WENDEL PATRICK: “Artworks” is made possible in part by the citizens of Baltimore County and by the Ruth R. Marder Arts Endowment Fund, the Robert E. Meyerhoff and Rheda Becker Endowment for the Arts, the E.T.

and Robert B. Rockland Fund, the Henry and Ruth Blaustein Rosenberg Foundation Arts Endowment in memory of Ruth Marder.

ILL CONSCIOUS: I was coming outside to go to work and my neighbor was like, “Hey man, I'm selling pitbull puppies for X amount of dollars.” I'm like, “oh.” WENDEL: You a dog person?

ILL CONSCIOUS: No, I'm not, that's the crazy thing.

But I couldn't, I couldn't just turn it down, I don't know.

WENDEL: So how long have you had this pit bull?

ILL CONSCIOUS: Since August.

WENDEL: And how do you feel about it?

ILL CONSCIOUS: I love him, I love him, man.

WENDEL: I wasn't either.

ILL CONSCIOUS: He's making me one, so.

WENDEL: I wasn't, I, I really was not at all.

ILL CONSCIOUS: Low key?

It's like he's helping me overcome some things, you know?

I'll just say that.

WENDEL: Yeah?

ILL CONSCIOUS: Yeah.

WENDEL: What's his name?

ILL CONSCIOUS: Brownie.

WENDEL: Brownie?

ILL CONSCIOUS: Yeah.

Lemme show you Brownie.

WENDEL: Oh, you're, that's it.

You're showing me a picture?

ILL CONSCIOUS: Yeah, I'm gonna show you, bro.

WENDEL: Soon as I started like, let me show you Dexter.

ILL CONSCIOUS: Man, you know what?

WENDEL: Oh, you're in trouble.

ILL CONSCIOUS: I trying to tell you.

WENDEL: You sure?

ILL CONSCIOUS: He doesn't nip and bite at me anymore too, so, that's good, got him outta that.

WENDEL: Does he nip, does he nip and bite others when necessary?

ILL CONSCIOUS: Mmm-Hmm, when necessary.

(creating drum beat).

(keyboard playing).

WENDEL: Get some, uh, cacophony in there.

ILL CONSCIOUS: Yeah, do your thing, man, look.

I got nothing but time, nothing but time, yo.

We good.

WENDEL: Hi, I'm Wendel Patrick, host of “Artworks.” But some of you may be wondering, what does he actually do when he's not hosting?

Well, I do a few things, I'm a pianist, a producer, a professor, a photographer, a turntablist, a beat maker, a beatboxer, an improviser, a soccer player... well, I don't really do too much of that these days, but I do a lot of things.

So on today's episode, we're gonna take you on a little journey.

We're calling this episode “A Day in the Life of Wendel Patrick.” So come along with me, you never know what I might be doing, whether it's spending time or making music with some of my artistic heroes like Rakim, De La Soul, Raphael Saadiq, or Sheila E. Or spending the afternoon in my studio, creating, recording, going out for a good meal in Mount Vernon, Baltimore.

Or hopping on a plane for a quick trip to another country to install a commission soundscape in an art museum.

So thanks for joining and welcome to a special episode of “Artworks: A Day in the Life of Wendel Patrick.” I remember the first time I met you, 20... almost 10 years.

ILL CONSCIOUS: Yeah.

WENDEL: Wow, that's crazy.

It was at the Baltimore Crown Awards.

ILL CONSCIOUS: Yeah, no, that was the first time we met.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

WENDEL: 20... 2015, I think?

ILL CONSCIOUS: I might have been performing with Dirt Platoon, I'm not sure.

WENDEL: So, so I was actually there because they had a, a beat battle that year.

Well, they have a beat battle every year.

ILL CONSCIOUS: Yeah, yeah.

WENDEL: But, um, and I'd never gone, I never entered, but I decided to go that year.

ILL CONSCIOUS: Mm-hmm.

WENDEL: And enter, and you were, you were... ILL CONSCIOUS: Scar, Tislam and a bunch of other cats was, I think was doing, in the beat battle with you.

WENDEL: Yeah.

ILL CONSCIOUS: I think, yeah, yeah, yeah.

WENDEL: And you were, were you like the best?

ILL CONSCIOUS: I was like, best new artist.

WENDEL: Best new artist, is that what it was?

ILL CONSCIOUS: It was like, I guess I'm new, but I ain't, you know.

(laughter).

WENDEL: And so I came, I think I came up afterwards and was just like, “Hey, that was really good...” introduce myself.

ILL CONSCIOUS: And I was like, “Yeah, I know you.” I already know you.

WENDEL: Yeah, you were like, I know who you... (laughing).

(creating drum beat).

So I figured, um, first of all, it's great to see you.

ILL CONSCIOUS: Great to see you too, bro.

WENDEL: Yeah, well, yeah, well, it's, it is always good to see you.

ILL CONSCIOUS: Yeah.

WENDEL: And, um, it's always good when you come by.

ILL CONSCIOUS: Yeah.

WENDEL: And I figured we could just make something from scratch.

I can... ILL CONSCIOUS: Let's make it happen.

WENDEL: I can show you something and you... ILL CONSCIOUS: You already know, you already know I'm down, let's get it.

Let's get it, man.

(playing keyboard).

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ That ill though, right there, you want... ♪ ♪ ♪ Yeah.

♪ ♪ Ill ♪ ♪ Ill Con, rocking on your global intercoms.

♪ ♪ Wha.

♪ ♪ Wendel Patrick, what up?

♪ ♪ Check yo.

♪ ♪ Yo section them off, ♪ ♪ it's the boss the dogs are energized.

♪ ♪ Checking 'em all, body parts departmentalized.

♪ ♪ We on the block, ♪ ♪ but our faces them narcs memorize.

♪ ♪ Pitch the product whenever the soft crystallized.

♪ ♪ Transmit a classic through Noble Pass, globally.

♪ ♪ Pure race static with bureaucratic diplomacy.

♪ ♪ The ball to the game, ♪ ♪ Chutes and Ladders, promoting beef.

♪ ♪ See me as an enigma.

♪ ♪ Supernatural potency.

♪ ♪ I respond to gong remotely in Hong Kong with ♪ ♪ the bronze Oakleys.

♪ ♪ Can't see the sun, ♪ ♪ I'm like the god Stokely Carmichael that ♪ ♪ y'all right with my hard coldies.

♪ ♪ The long ‘40 getting them wrapped like he's stromboli.

♪ ♪ The cappin on the grand make modifications.

♪ ♪ I bring the fire.

♪ ♪ More smoke for the oxidation.

♪ ♪ Uh, yet I give him an anesthetic feel.

♪ ♪ They clap when the ratchet deflected this magnetic field.

♪ ♪ Welcome to the enterprises, government oligarchy.

♪ ♪ Solidified as the as the greatest listed on higher ♪ ♪ Walker Street intellectuals with the mind ♪ ♪ of a Marcus Garvey, not with yourself, ♪ ♪ but we playing the corner like Cromartie.

♪ ♪ (inaudible).

♪ ♪ Blood money.

♪ ♪ He threw slugs at carotid arteries.

♪ ♪ Sirens in unison when the law comes ♪ ♪ barking in harmony.

♪ ♪ Education to prison pipeline ♪ ♪ Expecting a difference.

♪ ♪ The Feds pressing you, ♪ ♪ You expressing your innocence.

♪ ♪ Lies that they teach you this disinfecting curriculums.

♪ ♪ Preacher feeding his lies from the First and ♪ ♪ Second Corinthians.

♪ ♪ It's all connected.

♪ ♪ Handle tabs, handle the traffickers.

♪ ♪ Break it down, ♪ ♪ Bought it wholesale from the manufacturers.

♪ ♪ Little buddy, this pearl handles immaculate.

♪ ♪ Kidnapping your girl and then make her ♪ ♪ Sample the packages.

♪ ♪ Baltimore.

♪ ♪ What, what, what, what, what?

♪ WENDEL: I know that when someone asks you, someone from Baltimore asks you where you from, uh, even though I've lived here 27 years, you can't say from Baltimore, 'cause the first question they ask you is, “Oh yeah, well, what high school did you go to?” And then you say, "Oh, I didn't go to high school in Baltimore..." “Oh, you're not from, you're not from Baltimore.” But, so I was actually born right outside D.C. in Maryland, lived there for three years, and then moved to, uh, Caracas, Venezuela in South America.

(piano playing).

WENDEL: Uh, which is where I actually started piano lessons and my, my musical training, and lived there till I was seven, then back to the D.C. area for four years, uh, then I was 11, I moved to Jamaica, uh, where my mother is, my mother was from and lived there for three years, and then back to the D.C. area.

Throughout all of those years, I was always spending time, a significant amount of each year in Trinidad and Tobago 'cause that's where my father is from.

My dad was a, a real audio file, I mean, even when I was three, four years old, watching him, like I could tell it was what I would now call a spiritual experience, right?

‘Cause he'd be listening and he listened to all kinds of things, so obviously being from the Caribbean, there was a lot of, uh, Reggae and Calypso and Ska and, um, but he was a huge fan of, uh, a lot of Disco.

And then of course, just living in, in different parts of the world, there was, it's just like sort of these, like these different, you know, touches and nuances and so, so it's not something that I think about actively when I'm making something per se, but I, but I know it's there.

(classical music playing).

♪ FATLIP: In my younger days I used to sport as sag, ♪ ♪ when I went to school I carried lunch in a bag.

♪ ♪ With an apple for my teacher 'cause I knew I'd get a kiss, ♪ ♪ always got mad when the class was dismissed.

♪ ♪ But when it was in session, I always had a question, ♪ ♪ I would raise my hand to make her stagger ♪ ♪ to my desk and help me with my problem, ♪ ♪ it was never much, just a trick, ♪ ♪ to smell her scent and try to sneak a touch.

♪ ♪ Oh, how I wish... ♪ ♪ (record scratch).

♪ ♪ ...hold her hand and give her a hug.

♪ ♪ She was married to the man, ♪ ♪ he was a thug, his name was Lee, ♪ ♪ he drove a Z.

♪ ♪ He'd pick her up from school promptly ♪ ♪ at three o'clock.

♪ ♪ I was on her jock, yes indeedy.

♪ ♪ I wrote graffiti on the bus.

♪ ♪ First I'd write her name then carve a plus, ♪ ♪ with my name last, on the looking glass.

♪ ♪ I seen her yesterday but still, ♪ ♪ I had to let her pass.

♪ ♪ (classical music playing).

♪ ♪ GROUP: She keeps on passing me by.

♪ ♪ FATLIP: Can I get a kiss?

♪ ♪ GROUP: She keeps on passing me by.

♪ WENDEL: So I host a show called “Artworks,” I'm not sure if you're if you've heard of it.

Uh, but it airs on Maryland Public Television and it's, it's been a blessing to be able to host, to host the show.

I first appeared on the show in, in 2015, when the amazing Rhea Feikin was host.

And, uh, one of the things that we do is we feature each year the Baker Artist Award winners, and in 2015, I was one of the, the winners.

And so I was featured on the show.

And a few years later when, when Rhea retired, I was asked if I would be interested in doing a guest host appearance, which I was, which I did, and which I loved.

And so I was, you know, I was thrilled to be asked to come back.

And, um, you know, I love this city, uh, I love, I love the arts in the city, I love, I love this region and I've spent a lot of my lifetime in this region.

And, um, it gives me great joy to be able to interact with different musicians, painters, photographers, filmmakers, street artists, basically artists of any kind, uh, some of which I've had the wonderful fortune of befriending over the years.

It's been a, a wonderful experience to be able to get in front of the camera, uh, tell stories and listen to stories and it's been really great.

♪ Representation of success you know, in some ways, ♪ ♪ so if I'm listening to someone's music ♪ ♪ and I like you, yeah, I'll pop it up, ♪ ♪ I try to hear as much as possible from the artist.

♪ Okay, so, uh, welcome everyone, uh, as you all know, this is the last full like, scheduled class before next Wednesday's rehearsal, right?

Um, so I want to work through more of what we're gonna do as the closing, so hopefully we can all be like, set on how that is going to work.

All right, okay, so let's all come over...

Here's 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 1, right?

You're very early, you're about to, you're about to jump backwards a half note.

Make sure you come on the end.

STUDENT: Right, 'cause then I'm almost the one.

WENDEL: Yeah, all right, okay, y'all, everybody ready?

STUDENT: Yeah.

WENDEL: Yes, you just watching?

STUDENT: I, I guess I just got in here.

WENDEL: Yeah, no, you shouldn't just watch.

STUDENT: Okay.

WENDEL: Hop into a group.

Not too hard.

if it... not too hard.

(creating beats).

Yeah.

5, 6, 7, 8.

(creating beats).

Bass is out.

(creating beats).

(vocalizing to the beat).

Nope, so this is the thing, you cannot hit it.

Hang on one second.

You can't hit it on beat.

If you hit it on beat, you're gonna think you're on beat and it's gonna come the next half note late.

STUDENT: Yeah, yeah... WENDEL: Remember... STUDENT: It did like cut time, Man.

I was like, no, it didn't do cut time and I was like... WENDEL: No it didn't do cut time, it did exactly what it's supposed to do.

STUDENTS: We, yeah... WENDEL: You have to hit it early if you if you think you're hitting it on beat.

STUDENT: Okay.

WENDEL: We're, we are humans, Ableton is not, so it's gonna, it's gonna say, “Oh, ha, ha, ha, you thought you were on time?

You go a half hour, half note late.” Right?

So it's gotta be early.

(creating beats).

Good.

(creating beats).

(vocalizing to the beat).

(creating beats) STUDENT: Make... STUDENT: You should go in order.

(laughing).

STUDENT: Go ahead.

WENDEL: Good.

There you go.

(creating beats).

Okay, get ready, get ready.

(laughing).

(creating beats).

(laughter).

WENDEL: Good, good.

♪ RAPPER: Like they do in physics.

♪ ♪ You and I... ♪ WENDEL: I like to walk a lot, uh, I, I pretty much start every day with a walk and, uh, I live in Mount Vernon and this part of town is really great for that, you know, so I've got my, a few local coffee shops, uh, walk and get, get a coffee, say hi to the folks in there.

And, um, and I like to drink while I'm, while I'm walking, so just take a stroll, maybe go up to the park.

I don't have my dog anymore, I had my dog of, of 14 years, and that was like, that was like his favorite thing to do, so that's how it became my favorite thing to do.

But I like to walk a lot.

Uh, I like to work out, I like to go to the gym and, you know, that's really helpful for, for a few different reasons, I mean, obviously there's the physical aspect, you know, um, it's just, it's just good to be healthier, I think and that helps in a lot of ways, but also, I work on a lot of music when I'm at the gym or when I'm walking, you know, like I'll think of, uh, arrangements that just really sort of helps me to, to, to process what I wanna do sonically, but, uh, away from, away from my studio, with all the equipment.

(classical music playing).

It's all different parts of one large puzzle.

So, you know, music is all about pitch, rhythm, you know, melody, harmony, um, dissonance, you know, feeling, emotion, and then of course, you know, for a lot of things, but really, really for everything, I think there's a, there's, there's historical context and then cultural context that comes into play.

Everything that I do from one genre informs what I end up doing in, in something else.

And, you know, I studied classical, classical piano, and then came to jazz later, right?

As, as a player, when I, when I left music school, I didn't really think at the time that all of these different things that I love and, you know, some, some of 'em I could do very well when I left music school, some of 'em I couldn't do at all.

Like some of, some of it I'd never done, some of what I do now but I didn't really think at the time about how closely related everything is or how closely intertwined when you're an artist.

And if you, if you're, if you happen to do a lot of different things.

Um, ideally you have a lot of different things that are, you know, coming your way.

And sometimes those are things that I'm familiar with or that I'm comfortable with, but the goal also is to always be expanding my, my comfort zone.

One of the really great things about being at the Peabody Institute is that so many of the faculty members are incredible performers, and all of them are, you know, first-rate, uh, practitioners of what they do.

And so as an institution, it really supports the faculty going out and existing as a working artist, as a working musician, as a working dancer.

And so that helps me, you know, a lot of the times when I'm teaching students, I find myself thinking about things that I might not be doing, right?

That I, that I'm telling them they should do.

Um, I think we're all, you know, no matter what stage in life we get to, I think it's important to, to, to always be open, not only be open to learning but to be, uh, an, an active participant in, in actually seeking out opportunities, you know, to do that.

So for me, yes, there's a switch between, you know, being sort of in performing mode and being in, in, in teaching mode, but they're very closely related.

And they also gimme an opportunity to recall when I was a student and to really appreciate some of the things that were imparted to me by some of my teachers and professors or, or even friends and colleagues when I was younger or in school or even before that, that have been really beneficial to me over the years.

♪ ♪ Okay, everybody pay attention, please, Jax, uh, everybody, um, just look this way, so, uh, Jordan, Sarah, your, your group's gonna go first.

Listen up so today we're gonna have our final in-class performance.

Just wanna say that you all look amazing, like really well done.

Uh, one thing I don't want anybody in any group to, to do is say anything like, uh, "I hope this is good," or, "I don't know, this isn't..." "I don't know how we..." Right?

We want supreme confidence because if you, if you don't do that, we won't, we won't know.

All right, so we're gonna move over to the next room, and then we're gonna come back for groups three, and you all are gonna be four.

So, um, so, and just have fun, all right?

(clapping).

(sax solo).

(sax solo).

I think the way that I typically work artistically and otherwise is, you know, if like a wonderful opportunity presents itself, or an opportunity that, that I create comes my way, um, I try to make the most out of it, and that then leads to another thing, and then that leads to another thing, and so now you've got two things leading to three other things, you know, so...

I'm very proud of a lot of the things that I have worked on individually and with other people.

The new, uh, Bachelor of, um, Music and Hip Hop at the Peabody Institute is one of those things that, um, you know, when I started there in 2016 with one class, I wasn't thinking at the time that, uh, you know, in eight years or nine years, I want there to be the first person, you know, I wasn't really thinking about that, actually, I wasn't thinking about that at all.

I spent a lot of time in, in, in the present, you know, so one of the things about, about improvisation for me is it, it forces you to, to, to really be present in, in the moment, right?

Like, you can't get too excited about a musical idea because then you might rush a little bit.

Um, you know, you have to make sure that you're listening to everybody else to see, uh, you know, so you don't miss any amazing ideas and that, that other people are, are formulating.

But then you have to sort of musically catch that and then share it.

Uh, and, you know, for, for Boom Bap Society, it's like we've got all these different musicians, uh, each um, session and then it's just these amazing MCs, that are also doing the same thing, right?

They're also reacting in moving in real-time, shifting in real-time.

♪ ♪ Definitely, I think, you know, having an experience across different genres and in different settings and with different musicians, um, and artists of all kinds is, uh, a, a really good preparation for, for that sort of artistic activity.

It, it's so much fun, uh, to do it and we have been doing it now since 2011.

♪ ♪ I would say I formally came to improvisation, um, at least in a performance sense, uh, I would say late, like after I'd done a, a number of things, so I, I would always improvise for myself or, you know, sort of, you know, even as a, as a child, I was always encouraged to, to compose and, you know, makeup things, but I, I didn't really improvise out like that until, um, I started to do it more around like 2009 or so, 2010 with The Out of Your Head Collective that was here in Baltimore.

That was started by two wonderful, wonderful musicians, uh, Matt Frazao and Adam Hopkins.

And they would convene musicians, much like that's actually where we, where we got the impetus for Baltimore Boom Bap Society came from Out of Your Head and DJ Dubble8 who I cocurate and we both, you know, we co-founded Baltimore Boom Bap Society together, I actually met DJ Dubble8 on one of those performances.

But I would say that in terms of the future, like I, I really sort of think that way, um, more so than, you know, in 15 years or, or, you know, when I leave this planet, uh, I would like my legacy to be, um, but that said, uh, I do set personal artistic and creative goals and many of those I don't really even talk about with, with anyone because they might not understand them, I might not be able to articulate them clearly, 'cause I haven't really sort of fully wrapped my head around them.

I think the biggest thing is, you know when switching from one thing to another is realizing, and it's a, it's a beautiful thing, how much I've improved at the things that I haven't been doing when I was doing something else.

(piano solo).

♪ Champagne wishes and caviar dreams, ♪ ♪ a team that's gettin' cream, ♪ ♪ with sales of fish scales from triple beams, ♪ ♪ I gleam, livin' the life of Riley, ♪ ♪ packin' fifty cali's.

♪ ♪ Rockin' lizard Bally's while we do a drug deal ♪ ♪ in a dark alley, up in casinos, ♪ ♪ just me and my dino primo, ♪ ♪ pushin' Bimm-o's, ♪ ♪ then parlay in Reno with two fly Latinos.

♪ ♪ Nas, he runs the whole staff, ♪ ♪ we count math from steam baths.

♪ ♪ We've seen a half a milli dashin' out there on ♪ ♪ the Queens half, ♪ ♪ three major players gettin' papers by the layers.

♪ ♪ And those that betray us on the block get ♪ ♪ rocked like Amadeus, ♪ ♪ fakers get used as shootin' targets soon as the dark hits.

♪ ♪ Front on the drug market, ♪ ♪ bodies get rolled up in a carpet.

♪ ♪ Those that cheat us try to beat us, we got... ♪ ♪ (record scratch).

♪ ♪ ...with heaters, ♪ ♪ That'll stray pop and put more shells in your ♪ ♪ top than Adidas.

♪ ♪ The leaders lookin' straight charmin' in ♪ ♪ our Giorgio Armani's.

♪ ♪ You wanna harm me and Nas?

♪ ♪ You gots to come get through a whole army.

♪ ♪ The cee-lo rollers, ♪ ♪ money folders, sippin' Bolla, ♪ ♪ holdin' mad payola.

♪ ♪ Slangin' that coke without the Cola.

♪ ♪ Me and black don't fake jax, but we might sling one.

♪ ♪ It ain't no shame in our game, we do our thing, son.

♪ ♪ Livin' the fast life with fast cars.

♪ ♪ Everywhere we go, people know who we are.

♪ ♪ A team from outta Queens with the American Dream.

♪ ♪ So we're plottin' up a scheme to get the ♪ ♪ seven-figure cream.

♪ ♪ Livin' the fast life with fast cars.

♪ ♪ Everywhere we go, people know who we are.

♪ ♪ A team from outta Queens with the American Dream.

♪ ♪ So we're plottin' up a scheme to get the seven-figure cream.

♪ ♪ Yo, I got... ♪ ♪ ...from Italy... ♪ ♪ (record scratch).

♪ ♪ ...considerably.

♪ ♪ Mid-state and Green it seems is where all my... ♪ ♪ (record scratch).

♪ ♪ ...be, the ghetto misery... ♪ ♪ (record scratch).

♪ ♪ ...stores.

♪ ♪ A perpendicular angle of the clout war.

♪ ♪ Police searchin' up my Lexo, but who's petro?

♪ ♪ My TEC blows straight off the roof and tests ♪ ♪ yo' respect, though, ♪ ♪ but dough don't respect me, it got me handcuffed, ♪ ♪ the rough life, I just be up nights, ♪ ♪ breathin' with scuffed Nike's.

♪ ♪ Pour my beers for my peoples under the stairs.

♪ ♪ These years, I got they names in my swears.

♪ ♪ Poppin' Cristal like it's my first child... ♪ ♪ (record scratch).

♪ ♪ ...holiday style.

♪ ♪ Rockin' Steele sweaters, Wallabee down, ♪ ♪ 24 carats, countin' cabbage like the Arabs.

♪ ♪ The marriage of me and the mic is just like magic.

♪ ♪ Elegant performance, bubble Lex full insurance.

♪ ♪ Guzzlin' Guinness, ♪ ♪ shootin', catchin' cases concurrent.

♪ ♪ It's Nas, 700 wives, ♪ ♪ King Solomon size.

♪ ♪ We on the rise, me and G, ghetto-wise guys.

♪ ♪ The Luciano... ♪ WENDEL: I hope you've enjoyed sharing this time with me as much as I've enjoyed sharing with all of you, stay tuned for some amazing new episodes coming your way on “Artworks.” And as always, I am your host, Wendel Patrick, take Care.

WENDEL: “Artworks” is made possible in part by the citizens of Baltimore County and by the Ruth R. Marder Arts Endowment Fund, the Robert E. Meyerhoff and Rheda Becker Endowment for the Arts, the E.T.

and Robert B. Rockland Fund, the Henry and Ruth Blaustein Rosenberg Foundation Arts Endowment in memory of Ruth Marder.