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bacardi August 16, 2021
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Wait, Cam Kirk is dropping an NFT with BACARDĺ Rum and the NAACP?

Cam Kirk is dropping an NFT?

Professional candor and rapport make for quite the creative interview. Cam Kirk solidifies himself within every genre that he is immersed in. His project with BACARDĺ Rum will launch on National Rum Day on August 16 and the NFT will be available to purchase on September 1.

Our conversations with Cam Kirk always focus upon creative energy and this one proved to be similarly interesting. Check it out below.

Bussing out the bottle questions

Kulture Hub: Today we are here with Kulture Hub and Cam Kirk to talk about his most recent NFT project. How are you today?

Cam Kirk: I’m blessed. I can’t complain at all. I’m excited about this new project that I’m rolling out. My first step into the NFT world. I’m really hype.

Kulture Hub: No doubt. So this is a limited edition, rare rum offering, how might I be able to get my hands on one of these bad boys?

Cam Kirk: Well, the rum, I believe, is gonna be at your regular liquor store. So this campaign that we’re doing together, though, is all in the promotion and a celebration of BACARDĺ’s new offering for National Rum Day, but the NFT itself is actually going to go to auction on September 1. 

bacardi cam kirk
A sleek and glossy bottle finish should make for a crisp and refreshing experience (via BACARDĺ)
Kulture Hub: Picture this. If you were to have got your hands on a Cam Kirk bottle of BACARDĺ at Morehouse College what would your night out look like?

Cam Kirk: A night out to me would have been one of the nights after I pass the test. It’s one of those types of liquids that you usually want to partake in when you’re celebrating something special.

“This studio is a product of more than just myself, I’m a solo photographer. But when it comes to my business, I’m nothing without my whole team…”

Cam Kirk
Kulture Hub: When you first started Cam Kirk studios, there was something called the Creatives Couch. How have you elevated since then? And what elements of the creatives couch still exist within your studios today?

Cam Kirk:  So our first Creatives Couch, we had like 15-20 people in and they got to sit one on one with a fashion designer named Original Fauni. Creatives Couch turned into our night school workshop series that we do twice a month in Atlanta. This involves an intimate crowd where we teach actual skills as it relates to photography and other parts of creativity.

“Our studio is rooted in community, community-building and collaboration.”

– Cam Kirk
Kulture Hub: Cam Kirk Studios just added two owners to its roster. Can you tell us more about the importance of having a good team around you and the importance of building equity with like-minded creators?

Cam Kirk: I actually took guys that really helped me build this studio from the ground up. My brother Keenan has been with me for about six or seven years now since before I had a car in Atlanta. Whenever I had a shoot, he was there to help and support me.

And when I was there with the crazy idea to open the studio, he was there putting in that sweat equity just believing in my vision. My little brother Marley had the same vision and actually just moved to Atlanta to help me take the studio to the next level. 

barcardi rum
This certain product went through rigorous testing to determine its legacy (via Veronica Rodriguez)
Kulture Hub: In your Finally Focused feature you mention legacy quite frequently as a source of inspiration to keep growing not only as a creative but as a business. How does this NFT partnership with BACARDĺ prove your legacy? 

Cam Kirk: I’ve been blessed, I’ve been just working, just trying to keep this thing going. Entrepreneurship has no on-and-off switch. It’s just on all the time. So I’ve been blessed.

“This BACARDĺ partnership is definitely a testament to legacy, to the power of our culture, and the power of the creative culture that’s coming up in the workings of hip hop.” 

– Cam Kirk

The ways which humble beginnings keep Cam Kirk hungry

Kulture Hub: How might you and influx, that perspective from Lil Fivepoints into what this NFT which is a whole new virtual digital space?

Cam Kirk: Lil Fivepoints was a stomping ground for a lot of the scene. So we’re kind of stepping out there into a new world into this digital space with no crazy expectations besides just trying to learn more about the space and offer something cool and innovative.

Cam Kirk sees the value in NFTs

Kulture Hub: So what might the NFT rollout look like? What kind of details can you share with us about how you might present this entire showcase?

Cam Kirk: Yeah, so we’re working on a brand new website right now, actually, that’s going to house the NFT. And this website is going to be where people can find information not only about the entity but also about the Reserva Ocho Sherry Cask offering.

BACARDĺ teamed up with the NAACP on a project that’s going to help support black-owned bars and restaurants. So the proceeds from our NFT are actually going to go out to support them. 

Kulture Hub: How might NFTs make their way into your studio?

Cam Kirk: I think the NFT space could definitely come through. Right now, we’re working on converting one of our spaces into a digital art gallery. We’re working on digital form projection, augmented reality yet it’s important to never lose that community feel and touch. We never get too bogged up in the digital space, we maintain what’s true to ourselves.

bacardi December 3, 2018
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Michael B. Jordan continues his Hollywood ascension, this time as a director

Though Michael B. Jordan is widely known for his role as Adonis Creed in the Creed revival of the Rocky franchise, the 31-year-old actor has fought his way up the ranks of the entertainment industry, now earning the title as a Hollywood heavyweight.

From his days as a child star on the HBO hit series, The Wire, to serving as running back for the Dillon High Panthers in Friday Night Lights, to his critical acclaimed performance in Fruitvale Station that follows the real-life story of an unarmed Black man who is fatally shot by a transit officer in Oakland, CA, Jordan has flexed his acting muscles. He has even tried his turn as a comic book villain, albeit a sympathetic one, in the summer box-office Marvel hit, Black Panther.

Having cemented himself as one of Hollywood’s top leading men, Jordan has increasingly extended his creativity into other realms of the industry, founding his own production company, Outlier Society Productions, in 2016. With Outlier Society adopting inclusion riders, Jordan is committed to making sure people of color have more opportunities to work in the industry, both in front and behind the camera.

Outlier Society’s current projects include a Netflix’s family sci-fi drama called, Raising Dion and a remake of the Hollywood classic, The Thomas Crown Affair, both of which are produced by and star Jordan.

Admittedly, directing films has always been a domain Jordan has been interested in exploring. Jordan’s directorial debut is the cinematic short, “The Angels’ Share;” a film that is a part of the official campaign for Bacardi’s new Premium Collection.

Shot in the Caribbean, the film opens with inter-titles that preface the aging process in creating the rum. Over the course of eight years, the aging process renders some of the liquid to evaporate, and while some of this very liquid becomes lost to the atmosphere, the film depicts the process as circulating back and rejuvenating the cultural spirit of the region.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAYavks3kro

The rum’s divine-like quality is evoked through the time-lapse footage of the sky, as well as sweeping shots of the idyllic Caribbean landscape and beaches. Intercut with footage of locals salsa dancing and drinking rum at a street party and familial celebrations, the lifestyle of the Caribbean is represented as underpinned by the values of family, community, history and heritage.

The first time Jordan connected with Bacardi was last year at the company’s “No Commission” event in Miami. Running over the course of three days, the event showcased art and music. It was here that Jordan took note of the rum brand’s commitment to incorporating creatives and artists into the creative framework of the company.

While this is Jordan’s directorial debut, he was able to work alongside and have the guidance of industry veteran Paul Hunter, whose LA-based production company, Prettybird, which Hunter co-founded, enabled the short film to come together.

Bacardi

Hunter is a renowned director whose work crosses over between music videos and commercials. His CV racks up to an impressive list, working with music legends such as Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Madonna, U2, Justin Timberlake, Will Smith, Gwen Stefani, Marilyn Manson, Lenny Kravitz, and Jennifer Lopez. Hunter was also the creative mind behind the music video for Notorious B.I.G.’s “Hypnotize,”  D’Angelo’s “How Does it Feel?,” and Christina Aguilera’s “Lady Marmalade,” feat. Mya, Lil Kim and Pink.

Taking note from Hunter as both a director and Black business owner, Jordan soaked up all the crucial knowledge administered by Hunter. The project with Bacardi has been a formative step in Jordan feeling more comfortable and confident behind the camera. In speaking to Fast Company on the Bacardi shoot, Jordan stated,

“For me, we used a lot of crane shots, which was something I learned a lot about in this process, just controlling a crane and a jib. It’s a lot more going on than just being the actor in front of the camera. Positioning, movement, blocking, timing, and continuity that was crucial to some shots. So I had a chance to get some at-bats with all of this, to take a few swings at, so it was fun.”

Jordan’s first feature film will be a screen adaptation of Barclay Moore’s novel The Stars Beneath Our Feet. Jordan will also serve as producer, while Moore will adapt the novel into a screenplay. The book follows a young African-American boy who uses his imagination and colorful toys to escape the harsh realities of his brother’s death and life in the projects of Harlem.

His uppercut through the ranks of Hollywood has allowed him to cross into the world of producing and directing and at the age of 31, Jordan’s major success in the entertainment industry is proof that the star is destined for greatness.