I did this design back in ‘04.. I think I had just got my first laptop (shout outs the the Toshiba Satellite, you were a champ), and I was out in New York visiting my girl/fam, Helena. (Wuddup H!)  She got an ill gig for a magazine out there in NY, living in midtown, and I got to couch it for a while.  I was a b-boy nomad at the time, finding all the practice spots that I could.  I copped this illy, used ,sony digital camera from my boy C-balz, and he mailed it out to NY, so I took pictures of damn near everything I could…

So I brought it with me this one night, when I took a train to the Bronx, to some community center.  I didnt’ know no one, didn’t know where I was going, or what dangers lurked….  I just knew I wanted to get it in.  So I got there, and they all “stare at the out-of-towners.” And I’m pretty sure they knew where I was from, by my uprock. Anyway, I thought this was some cool, throwback content.  It was the start of my design exploration. And it still looks fresh to me.  Probably cuz I look like I’m stuntin like the b-boy that I am! When I see the ‘Stand BY Your Soul’ statement, it definitely takes me back…. Sometimes you gotta remind yourself.  You know?

Fast Forward to today, I started going to the monday night practice spot here in SF.  I seen a lot of new faces, and even some old ones.  It’s refreshing to see that folks have held it down for so long.  Shouts to Iron Monkey, Jivan Ivan, Evil, Mad… Represent!

Nas :: Represent :: Illmatic

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This was real nice of the Lounge to send this to me.  Real good folks over there, and I’m excited to keep working with them and building their brand.  Thanks Amanda & the LL Team!

Just got back from walking Coco.. he never looks at the camera when you ask him to.

The new work area.

A bottle of Henny my brother Tone brought from Cambodia. Even has this ill Khmer stamp on top of it. RIP Biggie & JMJ

Off to work in my whip.

Have a good day everyone!

Feels great to be functional again.  I can’t lie, I LOVE the new spot, and now that its tricked out, creating work this past week has been very enjoyable.  Above is a quick flyer for the Lyricist Lounge heads, at their SXSW event in Austin.  Below are some B&W shots of different angles I rendered, for their proposal project.

In other news, work has begun on the Wish One project, and wish I could show yall, but even I have to wait.

March… Week 2

_Ra

The homie DanDiggity @ Cukui got front page at Jackthreads.com Definitely check em out and their new Spring line! San Jose natives, Orly & Sam, gettin e’m with that authentic, hand drawn, tattoo/tribal flavor.  And if you haven’t kept up with Diggity @ Blind I, you;ve gotta get his latest EclecticCuts #18 Respect!

Alright Okay.. Finally Back in the Seat. We did a quickie video shoot with the brotha’ WishOne, back in October.  (Damn that was a while ago)  So a couple of months have passed, the footage has been sitting here, and its about time, we made our way back to it.  What we got here is just another comp, of the original design, but without the black background.  I had to go this route because, we definitely didn’t shoot this on green screen, and so the aesthetic has lent itself more towards an “unplugged” feel.  You see the lights, track markers, cables, and though this typically wouldn’t be a professional shoot, we’ve just gotta work with what we got…. and…. it works!

What’s great is that Wish, being the multi-talented dood that he is, makes beats! So what better way to fuse all this together, by getting an original from him.  This is the latest.  Tell me what you think.

_Ra

Good Morning! It’s been a couple weeks since I’ve posted, and it’s not that I didn’t want to.. But settling in the new place, actually took about a whole month.  I can rant about all the things that have been pushed back,and how much i think it sucks…. but from another perspective, things have been going as planned, and now that the studio is finally in tact and ready to go,  I can start this new year with a solid foundation.

Environment is key in allowing creativity to manifest, and I feel this new place is a healthy step up from the last.  All the same elements are there, the fung shui is there, the naga champa is there, turntables in effect, mood in effect, and the grind is about to be re-ignited.

I’ve been watchin from the bleachers this last month, and I’m very happy for all the folks in my circle doin great things.  Don & SMG are putting out “The Revenge of Dominique Wilkins: Memoirs of the Human Highlight.”  The Bangerz are droppin an album with the Jabbawockeez, as well as their own.  Nick Ngo just got off tour with the JBWKZ in the P.I..  Marco B, is killin videos left and right.  Mark Sebastian is still gathering the troops for creative domination. Replay done picked up a Grammy.  Dandiggity & PLSTK/Cukui are about to drop.  My man Z is on to bigger and better.  Memo got his line Social Villains on point….. The list goes on..

Oh, and my Seniorita still “Bakes Better than them Bitches.” ( as Don would say)