Nhojj » Kirk Shannon-Butts http://www.nhojj.com Making your world better... 1 Song at a time... Sat, 04 Feb 2012 00:30:20 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Julien’s Bed http://www.nhojj.com/2011/11/02/juliens-bed/ http://www.nhojj.com/2011/11/02/juliens-bed/#comments Wed, 02 Nov 2011 15:10:39 +0000 Nhojj http://www.nhojj.com/?p=7690 Greetings beautiful people,

Hope you are feeling good. I just completed a new song for Kirk Shannon-Butts new film “Julien’s Bed” it’s beautiful and sexy and I can’t wait to share it with you.

This is the 2nd time I’ve written a song specifically for a film, the first was for the hotel love scene between Faybien and Lonnie in Finding Me: Truth. I really enjoy writing this way, creating a song that captures the mood and feeling of the scene. Watch the preview below.


Julien’s Bed Movie Trailer from Flickeria on Vimeo.

]]> http://www.nhojj.com/2011/11/02/juliens-bed/feed/ 0 “Blueprint” Film at Mumbai Queer Film Festival 2011 http://www.nhojj.com/2011/04/25/blueprint-film-at-mumbai-queer-film-festival-2011/ http://www.nhojj.com/2011/04/25/blueprint-film-at-mumbai-queer-film-festival-2011/#comments Mon, 25 Apr 2011 10:25:37 +0000 Nhojj http://www.nhojj.com/?p=4590 Congratulations to my friend – OUT100′s Kirk Shannon-Butts!!! His film Blueprint just got accepted the the 2011 KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival. Kirk has directed both of my music videos and I really admire and love him – he deserves every success.  My song Love is the theme song for this film, so in a way I’ll be going to India as well… Yeah!!! lol

Blueprint has screened at over 50 International Film Festivals (including Cannes Film Festival), Universities, and Gay Prides. Kirk is currently working on “The Day Eazy E Died” by best-selling author James Earl Hardy. You can watch Blueprint and Kirk’s other movies at www.flickeria.com

 

]]> http://www.nhojj.com/2011/04/25/blueprint-film-at-mumbai-queer-film-festival-2011/feed/ 0 Inter-racial Couple and True Motives of Filming “Amazing Grace” http://www.nhojj.com/2011/04/19/inter-racial-couple-and-true-motives-of-filming-amazing-grace/ http://www.nhojj.com/2011/04/19/inter-racial-couple-and-true-motives-of-filming-amazing-grace/#comments Tue, 19 Apr 2011 14:19:22 +0000 Nhojj http://www.nhojj.com/?p=4485 Most of the comments and messages I’ve received about Amazing Grace have been overwhelmingly positive, but some questions were raised about the inter-racial couple, and whether we were trying to make any political statements with this choice. I’ve wrestled with answering this publicly, but after a good friend brought up the subject, I decided to do so in order to provide clarity, and hopefully some resolution.

The Story of Amazing Grace

A couple years ago, my manager and I saw a powerful film For The Bible Tells Me So. This documentary challenges (quite spectacularly) the popular notion that homosexuality is a sin. We both grew up in Christian homes, and wanted to create a music video that provided the same affirmation and acceptance that this documentary gave us. We wanted to create a little world where religion and sexuality live happily every after.

Religion and Sexuality Live happily

Thankfully, I am at a point in my life where I realize that God created me just as I am… that isn’t to say that I believe God’s creation is done – I believe I am to be a Co-Creator here on this earth. However, I know that many individuals still struggle under beliefs that don’t place them firmly in the center of God’s Love. We hope that Amazing Grace can help them experience other possibilities – that is the only motivation for this music video.

Inter-Racial Gay Couple

Originally a black actor was scheduled to play opposite me – we wanted to have a conversation about the Godliness of homosexuality… the rightness of Marriage Equality, not inter-racial relationships. But I believe all things work for the best. The original actor backed out, Ron Hill showed up, and now I can’t imagine another actor playing that role. My only apprehensive was that someone would misinterpret the choice to mean black on black love isn’t beautiful. 

Same Gender Love

But then I traveled back in time… my 1st music video Love shows 2 beautiful black brothers in bed together, so why not use my 2nd music video to show another type of homo love? I’ve always believed that Love is beautiful where ever it exists, so why not take this opportunity to show another reality of gay love? I’m proud of our director Kirk Shannon-Butts for trusting his creative instincts, and I’m happy Amazing Grace could be used to shine light on another expression of Love. In a world where there is often so little Love, I choose to celebrate Love where ever it shows up.

Love & Light
Nhojj

 

]]> http://www.nhojj.com/2011/04/19/inter-racial-couple-and-true-motives-of-filming-amazing-grace/feed/ 1 Behind the Scenes of “Amazing Grace” video http://www.nhojj.com/2011/04/11/behind-the-scenes-of-amazing-grace-video/ http://www.nhojj.com/2011/04/11/behind-the-scenes-of-amazing-grace-video/#comments Mon, 11 Apr 2011 06:11:57 +0000 Nhojj http://www.nhojj.com/?p=4234 A big thank you to Jeannine Otis for letting us film at the historic St. Marks Church, and Bob Schaffer for letting us film at his NYC penthouse. To my leading man Ron Hill ~ thank you for being gay for a day:) To my director and producer – Kirk Shannon-Butts and Adrian Lopez, you guys delivered another spectacularly beautiful video! Yasuaki Nakajima our cinematographer – you are the best! And finally to my manager RSM, thanks for making all this happen.



Kirk Shannon-Butts – Director
Adrian Lopez – Producer/Editor (Houston Street Productions)
Yasuaki Nakajima – Cinematographer
Ron Hill – Actor
Nhojj – Actor/singer

]]> http://www.nhojj.com/2011/04/11/behind-the-scenes-of-amazing-grace-video/feed/ 0 Amazing Grace Official Music Video http://www.nhojj.com/2011/04/10/amazing-grace-official-music-video/ http://www.nhojj.com/2011/04/10/amazing-grace-official-music-video/#comments Sun, 10 Apr 2011 06:10:39 +0000 Nhojj http://www.nhojj.com/?p=4229 I’m proud to share Amazing Grace with you. Its a Love story and there’s a beauty in Love, I hope that beauty is conveyed in this video.




Kirk Shannon-Butts – Director
Adrian Lopez – Producer/Editor (Houston Street Productions)
Yasuaki Nakajima – Cinematographer
Ron Hill – Actor

]]> http://www.nhojj.com/2011/04/10/amazing-grace-official-music-video/feed/ 12 More Photos from “Amazing Grace” video shoot http://www.nhojj.com/2011/04/09/more-photos-from-amazing-grace-video-shoot/ http://www.nhojj.com/2011/04/09/more-photos-from-amazing-grace-video-shoot/#comments Sat, 09 Apr 2011 14:09:08 +0000 Nhojj http://www.nhojj.com/?p=4281 Here are more photos from our video shoot. The male lead is Ron Hill, he was really sweet, he is actually a comedian. It was about 30 degrees outside and we were both freezing… lol -  so we were really happy to be inside afterwards:)

 

Photography by Rod Patrick Risbrook

 

]]> http://www.nhojj.com/2011/04/09/more-photos-from-amazing-grace-video-shoot/feed/ 0 Photos from “Amazing Grace” Video shoot http://www.nhojj.com/2011/04/07/photos-from-amazing-grace-video-shoot/ http://www.nhojj.com/2011/04/07/photos-from-amazing-grace-video-shoot/#comments Thu, 07 Apr 2011 12:07:42 +0000 Nhojj http://www.nhojj.com/?p=4240 Here are some photos from the “Amazing Grace” video shoot. We filmed last fall in the historic St. Mark’s Church in NYC. I got a chance to work with Kirk Shannon-Butts again, he directed my #1 MTV Music video Love (hopefully “Amazing Grace” will make it to #1 too:)  Also on the crew – Adrian Lopez (producer) and Yasuaki Nakajima (cinematographer).

Photos by Rod Patrick Risbrook

Click to Download High Resolution Image

Click to Download High Resolution Image



More coming soon… Leave a comment and let me know which ones you like:)

 

]]> http://www.nhojj.com/2011/04/07/photos-from-amazing-grace-video-shoot/feed/ 6 Birds by baron – Official Music Video http://www.nhojj.com/2010/10/16/baron-music-video-birds/ http://www.nhojj.com/2010/10/16/baron-music-video-birds/#comments Sat, 16 Oct 2010 17:12:34 +0000 Nhojj http://www.nhojj.com/?p=2894 My friend baron just released this amazing video for his song Birds.Watch and see if you can guess whose singing background vocals:)



]]> http://www.nhojj.com/2010/10/16/baron-music-video-birds/feed/ 0 Love Premieres at SASOD 6th Film Festival http://www.nhojj.com/2010/05/30/love-premieres-at-sasod-6-film-festival/ http://www.nhojj.com/2010/05/30/love-premieres-at-sasod-6-film-festival/#comments Sun, 30 May 2010 19:50:25 +0000 Nhojj http://www.nhojj.com/?p=1924

The Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD) opens its sixth film festival this Tuesday, with a screening of the film Blueprint, featuring the soundtrack by Guyanese musician Nhojj.

Nhojj this year became the first black musician to win an ‘Out! Music Award for the song “Love”.  Read full article by clicking pic above

]]> http://www.nhojj.com/2010/05/30/love-premieres-at-sasod-6-film-festival/feed/ 0 Nhojj in Stabroek News http://www.nhojj.com/2010/05/29/nhojj-in-stabroek-news/ http://www.nhojj.com/2010/05/29/nhojj-in-stabroek-news/#comments Sat, 29 May 2010 19:15:05 +0000 Nhojj http://www.nhojj.com/?p=1921

The music video for “Love” premiered at the SASOD Film Festival – Spectrum 6 along with “Blueprint” Read the article in Stabroek News – click the pic above.

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