Caktuz recently sat down with Ebony.com to talk about his relationship with long-time mentor and Father of Blaxploitation movies, Melvin Van Peebles, as Ebony celebrates the filmmakers 80th birthday.
Van Peebles shared that he hopes his legacy will instill confidence in others to pursue their dreams—even if it includes several different ones.
“People think if he can do it I can and that’s the most positive thing to happen,” he says. “I feel so good that I’ve been emulated for our folks. All I wanted to do was show that we could and I did the best that I could.”
Carolina indie rapper, Caktuz, picked up the batton and ran. The two 1st met in 2004 while Caktuz worked as a performance artist in Van Peebles’ award winning play Aint Supposed To Die A Natural Death. The Black American icon immediately admired Caktuz’ renaissance man’s resume (illustrator, content producer, actor, recording artist, etc.) and took him under wing as a protege’. The two have remained friends as well as collaborative partners on several projects including Van Peebles’ graphic novel adaption of his film; Confessions OfA Ex Doofus Itchy-Footed Mutha.
“…Caktuz notes that balancing various roles is a challenge but that understanding how to market oneself can make a difference. “Most artists have a hard time trying to juggle that balance,” he says. “You have to find a way for your fans to respect you for those extra branches on the tree. So I am always aware of where the lines between marketing ploys and true art are drawn.”
written by Souleo