“An artist’s duty is to reflect the times.” - Nina Simone
i have been playing d’angelo’s discography on repeat all day today and last night i attended a ravyn lenae concert and she dedicated her set to d’angelo and i was so overcome with emotion, being surrounded by people who came together that night to share their love for music and art on such a sobering day was overwhelming
thank you as always miss ayan for your urgency and clarity of mind and your refusal to stop fighting the good fight.
You’re brilliant. And it is no small thing, in these days, to be brilliant and courageous to the truth at once. I’ve spent my days now reading your work, and It’s always worthwhile. Your chi is strong. This piece about D’ Angelo felt quite prophetic. After reading about his passing, I stopped my study and went to the voodoo album. The song ‘send it on’ felt particularly soothing. I don’t quite know where I’m going with this. Maybe nowhere at all.
I just read this piece and felt a kind of mourning. I guess I just read your writing and became reflective of what art we have now and how the gluttony of the western world, its endless appetite for constant growth and profit has cheapened the beauty inherent in the human soul. I still think about the years of meditative labour it takes to produce great art, the kind you describe in D’Angelo, I think about how great artist were bounded by time to find their spirit. I think about what happens when they felt ready to unravel themselves and condense. Sometimes, I forget he was the preacher man’s boy. He was born with the spirit and so he understood the responsibility it took towards creation.
Your work is important. I think the baton has been passed to thinkers, writers and creatives like you. You are part of that long, storied lineage now and I believe in the work you’re doing. I believe in your work. But more importantly, I believe in your dreams.
I'm one year older than D'Angelo and as I move into elder status, I push for preservation. People like you, like me who are heeding the call to be the warriors for our cultural values. Despite how bleak, we can still save ourselves.
ayan, so many emotions. tense and true. d'angelo served the people in ways so great. i remember how i felt when i first listened to his music. a young girl with a connection to soulful music, ancestral music, without a compass, navigating on her own to find out who she wants to listen to. his life is a testament. his heart, an inspiration to many sounds. ayan, you write and i love to read what you write. you ask important questions and i cannot help but reflect.
Brilliant. You’ve articulated something here that I see in the world every day but so rarely have the language for. My hope is that this very truth—this recognition that greatest among us are leaving this realm, one after the next—can be the compass that anchors and guides those of us with eyes to see and words to speak/write.
you are one of my favourite writers on here you know how to say exactly what some of us are thinking and more. this was a beautiful piece thank you for your offering <33 with you about who do we trust to make the next generation feel like they love themselves and not just that they can change into a version of them if they do xyz. i wonder what the future holds when we have more want to rich creatives who don’t wish to do the hard part of creating. sitting and feeling. this was so apt!!!
Raced over here a bit late, but knew the moment I saw D’angelo beneath that caption I was in for something amazing. The mentions of how we are taught to view death as muslim children knocked the breath out of me.
Timely, chilling and sobering.
“An artist’s duty is to reflect the times.” - Nina Simone
i have been playing d’angelo’s discography on repeat all day today and last night i attended a ravyn lenae concert and she dedicated her set to d’angelo and i was so overcome with emotion, being surrounded by people who came together that night to share their love for music and art on such a sobering day was overwhelming
thank you as always miss ayan for your urgency and clarity of mind and your refusal to stop fighting the good fight.
ravyn is one of the few left who i feel could carry us with her; i'm glad you felt held by her in that moment. thank you as ever for reading darling x
Saved as soon as I saw the notification and title (vry gripping btw), I’m studying right now but will def be coming back to analyze in full later 😌
take your time my love, and thank you x
You’re brilliant. And it is no small thing, in these days, to be brilliant and courageous to the truth at once. I’ve spent my days now reading your work, and It’s always worthwhile. Your chi is strong. This piece about D’ Angelo felt quite prophetic. After reading about his passing, I stopped my study and went to the voodoo album. The song ‘send it on’ felt particularly soothing. I don’t quite know where I’m going with this. Maybe nowhere at all.
I just read this piece and felt a kind of mourning. I guess I just read your writing and became reflective of what art we have now and how the gluttony of the western world, its endless appetite for constant growth and profit has cheapened the beauty inherent in the human soul. I still think about the years of meditative labour it takes to produce great art, the kind you describe in D’Angelo, I think about how great artist were bounded by time to find their spirit. I think about what happens when they felt ready to unravel themselves and condense. Sometimes, I forget he was the preacher man’s boy. He was born with the spirit and so he understood the responsibility it took towards creation.
Your work is important. I think the baton has been passed to thinkers, writers and creatives like you. You are part of that long, storied lineage now and I believe in the work you’re doing. I believe in your work. But more importantly, I believe in your dreams.
felt this in my soul. i’m definitely going to read this over and over again.
I'm one year older than D'Angelo and as I move into elder status, I push for preservation. People like you, like me who are heeding the call to be the warriors for our cultural values. Despite how bleak, we can still save ourselves.
Clicked on the email so fast😭🙏🏿
ayan, so many emotions. tense and true. d'angelo served the people in ways so great. i remember how i felt when i first listened to his music. a young girl with a connection to soulful music, ancestral music, without a compass, navigating on her own to find out who she wants to listen to. his life is a testament. his heart, an inspiration to many sounds. ayan, you write and i love to read what you write. you ask important questions and i cannot help but reflect.
you are truly a spectacular writer! you've given me so much to contemplate and reckon with here, thank you for that 🙏🏽
Brilliant. You’ve articulated something here that I see in the world every day but so rarely have the language for. My hope is that this very truth—this recognition that greatest among us are leaving this realm, one after the next—can be the compass that anchors and guides those of us with eyes to see and words to speak/write.
you are one of my favourite writers on here you know how to say exactly what some of us are thinking and more. this was a beautiful piece thank you for your offering <33 with you about who do we trust to make the next generation feel like they love themselves and not just that they can change into a version of them if they do xyz. i wonder what the future holds when we have more want to rich creatives who don’t wish to do the hard part of creating. sitting and feeling. this was so apt!!!
Going to be sitting with this one for awhile!
"We are all selling ourselves but what value are we actually producing?"
A welcome bucket of cold water dumped over my head.
That last line.
Raced over here a bit late, but knew the moment I saw D’angelo beneath that caption I was in for something amazing. The mentions of how we are taught to view death as muslim children knocked the breath out of me.