“‘Hurt’ is a collision of performance art and emotional pain, climaxing into a cathartic release in a creative controlled space. Visual art and music has always been my release; the way I make sense of what I’m feeling, and the space most conducive and comfortable for me to retreat and heal. This video is literally a voyage into this emotional, psychological and artistic process. No script. No plans of what to paint. Stripped down with a blank canvas, painting my feelings, feeling my words, with palpable emotions of being hurt, with pain hovering and taunting, as I seek to release it once and for all. The end result of this release culminates into a picture, immortalizing and representing the relief of finally releasing.
This video symbolizes a space for others to break, fall apart, confront the pain, tell it what it did, heal, be relieved then embrace a new day.”
Says LA based artist Raquel Jones about her latest work “Hurt”
The video features Racquel, the artist, painting an original piece of art on a blank canvas. She completes the art throughout the video, displaying her process and technique before unveiling the powerful finished piece at the end – all while simultaneously playing out a poignant relationship narrative. Racquel’s artwork is influenced by Basquiat and Dali.
The track is from her absolutely ruthless new record, IgnoRANT (#25 on the NACC Hip Hop Chart and was #1 Most Added new release on the NACC Hip Hop Adds Chart in its 1st week) – check it out here: https://ffm.to/ignorant
Tell us about the story of your act
An “act” implies that there are characters involved or that I play some kind of a role and it’s all just entertainment. Ain’t no act. Nina Simone said an artist’s duty is to reflect the times. That’s it. I reflect the time and space I’m in through creative languages.
What is the message behind your art?
the messages right now are bringing to the fore issues related to stereotype in an attempt to inspire some sort of change by sparking honest open discussions amongst ourselves.
What are some sources of inspiration for your lyrics and storytelling?
Life. The way I get to view it through my lens as well as the people I’ve encountered. I try to tell these stories in my authentic voice, as relatable as I can make it for the people I intend to reach and the people I represent. My only obligation to myself is to make it honest and very creative.
Who is an artist that you look up to more than others today?
Bob Marley, Nina Simone, Peter Tosh, Lee Scratch Perry, Lauryn Hill.
Lately Nina resonates with me a lot as a blueprint of what to do and what not to do in my approach to speaking up about the things I’m passionate about. Her diplomacy, passion and fierceness are all inspiring to me. How she felt in the end about all that she’d lost because of the sacrifices she made to speak up, is a lesson.
All time favorite record?
Man, that’s a tough one. The miseducation of Lauryn Hill changed my life. Ready to Die shifted some perspectives. All of Bob Marley’s albums were the soundtrack to my childhood. Back to black by Amy Winehouse got me through my first heartbreak. It’s Dark and hell is hot by DMX, and Da Real Ting by Sizzla gave me my edge. I could go on. There are so many favorites. I can’t pick. I’m getting anxious thinking about having to pick one favorite record.
Tell us about your latest release and how it came about
This is my first album. It needed to be important. On a flight to Europe for a tour, I decided that I wanted it to address stereotypes faced by my people and people who can relate. I’m technically a walking stereotype. If people were going to understand what that felt like, it needed to come from me. In terms of the sound of the record, that needed to sound like art. So on the flight I constructed the skeleton of the album. I wrote down titles of songs, words, blurbs, and some lyrics.
You seem to be fusing several musical genres. What inspires your sound?
literally everything I see and hear.
What excites you the most about what you do?
creating, performing, seeing how it touches people, hearing people’s stories, and seeing healthy progressive conversations happen because of my work.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
These days I only see now, and I’m happy with that.
Your style is very original and elaborate. How do you take care of your aesthetics?
Thank you. I stay in my head daily finding new ways to say what I want to say. I also spend a lot of time collecting data through just simply observing life happening around me.
What was the most daunting moment in your career so far?
Pouring my heart out into a previous record that may never see the light of day, because the music industry I now realize is a conundrum of fuckery, exploitation, manipulation, evil and people who are great at manipulating creatives into believing they’re in their corner.
What is the best advice you’ve ever gotten?
“If your dignity and morals are compromised, it’s not worth having”- My mom
Where do you think the next game changer will be in the music industry and entertainment scene?
The game changes every single day by new emerging creatives. I don’t limit that natural order of things by thinking about one place or through one person I think it’ll happen through. I just send positive energy to everyone being creative whether they’re seen or heard, and just embrace the privilege of getting to watch it happen as I’m still afforded life in this realm.
