photo by Joe Martinez

I met Jerry Rice last weekend and learned about his legendary training sessions. Read more over at StandardATL.com.

Wayne Roooneeeeeyyyy!!!!

Leaving The Zoo recording studio, we were bussed-off the Laney College where the Oakland Nike Football Combine was taking place. We were about to get our butt’s handed to us as we were about to get very familiar with Nike SPARQ training.
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After waking up in San Fran last Saturday, the Nike Media Group (including myself & Joe Martinez), boarded a bus to Oakland’s The Zoo recording studio for a footwear briefing. The briefing was structured to cover Nike’s 2010 releases in the athletic training department which would expose the design decisions and technological advances that went into the creation of the Trainer SC 2010 (which I would later test drive), Edge TR, Trainer 1.2, Huarache TR, and finally Free TR (Joe spent the weekend in these).
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There’s one pole near the Golden Gate Bridge where they seem to “allow” stickers to go undisturbed. Everything else in the area is pristine. I had to make sure PROCESS was in the mix…

A-Trak has released this Dirty South Dance 2 Mixtape that’s full of our jams. It’s highly recommended y’all. Thanks for Froso for the heads up!

Download (via Bandcamp): A-Track - Dirty South Dance 2

Our friends at The Joneses have just released some snapback caps that carry the same bold and simplistic style that defines their brand. Available at Niche in Charlotte and St. Alfred in Chicago. Roadtrip anyone?

photo by Joe Martinez

I spent the weekend in San Francisco getting an up-close introduction to Nike SPARQ training. Needless to say, it kicked my butt! More details coming as soon as I get back to the A.

I’m working on a new design project for Rehab’s upcoming album and I decided that the first step in the process was to go through thousands of live show photos that we’ve taken over the years and pick out the great shots. I’ve been waiting to take on this project for a long time and I’m really excited that the opportunity is finally here. Here’s one of my favorite photos of singer, Danny Boone, showing the Tabernacle crowd what he’s made of.

Nike Basketball has partnered with Aston Martin to introduce the Nike Kobe Bryant (Aston Martin Edition) footwear pack at STAPLES Center. It started with the viral web video of Kobe Bryant jumping over an Aston Martin DB9, and was fueled by consumer demand that resulted in this high magnitude collaboration between Nike Basketball and the luxury sports car manufacturer.

Aston Martin-inspired colorways of the Zoom Kobe V and Nike Hyperdunk DB9 were available for sale to a select number of Kobe fans. Paying astute attention to detail, the lining in the Hyperdunk DB9’s were cut made from the same leather from the interior of the Aston Martin DB9. That puts it over-the-top for me! Read more »

Inevitably, things are going to change here in A-town. Despite all the negativity about JJ (let him walk) and Woody (fire his ass), I’m really going to miss this ensemble team that we’ve enjoyed over the past few years…

The awesome people behind Smilebooth have compiled this video of all the pics they captured on Cinco de Mayo at Graveyard Tavern. It’s always fun to hang out with our good friends, Esperanza, and it’s even better to have some of the evening’s craziness captured. Enjoy!

These tees came out really nice! Sorry about the cruddy Blackberry photo. You gotta see this in person! Come out for Cinco de Mayo at Graveyard Tavern and pick up yours before we run out!

Name:
Bart Sasso

Aka: 
Barty (properly pronounced with some New Englandy nasal action, Bahhty); Squat; Big Flower (for the old homies)  

Website: 
www.esperanza-atl.com 

Where are you from?
Atlanta via Newington, CT

Who do you work for?
ESPERANZA ATL 

What are your Current Project(s)?
Spankin’ new CINCO DE MAYO collabo with our major homies THE PROCESS; our increasingly infamous ATL HOLD IT DOWN Foam Hand; a collabo with our Chattanooga affiliate Randy Wallin of FRESH NEWS; new ESPERANZA products every week all summer long; WORLD CUP headquarters; and some big, big plans that should start to unfold very soon……

Who would you love to work with?
Danny Jones from YASLY.com; Clark Orr; the guys at MORNING BREATH; the guys at BURLESQUE OF NORTH AMERICA; Methane Studios; Mike Giant; Jessica Hische; Simon Page. These are artists who fascinate and inspire me. I’d love to just observe them over the course of a couple days (if y’all are listening!).

If you had to give all your sneakers away to charity except for one pair, which ones would you keep?
They’re all pretty beat up, so if they want em, they can have em all. I’ll just go snag a new pair of CHUCKS tomorrow.  

What’s on your iPod right now?
Aggrolites, Bad Religion, Delroy Wilson, Evil Stig, Gallows, Ghostface Killah, Glasvegas, H2O, Jamie T, Joe Gibbs, Low Anthem, Madlib’s Medicine Shows, Mariachi el Bronx, Menahan Street Band, Minor Threat, Ocha la Rocha, Old Canes, Operation Ivy, PAC DIV, panama!3, Partisan, Phosphorescent, Rancid, RATATAT, Raekwon, Rolling Stones, Sick of it All, Sizzla, The Streets, Van Morrison, The Walkmen, When Rhythm was King Comp. Just scrolled through my nano, got a REBEL8 sticker on the back if it counts.

What’s your Favorite ATL food?
Pork Belly Torta @ HOLY TACO - that thing is a religious experience. 

What’s your Favorite ATL hangout?
The Local, Bookhouse Pub, Star Bar & EK’s house when his lady Lauren is cookin,

What are your Pet Peeves?
People who say NO. People who settle for mediocrity. And just bitchassness in general.

Shout outs?
My Moms, Pops, & sis Becks who support me endlessly and whom I will never take for granted. The rest of ESP, Danny & EK, who crush it with me. Neboner, our estranged 4th. Karlo Vicente, Lee Starnes, Hunter Weeks, & Ali Faiz, true believers. Our GaTech fam, the Saints. Annie Znosko and her impeccable opinion. Ed and the boys at DANGER. Fadia Kader. Jack, Talley, & Esteban from CJ’s, TIN ROOF & STAR BAR. Malissa from 4THE WARD HEROES. Matty @ the SPIRIT. Mike & Blake from SMKA. Philip @ GRAVEYARD. THE VAGINAS rock ‘n roll crew, esp. Adam & James. Randy Wallin. Dres tha Beatnik. Wax @ MINDZAI. GregMike who’s just doin’ it right now. And last, but certainly not least, THE PROCESS crew who we’ve got mad love for.

Name:
Eric Kelly

Aka:
EK, E to the K, Big E, Eazy E, EEEEKKKK

Website:
www.esperanza-atl.com 

Where are you from?
Atlanta via Stone Mountain

Who do you work for?
Esperanza Atlanta

What are your Current Project(s)?
Workin on several projects at the moment. As always, trying to keep things fresh with new threads from Esperanza. Our insane section at Hawks playoffs games. We just put a massive showcase on at SXSW in Austin with Fadia Kader and SMKA and can’t wait to plan for next year. Ocha La Rocha has some new music coming out with Esperanza artwork adorning their wax. Got some things in the works with Aleon Craft…..and the list goes on. Let’s just say it’s about to get “multimedia.”

Who would you love to work with? 
The way it’s going, I just love to work with anyone and everyone who works with us because they realize our talent and respect what we do and how hard we work to get it done…or The Beastie Boys.

If you had to give all your sneakers away to charity except for one pair, which ones would you keep? 
The Adidas Campus sneaks that I have had since 2002…love those things. I don’t even remember what the original color was, haha.

What’s on your iPod right now? 
Mumford & Sons, Broken Bells, Mos Def, Avett Brothers, Handsome Furs, Johnathan Boulet, Collective Efforts, Jamie T , Madlib, Animal Collective, K’naan, Murs, Felt, Michael Jackson, King Tubby, I-Roy, Outkast, Beach Boys, Rancid, Junior Murvin, M. Ward, Sam Cooke, Rhymefest, The Slackers, James Brown, Fleet Foxes, Diplo, Vampire Weekend, The Smiths, Hall and Oates….yes that’s right.  The Very Best, Phaseone, K-OS, Blakroc, Bullion, Wu Tang, Local Natives, 808 Experiment, Ella Fitzgerald….I feel like that is enough to tell…

What’s your Favorite ATL food? 
The Varsity

What’s your Favorite ATL hangout? 
Depends on my mood, The Local, The Clermont, Leon’s, The Brickstore, The Star Bar, Bart’s Condo

What are your Pet Peeves?
People who win on a scratch off ticket and think that means that they don’t have to go to the back of the line, people who walk around with their bluetooth on and don’t realize that nobody gives a shit about their conversation. Why you gotta talk so loud?

Shout outs?
The Process of course, SMKA, 4th Ward Heroes, Studio Crispo, Danger, Bart, Daniel

Name:
Daniel Barbalho 

Aka: 
DBAR, Yutti,  

Website: 
www.esperanza-atl.com 

Where are you from?
ATL, where else? 

Who do you work for?
ESPERANZA ATL 

What are your Current Project(s)?
Various new designs for ESPERANZA, the ATL HOLD IT DOWN FOAM HAND, art direction for A.LEON CRAFT and other various Atlanta artists, and I have to mention the SXSW showcase we just put on in Austin Texas, Branding and Promoting the hell out of Esperanza in Atlanta and beyond. 

Who would you love to work with?
Already work with the guys I want to work with, Bart and Eric.  As for Collaboration work, anyone who is fiercely and overly passionate about what they do.  I don’t want to work with anyone who doesn’t sacrifice for their craft. 

If you had to give all your sneakers away to charity except for one pair, which ones would you keep?
Grey and Green Puma Speeders  

What’s on your iPod right now?
Unfinished ALEON CRAFT ALBUM, Ocha La Rocha, and BlacRoc 

What’s your Favorite ATL food?
The Ridiculous Holeman and Finch hamburger alongside some of the best bartenders/mixologist in the city 

What’s your Favorite ATL hangout?
Pink Pony 

What are your Pet Peeves?
People who are overly emotional about people they have never met. 

Shout outs?
All those who have helped Esperanza in the past. Ed Jewell and the crew at DANGERPRESS, Jack, Talley, and Stephen from STAR BAR, TIN ROOF and the ol’ CJ’s LANDING, Ocha La Rocha, Fadia Kadar, Greg Mike, Matty at the Hawks, Hunter Weeks, Karlo Vicente, Lee Starnes, the Saints, Meri, Lauren, Ryan Nerone, Annie Znosko, Patrick Clingan and the Esperanza crews’ parents, friends and loyal fans.

Jared Dalcourt disrupted the Bucks’ shootaround before every game at the Highlight Factory this postseason.

We’ve enjoyed trash-talking during this playoff series so much and have noticed our pictures on all of our favorite media outlets, but my favorite instance was finding this clip of Jared running his mouth on the Milwaukee Bucks’ video section on NBA.com. Awesome!

With this animated .gif, we can remember these moments forever…

The new USA home kits are SO CLEAN! To me they look like a ghosted-out version of the blue/white away kits they revealed in February. They’re a throwback to a kit the USA team wore in 1950 when they beat England 1-0. Coincidentally, they are playing England again in their first World Cup match on June 12th!

Check out the old-school jams after the jump. Read more »

Dosa sent me this awesome portrait he created of local talent, Michi Meko and what I’m assuming is a self-portrait of himself. He has an amazing illustration style and I’m always stoked to see him reppin’ our brand, Process, in his work. Check out the full image after the jump. Read more »

We just wrapped the design and development of this website for our good friends Matt and Lauren Milling; owners of a vintage vessel that sails in Hilton Head called Schooner Welcome. Matt and Lauren wanted their new website to provide an engulfing example of what one might see if upon setting sail in their unique schooner. We reinvented their previous 4-page website into more than just a ticket selling portal. Of course, selling tickets is still a primary focus of their new website, but everyone is in agreement that Joe Martinez‘ photography does an amazing job selling the high-seas adventures awaiting you! Visit SchoonerWelcome.com