Interview with
Project Spotlight - reaches out to creative individuals and communities of all experience levels. Our goal is to raise awareness towards new users, seasoned Steemians and impactful Steem-powered projects. Today, we spoke with the team behind
, a Sndbox project with a powerful vision for the future of creativity on the blockchain.
: Hey
squad! Tell us about yourself. What's your background and how did this all get started on Steem?
: Since the early 1990s, I’ve been acknowledged as the leading Arab DJ statesman, which labeled me as the oldest and most established turntablist in the Middle East and North Africa. In addition, I’ve produced and released music for over 20 years, which included several seminal Arab hip-hop albums and a blockchain-based album. These endeavors granted me the opportunity to share the stage with iconic hip-hop figures, such as Grandmaster Flash, De La Soul, Pharoahe Monch, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Timbaland, Missy Elliot, and many more.
While participating on several Steemit-based music production competition, I recognized the value of the Steemit community. I immediately became accustomed to this platform, where I was able to combine my musical passion, my computer engineering background, and my affinity for technology.
: As a creative with many different interests, Steemit is a great ecosystem that can feed each of them. I have found that there’s an overall positivity and support for people to create high-quality content and actually spend time to make better quality art. In a world that often thrives on popular music, shows, movies, etc. Steemit is a beautiful thing that we’ve unlocked and can use together. As a musician, this brings social networking into the same world as rewarding the artist. The fact that I can support other artists on here as well as help support myself is an amazing thing.
: I'd like to think I'm a multidisciplinary creative with invested interests in music production, screenwriting, film production, communication design, fashion design, industrial design, and culinary arts. However, I'm more of a passionate dilettante, a loafing workaholic, the scatterbrained second cousin of the Renaissance Man.
Within a month after joining Steemit, I realized that it was fundamentally community oriented. The collective support and encouragement towards my contributions inspired me to reciprocate that sentiment back to the community.
: You guys have a super impressive collaboration going right now. Tell us about your latest and greatest; Block Mountain.
Block Mountain is a creative group bringing together artists of all different mediums. Our objectives are to encourage qualitative progression, to educate, and to provide essential resources for the community.
Our introductory project is a community-based music project. The mission is to create a unified album of Steemit musicians, with art created by Steemit artists, all in collaboration for one goal, and that is to create something remarkable on the blockchain.
This initiative is one of the first community projects inclusively aimed to create one end result, a Block Mountain album. It takes a lot of people to make an album and Steemit has the diversity to make this happen.
: This Steem-Powered album sounds incredible. It's amazing how you've already been able to cultivate such a creative following and engage Steemians with your competitions. Looking ahead, how do you imagine
will grow?
We are in pursuit of advocating fundamental principles and a state of mind by utilizing art and media on the blockchain, i.e., self-growth and community solidarity. Block Mountain strives to uplift the community through every facet of artistry.
Although the inception of Block Mountain is initially on Steemit, the vision is to expand beyond the blockchain to help connect those on the blockchain to those who are off. The advantage and privilege the Steemit community will have is that they will be the representative forefathers in leading this homegrown initiative into the physical world.
As we collectively build more blocks, Block Mountain will continue to grow to leave a cultural impact on Steemit, the blockchain, and connected communities.
How can the Steemit community help you assemble this Mountain of Blocks?
Steemians can contribute in many ways. The current community music project is not only for musicians and vocalists, but also for those proficient in the visual field of design -- graphic designers, motion graphic designers, animators, videographers, and etcetera. We’re interested in seeing submissions in any visual or sonic medium. Who knows where the project could turn.
The Steemit community can also support in non-creative ways such as upvoting, resteeming, following us on our projects, and spreading awareness to the community.
Future projects of Block Mountain will involve a diverse range of artistry that we hope to expand continuously. We want to make sure that every person has the opportunity to participate and contribute. There are much more to come and any support and contribution helps us realize those goals.
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