BEANO

Though they collaborate often in the music field and were performing together that night, as soon as I saw Beano I knew his personality would be very different from that of Chill Moody.

Beano was all smiles when we finally met and greeted me with a hug.As we hit the streets looking for an appropiate back drop for his interview, Beano's friendly and warm personality only became more apparent to me and the passerbys. Though Beano is a man of short stature, his ecletic braids, big expressive eyes, and quick witted comments make him out to be the largest person in the room. Interestingly enough, as out going as Beano is in person, he seemed very uncomfortable in front of camera, yet drawn to his lens. After roaming for a while, Beano stopped and proclaimed that he wanted to filmed in the center of Broad street. The interview that ensues is just as fast paced and

unpredictable as the his choice in location.

Beano

“What's up y’all its Beano, a lot of people know me as just Beano, singer song-writer from West Philly, we out here at Blocktoberfest.”

“You have studied hip hop as both a discipline and platform, could you talk more about how you would define it and how it can be used?”

I don’t really know how you define music, I mean I was always told music is what feelings sound like so that’s how I grew up. that’s how I interpret music, I mean as far as being influential, music is so influential. Sometimes it determines the way we dress, the way we talk, the things we do, so yeah as far as that goes.

“ What do you define as urban Philly culture?”

I feel as though it going in the right direction, its young, its a lot of motivated people out here, like musicians, artist, producers, every thing, like its all going in the right direction.. I mean I really don’t have any definition for it.

“Do you believe there is really a genre of music, dance, or art that came from and really defines Philly’s streets?”

From Philadelphia, hands down we are lyrical as far as music and the singing side. We have got the neo-soul, soul, like everybody know soul music came from Philadelphia. As far as hip hop goes we have some of the best lyricists out there.

“How has urban Philly culture today been influenced by urban Philly culture in the past?”

I mean, I feel like Urban philly today is getting more back to the culture of Philadelphia, cause at one point it kind of veered off. I feel like everybody was afraid to be Philly, but its alright to be Philly through and through. The way we talk, the way we dress, the way we carry ourselves, our type of music, our style of music,everything, so I feel like its getting back to that, because I feel that at one point it veered off and we weren't Philly anymore.

“Do you think that urban Philly culture has an affect on society as a whole?”

It did at one point, like I said its getting back to that, I feel like our society yes, as far as outside of us not too much, because at one point a lot of us lost our Philly edge, not all of us some of us. a lot of us lost the edge to be Philly through and through. As far as now, I like I said we are getting back, we are finally being us, we are being that soul music. As far as in the past, yes. You couldn’t go anywhere without hearing that neo-soul and everybody know neo-soul is Philadelphia through and through.

“What does it mean to be Philadelphia through and through?”

Home of like soul, rapping is Philly. Me personally, I love my city. My city tuff, my city mean, so if you can make it here you can make it anywhere. So being Philly is having that thick skin, so nobody, you keep going, nobody going to be able to tell you nothing, you gon be you regardless of what anybody says.

“Why do you choose to stay in Philly?”

Because I feel like if I’m running like everybody else, I’m not helping my city. I want my city to be back in the forefront one of these days, and hopefully I contribute to that. I’m not going to say hopefully, I am going to contribute to that, putting my city back in the forefront.

“Has your art allowed you freedom in your life, as like maybe self-identity?”

Most definitely my music helped me find me. Cause at one point I was very shy, like very shy kid. Like when I got out there and started performing and really started singing and everything like that it helped me become the person I am right now, it helped me be more free and be myself. Thats one of the best things I feel you can be as a person is when you find yourself. So my music and my art has definitely helped me find myself and my city.

“How do you think that Philly’s current culture is influencing the future?”

I mean we have so many innovative people here from musicians to clothing lines, like I said people like me and other people who stay in Philly, we are setting up for the next generation of musicians and artists and everything and being that forefront we got to bring that attention back here. Now we are setting it up for who’s next. I’m young but I’m putting in the groundwork to make my city putting my city back in the forefront.

“How do you feel about street art, are there any urban artistics values that influence your art?”

I mean as far as painters, I know alot of painters as far as my friends, you get influenced by these people because of their passion sometimes. Somebody else’s passion can motivate you to go hard at yourself, cause you see how hard they’re going.