Interview: Va$htie
Ah, I'm so glad to present to you guys
VA$HTIE :)
By name, many of you guys may not know her...
but you know her work.
Shes the talented mastermind behind the CRS: US PLACERS video.
For those who haven't seen it,
here it is below...
And I had the honor of interviewing her...
Heres What she had to say
ENJOY :)
DK: For those who don¹t know, what¹s your name?
Va$htie: Va$htie aka Downtowns Sweetheart!
DK: Where are you from?
Va$htie: Born and raised in Albany, New York . Upstate 518!
DK: What do you do?
Va$htie: I’m a Director, Filmmaker, Artist, Designer, Creative Consultant, One half of 1992
the party, wig splitter.
me to the movies and I fell in love. The idea that movies were anything you wanted them to be excited
me. My home life wasn’t so great for a kid, and I like the idea of controlling a story. When I was in
middle school, I got obsessed with music videos and watched MTV non-stop.
Videos (then) were so creative and cutting edge. I was always interested in art and drawing, but I wanted
to do film because I thought it had a larger audience. I thought my impact as an artist would have a greater
reach through film.
DK: How long have you been directing?
Va$htie: If I count my first short made in high school, I would say over 10 years.
Professionally, 3 years.
DK: Who’s your inspiration/ Who do you look up too?
Va$htie: The people who inspire me are the women in my family and my mom, because I know I’m blessed
to have the chances that they do not. None of the people in my family are artists, or at least none of them
have pursued careers in it. I know that compared to the rest of the world, it’s a sort of luxury to have a career
like mine. I don¹t take it for granted at all and it inspires me to keep going.
DK: TONS of people know you by your interpretation of US PLACERS, where did your inspiration come
from to create that video?
Va$htie: Well, I loved that song to death. I think I overplayed it too, because I loved it so much. I was
bored over the summer of ‘07 and wanted to shoot something so I decided on that song. No one asked me
to make a video for it, I just had the idea and scrounged for the dough out of my own pocket.
Since I love kids so much, I thought to use kids. I knew getting the artists themselves would be close to
impossible. At the time I was watching a Bob Dylan documentary, which is where the kids holding the cards
came from. I was also over that template of Hip Hop videos and wanted to make something that poked
fun at it.
DK: What was you favorite project to work on?
Va$htie: They were all fun, really. I think “Us Placers” was fun because it reminded me of being in school,
working on no budget. I was dressing the kids, directing them and art directing. In the professional world of
Directing you can’t do anything, but direct. I remember on one set, I tried to adjust the backdrop and everyone
freaked out, “let the art director do that”. I¹m used to doing everything on my own. The “Us Placers” video
brought me back to a time when you had to make things happen with the limited resources you had.
DK: Is there anyone out there that you¹d like to do a video/project for? And why?
Va$htie: For years, I always said I’d now I’d made it if I did a video for Bjork. I still think that would
blow my mind. Her videos have inspired me since day one. I mean, good or bad her videos have been
so strikingly different and creative.
1992 since 2006. We were so inspired by that era of the late
line targeting women, but not limited too.
The styles are basic and unisex so guys wear it as well.
I Creative Consult for major companies and brands. I give them ideas to keep their business current
and “cool”.
I’m an artist and photographer. I plan on doing some shows that will expose my work.
DK: What are your goals for 08?
Va$htie: Just to work harder than the last year. Get VIOLETTE up and popping. I also want to do a
charity event with 1992, to give back to the community.
DK: What do you do on your down time?
Va$htie: I really like to hang out with close friends. Parties have become like a job in itself, and I like to
be lazy at home, hanging with the people I love.
DK: Who’s your favorite music artist? And why?
Va$htie: Wow, that’s a tough one. I go through phases, but recently I’ve not been able to get over
Amy Winehouse. I think her voice is haunting and her steez is so gully.
DK: Who’s your least favorite music artist? And why?
Va$htie: Geez, that’s even harder. I can’t put anyone on blast. That would be too mean. All in all, I have
to say I don¹t like the misuse of that word “artist”. There are people who put on shows and entertain, but
aren’t artists. To me, there are entertainers and there are artists. The difference to me is that an artist has
something to say, has a style and a point of view. Most entertainers just do what they¹re told; “wear this,
move like this, smile like this”. Don¹t get me wrong, I listen to everything even entertaining artists, but I
don't consider them artists.
DK: What¹s your style like?
Va$htie: I’m a tom-boy at heart. I like being in a t-shirt and sneakers all day, but when it comes to
dressing up I’m Jackie O, all the way. I like to be classy and simple Pearl earrings,
Christian Louboutins, hair done.
DK: What¹s your favorite pair of shoes that you have?
Va$htie: My Black Jordan 3’s, although I wear them so much it looks like I
kick rocks in them!
DK: What¹s your favorite TV show?
Va$htie: For life, it is the Simpsons. Recently I was all about “Heroes”. Growing up, my older
brother was a Sci-Fi nerd and he really played an influence in my life. Also, I loved comic books
and the show reminded me of that, then a couple month’s ago I discovered “Lost” online and have
been addicted ever since.
DK: Describe yourself in 6 words.
Va$htie: Head Strong, Loving, Child-Like, Weird, Lazy, Compassionate.
DK: What’s one thing people don¹t know about you that you feel OK sharing?
Va$htie: Hmmm. I¹m a neat freak! I can¹t work or focus if my space is messy. Sometimes I can’t
sleep at night if I know my room is cluttered and I have to get up and clean, even if it¹s 3 am.
I feel calm when things are organized.
DK: Anything you’d like to say to the Dirty Knuckle Public?
Va$htie: Thanks to all the people around the world who are supporting me. I hope that
I’m inspiring people everywhere to live their dream. I’m living proof that you can beat the odds.
Don’t worry about what job or career will make you money. Find what you love to do, even
if it’s knitting or baking, and make it your career. You’ll figure out how to make lots of
money doing what you love.
VIOLETTE: http://violettenewyork.com/
SPACE: http://www.myspace.com/violettenewyork
YOUTUBE: http://youtube.com/vashtie
BLOG: http://riottt.com/vashtie
1992 the Party!
http://myspace.com/1992theparty
VA$HTIE :)
By name, many of you guys may not know her...
but you know her work.
Shes the talented mastermind behind the CRS: US PLACERS video.
For those who haven't seen it,
here it is below...
And I had the honor of interviewing her...
Heres What she had to say
ENJOY :)
DK: For those who don¹t know, what¹s your name?
Va$htie: Va$htie aka Downtowns Sweetheart!
DK: Where are you from?
Va$htie: Born and raised in Albany, New York . Upstate 518!
DK: What do you do?
Va$htie: I’m a Director, Filmmaker, Artist, Designer, Creative Consultant, One half of 1992
the party, wig splitter.
DK: How did you get into directing?
me to the movies and I fell in love. The idea that movies were anything you wanted them to be excited
me. My home life wasn’t so great for a kid, and I like the idea of controlling a story. When I was in
middle school, I got obsessed with music videos and watched MTV non-stop.
Videos (then) were so creative and cutting edge. I was always interested in art and drawing, but I wanted
to do film because I thought it had a larger audience. I thought my impact as an artist would have a greater
reach through film.
DK: How long have you been directing?
Va$htie: If I count my first short made in high school, I would say over 10 years.
Professionally, 3 years.
DK: Who’s your inspiration/ Who do you look up too?
Va$htie: The people who inspire me are the women in my family and my mom, because I know I’m blessed
to have the chances that they do not. None of the people in my family are artists, or at least none of them
have pursued careers in it. I know that compared to the rest of the world, it’s a sort of luxury to have a career
like mine. I don¹t take it for granted at all and it inspires me to keep going.
DK: TONS of people know you by your interpretation of US PLACERS, where did your inspiration come
from to create that video?
Va$htie: Well, I loved that song to death. I think I overplayed it too, because I loved it so much. I was
bored over the summer of ‘07 and wanted to shoot something so I decided on that song. No one asked me
to make a video for it, I just had the idea and scrounged for the dough out of my own pocket.
Since I love kids so much, I thought to use kids. I knew getting the artists themselves would be close to
impossible. At the time I was watching a Bob Dylan documentary, which is where the kids holding the cards
came from. I was also over that template of Hip Hop videos and wanted to make something that poked
fun at it.
DK: What was you favorite project to work on?
Va$htie: They were all fun, really. I think “Us Placers” was fun because it reminded me of being in school,
working on no budget. I was dressing the kids, directing them and art directing. In the professional world of
Directing you can’t do anything, but direct. I remember on one set, I tried to adjust the backdrop and everyone
freaked out, “let the art director do that”. I¹m used to doing everything on my own. The “Us Placers” video
brought me back to a time when you had to make things happen with the limited resources you had.
DK: Is there anyone out there that you¹d like to do a video/project for? And why?
Va$htie: For years, I always said I’d now I’d made it if I did a video for Bjork. I still think that would
blow my mind. Her videos have inspired me since day one. I mean, good or bad her videos have been
so strikingly different and creative.
DK: What else do you do besides music videos?
1992 since 2006. We were so inspired by that era of the late
80’s and early 90’s that we wanted to dedicate a party to just that. Also, parties in New York had
become so “too cool”. We wanted a place where anyone would be accepted.
line targeting women, but not limited too.
The styles are basic and unisex so guys wear it as well.
I Creative Consult for major companies and brands. I give them ideas to keep their business current
and “cool”.
I’m an artist and photographer. I plan on doing some shows that will expose my work.
DK: What are your goals for 08?
Va$htie: Just to work harder than the last year. Get VIOLETTE up and popping. I also want to do a
charity event with 1992, to give back to the community.
DK: What do you do on your down time?
Va$htie: I really like to hang out with close friends. Parties have become like a job in itself, and I like to
be lazy at home, hanging with the people I love.
DK: Who’s your favorite music artist? And why?
Va$htie: Wow, that’s a tough one. I go through phases, but recently I’ve not been able to get over
Amy Winehouse. I think her voice is haunting and her steez is so gully.
DK: Who’s your least favorite music artist? And why?
Va$htie: Geez, that’s even harder. I can’t put anyone on blast. That would be too mean. All in all, I have
to say I don¹t like the misuse of that word “artist”. There are people who put on shows and entertain, but
aren’t artists. To me, there are entertainers and there are artists. The difference to me is that an artist has
something to say, has a style and a point of view. Most entertainers just do what they¹re told; “wear this,
move like this, smile like this”. Don¹t get me wrong, I listen to everything even entertaining artists, but I
don't consider them artists.
DK: What¹s your style like?
Va$htie: I’m a tom-boy at heart. I like being in a t-shirt and sneakers all day, but when it comes to
dressing up I’m Jackie O, all the way. I like to be classy and simple Pearl earrings,
Christian Louboutins, hair done.
DK: What¹s your favorite clothing label?
DK: What¹s your favorite pair of shoes that you have?
Va$htie: My Black Jordan 3’s, although I wear them so much it looks like I
kick rocks in them!
DK: What¹s your favorite TV show?
Va$htie: For life, it is the Simpsons. Recently I was all about “Heroes”. Growing up, my older
brother was a Sci-Fi nerd and he really played an influence in my life. Also, I loved comic books
and the show reminded me of that, then a couple month’s ago I discovered “Lost” online and have
been addicted ever since.
DK: Describe yourself in 6 words.
Va$htie: Head Strong, Loving, Child-Like, Weird, Lazy, Compassionate.
DK: What’s one thing people don¹t know about you that you feel OK sharing?
Va$htie: Hmmm. I¹m a neat freak! I can¹t work or focus if my space is messy. Sometimes I can’t
sleep at night if I know my room is cluttered and I have to get up and clean, even if it¹s 3 am.
I feel calm when things are organized.
DK: Anything you’d like to say to the Dirty Knuckle Public?
Va$htie: Thanks to all the people around the world who are supporting me. I hope that
I’m inspiring people everywhere to live their dream. I’m living proof that you can beat the odds.
Don’t worry about what job or career will make you money. Find what you love to do, even
if it’s knitting or baking, and make it your career. You’ll figure out how to make lots of
money doing what you love.
To Find Out More About Va$htie, Visit:
VIOLETTE: http://violettenewyork.com/
SPACE: http://www.myspace.com/violettenewyork
YOUTUBE: http://youtube.com/vashtie
BLOG: http://riottt.com/vashtie
1992 the Party!
http://myspace.com/1992theparty
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/09/fashion/09hiphop.html
