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I’ve made documentaries for HBO, VICE, Showtime, and online. Most of my work focuses on culture.

To me, 'culture' means anything that keeps you on your couch, or makes you want to get up off it. So: everything.

guns, drugs, wrestling, videogames, police brutality, elections. Everything.

Here are some of my favorite segments below. You can see a YouTube playlist with most of my VICE segments here.

documentary

voodoo wrestling

viewer warning: a lot of violence, and a rough scene with animals.

Catch Fétiche — loosely translated, “voodoo wrestling” — is a uniquely Congolese fighting style: a combination of traditional African wrestling moves, old religious practices, and one man’s obsession with Hulk Hogan.

I went to Congo to learn more about it.

when murder isn't murder

LaKeith Smith was given 65 years the murder of his childhood friend. Police agree that he didn't pull the trigger. He was 15.

A full television documentary on justice in Alabama.

viewer warning: graphic bodycam footage of police shooting a boy.

independently produced

after VICE News closed down, I decided to start making my own documentaries. All these are filmed, produced, and edited by me.

why are people mad at an anti-nazi game?

bonus: check out the comments for a bunch of people proving my point

back in 2017, a game came out with some heavy anti-Nazi messaging, and people threatened to boycott it. I take us back to that period, and then all the way back to pre-WW2 America and Germany.

Features an intro filmed at a Trump rally.

how to make money off the los angeles fires

I watched the fires change the landscape of Los Angeles, and the Internet. To be clear: I am not condoning making money off of disasters. But I do interview someone who is doing just that.

This one even got a quick reference in a John Oliver segment.

analysis

take a knee

For police departments, these kneeling images were a great organic source of positive PR. But not everyone is buying it.

This one was part of a larger package that won a 2020 News Emmy.

update: the officer I was questioning in this piece was later implicated in an (alleged) scheme to cover up sexual assault.

copyright cops

We've become accustomed to seeing members of the public use their cell phones to film police officers on duty. Now, we're starting to see cops pull out theirs, but it isn't to record.

They're playing copyrighted music in an apparent attempt to exploit copyright filters.

they did it again, this time with Toy Story. This investigation helped inspire a legal brief in the Journal of Law and Policy.

what’s with the kanji tattoo, buddy?

If you’ve ever wondered why white supremacists seem to be really into anime: here’s a crash course. I wish I didn’t have to make this.

INTERNATIONAL

being black (and funny) in Japan

When I lived in Tokyo, I happened to meet this dude at a party cracking jokes. Turned out he's actually funny for a living – and he does it in Japanese. So when I made a trip back to Japan, I knew I had to get him on camera to tell his story.

Meet Ike Nwala, a Nigerian-American comedian who’s on Japanese TV every day.

the best (fake) sneakers money can buy

I’m holding about $5k in merchandise in this screenshot.

If you want a legit pair of the new Off-White Converse sneakers, that’ll run you $1500. You can get a great knockoff version for just $80 – but most Americans have no idea where these fake shoes actually come from.

We went to Putian, China, home to a thriving underground counterfeit shoe industry – and met the guy who’s been supplying hypebeasts with high quality fakes via a Reddit connection.

Or, read this article we wrote about how his empire almost fell apart here.

celebrity culture

i took a tidying course with Marie Kondo herself

I went through a training camp, got (gently) scolded by Marie Kondo for not thanking my clothes, and helped a mom prepare for her new life. What a time to be alive.

Kenan Thompson on failure, “all that”, and being black on SNL

I’ve been watching Kenan Thompson since All That. So it was pretty cool to talk to him about his career thus far – his feelings of self-doubt, whether or not it’s time to move on from SNL, and what it would take to revive his infamous “What Up With That” sketch.

Santa Claus is a Black Man

Rest in peace to the original Santa Claus.

Yes, this one goes under ‘celebrity’, because if you’re from New Orleans, you know the truth.

Santa Claus is real, but he doesn't live at the North Pole. He's 75 years old, and he lives right over down in the 7th Ward.

Also, he's black.