Ricky Powell Documentary

[coreyisking711]

Short documentary on Ricky Powell spotted on the rap blogs today.

"Now 50, Ricky’s lust for photography and music is still strong. Through his eccentricities such as his love for a transistor radio and feeding squirrels in the park, we gain an insight into his everyday life. Retrospective of New York City and how it has changed over his lifetime, he shows us around the city and contemplates what the future holds."

http://vimeo.com/47855054

[M|X|Y]

he always looks lonely and a bit down in the dumps.

i thought the bit about yauch was interesting.

[JasonP]

thoroughly enjoyed that. i'd like to know more about the falling out.

[MCA4ever]

I felt kind of sad for him. It seems all he has is his memories. Which I'm sure would be enough for some people. He actually sounded a little hurt when he spoke about whatever happened with Adam. But sounded like he still totally had much respect for him.

I'd like to know the rest of the Cindy Crawford thing. Didn't come up with much online. Was that bathroom incident prior to her becoming a super model?

[cj hood]

Ricky's a legend! Good flick...

[Sir SkratchaLot]

Ricky's cool. It's almost like he's the true License to Ill Beastie. I think he was the real deal from day one, whereas the Beasties were more playing a role back in the day. They were pretty affected back then but I don't think Ricky was. I mean, you can hold his illness against him and say he never grew up, but at the same time he's not faking the funk so can you blame him for that?

[Micodin]

I respect the dude.

But never was a fan.

He did get one of the best shout-outs of all time!

[M|X|Y]

Originally Posted by Sir SkratchaLot

Ricky's cool. It's almost like he's the true License to Ill Beastie. I think he was the real deal from day one, whereas the Beasties were more playing a role back in the day. They were pretty affected back then but I don't think Ricky was. I mean, you can hold his illness against him and say he never grew up, but at the same time he's not faking the funk so can you blame him for that?

astute

[Bernard Goetz]

I don't know the details behind the falling out between Ricky and the Beastie Boys, but since it seems to have started around the time the Boys started living on Serious Island 24/7 (1998ish), I imagine it has something to do with them being sick of his shit and him being like WTF happened to the fun? Too bad they didn't patch things up by the time Yauch passed away.

[Brass Monk]

I think he likes to hang out with the squirrels because they are the only beings that don't crack up laughing when he threatens to smack them.
The guy definitely has issues. His rants against the newer residents of his neighborhood seems a little lacking in rationale.

That said he is an important figure in Beastie lore.

[gumkojima]

Met him in Atlanta a couple of years ago. (Love that he's wearing his Criminal Records ATL t-shirt.) He took a photo of my friend and I using my camera that I'll always treasure. Later, he threw a drink at us, called us a couple of fags and said we we were interrupting his show. By the end of the night, he'd found everyone's last nerve. He kept yelling at a non-existent barkeep to shut up. He may not have evolved in the same ways, some of it may be performance, but either way I love him. He's a true artist. Quality.

[abbott]

ah yea

[Bernard Goetz]

Originally Posted by Brass Monk

His rants against the newer residents of his neighborhood seems a little lacking in rationale.

Reading this made me realize I hadn't seen a Ricky post in a while on my Facebook feed, so I just checked - and the bastard has unfriended me! Haha. Guess I pissed him off, or he did some trimming. Wish it'd have ended memorably like so many who post in his threads and he responds with "You gotta go, cornball" or something...

[JoLovesMCA]

Originally Posted by Bernard Goetz

I don't know the details behind the falling out between Ricky and the Beastie Boys, but since it seems to have started around the time the Boys started living on Serious Island 24/7 (1998ish), I imagine it has something to do with them being sick of his shit and him being like WTF happened to the fun? Too bad they didn't patch things up by the time Yauch passed away.

Let me post what I know or heard I should say. Don't hold me to any of this. Just passing on what I was told. I was told that he talked serious shit about Yauch, even while he was sick with cancer. Said he didn’t even care if he died. Their falling out supposedly over photos Yauch didn’t want to see the light of day. Can I confirm this as fact? NO!! But this is just what I was told by somebody who I know spent a lot of time with old Ricky last year. I don’t talk to her anymore so I don’t feel obligated to keep the information private. She could have exaggerated and could have been high when she told me that crap so maybe it was all lies. She's crazy anyway which is why I stopped talking to her. But we were really cool when she told me so....

That said. He did play an essential role to their career and he’s talented. I saw that he tributed Yauch after he died so maybe he feels bad, maybe he didn’t think he’d actually die.

[M|X|Y]

illness? he just seems like a guy who refuses to 'grow up'..

i think the way he lives is a fantasy for a lot of adolescents.

it seems complicated.

i like the guy, but i can see how they don't fit anymore.

[cj hood]

Around 2000 Ricky was doing a photo exhibit that had LTI era pics in it that the Beasties didn't want to be shown anymore. Ricky owns them...he showed them. Friendship over.

[M|X|Y]

which is weird because it doesn't seem like something they'd be that ashamed of anymore (i.e. how they started playing their LTI music again in more recently)

[Bernard Goetz]

We're talking 2000 though. Say, 2004, when they were fun again (minor political stance screeds aside), it would make less sense. But before that, going back to post-Hello Nasty...Serious Island (to me anyway).

[Brass Monk]

Originally Posted by Sir SkratchaLot

Ricky's cool. It's almost like he's the true License to Ill Beastie. I think he was the real deal from day one, whereas the Beasties were more playing a role back in the day. They were pretty affected back then but I don't think Ricky was. I mean, you can hold his illness against him and say he never grew up, but at the same time he's not faking the funk so can you blame him for that?

Roles in life often change. I've never doubted the genuiness of the BBoys from the beginning til the end. They were never "faking the funk" , they just evolved.

[gumkojima]

From what I understand, he made appologies long before Adam passed. He did the right thing. Ricky also talks a lot of shit. He's mostly just kidding.

Like any working artist, he goes through periods of work and recession. He had a good run of shows, clothing deals and documentaries over the past few years. I'm sure that pattern will continue for him.

Like many New Yorkers, he's not happy to see the city gentrify. I think many of us feel the same about our own cities.

Like most of us I'd heard his name and seen his work a long time ago, but I finally paid attention seeing his piece for Upper Playground's DITHERS. His interaction with his late cat Blackberry absolutely charmed me.

[M|X|Y]

they themselves have said that they were living a parody of themselves during those wild times. i think sirscratch was saying that he was actually wild - that no one would say he was living in any sort of parody. or maybe he chose to actually become it. either way, that sounds right to me.

it's true, that people change. and that's mostly a good thing - growth. i think he just refused to change, which is admirable in some way.

it doesn't always work out favorably.

[JoLovesMCA]

I remember Sunny Bak saying that she had Adam go through all of her photos before he died and played a big role in to which ones she would showcase on her Beastie exhibit tour. Ricky doesn’t want to do that. I guess he feels like since they are his he can do what they want with them. I think Yauch is the driving force behind the photo situation. I heard more but hate to sound all gossipy but so far no lawsuits have come his way from the Beastie camp so I guess all is okay for now.

PS- I don't like Ricky. Not just because he talks shit about the Beasties, but he just turned 50 and needs to grow the hell up or he's gonna be a Johnny Ryall one day.

[gumkojima]

Sounds like Sunny did great job of being particularly respectful. I have not seen any photo that Ricky uses that is out of line. I've also never read/heard him talk shit about them publicly. We all gripe off the record. I'm also not sure what growing up might look like for him. He seems to have an ongoing successful career, pays his bills, has friends and admirers, and looks well fed. Ricky is spicy, that's all. Nothing wrong with that.

[pm0ney]

Originally Posted by Bernard Goetz

We're talking 2000 though. Say, 2004, when they were fun again (minor political stance screeds aside), it would make less sense. But before that, going back to post-Hello Nasty...Serious Island (to me anyway).

Yeah, by FAR the lamest era of the Beastie Boys as a public entity. Serious Island is a great name to use to characterize that period of time.

And by the way, I agree with Ricky on the photo thing. If he owns the pictures thats pretty much the end of it. He can do whatever he wants with them. People do dumb shit when they are 18 years old. I dont know why any grown man would be ashamed or embarassed about it. The lives the Beastie Boys have led since that period of time would make even the harshest critic take any of those pictures with a grain of salt.

[MCA4ever]

Most born and bred city guys have that really rough, badass attitude. That's rarely who they really are. If he has these pics, it does t appear that he has done anything with them to date. Maybe he just likes holding on to the idea that they are his, to do with as he pleases. It doesn't seem that he has much left. Other than one awesome sneaker collection

[M|X|Y]

Originally Posted by MCA4ever

Most born and bred city guys have that really rough, badass attitude.

source?

[MCA4ever]

Originally Posted by M|X|Y

source?

Family, friends. More specific, my husband.

[M|X|Y]

hmm, i dunno..

[MCA4ever]

Originally Posted by M|X|Y

hmm, i dunno..

What is it that you "dunno?"

[Brass Monk]

Originally Posted by gumkojima

Like many New Yorkers, he's not happy to see the city gentrify. I think many of us feel the same about our own cities.

Yeah but the west village has always been a wealthy neighborhood. Its less Bohemian yeah, but the way Ricky is framing his argument is a little disingenuous. He's acting like he's from Hell's Kitchen or something.