With all the time we’ve spent staring at the walls these past few months, it’s no wonder we’ve had art on the brain…not to mention it’s a welcome escape from what has felt like an uninterrupted stream of grim news. Call it art therapy, but the desire to beautify our lives is more than aesthetic—it’s a reminder that there is more to focus on than trauma.
Hip-hop artist, singer, illustrator and multi-hyphenate creative, Mellow Creme seems like one of the many people who have been the busiest through these turbulent times. The “Heart Attack” rapper has just announced the launch of an online fashion line inspired by his childhood dreams.
The merchandise, called Life Is A Sketch, is a clothing collection of his hand-drawn illustrations, graphic art, sketches and drawings. The rapper said that his latest venture came from his love of hip-hop, Zimbabwe and the pop culture. His vision, he told this writer, is to tell his story and make a difference as well as inspire other African kids to dream big and to spread love and colour throughout the globe.
“Life is about living your dream when it comes to mind. I doodle and tell stories in my own way, the only way I know how. A pencil when let loose can ignite a dream. Life Is A Sketch! Don’t take it seriously. Live it! It’s a thought, a doodle, a smudge,” said Mellow Creme.
While the plan is to make the merchandise available for both local and diaspora fans also, The “Theory of Nakedivity” wordsmith said the collection was only available online for diasporas at present. He said he was working with a fashion printing company in the US and Europe that have been doing the drop shipping delivery anywhere in the world.
The casual Life Is A Sketch clothing collection feature some basic urban but dope tees you can use in a ton of looks. At the time of this writing, some of the pieces displayed on the official life-is-a-sketch.myshopify.com site included Mellow Creme Shirt-sleeve, I Love African Music Shirt-sleeve, HipHop Got Me Hooks, Lines & Sneakers, Heroes Wear Masks Shirt-sleeve and Harare Shirt-sleeve Unisex Tees among others.
“I wanna tell stories to those that don’t even know my music or who I am but relate to the African dream. Black, white and Asian,” Mellow Creme said of his creative direction.
Over the years, the relationship between music, art and fashion is one that’s become inescapably intertwined. Rewarding when done right, it’s also a largely precarious venture and a crossover is not as easy as it seems, bearing in mind that there have been several designers who have launched their own clothing line but have never seen it fully take off.
As people who are here to celebrate creativity, we just hope that Mellow Creme becomes one of those few designers and illustrators who will make an indelible mark on the merging of these two industries.
