Moments

"There is surely nothing other than the single purpose of the present moment. A man's whole life is a succession of moment after moment. If one fully understands the present moment, there will be nothing else to do, and nothing else to pursue."

- Ghost Dog.

Suburban Fools, Breaking The Rules, Staying In School

Shout out to Dan and the Fat Lace team for posting this. Straight Up Blog Jackin.

Anyway, Asher Roth? Now I've been on this kid (no homo) for quite sometime. Not to be cliche with the "I've been listening to him since..." but I've known about this kid for a minute, 23rd of July to be precise. I like him, his wordplay is smart and I love the concepts. How can I not relate to a guy that grew up in the burbs, listened to rap music, went to college and loves getting smashed? Booze, Bitches and Black Star.

The first rap record he remembers hearing is Jigga's 'Hard Knock Life' for me it was either;

Run DMC's 'Christmas in Hollis'



Or... Cypress Hill's 'When The Shit Goes Down.'



But like Roth, I'm also interested in history and culture. I can totally converge and relate to Roth's time-traveling to a world of relentless rap, b-boy truism and just some straight up classic rap moments. After seeing this interview I have more respect for Roth. A lot of parallels can be noted in our taste and lifestyles; he's probably the first rapper I completely relate to personally. (NO MUTHA FUCKIN HOMO) More than just his music, I think as a person and an artist Roth is genuine, which is actually quite refreshing in the age of "Blog Rappers", Kanye West's and Fiddy vs. Ross style multi-media internet slews.

Roth has been in London this week, rolling with the man Semtex and hooking up with Chipmunk and Mr. Hudson. Kanye has also been in town for London Fashion Week and kindly passed through the studio to check on his British Boy Wonder. I'm surprised Sem hooked up Roth with Chippdy Chip, an unusual combination, I'm excited to hear what comes of that connect, two very different artists, but an interesting mix of clean UK Grime and College Rap. Watch out for Roth domination.

"Da Fastest Spliff Billa In Jamaica"

Buju Banton rolls a zoot in three seconds. Seeing is believing. Fast forward to 1:28.



Via The Fader.

Stone Island Spring/Summer 09 Collection

Although The Firms pioneered Stone Island on the terraces in its hey-day and since the rise of the hooligan Nick Love cinematic experience (if you can call it that) Stoney has become a household name, tarnished by the slew of fakes running up and down the high-street. Stone Island is still one of my favorite clothing labels, I like C.P Company its 'sister label' but the cuts and look of S.I is just always so on-point for that streetwear-esque 'Casuals' feel. I've thought about rocking it without the badges, but there is something about having that little bit of branding on the sleeve that makes you feel just that little bit better about the garment.

Check some images of the new Spring/Summer collection over at Hypebeast.

My two favorite looks:

"Wrap Up Warm Kids"

Durex on the viral tip...

Saturday Stroll

Last Saturday the sun was shining bright on London Town. I took a stroll from my flat at Limehouse Marina up the Regents Canal to Mile End and then onto Angel, via the East End.


The first sun of spring was a delight to behold after the coldest winter in London for at least two decades.




Room with a view.


"No Fishing"...Should really say "No Fish In."


Limehouse Basin.


"F' The Money Men!"




Tower Block Dreams.








'Bobby Dazzler' - The greatest name for a long boat, in fact anything since, well... NICK.

With the sunshine and the hangover, I decided fresh air was a must and the walk would take me a little further than first expected. The further East you start on your walk central you can begin to gage to the full extent of how gentrified the East End has become. Although I suppose you can group me in that bracket, as Limehouse was once home to the old docks, and the industrialized waterways. Its regeneration and the rise of Canary Warf over the last fifteen or so years has seen an influx of wealth into the area. The East End however is a totally different monster of an entirely different making.

Walking down Roman Road to Bethnal Green it begins to manifest; the Attack of the Hipsters. Firstly you are greeted by the odd artist or painter and decorator, then as you continue down the Roman Road towards Bethnal Green its less sporadic and more a law of averages. For every couple of local bookies and boozer blokes, you get some Nathan Barley monstrosity, multiplying like roaches feeding off the scraps of Jellied Eels and Pie and Mash. As I continued on to Brick Lane, you are overrun by the infestation on the approach to the hive. This needs to be avoided on a Saturday like the plague. If it wasn't for The Butcher Of Distinction and the heavy Bagel Shop, which are two delights worth sampling on the days off, I would strictly AVOID AT ALL COSTS. If a flying visit is needed, and a swift rummage through Rough Trade is essential, act fast and away you should run. American Apparel clad urbanites mount on the ostentatious and elaborately decorated bikes to run you off road. Fixed Gear, more like Fixed Queers.

Skywalker

'I Know' - From the video shoot I was at a few weeks ago.



Scorcher, he's coming for the scene trust me!