Friday, October 31, 2008

I Watched You Change...Fat Tony


After a long day of endless blog browsing and sporadic mouse clicking on anything resembling a 'play button', (blame the irresistible nature of MyFaceTube and a thing for anything less mundane than work/school) a young Houstonian like myself yearns for a place to unwind. In this city of millions, I'm sure we've all been there. Long day sorting TPS report cover sheets at the office? A barrage of orders at your drive-thru work space? Just two too many total customers crowding your register during your 8 hour shift at the local record shop CD cemetary? (Ya know.. if you wear earplugs to the job, the iPods dangling from your patron's pockets mocking your profession won't be so loud OR menacing!)

Hush your weeps, I feel your pain.

The coffee houses grow more crowded and pretentious as the sun sets west, the nearest restaurants are too pricey and after months of regular consumption, you're thinking "eh.. not tonight." Plus a trip to parade around the beer stained streets of Austin on a Monday night just doesn't seem proper (...this week). I seek a night of carousing, cheap drink specials, and loud music emitting from a meagerly EQ'ed sound system. If I don't end up boogie-woogieing past empty Lone Star bottles by 1:00am, there is a problem! So now, after a long evening of indecisiveness, befuddled speculation, and a thousand sent text messages to various friends popping the big question, "is there ANYTHING interesting, inexpensive, and slightly enjoyable for me to do in this city?!" I have found the place for my moon-lit entertainment: "the blub." It's definitely a bar... yet not exactly a club (though it tries it's best (E for effort?)). Think of it as a pre-teen club going through its self discovery phase.

After receiving a semi-okay recommendation, I decide to head out to the neighborhood blub for a night of old ass Hip Hop songs and hipster'd out dance music laptop remixes, re-edits, and re-re's. Boy, the irony of breakbeats undercutting cheesy 90's pop songs sure does get me cutting a rug every time! After an hour of socializing with the bar's patrons as we all stand around looking awkward and bored, I knew I needed another drink. I was aiming for a good time, but all the cheap drinks and cute girls in the world just can't help me bring' it back to '94and keep keepin' it real enough on a night like this. Nor do I have enough American Apparel in my closet to get down with the 3 drunk weirdos who soak up every cocaine induced dance beat

I fantasize about a day where Hip Hop DJs fill my nights with delightful sounds of good danceable rap music that's post 1996. A day where electro, house, and other programmed dance tracks get Mash-Up-ized for the sake of good music instead of corny irony. I seek fun. I desire a room of happy, dancing folks. I wish to not end up at Chapultepec at 3 in the morning wasted over a dinner plate with memories of an uneventful night dancing in my head.

But... maybe I want too much.

And this is why leisure learning night courses stay in business.

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Undertow - Matt Gamin.. High School Fam



Undertow - Matt Gamin.. High School Fam

A New York Times OpEd Piece on Caribou Barbie's Makeover

McCain advisers have been scathing about the “sexism” of critics who dismiss Sarah Palin as Caribou Barbie.

How odd then, to learn that McCain advisers have been treating their own vice presidential candidate like Valentino Barbie, dressing her up in fancy clothes and endlessly playing with her hair......Instead, with the economy cratering and the McCain campaign running on an “average Joe” theme, dunderheaded aides, led by the former Bushies Nicolle Wallace and Tracey Schmitt, costumed their Eliza Doolittle for a ball when she should have been dressing for a bailout
(more)

Friday, October 24, 2008

Connoisseur533 2 year more photos on the event page / LINK!

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Subterranean Series: TiRon

TiRon is making some serious waves in the hip-hop scene with his debut mixtape, "Handshakes & Pounds." Being raised in the gumbo pot of diversity that is Los Angeles, TiRon sets the record straight with a sound that is all to genuine and original of his own. This is the first interview of the "Subterranean Series" where I will be interviewing new artists with great music.

Check out his Myspace and go vote for him on the next URB 100.

http://www.myspace.com/imtiron


Here's the interview:






"Paper" by Pac Div Feat/ TiRon

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Future History - http://www.broom.org/epic/ols-master.html

EPIC.
is it what we want? might be what we get, like it or not.

this was a fascinating video - a future history of the media by Robin Sloan and Matt Thompson. Randomly came across this work of fiction; a FUTURE history, that's really not far fetched in the least.



((((check your media consumption))))

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Built from Skratch Producers Battle! DJ Scene and Connoisseur533!

http://www.builtfromskratch.com/

Lead Story
Episode 12 It’s All In the Music! The 1st Annual Built from Skratch Producers Battle! DJ Scene and Connoisseur533!

When it all boils down to it, it’s really all about the music. If the music isn’t good, then what’s the point, right? There have been so many bullshit attempts at reshaping the culture lately, that people seem to have forgotten that this is still all about hiphop.
This brings us to something we here at [...]
{More»}

Monday, October 20, 2008

tempalbiz films latest excursion

gumball co-pilot documents his latest excursion to the home of a true connoisseur.

Grouch "Mom & Pop Killer"





Grouch (of the Living Legends) drops a second video of his latest album, "Show You the World." I'm glad someone finally made a video about the dangers of losing your neighborhood's individuality and culture due to the closing of "Mom and Pop shops" to the conglomerate cash cows.

Hip-Hop Official Artist of the Week: Shawn Jackson





Shawn Jackson is Hip Hop Official's Artist of the Week this week. Check out his dope debut album, "First of All;" be sure to go get the New Jack Hustle album droppin' tomorrow.

New Jack Hustle "New Shades"



New Jack Hustle (Shawn Jackson & Newman) "New Shades"

New Jack Hustle (Shawn Jackson & Newman) drop this fresh new video, "New Shades" on their debut LP, "Souncheck" tomorrow!

FlyBoy Radio

T.A.S.K. Productions presents FlyBoy Radio live from the University of Maryland College Park dropping you some of the dopest shit on college radio. With exclusive interviews with U-N-I, Somobe, and the Clipse, Task & Ferb will always keep your pallet for great hip-hop music satisfied.
Check it Out:

Some old work i did. funny looking @ this stuff now. i see a lot of this style around. Triple Threat Djs.

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Tonight Is our 2year with Quest love...


UnGrammar x Conn 5
presents

DJ ?UESTLOVE
okayplayer. com | The Roots | Philadelphia

in the "Love Sessions"

Saturday, October 18th, 2008
9pm

The Fahrenheit Ultra Lounge
99 East San Fernando
San Jose, California 95113
www. fultralounge. com | 408.998. 9998

A CONN 5 2 year Anniversary and Relaunch Celebration

+
The Lounge Residents

G - Wrex
Fingerbangerz | Music Machine



Remedy
KDON 102. 5



....



Please Believe Me...You don't want to miss this... Arrive Early....Limited Capacity....It will sell out quick.....and Dress How Ya Feel, The only dress code is don't come Whack!


Powered by

and
CONN 5

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www.connoisseur533.com

Friday, October 17, 2008

From the good people @ karmaloop...

This is so true my First trade show was in 1992 when i was do press for a bay area mag called 4080 #. I was amazed @ young cats who skate listening to hip hop and bubbling [ makein cash, skrilla, paper] off product. I then started my first Brand marketing job with a company called Front. Owned by Pro Skater Mark Heinzman G&S skateboard rider. We linked all kinds of projects Dela Soul Stakes Is High . Boot Camp Click. etc
Peep the front gear in the laundry mat scene



KARMA CHRONICLES
In this issue, we sit down with Wil and Holland of Karmaloop, the dot-com titan of streetwear. Here, they talk straight about the evolution of streetwear and tell us just what’s in a days work.


Name and Occupation:
Wil & Holland Men’s buyers for Karmaloop.com

What is your definition of streetwear?
W: Streetwear is how one puts together their own outfit, with their own flair and their own steez. Anyone can put together Ralph Lauren and it’ll look good, but when you make it your own, that’s streetwear.
H: Yeah, it’s when you make it skate or you make it hip-hop. You put your own twist on it.


Being immersed in it 24/7, let’s talk about the evolution of streetwear. Where was it 5 years ago, where is it today, and where do you see it 5 years from now?
W: At first, all the big brands were from New York, mostly skate brands. They evolved from t-shirts to entire collections. Other people started to copy it, but streetwear came from certain brands—SSUR, FUCT, Supreme, Futura Labs. Then, everyone fed off the fame that came from streetwear. People in Japan were into it. It blew up, and the original brands got left behind. No one is paying homage to them.
H: It’s like, people appreciate the art of streetwear, and they started making graphic tees. But the original dudes were artists—graffiti artists, graphic artists—that part is lost.
W: The quality is getting worse because they aren’t putting the effort into it. They come up with these designs that look good on paper, but it doesn’t look half as good when it’s produced.
H: Also, streetwear has really moved from boutiques to online. Now everyone knows the deal and they shop online. It’s easier for them. They don’t have to go in to the shops and look stupid when they’re not sure what’s what and deal with the snobby guy behind the desk. It’s more open online.


What are 3 of your all-time favorite brands? Why?
H: Marc Jacobs, Polo/Ralph Lauren, and Stussy. Marc Jacobs because I love high-end brands. If I could afford it, that’s all I’d buy. And Marc Jacobs puts the street edge in high fashion. I like his vision. He’s doing something different.
I like Polo because it’s a staple. He’ll always be the king of fashion. And Stussy started it all. It was one of the first streetwear brands I ever wore.
W: Ralph Lauren, SSUR (Surplus), and Supreme. Ralph Lauren is classic. I can go in the store and buy everything and feel confident when I put it on and still wear it 10 years from now. It’s based on classic American designs. In it, I can look like a pretty boy or dress it down and look hood.
Surplus, because of the quality, the meaning—which is sex, drugs, and politics—and the Russian influence. I’m a fan of Russian mob culture.
And Supreme. It was a downtown New York skate shop that put out good shit and does great collaborations, like with Vans and Japanese artists. They know how to use and cultivate the culture.


When considering a new brand for the site what are some of the things you look for?
H: Lately we just want someone to show us something different. I don’t think people copy each other, but things evolve naturally and we see the same things over and over. It makes my day when we see something new come out.
W: We’re also looking for something we can get out there that people will relate to and that will bring cash flow. We need brands that work. Being a business, we have to invest in the brands and get 100% behind them and actually believe in them. We do a lot of cooperative stuff together so they can grow.



How has the growth of Karmaloop contributed to the overall streetwear market?
W: We styled the internet. We already had a presence and a customer base to influence the internet… We are the influence for other buyers. And we have a brand mix that makes it friendly for everyone from someone who is just getting into streetwear all the way to the die hard fans.
H: As an example of our influence, there were some current trends that we were strong about bringing in. At the time, we didn’t see any other retailers doing them, but we put those trends out there. Then, this past fall, we walked into an Urban Outfitters and saw it flooded with them.


What is the best part of your day?
W: The best part of the day is when we get these emails that say people are sending us free clothes…
H: Or we walk in the office and see boxes of free clothes…
W: No, but on a serious note, we make decisions with the brands we have and make things happen. We’re 25 years old, going on 26, and we play a big role in making things happen. That’s something, that’s the best part.
H: It’s like what my mom always says when she talks about what I do. She tells people, “Holland manages millions of dollars of inventory.” That’s a big thing, to be 25 and managing millions. I feel good about that. I never thought I’d be such an adult!
W: We don’t have any doubts from the CEO. We’re handling other people’s money, and they trust us completely. That’s crazy.
H: And we both left college to pursue fashion. It’s a lot of responsibility, but we’re psyched.

R.I.P. Michael Martinez.....

Milpitas man, 18, identified as victim in fatal crash south of Calaveras Road

Bay City News Service
Article Launched: 10/16/2008 07:05:40 AM PDT

An 18-year-old Milpitas man has been identified as the person who died Wednesday afternoon in a solo-vehicle accident east of Milpitas.

Michael Martinez was a passenger in a white Mazda Miata that flipped over in unincorporated Santa Clara County just before 2 p.m.

Nickolas Piazza of Milpitas was driving and lost control of the vehicle during a left curve on Felter Road just south of Calaveras Road, according to the California Highway Patrol.

The vehicle struck an embankment and overturned, coming to a rest on its roof in the westbound lane, CHP Officer Todd Thibodeau said Wednesday.

Martinez struck his head on the pavement and died at the scene, according to the CHP. Piazza was transported to San Jose Medical Center for minor injuries.

The CHP said alcohol does not appear to be a factor in the crash, but speed may have been a cause.



The person named in that article was a co-worker of mine. He was only 18. I received the txt message of his death yesterday. He was a really cool laid back person. One of the few people who I actually thought was cool at work. I still can't believe someone so young can go so early. He will be greatly missed.

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Buildestroy is guided by the creative direction of Cory Shaw and his crew of collaborators.

Cory Shaw and his crew of collaborators.

i kareem have know this man for over 15 years when we were teens. Since day 1 Mr,Shaw
grinding with Doze Green in the illest warehouse setup in the heart of Oakland. The man has been on his art hustle focused and pumped on learning new shit even more teaching others the science.Love Brda 1ST GEN BUILDER IN THE BAY......



http://www.buildestroy.com

PARIS - Don't Stop The Movement - Acid Reflex


PARIS - Don't Stop The Movement - Acid Reflex

Buildestroy has a foundation in the creation of art by hand from drawing to painting, murals, sculpture, silkscreening, carving, or building. We find that much of the design world is now dominated by computer generated images that lack the soul and spirit of something done by hand. We aim to create a fusion of hand made and CG art that retains painterly qualities and the detail of fine art while meeting our own high technical production standards and the demands of an increasingly saavy client and viewer.

We find great value in the randomness of type rendered by hand and the imperfections of line made by a dryed out marker. We are not confined to any one technique, style, or concept as we strive to incorporate all aspects of art and film making, vis fx, and animation that are required to tell the story. For us the concept is the cornerstone which will lead the aesthetic and overall design style. We remain immersed in art from operating our own galleries to live painting events.

Through strong ties with film production crews, editors, sound designers, and composers we are able to take projects of all sizes from concept through delivery in any format or medium.


The Grouch ARTSY - 2007 THE SCIENCE:

The PARANOID OR CONSERVATIVE VIEWER may be confused by the ARTSY video's persistent presence and condemn it as an underground cult with extremely subversive intentions. The ARTSY video is none of that. The ARTSY movement can best be explained as an experiment in ARTOLOGY.

This experiment is being conducted through the portals of social ART known as Youtube and Myspace. We also are offering a high res version on Itunes in the coming weeks. So please help support, as fine ART ain't cheap.

With that said here is our ARTSY offering to all of hipsterdom. We salute you from SIlverlake to Williamsburg. Lots of greenscreen fun, we clown in a range of styles of the ARTSYEST nature. Secret History directed, Buildestroy designed and animated, ReelRoots shot and edited, The Grouch rapped. A family affair, looking forward to more.

http://www.buildestroy.com/motion1.html

Vice President - Sarah Palin ft. John McCain remix american boy


http://view.break.com/586550 - Watch more free videos

CMJ Music Marathon & Film Festiva

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The Carps Perform Live in New York City for CMJ Music Marathon & Film Festival


Toronto, Ontario -- The Carps are happy to announce five live performances in New York City during the upcoming CMJ Music Marathon & Film Festival. The Toronto-based duo will be performing on:

October 21st at The Blender Theatre

October 22nd at 205 Christie

October 23rd at The Studio at Webster Hall

October 24th at Le Royale

October 25th at Brooklyn Vegan party

These exciting dates will see The Carps sharing stages with the Cool Kids, Shout Out Out Out, and other internationally-renowned acts.

Comprised of drummer/vocalist Jahmal Tonge and keyboardist/bassist Neil White, The Carps are known for their mash-up of different genres, artfully fusing elements of punk rock, soul, hip hop, and soca. The duo's repertoire includes two releases, The Young & Passionate Days of Carpedia (2007) and Waves & Shambles (2008), and a recent European tour with acclaimed hip hop group the Cool Kids.

The Carps' energetic live show is not to be missed! According to RCRD LBL's Faith-Ann Young,

"The Carps have a rush of rigorous, infectious urgency to their music, led by brash electro beats and raw punk guitar and rhythm cycles. Singer Jahmal Tonge's R & B-esque vocals fluctuate from wails, punk screams to speak-rap rants. In "All the Damn Kids", he channels Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine, screeching "RAISE YOUR FLAG" on repeat. No matter what country, what flag- he and Neil White are quite convincing at getting us to partake in their battle cry, especially if it's on a dancefloor."



-For more information about The Carps, please visit www.thecarps.ca.

-To obtain interviews or photos, please contact The Carps at thecarps@gmail.com.

-For more information about the CMJ Music Marathon & Film Festival please visit www.cmj.com.

--
www.myspace.com/thecarps
www.thecarps.ca
::: Botox for your Soul :::

Come join the family over at WET night club for the launch of Northen California's Premiere Night Club and live performance venue.

. WET is Northern California's premiere Nightclub and Live Performance Venue.


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WET Nightclub from Silver.Lens.Productions on Vimeo.


Sharks from Silver.Lens.Productions on Vimeo.

This is old but 4 u meet eaters.kentucky fried chicken - chicken abuse by pamela anderson

You won't find my new release at your local cinema. My latest project is "Kentucky Fried Cruelty," an undercover exposé blowing the whistle on the cruel treatment of animals at KFC's factory farm and slaughterhouse suppliers.

Saturday, October 11, 2008

FOOL

a picture is worth a thousand words. even if it's just one - FOOL.
gotta love these random finds....

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21 Inspirational Typography Artworks from DeviantArt

http://www.designflavr.com/resources/21-Inspirational-Typography-Artworks--from-DeviantArt-i116/\

Tuesday, October 07, 2008

"A Day in the Life of a Conn 5 Nomad Expedition" Gumball 3000 Tour 2008


"A Day in the Life of a Conn 5 Nomad Expedition"

Who: 3 amigos

What: Gumball 3000 Tour 2008

Where: SF - Beijing

  • 8th August 2008: Launch party in San Francisco.
  • Friday 8th August San Francisco: Nob Hill: 12.00pm – 11.00pm (6 hours)
  • Saturday 9th August San Francisco: Nob Hill: 09.00am – 1.00pm (4 hours)
  • Saturday 9th August Los Angeles: Hollywood Blvd: 6.00pm – 11.00pm (5 hours

Why: impulse; spontaneous road trip; cuz I'm a true nomad w/ a license to dip!

How: Dippin in a 2008 Scion #685 (out of 2500) Limited Edition in that Gold Mica (color) fresh off the line; riding on 19" Stag. with radar detector – we smashin son!

Up at 7:30, out of the house and on the road by 8:00am: We’re headed to the Gumball 3000 Tour 2008 kick off in San Francisco. I didn’t even go out the night before, just so I wouldn’t miss the starting events... That would've been all bad! So here we are Finally! at the top of Nob Hill in San Francisco... All you see is ILL Cars, thousands of spectators... and a lot of cops (of course) That is not all! We got major celebrities, from the worlds of entertainment, Tyson Beckford, David Hasselhoff, Bam Margera and The Jackass crew ... and too many others to name off the top of my head right now.

Back to my story... So I’m seeing million dollar cars, old school cars, new school cars and cars from the Scion Evolution Crew, which is the crew I am member of (shout out to all my crew members).

The first launch sets off at 12:00pm: I notice someone from the Gumball tour left their bag before the take off. So I pick up the bag and take it to Puma Booth (sponsors of the tour btw) I had the rep @ the counter ck the I.D. to see who the bag belonged to, she said she recognized the man on the I.D. from the staff and would take care of returning the bag. So at this point we were good to go. We do some shopping and have a little brunch in The City. 1st we stop by Huf on Sutter Street. I bought some shoes from the homie (shout out to the Huf Crew!). Then we cop some bomb ass pizza around the way. All of a sudden I have an epiphany… “We should follow the race!” So I call my friend, J.T. from Templebiz to see if he was down to film the next two legs of the race and I would photo the rest. J.T. was down to roll so I pick him up.

We're on the road by 5:11pm: We're smashin down Hi-5 headed towards stop #2, Los Angeles. We are pacing a Mercedes Kompressor doin like a buck 5 (105 mph). All of sudden we see a Hwy Patrol coming in the opposite direction, Radar dectecters are bouncing off the wall, we see the patrol man, flip a bitch and get back on the hwy headed our way! So now I’m really smashing (not really) tryin to make it to the next exit. I hop off the highway, my hearts about to explode. We luck out the cop kept going, he was after the other car pack ahead of us. So we pull into the gas station to fill up the 2008 Scion #685 (out of 2500) Limited Edition in that Gold Mica (color) fresh off the line; riding on 19" Stag. with radar detector (did I mention with lower sways?). Then the driver of the Mercedes Kompressor pulls in, he says "Did you see that? That was so cool! Glad I got my radar!" we all laugh and chop it up for a minute. Turns out, he was a F1 Racer, he had his teenage daughters in the car with him as well. He was actually coming back from picking them up. He claimed they were going to be the next generation of F1 Racers. lol. Cool Kat! As we parted way, he also told me "If you want to pace me back I’m down!" haha.

4 hours later: We're crossing over the Los Angeles city limits.

It’s now 11pm: We are smack in the night life of Hollywood Blvd! The street is shut down with the car show smack dab in the middle the blvd. J.T. and I are ready to get to work. Strapped with our video cams and photog, we start capturing the night’s festivities. We get some good night footage and spend some walking around admiring the cars and all that good shit. But then, we find out we have to be up at the wee hours of the morning, to be at the next Gumball flag drop at 8am. WTF?!

Next Morning: We're up and ready for action. We arrive on Sunset Blvd. We decide to stop for cup of joe at the Coffee Bean and we happen to run into the next homie (shout to Jasper from Rogue Status), so we let him slide into the line with us. lol. Jasper and I shoot the shit about... Well we just shoot the shit. On with the story...

(Wait! I gotta give one more shout out to Jasper for the press plug. Us TRUE NOMADS go the extra mile + 300 + $$+ Petro- to get that footage. Lol)

So now we are at the starting line of the race (footage below). We're not even sure at this point where the race was headed. After we get our footage of the flag drop, we hop back in the 2008 Scion #685 (out of 2500) Limited Edition in that Gold Mica (color) fresh off the line; riding on 19" Stag. with radar detector (did I mention I slapped Gumball stickers all over the car?), and try to pace the race. We're pacing behind a Range Rover – but we had a switch up cuz that fool didn't know where he was going. So then we meet up with an Audi and continuing pacing (footage below). In actuality no one really knew where they were going at this point. However, the pace led us to a beach front, where the Gumball Tour pit stopped again, which turned out to be day party for the event. This stop was more plush then the ones before... Women in bikinis, Big Screens, top of the line cars…Some real swagger shit!

Though the race would continue on to Beijing, this is where The Conn 5 Expedition of the True Nomads would end…

24 hours later (from the time we left SF): We're back in the good old Bay Area. Tired as hell! But it was well worth the journey.

Enjoy the footage below… Next Year we're goin all the way baby!


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