Luminaries – Illuminating Thought Through Music

Venice Beach’s Luminaries breaks hip-hop stereotypes as it strives to separate itself from that world and instead focuses on music with positive lyrics and progressive thinking. Since 2005, Luminaries has established itself as a powerful group working hard to inspire higher consciousness and social change with its music, attitude and lifestyle. Though the group’s style draws much of its influence from old-school, golden era and underground hip-hop, its tunes also contain hints of all types of music including rock and roll, reggae and electronica. CULTURE was able to catch up with Luminaries members J Brave and Guido recently to hear all about its upcoming album, tour and thoughts on medical cannabis.

You have a new record releasing, which is due out this Spring.

J Brave: Yeah, the tentative title is Seconds of Solace. The record is definitely going to be more story-driven, because our first album was a themed album called One, and it was about making the most positive hip-hop album we could. That was the intention and theme in every song, and this next album is going to have that same element, because that’s kind of a reflection of who we are as positive people, but it’s going to be a little bit more gritty, a little bit more beat-driven.

Luminaries has some tour dates coming up in May. Are you guys excited to be getting out on the road?

Guido: We’re really looking forward to playing the Lightning In A Bottle Festival in May. We performed there in 2010 and it’ll be good to be back on that bill. We’ve also got a big show coming up with Public Enemy, Immortal Technique and Wu-Tang Clan, which are some of our biggest influences!

At the United We Stand Festival this month, they’re trying to raise awareness about privacy rights, the anti-war movement and drug policy reform. Why do you guys feel those issues are so important?

J Brave: Obviously we feel resonated with this fest because of the people involved like Immortal Technique, Public Enemy, Playing For Change and even, Dr. Bronner and Marianne Williamson. If they’re involved, we want to be a part of what they’ve got going on. But on a deeper level, there are a lot of people that are doing different things to try and make the world a better place. Some people make music, some people are involved with activism, some people are involved with sustainability, some people are politicians and we feel affinity for people with good intentions and integrity.

You mention politicians and activism. Do you feel like California’s recent move to decriminalize medical cannabis was a step in the right direction?

Guido: Absolutely! Cannabis needs to be legalized throughout the country. We could wax poetically and go on about why it’s illegal and it seems like, more than anything, greed is at the root of it. There are so many uses for the cannabis hemp plant, from medicine, to clothing, food, fiber, even a fuel source and that really interferes with the profits of many large corporations, which, I think, falls in line with the vision of United We Stand. So, absolutely, Luminaries are 100 percent in support of cannabis and hemp and 100 percent in support of the decriminalization of cannabis.

J Brave: I agree! I don’t use cannabis recreationally anymore but every once in a while, but I’m very interested in the juicing components and consuming it in its raw form without fire. In general, about the movement regarding cannabis and hemp, and all of the components that Guido mentions are so crucial to our world. We feel very grateful that we’re living in a time where there’s a huge uproar in a positive way for the cannabis and hemp movements and I think it’s all a part of this global change we’re trying to co-create.