The Rising

“The Rising” was inspired by the beauty, resilience, and empowerment of Black hair. I wanted to honor my roots and community by showing how hair has always been more than style ... it’s culture, power, and identity. This music video celebrates the unbreakable spirit of a community that continues to rise, create, and define beauty on its own terms.

This audio visual blends music, movement, and art to create a visual poem about empowerment and self-expression through Black hair. It transforms rhythm, bold colors, and texture into emotion, reminding viewers that our roots carry legacy and strength.

“The Rising” was created using a combination of AI-assisted visuals and traditional post-production. Midjourney was used to create the images. Chat GPT assisted with refining prompts. A combination of Kling, Hailuoai, Google Image FX, Luma labs and Midjourney video generations were used to bring the images to life and create whimsical, surreal animated moments; Eleven Labs was used to create the song accompanied by added sound design using Splice sound FX. Last, I used Final Cut Pro X which unified everything into a rhythmic, soul-stirring final edit. In some instances Photoshop was used to crate collage versions of the still images for more advance transitions using frames.

The biggest challenge was balancing symbolism and emotion while maintaining visual coherence through AI-generated imagery. Translating the nuance of Black hair textures and cultural expression through AI required careful prompting and refinement to protect authenticity and representation. Creating Black centered characters is always a challenge with AI.

I feel that I created a powerful visual statement that celebrates Black identity using emerging AI technology without losing the human touch behind it. My visual bridges art, activism, and innovation, amplifying underrepresented stories in a cinematic way.

I learned that AI can be a tool for liberation when used with intention. Storytelling, heritage, and creativity remain the heart... AI simply expands the canvas. Representation in the AI space matters deeply and requires conscious artistic direction. I try to make AI art and videos that feel and look inclusive.

I would love to create more works like these that can exists in art gallery spaces and create immersive experiences for audiences to see my work. I would love to this on exhibit at Art Basel!

Song title: The Rising Lyrics Intro (Ah yeah ah) Feel the rhythm rising Verse 1 From the roots up, history in every strand A story of strength cradled in my hand Spirals of power, coils of grace Dancing through time, carving out our space Pre-Chorus Feel the heartbeat of a legacy Every bounce speaks our identity Chorus My crown, my curls, they shine inside Natural and free, no need to hide From roots to sky, I move with pride In every twist, I own my life

Built With

• and-chatgpt-for-concept-development
• eleven-labs
• final-cut-pro-x
• googleimagefx
• hailuoai
• kling
• krea
• logic-pro-x
• midjourney
• photoshop
• scriptwriting
• splice