Archive for February, 2009
staple design February 23rd, 2009
Few faces can be said to be quite as iconic as that of Christopher Wallace. Without a doubt, there isn’t a single portrait out there as impactful and instantly recognisable by a whole generation of music lovers across the globe than his - and that can be said of lovers of all musical genres. Since B.I.G’s passing, merchandisers have jumped all over this fact in order to line their pockets, and many artists have made him the subject of their creative expressions also - like Obey for example. It is hardly surprising then that there are probably a million and one tshirts out there emblazoned with his face, to be found everywhere from Peckham to Paris, Moss Side to Milan, New Cross to New York City. This example from Jeff Staple’s Spring 09 collection [Staple Design] is a refreshingly original take on the otherwise overexposed subject matter - featuring Biggie’s face highlighted out of lines and lines of his unimitable verses, and complimented by the inclusion of the highlighter itself… an albeit incomparably insignificant, yet almost equally recognisable, icon of our times.
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tokin black guy February 19th, 2009
There has been a lot of internet hype about this guy - this Tokin Black Guy - mainly surrounding his true identity. Firstly, there is very little information around about who he is, apart from that he apparently hails from Japan, and that Kanye is somehow musically involved. Again, these facts cannot be taken as gospel, but whatever the truth may be [and which we're sure will come to light soon enough with the almost inevitable success of Tokin Black Guy] his music is worth listening to, and his story intriguing. Just try to get past the theory that it could in fact be a cunning publicity stunt from Kanye himself, and enjoy…
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belle of the ball February 19th, 2009
Belle’s beer was created by Australian design agency PublicCreative, and is aimed at the premium end of the beer market. As it is a new brand, the agency was charged with creating the brand mark, personality, character and story - and whatever the latter of those may be, the label design alone definitely supports the premium proposition they are setting for themselves…
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stop, look, book, and listen February 19th, 2009
Stussy’s new spring/summer 09 collection will be launching on 21st February, across the US. For those of us who don’t live in North America, the new collection for men and women - which includes collaborations with John Pound and Peter Bagge - will also be available online from www.stussydirect.com
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sol playa, y en la arena February 18th, 2009
I know it’s been a while since the last post - due solely to an unexpectedly turbulent and testing 7 days - but fear not, capicú ya regresó. With it’s name derived from the distinct harvesting process used, it’s origins rooted in the island of Trinidad, and it’s bottle found only on the counters of the world’s most distinguished bars, Ten Cane is a far cry from your average light rum. Whilst the pale complexion alludes to a light flavour, in this case it is deceptive - the flavour notes are complex and profound. What’s more, Ten Cane has the texture and smoothness you’d expect from an aged, dark rum - but the small-batch distillation process and French oak barrels used to contain the rum during the ageing process create a refined, palatable spirit that is complimented by a uniquely contemporary yet traditional bottle, which should feature in every respectable spirit collection worldwide.
And following the success of his track of the same name [minus the part 2] with Tito El Bambino, Puerto Rican reggaeton artist Jadiel, aka El Leon del Area Sur, released this. Definitely worth listening to…
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a fighter in the form of a writer February 10th, 2009
We’ve been looking for an out of the ordinary reason to mention DC rapper Wale for a while now, and then along comes this: Wale himself doing his take on K.I.G’s Head,Shouders,Knees,Toes - courtesy of DJ Semtex. If you haven’t heard the original by now [video below, below] you must have been living underground, but Wale’s version is a) slightly newer and b) slightly more interesting - given that it has travelled across the pond [which way is anyone's guess]. Come to think of it, if you haven’t heard THE Original you must have missed out on your childhood like MJ or Usher.
Wale hit hip-hop headlines after his 2007 track Nike Boots [video below], after years of mixtapes featuring music’s biggest names from Jay-Z to Travis Barker - via Mark Ronson - and he has since been accredited with putting DC back on the map. 2 years later, and he still got his Nike boots on…
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i leica the camera February 10th, 2009
Minox have been making miniatures of the classic Leica M3 for a while now, but this version is a cut above the rest. The palm sized Minox DCC Leica M3 Gold Edition is 24 carat gold plated, features 5 mega pixels and a 1.5″ LCD screen, and arrives on your doorstep in a dark, satin lined wooden box with brass hinges. It’s fair to say that it’s not your average hand-held digital camera, and the £292 pricetag reflects that, but then if everything looked this good there’d be nothing to dream of…
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you can pay for school but you can’t buy class February 10th, 2009
There are a number of good lyrics that have been dropped to Swagger Like Us, or MIA’s Paper Planes - in fact almost every rapper dick or harry has had a go - but only a few really stand out. Dj Noodles practically filled a mixtape with Swagger Like Us, but it’s safe to say that once again, Jigga cleans up [see title post]. And judging by TI, Weezy, Kanye, and a heavily pregnant MIA’s reaction to his verse at this years Grammys, they agree…
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neon impossible February 10th, 2009
Maybe it’s the juxtaposition of the classical, quintessential symbol of excellence - the rosette - with the fluorescent luminescence that has come to characterise modernity and in recent times contemporary kitsch, or maybe it’s simply the refreshingly original theme to Mulberry’s window on Old Brompton Street that set’s it apart. Make of it what you want, but one thing is undeniable: this is a fine celebration of materialistic excellence, that stands apart from the wash of increasingly generic, uninspiring and generally monotone mood photography that lines most window displays from the West End to Worlds End…
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his stacks on Ds, my Gs on deck February 9th, 2009
I’m not the biggest fan of Timberlake, or his vocal ability [I'm not saying he hasn't got it, more that it isn't to my liking] but this track has got something about it. It could be the fact that Timberlake is giving his best Prince impression, or that TI is pretty much singing - but most likely it’s a combination of both, plus a typically catchy beat produced by Timbaland. Either way it’s definitely worth listening to, and probably downloading too. And just try getting it out of your head once it gets in there…
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