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Elliott Wilson

John Burnett — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 00:00:48 +0000

Dissing rappers unapologetically, building a multi-media empire, posing in high-profile clothing ads, and championing competition—these are all part of a rapper’s M.O. But all of the above comes directly from the resume of the esteemed and controversial O.G. hip-hop journalist, Elliott “YN” Wilson. YN has essentially authored the “10 Crack Commandments” on how to document hip-hop culture. Wilson has done it all, from books (Ego Trip’s Big Book of Racism and Book of Rap Lists) to TV shows (Ego Trip’s ‘The (White) Rapper Show’ and ‘Miss Rap Supreme’) to heading up XXL, hip-hop’s undisputed bible. Now, he’s trying his hand in a young man’s game, the internet.

I don’t care how rich you are. You can’t ignore this recession.

Format: When you left your post as Editor-in-Chief at XXL, it kind of shook things up in the game. The hip-hop community was pretty shocked about how it all went down, but was your departure from XXL magazine a blessing in disguise?
Elliott Wilson: [Laughs] I don’t know, man. Who knows? I will say we’re in a tough economic time right now and it’s tough for everybody. I don’t care how rich you are. You can’t ignore this recession. But I’ve always had the belief that everything I’ve done has had an independent spirit. Being an entrepreneur and having this new brand that I’m creating and have ownership of, I just feel like I have to do it by myself this time. I feel like I’m doing the right thing at the right time.

Format: A lot of magazines are getting hit in the pockets right now. How soon do you think it will be before print mags fold up and become completely obsolete?
Elliott Wilson: I don’t think that will ever happen. I mean I’m not anti-print. I do think a lot of books will get eradicated but I think the good books will survive and we’ll get through these hard times and, economically, things will get back to the way they need to be. I think the spirit is dying because everyone is so stressed out about the lack of advertising. So now, you don’t see as much great content in magazines. It’s kind of like a big cloud hanging over the industry, but I think the sun will come out. RapRadar’s plan is to be really supportive of magazines. A lot of times the kids don’t know about what the mags are putting up unless it goes up on a site first, so that can serve as a conduit. And if I see something cool in the magazine I can pick it up on RapRadar. I always want to support magazines. Maybe one day RapRadar will become a magazine. Right now we’re just trying to build a brand, get some different avenues and see what happens in the future.

Format: I’ve heard you speak about the blogosphere and you described it like a community. Say one day your business partner, Paul Rosenberg (the financial muscle behind RapRadar), calls and says, ‘Cut the friendly shit and just focus on the competition.’ Would you be comfortable competing with some of the other established hip-hop blogs?
Elliott Wilson: I’ll go toe-to-toe with anybody [laughs]. Don’t get it twisted! What I’m saying is that no one really benefits. At the end of the day, all of these sites are linked to each other. It’s real different from the magazine scope. That side of it is not competitive, but the crazy thing about the Internet is it’s community-based, but it’s still competitive. It’s still hip-hop! Everyone thinks they’re number one. That’s hip-hop. You shouldn’t be like “my site’s cool but this site is way better than mine.” You wouldn’t say that out loud even if you thought that, and if you thought that it would be motivation for you to get your shit together. So, there’s always that competitive spirit. But I think what I’m trying to say more importantly is that I’m not trying to dead anybody. I think people expect that from me. I’m not trying to start any beef, but if someone wants to beef with me then I’ll respond and it is what it is. But, I’ll take on all challengers [laughs].

Format: What can hip-hop fans get from RapRadar that they cannot get from any of the other hip-hop blogs?
Elliott Wilson: First and foremost, you get me, somebody’s who experienced, someone who has a voice, knowledge of the past, present, and future. And because of the way I put things together, it will be better than most people’s sites. I’ll also aggregate with the best of them. There’s no website that’s balancing aggregating content and creating original content, and I think that’s our bread and butter. It’s just going to be quality work in and of itself. In some ways, the work I’ve done in the past means a lot but in some ways it doesn’t mean shit. So I would just say to anyone who’s wondering, go to RapRadar.com and see what you think and I’ll keep doing things to bring you back.

Format: You have a respected voice in hip-hop so I wanted to ask you about the future of hip-hop and this new wave of rappers. Who do you think is going to snatch the ball and run with it?
Elliott Wilson: Well out of the new guys with potential, the names that come to mind are Asher Roth, Charles Hamilton, B.o.B, Wale, and cats like that; the cats who were on the XXL cover. I’m not familiar with all of the music. I can’t say I’ve downloaded all of their mixtapes. I know there’s a lot of talent there. You still have this old guard sticking around. You get an Eminem album, a Jay album, but [out of those new guys] who’s going to break out? Who’s going to be the one? I don’t know yet. I have a rapport with some of them. With Charles [Hamilton], I have a little rapport. Wale I’m developing a rapport with. I don’t know Asher too well but I think he’s talented. Obviously he’s bringing a different perspective to the game. He’s going to have to deal with being a white emcee like how Eminem had to deal with it. But, I think the lane is open. The hip-hop world and the community are really ready for one of these guys to take the ball. It’s going to take one of them to really do it. Which one out of that batch is going to be the one? I can’t call it yet but hopefully I’ll know at least a couple months before everyone else does [laughs].

“But at the end of the day, I’m trying to leave a legacy. I’m trying to leave a mark.”

Format: Imagine if a few years from now, you wake up and get a call from Harris Publications, your ex-employer, and they want to offer you a really big check, like a fat check, for RapRadar.com. Would you take that check?
Elliott Wilson: I mean I’d take that meeting [laughs]. I take all meetings. This is business, man. EPMD told me business is never personal. I mean I take all meetings. I’m open-minded. It’s a business. I try to approach things straight up and honest. It’s a business game and you have to be smart. I’m always willing to sit down if there’s something higher level there.

Format: When it’s all said and done, is YN the greatest to ever do it? Something like the Hov (Jay-Z) of journalism?
Elliott Wilson: Yeah, that’s my goal. Before, I think I would’ve been too shy to say it but I’ve been feeling it more lately. Just in the sense of Hov as an artist, he has a tremendous track record like I do in my profession. And like him, I’m going to continue on and continue doing it and compete with this new generation. I have two goals and one of them is real selfish and one is on this really kind of warm and fuzzy shit. The selfish one is to be recognized as the greatest of all time at documenting this culture. The mushy one is to also do what no one in hip-hop has successfully done, which is to pass the torch and also to develop other voices and to develop the next generation, because I’m not going to be 50 years old running RapRadar on the 24/7 day-to-day grind. It’s my job to connect with and build voices and teach the next generation. Some of voices out there like Noah Callahan-Bever with Complex, Vanessa Satten of XXL and people like that I’ve obviously helped develop but it’s that continuing thing and that joy; that’s what hip-hop is about because I have a lot to teach and a lot to learn. But at the end of the day, I’m trying to leave a legacy. I’m trying to leave a mark.

Boundless NY

Deepi Harish — Mon, 25 May 2009 00:05:33 +0000

Initially launched as a music store, Boundless NY has intensified into an all encompassing streetwear shop, selling everything from vinyl records, magazines, and books, to quality apparel, kicks, and plenty more. Carrying over 50 brands, this Brooklyn based shop is a paradise for your lifestyle needs. Boasting an in-store market extending to an online business, Boundless NY is accessible to anyone with a sense of style and/or an internet connection. Also, because of the close ties Boundless has established with their designers, they are able to deliver more than just a trendy product: they are able to hook you up with a bit of background on your purchase, directly from the designer, which makes them stand apart from other urban shops exploding in N.Y.

Boundless is a place where you can go to say what’s up, chill, and buy your favorite gear before anyone else does.

Format: The concept of providing customers with the history behind their purchased item is an additional bonus to the product itself. Is it difficult to get ahold of the product maker?
Boundless NY: Not really, we are and have been involved with the people that make up these brands. This industry is a small enough community that through trade shows and the people we grew up with, we know how to get ahold of the right people. We used to do a segment called ‘5 Questions on The Boundless Blog’ with some people that we have close connections with. Check out the archives for more info about the brands you love that we carry on Boundless NY.

Format: Is Boundless NY selective of which manufacturers you are willing to sell in the store? If so, what does the filtering process entail?
Boundless NY: You have to develop your core customers with the brands that you select in the store. We have such a diverse client base and customers look to us to find trend-setting gear. The filtering process is simple. If we like what you are doing, then we will approach your brand and try to offer Boundless as a place for you to showcase what you are doing. We try to carry quality products from brands that not every other store carries, and have a reasonable price point.

Format: How often is the stock replenished?
Boundless NY: Brands operate and deliver on the four seasons; spring, summer, fall and Holiday. Not every brand releases products for all the seasons, but that gives you a good, general idea of when you will see new products on Boundless. Or you can subscribe to our newsletter, twitter page and new product RSS feed to stay up to date on new products and happenings with Boundless NY.

Format: Does Boundless NY generate more profit through the actual, retail store or through the online market?
Boundless NY: Our online store is just another way for us to diversify our brand and our income. If we didn’t have the online aspect of Boundless, we wouldn’t be as successful as we are today. Its open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can’t beat that. We have a great site that keeps developing to enhance our customers’ experiences. Boundless is all about the customer; we wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for our loyal following. On the flip side, now everyone has a website and is selling online, which creates more competition. We like to partner up with brands that don’t really want to see their stuff being sold on Amazon.com or some other site that isn’t really a good fit for their brand. Boundless works as a place to help the brands translate their message and lifestyle. We aren’t just trying to make a quick buck off your brand; we want to be a place to help you build directly with your customers.

Format: We see that Boundless NY sells commercialized, established brands, among other labels. Why doesn’t Boundless strictly sell merchandise from fresh, innovative, underground designers?
Boundless NY: We have been selling brands that were fresh, innovative, and underground before they became million dollar businesses. Right now we’re trying to focus our buying and move forward with brands that we see eye to eye with. No one is counted out. But it’s a hard game to make money only selling brands that no one has heard of. It’s all about balance.

Format: What seems to sell the most?
Boundless NY: The Hundreds, King Stampede, Mishka, 10Deep, UNDFTD are all brands that perform well for us. Right now reasonable price points and quality products are moving. It’s the same old basic supply and demand concept. People still have money, but now more than ever, they just need an incentive to spend it with us.

Format: Boundless NY Radio already exists; are you hoping to add some other elements to the retail store? Perhaps set up an in-store recording booth?
Boundless NY: We have a bunch of in-store events planned. Did you catch BET’s The Deal video show at Boundless last week? Boundless Radio will continue to operate and we might even have a few shows from inside the store. Eventually, we are looking to expand our retail presence when the time is right. Right now we are doing what we can with what we have.

Format: Do you find it difficult to stay afloat since there are a good number of street wear shops dispersed throughout New York City? What makes Boundless NY stand apart?
Boundless NY: We are diverse. We cover a lot of different ground selling online, out of our brick and mortar shop in Brooklyn. You need as many outlets as possible to make your money right now. Everyone on our team is diverse in their skill sets. We have people that are going above and beyond to help us out, to make money. That’s how we make ends meet and why we are different. Boundless is a place where you can go to say what’s up, chill, and buy your favorite gear before anyone else does.

Format: Where are you hoping to take Boundless NY in the future?
Boundless NY: We have a bunch of different projects on the horizon for Boundless. We just Beta launched our Boundless Community last month, and have some long-term plans for that. The actual Boundless store is just over two years old. We are building a solid community following here in Brooklyn and are getting involved with the community, giving back to the kids and the people that keep us in business. Kids are literally growing up around Boundless. It’s a cool thing to watch.

Format: Does Boundless NY have their own clothing line? If not is that in the works?
Boundless NY: We run the clothing label King Stampede. And our Boundless team and the KS crew are all family. Everything we are doing is based on our lifestyle turned into a business. This includes Vinyl Connect, King Stampede, Boundless NY, and so on. King Stampede came slightly after Vinyl Connect, but before Boundless NY. We have a few Boundless exclusive products that are out, our Boundless NY Logo New Era and some music releases are planned for the future. Check this [video] from our talented team behind Boundless and King Stampede.

More Info: www.boundlessny.com.

Brian Azzarello

Eva Quinn — Mon, 04 May 2009 15:25:02 +0000

A wise man once said that all good things must come to an end, and that adage never rang truer than in April 2009, when the curtain fell on one of comicdom’s most profilic series. Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso fired the first of their 100 Bullets back in 1999 and now, several shocking plot twists and moral quandries later, the saga has reached its’ dramatic conclusion, garnering awards and critical acclaim along the way. Azzarello’s reputation as a master storyteller, if not confirmed by his work on this book has been solidified on titles like Batman: Broken City and Superman: For Tomorrow and his screenwriting work on the animated Dark Knight prequel, Gotham Knight.

Now, with a certified classic on his resume, Azzarello continues his work for DC’s Vertigo imprint, and took some time out to wax lyrical about his new projects, mysterious briefcases, his motivations and the writer/ illustrator relationships that can so often make or break a title. (Editor note: If you’re waiting for the final trade paperback in the series you may want to be careful how you scroll down as artwork from the finale is included.)

“Eduardo once said to me that I write with a reason– that there are consequences to my stories. I keep that in mind, always.”

Format Magazine: The ‘reverse’ approach used in Joker and Lex Luthor Man of Steel is an intelligent method for breaking convention and delving into the minds of classic villains. What is it about this concept that you enjoy most and why?
Brian Azzarello: I wanted to give both Lex and Joker lives. That’s all. Prior to my books, they existed because their heroes (Superman & Batman) did, and all we saw of them was through the “hero” lens. Lex and Joker are bad, bad, bad– bullshit. They’re more than that; rich individual egos that are the focus of their own stories. I wanted to dig in that ground.

Format Magazine: Joker is the story of a man neglected and oppressed, it’s narrated by his lowly assistant Johnny Frost, (an Irish American out law) a want to be like minded criminal whose very heritage has been the subject of ignorance for centuries. What motivates you to give the underdog a voice and why do you feel this perspective is appealing to your audience?
Brian Azzarello: What motivates me… probably my two grandfathers. I don’t recall them arguing, but I do remember they didn’t get along. My mother’s father was an Irish chief of police in a small Massachusetts city, my Italian father’s a Cleveland defense attorney with some mobbed up clients. I was very close with him. He gave me advice I adhere to ‘til this day.

Format Magazine: In 2001, you won the Eisner award for the story Hang Up On The Hang Low (issues #15 – #18 of the series 100 Bullets). Your ability to write from a female perspective is clearly exceptional. What’s the reasoning behind this and how much do you really enjoy seeing the world through the eyes of the opposite sex?
Brian Azzarello: Don’t judge me. There’s nothing wrong with dressing in drag.

Format Magazine: Through out your writing career you have teamed up with infamous artists such as Jim Lee, Joe Kubert, Lee Bermejo, & Eduardo Risso. Which of these have you enjoyed working with most, and is the answer based on creative synchronicity or professionalism? Describe to us how the relationships work.
Brian Azzarello: I’ve been lucky in the fact that I haven’t partnered up with anybody that wasn’t a thrill to work with. That said, I’ve worked with Eduardo on a monthly basis for nearly ten years. It’s gotten to the point that we don’t just finish each other’s sentences, but we prefer each other’s flourish. Let’s call it professional synchronicity.

Format Magazine: All the titles I have mentioned so far have been published by DC comics or their adult division Vertigo, over the years you must have developed quite a relationship with the company. They must treat you very well, what is it that keeps you going back?
Brian Azzarello: DC does treat me very well, and I consider Vertigo my home. It’s a very good place for me to be– namely because I have Will Dennis, an editor I trust with my soul. Why don’t we just call it a crush– I’m a sucker for ginger.

Format Magazine: Growing up who was your favourite super hero and how did you feel you could relate to the character?
Brian Azzarello: I didn’t really like super heroes as a kid… I never understood their motivations. I guess if I had to pick one, it would be Luke Cage– he was in it for the money, like it said in his title; Hero For Hire. He had no secret identity either. Secret identities are for people who’re afraid of what they are.

Format Magazine: There’s such a wide variation of the types of titles you have written for Hellblazer, Loveless, Cage, Spiderman to name just a few. What type of series do you prefer to work on, the classic Super hero or the more off the beaten track concepts, and why?
Brian Azzarello: Whenever I write, I only do if I have something to say– regardless if it’s super heroes or “off the beaten track concepts”, as you put it. It does seem though, that I have more to say on that “off track”. Trouble is in comics anyway, there are less listeners on that track– but I’m trying to change that, and I’m not alone. Super heroes dominate comic books; that’s a given– and some of the best writers in the business are getting rich writing them and saying nothing. Eduardo once said to me that I write with a reason– that there are consequences to my stories. I keep that in mind, always.

Format Magazine: To date what piece of work has been your greatest achievement in a personal sense and what makes it so, the challenge of writing it, the way it affects the audience. Explain to me if you will what are the qualities you have displayed in a final product you feel truly proud of?
Brian Azzarello: 100 Bullets, hands down. I created it with Eduardo; it’s our baby. It grew into a nasty, mean spirited child, but we imbued it with an unwavering sense of honesty. We never pulled any punches. I’m very proud of that.

Format Magazine: Finally Mr Azzarello are there any up and coming projects you can let us in on… go on, just a little teaser if need be?
Brian Azzarello: In August, Vertigo is rolling out VERTIGO CRIME, a new line of crime graphic novels. Along with Ian Rankin, I have a book titled Filthy Rich that will launch the line. It’s a straight noir that takes place in the early sixties, about Rich Junkin, a one-time football star who now sells cars. He’s not a very good salesman, and that eats at him, being once a very good athlete. He gets involved with the boss’s daughter, a femme fatale who’s a lot slyer than he is. Dumb guy, smart girl… story of my life.

Sneakerplay

Deepi Harish — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 00:05:12 +0000

If fashion is a form of self-expression, then style can represent mood and personality. The sneaker is an all-encompassing lifestyle according to the founders of Sneakerplay, the web’s first and largest social community for sports shoe enthusiasts. Adidas Superstars, old skool Nike Cortez, the Original High Top Reebok Pump, Chuck Taylor Converse All-Star as well as some of the newer collectors editions that have heads camping out on city streets are all rated and compared. Like all the best secret societies, Sneakerplay operates on an invite-only basis, so you have to know someone who’s already been initiated before you can be connected yourself.
Format spoke with Robleh Jama, one of the site’s founders about his own fascination with kicks, and his plans for SP.

“Whether you choose your outfits from the sneakers up or the top down, you are sharing with the world your energy, feelings, state of mind, at that particular time.”

Format: How did you discover that a sneaker culture exists globally?
Robleh Jama: I never looked at it as a culture because it was the norm for me in Toronto when I was growing up. Basketball was what started it all off. If you played ball, had hoop dreams growing up or followed the NBA (in the 90’s) then, you automatically had an affinity for kicks. Eventually, I realized that I wasn’t going to make it to the NBA but my interest in sneakers never faded, it only grew and the focus became more about style, comfort, and design versus the more functional ball shoes.

Format: What was your original intention for creating an online kicks network?
Robleh Jama: Sneakerplay was what I called a “wouldn’t it be cool” idea. It was an opportunity to create a community for people who were into the same things as me. Our options, at the time, were either to stick exclusively to MySpace Books or old school message boards. Sneakerplay allowed us to combine our interests in sneaker culture and passion for the web. It’s been an amazing experience building two foundations which now is a vibrant and growing global community of about 20,000.

Format: Why does Sneakerplay operate by invitation only?
Robleh Jama: We’ve always wanted to make Sneakerplay different from other social networks and to make sure we kept true to our goal of creating a family-like vibe, we made SP invite only. Our invite only system has worked really well for us because it attracts members who seriously want to be a part of the growing community. Plus exclusivity and sneaker culture are two themes that naturally go together so it just made perfect sense.

Format: Do you have a favorite sneaker brand?
Robleh Jama: I don’t really have one favorite brand. I appreciate a few independent brands that are taking chances and putting out quality product like Ubiq, Visvim and Clae.

Format: Why do think some sneakers or brands are overrated?
Robleh Jama: Like it or not, we live in a consumer culture where it’s all about buying the latest, greatest and most limited. I think some brands end up getting more attention than they deserve because of what a certain few people say or do, whether it’s websites, some kids on a forum or your favorite celebrity. I prefer to rate brands on their execution and output. Support your independents!

Format: Have you ever found the perfect sneaker, and if so what is it?
Robleh Jama: I don’t believe in the perfect sneaker. Perfection to me is relative to a certain time, feeling, mental state. A pair of Reebok Kamikazes that were perfect for me 14 years ago might not be perfect for me now (even though I’m still a fan).

Personally, I was never satisfied being just a customer, a fan, or observer, I’d much rather be an active producer and participate.

Format: Would you agree that a person’s shoes say a lot about him or her?
Robleh Jama: I would say so. Sneakers to me are all about self-expression. Whether you choose your outfits from the sneakers up or the top down, you are sharing with the world your energy, feelings, state of mind, at that particular time. The best way to illustrate this is by looking at fashion as an art form and yourself as the blank canvas and artist.

Format: Through Sneakerplay, it is clear that the sneaker culture has a huge following. Where do you hope do you see the culture going in the future?
Robleh Jama: I’m an optimist so my hope is that we’ll find more positive outlets for our passions whether it’s entrepreneurship, art or giving back. I’m all for consuming quality products but life shouldn’t be all about consumption and over indulgence, that’s exactly what killed our economy. Personally, I was never satisfied being just a customer, a fan, or observer, I’d much rather be an active producer and participate.

Format: Do you think we’ve entered a sneaker revolution or that we need one?
Robleh Jama: I think we need a social and economic revolution. Sneakers have been evolving and progressively improving over time. I just hope the same happens with our economy!

Format: Rumor has it that Sneakerplay is up for bids, why?
Robleh Jama: You heard correct. SP is looking for a new home. Why? Building Sneakerplay has been an amazing three year journey and learning experience. We recently started working on some new web projects that have been taking a lot of our time and effort. A community like SP deserves and requires complete focus, which we just couldn’t provide on a full-time basis. We’ve spoken to a few prospects over the past few months and will be announcing our next steps soon. At the end of the day, it’s the community that makes Sneakerplay what it is and that’s not going to change.

Shannon Brooke

Leah Satlin — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 23:05:16 +0000

There’s no doubt that rocking the retro style is no longer an act of irony. Retro fashion is definitely back in, with chicks like Katy Perry, Dita von Teese and Lady Gaga acting as today’s poster girls for The Look. Shannon Brooke, a photographer based in Los Angeles, can’t get enough of The Look, and has taken her passion a step further than sporting it herself; it is also the aesthetic that inspires her work. Brooke’s style effortlessly combines the 1950’s and the present resulting in her trademark images of unique modern pin-ups.

She also embraces tattoo culture in her shots – while more and more modern female sex symbols have some of their own ink these days, women were seldom seen with them in Brooke’s favorite eras of yore. The result is a gorgeous oeuvre that is best showcased in the glossy pages of magazines such as Deadbeat, among others.

Class is a proper attitude and when needed a lady could turn it on at any time.

Format: How did you first get interested in photography?
Shannon Brooke: My aunt gave me a Nikon F-Series from the 1970s and I was like “What the hell am I gonna do with that?” So I took some classes at a local community college here in Orange County to learn how to use it. Ever since I haven’t put it down. I still shoot with it when I get enough money to actually shoot film.

Format: So you usually shoot digital these days? What’s your favorite camera to use?
Shannon Brooke: I work with a Nikon D2X mostly. I have also shot a lot with a Hasselblad H2D and my favorite camera, a 35mm Nikon F-Series.

Format: How would you describe your aesthetic in your own words?
Shannon Brooke: Retro with a contemporary twist.

Format: What attracts you to the pin-up girl? Why are you particularly interested in the 1920s-1960s?
Shannon Brooke: Pin-up girls are sexy but innocent. Classy and daring. Everything that I am attracted to in people and art, an oxymoron. Girls can be sexy without showing it all, and I stress that to all my clients. It’s all in the attitude and how they look in the clothes that they are wearing. When the girls are nude, there isn’t a lot of personality that the clothes may bring to the photo.

Format: How would you describe today’s modern pin-up? Does she exist? What makes her different from the retro pin-up?
Shannon Brooke: I feel that the modern pin-up is all about the attitude. There is still innocence, but she may have tattoos, piercings, or even green hair! Modern pin-ups express their fashion loudly, which I think is relevant to the classic pinup from the 1950s. Fashion was changing rapidly, adding a bright red shoe to an outfit was a “punk rock” thing to do in the 50s.

Format: What’s your personal style like?
Shannon Brooke: Chameleon, at best! I love wearing whatever I like. I don’t like labels and I hate the word “poser.” Sometimes I wear “Rockabilly” inspired clothing but I rarely listen to Rockabilly music. So if I’ve changed from the day I was born does that make me a poser? I have traditional tattoos, a sleeve on my right arm and random tattoos everywhere else. Sometimes I have Bettie bangs, and sometimes they are a soft swoop. I change my look monthly; I get bored rather quickly.

Format: Tell us more about your tattoos.
Shannon Brooke: My entire lower back is tattooed with sparrows in love, my right arm is sleeved with traditional tattoos, all of which have a story. I have a huge butterfly tattooed below my bellybutton. Not a girly butterfly, a tough one. It’s a Drew Barrymore obsession tattoo. My favorite recently is a tattoo on my elbow of a bloody tooth. It has my brother’s initials below it. When we were kids my little brother hated when I would sing out loud, so one day I put him to the test! I belted out the Muppet Babies song as loud as I could and low and behold I get a kick in my lower back. We had been practicing our WWF moves that week so I put (what I thought was) him in a headlock and flipped him over onto his back. Well, my hand was not around his neck, it was in his mouth, so as I flipped him over my arm, I ripped his baby tooth out! It was the only fight I ever won with him. And it was worth it. He had tee ball pictures the day after. It was really devastating and hilarious at the same time. He loves my tooth tattoo.

Format: Do you think a woman with tattoos can have class?
Shannon Brooke: Sure, class is a proper attitude and when needed a lady could turn it on at any time.

Format: What do you think a tattoo says about an individual?
Shannon Brooke: It shows the world that they are a creative person, but they can say and mean a world of things. Depending on the style, certain people can think they say or mean other things. I call these people “assholes” or “ignorant” or “non-creatives.” We are all judgmental and if one is to get visible tattoos, weird looks and comments are going to happen. Comes with the territory.

Format: Do you enjoy photographing tattoos?
Shannon Brooke: I do, although I am not a big fan of leg tattoos on women. It breaks the lines of the legs, and straight bodylines are very important for pin-up photography. They just seem to be very distracting to me. On the other hand, if a lady has legs covered in tattoos like Kat Von D, it works. She was insanely gorgeous, and one of my favorite girls I have ever shot.

Format: Where do you show your work?
Shannon Brooke: I am not a big fan of shows. It’s a lot of work to put everything together, and it’s very costly. I would rather show my work in magazines, coffee table books, and catalogs. Showing my work in an article makes me the most content; I want people to see my work next to my words.

Format: What is your background/training?
Shannon Brooke: I attended Saddleback College and then graduated from Brooks Institute of Photography with a BA. Other then that, I learn by doing. My old boss Jesse James once told me, “School gets in the way of learning.” In a huge sense he was right. Everything I learned as I was shooting helped me develop my style.

Stevie Williams

Kobi Annobil — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 20:05:00 +0000

Make no mistake; Stevie Williams blazes trails. From his early days as a mainstay in the Philadelphia skate scene he has gone from strength to strength. Not only has he linked up with The Kayo Corp, who distribute his Dirty Ghetto Kids skate wear and accessories, but he also has a solid working partnership with producer extraordinaire, Don Cannon ( he of Young Jeezy’s Go Crazy fame) which has resulted in the opening of a skate store in Atlanta and a series of mixtapes. Ever the mogul, Stevie has linked up with Interscope Records for the Steelo Hero website – www.steelohero.com – a portal where users can browse items about skateboarding, street wear, culture, new music and generally keep up to date with all things dope.

Taking a little time out from an increasingly busy schedule, Stevie chopped it up with Format about 80’s skate inspired flicks, his camaraderie with the Broad Street Bully, silver screen ambitions and his character in the Tony Hawk’s series….

There has definitely been a change in the way skateboarding is looked at in the hood

Format: How old were you when you started skating? Who inspired you to take it up?
Stevie Williams: I was 10 and a half years old and I was inspired by Christian Slater [in Gleaming The Cube].

Format: Can you describe your early experiences skating Philadelphia as a kid? Has the city changed much in terms of skate spots since then?
Stevie Williams: Pretty rugged, exciting and different. It’s a travelling sport. It has changed a little bit, the skate spots are already damaged by people who own the property – they may not be there anymore. The skate spot will always be there because nobody looks at it the way we do. Skateboarders look at skate spots differently and we think about what type of tricks we can do.

Format: You were skating for DC for a while, how did you end up getting the Reebok endorsement?
Steve Williams: It was a situation that happened with my contract; at DC they gave me the ability to look for potential options. At the time Reebok seemed like the best option. It was a period of transition in my life; it was about business and not just being an athlete.

Format: In one of the print ad campaigns for DGK, there was a photo of you buying up every copy of Beanie Sigel’s The B-Coming in a store. Do the rappers from Philly support you in what you do or are they pretty much mystified by it?
Stevie Williams: I show them mad support. I rep their music. We all have a Philly swagger; to make it out of Philly is big; we show them love. They knew about all the stuff I was doing; and [Beans] was supporting me and we support each other.

Format: How did you hook up with Don Cannon? You’ve released a couple of mixtapes through the site – do you have any musical ambitions of your own?
Stevie Williams: I’ve know Cannon for a while. We have a mixtape called Skate Property that just dropped and can be downloaded at www.myspace.com/dgk215 or call me personally at 215-240-7321. We work with DJ Drama in Philly too. It’s a good relationship; we came together and we did it. The love and support is Atlanta in huge. [I have] No musical ambitions of my own. If anybody catches my rapping; its just me messing around. I never really planned to be in the music business. I love music; but it’s not my business besides some collaboration opportunities.

Format: Alongside yourself, Kareem Campbell, Harold Hunter (R.I.P) and Terry Kennedy are some of the best known Black pro-skaters. Are there any new Black pro¹s who you really dig at the moment?
Stevie Williams: I dig all skaters; there are a lot of up and coming skaters. If you look at the timeline of those names that were just dropped; those are different eras of skate. We are all different; with generational gaps – we all have our successes. As for the business side of skate; Kareem Campbell has created a name for himself. It’s about the talent, but also about who can sustain into the next era and keep your name alive.

Format: You’ve seen the likes of Lupe Fiasco doing their thing on a board. Is he really as good as he says?
Stevie Williams: I haven’t really read anything that he has said about how good he is. I’ve seen him; he can do some tricks.

Format: Pharrell Williams has mentioned in interviews about how skateboarding was pretty much something alien to inner city areas, despite the fact it’s the location for some of the best stuff to skate. Do you think that’s still the case now, or has there been a change in the way skateboarding is looked at in the hood?
Stevie Williams: There has definitely been a change in the way skateboarding is looked at in the hood; due to myself, TK and others. You see kids skating in the hood all the time [now], because it’s been shown to be successful.

Format: Is there a single quality that all the skaters on the DGK team have in
common?
Stevie Williams: We are all on the same mission – trying to come up and do our thing. We are not all from the city. We have a great relationship. Everyone brings something different to the table.

Format: Skating takes its toll on the body after a while. Once you’ve hung up your board do you plan to get into producing skate videos at all? Any plans to continue with your acting career?
Stevie Williams: Yes, I’ll still skate and work on skate videos. I still plan on acting. I have a lot to do. Acting isn’t my number one priority – skateboarding is. If I have the time; I’ll try to make acting happen. I love to act.

Format: What is your favorite spot in the world to skate and why?
Stevie Williams: Barcelona; because it’s beautiful and the culture is different.

Format: Can you do the special trick that they gave you in Tony Hawks Proving Ground in real life?
Stevie Williams: Yes, I made that trick up.

Format: The DGK range of decks are pretty eye catching – how much input do you have in the whole design process?
Stevie Williams: From start to finish; I work on DGK all the time with the graphic designer at KAYO. I have an actual brand manager. It’s a team brand and it isn’t all Stevie Williams. We work together to make the look go with the direction and brand. There’s a process that we go through to make things look hot for the brand.

Format: How did you end up hooking up with Interscope for the Steelo Hero website? What do you hope to achieve through it?
Stevie Williams: I’m always on the internet, and looking at cool and different things. I wanted to create a single destination for the skate industry where they can get everything. I came together with Interscope to make my idea come to life. It’s new and in the music industry. Now we are working on a bunch of different things to perfect the site with things like authentic footage.

Format: What is it you hope to achieve through the website?
Stevie Williams: To achieve awareness in the street wear, graphics, style, skate,
lifestyle and culture, music, etc – showing what’s hottest in the industry right now. With creative content and product; Steelo will be the go to website for the industry. It’s interactive with the community.

Format: What is Interscope’s role in the whole venture?
Stevie Williams: It’s a partnership; they are in it just as much as I am.

Format: Obviously you’ve dealt with the DGK What made you decide to go the media mogul route?
Stevie Williams: I’m on the internet all the time; I’m always looking for creative ways to do what I love; integrate the web, music, skate, lifestyle. Steelo Hero allows me to combine all of those into one.

Format: Are there any Interscope artists you’re especially excited to work with for the Steelo Hero site?
Stevie Williams: I’m excited to work with all of the artists. I’m really anxious for the site to reach its potential. I’m appreciative of any of the artists that will support this project.

Format: What can we expect from the Steelo Hero/ Mighty Healthy and Undefeated collaborations?
Stevie Williams: We are working on something hot and it’s going to be very exclusive. Keep an eye out…

Format: How did you hook up with The Twins?
Stevie Williams: I did a photo shoot with them a long time ago, and we kept in touch. They were the first people I wanted to get at when we started the project. They were in a movie with me in Miami.

Format: What are your top 3 songs to skate to?
Stevie Williams: Pretty much anything on skate property mixtape and I’ll have an upcoming exclusive beat from Cannon available on Steelo Hero…

Format: Can you finish the following statement: Stevie Williams is…
Stevie Williams: A young black entrepreneur trying to do his thing

Missy Suicide

Nick Hanekom — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 17:05:57 +0000

Back in 2001, two friends bravely set out to create for themselves an environment that supported their personalities, their aspirations and most importantly, their peers. In doing so, they planted a seed that would soon spawn an online community, 300,000 strong and viewed by millions. Their “experiment,” it seems, worked marvellously and now SuicideGirls has become the basis for a cultural revolution. SG is a place where women (and men) can be themselves, where they can share their lives with adoring fans and best of all, get naked and have fun in front of the camera. Here, co-founder Missy Suicide, talks candidly about how SuicideGirls became a household name, one you won’t soon forget.

“The Internet is a place to be entertained and that gray area between entertainment and real life can get messy.”

Format: Back when you started SuicideGirls, had you any notion that the Internet would make such an enormous impact on the way we consume information or had you always known it would come to dominate as the medium of choice?
Missy Suicide: SuicideGirls started in 2001 and I had been working on websites for five years previous. I had a pretty good inkling the Internet would be massive. SG on the other hand was more of an experiment that I hoped people would like. The social network was not yet the proven behemoth that it is today. SuicideGirls began before Friendster of Myspace or Facebook. We knew that it was how we wanted to use the Internet but we weren’t sure if others would feel the same way.

Format: Since then you’ve successfully crossed-over into film, TV, radio and print so tell us about how these other mediums have worked to enhance the SG brand.
Missy: We were very lucky that we have been able to expose new audiences to SG through these other mediums. It sounds naive but I had no idea the power television had until our films started airing on Showtime and the episode of CSI: NY featuring the SuicideGirls aired. The sheer number of people engaged and hearing about your brand is exposure that impacts your fan base pretty immediately.

Radio has been a true pleasure and we feel lucky to be a part of the coolest radio station in America. Print allows you to create tangible objects that are permanent in nature; a website is constantly changing, so being able to create a print piece is a moment in time you can always reflect on. The great thing about the web is that you can constantly revise until you get it right but sometimes it is great to be able to hold a moment forever too.

Format: The new book Suicide Girls: Beauty Redefined has taken things to the next level; it’s a truly comprehensive, extremely well presented look at what SG is all about. What inspired you to take the route you did, especially at a time when print media is in such turmoil?
Missy: There is something about holding beautiful work in your hand; it is such a tactile connected experience. This is our second book and our fourth foyer into the print medium having published two issues of our art magazine previously. We wanted to publish something that would truly be representative of the past eight years and show the breadth of the models from around the world and the amazing photographers we work with.

Format: If you had to tell someone in no uncertain terms what the benefits are to being a Suicide Girl, what would you tell them?
Missy: I believe each girl gets out of SuicideGirls what she puts in. Some girls who were interested in photography and started as models on the site now earn their livings photographing and Photoshopping for the site. Girls who were interested in performing have been able to travel the world on the burlesque tour, appear in films and television shows that are syndicated internationally as well as being interviewed for countless publications. Girls have found their best friends, husbands, and jobs through the site. Others have had their photos done and not really interacted much on the community. It is really up to the girl and the impact can be endless.

Some benefits girls have seen have been meeting amazing women from around the world who share your interest; beautiful photos that you will be able to look back on for the rest of your life; an opportunity to create truly collaborative work in which the vision of how you feel sexiest about yourself can be captured; opportunities to participate in music videos, interviews, TV shows, movies, conventions, and local nights; and a forum to reach 1 million people a week to market your clothing, book, music, etc.

Format: Creatively speaking, you allow your models to conceptualize and execute most of their own photo sets, which seems to have worked out alright thus far. Comment, if you will, on how you’ve managed to compile such an enormous catalogue that is as diverse as it is consistent.
Missy: We make sure that the models visions of how they feel sexiest about themselves are portrayed in the highest quality images. Using the classic pin-up as our inspiration and touch point and bringing each girl’s interpretation of that to each set. I think working with a talented team of photographers world wide who are dedicated to that vision has helped to create some amazingly unique and beautiful work while holding true to certain standards.

I also think having so many photographers who began as models brings out a certain comfort and ease to the photos, the photographers having been in the models’ place and therefore having an intimate knowledge of what the other girl is going through. Not to discredit our very talented male photographers as well, who have cultivated great working relationships with the models over the years. I feel really lucky we are able to highlight such amazing work.

Format: Judging by what your ladies do for a living, it seems mayhem and excess is a part of their everyday, but is there anything that the SG brand will not accept from it’s representatives? And I’m not talking about working for the competition here.
Missy: Nazis. That is one thing we don’t tolerate.

Format: Considering your enormous market share, how do you propose to continue the building of the SuicideGirls empire whilst staying innovative and at the head of the pack?
Missy: We are working on our next film. We hope to have that released in the spring or early summer. We are working on a few deals that will expand the brand a bit and we continue to grow and improve the site. We will be doing more signings and appearances for SuicideGirls: Beauty Redefined.
Basically we will try to keep bringing things that we want to see and think are cool to the community. We have also had some really interesting, truly “only in LA” type meetings that will hopefully result in some really cool new ways to get to know the SuicideGirls soon.

Format: Over the years SG has been faced with some rather controversial issues, lawsuits, dirty rumors and a bunch of scrutiny, tell us how you’ve managed to come out on top and how has your attitude been changed by these battles?
Missy: It is a new world we are living in where people are living their lives online. Being open opens you up to criticism and rumors. Situations can get out of hand and there is a platform for people to say horrible things about you and have them snowball into the absurd. The Internet is a place to be entertained and that gray area between entertainment and real life can get messy.

It can be hard, when you are in the thick of things, to put things into perspective but it helps to have a great real life to remind you of what is important. If you stay true to yourself and continue doing what you have been doing, with the same business ethics and acumen you have always employed, the rumors will be proven to be just that. There will always be some new drama and your 15 minutes of hardship will come to an end, even if it feels like it can’t come soon enough.

Format: If you had an opportunity to confront all the haters and nay-sayers, what would you be saying to them?
Missy: Honestly I would wish them the best in life, and that they never have to incur the hater treatment. I tend to think that people are generally good and don’t really intend for the exaggerations they boast on the Internet to end up affecting people in the ways that they do. It is easy to get caught up in the machine I think and feel forced to keep feeding the monster you created. I just hope that they don’t do it to anyone else.

Vimby

Ben Williams — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 00:05:20 +0000

OK, so you might think video websites based on music are a dime a dozen, doing nothing more than showing the latest bootleg video by the next best rapper alive or some obscure news footage about someone having a mental breakdown on the subway. Yet we at Format Magazine are always at the forefront of highlighting people, movements, and websites that go against convention and bring something fresh and unique to the table. In VIMBY, we have found a fledging video-oriented website that is starting to make big moves in the blogging world. We got the chance to get together with Zosimo Maximo, Creative Director of VIMBY to discuss what makes the site different from others, the dreaded word that is ‘Hipster,’ and find out the reasons why VIMBY videos look so damn beautiful.

“I look forward to looking at this content 20 years from now and remembering exactly how it went down.”

Format: VIMBY, aka Video In My Back Yard, where did the idea come from?
Zosimo: Our CEO Dean Waters was part of a group that created the first local television station in Los Angeles that catered to 18-34 year olds. The shows were devoted to local nightlife, music, fashion, art, action sports, travel and more. The idea was modeled after Canada’s City TV. In time, the company folded because they could not support the costly monthly burn to be on television. Dean never gave up on the idea and molded it for a year and decided the web was the right place for it to live. He called me up to help him bring it to life. A year and a half later here we are. VIMBY is now in 18 cities with 100 filmmakers on our roster who deliver first run original programming on a daily basis.

Format: Could you explain how the site works?
Zosimo: When you come to the homepage, you’ll see our site split up into videos, photos, and our blog. The videos are categorized into genres and then broken down into sub-categories. If you just want to drill down to a particular city, you can either go to a drop down of all markets or click on the map. We’re primarily recognized for our videos but we have a dope blog handled by our in-house team of prolific authors and we have a really rich photo section where you can view the work of photographers who document all types of scenes around the country. Last but not least, we have a solid music calendar featuring the best live shows and music related events in all 18 cities we cover.

Format: Would you view VIMBY as a community-oriented site similar to Facebook or Myspace? Was it ever your aim to follow that path?
Zosimo: It’s hard to compete with Facebook and Myspace and create any type of social network nowadays. From the get go, we recognized this and saw an opportunity to get into the digital space where originally produced content would be greatly needed. We’re not a social network, but in the same sense, we’re building “community” through content.

Format: Now, many bloggers believe that vlogs will be even bigger this year. Do you believe VIMBY could be in the midst of this movement?
Zosimo: First off, I’d like to shout out all the blogs who have been supporting us. VIMBY has helped define the video/blog hybrid model. Blogs need original content and as many have experienced firsthand, it’s not easy to do at a high quality without spending a lot of time and money. We are establishing ourselves as one of the best in online content and our model is set up where we welcome blogs to come and grab our videos. It’s a win-win situation for both parties. Vlogs are the future and Wordpress has evolved so that bloggers have the capability to set up shop like a media site, all for free. The next step for us is to launch five new individual blogs next month all powered by VIMBY.

Format: Is the site a reflection of collected personalities or something that people wanted to see on the net? I mean you always hear people who have created something because it’s what they wanted or there was a gap in the market for it. Do you feel that you’ve found a niche with VIMBY?
Zosimo: VIMBY was founded by a group of like minds that recognized a pattern in a young demographic shifting their attention to from TV to digital platforms like the web and mobile devices. As a business model, there was definitely a need for quality local content and more importantly the need for advertisers to connect authentically with young consumers. The timing was right to enter when we did. In terms of building the product, I was given creative freedom to establish the direction of the content and I naturally started with my passions. I knew right away the importance of being credible out of the gate and connecting with many of my homies who just happen to be at the forefront of the art, music, DJ, skate, sneaker & street wear scenes. Some of our first videos featured the likes of Cey Adams, Adam Horowitz, Dante Ross & Peanut Butter Wolf. When you set the bar that high right out of the gate, the pressure was on us to maintain that standard. As we brought on more filmmakers and internal staff members, it grew from there and has become a culmination of various voices, styles and sensibilities that just happens to make sense as a whole.

Format: Ok, so would it be unkind or just plain wrong to describe VIMBY as the “Hipster/Emo” alternative to video related sites such as WSHH?
Zosimo: [Laughs] I don’t take offense to it because I really don’t know what that term means. Our goal is to document pop culture as a whole. Subjects being labeled as “hipsters” fall prey to this broad definition of the term where almost anything we cover like DJ A-Trak, The Hundreds or Gym Class Heroes gets this tag. Mickey Factz claims to have invented the term and emcees like Pac Div, U-N-I, Cool Kids, and Charles Hamilton are getting this label too. Back in the day, would you have called Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, The Pharcyde, and J. Dilla “hipsters?” If so, then I don’t have a problem with the word “hipster” if it’s going to be used to describe independent operators and not mainstream followers.

Format: I have to admit I don’t like the term myself, yet it’s become relevant in both mainstream and underground music. Now just the other day I was watching a video on hip-hop producer Exile via VIMBY. How on Earth do the videos come out looking so polished and technically crisp? Do you receive all videos that way?
Zosimo: We work closely with our team of filmmakers. I have a background in commercial filmmaking and reality TV, so I adopted many of the techniques I learned while at MTV and brought them to short form web content. We put a “production bible” in place that all filmmakers on our team have to follow that calls for the delivery of a video with high production value. Our filmmakers send in rough cuts and we work with each video until we feel it’s solid. We have some of the illest filmmakers on our squad and we grant them the freedom to go off creatively. In this game, with so many people trying to do content, I constantly have to push the filmmakers to keep elevating their game and stay two steps ahead of the competition.

Format: Have you any favorite filmmakers/visionaries that you enjoy?
Zosimo: I’m a straight film geek, man. As for [old] film, Scorsese, Antonioni, Kurasawa, and Trauffaut. More recent directors that inspire me are Wong Kar Wai, Michel Gondry, Chris Cunningham, Zack Synder, and Darren Aronofsky. On the documentary side, the Maysel brothers are on top of my list.

Format: Any thoughts on Rik Cordero, do you like what he has done for the viral video scene?
Zosimo: I don’t know Rik personally but I like his work. I know people have made statements that he’s “cancer to the music video industry.” To me, that’s garbage. The decline of the music video business is a direct correlation of the music industry getting hit by free downloads, slumping record sales, and the economy. The days of a Dave Meyer or Chris Robinson super video are over. Directors like Rik or Modern Artists are just adjusting to the times and working with tiny budgets. They’re working with the budget used for craft services on a Hype Williams shoot. There’s not a whole lot you can do with that. Guys like Rik do have a more personal relationship with the artists and in my eyes are keeping the music video genre alive. I’m sure there’s plenty of other things he can focus on that will get him paid, so you got to believe he’s still doing it for the love.

“We’re a powerful group who can light a viral fire on a new artist and I think labels are starting to get hip to that.”

Format: I have to say that I think Rik has done a lot in terms of promotion for certain artists, you just have to look at the work he done for The Roots’ last album as well as Q-Tip’s, it can only be a good thing for artists who don’t have basically any budgets. Do you see VIMBY playing a big part in the underground hip-hop scene?
Zosimo: I honestly believe that we’re changing the game. We’ve created a doc/epk, music video hybrid that’s honest and a real representation of the artists. Every day, I have artists and labels hitting me up asking how to get down with VIMBY. So, that’s telling me that we’re doing something that the industry and the artists feel is important. We have some extremely passionate hip-hop heads on our team like Mario Rangel so we take what we’re doing in the genre very serious. We also have a strong relationship with people like OP! from Cornerstone, Hallway J, Shake & Meka, Eskay, Will from Imeem, PR guru Matt Conaway, and other influential tastemakers on the digital side. Together, we’re a powerful group who can light a viral fire on a new artist and I think labels are starting to get hip to that. What needs to happen is for the labels and brands to stop treating online like the bastard step-child and put more money and focus on us, the people who really have the consumer’s ear. Aside from what we’re doing with our videos, be on the look out for the VIMBY mixtape produced by Cook Classics, upcoming music showcases, and our new hip-hop blog called uponthingz.com with Mario at the helm.

Format: So are you into music, action sports, and fashion yourself?
Zosimo: Absolutely. I’ve been a DJ for 15 years so my playlists are quite deep by default. I’ve had a deep appreciation for underground hip-hop most of my life but over time I’ve learned to open my ears up to quality music from all genres. I also started my career out as a clothing designer and worked for companies like Gucci and Prada. Back in the early 90’s, I started a streetwear/skatewear brand called Kulee as well. So, I’ve been entrenched in several of the subcultures VIMBY represents and now have the ability to capture it all on video. If I had a video camera back then, you’d be able to witness how many of these subcultures originated. I’m talking about when Eddie & James first opened up Stussy & Union; when Shepard Fairey was bombing the streets from Rhode Island to LA with Andre the Giant stickers; when Stretch, Mark Ronson and AM were just starting to hit the nightclub scene; and when Harold Hunter and Justin Pierce came to Hollywood after Kids. Unfortunately, I didn’t document that but now we know we’re doing something special with VIMBY capturing pop culture from all angles. I look forward to looking at this content 20 years from now and remembering exactly how it went down.

Format: OK, being a music head, give me five artists who you couldn’t live without and few to lookout for?
Zosimo: My tastes are all over the place so five is tough. If I had to stick to hip-hop, Biggie, Jay & Nas are three I couldn’t live without. I’m feeling what the AOK Collective is putting out in the East and Diz Gibran’s voice on the West is pretty dope.

Format: On a final note, how do you see the future of VIMBY unfolding, is there room for development and expansion?
Zosimo: There’s plenty of room for expansion. Video in My Backyard is set up to work anywhere like the U.K. and Japan. But first things first, we’re looking to roll out more “backyards” in America. After that we’re getting ready to launch five new individual blogs all powered by VIMBY that specialize in everything from fashion to action sports. A main focus of ours is to be a multi-platform media company where we bring our flavor and content production style to reality TV, commercial production, and online advertising.

290 Square Meters

Leah Satlin — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 00:05:23 +0000

To many, Holland represents a land of eccentricity, from its extremely liberal take on prostitution and cannabis to its wacky idea of what makes for proper footwear. This outside worldview of the Dutch is likely what has inspired their well-known axiom, “Do normal. That’s already crazy enough.” The owner and founder of Amsterdam’s shop 290 Square Meters, who goes only by the name Ido, works hard to both cater to those who live by this proverb and at the same time convert them.

290 Square Meters, located in the heart of Amsterdam near the Fleamarket, is a Mecca for brand names like Nike and Levi’s. In fact, 290 Square Meters was the first store in the world where consumers could create their own custom Nike sneakers. But what this shop has to offer goes far beyond the Dutch comfort zone.

290 Square Meters is dedicated to introducing Amsterdam to unique street artists and designers. The store has been home to art shows by the street art collective The London Police, French artist Miss Van, Japanese collaborative Kami & Sasu and many more. Ido thinks of his shop as a “destination store.” It’s a place for discovery, where customers can find a unique selection of urban clothes, sneakers, art, cosmetics and bikes. And its location, underground in an old bank vault, makes it a true Dutch hidden gem.

“There’s not really a concept behind 290 square meters. We just sell what we like.”

Format: Please introduce yourself and tell us briefly about the history of 290 Square meters.
Ido: 90 square meters was founded in 2001. Amsterdam needed a place where anything could happen and I was really disappointed in the stuff that was available in Holland. The shop was named 90 square meters because it was the size of the space that was open to anything. We did about 30 art shows, product launches for several brands like Nike and Levi’s, lectures and much more. In April, 2008 the store [was renamed] 290 square meters; we [moved and now] have triple the size of the old space.

I’m just Ido – I never use my last name. I’m the founder/owner. I do the buying and I’m in the store three days a week. At the moment I’m busy with running the agency. We do communication, concept, product launches, etc. There’s not really a concept behind 290 square meters. We just sell what we like. It’s all about passion. These days it’s easier to get products from all over the world without traveling. Not only for me but also for consumers. To be honest, we do what we like and we don’t look at others.

Format: How did you come up with the idea of blending an urban retail store with an art gallery?
Ido: In the network that I have there are a lot of artists that need a place to show their work. Eight years ago street art didn’t have the status that is has now.

Format: What status does street art have now, in both Amsterdam and in the international art world?
Ido: Eight years ago street art was mostly on the streets and sometimes in bigger cities in well know galleries. Most people saw graffiti on the streets and that was it. Now it’s well known all over the world and by a bigger group. Brands have done so many collaborations with street artists that almost everybody knows who Futura is.

Amsterdam is a very small city and the group of people that know a bit of art is small. They know who Futura is, but Barry McGee is a name that they don’t know. It’s not just with art, it’s with a lot of things. There’s a saying in Holland which is, “Do normal. That’s already crazy enough.” People here judge each other on how they look and what they do. That means not so many want to stand out and dare to do what they really want. It’s all a bit on the safe side. Most people buy the brands they know and not so much what they don’t know. The logo is more important than the style!

Format: How many art shows per year do you hold?
Ido: We haven’t done any in the last year and a half. People like to drink beer, listen to music and socialize during the openings. That means the attention to the art was very little and after doing so many it was time for something different.

Format: So now that you’re not holding art shows anymore, what new things are you incorporating into the store instead?
Ido: We have a dedicated Nike space where we tell a story about a product. Every six to eight weeks we have new items on display and sometimes we have an artist’s interpretation of the items. We’re also the middle man between brands and artists. We organize events for brands and do product launches. As it looks now we’ll do two or three shows this year.

Format: How are your sales doing these days? Has the recession that has hit the States hard affected you in any way?
Ido: The sales have slowed down a bit but it’s still ok. The recession is in the U.K. now and nobody knows what will happen. We all have to be positive !

Format: Do you have plans to open any other locations?
Ido: We may start something in Tokyo at the end of 2009. I love the city and there are a lot of U.S.-based brands and almost no European brands. I have a lot of Japanese people coming to the shop who really like it and buy a lot. I have the connections to do it and most important I think I can contribute something to the retail landscape in Tokyo.

Format: What’s coming up at 290 Square meters? What’s new?
Ido: The assortment of the shop will be more sophisticated and cleaner. We’re working for the first time in eight years on a few items together with some well-respected brands. We’ll keep you updated on that.

Jabbawockeez

Carmel Hagen — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 00:05:51 +0000

There is one thing that every single dance instructor in America will tell you, and it goes something like this: dancing is not just about movement, or just about sound. It’s about passion, because to truly dance you must communicate without talking.

This sounds like the typical motivational bullshit that artsy types recite so fluently, and, to be fair, not all dancers successfully capture that passion. However, this is exactly where dance differs from other art forms, because other kinds of artists can still find success with a bit of bullshitting – but dancers, for the most part, can’t.

“I really felt that impact when I saw fans crying during and after we were performing. To see that we could impact a person who we had never personally met is amazing.”

Jeff “Phi” Nguyen is 26, a native of Phoenix, Arizona, and a member of the universally recognizable dance crew JabbawockeeZ. The now L.A.-based Nguyen is easy-going, endearing, energetic, and the kind of interviewee who makes you want to save his phone number, just to call every once in awhile and say hi and Happy New Year and to see how the dance thing is going. No, I didn’t add Jeff to my address book, but I get the impression that if I had he would have genuinely enjoyed hearing from me, because he was genuinely real like that. And, the more I talked to him, the easier it was for me to see how he might turn that personality into a very passionate, bullshit free dance performance – which he and JabbawockeeZ other nine members have done time and time again.

Jeff is both a dancer and a hip hop instructor –the latter of which he loves, but does somewhat less of now that the troop deals with more hectic touring schedules. After landing the gold on the MTV hit, America’s Best Dance Crew, last year, the JBWKZ took the ground running, releasing Jabba, their popular line of clothing, and an exciting production called Jabba TV, which is still in production. But for Jeff and his fellow dancers, the real value finding the spotlight is the ability to impact more people with their passion, because that is absolutely what you see when you see the ten members moving in unison. “I really felt that impact when I saw fans crying during and after we were performing. To see that we could impact a person who we had never personally met is amazing.”

Of course, not everybody cries when they watching the Jabbawockeez do what they do best; spectators are known to keep it together, too. However, if they’re not bleary-eyed from tears, they are wide-eyed from “HOLY SHIT,” because the tightly knit group of dancers seems to become one person when they hit the stage. Jeff attributes this to the brotherhood that exists within the troop as much as he does to the loss of personal identity that comes with the use of the masks, mentioning that the friendship between the dancers goes about as deep as it can go. Just one example of this is apparent at the end of every dance, when all ten of the boys point to the sky in remembrance of Gary Kendell, a member of the group who died of pneumonia not long before the group’s start on America’s Best Dance Crew. Jeff says they feel him with them all the time, and Gary’s death seems to mean little in regards to an ongoing friendship with him.

Life post-ABDC has been different for the down-to-earth JabbawockeZ, but it hasn’t done much to change their approach to life. However, though their personal approach hasn’t changed, that doesn’t mean the way the world approaches them has stayed constant. For instance, in 2007 you wouldn’t have found them in Spain, shooting a commercial to be aired on Superbowl day. You wouldn’t have found them designing clothing, either, or traveling around the world giving pointers to packed out rooms of aspiring dancers. But you would have found them dancing, tirelessly. You would also have found them kicking ass at it, moving forward of their own accord, and that is perhaps what makes these guys such a perfect embodiment of the art form. If you weren’t watching, they’d be doing it anyway, and if you weren’t standing there in front of them, they’d still have something to say – and they’d be saying it without words.