#OurGenerationMusic #JoyDivizn #OGM
“Can I show you something?”, Joy Divizn asks excitedly as Hakeem Rowe grins in response. He pulls out a pair of Apple cord headphones from his pocket, giving Keem an ear-bud as he scoots over on the dark-washed leather couch. “This is the sh*t I’m on. I just made this,” Joy says as he shows him his phone. “This is how you know I really got it.” The pair rock out together for a few minutes, with Joy praising the angles and clips of the short film he’s stashed. Yet his work remains shrouded in mystery. (24:38)
With Opium tatted on his left arm, it's clear the Houston native’s affiliation with the label is inked beyond that of a paper contract. Cultivating relationships that have taken him farther than imagined, he moved to Los Angeles at 19 years old with just $100 in his pocket - taking a leap of faith that changed his life forever. “I really think my life started when I moved to LA,” he said. “It didn’t start until six years ago... Even to this day, I feel like I’m not supposed to be here. It’s not that I haven’t done enough, but it’s just like, who is this guy?”
You may be wondering that very question: Who is Joy Divizn? As a photographer, videographer and clothing designer, the 25-year-old’s talents lie within the confines of a rudderless and rebellious nature. Combatting conventionality - saying he always felt like the “world was against me” growing up in Houston - Joy (aka Phoenix Guerrero) finds, well, joy in his greatest passion: Cinema.
Ultimately, intrigue is Joy’s niche - stacking mountains of reels in his hard drive that may or may not see the light of day. “At any given time, I can just drop. When? I don't know. It's either not happening anytime soon or after I'm gone," he offhandedly mentions, speaking on in-studio clips of the 'Whole Lotta Red' process - revealing the album was made in a span of five days - as well as now-infamous footage of Virgil Abloh’s first-ever Louis Vuitton show. He knows his worth, much like his close friend Playboi Carti. “Timing is everything," and in time, his influence will truly reveal itself.
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FULL STORY 💻: bit.ly/40BnLCa
CREDITS:
Hosted by: Hakeem Rowe
Shot by: Saint Hilaire
Edited by: Sam Sikora
Produced by: Jon Barlas
Research by: Thomas Galindo / John Cotter
Joy Divizn: joy_divizn...
STAMPS:
0:00 - Intros
1:02 - Backstory: “I really think my life started when I moved to LA”
2:23 - Film camp, inspired by his father, realizing his potential as a filmmaker
5:26 - Joy’s reference points in cinema, “Fight Club”: “These movies have messages”
7:40 - Shooting in film, photography is all about “instinct”
9:18 - Keem first finding out about Joy, his video curation
10:17 - His life changing in LA
11:30 - Moving from Houston to LA with $100
12:26 - Working with Ian Connor on REVENGE, “everything was a test, but I only know”
13:31 - Inspirations from Ye, Earl, Tyler, Rocky, and how it led to Ian
15:32 - “They’re influencing the influencers”
17:20 - Meeting Ian Connor for the first time as Maxo Kream’s assistant
19:38 - Organic, natural, slow-building relationships are crucial for success
21:25 - Lil Keed “OMG” video, being selective with work
22:45: “Maybe I rub people the wrong way?”
23:17 - Working with “the one” Playboi Carti heavily, “Pain 1993,” Finsta videos, importance of timing
24:33 - Joy showing Keem something secret… a wholesome moment
26:17 - Forming a relationship with Carti
27:23 - Description of their friendship
28:05 - Working with Opium, his role within the collective
29:48 - Being around the ‘Whole Lotta Red’ creative experience
31:48 - The impact of Opium on the culture: “Everything repeats itself… It’s our time right now”
33:36 - Being multi-faceted, Brad Pitt sweaters “Fight Club influence”
35:21 - “overdosing on freedom,” WALL-E, his definition of freedom
37:00 - Vaulted content, filming Virgil Abloh’s first-ever LV show, Virgil’s impact on him
39:34 - Joy not feeling worthy of where he’s at in life, more LV show thoughts ‘a moment in time”
41:12 - “At any given time, I can drop,” release plans for his content, Carti documentary talks
43:12 - What Joy spends his time on the most: Getting himself mentally right, seeking therapy?
46:01 - Advice to kids in a similar creative lane, realizing his life was about to change
49:26 - “Hollywood can make or break you. You gotta know, you can’t hope that the sh*t is gonna work out.”
49:55 - Overall vision with his clothing brand, desire create an outlet for creatives
52:01 - Business: “The clothing funds the film.” Not shooting music videos, “That’s not me”
53:02 - the Lone Wolf mentality, he doesn’t want to or has “played the game”
55:24 - Message for Our Generation