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Live with CMAF: Malachi Wright ✅🦅
Recorded: Sept. 14, 2023 Duration: 0:40:33Space Recording
Full Transcription
Good afternoon, everybody.
Good afternoon.
We got another champ of DC Arts Fund drop with Malachi.
Malachi Wright, that is.
Young Goat.
Marissa.
What's going on?
Renee.
We all up here.
How y'all doing?
How everybody doing?
What's up, Malachi?
Man, I'm feeling well, bro.
How about you?
You know me, man.
I'm over here in Asia trying to maintain, moving and grooving through the city, trying to get like you, brother.
Got you.
I'm trying to get like you.
It's all love.
It's all love.
It's all love.
Nah, but bro, that art piece you did, that motherfucker's sweet.
Like, you did your thing, bro.
Like, the whole, that motherfucker's sweet.
I don't want to just jump right into it, but I just wanted to tell you, like, on some real shit, you did your thing, bro.
Like, we want some hard copies of that motherfucker, and we want to put them on the wall.
Oh, yeah.
So, we're going to have to figure that out.
Oh, come on.
We're going to get that done, for sure.
You already know that.
Marissa, I'm going to let you take it from here, baby.
Renee.
Hello.
First of all, it's great to have you in Singapore.
It's not very often that everyone stateside actually comes to this end of the world, so it's awesome to have you on the island.
And Malachi, it's awesome to meet you, too.
I know we spoke yesterday very briefly, but I'm excited to get into it and to really unpack a lot of the work that you've just done in the artistic space.
So, for everyone who has joined us, first of all, good evening, good morning, whatever time zone you're in, welcome to this Twitter space.
My name is Marissa True.
I'm your host today.
I'm usually the host of TED Talks Radio, which is the global TEDxOS podcast.
So, if you haven't checked it out already, please do so.
But, of course, today's not about that.
We're here with Champ Medici.
We're here with Malachi Wright.
We're all here to talk about the Champ Medici Arts Fund.
For those of you who might be new to TEDxOS, new to this space, the Champ Medici Arts Fund is basically a philanthropic effort of up to a million dollars in funding
geared to supporting emergency, sorry, emergency, emerging and legacy musicians and artists across the world
who are basically interested in building and creating new and creative cultural works on the Tezos blockchain.
So, it's this beautiful fusion of art, Wear3, blockchain, crypto, and Champ, you know this world better than most.
So, before we get to you, Malachi, Champ, I want to keep this conversation on you.
And can you just tell us real quick what the Champ Medici Arts Fund is all about and what motivated you to start it?
Well, really, it's accelerated for artists, you know, that don't really understand the blockchain and that felt like they weren't included in the conversation.
And we wanted to empower artists from, you know, communities all around the globe and artists that look like you and I.
And, you know, Malachi was actually doing artwork for Snoop personally.
That's how I met Malachi.
He had did an art piece of, like, some of the...
He actually did an art piece for my father, I think, for his album.
Correct me if I'm wrong, Malachi.
Yeah, I did the I Want to Thank Me cover.
Yeah, so, the I Want to Thank Me cover came out in, like, 2019.
2019.
2019, so, I didn't even know he did that.
I just always thought that album cover was so hard.
Because, like, he was able to capture every different decade of my father's career and they all sat at a table.
So, and it was just so, like, compelling to me.
So, after I seen that, I just always was, like, wondering who did that.
So, fast forward to about, I believe, last year he came over to the house and he did a one-of-one for my father, a 420.
And he, like, some of the greatest stoners, all in one room.
Rihanna, Michael Phelps, Bob Marley, Wiz Khalifa.
Everybody in one room, you know, blazing up.
And it was so, like, it was so just vivid.
Like, you could really feel that picture.
And from there, I was just, like, I need to find out who this motherfucker is.
So, Pops called me.
And I believe Malachi was there.
And I'm, like, man, bro, your shit is hard.
Like, I want to buy one, too.
Like, everybody was just, you know, getting on the train to support Malachi.
And I'm, like, I know how to really support you.
And so, you know, I pulled him to the side and told him, like, look, I need you to be, you know, a part of this Champ of the D.C. Arts Fund because you embody everything, you know, that this fund stands for.
And we want to empower you and we want to help, you know, expand your platform and expand your art in regions that you may have, you know, not been able to, you know, communicate to.
So, he was real receptive and he trusted us with the process and, you know, he smashed it, like, from top to bottom.
Right.
So, there's, like, a lot of serendipity in, I guess, both your history and then coming up to this moment.
But, Malachi, can you tell me your story?
Like, what's your journey as an artist?
Because, obviously, you know, Champ has just showered you in a lot of accolades.
But where did this all begin for you?
I've really been creating art just as soon as I came out the womb, for the most part, is the way I look at it.
You know, my mom, she's an artist.
My brother, he's an artist.
My father, he's a carpenter.
So, I really come from that family of artists.
And when it comes to, like, really tapping into, like, the business aspect of art and really just even just showing people my artwork, that's something I've always really just wanted to do.
Like, when I would create a new piece, I would just always, you know, trying to show the next person.
So, you know, when the social media era came into play, I was just excited to be able to share my artwork on such a global scale.
And then being able to just develop a group of supporters and people just backing me and reaching so many people, it's been a blessing.
Because fifth grade is when I really, you know, officially started selling my work.
And in middle school, everything just grew and grew.
And I was able to just, you know, make more connections, have popular pieces.
And to this point, honestly, it's been a blessing.
I think I'm just working to get to the point to just have me be recognized and associate even more with my artwork that I've been creating over this time.
Right.
So, you started super young.
And I guess over the course of your lifetime, like, you really built an audience, a community, almost even a fan base for everything that you do.
But especially given you came from such a creative world as it related to your own family.
But, like, when you speak of these works, like, what was it that really captured your attention?
Like, what was the thing that you were trying to embody or the message you were trying to put across for your work?
Like, I feel like in every piece I'm creating, it's almost just like a reflection of the life that I'm living, whether it's of somebody else.
Because either that person has inspired me in some way or it's just something that, you know what I'm saying, I'm influenced by.
Just, like, because a lot of my work is, I feel like, pop culture influenced, whether that be entertainment and music or, like, some sort of acting or movies or TV show.
Just, you know, anything that I'm watching or listening to this.
I listen to a lot of music, so, like, if I'm drawing a piece, like, I want to thank me cover, I'm listening to Snoop the entire time that I'm drawing.
Just like these, the NFT collection, I was listening to a lot of death row artists just listening to straight Tupac, Snoop, you know what I'm saying, Dr. Dre the entire time that I'm creating these pieces to really, like, tap into the world that I'm trying to bring to people.
And I really just feel like, through my artwork, I've been able to create imagery that people, not necessarily what I've thought of, but when it's put together, it all makes sense.
That's amazing.
And what I love is that there's a almost direct relationship between your inspiration and how it carries through to your work.
And as you were saying, I mean, like, we're in the company of Snoop Dogg right now, one of your primary inspirations.
So, and the fact that you've had the opportunity to work directly together must have been an amazing feeling.
But what else does this work, like, represent to you?
Like, when you complete a piece, what's the main feeling that you get or what do you take away from that experience?
Really just satisfaction, being able to create something that people enjoy, you know what I'm saying?
Like, being able to create a piece that of Snoop Dogg and off back, you know what I'm saying, get his attention or of anyone.
And then just have somebody be that receptive to something I created, something I'm just honestly, you know, grateful for.
Because at the end of the day, creating any kind of artwork or imagery is something I do, you know what I'm saying, because I enjoy it.
And so tell me about the collection that you've actually minted for Object.com.
I know it's titled America's Most Wanted Redemption.
For those of you who haven't actually taken a look at the collection, you can click the link that's pinned at the top of the Twitter space.
I highly recommend that you do.
But, yeah, talk me through this collection and, like, what inspired you and what's the message that you want to put across with it?
Yeah.
So the title of the collection is America's Most Wanted Redemption.
And really just the inspiration comes from a conversation I was having with Champ just upon receiving, you know what I'm saying, the fun.
And we were just kind of speaking on, you know what I'm saying, the whole idea of what the fun is, you know what I'm saying, and how I can approach doing something like this.
So off back, it was something I was excited to do.
And I think just with the connection of Champ and Snoop, I really wanted to tie in the death row aspect off back.
And we spoke on it being the 50th anniversary of hip-hop and just knowing that that could be, like, just a perfect something, you know what I'm saying, really to play with, you know what I'm saying?
Because just of the, I guess, the popularity of that and then just the relationship, you feel me?
So I feel like just building that piece, it kind of just spiraled from one idea of maybe including these artists and really just locking in, okay, I'm going to do something centered with West Coast artists and try to focus primarily on death row artists or artists who were, in a way, inspired by death row.
And I feel like just when it comes to music, death row plays a role of inspiration for the majority of the music that we're hearing today because we know how strong Snoop and Tupac and Dr. J's influence have been to really all of hip-hop.
And I feel like that's something I wanted to show within these pieces and really just show how that, even that old Western, that wild, wild, wild, wild West is something that really even plays another influence in terms of hip-hop in the West Coast.
And I feel like it's something that's always referred to within, you know what I'm saying, West Coast rap.
So I feel like just really visually showing those worlds is something I wanted to do with the collection.
Right. So there's like a huge tribute to the history of hip-hop, which is really amazing to have within the Web3 space because obviously everyone's looking at Web3 and NFTs and the metaverse as this potential to, I guess, channel culture in a digital way.
And a huge part of that's going to be representation.
And given how major hip-hop has been on culture worldwide, it makes so much sense that there's a huge place for it in it.
But when you were manifesting this piece, did you have an idea in mind of how you wanted it to exist within the Web3 world?
And like from this point and from this experience, do you think that this is just the beginning of your adventures and crafting your art in a much more digital way?
Yeah, I feel like going into the Web3 space, for me, off back, this is a new experience.
So in creating these pieces, I really just was going in with the mindset, OK, this is something new for me.
I knew I was going to be a real learning experience and I knew I was going to be learning about a lot about this space, how my work would exist.
And ultimately, I feel like at the conclusion of completing these pieces, I see that I'm probably going to be able to learn a lot from even seeing how other people operate and maneuver in the space and just being able to learn from them.
And I think really, I'm just excited now to really like kind of dive into it a little more now that I've completed the pieces and I can really go into that world a little more.
But before this entire adventure, before you, you know, you and Champ worked together to become a part of the Champ Medici Arts Fund, what was your experience of Web3 and NFTs?
Did you have any feelings about it?
You know, how did that happen?
Prior to this collection, I was able to collaborate with a business partner of mine named Joshua Tatum on an NFT collection that he was doing called Crypto Monk.
So that was my first really introduction into really doing something that was, you know what I'm saying, involved in sort of the NFT space.
And I was able to just see how we were doing some of the things like, you know what I'm saying, discussions like this and really trying to bring people on board and really teach people about what's really going on about and how they could benefit from these things.
So I feel like that was really one of my earliest moments is just learning how the Web3 space works.
And I think for me, I play more of the role of just simply illustrating the pieces in that project.
So I feel like this project, I'm now going to be able to tap more into that actual, okay, seeing how other people are really maneuvering in this space, you know, and how I can learn from them and do the same thing.
Right. So it wasn't your first foray, but I guess this was the major solo project that you've pursued.
Exactly.
And so has this experience encouraged you to experiment a little bit more?
And what does that look like?
Like, where do you want to take this adventure next?
Definitely.
I think I just want to continue to build more collections and just seeing how other people are working in this space.
And I feel like just navigating all sorts of just the Web3 in general with the platforms that we're using and other ones as well and just seeing how they are different, how they're the same.
Because the NFT space is something I guess has been around for years now, but it's growing constantly.
You feel me?
It's changing.
And I feel like any time I hear something about it, it's something different.
Somebody might have one opinion about it this way and another opinion about it the next.
But I think for me, it's something to constantly keep learning about.
It's something I feel like you've got to pay attention to often or you could get lost.
But I think I'm trying to now stay as focused on it as much as possible and continue to, you know what I'm saying, capitalize off it the most I can right now.
And obviously, I think many people within this space have found it tougher as of late.
I mean, everyone's kind of discussing the fact that we are in a bear market, which means that dabbling in this world of NFTs, PFPs, collectibles, artwork has become, I guess, a bit more of a risky venture.
But at the same time, it's the perfect opportunity to jump in because you're really coming in at the deep end.
How have you found, you know, building your community and your audience within this space?
Like, what has the reception been when you put out your artwork?
I mean, I feel like it's been fresh.
You know what I'm saying?
It's been really growing at this point.
I've always been able to get, you know, people really, you know what I'm saying, involved in the pieces and really trying to figure out what's going on.
So I think now it's more so bringing that one audience into this, another space, if that makes sense.
Like, bringing them from one area, it's okay.
It's here, you know what I'm saying?
This is where you see this stuff.
This is where the NFT actually is.
This is how you could really, you know, I guess, support me in this way.
You know what I'm saying?
So I really, it's just bringing the audience into another direction.
And this question applies to the Web 1, Web 2 world as much as it applies to Web 3 world.
But who are some of the artists and the creators that maybe work with a similar medium to your own that really inspire you?
Man, it's various artists on social media that I really look at.
I feel like outside of the NFT space, one of my closest inspirations in terms of somebody just doing artwork in general has to be my mother and my brother.
Because they are constantly, we are learning from each other, you know, bouncing ideas off of one another.
My mom, she's always bringing to me ideas about things that she's seeing what's going on in the NFT space.
She's trying to learn about it.
And my brother, they're doing the same thing.
So I feel like just having that connection of, you know, the artists in the household, we're there.
But oftentimes really work with one another and be inspired off each other, even within the same arenas.
That's amazing, especially given that a lot of your inspiration comes from your mother and your own family.
I think that's beautiful.
In terms of sort of what's exciting you most about this space and like where you plan to go next, what are you focused on?
I think really just seeing how things are received within the actual NFT space, like the work that I'm put out over time.
Just seeing how people, how engaged people are to actually, okay, I want to grab one of these NFTs and see the value grow over time.
You know what I'm saying?
Just really seeing how people react to that, rather than it just being different from, you know, being in the physical sense of artwork.
You know what I'm saying?
Just seeing how much people are able to really invest into that digital space.
So very much playing, I guess, the long game and starting out at the very bottom floor where this technology is still super new to most.
So I think a lot of people are still kind of coming to grips with what it means for themselves as an appreciator of your art, as a collector of your art.
Have you guys, have you had any like direct conversations, I guess, with your, with your audience and collector base about how they feel about your work and as NFTs?
I haven't really had any direct conversations with any people that are invested into this space.
One, because I feel like it's fairly, fairly new.
The collection just dropped yesterday.
So I think that's something that I'm going to be able to experience more of over the coming weeks, really.
And also, this is something that we discussed yesterday, which was the, I guess, the composition of your work and taking super familiar figures and super familiar scenes, but juxtaposing them together.
So there was almost like a disconnect where you felt familiar and unfamiliar at the same time.
Can you talk us through like the method of your work?
Yeah, I feel like oftentimes when it comes to just conceptualizing an image, I might find, like, I'm just going to work with the I Want to Thank Me piece.
Like that picture was just inspired off the famous image of the dogs playing poker.
And when I see an image like that off the back, I know the first thing I thought of was Snoop Dogg.
And that was like a concept that I had been sitting on for like, I almost could say like a year before that I actually did it.
And I feel like it was perfect timing that I did it at the time that I did it just because, okay, Snoop needed the album.
So I'm like, okay, perfect.
You know what I'm saying?
But just the concepts really grow from just maybe seeing something like that.
You know what I'm saying?
I feel like how can I tap these two worlds that aren't related for real, but they really are kind of related.
You know what I'm saying?
So really even like a lot of photography is really how I find a lot of my inspiration.
Even now, I feel like tapping into this next stage of my artistry, I've been wanting to work with my own photography more and how I can use my pictures and turn them into artwork and create those same kind of energy.
But also just building the images from the ground up with actual people that I know, like having somebody I know pose for me and create this images are really just started from the ground up.
But some of my images I made just, it may be something from my idea in my head.
Like I got the comedians playing in the barbershop.
That picture was just something I was inspired off from being in the barbershops, spending a lot of time watching stand-up comedy.
I watched the Deaf Comedy Jam special.
I seen a lot of comedians on there and that really just sparked the inspiration for that piece.
You know what I'm saying?
And just being able to build that world from the ground up and really position people how I want them.
That's really how it all comes to play, just pulling inspiration from everywhere.
And I think another awesome thing about your work is that it, like we said before, it kind of injects a lot of hip-hop culture and hip-hop history.
And it's like its impact on the world within a Web3 space, which like, let's be honest, has had a bit of a diversity problem.
And so when you account for that, like, do you feel, I guess, this sense of the impact that you're having on this space by just contributing a form of art that is just so drastically different to a lot of the artists that have dabbled in this space?
Yeah, honestly, that kind of was something I was just thinking on, just honestly, a couple of days ago, just seeing how a lot of the work that I create is very different from a lot of the other NFTs that are out there,
whether that being just the concepts in general, you know what I'm saying?
It's not too many NFTs that are really using, like, notable figures, you know what I'm saying, as the references, you know what I'm saying?
So I feel like it's going to be cool to see how that's received and how people see, okay, what does the ownership of this NFT mean?
The artwork is, does it have a different meaning because of, you know what I'm saying, what it's representing?
You know what I'm saying? I think that's just going to be something interesting to see how it's received.
Yeah, because I think it's one of those tricky debates where it's like, as an artist, it's not necessarily your duty nor your responsibility to contribute diversity,
but at the same time, you provide a lot just by your presence.
And it's always better to participate than to let this sort of, I guess, you know, let this movement run off without taking account of the fact that this is a world for everyone and all of us have our claim to it, I guess.
And so it is important whether it was intentional or not, you know what I mean?
Exactly.
So then I know we have a lot of people dialing in right now, and I kind of want to take the opportunity to open this up to anyone in the audience who might have a question that they'd like to ask Malachi.
Please make yourselves known.
I'm not sure if we have any speaker requests to come through or if we can just push ahead.
I'll give it one extra minute and then we'll continue on.
Cool.
Okay.
So I guess the major question is, what's next for you?
I feel like it's just more.
Right now, obviously, I'm focusing on graduating school, so that's one of my number one priorities.
And I feel like just after graduating school, I plan on, you know what I'm saying, just elevating even more.
You know what I'm saying?
I'm really working towards developing a children's show, which is one of my biggest ideas that I've been working on behind the scenes.
And I feel like after I graduate in school, that's something I'm going to be able to lock in on 100%.
And really just serving God always.
You know what I'm saying?
That's always my number one intention and my number one goal in life.
So just continue to do more and grow.
And I'm really looking forward to tapping into the animated space more, making my artwork move and whatnot.
I know Procreate is dropping a new animated software.
So that's something I'm really excited about and just really moving towards that.
Tell me a bit more about this vision or this project that you're building.
So basically, I'm working on a children's show.
I'm not going to speak too much on it, but I could give like a brief concept on it.
But it's called Little Mal's Canvas.
And I plan on just bringing the character Little Mal to the world soon, just seeing how people receive him.
But Little Mal is basically an inspiration of a young me.
And I want to just, you know, be able to teach different children life lessons through me and Little Mal, going on different adventures with one another.
Just inspiring the youth of being themselves, you know what I'm saying?
Maximizing their talents, maximizing their gifts, and really just maximizing their circumstances.
Just making nothing into something.
Because I feel like that's something I had to do a lot in my come up, you know what I'm saying?
Just really making the most of what I was offered, you know what I'm saying?
And that I really want the world to be similar to that Sesame Street type of world, you know what I'm saying?
Bringing that in, you know what I'm saying?
And really just bringing something that I feel like we really need in this world by tapping into anything that's really popular right now.
And really just maximizing that in a way that we know that children are going to receive.
But just sending them a message that's positive off back and something that they need to hear.
Mm-hmm.
So it's very much sort of taking care of the next generation by giving them, I guess, the media to kind of inspire them to kind of keep pushing and keep working hard in this world.
Definitely.
And so what actually inspired that?
Like, can you share the moment where this sort of crystallized in your mind as something that you wanted to create and to pursue?
Yeah, it really was like a concept that came to me during like the COVID times.
I was, you know, out of school or just, you know what I'm saying, spending a lot of time at home.
And it was the year I graduated high school.
And I kind of was just spending a lot of time really just thinking.
I remember one day, it was right before one of my friend's trunk party.
And the idea kind of just came because it was this picture that somebody had created of me.
Actually, another artist created a drawing of me and a young character.
Like, it would look like a young version of me sitting on my shoulder.
And once I seen that image, it kind of like just really inspired me.
I've always been somebody who really like just enjoy being around children and just helping teach people, you know what I'm saying, things that they need to know.
Like spending a lot of time in high school going back to elementary schools and the middle schools and just talking to the kids and teaching to them.
That's something I've always really enjoyed.
And I always wanted to find a way to really just all of my things, everything that I'm passionate about, just really fuse that into one.
And I feel like this was a concept that really did that.
And I feel like off back when I thought of it, I knew this is God sending me something that I had to lock in on.
So it was like a divine symbol that you sort of needed to play this active role model for the next generation.
And the best way to communicate your message was through this work.
Exactly.
So then is this something and it might be too soon to ask, but I'll ask it anyway.
Is this something that you would like to fuse with the Web3 space?
Like, would you want this series, this animation to exist as an NFT or are you still kind of experimenting with the idea?
Yeah, I think early on, actually, when I first was thinking of the concept and really when the NFT space was very new,
I was kind of really meditating on the idea of how I could fuse the show with NFT space.
And I think it would be very easy to do that with just the characters, introducing the characters in a way, introducing different animations in a way through the NFT space.
And just that being a way that people could really connect and really find some sort of, you know, have that really physical connection with the show that's developing.
So if this is sort of your long-term vision and then we've got America's Most Wanted Redemption available to us now,
what are some of the other things that you're working on that, you know,
you think people should be kind of keeping their finger on the pulse for and making sure that they keep track of?
Really just more art, more.
I feel like everything is growing.
Everything is growing.
The ideas are developing every day for new pieces, new people to collab with.
So I think a lot of collaboration for sure in the future is one thing that I'm excited about doing.
And so I'm just looking forward to more, just really, really putting myself out there in the world and letting people really see that true connection of these are the pieces that we've seen before.
And this is the person who created that.
That's amazing.
I think that's one of those rare occasions where you really have this sort of clear vision, this clear mission, and this clear idea of like what you actually want to contribute to the world.
And I want to say the term give back, but at the same time, you know, you're so young, you're still coming, you're still wrapping up school that you're already giving more than I think the world has given you back.
So it's an interesting, it's an interesting position to be in.
And it's like, it's a very noble one.
So I hope you know that.
And then, listen, like, there are so many roads that we could go down with this conversation.
And sometimes I find myself struggling to decide which question I want to ask next.
But what I figured is I'd like to kind of give you the opportunity to share anything that we've failed to touch upon through the course of this chat.
You know, any statements you want to make or any messages you really want to give to our audience.
And I really could, off back, I just want to say that I'm thankful to Champ for just bringing this opportunity to me.
And then just the relationship that I've been able to develop with him and Snoop has been one that I'm forever grateful for.
You can ask anybody that's around me.
You know, it's one of those things that you really don't think about happening and then it happens.
And you feel like, okay, this is really supposed to happen.
You feel me?
So it's like I'm grateful to just see how pure they is.
You know what I'm saying?
There's two pure souls willing to, you know what I'm saying, do the same thing that I'm trying to do is really just give back and spread love for us.
I think that's just something I'm excited about because me and my brothers have been working to build this organization called Golden Street.
We're trying to do the same thing recently.
We had a Back to School Fest and we were giving out free book bags and food to people within our community in Roseland.
And really just trying to, you know what I'm saying, uplift the community and spread light on, you know what I'm saying, the arts and the music and things that are really going on in this world and really just trying to be that beacon of hope.
That's amazing.
I think that's so beautifully put as well because it's this idea that, again, your sense of purpose is total clarity.
And that's I think that is a privilege to have at this stage in your life, because, you know, some people live their entire lives without any of that clarity.
So I think that's a wonderful thing.
To the people who are listening, our audience members, I just want to remind everyone that they should absolutely check out the America's Most Wanted Redemption collection.
The link is pinned.
It is on object.com.
And all of the pieces that you see there are available to be collected.
They can be bought through a Kukai wallet, which is easy to set up.
It's a Tezos-based crypto wallet.
And you can use that using your social media logins so that you don't have to deal with the complex passwords that everyone has come to know and love in the crypto space.
But I highly encourage you to check it out.
You know, pick up maybe one of your favorite pieces and keep it for life.
Because, as Malachi said, like the message is much deeper than just the aesthetic of the art piece itself.
And I think it's very, very worthwhile.
So please do check it out.
Before we wrap up, I want to ask if you've encountered some of the other artists that are within the Champ Medici Arts Fund and how you guys come together as your own sort of community.
Do you know them at all?
Have you guys engaged?
I actually haven't been really able to connect with too many.
But in the past, I was able to.
I did an image of Reggie Coors.
And he was able to get his attention with the artwork that I created some years ago.
So I was able to develop a little relationship with him.
And it's kind of just been a beautiful full circle moment to see that he was somebody to also receive the grant.
You know what I'm saying?
It's cool to see the different mediums that everybody is really tapping into.
I was just looking at the different artists and seeing what they were doing and what kind of art they were creating.
And just seeing how people were doing music and just digital imagery of different sorts.
You know what I'm saying?
And so all that stuff was just, it was inspiring really because it's like, man, it's so many different kind of creators out here.
And everybody is doing it in a unique way.
And to be a part of it and a part of it and associated with that group of people, I was just honestly grateful, you know?
So I guess it's kind of this idea of rubbing shoulders with creators that perhaps you've admired from afar for a really long time.
And now you are very much within the same grouping and you guys are working towards almost like a collective mission, don't you think?
Exactly.
That's really what it seems like.
That's awesome.
And I guess it kind of boils back down to this idea of community, which you were speaking of.
Whether it's, you know, giving school supplies and backpacks to children within your community or whether it's fostering and supporting fellow artists around you, you know, Web3 or NoWeb3.
So I guess those are the bonds that, you know, take you through life, no?
It is.
So then I'm assuming you're currently based in the West Coast.
I'm going to guess California.
Yeah.
Right now I'm at home in Chicago, but I do go to school at UCLA.
I'll be back then next week, actually.
And when's graduation for you?
In June.
Looking forward to it.
It's so soon.
Okay.
So it's like the final mile.
Yeah.
What was your degree in the end?
Design and media arts.
Okay.
So it's really the same thing that I'm doing.
So more fuel to the fire and basically giving you like the perfect toolbox for everything that you want to create.
Exactly.
And then any chances that you're going to be traveling worldwide anytime soon?
You're going to venture to Europe, to Asia, maybe visit Singapore the same way Champ has?
I have to.
I've been pulling all the inspiration.
Every time I watch Champ's story, I'm just inspired.
Like, man, I got to be where he at.
You feel me?
Well, listen, Malachi, this conversation has been amazing and it's been really cool to understand the inspiration behind your work, your purpose, and also, you know, the entire experience that you've had in minting your NFTs, not just in this project, but the one prior as well.
So I do really want to take a moment to thank you for taking the time to really share and tell your story.
I appreciate that so much.
It's been an amazing conversation.
Well, thank you.
That's a compliment to me as well.
So to everyone else.
I want to say, Malachi, you a student of the game, bro.
You're going to be a legend in this shit.
You really took this song by the horns.
You wasn't afraid to fail.
And you inspiring me, bro.
Like, keep doing your thing.
And I hope that as many other kids around the world that's watching what you're doing and going to follow in your footsteps, because you're definitely a game changer, bro.
This is just the beginning.
That's love, bro.
I appreciate that a lot.
It's a beautiful friendship, and I'm glad all of us are actually here to witness it.
So thank you guys for being so open about your connection.
I think that's beautiful.
To everyone who has dialed in and taken the time to listen to this conversation, thank you so much for being here.
Of course, as I said, please, please, please do check out Malachi's artwork on object.com.
It's called America's Most Wanted Redemption.
It is beautiful.
All of the pieces are available to collect now.
It's very easy for you to set up a Kukai wallet using your social logins.
So really, there's nothing that's standing in your way from owning one of these wonderful pieces.
If there's anything else that you'd like to add before we go, Malachi?
Man, just like you said, please check out the collection.
I think it's beautiful.
It's a beautiful collaboration.
It's a beautiful experience, and it's just something beautifully that's shared with the world.
And really, when you see these pieces, just analyze them and think to yourself, what do you think they mean?
And just appreciate them awesomely.
And I just thank you to everybody for your time.
Guys, thank you so much.
We'll be back very soon with more and more stories from the Chapmedici Arts Fund.
But until then, we will see you later.
We'll be back.
We'll be back.
