A look at Ras G
The William Grant Still Art Center is located at 2520 S. West View St. in Los Angeles and is honoring Los Angeles native and Hip-hop figure Gregory Shorter, Jr., AKA Ras G, in their new exhibit. The exhibit is part of the 16th annual African American Composer Series that will include the spirit of the late Ras G through his vast collection of records, music equipment, noise makers, gadgets, art, books, films, and wardrobe.
Ras G started as a local DJ and was one of the founding members of the Brainfeeder collective alongside Flying Lotus, and was also involved with Leaving Records, Poobah Records, and Ramp Recordings. He was a sonic archivist and librarian of all sorts. He began to collect records and became a regular at Aron’s Records and Amoeba Record Shop. He also co-founded the independent record label Poobah Records.
In the early 2000s, he began making music after being inspired by the sounds in his community and artists like Madlib, Jay Dee, the Beatminerz, John & Alice Coltrane, and one of his biggest influences, Sun Ra. Through rigorous work and engagement in a vibrant club scene, he became one of the most prominent artists in LA’s Brainfeeder label, becoming one of the architects of the contemporary Los Angeles beat scene.
Asked about his creative process, Ras G told an interviewer, “It’s the feeling I’m just channeling. I don’t know how I’m making this music per se. I never went to a music school. I never know what you need to know for music. All I know is the feeling of music and how it should be. I just utilize that with intuition. Out-of-body experience, spirit controlling the flesh.”
Shorter dubbed himself “Captain of the Afrikan Space Program.” His mission: commanding rhythmic fleets by making beats, including albums such as “Ghetto Sci-Fi” (2008), “Brotha From Anotha Planet” (2009), 2013’s “Back on the Planet” and 2018’s circle-of-life concept album “Stargate Music.”
This exhibition will feature installations inspired by his home studio, which he called “Spacebase.” The show will feature close to 5000 records from his massive record wall, items from his workstation beat machines and equipment, the books he read, the films he watched, and the clothes he wore. Through this exhibition, they want to canonize Ras G as a composer on the path towards international legend status, who was cut short in his prime.
Unfortunately, Ras G passed away on July 29, 2019, due to suffering from ill health, announcing on Instagram, late last year, that he’d been hospitalized with “pneumonia, borderline high blood pressure, diabetes, hypothyroidism and heart failure”. Ras G’s impact and loss to the hip-hop community were felt as many musical figures sent their condolences through Twitter. “Ras G has left the planet, far beyond the galaxy,” wrote Flying Lotus on Twitter. “Show us the way to the cosmos my friend. I will love you forever. Thank you for your time on earth.”
The exhibit is free to the public and is open through June 15.
