Wild Thing

Benjamin Button was Brilliant.

So last night, I went with a great group of people to watch the highly anticipated David Fincher film, The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button. With Brad Pitt as the star, the movie tells a story of a man born old, and as he ages, he physically grows younger. It is a sad and beautiful tale of his life journey, the meaning of losing people, and the fact of cherishing things at the moment. Although it was three hours long, the film progresses really well. This film is by far the best movie I have seen this year. The cinematography was absolutely incredible, and Pitt's acting is superb. Well Done. Another amazing David Fincher/Brad Pitt collaboration.

Let's talk Zuckerman.

Andrew Zuckerman, is an amazing and award winning photographer and director out of New York. He directed the film High Falls, and has released two books Creature, and Wisdom displaying his incredible photographs. Creature was what really got me into this guy. I was at the bookstore, and my fascination with animals led me over to a book with a beautiful cover of a black panther cub photo on a white background. I looked through the book and absolutely fell in love. Each photograph showed an animal at a moment frozen in time. Some of the images actually look fake, and you get lost in the idea that so many animals have such humanistic characteristics. Go check out this man's beautiful work.

This day couldn't have been better.

So I had such a great day today. Cami & Myself hit up the Miami area with intentions of seeing crazy toys, art, and chillin' hard. We went out met up with my buddy Juan, and did what we do best. Then we spent 11 hours together of just "chillin' hard." So then I come home, check my inbox and see a wonderful email regarding a new shoe Puma is bringing out next year. By far, an amazing amazing design. From what I've read up on this one, this Clyde is part of a new pack coming out entitled the Japanese Monster Pack. It is based off of Japanese monster films from the 70's. These are expected to release in limited quantities round March of next year. I cannot wait for this shoe to drop. Goodnight.

I was always the kid writing on the chalkboard. This is appropriate.

 

So this watch comes from Fortis Designs, and is designed by Rolf Sachs. It is inspired by school blackboards, and features a chalkboard dark green face, with the markings and numbers as chalk. There are 999 models available, and I have no clue where to find one. Ooh well. I love this shit.

Universal Mind Control is Mind Blowing.

So today is a really good day for me, and for the hip hop industry. My favorite artist, Common released his 8th album entitled, Universal Mind Control. Entirely produced by The Neptunes & Mr. Dj, this album has a great sound and direction. It's fun, its uplifting, its groovy. I just feel like this is the kind of music that needs to be on our ears. A true breath of fresh air. I love Common's ambition and drive to do something different, and no matter what he puts out, his music is always from the soul and super good. Key tracks on this album are, What A World, UMC, Inhale, And Sex 4 Sugar. Please go buy this record.

I'm moving in.

Well Hello most beautiful home ever! I saw this and my mouth dropped. This house was designed by architects Powerhouse Company, and is located in the Netherlands. It has been nominated for the Dutch Design Awards, and surely deserves to win. This is just incredible! It goes by the name of Villa 1. With an insane interior, and half the house actually underground, this glass box is located in the woodlands of Holland. I better step up with my Dutch, because guys; this is it. I want this house. NOW. 

Absolutely Wonderful.

This is my favorite post of the week. Dutch designer, Guus Van Leeuwen created these radiators based on animal shapes at the Design Academy Eindhoven graduation show. He used steel tubes to create the shape of the animals, and then they are given a skin that represent them. The skin attracts you yo to get near and touch, warming you up as you feel them. The tails of the animals can easily be connected to the central heating system. I still don't entirely comprehend how these magnificent things actually work, but I adore them. 

I've always wanted one of these.

I've always wanted a dope bowtie, and this one is. Band Of Outsiders. Available now at Honeymee.com Apparently this little puppy isn't too cheap, or a USA item to order.

Wow.

I'm not even gonna type this one. Just Admire this gorgeous fixed gear bicycle. And then, picture me on it.

Killlerrrrrr

Damn. Vans X Huf Satin Pack. I want all of them, every color. These caught my eye back when I saw concept designs of them, and they are supposed to drop any day now. Yes!

Here it is, the Tattoo I want!

I really loved this the second I saw it. My girl Lindsey has a Kurt Hasley tattoo already, wich I loved when I saw it. Since she showed me some of his work, I began to take a big interest in his art. She showed me this piece tonight, and I really fell in love.

Kaws & Effect.

So I've blogged about Parra. I've blogged about Shepard Fairey. I've done Damien Hirst. Now its time for Kaws. A great artist, with a minimalistic and simple approach to his designs, the New Jersey king has seen his work sky rocket in the last few years. With major toy releases, art shows, and the infamous collaboration with Japanese clothing brand Original Fake, Kaw's work is easily recognizable and wonderful. After graduating Kaws worked for Disney, this could explain his designs based from Mickey Mouse. He has done interesting projects involving the Simpsons, Smurfs, SpongeBob, & the Michelin Man. You can check some of his work out on the traveling exhibition, Beautiful Losers, as well as in many art galleries in Tokyo.

Kanye once again, Shines.

Ok, I was a doubter. I was ready to talk shit, and hate on this project. When I heard leaked snippets from Kanye West's new album, 808's & Heartbreak, I was confused and a bit let down. No rapping, all autotune, and emotional lyrics. However, today after buying the album, I am truly impressed and happy with the album. It is super intense, you can see he did this record for himself, not for the people. I think it's important for musicians to cross genre boundaries and also experiment out of their cliche comfort zone. It is a bit refreshing to know however, next year Ye agrees to go back to his old soulful ways, which he does best. Kanye, bravo. Go buy this album, it's fucking nastyyyy.

This tie used to fly!

So, me being the big bird lover I am saw these crazy ties from the Fall/Winter Collection by Lanvin. I have no idea how much these will retail at, but I want one!

Deep Blue Photographs.

Oh My God, this is truly incredible. I can't believe this mask is actually an underwater camera. So dope. This beautiful invention comes to us from Liquid Image Co. They are retailing at around 100 dollars. Hmmm, maybe I might have to grab one. 

Feelin' Blu.

True Factz.

 I thought it would be dope to do a back to back on the BEST upcoming rappers to the hip-hop industry. First the Dc Beast Wale, and now the best from the Bronx, Mickey Factz. I heard about this cat through Mel D. Cole, and immediately I was in amazement. His versatility to hop on any genre of music, and destroy it with an insane flow is what makes this guy the future. A style toss up between Lupe, Big Daddy Kane, and Rakim, Factz has taken over the internet by storm. With successful mixtapes dropping left and right, the world sits in anticipation for his debut album dropping next year, entitled The Achievement. I honestly really love this dude's work, and am starting to feel that 2009 is gonna be a really beautiful year for hip hop. Thank you Mickey Factz. For anyone still in the dark about this legend in the making, do your homework.

The future of hip hop, that is Wale.

Common, Kanye, Kweli, Mos, The Roots. For years this has been my list of the best in the hip hop industry. Very few new faces caught my attention. Lupe's cool, Jay Electronica has it, but then I heard Wale. I heard about the Dc gorilla just over a year ago through my dude Tabi Bonney. Not only did Wale have a distinct sound, but it was a really dope sound at that. His flow reminds me of a Black Thought meets Lil Wayne meets Jay-z meets young Kanye. A sneakerhead, with dope beats, a weird voice, and the first good rapper out of DC. Then, the mixtapes came and I was sold. First 100 Miles & Running. It featured great production from Judah, Ronson, and the unforgettable Justice Dance Remix. Then this kid dropped a more recent mixtape, The Mixtape About Nothing, totally revolving around the tv show Seinfeld. While the concept seemed bizarre, it worked beautifully and had great success. I mean, take one listen to this guy and you will be sold. It's crazy he's without a doubt one of my favorite musicians, an has yet to even drop an actual debut album. I've never said that about any other artist before. Stay the fuck tuned.

A bit of the old Inspiration.

Being that my goal for my future pretty much follows the path of owning my own sneaker/clothing boutique, I watched this video and got a bit of that old inspirational feeling run down my spine. Here we've got a really dope store, and brand, that is; Undefeated. In this interview, Arktip sits down with James Bond, the owner of the company to discuss it's success, roots, and current news. Admire this dude's crazy beard. 

James Bond of Undefeated from Arkitip, Inc. on Vimeo.

Time never looked this good.

So this dope collabo watch comes from Raised By Wolves X Furni. The watches come in the three shown colors, as well as a cool 3d book for certain purchases. I immediately bought the red one, and most likely will end up buying the teal blue one also. Dopeness!

Ninja Kittens!

Toyota Corolla Commercial entitled Ninja Kittens. Totally awesome.

This is why Kanye West is the Best

Its Kanyeezie back at it again. So a few tracks off his upcoming album have leaked, and the reviews have been quite mixed. I for one, am not a fan for the autotune sound, however, I can't say I dislike what I'm hearing. I give him tons of respect and credit for taking a different path and creative direction with this new sound, but hopefully he won't forget about what made him the best, amazing RAPPING. None the less, this video is ridiculously good. 8O8's & Heartbreak drops November 25th. Till then, I remain intrigued, curious, and just a bit confused about Mr. West.

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Heartless from kwest on Vimeo.

Untitled.

Cool Clouds!

So in the midst of a wonderful week, my girl Elise (she's the best) decided to show me her current art project, as she so often does. You know artists vibe off other artists ideas, gotta love it. With that said, she showed me a photo of mammatus clouds. I had seen a few images of these gorgeous clouds, but they intrigued me so much, I decided to study up a bit and blog em! Mammatus clouds are cellular patterns that form under the base of a cloud. The clouds often resemble female breasts...

I'm touched, honored, and proud.

I can honestly say, tonight has been one of the most monumental important times of my life. On my arrival back from a great trip visiting my best friends in Boston, I geared up for the future of the United States. Although he held the large advantage, I think we all felt a bit of worry, what if he doesn't make it. 5 months ago, I joined the Obama campaign to prove to myself and others that one man can make the difference, follow the dream, and create the reality of it all. I always dreamed of being part of a movement, to march with the unity of so many, and stand against those who stood in our way. It is a beautiful idea. Barack Obama's victory this evening was the symbol of truth and hope. He proved to the world how strong we stand. It payed off 100 percent to be involved in helping out. It's safe to say, we are gonna wake up tomorrow feeling revived and proud. Goodnight comrades. 

The Electric Circus As It Is.

If you know Jay Wolman, then you know my favorite musician is Common. I've been rocking his stuff since I was like 11 years old, before I even knew much about hip hop. Many people were let down when he dropped his album, Electric Circus in 2002. I however, was not. Check out this interview where Com tells it how it is.

Common on Electric Circus, OkayplayerTV from Okayplayer on Vimeo.

Cheers, Miami.

It's that time of the year for me to start doing my trips and visiting old friends. So I'm packing my bags, and flying off tomorrow. First stop Boston.

See you tomorrow.

I know I know, my company needs to redeem itself.

I tell you this, I cannot go to work a single day lately without some clown telling me how badly Puma designs are at the moment. It's simply not true, we are just super picky when it comes to our Puma List Limited Edition kicks. When we do drop new stuff, the release is usually very successful. No doubt, its been kinda slow as of late. Atmos Endangered was the last dope set. I've been rocking Vans, surely thats a sign. BUT. This shoe is pretty fucking dope. The Xr Runner Dia De Los Muertos. Yea mannn, we are doing a Day Of The Dead themed shoe, and from what I've seen this is gonna be a hot ass sneaker. The shoe features an allover print of skulls and skeletons in vibrant colors, with a really cool large skull on the tongue. Kinda similar to the Yo Mtv Raps First Round bubble. These should be dropping any day now, and I'll have em.

Turn on the TV.

Tv On The Radio, one of my favorite bands. Here's a nice live clip of them performing in Paris, to a really beautiful track off the latest album, Dear Science. The song is entitled Stork And Owl. The strings throughout the song fit beautifully behind the strong vocals from Adebimpe. Everyone should see this band live, it will blow your little minds! 

Next stop Paris.

Exciting news, the amazing french boutique PIGALLE is reopening this year, round this time of month. The boutique offers some really beautiful street wear mixed with couture designs from its owner, Stephanie Ashpool. Ashpool sat down with hypebeast for an interview recently describing the store to have a high end, but family orientated atmosphere. You have my word, when I go back to Paris, this is on my list.

A beautiful girl with a beautiful voice.

I really adore Feist. Not only do I find her really gorgeous to look at, but she is without a doubt an excellent musician. Her latest album, The Reminder is a soft and wonderful composition put together  with beautiful lyrics, great melodies, and just a relaxed vibe. I recommend everyone to check her out. Key tracks are as follows The Water, My Moon My Man.

I really like these Vans.

 So these gorgeous new Vans are part of designer, Taka Hayashi X Active X Vans archive. This set is called the "Drop Sneakers Not Bombs" collection. They teamed up to release two different Vans models; the Half Cab and the J-Lay Mid. The black Half Cab looks dope, but this brown J-Lay is really attracting me. Its got a very rustic simple worn look to it, it reminds me a bit of my Sneakers N Stuff Clydes from Sweden. These should be dropping sometime in November. It's only a matter of time till you will see me in these with a dope plaid shirt and knitted hat to compliment them!

This is My JAM

Shawn Jackson - Feelin' Jack.

Just in time for Halloween!

I've been rocking Stussy since I was a little scrub. The brand is super big out in South Africa, especially with their massive influence on surfing culture and dope gear. As of late, I've loved seeing Stussy become a pretty big brand amongst the hipsters aswell. It's really nice to see the evolution of a company you've been supporting for so long. Well, in tribute to the wonderful holiday of Halloween, Customade X Stussy has put together a few shirts with designs based on old classic monster comics and flicks. I gotta get my hands on these. They drop worldwide this friday the 24th.

Obama gathers 100,000 in rally.

Well this morning the police department of St. Louis announced that around 100,000 people gathered to support Barack Obama's campaign. It's news like this that gives me hope and pride to be involved in this man's campaign. This is just a sign of how many people really believe in this guy, and the power he has to unite a nation. The election is almost over, and with turnouts like this... OBAMA baby. 

Creepy Cool & Crazy!

A Clockwork Orange is one of those films I think we all can say is one hard to forget. It's also hard to forget the main character, Alex's obsession with classical music, in particular, Beethoven. Well, artist, Frank Kozik has created a toy bust of Ludwig Van himself! A nice little twist in appreciation to the film, shows the classic eyelash motif, the characters wore throughout the film. These busts are amazing, retailing at around $200 a piece. 

These are Super!

Sunglasses by Super. Real dope. Definitely buying a pair of these when I see them. Here's some of their previous releases.

My typical monday night...

Yep a little vadalism. Why not? I got really sick and tired of seeing this McCain sign everyday in my neighborhood. So. I went and changed it. =)

Not alot to say, but I love this photograph

I don't know who this is. But I really dig it. The photo was part of the Qhuit adds for their new collection entitled Orgie.

No more slacking. I'm back, so let's start with Hirst.

Damien Hirst. Possibly the craziest dude I pay attention to. In my top 5 favorite artists, this gentleman is known to do some bizarre yet beautiful art. Death became his major theme in most of his work, as seen with his use of dead animals preserved in formaldehyde. His most famous work is a giant Tiger shark incased in formaldehyde and divided into glass cubes. In 2004 the shark auctioned off, making him the second most expensive living artist in the world. In 2007, he overpassed that spot to number one. His work sells anywhere from 10 million to 50 million pounds. Much of his work involves real diamonds, gold, and gems, which probably explains the ridiculous prices. With shows taking place throughout London, this is one guy who is a truely living legend. Enjoy his work below.

Being Blind.

This is gonna be absolutely incredible. My favorite director, Fernando Meirelles. He made my favorite film, City Of God, as well as The Constant Gardener which was also Brilliant. His next work is Blindness, based on an epidemic that takes over the world with blindness. One woman has the ability to see, and the rest of society is taken into containment. It looks extremely intense and incredible. Cannot wait!

Comme de Garcons teams with H&M.

In some new news, Comme de Garcons has teamed with popular brand H&M to create a new line of clothes. With standard avant grade simplistic style, this should be a really trendy dope collection. The line was just released in Japan, and will hit select H&M stores on November 13th.

I'm a little late on this, but it's dope!

Common's video for Announcement ft. Pharrell. Hot song, really hot video. Dig ittttttt.

Radiohead Rocks. & So Do I.

Easy enough. Radiohead released their second re-mix song, this time it's Reckoner. & this time, Blue Jay had to do his thing. Still not 100 percent finished with it, the actual drums will be changing throughout the song. But dig it. & vote!

Universal Mind Control. The Best Rapper.

If you know me, then you know my favorite rapper is Common. Been a fan since I can remember. His new album Universal Mind Control drops sometime in November. It's gotten a lot of mixed talk up till now, mainly because of his choice of production, no Kanye West involvment, and the direction of sounds and lyrics Com decided to focus on. I loved Electric Circus and that one got butchered so I have high faith in my brotha from the Chi. If this song doesn't get your head nodding, I don't know what will. Here is a little teaser of the upcoming video..

I love nature. In all Forms.

Stumbled across this, and it immediately caught my eyes. This design comes from Belgium based designers; Draw Me A Sheep. Their furniture line consists of chairs and stools upholstered in entirely 100 percent real tree bark. Let's just say this shit is crazy cool. 

Wonderful!

I love this!

The best cinematography I have ever seen.

I watched a film tonight I had been eager to see; The Fall. The Fall is a film directed by Tarsem Singh, well known for his previous film, The Cell. This film was released at an international film festival in 2006, but then later released widely in 2008, presented by Spike Jonze & David Fincher. The concept behind the film is brilliant, but most importantly the way it is filmed is what really makes this movie spectacular. Tarsem uses the best cinematography to capture the essence of rich colors, amazing costumes, stunning architecture and sets. Mixed reviews were given to the film, but anyone I know who has seen it, has spoken very highly of it. 2 thumbs up for me.

The only books I read.

I dont read much. I barely ever get into books. I usually just wait for the book to be adapted into a film. Well, luckily there is one author who captures my attention. This blog is for anyone interested in reading some good books. I'm gonna do the same starting this week. Go buy a book by Chuck Palahniuk. He is the famous author of the ever popular Fight Club, Choke, Invisible Monsters, Survivor, Snuff and Rant. Most of Palahniuk's novels use little vocabulary and short sentences to mimic the way any ordinary person would think or talk. His writing style is minimal and he is often referred to as a "shock writer" due to his mixture of bizarre events with cynical and dark humor. Much of his novels have been adapted into films, and currently it is slated that 'Rant' is the next in the works. David Fincher, who directed Fight Club, also showed interest in an HBO series based on the novel Diary. 

No Ordinary Guy.

You might know him as Madonna's husband, but you might also know him for his incredible films. Guy Ritchie is by far one of my top favorite film directors. It started with Lock, Stock, & Two Smoking Barrells. Next we had Snatch (one of my favorite films to date), Swept Away, and Revolver. I recommend any of these. This year he will release his next movie, entitled RocknRolla. It stars Gerard Butler, Tom Wilkinson, Mark Strong, & Ludacris. With typical Guy Ritchie direction, expect some crazy cinematography, intense fight scenes, and of course some witty and genuis twists. It hits theaters on October 8th. In 2010 Ritchie will interpret his vision of Sherlock Holmes on the big screen. 

Heres the dope trailer to RocknRolla.

Dear Dad I want this.

Quite possibly the dopest camera I have ever seen. Leica just released their newest model the M8.2. This camera might resemble an old film camera, however this bad boy is the illest digital SLR camera available. It comes ready with a a full auto zone, allowing it to select aperture, shutter speed, white balance, and ISO. Expect to get the best quality in your shots, and some really intense photographs. Just one more thing.... It costs $6,200. Yea!