A b-boy salute to Jimmy Castor...R.I.P.

Jimmy Castor (1947 - 2012) was one of the most sought after artists by b-boys. For me, it was realizing that his soundtrack was the beat in Flashdance. You know, the classic scene where Jennifer Beals and her friend bump into Mr. Freeze and Frosty Freeze from Rock Steady rocking in an alleyway.

 

Since then, Jimmy Castor's name has been sampled by pop, rap and dance acts across the oceans. Christina Aguilera ("Back In The Day" used "Troglodyte"), Kanye West (“We Don’t Care” used “I Just Wanna Stop”). Even the UK's dancefloor hits were reaching into Jimmy's archives for vibes. Neneh Cherry (“Buffalo Stance” used “Troglodyte”), M.A.A.R.S. (classic tune “Pump up the Volume” sampled “It’s Just begun”) and Soul II Soul (“Jazzie’s Groove” grabbed “Soul Travelin’).

Super B-Beat Show blog interviewed Jimmy Castor in 2010. Check out the audio here at this b-boy fanzine from San Diego, CA.

Go visit Jimmy's website. It's pure funk! The Total Entertainer. Jimmy Castor. The Everything Man!

Lady Pink's solo show in New York

This December I wanted to get myself to New York, but sadly $1,000 was too high a price to pay. This wasn't a shopping trip...this was a hip hop excursion.

As mentioned in an earlier post, Double Goose from Paris had set up its annual shop in New York in December. And then I heard that Lady Pink opened her solo gallery show at Woodward Gallery, LES, New York. That combination was enough to make me pack my bags!

Lady Pink is best known as Zoro's (played by Lee Quinones) girlfriend, Rose, in the hip hop classic film, Wild Style. In that role, she led her graffiti crew, The Union. After nearly three decades, Lady Pink, aka Sandra Fabara, is still painting and this exhibition is the output of several years' work, mostly this century. Since switching from aerosol to acrylic on canvas her work has taken on a more intricate detail, but she continues to paint fantasy-like scenescapes. 

Lady Pink mural, 1997 (credit Lady Pink/Art Crimes)

"Pink Foilage", Lady Pink, 2011 (credit: Woodward Gallery)

"Lady Pink is the first woman in graffiti based art.  In her current solo exhibition "Evolution," Lady Pink re-masters work she once created as public murals. Lady Pink muses on old lettering outlines which have evolved from three decades of writing. To the cultured eye, Lady Pink’s street tag can be identified from the period in which it was deliberately constructed. The colorful POP- surreal canvases today, have her trademark name interwoven throughout the elaborate image, as if to authenticate her mark in art history. Lady Pink’s unique personal vision has been communicated throughout her evolution from subway writer to fine artist." Woodward Gallery

Here's a video of Lady Pink at the legendary 5 Pointz, Long Island City, New York.

"New York City is a bit up tight when we use spraypaint instead of paint brush..." Lady Pink

15 years in the game...Stones Throw

Can you remember when Stones Throw Records first grabbed your attention? Was it for a J.Dilla release? Or a J.Rocc mixtape? May be it was a Rhettmatic joint?

After 15 years, Stones Throw has become a cornerstone of LA's vibrant hip hop scene and (nearly) as recognizable as Delicious Vinyl! And tomorrow night Stones Throw celebrates a decade and half of musical exploration by taking over the Exchange in LA with KCRW and Fusicology for a party on two floors.

Exchange
618 Spring Street, Los Angeles CA 90014
9PM-2AM // 21+ // $30 at the door

Pre-sale tickets:
http://www.ticketfly.com/event/79903


Here's some multimedia

Audio Live and direct to disc action


Dam-Funk & Master Blazter - Killdat (Live at Stones Throw Direct to Disc #3) by stonesthrow

Video Below is the #2 video from the competition held earlier this year. Watch more crazy talented videomakers show their love for Stones Throw here.



Garms Get yourself a piece of Stones Throw history here with a Stussy collaboration designed by Gustavo Eandi.

Stussy x Stones Throw commemorative t-shirt $40

Double Goose, double the choice

The timeless style of a leather goose down "buff" jacket has been the topic of several of my blog entries. I can't help it, I get into these buying sprees whenever I see my size (small.)

The v-stitching is my favorite. And I still wake in a cold sweat for not picking up one of the v-stitch sleeveless vests that were sold in a store in Soho, London in the 90s. So, prompted by some recent Facebook chatter amongst my mates (Dexter, it's your fault!), I ended up discovering the nylon v-stitch bomber from the rejuvenated Double Goose brand.

Double Goose, Wellgosh store

The Double Goose has undergone a renaissance which I had happily ignored until now! After all, why get a new goose jacket when you have the original old one? Unless of course it's improved in some way...and a nylon shell is that improvement. Not only is it more weatherproof, but it's also lighter. And for of you that know me, it's cheaper too! ;) Wellgosh in the Midlands area of England has put itself on the map by stocking these very limited availability jackets.

Pop Up, Poppin'! If you were lucky enough to be in New York this winter you would have had the chance to visit the Double Goose pop-up store in the Reed Annex space. This flying visit is becoming a habit as this is the third year such a shopping event has been organized. Open till December 22nd!

For the third year, Double Goose @ Reed Annex, NYC

Check out the beautiful metal zip accessories made by French jewelry designer Anjuna Bijoux.

Hip Hop favorites: Roy Ayers and Pete Rock in LA!

Last week, I entered a competition to win tix to see Roy Ayers and Pete Rock as part of the Homage series of gigs. Sadly I didn't win and that's why I'm sat at home blogging instead of at the gig ;)

"Homage is a music series that pays respect to the musical giants that have forever altered the way we listen, sample and love music."

The question was..."Name five rap artist who have sampled Roy Ayers." You could probably name 25 artists, but here was my list... 

• Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth “Searching”
• Funkdoobiest “Dedicated”
• Jungle Brothers: "Sunshine"
• A Tribe Called Quest "Keep it Rollin"
• Brand Nubian “Wake Up (Reprise in the Sunshine)”

 If you need a reminder here are the tunes to nod your head to! Top billing goes to Pete Rock!

Xmas 2011 shopping list #1

I've gladly fallen off the consumer tip lately. (Check out the Spend Thrift for what I'm feeling.) But, this morning's email from HUF had me wondering what will I add to my Christmas list. (Certainly not an "Occupy Wall Street" t-shirt from Rocawear/Jay Z!)

HUF x Haze 2011 collaboration

If Haze looks familar it's cause he's the man behind so many hip hop icons...

"When Hip Hop commercial identity was in it's infancy, he created imagery and direction for top artists. He counts among his accomplishments, the logos for Tommy Boy Records, Cold Chillin and EPMD in addition to LP sleeves for Public Enemy, The Beastie Boys, LL Cool J and others." @149St graffiti history website.

"New York City graffiti-artist Eric Haze made his debut on the streets of Manhattan in the early 1970's, writing under the tag name 'HAZE.' Taking his efforts underground into the NYC subway scene soon after, HAZE quickly gained notoriety during the 1980s in the art and graffiti world through his trademark letter-forms and unique hand style. This distinct and inimitable style proved crucial to HAZE's success in later years, as he opened his own design studio in 1986, becoming one of the first graffiti artists to authentically capture the street art and hip hop scenes through graphic design. After years of designing imagery and direction for some of hip hop and street art's finest, HAZE turned to marketing himself, and in 1993 launched his own clothing and design line, which has come to be recognized as one of the original producers of street wear as we know it today.


Coming from a similar street-scene background through skateboarding, HUF-founder Keith Hufnagel has come together with HAZE in a collaboration that encapsulates HAZE's very distinguishable graffiti lettering style with the clean aesthetic and design of HUF. As part of HUF's Holiday 2011 Collection, the HUF x HAZE collaboration features a series of three t-shirts, a snapback hat, and skateboard deck designed by HAZE. For more information on HAZE, visit www.interhaze.com." HUF

LA street graffiti vs. The Buff Squad

Hey there websters! Since June, I've been consumed with traveling and managing a new work project, but I'm back...Expect more posts on my favorite stuff as I backfill some of the events I didn't write about!

Here we go....Archive #1.

Driving around town in the summer I spotted these fellas out on the streets. "The Los Angeles Beautification Team" buffing some parking lot walls and street utility boxes. I'm glad they are not whitewashing the legal pieces I snapped somewhere between Echo Park and West Hollywood.

As the title says, "Please Don't Buff".