Stussy x J DILLA Tribute & Documentary

As some have already seen and heard, clothing brand Stussy recently did a tribute on the late J DILLA that included a shirt release and a mini documentary. J DILLA aka JAY DEE is probably one of, if not the most influential producer in hip hop's history. His ability and talent were way before his time and his work continues to influence various people worldwide (including myself) to this day.

Here's a look at the shirt drop Stussy did....

And here is the documentary in it's entirety, Stussy did a great job of showcasing his talent and impact he had on the music industry.

Been Gone!

Haven't posted in a while, been stupid busy, designs, videos, homework, blah blah. I won't bore you with all that but know we got some good stuff coming in the works. Anywhoooo check out these scratchings i found while searching the web, i need to get my creative game up. All scratched out of old doors and plaster.

Timberland x Rag & Bone

Now I must admit, I haven't really followed Timberland for real since dudes were rocking the 6 inch wheat joints back in high school. But with the introduction of models like the EarthKeeper and collaborations with some dope menswear brands like below, Timberland has stepped their image up past the simple work boot stigma that it used to have. The collaboration with Rag & Bone was a definite win in my book, a good sturdy boot with classic and subtle styling. The bottom two definitely caught my out of the bunch, but truthfully I'm feeling all of them.

Got that new MAC! CHEA!

So as Octavius stated earlier, I got a new macbook on deck so now i can get back to grinding and back to doing what i do best. It's going to take me a minute to get everything transfered and back to where it was but immmmmm bacckkkkkkkkkk LIKE I NEVER LEFT lol, yall have to excuse me im just truly blessed and happy, and im going to end off this post with a track that always brings a smile to my face. And to everyone that gave me a hand when i was in between macs, i appreciate it.

All in the visuals...

Sometimes while on the computer i'll spend hours upon hours just searching through random sites looking for things that grab my eye or peak my interest. In doing that I may have inadvertently turned myself into one of those people that has the attention span of like a 3 yr old lol. With that said when looking through videos and stuff the visuals have like 20 seconds (or less in most cases) to grab my attention #dontjudgeme.

With this video from Curt@ins, "Night of the Living Dope" it grabbed my attention from the jump, this video has given me hope that the artistic/creative quality that commercial media once had is coming back to the forefront. The mixture of camera play, lighting, and mixed media give an amazing result to very simple video at the root. And by the looks of it,it seems that this video could have been created on a very reasonable budget. Below are some screen shots from it that are parts that caught my attention.

Anytime I see an effect like this it always reminds me of Johnny Cage from Mortal Kombat from some reason. Lol, when I was younger I used to think you could do that for real and that you just have to move fast enough, #activeImagination.

The two shots above are probably my favorite parts of the whole video because I'm a huge fan of mixed media/mediums. The combination of illustration with live video is simply put, DOPE! Not only that, but the emotion in the eyes throughout also add some comical value overall...anywhoo if you want to check out the vid for yourself check it out [HERE]

**side note I didn't really listen to the song at first, but umm yeah the lyrics are little well umm...yeah

MAN DOWN!

Well more like computer down, sometime late last night my compadre (my red macbook) had a fatal collision with a glass of water and has not shown any signs of recovery yet. Praying that it comes on for at least a lil while so i can back up all the stuff i had on there that wasn't completely saved yet......*tear*. It is what it is though, hopefully if it comes down to it the mac peoplecan flash my hard drive onto a new one *praying that it works* 

Anywhoo on a lighter note enjoy some amazing cinema brought to you by the ways of vimeo, ooooooo ahhhhhhh....i just felt like saying that *shrug* but yeah this video mighty dope. enjoy.

Steez!!!

First 2010 installment of Steez, you can probably tell by this post that i have a "slight" obsession with denim lol. When it comes to styling I tend to go for darker/earthy/subtle tones in a palette, don't know why really, I guess i just feel if you can make what appears to be mundane and ordinary to others actually pop and work well and still stand out that's where styling truly shows its best. Anywhoo on to the fits...

Combination of navy blue and khaki never goes out of style, now the 3/4 cropped pants isn't something everyone can pull off but the Danner Light Boots with the red laces set it off quite nicely.


Travis from StreetEtiquette shows why tweed still isn't out of style, classic styling and the right mixture of greens and magentas work effortlessly together.

No matter how many times you see a fit like it, a nice pair of denim and clean kicks is always a win. But to everyone reading, its all about proportions when it comes to the denim. If you cop some really nice denim and something just isn't right about how it looks, find a good tailor and get the fit right. I can't tell you how many times I've seen a potentially dope fit go wrong with some horrible fitting pants/denim. Oh and the touch of gray/red in the 5 panel is nice break in the sea of blues and blacks

BKC black denim jacket, what more can you say ,their attention to detail is top. I'm definitely digging the small details in the fit overall as well, the pocket square, multiple sized beads, nicely wrapped scarf, all come together perfectly.

All i have to say is I NEED a pair denim in this color, man man man...smh PIFF. The classic tall leather wallet is just screaming detail also...

Leather up top, leather down low....such a simple fit but still so clean. Leonardo Da Vinci once said "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication"

Once again navy on khaki never fails, and the denim jacket is a timeless piece that can work in various situations, I need to get one fast!

Oh and this is just a little something for my denim fans....don't sleep on classic lee, just have to find the right model.

The Force x Haiti Relief Recap Pt. 2

Sitting at home, gives me a chance to get caught up on a lot of work as well as posts so here are some more shots from the The Force Haiti Relief Concert...with a lil extra added to them. Some people i didnt get shots of, so if you're not shown i apologize in advance. anywhoo enjoy, post to facebook, twitter, whatev don't matter YA DIG!!! <--- can you imagine me really saying that lol>

Three way flip...the beauty in music

When it comes to music, beats/instrumental always resonate with me way better then lyrical stuff does. Dont get me wrong though, i love lyricism as much as the next dude, i just prefer to hear the sound of music/instruments themselves. A lot of times i will just sit on the computer watching cats on mpc's and asr's or fruity loops and reason just making beats and always dope to see everybody's own interpertation of how to flip a sample. Perfect example is the video below Billy Paul "Let The Dollar Circulate"

Also when you listen to the song its interesting that a song made in 1975 is so relevant to today's economic state...music is timeless


So first we have 9th Wonder's version, if you know anything about this guy's production then you know his drum layouts go HARD!


Next up we have the legendary J DILLA who made this track for Steve Spacek, ILL, but what else do you expect from the man Jay Dee (R.I.P)


Then last up we have Don Cannon's, better known as CANNON, track he did for young jeezy off the reccession album.


All three were pretty good flips but it was something 9th Wonders drums that practically had me snapping my neck from so much head nodding lol. Dont get me wrong though, Dilla's version was still insane and classic it was just something about the simplicity's in 9th's. And as for CANNON's/Jeezy's well.....umm no hate, but it was pretty much just the sample chopped in a few places and a few drums *shrug* thats just me though...anywhoo music is dope...that is all...lol

SICK!

Now im a big cinema fan but more then anything i like a good concept and execution of the concept. This Famous Stars and Straps skate vid is a testament to the fact that good cinematography + great concept + and even better execution comes together perfectly. Watch and enjoy...

Where has The Skipper been??

One word.....Grinding! This is my 09 wrap up i guess (late i know) lol...but here is some new and old stuff all from 09 that ive worked on....so if you need those graphic services, photography, and video work GET AT US! chea! 2010 we up in der! POW POW! i feel like saying pow alot lately lol ...random



^Above is a taste to a concept to come for a MM apparel piece, full version soon

MadeMonarchs Happy Holidays

This is a Thank You and Wrap Up from the MadeMonarchs, didnt have enough space to put everything but this is just a lil re-run of some of the events and festivities the Monarchs and friends through 09, enjoy and 2010 look out for more to come and new things from MM!

MadeMonarchs Happy Holidays from MadeMonarchs on Vimeo.

From the Mid-West to the West Coast

Recently on Octavius's and Mik G's radio show (Waitin For The DJ) we had guest that included Will H., Prince Ea, Mic Young, A-Game, and Mc/Skateboarder Jabari Pendelton.




While the show went on I got a chance to talk with Jabari about some of the stuff he's doing. He's a St.Louis native currently out in the west coast skating for different brands and just grinding hard...*no pun intended.* Well turns out dude def has skills when it comes to skating check out this vid of him doing his thing....btw the intro is HECKA funny!

ps. we got some stuff we're collabing on too, so be on the look out for that coming up soon yall

Maestro Knows NYC Finale- "13th Witness"

Maestro Knows - NYC Edition (13th Witness) from Maestro Knows on Vimeo.

Muhsinah's "Triangle" out today

If you listen to folks like Common, Foreign Exchange, and Flying Lotus then you should know this soulful lady from different collab's with them and many other artist. Her album "The Oscillations:Triangle" is out today on Itunes, a cop for good music lovers... find it [HERE]



Also check out this dope video to her track "Always"...full of visual hobnobbery, directed by Beeple.com

info via RXLNGR

Muhsinah // "Always" - The Oscillations:Triangle from Rock Slinger Incorporated on Vimeo.

Gotta get back on it...

Vimeo def gets the #win...I came across this video, full of dope edits and effects and all I could say to myself was "I gotta get back on it..." I've been doing alot of graphics lately but hardly any video, i thinks its time to show my video software some love again lol....oh and my anime fans should know the soundtrack...

Bondaku Boppu [Stockholm Fever] from Maceo Frost on Vimeo.

Splitface- The Autumn (Free Download)!

If you are into instrumentals/beats then this EP is definitely something you want to your itunes/playlist/whatever you listen to music with. Its has good combination of sample usage and drums throughout keep your head nodding. It kinda feels like a cross of "good vibe" and "glitch hop" sound. Like Madlib mixed with a touch Flying Lotus, idk lol, im just rambling, but anyway ITS LOCAL MUSIC YALL support the area, tell a friend to tell a friend to tell a friend.....well you know the rest..lol

to download click [HERE]