Brooklyn, N.Y., emcee, filmmaker and director R.H. Bless created B.L.O.C.K. Exchange Entertainment as a vehicle for underground and established artists to have their voices heard. In a recent interview with rolling out, Bless discussed his current mixtape, Make You Believe, his documentaries, and his DVD magazine, B.L.O.C.K. Report. –felicia barclay
How did your career start?
I am the self-proclaimed heart and soul of the streets. Brooklyn is where I’m from and B.L.O.C.K. Exchange is the entity that I represent. I began by touring as an artist and doing road management duties for Shabazz The Disciple. Everything I did then was preparation for what I’m doing now.
You’ve released several mixtapes in the past including The Struggle, The Prayer, Heart and Soul Of The Streets. Tell us a little bit about your current mixtape, Make You Believe.
Make You Believe is the follow-up to the street album Block Exchange: The Hierarchy that we dropped recently. That project was well received but for the non-believers and to show the seriousness of our work ethic, we are dropping another project in less a month’s time. …The music is true hip-hop and speaks for itself.
In addition to being an artist and CEO, you’re also a filmmaker and director, what are some of the other projects you have under your belt?
I’ve shot, directed, and edited several music videos by underground hip-hop [artists]. I’ve also worked on a couple of documentaries, one being I Am Sean Bell: Black Boys Speak, which is a film that addresses how the Sean Bell incident affected black youths in Brooklyn. It was featured in a few film festivals and became an award-winning film. I most recently worked on a film called Out Of Our Right Mind: Trauma and Depression and Black Women. It’s a documentary that addresses the mental and emotional state of black women in America and the things that contribute to it.
What topics does your DVD magazine cover?
Business. Lifestyle. Objectives. Culture. Keys to success in the world of hip-hop, entertainment and multimedia. … I feature up-and-coming as well as established artists with an emphasis on business and the entrepreneurial minds of the artists. … I’m on my eight[h] edition here in the States and have recently gained distribution for all of Europe.
What other projects are you working on?
Look for a Block Exchange project to drop twice a month at least for the next four months. The rindwave is being turned up extremely high. Look for R.H.Bless: The Power of Association in May as well as projects from Cess Wonder and Duss Smittoooo. More videos, more DVDs, more music, more hustling and praying.
