In Ecclesiastes 1:9, it says “what has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun”. While this is a very true statement, we must look deeper into the meaning of it and understand what the statement really means and saying. The statement does not mean we should stop thinking. It doesn’t say that there’s not going to be new creation of things and ideas. What the statement is truly saying is that we have the existence of everything we need to create new ideas from and give them forms. It says, use what’s already been created to create your own or version or to add and not encouraging us to just Xerox all that’s already been created. Doing so, simply suggests we stop living and Life stops. Izolan’s new album cover/poster reveals an artist who makes no efforts to honor artistry, creativity, originality or perhaps SELF. Such artist is dead artistically.
We look at Izolan and the way he has made a name for himself, we have to acknowledge him as a smart man. Having the ability to do what is doing with what he has is a testament to his brilliance as a business man, an opportunist who understands how to capitalize on opportunities presenting to him. He is a salesman who understands the commerce, the market he is in and its consumers’ very well. While Izolan does not often take artistic risks, he is proven to be a risk taker when comes to business or doing what he needs to do in order to put himself in positions to make money and keeping himself relevant. Izolan knows how to cease and living in the moment, for the most part.
The guy who was looked as the very least talented of his popular Creole Hip-hop group, Barikad Crew, has become the group’s most popular and most successful member, and the one who has crossed over. We have seen how far Izolan has come. From portraying a thug persona like the likeness of Tupac and a less-matured 50 Cent to him proving he is an evolved man who is for unity by showing support and respect to longtime rivals, Dug G and Toppy of Rockfam, to now showing a softer and more matured Izo; the rapper continues to make moves to put himself in positions to make a profit.
Although, doing an album entirely dedicated to women is a great idea that will show Izolan evolution and can predict will be a success in such industry where copying of others’ work has become a norm, Izolan should show respect to copyrights and think beyond HMI or the Creole Hip-hop movement. Xeroxing R. Kelly’s album cover, one can tell that Izolan does not register his music or have copyrighting in mind; hence, if that album was to become a global hit, he’s pretty much subject to lawsuits easily by R. Kelly or the person created the artwork for Kelz. While most kids in Haiti may never know of this flaw or finding out where he copied it from when seeing Izolan’s album cover, the artist should know that there are Haitians out who pay attention to both worlds that will easily pick up on things quick. Izolan should know because he has become the caliber of artist that he rightfully is, people do pay attention to what he does and he should show a little more respect to the creations of others and should exercise some efforts to become original, which is the essence of ART, which is what a real artist would do.
Rodly “Oz’mosis” Madeus
