Most folks know the Sultan Swizzy for creating some of the most hype party tracks in hip hop history. But he sat down with The Source to discuss his involvement in Lil Wayne’s track “Dear Anne”. The song was originally meant for Swizz’s album, but was then given to Wayne. Unlike what you might expect from Swizzy and Wayne, this song is the farthest departure. The song is actually intended to be a sequel to the song “Stan” from Eminem. After I knew that, I was SUPER intrigued by the premise, but you can check the video below to see what else Swizz Beats has to say about it.
Monarchists with deep pockets and a fine palate for scotch could toast to the queen with her very own blended spirit. Distiller John Walker & Sons will be bottling 60 crystal decanters of Diamond Jubilee Blended Scotch Whisky to mark the Queen‘s 60 years on the throne next year. The grain and malt whiskies have been maturing in a marrying cask of English oak from the Queen’s Sandringham Estate since 1952. The 60 crystal decanters will be sold for a pretty pence at £100,000 at a private sale by invitation only. All profits from the sale will be donated to the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust, with a guarantee of £1 million. The trust offers scholarships and mentorship programs to support traditional craftsmanship. The amber liquor will be presented in lead crystal decanter adorned with a Britannia silver collar, featuring a half-carat diamond set by hand, and a numbered seal. It also comes with a pair of hand-engraved lead crystal glasses and a leather-bound, hand-embellished artifact book. Sixty bottles of the Diamond Jubilee by John Walker & Sons will be bottled on February 6, 2012, exactly 60 years to the day since the Queen took to the throne.
‘Through The Wormhole’ is a show hosted by Morgan Freeman on the science channel, where he breaks down certain scientific mysteries. I personally found it hilarious that a person who played God in multiple movies, and has never been young hosted a show about time travel. (Yes, Morgan Freeman has never young, it’s true). But all in all, the show was quite interesting. Check it out below.
Having gone to art school, I’m no newbie when it comes to sketchbooks, and the wonders people have hidden inside of them. I’ve seen people in classes that draw and paint the most eloquent classical drawings, (like the Mona Lisa) and come home and have a sketchbook with the most rawkus, insane graffiti imaginable. A sketchbook is like a diary in the sense that it’s what’s all from what’s in your head, and the head of the artist I only know as ‘Pacman23′ is pretty dope. When he scanned in a series of pictures from a sketchbook of his, I knew I had to throw it up.
The Game’s new R.E.D. album may not be as highly anticipated as Dr. Dre’s Detox, but it’s still got the streets looking out for it. Among one of the least expected collaborations to appear on the album is Game’s track with Lupe Fiasco entitled ‘Skate On’. Game took some time to talk about the collab, how it came about, and also touched on Lupe’s comment about Barack Obama.
For those of you who didn’t know what all the hoopla was about, concerning Lupe and President Obama, you can read all about it below.
“To me,” Lupe began, “the biggest terrorist is Obama in the United States of America. I’m trying to fight the terrorism that’s causing the other forms of terrorism. You know the root cause of terrorists is the stuff the U.S. government allows to happen. The foreign policies that we have in place in different countries that inspire people to become terrorists.”
When asked if who he’ll vote for come 2012, he echoed the sentiments of “Words I Never Said,” saying he doesn’t plan on participating in the voting process because he doesn’t believe he can fully support any candidate.
“No, I don’t vote,” he said. “I don’t get involved in politics. It’s meaningless. If I’m going to say I stand behind this person and write on a piece of paper that says, ‘Yeah, I stand for this person,’ then I have to take responsibility for everything he does cause that’s just who I am as a human being. So politicians aren’t going to do that because I don’t want you to bomb some village in the middle of nowhere.”
Fiasco‘s anti-establishment stance is well documented. For those just now being introduced to him, look no further than his latest single, “Words I Never Said,” for his views on politics.
I tend to be a black t-shirt and sweats kinda guy when I’m not at work, so I’m not much of a fashion guru, and when it comes to women’s fashion, I’m even less savvy, (I prefer them without clothes, but that’s just me.) But when I got a look at a collection by Maryam Nassir Zadeh, I was thoroughly impressed. The white porcelain hands create an immensely unique look that turns each piece from just a dress, to a work of art. White porcelain hand details from Hussein Chalayan S/S 2010 via Skelerope, on sale with Maryam Nassir Zadeh.
Karl Lagerfeld has collaborated with Orrefors, the Swedish glass makers to create a collection of crystal including bowls, vases; wine, water and liqueur glasses and, naturally, champagne flutes. The Orrefors brand is known for gracing the tables at the Swedish Royal Palace.
The glasses are hand-blown and Lagerfeld’s line will come in black, milky white and clear crystal, some engraved with the designer’s initials. The series also includes monogrammed coasters “to prevent any trace of an errant drop on an immaculate tablecloth,” the makers say. The Orrefors by Karl Lagerfeld collection will be available from September 1 in Harrods, and Bloomingdales in the US from October 1.
Texting has always been a big thing of mine since I got a cell phone that could do it. (And I have to admit, when I’m talking to women, I do use smiley faces.) So when I saw these smiley face rings from ‘SmilingSilverSmith’ I was interested, and instantly knew a few other of my friends that would appreciate them. Luckily if your not a big texter, there are also some non generic emoticon rings available as well. To actually purchase one, head to Etsy.
Luxury mobile phone manufacturer Gresso, unveiled its new exclusive project, the iPhone4 Time, “designed specifically for people living in the rhythm of world time”. The iPhone4 Time Machine houses six independent mechanical Swiss watches behind the smartphone’s case protected by a mineral glass with diamond coating. The 6 clocks display time zones of the world’s business hubs: Tokyo, Moscow, Paris, London, New York and Hong Kong. Amazingly, Gresso claim that the iPhone 4 Time Machine is only 1mm thicker than a vanilla iPhone 4 (which measures 9.3mm). The Gresso iPhone 4 Time Machine is coming out “in 2011” and it will set you back $6,000.
MINI has revealed the first two-seater in its model range, promising the “ultimate in go-kart feeling.” The MINI Coupé is the latest variant in the rapidly-expanding Mini range and daringly introduces some premium racing features into the brand’s familiar shell. Most noticeable among these is the flattened roof form, which MINI says has improved the aerodynamics of the vehicle, and an active rear spoiler which extends automatically at speeds of over 80km/h. The engines available with the new model are among the most powerful in MINI’s range, including the John Cooper Works Coupé engine, a 1.6-liter 155kW variant which tops out at 240 km/h, and the SD Coupé turbo diesel, a 2.0-liter, 105kW model with a top speed of 216 km/h. Although the model is a two-seater, MINI has carried some of the space over to improve loading capacity behind the driver, also including a high-opening tailgate to make transporting large items easier. Other features include electric power steering and stability control as standard and optional traction control with electronic differential lock control. The model is set to hit European showrooms on October 1 and will cost a “little bit more than the hatchback”, according to iAutomotive News.
Dee Mya is a New York model and actress that’s got one of the longest resume’s of any of the models I’ve previously posted up. She has been on covers to Enfluenz, eGirls, King, Miami Life as well as a feature in Laced Magazine. Miss Mya has been in videos with The-Dream, Fabolous, Rick Ross, Juelz Santana, Ludacris, Pitbull, Donnis, and Ron Browz, and has even been seen modeling on Telemundo. Her beauty and perfectly curvacious 36-26-34 frame mixed with an almost ‘girl-next-door’ish create an appeal that all the guys on my staff were astonished by. (Not to mention we all had some positive comments about those lips.) But all in all Dee Mya’s ability to dominate the frame in every picture she has, seems to have made her a force to be reckoned with in her modeling community, and with sex appeal like that it’s not hard to see why. How many models you know have been in the New York post?
Flip books have always amazed me for the simple fact that you have to start over every single page, and make on minute detailed change. About a week ago, I posted up a ridiculous animation with balloons instead of the traditional flip book, but after seeing the entire “history” of the world drawn out on paper, I knew the original was well worth mentioning. Check the method below.
Tokyo will always be one of my favorite places, from the city sky line to the vending machines, it’s truly a mesmerizing place. Recently I came across a series of photos showcasing the look of the city at night, and I knew I had to share it. Check the method.
I’m always trying to find new ways to improve on anything I do, as an entertainer, an engineer, a manager, or as a friend, and the blog is no different. I’ve interviewed quite a few people from Los Angeles to London, and I figured I’d step it up a bit, and get into a video interview. With the 250,000 views this blog gets now a days, I knew my first video interview on the blog had to be with someone who wasn’t shy in front of the camera, someone articulate, succinct, and unique. The first person to come to mind was Miss Arie Rose, who I knew from her work on the show Street Files.
The next thing I needed was a video crew who I had the utmost confidence in, and after working with Ben Einhorn on Duckworth’s “Don’t Forget Your Mind” video, I knew I had it. I’m familiar with graphic design, photography, and obviously music, but I’m always amazed video crews and their gear. Ben an his crew swarmed the set, and had everything set up in record time, and were ready for action before I could figure out how to clip my mic on.
All in all I had a great time, and I have to say thanks again to the wonderful Arie Rose, my assistant Ashley F. for snapping the behind the scenes photos for this post, the staff at Sugar Cafe in San Francisco, CA for always letting me do pretty much whatever I want there, and of course Ben Einhorn and his crew for making everything look sexy. The final interview should drop 4th of July along with photos and all sorts of information about Miss Arie Rose for readers to soak up.
There seems to be a swarm of established rappers trying to create their own record labels now a days, and Busta Rhymes is no exception. One of the artists he’s been working with J-Doe recently dropped a video for his single “Coke, Dope, Crack, Smack” (which surprisingly enough is NOT about drugs.) The song features a verse from Busta that rivals his mind blowing flow on “Look At Me Now”, and the video has a small but funny cameo from T-Pain. Check the method below.
Mercedes-Benz hasn’t necessarily been known for their unique, and groundbreaking, and captivating ads in the past, but their new “Left Brain/Right Brain” collection is just that. The ads simply stress the difference between left and right brain thinkers, and demonstrate it through portraying the logical vs. the creative… And then there’s Einstein.
When it comes to impressive segments in video, high-def slow motion seems to have an advantage over other methods. Recently a friend of mine who has been dying to get her name mentioned on this blog sent me an amazing video that proves just that point. “Breakfast Interrupted” is nothing more than morning time foods flying all over the place, but the cinematography, lighting, and execution of the entire video is pretty mesmerizing. Check the method below.
For whatever odd reason, be it, Indiana Jones, X-Men: First Class, Sucker Punch, or Knight and Day, it seems like so many movies I’ve watched over the past week are popping up with sections of the movie in German. That made me ask, “What is the hardest language to learn?”. They will then find that the answer is a complicated one. This is because the answer is subjective (opinion) and also depends on what your native language is. While no language is simple to learn, those that are more closely related to your native language are going to be easier. Learning a completely different and exotic writing system can also be a big challenge, but that does not necessarily make a language more difficult.
Since it’s impossible to say with certainty that there is a language that qualifies as “most difficult”, we’ve provided a handy infographic below that will give you a general idea of difficulty of the most common languages. The statistics and rankings included are provided by the the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) of the US Department of State and are intended for native English speakers.
One of the things I appreciate more than a beautiful country, with beautiful weather, is spending the time there in a beautiful house. The Triangulo House in Costa Rica is an amazingly modern, decadently presented space. Everything from the glass doors, to the iron staircase over pebbles in the floor is masterfully designed, and arranged to create a house I’d love to spend some time in. Check the method.
On vacation in Los Angeles, Walter, the world’s biggest Muppet fan, and his friends Gary (Jason Segel) and Mary (Amy Adams) from Smalltown, USA, discover the nefarious plan of oilman Tex Richman (Chris Cooper) to raze the Muppet Theater and drill for the oil recently discovered beneath the Muppets’ former stomping grounds. To stage The Greatest Muppet Telethon Ever and raise the $10 million needed to save the theater, Walter, Mary and Gary help Kermit reunite the Muppets, who have all gone their separate ways: Fozzie now performs with a Reno casino tribute band called the Moopets, Miss Piggy is a plus-size fashion editor at Vogue Paris, Animal is in a Santa Barbara clinic for anger management, and Gonzo is a high-powered plumbing magnate.
Maybe when you hear the word Fila, you may think of the Lil Jon track “Forever I Love Atlanta”, or you may think simply of the shoe. But I promise when you’ve heard Fila in the past, Swarovski Crystal never popped into mind. In order to celebrate its 100th anniversary, the Italian brand created the very special FILA FX2 limited edition shoes, covered with 1,000 Swarovski crystals. Available in two colors and eco-safe (with anti-fur design), the collection is limited to only 100 pairs worldwide. Perfectly combining sportiness and elegance, the FILA FX2 sport shoes also boast the “100th anniversary” logo at the back of the shoe, covered with gold foil.
It’s time to move on and discard phone alarms and clocks. Designer Seung Jun Jeong has found cooler and hipper gear like this Alarm Pillow to get folks out of bed. It gently vibrates at the given hour, to wake you up with a buzz. And if you don’t get out of the bed, your head-weight acts as the snooze trigger. (Dope) The label-trigger is clever and fitting, I so need this for my lazy-ass friends back in Jersey.
Pusha T’s previous two Fear of God videos — “Open Your Eyes” and “Blow” — were heavy on the metaphorical imagery that aimed to provide more insight into the rapper’s wordplay and overall lyrically content. But for “Alone in Vegas,” the direction team of Orson Whales, Shahan Jafri and Alex Germanotta, has turned the track into the soundtrack for a mini-film. It depicts Pusha as a lone crime boss, who not only calls all of the shots but carries them out, too. The vibe is somewhat reminiscent of “Nightmares,” the closing track on Clipse’s Hell Hath No Fury that featured Pusha and Malice at their most paranoid, dark, and isolated. Pusha’s Fear of God 2: Let Us Pray drops June 21.
Chris Eckert (San Jose, California) the artist who created the Auto-Ink machine must be a very trusting guy. One of the first things someone said when we came across the pictures of this machine was “I don’t trust it.”, and it does look a bit odd. But after seeing the video below and reading about the basis of the machine, I did have a bit more ‘faith’.
Auto Ink is a three axis numerically controlled sculpture. Once the main switch is triggered, the operator is assigned a religion and it’s corresponding symbol is tattooed onto the person’s arm. The operator does not have control over the assigned symbol. It is assigned either randomly or through divine intervention, depending on your personal beliefs.
Luckily right now it’s set up with a pen, not a real tattoo gun.
Louis Vuitton may have lost prime advertising space in China when its giant suitcase was torn down in Shanghai, but it is now wooing customers in the hallowed halls of the national museum in Beijing. The Louis Vuitton Voyages exhibition, marking the French fashion house’s 20th year in China — the world’s fastest growing market for luxury goods — features hundreds of canvas trunks and leather handbags dating back to the 1860s. Louis Vuitton is already the brand of choice for many of China’s increasingly wealthy middle class and analysts said the show in the heart of the capital would help cement its dominance of the country’s high-end market. The display also reflects a growing trend in China for luxury products to use museums, art galleries and film festivals to promote their brands in the hope of appealing to more sophisticated and well-educated consumers, they said. Earlier this year, US designer Diane von Furstenberg showed off a selection of her creations at an exhibition called Journey of a Dress in Beijing‘s trendy 798 art district. The Louis Vuitton show “is quite a clever thing to do because it is a very premium and prestigious setting”, Sam Mulligan, director of Data Driven Marketing Asia in Shanghai, told AFP. “It suggests history and longevity and being in the business for a long time — all of these things are important in this market.”
Shaun Rein, managing director of China Market Research Group, agreed. “Louis Vuitton consumers are very interested in buying a brand with long-term heritage… and I think that’s why Louis Vuitton is very smart to partner with the museum.” The newly refurbished National Museum located across from Tiananmen Square hopes the exhibition will “inspire the domestic cultural design industry”, the People’s Daily website quoted museum deputy director Chen Lusheng as saying. The glitzy show of trunks and handbags is in stark contrast to the centuries-old bronze vessels and porcelain vases on display in other parts of the museum. Louis Vuitton, whose products have been promoted by celebrities from former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to U2 singer Bono, is no doubt hoping to boost its position in China’s booming luxury sector. China is forecast to be the world’s top buyer of luxury productssuch as handbags, watches, shoes and clothes by 2015, according to consultancy PriceWaterhouseCoopers — but analysts say brand loyalty can be fickle. “Right now Louis Vuitton is the dominant player but they are going to have massive problems in the coming five years” as people start to buy their second or third luxury handbag, said Rein. “After you’ve bought Louis Vuitton or Gucci, do you go back to Louis Vuitton and Gucci or do you try something different?”
Despite its popularity among well-heeled consumers, Louis Vuitton has run into problems with the authorities. Workers began dismantling Louis Vuitton’s 20-metre-high suitcase in a busy shopping district of Shanghai last month after the government ruled it breached size restrictions for outdoor advertising, state media said. Huang Chen — the proud owner of two Louis Vuitton handbags — said the exhibition in Beijing would help Chinese consumers better understand the history of the luxury designer and boost sales. “Young people will understand why it became a major brand,” Huang told AFP as she toured the show with her 18-year-old daughter. “The quality is good and they are useful. It is more convenient to use than other bags.” But the People’s Daily — the ruling Communist Party’s mouthpiece — has criticised the museum for holding the exhibition, saying it was “too commercial”. “Shouldn’t the National Museum raise its threshold and make its selection stricter when introducing an exhibition?” the newspaper said on its website. But student Wang Jing, a confessed Louis Vuitton lover, gave the exhibition a big thumbs-up. “I like the general feel (of the handbags). Even though it is simple on the outside, the inside is detailed. I really want to buy one.” I’m sure once she saves the money, that is.
Most folks know the Sultan Swizzy for creating some of the most hype party tracks in hip hop history. But he sat down with The Source to discuss his involvement in Lil Wayne’s track “Dear Anne”. The song was originally meant for Swizz’s album, but was then given to Wayne. Unlike what you might expect from Swizzy and Wayne, this song is the farthest departure. The song is actually intended to be a sequel to the song “Stan” from Eminem. After I knew that, I was SUPER intrigued by the premise, but you can check the video below to see what else Swizz Beats has to say about it.
Game Talks About His Lupe Collab.
The Game’s new R.E.D. album may not be as highly anticipated as Dr. Dre’s Detox, but it’s still got the streets looking out for it. Among one of the least expected collaborations to appear on the album is Game’s track with Lupe Fiasco entitled ‘Skate On’. Game took some time to talk about the collab, how it came about, and also touched on Lupe’s comment about Barack Obama.
For those of you who didn’t know what all the hoopla was about, concerning Lupe and President Obama, you can read all about it below.
“To me,” Lupe began, “the biggest terrorist is Obama in the United States of America. I’m trying to fight the terrorism that’s causing the other forms of terrorism. You know the root cause of terrorists is the stuff the U.S. government allows to happen. The foreign policies that we have in place in different countries that inspire people to become terrorists.”
When asked if who he’ll vote for come 2012, he echoed the sentiments of “Words I Never Said,” saying he doesn’t plan on participating in the voting process because he doesn’t believe he can fully support any candidate.
“No, I don’t vote,” he said. “I don’t get involved in politics. It’s meaningless. If I’m going to say I stand behind this person and write on a piece of paper that says, ‘Yeah, I stand for this person,’ then I have to take responsibility for everything he does cause that’s just who I am as a human being. So politicians aren’t going to do that because I don’t want you to bomb some village in the middle of nowhere.”
Fiasco‘s anti-establishment stance is well documented. For those just now being introduced to him, look no further than his latest single, “Words I Never Said,” for his views on politics.
Music