Afrofuturism in Arizona: PRESENT Podcast 003 with Kareem Ali & Hugo Hoppmann

In Episode 3 of the PRESENT Podcast I talk with one of my favorite music producers Kareem Ali كريم علي, a musician and composer from New York, now based in Tucson, Arizona. I really enjoy Kareem's work now for many years and wanted to know more about his life, his background, his motivations and his whole process. We talked about the importance of bringing positive messages to his community through music. Afrofuturism is Kareem's guiding light and iconic innovators such as Sun Ra, Herbie Hancock, Larry Heard, Underground Resistance and Drexciya all have shaped his worldview. His first musical love was jazz, and he found an early hero in Miles Davis and the Kind of Blue LP, which inspired him to pick up the trumpet as a teenager. More than a decade later, he's still playing, now in the electronic music field, with forays into house, techno, ambient, R&B, garage, drum and bass. I was always impressed by Kareem’s consistent and high-quality output and it was great to find out more about his way of life and his process from long bike rides in the desert to his idea capturing methods. Enjoy! Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 00:22 Early Musical Influences 02:30 Discovering Electronic Music 03:09 Breakthrough During the Pandemic 06:10 Leaving New York: A Fresh Start in Arizona 08:31 Creative Process and Daily Routine 12:00 Overcoming Perfectionism and Releasing Music 16:30 Journey of Playing the Trumpet 19:50 Afrofuturism: Music as a Message of Hope 25:10 The Power of Routine and Discipline 28:30 Staying Inspired and Avoiding Creative Blocks 28:37 Treating Creativity Like a Job 30:55 Financial Realities of a Music Career 31:48 Balancing Side Gigs and Passion Projects 35:05 Afrofuturism and Personal Identity 37:20 Advice for Young Artists 42:00 Future of Music and Society 46:49 Staying Focused and Managing Stress 52:30 Favorite Unrealised Project and Dream Collaborations Kareem Ali Links: https://www.instagram.com/kmx15 https://kareemali19.bandcamp.com https://open.spotify.com/intl-de/artist/4Uhgu5miW68A3eqRl26xtf Hugo and PRESENT: https://www.instagram.com/present_xx https://www.present.zone https://www.instagram.com/hugohoppmann https://www.hugohoppmann.com https://hugohoppmann.substack.com

This is the second episode of the PRESENT Podcast, where I talk with the most courageous makers and creators from all over the world to find out more about their creative journey, how they do it all, and how they tackle their favorite unrealized projects. In this episode, I sit down with my friend Adam Barnard, founder of Otto Resource, to explore his fascinating journey. We discuss his free-spirited upbringing in Botswana, his early passion for skateboarding, and the profound influence of the Tony Hawk’s Underground video game on his life. The conversation traces Adam’s career transitions, including his move to Berlin, his internship with Norse Projects in Copenhagen, and his editorial roles at Hypebeast and Highsnobiety, which ultimately led to his shift into product consultancy. Adam shares the story behind Otto Resource, a digital design archive born from his passion for research and his mission to combat gatekeeping in the fashion industry. We talk about the importance of making learning enjoyable, Adam’s vision of Otto as the Wikipedia of Product Design, and how we are both aspiring to build platforms that inspire and empower the next generation of creatives. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 00:49 Adam Barnard's Upbringing and Journey 02:57 Cultural Influences and Skateboarding 07:53 The Impact of Tony Hawk's Underground 16:41 Challenges and Realities of the Creative Industry 24:17 Moving to Berlin and Career Beginnings 32:28 Working at Norse Projects and Hypebeast 53:13 Implementing Ambitious Ideas into Physical Products 53:21 Creating a Mechanism for Designers at Hypebeast and Highsnobiety 55:32 Consulting Brands with Extensive Research 58:43 Birth of Otto Resource 01:00:49 Transitioning Otto to a Public-Facing Platform 01:06:31 Challenges and Ambitions of Otto Resource 01:16:53 Balancing Work and Personal Well-being 01:38:46 Favorite Unrealized Projects and Inspiration Links: https://www.ottoresource.com https://www.instagram.com/ottoresource Hugo and PRESENT: https://www.instagram.com/present_xx https://www.present.zone https://www.instagram.com/hugohoppmann https://www.hugohoppmann.com https://hugohoppmann.substack.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9UpcoPgjqc

Welcome to the PRESENT Podcast, where I will meet and talk with the most courageous makers and creators from all over the world to find out about their creative journey, how they do it all, and how they tackle their favorite unrealized projects. For the following conversation, I sat down with my friend Jasmin Truong in my office in Berlin. Enjoy! Check out Jasmin's Truongii brand: https://www.instagram.com/truongii_https://truongii.com Links:https://www.instagram.com/present_xx https://www.present.zone https://www.instagram.com/hugohoppmann https://www.hugohoppmann.com https://hugohoppmann.substack.com Chapters: 00:00:00 Intro 00:04:52 Celebrating Lunar New Year00:09:16 Journey to Independency and Parents' Professions00:14:40 Say No to Parental Expectations00:19:41 Questioning the Decision to Start your Own Business00:25:07 Discovering the Passion for Sewing and Fashion00:30:27 Leap of Faith to go to Paris00:36:08 Life in Paris and Discovering your Creative Side00:41:56 Discovering the Possibility of a Career in Fashion00:46:51 The Creative Journey00:52:10 Applying to Fashion School in Berlin00:57:52 Finding Your Path in School01:03:08 Theory, Practice and Discovering your Peers01:08:26 Following Your Heart and Taking the Leap01:14:18 Launching Truongii Label01:19:48 Designing the Perfect Work Day01:24:40 Challenges of Being Self-Employed01:28:13 Dangers of Burnout and Importance of Breaks01:30:10 Sleep Patterns and Trusting Yourself01:34:50 The Importance of Being Kind to Yourself and Managing Your Time01:39:46 The Power of Deep Work01:44:43 Managing Overwhelm and Stress01:53:47 Power of Visualization01:59:50 Benefits of Journaling: Brain Dumps and Gratitude02:04:36 The Art of Giving Praise to People02:09:28 Practicing Gratitude02:14:48 Finding Presence in the Present Moment02:19:59 Striving for Moments of Clarity02:25:11 Living Life with Clarity and Purpose02:30:41 Possible Futures of Truongii and Exploring Different Mediums02:36:15 Outro and Goodbye #PRESENT #StayingPresent #CreativeJourney #CreativePath #Fashion #Design #Habits