SMU Security Ra’Sun Kazhadi is a unique talent among college football players.
You can see he’s appeared in 10 games in the last two seasons and he’s recorded two tackles and they say he’s a stretch, but that’s not the case. Ra – as he is often referred to by his teammates, friends and family – has a talent that goes beyond the football field.
He is a talented artist, and last July 1 – by easing restrictions on college athletes making money through his name, image and equality – Kazadi’s world as an artist opened up significantly.
“Because of the emptiness, I can do more than what I want to do,” he said. “I can sell my pieces at a higher price, and so, I don’t have to do anything like 100 pieces a month.
“It’s fun because it’s less about money now. It’s just about working and growing and just trying things out.”
Kazadi sold his work before the NIL ban was lifted, but could not put his name on it, display his art on his Instagram or website, or promote it.
“I was an artist and then it was up to the people to make the cheapest stuff,” Kazadi said. Because of these limitations, he said he couldn’t sell the pieces in large quantities – $ 30 for a sketch, and maybe about $ 100 for a painting if he’s lucky.
“It wasn’t on the scale, it’s very close to what it is now,” he said.
Kazadi said he is now able to get a higher price for his work because people know it belongs to him and he is able to promote it. More financial freedom has given him more time to experiment with his art and improve his artwork.
“I was able to grow as an artist and then discover other things,” he said. “If I think, ‘Hey, it’s nice to paint on some pants or paint on a T-shirt’, I can look for different implementations. I can do graffiti because now I’m not like, ‘Hey, wow, I have There are only $ 300 for this month’s food, gas and everything else.Let me try drawing [done for money] Really fast. ‘ So that’s good. “
Kazadi does not remember a time when he was not in art. When he was in kindergarten, he started making superheroes (Wolverine was his first), and from there his passion grew.
“My art got a little more complicated, and [my art] Sophisticated, “Kazadi said.” It was like, ‘Well, what do I mean? What am I trying to say? What do I want people to see? ‘ Instead of just copying stuff, which was good for physiology and stuff like that. But as I matured, so did my art. “
For those who know Kazhadi well, his work ethic and passion are his definite characteristics. He is a founding member of The Detent Collective, a non-profit that aims to meet the needs of society by promoting economic, educational, social and personal development from football to the arts. ,
“It’s easy for a person not to play 70 snaps on a Saturday when they don’t need to,” said SMU safety coach Trey Howarty. “But he does, and we’ve improved more than anyone since we moved here four years ago.”
Fellow Mustangs defensive back Brandon Crossley said: “His work for football is ethical – we see on the field what we see in art. Offseason to end of season. Not a day went by that Ra did not give 110 per cent.
“This is just the beginning,” Crossley said. “When people say, ‘This is just the beginning’ and all the quotes and all that, no, that’s literally the definition of ‘this is the beginning’ for Ra. That’s great, man.”
Here are some examples of Kazadi’s work, described in his own words.
Boxer
“It was 2020, And I think that’s when I first started painting the whole thing. Greek sculptors, like Alexander the Great, have always been very interested in Hellenistic sculptures. Anyway, I was just interested in that era.
“And I’ve always been interested in colors. So when I saw [Boxer at Rest], I was a little interested, because they didn’t really know who made it. She was one of the things I saw where it was like a confused history. Since history is confusing, I like the color purple because, for me, it almost represents an illusion like red or blue or finding yourself.
“I really like that I can’t tell if he lost or he was excited because he won and just took a step back. And I’m related to that because you never know if you won. Because I think that “Sometimes things are harder than you think and only relate to Kovid in that way. Well, you don’t have COVID, but you’re stuck at home, or you’ve got COVID, you’re still stuck at home. So over time, I get confused.”
Something to paint
“It simply came to our notice then Just a little more fun. I love going out in Dallas and just trying to hang out – just hanging out with friends and doing anything. But I wanted to make this piece a little lighter because I think sometimes my pieces are a little more serious and they make a lot of sense to them.
“It simply came to our notice then. And like shoes, I thought it was a great way to show off – they’re almost gone. And, I don’t know, like, ‘What’s all this?’ Honestly, I was trying to make something really aesthetically pleasing, it was a little interesting where you wanted to know more about it. Because honestly that’s it – if you’re out and you see a really beautiful girl, you want to know more about them, I was trying to portray from this piece.
“And also, I was listening to Freddie Gibbs’ ‘Something to Wrap About’ and that kind of influenced that part, so ‘Something to Paint About’.”
The biggest ever
“Did anyone come?” Me and he was like, ‘Hey, I want a piece of Muhammad Ali.’ I got some pictures to choose from. But the color scheme depended entirely on me and everything. For blue, I wanted something that would feel vintage, but still had a vibrant, contemporary color. And I wanted the background to reflect that kind of thing. I wanted the background to reflect like a moment of emotion without putting a moment in time.
“I think he was right when he lost … Sonny Liston. So apparently the moment of victory, he’s excited. I tried to tell the truth, ‘Hey, it’s old but outdated.’ That’s him. He’s the greatest. And he’ll always be called the greatest. You can’t get rid of that title. That’s why it’s an old, outdated title. And I think painting should definitely reflect that. “
Donald ‘Duck’ Clay II
“I had it The idea of trying to tell people stories came up a while ago, because I think people know these people, but they don’t know them. They see him on the field, they see him doing anything. They don’t know where they are from, they don’t know what they did to get here. They do not know where they are coming from.
“Too many ducks [Donald Clay], She is from Louisiana. He lives in Louisiana and breathes. He’s always talking about Mardi Gras. He’s always talking about Bourbon [Street], It’s like, ‘Yeah, you have to go to town’, whatever. So just talk to him and find out where he is from, where he went and the significance of certain events. So for that we talked a little more about Mardi Gras, so I put a mask in that left corner. At the bottom is Bourbon Street as it is from there.
“And the moment of victory with his tests and SMU football – it was hard for him for a second, but he’s really looking for a way to do things. And I want to give them a chance to say that. He. “
Rashi rice
,Rashi rice, heso From Dallas. Then again, explain your story chronologically from the bottom left. So it’s Dallas and Philly, you get the Dallas skyline on the right, and you get the Philly skyline on the left. And what he did to get into SMU football, and Rashi is a pretty smiling man. So I really wanted to capture something that reflects his whole soul and who he is without this intense type of athlete, because that’s how most people know him. But it’s fun, man. He likes to have fun. So I wanted to play her and give her a chance to talk a little more about me and her story. “
There was a fire
,This one Lots of people’s favorites – one of my favorites. So, it’s a little sad, but it’s like getting into the first kind of serious relationship in my college. I was shocked, not really ready for anything. The reason I call it ‘Coat on Fire’ is because I was reading this quote and it says ‘Pyaar Dosti Mein Aag Hai’. We were really close friends, honestly, it started, you know, just ended that way.
“But I wanted to tell someone about getting ready for a date, and then as the date moved on, it happened. And you guys get close to ‘Smack’ like the sound of a kiss. And then in the corner of the right hand, in black and white, he said, “Coat on fire.” And most importantly, ‘in my room’ [by] Frank Ocean, I was listening to some of it. And he was really talking, and I liked Vibe. So I tried to solve the visual problem of the layers of what he was trying to do and what he was doing on canvas and paper.
“Trying and doing was a fun kind of project. But just choosing the color scheme, trying to be consistent with the colors, trying to tell vividly, almost knowing that when you have a nervous feeling but at the same time you are excited. It’s really on your face. So I wanted this piece to make me feel that way. And I love old comics, so took inspiration directly from it. And it was one of my first comic book pieces. So it was honestly – and I hate to say it – the first time I’ve done something, this is the best time I’ve ever been able to repeat. ‘Because it’s in the moment – not exactly the same,’ Oh, it would be nice if I could put it here. Let’s make a mess. ‘ And then you get so confused about it, ‘Oh my God, I love it.’ Because it is just like that… flow. It’s like you’re in a fluid state when you’re playing. You get into moments where you can’t go wrong. “