A Shoot in the Color Brown

The first time I heard Ronnie Brown’s voice was just when the weather broke on my first New York winter. He stood atop a New York City roof in a puffer coat and turtleneck. His voice had far more control of the beat than it did him; save for an emotional chord that danced just above his tone. “I’m Bishop with the gumby on the roof and I want all Juice”, that first line capturing the most gripping part of a childhood favorite stopped me.

The line reminded me of working in a news station, where we learned the purpose of the first line of any story is to make the viewer look up. That day Ronnie made me look up. The rest of the verse was equally impressive, his attention to detail, his wit and relatable pop culture references were all held together with a soulful, gritty voice that demanded the attention given.

I ventured through his page and found even more of his music and his album Life in the Color Brown and became an instant fan. I told him I loved his work and to shoot with him one day. Fortunately for me, Ronnie is as great a person as he is an artist and let me know he would like to work with me, complimenting my work as well. After several failed attempts of trying to set up time to shoot, exchanging ideas, messages of encouragement, and suggesting locations, I think what we created was well worth the wait. Thank you Ronnie.