blog
No expectations, no limitations, This is where craft and curiosity collide. I create my world of sound & sight.
I drop ten tracks you probably haven’t heard of, show a glimpse of what I uncover as I document my life in CDMX, and highlight other artists I’m tuned in to.
The Chris mix
Last weeks mix was mostly hype, but this week is mostly smooth tunes to add some flare your day or night.
Doechii’s boastful lyrical flow has been part of her latest musical direction since her rise to popularity, but I really liked the soft elegant touch she use to bring in earlier songs before she blew up so I had to start the mix with one of her greatest features.
Something about music that was released leading up to and during the pandemic was so gooood; its unfortunate many artists missed out on a lot of exposure due to the worldwide stay indoor protocols that stopped any kind of live performances, so I really love cloud digging through that period. Take Smino; American rapper to rejuvenate the rap genre through his alternative and playful approach, dropped his greatest album in 2022 and it’s been heavily slept on. No skips. Makes sense why Doechii would be on that album too, but Lil Uzi Vert on Pudgy was a fun surprise.
Jacks Haupt’s Summer of 1980 was released right before the pandemic and is a beautiful soulful track that could have you believing that it was really released in 1980.
RIP Lil Keed. Though hey repped the Mexican flag on the Long Live Mexico (2019) album cover as a tribute to his friend that died earlier that year, I wonder if there was intention to reach other audiences outside of the US.
Documenting Mexico CIty
“Gen Z” as The Most Active Protest Yet
The Gen Z protests have occurred in many different countries, and in 2024, Bangladesh was widely cited as the first successful Gen Z revolution for overthrowing the government. So it was a matter of time that this protest came to CDMX. The assassination of Carlos Manza (mayor in one of the most active states for narcoterrorism), who took a strong public stance against drug-cartels and corruption, was the tipping point that led to the protest on November 15th. The biggest surprise was most protesters were older folk, as old as 80+ years old.
As any protest in CDMX, the start at el Angel de Independence was peaceful and non-violent. Once reaching Plaza Zocalo, shit was poppin’ off. I was late to the party once I saw that the barriers closest to Palacio Nacional were tore down and protesters made it to the last line of defense.
It was an intense atmosphere; everything was being thrown in every direction and tear gas smoke routinely pushed back protesters. Once I was at the frontline, it was a constant back-n-forth. There was a moment of peace and community from both sides that seemed to happen just before they had a chance at breaching into Palacio Nacional. There were medics attending protesters, even some protesters sympathizing towards police that “they are parents like us too.”
This brief moment lasted enough for more reinforcements to begin pushing back protesters out of Plaza Zocalo. Protesters were exhausted and could not keep up with the new groups of police coming in.
I managed to get up close and document some of the wildest parts of the protest in its rawest form. As a result I had to go through all the tear gas and rocks thrown at me like everyone else. I was lucky enough to not get hit with one, but damn that tear gas is no joke. I need to come prepared next time with a gas mask.
The video speaks for itself and shows the artistic depth of David (Crap Clothex) and the other creatives behind Galleria 2292, so I wont be writing a lot here.
What I will say is how fucken cool this video came out; this was shot in one take (or at least it appears that way 🤭) to keep it authentic. None of this was scripted; I texted him about the idea that I wanted to interview him in the style of Vogue’s 73 Questions and he was down. That was it. I pulled up, we got to work, and shot an entire campaign video/fotoshoot.
It’s A special thank you to @brujovintage for his artistic direction in the layout of Galleria 2292 and to the rest of the team who works behind the scenes. Make sure you follow him, @gamabajamx and @crapclothexx and ask about any of the garments/items seen here.
Artist in focus
CrapClothex - Fashion Designer https://www.instagram.com/crapclothexx