Just found out from reliable sources that Mpozi Mshale Tolbert, Photographer, DJ artist has died in Indianapolis. He apparently died at work. Mpozi was a fixture in the Indianapolis music scene and held down a residency with the Crush star crew (Revolution Sundays at the Casba, indianapolis feat indiana Jones, Danger)playing some deep dub at the night's end. He has recently been playing with DJ Dicky Fox at deano's vino on Tuesdays as well. He has photographed The Roots and Jay Dee among others.

RIP MPOZI

-okayplayer loryn, a cali export

aim: Tiye215

alright bitches, i'm on myspace:
www.myspace.com/lcwzeta

ignorantart.blogspot.com

"you're never going to get anywhere without being a strategic bitch."-- professor jennifer james, GWU

<---- GOAT

Ally Al For Prime Minister

______________________________

http://gltss.org

Blessings to mpozi's family and friends.

That's terrible news.

http://www.okayplayer.com/theroots/photos/mpoziframe.htm

-30-

watch me find out God can't dance.

http://www.myspace.com/ikemoses

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Mpozi....


*heavy heart....

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060703/NEWS01/607030429/1006


Star photographer Mpozi Tolbert, 34, dies
Clear sense of justice and humanity imbued his work and life, say family and colleagues.

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By Diana Penner
diana.penner@indystar.com
Mpozi Mshale Tolbert, 6-feet-6-inches tall with dreadlocks down to his waist, never blended in. You had to notice him. He stuck out -- almost always grinning, forever seeing the possibilities in life, chuckling at its foibles.


Monday, The Indianapolis Star photographer collapsed at work, at the photo desk where he was selecting the images to appear in today's newspaper. He was taken to Wishard Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead about an hour later.
An award-winning photographer who came to The Star in November 1998, Tolbert, 34, was equally at ease at news and sporting events as he was in classrooms of school children who looked up in awe and curiosity as he towered over them, an assortment of cameras and lenses around his neck.
Star photographer Bob Scheer said Tolbert's photographs always were imprinted with a certain trademark.
"Everything he shot had heart. It really had a soul to it. He didn't compromise when he took pictures,'' Scheer said. "He never shot to please someone else. He did it his way.''
Reporter Tammy Webber was covering the statewide floods in January 2005 with Tolbert when they happened upon a terrified and timid dog. Tolbert, who recently adopted a stray he named Ornery, opened his trunk, pulled out a can of Chef Boyardee with a pop-off top and gave it to the dog, who gulped it down.
When Webber commented how lucky it was that he happened to have the can of food in his trunk, she learned that Tolbert always kept food in his trunk -- to give to homeless people.
Indianapolis Star Publisher Barbara Henry said Tolbert was one of the first people to welcome her when she arrived in Indianapolis almost six years ago.
"He told me about his Philadelphia roots and his love of Philadelphia food,'' Henry remembered. "He always had a big smile. He was so courteous and kind, he immediately put people at ease. He was a wonderful man and a wonderful representative of The Star.''
Tolbert operated an art studio in Fountain Square, where he participated in open houses to display his artistic photographs and was particularly proud of images from New York and Philadelphia. He was an avid downhill bicyclist.
And he was a deejay, a fixture on Sunday nights at the Casba, a Broad Ripple nightclub, and other venues. He would spin everything from reggae to Brazilian music.
He shot some of the photos for the premier album of the acclaimed Philadelphia-based hip-hop group The Roots. He was also one of the background voices on their album "Do You Want More?!!!??!"
Tolbert began taking pictures while he was in high school -- "as a personal escape from the grim drama of daily urban life,'' he once said. He became a freelancer, publishing photos in The City Paper, the Philadelphia Gay News and The Tribune.
His mother, Maisha Jackson, said he saw the world with humanity, and he was able to capture that perspective through the camera lens.
"He liked looking at things, and he was able to see things in a unique way,'' Jackson said. "He was able to see beauty and political value in very common things around him.''
Among his numerous awards were two prestigious Keystone Awards from the Pennsylvania Press Association, one for a photo essay on the AIDS quilt and the second for a photo illustrating housing discrimination against gays and lesbians.
In announcing Tolbert's death to the newsroom staff, Editor Dennis Ryerson also recalled Tolbert's humanity.
Ryerson said he had "a big heart, and a kind heart. I have seen him several times with subjects he was photographing, and he was, with them, as he always was with us -- totally courteous, with a kind sense of humor.''
In addition to his mother, survivors include his father Rudy Tolbert, stepmother Sunni Green Tolbert; three brothers, Sadiki Tolbert, Dedan Tolbert, and Paul Robeson Green, and one sister, Ayanna Tolbert.
Services are pending.

what a horrible abrupt loss

and this speaks volumes

>When Webber commented how lucky it was that he happened to have the can of food in his trunk, she learned that Tolbert always kept food in his trunk -- to give to homeless people.

prayers to his parents and family.

just...unbelievable

respect due


<---- GOAT

Ally Al For Prime Minister

peep the sig.

---------------------
+rip mpozi+
http://www.myspace.com/thievinstealberg
http://www.last.fm/user/planetinfinite/

man.

rest in peace mpozi....

Aw man...come on...

May God comfort the families, friends and well-wishers of the bereaved in Jesus' Mighty Name Amen.

--Maurice

that's horribly young. and his work was great.

~
<----Come see me (us) July 6th!!!

Pearl, Pig & ear2ear are Everything That's Fly

www.magomus.com
www.myspace.com/ear2ear

T-Dot.
"...sympathetic ear" -EC

this can't be.


if so...rip.


but fuck man.

he was a real good dude, r.i.p.

RIP

-----------------------------------------
www.okayplayer.com/guidelines
-----------------------------------------

..and miles to go before i sleep... (c) frost

rest in peace, mpozi.

way too young


----------------------------
Some of my photos from Cuba:
www.flickr.com/photos/workshopvisuals/sets/729092/

www.printroom.com/pro/workshop

www.myspace.com/rawsouthpaw

that sucks

Man this is so sad...

He put in work in my hometown...

God Bless his family...

**T.M.-"Ruff U Up"(Geezie F Baby Remix) http://www.megaupload.com/?d=SOFAG3OV

**T.M.-"Ruff U Up"(Screwed and Chopped)
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=XJ70KPFC

I Am Music(c)Common---->http://musikofmymind.blogspot.com

I could barely move when I saw that.

Rest In Peace, man...

this is really shocking. i'm at a loss. god bless his spirit and his family.

i cant grasp this....blessings to his family and friends

so sad to hear a beautiful soul leave the earth

that's terrible.

rip dude.

it's crazy, i just was discussing dilla with him on the Dilla board.

ion't know what to say.

---------------------
+rip mpozi+
http://www.myspace.com/thievinstealberg
http://www.last.fm/user/planetinfinite/

wow....smh

may he rest in peace and always be remember through his work

unbelievable - loved his work.....

The avatar: Mo' betta makes it mo' betta...

**********************
Quote of a lifetime:
"...music is not just a hobby or what I do...it's what I live...music is the voice of my god, my vehicle for spiritual enlightenement..."
-OKP Illogicz

wow.
i went to school with this cat.
he was the nicest dude that you ever wanted to meet.
always saw the bright side in shit and always had a joke to tell.
dedicated to his life to his art. for real.
he IS the sole documenter of all that is Square Roots.
he was the cat that made me wanna document my travels via
the camera.
all that photojournalism shit i try to do i got from this cat.
man...
2006 is really turning out to be a bummer.
i do all these calculations in my head like:
--well i'll be 40 in 2011
and my kids college tuition should be ready to go in 2020something...
and blahblahblah should be going on by 2030something.
sigh...its like
what if god decides that i have to leave in 2009?
im thinking out loud but....
i dunno...
im just sad.

rip man.

(god slow down yo.)

God slowing down...

RIP.

I wish this year would be a little less memorable.

<- Eat food that inspires you.

"Weirdness always starts at home." -Calvin

www.myspace.com/the_fifth

rest in peace.

I met him years ago doing college shows he was always a focused dude

he got called home soon but he made an impact during his time here

i loved his pics. he really did transcend through that lens and got to that next level only great photographers knew how to get to. this is shocking. my condolences to his personal friends and family-- i just observed from afar.

damn man... r.i.p.

i only met him a few times before i left indiana, and he seemed to be a real cool dude.

this cat was inspiring and motivating to me. i can't believe what we've lost

sending up prayers for all his loved ones.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

DROkayplayer: I'm a Professional Weed Smoker. Not because of how MUCH weed I smoke, but because of how WELL I smoke it.

Rest in peace man

And he had some kind words for my work.

Damn.

I won't say rest in peace. I say the god lives through.

Peace

May God bless his life and his family.

Thanks for being who you were and for being the first person to reach out to me when I joined OKP.

Take some good pics while you up there fam,
I'll see you soon.

-Jose

he was a good man
spec said it best, he'll live on through his work

i can't believe this.

r.i.p

www.kindablu.com www.kindablu.com www.kindablu.com

He "collapsed"? WHY?

RIP mpozi. i loved his work and his posts were awesome and only 34 years old??! damn damn damn

rest in peace

didn't know the man hardly at all but it's still sad.

Dis...Generation 8 Track

we now return you to your regularly scheduled discussions of Kool-Aid, smuttin, and cartoons. ~ KDfromWestP




~ i ain't here on business baby, i'm only here for fun. ~ bruce springsteen

fuck.

May the man rest in peace... This is tragic.

=(
_______________________
cool as a fan.
http://www.myspace.com/stickandmove

damn.

mpozi was a real nice guy.

i only got to hang out with him once, but it was certainly memorable. he even took a picture of me and my then-girlfriend, which was dope considering who all he's taken pictures of.

RIP homie.

we all went to the wild hare

that night is as clear as the last

He came to cincy to shoot the riots and asked if I could be his guide.

Like a lot of ppl said he was an inspiration.

Damn...

Peace,
M.O.S. Ologist
www.SubterraneousRecords.com
www.LibidoSounds.com
www.myspace.com/mosologist

RIP mpozi.


"We weren't looking to use our music to get laid. We just wanted to have an outlet to express our frustration at not getting laid."

Milo Aukerman

http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2115026546

'inner city' innovator = http://www.hainsleybrown.com

Rest In Peace...
Man, what is this all coming to???...







R.I.P. Jay Dee

so sad... may he live forever through his photographs

prayers go out to his family

rip

How saddening :(

____________________

I liked him a lot.

this makes no sense.

<--- That Dude.

R.I.P

and prayers to his family....

r.i.p Jay Dilla 1974-2006

this, like e'rrybody else said, is a complete suprise.

i never knew dude but i was a big fan of his work.

god bless.

Marfans?

damn.

I cant believe this.....not my homie...not Pozi...

oh my god........



http://www.myspace.com/nebt_het

"them exalting dem stinking dutty self/go and bathe ya dutty mucky self/erase ya fucking ugly self/ go fuck a girl and stop from fuck yaself"kalonji

||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
R.I.P. James Dilla Yancey
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

you gave a dude some good photo tips and always lent a smile and a good conversation. you will not be forgotten!

that was Mpozi......

he was a real sweet person.....if you met him before you know what i mean.....if you havent you missed out



http://www.myspace.com/nebt_het

"them exalting dem stinking dutty self/go and bathe ya dutty mucky self/erase ya fucking ugly self/ go fuck a girl and stop from fuck yaself"kalonji

God bless his life and bring strength to his family.
RIP to the original Okayphotographer


We are all dreamers...

Coming Soon: Improvian Refuge Presents: A Love Letter To Regina

this happened way too soon. condolensces. R.I.P.

<--- "Blue Skies, Barfy Burgers, Girls!"

http://www.rareformnyc.com
http://www.myspace.com/shinobishaw
http://www.last.fm/user/ShinoShaw/

God rest his soul & bless his family...

damn

at the casba
...damn man...this shit hurts me a lot.
of all the dudes in the world...mpozi was like the guy who ANYONE could get along with. I mean, I've DJ'd so many shows with him and his generousity and overall vibe is something I'll never forget and have always tried to take with me since we met.
In a town full of haters and conservatives, he managed to show love all the time and he really opened this city up to a lot of culture and art it had previously gone without...through his photos in the Star and his vast knowledge of dub and reggae music.
If there was ever a picture in the paper of some kids with a lemonade stand or something that was uplifting, 9 times out of 10 next to the photo would read "m. tolbert"...he was just a real dude who enjoyed being around and documenting real people.
Damn...man this is fucking me up, for real...that was my boy.
RIP brother, see you when I see you...

Everybody take a minute on this holiday to split a backwoods, fill it with sticky green, and burn one for mpozi...a true diamond in the rough.

sorry for your loss bro.

RIP MPOZI.

i know it ain't been the best year on your end either...we just gotta remember when we get our chances to take those spirits with us man...
peace

peace mpozi
R.

peace & prayers
r.i.p

Ive spoke to him quite a few times..
real cool guy.
damn.
Prayers and blessings to his family.
!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!
I am the Black Gold of the Sun...and i love things........Im gonna make you love me
http://www.parazz.com/albums/gravity508 -okp re photos

Your works live on as a lasting memory...

...it reminds us to do something with our lives, to live in the present moment, and exist with a purpose.

Peace

rest in peace mpozi....you were a true (west) philly legend.

shit..........

god bless

;(

dude was really cool.. i had minimal interaction with him but he was REAL cool..

wow. r.i.p.

i remember he had a post which said "steal my photo" after dilla died.

dude had been down since day one, posting, shooting, and showing love.

gone too soon.

peace,
-ram

i had the pleasure of working with mpozi over the past year or so.

this hurts... such a great person.

RIP.

Freezing out back of Sigma Sound taking album cover shots.

Watching knuckleheads brawl on the floor of the Trocadero (M taking shots)

Lay-up Block party...heads standing on the bumper of a city bus tagging it while it's moving (M taking shots)

Fishing vest and a gang of cameras around his neck! LOL!

Hanging out at the shop, M on his mountain bike coming through on the regular to listen to the latest mixtape.

Just a few of my memories of Mpozi. I had the pleasure of knowing
Mpozi Tolbert for close to 15 years. After he left town we didn't talk as much but always stayed in touch.

I'm speechless...Rest in Peace Rasta!!! RESPECT!!!

yeah i remember that brawl...wait..you were there?

The Lay-Up put on that concert man!

I still have the VHS tape that Rich took.

______________

10.9.77 - 11.10.96

<---yezzur
You mad cus your project aint blow. Don't hate- look in the mirror and handle that shit.
www.myspace.com/northernarcatl
www.last.fm/user/KwadwoJuma/

****************************
HOE
SIT
DOWN (c) Maceo

http://www.therootslive.com/~david/ali.jpg

http://www.therootslive.com/images/feature/num_1/segment/photos/dywm/photo_4_lg.jpg

http://www.therootslive.com/images/feature/num_1/segment/photos/tfa/photo_4_lg.jpg

http://www.therootslive.com/images/feature/num_1/segment/photos/tfa/photo_10_lg.jpg

http://www.therootslive.com/~david/squareroots.jpg

http://www.therootslive.com/images/feature/num_1/segment/photos/organix/photo_1_lg.jpg

>
>http://www.therootslive.com/~david/squareroots.jpg

rest in peace
condolences to his family & friends

i'm about to cry

no

mpozi had beautiful work
truly beautiful

i remember when i met him -1st *real* trip to chicago- & it was due to OKPs. i stayed w/donnie "sight unseen" *laughs*. the first time i went i went w/a boyfriend & it was terrible, just horrible, we stayed w/his old maid aunt who was a junior high school principal playin scrabble & watchin "jane eyre", in seperate beds -just whack. & one day a group of players met up @ the bennigans near donnie's apartment, or so i thought. donnie had me walkin a country mile in cute shoes. donnie's wearin tims & not understandin. & we get there & that's when i first met sonyasimone & illwill & he was there w/starli whom mpozi keep callin "flat pockets" & poetisa & avery were there & mr. grump. & mpozi drove & we all went to the wild hare -which was NUTHIN like "love jones"- & there was even more walkin cuz parkin in chi is horribler than u can expect. & recall him showin me his portfolio & there was early pics of all the roots & he had these AMAZING photos of montserrat, after the volcano & it's wild because that one boyfriend i first went to chicago w/had gone there as a child. he was just totally kewl & that was the only time i'd met him, the last i'd seen him. he had this man of incredible locs.

this is really a shock

i really believed in all he did

all the blessings in the world to his family & all those who knew him

ashe

RIP

http://www.okayplayer.com/okayphotographers/2003/week1.html
http://www.okayplayer.com//theroots/photos/mpoziframe.htm

--------
photobloggin' it: http://richlouis.blogspot.com/
bloggin it: http://thehomelands.net/blogger.html

>Just found out from reliable sources that Mpozi Mshale
>Tolbert, Photographer, DJ artist has died in Indianapolis. He
>apparently died at work. Mpozi was a fixture in the
>Indianapolis music scene and held down a residency with the
>Crush star crew (Revolution Sundays at the Casba, indianapolis
>feat indiana Jones, Danger)playing some deep dub at the
>night's end. He has recently been playing with DJ Dicky Fox at
>deano's vino on Tuesdays as well. He has photographed The
>Roots and Jay Dee among others.
>
>RIP MPOZI

I'm grew up w/ his younger Brother I'm talking to him now. My condolences go out to his family.

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060703/NEWS01/607030429
11:48 PM July 3, 2006

Star photographer Mpozi Tolbert, 34, dies
Clear sense of justice and humanity imbued his work and life, say family and colleagues.
By Diana Penner
diana.penner@indystar.com
July 3, 2006

Mpozi Mshale Tolbert, 6-feet-6-inches tall with dreadlocks down to his waist, never blended in. You had to notice him. He stuck out -- almost always grinning, forever seeing the possibilities in life, chuckling at its foibles.
Monday, The Indianapolis Star photographer collapsed at work, at the photo desk where he was selecting the images to appear in today's newspaper. He was taken to Wishard Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead about an hour later.
An award-winning photographer who came to The Star in November 1998, Tolbert, 34, was equally at ease at news and sporting events as he was in classrooms of school children who looked up in awe and curiosity as he towered over them, an assortment of cameras and lenses around his neck.
Star photographer Bob Scheer said Tolbert's photographs always were imprinted with a certain trademark.
"Everything he shot had heart. It really had a soul to it. He didn't compromise when he took pictures,'' Scheer said. "He never shot to please someone else. He did it his way.''
Reporter Tammy Webber was covering the statewide floods in January 2005 with Tolbert when they happened upon a terrified and timid dog. Tolbert, who recently adopted a stray he named Ornery, opened his trunk, pulled out a can of Chef Boyardee with a pop-off top and gave it to the dog, who gulped it down.
When Webber commented how lucky it was that he happened to have the can of food in his trunk, she learned that Tolbert always kept food in his trunk -- to give to homeless people.
Indianapolis Star Publisher Barbara Henry said Tolbert was one of the first people to welcome her when she arrived in Indianapolis almost six years ago.
"He told me about his Philadelphia roots and his love of Philadelphia food,'' Henry remembered. "He always had a big smile. He was so courteous and kind, he immediately put people at ease. He was a wonderful man and a wonderful representative of The Star.''
Tolbert operated an art studio in Fountain Square, where he participated in open houses to display his artistic photographs and was particularly proud of images from New York and Philadelphia. He was an avid downhill bicyclist.
And he was a deejay, a fixture on Sunday nights at the Casba, a Broad Ripple nightclub, and other venues. He would spin everything from reggae to Brazilian music.
He shot some of the photos for the premier album of the acclaimed Philadelphia-based hip-hop group The Roots. He was also one of the background voices on their album "Do You Want More?!!!??!"
Tolbert began taking pictures while he was in high school -- "as a personal escape from the grim drama of daily urban life,'' he once said. He became a freelancer, publishing photos in The City Paper, the Philadelphia Gay News and The Tribune.
His mother, Maisha Jackson, said he saw the world with humanity, and he was able to capture that perspective through the camera lens.
"He liked looking at things, and he was able to see things in a unique way,'' Jackson said. "He was able to see beauty and political value in very common things around him.''
Among his numerous awards were two prestigious Keystone Awards from the Pennsylvania Press Association, one for a photo essay on the AIDS quilt and the second for a photo illustrating housing discrimination against gays and lesbians.
In announcing Tolbert's death to the newsroom staff, Editor Dennis Ryerson also recalled Tolbert's humanity.
Ryerson said he had "a big heart, and a kind heart. I have seen him several times with subjects he was photographing, and he was, with them, as he always was with us -- totally courteous, with a kind sense of humor.''
In addition to his mother, survivors include his father Rudy Tolbert, stepmother Sunni Green Tolbert; three brothers, Sadiki Tolbert, Dedan Tolbert, and Paul Robeson Green, and one sister, Ayanna Tolbert.
Services are pending.

--------
photobloggin' it: http://richlouis.blogspot.com/
bloggin it: http://thehomelands.net/blogger.html

when its a regular cat you respected. It's one thing when its an artist that seems kind of untouchable but you repsect their music, but its antoher when its someone thats seems a little closer to you that you stll respect. I'm kinda rambling but RIP to him and peace to his family. He inspired me through his photos and was a real nice guy who offered great advice.

http://www.citypaper.net/clog/2006/07/04/mpozi-mshale-tolbert/


Mpozi Mshale Tolbert
Tuesday, July 4th, 2006 at 12:58 pm
posted by a.d.amorosi
Mpozi Mshale Tolbert
Goodbye, big man. Tolbert in City Paper's Earshot circa 1997.
Photo: Dominic Episcopo

Our sister — Queen Bee Stef Renee — just sent me this. That my friend — City Paper's friend — Mpozi Tolbert died. My hand is shaking. He was not only a longtime photographer at this paper. He was a fucking beacon, a face that, no matter how sad, snarky, angry, high or messy I was, changed my innervision immediately. He was concerned — deeply — about any, every and all. I missed him when I found he had moved out of town. I miss him now. But I won’t forget how he made this city, or me, feel about politics — big or personal.

We'd just heard from ’Pozi last week in a letter to the editor he sent thanking us for his shout out in our Paper Trail column for 1991, when his work debuted:

Thanks for the shout out… City Paper was my “voice” when I was younger through the Streetshots photo column, and other assignments — not bad for a kid in his late teens (I shot my first cover story while still in high school), and early 20s. Whenever I talk to students now, I tell them to find the local weekly and get on them — nobody knows how much you get paid — they just know they saw your work and byline! I try to keep track of the paper out here, but I always get all nostalgic on one hand, and wonder who half the people you guys are talkin' about are on the other (which for me — is weird!)… Nice to see the city doing so well btw. Lovin’ Mike Regan’s work as well — and missing my Tastykake's and soft pretzels (especially fresh ones at 10th and Washington at 4 a.m.).

Thanks again for the mention

—Mpozi Mshale Tolbert

...

My communication with him was very limited, but over the last year I spoke with him a couple times as he and HighVoltage negotiated using his old Roots pics for my feature on The Roots Live...

He was always very friendly and down to earth. And from what I've heard, he was a great guy.

Rest in peace, and my condolences to all his family, friends and acquaintances...

hopefully more of his spirit will start to show in us all.

http://www.okayplayer.com/theroots/photos/mpozinav1.htm

Damn man, R.I.P.

http://www.myspace.com/psykosoulmusic
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/5/psykosoulmusic.htm

And to his family.

These are sad days indeed.

Bless all of you.....obviously it's a hard time but the love makes it easier...so thank you
-Sadiki "little bro" Tolbert-

*************************************
www.mensamuzik.com
www.ronniescotts.co.uk

I have so many of his photos saved on my computer. It is a sad day when those wonderful photos stop coming. We'll miss you Mpozi. RIP

RIP

Rest in Peace, brother.

Mpozi was incredible. I rarely played a show where he wasnt there. Always had a bearhug. This hurts. I hope I make it back to Nap in time to pay my respects. I really love that dude.

This is gonna make me cry.

__

http://www.myspace.com/spiritequality - since i was 16, spit 16's sicker than the ceiling on the Sistene (yeah, I'm on that again)

34 years old.

blessings to his family

..damn...

R.I.P

he was a great and inspirational photographer and artist. he will live on through his work

one of the finest examples of the human spirit i have ever met.

it was always a joy to hear the stories behind a lot of the photos and a pleasure to create with him.




my thoughts and meditations


thanks for the bright moments mpozi
onedrop

______________________________

R.I.P. - The Curse

Let's hug it out bitch
www.lhiob.com

1918-2004

Second, they gave up a whopping 130 points per game, a record that will never be broken unless they merge the NBA and WNBA some day. ---Bill Simmons on

his name is definitely synonymous with this site's beginnings

energy up into the atmosphere


-------------------------
::bounce'n off yo'radar::
Moxo Tengu - Hula Hoops/Rmx (Surra) - Other Worlds
Afra Behn - The Long Green - Vibe Machine
Soul:ID - Even Though - ABB Soul
-------------------------
aGainst.The.gRain.radiO
fridays.10a-12noon.eastern

Everyone is fucking dying.

RIP to one of my favorite Lessonheads. one of the nicest guys on the boards, esp. if you were interested in what interested him. Hell of a talent, someone I truly wish I had met.

what the hell did he die of? he was too young.
all these young people passing is starting to scare me.
rest in peace.

he was {was? this is strange} one of the most humble, true people i have ever met through this site. he never hestitated to answer photo questions, shoot the shit or offer kind words. i was really looking forward to the work he would produce, it's a giant loss.

R.I.P.

as he would call me - inez flatpockets!

You never know when your name will be called.

I had the pleasure of meeting Mpozi back in the Square Roots days, when I was a family member/always around type of dude and Mpozi was a photographer/always around type of dude. At first I thought he was kinda weird, like "why does this dude always have multiple cameras around his neck, ALL OF THE TIME". But there were only a few of us non-5th Dynansty Roots hanger on types that could actually put a full sentence together........so naturally he and I became familiar with each other and became friendly. A very nice, genuine dude.

fast forward 5 years to 1999, the point when me, Angiee, Doug (new guy) and ?uesto were building what would become Okayplayer.com. MPozi was the GO TO GUY, in many clutch situations.....I mean the visuals for the beginnings of Okayplayer (photo visuals not graphics) were probably 70%-80% Mpozi. He always had a picture for us....regardless of what time of the night Ang would email him, he would always come thru.....never ask for anything in return, just happy to help out. RIP!

I can't believe the amount of young, talented people passing on this year. This is ridiculous!!

As Shawn said, Mpozi played a key role in getting OKP off the ground and I was extremely glad to have worked with him. For the short time I knew Mpozi, he proved to be a 100% upstanding, reliable cat whose eye for good composition and captuting the human experience in still form was simply amazing.


RIP Mpozi...

May God forgive him of his sins and grant him paradise.

mpozi was a KIND SOUL. we spoke often online and even some times on the phone, but as the years passed, so did our lines of communication. but I will always remember his kindness, his gentle way of being and the type of man he was.

RIP, Mpozi.

love,
maria.

this. is. so. sad.

"Your current frequencies of understanding outweigh that which has been given for you to understand." Saul Williams

I remember firzt chattin' with him in da original OKP-chat room right afta da Roots started on their tour (around da Illadelph-halflife album came out) & waz about to go on their overseas tourdates.

Damn it'z sad to hear about people who gave you da "photoz to remember your favorite artiztz by" but now it'z their time to remembered by.

I am devastated by the news. I just found out on another site. Mpozi was a longtime friend.
I just don't understand what happened. I am very sad. And all I do know is that he was a phenomenal artist with a great soul and I will miss him very much.

and my condolences to the family.

damn...r.i.p.

I remember back in the day, he'd pop into OkayChat (the super old version) and just kick it with folks. Also, though I was never anything more than a photog wannabe, I know he was really generous with sharing his thoughts & tips with a lot of folks here.

For those who may not have been around when he was posting, this was his signature:

PoZi (;=

He tried his best to represent his dreads, even in ascii.

r.i.p.

he put me and others on to some beautiful music. that article deserves props for mentioning him spinnin among his other activities. i saved a thread on brazillian music that he was in. here's a few quotes from it.
1

-----------------------------------------------------
Posted by Mpozi on Aug-10-04 at 02:35 PM
In response to message #22

yeaaah, you dig!!!!
seriously, it's like music you need to have a strong heart to listen to. because there's times when it's SO beautiful that it's almost painful...
i mean like heart palpitating painful..."

PoZi (;=

-----------------------------------------------------------
Posted by Mpozi on Aug-09-04 at 06:43 PM
In response to message #19

no doubt. from the top of my head i can def say these are on there-
Brasil- Tom Jobim, from the album "Stone Flower"- great, great, version, features Jobim on what sounds like electric piano and vocals. Especially groovy because the breaks in the tune are so incredibly timed and executed.

Brasil- Gato Barbieri- from a live at montreaux album- I'm a dub head, so versioning things is force of habit. Although in this case the tunes are spaced out on the disk. This version is about the same tempo of the Jobim version, but with some serious coltrane-esque freak out tenor sax playing.

Summer Samba- Ramsey Lewis from the Goes Latin (pretty sure that's the title- it's the cover with him holding the Pan Am plane).

Summer Samba- Bebel Gilberto- from Tanto Tempo, mixes out of the Ramsey Lewis cover.

Rosa- Gilberto Gil- from the Refazenda album- great, great tune, one that makes me think the drummer has either an extra hand, or an extra bone or muscle in his wrists... crazy taut drum rolls that break into some incredible almost Sly and Robbie "flying cymbal" riffs. It's actually more Tropicalia than bossa, but nobody's complained yet!

Chuvo Chuve (def spelled wrong)- by Sergio Mendes, another guilty pleasure, although, as groovy as the harmonising is, it's pretty sweet. I have it on a SM lp, but this is from the Thievery Co. comp. I mix it into this really great medley piano piece that incorporates the refrain from Chuvo Chuve as well as Mais Que Nada and other classics.

Mais Que Nada- can't remember the artist, but it's a really nice grimy, gravely version.

Cannonball Adderly/Sergio Mendes- from their duet album, amazing.

GRRRR! there's like 18 tracks on the disc, most of which i know by heart, but have no idea what they are actually called- just what they mix with and what the tempo is....

but i'll work on it tonight....

oh yeah!

Viva Sohando (sp?) a nice uptempo version that i blend into Getz's solo from the getz au gogo album...

PoZi (;=

-----------------------------------------------------

Damn when Dilla passed I downloaded a background with dilla and the rest of slum from the old days and it catches the attention of every soul who asks "who are they"; And I just realized Mpozi photographed it...

R I P

R.I.P.

doubt if I have ever seen any of his work, but from reading this post it seems like he affected alot of lives in a positive way. In the end, I think that's what we should all want from our own lives. His mission here was fulfilled. Rest, Fam.

damn, 2006 ain't good so far.

i loved the picture of jay dee that he put up after his death (see avi) , now they both rest in peace :(

Nuff respect due..always enjoyed the personal feel of Mpozi's work..always felt as if you were there with the subjects..To the family, sincerest condolences and may his sould go with God...

Nuff respect due..always enjoyed the personal feel of Mpozi's work..always felt as if you were there with the subjects..To the family, sincerest condolences and may his soul go with God...

cool cool ass dude...it seems unfair that someone like him could die so young...but i'm consoled by my belief that there is divine order in all of this...

may God bless his soul

<-----the best hip hop duo

.

as you wing your way to the next life and i thank you for blessing us with a taste of your talents...

<----- ooh you know you rock my world you b boy and i b girl... ♥

gotta support the fam:

http://www.marka27.com/
http://www.blokhedz.tv/
http://www.biz20.biz/
http://www.myspace.com/blackoutboston
http://www.myspace.com/mozim

what? was my first reaction to seeing the bulletin on the board.

my prayers are with his soul and his family. always was a fan and respected his work since first being introduced to it throguh the boards.

life is so short and unpredictable. we all need to cherish the time we have.

this just goes to show you that wasting time or procrastination will always come back to haunt you.

r.i.p - i wish i had followed up sooner. :(

~K

.:Southern Belle::Magnolia Smell:.

closing the racial divide through song - http://tinyurl.com/6uvxu

JUST LOVE AND SUPPORT RAREFORM. THEN SHUT UP... www.rareformnyc.com

~!~

THE PASSWORD IS "EVOLUTION", DUMMY!


don't movethink twicecount to tenbe nice
© Vast Aire

God bless his soul...

My condolensces to his family.

He was one of the illest photographers...

I can't even type right now...

We are in the baby stages of planning a benefit/memorial show for Mpozi in Indianapolis sometime in the coming weeks...just a heads up if you knew the brother or just want to pay your respects or support...he was a huge part of the music scene here in naptown and he constantly supported and covered the music here with passion and kindness...he was always so generous to me and all he cared about was seeing people have a good time.
I will know more soon.

if yall do this on the first weekend in August, let me know.
i'll be in town for my family reunion.
i know that may be kinda soon, but if it's that weekend send me an inbox my guy.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Give me that bubblegum
I want that bubblegum

slide. pop. lean. rock. errybody stop. now, do the bunny hop.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2J14wU98oaM&search=bunny%20hop%20target=

Prayers going out to the Tolbert family that I know well. He was just in town for a birthday party (He shares a birth date with his nephew).

come on please!


I din't know cat like that
but all the early pics from the Roots I ever saw
had his (C) on it.

Its funny how earlier on today I was talking about
how the good die young.

I usually log into this sight when I am in a good mood
the bulletin today just fucked my whole mood up.
RIP!

here's the press release on his death...

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060703/NEWS01/607030429

cool bruh from what i recall

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
every blessing ignorned becomes a curse (c)paulo coelho
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



[link:www.blackstudies.ucsb.edu/images/mapblackst

;(

I didn't know him personally, or I didn't even know him at all as far as his name. But I would like to take my time to say rest in peace and to all live life to it upmost. Peace.

may your legacy live on through those you have captured. through sight and through those whose hearts you may have touched.

RIP.

He inspired me and countless others as we can see. His memory will live on.

A memorial observance will be held on Friday July 7 with remarks to begin at 5:30 p.m. His photographs are on display at the Murphy Art Center. Visitation is scheduled for 10 a.m. to noon Friday.

>A memorial observance will be held on Friday July 7 with
>remarks to begin at 5:30 p.m. His photographs are on display
>at the Murphy Art Center. Visitation is scheduled for 10 a.m.
>to noon Friday.
>
Yo Sadiki I'm here in Ga so I won't be able to make it but as one of Dedan's best friends you know you guys are in my prayers. I told your mom yesterday that you guys have always been like a second family to me.

condelences to his family and friends

R.I.P.

rip mpozi, many blessings and much love to the fam...

just because it really messed me up to see that he had passed so suddenly.

i feel like we're all fortunate to be so deeply impacted by people who follow the art and dreams their hearts carry so compulsively and passionately that, even with a sudden loss like this, the world is left with volumes of work so imbued with what drove them at the deepest levels of their souls . . . we will never be inclined to forget what made them important or made their work important to them.

rest peacefully mpozi

PLEASE.
please.

I always liked dude. He was special, I am really shocked. It just seems too much, unfair.

p-oz

•- •-•• • –••-

My desktop photos:

www.p-oz.com

**updated**

I got nothin....speechless....

man Rest In peace.

i mean everywhere.
he used to take pics at all the big track meets when i ran in back in high school. and of course, he was taking pics at the clubs and concerts and such.
like the article in the Star said, he always stood out.

RIP Mpozi, from a fellow Hoosier.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Give me that bubblegum
I want that bubblegum

slide. pop. lean. rock. errybody stop. now, do the bunny hop.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2J14wU98oaM&search=bunny%20hop%20target=

Damn....

I have been a friend of Mpozi's for over 20 years. We used to share a darkroom in my basement in Philly. he taught me how to develop photos, shoot photos, took the photos for my wedding and the first phoo of my daughter. His talent, inspiration, and spirit will live on in his photos. For all those lives he touched( countless) we will all miss you Poz.
Emily-Kate

I'm in shock...

It has taken me 2 days to get myself to a place where I can even type. He was a good person whom I will always remember. My memories of him are so real and his laugh still resonates in my head. His kindness knew no boundaries. This is a profound loss and I wish that I had a chance to tell him all of these things. His spirit was too good to not be an angel. He watches us all. We should all celebrate his life and his great spirit. I am currently playing the last CD that he made for me. I now know to treasure every minute that you have. This man was special.

when dilla died, I remember mpozi posted that pic of him in the lab with SV smiling and told okp that we were free to use it however we saw fit. I printed that photo and carried it with me everyday. In the bottom right hand corner was his name: Mpozi Tolbert. His work was great. This is some heavy shit.

news story

http://www2.indystar.com/images/graphics/2006/07/0705_mpozi_video/

his coworkers said some touching things about him

NEW DUMHI AVAILABLE!
Guest Appearances from Che Grand, Von Pea, and Vex Blizzy
http://www.myspace.com/dumhi http://www.myspace.com/dawgeatah

rest in peace brother.

Strive to find out your purpose on this earth and then make it happen. As Nate Geezie said above, tomorrow is not promised.

RIP and I pray that is family is able to find peace in the midst of this. With every test comes the oppurtunity for a testimony.

RIP Granny
RIP Aunt Jan

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." - Proverbs 3:5, 6

http://blog.myspace.com/wade_h

RIP

my condolences to family and friends...
his amazing positive energy will resonate forever...

peace...


"we mimic nature, because we are nature"~jackson pollock

I signed up for the boards for this, so I apologize for the low postcount . . .

I used to roll with Mpozi back when we all went to CAPA together here in Philly, and I remember a few fond things, like when he went through his 'skinhead' stage and I would ride the sub with him and watch people gawk at his tall ass in electric blue doc martens and leather jacket. We would have conversations about just being yourself, and if people didn't 'get' you, that's their loss. He was such a sensitive, amazingly smart cat, and was so genuine. He was a good friend to me. We both helped each other, and he'd sometimes roll up and we'd just kick it, talking about the universe. . . He was so young and so damned smart. A lotta people didn't know how to deal with that, so he talked about stuff like that alot.

When we got older, and I'd run into him after high school and he was deep into his photography, I was so amazed at how great and natural he was at it - like he found his voice through the lens. I think I still have one of his City Paper covers to this day with him on the front - the look on his face in the pic was a confidence that I immediately recognized understood. He stayed himself, and the world was starting to catch up to him, he was so far beyond the normal BS.

I'm truly saddened by this. I lost touch with him when he moved outta town, and every month or so I'd troll the 'net trying to find out how he was, and was always proud of him, because I know he was out there making art. He's still an inspiration to me. What a special class of people that came outta that school during that time . . .

I'll miss you brother, but I'll see you again.

Jamar

wow i'm in shock!

rest in peace.

the pic he took of slum village is my screensaver.. WOW! may he rest in peace!


boy is a white racist word!!



r.i.p Dilla


avy: Dilla and 'Lib crate diggin

Nicolay

http://citypaper.net/articles/current/index.shtml


respect to a dude that could touch so many

omg

I just saw this. This is heartbreaking. He was SUCH an amazing person and friend. Rest easy, fam. Wow. I can't believe this :(

"Picture that. Scripture that."

REST IN PEACE, MAN.

We are losing to many good souls this year.

"No I do not weep at the world. I am too busy sharpening my oyster knife."

-Zora Neale Hurston-

This news sucks. never talked to him, but the slide show shows me that he took some real dope photos. seemed like a real kool kat.
RIP







GASFACE GIVEN TO YOU

go to hell or go to yale-Andre

He e-mailed me in December trying to get on at the Chicago Reader (the free weekly I crunch numbers for). Other than that I never talked to the brother but his photos, his presence on this board and his importance to The Roots early history makes his transition a heavy loss.

And the fact that Mpozi was only 34 years old and he died on a day when so many people are out celebrating with fam and enjoying life makes it even more painful.

Live life to the fullest, love hard and give your all to everything because when life is over...it's over.

RIP Mpozi.

I haven't checked GD in a while... I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw this news. Damn.

Rest in peace, you and your work will be missed. Thank you for all the beauty you've given us through your photos. You were too young.

.

i recall the dilla pic he put up when dilla died damn

Has there been any reports as to cause of death?

This is so sad.

:(

i don't understand how this happens.

look after him, God.

It seems an injustice that someone so young and talented, as well as someone who was seemingly so well loved should pass so suddenly.

I just want to encourage everyone, family and the friends who knew Mpozi to just hold on and try to be strong, you're not alone. Grevience (sp) is probably the hardest thing in life to go through but support each other, you have our prayers. Stay up.

I also want to thank God for Mpozi.. i never knew him but i find that anybody involved in any creative art, especially visual is an inspiration to myself and I recognise him and appreciate the work, the ART that he blessed us with.

Long may he be remembered.

Rest In Peace.

there i go for not having internet at home - so late to finding out the bad news. can't decide if that is good or bad...

i can still see the last time i saw mpozi. it was years ago now, outside filos when it was still good. man, i can still feel the hug he gave me. no matter how big a hug you gave mpozi, it was always more of a case of him hugging you. he was just big like that.

i didn't know mpozi so well, but of all the people i have met in the world, he stands out as one of the brightest. you always came away with a little bit of stardust on your forehead from when he smiled down on you.

as the days go by and i get older and quieter, i notice the parts of my life that are full of luck. and knowing mpozi, however briefly, is one corner of my life that sparkles, being full of a charmed kind of luck. i'll be eternally grateful for that.

rip big man, rip.

I remember MPOZI taking shots of me playing with my band when I was a little jazz head... We never spoke much... but I always saw him around... does anyone know what happened???

Wow.. I didn't know Mpozi personally, but I want to show my respects for what he did, and the bit that it impacted my life. I was on okayplayer when it first started, when Ang was introducing the world to the word 'eff', and back then I was on the boards all the time. It was my myspace of the day. None of it would have been what it was without the photos involved, so for that if nothing else, Mpozi had an effect on my life. I am saddened by this news, and I send my best thoughts and wishes to all his fam.

Peace.

wow.

mpozi was a truly, truly talented dude and the world is the lesser for his loss. may God have mercy on your soul.

peace & blessings to you,

x.

sigless for the summer, y'all.

my prayers go out to his family.


BLACK WOMEN RULE!

the Avatar: JUNE POINTER(1952-2006)-one of the prettiest voices ever.

Check out NEW Soul music at: www.myspace.com/starbeing

i love music!-THE MIGHTY O'JAYS

He was always a good dude. Ima miss him alot, even though I
haven't seen him in almost 13 years. God Bless the dead.
-M

this man died doing something that he loved.

he touched alot of people and from what i can see here he made a wonderfully positive mark on this world.

peace and condolences to his family and friends.

r.i.p.

I can't believe it! What a great guy he was...smart, funny, very sweet and kind! Met him several years ago hangin' with the crew. Oh man! I am floored. For real.

Rest in Peace, Mpozi! You were loved and appreciated. You were a great artist and had such a kind spirit. You will be greatly missed.

I can't believe this. Pozi, I will truly,sincerely miss you, such a cool and fun individual. Rest peacefully.

I remember his posts from way back, and I was always impressed with his work.