I love this

Thanks to Poykpac, LUDA!, and all involved including our mystery stars...will they ever be revealed?

Thanks to Poykpac, LUDA!, and all involved including our mystery stars...will they ever be revealed?

New Vid by Serius Jones,
Directed by Light Up
Produced by Yours Truly

Devastated….

The word describes not only Miguel Cotto’s state of being throughout Saturday’s match-up against Manny Pacquiao, but also how I felt as a fan watching Puerto Rican star being pummeled from pillar to post as I never imagined he could be. Odds makers had Pacquiao up as a 3/1 favourite since the fight was announced, to me a product of the hype surrounding Pacquiao since his rousting of Oscar De La Hoya and the terrifying 2nd Round Knockout he doled out to Ricky Hatton. Unfortunately, by the time Saturday night came around, the odds makers appeared to have been generous in their calculations as Cotto was without answer to Pacquiao’s speed, power, agility and explosiveness. It took everything he had to make it to the 12th before what I felt was a premature stoppage by Kenny Bayless at 0:55 of the final round.
In the lead up to the fight, many journalists and media outlets pitted the fight as a match up between Cotto’s Power and Manny’s Speed. Unfortunately after spending the first round testing Cotto’s power by taking some terrific shots, Manny seemed completely unphased by Cotto’s punches. By the 8th Round, Cotto’s face was a bloody mess, as swollen and bloody as it was in the Margarito fight, while Manny smiled as he walked to his corner, looking fresh enough to shoot a few additional scenes of Wapakman if a call came from the studio.
Unfortunately for Cotto, Manny took the best Puerto-Rican fighter of the decade and pounded him into another speedbump on his road to Canastota. The night will be remembered as the night he cemented his status as an all time great of the sport by taking his 7th Belt in as many weight classes, a feat never before performed.
I however, was not looking forward to seeing more praised heaped onto the Philippino, I watched the fight hoping to see so many critics silenced. You know the ones who said that the Margarito fight, controversial though it was, had changed Cotto forever. Many of whom also said he suffered from slow hands and mechanical feet to begin with. Some of whom even suggested he was a less technically sound version of Fernando Vargas as opposed to a successor to Benitez, Gomez and Trinidad. As game as he looked in training and as much bravado as he displayed at the Weigh-In, it simply was not to be as Cotto had no answer for the Pacman throughout the thrilling 12 round bout.
As a fan of Cotto since his pro debut against Jason Doucet, it was upsetting to watch him beaten as badly as he was this weekend. As a fighter he had periodically reminded me of a mixture of Wilfred Benitez and Jake Lamotta, a hard and vicious body puncher with enough boxing skill and technique to dance away from errand shots when necessary and a skilled enough counter puncher to make sure none of his opponents mistakes were made without consequences. Unfortunately, the last 2 years of Cotto’s career have been hard, and one could argue that his last big win was in 2007 against Shane Mosely. Since then he’s been TKO’d by Pacquiao and Margarito and collected two victories against lackluster opposition in Jennings and Alfonso Gomez as well as a close, controversial win against Joshua Clottey at Madison Square Garden this summer.
Sitting in the crowd at the Clottey fight, I was reminded that despite his shortcomings, some perceived and some real, Cotto was truly a people’s champion. In fact, it’s arguable that Cotto’s shortcomings are the reason he is so exciting and thus so beloved. Cotto was never able to elude a great fighter the way Mayweather did Marquez earlier this year or thoroughly dominate an elite fighter the way Pacquiao did him this past weekend. Because of that, Cotto has been involved in some truly exhilarating bust-ups in a relatively short career. While his handspeed and defense may be questionable, his grit and heart could never be. Of course, other questions still loom.
The biggest questions for the fighter and his following are related to Cotto’s future. Having suffered such a one-sided loss against the best fighter in his division, should he hang it up? His promoter Bob Arum seems to be grooming his successor in Juan Manuel Lopez, a handsome and charismatic Puerto Rican featherweight who will likely be headlining a July fight in Madison Square Garden the night before the annual Puerto Rican Day Parade in New York City, a date that has traditionally featured a Cotto fight.
Personally I believe that there are still interesting fights for Cotto, he should take a long break before bouncing back against a second or third tier opponent. Once the requisite tune up is out of the way, there are several potentially exciting, safe fights for him to tackle before going after the elite of the sport. Ricardo Torres, Ricky Hatton, Louis Collazo, Isaac Hlatshwayo, and Vyacheslav Senchenko all come to mind and I’m sure Cotto would perform and conquer all of the above. From there Cotto could move on to the winner of the Berto-Mosely fight in January and recapture a world title, and hopefully go out on a good note.
I don’t believe this is the end for Cotto, as devastated as his fans may be, I think there are several options from him to shake off the ruins of two nights past and open a new chapter in his career, reminding critic and fanatic alike why he has been so highly touted since his amateur days.

Last month I had the pleasure of Producing the Crown Jewel of Serius Jones' Get Serius campaign in the video for "Oh Baby" the song is the Banger and we did our best to make sure the Video was too.

LIGHT UP!

RIP Ason Unique

We're like your current AOR, just with way cooler sneakers

Directed by pLot
Produced by Mutaurwa Mapondera

Tomorrow is D-Day, there's no stopping him...None. If you are in the NY Area, come out to Rucker Park on 155th and Edgecombe, you will be a part of history.

A few days after we launch Public School's new online store the hottest Brand in NYC decided to have their first ever sample sale. I went in before it opened for GP so I missed out on the madness but the Twitter/FB/Blog attention has been crazy, with a couple celebrity sightings being reported as well. I got a few goodies, especially my Baldwin Jacket and classic "NY Loves Me" Tee. Hopefully I'll be able to scrape together the cheese to get a second helping.

Special Thanks to Maxwell from PS for extending the invitation to the pLot team, it was much appreciated!!!

Video coming soon...

Long overdue Commerce Blog for Manhattan-based Tough-Fashion-Guy Brand, Public School NYC. Their lines are the shit, you can't afford them....but here's the store anyway. Go ahead and cop me the Goodland jacket above...that shit is bonkers

This Sunday I had the pleasure of being on set with some good friends and some new friends to come together on a small Music Video project for a Jamaican dancehall artist named Curfew. Shouts to the whole Block I Ent family and the Lights Up Family, the shoot was a lot of fun and I'm sure, Luduh, Woo, Bobby, etc. will come up with something crazy, can't wait to see the first Edit

I read Samuel Allipour incredible story on Eric Frimpong yesterday and was struck by the levity of Eric Frimpong's tragic story. To summarise his case, Eric Frimpong is currently Prisoner F95488 in the California Prison system after being accused of Rape by a Freshman at UCSB where he was a star soccer player on a National Championship team en route to being drafted by the MLS. The discrepancies with his case are almost laughable; the girl was too drunk to remember any details of the attack, bitemarks and semen found on her body did not march Eric's DNA or Dental Imprint, A jealous boyfriend who followed the girl was never questioned as a suspect, a man who returned the girl's stolen purse was never questioned, and on and on.
Despite all of these discrepancies, Eric was found guilty and is serving a 6 year sentence for a crime he still maintains he did not commit. As an immigrant, who came to small-town middle America for an education and an opportunity, I understand the vulnerability of someone like Eric. The fact that he is a Black man being accused of rape by a White woman only further deepens the danger that he is in. Unfortunately, whether you are innocent or not, any accusation of rape is like a Scarlet Letter that one will have to wear for the rest of their lives, and I was personally very wary of the Party scene at my college because I didn't want a confused young girl who was ashamed of her actions, or lost in the daze on libation to brand me in a way that would haunt me for the rest of my life. I understand that the suppression of rape victims is a major issue, and that rape is the least reported violent crime in this country, however I feel that the young woman in this case is being manipulated and mislead to unjustly ruin an innocent young man's life.
Of course, the closest parallel we can refer to here is the Duke Lacrosse case where a team of players--most of whom were white and of upperclass backgrounds--were accused of Raping a Black stripper at a house party. Many of the particulars of the two cases are similar, including the victim's ever-changing story, and lack of ability to accurately recollect the events of that night, the presence of a jealous and vengeful ex-Boyfriend, and the maintenance of innocence by the accused party. When juxtaposed, the two cases prove once again that in this country, Race and Class can still define innocence or guilt, freedom or bondage.
The interesting thing is that while they were exonerated in court, the Duke players were lynched in the court of public opinion, with many believing that they were guilty of assaulting the young woman in that case, but that the calibre of lawyers they were able to hire were able to negotiate their freedom through legal maneuvring and manipulation. In Eric's case, it seems the general public wants to see the young man freed, and feel that the verdict was a miscarriage of justice, however he remains incarcerated.
Hopefully, Frimpong can bolster enough support to see his case appealed and see justice served, but even if that happens we will all stand reminded of a truth "Post-Racial" America would rather forget.

How we get down...

...Nothing in Bay's Movie can Match this for intensity, emotion or drama....just perfect (c) 1986

-This excited me

Trailer for District 9, a metaphor for illegal immigration, racial injustice and segregation featuring aliens. As long as this isn't done in the same hokey and hamfisted way as the Geico Cavemen, this could be very interesting. Using South Africa as a setting was a brilliant move as a country that has experienced its fair share of racial turmoil. In fact, Zimbabwean immigrants to South Africa are currently living in constant fear of Xenophobic attacks by their hosts. Hearing the civilians at the top of trailer, you can almost infer that they were being asked about my countrymen.

The digital campaign for the film is excellent as well, keeping up the film's cryptic mystique with three different properties all played from within the film's universe, giving what is I'm sure an anxious sea of fanboys only the tiniest glimpse at the big idea behind the film.

New Site for the Famed Alife Rivington Club in LES....the site is something like the Tee

ARC Air Force One from pLot on Vimeo.

A few months ago our extended fam at Alife Rivington Club asked us to cover the release of their Collabo with Nike. Footage is a little late, but it is in time for the launch of their New Site, coming very soon. Peep the camera work in this piece, it is truly stunning, the camera man must have been a crazy talented, extremely handsome young man,

Yesterday I had the pleasure of waking up at 3am for a 6am shoot with Kareem from Lemar and Dauley for some site promotion. It was a beautiful day in the city and we got to shoot--illegally--at three of NY's most beautiful and picturesque locations; the famed 5 Pointz in Queens and Under the Brooklyn Bridge in Empire State Park and Brooklyn Bridge Park after we got kicked out for shooting on state property (Sigel!) Your boy even got in front of the camera for this one, in fact the shoot was so miraculous that I actually got the very first recording of Henrik talking ever created. Footage is coming soon to a blog/video site real soon, til then stay tuned

Shots of the 2nd Colourway for the DC x Lemar and Dauley Xanders debuted on Complex today. Clay Court Inspired Red Suede and all.

BANANAS

Oh for more Lemar and Dauley related goodness click here or here HAHA

THANK YOU!

Today (03.26.2009) Kanye West featured a painting by pLot Designer Emeric Trahand on his blog....we show you how to do this son

More Props for The Team, once again PublicSchool.com 2.0 x pLot coming Very....very.....very soon.

This is my new favourite web clip of all time

Gordon Parks

If you were to ask me to describe my personal style in two words---the aesthetic that I use to define my visual presentation, and by extension give first impressions to the world at large---I would say "Ghetto Aristocrat"; An Arrogant, Brash, Slick, Worldly, Cultured, Rough around the Edges, Rebellious and Individualistic.

Gordon Parks was all that and the older I get the more and more I hope there are photos of me that express what the above is expressing when I'm gone.

--Well Done, sir

This appeared on Diddy's Twitter page earlier today, I can only imagine your inbox right now Prez. LOL

oh yeah the song is available at Powerplayed

The Rock Obama, this is hilarious. I always thought that there was a weird vocal similarity between Barack and The Rock.

This is absolutely incredible, done completely with camera moves and stop motion animation. In total 6,000 paintings were created to make this animation.

Khoda from Reza Dolatabadi on Vimeo.

From the artist:

"My graduation film Khoda.
Description:
What if you watch a film and whenever you pause it, you face a painting? This idea inspired Reza Dolatabadi to make Khoda. Over 6000 paintings were painstakingly produced during two years to create a five minutes film that would meet high personal standards. Khoda is a psychological thriller; a student project which was seen as a ‘mission impossible’ by many people but eventually proved possible!

Director and art director: Reza Dolatabadi
Written by Reza Dolatabadi & Mark Szalos Farkas
Animation by Adam Thomson
Music by Hamed Mafakheri

Winner of the Best Animation Canary Wharf Film Festival (London) Aug, 2008

Winner of the Best Student Animation Flip Festival (Birmingham) 2008

Winner of the Best Student Animation, Royal Television Society Award, Scotland (rts) 2009

Official selection for the "Best Short Film Program” at Waterford Film Festival (Ireland) November 2008

Official Selections
16TH FILM FESTIVAL CONTRAVISION (Berlin) Sept 2008
Marbella International Film Festival (Spain) Oct 2008
Encounter Film Festival (Bristol, UK) Nov 2008
Exposures Film Festival (Manchester, UK) Nov 2008
Renderyard Short Film Festival (London)
Flip Animation Festival (Birmingham) Nov, 2008
Animated Dreams (Tallinn) Nov, 2008
Rendezvous with Madness Film Festival? (Toronto) Nov 2008

Anchorage International Film Festival (AIFF) (Alaska, USA) December 2008

Enjoy!

Reza Dolatabadi
RezaArt.com

Adam Thomson
adamthomsonanimation.com"

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

فبما رحمة من الله لنت لهم و لو كنت فظا غليظ القلب لانفضوا من

حولك فاعف عنهم و استغفر لهم و شاورهم في الأمر فإذا عزمت

فتوكل على الله إن الله يحب المتوكلين القرآن ٣:١٥٩

Owing to Mercy from God, you were gentle in dealing with them [your companions]. Were you harsh [and crude], hard of heart; they would have fled from you. Therefore, pardon their abuses, seek [God’s] forgiveness for them, and consult them in the affair. Once you have resolved on a course of action [be decisive] and trust in God. Surely, God loves those who trust in Him. Qur’an 3:159

Great article about what it means to be a leader in the workplace and beyond here via New Islamic Directions

DELS from A Tribe Called Next live in Dijon. That's my best friend since the 7th Grade on Drums. We always dreamed of doing music together since the days of carrying my equipment to your house to jam out all weekend. I still have my PTF Tiger Hoodie and that shit still fits!!! I'm so proud of you!

here if you like this sort of thing

No Barack?
No 'Dre 3000?
No Dao-Yi?

Pretty Weak if You Ask Me...

Download here

New mixtape from Canadian Rapper/Actor/Singer Drake in time for Valentines Day. The boy has been building quite a buzz lately due to his affiliation with Lil' Wayne and co. but he still seems to be absent from most Top 10 to Breakout in '09 lists. Personally I was surprised he was left off the XXL cover last year. His first two releases, Comeback Season and Room for Improvement were inspired mixtape/albums that showed a great deal of growth from the young spitter exposing a knack for punchlines and r&b songwriting. With his third official release, Drake goes into as yet uncharted territory seemingly inspired by Kanye's 808's and Heartbreak.

Lust For Life (Produced by 40/40)
Sets the proceedings off nicely, with a very 808esque off-2 beat with Drake interweaving sung and rapped lines about his detachment from fame. "The game got these old handprints on it/But I'm a be the one to pour cement on it..." Basically an intro nothing of note except a few triumphant statements and punchlines. Beat feels like a throw away from Kanye.

HoustonAtlantaVegas
Drake decides to flex his autotune muscles on this one. He uses it much more sparingly than his contemporaries though, you have to listen very hard to hear the slight texture of the effect keeping him on key, for a rapper he has a pretty strong singing voice, but since when did that matter. I feel like this might be the first shot of post-808 hip-hop, there's no way to separate this album from this one, if Drake wasn't influenced by Kanye, he was at the very least made more comfortable by Ye's diversion into singing. Lyrically the song is a send-up of groupies aka Famous Nobody B*tches, of which we have no shortage in NY.

Successful feat. Trey Songz
"The Game needs Change and I'm the motherfucking Cashier"
Another Ambient beat, this time with Trey Songz along for the ride. This is probably my favourite of their numerous collabs. Another riff on the trappings of fame and success. As a new artist who already has fame in another arena, Drake provides a unique perspective, he doesn't want for Money or Fame really since he has both, he wants for Money and Fame as Drake, not the crippled kid from Degrassi. Lyrically this song is on point with more of the sharp lines we've come to expect from him. One of Drake's strong suits as a rapper is that he manages to inject humour and wit into even his more introspective lines. Wayne pops up to lend a verse as well, and he's well...Wayne.

*Side note, as dope as he, or Ye might be, is anyone really trying to hear how hard it is to be rich in a recession? Just saying...

Let's Call it Off
Drake goes Euro... with a Peter Bjorn & John Sample? This might grow on me but for now its a skip

November 18th
Another tribute to Houston (!?). Autotuned singing and Chopped and Screwed rhymes go back to back on this track about Candy Paint, Rims, and "Fucking you like we're in Houston, taking every thing slow, so slow, so slow..." This all sounds very awkward but this works well.

Ignorant Shit feat. Lil Wayne
Lyrical workout, over Jay-Z's beat of the same name. This is what I think most of us expected when downloading the tape. In my opinion Drake gets Wayne again, with his own flow no less. Wayne does score points for this line: "I'm so high I could vomit on a comet," only he could think of that and make it work. I can't think of a Mentor-Protege relationship in Hip-Hop that was this competitive, hopefully these two have more joints like this in them, just this year we got Ransom and the Stuntin Joint, bananas.

A Night Off feat. Lloyd (Produced by 40/40)
Screwed version of the same Isley Bros. Sample as Ignorant Shit, pretty cool transition. Shows both sides of Drake as an Artist: Half Mixtape Rapper/Punchline Machine - Half 90's Inspired-R&B Crooner LOL. This is a bit corny but it works and the cameo from Lloyd is well placed and right after holding his own against a "real" MC, Drake holds his own against a "real" singer.

Say Whats Real
The centrepiece of the tape in my opinion. Drake goes in over the Say You Will beat. This to me sounds like the future of Rap. Ambient, off-beat instrumentals coupled with sharp, introspective lyricism. Line after line Drake bobs and weaves between triumphant and vulnerable over a beat that he really shouldn't be able to rap over this well. If he felt he had something to prove to the heads that slept on him as a lyricist, he did, and then some.

"I think this got that making of a legend feel..."

Little Bit feat. Lykke Li
Artificial duet with the Swedish singer, has been floating around the blogosphere for a while....

The Best I Ever Had feat. Trey Songz (Produced by boi-1da)
Generic dedication to that "Special Girl," a few witty quips thrown in but nothing spectacular.

Sample lyric: "I be hitting all the spots that you ain't even know was there"

Unstoppable (RMX) feat. Santogold & Lil Wayne
Wayne and Drake go in again over this Santogold beat. Wayne got him on this one. Seems like the second Half of the tape is directed squarely at the Downtown set. Interesting that Drake doesn't seem to be interested in establishing a "Toronto Sound" for his hometown as sonically the entire tape is a 50/50 split between Houston and New York.

Uptown
Back to Houston with this one, and it goes hard. Drake delivers two verses before Bun-B and Wayne play clean-up. The Young Money Mentor is all over the tape at this point and I think they should have kept his appearances to a minimum as he is in danger of Ghostfacing Drake Cuban Link-style, Wayne stans might just download the tape to here him, defeating the purpose of the release entirely. All three go in over a Southern sound bed of Pipe Organs and 808s, however Wayne, proclaiming himself "The All-American Bad Boy," definitely delivers the standout verse.

Sooner Than Later
Another "Brand New"-esque R&B Joint, really trying to sell himself as a singer here, should be careful of falling into Yung Berg territory with this kind of stuff.

Bria's Interlude feat. Omarion
Can't tell if Drake appears on this at all, seems like all Omarion. Filtered, distorted vocals over chipmunk chirps and another Spacey RnB backdrop. Works as a Transition to...

The Calm
Final song of the tape features Drake once again ruminating on the trappings of fame over a chugging, rolling filtered beat. In two verses, the Canadian MC wrestles with selfishly enjoying his wealth while coming to terms with his responsibilities as a man: "To make everybody happy I would need a clone." As far as laments about riches go, this at the very least feels sincere, where Kanye seemed deluded and detached from the problems of real people and reality in general on 808s Drake at least is relatable, if rich beyond the means of most of his fan base.

Outro
Some piano playing

This is hilarious to me, not because there is a West African Idol, but because the hosts are more or less exact copies of the American hosts. They have a Randy, a Paula and a very angry Simon who tears dude up for insulting the memory of Fela Kuti.

"Excuse me, Shut Up"

I never really believed the hype around Antonio Margarito. Miguel Cotto gave him a boxing lesson last summer, just check the compubox numbers. Cotto not only threw more punches, but his punches were sharper, crisper, more accurate, and faster. However, for "some reason" Margarito not only wore the strong-chinned, tenacious Cotto down in the later rounds, but he forced him to submit on his knees in the 11th round. As shocked s we all were, we bought into the hype of Margarito and accepted that he had bludgeoned Cotto through shear force of will...yeah right

1st - Had an extremely Productive (But Very Fast) Meeting with Kareem of LnD

2nd - He dropped of a pair of the new DC x LnD Admirals for which I am extremely thankful as these are an incredible and accurate example of the brands attention to detail (Allen Key Lace Holes?! WHAT!?) and their unique ability to blend disparate cultural influences into a coherent piece of artwork.

3rd - YOUAINTGOTDEEZ!

SCINTILLATION from Xavier Chassaing on Vimeo.

Extremely inspirational, this entire sequence was created using stop-motion and camera projections. Imagine this technique used on a moving person....

10 Deep: The quintessential New York Street Wear Brand
pLot : The quintessential New York Interactive Marketing/Design/Development/Production Agency

"We just want to be affiliated with the New"
-Me Too

Mistah F.A.B - My Life

"Killed Oscar Grant like they did Bobby Seale"

Uhh.....Now I want to give Mistah F.A.B props for doing this record in support of Oscar Grant, but I think certain cats just don't need to do political/conscious records.

FYI, Bobby Seale is still alive...*sigh, I guess at least he tried

Once again we prove the value of a Black Life in the United States of America

Congrats to Maxwell and Dao-Yi, look out for PublicSchoolNYC.com 2.0 x pLot very early in the year

"Who are you talking to with your designs?
Young, old and everyone in between. People looking for our combination of style, comfort and versatility in a straight-forward good pair of shoes. We are a product-driven company, filling the void between sneakers and shoes. I know that I personally need shoes that are versatile, that can carry you from day to night without sacrificing style or comfort. Clae is here to address the changing times of menswear, I think Clae is where footwear is going for this generation and beyond.

Where does that inspiration come from?
My design influences are the clean, simple lines of the mid-century modern art and design movement coupled with the energy and attitude of NYC in the ‘80s and ‘90s. I see both of those inspirations culminating in a vanguard youthful energy with a sense of tradition and practicality in function. With travel, music, food, design, art, and film as my guide, I’m driven by a myriad of varieties in life and the discoveries that lie therein. "

- Sung Choi via Sneaker Freaker

As we move forward into the New Year, I think I'm going to start using the blog as a way to expose more companies that I would love to see wear the pLot logo in the coming years. First up is Sung Choi-helmed Clae Sneakers. My appreciation for this brand and its design philosophy seems to grow with every new piece they put out. I've already amassed a small collection of Clae sneakers and turned a few of my co-workers on to the brand as well. I feel the Clae aesthetic perfectly matches the personality of pLot; Young, Energetic, Fearless and Sophisticated. That being said the brand's online presence is minimal, and I feel that at this point their interactive identity has yet to match their brand's potential.
Clae.com x pLot? Oh the possiblities

...In our existence as mindless followers/We still find a way to find love in this time of cholera...

This Is Where We Live from 4th Estate on Vimeo.

Beautiful and Inspiring

Directed by pLot
Co-Directed By Bobby Yan
Produced by ME!!

He actually did it...

There is no way for me to describe how I feel right now, I honestly in my heart of hearts never thought that this could happen. Growing up, I was exposed to some of the ugliest things that this corrupt, violent, destructive, petty world can offer. It makes me slightly ashamed that I allowed my life's experience to make me skeptical but I honestly never thought that something this beautiful could happen in a world this ugly. So, no, I didn't really believe that Barack would win, I was afraid and skeptical to the point that I didn't even expect the result of the election would arrive on the day. So imagine my surprise at what I witnessed on the streets of Uptown Manhattan last night.

This has to be the most monumental and significant moment in American History since 9/11, and where that day symbolized fear, confusion and uncertainty, November 4th will now and forever symbolise hope, change and healing.

I don't know what to say, should I talk about watching Jesse Jackson cry in the crowd in Chicago? Realising that the same eyes from which those tears ran stood on a Balcony in Memphis exactly 40 years ago and watched a bullet pierce Martin Luther King's body now stood in silence and watched Barack Obama accept the mandate to lead his country?

Should I talk about how I woke up this morning and saw a sky full of grey clouds and I felt that God was doing his best to hold back his tears just like I was?

Should I talk about how as a black boy who grew up in the 1990's without a father, I spent most of my pre- and post-adolescent life collecting father figures and I was always forced to look back to the 50's, 60's and 70's, to the Era of the Malcolm X's, MLK's, and Muhammad Ali's. I say forced because I believed for the longest time that men of that calibre and timbre were extinct, they simply stopped being born and growing up to make a difference. The ones who did not become martyrs, Castro, Mugabe, Ali, were old, frail and diminished at best and bitter, detached and irrelevant at worst. Now after last night, where I had to look back, today's children and young people can look up and see this Shining Black Prince take his seat at the head of the most powerful nation in the World, and follow his example. Follow an example that allows them to not only realize their own, inherent, greatness, but to apply it to the well being of the world they live in.

Yes thats what I should talk about, now how do I go about doing that...

One of my favourite contemporary artists, SMH alumnus Kehinde Wiley just opened his third solo show at SoHo's Deitch Projects this weekend. Once again, The Talented Mr. Wiley creates vibrant, colourful pieces that place images of young black men in hagiographic poses and backdrops.

Dooooooooooppe

From the New Yorker's October 27th Issue. Cover line Reads "Life in Mugabe's Hell" As always there is a slight Western Twist, however the portrait of Zimbabwe depicted here is accurate, chilling and to me at least inspiring, but more on that later.

Nine hundred years ago, at a site on a high plateau north of the Limpopo River called Great Zimbabwe, Shona kings built stone palaces where they lived in splendid isolation from their subjects, with absolute authority over their means to sustain life—cattle herds, land, and the gold that came out of the earth. In the nineteen-sixties, members of a liberation movement in what was then Rhodesia, among them Robert Mugabe, adopted Great Zimbabwe’s name to refer to the notional state they were fighting for. Today, Mugabe can be said to be the owner of the riches that remain in the nation of Zimbabwe. After twenty-eight years, he remains in power––Zimbabwe’s only President since the end of whiteminority rule, in 1980. His nephew Leo, therefore, leads a cushioned life. He is an entrepreneur and has stakes in several companies, among them a mobile-phone network. He is a director of Zimbabwe Defense Industries, which purchases the weaponry for his uncle’s Army—most of it, these days, from China. He also controls at least one large farm that had been seized from its white owners. In the nineties, Leo earned notoriety for his alleged role in securing kickbacks, on behalf of his uncle and other officials, in the construction of Harare International Airport. In 2005, he was arrested for the contraband export and sale of government-owned food, but the charges were withdrawn for lack of evidence. (Leo said the allegations in both cases were unfounded.) That year, he was a candidate for Parliament for the Zimbabwe African National UnionPatriotic Front, known as ZANU-P.F., the ruling party. He won in a landslide.

Earlier this year, Leo was added to a sanctions list first imposed by the United States in 2003 against Robert Mugabe and members of his government. The sanctions included a travel ban and the freezing of foreign assets, and also prohibit Americans from doing business with those on the list. Leo was also named on a sanctions list maintained by the European Union, for his arms-dealing activities. The new sanctions came in response to a wave of terror that Robert Mugabe had unleashed in the country’s Presidential campaign. More than a hundred and fifty opposition supporters were murdered, many were raped, and thousands of people were beaten or tortured, often after being herded into so-called reëducation camps. Because of the violence, Mugabe’s rival, Morgan Tsvangirai, whose Movement for Democratic Change, or M.D.C., had won a slender majority in the country’s first round of voting in March, dropped out of the race and went into hiding. In the runoff vote on June 27th, Mugabe was unopposed and was quickly declared the winner.

Leo Mugabe works from an office building he owns in Harare, where I met him this summer. His brand-new silver Toyota Land Cruiser Amazon was parked outside. He is a slim, goateed man of fifty-one, and was dressed in a dark tailored suit. On the wall behind his desk hung a map of Zimbabwe made out of a patchwork of animal skins. His secretary, a young woman wearing a tight skirt and jacket, very high heels, and a great deal of jewelry, sat down with us. Her hair was arranged in red-dyed cornrows, and as Leo spoke she scribbled everything down on a notepad, expressing approval whenever he made a point, like a personal cheerleader. He was in a good mood, emanating confidence and optimism over Zimbabwe’s future.

“Have you seen anyone beaten up since you’ve been here?” he asked. “There was less violence here than in Nigeria! And we all know why Zimbabwe’s violence is being exaggerated—it’s about the fortune in the land. We have certain resources here, such as nickel, gold, and platinum. I think Zimbabweans now understand that they are suffering because of sanctions by the United States, Great Britain, and the Europeans.” Otherwise, Zimbabwe’s prospects were excellent—his uncle had been distributing computers to rural schools, for example. “In a few years, rural Zimbabwe will be computer-literate. We are a nation which is moving, and these children will understand what empowerment really means.”

That week, however, the inflation rate in Zimbabwe had officially reached eleven million per cent, the highest in the world; analysts later reckoned it to have been two hundred and thirty million per cent. Eighty per cent of Zimbabweans were out of work. Chronic malnutrition was prevalent, and starvation was spreading in the countryside. Close to two million Zimbabweans depended for survival on food handouts from international aid agencies. Twenty per cent of the population was infected with H.I.V./AIDS. Zimbabwe’s life expectancy is forty-four years for men, forty-three for women. But Leo Mugabe scoffed at the idea that the situation was dire. “People are going about their business,” he said. “No one is starving—they are driving nice cars! As a Christian, though, I think it is a challenge by God, and the attention being drawn to Zimbabwe is maybe to highlight that we are the new people of Israel, and that we have our own Moses.” I understood “Moses” to be his uncle. His secretary greeted the analogy with an exclamation of delight.

Under Robert Mugabe’s leadership, in 2000 his most militant supporters—many of them veterans of the seventies civil war—began forcibly occupying the country’s five thousand white-owned commercial farms, with the help of armed gangs and, frequently, ZANU-P.F. officials. By almost all accounts, these actions precipitated the country’s economic decline. Leo disagreed. “We have no regrets—he has none, and I have none,” he said.

“We have taken the land,” Leo went on. “So what is the next move? The next move is the mines, the minerals. We know we are very rich—without the British or the Americans. Yes, they invested, but if we have to we will go and take over the mines, too.” Zimbabwe has the world’s second-largest platinum reserves and is relatively rich in other minerals. The country’s mining industry accounts for some forty per cent of its export income. In 2006, Robert Mugabe threatened to nationalize the mines by assigning Zimbabwe a controlling fifty-one-per-cent stake in them. Negotiations with the mine owners, which include South Africa’s Implats and Anglo Platinum, and the United Kingdom’s Rio Tinto, have dragged on ever since. “Rio Tinto can stay there in London, but their mines and their equipment will stay here. Is that what they want? Because that’s where they are headed,” Leo said. “We can give the mines to the black Zimbabweans, the people who work them now,” he added. “We are not going to go back on the land issue, and the wealth that lies underneath the land will remain ours, too.”

LOL

There are several reasons that I love this city and last night was a perfect example of one of the main reasons I Love This City. As most cool kids know by now, London-Based Graffiti and Design Artist Banksy has been leaving his mark on NYC as of late. His first move was the painting of four Rat Murals in Soho that spoke to street art, the recession and New York's love for itself through Banksy's signature sense of humour. The other piece of the puzzle is The Village Petstore on West 4th and 7th Ave. The petstore is an incredible installation that needs to be seen to be believed, it features lifelike animatronic "pets" each of whom make a statement about the relationship between nature and society's wants and desires.

I will be the first to admit that I am a Workaholic, my Workahol intake has been ridiculous this month and after wrapping up post on the Battle Cry video ---details on the Online Premier coming later today---Sunday night Hov and I decided to take the train downtown to see the petstore for ourselves. I've recently made a conscious decision to take more time to enjoy my relationship with New York City, there is no other place in the world like it, take that from someone who saw five continents before he turned 18. I realized that lately, I have been allowing my work to get in the way of my enjoyment of the city. After taking in the menagerie downtown Hov and decided to seek out the remaining pieces downtown. Now, the funny thing about the city is that it is really several cities in one. My City exists above 110th street, Henrik's in Clnton Hill and Bed-Stuy, so trying to find the four murals in interspersed throughout SOHO proved to be a small challenge for the two of us, but before the night was over all four murals had been found, admired and documented for your viewing pleasure. Only in New York can I leave work on a Sunday at 10pm Go to an exhibit? installation? museum? and then go on a Treasure Hunt for Artwork by one of the great, mysterious talents of our time...I Love You, NY

Loyalty

Main Entry: loy·al·ty
Pronunciation: ˈlȯi(-ə)l-tē
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural loy·al·ties
Etymology: alteration of Middle English leawte, lewte, from Anglo-French lealté, leauté, from leal, leial loyal
Date: 15th century

1. the quality or state or an instance of being loyal
2. A feeling or attitude of devoted attachment and affection. Often used in the plural: My loyalties lie with my family.
3. Faithfulness to obligations, duties, or observances.
4. Feelings of allegiance
5. Commitment: the act of binding yourself (intellectually or emotionally) to a course of action

The Seminar continues their series of well shot, non-conventional vignettes. By obscuring the MC's faces, the focus of each piece falls on their craft and each rhymer's unique approach to their art becomes the real star of each video. Brilliant

...Strangely enough, I actually ran into this particular artist on the A train yesterday.

You can never deny good work

In anticipation for their Top of the Class issue XXL has been releasing a series of videos under the Seminar Title, moving towards their November Cover. The videos feature up-and-coming lyricists from around the country in what I can only think to call Anti-Portraits, that obscure their faces through various means.

This is the latest and my current favourite:

Can you guess who it is?

Check out Evil Collector's interview with Kareem of L&D, he speaks on the birth of the brand, the name, their musical approach to fashion and the where the brand is going, good stuff...

Damn, I've been waiting damn near a year for these to drop, 715 pairs, only available in Sweden...Fucking Awesome!

How did I know this would happen....I'm not sure what the newscaster is saying, but he doesn't look amused.

N.E.R.D Life at the Smirnoff Experience Event at Capitale Last Night (Thanks to Miss Info, who was looking so good last night, we need to have some good-hair having African/Asian Kids, soon )

L

ast night the pLot boys were invited guests to the Smirnoff Experience at Capitale on Bowery Street, the ahem star studded event was billed as a private concert featuring Nas, N.E.R.D and "Special Guests," ...well there was definitely a lot of "special" guests in attendance. I will be the first to admit that since I began my time at pLot I have been so focused on work that I haven't had a lot of time to put into my social life, so last night's invitation seemed like a welcome diversion from the 9 to 5 to 9 to 5 grind that I'm usually on. Little did I know I was walking into

The Den of the Famous Nobody Niggas!

(queue music)

Definition: A Famous Nobody Nigga is a Nobody who weasels his way into so-called Industry events and carries himself with the air of a celebrity. Famous Nobody Niggas love to be seen, however they do nothing worth seeing so can only generate the most artificial sense of celebrity possible. Famous Nobody Niggas have no credentials and don't know anyone of any actual importance, however they all know each other therefore in their own world, Famous Nobody Niggas are well known and well respected, not for anything they've actually done, more for places they've been seen. Famous Nobody Niggas don't have access to VIP, and if they did they would believe that by virtue of being in VIP, they are VIPs. Famous Nobody Niggas will always be Nobody Niggas because at the end of the day being well known for being well known will never be worth as much as being well respected for doing good work.

I will never, ever, never, ever become a Famous Nobody Nigga

LOL at the "Ellen" Exclusive Tag. Is that really whats up these days? Debuting videos on Ellen?

A question that has been on my mind as of late, if this Black man can't win, then will anyone be able to?

Explored at Newsweek

Pretty Good as Far as These Things Go

I like...

You Thought We Wouldn't Notice is a blog that attempts to put an end to Biting and Swagger Jacking in the Design World. They more or less call out and catalogue instances of biting in Web Design, Advertising, and Animation.

...But we Did

Might have to get my grown-up watch game on with these, I'm a kid at heart so I love my Digital Pieces, but TSOVET's small line of practical, almost Spartan, "Time Instruments" have a perfect balance of style and utilitarian simplicity. Basically, I like.

Shout out to Kareem from L&D, the Bubble Jacket is STUPID, son

Via Complex

I admit I was sleeping on this, and I apologize.

Damn...

I'm sorry, this is what the late nights do to you

Up late working on the Post for the Shontelle video--CRAZY---and I took a little time to check out the World Series of Hip-Hop Battles, more or less mhe, the Rex/Tech 9 battle was the most competitive but I think Tech got him. Lady Luck, looking surprisingly good?, sonned (daughtered?) Rece Steele and Never-Was-Ness more or less got Has-Been-Mysonne. The highlight for me was The Murda Mook/ Young Hot match-up, Hot needs to fire his whole management team, they should never have put him in that situation. Total Annihilation, Harlem, Stand Up

As the year comes to a close, pLot.Motion is being bombarded with a bunch of exciting projects. First out the gate is The Viral Web Video for SRC Recording Artist Shontelle's song Battle Cry. The Challenge: Create a Viral Web Video for the First Single from Yes We Can: Voices of a Grassroots Movement, a forthcoming compilation coming from the Obama Campaign to create one last fundraising push before the election. A Thousand thank you's to Marc Jordan for pulling this all together on such short notice, pLot loves a challenge, and the challenge of coming up with an eye-catching, dynamic concept and executing it within a single working week was a challenge we were more than happy to undertake. Today's shoot was definitely an experience, my first since joining pLot I was thrown a few obstacles, but the pLot team overcame them as effortlessly as ever. Special thank-you's go to our Three Wise Men, Co-Directors/DP's/Camera-Men/Genii Bert Spangemacher, Bobby Yan and Ezra Peace for coming together in such an organic, cooperative, creative spirit, I'm excited to see how the fruits of your labours and ideas are going to grow as we move forward with this project in post. Of course, thank you's go to Shontelle and her Hair and Makeup team for being energetic and enthousiatic throughout the shoot, Ian and Mecia at Rebel-One, The team from SRC, The team from SRP, Seku from RF for stopping by,--You up next, son--and all of our friends, family and co-workers that contributed to today's success.

THANK YOU

Photos:

Well it was nice while it lasted...

Is it Gentrification? Is it Natural Transition? Is the Neighbourhood Improving? Or is History Being Eroded?

A quote that stood out to me:

“This is happening all over the city, and it’s wrong everywhere, but it’s particularly wrong in Harlem, where you have the black cultural capital being devoid of black people,”

More at NY Times

LOL

Tartan on Tartan on Vintage Green Dunk Highs

Tartan Bow Tie by Brooks Brothers

So day 4 saw no update from either party, this was because when the going gets tough, pLot gets going and in the midst of finishing up our existing projects and talking to potential clients about some pretty exciting projects for the future, there was no time for yesterdays outfits. I promised the black out and delivered, but I guess y'all will ever know. Yves came through in a variety of prints, taking the day and evening the series at 2-2. Today I felt like capping off the week in a Tartan-on-Tartan-on-Tartan outfit, with a pair of green dunk highs. Who won? Who cares. I just needed an excuse to stunt for five days...

From Alternet:

What Privileges Do McCain and Palin Receive Because They're White?

By Tim Wise, BuzzFlash. Posted September 18, 2008.

13 ways McCain and Palin have enjoyed preferential treatment in the presidential race.

For those who still can't grasp the concept of white privilege, or who are constantly looking for some easy-to-understand examples of it, perhaps this list will help.

White privilege is when you can get pregnant at 17 like Bristol Palin and everyone is quick to insist that your life and that of your family is a personal matter, and that no one has a right to judge you or your parents, because "every family has challenges," even as black and Latino families with similar "challenges" are regularly typified as irresponsible, pathological and arbiters of social decay.

White privilege is when you can call yourself a "fuckin' redneck," like Bristol Palin's boyfriend does, and talk about how if anyone messes with you, you'll "kick their fuckin' ass," and talk about how you like to "shoot shit" for fun, and still be viewed as a responsible, all-American boy (and a great son-in-law to be) rather than a thug.

White privilege is when you can attend four different colleges in six years like Sarah Palin did (one of which you basically failed out of, then returned to after making up some coursework at a community college), and no one questions your intelligence or commitment to achievement, whereas a person of color who did this would be viewed as unfit for college and probably someone who only got in in the first place because of affirmative action.

White privilege is when you can claim that being mayor of a town smaller than most medium-size colleges, and then governor of a state with about the same number of people as the lower fifth of the island of Manhattan, makes you ready to potentially be president, and people don't all piss on themselves with laughter, while being a black U.S. senator, two-term state senator and constitutional law scholar means you're "untested."

White privilege is being able to say that you support the words "under God" in the pledge of allegiance because "if it was good enough for the founding fathers, it's good enough for me," and not be immediately disqualified from holding office -- since, after all, the pledge was written in the late 1800s and the "under God" part wasn't added until the 1950s -- while believing that reading accused criminals and terrorists their rights (because, ya know, the Constitution, which you used to teach at a prestigious law school, requires it), is a dangerous and silly idea only supported by mushy liberals.

White privilege is being able to be a gun enthusiast and not make people immediately scared of you. White privilege is being able to have a husband who was a member of an extremist political party that wants your state to secede from the Union, and whose motto was "Alaska first," and no one questions your patriotism or that of your family, while if you're black and your spouse merely fails to come to a 9/11 memorial so she can be home with her kids on the first day of school, people immediately think she's being disrespectful.

White privilege is being able to make fun of community organizers and the work they do -- like, among other things, fight for the right of women to vote, or for civil rights, or the eight-hour workday, or an end to child labor -- and people think you're being pithy and tough, but if you merely question the experience of a small-town mayor and 18-month governor with no foreign policy expertise beyond a class she took in college -- you're somehow being mean, or even sexist.

White privilege is being able to convince white women who don't even agree with you on any substantive issue to vote for you and your running mate anyway, because all of a sudden your presence on the ticket has inspired confidence in these same white women and made them give your party a "second look."

White privilege is being able to fire people who didn't support your political campaigns and not be accused of abusing your power or being a typical politician who engages in favoritism, while being black and merely knowing some folks from the old-line political machines in Chicago means you must be corrupt.

White privilege is being able to attend churches over the years whose pastors say that people who voted for John Kerry or merely criticize George W. Bush are going to hell, and that the United States is an explicitly Christian nation and the job of Christians is to bring Christian theological principles into government, and who bring in speakers who say the conflict in the Middle East is God's punishment on Jews for rejecting Jesus, and everyone can still think you're just a good churchgoing Christian, but if you're black and friends with a black pastor who has noted (as have Colin Powell and the U.S. Department of Defense) that terrorist attacks are often the result of U.S. foreign policy and who talks about the history of racism and its effect on black people, you're an extremist who probably hates America.

White privilege is not knowing what the Bush Doctrine is when asked by a reporter, and then having people get angry at the reporter for asking you such a "trick question," while being black and merely refusing to give one-word answers to the queries of Bill O'Reilly means you're dodging the question, or trying to seem overly intellectual and nuanced.

White privilege is being able to claim that your experience as a POW has anything at all to do with your fitness for president, while being black and experiencing racism is, as Sarah Palin has referred to it, a "light" burden.

And finally, white privilege is the only thing that could possibly allow someone to become president when he has voted with George W. Bush 90 percent of the time, even as unemployment is skyrocketing, people are losing their homes, inflation is rising and the United States is increasingly isolated from world opinion, just because white voters aren't sure about that whole "change" thing. Ya know, it's just too vague and ill-defined, unlike, say, four more years of the same, which is very concrete and certain.

White privilege is, in short, the problem.

AlterNet is a nonprofit organization and does not make political endorsements. The opinions expressed by its writers are their own.

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See more stories tagged with: sarah palin, john mccain, election 2008, white privilege

Tim Wise is the author of White Like Me (Soft Skull, 2005, revised 2008) and of Speaking Treason Fluently, publishing this month, also by Soft Skull.

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DRILL, DRILL, DRILL
by Eve Ensler

I am having Sarah Palin nightmares. I dreamt last night that she was
a member of a club where they rode snowmobiles and wore the claws of
drowned and starved polar bears around their necks. I have a
particular thing for Polar Bears. Maybe it's their snowy whiteness or
their bigness or the fact that they live in the arctic or that I have
never seen one in person or touched one. Maybe it is the fact that
they live so comfortably on ice. Whatever it is, I need the polar
bears.

I don't like raging at women. I am a Feminist and have spent my life
trying to build community, help empower women and stop violence
against them. It is hard to write about Sarah Palin. This is why the
Sarah Palin choice was all the more insidious and cynical. The people
who made this choice count on the goodness and solidarity of
Feminists.

But everything Sarah Palin believes in and practices is antithetical
to Feminism which for me is part of one story -- connected to saving
the earth, ending racism, empowering women, giving young girls
options, opening our minds, deepening tolerance, and ending violence
and war.

I believe that the McCain/Palin ticket is one of the most dangerous
choices of my lifetime, and should this country chose those
candidates the fall-out may be so great, the destruction so vast in
so many areas that America may never recover. But what is equally
disturbing is the impact that duo would have on the rest of the
world. Unfortunately, this is not a joke. In my lifetime I have seen
the clownish, the inept, the bizarre be elected to the presidency
with regularity.

Sarah Palin does not believe in evolution. I take this as a metaphor.
In her world and the world of Fundamentalists nothing changes or gets
better or evolves. She does not believe in global warming. The
melting of the arctic, the storms that are destroying our cities, the
pollution and rise of cancers, are all part of God's plan. She is
fighting to take the polar bears off the endangered species list. The
earth, in Palin's view, is here to be taken and plundered. The wolves
and the bears are here to be shot and plundered. The oil is here to
be taken and plundered. Iraq is here to be taken and plundered. As
she said herself of the Iraqi war, "It was a task from God."

Sarah Palin does not believe in abortion. She does not believe women
who are raped and incested and ripped open against their will should
have a right to determine whether they have their rapist's baby or
not.

She obviously does not believe in sex education or birth control. I
imagine her daughter was practicing abstinence and we know how many
babies that makes.

Sarah Palin does not much believe in thinking. From what I gather she
has tried to ban books from the library, has a tendency to dispense
with people who think independently. She cannot tolerate an
environment of ambiguity and difference. This is a woman who could
and might very well be the next president of the United States. She
would govern one of the most diverse populations on the earth.

Sarah believes in guns. She has her own custom Austrian hunting
rifle. She has been known to kill 40 caribou at a clip. She has shot
hundreds of wolves from the air.

Sarah believes in God. That is of course her right, her private
right. But when God and Guns come together in the public sector, when
war is declared in God's name, when the rights of women are denied in
his name, that is the end of separation of church and state and the
undoing of everything America has ever tried to be.

I write to my sisters. I write because I believe we hold this
election in our hands. This vote is a vote that will determine the
future not just of the U.S., but of the planet. It will determine
whether we create policies to save the earth or make it forever
uninhabitable for humans. It will determine whether we move towards
dialogue and diplomacy in the world or whether we escalate violence
through invasion, undermining and attack. It will determine whether
we go for oil, strip mining, coal burning or invest our money in
alternatives that will free us from dependency and destruction. It
will determine if money gets spent on education and healthcare or
whether we build more and more methods of killing. It will determine
whether America is a free open tolerant society or a closed place of
fear, fundamentalism and aggression.

If the Polar Bears don't move you to go and do everything in your
power to get Obama elected then consider the chant that filled the
hall after Palin spoke at the RNC, "Drill Drill Drill." I think of
teeth when I think of drills. I think of rape. I think of
destruction. I think of domination. I think of military exercises
that force mindless repetition, emptying the brain of analysis,
doubt, ambiguity or dissent. I think of pain.

Do we want a future of drilling? More holes in the ozone, in the
floor of the sea, more holes in our thinking, in the trust between
nations and peoples, more holes in the fabric of this precious thing
we call life?

After yesterday's close victory, I came in today with a mixture of confidence and caution. Red being my favourite colour (YO YO) I fell back and lept forward simultaneously with this outfit. Combining another Beau Ties piece with the Red on Red Supra Skytops against the grey on grey backdrop of the shirt and cardigan. Anyone that knows me knows that I don't drink, smoke, or do drugs, but I do have my vices. Sneakers and clothes probably top that list. These Supras had me fiending as soon as I got wind of them so as soon as my connect let me know that they had hit the streets I ducked out of work, Ran to 40th and copped them. They've been sitting under my desk like a Christmas present ever since. Today was the day to break them out and they made their triumphant debut.

Today's verdict was very special as Daniel and Kareem from Lemar and Dauley (new site coming soon HINT HINT) stopped by for a meeting, and were invited to be guest judges for the day. Being icons in the streetwear game their opinions were heavy and after an impassioned speech by Yves the winner was picked....2-1 Mutaurwa.

Tomorrow, the Black Out

You've been warned ...

"Sometimes, to be yourself, you have to kill yourself. In order to be everything that I am, I have to destroy everything that I was."

More here

The Bronx Museum of The Arts presents an installation that focuses on The Street as a canvas, gallery and stage for the art of our everyday lives. Featuring art from Joseph Beuys, Robert Frank, William Klein, and photgraphs of early Graffiti by Jean-Michel Basquiat, it looks like this exhibit is more than worth the trip Uptown.

Gotta love it, Undercrown delivers this T that features Obama posterizing John McCain like Vince Carter at the Olympics in 2000. I guess this is a must have for the stylish Obama supporter, just ask Spike Lee:

Via Hypebeast

I told myself I wasn't going to buy anymore Nikes but this pair makes me reconsider, commemorating the epic boxing match between Julio Cesar Chavez and Oscar De La Hoya, which saw the then up-and-coming De La Hoya leave Chavez in a bloody heap in the fourth round. The Sneaker's red cement pattern is eerily reminiscent of the cascades of blood that ran down Chavez' face that day --Brutal.

Zimbabwe takes the Second Round!

The Judges have spoken and Zimbabwe takes day 2, Haiti faltered with a lackluster showing and conceded defeat in the face of Zimbabwe's flawless delivery, there was very little question today as Zimbabwe took round two with relative ease. Stay tuned for Round Three as Battle Continues...

Brooks Brothers. Simple. Classic.

Even my sock game is killing them...

Despite dubious judging, I decided against going all the way in on the Old Man today. This is a very simple 'fit, I just wanted to play with colours and patterns a bit since subtlety didn't sway our ahem esteemed panel yesterday. I don't really buy Nikes anymore but I still have a pretty nice cache to fall back on. This pair is the Scarface inspired/harlequin Air Force Ones from the Summer of 2006. These definitely had the internet going nuts when they came out, but luckily I lived in Berlin at the time, and in Europe unlike here big chains like Footlocker can sometimes carry some pretty exclusive kicks, these included. Pair these with a simple red/white/navy striped patterned bow tie from Brooks Brothers and you have a strong entry into the competition.

Just remember, I planned this week like a combination in boxing, yesterday was a light jab, today is a stiffer jab Tomorrow I'm planning on coming hard (pause) with a straight right hand. You've been warned....

So the verdict came in at the end of the day and despite my mixture of classic style, subtlety and futuristic metallic fabrics, the judges--i use that term loosely as one was Yves' blood relative, and another was his protege--sided with Yves, despite the fact that he had to explain the finer points of his outfit, as he couldn't let it speak for itself. Of course this has happened to many a great fighter, if you leave it to the judges they can always throw it back in your face. Like my Cuban boxing team in Beijing, i thought a brilliant performance would be enough to secure Gold, unfortunately, it looks like it will take nothing but Knockouts from here on in to assure victory.

If Burying someone's career is part of being certified as Hip-Hop Royalty, someone needs to be fitting T.I for a crown...

Tables Are Turning

I recorded this song in the summer of 2006 to dispell what I felt was an unfair representation of my Country, my People and our Problems. Unfortunately, when the west casts its eye towards Africa, they often make everything seem too cut and dry and too black and white, the reality is that so many of our problems are rooted in historical injustices. That is not an excuse, it is the bare, honest truth, had colonialism not created an unfair, undemocratic and unsustainable economic system that favoured White landowners over an overwhelming indigenous majority, Zimbabwe would not be in the predicament that it is in now.
Musically, the track borrows from the song Slave Driver, by Taj Mahal. I was lucky enough to inherit a wealth of vinyl from my Uncles and Aunts and that record was one of the hidden gems in that treasure chest. Pretty simple sped-up loop but I think simplicity worked well in this case, the original melody and swing speak to something deep within everyone of African descent.
Lyrically, the song is a breakdown of Zimbabwean history from colonialism to the present just before shit hit the fan, when I wrote this song, I was hesitant to pass judgement on our leadership, so I ended it with an open warning which seems to be coming to pass as I write this.

Enjoy

From Hypebeast

Crooks and Castles recently unveiled their Fall 2008 collection. Par for the course with them, take trends in high fashion and twist it for the streetwear set, of course their Signature logo-print tees are present as well. You will most likely see me rocking The crewneck sweater in the near future. Still impressed, "#1 With a Bullet" For real

Source: Matt George

Canadian Streetwear Store Ransom just premiered their Fall Line, I'm loving the plaid lining on the Jeans, Flannel Styles and The Bomber Jacket in the pic above, might be time for a trip Up North.

Fresh From the Summer '08 Anthracite Pack, Nike Blazer

Peep the subtlety of the texture on that piece

Day 1, my first entry into the competition. Bowtie by Beau Ties LTD of Vermont, a formal but flashy silver jacquard piece. What I love most about this bowtie is the subtle paisley pattern that pops out when the light hits it just so. The textured silk and the metallic shine of the silver were a big draw for me also, classic but futuristic, something like yours truly. As soon as this bowtie strolled, glistening into the office Yves started complaining about his cataracts like Fred Sanford. Pair that with the Anthracite Blazers that came our earlier this year and you have a winning combination.

I liken this to a light jab, I'm going easy on him now, but the heavy blows are yet to come, then again from the looks of Yves entry they might not be necessary. Mismatched tones? Sloppily tied Bowtie? This is my competition?

So, this Friday a challenge was issued, my Employer/Mentor/Antagonist Yves Darbouze challenged yours truly to a sneaker/bowtie battle. The Rules: Five Days, Five Outfits, One Winner. Will Experience triumph over Youth? Or Will Cutting Edge win out over Classic? Stay tuned to the bLog for photos of each party's daily entry and a breakdown of each verdict, with commentary from me.

Yves, if you are the Prototype, I am the New Technology, BY DESIGN you are Inferior, and so BY DESIGN you will lose.


EN GUARD!

Yves calls my Generation "Crack Babies"....This is why

With MC's like this how is NY not on top?

Jadakiss ft. Jay-Z - "We Run This"

Cory Gunz - Lay Me Down

Drake feat. Lil' Wayne - Ransom

Been feeling this for a minute, I feel like Drake kind of got Wayne on this, but that's just my opinion.

Full video of the Kanye Incedent,

"U Mad Son?"

I caught this film during HBO's Latino Film Festival this summer. Words cannot express how incredibly raw this movie was, it was so well acted and well shot that you would swear you were watching a documentary on Willets Point. Its the type of film you watch then make everyone you know watch...genius

De Granma

Carta de Fidel a Randy Alonso, director del programa informativo “Mesa Redonda”

Querido Randy:

La Mesa Redonda de ayer fue especialmente interesante y muy valiosa la información. Es una lástima que a esa hora la isla entera estuviese sin electricidad, desde la Punta de Maisí hasta el Cabo de San Antonio. Solo algunas casas familiares, que resisten fuertes vientos, del Reparto "Camilo Cienfuegos", tenían luz. Allí llegaba el cable soterrado conectado con el grupo electrógeno del Hospital "Luis Díaz Soto".

Cuando esa vital energía de nuestra época está ausente, todo falta y nada funciona. Nos hace añorar el día en que todas las viviendas capaces de resistir huracanes, de las que hablé hace unos días, reciban electricidad por vía soterrada. Desgraciadamente, eso llevará tiempo y grandes gastos.

Por un segundo imaginé qué habría sido de los habitantes de nuestra isla ante un desastre natural como el que acaba de ocurrir, sin la Defensa Civil y los puntos vitales de servicios a la población, como hospitales, policlínicos, panaderías, centros de información y otras actividades similares, no hubiesen dispuesto de energía eléctrica.

Las imágenes de hogares e instalaciones destruidas, las cosechas arruinadas, los árboles derribados, los ríos desbordados, las casas invadidas por las aguas en territorios llanos, personas arrastradas por la fuerza de las corrientes rápidas de agua y salvadas con desesperados esfuerzos, eran desoladoras. Pienso que deberían retransmitirse en el futuro algunas de ellas para que los que tenían sus televisores apagados las puedan presenciar.

No debieran olvidarse nunca las escenas de los hombres de las Fuerzas Armadas y sus tropas especializadas llevando a cabo misiones de ayuda y de apoyo a la población y a las víctimas. Impresionaban las acciones del Cuerpo de Bomberos arriesgando la vida, en peligrosas corrientes de agua, para ayudar a sus compatriotas.

Hace falta entrenamiento riguroso y valentía para cumplir esas tareas. Solo en circunstancias excepcionales se conoce que esos hombres existen y se preparan en silencio para los momentos críticos. Confieso que fueron emocionantes las escenas en que José Ramón Machado Ventura y Ramón Espinosa Martín, Primer Vicepresidente del Consejo de Estado y Jefe del Ejército Oriental, respectivamente, curtidos por la lucha, junto a compañeros más jóvenes, presidentes de los Consejos de Defensa, visitaban sin descanso los lugares más golpeados e indicaban de inmediato las medidas a tomar. Otro tanto ocurría con otros altos dirigentes del Partido, junto a Joaquín Quinta Solá, ex Jefe del Ejército Central y actual Viceministro de las FAR y Leopoldo Cintra Frías, Jefe del Ejército Occidental, y los presidentes de los Consejos de Defensa en provincias y municipios visitados.

Vi con más claridad que nunca el valor de los símbolos. Las banderas cubanas brillaban como nunca antes sobre los hombros de los cuadros del Partido, fuesen mujeres u hombres, en la hora de la prueba difícil. Son los factores subjetivos sin los cuales todo estaría perdido y sin los cuales no sería posible la victoria.

El trabajo de los reporteros que no dormían ni descansaban, desafiando a veces lluvias y vientos, ha sido excelente, informando al país de los acontecimientos, transmitiendo verdades, ejemplos y experiencias que nos hacen sentir que somos parte de una comunidad nacional intervinculada con todos los habitantes del planeta. Los pueblos nos hacen llegar sus mensajes de solidaridad, aunque gran parte sufre de la pobreza y los azotes de la naturaleza que las sociedades de consumo y sus tecnologías sofisticadas están conduciendo a un punto incompatible con la propia supervivencia humana.

Vendrá ahora el análisis de los factores objetivos, el uso racional y óptimo de los recursos materiales y humanos; qué debe hacerse en cada lugar concreto, dónde debe o no invertirse; qué hacer con cada centavo; responder a cada pregunta de lo que debe hacerse en situaciones de emergencia y en circunstancias de normalidad en que todo vuelve a su cauce, agua y aire, y la vida normal de niños, adolescentes y adultos sigue adelante, preparados siempre para luchar y vencer sin desanimarnos jamás ante las adversidades de hoy o de mañana.

¡Nuestro deber es vencer!

Fidel Castro Ruz

Septiembre 10 de 2008

12 y 14 p.m.

Anyone that knows me knows how much I admire the Cuban governments dedication to autonomy and self-determination in the face of American pressure and Hostility. More than that, their preparation in the face of disaster is just one of many things about the Island that other third world nations could learn from and apply. Case in point: Deaths in Haiti related to Tropical Storm Hanna : 137, Deaths in Cuba related to Category 2 Hurricane Ike : 4.

---

Cuba rejects U.S. hurricane relief; asks to be allowed to buy what it needs

September 11, 2008 - 8:58 am

By: Anita Snow, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

HAVANA - Cuba says it has no interest in a strings-attached U.S. offer of hurricane disaster relief.

However, the Cuban Foreign Ministry says it is asking Washington to suspend some trade restrictions so it can buy materials to help it recover from hurricanes Ike and Gustav.

A ministry statement published in the Communist newspaper Granma says Cuba hasn't asked the United States government to give it anything.

Rather, the statement says, it just wants the Bush administration to let Cuba buy what it needs.

The Foreign Ministry added that it has turned down for a second time a U.S. government offer of aid if it allows a U.S. disaster assessment team to tour the island.

Havana says Cuban experts are capable on their own of assessing damage wrought by the two monster storms.

Cuba said Thursday it wants some U.S. trade restrictions lifted so it can buy American roofing and other construction materials to repair homes and the island's damaged electrical grid.

It also wants the U.S. to allow lenders to give credits to help Cuba buy U.S. food. Americans are currently allowed to sell Cuba food, but on a cash-only basis.

Ike damaged 200,000 homes before it left Cuba earlier this week, and more than 100,000 homes were damaged by hurricane Gustav earlier this month, Cuban civil defence officials said.

Possible U.S. aid to Cuba has been complicated by a half-century standoff between the two countries, which includes a broad U.S. trade embargo.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Sunday rejected the idea of lifting any aspect of the embargo.

The Foreign Ministry accused the U.S. government of acting "cynically" with its relief offer, saying it assists many other countries without sending inspection teams to tour them.

The U.S. "tries to suggest that it is desperate to co-operate with Cuba and that we are turning them down," the Ministry's statement said.

On Wednesday, Cuban-born U.S. Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez told The Associated Press that the U.S. may ease some financing restrictions against Cuba, allowing Americans to donate more to relief groups that are providing aid to parts of the storm-ravaged island.

From news1130.com

Kanye West - Love Lockdown [CDQ]

The Black Thom Yorke?

If you've ever been stuck at an outdoor festival and needed to go real bad, The Brown Corporation has the solution for you. Ladies and Gentleman, the Shit Box

The OFFICIAL Version!

Not the Bootleg version that spread on YouTube like a virus. And please get over the Weezy shit already...

Shout out to pLot's very own DJ - JC, Kyle Okaly

Courtesy of Ill Doctrine

"How to Write About Africa"
by Binyavanga Wainaina

Always use the word ‘Africa or ‘Darkness’ or ‘Safari’ in your title. Subtitles may include the words ‘Zanzibar’, ‘Masai’, ‘Zulu’, ‘Zambezi’, ‘Congo’, ‘Nile’, ‘Big’, ‘Sky, ‘Shadow’, ‘Drum’, ‘Sun’ or ‘Bygone’. Also useful are words such as ‘Guerrillas’, ‘Timeless’, ‘Primordial’ and ‘Tribal’. Note that ‘People’ means Africans who are not black, while ‘The People’ means black Africans.

Never have a picture of a well-adjusted African on the cover of your book, or in it, unless that African has won the Nobel Prize. An AK-47, prominent ribs, naked breasts: use these. If you must include an African, make sure you get one in Masai or Zulu or Dogon dress.

In your text, treat Africa as if it were one country. It is hot and dusty with rolling grasslands and huge herds of animals and tall, thin people who are starving. Or it is hot and steamy with very short people who eat primates. Don’t get bogged down with precise descriptions. Africa is big: fifty-four countries, 900 million people who are too busy starving and dying and warring and emigrating to read your book. The continent is full of deserts, jungles, highlands, savannahs and many other things, but your reader doesn’t care about all that, so keep your descriptions romantic and evocative and unparticular.

Make sure you show how Africans have music and rhythm deep in their souls, and eat things no other humans eat. Do not mention rice and beef and wheat; monkey-brain is an African’s cuisine of choice, along with goat, snake, worms and grubs and all manner of game meat. Make sure you show that you are able to eat such food without flinching, and describe how you learn to enjoy it — because you care.

Taboo subjects: ordinary domestic scenes, love between Africans (unless a death is involved), references to African writers or intellectuals, mention of school-going children who are not suffering from yaws or Ebola fever or female genital mutilation.

Throughout the book, adopt a sotto voice, in conspiracy with the reader, and a sad I-expected-so-much tone. Establish early on that your liberalism is impeccable, and mention near the beginning how much you love Africa, how you fell in love with the place and can’t live without her. Africa is the only continent you can love — take advantage of this. If you are a man, thrust yourself into her warm virgin forests. If you are a woman, treat Africa as a man who wears a bush jacket and disappears off into the sunset. Africa is to be pitied, worshipped or dominated. Whichever angle you take, be sure to leave the strong impression that without your intervention and your important book, Africa is doomed.

Your African characters may include naked warriors, loyal servants, diviners and seers, ancient wise men living in hermitic splendour. Or corrupt politicians, inept polygamous travel-guides, and prostitutes you have slept with. The Loyal Servant always behaves like a seven-year-old and needs a firm hand; he is scared of snakes, good with children, and always involving you in his complex domestic dramas. The Ancient Wise Man always comes from a noble tribe (not the money-grubbing tribes like the Gikuyu, the Igbo or the Shona). He has rheumy eyes and is close to the Earth. The Modern African is a fat man who steals and works in the visa office, refusing to give work permits to qualified Westerners who really care about Africa. He is an enemy of development, always using his government job to make it difficult for pragmatic and good-hearted expats to set up NGOs or Legal Conservation Areas. Or he is an Oxford-educated intellectual turned serial-killing politician in a Savile Row suit. He is a cannibal who likes Cristal champagne, and his mother is a rich witch-doctor who really runs the country.

Among your characters you must always include The Starving African, who wanders the refugee camp nearly naked, and waits for the benevolence of the West. Her children have flies on their eyelids and pot bellies, and her breasts are flat and empty. She must look utterly helpless. She can have no past, no history; such diversions ruin the dramatic moment. Moans are good. She must never say anything about herself in the dialogue except to speak of her (unspeakable) suffering. Also be sure to include a warm and motherly woman who has a rolling laugh and who is concerned for your well-being. Just call her Mama. Her children are all delinquent. These characters should buzz around your main hero, making him look good. Your hero can teach them, bathe them, feed them; he carries lots of babies and has seen Death. Your hero is you (if reportage), or a beautiful, tragic international celebrity/aristocrat who now cares for animals (if fiction).

Bad Western characters may include children of Tory cabinet ministers, Afrikaners, employees of the World Bank. When talking about exploitation by foreigners mention the Chinese and Indian traders. Blame the West for Africa’s situation. But do not be too specific.

Broad brushstrokes throughout are good. Avoid having the African characters laugh, or struggle to educate their kids, or just make do in mundane circumstances. Have them illuminate something about Europe or America in Africa. African characters should be colourful, exotic, larger than life — but empty inside, with no dialogue, no conflicts or resolutions in their stories, no depth or quirks to confuse the cause.

Describe, in detail, naked breasts (young, old, conservative, recently raped, big, small) or mutilated genitals, or enhanced genitals. Or any kind of genitals. And dead bodies. Or, better, naked dead bodies. And especially rotting naked dead bodies. Remember, any work you submit in which people look filthy and miserable will be referred to as the ‘real Africa’, and you want that on your dust jacket. Do not feel queasy about this: you are trying to help them to get aid from the West. The biggest taboo in writing about Africa is to describe or show dead or suffering white people.

Animals, on the other hand, must be treated as well rounded, complex characters. They speak (or grunt while tossing their manes proudly) and have names, ambitions and desires. They also have family values: see how lions teach their children? Elephants are caring, and are good feminists or dignified patriarchs. So are gorillas. Never, ever say anything negative about an elephant or a gorilla. Elephants may attack people’s property, destroy their crops, and even kill them. Always take the side of the elephant. Big cats have public-school accents. Hyenas are fair game and have vaguely Middle Eastern accents. Any short Africans who live in the jungle or desert may be portrayed with good humour (unless they are in conflict with an elephant or chimpanzee or gorilla, in which case they are pure evil).

After celebrity activists and aid workers, conservationists are Africa’s most important people. Do not offend them. You need them to invite you to their 30,000-acre game ranch or ‘conservation area’, and this is the only way you will get to interview the celebrity activist. Often a book cover with a heroic-looking conservationist on it works magic for sales. Anybody white, tanned and wearing khaki who once had a pet antelope or a farm is a conservationist, one who is preserving Africa’s rich heritage. When interviewing him or her, do not ask how much funding they have; do not ask how much money they make off their game. Never ask how much they pay their employees.

Readers will be put off if you don’t mention the light in Africa. And sunsets, the African sunset is a must. It is always big and red. There is always a big sky. Wide empty spaces and game are critical — Africa is the Land of Wide Empty Spaces. When writing about the plight of flora and fauna, make sure you mention that Africa is overpopulated. When your main character is in a desert or jungle living with indigenous peoples (anybody short) it is okay to mention that Africa has been severely depopulated by Aids and War (use caps).

You’ll also need a nightclub called Tropicana, where mercenaries, evil nouveau riche Africans and prostitutes and guerrillas and expats hang out.

Always end your book with Nelson Mandela saying something about rainbows or renaissances. Because you care.

(http://www.granta.com/Magazine/92/How-to-Write-About-Africa?view=articleAllPages)

Damn..

I personally had high hopes for Amir Khan, hopefully he can bounce back from this but like many prospects before him, Jaidon Codrington and Joel Julio come to mind, as soon as he appears less than perfect, his entire appeal disappears. Khan is extremely talented, but a loss like this so early in his career will undoubtedly reduce his lustre in the eyes of promoters.

Hot but for a $180 though?

Bananas...Fucking Bananas

Wing tip sneakers = Beastly

www.clae.com..fresh for the fall

A Fore Classic

Choices, Choices

Anybody that knows me knows that I appreciate innovation and design so this is hard for me, I LOVE Nooka watches, the subtlety and inventiveness of their designs blow me away.

But the question remains: Black-on-Black for the pseudo-formal look? Or glow in the dark for the never-let-go-of-my-inner-child-look?

Choices, Choices

$1.93, that was the contents of my Bank Account the first time I stepped into the offices at pLot, I had just gotten back to the united states after a stay in Zimbabwe that got extended by Visa issues that were out of my control. I had no job, no job offers, no where to stay, no plan and NO money. All I really had was a great support system, a lot of connections and the conviction that I would not work in an office that wouldn't let me where sneakers to work.

I personally believe that arrogance and greatness go hand in hand, in this case I had arrogantly believed that armed with a folder full of resumes, a black suit and a smile I could move to NY and get my dream job in a month, six weeks tops. Obviously, I overestimated my value in a faltering job market (Fuck Bush) and I soon saw connection after connection lead to a dead end after dead end, and suddenly promises from my previous employers turned into apologies.

After getting notice from UNC's International Student Office that I was in danger of deportation, I seriously considered leaving the country once and for all and reevaluating my future. Considering the year had been full of disappointments and setbacks up until that point I felt that maybe life was letting me know that I needed to throw in the towel and come up with a new plan because this one was not working.

I still had one more lead to follow though, one of my old bosses at mtvU had given me her boyfriends contact information and told me to just go meet him, he might still be taking interns. At that point I was willing to work for a metrocard and lunch so I called, set up the meeting, jumped the turnstile and made my way to grandcentral.

Now i can't really say what it was that Yves saw in me that day, but three months later I find myself a part of this talented, ambitious, creative family and I could not be happier. The list of projects I've worked on since I got here is ridiculous and the people I've been lucky enough to meet and work with expands on a daily basis. I'm challenged everyday, I've felt the joy of a perfect execution, and seen the lows that come with not knowing if your dedication to a project is going to amount to anything.

All that being said, there is nowhere I would rather be.




Oh and my account definitely doesn't read a $1.93