by Oyiza Adaba

The 2024 Album Cover: BIG TIME! Words By MOE that brought three South Bronx fixtures together.

Three artistic figures with an intricate historical tie to the South Bronx, seemingly come together on a project targeted at celebrating a borough that is home to global talents and trends. Learn more about André Trenier, Andrew Freedman and Words by MOE.

it’s worth the read

““I have traveled all over the world painting and competing in International Art Competitions and made a lot of friends. I love to see new places, meet new people, and learn new things. Let’s combine my talent with your vision and CREATE SOMETHING!” ”

— André Trenier

BIG TIME! Inspiration Behind the Album Cover

The inspiration for the debut album cover for Spoken Word artiste Words By MOE, comes from the South Bronx, specifically a mural painted by graffiti artist and muralist, André Trenier.

The mural is located at The Andrew Freedman home, a historic site and designated New York City landmark located on the Grand Concourse in the South Bronx. It is not lost on us that the location is known for its musical history and graffiti art.

Muhammad Ali mural by André Trenier at Andrew Freedman Home in the South Bronx, NY. *Photo by Africa-Related*

The mural features significant historical and cultural elements, including Muhammad Ali, his butterflies and bees with a positive "wake up" call to transforming dreams into reality. It also has The Amistad painting with Senbge Pieh a.k.a "Jospeh Cinque", the slave sold in 1839, who headed the revolt on board the Amistad ship. Later, he and others would be fareed to return to his native Sierra Leone.

The Historical Significance of the Andrew Freedman Home

Imagine being a self-made millionaire with a morbid fear of losing your wealth in an instant. This is what drove Andrew Freedman to create a charitable trust to build a retirement home in 1924, for older individuals who had formerly been of good financial circumstances.

At its peak, the home could accommodate about 130 residents, housing 130 residents at a time in comfortable quarters that had Italian-tiled bathrooms. The tenants came mostly from victims of the Wall Street crash and World War II veterans.

The Andrew Freedman home has four-stories with formal English gardens and well-manicured lawns, public rooms with fireplaces and rugs, and each private residence had white marble shower stalls.

In 1992, the Andrew Freedman home was designated as a New York City landmark. Today it serves as a hub for artists, organizations, residencies, exhibitions, daycare center and event space, with works that address themes like immigration and memory.

Historical Ties

André Trenier and Words by Moe are both South Bronx residents, whose works are relevant to their immediate communities.

André Trenier grew up in the Bronx where he” lived to create”, and began painting murals in 2003. Since 2013 André has painted several dozen murals in the Bronx and beyond, including a 150- foot wall on the side of Spring Bank on 167 St and Gerard Avenue, commissioned by the Bronx Museum. He has depicted baseball legends like Jackie Robinson (Babe Ruth), Derek Jeter, Roberto Clemente, Joe DiMaggio and Thurman Munson. His renderings of the great Muhammad Ali, his portrait of rapper Sean Price, Citibike mural at Word of Life In’l have all garnered acclaim.

Words By Moe is a South Bronx artiste with West African roots. He writes on various subjects dealing with grace, truth and love. His 2024 debut album Big Time! offers original writings with an easy flow delivery of poignant and inspirational messages that are relevant to today’s living. As his work takes root, he continues to attract listeners and readers from different corners of the globe.

The artistic contributions of these three who have the South Bronx in common, highlights the significance of conversations that bridges the gap between historical figures like Andrew Freedman and contemporary artists like André Trenier and Words by Moe. It celebrates their overall contributions to the history, music, culture and art scene.