Ebuzz News
Trinidadian Mentor of Nipsey Hussle Set to Release Nipsey NFTs.
Dexter Browne, the Trinidadian mentor of martyred Hip Hop legend Nipsey Hussle, has announced the release of a special NFT offering called ‘Nipsey Hussle: the Early Years.’ The NFT’s are set to be dropped at the end of May 2024.
The announcement came on Easter Sunday- on the 5th anniversary of Nipsey’s March 31st murder in Los Angeles in 2019. There will be 3 tiers of NFTs- numbering 10, 10, and 100- in descending order of price. The NFTs are a Tribute to the progressive values Nipsey stood for and are also a mentor’s salute to the idea that all youths can be redeemed. The NFTs are created in collaboration with Digital Artist Jean ‘Normal Normal’ Benoit and Multi-media Artist/ Cultural Activist, Rubadiri Victor.
NFTs have become unique and creative holders of value in the Digital Age. NFTs- or non-fungible tokens- are unique digital objects that are recorded digitally on a blockchain and are used to certify ownership and authenticity. They cannot be copied, substituted, or subdivided. Although the market for NFTs is going through a cool period following the bubble of 2021 to 2023, NFTs have fetched prices as high as US$93 million. NFTs are unique digital artefacts in this online Age and take all kinds of shapes- from paintings to cartoons to stunning animation .
The premium Nipsey NFT- which will be offered first to certain collectors and museums- will consist of a series of never seen before photographs of Nipsey in the 5 years under Browne’s tutelage after the young Ermias Joseph Asghedom was kicked out of school and was working on the streets. It will also include a short documentary about the period that Nipsey and a cohort of young people- including boys from the Rolling 60s gang- spent under Dexter and his wife Lisa’s tutelage- and as part of their Buttervision multi-media Movement. The NFTs also include a series of other rare collectibles.
Dexter’s personal collection contains hundreds of photographs of Nipsey as he grew from boy to man and creative powerhouse. The collection also contains music, interviews, and videos created by and with Nipsey from this fertile period. Most of Nipsey’s first recorded music is in this collection. This itself is a small fraction of Browne’s larger portfolio of tens of thousands of photographs that he took of young Black Hollywood and Hip Hop as he recorded their lives and created their professional dossiers. During this period- when Dexter had ‘adopted the boys from the Crips, and others from inside and outside the neighborhood- he was also working with movie and TV stars, super models, musicians, porn and sports stars, and politicians. These range from Gabrielle Union to Kat Williams, from Vanessa Williams to Rick James. All of this context is in the premium Nipsey NFT.
A media statement issued further explains that Dexter had gifted Nipsey and the boys with a fully outfitted multi-media studio that they had 24 hours access to- once they left gang beef at the door. They also had to listen to Dexter’s Pan-African consciousness, which he had imbibed as a civil engineer student at Howard University. Nipsey benefitted from being around the celebrity and the progressive ideas of Buttervision. Buttervision itself was a multi-media collective that saw itself as using the new digital technology of the late 1990s and early 2000s to try and create an alternative to Hollywood and mainstream media, which marginalizes and stereotypes black and brown people. Dexter’s ideas of Digital Defiance, Undisturbed Culture, and more, would find their most willing student in Nipsey Hussle.
The ‘Nipsey Hussle: the Early Years’ NFTs will be available at the Open Sea NFT site at the end of May. Details of the offering will be announced on the site, at the Undisturbed Culture Facebook page, and at Buttervision.com.
Ebuzz News
Culture Minister Says There Is A Broader Vision for T&T Carnival. Assures Feting Will Continue.
A move in line with government’s commitment to creating balance and encouraging expansion in T&T’s overall cultural experience; This is how the country’s Culture and Community Development Minister responded this afternoon to criticism meted out to government as word spread that the Brian Lara Cricket Academy would no longer be used as a fete venue.
Minister Michelle Benjamin, declaring her support for the Prime Minister said residents living in close proximity to the cricket academy, have voiced their concerns regarding the excessive sound levels generated by large scale events. Major carnival fetes have seen patron attendance exceeding 10,000 in recent years, according to promoters.
Opened in 2017, the Tarouba sporting facility is managed by the Urban Development Company of Trinidad and Tobago. UDECOTT Chairman, Shankar Bidaisee, speaking on the issue with the Trinidad Express said events hosted outside of the stadium have led to wear and tear of the facility. He explained that annual costs for the overall maintenance of the Brian Lara Cricket Academy, exceed $10million.
The Promoter’s Association of Trinidad and Tobago meanwhile, has condemned the move, saying, the government’s sudden ban on the use of UDeCOTT facilities for soca and other Carnival related events is destructive and short-sighted. Questioning the “real intent behind the move,” the association argues that the move is viewed as a top-down decision, made without consultation with the sector. Arguing that several promoters have already secured the venue ahead of Carnival 2026, the TTPA said, “For all those affected, tickets have been sold, venues advertised, and patrons have made travel and accommodation plans to align with confirmed events.” The organization is questioning how this move benefits the entire country.
Culture Minister Gives Reassurance
In her statement, Minister Benjamin explained that citizens should view the decision as part of the government’s broader vision to not only expand carnival beyond its traditional footprint, but to ensure the wellbeing of all communities. “As part of the expansion of Carnival, we are not saying that we are stopping fetes. What we are doing is working to identify and promote more appropriate spaces that can enhance the experience, while reducing any negative impact that could possibly arise.”
The Minister said the ultimate aim is to ensure that carnival continues to thrive as a celebration of creativity, unity and national identity. She said Carnival must reflect the rhythm of T&T’s people while striking the right balance between culture, community and progress.
Ebuzz News
The Brian Lara Cricket Academy is No Longer A Fete Venue. UDECOTT Claims Wear and Tear.
The Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba, Trinidad will no longer be a venue option for events other than cricket. This announcement comes as preparations are well underway, by promoters for Carnival 2026.
The decision made by the Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago (UDECOTT) now leaves some promoters scrambling, as the decision takes place with immediate effect.
UDECOTT claims that the facility was not meant to facilitate fete events, noting that maintenance costs amount to approximately $15 million annually.
Carnival events like Xperience, Stink N Dutty, and last year’s inaugural MEGA concert headlined by Machel Montano, attract in excess of 10,000 patrons according to promoters, leaving questions as to where such massive audience numbers can be contained, along with parking facilitation.
The carnival events, while staged in the stadium’s car park, has led to significant wear and tear and damage to the facility, according to UDECOTT Chairman, Shankar Bidaisee. In an interview with the Trinidad Express newspaper, he is quoted as saying, “The Brian Lara Cricket Academy is for cricket. That is the purpose of it. It was not built for fetes.” He went on to affirm, “It’s for cricket and we will use it for cricket only. So there are to be no fetes at the stadium.”
For quite some time, there have been concerns raised by carnival stakeholders, regarding the need for viable venues across the country, for the delivery of large scale events.
-
Ebuzz News1 week ago100 Days To T&T Carnival – Big Launch, Big Vibes to Hit Port of Spain, this Friday.
-
Ebuzz News3 days agoThe Brian Lara Cricket Academy is No Longer A Fete Venue. UDECOTT Claims Wear and Tear.
-
Ebuzz News5 days ago“This Project Come from a Real Place — From Loss, Learning, Faith.” – POPCAAN.
-
Ebuzz News3 days agoCulture Minister Says There Is A Broader Vision for T&T Carnival. Assures Feting Will Continue.
