Data Bass

I’m so very grateful and thankful. It’s kind a wild when break it down. I just found out I’ve won Two different Best of Phoenix awards this year. One for best film festival for @indiefilmfest which I am a co-director of with the founder, my filmmaking mentor and and brother @mattysteinkamp. AND I won Best Live Jam Session that I co-host with the founder, my @thestakesmusic bandmate and brother @zeedubb. I’ve won Best of awards awards in two different states with my best friends. One is one of the biggest cities in this country, Phoenix, AZ and one is one of the most Historically and artistically important cities of all times. A place where legends are born St. Louis, MO. I’m an internationally award winning filmmaker and award winning musician. I set the table for my son to become a two time internationally Award winning child actor with my first script I ever wrote. All because even when I didn’t know what to do I knew I wanted to make exceptional art and do work with men women and children that made a difference and leave the world better than we found it. I’m making a difference… I manifest growth and change out of love.. in more ways than one… And any way.. I can anytime I can… I make dope sh!t. #bestofphoenix #arizona #phoenix #tempe #mesa #scottsdale #stlouis #inglewood #music #film #best #Filmfestival #hiphop #jamsession #independentartist #black #art #artist #phoenixnewtimes #filmmaking #energy #musician #music #dope #live (at Phoenix, Arizona) https://www.instagram.com/p/CjKf29vOIB3/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Our world Premier for our award winning short film Markus Knight is this Friday @thegardenphx ! Grab a ticket @mangoskiesfilms .com. It feels surreal to say my filmmaking debut is an award winning short film because my amazing son @idkkelil won two best actor awards his first time ever acting in our superhero origin story as our young protagonist with a supernatural gift just trying to survive poverty’s oppression as a young black male in the City. All I’ve ever wanted was to do and make things that actually make a positive difference in this world. Art can change lives. Thanks to everyone that Helped us fund and make this film! #phoenixcomicon #phoenixfanfusion #super #superhero #film #movie #shortfilm #filmmaker #black #blackart #blackmen #phoenix #tempe #mesa #scottsdale #arizona #filmfestival #downtownphoenix (at Downtown Phoenix) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cd7V4C2r-XQ/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

You can buy tickets now for the world Premier of my award winning independent film at our very own independent screening theater @thegardenphx at @mangoskiesfilms website. It’s been a long time coming but we built our own venue and studio from the ground up to do it ourselves. We hope you can join us. I can’t wait to hear what you think about it! (at Downtown Phoenix) https://www.instagram.com/p/CdpC4K4LrS1/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Look what the spirit brought forth during my set at @vortifestexperience in Sedona. One of my master teachers and #blackhistory in the flesh, Uncle Dahveed Nelson one of the founding members of #thelastpoets and a founding father of Hip hop. You heard Nina Simone recite his poem in the Oscar winning documentary #summerofsoul (at Sedona, Arizona) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cb3wTK6rj9u/?utm_medium=tumblr

Today at ASUs downtown campus from 6:30 to 8. I’m screening my award winning shirt film starring my best actor award winning Son. When I say it out loud it sounds Wolf to me... but it feels amazing. We’ll be part of a panel entitled: #Black and Other Superheroes: Social Consciousness and Comics as a Model for Empowerment. There’s a lot to talk about, and my favorite movie star my Sun Kelil will be there! I made this film in dedication to my son, my city... St. Louis, and myself... a person trying to make a positive difference in this world any way I can while trying to make sense of it all. (at Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication) https://www.instagram.com/p/CbyJ-_WPFHR/?utm_medium=tumblr

ATTENTION: Our first local screening for @markusknightfilm is part of a special panel taking place this Thursday at the downtown ASU campus ! Read all about it on the next photo! We’ll be following up soon with our own formal premier party at our Film studio/theater @thegardenphx. I hope you can join us for both. #independentartist #filmmaking #indiefilm #blackart #awardwinning #asu #downtown #downtownphoenix #arizona #tempe #Phoenix #mesa #blackfilm #movies #local #art #bestactor (at Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cbts-V0LF5A/?utm_medium=tumblr

I’m happy... Right here. Right now. That’s all that matters for a little while at least. Isn’t that what it’s all about? Thank you momma your labor of love. Thank you everyone who really loves me. That’s all I ever really wanted from anyone. (at Santa Monica Beach) https://www.instagram.com/p/CbQ9aPpvMfJ/?utm_medium=tumblr

Current location: outside. #groovetheory #crescentballroom (at Crescent Ballroom) https://www.instagram.com/p/CTY1k3pAaJp/?utm_medium=tumblr

Kelil deserves an award for his first acting performance ever at 10 - 11 years old. I’m so proud of the work he put in carrying the emotional weight of this Movie all the way through to the final moment. Most of the great movies that I grew up watching, had powerful performances from young actors and I believe we could do the same thing with this film. We’ll be premiering soon, we just want to make sure our studio’s new theaters are built out for us to host our own event the way we want to. Thanks for your interest and thanks to everyone who helped make this possible. (at South Mountain, Phoenix) https://www.instagram.com/p/CTIxlA7pLPu/?utm_medium=tumblr

My film @markusknightfilm was funded entirely by donations from individual supporters. The creation of it was a community effort that had the help & support of other local artists & businesses. Other black business owners & artists like @williamstrigg... one of the only black women in the world with her own independent film festival, donated money to feed our entire crew. Brothers who have been contributing to the building of black culture in this city and our correct representation for years @bk_blaq & @zeedubb appeared in the film. The thing is, we didn’t have a large budget to make this film. But true magic is organic. It’s made with simple real homegrown ingredients. We’ve made something special here. It’s been sent to even more film festivals and I’m excited to finally get it out to the world. #independentfilm #indiefilm #blackactors #blackcreators #filmfestival #blackfilmmakers #blackwriters #blackart #black #blackwork (at South Mountain, Phoenix) https://www.instagram.com/p/CSuyyqnpYY4/?utm_medium=tumblr

Honestly, Like many things I’ve done, before I wrote the script for Markus Knight, I didn’t know I could do it. I went from being recommended to skip a grade in elementary school to having a textbook ‘fixed mindset’ that I wage war against every day of my life. But that’s a whole other story. I didn’t fit in anywhere... Everyone let me know. Especially the bullies... sometimes the bullies were the people closest to me. I learned to become invisible. It was the best option I had at the time. I didn’t talk. I didn’t ask for anything. I didn’t matter. I escaped into comic books. It started with my grandmother’s giant stash in the top of the hallway closet I couldn’t reach. I would always ask her if I could read them. When she was in a good mood she would say yes. I would sneak and read them when she said no. When she took her own life, I took as many as I could at the time to keep forever and have a piece of her always. I’ve always kept them somewhere I can see them. Honestly, I didn’t just write this movie for my son... I wrote, acted in, Co produced, and did the soundtrack for this short film for the kid inside me.. the one that didn’t think he had a purpose or a reason to be here. That didn’t think he could really do anything... that didn’t think he had anything to offer worth sharing or that anyone would care. I’m showing and proving to him how wrong they were. (at South Mountain, Phoenix) https://www.instagram.com/p/CSnKnsTJb32/?utm_medium=tumblr

This Kelil signing his first contract in 2019 with some assistance from me that I negotiated to give him a higher rate of pay than most adults make including me on this project, to star in Markus Knight, superhero origin story that I wrote inspired by us. His contract included the cost of all his vegan meals and even a RV trailer for him to have on set for filming when we needed it. Not bad for a first time agent. Me and @mangoskiesfilms finally finished it after being shut down for an entire year due to COVID, and now it has been officially submitted to multiple film festivals. @atlantafilmfestival @bkscififilmfest @nyshortfilmfest @dublinindependentfilmfestival @chicagoundergroundfilmfest The feedback has been great so far, so I’m excited to see what happens next and for y’all to see it too! (at South Mountain, Phoenix) https://www.instagram.com/p/CSh0aXBBpmT/?utm_medium=tumblr

Ain’t no mountain high enough... (at Bisbee, Arizona) https://www.instagram.com/p/CRaOrLzsSnh/?utm_medium=tumblr

#BlackBalloonsChallenge