There is no question that one of my top favorite movies of all time is the Theodore Witcher directed movie “Love Jones“, which starred Lorenz Tate, Nia Long, Isaiah Washington, Lisa Nicole Carson and Bill Bellamy. This particular movie, which has now moved into the realm of what is considered a “classic” when it comes to black cinematography, is full of memorable quotes and lines such as “You always want what you want when you want it. Why is everything so urgent with you?” and “This here, right now, at this very moment, is all that matters to me. I love you. That’s urgent like a motherfucker,” and of course the all time favorite “Brother to the Night.”
But in actuality, there is one line that has always stood out to me which didn’t involve a dialog been Darius and Nina. The biggest line that has always stood out to me with this movie actually took place during a scene with Hollywood and Nina. It was where he was trying to take out her out to dinner. So, he booked a photography session with her, and as he began getting into to position, he says, “You’re the shooter, aren’t you? Then shoot me gotdammit. Immortalize my shit!”
[bctt tweet=”Immortalize my shit!” username=”KatoHammond”]
For some reason, that one particular line has always stood out and stuck with me. To the point where I actually adopted it into my whole being. Because the meaning of it was just that powerful to me.
What he was actually saying to her is… by you taking pictures of me and developing them, it allows a piece of me to continue, even when I am no longer here. That’s so paramount. Think about it for a second. Whether we’re talking about people such as James Baldwin, Prince, Natalie Cole, Phife Dogg, Muhammad Ali, Ivan Goff, Byron Jackson, Preston Blue, Chuck Brown, Little Benny or Maruice White, etc. Things that they have done, built and created will always be here. Even though they no longer are.
And I believe from the point that I first heard that phrase from Hollywood, it is exactly how I have always attacked everything that I have ever done. Whether it was creating TMOTTGoGo or artwork and graphics or songs or video blogs or writing books or discovering a quote of mine displayed in the NMAAHC. That phrase is always ringing in my head, “Immortalize my shit!” Because that’s exactly what I’m trying to do.
About Kato
Kevin “Kato” Hammond is a Media Mogul and Musician. He is the owner of Take Me Out To The Go-Go, Inc. (TMOTTGoGo), which comprises Take Me Out To The Go-Go Digital Magazine, TMOTTGoGo Radio, TMOTT Website and Graphic Design, and Otakcity Publishing. The TMOTTGoGo brand gains attention from outside media outlets for its designation as “the official gateway to a Washington, DC music culture.” Such magazines as Vibe has made Kato Hammond and TMOTTGoGo a significant source of information about the Go-Go music culture. Hammond’s history as a musician includes serving as Lead Vocalist and Guitarist for Pure Elegance, Little Benny and the Masters, and Proper Utensils.
Born in Washington, DC, Kato grew up in Seat Pleasant, Maryland, and attended the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC and Bowie High School in Bowie, Maryland. As a child, he performed in DC area organizations such as CUE (Children’s Urban Arts Ensemble), Bren-Carr Dancers and The T-N-T Poppers. Hammond is also an BangDrums2award-winning playwright. At the age of 17, he wrote a play entitled Buddies that listed in the finalist division of the Young Playwrights Inc. Young Playwrights Festival at the Public Theater. This play was performed Off-Broadway and starred Denzel Washington, Anna Maria Horsford and Michael Wright, all of whom were lesser known actors at the time. Today, in addition to managing multiple ventures, Hammond serves as a Language and Arts Educator for Teaching for Change and Drummer for Chantilly Baptist Church. Hammond resides in Northern Virginia.
