Laughter Yoga is a rising phenomenon that is sweeping not only New York City but also the world. Originated in India in the mid-1990s by Dr. Madan Kataria, laughter yoga combines Unconditional Laughter with Yogic Breathing (Pranayama). Anyone can laugh for no reason, without relying on humor, jokes or comedy. Laughter is simulated as a body exercise in a group; with eye contact and childlike playfulness, it soon turns into real and contagious laughter. The concept of Laughter Yoga is based on a scientific fact that the body cannot differentiate between fake and real laughter. One gets the same physiological and psychological benefits.
During the spring of 2012, Justin and his classmate in the School of Visual Arts, Olga Klyachina, investigated into this unique movement and sought out those who have taken it upon themselves to use Laughter Yoga as a means to get through the daily stress of life. Justin filmed and edited this documentary short, utilizing select footage shot by Klyachina and the insightful (and often hilarious) commentary of those within the Laughter Yoga community.

Issues concerning identity within the black community are explored in this documentary short, featuring commentary from Dee King and Ry-Bread Urk, and cinematography from Justin Thomas, Andres Arias, and Enes Ozdil. The film was directed and edited by Justin Thomas for the SVA Social Documentary Graduate Program, Class of 2013.

In the fall of 2011, Justin Thomas produced a process film for The School of Visual Arts. The film centered around the process of cutting hair, and it featured a barber named Sherman from the Fort Greene area Brooklyn, New York. Throughout the duration of the film, Sherman demonstrates his masterful skills at his craft, while explaining that the ultimate importance of being a barber is not in the money you acquire, but the interactions you make with the people you meet and the community that the barbershop supports.

Between October and November of 2011, Justin and two fellow activists organized “Rock Wall Street”, a series of bi-weekly fundraisers designed to aid in financing the legal defense of members of the New York chapter of the Occupy Wall Street movement who had been unjustly incarcerated by the NYPD. Essentially, the fundraisers consisted of enlisting several performers from different backgrounds and performance genres to come down to Zucotti Park (renamed “Liberty Park” by the movement) and lend their creative talents to press park attendees to donate to the legal defense fund for Occupy Wall Street arrest victims; the money raised was then turned over to the NLG (National Lawyers Guild), who distributed the money to a board of activist lawyers who could offer defendants proper legal representation, instead of them having to accept a legal attorney appointed to them by the state of New York. In the month that Rock Wall Street was running, the program raised thousands of dollars to go towards the Occupy movement’s legal defense. On one such occasion, Justin was interviewed and filmed by Timid, an independent MC who was among the artists that was tapped to perform for the fundraiser. The following is an exert from that interview:

The second art gallery that Justin was a contributor of in August was an exhibit to support the Maasai Tribe of Africa. Founded and organized by renowned New York City poet and activist Robyn “Be The Poet” Baxter, this exhibition was formed to raised money to donate towards the Maasai Tribe, who’s ability to maintain sovereignty, as well as traditional customs and way of life have become increasingly difficult in recent years due to the expanding intrusion of the modern world into their community. Justin submitted four pieces to this exhibit, which was held off of Malcolm X/Lenox Boulevard in Harlem at the Black Ink Gallery. The reception to the exhibit received an enthusiastic response, and helped to raise awareness to this important cause.

Budden first burst onto the hip hop scene back in 2003, with the infectious party anthem “Pump It Up”. Being the first rapper from New Jersey to make a significant presence in the hip hop game for some time, Budden was touted as the forerunner in a line of other promising MC’s to bring about a renaissance of hip hop acts hailing from the Garden State to make their voices known. Unfortunately, a succession of events following the initial success of “Pump It Up” curtailed Budden from having continued mainstream success in the hip hop industry. After a publicized feud with his then-distributor, Def Jam, Joey was subsequently dropped from the label, and proceeded to release a string of acclaimed mixtapes entitled “Mood Muzik: The Worst of Joe Budden”. Building respect over the years from hardcore hip hop heads for his lyricism and emotional expression, Budden maintained a loyal following in the hip hop community and eventually found himself in a rap “supergroup” along with other fire-bred MCs who felt similarly scorned by the industry: Joell Ortiz, Royce Da 5′9″, and Crooked I. Collectively, they named the group Slaughterhouse and proceeded to release a debut album in 2009, which contained the radio hit “The One”

On the eve of the release of the latest mixtape in his “Mood Muzik” series, and with Slaughterhouse having recently signed to Eminem’s Shady/Aftermath record label to release their sopohmore  LP, a vindicated Joe Budden sat down with E.M. Theories, SyncoPatience, and Justin Case It Rains Productions prior a live performance at Brooklyn’s Public Assembly music venue to discuss his current projects, his views on his peers in Slaughterhouse, and his continuing appreciation of and commitment to his loyal fanbase: http://emtheories.com/joe-budden-public-assembly

On Easter Sunday, 2011, Justin Thomas convened with up and coming pop artists Akwarian Sea Rebel and Lyn Melodix on the site of one of New York City’s most famous icons: the Brooklyn Bridge. The occasion was to film a music video for the song “Slippen Away”, the first single for the upcoming full-length album by Akwarian Sea Rebel. On hand to assist Justin with the filming of this video was emerging film director Mariya Somova, as well as a host of Akwarian and Ms. Melodix’s friends and associates, including rising rap phenom KON and revered Brooklyn DJ Dyllemma. The video was directed and edited by Justin and had its premiere to coincide with the launch of the “Slippen Away” single on iTunes on Sunday, May 22, 2011. Both the song and its accompanying video received an enthusiastic response from fans and the greater NYC underground music community.

Akwarian Sea Rebel Feat. Lyn Melodix: “Slippen Away” from Justin Thomas on Vimeo.

For more information on Akwarian Sea Rebel, visit the following website: http://akwariansearebel.com/

On Saturday, March 5, 2011, Justin helped to organize the first All Female Hip Hop Showcase at Castlebraid Apartments, in the heart of Brooklyn’s Bushwick community. Founded by artist and community organizer Jennifer Lane, this event was facilitated by Off The Grid Entertainment, a production company that promotes the performance arts in its varying degrees and incarnations. Featured at this inaugural show were up and coming female MCs Iayaalis, Mizz P, Daphya, Kristen B, NeMiss, and headliner Kalae All Day. Rockin’ on the one’s and two’s was renowned NYC DJ Leecey T, and hosting the festivities was the one and only actress and model Ameena Dove. At the end of the evening, there was an auction of artwork created by rising artists Rep DaVinci and Tasiya Sealey, founder of Purple Pill Babies. Finally, there was a discussion panel anchored by hip hop writer and activist JLove Calderon, where all six MCs (and one DJ) were seated and asked to reflect on how they feel about their creativity, their career aspirations, and the merits of success and happiness. This was the first of many to come in the Off The Grid concert series; more amazing artists and performances are surely to come in the next several months.

Justin also designed fliers for the event, where he juxtaposed some of the venue’s performers in the likeness of iconic album covers from some of hip hop’s most revered female MCs: from left to right, Kalae All Day as Lauryn Hill’s Miseducation of Lauryn Hill album, NeMiss as Eve’s Scorpion album, and Daphya as Lil’ Kim’s The Naked Truth album.

Few artists in the hip hop landscape have the emotional depth, versatility, and force of intellect that reside within the mind of New Jersey-bred MC Hasan Salaam. Dividing his time during his childhood to be raised by his mother in Teaneck, his father in Jersey City, and his grandmother in Camden, Hasan noticed at an early age the wide-ranging disparity that afflicted the inner city and predominantly black and brown neighborhoods. As an artist, Hasan declared that he would become a voice for the voiceless, and through his poetry and his community activism has worked to educate and uplift his people through the undeniable power and influence of hip hop music and culture. An independent artist, Hasan has achieved a level of international reverence and acclaim that is rarely afforded even the most illuminant of mainstream performers. His tireless work with underprivileged youth and his contributions to activist causes both domestically and abroad underline his genuine commitment to furthering the cause for social and economic justice. As an MC, Hasan channels the spiritual and delivers with a guttural, driving, and rapid-fire style that simultaneously provokes and enlightens; his penchant for storytelling and detail are nearly unmatched among performers in today’s hip hop arena. Along with his partner in rhyme, rising phenom Rugged N Raw, Hasan formed the duo Mohammad Dangerfield; their debut collaborative album is due in early 2011. Starting in 2009, Justin followed Hasan and Rugged and captured their raucous and dynamic live shows, as well as visiting the studio to witness the creation of some of their future projects. This footage will be included in Justin’s upcoming documentary “The Lost Tapes”.

Hasan Salaam Trailer from Justin Thomas on Vimeo.

On the evening of December 9th, 2010, People’s Television’s “The Grey Movie”, a historical account of the exploits of young radical activists in The Organization, was screened for constituents at the prestigious Brooklyn Academy of Music during their “Between The Lines” program series. On hand for the screening was Nicholas Bruckman, founder of People’s Television and Director and Producer of the film, Justin (who served as writer and Associate Producer of the project), and Esther Krafchow, who is a former member of The Organization. More details to come on the further development of this documentary and future screenings.