One of my favourite pieces of footage on YouTube is a clip at the end of the music video for the opening track of Kano’s ‘Made in the Manor’ album, “Hail”. In this clip, he is sat in his car with fellow music artists Ghetts and Giggs, playing them the completed version of another of his songs for the first time.
This particular piece of footage causes me to grin from ear to ear, not only because it contains two of my favourite MCs, but because of the unadulterated excitement on display. Kano is brimming with enthusiasm and pride, showcasing his craft to two other legends and all three are lost in their appreciation of the art. These are three adults, black men in their 30s, visibly high on excitement and admiration for each other.
Recently Jamaican vlogger, poet, academic and Instagram guru, Carla Moore posted a video. She described the “hope and wonder” she feels through witnessing boys and young men laugh. She spoke of the fact that they are constantly required to be so guarded in how they present themselves, as in the course of growing up, so many things can undermine their version of masculinity. It’s rare that something can really “sweet dem” sufficiently so that they can “put down the mask” and let themselves go through childlike laughter.