While in New York City for a month-long stint of filming sketches for An Ode To Hannibal Buress, I was asked to help film an acoustic performance of Young Fathers’ “Only Child” for Okayafrica. A sister channel of Okayplayer, […]
Author: Sama'an Ashrawi
SMNTCS Stories: Introducing My Dad to Chuck D
By the time this picture was taken, Chuck D and I had met and interviewed several times, most recently for the UGK documentary. For some reason, he kept saying yes to my interview requests. I […]
Helping Drake Surprise Bun B
Drake and I have the same mentor: Bun B. I always wondered when we’d get to meet, and under what circumstances. Our first meeting ended up happening because of seeds I had planted several years prior, […]
A Summer Night In Paris With Chance the Rapper
Before Paris, Chance the Rapper and I met in Houston when he was opening up for Mac Miller. I had lined up an interview with Mac for my UGK documentary (shoutout to Quentin Cuff), so […]
The All Star Tribute to UGK Documentary Series
My first big project was the All Star Tribute to UGK documentary series. I made two of ’em. You might be asking, Who is UGK? I’ll tell you who, the god damn UnderGround Kingz. Pimp C and Bun B […]
Touré Talks Prince Biography, ‘I Would Die 4 U’
Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to celebrate the 30th anniversary of this phenomenon we call Prince’s Purple Rain. On June 25th, 1984, six months after Michael Jackson’s Thriller premiered on MTV, the world was […]
JMSN On How Minnie Riperton Influenced “Most Of All”
JMSN, one of our personal favorites here at SMNTCS, has some new magic for our ears. The magic is called “Most of All,” and finds JMSN handling drums, piano, guitar, singing, and writing duties, with […]
Now Boarding: Curren$y & Chamillionaire talk Le$ on Jet Life
For part two of my spotlight on the newest Jet Life signee, Le$, we talked with Jet Life’s lead pilot himself, Curren$y, and a certified Houston veteran, Chamillionaire, who so far is the only Houston rapper […]
An Ode to Hannibal Buress – narrated by Chris Rock
The story of An Ode to Hannibal Buress started with Bun B, as many good stories do, and wound up with Chris Rock getting involved. Here’s how it happened… Three and a half years ago, while […]
Two Minutes to Take-Off; Le$ Boards Curren$y’s Jet Life
Slim Thug and DJ Mr. Rogers chime in for part 1 of Sama’an’s spotlight interview with new Jet Life signee, Le$. The journey of one Lester Mathews, better known by his stage name, Le$, has come […]