To Be Young, Black and Free: A #blkcreatives Review of #trapkaraoke
We work so hard to become our best selves. To have the best jobs, live in the best cities, have the best website, create the best content, position ourselves for the best opportunities, make the best connections. We’re striving so hard in pursuit of the best that we often miss out on the most important function we should be performing with life:
To live it.
This past Wednesday night, Trap Karaoke made its way to Chicago. What’s Trap Karaoke you ask? It’s magic. Absolutely, pure, unbridled Black magic in all it’s glory — not in a way that’s exclusive or shuts down any other underrepresented group (we’re all fighting to be heard, right?) but in a way that’s all about fun. The fun we have when we’re not spending all of our time staring at our cell phone screens or obsessing over our social media count. It’s wild, and free, and loud, complete with the most energy packed rap songs backed by karaoke.
The energy in the space hits as you immediately walked in the venue and admiringly, it was unusual. In a city known best for Michael Jordan and violence, most recently the dump trump protests and a record breaking first quarter (not in a good way), it was refreshing to walk into a space and feel like you were destined to have a good time. As if you knew the DJ was going to play your favorite, the bartender would be quick with your drink, you’d see the old co-workers you’ve missed and you were going to run into some trouble (in a good way). Similar to being a kid and staying up past your bed time just so you can get a peak in on your auntie’s basement party.
Host LowKey commanded everyone’s attention like a pro, better than the Uncle who everybody wants to play in spades. Having watched him grow from blogger, to beginning host, to now an entity, his brilliant brand of pop culture knowledge, hiphop history, book knowledge and a cool charm that keeps up in the proper amount of healthy debates was a perfect match for the crowd.
Karaoke performance after karaoke performance consistently made the crowd erupt and standing on stage, getting a chance to view the crowd it occurred to me, among this sea of young, happy, and smiling Black people that we, as a city, needed this break. And then it hit me on a deeper level.
We don’t take enough time to enjoy being young, Black and free because we’re reminded so much in this country how we aren’t. But that’s a myth. They (in your best DJ Khaled voice) want you to believe we aren’t free but we are. Because freedom, at least for me, exists in my mind, in my mission and it’s something I’m not willing to compromise for. I can be young, Black and excellent, and scream along to my favorite Future song. We don’t have to choose. We can be all things at one time, or nothing at the same time, and be unapologetic about it. Because we do it our own way.
That is the magic of basking in the Trap Karaoke glow, that kind of intentional fun can only lead to greater things. And as #trapkaraoke Founder Jason shared in our interview, it’s always best to follow and be moved by the flow:
Literally everything I’ve done or worked on has led me to the next thing I’m doing or what I’m doing now. So I think what inspires me to create is definitely curiosity and following my curiosity.
If you’re one of the people fortunate enough to attend Trap Karaoke in your city, do yourself a favor and go. Why? Because it’s your job to set yourself free.
