We Been Hanging : The Gallery That Gave Us Eyes

Some people grow up with crayons and cartoons.I grew up with color. Texture. Linework. Story. I grew up with October Gallery. Tucked inside the heart of Philadelphia and rooted in the soul of our people, October Gallery wasn’t just a space to buy art—it was a school of thought. A sanctuary. An archive. And for me, a classroom where Black brilliance hung on the walls and whispered it’s lessons. Before I knew what a curator was, I …

My Mum, My First Curator

“Hey, I’ll never take you to something that you won’t like…” Confident words coming from someone who—as far as I know—couldn’t see the future. (My Dad [RIP] felt differently.) But she knew what she liked—therefore, what we would like. That’s always been the awareness of my dear mother, Charis Bowling—whose taste and judgment we’ve trusted from the very beginning when it came to entertainment, arts, politics, and pop culture. Roots & Influence Mom grew up in a very traditional West Indian family: …

Built By Tribe

How A Tribe Called Quest Built a Movement That Still Moves Us A Tribe Called Quest will go down in history as one of history’s most beloved Hip Hop groups. They’re inductees in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, a consistent reference for “conscious” Hip Hop artists, Neo Soul artists, as well as other artists across the board, and each of their members’ names are legendary to some extent. But you can’t really understand Tribe’s story …

Fresh Since 79′

Fresh ain’t fashion. It’s framework. Before it ever hit a runway, it hit the block.Before it was couture, it was cornerstore.Before it was mainstream, it was us—Black, bold, and born of necessity. “Fresh” didn’t start in a showroom.It started in a living room where Big Mama pressed Sunday outfits,in barbershops where fades were carved with precision and pride,in basements where DJs stacked vinyls like scripture. Freshness is the quiet resistance of looking like royalty in a world …

Connecting the Dots : Why Cultural Legacy Begins with Self-Discovery

Before you change the world, you’ve got to know the world that built you. – King Esseen We talk about legacy a lot—but legacy isn’t just what you leave behind. It’s what you build every time you choose to show up in your full, creative truth. It’s the mark you make when you create from a place that’s rooted—not in trends—but in truth, culture, memory, and intention. That’s where connecting the dots comes in.Because creativity isn’t random—it’s …

Why We Need Spaces Like The Instinctive Midnight Theory : Culture Beyond the Algorithm

What doesn’t trend can still transform. What’s quiet can still be revolutionary. We live in a time where culture is consumed faster than it’s understood.Where clips go viral, but stories don’t get told.Where genius gets lost in the feed.And where we mistake the algorithm for the archive. That’s why I created The Instinctive Midnight Theory. Because some things… you’ve got to sit with.You’ve got to listen—not just with your ears, but with your memory, your gut, your …

The Sounds That Shaped Me : Curating the Harmonic Convergence Playlist

Before I had words for who I was—I had sound. I had rhythm. I had feeling. And that was enough to begin. – King Esseen Music didn’t just accompany my story—it scored it. From Saturday mornings filled with Stevie and Sade, to late-night sample flips and freestyle ciphers in basements that smelled like vinyl and vision—sound has always been the heartbeat of my memory. But it wasn’t just the songs. It was the stories behind them. The …