Chuck “Jigsaw” Creekmar talks about the incomparable Sacha Jenkins, one of the heroes of creativity.
A few years ago I had the privilege and honor to sit on a panel with the ubiquitous creative Sacha Jenkins. For me, it was more than a conversational engagement, and it was a moment of validation. I actually followed his work for decades. Sacha, the legendary co-founder Ego trip The magazine represents the curved, creative lanes I have deeply admired. Sharing spaces with those who shaped the very culture I longed for felt like I had arrived. That should be noted, this was a few years ago.
Well, did I arrive the same way he did? There is not at all. But I felt that it had been achieved. I’m proud. And although I couldn’t get a deeper understanding of Sacha Jenkins on a personal level, I knew the inside and outside of his work. Like me, he had a very diverse and creative palette. Its versatility made me feel like I saw it.
I own him Relentless Metal List. I have Fragment: The Secret Picture of a Doodle Writer. And of course, Ego trip The books are on my shelf and are the staple foods of hip-hop cultural libraries. He stood with fellow peers like Kevin Powell and Dream Hampton. And in Sacha’s case, his rebellious spirit was never far from the surface. In my early days, they all urged me to take creative seriously.
That led to my work with Greg, who seemed to be in a gross moody building. allhiphop. When I got on board I brought my own lens. I had a clear focus on lifestyles drawn from previous online publications dedicated to “the lifestyles of offensive people.” Ego trip It was a “ruff voice of the truth of music.” That raw, unfiltered energy was poured in allhiphop. I studied games. I studied great people. And Sacha Jenkins was one of them.
Under Sacha’s editorial vision, Ego trip It was more than a magazine. It was a bold, genre-destroying blueprint. It provided a version of hip-hop mediam that was quirky, rebellious and often ridiculous. It wasn’t always polished, but it was always truth. For us to build a hip-hop platform outside the mainstream, Ego trip It was as influential as the legacy titles. sauce or xxl. It proved that culture can be built without permission.
Jenkins’ creative journey didn’t stop there. He co-created Ego trip (White) Rapper Show At VH1, he eventually became creative director with a revitalized mass appeal. He directed classic documentaries like Wu-Tang Clan: Mics and Men’s, Louis Armstrong’s Black and Blues, Watching the video music box And it was produced The best team With NAS.
Even when critics pan Everything will be white– Showtime’s most underrated document of the time – Jenkins stood firm. Incidentally, I was introduced in that Docu series along with the miscellaneous crew of Truth Terror, and it was dope. He told the difficult truth, even if it made people uncomfortable. haters gonna hate. so what.
His talent isn’t the only thing that makes Sacha Jenkins important. His willingness to challenge, evolve and challenge the system while advancing culture within that system. Sacha chose it in an age where many creators chase virus clicks and organize their platforms. Reliability every time. He reminded me that hip hop is more than just music. By the way, he was never hip hop. When he texted me to his punk rock band, I knew he was counterculture like we were in our minds, even within hip hop.
Sacha Jenkins’ job wasn’t to play it safely. For me, it was pushing the envelope and pushing it in until it was tattered. When he left the mass appeal, I was grateful. I don’t know why he left, but I was happy. We spoke as if we were making a documentary about Rick James. I now realised that this guy was the guy while looking at our text. But not that man dies for a man who lives for social media or social media verification or for others. Like the late Greg Tate, he was that man. Experienced.
His legacy is a torch that has been handed over to all journalists, filmmakers and creatives, and he dares to tell the truth without being sold out. You are radical, intelligent, hilarious, destructive, and still respected. He’s not rapping to us, but better than rappers.
Sacha Jenkins rests in culture.
