Archive for the ‘When I Reminisce…’ Category

Get Ready For N.O.R.E.

Monday, March 18th, 2013

cjs_papi

This week, we welcome Papi aka N.O.R.E. and get to the bottom of the long standing “beef” between the Super Thug and “super attorney” Reggie Ossé. Noreaga speaks on his history with Mobb Deep, Notorious B.I.G., Tragedy, Capone, Chris Lighty and other rap luminaries. Plus, Nore tells us a true story about his trip to the fat farm to visit the late, great Big Pun.

Get ready for Combat!!!

50 Shots Of Kimani Gray…

Sunday, March 17th, 2013

KIMANI-GRAY

NYC’s latest display of state sponsored terrorism against young Black males is the murder of 16yr old Kimani Gray in Brooklyn’s East Flatbush neighborhood. The police claim, as they approached several youth, that Gray displayed a firearm and pointed it at them, causing them to discharge their weapons at him.

This story has been repeated ad nauseam during my 42 years of life. A gun, a wallet, a package of Skittles and a can Arizona Iced Tea. Kimani Gray chose to run from the police that evening because being arrested was something he couldn’t bring home to his mother. For little girls in the ghetto it’s coming home pregnant. For little ghetto boys it’s getting arrested. These are the burdens they are ashamed to transfer to their parents.

I’m not here to tell people that Kimani Gray was some angelic child. He was a 16yr old, like all children who are 16yrs old. They are silly, childish and mostly hormonal. Growing up in a city without a permanent male role model is difficult for most young boys. The images of males in the streets and the media all point to an alpha male hyper-masculinity. There isn’t any space to be 16yrs old and vulnerable.

This drop isn’t about police brutality. Of course the police are brutal. They are cowards trained to fear these young boys, as well as to be the first line of defense when someone DOES have a gun and the intentions to do ill. The people in poor communities aren’t allowed to have their relationship with the police both ways. The only way they will have it is with police using their triggers indiscriminately. There will be no security without the sacrifice of their young. This is the prevailing theme.

But this drop isn’t about the police. We already know what their role is in this bullshit. This post is for all the 16yr old Black males still alive at the time this drop goes live on this site, or the moment your eyes find this page. All the Black boys in places like Chicago, St.Louis and Camden, still clinging to whatever life we will allow them to eke out after we have taken all their essence from them. After we have taken all of their style, slang, swagger and soul and put it into the capitalistic blender to create a Harlem Shake.

After we have taken everything beautiful and prideful from them, what will these Black boys have left?

Like the Central Park Five, all the Black boys will have left is this AmeriKKKan hell. Unless WE demand more for them.

In my prayers Kimani Gray may at least have gone to Heaven.

The New Classics…

Friday, March 8th, 2013

VLUU L310W L313 M310W / Samsung L310W L313 M310W

Everytime I feel like Polo Ralph Lauren has outdone themselves and won’t be back with any heat for a few seasons they show me that they have piles of styles ready to drop to keep their buzz at the all time high it stays at.

Spring 2013 keeps that camper look in effect. I wanna see some ill caps for this season.

0_prl0

0_prl1

The knits look great in person. I’ll fux with the red or the green when they come thru Marshall’s

This is a banging rugby. It’s too close to the Modern Explorer rugby I caught last year so I’ll pass unless I find this at an undeniable price.

0_prl2

The reinforced should yoke stitching is BOSS!

Damn, R.L. is dumbing out with the Native American prints.

0_prl3

This rain jacket could have been Denim & Supply

The secret gem I am digging this season is the classic fireman raincoat. I have this piece in tan and I have the slicker yellow in a full length trench, but I need this 3/4 joint. The detailing on this butters are church

0_prl4a

0_prl4b

0_prl4c

0_prl4d

REEL TALK w/ GENERAL STEELE…

Tuesday, March 5th, 2013

Smif n Wessun - Dah Shinin cover

When I initially plotted this interview with Steele from Smif-N-Wessun it was to kick shit about Timberland boots and for how long he had been a collector of the brand. Our conversations quickly found all kinds of other places of relativity, and relevance, like the culture of consumption, the pain and joy of making music and society at large.

Steele is one of the people the great spirits have entrusted with carrying culture from one generation to the next. That requires a perspective to contemplate your role in the chain of life. You have to be humble even when you understand how great your mission is. You have to be ready to sacrifice yourself for your destiny.

These reels are a total of a half an hour. The same amount of time you might use up watching a sitcom. I’d respectfully request you give that same part of your attention to an artist who has twenty years of work behind him and even more than that in front of him. All because of one thing… His reverence for the WORD. First came the word which put everything in being.

SNW D4L HM!

smifwessun6

The Archives Of Godd Bootgod…

Thursday, February 21st, 2013

tim_product_sheet1

Peace to my brother Steele and the whole Boot Camp Clik. I get hype for people who have boot collections as deep as mine. Are y’all ready to get real deep with Timberland boots? I feel like this post is the shut down.

I’ma start y’all off slow with my boot game and then we gonna blast the eff off. Let’s go…

0-archives2_sportledge_black

0-archives2_sportledge_brown

The Sport Ledge trekkers in black and brown. Not a sneaker. Not a hiker. A hybrid trekker.

0-archives3_trekker

Gore-Tex trekkers are not to be slept on.

0-archives3_trekker_goretex1

0-archives3_trekker_goretex2

0-archives3_trekker_goretex4

0-archives3_trekker_goretex5

0-archives3_trekker_goretex6

These Gore-Tex trekkers (#44503) are SUPREME. I put them in my top 5 of the Timbs I own. I’ve re-boxed them for the time being until I can get them repaired on the outsole. My foam outsole is starting to break apart. The comfort of these Tims have been remarkable. The outsole is equipped with the Brake Support Flex Propel system. We’ll talk about this later.

0-archives4_eurohiker_goretex1

0-archives4_eurohiker_goretex2

0-archives4_eurohikerbox

0-archives4_eurohikerbrown

BSFP Euro Hikers and one pair of Gore-Tex joints I copped from Marshall’s for $40. I kill myself for not buying all three of the size 12s which were in the store that day.

0-archives5_cadion1

0-archives5_cadion2

Cadion Hikers are super lightweight and fully insulated, plus they have a Vibram outsole. I’m still on the hunt for a pair of the early Cadion releases which was all bulletproof leather.

0-archives6_fieldboot1

0-archives6_fieldboot2

0-archives6_fieldboot3

You HAVE to have a pair of field boots in your archives. These chocolate beauties were an A.J.Wright Massapequa Park comeup. R.I.P. A.J.Wright.

0-archives7_smartwool1

0-archives7_smartwool2

0-archives7_smartwool3

0-archives7_smartwool4bsfp_TEXT

Smartwool lined day hikers are for when you want to have a comfortable grown man profile on your foot. Peep that Smartwool insole. When you flip the insole around you can see the interior undercarriage of the Brake Support Flex Propel system.

0-archives8_59093GORETEX1

0-archives8_59093GORETEX2

I’m desperate to find another pair of these shoes called the classic 7-eye(let) moc toe chukka (#59093). Timberland has released several iterations of this classic preppy boot. I want the ones with the Vibram outsole. Rag and Bone did a collaboration with Timberland that came out sublime. I haven’t been able to find my size yet on eBay. Let me know if y’all see a size 12. Not the Newmarket version tho’. No offense if that’s the pair you have.

0-archives9_chinavibram2

0-archives9_chinavibram1

I did copp some fancy Euro climbers for my sojourns out of the U.S. I feel like I wore these to Paris, or was it Montreal? Wherever it was my passport caught a stamp. You should be like me Internets. I even have a pair of Timbs from when you could still wear your shoes at the airport.

0-archives10_worldhiker_italy1

0-archives10_worldhiker_italy2

0-archives10_worldhiker_italy3

0-archives10_worldhiker_italy4

0-archives10_worldhiker_italy5

0-archives10_worldhikergortex1

0-archives10_worldhikergortex2

I wanted to end this drop with some of my all time favorites. The World Hiker series from Italy and Thailand. These boots are still some of the best performance based mountaineering boots you will ever find. This was a statement from Timberland about how serious and dedicated they were to the craft of bootmaking. for a dude like me who was already an obsessive fan of the brand I felt like my loyalty was completely affirmed.

I hope Timberland brings back the World Hikers for their 40th anniversary celebration so that the rest of you can catch the ‘bootphoria’ that I’m feeling.