Archive | October, 2009

ReBlog: The Driver x The Satorialist

28 Oct

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One of my favorite encounters on this book tour was my driver in San Francisco.

As you can see he was very elegant and practically oozed self-confidence, dignity and pride in his work.

I love people who show pride in their work, regardless of the job.

This man’s car was spotless, his shoes were shined and he knew exactly where he was going. He wasn’t dressed like that for me, he had no idea who I was, this was just another day and just another ride done in his own stylish way.

I’ve said this so many times before, and recently in the intro of my book. Even though this blog is about fashion I don’t really think about fashion when I look at this photo. I think about how he is communicating his sense of pride and self-worth; not by how expensive his clothes are but by how he wears his clothes, his posture and his politeness. This man is pure style.

This is what style is about. Its about self confidence and pride, about taking care of yourself and commanding respect. There are many roads that lead to being a gentleman, one of them starts with looking like one.

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And shouts to J.Elquist for making the Sartorialist

Starting Six

27 Oct

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Doin it live… bay boys in LALA, Starting SIX. show love

Stop Motion x ________

27 Oct

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This is the craziest shit I have ever seen. I dunno how to describe it but seriously.

Common x BKcircus

27 Oct

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Okay not really but when I see this all I see is BKc. The video is dope and the circus imagery is ridiculous. Shouts to the BKc for hoping on this landmine early and making it their own. I have officially been branded, I cant see Circus without seeing Brooklyn before it.

Not to mention, this was one of my favorite songs off the album if not my fav and that look suits common quite well if you ask tha Giant.

Shouts to Max G. over at WineANDbowTies for this one

Jay-Z x New York Yankees x World Series

26 Oct

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Via 2dope. To start, congrats to them bruhs cause they took this blog stuff and really made themselves a staple. OkayPlayer… I see you.

But back to what I was saying, Jay is performing with Miss Keys at the World Series. Peep the interview. That’s Huge.

O yea. And he kilt it last night. Vids to come

Van Ness Station Flooded

21 Oct

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Back home we got some super wettness… maybe too much

We Once Were A Fairytale

21 Oct

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This is a short film by Spike Jonze starring Swagger McSwagsalot, Kanye West. The short film is a tragic tale on many levels, the one im most worried about is “Do I look like that when im out?” Im honestly a bit scared. I might need to clean my act up.



Director: Spike Jonze
Starring: Kanye West
Music: Kanye West
Production: MJZ (Los Angeles / mjz.com)
Visual Effects: Dtrain
Release date: 18 October, 2009 (USA)

Ask Bobby

21 Oct

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In the wake of his blowin up the music scene in the last few weeks, from WorldStarHipHop to MTVmusic, I had a chance to catch up with my bruh, Bobby Brackins, and ask him a few questions. Bobby Brackins aka Young Bob has been attacking the throat of the music game for a myriad of years back in the Bay Area, getting major attention with the group GO D.A.V., who had the #1 on 106KMEL all summer several years ago, “Ride or Die Chick”. Now, Bobby has moved down to LAla Land to refocus and is blossoming and recently dropped a video for his single “Skinny Jeans” that I posted a few weeks ago. I’ve known bruh goin back to his high school days and was fortunate enough to slow down his fast paced life enough for a few questions abt this up-n-coming artist.

tha Giant: What got you started and whats ur inspiration?
Bobby Brackins: I started out rapping with my friends Mercedes, and E-Walk. From there slowly but surely started meeting a bunch of other like-minded kids who had a passion for music. Thats pretty much how GO D.A.V. started, a big mob where we all just banged it and had hella fun.

AtG:2. What is the difference, if there is one, btw Young Bob n Bobby Brackins?
BB: Man, I just turned 21 so I felt like being on a different hype. With that being said, I will always fuck with Young Bob but Bobby Brackins is what I am going to leave my legacy with.

AtG: How important or not was Go DAV in ur maturation as an artist?
BB: Honestly, it was prolly the most important aspect of maturation artistically. Through the group, I learned so much abt my craft and abt the industry. All the biggest ppl in the industry wanted to sign us and would call me and fly us places. It was a good learning experience and I wish all them much success.

AtG:Whats the reason for the move to LALA?
BB:La is where i came to regroup and reevaluate what i wanted to do as an artist. everybody out here loves to drop names and think ther are the shit so if u can stand out among everyone you will be a real dannon.

AtG: Where do you see urself going from here?
BB:man just stay relevant and get more poppin on radio and tour all over and drop my first solo album and make millions.

AtG:If you were given 30 secs on tv to explain who you are as an artist and why ppl should get down with ur mvmt, what would you say?
BB:This is all I can do. its my only option. If I dont make it in music then I will feel like I failed in life. I would have to convey this passion and hunger through my statement, just as I do through my artistry. But really, Ive already been through so many highs and lows, so I know mentally I have what it takes to be a superstar. I have the blood of a king and god truly blesses me so im good.

Richard Merkin

20 Oct

Richard Merkin

Illustrator and Dandy. It doesnt get much better. He combined a near obsession with rolling 20′s and 1930 art with a modernist perspective to create some very provocative pieces that were consistently featured in the New Yorker. On the fashion side, he maintained the aesthetic of a true bespoke dandy, all wingtips, bowler hats, club collars and double breasted suits. He even sported a cane from time to time. Looking like a gentleman might be the first step to acting like one. The man passed but the legend will live past his September 5th resting at age 70. Here are some excerpts from a New York Times article on the influential Mr. Merkin.

After graduating from Syracuse University with a bachelor’s degree in fine art in 1960, he earned master’s degrees in art from Michigan State University in 1961 and the Rhode Island School of Design in 1963. For the next 42 years he taught painting and drawing at R.I.S.D, commuting every week after he relocated to New York in 1967.

“My sartorial aspirations lie somewhere between the Duke of Windsor and the Duke of Ellington,” Mr. Merkin told The New York Times in 1967. He favored custom-made double-breasted suits of his own design, bowler hats and homburgs, and boutonnières. He would occasionally stroll the boulevards of Manhattan sporting a cane. In his closet hung inspirational photographic portraits of his idols, the diplomat Anthony J. Drexel Biddle and the film star Adolphe Menjou.

The men’s wear designer Alan Flusser, another friend, said in a telephone interview on Thursday: “He was one of the few men who knew how to wear clothes, in a bespoke Bohemian manner.” “You have to be way beyond fashion to do this.”

Mr. Merkin wrote the column “Merkin on Style” for GQ from 1988 to 1991, holding forth on a subject he knew more about than practically anybody else. A key to his philosophy was the dandyish notion of fashion as aggression.

“Dressing, like painting, should have a residual stability, plus punctuation and surprise,” he told the fashion publication The Daily News Record in 1986. “Somewhere, like in Krazy Kat, you’ve got to throw the brick.”

Slideshow of Richard Merkin’s work via the New Yorker.
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Charity: Water

14 Oct

The September Campaign Trailer from charity: water on Vimeo.

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