It's A Kind Of Magic

Late nights and early starts are never the best combination but this seems to be what Vegas is all about and on Day Two of Magic the mandatory sunglasses came out in force to cover up the excesses of the previous night. As soon as I walked into the show I bumped into Yasi representing for MIssbehave magazine and Ben Hundreds doing his best impression of Kid Creole.














Ray from Mighty Healthy also had his shades on but Jupiter from Undftd was brave enough to face the light.














Sunglasses of the day had to go to Barnsley from House 33 – I couldn’t compete with the white frames – who is one of the few Londoners out here in Vegas at the moment pushing House 33 alongside Mason who has been a Twelve Bar supporter since Day One and is now killing it with Wthn - the freshest boutique in Philly.














As the day wore on things got busier and busier and it got harder and harder to keep pace with what was going on. The Social Trust / Riottt crew were everywhere shooting everything as you can see from this picture of Eric and Haakim holding it down.














It was a pleasure to finally meet Danny from Shoe Gallery who is doing his thing on the Southside in Miami and I also caught up with Chris, an old friend from college, who is now running No Mas.














The black t-shirt club were most definitely in the house. Peep the one and only Sal Barbier alongside the one and only Bobby Hundreds and the mystery man himself Dame Ca$h.














Our Japanese family – Nemo and Baba from Calquinto – were in town too – keeping it strictly sunglasses-free business.














Over at King Stampede it was a family affair as Peter had somehow managed to rope his brother into standing in a cavernous room without any natural light for four days in a row. I need to learn how to pull off that kind of stunt.














While everyone else was working I was hanging out with the ladies and apologizing profusely to Catzie from Dork Mag who I really should have gotten back to ages ago - I promise I’ll get you everything you need in the next week. I was a little disappointed she wasn’t wearing her signature Air Max 90s but her crazy nails more than made up for this and if you want to know why the one is painted white you’ll have to ask her.



























On the way out I bumped into the coolest cat in the whole town. I have no idea who he was or why he was dressed like this on the hottest day of the year but I had to get a picture with him.




















After dinner it was off to the Greyone party at the Empire Ballroom which was total and utter madness. We hung out and kicked it there for a while where I bumped into the Essense crew from Japan amongst others.














Then we headed down to the launch party for the opening of Undftd’s new Las Vegas store where 9th Wonder was doing his thing on the turntables and mixing up the old and the new - I still can’t believe he dropped Jazzy Jeff and Fresh Prince’s Brand New Funk – and I got harassed by Carol from the Commissary family in the OC. Thanks for that Andrew.














The Fruition gang were in the place again smashing it with the vintage and before heading out into the night I kicked it with Neek and the rest of his crew who are younger than all of us but are really showing everyone how it should be done. He’s a fan of Japanese ladies so I thought I’d leave you all with this before going to sleep.



























I can’t wait for Tokyo. Ten days and counting. I’m out like shout for now.

Vegas Baby Vegas !!!

After a long stressful day at the pool it was time to say goodbye to Los Angeles for a few days and get ourselves over to Las Vegas. We hit the road at 10.00 on Sunday night and finally reached our destination at 2.00 in the morning totally exhausted. Trying to describe Las Vegas is not something I am articulate enough to do but the first thing you see as you emerge from the desert and cross the state line is a casino and this is just a taste of what’s to come.














The morning started with breakfast with Jeff and Nico from The Reed Space / Staple Design. Nico was full of energy which is a lot more than I can say for the rest of us. Jeff had a good excuse though for feeling a little tired as he had literally just stepped off the plane from Tokyo where he had been showing the new Staple line and putting the finishing touches on the preparations for the opening of The Reed Space Tokyo in September which from the pictures he shows me looks like it is going to be off the hook.














After the biggest portion of scrambled eggs I have ever eaten it was off to Magic to check out the first day of the tradeshow and it was total and utter craziness in there. So many heads were in the house it was ridiculous and it was good vibes all round. It was great to meet all the people we have been talking to on email for the last year but have never met in person and it was also a pleasure to catch up with a whole bunch of the Twelve Bar family and friends.

The minute we entered the building we bumped into Allen and Julio from AKA posing here with Dame Ca$h. These guys are doing big things in the publishing world and they were kind enough to give us a couple of copies of their newest book which is a must have.














Over the next few hours we caught up with so many people it was crazy. Ben Hundreds’ little brother John was doing the right thing and helping his big brother out on The Hundreds stand:














Leslie from What’s Really Good and Jeff from The Weekly Drop were both in the building:














Keith Hufnagel and Jamie Storey were chilling at the J Money booth:














The Fruition crew passed by and rocked the spot with their vintage flavor and one of the girls from the crew showed us boys what fly kicks are really all about:



























Bobby Hundreds was kind enough to step away from his booth for a few minutes to jump into this picture with Danny Boy and Yoshi from Homeroom Clothing and it’s always good to see Mykol from King Stampede. I also finally met Dennis from Mighty Healthy after a lot of email correspondence who is a don and without a doubt one of the leaders of the new school.



























As the day came to a close Scotty Hundreds provided some entertainment with a hideous face for the camera and it was good to see a couple of Europeans in the place. In addition to being a big supporter of Twelve Bar Mike from Triage in Brighton is one of the nicest guys you will meet in this game and it’s great to meet someone from the UK who is so positive and who is pushing this scene forwards on his side of the planet. It’s always good to see the guys from Starcow too and I promise you Fred you’ll be getting your order soon.








































Just before leaving I had to get in at least one picture so here I am with my boy Mazik who is the guy everyone needs to know if they are heading to LA.














On the way to dinner we bumped into Rickey and Sco from Riottttt in the Wynn – I knew that’s where we’d see those guys – and Jeff and Sky got into a little conversation about a certain briefcase which you will most likely be reading more about soon all over the internet.














We then hit up a Digital Gravel party at one of Las Vegas’ most illustrious strip clubs and I met Nima and Raad from Digital Gravel who are doing big things.














At last it was time to go home and get some shut eye but not before a mental cab ride back to the hotel with Atsushi from GreyOne and Ryan from Estate LA.
















It’s 3 in the morning now and I need to get some sleep so more tomorrow.

Waiting For The Sun To Go Down

This morning started with the long-awaited delivery of the final sample of the tee we are about to release with our good friend Yasumasa Yonehara - a ridiculously talented photographer from Tokyo and one of the coolest cats you will ever meet. This will be hitting stores soon and is the first of a number of things we are doing with him so watch this space.














With the Magic Tradeshow only 48 hours away I thought things would be real mad hectic in the world of The Hundreds but when I got to the office it was like the first day of Summer there with the Diamond and Supreme crew all hanging out.














As some work looked like it was about to get done the Mack Daddy crew from Japan showed up.













I then decided to head over to LA’s hottest new boutique SLB to catch up with the man behind it all Sal Barbier. When it comes to skating this guy has done it all and on top of that he’s one of the mellowest most down to earth guys I have met in a long time. SLB has a ridiculously clean and polished fit-out and Sal is taking the retail game here to a new level and leading the charge to make Fairfax the dopest shopping street since Lafayette ten years ago.








































Later in the evening I happened upon some of the freshest kicks I have seen in a while which made me remember why I love that Swoosh so much.














Remember those Limited Edition tags. Quite simply the flyest when things which professed to be limited really were.














Just before going home we quickly checked out the new Fresh Jive store which is opening today on Fairfax – Peep http://www.thehundreds.com/ for the full story - and I finally caught up with Chris from Fresh Jive who didn’t seem too happy to see me after 17 hours of construction work.



























Rick Klotz, the founder of Fresh Jive, doing his best impression of Andre Agassi regaled us with some insane tales regarding Nas, Kelis, bodily fluids and some Mexican security guards and after a long day it was finally time to go home. On the way out though Rick gave me this:














Maybe I’ll join this weekend.

Hispanic Causing Panic

First stop today was the 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica where I can safely say there was absolutely nothing of any interest going on at all. The only thing worth mentioning is this Rip Curl logo I noticed which looks frighteningly similar to something else we all know and love. You’ve got to respect big companies right.














For a moment as I stood looking out over the beach a minor panic attack kicked in as I thought I had been transported back to Blackpool in England.














Fortunately though my heart beat returned to normal as the road signs reminded me where I really was.














As Dame Ca$h stopped off for his 27th Kit Kat of the day, I decided to kill a little time messing around with the camera and reckon my skills are getting better by the day.















Then it was off for some more food and tonight our host was my old friend Dawn who now happens to be running the fanfare that is Gnarls Barkley. The more time I spend here, the more I realize that LA is all about film, music and fashion coming together which I guess is fairly similar to what Twelve Bar is all about and this is something that Dawn is one of the best people I know to talk to about.














After a few drinks poolside at The Roosevelt up on Hollywood Boulevard














it was time to head home and what better way to end the day than speeding through LA’s empty streets listening to a bit of Kid Frost.

Live At The BBQ

When it comes to hospitality no one does it like The Hundreds. First stop today was Frank’s for lunch which is famous for its burritos. Dame Ca$h went for the safe option and chose an omelette. I’m pretty sure this had something to do with Scotty’s face putting him off anything more adventurous.














If Bobby and Digit’s after dinner smiles were anything to go by though I think he made the wrong choice.














After lunch we spent most of the afternoon never not working at The Hundreds’ studio where Ben showed us the world’s biggest calculator which sure beats using the one on my laptop.














Why is everything in this country so damn massive?

I also stumbled upon this bizarre list on the whiteboard in the studio which hopefully Ben will be able to explain to me one day. I believe it has something to do with one of the dopest tees of the summer by King Stampede but I’m not sure entirely.














Then it was off for more eating and on the way to dinner we bumped into the Flight Club posse lurking in the car park all rocking Jordans – I wish I hadn’t passed on those Military Blue IVs – and getting things ready for the opening of Flight Club LA in about 5 days time which will no doubt change the game on the West Coast.














Bobby and Ben took us to the craziest Korean BBQ spot for more eating where once again Scotty tried to put us all off the meal but fortunately Misa was at hand to balance things out a little.



























And finally check out this little gem parked in our car park. It doesn’t look that rare but trust me these are not a dime a dozen.














Props to The Hundreds for just being themselves.

Everybody Loves The Sunshine

So it’s the start of another tough day in LA.














The sun was out again so after a quick dip in the pool it was time to head out and catch up with The Social Trust crew.













Based in Downtown LA, an area which is quickly becoming regenerated, these guys are taking the game to a whole new level. Seven stories above the ground in the craziest space you will ever see Rickey Kim and his crew are building websites, shooting the maddest advertising campaigns and generally pushing the envelope with all things creative. The view from the roof of The Social Trust is, to put it simply, totally ridiculous.














Across the road is the Los Angeles courthouse which scarily resembles a prison.














Up on the roof The Social Trust crew started doing what they do best and broke out the cameras














and Paul showed Dame Ca$h from Twelve Bar what the art of taking pictures is really all about.













Kicking it up on the roof with the sun beaming down you can’t help but think that there is no point in being anywhere on this planet other than LA.

Everybody Wants To Be A Blog Star

So we’ve finally succumbed. We weren’t sure if we wanted to do it but after constant pressure from Bobby and Ben Hundreds – our LA family – and our internet superstar intern Tronics it’s time to get this party started right. You’ll still be getting the regular installments of musical knowledge (or not as the case may be) but on top of that it’s time to throw some Twelve Bar flavor in the mix so you can check out what’s going on in our world if it’s of any interest.














This may not be the best view in the world but I ain’t complaining as the sun is shining in LA and things are all good. We got here yesterday and already the locals have been showing us around. Ben Hundreds took out us out to his spot of choice for lunch which was a little high-brow place on 3rd Street where we had to wait about 45 minutes for a table which he started moaning about to his mum on the phone.















In the evening his co-pilot Bobby took us to a little low-brow spot out of town where we indulged in America’s favorite meal and found out what happens if you don’t have a haircut for 2973 years.















The burger haircut combination was about enough for me for one day and after I saw the big Keds advertisement across the street from our place I knew it was bedtime.













Why is everyone so obsessed with being cool these days? Last time I checked you were either cool or you weren’t and that was that. Anyway, enough philosophizing for now. I’m out like shout.

Freerange Sunshine Music

最高の12"「Search for the Sun」が2003年…　待ちに待ったXantone Blacqのアルバムが遂に発表された！　シングルに劣らない、とても気持ちよい曲ばかり。ソウル、ブラジリアン、フュージョンなどの気持ちよい要素をたっぷり吸収した絶妙の感覚。カヴァーの写真のように本当にハッピーそうな人柄が伝わってくる、軽やかな極上ソウル。

Mapping The Musical Universe

As I've stated previously, the interweb can be a beguiling place to spend some time. One gem I've discovered is the Music Map, a site which, in the true spirit of the age, comes with content generated by the worldwide community of users. It allows you to enter an artist or band, and then, as if by magic, it reveals a constellation of artists recommended as links to the original by visitors. Thus it is a growing database which helps you to discover new music you may not have known of before. Not wildly exciting, granted, but, as I say, a good way to spend some idle time, and for music enthusiasts a useful tool to add to the amazons and the itunes of the world. And at least it is an original twist. Give it a go at http://www.music-map.com/ and see if, like me, you can unearth some stars in the musical universe.

The Spirit Music Jamia

　Okay Playerにも名を連ねる女性ベース／マルチ楽器奏者、Me'Shell Ndegeocelloのプロジェクト。ATCQ諸作で知られるあの名エンジニア、Bob Powerとの共同プロデュース、しかも今作はジャズ・アルバムである。ファンク以降、ヒップホップも通過した経験やアフロセントリックなどが、彼女独自の感覚でミックス。それを、スピリチュアルな次元でのジャズ演奏で繰り広げていく。録音／ミックスの良さは言わずもがな！　参加ミュージシャンも流石のラインナップで、Q-Tipの最近作に参加するサックス奏者Kenny Garrett、人気ジャズ・ヴォーカリストのCassandra WilsonやLalah Hathaway、名ドラマーのJack De Johnetteなどなど、錚々たるメンツのレコーディング・プロジェクト。反骨精神がしっかりと宿っていながら、音楽的探究とチャレンジを怠っていない感じがしっかりとある。真摯な姿勢からくるであろう気高さは逸品である。

Big Poppa?

I've spoken before about what a great thing DJ mixtapes can be. I know that they can be lame, or even worse a transparently commercially driven exercise from "star" turns, but some are just brilliant. Lovingly put together, full of bangers, often ridiculous remixes, bootlegs, you know the whole party. And it was on a Krafty Kuts CD that my brother burnt for me that, again, I rediscovered a gem. Now we really shouldn't need reminding of the simply awesome output from the Ultramagnetic MCs, but as with many classics we can sometimes sleep. We forget. And then Poppa Large comes bouncing out of the speaker and you remember. Oh my do you remember. Relentless delivery, funky break, just a great tune. From 1992's "Funk Your Head Up" LP, Poppa Large is a reminder of this group's talents, and of course those of the enigmatically brilliant Kook Keith. But then we all know that he is worthy of much more attention, and so we shall, but in the meantime go dig this out and rejoin the party.