Hip-Hop & Rap Culture: HuffPost & Hennessy Youngman: Hip-Hop & Art Thoughtz Interview

Up until 5 minutes ago. I had no idea who Hennessy Youngman was. All i know is that I was in the cultural section of Huff-post and saw they had interviewed a connoisseur of Art and Hip-Hop. So, hit the #NewtPodiumLean and got my read on. This dude have very interesting responses. He'd be the perfect person to be a guest on Where's My 40 Acres Podcast.

HuffPost Arts: You talk a lot about the role of an artist's identity in becoming successful. How important do you think identity is in terms of 'making it in the art world' and do you consider this when you make your art (Art Thoughtz)?

Hennessy Youngman: This art shit is niche market. And whether or not artists want to admit it, they all carry a brand within their work. There might be some sincere artist reading this saying "My work isn't a brand, shithead!" Well you know what? Sincerity is that artist's brand. And yes, I'm a shithead. You must've been talking to my mother earlier.

Even if an artist produces disparate bodies of work, things that don't seem like they came from the same person, like Mike Kelley's oeuvre (i can spell it but can't pronounce it) for example, when left in the hands of an adept Curatorial Studies major with a minimum 2.8 GPA, Kelley's work can be reduced to summary and specialized product with unifying strands that soon become signature.

HuffPost Arts: As someone passionate about both hip-hop and fine art, what can the art world learn from hip-hop culture?

Hennessy Youngman: Loosen the fuck up.

HuffPost Arts: What is the one weirdest tradition or belief that the art world upholds that you think is garbage?

Hennessy Youngman: There should be a clearer acknowledgement of how important money has been in the shaping of art history. And not just relegate that acknowledgement to the past, like "The MeDici's were XYZ's patron" but clearer lines should be drawn showing the circle jerk between galleries, collectors, those collectors relationships to museum collections, and the trusties of those museums relationship to how their capital is derived in the world and satan baby Blue Ivy Carter (Retrac Yvi Eulb amongst the those who know the truth). I'm too lazy to do this kind of research but I know someone out there can.