Friday, May 29, 2009
Happy Rainy Friday
But seriously, I need Black people to do a lot better. I would extrapolate but I do not want to offend. If you see my issue...
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Friday, May 8, 2009
NIKE AIR "YEEZY" .....SON!!!
So last week, Kanye West made another contribution to the world of Fashion with the release of his highly anticipated Nike Air Yeezy Sneaker. If you're familiar with Kanye West, then you can already expect unique innovations with Super Swag and Hella Charm. I was witness to the dozens of young aspiring swaggers who lined up in front of SELECTED stores to cop the " Freshest shit to come out all year" according to many. Correction! I have witnessed dozens of young aspiring swaggers who lined up in front of SELECTED stores 3 days prior to the Annual sale date (YES...I KNOW it's just sneakers right?). I dig the fact that people want to stay fashionable but I dont understand how many people (especially young black men) who are on these lines can get up early to cop a new pair of Kanye West Sneakers but wont get up early to go get a job or go to school? Why do we aspire to be like the ones on TV but dont want to put in the work like they do? Are we Ego-Tripping ( I can look like that dude without even putting in the work becuz i'm that fly) C'mon!!! I just dont understand the idea of copping a new pair of Kanye West Sneakers but you don't have money to buy a weekly metrocard to go out and look for a job? (Even tho you are the shit to all the other jobless, broke, aint got shit goin on people in your hood). Lemme check myself!! Am i goin off for no reason at all? Am I caring about something that I really should just turn the other cheek to? Am I totally tripping? NOPE!! Because of the fact that I have young neices and nephews who I dont want to grow up and think That they need to be validated by people in their environments who are trying to create a standard of living in the hood where you dont have to work hard for anything but just act like you "got it like that".....Fantasy vs Reality? You pick and choose!
THE NIKE AIR YEEZY: "NEW SCHOOL OF COMFORT" ...LOL YEAH OK!! MY FEET MAY FEEL AND LOOK AMAZING BUT MY POCKETS LOOK REAL SHADY!! HOW COMFORTABLE IS THAT?? ...
P.S. THIS IS NOT A KNOCK AT KANYE WEST, I RESPECT AND ENJOY HIS MUSIC AND ARTISTRY VERY MUCH. THIS IS HOWEVER A KNOCK AT THOSE PEOPLE WHO WAKE UP EVERYDAY AND HIDE BEHIND THE BIGGER PICTURE OF SOMEONE ELSE'S LIFE AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS WITHOUT EVER MAKING AN EFFORT TO ACHIEVE THEIR OWN "BIGGER PICTURE" AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS. ALSO, TO THE PARENTS PURCHASING OR GIVING THEIR CHILDREN(YOUNG MINORITES WHO ARE NOT GOING TO SCHOOL, NOT DOING THE THINGS THAT CHILDREN ARE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING)MONEY TO GO AND COP THESE LUXARY ITEMS, REWARDING THEIR CHILDREN INSTEAD OF REINFORCING DISCIPLINE AND A STRICT CODE OF SELF RESPECT, YOU ARE CONTRIBUTING TO THE CURSE. I BELIEVE THERE IS A PURPOSE FOR EVERYONE!! HOW FAR CAN YOU GET BY TRYING TO WALK IN SOMEBODY ELSE'S SHOES?? GET UP, GET OUT, AND GET SOMETHING!! JUST KNOW THAT KANYE DID...AND YES!!! YOU'RE WEARING IT LOLOL...
" RELAX AND TAKE NOTE" - BIGGIE
For more info keep reading below!! LOL
Nike Sportswear and Grammy award winning recording artist Kanye West present the highly anticipated Nike Air Yeezy sneaker in Spring 2009.The shoe, which takes West’s nickname Yeezy, draws upon the innovations from Nike’s rich sporting history and fuses them with original lines, materials, and design elements that reflect West’s unique style.
The Air Yeezy was developed from a strong relationship between West and Nike. Partnering with Nike Creative Director, Mark Smith, Kanye was taken through the product creation process, the same way athletes have with Nike Design for the past 37 years. This creative partnership of Smith and West’s talents as designers yielded a unique Nike Sportswear sneaker worth the wait. “Kanye is a truly creative talent,” said Smith. “He’s a natural designer-partnerships like this always enhance the creative experience and the end product.” West agrees that the partnership with Nike has been exciting. “Nike is such an important brand to me,” said West. “Whether you are on the court, in the street, in the club, at school, Nike represents excellence, the standard in design. Growing up, we looked forward to the release of new Nike’s the way we would an album by our favorite artist. So the opportunity to collaborate on a design with Mark Smith and Nike Design has been a dream come true, and a great experience.”
From the start, West and Nike’s shared vision was clear: to create a modern classic. An original Nike footwear style, that reflects elements of Nike’s sporting past, and remixes them with Nike innovation to deliver a unique shoe.
The creative process of the Air Yeezy began with the discussion around ideas and inspirations. The shoe began to take shape through a series of drawings and samples, each pulling inspiration and reference from some of Nike’s iconic innovations and rich design history, across both Basketball and Sportswear styles.
A careful balance was sought, each time new elements were added, with existing elements being taken away - a design process Smith refers to as “reductionism”. “Nike shoes need to function and always be innovative,” said Smith. “So the first thing we did was to make sure the design process that Kanye and Nike Design went through, mirrored that of our athletes.” “I’ve been designing Nike’s in my sketch pad since the fourth grade,” said West. “So to say I’ve been prepared for this would be an understatement. The really fun and challenging part for me was learning about Nike’s design process, learning more about fabrics and functions and colorways, and all of the details that go into designing a shoe of this quality.”
Following the fabled tradition of Nike’s design process, West and Smith went through a series of one-on-one design sessions. At Nike the ultimate test is one of performance, where the design meets the athlete’s movements. “Kanye could wear and perform in these shoes and really identify how we could make the shoes perform better.” Supplanting center court with center stage, West provided critical feedback on how the shoe performed throughout the course of his 2-3 hour performance sets, where the first prototypes of the Nike Air Yeezy were seen outside of Nike’s World Headquarters in Beaverton, OR.
THE NIKE AIR YEEZY: NEW SCHOOL OF COMFORT.
Born from Kanye West’s creative passion, built with Nike design and performance innovation, The Air Yeezy was fine-tuned on stages around the globe, challenging convention by remixing the past to create something uniquely new, as only Nike Sportswear can.
West is known for his non-stop energy both on the stage and off so the Air Yeezy had to support and sustain West from start to finish. An almost obsessive focus was put on delivering supreme comfort throughout the development of the shoe. Equipped with debossed ankle collar pods for added support and protection, extra-thick sock liners, a forefoot support strap, original functional tension lace loops, and Phylon tooling taken from the 1987 Nike Air Assault for added performance and comfort-all developed and integrated with one goal in mind: to keep Kanye on lock down in cushioned comfort during his performances during his many notoriously strenuous artistic live performances.
These performance attributes have been meticulously wrapped in premium full grain leather uppers and adorned with original design details that are uniquely Kanye and identifiably Nike. The remastered Nike Air Assault outsole is treated to glow-in-the-dark properties and will illuminate when the light is low. The forefoot support strap is premium grade patent leather and is of no-stitch construction. Clean seams are used throughout except for a premium suede toe wrap feature with visible stitch detail. Emblazoned across the Air Yeezy is an exclusive “Y” repeat pattern, as either a debossed or lasered detail, which takes inspiration from the Jordan brands iconic Elephant print material. This graphic treatment was developed by West and Smith to pay tribute not only to the name of the shoe and it’s co-creator, but also to the various moments in history that spurred West’s initial inspiration for the Nike Air Yeezy.
The Nike Air Yeezy will release in Spring 2009. Three colorways will be available. The first in April 2009 will be the Zen Grey/LT Charcoal color way, followed this will be followed in May by a Black/ Black version, and in June with the final Net/Net color way.
DE-STRESSED JEANS!!! RUGGED AND SEXY?
THE FAD OF 2009!!DE-STRESSED JEANS!! I DIG IT......
HOWEVER, I PREFER TO SPEND $20 AT A VINTAGE SHOP CREATING MY OWN INTERPRETATION OF THE $150-$170 JEANS SHOWN ABOVE (CAN BE FOUND AT TOPSHOP AND MADEWELL (SOHO,NYC) )
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
I have been thinking//formulating
As of late, I have been exposed to relationships that exist and function outside the realms of the average. This is not a description of dysfunction as much as it is a nod to the observation that relationships, of any type, are tailor-made and should be a personal fit to the individuals that are compatible enough to work as a unit.
With that being said, I have been drawing conclusions about dating, courtship and commitment. In the never ending occupation of examining my life and decisions in a timely manner, these are what I know to suit where I am now. According to my close friend, last night, the idea I am about to propose is something that does not normally exist and is of a futuristic, sophisticated nature. I do not agree. However, I think the only time sexual relationships are honest is when they are of an illicit nature, involving cheating. Because the preoccupation of at least one of the parties in a committed relationship, these circumstances facilitate open and clear discourse about the nature and progression, or lack thereof. I think this honesty should exist in relationships that are not illicit. I do think it is of interest to have a close, sexual relationship, meaning one in which the state of each's emotions and expectations are laid out in the beginning and revisited as necessary. This does not necessarily mean, full disclosure, in fact it does not mean that or becoming best friends. It only allows for each person to maintain the individual goals in the other aspects of their respective lives while sharing their bed and some of their time with a partner. In any case, I think this would prevent a lot of feelings from getting hurt due to the initial standards and conduct, allowing for the progression of intimacy or clean dissolution. Doing or not doing something to not hurt the other party does nothing but create a stifling discomfort and suffering on both parts. Keep it real with yourself and you can keep it real with your sexual partner/ girlfriend/ boyfriend/ best friend/ whatever.
Due to the external pressure and standards, of being single, married, and child-bearing and feeling a certain way if you see that you are not reaching the deadline you set at 16 or even 21, I think a lot of people fall into a trap of insecurity which uses the association of a relationship as a indicator of well-rounded success. Too many unnecessary compromises are made, comfort is sacrificed and we are swept up in a tidal of frantic decision making. I am a big fan of moving slowly, if both parties are working on their adulthood and have a mutual respect for each other to communicate about placement and priorities.
I know this is possible. It is a clean and rational way to deal with the interpersonal intimacy of physical relationships, with people that you are not just trying to fuck, of course. That is a different story altogether. And above all else, do not settle for just fucking someone you have feelings for just to maintain intimacy.
This requires that all personal motives and feelings be fully addressed and resolved before involving another person in your fuckery.
Eat up.
With that being said, I have been drawing conclusions about dating, courtship and commitment. In the never ending occupation of examining my life and decisions in a timely manner, these are what I know to suit where I am now. According to my close friend, last night, the idea I am about to propose is something that does not normally exist and is of a futuristic, sophisticated nature. I do not agree. However, I think the only time sexual relationships are honest is when they are of an illicit nature, involving cheating. Because the preoccupation of at least one of the parties in a committed relationship, these circumstances facilitate open and clear discourse about the nature and progression, or lack thereof. I think this honesty should exist in relationships that are not illicit. I do think it is of interest to have a close, sexual relationship, meaning one in which the state of each's emotions and expectations are laid out in the beginning and revisited as necessary. This does not necessarily mean, full disclosure, in fact it does not mean that or becoming best friends. It only allows for each person to maintain the individual goals in the other aspects of their respective lives while sharing their bed and some of their time with a partner. In any case, I think this would prevent a lot of feelings from getting hurt due to the initial standards and conduct, allowing for the progression of intimacy or clean dissolution. Doing or not doing something to not hurt the other party does nothing but create a stifling discomfort and suffering on both parts. Keep it real with yourself and you can keep it real with your sexual partner/ girlfriend/ boyfriend/ best friend/ whatever.
Due to the external pressure and standards, of being single, married, and child-bearing and feeling a certain way if you see that you are not reaching the deadline you set at 16 or even 21, I think a lot of people fall into a trap of insecurity which uses the association of a relationship as a indicator of well-rounded success. Too many unnecessary compromises are made, comfort is sacrificed and we are swept up in a tidal of frantic decision making. I am a big fan of moving slowly, if both parties are working on their adulthood and have a mutual respect for each other to communicate about placement and priorities.
I know this is possible. It is a clean and rational way to deal with the interpersonal intimacy of physical relationships, with people that you are not just trying to fuck, of course. That is a different story altogether. And above all else, do not settle for just fucking someone you have feelings for just to maintain intimacy.
This requires that all personal motives and feelings be fully addressed and resolved before involving another person in your fuckery.
Eat up.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
ABUNDANCE
I recently went to visit my brother on the West Coast. He told me about the second album by PPP (formerly Platinum Pied Pipers, titled, Abundance.
To make a long story short, PPP comprises of two producers, and the featured albums has their tracks, cohesively, and and ensemble set of singers to be found throughout the album. Coultrain, Karma Stewart, and Jamila Reagan, with one song with Neco Redd on vocals. A dance party that encompasses American black music, so not just one of the default genres, but a natural progression of music, using basic structural ideas appropriated to create a fresh sound without seemingly trying. I would also like to note that the lyrical content, as it is hard to hear and understand every word, due to the layered vocal arrangements, is of an intelligent quality. The ideas of love and relationships, the good and bad, and personal motivation, are present throughout the album but new language adds a much needed dimension to the rigmarole.
I enjoy it.
"Triple P, the debut from the then-Platinum Pied Pipers (now just PPP), was a deserved recipient of glowing reviews and dropped jaws throughout independent music media. Refining if not revolutionizing modern soul, Triple P announced a new player in 2005. In 2009 the player is established and Abundance announces a new game.
There is something inherently carefree about this album. It’s unfortunate to realise, but what sets Abundance apart from so many modern releases is that it is obviously the result of a deep musical passion and a delight in musical experimentation. Wajeed and Saadiq stick to the decidedly Detroit formula of big drums and dirty synths, but manage to give the motor city’s model a new chassis to handle the now even stronger bumps. Alongside the rejuvenated production is PPP’s refined vocal lineup: Previously a mash up of all Detroit had to offer, the vocal responsibilities now lie with the smoky tones of Coultrain, the soul of Karma Stewart and the sugar of Jamila Raegan. With the smaller cast, Abundance is as cohesive as any producer-based album could hope to be.
Abundance breaks the boundaries of R&B and is far too much fun to be labeled neo-soul. Sitting happily in it’s own genre, Abundance is an album many will be compared to in years to come."
source
To make a long story short, PPP comprises of two producers, and the featured albums has their tracks, cohesively, and and ensemble set of singers to be found throughout the album. Coultrain, Karma Stewart, and Jamila Reagan, with one song with Neco Redd on vocals. A dance party that encompasses American black music, so not just one of the default genres, but a natural progression of music, using basic structural ideas appropriated to create a fresh sound without seemingly trying. I would also like to note that the lyrical content, as it is hard to hear and understand every word, due to the layered vocal arrangements, is of an intelligent quality. The ideas of love and relationships, the good and bad, and personal motivation, are present throughout the album but new language adds a much needed dimension to the rigmarole.
I enjoy it.
"Triple P, the debut from the then-Platinum Pied Pipers (now just PPP), was a deserved recipient of glowing reviews and dropped jaws throughout independent music media. Refining if not revolutionizing modern soul, Triple P announced a new player in 2005. In 2009 the player is established and Abundance announces a new game.
There is something inherently carefree about this album. It’s unfortunate to realise, but what sets Abundance apart from so many modern releases is that it is obviously the result of a deep musical passion and a delight in musical experimentation. Wajeed and Saadiq stick to the decidedly Detroit formula of big drums and dirty synths, but manage to give the motor city’s model a new chassis to handle the now even stronger bumps. Alongside the rejuvenated production is PPP’s refined vocal lineup: Previously a mash up of all Detroit had to offer, the vocal responsibilities now lie with the smoky tones of Coultrain, the soul of Karma Stewart and the sugar of Jamila Raegan. With the smaller cast, Abundance is as cohesive as any producer-based album could hope to be.
Abundance breaks the boundaries of R&B and is far too much fun to be labeled neo-soul. Sitting happily in it’s own genre, Abundance is an album many will be compared to in years to come."
source
Monday, April 20, 2009
Cliche Anyone?
Happy Holiday for all of us that need things to celebrate, no matter how minute. DO not get me wrong I am on of those people. If you are a chronic (pun intended) participant, like myself, I am sure you do not a need a date to get closer to Jah.
Here is that pep to get you through the work day...
Brown Sugar - DAngelo
just a few of the many...
Here is that pep to get you through the work day...
Brown Sugar - DAngelo
just a few of the many...
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