Gerald Watson

Shaolin Jazz co-founder DJ 2-Tone Jones—one half of the duo behind the genre-bending brand—returns to reflect on growth, alignment, and his continued love for blending film and music through Can I Kick It? Finding purpose through Shaolin Jazz : how re-scoring films with hip-hop and jazz gave his DJ career renewed meaning Can I Kick It? : building a national, live-scoring experience that fuses cult classic cinema with original DJ sets Mastering live scoring: learning to let films “breathe” and why restraint can elevate storytelling Creative partnerships that last: why the right venue, audience, and mission fit matter more than numbers Lessons from 160+ screenings: evolving from DIY setups to long-term residencies and curatorial refinement Niche as power: how a focused creative identity built deeper impact, loyalty, and community across cities Check out Shaolin Jazz's and DJ 2-Tone Jones’ first appearance on the podcast — recorded in 2020 — here . Join DJ 2-Tone Jones this Saturday at Creative Alliance for Can I Kick It? , featuring Monkey Man —an adrenaline-fueled Indian revenge thriller re-scored live with hip-hop, soul, and cinematic beats. 🎧🎥 Doors at 7PM, film starts at 7:30. Grab your tickets now: creativealliance.org/event/can-i-kick-it-monkey-man This episode was recorded during a season dedicated to creative growth, transformation, and honoring the foundations that helped build Baltimore’s culture. The Truth In This Art is supported by William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund , the Maryland State Arts Council's Creativity Grant and Mayor's Individual Artist Award - Creative Baltimore Fund (Baltimore) . Host : Rob Lee Music: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis . Production: Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel Alexis Edited by Daniel Alexis Show Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and Transistor Photos: Rob Lee photos by Vicente Martin for The Truth In This Art and Contrarian Aquarian Media. Guest photos courtesy of the guest, unless otherwise noted. Support the podcast The Truth In This Art Podcast Fractured Atlas ( Fundraising ): https://www.fracturedatlas.org The Truth In This Art Podcast Bluesky: https://b

Welcome to the Truth in This Art. I'm your host, Rob Lee, and I’m thrilled to be in conversation with my next guests: Gerald Watson and DJ 2-Tone Jones from Shaolin Jazz. Shaolin Jazz , co-founded by Gerald Watson and DJ 2-Tone Jones, produces content and events that highlight the parallels between Hip-Hop, Jazz, and Martial Arts. Learn how the two turned a mutual admiration of Wu-Tang Clan and Jazz into a mixtape, event series and so much more. Join us as we discuss: An exciting exploration of the interconnected worlds of hip-hop, jazz, and martial arts as Shaolin Jazz curates mesmerizing events and content that draw attention to their fascinating parallels. One-of-a-kind event series titled "Can I Kick It?" where classic martial arts movies blend seamlessly with the captivating beats of DJ 2-Tone Jones' live music. Expect a truly immersive and unforgettable experience! How Shaolin Jazz has gracefully adapted to the challenges posed by COVID-19, pivoting to digital events while continuing to deliver their mission of offering unique and engaging experiences to audiences worldwide. Embrace the innovative ways they've found to keep the magic alive in the virtual realm. Gerald Watson and DJ 2-Tone Jones discuss their creative platform, Shaolin Jazz, which explores the connections between hip-hop, jazz, and martial arts. They create events and content that highlight these parallels, including live music performances and the event series "Can I Kick It?". They talk about how COVID-19 has forced them to pivot to digital events and the importance of finding outlets for creativity during these challenging times. They also share their favorite martial arts movies and hip-hop/jazz albums. Mentioned in this episode Gerald Watson and DJ 2-Tone Jones. from Shaolin Jazz. 🎧🌟 Don't forget to rate and review this episode to support the best in podcasting! 🌟🎧 The Truth In This Art is supported by William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund , the Maryland State Arts Council's Creativity Grant and Mayor's Individual Artist Award - Creative Baltimore Fund (Baltimore) . Host : Rob Lee Music: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis . Production: Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel Alexis Edited by Daniel Alexis Show Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and Transistor Photos: Rob Lee photos by Vicente Martin for The Truth In This Art and Contrarian Aquarian Media. Guest p

Barry Bishop “The Creative” is a graphic artist from Washington, DC by way of Trinidad and Tobago. He is best known for his designs in the early days of DC’s best known streetwear brand, Madness Connection aka Universal Madness, and his own clothing brand B-Man Apparel. Geronimo and Chelle B talk with Barry and Document the Fresh exhibit series founder Gerald Watson about the artist’s career, street fashion, and Barry’s upcoming solo exhibit in DC this Saturday 12/7. For more information on the exhibit, visit barrybishopart.eventbrite.com #NecessaryListening. Powered and distributed by Simplecast.

We love lifestyle events at All The Fly Kids which is why we invite the producers of some of the best to come through. Shaolin Jazz, made up of Gerald Watson and DJ 2-Tone Jones, has given DC and some other cities across the globe incredible events infused with the four elements of hip-hop and all of the culture’s influences. We talk about the beginnings of each man’s career, how they came up with the name Shaolin Jazz, the decrease in the number of experiential/lifestyle events in DC, and cooperative economics among DC creatives. This is also our second week of Critical Place Theory - a break in the show when we ask guests three things they love and hate about DC. As always, things get real. Spread the word and follow us. All The Fly Kids on everything. Links: ShaolinJazz.com Shaolin Jazz on social media