Choosing You: Art, Family, Community with Pugs Atomz

noseyAF: Conversations about Art, Activism, and Social Change

Episode • Sep 17, 2024 • 55m

Ep 56: Choosing You: Art, Family, Community

🎨👨‍👩‍👧‍👦🤎✊🏾

"You got to choose you." - Pug Atomz, Prince of Art 😎 IFYKYK

Hey friends, welcome back to another episode of nosey AF! Today, we have an incredibly versatile Chicago artist, Pugs Atomz, on the show. Pugs is a true Renaissance man, excelling as an emcee, painter, sculptor, fashion designer, and more. In this episode, we dive deep into his multifaceted creative journey.

Episode Summary:

We start by discussing Pugs' impressive discography, which includes around 32 albums. We also explore the challenges of being a multi-talented artist and how Pugs navigates people's attempts to pigeonhole him. Pugs shares fascinating stories about his early career, including his time working at the Chicago Children's Museum and how he balanced his art with various day jobs.

Pugs reveals the importance of choosing oneself, especially as an artist. He recounts a pivotal moment when he decided to pursue his dreams over job security. We also discuss the power of community and how he founded the Nacrobats, a hip-hop crew that started in 1993 and grew to include over 200 members.

One of the highlights of our conversation is Pugs' approach to his art, which he describes as highly detailed and research-driven. Whether painting, making music, or designing fashion, Pugs emphasizes the importance of layers and details in his work.

We also discuss his latest project, "Mookie on the South Side," a multi-disciplinary work that includes paintings, installations, and an album. Pugs explains how he sees his projects as mini-movies, each with a beginning, middle, and end.

Towards the end of the episode, we delve into Pugs' style and his time as the creative director for the fashion line Iridium. He shares insights into how he plans his outfits and the importance of having a versatile wardrobe.

This episode is a treasure trove of insights and stories from one of Chicago's most dynamic artists. Whether you're an aspiring artist or just a fan of creative expression, you won't want to miss this conversation with Pugs Atomz.

Thanks for tuning in. Pugs' fashion brand, Usuwe, offers some stylish and unique pieces.

Topics discussed:

Pugs Atomz’s Multifaceted Career: The episode explores Pugs' various artistic endeavors, including his music, painting, sculpture, and fashion design.
The Artist's Journey: Pugs discusses his early career, challenges, and the importance of choosing oneself as an artist. He also shares insights into the power of community and his experiences with the Nacrobats.
Pugs' Creative Process and Projects: The episode delves into Pugs' approach to his art, including his focus on detail and research. He also discusses his latest project, "Mookie on the South Side," and his style.

Pugs Atomz Bio:

Pugs Atomz is a multi-talented artist—a designer, muralist, rapper, and radio host. Inspired by his Chicago upbringing and artistic mother, he explored visual arts and music. In the 1990s, he co-founded The Nacrobats collective, releasing albums and solidifying himself in hip-hop.

After attending art school, Pugs released his debut album in 2000 and toured internationally. He documented his life as a graffiti artist through music and art installations. His social commentary led to involvement with anti-violence movements.

Pugs' international tours with DJ Vadim sparked a passion for fashion. He designed for major brands and co-founded Iridium Clothing, which attracted celebrities and cultivated young talent. He now runs his brand, Usuwe, and contributes to public art projects through co-founded initiatives.

Resources mentioned in this episode

In our conversation, I mentioned that Pugs has been interviewed many times. Here is another Conversation I found on YouTube where Pugs discusses his latest Project, "Mookie on the Southside," with producer DJ Real One interviewed by the project engineer, Justin “Zesto” Quiñones, who also has a YouTube channel. I know nothing about music production, so I thought this discussion was interesting; watch it here.

Sponsor Shoutout

UsUWe (pronounced Us-you-we) is a brand offering t-shirts, paintings, music, videos, and activations to reflect the emotions of us, you, and we. It's a time capsule of events and great memories.

I made Pugs' brand, UsUWe, a sponsor of this week's episode just for fun because he was on the show. I own a few things from UsUWe and bought his clothes as gifts. It's good stuff!

Shop Usuwe here: https://usuwe.threadless.com/

Check out Usuwe and support Pugs Atomz!

Note: In the episode, I mistakenly said "USUWE93" instead of "Usuwe." I apologize for the error.

Connect with Pugs Atomz

Instagram: @pugsatomz

Website: https://www.pugsatomz.com/

Connect with Stephanie

Instagram: @stephaniegraham

Email: stephanie@missgraham.com

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