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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