There is a season for everything. A time to cry, a time to love, a time to laugh…and a time to dance so hard your body burns for weeks. Spring has sprung and it’s about time we join the universe in its celebration.

Welcome to Afro Blue, The Launch Party. The only rules are:
1. No wallflowers
2. No standing round and not dancing
3. No holding back when the music moves ya
4. Dress fashionable and comfortable

This event takes place at Tillman’s and will be bumpin’ all night with everything from soulful house to world rhythms, a beautiful crowd and it will all stream live once the party starts. Presented by Gibril of the GiKu Experience (Giant Step Jukebox), be prepared to sweat!

No cover (for all of you “striving” artists)

The Japanese street couture label, Rocksmith Tokyo is one of the fastest growing independent street wear labels on the Japan-U.S. fashion scene. Rocksmith’s success story hails from the much-welcomed renaissance of the underground creative industry that has begun to reclaim the lead in design and production from the monopoly of corporations.

Rocksmith was founded in 2002 by DJ Masterkey, Japan’s number one hip-hop DJ, whose record label The Life Entertainment partnered up with NYC-based Kilo International to take the goods worldwide. Having U.S. partners Erik and Kenshin on board bringing the NYC flava, the brand is ready for a complete global takeover.

Attention to detail is what makes Rocksmith stand out amongst the rapidly proliferating street wear labels. Using clothing as a vehicle of art, Rocksmith delivers sophisticated cuts reminiscent of the minimalist aesthetics of 1920’s art deco combined with carefully selected fabrics — Erik and Kenshin regularly travel the globe to hand-pick fabrics — and brilliant visual references steeped in 80s and 90s hip-hop and pop culture.

Check the fly 2008 Spring collection featuring the zip-off sleeved Boom Box Windbreaker, the French terry and velour Rich Boy Hoody, the gold satin Raising Hell Baseball Jacket, the weightless all-nylon Slash Windbreaker and the clean cotton Allante Barracuda.

From The Cool Kids, Mickey Factz, Theophilus London aka KAPPS to Hollywood Holt, Mano, and Steedlord, you’ll see the new generation of hip-hop heads rocking these goodies on the regular. Also make sure to peep the new collection of Rocksmith’s twin-brother, Kilo Goods offering limited edition couture for lovers of the Miami fresh. Get yours at Karmaloop.

Or, e-mail TRACE here with your details. Yep — we’ve got gear to give away!

It’s pretty easy to recognize the iconic mark of Claw Money — which is part of the point of a good tag. Once upon a time, good tags would hitch rides on metal subway cars, screaming “Look! I’m here, too!” You could spot a piece a mile away and know who did it by the style alone. Soandso was all over the A train line and whatshisface was king of the F.

Claw’s design collaboration with Boost Mobile, which drops for public retail today, seems a long way from this, but if the point is to tag early and tag often, then she still might win — even if she’s bending the rules a little.

Maybe it’s all the same thing in the end, but one thing is for sure: whether painting the metal tanks of subway lines or printing on the mobile device cases of her own line, the Claw Train doesn’t stop!