We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Detric Kovu. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Detric below.

Detric, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about one of the craziest things you’ve experienced in your journey so far.

Well…if we are talking about “Craziest Thing” I’d have to take you back to 2015 when I received my first opportunity to work and live abroad in Mainland China (The Real China). It’s been a decade since this trip. One of the biggest leaps of faith I had to ever take in my life. Navigating a Land I had no reference in, only the trust in strangers and my own instincts and intuition on the ground. Each time I reflect on this trip I discover new gems of wisdom and knowledge. Unfortunately I cannot say the experience was “Picture Perfect”, however there were many moments that felt ethereal. It was a leap of faith and one that put me and my team in dangerous waters. To keep it short, the deal went bad once I landed in Shanghai when I realized Team Operations was not as organized as it was promised to be. From flight delays of my team members and lack of communication and/or access to means of communication. I was stuck wandering the airport for 4 to 6 hours seeking a way to contact my agent. After sometime contact was made and my team with the exception of one person had made it into the country. Due to the flight delays we were forced to book a hotel for the evening in Shanghai while we awaited our teammate to arrive the following day. This was already screaming Red Flags due to the lack or organization and business etiquette by “American Standards”, however we persisted. That evening we spent time a strange hotel in Old Shanghai conversing with the other team who would be on tour with my team together. That morning we all decided to explore the area in search of food while awaiting communication of the arrival of our teammate. She arrived later on that evening and along with that we got word that Shanghai will not be our stationed city; and that we must take a train inland to our official stationed location. This is truly where everything went south and our worst fears began to come true. We quickly learned that our initial agent was NOT the one calling the shots nor had any control factor in where we reside, our salary and per diems. This forced us to rely on each other and our families/friends in the U.S. for Financial Needs. This contributed to us having to relocate within the city of Xuzhou multiple times to find more humane living conditions because the prior arrangements were borderline impoverished. Like, these people (The Agency) tried to have us living in the Slums of the city in apartments that the locals were in. It was absolutely terrible and at times worse than anything Ive seen living in the United States of America. We found out that this was solely a Manipulation Tactic to discourage us to bend us to the will of “The Agency” and create our shows EXACTLY (in every aspect) how they wanted. In other words…they wanted us Men to be dressed raunchy, sleazy and dancing/performing in a way completely obscure from who we are and how we presented ourselves initially. We Rebelled of course and this set the tone for our tour! From continuous ploys to tire us out and turn each member against one another. We had to unite on one front and devise a plan that would ensure we completed the tour with our Pride, Dignity and Morals intact. Each show, each city, each rehearsal it was always a compromising issue in some capacity, that forced us to adapt immediately to persevere. Whole time we are wondering why are we dealing with such situations when we were very clear from the beginning of our intentions for coming to China. Which was to Tour the Mainland performing Imitation Shows in their Nightclubs as Headlining Acts. But it was a darker energy, more malevolent at play and it began to reveal itself as the month progressed. After completing a few shows and visiting various cities we were stationed in Beijing (The Capitol) for a few days. This had my whole team elated and The Great Wall of China was going to be our reward for the work we put in throughout our tour. But as you can probably guess by now…The Agency had other plans. Once we completed our first show in Beijing we went back to the hotel to plan to party with some locals we met after. However as soon as we got into the room we received a call from our tour manager telling us we need to be back at the club early afternoon the following-day to perform at a Birthday Party. Prior to the Tour we stated in our contractual agreements that any additional shows outside of the tour we would require additional compensation. Yet the tour manager stressed we MUST be at the event because its for someone very important. Surfing the wave of euphoria from being in Beijing we dismissed it and enjoyed our evening in celebratory-fashion. The following day we overslept peacefully but quickly soon realized we had missed calls and messages from our tour manager begging us to contact him back immediately. We did! Once on the phone he started begging and pleading we get dressed and take a taxi to the nightclub to do the show at the birthday party. We strongly explained to him that it wasnt in our contract and that an additional payment needs to be made before we do so. He dismissed that possibility quickly stating that “Its the Big Boss” and if we dont he or anyone from the agency CANNOT protect us from what may happen.. The room was Dead Silient as we all stared at each other wondering what he meant by that. One of our teammates asked what he meant by that and the tour manager stated that it is for Head Boss of the Chinese Mafia. Our world shattered instantly, our minds flooded with so many questions and emotions full of disarray. We told the tour manger we would get dressed and that we did but…we quickly researched and located the nearest US Embassy to escape the situation instead. Filled with Fear and Anxiety we packed our bags, booked a taxi and headed to the nearest embassy. Only soon to realize they would not assist us without knowing the meticulous details of “Why” we were attempting to exfiltrate the country. Meanwhile our phones are ringing off the hook from various numbers we didnt recognize. After a couple of hours and many mental breakdowns later we answered the phone. The voice on the other end we did not recognize but whomever it was spoke English crystal-clear. Letting us know that we had One-hour to get back to the hotel, get dressed and be at the nightclub show-ready. Or else we would be abandoned by the agency and what happened to us as a result from missing the birthday party would not be their concern. Talk about Pure Terror…We barely had any money left after feeding ourselves and yet we scraped the funds to get a taxi but needed a second due to the drivers being resistance to servicing my team and I. I was the last to get a taxi and it was heavy traffic and that wasnt helping our situation. On top of that the Taxi Drivers didnt speak english so we needed to use a Translator to Navigate. My phone was dying and I didnt know where my team was since they left before me. Instead of going back to our hotel we rendezvoused at a major hotel landmark in the city to regroup. Time was still ticking as our ETA with traffic showed we would be approx. 30 mins late to the show and that was terrible news for us. Eventually we got our Original “Agent” on the phone and he bought us some time to make it to our hotel and get prepped for the show. It was strange because when we arrived at our Hotel it was various all-black vehicles parked along the front and with engines still running. We rushed inside and literally JUMPED into our costumes and walked out of the hotel to be greeted by a Chinese man we’d never met but he led us to his All-Black Vehicle to take us to the Nightclub. Once we successfully completed the show we got a taxi and went back to our hotel and yes…those vehicles were still there with their engines running. Once inside the hotel we got a call from our tour manager thanking us for doing the show. But we needed to come back to Xuzhou to have an important meeting directly with the agency owner. The Train was booked for the following day and by early afternoon we were on a bullet-train heading inland again. Once in Xuzhou we went back to an apartment we stayed during our show creation and rehearsals. We sat in that apartment discussing our experiences thus far for hours, until about 11pm when we received a call and then a text providing us the Location of the meeting. We arrived at the city’s entertainment district, which we were familiar with but all businesses were closed. With the exception of one small restaurant that still had the Open Signage glowing. As we approached we could see movement inside and proceeded to open the door. We were greeted joyful by the man himself (Agency Owner) who warmly but strangely welcomed us to have a seat and order whatever we’d like from the menu (Food & Alcohol). We declined graciously and took our seats…It was only me and my two team members, him (Agency Owner), his right-handman and the waitress. He proceeded to ask us how have we enjoyed the tour so far and we reluctantly shared our good and bad experiences. However he didnt acknowledge much of it and proceeded to explain what happened with us in Beijing. It was at this point the true nature of his business and the meeting began to reveal itself. He made a few statements about the Birthday Party and who it was for, making it very clearly how bad we made him look as a businessman to his “Big Brother”. He went on to explain that he is the “heir” to the empire that is the Chinese Mafia and that the “Big Boss” was the guy who practically put him in the position he is in. Further explaining that if we hadn’t done that last show in Beijing we wouldn’t have made it back home AT ALL. This was heavily implied in Chinese-fashion but we knew very well what he was saying to us. He presented us with two-options; to complete our second month on tour and receive full-payment or do 3 to 4 more shows to make his money back and we go home after. You can probably guess what we chose AHAHAHAHAHAHA! We took the second option! He concluded the meeting with some Light-hearted Entertainment Industry topics and soothsaying about our talents. Which we expressed gratitude for but after leaving that restaurant we couldnt have been any happier knowing we escaped “The Belly of The Beast” with our lives. We completed our last shows without much disturbance other than the usual monkey wrenches like our hotel rooms being Raided by Chinese Police etc. Nevertheless we had our lives and it was at this point I made a promise to myself to NEVER do business in the ways this endeavor came about. This was a Cathartic Experience or I’d say “The Crucible” that framed how I would use my talents, gifts and abilities moving forward.

Detric, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Detric Kovu and I am the Owner and Director of Photography at the company GEN 7 Media, here in Atlanta, Georgia. At GEN 7 Media, We offer a range of Media Production services, including Photography, Promotional Videos, Event Coverage, Project Management, Creative-Coaching and Brand Story-telling. Our goal is to help our clients achieve their marketing objectives through the power of media production, innovation and cultural exchange. GEN 7 aka GENERATION 7: The “Seventh Generation Principle” is based on the ancient Iroquois philosophy that the decisions we make today should result in a sustainable world seven generations into the future. A Media Production/Management Company and Cultural Exchange Consultancy Firm that utilizes our roots within Hip Hop Culture and Street Dance to facilitate the foreign exchange of Ideas and Solutions to personal, social and environmental change through mediums of the performing arts and media production. When Traditional Structures of doing Business becomes obsolete, we are called to action to bring Innovation to your company’s legacy.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

The Mission driving my creative journey? It would be to create a Legacy that me and my loved ones can be proud of and one that will inspire generations to come. This is primarily due to the poverty I’ve faced early on in my childhood living in Chicago, Illinois; with me not having the environment to thrive in creatively. The outside pressures of that environment heavily affected me in more ways than many would know and I’ve spent the last decade healing the trauma as a result. Generational Wealth is something that seemed like a Fantasy in my lineage and I want my future family to experience the things I couldn’t access growing up. So being that I didn’t come from a Family of Wealth, a Family of Wealth has to come from Me. My Creativity is directly linked to Source (The Divine/The Most High) and the ideas I channel come through from my daily practice of Prayer and Meditation. The Esoteric and Occult are a main sources of inspiration when it comes to my projects, as the best things are always hidden in plain sight. When dealing with the Esoteric and Occult there is much Taboo in the face of the general population but that’s because most are afraid of their own Darkness/Demons. I’ve made friends with mine and have come to wield them as a source of power to create timeless bodies of work. The world and/or society has been conditioned to Fear the Dark and because of it there is so much untapped potential left in their creativity some will never get to harness. Due to various forms of Oppression (Religion, Politics, Philosophies etc.) When aiming to become One of the Greatest Ever it is imperative, to build a deep-relationship with oneself to be able to access those creative powers. After my healing this became extremely apparent and started to fuel my inner journey more than ever. Allowing me to produce ideas that seemed lofty to others only until they manifested into the tangible reality we live in. I always advocate for doing what many occultists would call the “Shadow work” as it is the only way one can unlock their true essence and share it on the world stage.

Can you talk to us about how you funded your business?

When it came to Funding for my Business I never really received any start-up investments or loans. I was literally only using the tools I had at the time no matter what stage in my career I was in. I’ve never had “Everything” I needed to complete ANY project and either had to improvise or have a third-party supply it. Even now as far as equipment goes and tech, I do not have all the Industry Competitive/Grade tools needed to produce any multi-million dollar projects. Yet my Creativity and ability to Innovate has made me a Threat to those who “Have More” but are doing “Less” with their resources. I guess in the bigger-picture its a Blessing in Disguise because having Money and Equipment doesn’t make you “Elite” or “Professional” like most assume. Its one’s ability to create and innovate WITHOUT that sets the bar higher. This is where I excel and shine because the works you see I’ve created have been produced during some of my deepest struggles and the lowest points in my life. Purely willing myself to take just one step no matter how big or small it was while trusting the vision and where it would lead. My Life would have been easier had I received funding from all the program submissions and grants proposals I’ve written. However now I see it as God intended for me to develop in ways that would separate me from “Competition” and put me in a Lane of my own to thrive and prosper. The Funding will arrive when its the right time but until then I’ll continue to invest in myself and my dreams because betting on yourself is the greatest thing one could ever do.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://gen7.media/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gen7genesisproject/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GEN7LLC/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gen7
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/iamonlyparthuman/
• Other: Dance Production Fundraiser: https://www.gofundme.com/f/akasha-live-show-residency-mexico-city

Image Credits

Detric Kovu, Founder & Director, GEN 7 Media