Black Ink Gallery
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Big Boi, Drake & Kanye Top TIME LP List
TIME released their annual top album list today and rounding out the top 10 are Big Boi’s Sir Lucious Left Foot (#9), Drake’s Thank Me Later (#5), and Kanye West’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (#1). Read what they had to say about each below.
Kanye West can seem like an attention-hungry young child who constantly tugs on his mother’s pant leg, saying, “Watch this! Watch this!” But once Kanye got our attention, instead of a simple somersault, he delivered the musical equivalent of a one-handed back handspring. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy layers complex computerized instrumentation over Yeezy’s effortless flow, moving from the heavy hip-hop of “Power” and “Monster” all the way to the poppy Michael Jackson tribute “All of the Lights.” Beyoncé, Jay-Z and others guest on several tracks. They don’t drop by just to deliver a verse or chorus; they are as integral to the tracks as Kanye himself. This is most evident on “Lost in the World,” a collaboration with Justin Vernon of the indie group Bon Iver that fuses hip-hop with rock until they morph into something else entirely. And that something is probably going to be played at every bar and dance party for the next six months.
The central theme of Drake’s debut album is his newfound fame — which is an interesting choice, considering it’s his debut album. But instead of extolling the celebrity lifestyle, Drake spends much of Thank Me Later grappling with his unexpected stardom. And for good reason: the rapper (real name “Aubrey Drake Graham”) went from self-releasing his music on the Internet to signing a record deal with Lil Wayne faster than Lady Gaga can change meat costumes. He lives up to the hype; Thank Me Later contains more hit songs than you can shake a bottle of Cristal at. “Find Your Love” made TIME’s list of best songs of the year, and “Fancy” was a close runner-up. Drake’s screed against “superficial gold-digging bitches” and women who take hours to get ready is the catchiest thing this side of Kanye. Not bad for a Canadian former child actor who had never released a full album before.
Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty doesn’t have a hit single. This was a problem for Jive Records, which refused to release it — and then, when Big Boi took the disc to Def Jam, argued with the new label over allowing Big Boi’s OutKast partner (and former Jive labelmate) André 3000 to appear on the tracks. But the very thing that dissatisfied Jive is what makes Sir Lucious Left Foot so original. It’s an amalgam of beats, chants and raps mixed together with exacting precision. Big Boi deftly jumps between musical styles — from the booty-shaking “Tangerine” to the rock-influenced “Follow Us” — and his raps come so fast, he seems to never pause for breath.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
New York Magazine: George Condo Explains His Five Covers for Kanye West’s Twisted Fantasy
George Condo may not be a household name, but his work has been pushed to the forefront of pop-culture with the release on Kanye’s latest album. Most are familiar with the controversial cover of My Dark Twisted Fantasy, which has been banned by Target, and depicts a representation of Kanye positioned against a nude Phoenix. Condo describes this cover as “challenging” Kanye with imagery. Condo goes on to explain his meetings with Kanye as well as the thought process behind the 5 alternate cover. Excerpts from the piece can be read below.
Head with sword
“I really like that idea of a Shakespearian thing,” West told Condo about this painting of a severed head wearing a crown. The piece’s two contrasting styles — “cubism and classicism forged together in a single painting” — dovetail, Condo says, with West’s music, with its “layers of different styles happening simultaneously.” What did Kanye see in the picture that made him like it? “His tragedy was a kind of exile that Kanye imposed upon himself,” Condo says. “He was free from exile by having the cathartic moment in the image. He’s alive in the painting, you know what I mean? In a strange way it’s like, he opened his eyes.”
Ballerina
Condo remembers that West came to his studio between eight and ten times over the course of the summer. The ballerina — a concept that later worked its way into West’s “Runaway” film and performance at the VMAs — came from one of those visits. “We were hanging around one night, and we were listening to that tune ‘Runaway,’” Condo recalls, when his wife, Anna, showed West a a shot of French dancer Sylvie Guillem moving in slow motion. “And somehow Kanye grabbed onto that idea of the ballerina,” Condo explains. “He just said, ‘Hey man, I’d like to have a great ballerina painting.’ I thought of a ballerina toasting. You know, ‘let’s toast to the scumbags.’”
Naked sphinx straddling Kanye
“That’s a good painting,” Condo says matter-of-factly. “She’s a kind of fragment, between a sphinx, a phoenix, a haunting ghost, a harpy. And then Kanye is also in some sort of strange 1970s burned-out back room of a Chicago blues club having a beer — so far away from the real Kanye West that it’s just a scream.” In painting Kanye in such an outrageous situation, Condo says, “I was challenging him with the imagery as well. He said, ‘I’m shocked, but I like it, and I gotta go with my gut feeling.’” This cover’s already been banned by Wal-Mart and Apple’s iTunes Music Store, much to Condo’s disgust. “The superimposition of people’s perceptions on a cartoon is shocking,” Condo scoffs. “What’s happening in their minds should be banned. Not the painting.”
source: nymag.com
Trussardi 1911 2010 Fall/Winter New Releases
Trussardi 1911’s combined use of modern and traditional elements in their garments has aligned the brand with a modern temperament and placed it amongst the upper echelon of the fashion world. The Nordic inspired vest and Pea Coat are a testament to the brand’s penchant for the chic and masculine shopper. The use of blended materials for the vest – wool and cashmere – accentuate the luxurious nature of the piece, while the wool and polyester blend Pea Coat features a vintage silhouette in a light weight coat perfect for the winter season. Both pieces are available now through restir.com
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
The Brooklyn Circus Varsity Vest
The Brooklyn Circus give us a peek into the brand’s latest release, a varsity vest for the chilly winter months. Produced much like past BKc varsity pieces, the vest takes on a classy, clean cut look, created in the USA with the finest of materials; finished off with the brand’s signature crest, wool body, and quilted satin lining. Limited quantities are now available through BKc stores on both coasts, including New York and San Francisco.
Tigressa
Mark McNairy x Bass Weejuns
Bass has a legacy spanning close to 140 years as the American footwear maker finds themselves at the center of a collaboration with Mark McNairy. The collection features two styles sharing the same brown leather disposition. On the one hand is a traditional boat shoe alongside two other similar styles, both a loafer and tasseled loafer. Available now at Singapore’s Surrender.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
55DSL x Project After Dark 2010 Fall/Winter Artist Capsule Collection
55DSL has always championed the experimental and unusual; the weirder the better. From UFOs, colorful monsters to strange creatures from other planets, the odd and bizarre can be found scattered all over the brand’s graphics from past collections. For Fall/Winter they announce a special artist edition capsule collection with Hong Kong-based creative studio, PROJECT AFTER DARK; the brainchild of Prodip Leung, who is an accomplished graphic artist, musician and UFO researcher. The capsule is a unique design collaboration consisting of 11 styles offered in limited edition, such as a varsity jacket, chambray button down shirt, assorted graphic tees, and hooded sweats with special 55DSL details. Available now exclusively at the 55DSL store in Langham Place, with products periodically being released from November to December 2010.
Kid Cudi @ RSVP Gallery
Kid Cudi RSVP Gallery In-Store from RSVP Gallery on Vimeo.
Chicago’s RSVP Gallery & @superfunparty teamed up for a special day with Kid Cudi in the windy city. Starting with an in-store appearance at RSVP Gallery, the day continued with an album release party @superfunparty, where Chuck Inglish (The Cool Kids) & Million $ Mano were featured on the 1s and 2s. Also in attendance were Kid Cudi’s label mates Big Sean, GLC, & Chip Tha Ripper. Enjoy!
Panerai Luminor Composite PAM 386 Watch
Here’s a first look at the new Panerai PAM 386 which will be officially unveiled in Geneva at SIHH 2011. Much like the Panerai Radiomir Composite PAM 339 which was arguably the most popular Panerai of 2010, there is no doubt that the PAM00386 will be a huge hit with Panerai fans, probably even bigger than the PAM 339
Panerai Luminor Composite PAM 386
44mm brown composite case, brown dial with Arabic numerals and luminous hour markers. Date at 3 o’clock, small seconds at 9 o’clock, 300 meter water resistance, comes with an aged leather strap with matching large composite buckle (comes with 2 straps)
close up of the PAM 386 dial
close up of the PAM 386 caseback
looks like it will be a limited edition of 1000 pieces
Panerai Luminor Composite PAM 386
44mm brown composite case, brown dial with Arabic numerals and luminous hour markers. Date at 3 o’clock, small seconds at 9 o’clock, 300 meter water resistance, comes with an aged leather strap with matching large composite buckle (comes with 2 straps)
close up of the PAM 386 dial
close up of the PAM 386 caseback
looks like it will be a limited edition of 1000 pieces
Jay-Z Reading At The NY Public Library
Jay-Z along with Dr. Cornel West and Paul Holdengräber appeared at the New York Public Library last night for an analysis of his book, Decoded. Attendees also included Lupe Fiasco and Harry Belafonte. The reading lasted for nearly two hours, but here’s some footage from the fifth row. Decoded is in bookstores now.
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