A little bonus outtake from the ‘Checkmate’ reels.
Go in hard with Euros, or go home.
iCs are Dallas Penn & Rafi Kam
Directed by Casimir Nozkowski
Shot by Josh Weisbrot
Archive for June, 2008
iC’s: (How To) Make It Rain…
Tuesday, June 3rd, 2008SNEAKER FIENDS UNITE!
Tuesday, June 3rd, 2008
With the NBA Finals upon us I decided to look back at one of the league’s greatest journeymen players. ANFERNEE HARDAWAY was a 6ft. 8in. swingman [ll]. He was selected third overall in the NBA’s 1993 draft, and immediately traded by Golden State to the Orlando Magic for CHRIS WEBBER. It was with the Orlando Magic and alongside teammate SHAQUILLE O’NEAL that ‘PENNY’ HARDAWAY would see the most success in the league.
HARDAWAY was considered a triple threat player on the court because he could pass, shoot, and rebound from three different positions [ll]. PENNY was also a monster in the sneaker game. He has some of the most sought after shoes by sneaker fiend collecting addicts. No pair more valuable than the Foamposite 1 “Pennys”. The OG version has a translucent rubber/silicon outsole that is almost see-thru.
As we go back in time, thanks to Google propietary search engineering, the wayback machine finds some of the great NIKE x HARDAWAY collaborations.
PENNY was a high flyer in his first signature shoe. The Air Max Penny I is a smooth and clean shoe. The outsole makes its way onto the shoes upper. The height of the shoes isn’t quite 3/4 either. It’s more like 5/8ths or even 9/16ths if you are using a micrometer. But if you are using a micrometer to read this drop then you have other issues.
The Air Max Penny II incorporated a scotch-lite piping strip along the upper. As an aside, I always thought that NIKE placed scotch-lite on their shoes so that people could be spotted in the dark.
The Air Max Penny III shows the early signs of the foamposite construction. The futuristic alien surface starts to make its way onto the upper of the sneakers. Its a mean concept to try to wrap around your brain that the best sneakers in the world are NOT worn by the best player. The monies that NIKE committed to the R & D of the Penny line of shoes was insane. Air Jordans are still the most popular athlete branded shoe, but the Penny is the most technologically advanced.
The Air Max Penny IV goes back to traditional leathers along with the full 3/4 height boot.
MLB’s FACIAL HAIR HALL OF FAME (Unshaven Remix)
Tuesday, June 3rd, 2008
REGGIE and Pops
I’m excited for the upcoming season of Major League baseball for a bunch of reasons. It’s the sixtieth anniversary of JACKIE ROBINSON’s entrance into the majors, BARRY BONDS will likely become the new all time home run leader, the Mets will pwn the league, and the whole human growth hormone has been silenced ever since it became apparent that the entire league was on it (read: beloved WHITE athletes). I even joined an Internets Celebrities roto league. Looks like good times all around this summer.
This drop was inspired by OSCAR GAMBLE’s favorite website on the internets, Passion Of The Weiss. He had the idea for giving a shout out to MLB’s greatest moustached mavericks and mavens. Don’t act like it was only porn stars that sported the ridiculous facial hair from our youths. Baseball players were the real mutton chop superstars. From LUIS TIANT to MIKE SCHMIDT, seventies baseball was all about crappy polyester uniforms and personal style below the nose.
The Californian teams in the big leagues were certainly the fashion forward leaders in the facial hair movement. The San Diego Padres alone could field an entire squad of facial hair Hall of Fame players. Add in the Angels, the A’s and L.A. and you’ve got yourself a mountain of moustaches. Combine that with some of the greatest afros evar and you are talking about a follicle apex for American culture. When steroids and HGH came into the great American pastime hair would never grow the same. But I’m not into placing asterisks over afros…
Here’s the DP Dot Com list of the facial hair Hall of Famers…
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GEORGE FOSTER By the time he came to the Mets after his years with the Big Red Machine GEORGE’s bat didn’t have the same pop, but hotdamnit his moustache sideburn connection was still on some official ‘grown man in the club’ status. |
| DOYLE ALEXANDER Dude needed more than his sideburns to cover those sonar scoops he had for ears. |
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CECIL COOPER I gotta make sure I put one in for LM so he doesn’t retract his sponsorship. |
| GREG LUZINSKI Chicago native GREG put in crazy work with the Philadelphia Phillies, but he could still bring it in his Chi-Town uniform when his drunk ass made it to the ballpark. Just like another of Chicago’s favorite sons and longtime DP Dot Commie, P-CITY. |
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AMOS OTIS This one is para mi amigo grande en la Ciudad de Kansas. AMOS was all about bringing shaft back to baseball. “Shut Yo’ Mouth!” I’m just talking about OTIS’ batting skills. |
JOHNNY DAMON
“So easy even a caveman could do it”
| DAVE WINFIELD Did y’all cats know that DAVE WINFIELD was drafted by a pro football team despite the fact that he never played a single down in high school or college? And CHARLIE effin’ WARD wins a Heisman but didn’t get a single call. Facial hair = draft day hype. |
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ROLLIE FINGERS ROLLIE was without question one of the greatest to ever do it. His Snidely Whiplash moustache should be telling you that much. |
| OZZIE SMITH The Wizard of Oz was stylin’ on fools from the moment he came into the league. |
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GOOSE GOSSAGE San Diego damn near had the entire facial hair All-Star squad. GOOSE GOSSAGE was just a big ol’ burly country boy who threw fire from his fist. Nothing subtle or sneaky in his repetoire, just fast, and faster. |
| DAVE PARKER Can you imagine his gaudy career numbers if big DAVE PARKER had played during the steroids era? |
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STEVE BEDROSIAN
STEVE reminds me of MICHAEL McDONALD. Remember that Yacht Rock hit song that STEVE and KENNY LOGGINS made together? Yeah, it seemed like only yesterday…
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MIKE SCHMIDT Show some mother effin’ respect to the Jewfro when you see them on the streets. |
| BRUCE SUTTER There’s no relief in sight from the gangsta of homey’s birdnest beard. |
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REGGIE JACKSON The big homey had his own candy bar. |
| RON CEY I’d swear that he retired from the Dodgers to do porn with his moustache. |
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DON STANHOUSE DON pimped his matching afro and moustache style all the way into the 1980’s. |
| OSCAR GAMBLE OSCAR is the G.F.H.H.O.F.O.A.T. of this shit. Right off the bat take into consideration the fact that his initials are O.G. The sideburns and nappy moustache are official, but the afro is straight up on some HGH. That’s word to Oh Word! |
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Remembering Brooklyn’s Finest…
Tuesday, June 3rd, 2008
Celebrations for the 125th anniversary of the Brooklyn Bridge continue throughout the summer. I came across a video made for the shuttering of one of the boro’s most historic landmarks. Sadly, Empire Roller Rink was not as important to some as it was to the others.
My last time at the rink was in the fall of 2003. KeiStar Productions was doing a classic 80’s roller skate party. KeiStar + Brooklyn = That Sexy Black Spacehip. Do the math.
KeiStar Productions featuring DJ SPINNA takes over the Brooklyn Museum of Art this Saturday. This landmark is one storage building that they won’t ever close.
You never know though.
Bring your roller skates just in case.
SUMMER SUPER CLUB BANGER…
Monday, June 2nd, 2008
Busta Rhymes is back to make this a very hot summer
‘Don’t Touch Me Now (Throw Da’ Water On ‘Em)’
* BONUS BEATS * BONUS BEATS * BONUS BEATS *
The Remix featuring Reek da Villian, Spliff Star, Lil’ Wayne, The Game, Nas and Big Daddy Kane