On this episode of Where Do We Go From Here?, I talk with Yoh Phillips and Holland Gallagher (aka vacay), the writer and director team behind Rap Portraits. When I wrote for Pigeons and Planes, Yoh and I were distant contemporaries, always aware and appreciative of each other’s writing. We only connected a few years back when he was assigned to interview one of my clients. Though that piece never ran, we immediately hit it off and searched for other ways to work together, other stories to tell. Months later, Yoh introduced me to his partner Holland. Almost half a decade and many debates about music, technology, and the state of institutions chronicling the art we love, I figured they’d be great guests in this ongoing experiment of mine.
In their Rap Portraits series, Yoh and Holland have profiled rappers MAVI, Earthgang, JID, Kari Faux, Mick Jenkins, among others. Years of developing honing distinct take on verité storytelling culminated in 2023’s May The Lord Watch, the duo’s excellent documentary on seminal underground hip-hop group Little Brother. We talk about the state of music journalism and documentary filmmaking, methods for storytellers to craft the narratives they’re passionate about, and making choices that cut against the conventional logic of our time.
A few key takeaways from our conversation…
Balancing fandom and objectivity: As filmmakers, Holland and Yoh navigate the line between being fans of the artists they profile and maintaining a respectful distance. They prioritize honesty and capturing the true essence of the artists' experiences, but their passion for the music they love influences their work in a way that feels like a break from eras where culture critics attempted to come across as more objective authorities. Holland summarized the duo’s ethos succinctly late in the episode: “You have certain days in your life where you're like, damn, that was a movie…we want to be there to make that movie.”
“Stories beget stories”: Throughout our conversation, Yoh and Holland raise the notion that creative work tends to build on itself in unexpected ways. The piece you write or the video you shoot might not be seen by many people, but it might be seen by the right people who pass it along to others, directly or indirectly opening up new opportunities to create. Creating from a place of necessity, of love and passion for the art, drives Rap Portraits. While that sort of thinking surely has its economic difficulties and potential disincentives.
Independent filmmaking in the modern age: In speaking about May the Lord Watch?, Holland and Yoh detail the ways the cobbled together funding and their unorthodox approach to distribution, ultimately releasing the film independently on YouTube. There are a lot of replicable takeaways for filmmakers and creative people of all stripes who want to understand how to piece together funding and find an audience for the works they are passionate about bringing into the world.
Special thanks to Anna Kasper for producing, Will Grogan for providing our music, and Hugh Huntingford for designing the Applied Science logo and podcast cover image.
Though Los Angeles’ fires are finally fully contained, the efforts to rebuild remain daunting. As always this year, please find some resources below with direction on those in need of donations, volunteering opportunities, and reliable information sources.
LA Country has launched an exhaustive website with resources for preparedness and recovery (including links for debris removal and right of entry forms).
Mutual Aid Network of Los Angeles’s spreadsheet lists an expansive number of funds, organizations, and aid types across the expanse of the city. A great place to start.
A comprehensive volunteer and support guide from local organization LA2050.
A good post from The Angel on different ways to get involved with relief efforts.
A book/PDF written for parents to help explain the enormity of wildfire to their children.
PBS SoCal’s resources for how to talk to children about wildfires.
A U.S. government fact sheet on protecting children from wildfire smoke and ash.
A spreadsheet of GoFundme’s for Black families from Altadena who have been displaced or lost their homes. Altadena is one of Los Angeles’ historically Black centers, a place where generations of hard-earned wealth and equity in the land were decimated in a matter of days. (first seen via Saul Williams)
A collection of GoFundme’s that are under 20% funded, shared by 5PM LUCKY (via Ventura-based brand RatBoi):
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