Joshua Brookshire built his entire life around music, hence music was more than a creative expression. It was a way to get intimate with people and build community.
So, whether
it was starting the popular Rap Round Robin, a hip-hop event hosted annually;
championing young musicians; or performing in his band, Speak N’ Eye,
with his younger brother Aaron, Joshua was a true believer in the
transcendent power of the beat.
Sadly tho’, Joshua died June 21 at his home in Yadkin County of an apparent heart attack at the age of 35.
“(Joshua) was a character, man,” Aaron, the aggrieved brother said. “He did a lot for music around here.”
Joshua
may be best known for Speak N’ Eye, the band he formed with Aaron way back in 2010. A hip-hop band with punk sensibilities, Speak N’ Eye
released nine albums and played a circuit of dive bars and clubs such as
the Black Lodge, Test Pattern and the Garage.
The
brothers also introduced the Rap Round Robin to Winston-Salem. Characterized by a
fast-paced, choreographed show that features hip-hop performers
stationed in a circle around the crowd. One act will perform, the lights
will go down and immediately give way to a different act, with the
lights flipped back on.
This year’s show is scheduled for July 22 at Monstercade on Acadia Avenue. A way to pay tribute to Joshua is untimely demise.
Joshua was raised in a small coastal city in
eastern North Carolina, at an early age he developed an eclectic taste in music. He
got involved with the music scene while attending East Carolina
University, taking Aaron along with him as they checked out hundreds of
concerts.
Joshua moved to the area in 2010 and soon immersed himself in the local music scene.
Besides promoting his own band, Joshua backed rising talent, including local hip-hop artist OG Spliff.
“Josh
was really passionate about getting the new generation out there,
making sure their voices got heard,” Aaron said. “He had the ability to
get shows booked, and his networking capabilities were really, really
special. If he found a band on the internet, he’d reach out and try to
get them here. More often than not, people were like, ‘Damn, Josh had an
ear for music.’”
He
was also an avid reader, painter and crafter with an obsessive love of
hockey, Aaron said. Joshua worked at Little Richard’s Barbecue in
Clemmons for nearly 12 years.
Carlos Bocanegra, the owner of Monstercade, called Joshua’s death a massive loss to the local music community.
Bocanegra
and the Brookshires were among a group of musicians and artists who
hung around the Black Lodge, Krankies Coffee and Re-Animator Records
“(Joshua) and Aaron performed a couple
of festivals with us, and they were always extremely supportive of any
new artists on the scene,” Bocanegra said. “They wanted Winston-Salem to
be this amazing artistic hub, and they did that together with their
events and the way they treated other artists.”
Bocanegra
noted that he met other local artists at Joshua’s wake, a sign that not
even death could stop Joshua from bringing together creative people.
“I miss him,” Bocanegra said. “I really loved him.”
MAY HIS SOUL FIND PEACE AT LAST IN THE GREAT BEYOND.
