Through spoken word muMs navigates us through the tug of war he experiences between his pursue of Hip Hop and his fear to overcome all the obstacles presented to him. His inspirational one-man performance flashes back into all the events that lead to where muMs is today. We were on a roller coaster of emotion with muMs as he laughed and as he almost brought himself to tears, a perfect balance between the two existing throughout the piece. At every moment he had the audience’s attention, which is something hard to do when there are no lavish components or many characters. MuMs’ character was so dynamic that there was no need for other characters, and those that were included in the performance were played by him. His friend, Beatle, was excellently portrayed in a deep voice that was made for his bold character. MuMs’ connection to his audience was incredible. The amount of “Yeah”s and “Mhmm”s heard throughout every comment, reference, and hardship he faced were continuous. This made it apparent that he related to his audience because of their share of musical interests, cultural backgrounds, and personal experiences. The moments when he included the audience in his performance and had them cheer created a more engaging atmosphere. It was clear that he was putting his entirety to the performance as we watched the sweat dripped down his face from the very beginning. Anyone who needs a little inspiration in overcoming the fear that they create themselves in trying to figure out where life is taking them would benefit from watching muMs’ character develop. Also, those who want to find the inspiration and hope for all the injustices in the world will find it in his empowering words.

MuMs found himself at the center of a stage with simple design, but perfect for its purpose. The cinder block wall was left as is, with no backdrop or scenery, just a change of lighting as the play developed. Adding more props would have drawn away from muMs’ performance.

After speaking for 90 minutes straight muMs’ throat would of course be parched, but the professionality of the use of a water bottle and the small, but apparent, interruptions during the performance to drink and wipe his sweat are questionable. It hindered the performance because the audience would recall that this was a performance and it took out all the genuine power that his character was so effortlessly creating. There was a moment that the DJ laughed, and then muMs began to sing as his father did. If noticed, this foreshadowing would have an effect on the audience. After doing this show so many times and for Rich to still be able to laugh at this part must have meant that it was highly comic. Therefore, the audience would either laugh knowingly or expect more than was actually presented.

At first glance the music to a performance may seem as just an additional factor, but in this case it proved extremely instrumental in helping relay the plot. Whenever muMs was enjoying recalling his memories the music would be upbeat. At the most serious moments there would be no music at all.   The entire focus was on muMs, on his voice, on his gestures, on his presence. As his voice echoed in the theater we were drawn more and more into his performance and were brought into the moment he was experiencing.

The actual structure of the writing was very effective. The prologue that would begin each section of the performance was helpful in maintaining the cohesive aspect of the piece. There were no major pauses between parts, which compellingly did not allow the audience to clap or interrupt the performance. A very intriguing aspect of the writing was that it was all done in past tense, but when referring to the events that had concerned his mother, muMs brought us into the moment by using present tense. It all was like a story that had happened a long while ago until we come to this part, the one where muMs is suffering right now. The present tense made all the difference in how the audience perceived his story; if you had yet to come to the realization, at this point it was all real.  MuMs’ thought provoking performance would encourage any audience to become loyal fans of his work.

When you tell someone you are from New York, especially if they are not from this country they look at you with this bright and expectant face, as if you will breath flecks of gold onto their faces. All they know of New York is what they see in movies and on television. They know that here people can make it big. The image they have in their mind is of the wealthy New York, the one that sticks out to them and gives them hope that those riches are actually possible to attain. You standing before them, have walked the “streets paved with gold” and have witnessed or even been a part of those riches, at least that is what they believe.

Most of the movies that have made New York famous portray it as the center of everything. Here is where you come if you want to make a name for yourself, from CEOs to theater produers to anything you can imagine. This has begun from early cinematography showcasing the luxuries of New York. In Breakfast at Tiffany’s from the very first scene we see Audrey Hepburn’s character in front of Tiffany’s, whose light blue box and cream-colored ribbon have become iconic of the brand. She is dressed every so elegantly, with a black dress and pearls draped around her nape, as she examines the store window. This scene and the rest of the movie are some of the many that set the stage for what New York’s classic image would become.

Personally, the image that represents the wealth that New York stands for primarily is portrayed by Wall Street. Gordon Gekko’s life is the epitome of the Uptown New Yorker. The one image that stands out to me the most, is the first time Bud comes to see Gekko and we are shown Gekko’s office. His office is what wealthy New York is all about. The camera gives us the span of his office as we see the wooden finishings, the tall paintings, his desk full of computers, and ultimately Gekko doing business on the phone while standing in front of a panoramic view of the city. Then, we are shown Bud taking in all of his surroundings with awe, reflecting our own responses to this image. Gekko’s office is bigger than most apartments. It would make us feel good to know that this was an exaggeration, but it actually exists for some people, even if it is a small percent. An image like the one presented at Breakfast at Tiffany’s may be more iconic, but the images throughout all of Wall Street, and specifically Gordon Gekko’s life style, are the best portrayals.  It is the closest to demonstrating the greed that lays behind a lot of what has allowed New York’s elite to be where they are today.

An artist always has a message, no matter what form of art they use. We may not realize it at all, but they influence us even if it is in minimal amounts. In this age where watching movies is one of the cheapest and most available ways to access entertainment, we find ourselves watching movie after movie. Many fail to realize that through movies we create the basic ideas we have about almost everything we know about society. Even though we live in this world and are experiencing all these things first-hand, we still rely on other people’s accounts. We watch movies about the ultimate high school experience, and find ourselves depressed that ours are nothing close to the “normal” high school life. Now, who has defined this “normal” high school image? – the film makers. Many of the things they portray are accurate to an extent, but we are given an over-dramatized view of everything and then feel that our own lives lack this excitement.

When watching movies one of the most stigmatizing affects that they have is that they teach us where we stand in society. The directors of movies are the artists that work to create the image they want their audience to see. When Scorsese directed Taxi Driver, he had a very clear idea of how he wanted people to view New York. Through his portrayal New York is full of “scum,” as Robert De Niro’s character, Travis, constantly points out. It gives the audience the idea that New York is filthy and that all the people here are concerned only with themselves.   Anyone that sees this movie, especially those that do not live here will generate a very low image of it in their minds. We are introduced to the character of Iris, who has found herself in prostitution. Although she wishes to escape she thinks she really has nowhere else to go. With Travis’ out of the ordinary help, Iris manages to escape this life, but without him she would have never escaped. Movies such as this one create for us a structure of society that we never spend time to really question. There could be more people like Travis that want things to change, hopefully with a more peaceful solution, but all the other Irises will not be as lucky to find help and escape this saddening cycle of people at the bottom of the social pyramid.

Then we take a look at a film like Wall Street, prevailing in the ultimate demonstration of American greed. We have our protagonist, Bud, who has always been in the middle class, but is enticed by all the riches of becoming the next big thing on Wall Street. Serving as a protégé to Gordon Gekko, Bud sees all the riches he could ever wish for right before him, and he appears to be willing to do anything to grasp them. Although Bud has the opportunity to gain this status, it is only through immoral methods, which include trading insider information. This film reinforces class structure because it basically shows Bud cannot get anywhere from just working hard, and therefore no one else really can. He does do the right thing in the end, but he has been unsuccessful in climbing the so-called social ladder. We appreciate Bud’s character and how he finally realized what was important to him, but all it proved was that he was stuck right where he started at the beginning of the film. It is virtually impossible to watch these films and not be influenced in how we view societal structures.

Trying to create a definition for what constitutes as art is one of the most difficult tasks one can be given. Anything that is considered art must first have an imaginative or creative spark. Art is used to show your audience, whether it comprises of just yourself or even the entire world, what your emotions are and how you see the world.  How a person choose to express this imagination is completely up to them and that is what can make one’s skill unique in comparison to another’s.  Art isn’t always easy to recognize and at times it has to be indicated to its audience.

When first being introduced to the world of art, I was taught to look at places like the Brooklyn Museum, where various works have been put on display and have been formally recognized by the public as “art”. Attending such institutions has cultured us into a specific way of looking at art, when it is actually not that simple to make such a decision. Many of the displays at the Brooklyn Museum were historically based, such as the mummy tombs and the Renaissance paintings, which showed that one of the museum’s purposes for the displays was to educate the public about the various time periods. I have always been interested in finding who exactly got to decide what should be on display, who decided which pieces were important enough and considered so valuable, they had to be protected and viewed by generation after generation. This formal concept of art, which is what we view in most museums is based on what is considered a classic. What is mainstream and what is classic is not necessarily the same. For example, pop music maybe mainstream, but classical music is what is considered more intellectual and valuable to society. I believe that we cannot put a price tag to art. No one can be in charge of deciding whose art is more valuable: the man on the side walk who has always painted because that was his only way of expressing himself, or the one who has attended the biggest art institute in the country and has created connections with some of the most renown galleries in the country. An artist who has created a name for himself is lucky that his work will always be looked at as art, while others struggle to become noticed.

As I have grown older and allowed myself to really understand art, I have found that its definition is not so clear-cut.  I have learned to value anything that uses one’s imagination and expresses it through whichever art form they can best relate to. If taking a bucket of paint and splashing it on a canvass helps its creator express some form of emotion or demonstrates their own inner struggle, then I will look at their work seriously and try to asses all the meaning behind it.   All art serves a purpose whether it was created for the purpose of being viewed by an audience or not. It allowed its creator to bring the world inside his mind out and share it with the rest of the world.

We create art in our daily lives without even realizing it. From the way we decorated our high school lockers to the posters we put up in our bedroom walls. It is all a form of self-expression and a creative way for us to relay our emotions. No form of art should be overlooked, especially if hard work and passion were put into its creation.