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The World Is Yours 07.08.2008

07.08.08Stylistics
txt: Shawn Lawrence James//ph: Rahan Cotterel

In life, few things can dare challenge the momentum of persistence. I learned that from my experience with Great Scott & Alex (Marketing Director of Billionaire Boys Club and the youngest five star chef in New York, respectively.) They are a walking advertisement for a generation of dreamers aspiring to achieve society’s imposed view of the impossible. Brave, young and boundless, the two speak with Stylistics on what helps them exercise their brand of brilliance to the masses.

Name: Scott D. McKenzie (pictured left) Alex Goldberg (pictured right)
Better Known As: Great Scott; Goldberg
Age: 23; 14
Born: East Orange, New Jersey; New York City
Occupation: (Scott) Billionaire Boys Club/Ice Cream Skate Team, Model, Fashion Stylist, Humanitarian, Philosopher. (Alex) I work at a restaurant and I’m a very good cook.

Alex, you’re the youngest five star chef in the history of New York. What are some of your favorite dishes to make?
My favorite dishes to make are breakfast and omelets I [also] like to grill and make steak.

Scott, can you explain the philosophy of Billionaire Boys Club (BBC) clothing?
Scott: I am BBC. BBC is wealth being in the heart and mind, not the pocket. BBC is being spiritually wealthy first because without spiritual wealth, you cannot be financially nor anything else. With wealth within the heart, you can grant anything beyond your wildest imagination

What’s the most valuable thing you’ve learned working under Pharrell?
Scott: That life is not about money… It’s about spiritual wealth.

How did you two become friends? To my understanding, you guys had very different upbringings. What do you admire about one another?
Scott: Alex would come into Kid Robot bullshitting around so I’d ask him “Where are your parents?” He responds “Where the fuck are yours?” But what I admire about him is he does not give a fuck about you. Even though he’s 14, he’s not 14. Mentally, he’s far beyond. He’s so smart and ahead of his time it’s unbelievable.

Alex: Scott looked like a fly dude and I wanted to become friends with him and I started talking to him and got his number. [He’s a] great guy because he’s so nice. He was good-looking and knew how to dress.

Talk about the company you developed together:
Alex: Scott said something one day about starting a company and I said “Cool, with who?” I said I wanted to have a hand in it and then we started to think of names and we came up with ASAP that stands for Alex Scott and Perri. [not pictured]

Scott: Well “ASAP” is not a company yet. It’s just us as friends: me, Alex, and Perri Da$h. We all know that one day we are going to collaborate, but for now we just support one another as a team.

What inspires your style?
Scott: I’m inspired by life, period. I grew up around all cultures in this world. I mean for me, when I wake up and get dressed, there’s no strategy to the shit I feel.

You guys managed to accomplish a lot at such a young age, what keeps you inspired?
Scott: The crowd I keep around me. I love them for what I’m not.

Did your age hold any obstacles against you during your ascension?
Scott: Well, when I was [younger] it did. Nobody believes in you until they see you doing you first. You gotta make people believe. When I was young, I’d talk about what I wanted from life and years later, things are actually becoming reality.

POSTED BY Stylistics

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Get Thee to a Bookstore 07.07.2008

Thursday, July 10, 7:30pm
Solas Bar (232 E. 9^th Street btw 3^rd and 2^nd Aves)
St. Mark’s Reading Series featuring Ed Park and Leni Zumas

More Ed Park (Editor of Believer Magazine and New-York Ghost, and now author of Personal Days), along with Leni Zumas (Farewell Navigator: Stories).

Friday, July 11, 7:00pm
McNally Robinson (52 Prince St. between Lafayette and Mulberry)
David Browne & Thurston Moore

It’s Sonic Youth night on Friday at McNally Robinson as founding member Thurston Moore and writer David Browne (Goodbye 20^th Century: A Biography of Sonic Youth) come together to discuss the New York underground scene in the 70s and 80s as well as the band. The website says there might be audio and video. Moore is the author of several books, most recently No Wave: Post-Punk. Underground. New York 1976-1980. and the eponymous and brief moment in music in New York. Browne is a journalist and author, and his book gives the history of Sonic Youth and its influence on the scene.

POSTED BY Shawn Mitchell
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SaLon at WHITEBOX 07.04.2008

SaLon at WHITEBOX is a testament to the diversity of the UK’s freshest emerging talent. Eight recent graduates of British art schools like the Royal Academy of Art or Goldsmiths were selected to represent what SaLon considers the new wave of British art.

From spraypaint to embroidery, each artist creates a solid impression on the audience despite the collective nature of the exhibit. Although hailed as a the new generation of British art, the artists make it clear that they are more than just a unit, breaking the need for cohesion in the exhibit and favoring screaming voices of independence and change. The ways in which they voraciously attack modern British life only serves to emphasize the frustrations with the lack of societal progression.

Among the illustrious eight is explosive new talent Sarah Maple. Hailed as the new Tracey Emin by The Independent on Sunday, she was recently awarded the “4 Sensations Award” for her controversial work. Maple addresses questions of Islamic identity by placing stereotyped versions of veiled women within a Westernized fashion photography context. Various references to Kate Moss are explicitly made, if only to contrast the liberalism of the Westernized woman with that of the modesty of the Islamic woman. Her artwork is suffused with questions on religious and national identity because of her mixed religious and cultural upbringing.

More here.

POSTED BY Raya Jalabi
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All That Jazz 07.04.2008

When was the last time you witnessed Woody Allen and Public Enemy performing for the same event?! No, no, no this is not a prank or an episode of Flavor of Love…For the past 29 years Montreal has been hosting one of the most prestigious jazz manifestations; an event where up-and-coming talents and established artists give some of their best performances in the heart of the city.

The Montreal Jazz Festival does not only cater to jazz lovers, the array of genres and styles of music (hip-hop, bossa nova, electro-jazz, world-music…) turns the city into an even more colorful and intense cultural mosaic that attracts music lovers from all parts of the world. This year’s edition, dedicated to the memory of Oscar Petterson, had me travel me around the world-literally — in 11 days !

I started my journey, last Thursday, in Bahia with senor Gilberto Gil and his BroadBand, I then attended Reverend Green church service in Memphis on saturday, and eventually spent some time with Me Myself and I on planet rap with De La Soul. On Monday I took a crash-course in social activism with professor Chuck D. Running from venue to the other I couldn’t help but glimpsing at one of the groovy band that would made the crowd get down even in the rain … But wait, I almost forgot my “coup de coeur” Cuban piano virtuoso Roberto Fonseca. Fonseca - who accompanied the legendary Ibrahim Ferrer - and his band mesmerized the audience; I relaxed on Wednesday at McCoy Tyner’s piano recital. Last night, newcomer South African-Israeli Yoav charmed me with accoustic guitar. Unfortunately, as it is often the case with festivals of that caliber, I was not able to stop by Mrs. Franklin’s soulful class, Woody Allen’s jazz lesson; I also missed the double-bill featuring GZA and RZA and The BlindBoys of Alabama, Malian mega-star Salif Keita with Vieux Farka-Toure, or Miss Dee Dee Bridgewater…

Two more days to go and Cassandra Wilson is next!

The 2008 edition is even more special as the city of Montreal has recently undertaken the development of the “Quartier des Spectacles” (Arts District) that should be completed by next year for the Festival 30th anniversary with the opening of the Maison du Festival de Jazz. The festival also offers a variety of activities for children (games, face-painting, music workshops) as well as a guitar salon, a on-site art Gallery and wide range of other excitements!

So folks if you missed this year’s event, start saving up for a trip to the hot’n'humid Montreal summer, you won’t regret it!

More info here!

POSTED BY Samantha Etane
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Chanel Mobile Art 07.04.2008

Attempting to blur the lines between fashion, art and architecture, Mobile Art is jumping head first into the avant-garde. The brainchild of Chanel’s creative director Karl Lagerfeld and architect wunderkind Zaha Hadid, the concept of a traveling gallery is a means of subverting the traditional ways in which people visit galleries, transporting the art to the people, and not the other way around. The gallery, which inhabited Hong Kong from February to April, is now closing it’s Tokyo run. Soon, it will reopen in New York, then continuing through London, Moscow and Paris.

A physical synonym of ultra-modern, the gallery itself (pictured above) is a white, streamlined loop-shaped structure, with industrial undertones. Visitors exit from the starting point of their journey, replicating the cyclical, and oftentimes fickle, nature of fashion.

The exhibit is a showcase of individual installations, all the work of twenty handpicked international artists. And whilst the gallery itself is arguably the most striking piece on display, the inspiration of the Chanel quilted handbag stirred in the artists’ some strikingly conceptual pieces, most notably “At the Bottom” by Japanese artist Tabaimo, an elevated structure in which visitors peer down into a well filled with the floating dreams of Chanel customers.

Perfectly capturing the international aesthetic of the Chanel brand, Mobile Art will be touring the world’s major cities, starting off in futuristic Tokyo and culminating in the capital of Haute Couture, Paris.

More mobility here.

POSTED BY Raya Jalabi
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Surging Sounds 07.03.2008

Remember playing Super Mario Bros when you were little? Fingers pressing, eyes fixated, ears open, all in the hopes of rescuing the Princess – it was intense. Maybe that intensity is what drew Toronto-based Crystal Castles to incorporate the electronic glitchy sound bites of the old Nintendo games into their music.

Ethan Kath and Alice Glass, collectively known as Crystal Castles, hail from Canada but have quickly become an international music force, invading cities from Tokyo to Helsinki with their eclectic-electronic-pop sound. The duo paired up back in 2003, and two years later recorded their first single, “Alice Practice”, which they released through MySpace — they were signed to Merok Records soon after.

Crystal Castles’ characteristic sound is hard to pin point because of its frantic nature. Their synth-based beats coupled with Glass’ distorted vocals merge to create a pop-electronic surge that is offset with an 80’s tinge. Tracks such as “Crimewave” and “Air War” — which are included in their latest self-titled CD (released this March) – embody the duo’s commitment to their vision of futuristic 8 bit based pop.

Crystal Castles is performing on Saturday July 5th at Toronto’s Harbourfront Centre. Check out their MySpace for upcoming tour dates.

POSTED BY Yamil Alvarado
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Get Thee to a Bookstore 06.30.2008

Monday, June 30, 7:00pm
Housing Works Used Bookstore & Café (126 Crosby Street, South of Houston)
BOMB Magazine presents: Victoria Redel and Honor Moore

BOMB Magazine presents BOMBLive from time to time, and this Monday there will be a talk between Victoria Redel (The Border of Truth) and Honor Moore (The Bishop’s Daughter) “about fathers and daughters, fiction and memory.” With a Q+A and signing. Should be interesting.

Wednesday, July 2, 2008
McNally Robinson (52 Prince St. between Lafayette and Mulberry)
Marcus Reeves & Alec Forge on Hip Hop and Radio

In case you missed the last Marcus Reeves’s (Somebody Scream!: Rap Music’s Rise to Prominence in the Aftershock of Black Power) event that I mentioned, here’s another, equally interesting. He will be talking with Alec Foege, author of Right of the Dial: The Rise of Clear Channel and the Fall of Commercial Radio, about hip-hop and commercial radio on Wednesday.

POSTED BY Shawn Mitchell
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Africa Vintage Wood 06.26.2008

Leaving an imprint on New York’s indie fashion circles for the past few years with experimental, expressive collections, young NYC-based designer Brian Wood sees his latest African Warlord line culminating with the drop of his upcoming Africa Vintage Logo limited edition tee.

Known for artistic pieces suited for the streets and runways alike, Brian Wood’s designs are a product of creative vision and the tutelage of visionaries like Marc Jacobs and Anna Sui. The African Warlord concept was an examination of the impact Western popular culture has had on continental African sensibilities. Ripe with color and content, each piece spoke to the collision of two world cultures.

With the Africa Vintage Logo tee, Brian Wood presents his most artfully crafted piece in the collection thus far. The cut and sew tee features 6 printed iconic vintage logos, with a 4 panel-pieced front, and raw edge sleeve finish. The back neck label is also stitched on an appliquéd square of authentic Khenti cloth. Limited to only 100 total pieces produced, the Africa Vintage Logo tee will surely be a rare delicacy among the boutique circuit.

Be on the lookout for a July 1st drop, and check here for a current listing of shops where you’ll be able to invest in this work of textile art.

POSTED BY Devin "PAN" Barrett
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Lomo to a T 06.25.2008

Here’s one for all you DIY photogs, lomos and designers out there: the Lomographic Society International is partnering with the tee-shirt company Threadless on a contest to design some gear inspired by Lomo’s 10 Golden Rules of Photography.

Rule 1: Take your camera everywhere you go
Rule 2: Use it any time — day or night
Rule 3: Lomography is not an interference in your life but part of it
Rule 4: Try the shot from the hip
Rule 5: Approach the objects of your lomographic desire as close as possible
Rule 6: Don’t think
Rule 7: Be fast
Rule 8: You don’t have to know beforehand what you captured on film
Rule 9: Afterwards either
Rule 10: Don’t worry about any rules

Known for supplying the recent resurgence in plastic, “toy” cameras like the Diana, the Holga and the Lomo — cheap-bodied, high-saturated, medium-format relics of the American 50s to 70s, Soviet Russia and good Commuists worldwide — the Lomographic Society was founded in Vienna in the early 90s by a couple of guys who accidentally rediscovered the magic aesthetic of these cameras. The society’s guerrilla style and rules of irreverence quickly outgrowing its supply, Lomo expanded to Berlin a few years later and held simultaneous inaugural exhibitions in New York and Moscow.

Watch out of your design wins! Besides the 2,000 Dollars in prize cash, you could also gain a heap of Lomo camera tricks. With those in your pocket, you’ll soon find yourself in a vast global network of street photogs and creatives who will nod knowingly every time you snap off a little plastic shot.

More on Lomographic here and on the contest here.

POSTED BY Nikko Lencek-Inagaki
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Stephanie McKay 06.24.2008

Stephanie’s got soul. So much soul that it moves through her lyrics, erupts uncontrollably with the unique alto in her voice, and leaves a deep resonance in the minds of listeners. Her soul is fresh and according to her, marks a “reincarnation for the new generation.”

This Bronx-born native makes no mistake when it comes to producing lasting music. With influences from greats such as Betty Wright, Lyn Collins, Margie Joseph, Roberta Flack, Candi Staton and Mavis Staples, it’s only expected that the rasp-jazz songstress bring music back to its feel-good roots.

July 21st marks the expedition back home, with the release of her forthcoming album Tell It Like It Is. When asked about the hiatus between this album and her 2003 self-titled debut, Stephanie McKay responded with a quote from Q-Tip: “Record company people are shady.”

Fortunately, she’s worked through the industry struggles to put forth a solid album. With its distinct title, Tell It Like It Is speaks to the people on their own level. Her latest single “Jackson Avenue” is a hip revival of the classic ‘day on my block’ theme and brings listeners on a journey of what she says focuses “good times, good friends, and Sergio Valente’s.” Stephanie describes this album as “more organic, less electronic” than her debut.

With inspiration stemming from family, life and love Stephanie indulges in the art of storytelling, and she’s had the opportunity to work with some of our times most acclaimed storytellers — Mos Def and Talib Kweli. She describes the two as “poets and masters of their craft. Dedicated to the betterment of their community and proud of their culture. These are things I aspire to do as an artist.”

With her ability to grasp an audience with her music, Stephanie has set herself in the right path to achieve this goal, and been marked her as an artist to be reckoned with.

POSTED BY Aisha Johnson
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