on the come up...herds of the fathers.

this past saturday i had the pleasure of being behind the lens for the herds of the fathers 2010 lookbook. it's no secret that jason and tobi are on a mission to make a lasting impact on the accessory side of personal style. there line is starting off strong with a series of fine leather goods form duffels to coin purses and [knowing first hand] the quality is insane and the attention to detail is obvious...real creative stuff that will appeal to a lot of consumers. the best part is that they were solving a problem that they had and created something they wanted. i hope they rest assured that others out there feel the same as them...i sure do...

i had the pleasure of meeting jason at the shooting of the born to run spring 2009 award tour look book. him and i didn't get to speak that much but there was a definite mutual respect right from the gate. on one of the most random days of my life in the city of new york, i ended up meeting tobi at a fall fashion shoot for the highly anticipated madbury club. in reality, i suppose i wouldn't know either of these gentlemen if it weren't for sir phillip annand.

it was so dope to shoot their lookbook as it was my first shoot of that magnitude...i have to admit i was a little bit flattered to be given the opportunity...really my pleasure. these fellas are highly motivated, like myself, and are definitely making major movements...i look forward to working with them again in the future. in fact...we're not done! the shooting for this lookbook continues tomorrow at a private location which surely isn't prepared for what is about to ensue. here is some of the goodness from saturday's portion of the shoot...





































































so much more to come...large things on deck...be prepared.

good music monday #6.

i've been following the musical stylings of b.o.b. [aka bobby ray] for a little while now. a lot of people compare his voice and lyricism to that of andre 3000 but i think he is starting to set himself a part. guitar toting and southern accent slinging, his charm shines through his music. his latest single nothing on you has gotten a lot of air time and has crossed the lips of many a-shower-singer. i'm guilty of belting it a few times myself and i really like the way the video is done. here it is...

enjoy.

i think 'poetry in motion' applies to this one.

strange red red

my conscience unearthed like storms do trees
trees grown wise from the water of streams
streams of thought sprint swift through my mind
mind reminiscing about the reddest of wines
wine represents the blood of the christ
christ freed us by giving his life
life sometimes taken for granted
granted it's often when we grow frantic
frantic for many is unwound by said wine
wine interrupts friendships sometimes
sometimes it brings the end of being
beings get blinded foggy seeing
seeing the stars some get famed vibes
vibes can cause other to lower their pride

how strange it is that red red wine

frozen moment[s] #8.

listen to good music, you fools.

one of my best friends, martin [aka marty mcfly himself], has aggressively taken his first steps to becoming a hip-hop artist. he's currently working on a full mixtape and e.p. that are sure to shatter musical words. i'm not saying this because he is my best friend...i'm saying this because i recognize real talent and i don't just hear music...i listen to it. marty mcfly himself is no joke...this is not a game. him and i are constantly propelling each other to new artistic levels...so [to quote marty mcfly himself] my "limit is the sky imma have to raise the stars."

today after the herds of the faters shoot [photos from this to come], i took some shots of the afore mention marty mcfly in preparation for tonights release of his track get well soon from his debut mixtape the 25th hour: new jersey drive which will release this fall. go here and download the track...it's most definitely worth the listen.

here's some shots of martin from today...onwards and upwards...

fashion photographin'.

over the summer i interned for my best friend's sister, roxanne, at her boutique in millburn. tonight is their annual fashion show so i'm hopping in the beemer and heading north to take some shots. it should be fun and something to throw on my resumee. i did this back in the fall at a boutique in jersey city when i was a much less experienced photographer and still got some cool shots. photos from tonight to come at a later date...

frozen moment #7.

i'm rick james, bitch.

yesterday i was with friends l.d. and sammy dooks and we were wasting time online. we ended up talking about album cover art and swiftly researches a listing of the best album cover art...along with this came a listing of the worst cover art...

this piece made the list...i think it's possibly the best/worst/most amazing/scariest/ridiculous thing ever...only rick james, my friends.




















how great are those roman gladiator/bondage, leather lower leg pieces? and the bass as a bloody ax? with that hair, elaborate neck jewelery, belt and shield on top of the evil legends of the hidden temple background? let's not forget that absurd typography and its even-more-absurd colorway...

this is the epitome of all things excess. but at least mr. james jumped in with both feet and didn't hold anything back. it's slightly epic and i'm proudly ashamed to say it's currently my desktop wallpaper.

pavement shattering developments.

another love of mine...cars. i'm not even trying to be a stereotypical guy but there's just something about them. i totally dig a female that digs automobiles.

my father's been working in the car industry as a sales manager for sometime now. i'm going to say over half of the conversation that occurs between the both of us has to do with automotive aesthetics. he is the main reason i love cars and suggested that i go into automotive design [an idea i'm still keeping on the back burner] since we always heavile critique new designs and product releases. the majority of his career in the auto industry has been with bmw. i suppose this has lead to some bias for me as i think they are some of the best cars on the road all-around. im lucky enough to currently drive one now.

last night my homegirl, anum [she's an audi girl], put me on to the new bmw efficient dynamics concept car after she found a poster of it in her trip to canada which she kindly gifted to me. even as an audi lover she agrees that the car is amazing. we found this commercial which is super well done in my opinion and i've since watched numerous times...

this video gives a lot more information about the car and the direction the bmw is going with the automobile...

so dope and so smart. being that we are in the midst of an oil crisis and oil is close to peaking again vehicles like this give promise to the future. granted this car will probably be pricey, breakthroughs like this only lead to more advancements. i'm happy that bmw is at the forefront of this and i hope they continue to be.

i know the videos are larger than the actual window so some of the video is cut off...here are the original links...video 1. video2.

good music monday #5.

if i had to pick a favorite song of all time it might be this. it's originally a bob dylan tune but i think jimi kills it here. this one is just worth the listen...jimi's status as an artist is one that needs no explanation...

enjoy.

this is the studio version...


this is live at the isle of wight so you can see mr. hendrix's on-stage antics and listen to live shreddage...

weekend recap.

as i posted the other day i said i would be taking this past weekend off for some much needed r&r with my best friends in their entire world. it was that last days of my last spring break in college...unreal times for sure.

the university of delaware was the forum for the madness that would proceed for the homeboy kane's 21st. 21st birthdays are amazing times because the world seems to stop rotating for a few hours to allow unforgettable happenings. i rode out with steve, martin and tommy...josh drove up from towson...dre and kane were already in place at udel. it was a saturday afternoon and you couldn't pick much better weather if you wanted to. udel is a strange little place because it is sort of in-the-middle-of-nowhere, newark, delaware. once you're there, though, you realize that the university and it's attendees are completely oblivious of this and they live life like they are in the middle of the city or something. once the proper setting was locked in, we knew that this average saturday would not be average for long.

for those that don't know, the university of delaware goes hard...period. they could justly make there own rendition of the well-known m.i.a. tune and sing "udel we go hard." dre and kane have always preeched this and i've experienced it a few times...this past weekend was definitely one of them. we met some of kane and dre's best boys at school, some of the females that heavily enjoy their presence, kane's lovely girlyfriend [who's nothing short of dope], and other people who have traveled the road called college with them. it's interesting to meet the people in their life that they always kick it with as we are their best friends from home...a different breed than best friends at school. sharing a similar experience like college is one thing, but 10+ years of life experiences is another. regardless, i knew my friend's friends would be good peoples. comparatively speaking, the events that happened this past saturday afternoon at udel for no special occasion were similar to those of rutgersfest here in new brunswick...a backyard with 300+ heads and a hundred of them on the roof of the house at any given time. madness i tell you...sheer madness. the best i can do is let the following photos give you a little glimpse of what went down on this fine day...

i don't know why but i like the way these photos look with some desaturation so they might appear kind of dull...












































































































































































































































grand times to say the least. a lot of the events the proceeded were unspeakable but they are definitely times i will never forget. kane was the last of the hometown blokes to turn 21...it's kind of surreal as he has been like a little brother to all of us for many years now. he's in the grade below the rest of us and i remember choppin' it up in the halls with him as far back as 5th grade in hillcrest elementary school. he's the youngin' but he's nowhere near the runt of the litter. i respect him...i love him...and i'm glad we no longer have to leave him behind when we go to the bar.

welcome to the club, sir...glad to have you.

frozen moment #6.

sir kane nerys...mentioned this fellow in the last post...just wanted to give a visual. the last of the goons to turn 21...nothing will stop us now...happy birthday, brother.

a weekend off.

this afternoon i will be leaving for maryland and heading onward to delaware tomorrow...there's a slight possibility that washington d.c. might be thrusted into the mix too. i'll be away from the blogger sphere for the weekend and i'll enjoy the time off from life in general.

rest assured i'll be back with tons of photos and other types of goodness. this weekend celebrates my best friend kane's 21st birthday. out of my closest group of homeboys he is the youngin'. he's a grade below myself, steve, martin, dre and josh...best believe we will all be out there to wreak havoc on the university of delaware. the events that i know are about to proceed are indescribable. always grand and hilarious times with these gentlemen...i might actually throw up from laughing so much.

the rest of you enjoy the weekend...go climb a tree or pay a visit to the city...no need to specify which city that is...there's one and only one the city. if you think otherwise, you're foolish.

frozen moment #5.

a holiday i have no right to celebrate...

...but i will anyway.

happy saint patrick's day to all of you irish sirs and madams. hope you enjoy your corned beef, cabbage, killian's and other assorted foods and beverages that shouldn't be green but are on this particular day.

in a stand-up show one time, george carlin said he didn't understand the notion of national pride because you have no say in the matter...it's something you're born into. i sort of agree...but i hope all of you fools that call ireland the motherland are going crazy on this lovely day...65 and sunny. have fun and be safe.

i dont have to much green attire but i do have theeeeeese...








green polo socks...thank you sir ralph lauren.

vintage photo edit.

i've never really tried to make a photo look vintage...it's something that's happened before while i was editing and i pushed it a little further...but it's never been my full intention. last night i gave it a shot for my homegirl, michelle. she's most definitely good peoples and she's new to the blog world...check her out at eloquent elegance.

alas i digress...this is the original photo she sent me...












back lit...underexposed [i expect better from you, michelle...lol]...but it's a decent image so i wanted to work with it. after lightening it, so it was easier to see, i researched a simple tutorial and combined it with what i already knew to create this...













i dig it...it was easy too. if you youtube things like this you'll get a vast array of results...give it a whirl.

good music monday #4.

i'm not posting this in an effort to bring you the newest music before anyone else...that's not what good music monday is about. im'm posting it because i haven't been able to stop listening to this song for the past few weeks...the video's pretty cool too. the only thing i wish is for a less obvious drum sample...but it works with the song. i like this collab.

enjoy.

symphonies from Théo Roque on Vimeo.

night walker photo series.

taken one night while i was walking around george street to get some food...images are unedited.

frozen moment #4.

frozen moment #3.

i guess this is a poem.

Untitled (Ugh).

Bottom lip skin seared by steaming, dangling pizza cheese
while thinking about waking for class in the morning.
Why is it so hard to find parking on Brunswick streets?
"The internet's fucked up" my roommate said in warning.
Dammit, there is no more toilet paper once again.
The whole class was silent in my painting crit today
and the hangover I had was not at all my friend.
Oh yea, and...shit I forgot what I was gunna' say...
But whether it be "Fleeting Peas" or those fleeting dreams,
the fact that this line is in a different typeface
mixed with the truth that this one line is written in green,
or those puckered-lip pics that should have died with myspace...
_____these are some things in life that simply annoy my mind,
_____and if that's the case then I must be doing alright.


this is an elizabethan sonnet about trivial, annoying shit that is mainly specific to college kids. i thought it would be ironic to write a sonnet [usually a love poem] about such subject matter. the original poem was written in comic sans...aka the most annoying font...ever...of all time...in the hirtory of all things font-related...period. "fleeting pea" is a poem writtien by one of my classmate about a struggle to conquer a single, evasive pea remaining on a dinner plate..hilarious. basically these are all first world problems, interesting since that's the name of my group's thesis show and i didn't think about the connection. bottom line...at the end of the day, things aren't so bad despite common aggrivations.

perez hilton is a dumbass.

earlier tonight i was chatting with my homegirl, l.d., when she brought up the new kanye track and her opinion on the matter. she added that the legendary stylings of rhymefest were featured. alarmed by the fact that there was a new kanye track i had not heard, as i am usually in-the-know about such things, i quickly scowered the interweb in hopes of finding some new musical genius...unsuccessful. i asked l.d. the name of the track and she replied, brand new. i chuckled and informed her that the track was more than a couple years old. she went on to laugh and say, "guess that website was wrrrrrong" [yes, she used 5 r's]. when i asked what site she said, "perez hilton" who said the track was new and "reaffirms that kanye west still thinks he's the best effing thing in the entire world."


taken from perezhilton.com...click the image to view the original post.
i immediately proceeded to investigate this subject further as i was surprised by mr. hilton's lack of musical knowledge...especially with an artist like mr. west whose ubiquitous antics perez has to be a large fan of. this guy is supposed to be a king/queen [i'm not sure which he prefers] of celebrity gossip blogging. how good can he be? i'm assuming he must be based in l.a. by his hollywood style site header and infatuation with celebrity lives, so much so that it seems to be his reason for living and has made him a celebrity in his own right. l.a. is the main breeding ground for celebrities and those that can't get enough of that particular group of regular people that have achieved fame for whatever reason. he probably invented twitter so he can infiltrate the daily movements of those he obsesses over. the whole premise is just hilarious to me...the funniest thing being that the title of the track is brand new which, clearly, it is not. the track originally released in july of 2006 and commenters went on to rudely inform mr. hilton that his conveyed information was wrong. that was the first and last time i will visit that site as its content is the last thing i am worried about. sadly enough people like this steer me away from any desire to be a celebrity. i would never do a blog post like this but i couldn't resist because it's most definitely what perez would do.

here's the original song/video that ignited these thoughts...

first h.d.r. attempt.

not bad. i'll be back with more thoughts on h.d.r. in the near-future...

good music monday #3.

so im a few minutes late with the post but whatever. jade is a up and coming singer/songwriter from the new york area. she has joined the likes of other underground mainstream artists like mickey factz and stalley in the gfc ny family. i enjoy the general sound of her voice and the way it blends with the music she sings over. her first body of work [it's my heart, cookie e.p.] is a diverse one with soft love tunes to edgier rock-inspired tracks...it's quaint at only 8 songs and definitely worth the listen. her singing ability combined with her soulful style and good-looks just might be a solid combo to carry her a ways.

there aren't too many videos/songs-on-youtube-with-photo-montage out there because she's so new and relatively unknown...my favorite track off the e.p. is beautiful problem which you can listen to on her myspace. download her e.p. here and check out this clip of her performing her song wolf at santos back in june...

enjoy.

swagger on a hundred.

in all likely hood, growing old is something that frightens all 20-something-year-olds as they enjoy the best years of their life...i'm definitely feeling this. however one thing i do look forward to is the fact that, in all likely-hood, i will casually dress similar to this fine gentleman. he's crushing it. i wish i dressed like this now, actually. his facial expression, demeanor and playful wardrobe choices tell me that he has lived with no regrets as he embraces his years and experiences on this earth. this is a state that we should all be so lucky to achieve one day. from the bright purple sweater, to the forest green bomber jacket, to the mixed patterns, to the simply-complex scarf knot, to the ever-so-cool slicked back hair, even to the casual cigarette, this gentleman know exactly what he's doing, knows exactly where he's been, and isn't too concerned with where he's going.

i commend him fully based on all of the afore mentioned aspects and then some. a moment of hope and inspiration? most definitely.

image taken from the sartorialist.

frozen moment #2.

this isn't the best photo ever and the drawn-on captain-morgan-'stache is nothing new but i think this one is really funny...especially because its bill clinton...and double-especially because the 'stache is so thin and ridiculous. thinking about that actual mustache on any individual is hilarious to me.