story of A Beautiful Run to life. That they elected to sponsor this film project makes me tremendously appreciative and puts us in amazing company.
And to you, our first readers, thanks beyond thanks. Your support means everything and lets us know that there are many more students of life out there like us, with a
readiness for a refreshing, inspiring reading experience.
I believe we are at the dawn of an urban holistic renaissance, where talented creatives will be people’s champions living, voicing and revitalizing wellness culture in our communities with all the creativity and soul that our collective humanity embodies —and deserves.
This is for The Culture,
Be Well, Stic Granular | RBG FIT CLUB Creative Director
Forward. It is the one direction that cannot be determined by a compass, found on the legend of a map or heard said by a computerized voice on any GPS. Khnum Ibomu, better known as Stic of the revolutionary-minded Hip-Hop duo dead prez, has been running to that unmarked horizon since being diagnosed with gout over twenty years ago. The sobering news forced him to change his entire lifestyle starting with his fitness and eating regimen. Ibomu began studying and intensively training in the varying disciplines of martial arts and switched to a plant-based cuisine to accelerate the healing from the condition that caused severe pain to his lower leg during the process. In time, this crisis revealed itself as a blessing in disguise and it strengthened his mental focus while battling through it, proving his resilience. Currently, he is the Founder of the progressively health-focused movement RBG FIT CLUB and a certified long-distance running coach who laces up his shoes daily. Ibomu journals each path experienced into
muscle memory over terrains both picturesque to the eyes and strengthening for the mind and the body. He remains grateful for the lessons running has taught him since turning to the sport after a discussion with a trainer while Ibomu and his son, Itwela, were at the legendary now-defunct Atlanta Art of Boxing Gym.
“We started talking about running as it relates to boxing and all the greats who stepped in the ring and how much that roadwork plays a part in your stamina. After that, he gave me the challenge to add more road time to my regimen. I took it and the next thing I knew I was loving running,” Ibomu says after sipping from a mason jar nearly brimming with freshlyjuiced greens and fruits handed to him by his wife, Afya.
“Thank you, babe,” he says before taking his first gulps and continuing with his amazement at how he got into running all these years later. “I wanted to feel that feeling, over-andover, every day. Soon, I was running miles-and-miles. Ten
miles, twelve miles, eighteen miles, twenty miles, twenty-five. I couldn’t get enough of it.” Ibomu had achieved a deeper appreciation for the sport on a higher level. “Running is a spiritual practice, and I can say that from experience after all these years. Just putting one foot in front of the other, as simple as that is, embodies the subtle wisdom for moving forward in life.”
Ibomu’s affinity for running was deeper than racking up high mileage numbers on an app. The rich culture that spans centuries and continents fascinated Ibomu. He spent his time researching the historic sub-societies of sprinting messengers and couriers bringing information from one temple, town, village and kingdom to the next long before a postman was a concept. He studied the deep ties of this rewarding sport, down to the pride and inspirations of African marathoningdominance seen in runners from Kenya and Ethiopia as well as other Indigenous running traditions. He started gaining
new insights about himself during training and experienced new levels of emotional mettle, self-determination and personal growth. These are much needed attributes to have as the melanated skin of black people continues to be systematically mistaken for kevlar time-and-time again.
In the seemingly countless list of names said softly in memoriam at candlelit vigils and chanted aloud at protests, one that resonated deeply with Ibomu was Ahmaud Arbery who unknowingly took the last run of his life on February 23, 2020. News outlets played and shared the recorded footage showing the exact moments when Arbery’s white shirt was crimsoned by close-range gunfire in broad daylight. A life lost over racially-predicated suspicion at the hands of two white, self-appointed vigilantes in the ‘stand your ground’ state of Georgia. As an Atlanta resident who lives in the same state as the crime scene, Ibomu felt an immediate change in relation to running after sustaining the trauma from viewing
the incident.
“Running had been this evolutionary thing that I got into and it’s just been all positive. I’m not bothering nobody, I have my headphones on--I’m just out there doing my thing, you know,” Ibomu says, opening up about the instant solitude and clarity the freeing routine granted him. “When I saw what happened with Ahmaud’s case, how they tried to justify it and how long it took to even get any humanity in the situation, now I find myself during runs having a bit of anxiety. Pick-up trucks will pull up next to me when I’m at a stop sign and I start to wonder: ‘Will this be a hostile confrontation? What could happen in this moment? With what’s going on in the state of the world, with all the rampant murders of black people, and racial tensions, you start to feel like it could be you next.” Raised in late-1970s, early-1980s Tallahassee, Florida, Ibomu was the target of cutting taunts and pointed threats from racial bullying as a youth. Yet, those skin-thickening
instances did not leave him as unnerved as Arbery’s murder. He continues, “To be a grown man and to have been through the things I have in my life, and to get to a place of positivity in life, enjoying my runs -- Ahmaud Arbery’s murder directly affected my ability to even feel comfortable in my own neighborhood running.”
Though Ibomu never knew Arbery personally, he felt a certain kinship with him linked by their love of running on the open road. Creativity has been a powerful coping mechanism for many artists to express themselves in constructive ways. Stic began channeling his frustration into inspiration. Both the vintage aesthetic and story behind the classic black and white image from 1963 of Muhammad Ali training in Miami wearing a white sweatshirt, gray sweat pants and army boots had long motivated Ibomu. ‘The Greatest’ was stopped multiple times by white police officers to check his inalienable freedom to run by interrogating him roadside before allowing
him to proceed. Ali’s outspokenness on the generational injustices burdening black people at home and abroad gave more meaning to the photograph taken of the model athleteactivist nearly sixty years earlier for Ibomu. This iconic visual was the foundational cue behind the creative direction of his nine-minute cinematic statement on running as a black man in America and the love he has for the sport as a holistic practice--A Beautiful Run.
“My goal with A Beautiful Run was not to sell our trauma,” Ibomu clearly states from the start. “Today’s entertainment space is oversaturated with that. Our trauma is our hottest commodity and chief export as a culture -we rap it, we rhyme it, and the larger society revels in it. Slavery, suffering and sadness are our best sellers. And that was definitely not the message I was trying to put out there with this. In directing and producing this piece, my intention was to emphasize the empowering mental fortitude of running. I wanted
to contextualize running, in the very real atmosphere of Arbery’s death--the elephant in the room, but I didn’t want to dwell in the pain of that, I wanted to express a different outcome.” Black pain and death projected on-screen and synced to the metronome is big business. Though Ibomu believes we belong in any genre of expression we desire, and that all of our stories deserve to be shared, he views this film as a change he wants to see more of in The Culture. “I feel like we need upliftment. We need to see more stories of positivity where we’re winning, where we’re healing, where we are loving, where we’re living. Showing what it looks like to thrive and be at our best.”
Directed and produced by Stic, and filmed completely in black and white by his friend and rising videographer Crisanto Santa Ana, A Beautiful Run opens up with Ibomu mid-pace on a daytime run--zoned in with headphones on. The significance of his attire cannot be overstated just as the desolate Atlanta
neighborhood passing by as he moves through the tight, letterboxed frame cannot be overlooked. The white sweat top and grey sweatpants from Lululemon match Ali’s training gear in the famous picture while, more importantly, the empty scenery resembles the street where Arbery took his final steps with no allies there to help prevent fatal harm. The black boots, from Ibomu’s own closet, brace his soles that move in cadence across concrete, gravel and grass with the original score, music he composed and produced, playing as the soundtrack.
‘RUN’, a stand-out cut from his album ‘WORKOUT II’ sets the tone and pace, while he rhymes his dedication to fitness to open the film. Here is where we see Ibomu the runner converge with Stic the artist, effortlessly dropping bars about the inner motivations of a runner with the fluid authenticity that only someone who is both a runner and emcee could so seamlessly do. The same energy Stic used to create the
potent art that challenged and inspired audiences with dead prez’s unapologetic debut ‘Let’s Get Free’ is still very apparent in his most recent work. Yet, there is a subtle change. Stic intentionally refrains from using profanity and is proving that his own new lane of Fit-Hop is indeed still ‘bigger than Hip-Hop’.
“They say that everything you do prepares you for what you’re going to do next,” Ibomu says, his outstretched arm pointing towards the window after putting down the nearly empty mason jar. The replenishing drink, vanishing quickly. “And I feel like everything I’ve been through. Every challenge and blessing has brought me to the creative space I am in now with Fit-Hop.”
The genre came into existence when Stic released ‘The Workout’ in 2011. It speaks to everyone independent of race, gender, status, belief or fitness level. The album gravitated
to many listeners who are both lovers of hip hop and striving to live healthier lives, and as the popularity of his music soared, so did the holistic lifestyle brand, movement and website RBG FIT CLUB that he founded with his wife, Nutritionist, Author and President, Afya Ibomu. His message of inspiring the listener’s journey towards healthier practices is also amplified in 2020’s much-anticipated ‘WORKOUT II’. Both track listings are full of inspiring songs that celebrate holistic health, various disciplines of fitness, mindfulness and personal growth with no air of preachiness or judgment. This is no self-righteous stance against other expressions of HipHop in the name of positivity. Stic hones his lyricism to incite ‘proactivism’ and resonates at a heart to heart, eye to eye level with the listener. This is more than rhymes said in the booth, but wisdom distilled from an overall practice, a methodology that he also shares with those in his camp.
“Along with running, boxing also inspires my approach for
crafting Fit-Hop, there is a sweet science to writing the songs, making the beats and even training (A&R-ing) other artists like my buddy, and fit hop label mate - Coach Nym. When we developed his debut album project, ‘Healthy Gangsta’ (2019), we literally used an ongoing boxing metaphor describing how we work in the studio. As an executive producer, I’m the head coach, Nym even nicknamed me Sensei, and my job is to develop the champion sound and champion the best in the artists that I work with, not just in the art but in life. Whether it be their songwriting skill sets, lyrical prowess, performance approaches, mentorship or personal development coaching - I take a total approach to the person and we’re working on the lifestyle outside the gym, and outside the studio as well.”
Stic rhymes with the compassion and motivational wisdom of an old-school boxing trainer showing a raw prizefighter the ropes about the lifestyle. Getting them to start to enjoy
eating nourishing foods, prioritizing proper conditioning, getting enough sleep, constantly hydrating and sharing practical tips and reminders to be grateful for their blessings and living well. This is what takes Fit-Hop out of a categorized genre to becoming a holistic art form and a way of life that gives the listeners, all levels of athletes--especially his fellow runners--mental armor for the unforeseeable awaiting them on the road.
A Beautiful Run merges into the chilling as the camera shows Ibomu slowing pace while a vintage police car cruises behind him on a neighborhood street. As ‘...RUN.......’ fades out, you can hear his boots and the tires of the car both come to a stop.
A burly white police officer emerges from the car to confront Ibomu who removes his headphones then faces him. The next sequence is reminiscent of the treatment Ali encountered in Miami and harkens back to the suspicion based on race and locale that eventually killed Arbrey. Spliced imagery presents
the silent confrontation Ibomu finds himself in along with the thoughts he has of running. The silent montage continues as the camera circles the staredown.
“Just because a police officer or whoever else wants to have an ‘asshole day’ doesn’t mean I have to,” Ibomu says candidly.
“As a young man, how I would’ve responded to a situation like that would’ve resulted in death or in jail. But as a person who’s growing in the chess game of life, I have had to learn to take a deep breath and continue with my run.”
Identical to that mantra of progression in the face of any hindrance, Stic resumes his journey by fleeing the wordless interrogation between him and the officer. An overhead view shows Ibomu sprinting down the tree-lined street before making a sharp right turn into the woods as the officer gives chase on foot. Two separate camera views heighten the drama. One shows Ibomu’s back as he runs through the
unpaved, natural trail amidst the tall evergreens with leaves that hide the sun. The other is that of the officer’s vision as he frantically scours the scene for him. A beating heart, heavy breathing and treading feet score the contrasting perspectives of runner and chaser. Prey and hunter. An allegorical vision of the times.
When the officer’s left to right pans yield no hope of finding Ibomu, he breathlessly halts his search as his camera view stops the pursuit. Ibomu stops as well to look back before looking up to admire nature. Auroras of sunlight brighten the untouched majesty of the earth around him. The moment is serene, reflective of the truest encounter we all have with ourselves regarding how we mentally handle the hard to navigate twists and unavoidable trap doors of our everyday lives. Ibomu finishes his moment of reverence then places his headphones back on as training resumes.
“I’m so blessed I let go stress, and got no regrets whatsoever. so grateful, so thankful, change only made me better. we be in our egos, we be thinking that we know it all but the universe knows better. I don’t know the future or what the forecast holds, but I know to adjust to the weather.”
This rich slice of heartfelt lyrics from ‘Trust the Universe’, the chest-pounding anthem that scores the second half of the film, echoes the sentiments and evidence of genuine personal growth, celebrating the awareness of the wealth of potential that is in and all around us. The booming 808-drum kit lets you know what time it is at first aural dose. Under a rangy electric guitar, the bang reminds us that this mindful
cinematic decree is still very much steeped within the gritty universal language of Hip Hop. Its uplifting, infectious tone follows Ibomu as he leaves the canopied forest and steps back into the sun--reemerging in the light. If there was one song that echoes Ibomu’s entire lexicon of rhymes, vision board thoughts, extensive training and knowledge of self-this would be it. We move along with Stic’s zen flow through various scenes in nature. Running on the road, rapping in stride, graciously kneeling by the riverside. Meditating in the backdrop of waterfalls. Stic’s impactful verses are insightful testimonies of gratitude for the understanding that the truest sense of purposeful achievement starts within. It’s a thank you letter to the journey of Life for the wisdom it instills as our experiences humble, nurture and empower each of us. Bars of hard-earned enlightenment that need to be heard on giant speakers in this year defined by pain and uncertainty named 2020.
“It’s been a blessing to be a creative, to be an artist and find inspiration from different passions in my life to where it just all gels together into the intersection of Hip-Hop and healthy living—what I call Fit-Hop, my creative sweet spot.”
The culmination of this ethos is seen in the final seconds of A Beautiful Run. Stic, unfazed by the encounter he had on the other side of the forest to his left, moves on and over a rising, green bluff with an unobstructed sky above and before him. It shows the fusion between time and space, rhythm and pace, athlete and artist, trainer and activist--man and the universe. Each pairing is insoluble to the mission Ibomu embodies in his walk and in his work.
“Through whatever obstacles you encounter on the road of your own self-fulfillment,” he says with ease. ”Keep going and have a beautiful run.”
Khnum Ibomu has logged boundless mileage on the roads of life through art, athletics and activism. However, no matter the platform or medium he uses to share his influence and knowledge, the direction will be the only one he has ever known. Forward.
‘I just wanna go train I just wanna go run natural movement in Nature feel that wind and that sun ten toes on the concrete breathing air in my lungs my feet feeling like wings on ‘em I take flight when I run its just me and this road spending quality time therapy for my soul clarity for my mind’
Stic “Run”
Workout II
Front Cover Image by TT COLES
Behind the Scenes Photography and Back Cover Image by CRISANTO SANTA ANA
Workout II Album cover photography by MALCOLM J. WILLIAMS @mj3eyesphotography
Muhammad Ali photo by Peter Angelo Simon - visit alicenter.org
Copyright 2021 RBG FIT CLUB All rights Reserved
