ORCHARD MORNING, RIVINGTON AFTERNOON

Checked out this cool spot at orchard street called BBlessing.

http://www.bblessing.com/

BBlessing is decked out in a red interior full of nicely built custom furniture. The store has a mix of middle class new york and euro brands like surface to air, rag and bone, opening ceremony, raf simons etc.

bblessing also stock their in house label

Not too far from bblessing was reed space. One of the best streetwear boutiques in new york that is def. ahead of the game. Ran by street wears leading pioneer, jeff staple. Jeff staple really finds a way to stand out from the saturated market. Jeff is known for so many collabos like the pigeon dunks which caused a riot in new york, timberlands and more recently idiom and starter. Jeff also runs a graphic design firm. A taste maker that def. pushes the envelope in the market. His staple line recently started to focus more on their cut and sew line instead of their graphic tees. Youtube Jeff to check out his interviews; He will def. inspire you just like he inspired me

Reed space along side their annex store which is running a sale. I recommend you swing by if you are around.

reedspace stock many streetwear fav. like crooks, in4mation, the hundreds, stussy etc.

Reedspace is also a lifestyle store. They have books, bags, music for those who are looking for something fresh. Their interior is also genius

REED SPACE

On the walls of reedspace has information of all the brands they stock. Information like their origins, inspirations etc

Shout out to tim and oni for the hospitality. They gave me the latest issue of LTD magazine. LTD magazine is a streetwear bible. More like a guide to every boutique across the world

insdie LTD magazine. They feature pictures and information of boutiques all over

And interviews of tastemakers all over

LTD

I also stopped by the alife rivington store. Shout out to the alife crew for their service

I made a promise not buy any graphic tees anymore but i couldn't resist their recent collabo they did with bun-b for their alife sessions.

Next stop sugarheadquaters. Good folks, shout out to them, we were talking about the greatness of king stampede and how much ahead they are of the game

King stampede is easily becoming one of the best american streetwear brands. They are def. on their own lane unlike many brands. They used to be a vinyl shop years ago but after sales declined in their store, they transformed it to a lifestyle line. King stampede is inspired by music of the 70s, cults, sombrero galaxies and religion. Their brand is def. artist driven and is a big inspiration to my own brand. Their word play really and use of negative space really does it for me.

and that brings me to the next season of dobale. Recently i have been studying early christianity which was a cult back then. I have also been working on my own quotes and playing with different words and negative space. Alot of people that have seen the current season of the wonder chronicles like it but it scares some people away because of the religious influences

These are some ideas i have been developing for the shirts which will be out next year. I used the same method for this season which was a success.

I will be at some factories tomorrow, but i gotta go. Q-TIP has a listening party tonight. Check out his new single

http://www.youtube.com/wat

ch?v=KcL3_GKS0wg

it feels good

soho saturday

At canal street aka bootleg central. The knock off kings were making a killing in the hustle

My mans got u here. Whatever u need. U want prada, louis, hermes, coach, burberry. he got u. He tried to hustle some white lady for a bag for $40, but ended up selling it for $30. If u got the cash, canal street got u on whats really good. Oh trust he wasn't the only one selling goodies. They were everywhere. They got u on ice, dvds, jordans etc. So my best advice is if u wanna fake it till u make it. THIS IS THE SPOT. IT GO DAANNN

These africans tripped me out. As soon as they saw me touring around with my camera. They packed all their shit up like i was 5 0 or something or sometype of investigator. I aint hating on u playa. Make your money

What u need baybay. ROLEX, BRIETLING, TISSOT. Canal is the spot

DISCLAIMER : the next set of pics below are not mine - i had to take these pics because i wasn't allowed to take pics of the stores). With that being said, i swang through laffayette to check out ODIN. ODIN is a really small space that carries alot of the finest menswear brandsthat appeals to middleclass new york . Alot of independent brands like trovata, shipley & holmes, ymc, rogues gallery, KMW and sneakers like common projects.

ODIN is also known for mixing up coming brands and well known brands together. This is def. a one stop shop for hipsters and everyday middle class people who are looking for something new, exclusive and good quality garments
o

Found this nike ID store by accident. I was at their other location a couple of months ago to customize some air maxes. The big difference between both locations is that this was more of a boutique instead of a regular retail space and of course had a better selection of colors and materials. I went to their VIP booth ( i wasn't allowed to take pics obviously) and i was amazed at the selection they had. For their air force 1s ( which was what i wanted) they had full grain leahter, patent leather etc. But what struck me was their other material selection which was for their INVITE ONLY customers. I was pissed i couldn't use materials like snake skin, croc skin, safari print and elephant prints etc which has just laying around waiting to be abused. Eventually i declined to even go on with the process, but this experience makes me think of the future. What if i actually do a real life collabo with....nah nevermind, moving on. The store was mad nice. Decked out with wood with ancient roman-like columns around the space, it was a good look.

I heard about this store today and i was suprised that i never knew about it. I have been looking for a spot like this for a while. This is blueingreen. A men's lifestyle store that specializes in denim. This is def. a haven for denim heads world wide, and i will explain why;
One thing i know even though i don't consider myself a denim head or expert, i still find myself looking for the best of the best. Blue in green is def. one of the best denim shops in the world. I met the owner who showed me some of his personal collections. I was amazed by the selection of real vintage JAPANESE selvage denim, not some crummy piece of shit. They have a great selection of the world's most sought after denim like samurais, evisu, skull, oni, pure blue japan etc. The finest in english and japanese tailoring this store has to offer. I was suprised i hadn't heard of the store before. I was only familiar with a smiliar store n san fransico called SELFEDGE. This store is far from mainstream soho where most people go for their shopping experience, it was somewhere where you wouldn't expect to find it

D' ARTISAN- One of my now favorite denim brands that were avaialbe in the store is so hard to find, this is prob. the only store in america that has them. They were one of the first denim brands to bring back selvage denim way before mainstream caught on with it. D' ARTISAN has been around since the late 70s before evisu. A well respected brand in japan and extremely detailed in fit and quality. And believe me in due time the fading on these will show you why this denim brand is making a killing

Check out blueingreen's website

http://blueingreensoho.com/

check out D'ARTISAN's website

http://www.dartisan.co.jp

I saw all types of selvage, fit and cuts from different brands. Whatever you need from 140z selvage to 20 oz selvage. This store will def. meet your standard. They also offer instore alterations. They also carry original evisu. Not the 'm' bullshit everyone wants. The real original evisu with no type of logo branding. Only 4 stores in the world carry those. 3 in japan and 1 is soho.. blueingreen. They have done in good job in catering to denim heads around the world.

I was around some other spots, but too lazy to take pics, but i will leave yall with another purpculture interview with another tastemaker in houston. Meet christolph. Check it out

D: So you are the other half of the niceguys, can you pls introduce yourself

Christolph:well whats good people im Todd also known as Christolph...uhh i make the beats,half the production team

D: ok cool u know i did an interview on free and obviously i kinda gave him a hard time and he did pretty well in the answers so u do know i got some tough ones for u. Are u ready son

Christolph: bring it on biiiottch

D: alright what is the difference between u and free as far as process and style in production. Tell me your inspiration too

Christolph: i draw alot of my inspiration from producers like madlib and 9th wonder and nicolay..and so forth, but i would have to say whats sets me apart from free production wise would probably be drums..frees alot more "drummy" than i am..im more subtle when it comes to the kick and the snare not to say that i never venture outside of my comfort zone

D: would u consider yourself better?

Christolph: wow lol captian controversy, nah at this point its not a competetion i think the playing feild is level and we jus have different styles,but yeah thats up to the listeners to decide...and to be honest the avg listener cant even distinguish between me and frees beats..sometimes not even you...similar but different

D: what amazes me is that u guys have limited resources. I remember when i first heard the music, and found out that u guys recorded in a dorm room with a microphone and fruity loops. Do you plan on expanding on your resources? Also talk to me about any future projects u got in the works, you know i'm always down to do the artwork for free. You bastards can't afford me

Christolph: lol believe me i know, but yeah we do plan to expand our recources to the, its funny that u say that bc me and yves were having a conversation the other day about this and in his opinion we have pretty much milked FL studio for all its worth and i agreed, but the creativity is endless..if its not broke no need to fix it, thats what i say, but yeah i am looking to expand my knowledge...im jus not looking foward to those novice begining stages on other programs but in the end it will be for the better of things

D: but as far as our up and coming projects..

Christolph:we are all currently workng on a 14 track EP titled "The Good Shepards"...brand new songs, brand new feel and everything in between...and me and free are also working on the "Produce Section"..a instrumental cd so all u so called rapers might wanna check it out...free beats and expanding on that earlier questions if it wasnt for free i wouldnt even be making beats, guy definetly mentored me

D: Wow that newsflash and u do know free will be reading this ok let's switch up a little. Todd all bs aside you are a 'middle class sneaker head' and i say that because the real ones are those you see around with the $500 - $7000 + joints. You know what i mean. The ones that carry their sb boxes to every event and blog on sole collector to trade every time. Obviously you are not on that level, but i've always been fascinated about it. What is it about the kicks? talk to me about your tastes in sneakers, you favorite kicks and why it's important to have a fresh pair. Do you also plan on getting on that OG level with 3000+ kicks

Christolph: yeah , but to be honestly i havnt bought a pair of kicks in a while...i enjoy being at this level...i think once u become an "upper level...3000+ sneaker head you loose track of life and become consumed w sneakers...majority of the super sneaker heads know go home prolly masturbate, and then count how many shoes they own..over and over..not for me..(but it would be cool to own 3000 pair of shoes)...but yeah when it comes to taste in sneakers..lets jus say im a NIKE man to the fullest

D: U a fool son, What about the future. Is production going to be your life or you got other plans

Christolph: will always be in my future but i dont see it being at the forefront, my main goal is to finish school and take it from there..but shit i would love nothing more than to see a Niceguys album in stores

D: snack wraps or Gratinéed onion soup ? nike or multi colored vans. You know vans are what's in. choose wisely

Christolph: definetly gonna have to go with Gratineed onion soup and multi colored vans.............if today was oppisite day, but seriously im more of a snackwrap and nike guy

D: student or rockstar

Christolph: definetly student....out of us 4 i have to be the least on the scene person, not a big fan of clubs and jus the night life in general

D: true story. U still didn't answer my other question. Whats your number 1 sneaker of all time

Christolph: definetly gonna be a pair i dont own ..umm...lemme think...........supreme nike dunk lows (black and elephant print)...they are definetly hitting or about 4 or 5 months rent

ok i think that's, any last comments

Christolph: uh not really...jus keep ur ear to the streets alot of big things in the making....by the way wasnt at all impressed w the other brands from the expo on sat...i think dobale has everythng in a headlock right now, but yeah shout outs to the niceguys, D the eldest, Melanie, and the rest of you know who u are...oh and early happy b day to my boy John Jackie. Good Music..Good Clothes...Niceguys

D: todd keepin it thorough as always. Give em the website son

Christolph:

www.myspace.com/somars

www.myspace.com/niiceguys

www.Dobaleonline.blogspot.com my up and coming wbst www.Todd.net ??? ( horrible joke).....sigining out

renewed mind is the key

live from new york, I will be around for a minute. But check this out. Man this is the video of the year, the new meaning of rewind



http://www.ebaumsworld.com/video/watch/931033/


the video has been taken down youtube and their website
also get out and vote.

The weather is great, but everytime i come around this city, these songs always play in my head





CLASSIC, i'm back on it. Peace

PURPCULTURE

Almost a year ago i wanted to start an online magazine called purpculture ( pronounced 'pop culture' ). The purp represents the houston factor and gives it a fun twist. With that project i wanted to interview tastemakers and talents of houston that are doing alot to improve the scene in everyway. Unfortunately i had other things to do, but i decided to just go ahead and start on it and see where this goes. My first interview is with Winfrey aka Free. A Dallas native just 20 yrs young and has a lot going. He is a photographer, a producer and a connoisseur of the finest things in life. He is also a member of the dobale crew and has been a great addition to the team. I had a chance to sit him down to talk about his cool factor

D:so introduce yourself

FREE: 1/4th of the Niceguys, member of the Indmix camp, head of Free Images Photography and Soul To The Future Productions but ya know....just a nobody pretty much

D: oh really u being modest here, u aint even 21 yet and u have a lot going on. You starting out early though. Where do u see yourself in the future?

FREE: Umm....I really see myself doing exactly what im doing now....just on a larger scale(forgot to mention im a member of the Dobale camp as well! lol) But umm, Im really pushing the music the clothing and the photography...those are the things im really most passionate about. I can see myself established somewhat at least by the age of 24....Godwilling of course

D: Lucky bastard. I sure wish i could trade places, I'm old and still struggling. But in all seriousness i believe with the way you are going right now, you're def. going to reach your destiny. I really suck at interviewing but this has got to be done. I feel like people need to know the future of the scene whether locally or nationwide and i am doing this to introduce not just hardworkers but tastemakers. As far as inspiration in music, can u give me a list of how u work as a producer, who inspires u and your process musically

FREE: Well im definitely inspired number one just by soul music as a whole.....its the foundation of all great music in my opinion....from hip hop to r&b to jazz to blues...even pop...all children of the soul music genre. Anywho im gonna keep my list short....as far producers go im inspired by Kanye West, Jay Dilla, Just BLaze, The Neptunes Illmind, Symbolyc One, Nicolay, THE ARE, Mark Ronson, RZA, DJ PREMIER!! Jake One, Battlecat, Dj Quik, Dr.Dre...the list goes on....some i forgot to name lol. As far my production process its not very complicated....I usually hear something that inspires me....so then I get on FL Studio....put my drums together....and depending on how im feeling i may chop a drum loop or just put my own drum pattern together, then I go for either a sample that I feel matches my drums….or I go for a nice sound to complement the drums…but no matter what I always start with the drums…thats the foundation of my beats.

D: Premo is a GOD son nobody.. you know what i really don't wanna go off track here but honestly free the first time i met u and u told me that u were a producer and u were working on the niceguys mixtape, i really didn't take your words seriously. But after i heard "only fools resist." I ate my words quick. Between you and Todd ( another member of the niceguys his interview will be up soon) who do you think is better?

FREE: HAHA! you messy bastard! lolol but umm....of course im going to give you the politically correct answer...we are both good in our own ways. I feel like as far as sampling, Todd is a monster....I feel like sampling takes talent....people cant say what they want about samplers...but it takes talent to piece records together and make your own music out of it. I feel like as far as drums...and adding all the extra things that complete a beat...I feel like im better in that area. We definitely complement eachother well....we make a kick ass team ill tell you that much....and this project we got coming up...the beats are AWESOME! yall just gotta wait...but trust me when you hear it....lol....its definitely gonna shock some people....a good shock that is...lol

D: ok enough with the shit talk, lets talk about style for a little bit. Your motto is good clothes, good music, niceguys. Talk to me about your favorite brands, and describe your style. I really do need better interview questions lol. But in all seriousness break it down

FREE: Ok...favorite brands, of course we gotta start off with good ol' Ralph Lauren.....ive been a polo head( not on the level of D or Yves Saint) but ive been big on polo since middle school. I also love Levi's, Guess, Fossil Maharishi, NIKE SB!, Stussy, mishka....i love king stampede, Supreme, adidas....a lil bit of everything....I cant speak on the higer end of the fashion spectrum even though im a big fan of it....but once I get there we can discuss the Louis, the Guccis, Comme Des Garcons and the Saint Laurents and whatnot. As far as style.....Im really into whats comfortable, I like looking good and being comfortable at the same time....im not big on matching...i try to but sometimes i like to contrast....it adds to the look sometimes....I try to not overdo it though....so yeah....thats it in a nutshell

D: You seem to be well grounded as far as music, style and everything you do as a profession. Can we talk about your photography? I honestly believe you get better everytime i work with you, what is it that you see through those lenses. I once took photography class in school and i barely passed. Getting your focus, lighting, exposure and angle is not some overnight thing. You def. need to have vision to master the arts. Can you shed some light on what it takes to get on your level. Don't play modest with me son

FREE: HAHA...My Level? lol my pics suck! haha...ok jk...on a serious note. Practice makes perfect, especially with photography...its all about going for what catches your eye....always having a certain image in mind before you hit the shutter...and knowing your camera well enough to get that exact image that youre looking for....granted it doesnt always come out exactly how you want it....but thats what all photographers shoot for(pun intended..lol). Also just knowledge....reading up, getting knowledge from other photographers, and just learning your equipment....after about 2 years of doing this....I feel like im where I should be. Now im trying to get to where I WANT to be....and that may take some time.....but once I get there....well....things will get very interesting

D: U also work for indmix.com? How's that working out. Tell me everything...including the groupie love.. we all know you getting mad play son

FREE: Yeah man, Indmix camp, been with them for about a year and a half...shoutouts to Ikem and Jamaal for puttin me on...its a great look. Im the youngest in the camp and it feels awesome to be 20 workin for indmix....where everyone is like 24 and up lol. Anywho, the indmix life is pretty much everything you think it would be....different club every night, everyone knows your name, goupies(yes, there are groupies) and ya know....having fun doing something i truly enjoy...and getting to meet new people and network and what not...its truly a beautiful thing....granted it has its ups and downs....but for a 20 year old in college.....this is pretty damn cool....im not gonna lie to you....i love what i do. its definitely made my life more interesting, its great.
D: At least you honest, i always see you on that crackberry all day lol.As far as the houston as a whole, i feel like its the 4th largest city in the US but yet there is alot missing. What is your take on that and what can you do to fix it? Is there anyone doing a good job so far in your opinion?

FREE:I love Houston, coming from Grand Prairie, TX......Houston is awesome...I never lived in the city so this is definitely new for me....but I love it. Houston has alot of opportunity...and its growing which is great. I feel like this city has potential to be an LA or a New York or a Philadelphia or whatever. I just feel like we need to just support Houston more....whether its a concert, an art event, fashion event, skate park opening, store opening, whatever....people need to start supporting whats going on...because in order for the city to grow...the people have to grow as well....or were going to be just a big city that aint about shit...lol

D: last question son
well some little little more
So who u voting for Obama or obama?

FREE: hahaha..YES WE CAN...thats all i have to say

D: ok i got one chicken and waffle fries ( unforgivable) or chinese fried rice and lastly Coogi or dobale. Choose wisely one will get u in vip and get u laid son

FREE: DOBALE DOBALE DOBALE!!! im glad to be apart of such an awesome movement.....D is one of the most talented artists ive seen....we are definitely going places....trust me people

D: Man big ups. I need more of that free music. I'm tired of hearing life in style. Go back to the lab.

FREE: hahaha...i got u, anywho i dont even know my myspace link anymore...i never use the shit..haha....but check out my blog theycallmefree.blogspot.co

m

For more info visit

www.myspace.com/niiceguys

Free's myspace link

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=14529485&MyToken=ef2860cc-71f4-4ade-ba56-054323d089b4

lazy bastard, thanks for nothing

Also i woke up this morning to find my brother on the front page of gq's website which is kind of a big deal especially if Scott Schuman is the photographer. In all seriousness fam, your grind is def. going to pay off. We all know everyone is doing their thing but i really had to acknowledge his hardwork. Check it out

http://men.style.com/

Check out Scott Schuman's website

http://thesartorialist.blogspot.com/

His blog is quite interesting. He is a famous fashion photographer that travels around the world shooting. He sometimes shoots for gq magazine. Check it out, it's a good read

EXPO RECAP

A good look, could have taken more pics but i got lazy

this italian talent needs no introduction. If you know this track

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwuZ_q0wPYY

then you know why antoinette's voice reps screwston to the fullest. She is really on the come up and has alot to bring to the table. I always remembered listening to HSE, Yungstar, and the original S.U.C in highschool, i wondered who those singers were. The singers that would make tho'ed ass choruses like top drops. Well she is one of those people. Check out her myspace

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=270439317

Man his booth was a trip. He is a rep for "DRANK". An anti-energy drink which is sorta a legal version of " lean" I thought he was bullshitting when he told me 2 full cans will put me to sleep, but man, 2 cups of it had me leaning. I swear to you i slept for an hr

If you ever see " DRANK" in any grocery or pharmacy. He is the man yall should thank

NICENESS

SUCKER PUNCH BOOTH

Tippin point booth

David, i need that shirt badly fam, My boy david is coming out with his own line pretty soon called TMP. This is a shirt sample he wore to the event. A tribute to late graffiti legend Kieth Haring. I'm jealous i didn't come up with that concept. Dave make it happen, I am a size LARGE

Tippin point fam.

(L - R) thomas, derek and dave

The fam. Cervante, O dasha, Ariel and the crew. Preciate yall stoppin by

easy yves performing life in style during the fashion show

Pearson i need that myspace son. That band was a big joke. Anyhow check out his blog

http://www.peepod.blogspot

.com/

mr todd louis recording the rap star's performance

shoota mac and orange

MR GRIP N SIP. mr celebrant is not pictured.
I have been getting requests to display more of my artwork. The sketches below i did almost 8 yrs ago but i tried to digitally revive them this weekend but was too lazy to finish up

it's been a long time since i practiced 1 point perspective, i think its time i do so more

I had tried finishing this drawing for the longest time. This was a transco tower project i did in school and for some reason i had difficulty finishing it up due to perspective errors. I just colored everything though this weekend. All incomplete though

This was actually done today to kill time in class even though it took me 5 mins

Recently alot of people are needing my artistic services so i've been practicing and doing random little sketches and all. This was a character i made when i was like 17. Anyhow i sketched her 2 weeks ago and just did a quick coloring of her. ( i know she looks like a guy, her story is complicated) I'm just pumped up i'm getting back to illustration since i will be working on some projects that may require it