23 Ring Circus

I recently got the opportunity to finish a story that had been on the back burner for way too long. I started photographing rapper Agent 23 a few years ago with an interest in his new life and career direction.
After about 12 years of traveling the country with hip hop group, GFE, Agent 23 felt that he had to settle down a bit with his wife and daughter, Saki and so they bought a house in Asheville. He was still making music, but wasn’t able to pursue it with the same energy that he had been… Until he discovered the perfect way to make his career incorporate his family and make them closer instead of bringing them apart. That’s when he launched Secret Agent 23 Skidoo, kid-hop for the whole family and joining him on stage, MC Fireworks (Saki) and Booty Satva (his wife Brook). They’ve been at it for several years and are now working on their third album and travel throughout the country and internationally as a family rockin’ crowds of kids and parents.
I recently approached Turnstyle about making a multimedia piece about 23 and his family using the materiel that I had gathered originally with new photos video and audio. The result, 23 Ring Circus, is my first multimedia piece ever. Please go check it out at turnstyle and here are some of the stills:


Saki recently turned 11 and she is now writing her own raps, hooks and melodies and performing them in front of huge crowds and in recordings. She raps, sings and dances on most of the songs in their set and even sometimes has to play the roll of the dj when it’s only her and 23. She doesn’t go on every tour and is able to decide which ones she wants to go on. Their are other members of the band that can pick up her parts when she is absent. 23 intends to keep it this way in order to keep the pressure off of her and make it something that she can do for as long as she wants and quit whenever she wants.

 

23 Still does occasional show and tours with his original band, GFE. Here he performs with GFE at LAAFF in Asheville. He also just released a solo adult album called monkey wrench in which he continues to keep the content kid friendly, but gears it toward adults.

23 just launched a kickstarted campaign to fund his new album. Learn more, watch videos and support him here.

County Fair

I’ve been getting some great assignments from Carolina Public Press lately.Shooting the Avery County Agricultural and Horticultural Fair has been my favorite so far. It’s one of the last remaining county fairs in Western NC.