This Shit Should Be Recorded Kedre Browne

Mark is someone that I have a lot of conversations with about life, art, creating, and strategy. He’s someone that not only pours his heart into what he believes in, but with the people he believes in as well. That’s why I had to hit him with the sneaky podcast pull up because I feel like our conversations should be recorded. We started off with photography and his personal approach. Mark believes that photography should be a life skill, and with the way he can document a moment perfectly, I’d have to agree with him. We got more into what his purpose looks like, and what his vision for his brand, Volare. Creating a space where others can come together to build and share was made possible by The Night Market. A pop up event he created with the intentions of unifying the creators and entrepreneurs in the city. I really enjoyed our conversation, It’s always a beautiful experience to speak with someone that wears their heart on their sleeves and allows that to be the guiding force for how he does business.

So this episode we talk about photography and how Mark uses it to stand in his purpose, as well as his justification to be in multiple spaces. Basing his photos on moods, through his use of colours and how he edits, he wants the viewer to know how those moments felt.

We talk about his approach to branding, putting up Volare on literally everything he connects with, and his process of what he creates. Using his brand to create a community as well as having intention behind what you feel when you see the logo. We talk about about being inspired by street wear, wanting to see the culture grow.

Mark has a special eye where he is capable of seeing Volare in everything, every font, every logo or title of a movie. As an artist I can understand what that means, Volare is his canvas to create and how he frames the world. This episode is full of gems I hope you can pick some up for yourself, enjoy! Peace!

This episode of TSSBR I met a really dope artist by the name Dope Chief. He’s “Just an Artist” but in a big way that may be selling him short, but he would make a brilliant case for why that’s okay. Monica and I made a little road trip to Grimsby Ontario, so I could buy my very first medium format camera, and she wanted to stop by her friend's studio in Hamilton to pick up merchandise she had bought from Dope Chief. The moment I stepped into his studio I was blown away by the art. The real gems were in the conversations we had. So I wanted to record an episode of This Shit Should Be Recorded to capture a bit of what we discussed.


Legacy (The conversation that happens beyond what is being presented)
Morality (We base morality on what we think we are over what our actions were)
Procrastination (Our relationships with procrastinating. Acceptance/ elevating past it to reach your full potential.
The expectations in being an artist (The romanticization of being a “Starving artist”)
Our Relationship with the work we create (Letting Go)
Pivoting as an artist ( Having a hustlers mentality, creating art for a range of clients at different budgets)
The purpose his art serves (The themes of Death, sexual undertones as well as the playful nostalgia you feel viewing his work.
Separating art from the artist (His stance on not doing so. “They are as vital to the work, as the work is to the viewer”)

Kick back, or get up and get active and play this in the background, to see more of Dope Chiefs work follow the socials @thedopechief for Monica @monicavcao and mine is @kedredesigns

Today’s episode of This Shit Should Be Recorded I got to speak with my bro Ras. A black, entrepreneur with multiple businesses and services, owner of We Print What You Want as well as the owner/ creative director of The West Side Co. This is a very special and personal guest for me because we spent formative years learning, building and growing in life as well as business. I call that time Bootcamp.

As a young black business owner, Rasta, and father we explore on the themes of:


The disconnect between the perceptions and reality of running a successful business as a Rasta
Mental health— and it’s value in creating a quality life & business
Living his legacy — and the influence in raising his son
Consistently learning & adapting
And Sneakers!

What it means to be a Rasta in business: and the disconnect between the perceptions and reality of running a successful business.

Ras is a young black man who is a business owner during the pandemic that is still working. He provides an essential service for many people, companies and corporations. He’s also a Rasta with strong ties and practices to his roots and more importantly a father. We explore what being a Rasta in business looks like as well as what the disconnect is between the perceptions and reality of being Rasta and running a successful business in this society.

Ras and I spoke about mental health. Being young black men, there’s a taboo or stigma around mental health, therapy, depression and how me may come off to others when being vulnerable. Something that he shares that is so important. How much do you value your health, If you’re going to run a successful company and want to live a quality life, Mental health has to be a priority.

We explore what legacy looks like, Ras speaks about being conscious of the impact that he makes in peoples lives. Although scary and a little morbid, he thinks about death and so he thinks about things like, if this is the last thing you 2 talked about, what impact did that leave. How he raises his son is large part is that philosophy. The lessons he leaves behind is his legacy.

Having focus and drive is a big motivator, and Ras is someone that is constantly hitting new peaks instead of reaching plateaus. That’s due to his “Nothing is good enough” mindset, he speaks on reaching a goal and not being content on where he’s at to push to higher and bigger goals. A big part of that is his constant need to learn and seek knowledge. His interest in music had him organically putting together the infamous West Side cypher all the way to selling sneakers and not even knowing the full value of the hype, to now fully understanding the game, and seeing them as assets.

This brings me to the final topic, Sneakers! We all love sneaker, but Ras has a Love, Love relationship with sneakers. What started of os a way to get closer to my hoop dreams of balling like Mike, Ras saw a way to hustle, and drip all at the same time!

I hope you enjoy this episode! If you want to learn more about Ras you can check the socials!

Instagram: @westside.ras / @weprintwhatyouwant / @thewestsideco

This is the very first episode of This Shit Should Be Recorded. So that being said, I should introduce myself and what this podcast is about. My name is Kedre, I'm an artist (if you're into titling people). And this podcast will be a platform where I share some really dope and insightful conversations. The theme of this podcast was inspired by my brother and I constantly having great conversations about music and I kept thinking that this shit should be recorded. The thought grew to involve more people that I have the privilege and honour to have more conversations that I feel should be recorded. 

In this Episode I explore my healing Journey with film photography. Recently I found myself struggling with anxiety as well as depression. I reached out to a close and dear friend of mine Dhani Oaks for some film stock as well as advice as how to go about this journey into shooting 35mm film specifically. With his help and guidance, I headed out to Montreal to start on my journey. I hope you enjoy this very candid style (literally recorded on my bed with Monica from Zen Station microphone on top of a very sturdy pillow lol) podcast episode.

If you want to follow me on on the interwebsss 

Instagram: @kedredesigns 

Twitter: @kedredesigns 

Check out my website for merch and everything else Kedredesigns.com