Chris Black put me onto this one a few weeks ago. This cover of Notorious B.I.G.’s Hypnotize by unsigned musician, Dan Black, is one of the most unique track I’ve heard in a while. It also sounds great in the car.
Download: Dan Black - HYPNTZ
Our buddies, Rehab, returned to Georgia this week for shows in Athens and last night at Georgia Tech. They have a few days off before touring with Kid Rock for most of September. Get some rest guys!
If you didn’t know already, Young Jeezy will remind you that his new album, The Recession, is coming out on September 2nd, despite the fact that he’s still taking photos for the album’s liner notes as we speak. That doesn’t leave much time for his label to print and package the album before it comes out. Production people LOVE that!
The best part about this remix is hearing Jay-Z make fun of the T-Pain voice during his cameo, which is also where Kanye’s spot used to be. There are a few other remixes of the track including Kanye’s part, but this is the official version that’s been causing a stir on the airwaves in ATL. Maybe we’ll hear it while we’re out tonight. It’s gonna be crazy!
Name:
Señor Kaos
Aka:
KID Kaos
Website:
www.thekaoseffect.com
Where are you from?
Brooklyn, NYC
Who do you work for?
Vintage Imperial Marketing
What do you do?
Im an artist (Emcee), Marketer, and Cultural Influencer in Atlanta, GA. I make things happen!
What are your Current Project(s)?
Marketing Wise:
Madden 09 for EA Sports | Toyota - Scion Live Metro and Independent Film Series Events | Tagged Records ATL Field Market Manager
Music Wise:
The “Swagger Is Nothing, Talent Is Everything” Mixtape and T-Shirt collaboration with Dj Mars and Frolab.com | Just recorded a song with legendary NY Producer Dj Spinna for his compilation project.
Who would you love to work with?
Marketing Wise:
Nike| Wieden + Kennedy Ad Agency | Red Bull | Coca - Cola
Music Wise:
Sergio Mendes | Jay Z | Wajeed | Nas | Dj Premier | Large Professor
If you had to give all your sneakers away to charity except for one pair, which ones would you keep?
WOW!!! Thats a great question! Hmmmm If I could only keep one pair, I would stick with the Nike Air Trainers in Knicks Colors. A) Nike Air Trainers are the most Comfortable shoes EVER, at least in my opinion. B) Orange and Blue are my favorite colors just check my Blog to see for yourself.
What’s on your iPod right now?
Creative Control Radio Show. It’s the radio show that I co-host along with Dj Grandman. Grand always comes with the exclusives. With both our music industry connects, we get a lot of exclusives from Hip Hop artists.
Right now I’m listening to: The AOK Crew from New York: Homebody Sandman, Fresh Daily, P Casso, as well as J Live, Estelle, Ice Cube, Killer Mike, Gnarls Barkley, Tanya Morgan, and Janelle Monae.
What’s your Favorite ATL food?
Hmmmmm no Diss, but ATL doesn’t really have food that you can call ATL’s! Does It? A lot of people say Soul Food, but you can get Soul Food anywhere. And I’ve actually had the BEST Soul Food up north, not down south.
The Pizza sucks in ATL, and I don’t eat Beef or Pork, so RIBS aren’t really my thing. My favorite type of food is Pasta and I when I want a cheap pasta dish I hit up Little Azio. You def get your moneys worth, and the atmosphere is real clean.
What’s your Favorite ATL hangout?
Back in the day when I first got here it was Lenox Mall - thats where all the girls from Spelman would be hanging out. And you would always see the rappers there (which meant MORE girls were around). I saw Naughty By Nature, Redman, Wu Tang, Jay Z, Nas, Shaq, Outkast, Jermaine Durpi, ETC. But Lenox fell off yeeears ago.
I would say now, nowhere in particular. I don’t hang out as much (don’t really have the time too). Some of the night spots I frequent are MJQ | Django | Apache Cafe | and Cenci.
What are your Pet Peeves?
People calling me always trying to get something, or trying to get in somewhere for free. These same people are NEVER around when you need something. Also hate people who get caught up in the Hype. Like if your walking around with a pair of Questlove Air Force Ones on, I need you to know who Questlove is, at least what group he’s apart of.
Shout outs?
Big Shouts to the brothas who help me run my compnay and Blog. My Brand Manager Chicagorilla | Director of New Media Inori | and my Field Manager OZ B. I couldn’t do anything without these brothas being on point. My DJ, Grandman and music manager Mark Madison. Also shouts out too the other Blogs I check like Frolab, Street Local, Lavish Life, Frank 151, Konsole Kingz, and Binkis’ Blog.
A good friend of our studio, Will Aquino, is leaving Atlanta for the coasts of Argentina this week. When I first met Will, he was the new kid at Standard. After a brief initiation, he quickly learned to trash-talk with the best of ‘em, such as Decatur “The Hater” Dan. Will has since moved on to managing the Y-3 store in Atlanta, but has decided to follow a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to start over fresh and to take advantage of a few opportunities that await him in South America. He plans to be able to speak Spanish fluently before he comes back in a year (doubt it) and to hunt down some spots where PROCESS can thrive. Will, I think you’ll do just fine. So long for now…
Saturdays = Youth has been one of my favorite albums this year, yet I’ve really been longing to hear a crunk remix of this particular song… but no one will take my idea seriously! The Montag Remix of Kim & Jessie by M83 is probably the best remix we’re going to get for now. It’s actually very headphone-friendly but don’t expect it to be your soundtrack to trashing the ladies bathroom at El Bar.
Can we take a minute to discuss the art direction on this entire campaign? Not only is the photography great but it totally fits in perfectly with the music. I can’t remember the last time I felt so strongly towards the similarities between album art and music. And the typography (titling) makes me happy because they worked with one of my favorite font families, Hoefler Text. Mad respect…
Download: M83 - Kim & Jessie (Montag Remix)
Pick up a copy of the new Vapors Magazine this month and you’ll find PROCESS among other top brands in the Hype Circle section on page 115 and you’ll notice Rob Wonder rocking our Dirty Bird tee in the Hello My Name Is section on page 44. This is a milestone issue for Atlanta because you’ll find a spotlight on Decatur Dan, and articles on DJ Drama and Greg Street.
Copies should hit newsstands this week and are available at Magic in Las Vegas today. You can read it online now here.
The Virgins‘ EP (aNYthing records) has been tasting the floorboards of Ross’ car for as long as I can remember. Despite the fact that his ride has been broken into more times than the Falcons have changed QB’s in the last year, it’s like the Atlanta hobos aren’t interested in indie rock. It’s probably because they want to leave the dancing to NYC fashion disasters, or maybe it’s because you can’t go anywhere without hearing this song right now. Here’s a version of their single, Rich Girls, they recorded for a recent daytrotter.com session.
The Streets (aka Mike Skinner) is constantly on rotation in our studio, whether it be CDs, MP3s, or even vinyl. We’re anxiously awaiting the new album, Everything is Borrowed, slated for release in September of this year. Luckily, we were able to get our hands on the new title track which is not only catchy, but surprisingly positive. This one’s going to be added to the morning routine for sure.
Download: The Streets - Everything Is Borrowed
You can only do this one place in the world, and I can’t wait to return to 21 Mercer Street in New York with the EC crew so we can participate. Nike Sportswear Bespoke is a new and innovative appointment-based design experience that gives you the opportunity to work one-on-one with Nike Designers to flex your creative muscle and customize a pair of one-of-a-kind sneakers.
I know that you’re thinking this is the same as Nike iD, but it is actually much different. For example, Georgios and I had the opportunity to customize some Dunks at the Nike iD Studio at 255 Elizabeth in NYC last year and we found a set color palette and predetermined material choices. However, during your appointment at Nike Sportswear Bespoke, you’ll be able to choose everything from the the color of your outsole and laces, make color-blocking distinctions on different areas of your sneakers, and choose from an extremely large database of materials.
Reach out to the guys and gals at 21 Mercer and get yourself an appointment to customize a pair of Air Force 1’s. Who knows what’ll be next on the list? I’m keeping my fingers crossed for the Air Max 1 but more than likely it’ll be another one of the icons, the Dunk.
Check out examples of the endless possibilities after the jump.
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I know how you’re obsessed with her, so this one’s for you Ross.
Speaking of block parties and people who attend them… here’s a fresh mash-up by Divide & Kreate of Katy Perry (who attended the 21 Mercer Block Party last night) and the UK’s biggest little band, Bloc Party.
Download: Divide & Kreate - Party Kisser (Katy Perry X Bloc Party)
Larger than life visuals at 21 Mercer Party.
The moment I became aware of branding was at young age when I noticed that I owned and cherished signature Michael Jordan and Andre Agassi sneakers at the same time. You see, this was a rare occurrence for me because my parents only bought me new sneakers when an old pair was beyond repair. I guess I was fanatical about superstar athletes, the aesthetics of the sneakers, and the cultural weight they carried. That was enough to persuade my mom and dad to hook-it-up. It was at this point where I realized that if Nike wanted to do something, they were going to do it bigger and better than anyone else.
Obviously, this mentality exists in Nike culture when it comes to innovation in product design and marketing (ie: Dunk to Hyperdunk / Air Max 1 to Air Max 360) but I had that same childhood realization again last night when I attended a Block Party for the launch of the new Nike Sportswear store at 21 Mercer in New York. Sure it was the first time they’ve launched a lifestyle line such as this. It was also the first time they’ve taken over a city block to party in such a way, but that didn’t mean they had to follow suit. Instead they reinvented the block party.
Hundreds of invited guests including the who’s who of street culture, pro athletes, pop culture icons, and of course…hipsters, saw Mercer Street transformed into a New York stadium complete with corn dogs, mascots, outfield seating, and a marching band.
Check out event photos after the jump.
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Our friends, Shock Cinema, have a new album out on Kanine Records called Hell and High Water. I hear it’s part of a five part series of albums (so it seems they’ve already mapped out their plans for the next few years). Anyway, it is definitely their best effort to date and it is available for download on iTunes.
Also, Shock Cinema is playing a show at Rehab in New York tonight. You can watch it live here at 10:30pm EST. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to stay in NYC for another night. Otherwise I’d be there in person!
Chopped it up with Chris Black (Done to Death) and Ryan Acker (Standard / StreetLocal 404) at the 21 Mercer Block Party.
Sandy Bodecker - Nike Vice President of Design
This one’s for all the architecture and design junkies out there… I’m in NYC for the official launch of the Nike Sportswear line, and I just got out of a sneak peek of the flagship store at 21 Mercer Street. Tonight there will be a huge block party starting in about 15 minutes that marks one of the biggest launches ever for Nike’s lifestyle gear. I hear that some big names will be attending.
Since I was one of the first people to spend time in the space, I wanted to share some immediate imagery with all the EC readers out there. There are a lot more topics to touch on, but for now, enjoy this unique store/studio space.
The interior of the store is made up of actual materials taken from basketball gymnasiums from the 5 boroughs in New York. This exemplifies the “mashing up” of sport and culture, according to Sandy Bodecker (Nike Vice President of Design aka The Man Behind Nike SB) who you see here jammin’ on his Blackberry at 21 Mercer.
Check out the other photos after the jump. And scroll to the bottom for a special surprise that I’ll elaborate on later.
I’m going to the party now, but I’ll have more to show really soon.
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Name:
Ryan James
Aka:
the only Ryan!, RJ
Website:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neko43/ for flicks, http://www.flickr.com/photos/neko43/sets/72157604254815294/ for flicks of the custom handlebars i make.
Where are you from?
Sort of a lot of places, but mostly Portland, Oregon. I’ve moved around a lot but it’s what i consider “home”.
Who do you work for?
A metal fabrication shop in the West End, and kinda myself, as far as taking photos and making handlebars.
What are your Current Project(s)?
Handlebars for friends and for hire, whatever handlebar ideas pop in my head, and photos of everything, especially skate photos of the homies. And the neverending project of trying hard on my skateboard.
Who would you love to work with?
It’d be pretty rad to build a bike frame with my friend Danny Kim. Anything with any of the Art Dump dudes. And somehow the Eames’, RIP.
If you had to give all your sneakers away to charity except for one pair, which ones would you keep?
Oh god…I only skate in suede Nike Dunks, I only ride bikes in Vans, and Half Cabs are the go-to chill shoe…I guess some black suede Half Cabs, and I’d just have to relearn all my flip tricks.
What’s on your iPod right now?
No Age, Les Savy Fav, Stereolab, My Bloody Valentine…60 gigs of pure awesomeness.
What’s your Favorite ATL food?
Med Grill, El Myr (when they’re not screwing up my takeout orders!), Green Sprout, Madras (or whatever it’s called these days), and Udipi.
What’s your Favorite ATL hangout?
Aurora in the morning, the Local at night…though these days it’s mostly this table, this chair, this laptop.
What are your Pet Peeves?
Egos, selfishness/self-centeredness, anti-intellectualism, Bush, when technology doesn’t work, slow walkers…and Atlanta drivers, damn!
Shout outs?
My girl Katey, my cat Danger, Larry and George, Nick P, Will Potter, all the skate homies, Rachael @ Sopo Bikes, Kerri and everyone @ the Local, Jenna and everyone @ Aurora
Check out the show cards we made for MINT Gallery’s upcoming art show, reMIXT. If you’re lucky enough to get one of these let us know and we’ll send you a surprise.
Last August MINT Gallery opened their current space with MIXT, a show celebrating the relationship between music and visual art through the use of mixtapes. They are doing it again, but this year they are gearing the exhibit to showcase the thriving local music scene in Atlanta. Local artists, including members of Atlanta musical acts such as Judi Chicago, Vera Fang, and Sealions, representatives from Lenny’s Bar as well as singer songwriters and experimental musicians, have contributed to the exhibit.
reMIXT will also feature a local music raffle where one dollar tickets could win you your choice of music and swag provided by local bands.
MINT has put together a playlist of its favorite local music to get you in the mood. Check out mintgalleryremixt.muxtape.com and spread the word.
Artists include: Ben Coleman, Travis Thatcher, Jason Travis, Andre Paraguassu, Sunni Johnson, Mack Williams, Amanda Goodbread, Bean Summer, Robert Peterson, Mat Glaser, Erin Baker, Joe Sikes, Philip Jones, Lindsay Appel, The Sunglasses, Colin Brag, Danielle Harris
A special package from our friends at Estate LA arrived today. More info coming very soon…
Shouts to Brett, Ryan, Myk, and Henry. Thanks for everything!
Introducing Mr. Snorkey. He’s the animated version of Sopo Bikes‘ “sheep-on-wheels” logo. Mr. Snorkey was created by animators, Jason Drakeford and Matt Raufman, for Sopo’s new TV show called, This Bike Could Be Your Life. They are debuting the first episode at Graveyard Tavern in East Atlanta on Saturday August 23rd. There will also be Skids and Tricks Competitions in the bar with $5 PBR pitchers if you ride your bike. Hopefully Sopo Bikes will have their new stickers available at the show. I picked up 2 from Rachael last weekend at Eyedrum, but I really need a few more in my life.
The schedule:
Premiere at 9pm
Bands at 10pm
Late Night Dance Party
Photos by Ross Martin
Ross set up and manned the “photobooth” in the VIP Room at El Bar last night. Check out all the action after the jump.
