GypjaQ is "Staying Woke"
Let me first start off by saying that I have loved GypjaQ (real name Jack Fuller) since High School. Being two grades behind, I never got to experience his talent intimately, but seeing him at showcases, talent shows and other concerts, it was clear that he was destined for creative greatness! In his debut video "sInnIstIr," GypjaQ uses his mastery of the spoken word to illustrate an abstract but poignant commentary on the state of Blacks in the Americas. This underlying message becomes increasingly clear, as the video depicts dancers with traditional Yoruba face markings emerge from the ground, initially being bound and restricted. Although the intent was to depict the captured spirits of Orisha, I processed it as a literal representation of how Blacks in this country came on the slave ships. It also shows the invisible legal, social, mental and emotional binds that still tie many of us in the Americas down, years after our physical ones were cast away. The video then shows the binds broken, and the now freed dancers run toward the warmth of the fire and the voice of GypjaQ himself, who was calling out to them all the while. The video comes to a close with the group depicting elements of Yoruba rituals with contemporary dance. Overall, GypjaQ is one of the many artists who are creating the space for black art to connect back to our African roots. This video is one of many to come! And I hope to see this man at Afropunk!
