0:00AI had to stop my job while I was doing because I realized that it drew me away from fashion.
0:06MaceoThey give enough time to crypto. A lot of them have disposable income, like why they’re there in the first place to figure out what they can do with disposable income with their portfolios.
0:13AI didn’t even know anything like that. I didn’t even know I could make money for my music.
0:17MaceoReally? Until when?
0:18AUntil two years ago. Look out for grants and I’m like, do something like grants. I applied for it and then they called me and I got it and I’m like, okay, as a creative, just don’t stop
0:31MaceoWhat’s up everybody, I’m Maceo, welcome to another episode of We Them Nicas And this past summer I traveled to Africa for the first time, specifically to Lagos and Abuja, Nigeria This journey was all about connecting with the incredible members of our We Them Media community And deepening our partnership with Creative Alchemy, a community deeply aligned with our mission to bring artists, Nigerian communities I didn’t clap this one, but what’s up everybody and welcome to another episode, today I’m here with Gneric, founding member, community member, early member of Creative Alchemy, how would you describe your role, level of leadership in Creative Alchemy?
1:14ASo I’m a community member of Creative Alchemy, I met Kujba and then she kept talking about it like Creative Alchemy, this is who we are, this is what we do, and she kept talking about next year. And I’m like, okay, I want to meet her next year. I was so eager to meet her next year because of everything I heard from Kushba about her. And when she told me about the community, I’m like, okay, I need to be a part of this because I loved the idea. I loved every single part of it. And I just, I just felt like I needed to be a part of it.
1:45AAnd so that’s how I got involved. And I got into the group chats and I was seeing all the activities going on. And I’m like, okay, This is cool because I found out about Web3 a couple of weeks. I’ve been in crypto for a while. I’ve known about crypto for a while, but I didn’t know that there was something called Web3. So I had found out about Web3 a couple of weeks before I met Kushbar, which was in, I think, February, March, right? And then that was when we had the conversation. So when she was talking about Web3, she was talking about the Near Protocol, I’m like, okay, so I’m not crazy because I was living in the studio and every time I was I was talking about Web3, Web3, Web3.
1:45ANobody was really understanding what I was saying. It felt like I was speaking an alien language that nobody understood. But when I met her and then she was also talking about the Web3 Near Protocol, I’m like, okay, great. This is actually something. And when she told me about the creative alchemy and the entire vision behind it, I was like, okay, I have to be here. So that’s why I got involved.
2:49MaceoI appreciate you more into that, but it sounds like beyond that, I know you’re also a fashion designer, you spend time as a battle rapper, you’re a musician, you’re well-rounded, what do you feel like, right now, is your main focus, you would say, fashion design, that’s right now, the completion of your attention?
3:05AYes, actually, fashion and music because I like that. I’ve always loved fashion, man. I’ve always loved it. I’ve always loved the idea of piecing several pieces of outfit together, putting them on and looking really good. So it has always been a part of me. But it’s actually been a passion that I’m really, I became really interested in chasing. Music has always been a part of me. I can’t let go of that part of me. So yes, music, but majorly right now, majorly fashion, because I feel like most of the things I’ve been doing recently have been drawn way more to my fashion as before. So yes.
3:45MaceoAnd like, how did you come to find a passion for fashion?
3:48AI like that. I had to stop my job that I was doing because I realized that it drew me away from fashion because I was working at a store, it’s called Fashion Town. We sold fashion accessories and fabrics and all. So being in that space, I was really in there. That was when I started sewing and then all of that. So I was more connected with fashion then. But then they opened another store and then they were selling drinks and food items. And they needed me to still manage that store along with the fashion store. But when I started managing that store, it took me away from that particular fashion environment.
4:24ASo I felt depressed for a while while I was working there because I felt incomplete. I loved my job. I was working like tirelessly, but then it got to a point I felt lost. I felt like there’s something I’m supposed to be doing and I’m not doing it. And that period, I actually wasn’t doing as much music as I should be doing. So, I feel all of those are just what it entails for me that I’ve always had a passion for fashion
4:57MaceoAnd what about music? Where did that inspiration, where did that passion come from?
5:01AMusic, I’ve been doing music since I was a child I literally went to join the choir because I love music So I’ve always been doing music, I’ve always had a passion for music too And me doing it professionally or even uploading my song on platforms was just recently I didn’t even know anything like that existed, I didn’t even know I could make money for my music
5:22MaceoReally? Until when?
5:23AUntil two years ago
5:25MaceoI feel like that’s crazy, I feel like in America, I feel like every rap, that’s the whole premise is that you can make money as a musician
5:30AOh my god, I never really had that mindset of I could make money from my music It was when I discovered I could make money from my music, I was like, okay, this is so cool I could actually make money from this, but I’ve always just made music because I love it I’ve always been a writer, so I’ve just been drawn to it It wasn’t really about the money. It was when I discovered there was actually money and I was like, okay, so I’m not wasting my time. I thought it was just about doing music and getting signed to a record label.
5:58MaceoYeah. I hear what you’re saying. And so you mean like, you know, you didn’t think necessarily that you personally can make money from your music. Is that more so what you mean? Yeah. That makes a lot more sense to me. I can see that. I feel like the premise that like I can make money from my freedom niggas podcast and do things feels like surreal even now, but I feel like I’ve thought about what’s exciting about this Web3 space. I feel like finding people that want to support you, I feel like you can put your music up anywhere, I feel like. And that’s cool, like my videos on YouTube, but I feel like everybody on YouTube isn’t there thinking about whether or not they’re going to put, like, what they’re going to do with lots of money.
6:04MaceoI feel like people in crypto are kind of people that have, like, they give enough time to crypto. A lot of them have disposable income. That’s why they’re there in the first place to figure out what they can do with disposable income, with their portfolios, how they can invest and stuff like that. So I think it’s cool to all of a sudden feel like, even though it feels very casual, You’re in front of an audience who’s thinking, like, what do I do with my money? Which is, like, the opposite, I feel like, of every other social media platform. I feel like people, like, see the ads, but they’re, like, not looking for the ads.
6:55MaceoExactly. Outside of music, do you do a lot of other writing?
6:58AI write pieces of how I feel. Like,
7:01Maceopoetry? Poetry, yes. And how long have you been doing that?
7:05AI’ve always been writing. Since my secondary school days, I’ve been writing.
7:10MaceoAnd who are people that kind of inspired you to start writing poetry?
7:13AI think it was the kind of songs I was listening to. Rap, obviously. I listen to Eminem. I listen to Eva Alordiah. She’s a female rapper. She’s a Nigerian female rapper.
7:26MaceoOkay. So what captivated you about her? I don’t know anything about her. Her flow.
7:31AHer flow. She knows how to flow so good. She’s so good with her flows. That’s what captivated me to her. And I felt in my spirit, I felt like Eva Alordiah was going to be one of those. She was going to be the first female to win a Grammy. And? Well, I don’t know what happened with her. She just went to M.I.A for a while. Then she came back again and started Demi. So obviously she took a break to find herself. That was what happened with her. So she came back. But since she came back, I’ve not really been following her journey and all. But she has been dropping songs again.
7:46ABut you know that thing of there’s a buzz about you at this point in time and then all of a sudden you just, I don’t know. I don’t know what happened with her for real and I never really took out time to go find out because that
8:18Maceogoes on I mean that’s okay though I feel like I don’t feel like I can’t really ask think of an artist that I haven’t like kept up with I feel like I’m such like a music nerd I feel like if I start listening to someone I feel like there’s like bands I feel like there’s like the one today saying like glad you came but I feel like I was never I feel like there’s like artists that I become like somewhat fans of but I feel like if I become like a real fan of them and like I know where they’re at right now in life I feel like If they’re like not my everyday cup of tea though, then I feel like I’m in the same boat Do you feel like there was an album in particular that she released that really captivated you?
8:18MaceoNo, not really.
8:51AIt was just, listening to her and every song was just cool for me But there was not really one project I would say was the thing that really drew me to her
8:59MaceoWhat about Eminem? I’m sorry mama,
9:03Athat was a song
9:06MaceoCleaning out my closet, that’s a good song, that’s a good song I feel like he was really like one of the first rappers that I listened to a lot When I was in middle school, my mom didn’t listen to rap music at all. She was like, rap music? Negative. It was Taylor Swift. It was whatever pop country music the radio was playing. I was like, okay, this is music. And then I discovered that was not music. I think the first rap song I feel like I heard and was like, what is this? It was Versace with Migos and Drake. I don’t know if you know that song.
9:06MaceoBut that was the beginning of me and the kid in my middle school who showed me Eminem didn’t expect me to come back in two weeks and know every Eminem song. and I was like, I didn’t know Spotify existed. But here I am. I feel like, what was your introduction like to hip-hop?
9:46AMy introduction to hip-hop, I’m thinking about that now. It was Eminem really, Tupac. My elder brothers loved Tupac. So they were mostly listening to his songs in the house. So that was how I knew about hip-hop. And I loved how rappers were able to say a lot more than people that just sing songs. Because when I listen to rappers, I could hear them addressing something, and I could literally hear them speak their heart about certain things, especially societal norms and a lot of other things. So that was what drew me to hip-hop. So that was my introduction to hip-hop. Two parts of my introduction to hip-hop.
9:46AAnd what about battle rap? Battle Rap. I started battling in To Go. I don’t know if you know To Go. It’s a social media app of like, it’s been a while. We were texting there to battle, we were text battling at that time. From To Go, I got to Facebook. I was text battling on Facebook too. Then I got to Naira Land. I was text battling on Naira Land. Then on Facebook, someone now said, oh, there’s a WhatsApp group chat for rappers. They’re putting battle rappers together. And then and I followed the link, I joined the group chat and then I started battling on whatsapp but we’re doing video battles so you record your rounds, your opponents will record your rounds, they’ll upload it on youtube then people will vote if you won that battle.
9:46ASo that was a different phase for me and then I started going for events after that. Yeah, that was how I got to battle rap. So it was when I got to facebook and I realized that oh there are other battle rappers in and other parts of the world, and that’s because people, sometimes you post a bar and they’ll say, this guy beat somebody’s bar, like, stole someone’s bar, and I’m like, okay, where are these people they’re stealing bars from? And then, that’s when I now discovered that, okay, there are other bad rappers, like, considered, like, Hitman Hall are like, okay, there’s Lux, and there’s Daylight, and there’s T-Rock, and I’m like, okay, and there’s Chess, and I’m like, okay, there are other bad rappers inside us here, just texting each other, putting putting lines together to just make it sound dope, having the rhyme schemes, the word plays, and at that time there were criteria’s actually, if you battle they’ll give points for openers, for closers, for punchlines, for word plays, for metaphors, it was just a lot.
12:02MaceoAnd do you feel like that experience, I don’t even, how big is the battle rap culture seen here in Nigeria?
12:10AWell, the battle rap culture in Nigeria is just up and coming, for real. It has been around for a while but I feel like right now this time that we’re in right now it’s actually going mainstream now It’s still there
12:24MaceoSo how did you get hip to it? How did you come to be like for a website? You feel like you’ve had a whole battle rap life How did you get into it? How did that come to be a thing that you were hip to involved in, like chasing?
12:35AIt was just the idea of putting the bars together and seeing people get excited when you say them That means like saying something smart and something witty and people just get connected to it
12:48Maceoso that’s how How did you even know about it? Like where did you first see it? Like you said your older brother showed you like Tupac for example. Is that how you found this as well?
12:54ABattle rap? No that’s not how. It was on To Go. I joined a group chat. I joined a rap so it was rap I was looking for. I got into rap and then I saw a group chat where people were bashing each other basically like they were using lines bars to bash each other. That was how I got into battle rap
13:13MaceoAnd so do you feel like battle rap was kind of the beginning of you starting to like write music then? Yes, actually,
13:21Abattle rap was to start And
13:24Maceohow do you feel like your sound and your approach to music has evolved since then? Like where do you feel like you are now on that journey?
13:29AI don’t know, really, but I’m just there, I’m just there really doing me, so yeah
13:35MaceoWhen’s the last time that you were working on music?
13:37ALast week Okay Day Before Yesterday Because I’m writing a song currently So yeah And
13:44Maceowhat’s the song about?
13:46AIt’s questions So most of the songs that I’ve been writing recently are just songs that are expressing my curiosity I’m questioning a lot of things I’m questioning what life is I’m questioning where I am right now I’m questioning what I’m doing I’m questioning the country I’m questioning the world I’m questioning literally everything I also have a lot of questions I’m wondering if things were not like this, what would it have been? If Adam never had that happen, what would have happened? Where would we have been? If my mom never got married to my dad, what would have happened? Existential questions.
14:15MaceoAnd how are you feeling inside all those questions? Asking all these things. What’s feeling pertinent? I
14:22Afeel lost.
14:23MaceoYou feel lost? Yeah. What’s calling your attention? You’re here. You’re here with us these past several days. You’re getting prepped for this event. You’re exploring Web3. Do you feel like this is the space that you feel like you should be in?
14:33AYeah, actually This is the space because I like the thinking Within this space I love the community building within this space I love every single person I’ve met within this space I feel like I’ve met the best people I’ve met good people in my life I’ve met the best people in my life Outside Web3 But being in Web3 is a whole different vibe Because of the community The togetherness and the unity that I’ve seen in Web3 Is mind-blowing And I feel like this is where I should be I think that’s one of the things that really drew me when Khrushba was telling me about Creative Alchemy, it’s just the community mindset, the decentralized mindset, knowing that together is always better.
14:33AWhen we do it together, it’s always better, so yeah.
15:15MaceoAnd do you feel like other DAOs have shown you the same experience? Like I know you said you joined some other online communities as well.
15:21AWell, most of the communities, We Them Media has given me that feeling too, because I know from, I joined Black People of Webcast and then We Them Media. and then the energy, the energy is there, the media and I appreciate you saying that,
15:36MaceoI wasn’t fishing for compliments but I appreciate that.
15:39ASo yeah, and other communities, Experiments 626, yeah that’s the community that actually introduced me to Web3 and every single person that I’ve met, they have been super amazing.
15:49MaceoAnd so like Experiment 626, you got familiar with the Twitter spaces, no? Yes. And so can you talk a little bit about like what that experience just like getting to know Jamie, girl, and Leo in that community.
16:01AOkay, so what-
16:03MaceoShout out to them.
16:04AYeah, shout out to them, man. Shout out to them. What took me into this whole world that I found myself in right now, it was a Twitter thread that Pastel posted. It was about Spotify and streams and all. So I followed the thread and I’m like, oh, I’m very interested in this. I read the entire thread. I’m like, okay, I’m really interested in this. And then I followed him. I sent him a message. and then he said there was going to be a Spaces later. So I joined the Spaces and they were talking about artists and how artists can do better, improve themselves and all.
16:04AAnd I was really, really interested in that conversation. Like, OK, I felt like these guys were literally talking to me because I discovered that I could make money from my music, but I didn’t know how to navigate my way around it. And I’m trying to find answers and I’ve been very inquisitive about how to do, where to Go, and all of that. And these people feel, it feels like they’re more experienced than I am in this with us at this time. So I joined in the conversation, and girl was like, oh, there’s a group chat, but let’s join. I’m like, yeah, yeah, of course, let’s join.
16:04AThen I joined the group chat. I got into the group chat, and that was when I found out about Web3. So it was like, the experience is just, it wasn’t Web3 that took me there, but I now found myself in Web3. Every single person that I’ve met there, they’ve been very helpful. That was So that was one of the things that really pushed me to be really interested in joining the community because in the spaces they were all welcoming. They were ready to answer my questions. I knew I had a lot of questions. And Jimmy was there to answer. Girl was there to answer. Pastor was there to answer.
16:04AAnd they were very patient with me. And they gave me a lot of information. And I’m like, oh, wow, people can give up such information so easily. And it’s not like I’m paying them anything to gain this knowledge or anything. And it’s like, so yeah, that was how I got into the community.
17:54MaceoIt’s funny, I’m like, I’m like, I’m really resistant to getting in Twitter spaces, like maybe it’s like I’m self-conscious about like speaking, which is like strange, right? But I don’t know if that’s it. I feel like when I first got into like the Music Web 3 space, Twitter space is where everybody was trying to sell like NFTs. And I feel like I kind of saw like Twitter spaces as a way to try and like sell yourself and like, or just like, like sit and talk to people kind of endlessly. And I feel like since then I’ve been like, like very avoidant. And I feel like I’m a bit remiss.
17:54MaceoI feel like I’ve only been in on I’m like one of the Twitter spaces that Jamie, Leo, and girl have done over the last year and I feel like it was like last year when I was like in DC when I went to another crypto conference and I was like oh it was like I think one of the first ones they even did and I don’t know I think it’s cool to hear you describe that it’s like kind of like your top of funnel experience for web3 like who gets into crypto because of music I don’t know anybody that really got into crypto through music and I feel like it’s cool to think that that’s kind of like what this kind of community that that that culture partner and I’ve seen you all are creating I think kind of uh can kind to facilitate people with that kind of experience, but in an IRL way.
17:54MaceoSo I think it’s cool because I feel like I haven’t really thought about that as being what they’re doing or having those conversations, but they are expert creatives when it comes to putting stuff on-chain. They’ve all made money on-chain, they’ve all been here more than a year and a half on-chain putting stuff. Jamie spent time working for platforms, we just collaborated with people that are building platforms, girls building their own world. They’re all doing different innovative things beyond just being musicians per se. and I think it’s so dope to like just like see you like saying that’s that’s a part of your journey into this space I think that’s you know kudos to them are there like do you feel like they’ve been able to mentor you and in terms of like the kinds of things that you put on chain and the kinds of ideas you’re having and thinking about bringing to creative alchemy now
19:36Aactually because I know that I’ve had I’ve had a whole lot of conversations with them and being someone that is very inclusive I am always asking questions and all so yeah I’ve had a lot of conversations with them especially creative I think that was last week, right? Jamie had a space and I had a question about branding in totality. And that’s one of the things we’ve been working on as a community in Creative Alchemy. So they had that space and then I knew I had to jump in there. So I asked, I sent a lot of questions to her. And when I got into the space, they were helpful again.
19:36AAnd then, yeah. So in terms of mentorship, yeah, yeah. They’ve actually played a huge role. My first grant actually, I think it was Girlcrash, I messaged her and I’m like, how do you think I can be able to navigate and earn my money from what I do? I’m a musician and I’m a fashion designer, right? And then she was like, oh, look out for grants. And I’m like, is this something like grants? Like, in this country, it’s exposure that they will give you grants care. She said, I should check, I should check Twitter, I should check, I should look into links that have been sent into the group chat and I’m like, oh, that’s cool.
19:36AAnd then somebody sent Mint Fund one day and I’m like, okay, this is interesting. Let me just apply for it and see what’s, what will happen. I applied for it and then they called me and I got it and I’m like, okay, this is really interesting.
21:04MaceoAnd can you explain what Mint Fund is for my art, so maybe you don’t know?
21:07AOh yes, Mint Fund, they fund creatives that are coming into Web3 to mint their first NFTs. So they give like 500 USDC to I think about 20 creatives or thereabouts for them to be able to mint their first NFTs.
21:24MaceoIs that on like a repeating basis or a recurring basis?
21:27AYeah, I think after the time I was on it, they did another one. but since then, they didn’t do it for last month and this month.
21:37MaceoI think it’s cool. I feel like grants are such a big part of the ecosystem and even the Optimism, Retroactive, Public Goods funding. I feel like there’s so much. I think it’s interesting to see the way in which Web3 rewards you showing up and I’m curious, as you look at what you wanted to see moving forward, you’re talking about branding, what do you feel like the branding for Creative Alchemy looks like moving forward? what do you feel like the impact you want to see your community leave in the space look like?
22:05AIt’s going to be massive. I can already envision, I can envision the future of Creative Alchemy right now. In the next couple of years it’s going to be way more massive than we are seeing it to be right now because I don’t think there’s any community like this. Like of creatives converging in one space to to grow themselves, share information, and bring in more creatives within an entire community of creatives. Damn. Yeah, literally. Yeah, it’s the branding of Creative Alchemy and how far it will go. It’s going to blow the mind of the entire world. That’s what I believe in. That’s what I can say.
22:45MaceoAnd how long have you been a community member?
22:47AI joined the community in February. And this is July. That’s February, March, April, May, June, July. This is my fifth month, actually.
22:54MaceoAnd so what’s it been like being a part of the community for five months now? What’s your experience? What’s your view? What do you feel like? Where have you seen that momentum? Have you seen it grow? What’s it look like?
23:03AYeah, I’ve seen it grow. I’ve seen more people come in. I’ve seen more activities happen. I’ve seen more people become more interested and have a better understanding of what the community is. The community is not about one person. It’s about every single person within the community. and whatever happens in the community affects everyone and whatever decision everyone makes within the community affects everyone so yeah I’ve seen growth within this five months
23:32Maceoand I guess beyond the people in the room who are some of the the friends that you made to bring in the community
23:37AI’ve met Benny, Seth, Tinella, Eno, okay Bayo is here I can’t be sure about Bayo
23:45Maceobut what kind of things do they do like share this about the community like who are the people that like people that come to mind for you like what do they do
23:51Athey’re all musicians And Sets, Sets is also, okay, Sinala is a producer, she’s a musical artist, we call her queen of jazz Queen of jazz, yeah Sets is a musician, is also a fashion stylist, he does fashion illustrations too, and he’s a fine artist basically Oh, I’m VCT2, I didn’t mention VCT, I didn’t mention Tom, oh my god, these are also amazing people that I’ve met in the space Benny is a musician, he’s a rapper, who is having a project right now. I’ve mentioned Tonella, I’ve mentioned Seth, and Tams is a rapper, and she’s a, I’ll call her a community manager because she does it so well.
23:51ATami Tams, right? That’s what they do.
24:34MaceoI like that. And do you feel like the...
24:37AAnd Eno, Eno, Eno, Eno, Eno. Eno is a social media manager and he’s also a musician.
24:42MaceoI was going to ask, as you’re seeing the community evolve, what kinds of questions are you asking about what it looks like to continue to be in the community that’s growing and that aspires to be decentralized? You said you’re always asking questions. What do you feel like it looks like to see the community evolve at the social level? Not so much that we’re building a brand, a company kind of level, but yeah.
25:00AWell, I feel like more engagement, more of the creatives that are currently in the community, for them to engage more with the community and share more with the community. because I feel like the only way we’re all going to grow beyond this point as a community right now, beyond the brand or beyond passing a message out to the world, or even beyond bringing more creatives in, is the communication within the community right now. I feel like if more of the creatives are more engaging, that’s it for me.
25:40MaceoYou mean engaging with one another?
25:43AWith the community, basically.
25:44MaceoAnd tomorrow’s an event we’re going to be doing to engage them, but what do you see, like, future programming, what kind of programming do you want to see?
25:50AFor tomorrow or beyond?
25:52MaceoMoving forward. What does the ideal engagement look like to you? What do you feel like Creative Alchemy is missing in the world of engagement right now?
25:59AI feel like social. Our socials, basically. Like
26:02Maceosocial media? Yeah. I mean, I would say the same, honestly, I feel like for me, the media, I feel like right now I have, like, maybe 50 episodes, you could say, recorded, and, like, three of them are on social media.
26:12AOh my gosh.
26:13MaceoYeah, it’s like, it’s like not good. I feel like, like, I feel like I’m very unprofessional about certain things. I’ll get to that thing later. And I feel like I’m like starting to be more present to like how important it is to just kind of put systems in place to think like, okay, we’re gonna have like social media posts, like, you know, what should they look like? How do people do social media posts? Who should edit my social media posts? But I feel like excited to have so much content because I feel like once I do set up like social media, you can schedule posts and stuff like that.
26:13MaceoI feel like I won’t need to like give it all my attention. and I feel like when I first started my podcast, I was doing interviews once a week and then trying to edit it and then trying to put out an article and then trying to get it clipped for social media and thinking like, this is how I’ll keep up. But I feel like it’s so unsustainable. So I feel like it’s cool that you have community members like I who are out here making killer, killer video content. I think there’s going to be so much takeaway from tomorrow alone. I know you have other events and I’m definitely keen to see how you all document what you’re doing as you continue to move forward here.
27:04MaceoAre there any other things that you’re excited about on the horizon, whether it comes to music, Web3, fashion?
27:15AYeah, there’s so many things I’m excited about I’m excited about the journey, basically, journey ready That’s just a lot I’m excited about
27:23MaceoAre there goals you have for the rest of the year, personally?
27:25AYes, I have goals I’m going to be officially launching Vibes on Styles this year That’s my fashion business, my fashion brand, Vibes on Styles So that’s just one of it and also my EP I’m working on. I’m going to be dropping it this year. So those are the things that I’m looking forward to.
27:44MaceoAnd Vibes on Styles, what has it been like getting it ready to launch?
27:48AIt’s been amazing because a lot of things have been falling into place and I’m just letting things happen the way they should.
27:58MaceoI like that. And being in this interview, you kind of said that you’re feeling lost. It sounds like you’re just kind of working your way through a number of things right now. Yeah, it sounds like you’re managing a couple different things, but it sounds like you have your head on in the right direction. It sounds like you have things that you’re excited about. I feel like some people don’t even feel like they’re doing things they’re excited about. I think it’s awesome that you’re ready to launch Drop Your EP, you’re getting ready to launch Vibes on Styles, that Creative Alchemy is positioned to be, it seems like one of the biggest creative communities here in the country.
27:58MaceoAnd I think that’s super exciting. I think in the Web3 space, like you said, there’s so few. And so even just like one of the biggest in the Web3 music space, I’m like, okay, in the Web3 creative space, you know, like I’m super pumped to see where you all take your community, and yeah, very eager to see what the next six months, let alone the next year, looks like for you in terms of music, in terms of starting this, your clothing brand, but also, like, I think this whole community. Are there any closing words you want to say to my audience?
28:50AI don’t have much to say, just that Maceo is a very, very amazing person, for sure. Should I give a rundown of how I met you? Okay, go for it. So Maceo is a very amazing person, right? I got into the community, and I felt I felt very welcome. I felt very welcome. I didn’t feel left out. Immediately, I hopped into the call. Maceo was already ready to give me a platform to like speak. Oh, where are you from? What do you do? And all of that. And yeah, you weren’t ready for that, huh? I wasn’t really ready for it. But then I still had to speak.
28:50AAnyway, so yeah, Maceo is a very amazing person. And you guys should always should also look out for Creative Alchemy in this space because Creative Alchemy is here now. Yes. So we’re going to be doing more amazing things as a community, so yeah, that’s just it.
29:40MaceoI’m curious, you say you’re a big question to ask, or any questions that you have for me? Having seen what I’ve been doing and seeing me here, or any space with me, are there any things that you’re curious about?
29:51AYeah, I’m curious. What level of impact do you feel like your project would have
29:58Maceoin a couple of months to come? I think it’s really cool to hear you talk about your experience with Experiment 626, with Jamie, with Leo, with Grow, I think. I’m really excited to be top of funnel for people. I feel like right now people find me probably at a conference or at a music-adjacent event, maybe, wherever I happen to be at that given point in time. But I feel like most people aren’t like seeing my podcast like this as like their first exposure to a conversation about Web3 and I would say I’m really excited to just be a place where people can go and see like 40 different black people people of color talking about you know how they got into this space and what they’re doing and why and like just really turn on that light bulb for people I think if that’s 100 people I feel like I’ll be so excited if like 10 people show up to my community calls I’ll be thrilled you know like if one person becomes like one of my close friends in the long term I feel like I’ve succeeded so I feel like I’m just really excited to see how the community grows and, like, you know, how the universe and God favor us.
29:58MaceoOver the last year, seeing the community calls grow from, like, three, four people at a time to, like, maybe sometimes now between a solid nine to, like, seven to 14 people. To me, like, I’ve been doing my community call for just over a year now, and, like, there’s weeks where it was just me, and there’s weeks where it’s, like, three people, and there’s weeks where it’s the same two people, and it’s, like, that’s okay, but it’s so cool to see new faces that, like, one, I keep coming back. because I feel like there were weeks where people were asking me, like, what are we even doing here?
29:58MaceoAnd I’m like, I’m like still figuring that out. And so I think just, like I said, helping people, like, like Anaxi was saying yesterday, that creating a space for people to feel like they belong is so important. And I feel like, like, I’m so behind that. And I feel like, especially for like young men, I feel like that’s such a big thing for me is like creating a space for young men to feel like they can belong and explore their creativity and find themselves. I feel like I’m just really excited to see how this community continues to expand and how we support like more young men of color and finding like safe space and finding supportive space and finding space to define themselves and how they want to express themselves and help them figure out how they can participate in this new evolving world of tech.
31:36MaceoAnd like you said, like it’s not just the first tech going, it’s what’s going on in the world, what’s going on in my country, what’s going on in my family, what’s going on with my friends, like with my girlfriend. I feel like it’s like there’s so many layers to life. And I’m just excited to be a space people can like come and find out that we can talk about anything.
32:15AWow, that’s really amazing. That’s going to be a whole lot of impacts, for real. Because people always make reference to you, like, oh, I saw that. And it was Maceo. Oh, I’m fine. Yeah. Yeah,
32:29MaceoI feel like I’m trying to do different things. I feel like you say the black people at Warpcast, group chat. I was trying to be very active on there for a while. I was trying to, like, I was like, oh, there’s meme coins on here. Like, help people learn about how to make money off of meme coins. Like, my mom lost money with meme coins. I did not do the best job with that. But I think it’s cool that, like, even like I was saying about my community calls, my community call attendance almost doubled because I made that group chat. And, like, I’m, like, brilliant on Warpcast now, but I feel like it’s just been a vehicle, like, for us to connect.
32:29MaceoI feel like, like, I’m like, who are these black people on Warpcast, like, that I haven’t met? And I think it’s been cool, especially like going to conferences, meeting new people and adding them. And I feel like if Warpcast is the best place for the group chat, probably not long term. I think it’s just been cool to experiment and find especially people on the more technical side of Web3 that are people of color who are kind of thinking about what’s going on there and I don’t know I feel like am I all over the place I feel like if I’m all over the place now I can’t like wait to see what people are saying in a few months like you’re saying like that’s not even like my experience in myself but I feel like I’m at all these conferences but I feel like sometimes I’m not I feel like I’m not doing enough on the internet I feel like there’s no social media presence like Twitter is like me retweeting stuff that I see with my personal account and I’m like, that’s not how this should be.
32:29MaceoI feel like I’m excited to lean more into like having community goals and to refining our branding to like figuring out what it looks like to be a DAO. Really starting to ask for help. I feel like I struggle to ask for help and that’s what it looks like.
33:50AWhat do you have in mind to do to change that? So what are the plans you have in place to expand your community and obviously get those help you desire to get the questions? Because I feel like if you were in that space, you’d We are able to ask more questions about these things. So what do you think you have to do to ensure that more people are giving you more helping hands and all of this?
34:15MaceoI think tonight on the call, since I got here, Daniel was saying it would make a big difference if we were to be defining community goals. I feel like my goals have just been like, I want to build this portfolio, a podcast, I want to build an interview, I want to meet more black people in this space. Like, what should the community goals be? Six months ago, it was like three of us on a call and like, it’s just me with a podcast. and Julian’s kind of like what is crypto and Dan’s kind of like who are you and I feel like I’m like I don’t really know like where to start with either of you but I feel like over the last several months I’ve gotten to know the book them a lot better between Julian getting to come to like like Farcon and ETH Denver with me and us working on those projects together it’s like really being here with Dan in person over the last like two weeks I feel like that’s been so special I feel like there’s probably like like maybe one other person that’s he heard Heard me talk as much about media as he has and so I feel like just you know like him saying you know if we just set our goals together this could be a very different thing.
35:02MaceoI feel like that’s gonna make the biggest difference. I feel like we’re gonna start doing office hours. We’re gonna do like three hours a week at the very least where it’s just he Julian and I sitting there working through tasks thinking about how we can expand and being in DAO thinking about incentives thinking about how we can support our community members more like really a lot more intentionally things like that. I feel like when what we’re doing is like immediately supporting I feel like it’s easier for people to give their time to it because they know it’s going to get back. Right now it’s just defining those things and making sure that I’m being more disciplined with my time and organized and structured with my time and just communicative when I’m like not on top of things I know I could be on top of.
35:27MaceoBut I’m very excited. I feel like I said to be here and finally get to connect with Dan in person, I’m like so thrilled.
35:51AThat’s amazing. So I think that’s all my questions right now.
35:54MaceoI appreciate you asking me questions to be a very curious person, so I want to see what I really appreciate everybody listening to this podcast Do you have any words you want to say to other creatives out there?
36:06AJust keep creating, don’t stop creating Because that’s the truest form of freedom, for real I know most times I feel so lost The couple of weeks I’ve been feeling very lost As I have a lot of questions in my mind But amidst feeling lost There’s still, the days I feel lost I’m still able to find my way back because of my craft, because of creativity, because I’m able to write a song about how I feel and then those questions begin to clear up from my head bit by bit. And when I have another question, I still have a song to write about it and then I begin to gain clarity.
36:06ASo don’t stop creating. That’s just it. If you’re a musician, if you’re a fashion designer, if you’re a carpenter, you’re anything, even a developer, just don’t stop because the moment you stop, that’s when there’s a problem. Because if you stop, you’re not stopping for anyone We’re all on a journey And I feel like we’re all on a path Individually, we’re all in this together But alone in this together So everyone is on their own track If you stop, you’re not stopping for anyone There’s nobody behind you, there’s nobody in front of you Nobody’s going to come push you People are going to try to assist you Get you out of that state of being stuck But you just have to remember That you’re on that lonely road And you have to keep travelling You have to keep going So if you’re creating anything As a creative, just don’t stop, just keep going
37:31MaceoAnd do you want to let my audience know where they can find you online?
37:33AYeah, you can find me, I’m more active on Twitter As Gneric Vibes, that’s generic without the first E-G-N-E-R-I-C-V-I-B-E-S That’s Gneric Vibes I’m Gneric Vibes everywhere basically On YouTube, on Spotify, I’m just generic on Spotify without the vibes On Instagram, I’m Gneric Vibes There too, so yeah, that’s where you can find me You can find me on Farcaster too, Gneric Vibes on Farcaster also And all Gneric Vibes also, even on Favor I think I have Gneric Vibes everywhere, aside YouTube And aside Spotify, yeah
38:07MaceoYeah, thank you everybody for tuning in to this episode of Women I Guess I’m super excited to be here in community with the Creative Alchem community To be here in community with Black people thinking critically about the future About technology, about what we can do as creatives experimenting with technology And I hope that you come join us online or in person sometime soon. Peace. And I’d say booyah. So three, two, one, booyah.
