Graffiti, once the bastard child of art forms makes a mainstream appearance this year that links graffiti with fashion and function. Tatoot, a debut line of backpacks and messenger bags, allows graffiti artists to showcase their work legally and aims to help clean up city streets by providing them an outlet.

Founders Eddie Shabot and David Ben David created a classic old school/new school battle pitting ten artists — five from each group — against one another to design a bag. Winning designs went on to be manufactured and with that Tatoot was born. Propelled by contributing artists the design competition is on going and welcomes any graffiti artist to enter.

Contest winners are decided by online vote and the design goes into production, bags are sold at Foot Locker; Dr. Jays; Foot Soldiers (Miami); Michael K. and Up Against the wall (NYC). To enter the competition or vote for a bag here, to check out the bags on sale now here.

One of the most culturally diverse cities on the planet, Toronto, Canada hosts its 41st Caribana, one of the biggest and baddest Caribbean Festivals in North America.

Three weeks of partying Carnival style draws in a million festival visitors each year and at least a hundred thousand American tourists come to celebrate culture. Along the festival route vendors line up to serve you food as diverse as the people in attendance so if you like food as much as I do, be sure to go with an empty stomach.

Caribana’s night scene is time to really get live because each night provides another party or three to attend. Machal Montana, a soca artist from Trinidad (the Holy Grail of Carnival) will make an appearance along with Kevin Lyttle, Akon, Estelle, Ludacris, and Kardinall Offishall who will all host parties over the duration of the festival to give you a reason to dance until the next days celebration begins.

Toronto’s Caribana is as close as you’ll get to a Trinidad and Tobago Carnival without having to leave North America to do it.

Caribana kicked off Sunday June 15 and ends August 5.

More event information is available here and here.