It’s often said that Ithaca is a great place to raise kids. But what about from the kid’s perspective? Kids – is it actually a great place to grow up? No doubt it can be tough on any youngster trying to figure out how to conform to the non-conformist ideal, not to mention growing up on a diet heavy on organic kale and brown rice. Why do parents have to be overeducated hippies and what happened to the simple life of watching TV, playing competitive football, and dreaming of becoming a high school cheerleader? These hardships, unique to Ithaca youth, are exactly what Ithaca-native and burgeoning rap artist Simone Bruyere-Fraser raises in her latest piece, “Street Vitae.”

Produced right here in the streets of Ithaca by Bruyere-Fraser with director and cinematographer, Esy Casey and produced by Perinspire, Bruyere-Fraser gets down with locals to dish out her story about growing up in Ithaca. And it ain’t sugar-coated. The child of two PhDs, Bruyere-Fraser has plenty to rap about – from the local preoccupation with food allergies to the strict culture of composting and recycling. The music video for Street Vitae has just been released today, so check it out here for yourself and see if even a few points, albeit in humor, just don’t resonate with you (for those of you that know the town well). Original music by David Siegel, music produced and remixed by Carl Clark, and singing vocals by Jenny Karr.

ABOUT THE ARTIST:
Simone Bruyere-Fraser grew up in Ithaca but now resides in Seattle, where she pursues her acting career and produces rap music videos on the side. She believes everyone has a story to tell, and she shares hers through hip hop. Say’s Bruyere-Fraser: “These poems are my poems, these words are my words, these stories are my stories, and we all have a story, something to say that is of value, and I love the hip hop platform. I have a “hood” and my hood happens to be the most enlightened city in the US…and crazy stuff happens there too, but in an entirely different way that you might not imagine. In the juxtaposition of that idealistic world clashing with the hip hop image, we have to be true to ourselves.  We have to laugh at ourselves, embrace our hurts, and say I am what I am and it’s OK. This spring may you be reborn as your true self, do what you love more then anything, and allow the humor, joy and magic of it all shine through. You may indeed be the only one holding yourself back.”

Also, check out her earlier music video, Nutskracker, where Bruyere-Fraser sets the record straight about being a ballet dancer.