As technology and the digital grows in our world, especially during this time, young digital architect genius Iddris Sandu gives us some guiding principles.

Iddris talked to me about his 2020 projects, the inception of his relationship with Nip and his advice to young creatives and entrepreneurs.

 

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A post shared by إددريس (@iddrissandu) on Jan 11, 2020 at 12:12pm PST

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The Nipsey Link Up

Many learned about Iddris Sandu’s story because of Nipsey Hussle. His work with the late icon has been highlighted again and again via interviews and community activist centered media.

But I wanted to know what it was like at the very beginning.

We’ve heard the story of Iddris and Nip having a chance encounter at a Starbucks in L.A., where Sandu was deep into programming music software. That’s when Nip took an interest in him, so I asked Iddris what he felt about the meeting and what he expected would become of it.

“I think for anyone who knows Nipsey, they know how important he is for LA culture.”

 

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A post shared by @itis.soft on Apr 15, 2020 at 9:24am PDT

Iddris continued,

“So, I felt surprised that he hit me up. Usually in LA culture, too, link-ups don’t often happen. I did feel a sense of alignment. It felt aligned, it felt organic, and it felt like we were going to do a lot together.”

What they did together would change the way L.A. communities and young kids of color would interact with technology and the digital realm. The two are large proponents of owning your own designs, innovations, inventions and overall work.

 

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words of logic would only dilute my message so I’ll let my soul speak. . I’m humilified to have had a personal relationship with the most authentic, bold, and prolific soul i’ve ever met in my life(all of them) . You see nipsey was a revolutionary for this generation, but he believed that I was one for the next generation. . He realized and elevated me into that mould from day one ; whereas others wouldn’t. . He protected me like a big brother, traveled with me like an explorer, pushed me to always walk in my power like an activist , and urged me to never forget the responsibility of truth to the duality to both my cultures being ghanaian -american.🇬🇭 . Nipsey gave layouts but for those who he knew closely and believed in , he gave and trusted us with the blueprints. . The blueprints are a form of batons to carry on the (relay race) . I Architected with him in ways i’ve never with any other indigo soul. . Nipsey and I both loved reading , so it was natural that we would bond over books ; exposing each other to what was hidden in plain sight. . We both had different parts of the key needed to unlock a door of knowledge . Once we did, we both fully innerstood the power of unconventional collaboration; the power in the minority to affect and influence the majority. . Nipsey and I would study the Kardeshav scale ; A scale that measures a people’s level of technological advancement based on the amount of energy a people are able to use ; then we would brainstorm how to apply that to African / Black culture because we believed that both those cultures were so evolved that they weren’t even a type 1 energy force yet. . We involved hip hop in our design / strategic thinking process. That’s how evolved our dialogue’s were every single time . I believe I can “end” it here knowing that legends never die. . They never pass away, fade, or wither. . The beauty of Nipsey was that due to his prolific form he left us all with a unique positive lesson and mission. . Whatever unique positive mission you feel that he left you with, trust in your inner guidance system and execute it til it’s completion . To Our Family, You Already Know What It Is. . The Marathon Continues 🏁

A post shared by إددريس (@iddrissandu) on Apr 12, 2019 at 8:45am PDT

Sandu emphasized during our talk the importance of being a producer and not just a consumer as well as owning what you produce.

Iddris himself owns several projects. We focused on two companies Sandu created: EthosDNA and SpatiaLABS. Information about the companies is not readily available at first internet search. So as a journalist, there was little to dig up about the two. So I asked Iddris why that was.

“These two companies that I formed, we kind of kept them vague. We believe in the oven formula versus the microwave formula. Like you could put food in the microwave and it will heat quicker, but it won’t taste as good because you strip the nutrients out of it. But if you put it into the oven, it takes longer but you are preserving the nutrients.”

Iddris views his companies from a philosophical point of view from which innovation and positive projects can grow. At the core of the companies is that same vision of solving large worldly problems, as well as industry problems with technology and access knowledge.

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EthosDNA

As the more mysterious of the two, I couldn’t not ask Sandu more about EthosDNA. The company seemed like a top-secret project, with higher learning and tech serving as an endorser.

Iddris’ answers clarified some of my questions, leaving me anxious to learn more about projects in the works but knowing it would come to light in due time. Just like a well-cooked oven meal.

“Ethos DNA is a for-purpose company that’s built around connecting the world through the message of technology and more importantly creating necessity-based products. Ethos is about changing the world that needs to be changed, and changing the world because it needs to be changed and not necessarily because we want it to change.”

Iddris continued:

“DNA stands for design, nature, and access because we are creating the world through the message of design, how it makes us feel; nature, how we study nature to our technology; and then access, which is about making the technologies that we create accessible to as many people as possible.”

 

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A post shared by إددريس (@iddrissandu) on Aug 24, 2019 at 1:09pm PDT

Iddris emphasized biomimicry as a core idea within EthosDNA’s philosophy. According to the Oxford dictionary, biomimicry is the design and production of materials, structures, and systems that are modeled on biological entities and processes.

This focus on environmentalism falls in line with the idea that tech does not need to work against nature but rather with it, learning from it and improving lives. With that in mind, the company is aptly named ethosDNA.

So I asked Iddris to enlighten us on the mission and message behind the company.

“We don’t exist to give the world an opinion. We exist to give the world facts, or ideas that can propel people. We are not just trying to create a new cup holder. We are thinking about how to make systems that are more dynamic, adaptable, scalable. It’s not to give opinions on things that already exist. It’s really to elevate the betterment of humanity.”

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SpatiaLABS

 

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A post shared by إددريس (@iddrissandu) on Mar 31, 2020 at 5:42pm PDT

If you haven’t yet heard of SpatiaLABS, you probably should check them out. Just scrolling through their IG you can get a bit of what they’re all about.

Several posts display their work as an immersive visual studio with futuristic spatial-visual manipulation via hologram. Most of these are entertainment-based, like 3D VR for album covers triggered by your Phone camera.

I got the chance to speak with Iddris just before his company SpatiaLABS dropped a collab with FENTY by Rihanna. SpatiaLABS created Virtual 3D invitations to a virtual event Rihanna hosted for FENTY on IG Live. The IG Live party for the #FENTYsocialclub was in celebration of Rihanna’s latest faux leather capsule.

“Spatial Labs is trying to show the world that you don’t need a flat canvas anymore because the whole world can be your canvas. “

 

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thank you to all those who had a chance to view the experience we co-created along-side fenty. . expect more collaborations from spatiaLABS and fenty later this year.

A post shared by spatiaLABS (@spatial_labs) on Apr 10, 2020 at 5:58pm PDT

“The Rihanna project will be an example of that. It’s about bridging entertainment, education, and visuals. It’s about how we experience things with our senses but in a fresher, cooler and doper way.”

The event included appearances from Lil Uzi Vert (who follows Rihanna and Rihanna alone on IG) and Octavian, with performances from DJs Kitty Ca$h, Pedro, and Stretch Armstrong.

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Facebook’s first partner ever: The Black Mural Project

During our conversation, however, Sandu emphasized the importance of taking these practices and applying them to education.  Iddris called this “edutainment” and referred to the Black Mural Project that he did in collaboration with Facebook.

“SpatiaLABS is really an immersive, visual studio. It spans on education, it is communication, it is entertainment. We just want to give the world a look at where we can go with technology for the next decade.”

The Black Mural project did just that, allowing kids to interact with history via digital technology. Students would physically go up to the installation and use their tablets to hover over them as they would open up more media.

The media included current influencers speaking on the past and future of Black peoples.

 

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this moment has been years in the making. (Link in bio) . excited to finally announce my partnership with Facebook ; through way of our first project together : The Black Mural Project! . big thank you to @marsaimartin and @shameikmoore for being a part of this important cultural moment. . big thank you to @mayaesperanza as this wouldn’t have been possible without your guidance and brilliance. . thank you @mavcarter and @ipromiseschool for allowing us the space and entrusting us to inspire your youth ; preparing them for the future of technology. . lastly @chasebenjamin, you saw the vision when no one saw it. . excited for everyone to experience the greatness of what we have planned next! . #phase1 #theblackmural . @facebookapp @facebookedu

A post shared by إددريس (@iddrissandu) on Mar 3, 2020 at 5:46pm PST

The project was important in other ways. It was the first-ever collaboration that Facebook has ever agreed to. Previously, Iddris had consulted for Facebook. But for the Black Mural Project, Sandu told Facebook he would do it as a partner while maintaining full ownership of his work.

“With Facebook, I said, “Hey, no longer are we just doing consultation. My people that I serve (which is the culture that I serve) — the misfits, the unorthodox people, the unconventional thinkers and collaborators. You know, they need to see this to know that it’s possible. And that we changed it, like that.”

And so, Iddris Sandu who consulted for Facebook became Iddris Sandu, creator of EthosDNA partnering with Facebook.

Sandu explained that he didn’t do this just to have his name on his own work. That’s surface-level thinking. Instead, he did it for the next generation of entrepreneurs and creators.

He explained his intentions to me simply, in a way only Sandu can get you to easily engage with any idea.

“I am the only person who has a Facebook partnership. Facebook x EthosDNA. I want a kid who might go into a Facebook building, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, whatever, and who might also be radical, can say: “What?”

I responded, “Hey, I want to do this”

Sandu said, “But you can’t do that.”

And I responded, “But Iddris Sandu did that.”

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Iddris’ advice to digital creators and entrepreneurs

And so, his entire drive to create always circles back to energizing the space for more like himself to achieve greatness. His advice to entrepreneurs was pressing and almost felt time-sensitive. The knowledge he was sharing was something he felt was of the utmost importance.

Life-changing.

 

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A post shared by إددريس (@iddrissandu) on Nov 4, 2019 at 5:00pm PST

“The most valuable thing for entrepreneurs to do is to stop holding those ideas inside — put them out there. Execute your ideas, own your intellectual property. Hip equals hop. Hip hop. High intellectual property equals high outputted products. The more intellectual property that you can build, create and own, the more opportunities you can have to create.”

His relentlessness and deep understanding of the spirit of changing things for the better, and for everyone remaining undeniable.

“Own your ideas, own your IP, connect with your users, connect with your people to push and elevate your messaging.”

Iddris Sandu seems to have found the winning formula and absolutely cannot wait to share it with everyone.

While under lockdown, our incomes may be severely affected. A lot from our community are freelancers, have multiple jobs or rely on income from industries looking to cut costs.

We’re in a difficult time, mentally, emotionally, physically and economically. While our first concern is keeping people healthy and away from harm, to stop the spread of the epidemic we understand that surviving with your health does not mean your livelihood is not worth saving. COVID finance is essential.

This is your guide to surviving the epidemic economically.

Apply for UI benefits based on your State

First and foremost, if you’ve lost your job you need to file for UI benefits in your state ASAP.

If you’re self-employed or a freelancer things get a little more complicated. You might have heard of the CARES Act passing, giving freelancers the ability to apply for unemployment aid.

This is true, it’s called the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance or PUA. BUT several states are not yet ready to have you apply. In fact, some states are asking for you to wait in order to avoid being rejected and slowing down the process.

Some states like NY are asking you to apply to regular benefits so that they have your info online even though you’re likely to get rejected.

This is important because you want a paper trail with the date of when you attempted to apply. That way your pay can be backdated as far back as possible.

Keep in mind that your state will likely have ongoing updates on when and how to apply. You need to stay on that.

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Do an Overhaul of Expenses

While you wait for the government to sort itself out, you need to take a good hard look at your expenses. You may have found that because you’ve been stuck home your ability to spend money on going out has lessened. Do not use this as an excuse for online shopping.

I REPEAT DO NOT ONLINE SHOP JUST BECAUSE YOU’VE GOT SOME UNEXPECTED MONEY.

Don’t get me wrong. You can still buy essentials, but just imagine how dumb you feel when you need money for groceries and you spent $200 on new kicks you can’t even wear anytime soon.

We’re in for a long time, not a good time.

Ask yourself what subscriptions you can do without.  See if you can call in and cancel gym memberships, and other in-person activities.

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Make calls to push back bills

Many services like credit card companies, phone service, and internet service providers are offering to push back bills if you need it. Of course, this doesn’t cancel that debt but if you’re at the point where you’re between buying food and essentials and paying your phone bill, at least you’ll have an easier time choosing.

It’s also important to note that many cities and states have made eviction illegal during this time. So if you cannot pay your rent, or if you’d rather hold on to rent money just in case check with your local gov on whether you’re protected.

While many activists like are working on securing the cancelation of rent during these few months, take what you can get. And if you can help organize, do it. Housing Justice for All is working on canceling rent in NY. Several other countries have already canceled rent and provided far more assistance to their citizens.

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Redistribute Assets

This may be a bit redundant but you really can’t keep things the way they were.

Budgets

You need to create a quarantine budget. Either use an app like Mint, or Empower, or go old school since you have the time and create a spreadsheet. Google sheets has a premade one that’s really useful.

Because it requires you to manually input what you spent each day, it also might stop you from making frivolous spending decisions because you have to face them sooner rather than later.

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Investing

If you’ve got some money in stocks take extra time to read up on how those companies are doing and if industry pros are foreseeing more massive loss. You might be able to use these ups and downs in the market to finesse some quick come-ups.

Robinhood still stays a good option to start trading, if you’ve got some money set aside. They also have really good and short daily podcast called Robinhood Snacks.

Keep in mind that selling stock and cashing out might take a few days, but it’s there when you need it.

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Stimulus Check

You’ll also be getting a stimulus check if you’ve filed your taxes this year or in recent years. If you still haven’t filed, online filing like TurboTax is still an option.

Remember that this check is NOT an advance on income tax, it’s free a $1200 bag. You will NOT have to pay this back via taxes next year.

But it might be smart to either use this money to invest or at the very least keep in savings and only use on essentials. A rule of thumb in finance is money today is worth more than money in the future.

We need to play this right.

 

 

You may know AlmondMilkHunni via her giant social media presence. A talented bad bitch, AlmondMilkHunni decided a couple of years ago to pursue her first artistic passion: music.

I got a chance to talk to Almond about her self titled debut EP released today and the journey that brought her here.

 

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Henni Heartbreak music video out now! Link in bio

A post shared by Almondmilkhunni (@almondmilkhunni) on Feb 25, 2020 at 7:47am PST

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A Singer from the Start

Almond was raised in a conservative and religious family in Philadelphia. She sang in her church at a young age and her performance skills began there. Almond remembers the experience as difficult at first.

“I was around music my whole life. I used to sing for my church, and I think I was probably thirteen when I started doing that, so I just would always sing all the time. But singing for my church was my first singing-in-front-of-other-people experience, so it was, at first, horrifying.”

Her shyness would overcome her and she would work on her musical craft in other ways. She delved into writing songs and melodies.

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College-Debt and Dancing

Almond began her college career with high hopes. She decided on Political Science and a Pre-Law degree. But her financial background was not ready for the financial toll of tuition costs like so many American families.

“My father is a deacon at a Presbyterian Church, presently religious, but I think they were even more so when I was growing up. But my parents come from more of the lower-class side, so — and I am the first-generation college student — when it came time to put myself through college and literally all of the financial aid, I had to do all of that myself.”

In order to pursue her degree, Almond Milk Hunni made a decision to work as a dancer her sophomore year of college. The money was good but her parents were not quick to approve. Eventually, they would understand.

“it was tough for my parents, of course, it was really tough, but I think it helped them grow, too, because now they are starting to think about what aspects of their religion means to them in regards to how they feel about things. Now, they are just like, “You know, well, you did what you had to do to be in the spot you are in now.”

 

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Back to my roots, roles reversed

A post shared by Almondmilkhunni (@almondmilkhunni) on Feb 21, 2020 at 2:47pm PST

AlmondMilkHunni also worked as a Starbucks Barista where she gained her name. Almond explained how the name stuck and became her Instagram user name.

“it was just a joke at first because I’d just always drink almond milk at work — kind of when the almond milk craze just started.”

With all her followers on Social Media knowing her as AlmondMilkHunni, the artist decided to keep the pseudonym when pursuing her music career.

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Music over everything

During her last college Winter break, filled with studying for the L-SAT and other law school-related requirements, Almond was re-evaluating what she wanted in life.

“It just started to really weigh on me, and I think it just sort of clicked in my head where I was really questioning what I wanted to do with my life, but also questioning deeper things, like what it means to be fulfilled in life.”

She realized that music was what she always loved but she never gave it a real chance. Feeling at a tipping point, AlmondMilkHunni decided to put her all into Music.

“And I just took the risk, but at the same time, I am also the kind of person who has to give herself, like leverage, so my risk was dropping out. So if I just wanted to put my own music out, I thought I should just drop out of school. I thought I could always go back to school.”

 

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So grateful

A post shared by Almondmilkhunni (@almondmilkhunni) on Feb 2, 2020 at 3:30pm PST

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Trials and Tribulations

AlmondMilkHunni used that mindset and energy to create her music. I asked Almond how she dealt with obstacles and hiccups while producing her EP.

“It was honestly very tough. So, the first song I have ever worked on was ‘Grapefruit’, recorded and everything. All in all, it was really hard because we had to record the entire song, I am talking layers, harmony, literally everything. We had to record it like three times over because we had so many technical issues. Like my producer’s computer crashed, and then there were also so many more issues.”

Almond had a distinct way of keeping perspective though. With all the difficulties, she doubted herself but then she thought,

“Ok, maybe it’s just not meant to be. But maybe now is the test to see if you really, really want to do this.”

That drive paid off. The last take for the track ended up being the best.

I asked Almond, who still writes songs and melodies, how she finds inspiration for her craft. Almond noted being thankful for having more resources now and working with writer Jay McKenzie. 

“Going by writing by myself my whole life to having resources like that is so incredible. What we do is for inspiration is that we will hear a song and listen to what it sounds like and what it feels like more than anything, and then I always have to relate it to something in my personal life.“

Almond’s EP is based on a previous relationship. Her feelings are clear and relatable with tracks like “Henni Heartbreak” a raw emotional single while still being a Bop with AlmondMilkHunni’s underlying sassiness.

Tracks like “Bandana” are more uplifting exploring the flattery of an ex-lover being with someone who looks like you. Her viral debut single from 2019 “Grapefruit ft. Evander Griiim” is just a good time, with Almondmilkhunni owning her bad bitch energy.

“It’s like a little bit throwing shade but not in a negative way, but you know, it is a little bit sassy and I know that you know that this is what this is about.“

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2020 Vision

When things go back to a near-normal, AlmondMilkHunni is looking forward to connecting with her fans via performing.

“I feel like the best thing is to physically connect with other people. And I just would love to meet the people who support me.”

She’s also looking forward to building relationships and working with new people on music.

“So everyday, I am kind of just like, wow, I wonder who I am going to talk to, or who is going to receive me and be open to collaborate.”

 

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What if I told you ❓ that we ⬅️ have a banger coming

A post shared by Almondmilkhunni (@almondmilkhunni) on Feb 19, 2020 at 10:41am PST

I asked Almond if she could collab with anybody right now who it would be and she answered with Megan Thee Stallion among others.

“Her personality is amazing. She is so authentic. And even beyond working with her, I would just love to see her creative process. I love a lot of artists with whom I’d love to collaborate. There’s a ton of alternative artists with whom I’d love to branch out sonically and try different things.”

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Keeping Creativity amid COVID

With nothin’ but time, AlmondMilkHunni expressed that while inspiration can be hard to find during negative situations like COVID, there’s plenty of ways to stay creative.

Almond has been working on her producing skills and implementing more time with the creation of melodies. Putting her all into music doesn’t mean she doesn’t take out time for herself though. Almond connects with her creativity through self-care.

“My biggest thing right now is journaling, meditating and listening to podcasts. I am feeling very connected to my creative side right now.“

Almond is also connected with her fans. During this time she’s been interacting with them and checking in on how they’re doing. Almond’s followers are more than just fans, she cherishes them as her support system and friends.

“I am back to the beginning because I just invested my time into building that following and now I have that following and am able to enjoy them — to see how everyone is doing, how they are feeling, what everyone likes, what they’d like to hear from me. Really nice, honestly, to feel like I have this time for people who support me and have become my friends.”

And her fans really are there for her and showing out for her EP. The Twitter thread about her release is both heartwarming and exciting to see.

4/8 babiesssss I’m so excited to share my first project with all of you!!! pic.twitter.com/scUyVRaZjQ

— (@almondmilkhunni) April 6, 2020

During such a difficult time, Almond has some advice for creatives who may be doubting themselves:

“Stay persistent and resilient. Every setback doesn’t mean that it’s a bad sign of what you are doing, but it’s more like something to overcome.”

You can follow the R&B Bop Bad Bitch on IG and Twitter @almondmilkhunni and stream her EP AlmondMilkHunni on all platforms today.

While many of us bide our time at home and COVID continues to reshape our world, the stresses of quarantine life become more real each day. So we asked our community what tactics, tricks, and tips they have about staying positive and productive.

Creating a routine

Quarantine life can make your days feel like they all blend together. With no outside obligations, we can get stuck in an endless loop of waking up whenever, sleeping whenever, eating erratically and feeling bad about not being productive.

To combat those feelings, routines can help us have things to look forward to, and actions and events our mind can focus on. Try to create a schedule and stick to it.

It doesn’t have to be as rigid as a regular schedule during “normal times” would be, but it can if you’re more comfortable with that. If you’d like to still take it easy, don’t schedule up every hour but rather every 2-3 hrs. This lets you still focus without stressing. Which leads us to our next recommendation.

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Setting some goals

One of our members recommended setting a small goal to achieve, like learning new skills, working out, or whatever can give you have something to do. Perhaps having 2-3 small tasks you’d like to complete each day.

This can be household chores like cleaning your room or data organization on your electronic devices like clearing storage space.

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Breaking up your big tasks

Try to keep your larger tasks to one or two a day so that you don’t burn out. When focusing on a task, break it up into blocks.

Twenty-five minutes of straight focus, followed by five minutes of getting up, stretching, walking, push-ups, snacking, or whatever floats your boat. Then repeat for the next half hour block. This works best to keep your mind fresh without neglecting your body when you’re working from home especially.

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Good slump habits

When you’re working from home, or doing your own specified creative activity like learning a new skill, you can hit slumps. These are pretty low points, where things just don’t seem appealing or interesting.

You might decide it’s time for a break and try to eat or watch something, but more and more entertainment fatigue is catching up with you. Fight that fatigue with some good idle habits.

Jumpstart your mental focus by doing some exercise, even if it’s for five minutes. Or better yet follow some guided meditation or yoga, it can help to have someone telling you what to do during a time where you feel discouraged because you can do anything you want.

Self-care is still key.

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Positive content

Meditative audio tracks and yoga can sometimes feel like work when all you need is some boost in morale.

Look up some positive content. Standups on YouTube or fail compilations can help you chuckle a bit and let loose. Stay away from the news, and try to limit your social feed scrolling if it’s very Rona focused to once or twice a day.

Videocall a friend or a family member, you’ve got plenty of time to be alone and they’ll probably be thankful you hit them up too.

 

With the spread of COVID-19 and social distancing requirements at six feet, plenty of gatherings have been postponed and then canceled. Several of these gatherings are concerts and festivals that were expected to take place in the following several months.

What has taken place for this IRL music venues? Perhaps the digital world can save us.

Who’s keeping track?

Slovenia-based music data company Viberate has put together a comprehensive list of postponements and cancelations at www.sickfestivals.com, updated daily. The service monitors around 5,000 festivals worldwide and lets you know which ones are canceled or postponed, so you can plan accordingly.

 

While Vibrate seeks to be the IMDB of music, the data is sourced from Viberate’s massive global database of artists, venues, events, and festivals. They’ve identified 236 canceled and 250 postponed festivals and counting.

The damage will go into billions,” explained Viberate’s founder and CEO Matej Gregorcic.

“The production costs of a mega festival often exceed $100M. Our service monitors around 5,000 festivals and more than 400 have already announced they will cancel or postpone. Festivals that have been canceled in time probably won’t get hit too badly. Fans, however, will. Mostly emotionally, but if they don’t cancel their travel arrangements in time, it can also hit their wallets…”

So how have artists been connecting with their fans? Many have gone digital.

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Canceled music festival? Take it to the streams

Dua Lipa and her band recently did a show for Late Late Show with James Corden, separately each from their homes via Zoom. They performed “Future Nostalgia,” quite an accurate choice considering the times we live in.

 

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Sending you all love and healthhh from OUR HOUSE TO YOURS ❤️ #Homefest @j_corden. #FutureNostalgia out nowwww

A post shared by DUA LIPA (@dualipa) on Mar 31, 2020 at 3:00am PDT

Cardi B also connected with fans via IG Live last weekend. The Rhythm and Flow host created her own competition and played karaoke with lucky fans and select users.

Cardi also had a similar karaoke and chat on IG Live video with fellow artist J Balvin earlier this month. Cardi spoke on coronavirus developments and promoted J Balvin’s latest release, an album titled Colores.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGGVZcKRRBo

The Weeknd pulled up to IG Live several times playing snippets of unreleased songs and smokin a quick blunt.

Timbaland and Swizz Beats even had an IG Live Beat battle to settle an old bet.

Other artists like JOJO have remixed their own songs to promote good health practices.

Not to mention Tory Lanez has been going off on his IG Live. Recently, he broke a couple of viewer records when he invited Drake to join in. Mans had over 300k fans watching at once.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYFip-vxky8

Several rappers including Trippie Redd, Papoose, Cassidy, and Lil Uzi Vert have also hit the airwaves.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9_Ld8JuVDs&feature=youtu.be

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Music platforms are also holding it down

Music Platforms have also gotten on the digital plane.

Billboard compiled a list of live performances by artists. Live Nation intends to keep the music alive stating

“Just because we’re keeping our distance doesn’t mean the music has to stop. Join us daily for live streams from around the globe — follow artists live from their homes as they share music, stories, and more.”

Their website from home lists several upcoming at-home performances.

Tidal is live streaming concerts for free on their site during this COVID lockdown. An At-Home With TIDAL streaming marathon kicked off March 25th and on Saturday, March 28^th TIDAL aired hip hop concerts, and on Sunday, March 29 it broadcasted R&B performances. Latin, pop, and electro also aired that Friday.

Several music streaming platforms have playlists created by users from “The Corona Cure” on TIDAL to Corona Playlist to Self-Quarantine and Relax to on Spotify with bops like “Mask Off,” “Self Care,” and “Can’t Feel My Face.”

 

Iddris Sandu is the 23-year-old digital architect changing the landscape of tech through innovation, a deep understanding of diverse infrastructure, and a spiritual focus on community.

You may know him for creating the world’s first “smart-store” with the late Nipsey Hussle. But there’s so much more to Sandu beyond The Marathon store.

The Origins of a Gift

Iddris Sandu often tells the story of being a young boy messing with remote controls and electronics. Often breaking them to his mother’s dismay, Sandu would spend time taking them apart to see how they worked.

 

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A post shared by إددريس (@iddrissandu) on May 12, 2019 at 10:47am PDT

For years Sandu would go to the library every day to read books about operating systems and coding languages. He was inspired by Steve Job’s presentation on the first iPhone and foresaw the future of building iOS apps. At 13, he landed an internship at Google to learn coding after a chance encounter with a Google employee at Harbor City library.

He told the Google employee who at the time was looking for the very book Iddris was reading that “I’m just learning programming, I don’t know what I’m going to do with it but I just wanna solve some of the largest problems in the world.”

After Google, Iddris went on to consult for several major Tech companies including Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat. He’s also worked with tech giants on self-driving cars.

After designing software for a sensor that could detect 3D hand space movement, he recognized that he could use this software to create 3D hand-controlled music software. This was an attempt at connecting with black and brown youth.

 

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less than 5% of black youth are exposed to engineering and science. black future month [ week 3] for every week during this month, do something new. and I can guarantee that you’ll unlock a hidden talent. the software being used is autocad + autodesk fusion + keyshot 8 @just do it the universe is on our side #blackfuturemonth #wecandoanything #art

A post shared by إددريس (@iddrissandu) on Feb 18, 2019 at 5:43pm PST

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Meeting Nipsey

Similarly to his Google encounter, Iddris met Nipsey by chance in a Starbucks where he was working on that same sensor-based music software. Iddris and Nipsey’s visions of uplifting Black and Brown youth aligned and they set out to effect change in the community.

 

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full video now streaming on @hulu and hulu’s YouTube channel. (link in my bio) . i’m grateful to represent the next gen of black youth envisioning a better future. a future where instead of using tech, we create & own it. iddris sandu for hulu’s new series “your attention please” for black future month. now streaming exclusively on @hulu #blackfuturemonth

A post shared by إددريس (@iddrissandu) on Feb 9, 2020 at 5:07pm PST

Together they revolutionized the way retail experiences occurred, making the Marathon store a place people wanted to actively visit because of the experience it provided that an online presence could not.

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Building Better Systems

Iddris’ understanding of uplifting and supporting the community comes from a deep understanding of the limitations of simple “diversity hiring.”

“They [The Tech world] just think we could Salt Bae Black people here and Latinos here, but no that’s not enough.”

On the Angie Martinez show, Iddris explained that if a system is created without certain demographics being considered and assisting in the building of that structure, the system will be inherently biased. Diversity also goes beyond any single identifier.

“You could have people all the same color but still not think the same, diversity is also about addressing issues that a specific demographic goes through as well.”

Sandu emphasizes the need to create infrastructure and systems with diversity from the jump. This mindset is likely the one that Nipsey recognized in the tech genius.

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The Marathon Continues

He’s also a design and tech consultant at Kanye West’s Yeezy clothing and has worked with Jaden Smith to create augmented-reality experiences around music and politics. Despite his great professional achievements at such a young age Sandu practices humility in a specific way.

“Humility is not just about how you present yourself to others but it’s also how you look at yourself through your reflection”

 

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Portraits captured by Annie Leibovitz for Google. ⠀ Inglewood, CA 2019. ⠀ I’m beyond honored that one of the greatest photographer’s of modern culture chose to fly out and spend her time with me for the faceforward campaign with @google. Nearly 10 years later, this served as a full circle moment for me ♻️ ⠀ shout-out to all the other amazing and talented visionaries that shared parts of this history defining moment #madebygoogle #Google

A post shared by إددريس (@iddrissandu) on Oct 15, 2019 at 11:53am PDT

Sandu has also invested a great deal in education to create real opportunities for kids who lack them the most.

“Technology has a life cycle of about a month now,” he says. “But education and the curriculum remained the same.”

He has created mentoring and tutoring programs in L.A. as well as founded a new school for tech literacy in his native country of Ghana. He has consistently used his platform to reach his goal of creating equal access to information for everyone.

Sandu is also a recent 2019 recipient of a $100,000 fellowship grant from Paypal founder Peter Thiel’s foundation aimed at promoting sustainable design and tech ideas amongst Africa’s youth. This focus is a facet of Iddris Sandu’s deep spirituality and understanding of his gift.

“Stay true to your cause, once you abuse the relationship the universe starts to take you out of your path”

 

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repost from our founder @iddrissandu “dear basketball” . made this in honor of kobe’s legacy . keeping all souls that were involved in the accident in my meditations. . 🙏🏾 . @spatial_labs

A post shared by spatiaLABS (@spatial_labs) on Jan 31, 2020 at 2:08pm PST

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2020 Vision

48 hours at #PradaModeParis with architectural technologist @iddris_sandu.
Iddris Sandu spent 48 hours at #PradaMode Paris exploring art projects and data visualizations by AI Researcher Kate Crawford and Artist / Researcher Trevor Paglen. pic.twitter.com/9ZznwmIc2V

— PRADA (@Prada) January 21, 2020

Iddris Sandu also created in collaboration with Facebook the Black Mural Project. The project is an immersive experience for students to explore and learn about Black history as it was launched in February 2020.

Facebook described the event stating, “Students used AR technology to unlock short videos tied to each of the faces on the mural, designed to inspire viewers to use the power of technology to make a difference in their communities.”

 

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this moment has been years in the making. (Link in bio) . excited to finally announce my partnership with Facebook ; through way of our first project together : The Black Mural Project! . big thank you to @marsaimartin and @shameikmoore for being a part of this important cultural moment. . big thank you to @mayaesperanza as this wouldn’t have been possible without your guidance and brilliance. . thank you @mavcarter and @ipromiseschool for allowing us the space and entrusting us to inspire your youth ; preparing them for the future of technology. . lastly @chasebenjamin, you saw the vision when no one saw it. . excited for everyone to experience the greatness of what we have planned next! . #phase1 #theblackmural . @facebookapp @facebookedu

A post shared by إددريس (@iddrissandu) on Mar 3, 2020 at 5:46pm PST

For Sandu however, the project not only focuses on the past but also the future.

“I can never visualize Black history without envisioning Black future.”

Iddris Sandu is the CEO of ethosDNA a for-purpose company focused on empowering the world through infrastructural related design nature and access. Sandu is also the founder and creative director at spatiaLABS, an immersive visual studio with futuristic spatial-visual manipulation via hologram.

The technology brings to life surfaces such as “volumetric album covers” and builds on the sensor-based tech Sandu worked on with self-driving cars.

 

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“volumetric album cover” . created by @spatial_labs for @cactusjack. #ganggang

A post shared by spatiaLABS (@spatial_labs) on Feb 13, 2020 at 3:39pm PST

Sandu is also launching an app called “Exposure” to promote learning via “book playlists” curated by selected influencers. Through it all Iddris Sandu shares his gifts for a much larger purpose, advancing the culture.