Passion – universal positive

The phenomenal music video for this fantastic Basement Jaxx song came to my attention a couple of years ago, thanks to writer Emily Beber of It’s Nice That. In her story, Emily warned us that the presentation was very likely to induce us viewers into both dancing and smiling. To me, those are great achievements for “passion projects,” the typically non-commercial things we take-on as artists to feed our souls.

At the core of this heartfelt project are its celebratory rhythm and its lovely, emphatic sentiments. Elizabeth Barrett Browning wrote that love doesn’t make the world go round – it’s what makes the ride worthwhile. Writing and making music about requited love, Simon Ratcliffe and Felix Major Buxton (the duo behind the Grammy Award-winning Basement Jaxx) tapped into the type of joy we all aspire to know ourselves, to make our own rides through life worthwhile: “You make me happy, make me come alive, my running reason to survive…” The song also features vocalist Sam Brookes.

In this first episode of Mission: Kobe Bryant, the renowned NBA star visits Skid Row to learn about the issues facing homeless people in LA, and speaks to four extraordinary men seeking to improve their lives. You can learn more about the Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation’s fight to end homelessness in LA by visiting www.kvbff.org. You can also follow the link to the YouTube posting to find a Homeless Service Organization near you through the National Coalition for the Homeless.

More on Mission

In Mission, Kobe Bryant documents an honest account of challenges facing residents of Skid Row, the downtown Los Angeles area with the largest concentration of homeless people in the United States. Through his personal and candid conversations with residents of The Los Angeles Mission