// ISSUE 11 2008 2007
ST E CK G E G H I BC LF EE U YIOS'SSO L! OET FY
terry kennedy free & rollin'
craig driscoll crossed artistic fields
eno
twear
shanghai
e stre
e ubbl ' b tylin and
s , bouxthern car donk so dirty HULME
upercar
iS A Kiw
a - trak
on the road again
G N I HT
G I F DOG + summer FASHION, TOYS, SNEAKERS, FILM, MUSIC, VIDEO GAMES, TATTOOS AND MORE Australia $7.95 (INC GST) New Zealand $8.95 (INC GST)
T R O D$P
O O L -B
p
se a hr
a new
beginning
adoone r t a e art vigilant p t ira teenag j es m a j
FutureMusic
08
TOURING NATIONALLY MARCH 1ST - MARCH 10TH BRISBANE PERTH SYDNEY MELBOURNE ADELAIDE
& MANY MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED.
Artists may vary at each event, check website for details
TICKETS ON SALE NOW
TICKETMASTER.COM.AU - PH. 136 100|INTHEMIX.COM.AU
WWW.FUTUREMUSICFESTIVAL.COM.AU WWW.FUTUREENTERTAINMENT.COM.AU
cFestival
Š 2007 Electronic Arts Inc. Electronic Arts, EA and the EA logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. All rights reserved.
ea.com/prostreet
NFSPSACCLM2
In Stores Now!
T H E
S O U L
O F
R & B
w w w . a l i z e . c o m
CONTENTS
26 32 34 36 46 48 50 52 54 58 64 66 68 70 72 84 88
lights camera action FILM
EYE Y CAND
ION FASH
ION FASH
Shane Abess on his australian action flick 'gabriel'
Fly gurl
gillian cooper is sexy ballin'
eno
streetwear straight outta shanghai
from the cradle to the grave fashion shoot gets grimy
the professor T SPOR
court genius
terry kennedy E SKAT
free and rollin'
variety dragons SOCIAL
the refugee basketball team
a-trak MUSIC
on the road again
phrase MUSIC
a new beginning, a new struggle
dog fighting SOCIAL
deep scarring generation
craig driscoll VISUAL ARTS
crossed fields
james jirat patradoon VISUAL ARTS
teenage art vigilante
fip buchanan O TATTO
creative tradition
donk, box & bubble AUTO
ridin' high
hulme kiwi supercar AUTO
racecar for the streets
playlists MUSIC
top tens
THE RECIPE TYLE LIFES
bbq instructions with liam reddy
NOT FOR PARIS, LINDSAY OR NICOLE www.hayleymei.com
DROPPING SUMMER 2008 www.instclothing.com
editorial
A PEEK INSIDE
When I was a kid I used to read The Source religiously every issue. I’d pour over every column of text and dissect every piece of information, never giving a second thought to the process behind putting it all together. Back then I had no idea about the day to day hustle, drama and the politics that goes into making a magazine and I had no idea that one day I’d be living that drama every day. Someone once told me that with anything in life you gotta constantly weigh up the good against the bad. If the bad starts to outweigh the good, it’s time to walk away. For me the motivation to run a magazine has always been the fun of seeing something come to life before my eyes. The creative side of publishing is truly awesome fun; the book balancing, the pressure of deadlines and advertising quotas are a motherfucker! The industry parties can be a blast with the free drinks and the girls who are always interested to meet a dude who makes magazines for a living. The non-stop bombardment of emails and phone calls can drive you insane and leave you with a pressure headache that never really stops. The free clothes, sneakers and concert tickets kick ass. Receiving a positive email from someone in the U.S. or Asia who’s picked up the mag for the first time from some cool boutique store is an awesome feeling and is sometimes all it takes to re-motivate an exhausted production team. Trying to make big brands understand the concept of ACCLAIM Magazine and then trying to get them to accept that not everyone out there is into Big Brother and house music is about as much fun as having bamboo spikes pushed
under your fingernails. Sometimes for me the bad stuff does outweigh the good but somehow I always find it in my heart to forgive this bitch and stick with it. Taking the new issue out of the box from the printers for the first time and nervously glancing over the cover before slowly peeling it open, full of trepidation as you scan each page for that horrible error that might have snuck past you during proofing, Man! If you do find such a mistake it’s enough to make you crack your head open on the desk. If you do get through the magazine with no major mistakes jumping out at you, the satisfaction of holding that brand new magazine, the result of weeks of intense work, that’s the best feeling right there and you can’t top it. That’s what keeps me going. Hopefully you appreciate the feeling of opening this new issue even half as much as I do.
Andrew Montell Editor-in-Chief
THE TEAM
// Melbourne office 9 Dundas Lane Albert Park, VIC 3206 Australia Ph: +61 3 9695 7815 Fax: +61 3 9682 4323 // PUBLISHER / editor in chief Andrew Montell
andrew@acclaimmag.com
// company directors Andrew Montell Matt Gudinski // editorial sub editor Frank Blanck
news@acclaimmag.com
FASHION SHOOT COORDINATOR Edward Woodley Auto editor Vincent Tang
// Sydney office 135 Forbes Street Woolloomooloo NSW 2011 Australia Ph: +61 2 8356 1289
// ART Original design template Mega mega@acclaimmag.com
Art director David Able
dave@clearintent.com.au
design assistant Matt Thompson VISUAL ARTs EDITOR Chris Delaney chrisd@acclaimmag.com
// Advertising MELBOURNE ADVERTISING sales manager Tom Connellan tom@acclaimmag.com
sales assistant Callum Vass
assistant@acclaimmag.com
Marketing & Promotions Jason Larke
jason@acclaimmag.com
emperor of the interns Callum Vass callum@acclaimmag.com
vincent@acclaimmag.com
// Text Ankia, Franck Blanck, Thomas Baker, Tim Bartold, Swish Cheese, Chipper, Tom Connellan, Nick D, Chris Delaney, Angela Dewan, Shane Edwards, Rhiannon Elston, Robbie Ettelson, Benn Gardiner, Anthony Gilbert, Barry Hartono, Vivian Huynh, Jerry Jerri, Ben Johnston, Jason Larke, Josh Malin, Mega, Memphis, Andrew Montell, Kyri Papapetrou, Nick Quirke, T-Rock, Saeed Saeed, Sheep, Dan Steiner, Jeremy Swann, Vincent Tang, Tate, Callum Vass // Photography 223, Thomas Rigney, Shad Lambert,Chris Steele-Perkins, Rome Torti, Max von Treu // DJS Sleater Brockman, Jesse I, JPS, DJ ONO, DJ Skee // COVER MODEL: Gilian Cooper // PHOTO BY: Thomas Rigney MAKE-UP: April Robinson // STYLIST: Anthony Jarvis // SUBMISSIONS All images must be in tiff format in 300 dpi. ACCLAIM is pleased to receive information but is under no obligation to review or return unsolicited products or material. // ONLINE Visit us at www.acclaimmag.com Add us at www.myspace.com/acclaimmagazine Facebook us at ACCLAIM Mag // PRODUCTION ACCLAIM is printed on Neo Gloss 300GSM and 115GSM paper. We use eco friendly soybased inks because you gotta respect the Earth, nahmean? AUS DISTRIBUTOR - Gordon & Gotch NZ DISTRIBUTOR - Imd INTERNATIONAL DISTRIBUTOR - Pansing IMM // ACCLAIM Magazine GOT SOME EXTRA LOVE FROM:
ACCLAIM Magazine is subject to copyright in its entirety. The contents may not be reproduced in any form, either in whole or in part, without written permission of the publisher. All rights reserved in material accepted for publication, unless initially specified otherwise. All letters and other material forwarded to the magazine will be assumed intended for publication unless clearly labeled “Not For Publication”. Opinions expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of ACCLAIM Magazine or the publisher. No responsibility is accepted for unsolicited material.
FACES
Words by Andrew Montell
JUNKIE XL
SOUNDTRACK KING At nearly 40 years of age, the Dutch born, California resident Junkie XL has carved // out a lucrative niche for himself as a composer
of video game soundtracks. As one of the first acts to sign to the label 'Artwork', a hybrid effort between EA Games and indie label 'Network', XL continues to create new areas of musical opportunity for himself outside of the rapidly declining CD market. Here he explains to ACCLAIM how he makes a crust…
How does your deal with Artwork differ from other record deals? You know they’re [other labels] still trying to save whatever they have in the traditional sense, of how to sell CDs and how to market it while these guys [Artwork] are thinking way more ahead about sharing music on the net, distributing music through digital channels and work on licenses for video games, for movies and commercials. So my work for EA games is divided into two categories, one is the ‘licensed music’ and then there’s the ‘original score’, which is music that is made with the exclusive purpose of the game, interactive music, so I do business on both ends. Artwork would take care of my artist releases, but also they would try to put my tracks into video games and movies and commercials and if EA wants to hire me as a composer for one of their games they come directly to me, that has nothing to do with Artwork. In making so much music for video games are you a bit of a game head yourself? I was until ‘96 roughly, and then I got a career [laughs]. The last game I played extensively 'till like 4 in the morning every night was Wipeout like in the half nineties and then I just had to stop. Now my working days in the studio are 16-18 hours. So when I come home I want to have a drink with my friends or see how my dog looks like…
12 - 13 FACES
What is the process of composing a soundtrack for a game like Need For Speed? You go to the office where the game is being developed, in this case that’s Vancouver, you go there and there’s like three floors of a massive building that are completely packed with posters, drawing boards and actual pieces of clothing and stuff like that, massive theme settings of how the game is gonna look. There are so many people involved that do their own thing for that specific game. You sit down for two days and you talk so extensively about how the game is gonna be and they show you Quicktime movies, storyboards, rough drawings, they describe the groups of people, where they come from, how old they are, their musical background you know all stuff that happens in the game. And you take all that knowledge home, working on a rough idea of what the game should be musically. You have quite a diverse career, is there an area you prefer to work in? No, for me its the balance of everything that makes it so interesting, you know like one moment I’m in L.A and I work for four days on Die Hard IV and then the next week I write songs for Britney Spears, and the next I’m working on the new Need For Speed, then I’m DJ'ing at a show for 5000 people, then I work on a commercial; its just so thrilling, all those different things really keep me fresh.
Z.Y. OFFICIAL: DONNY BARLEY
LOGGED: 1246 HOURS // 45째 // 47TH ST. & 3RD AVE., NYC ZOO YORK, NEW YORK // UNBREAKABLE
FACES
Words by Jerry Jerri
WILL ASHON
A DECADE OF BIG DADA
The founder of UK based hip hop label 'big dada' gives ACCLAIM the lodown on 10 // years in the game
When you approached Ninja Tune with the concept for Big Dada was there a strong market for hip-hop music in the UK? There was no market at all! Or rather, it turned out that there was but nobody was tapping into it properly. It was a very bleak time for hip-hop in the UK commercially, although all that did was serve to disguise how much creativity and excitement there was bubbling under. To what do you attribute the success of Big Dada? I think the single principle we’ve always stuck to is to sign artists who seem really exciting and different to us, creatively not commercially. Our starting point has always been the creativity of our artists. Beyond that I guess we’ve just been lucky. Has it been difficult to sell UK hip-hop to the rest of the world? I don’t think of what we do as “UK hip-hop” so I don’t know. We sell original, personal work made within the context of an international culture. To the extent that our releases are treated as “UK hip-hop” they’re difficult to sell anywhere – including the UK!
14 - 15 FACES
How do you see the changing climate of CD sales and the digital era affecting Big Dada? I don’t know. I guess the truth is that if CD sales continue to fall and digital sales continue to rise at a slower rate then eventually we will have to stop doing smaller, less profitable projects and maybe at some point shut up shop. But on the other hand, you only need one really successful record to fund a whole load of smaller releases. Have the ‘keep it real’ politics of the independent hip-hop seen affected any decisions made for the label? We’ve never really bought into “keep it real” so it’s never had much effect on how we run the label. The only authenticity that matters to me is that artists are encouraged make the best decisions about the shape and sound and direction of their music for the best possible reasons. Anything else is bollocks.
OUT NOW Well Deep: Ten Years Of Big Dada Recordings is out now nationally on Big Dada via Inertia, for more info hit up inertia-music.com
VERSUS
Words by Frank Blanck
SKATE VS ROCK
gave these two characters the same set of questions and let you decide who’s more ‘Money’. //We What’s the best quick cure for the munchies? Pedro: Walk across the road ‘cause I have 4 different food places next to my house in Brisbane. Cec: Barbecue shapes. How long does it take you to decide which sneakers to wear? Pedro: 2 seconds just like ”poof, I need shoes”. Cec: Depends what event it is, if it’s a formal event I’ll wear my Air Force 1s and if it’s a bit more casual, just the Chucks. In your opinion who is the most underrated artist/musician ever? Pedro: Ambrose Kenny Smith and his harmonica playin' Cec: Muscles Fill in the blanks and complete the sentence: Pedro: Girls from Bondi Beach are the best girls in the world because: they are topless and I see them down the bar at night and they say hello. Cec: Girls from the library are the best girls in the world because: they wear glasses beautifully.
Pedro Day is
VS
a member of the Element Pro Skate team and is the first skater sponsored by Rhino Grillz.
Cec is the drummer and one half of rock duo The Mess Hall. Check their album review later in the mag.
If you had to flee your home and only had time to grab one thing what would it be? Pedro: The milk out of the cupboard cause I left it in there, I’m a dummy, but for real I would get my Eftpos card ‘cause I got money on it. Cec: 1966 Black Oyster Pearl Ludwig drum kit. The best thing you’ve bought this year is? Pedro: Ipod Nano Video I get to watch ‘special’ videos, I’ll say they are skateboarding, ok… Cec: See above! What is the proudest achievement of your career thus far? Pedro: Being able to meet people from other countries around the world. Cec: Jed and I were on stage with Method Man in Times Square in New York last November- that pretty much tops it! What is the most embarrassing moment in your life? Pedro: When I got drunk and done stupid stuff I never knew, but its cool I’ve seen video evidence so now I know. Cec: Being dacked by Richard Belcher at the swimming pool in year 10- it was cold! Who would you most like to go on tour with? Pedro: Snoop Dogg. Just think how many girls we will be getting! Cec: Supergrass would be a blast, Wilco would be incredibly inspiring and Nirvana would (obviously) be a dream... When you’re at the bar what are you ordering? Pedro: O.J. on the rocks, that’s the fancy way of saying orange juice with ice please. Cec: Vodka and soda.
16 - 17 VERSUS
How do you want to be remembered? Pedro: I don’t know maybe like this: He had huge muscles like the Hulk and was really good at arm wrestling. Cec: Fondly
hot & fresh CITY OF MEN movie
Following the international success of the gritty Brazilian film City Of God, a television series, released in the west as City of Men was produced (available on DVD through Madman). The director of City of Men, Paulo Morelli, has once again told a story inside of Brazil’s notorious favelas. City of Men is not a sequel to City of God or connected by plot to the TV series. The previews look great and if it comes close to City of God it will be a great movie. Don’t miss it. Releasing in January.
SOULD
San Diego based brand Sould comes with a conscience. Combining attention grabbing graphics with subtle and not so subtle social and political messages, Sould works around the principal that modern society is less concerned with selling our souls in the name of greed, envy and temptation. Their tees don’t look preachy and this Down With The King print is especially fresh. www.sould.com
ORIGAMI CLOTHING
“My second album, I’m gonna call it ‘I’m 50’s Tax Writeoff’ and the reason I wanna do it is it’s the truth. Every time he makes money I make money…”
Tony Yayo in a recent interview with XXLmag.com
MISHKABEARS DON’T CRY NEW ERA AND SWEATER
Having paid his dues with design projects for Reebok and Russell Simmons amongst others, Kevin ‘Saer’ Leong recently dropped his first exclusive range for his brand Origami Clothing. The garments are made from high-end materials such as selvedge denim, cashmere and on this puffer vest DuPont Tyvek fabric. Get this for extra ballin’ points, in place of goose down, this reversible puffer is insulated with $5000USD worth of shredded US dollars. Only 100 of these will be released through selected outlets.
Not much to say here other than we like these a lot. Art meets fashion at its best…
10 DEEP FITTEDS
It takes real design genius to take a pattern commonly associated with redneck duck hunters and make the shit look cool so hats off (no pun intended) to 10 Deep for this collection.
SONY ERICSSON NIGHT TENNIS
18 - 19 lifestyle
For the first time this event will be hitting Melbourne in January and will involve professional tennis players who don’t make the cut for the Australian Open. Utilising fluoro lighting and glowing apparel, balls and rackets, the viewing experience will be something worth checking. A bunch of international and local electronic DJs will provide the soundtrack. Tickets won't be available to purchase but anyone subscribing to ACCLAIM before January can score themselves entry. Check subscription page for details.
Timberland Chinese edition
We really don’t need to say much about these Hong Kong editions of the classic 6” Timberland boot. Released in red leather with Chinese lettering embossed all over and embroidered heel these will undoubtedly be highly collectible. So far only available from Stlessed.
NIXON 2008 RANGE
Granted, this salute to the colours and stylings of the 1980s range is a bit ‘rude’ but with the right combos and keeping in mind that it is summer (at least in our part of the world) you can rock this gear proper. ACCLAIM advises that you don’t try to wear it all at once unless you’re a Wiggle.
Subcrew x Garni 3 Year Anniversary Ring
These limited edition rings were created by Japanese jewellers Garni to celebrate the 3rd anniversary of Hong Kong brand Subcrew. Only 50 pieces will be released. Kind of reminds me of a Phantom ring that I ordered through a comic book back in the day…but obviously a lot cooler…
‘‘We were told it (ho) was a de r og a to r y term for females and can upset people”
An anonymous Santa in training who attended a Santa course in Adelaide this past October. Santa trainees were instructed to replace the traditional ‘ho, ho, ho’ with ‘ha, ha, ha’ due to possible negative connotations associated with the American slang term ‘ho’ used to describe a prostitute.
KIKS TYO X AKI HOSHINO TEES
Japanese sneaker fan brand Kiks TYO have recently dropped a new line which includes a Kiks TYO x Aki Hoshino x SBTG t-shirt and a Kiks TYO x Aki Hoshino x Air Jordan 1 t-shirt. Sneaker pimps will dig these along with people like me who just dig looking at hot Asian girls.
JB CLASSICS- FUNK MASTER FLEX & FORD COLLABORATIONS
It has taken 3 years for indie sneaker brand JB Classics to churn out these designs in collaboration with Funkmaster Flex and interestingly with the Ford motor company. The latter is unlikely to be released commercially while the Funk Flex model will be limited to 240 pairs worldwide and stockists include Qubic in New Zealand. Each model comes with two sets of laces and is individually numbered.
Vans X Neckface
This is the latest collaborative shoe between Vans and artist Neckface who’s artwork adorns the canvas sections of this AV SK8 Lo model. The rest of the shoe’s upper is made from premium leather. Photo courtesy of Footurama.com
Estate LA X Snowboard Magazine
Made from brown tweed with a satin lining and a suede underbill, this is the first in a series of hats from Estate LA in collaboration with Snowboard Magazine with each hat taking inspiration from the cover of each issue. Available exclusively from becomefitted.com
HAKAN
ACCLAIM’s giving big props to the hometown crew behind Hakan. Featuring prints on hoodies and tees that stand out big time from the monotony search your local boutique store for these limited designs. Featured here are: -Thorn in my Side Hoodie -Prepare Do Meeet Ure Doom Zip Hoodie -Scrap Metal Tee -Eden Pattern Hoodie -The Snitch” Straight leg Jet Indigo Raw
ONG-BAK 2
Anyone who checked ONG-BAK will attest to the fact that Tony Jaa is one of the dopest, most exciting martial artists in cinema today. ONG-BAK, filmed in Thailand was the biggest grossing movie in that nation’s history and in the tradition of Jackie Chan, Tony Jaa performed all of his own stunts but he took it a step further by choreographing his fight sequences without the aid of support wires. Tony Jaa is presently directing ONG-BAK 2 with himself in the starring role. Apparently it actually has no relation to the first ONG-BAK and combines Muay Thai with an ancient Thai dance style known as Khon. His last feature ‘The Protector’ had a cringe-worthy storyline and the action wasn’t on par with ONGBAK so here’s hoping this one is on the money.
hot & fresh free shit
K.SWISS X GRAND HIGH
K.Swiss aint known for its customiser collaborations in the same way as say Nike or New Balance but clearly they’ve teamed up with the right artist here. Personally I’ve always stuck to the all white K.Swiss offerings but for these I’m damn sure making an exception!
"While in one way of looking at it graffiti is annoying and costly, the other way of looking at it is that it is an acceptable way of expression and it could be tolerated, and is tolerated, in certain circumstances."
Greens MP Sue Pennicuik in her address to Victorian State Parliament regarding harsh new anti-graffiti laws. Finally a politician looks at the graffiti issue with some degree of level headedness.
Snoop Dogg’s Father Hood
20 - 21 lifestyle
Unless you’ve been outerspace for the past decade you would be familiar with some facet of the man widely known as Snoop Dogg. As a rapper and in recent years an actor, Snoop (real name Calvin Broadus Jr.) is one of this generation’s most widely recognised celebrities. As a weed smoking, ultra-laid back hip-hop artist with pimp swagger and a criminal rap sheet he’s been plastered all over our TV screens but in this new reality TV show we see another side to Snoop- The family man. Snoop Dogg’s Father Hood is a humorous insight into the Broadus home where we see a family man facing up to the challenges of raising three lively kids, an ardent advocate of sometimes controversial community causes and the passionately involved founder of … a youth football league. Snoop Dogg’s Father Hood premieres Tuesday 15th January @ 10pm Aus/NZ
K.Swiss create Free Running Sneaker
K.Swiss have created the world’s first shoe designed specifically for Parkour or Free Running named the Ariake. The founder of the movement known as Free Running as seen recently in the opening sequence of Bond flick Casino Royale, Sebastien Foucan will be the face of all promotions for the Ariake.
UPPER PLAYGROUND X NEW ERA
Even though its damn near impossible to get our hands on Upper Playground product out here we cant help but plug their shit in nearly every issue. These New Era fitteds are collaborations with Jeremy Fish and Dennis Kennedy with his design called ‘Sumo’. Retailing in the US at $40USD.
We're bringing the heat again. This issue we're upping the ante with a shitload of incredible free gear. To get your hands on the product, hit us up and let us know which article in this issue was your favourite. If you can't choose ˆ just send us a cheque for a few hundred bucks. Get this rocking at comp@acclaimmag.com and don't forget to include mailing addresses and selections. > A fresh DGK board, Gold wheels and a Kayo cap. Fiyaaah! > Some ill Oakley Frogskins in brown and black. > A few pairs of these hot Arklow kicks from éS. > Copies of the sick new Streetworld book. > We've got a few pairs of the currently unshowable DC Hilltop Hoods collabo kicks. Keep your eyes peeled early 2008. > We have 2 Canvas credit cards each loaded with $100. CANVAS is a new prepaid re-loadable visa card with all the regular credit card benefits wherever visa is accepted. For those readers with a dubious past there’s no credit check required and no bank account needed. No interest, no hassles. It’s available online at www.mycanvascard.com.au or any mobile quix > Copies of the awesome new éSpecial skate DVD courtesy of our peeps at éS
justin eldrid ge Theo ry Mid
Choc olate Colla b ava ilable now
Special thanks to Aaron Lee for submitting this hubba to the Take ĂŠS to your spots! contest. Justin goes tall on a Switch 5-0 in Honolulu, Hawaii. Photo: Atiba esfootwear.com Quattro Sports P.O. Box 203 Collaroy NSW 2097 www.quattrosports.com.au
TOYS ‘R’ OURS
Selection by Callum Vass
Shuttlemax Lime Designer: Bill Mcullen www.kidrobot.com
Con Artis
Designer: David Flores www.davidfloresart.com
King Robot Skull Brain VCD Designer: Medicom Manufacturer: Medicom
G Dub White Bunee Designer: Dalek www.dalekart.com
www.medicomtoystore.com
Mongerforce Sarge Desert Storm Designer: Frank Kozik www.fkozik.com
Skull 400% Be@rbrick
Abe Lincoln
Designer: Abe Lincoln Jr.
Designer: Medicom Manufacturer: Medicom www.medicomtoystore.com
www.girlsbike.com
Evirob VCD
Designer: T9G Manufacturer: Kidrobot www.devilrobots.com
Gingerman Dunny
Designer: Kronk Manufacturer: Kidrobot www.kidrobot.com
Heenie In Blue
Designer: Nathan Jurevicius Manufacturer: Kidrobot www.scarygirl.com
Hot Cha Cha Cha Designer: Gary Bushman
Shok1 Fat Cap
Friends With You Dunny
www.shok1.com
www.friendswithyou.com
Designer: Friends With You
Designer: Shok1
www.magic-pony.com
Ganesh
Designer: Doze Green Manufacturer: www.dozegreen.com
SAM Pirate Series Designer: Red Magic Manufacturer: Kidrobot
SUG F58
Designer: Unkl
www.unklbrand.com
www.redmagicstyle.com
Skull Man
Huck Gee
Designer: Huck Gee www.huckgee.com
Designer: Red Magic Manufacturer: Kidrobot
22 - 23 TOYS ‘R’ OURS
www.redmagicstyle.com
Sluggonadon Designer: Joe Ledbe www.joeledbetter.com
Pink Cola Bear Designer: B.B Birdy www.bbbirdy.com
MAD Dunny Ninja Designer: Mad
www.kidrobot.com
Tilt Dunny
Designer: Tilt Manufacturer: Kidrobot www.graffitilt.com
Jukai G-Robot CAMO Designer: Jukai www.kidrobot.com
OUT NOW
timeshiftgame.com/au
© 2007 Sierra Entertainment, Inc. All rights reserved. Designed and developed by Saber Interactive. TimeShift, Sierra and the Sierra logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of Sierra Entertainment, Inc., in the U.S. and/or other countries. GameSpy and the “Powered by GameSpy” design are trademarks of GameSpy Industries, Inc. All rights reserved. The NVIDIA logo and “The Way It’s Meant to be Played” logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of NVIDIA Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. “PlayStation”, “PLAYSTATION”, and the “PS” Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.
TOYS ‘R’ OURS
Selection by Callum Vass
TOY NEWS
The Lad Set
Designer: The London Police
Grabbit (wood version)
www.thelondonpolice.com
Designer: Touma
CI Boys Cupco Series Designer: Red Magic www.redmagicstyle.com
www.tuoma.com
Rolitoland Safari Designer: Rolito
www.myplasticheart.com
Fang Wolf: Blue Strike Designer: Touma
SCARY GIRL
Holiday Labbit
www.touma.biz
Designer: Frank Kozik Manufacturer: Kidrobot www.fkozik.com
Mozzarella
Pity Rolitoboy
Designer: Tokidoki Manufacturer: Strangeco
Designer: Mori Chack www.myplasticheart.com
Australain designer and toy demi-god Nathan Jurevicius new range will be released soon, in the vein of the current trend of blind boxes. Inspired by his Lithuanian background the series of wind up toys are based on mythological owls known as Giltin which are the goddesses of death. Despite the grim theme these are a new direction for Nathan and are like a work in progress. It's essentially a piece of history. At least that's one way to justify spending more on toys.
www.shop.tokidoki.it
Mickey and Oswald Kubrick Designer: Medicom Manufacturer: Kidrobot www.medicomtoystore.com
My Little Cthulhu Designer: John Kovalic
JK5 Flow-Bots Series 1
Radar
Designer: DELTA INC
Designer: Ari Akoi Aka JK5 Manufacturer: Kidrobot
Ghostface Killah Doll
www.jk5nyc.com
24 - 25 TOYS ‘R’ OURS
www.deltainc.nl
Ed Magic Stereotype Designer: Richard Wong
Qee Town Crier LA Designer: Tim Biskup www.timbusk.com
El Panda (Kozik Version)
Designer: Frank Kozik & Mutthead www.magic-pony.com
The Pretty Toney aka Tony Starks aka Ironman aka P Tone aka Paisley Fontaine aka Clyde Smith aka Theodore Deini aka Talk of New York Tony aka Captain America aka Starky Love aka Wally Champ aka Ghost Deini aka The Ghostface Killah has finally brought out his much promised doll and it’s pretty much everything it should be, well except not really looking much like the man himself. 4Cast toys have gone all out, draped in a velvet robe, Clarks Wallabees, rocking real 14k gold jewellery, including his eagle braclet and even a voice box with a couple of different Ghostface phrases. All this could be yours for US$499.99, but be quick because only 1000 are being made.
T N E M E S A # R U O Y D IN
'
$ITY R E Y . R E RRINGAH D N A 6 8 R E Y E N . R U O .ELB SWOOD T A ) $ R E Y . 4YDNEY HERMSIDE $ R E Y . #RISBANE YER $ITY . ( H 1ERT R $ITY E Y . R E D N 6 )OBART
A DIVISION OF MYER
lights, camera, action
Words by Jeremy Swann
Lost in Purgatory Shane Abbess on his first feature film - Gabriel
It’s a sunny Tuesday morning on the top floor of a plush Melbourne hotel. The wafting smell of coffee, // pastry fresh from the oven and an amazing panorama
of the city looking out towards the bay tantalises my senses. Sitting opposite me is Shane Abbess, smartly dressed and with his long, curly hair, he cuts the figure of a sophisticated modern day Viking. From the lifestyle he looks like he is living, one could easily assume that he is a top Hollywood movie director. But Shane’s plight has been long and arduous to get to where he is today.
There hasn’t really been an Australian film like this since Mad Max was released in the Eighties. Like the afore-mentioned motion picture, Gabriel was also made with a ridiculously low budget - A budget that “you couldn’t buy half a house with” according to Shane. “The budget was so low, we were getting our props from the local rubbish dump. When you have such a low budget, every little thing becomes a problem.” To give the film credit, it actually looks like it was made with a lot more money than was the case. Shane’s respect throughout the industry led him to work with people like the fight choreographer from Star Wars, and other notable figures who would normally charge a fortune for their services. “We had great producers who helped a lot as well. They would be catering for the cast while they were on their phones trying to make sure everything was happening on set, driving to and fro getting stuff there. They had as hard a time as I did. One of our producers fell asleep at the wheel and wrote her car off because she wasn’t getting enough sleep.”
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The legend of the Arc Angel Gabriel has been around for as many years as the number of different versions of the story. Shane himself wasn’t brought up particularly religiously, and the film’s themes aren’t tied to strictly one religion, or even religion at all. “I looked at what I thought was cool. Matt Hylton Todd (the co-writer) and me looked at a lot of different religions. Wherever there was angels and spirituality really. We even looked at Japanese animation.” Purgatory as depicted in the film was all shot around Sydney in various industrial estates. Shooting was one of the hardest parts, with Shane describing the process as almost going through a purgatory of his own. “We would be shooting, while the art department was painting and dressing a scene right next to us. This was all mainly due to the time constraints. A lot of the close up shots in the film are there because if you pan one inch either side, there’s a car park on the left, and a guy holding up the wall on the right.”
Gabriel took 3 years to complete, which was a lot longer than anyone had anticipated. This led to Shane having to take up
his old day jobs in order to pay off mounting debts that had accumulated whilst working on the film. “I had to work at a call centre just to be able to support myself while I was making it. When we were doing the edit I’d finish up editing at around 5am, grab a couple of hours sleep on the couch, get up at seven and go back to work. Then when I got home from work it would be straight back to the edit suite again.” Shane went through some serious hardships to make this film happen. “At one point on the set I was so tired that my vision started going, and another time I was scratching my head, and I was that stressed that I actually started ripping big clumps of hair out of my head. My body was just going ‘fuck, I hate you for doing this’”.
‘‘We were getting our props from the local rubbish dump.” So what next for this maverick filmmaker? “The hardest thing for me is that everyone has to leave this film at some point and get on with their normal life. I’m the only one who’s really staying with it till the end. I’ll always be a big film nerd, I love watching films, playing video games and listening to heavy metal. I’m pretty different to a lot of the other guys who are making films at the moment in that they’re much more career minded. They’ll go to America and make a film that they don’t really believe in, in the hope that it will lead them on to bigger things. I don’t think I’ll ever do a film that I wouldn’t live and die for. If I make five films in fifty years and have to work as a furniture removalist in between then I’ll do that to do those five films that I believe in. I’ll probably look like I’m about eighty when I’m about forty but it’s all good.”
5 films that influenced Gabriel Escape From New York The Crow Highlander Blade Runner Seven
AC AU FL TI S ICKON
sneakers
INDUSTRY PRO
PETER FAHEY- GUEST EDITOR
Peter Fahey is the Don and mastermind behind the world’s largest touring sneaker and street based // art show – Sneaker Pimps. Touring the globe since 2002,
Sneaker Pimps has travelled to over 25 countries and boasts an impressive roll call of artists, musicians and customisers. The exhibition musters up all the industry heavy hitters from the likes of Futura, Nas, Stash and EPMD amongst many others. Peter kindly took time out of his busy schedule to kick it as this issue's guest editor, he gives us a narrative of how he got into sneakers and an in depth breakdown of his favourite 6.
My name is Peter Fahey, creator of the Sneaker Pimps World Tour. I am 26 and got into sneakers through skateboarding. The first pair of shoes I ever had that I was really psyched on were Airwalks. I used to blow through a pair of sneakers in a week skating and therefore was automatically forced into buying sneakers a lot. I started Sneaker Pimps in a small gallery in Sydney, Australia in 2002. Now Sneaker Pimps is the world’s largest touring sneaker show featuring over 1000 kicks on display, over 600 original customized shoes by artists such as Mister Cartoon, Futura, Stash, Dave White, Dalek etc. Past live music performances at the show have included Nas, Mix Master Mike, EPMD, Slick Rick, Biz Markie, Ghostface, Travis Barker and many more. Sneaker Pimps has visited over 25 countries, 52 cities and thrown over 172 shows. Peter Fahey – Sneaker Pimps www.sneakerpimps.net
és Koston One
I have been skating in these shoes and wearing these shoes since around 95 when they came out – and I never get sick of them. They are the perfect width, they are dope to skate in, really ill colourways and in my opinion Eric Koston is one of the greatest street skaters ever!
Nike Dunk Hi – FLOM
There were only 24 pairs of these made by Nike. They were produced for the opening of the Futura Laboratories store in Japan. FLOM stands for For Love Or Money – they resell anywhere between $8,000 to $10,000USD a pair. Futura is one of our favourite artists.
Season one and two of the first Nike SB series
28 - 29 lifestyle
Oh god, bring back the glory days of early SB’s – the collaboration with Zoo York was ill, plus every shoe that Nike SB was putting out around that time was so dope. The Hulk’s, Futura dunk lo’s – I could go on and on. What happened?
Adidas Superstars
JB Classics x Sneaker Pimps shoes
It was the first time we got to do a collaboration with a footwear company, so it was a huge achievement for Sneaker Pimps. All the crew got to help design everything on the shoe from start to finish. JB is a great friend of ours and so working with him was amazing – no restrictions on what we could do – the benefits of working with an independent footwear company.
Jordan 4’s
I am not a big basketball fan – but who doesn’t respect Michael Jordan. These are the illest basketball shoes ever created and they also make an ill shoe to skate in.
These have been my favourite shoes since I was young, I have always loved Adidas heritage, the early RUN DMC association, they just reminded me of NYC and old skool hip-hop. My favourite colourway was the mid with the strap in black leather with grey stripes.
Selection by Ankia
new releases
New Balance Transportation Pack
New Balance has just rolled out their Transportation Pack which celebrates the 3 channels of transportation used by the brand to ensure the timely delivery of New Balance products. The Transportation pack is a limited release with only 547 individually number pairs released worldwide. The Transportation pack consists of three versions of the 547’s; The M547 “Sea” which takes on a nautical theme and is dominated by brown tones. The M574 “Air” adopts an aviation theme and uses UPS influenced colours, and lastly the M574 “Land” assumes the ground theme which consists of a grey/blue colourway and prints of road maps which represents the roads and highways.
Futura x Clarks Wallabee
Supreme x Nike Air Trainer TW II
One of the hottest comebacks to drop in a minute; the Nike Air Trainer TW II has just been re released for the first time ever. The Air Trainer was originally released circa 1987/88 and endorsed by multi-talented athlete Bo Jackson. The re issues are circulated via Nike SB and designed by New York’s Supreme who’ve brought the Air Trainers back to life in 4 new colourways. Supreme have also designed a new baseball jacket to accompany the re issues, the jackets will be available in 3 colours: blue, black and red.
SBTG x Methamphibian Skulls of Saigon Misfits Dunk LO pack
Another release from revered customisers SBTG and Methamphibian’s joint project ‘Skulls Of Saigon’ is the Misfit Dunk Lo pack, this release keeps within the core principal and theme of the SOS project; which displays both customisers’ signature styles combined with a tongue-in-cheek edge.
“Duke it on the globe, thank God for my Wallabee shoes”! Clarks have teamed up with Futura Laboratories to re work a shoe that always makes me shout out ‘Wally Champ!’ every single time someone mentions them. The classic Clarks Wallabee boot has been redesigned by Futura Laboratories for an exclusive limited release. The FL x Wallabees is made up of premium suede leather upper, detailed laces and finished off with the iconic Futura Atomic Rings laser etched into the leather.
Nike Dunk High Bo Jackson Trainer Pack
For the latest Dunk High collection, Nike have taken influence from the most memorable colourways produced in the Bo Jackson Air Trainer line, the Bo Jackson Air Trainer III the Air Trainer Max 91 and the Bo Jackson Air Trainer I were all used as major inspirations to creating the new Dunk High line which features a combination of leather, mesh and perforated uppers combined with the Bo inspired colour combos.
KNOW YOUR CLASSICS Nike Air Jordan 1
Early in 1984, Nike was a struggling shoe company. The running shoe phenomenon that had invigorated their sales in previous years was slowly dying and Nike had to seek ways to revitalize, reinvent and generate new capital. Nike conceived designs to penetrate a new market via the endorsement of the promising rookie Michael Jordan, at the time Michael personally preferred to play only in Adidas and Converse sneakers and had hoped to sign with either company. This wasn’t to eventuate as Converse already had Larry Bird and Magic Johnson as spokesmen and were not interested in signing new endorsees, whilst Adidas showed no interest at all. At the time Michael did not see the significance of Nike’s offer, it was his agent David Falk who realized the potential of the ‘Air Jordan’ opportunity and urged Michael to consider Nike. After a formal presentation by Nike and much convincing by his family and agent, Jordan signed to a 5 year $2.5 million deal with Nike that included royalties and fringe benefits. The Nike Air Jordan 1 was then created, designed by Peter Moore the Air Jordan 1 boasted a fat belly Nike swoosh, the (now) iconic double winged Jordan logo and a bold colour combination of black and red. The Air Jordan 1 was released in 1985 and with it came an insurmountable amount of publicity and controversy in effect of the shoes confident black/red colourway that broke the NBA colour rules. Before the Air Jordan 1s basketball sneakers were traditionally produced in a predominately all white colourway, and the assertive black and red styling of the AJ1s flouted this convention. In response, the NBA banned the sneakers from the league, Jordan continued to wear them on court which resulted in serious fines of up to $5000 per game, however Nike were more than happy to pay these fines as it kept the kicks on Jordan’s feet and in the public eye. Jordan only wore the black/red AJ1s on court 3 times but the level of publicity created by the controversy coupled with his outstanding stats and numbers that year catapulted the Air Jordan 1 into unpredictable success and ensured Michael Jordan as a household name. The Air Jordan 1’s have been produced in over 23 different colourways (if you include all samples, limited editions and exclusives) retroed 3 times, the first in ‘94 right after Jordan announced his retirement, again in ‘01 and most recently in early ’07, and is also noted to be one of the most counterfeited of the entire Air Jordan line.
sneakers
CUSTOM ARTIST
MACHE
30 - 31 lifestyle
Connecticut based customiser Mache is doing big things, having worked with numerous notables and getting props and attention from an array of press, Mache manages to remain grounded and down to earth. He’s a humble sneaker lover who started painting sneakers as a response to the stale scene. “I pretty much got bored with what the big brands were doing with their colourways and designs and I took it upon myself to make something that I liked out of what they supplied me with. It just started with basic colourways and patterns and after awhile people started to take notice. Asking me “when did Nike make THOSE?!” Mache has been an artist all his life and customising came naturally to him, he describes his style to be “art, plain and simple. It’s well thought out designs that will compliment the aesthetics of the shoes... My goal in the end is to make it look like it was MEANT to be there” Mache’s work has been noticed and patroned by an impressive list of celebs, from Rasheed Wallace to Wu-Tang’s the GZA, and he tells me that he’s currently working with a “certain guy in LA who wears #24, [but I] can’t say much more about that until they leak the pics on his site though” in addition he is working on “my rendition of Graduation for some guy named West, whoever the hell that is [laughs]. Let’s just say I’ve been pulling my networking strings as far as they’ll go these days…”
STOCKISTS WWW HAKAN COM AU SHOT BY DAVID ROSENDALE
FLY GURL
Photos by Thomas Rigney Hair & Makeup by April Robinson
Styling by Anthony Jarvis
GILLIAN COOPER Athletic Appeal
20 year old Gillian Cooper is new to the professional modelling game. Six months ago after having her braces removed and putting her Criminology degree on hold, she made the move from Melbourne to Sydney to pursue her modelling aspirations. “People love comparing Sydney and Melb! But I can’t say that either is ‘better’ than the other, just different…. I love Sydney’s beaches and climate, and the city has a nonstop energy, people are on the go all the time! But I miss Melbourne Nightlife and bargain fashion hunting!”
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After the Fly Gurl shoot was completed we asked Gillian from her own experience what she couldn’t stand about the modelling biz. “It is now common to have ‘too many cooks spoiling the broth’. A shoot controlled by the photographer is becoming a thing of the past, especially with electronic technology such as tethering. You have stylists, art directors, magazine editors and even hair and make-up artists, having their 10 cents worth because they can see the image in front of them. It becomes very difficult and frustrating for models to be directed by many different people. I’d prefer to work with a photographer who’s in control of the shoot.”
Zoo York Checkmate shorts $59.95AUD Zoo York Nish Tee $44.95AUD K-Swiss Tibana – Black/Silver $129.95AUD TF-250 Spalding basketball $19.95AUD
Before entering the world of modelling Gillian was a semipro basketball player for the Darebin Giants in the Victorian Basketball League which is why we thought a gym locker room was a fitting setting for this shoot.
Zoo York Immergruen Tank $39.95AUD
Adidas Originals FT Track top- Black/white $90AUD Adidas Originals FT Track Pant- Black/white $100AUD K-Swiss Tibana – Black/Silver $129.95AUD
Zoo York checkmate dress $69.95AUD K.Swiss Arvee white/rosebud women’s low sneakers $139.95AUD
STREETWEAR
Words by Jerry Jerri Photos by 223 (Beijing)
eno RISING IN THE EAST
This issue ACCLAIM visited an unlikely destination for streetwear when we caught up with Lin Lin, the // Marketing Director for eno, a one year-old streetwear
34 - 35 STREETWEAR
brand born out of Shanghai, China. As China’s capital sprints towards joining the modern world, all areas of youth culture have begun to infiltrate a once baron creative landscape and eno is leading the charge for contemporary streetwear.
For the most part China has been totally removed from the international streetwear movement. Recently however, young Chinese have begun to create their own brands, inspired by their overseas contemporaries. A recent influx of foreign streetwear labels into the Chinese market has helped to create an environment of enthusiasm for more limited, specialty fashion. Lin Lin explains that “The most unique outcome of a developing city is that we are all willing to help each other and work together. Competition definitely helps to build the community and bring diversity.” And although convincing the rest of the world that Shanghai can produce streetwear on a level with the best today is no easy task, the eno crew believe that “Everyone is looking at China today, Shanghai is one of the fastest developing cities in this country and the world, a place that is restless and resourceful. Here your ideas can flourish isolated from formula and rules, free from the belief that everything great has been done before. I think we offer a unique voice of Chinese youth to the West and our quality is definitely international standard.” Although eno is close-lipped about forthcoming collaborations with international brands, Lin Lin does let on that “Yes, we are collaborating with some of the most sought after international
streetwear labels and amazing talent around the world. The collaborations will be done with a new twist and won’t just be collaborations for no good reason […] I can only say we are honoured and grateful to the labels that we are working with, but I don’t want to disclose our partnerships too early.” Coming from a land known widely for its imitations of Western products, eno has worked hard to establish a unique style. “eno is an open-source brand, we welcome anyone who is eager to express to submit designs and get involved with the community. We’re constantly introducing new designs, many of our pieces are unique and very small run.” In fact the overall strategy for eno involves regular participation from people outside of their core team. “The 3/3 concept brings to life our ‘Art by us, them and you’ approach to our business. ‘Us’ represent eno’s in house creative, ‘them’ are invited artists designers and musicians, ‘you’ is whoever can pick up a mouse or pen to express and feels they can do something interesting.” With the majority of the 25 strong eno team born in the 80s, Li Li describes the brand’s influence. “The ever-changing youth culture is the driving force to eno design. Music is an important influence to us […] We often link up musicians and artists to collaborate on our product line and it often turns out to be great fun and some of our best selling items.”
THEIR Musical Collaborators We have worked with and will continue to work with artists such as Popil (Guangzhou) Busdriver (LA), JELLYMON (UK/Shanghai), IGO (Shanghai), PK14 (Beijing), The Wonderful Design Works (Tokyo), Karl Esritt (UK)
H LA OT BE L
No Hope t-shirt, Hakan jeans $149.95AUD, Vox Peter Hewitt black tweed shoes $134.95AUD
e h t m o r F o t e l d a Cr e v a r g the
New Era Fluro Green and Pink Bats hat $60AUD, No Hope t-shirt, KR3W jeans, ATG gloves, Hennessy beverage, Osiris Chino shoes $129.95AUD, Nixon 'The Murf' watch $499.95AUD
No Tomorrow necklace, Champion t-shirt $29.95AUD
KR3W singlet, Grand Scheme black neckerchief $20AUD, Dragon GG Neapolitan sunglasses $189.95AUD
New Era Batting Arms Atlanta Braves hat $65AUD, LRG hoody, ATG Yok Yardage pants, Supra shoes, Gold Coin GOLDzilla vs Mechzilla t-shirt
No Hope t-shirt, Hakan jeans $149.95AUD, Vox Peter Hewitt black tweed shoes $134.95AUD
Masked Man: Red Bonless The End t-shirt Chow: KR3W singlet, Grand Scheme black neckerchief $20AUD, DGK limited edition New Era Eyes hat $79.95AUD
SHOPPING
Words by Memphis Photos by Jason Calabretta
SHOPPING GUIDE Los Angeles
traditionally Less of a shopping destination for tourists than New York, our boy Memphis runs down // the hot spots you must check out when visiting the West Coast of America.
Rogue Status 1720 Main St Venice, CA 90291 (310) 584-1197 www.roguestatus.com The gun show print went AWOL (pardon the pun) and now Rogue has its own shop. Many will be familiar with it from shops that stock it world wide or from the amount of screen time the clothes get on MTV’s hit show Rob & Big. The Rogue Status store sells only Rogue Status products, which is by no means a bad thing if you’ve looked at the range these days. Rogue’s line is made up of refreshing designs and straight to the point tees. Things have changed a lot since the all-over gun print in a few colours started the brand off, giving Rogue Status its notoriety. The brand is growing more and more with collaborations even including a gun print bike seat! The staff are excellent and willing to help any passer by. Giant Robot 2015 Sawtelle Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90025 (310) 478-1819 www.giantrobot.com Giant Robot may be best known for the magazine but in West LA it’s taken over and is somewhat of an institution. Japan is miles away but you’d never tell when you hit this part of the boulevard. Giant Robot is on one side of the street and has all your Japanese book, toy, magazine, gadget, etc. needs… And I mean ALL! You will be blown away by how many of these things are available, some you forgot existed and some you have never come across. Across the street is GR2, Giant Robots clothing equivalent. They stock everything you’d expect a reader of Giant Robot to be interested in. Clothing wise they stock their own stuff they collaborate on with artists that come through and what not as well as 2K, Gama-Go, HookUps, Obey Giant, Super 7, The Quiet Life, Tokidoki, Uglydolls, Upper Playground.
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Blends 125 W 4th Street Los Angeles, CA 90013 (213) 626-6606 This place is where you want to hit for sneakers. LA travelers usually prefer to hit the Undefeated or Sportie LA stores for kicks. However, whilst the other stores hold their own, Blends is good for the fact that others overlook it. You can usually find what you were looking for at Blends, often coming across hidden gems that are unexpected or aren’t still on shelves at other places and limited edition stock from all the brands they stock. They look after your needs from Vans, Nike, Adidas, Reebok and New Balance. Lions Den - Chinatown 711 New High St. Los Angeles, CA 90012 (213) 596-0887 www.lionsden.la I loved trying to find this place as much as I loved everything about it. From the amount of different brands to the set up and the general back room feel the concept is flawlessly pulled off. It’s located in Chinatown surrounded by everything typical of a Chinatown and nothing typical of streetwear. Men’s and Women’s apparel available from brands like Leroy Jenkins, Alife, Foreign Family, Dissizit, Umbro by Kim Jones, Orchard Street, Spiewak, Recon, Surface To Air, Grn Apple Tree, Lemar
& Dauley, 3 Sixteen and more. With enough of the same old same old everywhere else in LA, shoes stocked are from Alife, Puma, Reebok, Gravis and more. Supreme 439 N Fairfax Ave Los Angeles, CA 90189 (323) 655-6205 www.supremenewyork.com The world famous Supreme Team opened this shop up in 2004. Saving the history lesson, you have to stop by. The shop is amazing. Big warehouse with minimal display, save for a giant raised skate bowl in the back! The placement and build of the skate bowl is clever and impressive, making for a great focal point when you first walk in. The complaints about Supreme prices everywhere else in the world stop when you realise what they actually retail for and unless you’re acting a fool, the rumours about the staff are entirely blown out of proportion. Remember also where you are right now, Fairfax has transformed into a must stop area for any ACCLAIM reader so go for a walk. Others to look for when in LA Alife Flight Club Undefeated Stussy Union Turntable Lab Stronghold Denim RIF Kid Robot GR/Eats 2050 Sawtelle Blvd West LA, CA 90025 310 478 3243 www.gr-eats.com/ Knowing that this is involved with Giant Robot (the GR in gr/ eats) you expect an Americanised Japanese menu. What you get is pretty much that, Asian-American home cooking. The small café is simple and effective, a relaxed atmosphere with a soundtrack that fits the food and LA as a whole. The food is cheap but great for the price. You can do it how you like too. You can stay fairly traditional with a tempura ramen soup, go with the local favourite sea bass or try their take on the burger, which is made from angus beef and served with sweet potato fries. Old Glory Tattoo/Barbershop 1716 Main St. Venice, CA 90291 310 821 1103 www.oldglorybarbershop.com Old Glory is situated right next door to Rogue Status so if you’re in the area getting an outfit for that wild LA night drop in, get your hair did and maybe a tattoo while you’re at it! The place is set up great with an old school barbershop feel (without Ice Cube), which ties in perfectly with the sailor/Americana style tattoos that they specialise in. All their work from hair to skin is clean and leaves customers satisfied. Interesting fact: Rex Halloway (a Rogue Status designer) sits on Sundays and Mondays. Feel free to check the website for some samples of their work.
SPORT
Words by Jason Larke
THE PROFESSOR COURT GENIUS
Grayson Scott Boucher has the kind of agility that not only enables him to shake 'n' bake // some of the worlds finest ball players, but has
46 - 47 SPORT
more importantly enabled him to shake off any misconceptions of him being the token white kid on the And1 Mixtape Squad. His athleticism has recently been recognised by the CBA. His personality has recently been recognised by Hollywood. The kid also known as "The Professor" explains why we'll be seeing a lot more of him in the years to come. When you compete in street comps across the world are you generally respected by your opponents or do you feel that more players step to you with the mindset of wanting to humiliate you and get a name off you? It depends. Internationally I feel a lot more respected, but back home it's more like people got a chip on their shoulder. So you know, they go extra hard and a lotta times it gets to the point where players get to fouling. I mean the rules are real lenient in these competitions, so if you're getting called for fouls in an And1 game you know that it's getting rough. You've recently made the transition from the IBL to the CBA to sign with Atlanta Krunk. How do you think you will adjust? It really isn't that hard for players like myself to switch up and play regular ball. The only adjustment really is getting in to shape and getting used to running the team. Making that transition won't be that tough for me, it's just a matter of me getting my wind back. What's going on for you off the court? Tell me about this feature film you're doing… Oh Ball Don't Lie? I've actually just finished it. It's looking for distribution right now! It's a cool feature film I have the leading role in. It's got Nick Cannon, Ludacris and yeah it was one of the best experience's I've ever had! I play a high-school kid who's
had a rough life. He's a ball player trying to get into college and he's hosted by these foster families but he keeps getting sent back because he's a bit of a mischievous kid who's never really had the right upbringing. So it just kinda follows his story, his struggle. What else is going on for you off the court? I've got a few more auditions coming up. I've just been in a Will Ferrell movie with Woody Harrelson and Andre 3000. It's a fun comedy based around the 1970's ABA league. Sounds crazy! What was it like acting alongside them? I actually only play ball in the movie, but it was a lotta fun. Woody and I actually played a game up to 50 off the screen. I thought I would go easy on him at first. But then he hit the first two shots and I was thinking "Okay I'ma play properly now". Then he hit another shot. So I was down 3-0. He got a little bit ahead of himself though, so I ended up beating him 50-3. Haha… so he's not the Billy Hoyle we used to know? Nah… far from it! So 5 years from now are we more likely to know you as Grayson Boucher the actor or the ball player? Well the CBA is kind of like a development league for the NBA, similar to the D-league. So we'll see how that goes. And I've got a manager in L.A pulling a few strings for me, getting me some auditions. I'm not about to close any doors behind me. But yeah acting, NBA, And1… anything can happen at this stage.
ABOUT THE PROFESSOR Boucher had originally intended to mow lawns and bag groceries during the 2003 summer until he was discoverd by the And1 squad. He is arguably the most popular player on the Mixtape Tour now. Standing at only 5"10 and weighing 140 lbs, Boucher is still the only white player to represent the And1 squad.
K OF ING CO THE UR T
sport
Words by Callum Vass Photo by Shad Lambert
TERRY KENNEDY Free And Rollin’
Fresh out of serving jail time it sounds like Terry Kennedy is ready to get on with his life, and why // wouldn’t he? He’s in two of the most revered skate
teams in the world as well as a burgeoning career in both music and acting.
48 - 49 sport
Having come up from very little and having achieved so much, so young, has given TK a mass appeal unparalleled by most other skaters, not to mention a marketable image. Having skated for very little time, Kennedy has already made himself at home with two of the world’s most influential skate families, Kr3w and Baker, as well as championing the Ice Cream shoe brand, co owned by Pharrell Williams. However “Compton AssTerry’s” association with the likes of Snoop Dogg (he appeared in the “Drop It Like It’s Hot” video) and other shadier characters has had its effect on his career. Rumored to have been shot 7 times and recently serving time behind bars for what’s said to be a wrong-place-at-the-wrong-time incident, you’d think that would be somewhat of a draw back but according to TK,“it didn’t affect me in a negative way. I had a lot of support from my grandma and my family, so if anything it just made me stronger as a skater.” In some respects a life of crime and jail was perhaps the life handed to Kennedy. Growing up in Long Beach, California, he focused his energy into skating which he saw as being just as fruitful as gang life, but by no means has he forgotten where he’s come from. “My past drives me by just learning from my mistakes, using them to become better and stronger”. His part in the Baker 3 video both solidified his identity and ability in the skateboarding world, leaving his next part in the forthcoming release Baker Death Wish on the most anticipated list. “My part was a little bit more difficult from the last Baker video. This time around I had tougher goals, lots of practice, new tricks and just a whole new swag”. When asked what he’d be doing if he wasn’t skating he answered, “I’d be doing my second passion…either rapping or acting”, despite already
being involved in both fields. His rap group Fly Society (with Hit and Currency) have just wrapped up shooting their first video
“My past drives me by just learning from my mistakes, using them to become better and stronger” for the song Fresh, are currently in the studio working on new tracks and are in talks with a couple of labels. The response so far has been positive. “We got some radio play for a couple of our songs, and we’ve just been getting a lot of love on Myspace with all the hits and support from the fans”. He’s also shooting a part for upcoming movie Street Dreams and is a featured character on EA Sports new game Skate. Plans for the future? “My plans for the future…the Fly Society project, running the record label, getting more acting roles, staying out there, getting the exposure…grinding”. Top 5 Albums of the Past year Fly Society Snoop Doggs “Blue Carpet Treatment” Jim Jones “ Hustlers Poem” Jim Jones “Makavelli” Currency “ Life at 30,000ft”
SKA OR TE DIE
social
Words by: Khaled Khalafalla Photos by: Thom Rigney
Variety Dragons
The refugee basketball team Boasting over six feet of height and a slender, athletic build, Whiskey, 20, was made for basketball. // Unfortunately, he’s spent all but the last two years
of his life living in a war torn Sudanese village close to Darfur. He recalls the turmoil of bloodshed, and malicious patrolling of police and army personnel- this is the kind of social chaos that rips families apart, and causes many immigrants to be petrified of local authority; Whiskey has not heard from his parents for seven years. In just a short period of time however, driving ambition, chance, and incredible skill have made Whiskey, and several other migrants, basketball stars in a team coached by the Migrant Resource Centre- and Victoria Police. While the fear of authority was brought to Australia by many migrants, the love for basketball and the opportunity is enough to overcome any resistance.
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Watching his favorite NBA stars on TV was one of Whiskey’s few pleasures in Sudan. Impassioned by the game he saw only on screen, he desired the opportunity, and knew that his towering frame especially, would provide leverage to his game- if he could only liberate his sporting command to unleash the talents enslaved by circumstance… In Australia, Whiskey pursued interests he wasn’t privileged to indulge in earlier. “Every week at the basketball courts we would see a group of Africans sitting on the side line watching the games, absorbing the scene with great interest” Ben Waterhouse, from the Migrant resource centre says. “We decided to start a basketball team for them, and funded it from our own pockets for the first year” he says; and thus started The Variety Dragons. Eventually, the initiative grew through generous funding from the Variety Children’s Foundation, and other institutions. While the open-door policy provides the structure and opportunity that appeal to many in Whiskey’s situation, the team has faced several challenges. “Numerous times we’ve lost games by forfeit because the players don’t turn up, or haven’t got their uniforms” Ben says. Another issue is transport, “a lot of these
boys catch a tram and a train to get here” so “if it’s raining, they just won’t come”. While often frustrating, Ben understands the circumstances, and if in their position “I probably wouldn’t turn up either”. Despite the adversarial context of naturally lazy and disorganized teenagers, last year, the top age division Variety Dragons won the Premier league. Speaking consistent, but broken English, Whiskey says that success on the court is all about communication. “There was once a time when the players would just point at each other and play the blame game” Ben says, “But now they always support each other”. Not only have the players built strong bonds between each other, but also with Police. There may sometimes be prejudices against and from the authorities, but to de-condition hatred, to incite support among players and police, and to make these refugees feel like the police are actually their friends, “they’ve done a great job” Ben says.
“I reckon I can do whatever I can see” Whiskey and his team mates continue to play basketball today, and are steadily rising talents. Whiskey’s success is driven by the aspiration to be like NBA superstar, Michael Jordan: during his college years, and again during an NBA dunk competition, Jordan had leapt to the ring from the free throw line, to craft basketball history. Now, Whisky thinks he’s next in the legendary line-up; “I can do all the Jordan dunks except one”- the freethrow feat. He maintains however, “I reckon I can do whatever I can see” Want to get involved? When - Training is every Thursday Girls 4:30 - 5:30 pm Boys 5:30 - 6:30 pm Games are played Saturday afternoons at Coburg Basketball Stadium Where - Training @ NMIT, 77– 91St Georges Road Preston. Games @ Coburg Basketball Stadium, 25 Outlook rd Coburg How much - Training is free. A $2 game fee is charged each Saturday What do I need - We supply uniforms and coaching staff, you only need shoes
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music
Words by Robbie Ettelson
A-Trak
On The Road Again
From his days as the “youngest-in-charge” DJ battle champion to his current production work, A-Trak is // one busy motherfucker. He’s been touring for the last
ten years, and when he was in Australia as Kanye West’s DJ he played to 60,000 people a night, so rest assured he’s got some stories to tell.
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At the moment you've got a whole bunch of stuff spawned from the Sunglasses Is A Must DVD, like toys and shirts. What’s the story with all of that? Sunglasses Is A Must was originally the title of my DVD, and it was the name of the tour I did with The Rub for the DVD, and after that it became the name that I took on for a whole series of collaborations with different people in the streetwear scene. It all started with t-shirts to sell on the tour, but I didn't wanna do an A-Trak shirt, cause I have this whole conception that most self-respecting men [laughs]...not to get on some macho shit, but not a lotta guys would want to wear a shirt that says another guy's name on it. Do you feel like the turntablist scene became too selfindulgent? Yeah, absolutely. I made the DVD and I was looking back at '99, when The Allies were just running the battle scene, and we would just tour and go to any country in the world and meet whoever was the best turntablist in that city and just do these shows. Already then, we were already into party-rocking, and we then we would do our routines and just shut it down. That scene was fueled by the battle, and we stopped battling and there started being so many titles to be won. The organizations putting on the battles got so greedy, and everyone was like "Oh, well let's just do a team battle now, and a head-to-head battle, and an exhibition battle, and an under-18 battle, and a female battle, and a bring your dog battle!” and all this crazy shit. Next thing you know, there was fifteen world champion titles to be won every year. No one could keep track of what was what. Audiences lost interest, and I can't really blame them. Have you ever gotten food poisoning on the road? I remember doing a show in Phoenix - which is in the middle of the desert - and for some stupid reason I agreed to go get sushi
with the promoter before the show. Never thought of "Where does this sushi come from when you're in the middle of the desert?" While I was deejaying I had to run to the bathroom. Do you collect souvenirs of your travels? I was in Hong Kong and I found this thing on a street market,
‘‘not a lotta guys would want to wear a shirt that says another guys name on it'' they were selling these framed illustrations that are made out of cut-up butterfly wings. That in itself is crazy to me, but what the drawing was, was these two elephants having sex. And you could see the member and everything - but everything made really tastefully out of butterfly wings! So I bought that and gave it to my girlfriend. DJ A-Trak plays at the Good Vibrations Festival this Feb. For details go to www.goodvibrationsfestival.com.au Mixtapes Is A Must: Dirty South Dance On some party-rocking shit, a taste of the kind of club sound to expect from his future productions with Kid Sister and co. Oh No You Didn't! The closest thing to experiencing Young Trizzle live without leaving your couch…or watching his DVD. Kanye’s Soul Mixshow A-Trak spins the original samples from the first two ‘Ye albums, with special comments from the Kan man. Drive Slow GLC drops verses while A cuts up popular beats. This was apparently recorded in a closet (?!)
WAX WO ND ER
Focus
Words by Andrew Montell Photos by Jo Duck
PHRASE
A NEW BEGINNING, A NEW STRUGGLE
The first time I encountered Phrase he was a young MC, who was all skin and bones at the time and // I had just kicked him off the stage at an event I was
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running when he and Daniel Merriweather tried to perform a track uninvited. I still remember Phrase telling me that I needed a lesson in respect. Fast track six odd years to today and I feel like there’s a mutual respect between Phrase and I. In part this respect is born out of several similar experiences in the Australian hip-hop and music industry. I was keen to SPEAK with Phrase on the completion of album number two, so with no pre-prepared questions I sat down with Phrase for a chat and gained an understanding of the man and his music today. Like many other Australian rappers, Phrase was introduced to hip-hop through the graffiti community in his local area, “I grew up on the Glen Waverley line and I was doing heaps of graff and listening to heaps of hip-hop and to be brutally honest the first Aussie release that I ever copped was Battletown which is why I have a lot of love for those boys. It wasn’t the first local stuff I ever heard but it was the first thing I ever bought.” Phrase first earned his stripes in the battle scene and after the buzz he received from a semi final placement at the Revolver MC Battle he was hooked and there began his journey towards becoming a full time MC, a record deal with Marlin Records which spiralled into a deal with Universal and ultimately the creation of his debut album Talk With Force. “Still to this day
I think that Talk With Force broke ground sonically. I was one of the first guys to step out and start cleaning the production up and making something different. I’ll stick to my guns about that forever.”
“I’m feeling good about what I’ve done because I feel like for the first time I haven’t had the shadow of Daniel Merriweather” When the first record was done and Phrase came off an extensive year of touring to promote the album he found himself burnt out
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and void of inspiration. After a long period of weighing up his options and toying with the idea of hanging up his gloves Phrase found his way back to the studio and took a new direction. The sophomore Phrase album is audibly different in many respects to his previous release. Noticeably, his delivery has evolved, perhaps in a direction that some purists will question. Phrase explains that “Rap delivery I don’t think is something I’ve consciously worked on, but from day one I always hated my voice. My whole thing was I wanted to nail a neutral accent, you know the way actors train to get a neutral accent. Not because I despise the Aussie accent but I did start out doing that whole ocker delivery and I couldn’t stand the sound of it. This time around a lot of people close to me have said that I’m slanging words out more and they’ve warned me that I’m going to cop heat. For me though it’s just what I’m doing and it feels right when I’m in the booth rapping.” Beyond his delivery, Phrase’s latest body of work is a conscious move away from the ‘straight down the line’ production exhibited on his debut. “When we sampled for this album we went through our parents’ record collections and sampled Cold Chisel, all Jimmy Barnes old shit and developed a sound that there’s no box to put it in. There’s D&B beats on this record, there’s hip-hop beats, there’s shit that sounds like it was recorded with an orchestra. I felt like I was making music, not making hip-hop and I just want to speak over good music.” “I’ve just finished the record and I think I’ve done something pretty different and it’s cross genre. I wasn’t setting out to cross genres in order to sell more records but because I was sick of being boxed in. Especially with Talk With Force which was pushed as a hard-edged record…I definitely felt like I got put in the category of ‘White guy trying to do gangsta rap’ […] So moving forward on this record I thought “Fuck, I’ve got to get out of that box”.
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One noticeably less obvious presence on this album is Phrase’s former partner in crime, neo-soul singer Daniel Merriweather who only appears on one song, an RIP dedication to a mutual friend. “Merriweather always was a massive influence on everything that I did and I’m feeling good about what I’ve done because I feel like for the first time I haven’t had the shadow of Daniel Merriweather. You know he’s so amazing at what he does and I did take his word as gospel. For ages I’ve had other people chiselling out what I do whereas this time it was just me in a bedroom with Jan [J Skub] making whatever the fuck it is we wanted to make.” “I think that since he’s been away and not been involved in what I’m doing he’s been back and is like ‘this is amazing, I wouldn’t have expected you to do this’. I feel like we’ve almost grown from separating. I’d cut him off in a way because he couldn’t be too soulful or too pop because he felt like myself and our friends in the scene would call him a pansy or whatever so he was always trying to keep it street and I was always trying to fit into his mould. Now that we’ve separated I feel like we’re doing our own thing more which is cool.” Phrase is amongst a small handful of local hip-hop acts who have received any commercial air time and like his peers in the commercial realm he’s not feeling the much needed love from mainstream media. “I think any way you look at it it’s fucked. It’s a constant battle to get recognition from radio or any mainstream support. Even being signed to Universal, it’s hard for me because when you’re with a major it’s like being on the production line. You have expectations on your record for each month and if it doesn’t reach their expectations they’re onto the next thing. Also I’ve got people taking my music to radio who are pushing Kanye over Phrase. What are Nova [FM] going to pick up, the new Kanye single or the new Phrase single? A lot of people look at me like “oh he’s on a major label, he’s got it made”, but it’s nothing like that. I’m still hustling the same
Focus
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as everybody else…They’re [Aus Radio] not even picking up local rock acts and then they say “We play local music, we play Powderfinger and Silver Chair”. Gee that’s a big fucking stretch for you guys, they sell
“I know that if this record doesn’t do better than the last there’s a big possibility that I’ll get dropped.” 400,000 copies, of course you play their music! If anything there needs to be a big shift because there is so much amazing music coming out of this country and for me personally, I’m getting older, this is my second
record and I know that if this record doesn’t do better than the last there’s a big possibility that I’ll get dropped. […] I’m concerned where the music industry, not just hip-hop, but music in general will go.” All of this hustling in the music business hasn’t been without personal sacrifice for Phrase who recently ended a five year relationship in order to put his career first. While he admits to considering throwing in the towel after his debut and settling into domestic bliss, it was his new found enthusiasm at the early stages of the new album that made him realise that a change was nigh. “I started to think ‘what if it doesn’t work and I drag this chick along for another two years and at the end she’s stuck with a 28 year old dude with no money and a drinking problem from touring?’ I realised that I can’t be responsible for somebody else, right now it’s about me because this could be my last shot to really smash it. I now feel like it’s just me and the highway. I don’t have to worry about anyone else or anyone else’s feelings.”
Phrase’s sophomore album titled Burn It Down is slated for an early 2008 release. Phrase’s Top 5 Aus MCs Illy, Rob Mantra, 360, Urthboy, Pegz
Compiled by Sheep & Jerry Jerri
DOWN UNDER
ACCLAIMED AND UNSIGNED ALTER REIGN (ADELAIDE) Entrenched within the Adelaide scene, Alter Reign are out to bring honesty back to hip hop. Familiar with each other for many years, DJ Nixon and MC Loona decided to begin a new musical journey after finishing commitments with their former groups. “We decided we wanted to put a lot of integrity and honesty into our music”, Nixon exclaimed. “And that’s where Ken Slick came in”. Brought onboard for production duties, Slick brings a hardware-based edge to the group’s beats. “No keyboards or computers, just a turntable, sampler and a drum machine- stripped back”, added Loona. With only one full time MC, the group places more emphasis on production and turntable elements than can be generally heard in other Australian releases. A prominent member of Adelaide’s DJ community, Nixon developed his skills in a variety of outfits including Style High Club and A Tribe is Forming. While at the same time playing supports for a who’s who of US (Madlib, Peanut Butter Wolf, Roc Raida, Method Man, Mixmaster Mike) and local acts (Hilltop Hoods, Delta and Staen One, TZU, Downsyde), the desire to create a “back to basics” group brought the boys together. Keeping their tracks down to earth, Alter Reigns have been busy working on their debut release that’s tipped to drop in the middle of summer. “We have been in the studio fairly consistently for the past eight months or so working on the tracks”, Nixon said. Set to feature guest MCs including Dialect and J2Ski, Alter Reigns impact will surely be felt. Australian hip-hop is growing rapidly, but not all acts have the depth of experience these boys have brought together. Discussing this growth in the scene, Nixon commented that “with this has come a higher degree of both quality and average product, that’s the inevitable outcome for a growing art form”. With their heads grounded, Alter Reign get ticks across the quality control checklist.
SWEET SIXTEEN GMC
They used to say if you aimed for the moon you’d hit the top of the tree and if you aimed for the top of the tree you’d never leave the ground so my path is much more that meagre now I gotta risk falling if I ever wanna reach the clouds And sometimes the branches don’t feel steady and sometimes ya man just don’t feel ready I can feel edgy but still jump in the unknown and not ask for answers cause I don’t need any now I dunno how its s’posed to be done living my life between both a rose and a gun destiny hints to me that its chosen the one that’s why I fly till I’ve flown too close to the sun And if I fall and come back down from the high I’ll turn around ‘cause I can’t back down from the sky ‘cause I remain faithful, even when I’m dying cause even when I’m falling, I’m flying... From the track Falling & Flying feat 360 featured on the Three Letter Mixtape Vol. G
Executive Class
Who Killed Fat Rap? by Robbie Ettelson from unkut.com You may not have noticed, but there seems to be some kind of conspiracy to eliminate the “big-boned” rap star. It’s bad enough that the fast food spots are slinging salad in an attempt to halt the Subway juggernaut, but now fat rappers seem to have gone the way of the laser disc. Was it so long ago that cholesterol-charged lardo’s such as Heavy D were proudly making songs like Overweight Lover and Chunky But Funky? From the Fat Boys to Chubb Rock, B-Fats and the 2 Bigg MC, the 80’s were a celebration of all things deep fried. The trend got so big that Arsenio Hall recorded an entire parody album under the alias of Chunky A! Even the ladies got involved, as KRS-One’s super-sized ex-wife Ms. Melodie and The Overweight Pooch attempted to be large and in charge. Could it be that the untimely deaths of two of the most notorious fatties in hip-hop was seen as something of a wake-up call to future donutscoffing MC’s? Sure, Biggie Smalls was a proud fat man with no intention of curbing his cake intake as he blazed up the charts during his reign at the top, and his murder had no obvious connection to his obesity, but you can’t help but think that a slimmer man might have made for a harder target for those LA hitmen. No such grey area exists in the case of Big “Moon Dog” Punisher, who was blessed with a gift for amazing multi-syllable verses and a hunger for all things filled with custard. In between pistol-whipping his wife and eating three whole BBQ chickens for a breakfast, the big fella weighed 700 pounds at one stage! Whether a direct result of these big units croaking or pressure from their publicists, a number of flab factories have traded love handles for athletic sandals in an attempt to slim down. Timbaland and Missy Elliot have both shed major pounds in recent times (although it could be argued that this is more of a result of massive pill popping rather than fitness regimes), and just recently KRS-One announced that he will be following Biz Markie by appearing on Celebrity Fit Club! This madness is clearly the work of Snoop Dogg and the Scientologists. We as the record buying public need bring back fat rap before valuable institutions such as KFC are lost forever.
in depth
Words by: Michael Joy
DOG FIGHTING DEEP SCARRING GENERATIONS
When it was only the gangs running dog fights, the cops could ignore it. But now children are doing // it, cheering on dogs in fights to the death through the
streets. Dog fighting has become a pervasive poison and its victims are not only the dogs. There are children growing up on this blood sport and the potential for damage to their hearts and minds is frightening.
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Dog fighting is fast becoming the favored form of entertainment for the American underclass. Sergeant Steve Brownstein, Chicago Police is the only officer who deals with this issue full time and as such has seen his fair share of canine death and mutilation. He often pays visits to urban schools in an effort to educate these kids and when asking primary school students: who’s seen a dog fight – every hand shoots up. Tragically, these kids now seek thrills in the very thing Brownstein has been dedicated to preventing for over a decade. Day in and day out the augmentation of desensitization to violence is evident. Children as young as 8 years-old are pitting fighting dogs against strays and snapping the necks of their own pups, discarding lifeless bodies like unwanted toys. Brownstein sees violence breeding violence in the playgrounds and believes that if nothing is done about this, then we’re sure to see a spike in crime by the time these kids reach adulthood. A Bloody History The modern practice of dog fighting dates back thousands of years to the coliseum combats of Ancient Rome. Emperor Lucullus was reputedly the first to initiate the practice of pitting dogs against other animals such as elephants, bears, lions, tigers and even men, as a ‘sport’ much adored by the blood thirsty public. Following the fall of Rome, the practice of fighting dogs made its reappearance in medieval England. Beginning in at least the 12th century, such practices as bear and bull baiting, in addition to perverse mortal combats between dogs and various animal species as badgers, monkeys, donkeys and opossums became increasingly popular. Queen Elizabeth I, like
many of her royal predecessors, loved blood sports and often hosted contests for visiting dignitaries. The most popular was bull baiting, or having ‘bulldogs’ attack bulls, which provided both entertainment for the masses and also helped tenderize the bulls flesh before they were slaughtered for food. Whilst the fighting of dog against dog did exist, it was looked upon as a poor relation to the baiting of larger, more powerful animals.
“owners assume the role of backyard dentists using tools such as drills, files and grinders to shape their dogs teeth into razors.” By the middle of the 17th century, the popularity in England of baiting sports, at least amongst the nobility, had declined rather dramatically and by the late 18th and early 19th century blood sports in general began to fall into disfavour. Some would trace this to the rise of the Victorian culture and its obsession
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with respectability, as all forms of cruelty were increasingly seen as uncivilized or barbaric. By 1835 humane groups succeeded in outlawing all baiting sports in an act of Parliament known as the Humane Act of 1835. The passage of this Act provided the chief incentive for the growth of dog fighting; with the baiting of larger animals now outlawed, dog fighting became the primary alternative for those still hungry for the spill of something else’s blood. Driven by a growing fear of feminisation, many less respectable and illegal forms of gambling such as cockfighting and bare-knuckle boxing became the right of passage into adulthood for the 19th century gentleman. Due partly to a decline in numbers amongst baiting animals and the difficulty now involved in conducting covert bull baiting matches, man more frequently opted to turn dog against dog. Dog fighting favored the smaller dogs, so the strong Bulldogs were crossed with an athletic type Terrier, evolving into the Bull Terrier. And since they had become known more for their fighting in the pit than their baiting skills, they quickly became known as the pit bull terrier. In 1817 these dogs were introduced to the U.S. and thrust into an organized hell; managed by a number of legal syndicates that had been in operation across America since the 1750s. It wasn’t until over a century later, around 1940 that the popularity of dog fighting declined in America, with related groups such as the United Kennel Club disassociating their brand from the activity. By the 1860s dog fighting had been made illegal in most U.S. states; however the over-the-top glamorisation and commercialisation connected with the 1980s would again arouse interest in the breed. With a new fixation on image, anyone wanting a dog that others would fear got themselves a pit bull. It doesn’t take long to connect this absurd macho angst with irresponsible ownership and the fact that almost every documented dog fighting case in the U.S. today involves a pit bull or pit bull mix. Thanks to man, the pit bull terrier, also known as the American pit bull has become not only the most popular, but the most exploited and misunderstood breed in the world. Dogs and Dogmen Jalapenos up the anus, cocaine on the snout, concoctions of steroids and hormones, a diet of gunpowder for ‘explosive energy’ and bait animals (often stolen family pets) are sacrificed to encourage sparring and blood lust from a young age. These sadistic acts expose the malicious
mindset of dogfighters, also known as ‘dogmen’, and are used to mold loving pets into killing machines. If a dog has potential as a fighter its ears and tail are cut off, sometimes with no anesthetic and little more than office scissors or shears. Dogmen say this is done to reduce opportunities for opposing vice-like jaws to grab a hold, but in reality it is an effort to mask body signals that dogs may otherwise use to white flag one another in admitting defeat. In some cases owners assume the role of backyard dentists using tools such as drills, files and grinders to shape their dogs teeth into razors. Raised by the credo: ‘the meaner you treat ‘em, the meaner they’ll perform in the ring’, these dogs have no choice but to fight, taunted and provoked from the time they are a few weeks old. They are raised in decrepit housing facilities, tethered on short chains, isolated to breed an intense fear and hatred of their own species and starved to ‘heighten their fighting edge’. Physical conditioning is achieved via makeshift training equipment, treadmills and strength-building regimens that often include hanging substantial weights around their neck. Even despite lifetimes of mistreatment and aggression, these dogs are generally very friendly toward people. They have to be to be handled in the ring. At around six-months-of-age the dogs face their first bout of initiation, a test called ‘off the chain’. The pups are released onto another dog; if they fight, they pass and are allowed to get a little older, but those not-so-willing are labeled ‘curs’ and slaughtered as weak links in the DNA chain.The serious dogmen are familiar with bloodlines and aside from physical attributes pay close attention to ‘gameness’, or a dog’s willingness to fight to the bitter end. Sires and dams that are game, and more importantly, are able to pass this trait on to their progeny can mean huge dollars. In fact, the owner of a grand champion (a dog who has won five ore more fights consecutively) can sell the dog’s pups for upwards of $10,000 a piece. The Fights An ‘official’ dogfight starts when the dogs, initially held in opposing corners, are released to scrap until one of them looks to rest or quit. Here the referee will call a ‘turn’ (as in one of the dogs has turned away), and the handlers bolt in to drag their dog back. To continue, the turning dog must perform a ‘scratch’. That is, the dog must prove willing and able to resume fighting by leaving his corner and charging, limping or dragging himself across a ‘scratch line’, two of which are
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marked on the floor, 14 feet apart, one in front of each dog’s corner. The dog that turned gets 10 seconds to cross the line and clamp down on its opponent. The match continues this way, lasting up to several hours until one dog is too injured, exhausted or unwilling to continue, jumps the pit, or (if lucky) is killed. These kinds of regulated fights are often highly secretive, meticulously arranged affairs, making it very difficult to catch offenders in the act. However, over the last 10 to 15 years authorities in the U.S. have noted an immense surge in urban dog fighting and street corner activity, stripped of all traditional rules. These spontaneous events can be triggered by turf invasions or the simple taunt of “my dog can kill yours”. Here dogfighters convene in alleys, abandoned warehouses, empty homes, remote parks or sheds. A circle forms, bets are taken and the dogs are slammed together to get them going. Usually that’s all it takes. They rip each other apart splattering blood and when crowds cheer for more the dogs are separated using a pry bar to prolong proceedings. Wherever the fight, whoever is running the show, there seems to be one dimension common to the world of illegal dog fighting: the extreme methods of torture handed down to the losing beast. Dogs that don’t live up to owners’ expectations become liabilities, dumped in garbage bins, electrocuted, drowned, set on fire or simply left for dead. The Facts The nightmare of dog fighting is growing according to the Humane Society of the United States, exploding in popularity in every major U.S. city throughout the last ten years. The Humane Society estimates about 40,000 people are involved in organized contests and as many as 100,000 more take part in informal ‘street’ dog fighting in America alone. Statistics from animal shelters show that the number-one breed of dog euthanised is the pit bull, with around 2 million put to their death each year in the States. The Anti-Cruelty Society estimates there are more than 60,000 pit bulls in Chicago, with 90 percent of these dogs trained to fight or otherwise abused. From California to New York, many shelters have enacted policies requiring the automatic destruction of the ever-growing number of pit bulls they encounter. A bill signed by President Bush in May of this year, made the federal law against dog fighting tougher by strengthening penalties to felony level. Regardless, there still remains an organised infrastructure for what is a criminal
industry, with about a dozen underground dog fighting magazines and about half a dozen registries continuing to pump this business. Furthermore, dogmen are competing for higher stakes with purses upwards of $100,000 not uncommon. According to experts, dog fighting has become a $1 billion a year enterprise worldwide.
“Dog fighting is a lucrative industry in Australia, with reports of some participants flying in to attend by private jet.” World Laws Most Third World countries do not have laws against animal cruelty, and dog fighting is still common practice in such places as Mexico and Latin America, (especially in Argentina, Peru and many parts of Brazil). In Russia and other nations of the former Soviet Union, dogfights are legally held under the supervision of the All-Russian Association of Russian Volkodavs. This organisation frequently hosts wolf-dog fights, sponsors a national fighting championship and participates in duals against other nations. They also claim to have more than 1000 breeders in their membership, another 1000 owners who enter their dogs in fights and more than enough fans to support a glossy magazine and web site.
The Japanese too enjoy this activity, which remains a highly publicised, legal and celebrated part of their culture. Historically, the Samurai would take their soldiers along to witness dog fights, hoping to develop their own ferociousness and courage. Today, dog fights are performed using the tosa (a very large and powerful breed of Japanese dog) in expensive venues for tourists on holiday. Unlike pit bull fighting, tosa tournaments are not centered on gambling and do not involve a fight to the death. When one dog shows any sign of giving up the fight is stopped. Down Under Dogs If media coverage was an accurate indication of national affairs then you could rest comfortably in the assumption that dog fighting does not exist here in Australia, however this is not the case. In fact, RSPCA Chief Inspector, Michael Pecic says “intelligence from policing agencies would suggest there has been in an increase in suspicious activity surrounding dog fighting… within organised crime groups”. As with many countries, dog fighting in Australia has deep ties to other forms of crime such as money laundering, drug trafficking, illegal firearms and gang activity, making the apprehension of these criminals a dangerous operation. Dog fighting is a lucrative industry in Australia, with reports of some participants flying in to attend by private jet. In the past this activity has been rumored to take place in rural areas of the country, conducted from the back of trucks, making the pits portable and very difficult for authorities to catch offenders in the act. As a result very few actual cases have been brought to the courts. Dog fighting is illegal in all states and territories, however current laws imposed for committing this crime are laughable. In a recent case, a Queensland man in possession of 35 pit bulls, a fighting pit, dog fighting magazines and implements used for dog fighting was convicted and fined a mere $1000AUD. Five dogs were euthanised due to their inability to be re-housed with the public. In October 2005 the NSW government pushed through Breed Specific Legislation laws targeting ‘fighting’ dogs such as the American pit bull and tosa. These laws aim at restricting breeding and undue socialisation of these animals with the public. Yet each week someone is mauled by family pets that do not fall into this category, identifying a need for further research into this problem, more education and increased penalties for the irresponsible owner.
Do Something There are several signs you can look out for which may indicate dog fighting is occurring in your area. These can include ownership of several dogs which are confined by thick chains and paraphernalia such as training equipment or hostage ‘bait’ animals. Also keep an eye out for accumulations of people and dogs in ‘unusual’ places such as abandoned houses, warehouses and sheds, mostly at night. There may also be noticeable signs on dogs used for fighting, such as recent or long-standing wounds, abscesses and scarring around the head, throat, legs and ears. It is vital you continue to report incidents of animal cruelty to the RSPCA and local police. All information is strictly confidential. Michael Pecic needs you to understand “that those responsible for animal cruelty quite often have a history of social unrest and violence, so refrain from taking matters into your own hands. Assist the RSPCA by supporting fundraising activities or lobbying for more funding to employ more Inspectors”. It is our turn to start fighting for these dogs. Sources: Special Thanks to RSPCA Queensland & Jane Speechley (National Communications Officer).
Off the Chain, a documentary by Bobby J. Brown – Go get yourself a copy! Brown is generously donating one-third of the proceeds from sales of Off the Chain DVDs sold through hsus.org and HSUS publications to The Humane Society. www.pitbullsontheweb.com PHOTO CREDITS page 59 > A Dog fight in a Serbian bar Photo by Chris Steele-Perkins/Magnum Photos
page 60 // left > A bloody Afghan dog is bleeding with many wounds after he lost a dog fight November 24, 2006 in Kabul, Afghanistan. Photo by Paula Bronstein/Getty Images OTHER PHOTOS > Dog Raid photos from a busted fight in Idaho are courtesy of the Humane Society America
all eyes on
Selection by Chris Delaney
Wallpaper
I know it's not very hip-hop and it's not really street art, but damn, it's cool. The lightest high-end home accessory to grace the market, light emitting wallpaper. That's right, wallpaper. No longer will you have to rely on 3D objects like lamps for your light source, cluttering up your desk space and power points. Created by Dutch designer Jonas Samson, the wallpaper can also be turned "off" and appear as normal wallpaper. No word at this stage on cost, but it will probably be more than any of you can afford. If you could afford it, you wouldn't be reading this magazine, you'd be reading GQ or Men's Vogue. Fuck those guys. www.jonassamson.com
BUFF vs THE QUEEN
For the last few years Buff Diss has been creating works in the street solely from rolls of adhesive tape. The temporary nature of the tape means each piece will usually have a lifetime no longer than a few days, even by morning a whole night’s work has been known to wear away. This year, for the first time Buff’s tape crept its way from the alleys of the city, up the wooden stairs and onto the walls of Melbourne’s premier artist run initiative, Bus Gallery. The solo show was entitled “Buff vs. The Queen” and took aim at the institution of monarchy. The show's standout wall depicted a crucifixion of the late Princess Diana. To complete the scene, a mass of paparazzi crowd at her feet with raised cameras to capture the death. A highly arresting work, the feminine authenticity and level of figurative detail break new ground for Buff’s taping abilities. The wall is a commentary on the idolatry of royal figures and the religious connotations of the princess’ death, as Buff states, “She died for our sins of gossip. She is resurrected as the people’s princess. I’m waiting to find her on my toast.” His distaste for monarchy successfully adhered to the walls, Buff’s first solo show opened to a packed gallery and much adulation. Moreover, with all the show selling the artist is left with plenty of encouragement for who he’ll take on next.
piece of the month
DCYPHER // CHRISTCHURCH (NZ)
TOFER
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Watch This Space
Celebrating a friendship 11 years in the making, NZ legends Misery, Elliot Francis Smith and Askew all shared the honour of a group exhibition at Auckland's Qubic Store Gallery recently, running from November 22nd to December 2nd. The trio met way back in 1996, at a now shut down school for "talented" kids and have grown together to become recognised worldwide as leaders in their field. The show, called Watch This Space, was an initiative to mix the different styles of all three in a semi-live process. Some of the work was carried out before in the workshop and hung on display, then painted over live in the gallery. An exhaustive time lapse series of the exhibition in progress is available at slamxhype.com. All up, the show was an amazing display of innovation and a great showcase of some world class talent. www.qubicstore.com
A hot favourite in the ACCLAIM world right now is an artist by the name of Christofer Chin, otherwise known as Tofer. Involved in everything from photography to dioramas to custom painted eggs, it's his gallery work that's caught our eye. Coming from a stencil/ street art background, Tofer combines vivid colours with abstract scenes that make me feel like I'm watching Scarface in a multi coloured disco. He's already had a few shows in Australia, so no doubt he'll be back again. You don't want to miss it. www.christoferchin.com
Los Angeles Graffiti
Roger Gastman & Sonja Teri (Mark Batty Publisher) The second L.A graffiti book to be published this year, and with good reason too, there’s no denying the city’s massive contribution and influence to the art. Unlike Graffiti L.A: Street Styles and Art there’s very little text and is more of a photo essay than anything. There’s a brief introduction by the author as well as an interview with notorious graff writer and founder of Can Control magazine, Power. Annoyingly there aren't any captions, which means you have to read the thumbnails at the back to find out who the piece is by and its location. The book is a nice addition to any collection, but nothing groundbreaking as it treads familiar territory to its predecessor. Callum Vass
REALS - SOFLES - SIRUM - LINZ - TUES
IRONLAK WRITER – TRIP PERMIT BURNOctober 2007 - See the wall at Ironlak.com MELBURN 2007IRONLAKTEAM TEAM ROAD - Car washTO wall, Melbourne,
THE IRONLAK TEAM – PERMIT TO BURN
Four new colours available soon - Delicious, Storm, Ozone, Crush (Ironlak Name A Colour Comp Winner).
Ironlak - Australia’s First Aerosol Art Paint. learn more at ironlak.com
skillcheck
Interview by Mega
CRAIG DRISCOLL CROSSED FIELDS
A Canadian immigrant living in The United States, craig driscoll's artistic aspirations began with star // wars. Drawing Star Wars figures for fun from the time he was six years old, he eventually began to explore different fields of art, became interested in acting, music and dance, and had a short career in all of them. Nowadays this multi-talented guy keeps developing his skills in different fields from illustration to painting to tattoos.
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You work in various mediums, so except for the technical aspect, what possibilities does each medium allow? Input has to be the biggest factor; with painting I get to have the biggest input on the subject and style. With tattooing there are way more limitations and constraints on what and how you can do things with the clients as well as the physical limitations the skin provides. Where did you get your tattoo apprenticeship? In 1993-94 I was working in a very fancy pet store in Toronto, and had no real idea of what I wanted to do with my life and I had some friends who had lots of tattoo magazines. While hanging out at a friend’s house drinking and doing lots of drugs, I read an article about the newly opened Primal Urge studios in San Francisco with Marcus Pacheco and Aaron Cain, at the time these guys were doing things I had never seen before in tattooing. Aaron was doing crazy negative tribalism and Marcus was doing cubist renderings. I still remember one called Study of Chair, never before that did I look at tattooing as artistic. I immediately wanted to tattoo like those guys and for the record, I still want to tattoo like those guys. Another big factor was at the pet store I was making $10 an hour and I heard that tattooists made 100 bucks an hour and get to see a lot of naked chicks. Since then I learned that tattooists NEVER make $100 an hour, but we do get to see a lot of naked chicks! I started tattooing at Way Cool Tattoos in Toronto under Crazy Ace in 1995, it didn’t work out so well, so I just started traveling and learning from whoever would teach me something. That is still where I am at in my career, the more you travel, the more you learn. Although, I would have to attribute in large my technical ability to Bill Baker and Eikon Device, who basically taught me the fundamentals of tattooing.
Which artists have the biggest influence on your work? The tattoo artist I would say who influenced what I do is Marcus Pacheco, the biggest influence on how I do things I would say is Steve Moore, and I would say Aaron Cain has been a huge influence. All influence me in very different ways. Marcus influenced me by not having boundaries or limitations on what he was willing to do, Steve influenced me in that he was the most dedicated and all around good person I had met, and always gave me someone to look up to, Aaron’s was his diversity in the craft, not only does he do his style better than anyone else in the world, he also developed that style and on top of that, I also believe he is the best machine builder in the world, he really gives me something to strive for. Outside of tattooing was Gord Wilson and Drew Struzen. Gord Wilson was my high school art teacher who was the first person who ever showed me some form of respect for my art who actually knew what he was talking about and Drew Strewzen because he did the Star Wars posters.
“I was on Degrassi Junior High” Tell us more about your style today. Defining one’s style is a little like asking a fish to describe the water it lives in. Although I have been told my stuff is gay, whether or not that’s good or bad is up to you I guess, but I like what I do. What are your plans for the future? Well for today, I would really like to have Randy’s tattoo done and get this article sent to you, and in the big picture I am working on starting a clothing line, I am working on a book and I am working on making babies with my wife. I have not set a schedule for how these things will pan out; I feel that’s the way it should be. One big thing I would like to do would be to have an article come out in a magazine in Australia. I was on Degrassi Junior High, I heard it was quite popular over there, I was Rick Monroe. www.craigdriscoll.com
DE G DR RAS OP S OU I T
SKILL CHECK
Interview by Mega
James jirat patradoon
teenage Art vigilante Born in Thailand and raised in Sydney since the age of one, James Patradoon grew up exposed to the // richness of both Asian and Aussie cultures. Spending
most of his childhood reading and drawing cartoons, he woke up one day as a teenager facing this terrible truth about his future: no matter the intensity of his passion for superheroes, he won’t ever become one of them. So what? Should he renounce without even trying? That’s not what a superhero would have done anyway, so James took his super pen, and decided to go further into his dream, helped along by his superpowers to create fantastic images.
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So, comic books look like an obvious inspiration for your work… I like to expose myself to a lot of imagery and stories. On top of reading a lot of comic books, I used to watch four movies a night. I would have insane dreams and my head would always be a swirl of lingering images that would inspire me to work. It is the way stories look and the way people interpret stories into images that interest me. I don’t know where I found the time to watch so many movies, screenprint, and write a thesis. I think I was tapping into some unknown dimension. I also read a lot of random books and so I’m always writing down quotes from movies and books to turn into artworks. I often come up with titles before I come up with images. I write a lot more than I draw. Where does your masked character come from? It is an idea that snowballed that I haven’t really been able to articulate in a definitive way. The teenage vigilante you see in my work is a self-portrait. My work explores the idea of masculinity being made up of two halves: a normal, level-headed, nice side, and a violent, aggressive, dark side. Most of us are either one or the other, but a ‘real man’ can apparently balance both. I created this aggressive alter ego in my work that fights and bleeds so that together we can become a ‘real man’. I’m presenting the dark side of masculinity as a cartoon, because that is where young boys get most their ideas about definitions of masculinity. I’ve always been interested in how the fictional world can affect the real world, and in these works I look at how masculine identities we learn at a young age from fiction eventually get incorporated into our adult lives. Now you’ve finished your art degree, what do you expect for your future? I get waves upon waves of people telling me I’m destined for a future
of unemployment and financial ruin now that I have a fine arts degree, but I wouldn’t have done things any other way. When you think about an era in time you think about the art/music/photography of that time – I want to be a part of that cultural timeline and carve my own niche into it – I want to contribute to our grand narrative, even if it is a very small part. I’m not sure what to expect for the future, but I’ve always hoped that I could work from anywhere in the world, like a park bench in New York of a café in Barcelona and just upload artwork to clients. That’s the freedom that internet gives us, we should exploit it by working outside of the home or office, not being hostage to a cubicle.
“I’ve always been interested in how the fictional world can affect the real world” What do you usually do when you’re not working? I have a part time job at DVD Store, so I’m usually there trying to save up money for a ticket back to Japan or to go to New York. When I’m not there I’m either hanging out in bookstores flicking through art/design books for inspiration or spending my nights staying up wasting my time one way or another, I have a sleeping disorder, I’m awake at the strangest hours. What are you currently working on? At the moment I’m working on a series of gang inspired drawings, which I will turn into screenprints. The work is based on the aesthetic of movies like The Outsiders, Rumble Fish, Clockwork Orange, Young Guns and The Warriors. I’m really interested in the group identity that gangs present through their members and the way they look. I’m taking the idea of a superhero team and trying to find a point where fiction and reality crossover, it is about being part of something and defining yourself through a group rather than as an individual.
LO TAL CAL EN T
tattoo
Interview by Mega
FIP BUCHANAN CREATIVE TRADITION
Born in Pennsylvania in 1957, Fip Buchanan is what we can call an accomplished tattoo artist. Spending // his childhood drawing portraits of his mother, Fip
eventually took some art classes, and after a short transit at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, began tattooing… in 1979! With an impressive career, this old-timer who has opened two successful tattoo shops in his life and is today working alongside the legendary Ed Hardy, shares with ACCLAIM his rich experience in the ink business. How did you come to tattoo? Something about tattooing fascinated me from the time I was young. When I got really interested, in the late '70s, there were no tattoo shops in the town where I lived. Through friends I found a local artist, Mike Luckett, who came to my apartment and gave me my first tattoo. After that, I pestered him to teach me and eventually he lent me his equipment and I started to tattoo. I was in Art School in Pittsburgh, I met Red Schuster and Duke Miller who further helped me with technical knowledge. After that, any time I got tattooed I paid attention and asked questions to develop my skills. Just by watching artists work on me I was able to pick up a lot.
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What are the differences in the creative approach between your work as a painter, and a tattoo artist? Sometimes when I paint I just “go for it” without much planning and just see what happens. It can be very freeing in that way. With tattooing it’s crucial to plan in advance so that you know what your end result will be. I don’t have the luxury of starting over with a tattoo, whereas with other art I can just throw it out and start again. Also, when I’m painting for myself, I’m not relying on input from the client. I get to choose the subject matter myself, although that can sometimes be the most difficult part! After tattooing for 28 years, you realise how much input you get from your clients. Your style is kind of eclectic, how would you define it? My style is based in tradition, but I’ve always wanted to be versatile and not stuck doing one thing over and over. I love doing Japanese type tattoos, but I try not to copy Japanese tattoos exactly. They may not look as “right” as some other’s work that emulate the Japanese style more precisely, but I try to do my own thing with it. I also love doing black and grey portraits and traditional Americana as well. Doing realistic work presents its own challenges. I am all over the place stylistically, but when I started it was important to be able to do it all. It seems now that some tattooists want to specialise after their first year of tattooing.
Which artists had the biggest influence on your work? Tattoo wise, Ed Hardy would definitely be at the top of the list. Jack Rudy and Bob Roberts also had a big impact early on. As far as non- tattooists I’ve always loved Rick Griffin’s work, Kelley and Mouse, and Ed Roth and that whole movement. Van Gogh is my favorite painter, but you have to see it in person to truly appreciate it.
“After tattooing for 28 years, you realise how much input you get from your clients” What evolutions have you noticed in the business since your beginning? I can’t believe how popular it’s become. It’s amazing to see T.V. shows about it. The artwork itself has evolved more than I could ever have imagined too, with an amazing variety of styles. There are now a lot of accomplished artists in the field where in the past a large percentage of tattooists were more craftsmen than artists. Of course, there are more hacks out there than ever that got into the business more for the “cool” factor than anything else. It’s really up to the clientele to do their homework and find the right artist for the job, and not patronise the people that can’t tattoo worth a damn. What do you think about the increasing popularity of tattoo? It’s great for business, and I enjoy doing tattoos for a mom and daughter when they come in together and that sort of thing. The acceptance of the art form has made the business explode. The only negative I see is the amount of mystery taken out of the business. But a lot of the “good old days“ were not so good.
www.fiptattoos.com www.tattoocitysf.com
IN IN K C.
AUTO
Words by Vincent Tang
Donk, Box And Bubble Ridin’ High
So what the fuck is a Donk, Box and Bubble you ask? Well, be glad ACCLAIM is here to hold your hand // through this one. These cars, which are collectively
called Hi-Risers, are inexpensive American sedans, dipped in candy paint, raised high into the air and roll on the biggest wheels the owner could get his hands on. No expense is spared on the interior, exterior, engine bay and ICE install either. Donk, Box and Bubbles are Southern dope boys’ and rappers’ rides of choice, their answer to LA’s bouncing six fours and New York’s expensive SUVs. The logic behind it is: what’s the point of decking out your whip with your hard earned dollars if no-one can see it over the traffic? Raising your car 30 inches into the air not only eliminates that problem, but also snaps necks while driving anywhere. The cartoonish appearance of the cars and the complete disregard for the fact that doing this stuff to your car is fucking stupidly ridiculous adds to the appeal and coolness of these rides.
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Too much is never enough when it comes to tricking out these whips. Gator skin wheels and LV trimmed interiors are commonplace in the scene. The flamboyance of places like ATL and the Chi scream from these cars, the bright hues to the blinding chrome and rocks. Hi-risers sum up the culture behind the Sourthen hip-hop culture and D Boy mentality perfectly. The culture has been around in Southern parts of America for a little while now, but the huge success of “Dirty South” artists has shifted the world’s interest downwards and taken the hi-risers from the streets of the South and into the TV and magazines of the MTV generation. The popularity of the cars has become so huge that TV shows have been made about them, and RIDES have even put out a magazine exclusively dedicated to showcasing the best Donk, Box and Bubbles in the world. Hi-Risers are broken up into three categories, each one for a particular style and age of car. Although the exact definitions will be forever debated, generally the following explanations have been the accepted terms for Donk, Box and Bubbles.
A Donk is a '70s era car, usually Chevy Impalas and Monte Carlos. They are distinguished by their sloping tails, and because of that the rear suspension is also lower than the front to further accentuate the lines. A Box is a mid-'80s era whip, which has more of a boxy squaredoff look. The sharp lines and boxy designs of the Buick Regals and various Chevrolets are the popular choices for tuners to turn into Boxes.
‘‘Granted it’s probably the stupidest car style ever’’ Bubbles look different to Boxes and Donks, hailing from the '90s with rounded off styling that gives the cars a more modern appearance. The curvy ‘bubble’ looking cars sport a different design to their older siblings but are no less breath-taking. ACCLAIM can’t wait for this style to touch down over here. Granted, it’s probably the stupidest car style ever, but the world can only become a better place if there’s more green Impalas sittin’ high on snakeskin 28s swervin’ and turning with the doors open, pumping Dem Franchize Boyz. Stupid is the new black, embrace it and love it.
Music To Listen To While Skyscrapin' Dem Franchize Boyz - Ridin’ Rims – Lil Wayne - Leather So Soft – Rick Ross - Chevy Ridin’ High Ludacris - Move Bitch Kanye West Feat. Paul Wall and GLC - Drive Slow Basically any song from the South with a finger click, rim hit and heavy bass.
SU ST PER YL IN '
auto
Words by Vincent Tang Photos by Hulme gallery
Kiwi SuperCar
Racecar For The Streets
Our neighbours in New Zealand are known for a lot of things: their Rugby Union team, their Lord Of The // Rings scenery and lots of sheep to name a few. Racing Cars is not something that springs to mind but Kiwi car maker Hulme Supercars Ltd. is about to change that perception. Debuting to the world around two years ago, their first production car, appropriately named the Hulme Supercar, is expected to be put into production in 2008, so ACCLAIM thinks our readers should have a look at our region’s very own supercar before it hits the showrooms
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The car and company is named after Denny Hulme, the first and only (to this date) New Zealand Formula One driver to win the F1 World Championship, back in 1967. Along with Bruce McLaren, Hulme is a very important figure in New Zealand automotive sporting history, so the Hulme Supercar is built in tribute to him. And as you can see on the opposite page, it’s safe to say that Denny would have been more than pleased with it. The car is the brainchild of Tony Parker, a professor and head of a university’s Industrial design department, and Jock Freemantle, an entrepreneur with a love for beautiful and fast cars. They had a vision of building a car that will capture the essence of Formula One driving but for road use, a car that looked, drove and felt like an F1 racecar but for ordinary Joes, but only those with £310,000 ($712,492AUD) lying around. The result is an orange transformer-esque whip that looks probably as wild as it drives. The menacing F1 styling of the Hulme oozes flamboyance and speed, both coming together perfectly into a 550 horsepower menace that weights only 1175 kilograms. The Beemer M5 V8 is mid-mounted for that F1 feel, changing gears via a six-speed gear box to push power through the rear treads. The body is all made from carbon fibre and dipped in that very cool orange hue, rolling out of the production
line with shiny chrome 19 and 20 inch shoes under the barelythere wheel arches. The two-seater is definitely going to turn heads when the super eccentric rich boy car enthusiast rolls out for a night on the town.
‘‘a car that looked, drove and felt like an F1 racecar but for ordinary Joes’’ Hulme Supercars Ltd. is hoping to start production in 2008, expecting to produce around 25 of these cars a year. The enthusiasts have been very split on what they think about this car, but at the end of the day, it’s generating the hype that it needs and people are putting down the money to own them early. With the Hulme Supercar slowly rising New Zealand’s automotive status, we can’t wait to start seeing these on the road, and even more so Hulme’s sophomore release.
A Bit About Denny Hulme He died in 1992 when he had a heart-attack competing in the Bathurst 1000 in a M3. He was the first former Formula One driver to die of natural causes. When he started racing back in the late '50s, he drove bare footed. He said it would give him a better feel of the throttle. Under the McLaren banner, Hulme would win two Can-Am championships.
SP DE EED MO N
shift gear
Selection by Vincent Tang
New MOMO Rims
Some Designer Shoes
Our good friends at MOMO have put out some brand new Italian designed shoes for your whip. We don’t have to tell you MOMO is one of the most respected aftermarket companies in the world, you guys should already know that. And you should also know after you ride out with these wheels, on flats no less, that your sex appeal automatically goes up by 25%. Completely true, medically tested and lab approved.
Nas X 310 Motoring Escobar’s Disciple
310 Motoring is definitely upping the ante in a bid to move into the sneaker game, with late 05’s Hurricanes from LA heavyweight The Game and this time, The Disciple from God’s Son. Yet to hit the shores of Australia, but without a doubt heads will be copping them fresh off the boat. A very plush looking sneaker that deserves to have Esco’s name on it will keep both the dope boys and car enthusiasts happy.
Eclipse X TomTom Best meets the best
Like in streetwear, companies in the auto industry are collaborating to make more and more juicy gear for us to feature. Eclipse in partnership with TomTom have created a new product category in the automotive navigation market. The release of the AVN2210p, the world’s first fully integrated Portable - on - Demand unit will revolutionise the navigation market. The AVN2210p is the ideal solution for consumers, combining the superior sound quality of Eclipse with the premier brand for portable navigation devices; TomTom.
Range Rover Coupe 2 Door SUV
Buick Enclave Urban CEO Edition Very Gangster Buick
With SEMA at the end of the calendar, GM has timed the debut of some of their crazy concepts for this time of year. The Enclave Urban CEO Edition is one of those concepts, and is yet another attempt by the big carmakers to cash in on the whole “Urban cars” scene that is blowing up all across the globe and everywhere in America. No details have been released about the car, but it does look very, very tasty indeed.
All New V-Dubs
LSE Design from the UK is making a hundred two-door Range Rover coupes, each one going for over $200,000US. The exclusive coupe’s body is full carbon fibre, with LED lights placed around the car and diamonds placed on the speedo at 10mph increments. Add a 500+ horsepower engine into the works, and you got yourself the automotive embodiment of the Wu-Tang Clan. Dollar dollar bill ya’ll.
Jada Toys New Range
The previous 3 waves of Jada Toy’s VDubs series have been a huge success amongst Dubbers and collectors alike, and now they have released Wave 4 of the collection. A must have for all VW enthusiasts.
Bitmota DB7 74 - 75 shift gear
Italian Stallion
Weezy talks about chromed out eleven hundreds, but this bike definitely would give Baby and Lil Wayne a run for their money. The bike is run by a Ducati engine and the chasis is made up of a mix of tubes, machined plates and carbon fibre, which results in the DB7 being very, very quick and very, very expensive. The Bitmota DB7 bike was made for the #1 Stunner!
Midnight Club: Los Angeles West-Coast Street Racing
Rockstar is responsible for releasing gaming gems to the people for years now, mainly through the GTA and Midnight Club channels. With GTA IV not too far away and Midnight Club: LA just around the corner, things are starting to heat up. This time MC: LA, Rockstar proudly announces that players would have to race as much as possible, even to the starting line. Challenging someone to a race is as easy as flashing your lights at them, and then it’s a race to the starting line. Add the realism of the rides, the attention to detail of the LA streets and a map the size of all three cities in the last Midnight Club put together, and you have an amazing game that will keep you happy for hours on end.
mixtapes KILLA KELA
ONTOUR VANDAMAGE -
Mixed by DJ Plus One of the Scratch Perverts (Shock/Method)
OP HIP H
If you don’t know, Killa Kela is a British beatbox wonder kid and Scratch Perverts affiliate. He has been an important edition to many a Scratch Perverts live show over the years as well as being regularly booked to perform alongside other hip-hop acts on the international festival circuit. Having explained his credentials, you know what you are in for with Ontour Vandamage- an album, or rather mixtape of Kela’s beatboxing. Mixed by DJ Plus One of the Scratch Perverts, Ontour Vandamage is a fast paced mix of Kela performing his own renditions of famous songs with the majority of the tracks remarkably duplicated by his voice box. As far as something incredible to hear this mix is definitely inspiring, however where it falls short is the fact that at after a while you do become conscious of the fact that it’s a guy making noises with his mouth and it’s not always as good as the real thing. The songs which are live recordings are probably the highlight of this album given that they demonstrate the extreme level of skill achieved by the beatboxer who. At times he is so good that you forget you’re listening to a mimic but there are occasions where the sound of a guy making a beat with his mouth is annoying. When Kela teams up with other artists such as Roots Manuva, Adam Freeland and Plan B he is at his strongest as far as a recorded listening experience goes. For me, beatboxing at its best is beautifully demonstrated in this CD, however it’s an artform better appreciated live and not something I could give multiple spins to. The bonus disc Elocution is Kela’s acclaimed debut album which has not previously been released in Australia. -Jerry Jerri
DJ Drama
Gangsta Grillz 13 feat. Nelly (The Aphilliates // Derrty tent)
LUKE VEXX & C-MADa presents
First Hand Flows In Second Hand Clothes
OP HIP H
76 - 77 review
Straight up let me just say that Nelly does not feature on this album, unless you count the random splicing of voice grabs throughout. If you find this disappointing, the line up is still strong enough to sound impressive for what is essentially a glorified mix tape, and not a bad one at that. Gangsta Grillz 13 pulls together the likes of Jay-Z, Ludacris, T.I., Mannie Fresh and a meager hint of 50 Cent for a decent back to back set of down the line hip hop. Admittedly there doesn't seem to be much here that is new or mind-blowing but marks should be given for continuity and flow, with each song blending nicely into each other and just as easily into the background. The added bonus of having classics like I Ain't Heard of That, How We Do and Icey strung together on the one CD makes this one worth the cash. It's not hard to see this album occupying a prime place in the glove box as it would be perfect for the late night cruise home, or an early spin as the first beers go down on a Saturday night. -Rhiannon Elston
the six aces Global Warnin' Mixtape
IE AUSS
OP HIP H
I’ve gotta admit that I never really took Luke Vexx very seriously as an MC however this mixtape demonstrates that Vexx has been steadily honing his skills and has the lyrical goods to stand tall amongst today’s freshest talent. Rapping over a collection of big beats from mostly recent hip-hop releases, Luke has recruited an eclectic team of MCs from Melbourne and his new home of Adelaide to accompany him on this mixtape. Most of the guests lend greatly to this mixtape with top notch, punch-line heavy lyricism. The diversity of styles is definitely a strong point and despite the differences between songs they do all blend well together. The mixtape’s weakest moment is the un-funny flip of Timberlake’s Sexy Back redone as Sexy Cat. Vexx and co soon redeem themselves with the self deprecating skit Nikki and the hilarious Lets Talk About Vexx featuring Ken Hell rapping over Salt N Pepa’s Let’s Talk About Sex. Mocking Bird is a heartfelt deviation from the otherwise humour driven mixtape and sees Vexx rapping about his family and personal tragedies. Definitely worth checking. -Jerry Jerri
Well crafted and tightly mixed by DJ Kay Z, the Global Warning Mixtape is the banging debut by The Six Aces. The boys from Melbourne via the U.S brandish their conceited rhymes over 30 clever remixes of all your current hits, portraying their obsessions with partying, women, clothes and alcohol in a fashion that doesn't cease in humour. Their intentions are made clear from the jump with a re-creation of Busta Rhymes' Touch it. Versions of Swizzy's It's me b*tches! and Young Jeezy's Go Crazy continue the trend. Although there are many highlights throughout the compilation, one of the record’s finest moments is on Kid Mac's 56 bars (the track apparently done in one take), in which he explains his versatility: "Now this is the part where I would normally write a hook// But I'm a man of many styles and I aint doin it by the book". The mixtape also unearths a talented roster of featured artists. Brooklyn's Chase Baker displays his lyrical prowess in frequent appearances, songstress Tessa Catanach shine's on I know you like me, Jamaka of the 90's group The Stepmasters re-enters the game as a superb beatsmith and an unorthodox MC. All up, the mixtape lives up to the label's swagger of containing 'too much variety'. -Jason Larke
Stanton T.90 USB Turntable High-torque direct drive USB and S/P DIF output 3 playback speeds 33, 45, 78 rpm Included Stanton 500B cartridge, slip mat and cloth dust cover Includes software to convert records to digital recordings
dj profile dj smallz www.djsmallz.com www.southpromo.com
You've already achieved so much for a 22 year old, what do you attribute your success to? First of all I feel very blessed to wake up every morning and work on a job I love. As to my success, I work extremely hard. I feel like I work 25 hours a day, 8 days a week, 366 days a year! I put 110% into everything I accomplish and you get out what you put in. As well as being born in Japan, you've played a heap of shows there, how do you find international audiences respond to your DJ sets compared to back home? I love the international community. My favorite places and clubs to DJ have been overseas. I love the fans, the vibe and the clubs out there. Every show I do out there is a sell out! I feel like they respect American artists and DJs a hell of a lot better, because they don’t take it for granted. In America we see these artists all the time, for instance Young Jeezy comes to my hometown Tampa just about once a month, but I don’t think he's done an overseas tour yet. People here in America take it for granted. What are you working on right now? I'm finishing up the last couple of dates on my first annual Southern Smoke College Tour featuring Gorilla Zoe & FloRida. I'm the first DJ to use a brand for a full fledged tour and it was crazy! I recently dropped my first produced record, Welcome To The Gunshine State featuring 30 artists from Florida. I've got beats on the upcoming Black Wallstreet Compilation and I've been working on records with artists from Grand Hustle, Block Ent & a slew of others. Aside from this I love breaking new music and new artists. I'm working on some secret ventures with Styalz Fuego and talking with several promoters to make an Australian tour happen as we speak! -Callum Vass
Pitbull the boatlift
atmosPhere n bad fall # 10 ow Cl sad
killa kela ontourvandamage 2Cd
dr dre death row dayz
: death row Presentsgr eat e th the fellowshiP of
method man d live at sunset striP dv
OUT NOW ON SHOCK www.shock.com.au
www.myspace.com/methodaustralia
cds The massive sphere of influence of the two French robots that are Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter, more famously Daft Punk, has truly been in full effect this year, particularly through the uber-cool Ed Banger Records and more famously Mr. West. It’s been 10 long years since their seminal Alive 2007 debut Homework dropped, which single-handedly redirected house music and synth pop and was followed (Ed Banger // EMI) by a string of other successful releases including Discovery and Human After All. Alive appropriately drops in Australia on the eve of their first ever Australian tour and also at the climax of their world tour which has seen them playing the biggest festivals across the world in a spectacular giant pyramid stage set up. The RO best thing about the live recording is that they don’t merely play a greatest hits set, which they could quite ELECT easily do, instead reworking the songs into a giant mashup DJ set. Each song fits neatly together through compositions you wouldn’t before have considered let alone imagined working, like Robot Rock mixed into Technologic. Amazingly the whole set is more or less played live, through their array of synths and drum machines it’s incredible that they never miss a beat. You have to check out the video clip for the single Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger that’s been going around on youtube, or better yet go see them live, to realise the full visual assault of the performance. There aren’t too many live albums that truly give you a feel for what a live experience is like, but this captures the music and the crowd’s energy. This album is something you just have to listen to, whether you’re a fan of them or not it’s an incredible reflection on just how talented the duo are. -Callum Vass
daft punk
Army of The Pharaohs Ritual of Battle (Babygrande) core hardho p hip
Any fan of AOTP is bound to love this album. With production from the likes Aktone, Esoteric and none other than Ill Bill you know the beats are going to be on fire. The album starts off strong with Swords Drawn with Celph Titled dropping “Army of the Pharaohs never make love songs / we finger fuck bitches with Freddy Kruger gloves on”. Letting people know that AOTP is raw as hell. On track 5 Blue Steel we see Vinnie Paz and Jus Allah back doing their thing. Though the Paz’s best line comes in Bloody Tears where he spits “never nothing soft / everything a violent song / Kayne West gay rapper / that’s where lines are drawn” over sick piano keys with some fat bass. Ritual of Battle ends classically with Don’t Cry having some of the crew put out the reasons behind their harsh lyrics and rugged look on life that they show you on the album. -Malins
Baron Zen Baron Zen at the Mall - Remixes (Stones Throw)
78 - 79 review
tro elece iexp r l menta
The man behind Baron Zen must be kicking himself. Sweet Steve, as he's known on the scene, has been producing music solidly for the last 14 years, only to find his first album in the form of some old tapes hidden in his closet. The result of this crate-digging adventure is a
stellar resurrection of some classic post-punk North American electro, straight out of a cryogenic defrost unit. Featuring teen jam style covers of the likes of Joy Division, Gap Band, Katrina and the waves and even Debbie Deb, the rough recorded bleeping disco flipped with hip-hop tones sort of makes you want to eat cereal, watch cartoons and burp really loudly. 'Walking on Sunshine' sounds a bit like it was recorded on the back of a very long bender, while 'Fuckin Bored' and 'I Like Shoes' are miscreant productions resulting from the least amount of effort possible – the kind of thing only a bored kid with zero prospects would ever dare to make. You can almost smell the grubby, unwashed clothes and hear the alcohol abuse through the vocals. The whole effect wavers between amusing, nostalgic and hilarious, a nod to urban wastelands, bleeding apathy and the wandering lust of idle teenage hands. It's not an album to indulge in soberly, much less seriously, but as long as you're content to revel in childish humour Baron Zen at the Mall is harmless, and fun. -Rhiannon Elston
Bias B Beemixes (Word Burner // Obese) Aussiep hip ho
Bias B will always be remembered in Australian hip-hop, he is without doubt one of the original pioneers and innovators that made the Australian scene what it is today. After releasing Been There Done That Bias B has followed up with a collection of remixes on Beemixes. It contains tracks from Been There Done That as well as Beezwax. Unfortunately the album fails to deliver and at times you can’t help
but feel that the remixes would have been better left amongst friends. Miss Brown is probably the only stand out on the soulful Ladies Man but apart from her the rest of the album could be given a miss. I would recommend it if you really enjoy Bias B’s music however if you have never heard Australian hip-hop or can’t decide whether to check Beemixes or not, I would say give it a miss completely. This isn’t the last we will hear from Bias B but hopefully we can forget this ever happened and look forward to another album that’s back to the standard we love him for. -RhymeSchematiks
Boyz II Men Motown – Hitsville USA (Decca Records) n motow
Boyz II Men’s new album, Motown –Hitsville USA, is an exquisitely crafted remake of some of the best Motown hits of the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. Making use of Lionel Richie and Stevie Wonder hits, the album marries soft percussion and ethereal vocal harmony, to foam sound waves that gently wake against your ears. While this album is a needed refreshment from the electrical cacophony prevalent in today’s music, for any Boyz II Men fan, this is nothing particularly special. Songs like Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong’s War are recreated with no surprisingly new twist except for the added, lengthened, or strengthened vocal here and there. For anyone unfortunate enough not to have been musically christened by the likes of Brian McKnight and Marvin Gaye however, Motown Hits is sure to pop your deep soul cherry. -Khaled Khalafalla
pegz Burn City (Obese Records)
aussiep hip ho
Truly one of the most iconic and inspirational men in the Australian hip-hop scene Pegz (formerly known as MC Pegasus) is the reason why Australian hip hop is finally getting the airplay it has fought for. Burn City is his 3rd full length album following the highly successful Axis. Infused with phenomenally strong production by Plutonic Lab and Jase (Nubreed) with appearances by Funkoars, Vents, Drapht and Muph it’s an honest journey through the Australian hip-hop scene and the world as Pegz sees it. Like most Pegz albums expect the usual jazz and soul laced composition and some new guitar and piano mood makers tainting certain beats to suit darker content. The only criticism I can muster after listening to this release is that Pegz himself hasn’t evolved as an emcee but when your life is spent helping everyone else evolve, you cant blame someone for not focussing on their own flow. Look out for Forsaken, Burn City and personal favourite The Fight. -RhymeSchematiks
HEZEKIAH I PREDICT A RIOT HEZEKIAH is what you get when you mix a Delawareraised former choirboy and preteen Funk singer with a diehard DIY Hip Hop head who cites Country music, QUINCY JONES and KOOL G. RAP as influences in the same breath… ‘I Predict A Riot’ and you will too.
// WWW.INERTIA-MUSIC.COM
RKS014CD OUT NOW
SOUNDSLAM.COM WWWW ½ “seek it out... it may redefine your attitude about indie hip hop or just good music.” BBC.CO.UK “if you’re loving Lupe Fiasco, The Roots, Mos Def and co, then you’re gonna fall head over heels for this percussion-heavy long player... a sensational sophomore. We predict a riot”
AVAILABLE NOW AT ALL STORES
cds Killa Sha
God Walk On Water (Money Maker// Traffic)
E BRIDG RAP
Faculty Phar From Home (D&H Records) p hip ho
Faculty ask you to study your hip-hop music history in their extended album intro. Predictability is left to the non-scholastic, with this debut full-length album, from duo Mr Mondell and Trigonometry, bringing smooth listening talent to the classroom. The mix of producers gives the album some freshness in continuity. The stand out track You Know Who, produced by master On No, has a fast party flavour and shows a lot of class. Shake that Shit, produced by Jake One, keeps you bouncing after the second unnecessary album interlude. Like many earlier hip-hop historymakers Faculty skit their homage to, their smoothly delivered lyrics catch topics of hustling, streets, juice, parenthood, and but of course, a little smoking. I still think Black Star was the best alliance in hip hop, but these guys are likable and learned. Though Phar from Home isn't making hip-hop history, the album pays ample respect to those that do and doesn't disappoint. -Marc de Carne
havoc The Kush (Nature Sounds)
80 - 81 review
n old mpa ra
Seeing as though Havoc only ever kicked verse on Mobb Deep records to fill in time between Prodigy’s next appearance, it stands to reason that the only reason he would drop a solo shot would be to showcase his
There’s a reason why Killa Queens has birthed many of the greatest rappers of all time, and even when the big names from the borough fall on hard times creatively, you can count on some hungry young guns to step up to the plate. Enter Killa Sha. Far from a new jack, having been in the game since the mid-80s as part of the teenage crew The Superkids with his mentor Tragedy and Craig G, and following impressive mixtape/street albums such as the hilariously-titled The Black Eminem and The Billy Colez Story, he’s finally dropped his official debut. Not only does this Q.U. vet bring the gusto of someone half his age, he’s also delivered the strongest album of 2007 by a long shot. Having recruited a mixture of production pro’s (Large Professor, Ayatollah, Havoc) and eager-to-impress youngsters (Big Grudge, Jewelz Polar, Rated R) to man the boards, Sha Lumi rides a varied selection of textures and moods that never succumb to trends or gimmicks. Hard drums, lush strings and vintage-RZA style piano loops allow the kid to unleash his trademark mixture of righteous ignorance, brag-rap supremacy and celebrations of neighbourhood good times. Sha also delivers some of the most hyped-up back-ups and ad-libs I’ve heard in a long time, bringing more energy than Busta Rhymes in his prime. It’s tough to pick out a highlight, but some of the more memorable moments include the supreme Air (which recalls the feel of Raekwon’s masterful first album), while Cash combines heavy 808 with a superb vocal snippet and Come On is nothing short of New York rap perfection. Considering that most recent hip-hop albums seem to consist of a couple of great tracks surrounded by bullshit, it’s refreshing to hear a long-player with only one skip-worthy moment. Guests are also kept to a bare minimum, which is not only a sign of Sha’s ability to carry an album on his own merit but also a nod to tight quality control. Tragedy and Trife contribute to the incredible One Hand Wash The Other, while Havoc and Ill Bill both make solid appearances. If you’re a fan of non-progressive street shit that doesn’t resort to hollow threats, corny punch lines or played-out coke rap every second line, this is essential listening. The Bridge wins again. -Robbie Ettelson (once formidable) production skills. Judging by the “thrown together in five minutes” beats on display, it’s a safe bet that he made this album in exchange for a bag of smoke and a six-pack of beer (hopefully something domestic). Not only is most of the music simplistic garbage, but Havoc’s vocals range between two styles - paranoid delusion and cranky old man mutterings. The fact that he titled a song Get Off My Dick demonstrates that while he may have lost much of his spark behind the boards, he still has a sense of humour about him. Hav also rhymes the word sex tape three times in a row, which makes Rick Ross sound like a genius. Basically, if I was given the choice between listening to The Kush again or having my balls cut off with a whipper-snipper, I’d be one gonaddeprived motherfucker. -Robbie Ettelson
various artists Hybrid Remixed (Distinct'ive Records) house
It’s great that an album of Hybrid remixed by other artists has finally been released. But to be honest, this is pretty crap. None of the songs on this album has anything on their original counterparts. I find it bemusing how people are raving on about the Deadmau5 remix of Finished Symphony, when this vermin version is just a basic minimal house beat with the strings from the original track chopped up beyond recognition. It ends up as just sounds, and not melody. In my opinion, the only tracks on this album that really stand out are Stefan Anion & Starfire’s remix of Until Tomorrow, which is really beefy and full of attitude,
and the dreamy mix of I Know by Keenan & Anderson. The Cinematic Orchestra’s version of Blackout is pretty good, although it is very far removed from the original. Elite Force’s mix of I Chose Noise is also quite nice, and is a welcome break from the poxy minimal house that seems to dominate this album. -Jeremy Swann
little brother Get Back (ABB Records // Shogun Distribution) ful soulho p hip
Little Brother’s Phonte and Pooh come out on their 3rd album, Get Back, with nothing but heart and soul. Now to keep their sound fresh they’ve stepped away from long time producer 9th Wonder on this one and enlisted production from the likes of Hi-Tek, Illmind and Nottz to name a few. Though you’ll notice that 9th does drop in for a couple of classics. The lyrical content on the album also gets my vote with Pooh and Phonte speaking up about the government and society and how today’s views about hip-hop and the violence that surrounds isn’t as straight forward as it seems. As well touching subjects like the N-word and how mainstream hip-hop isn’t what it could and should be in this day and age. So with the way today’s mainstream hip-hop is heading it’s good to hear some folks recognising that and trying to get the message out. -Malins
mortar Sacred Geometry (Clandestien Productions // Shogun) aussiep hip ho
Another one already? On the tail of Clandestien’s recent LP, last years solo effort and a string of guest appearances comes Sacred Geometry; dark, raw and at twisted angles. Fourteen flufffree arrangements produced by Mortar himself. It’s no wonder he is riddled with epiphanies and speaks in tongue; this man clearly does not sleep. The raw, lo-fi production style is unique, simple yet effective, creating an underlying atmosphere tailored for lyrical execution. This is a vocally focused album that starts off in no rush but by sci-fi trip The Answers 2, (fifth in succession and a highlight for me), really hits its stride. Other standout tracks include the single Jacobs Ladder and closing chapter God Complex featuring a sample that speculation tells me is Alanis Morissette. Fans will not be disappointed, this is more of the abstract goodness and calculated rhyme patterns we’ve come to expect from Mortar. And to the uninitiated it’s time to open up those ear holes. -Michael Joy
Sole and the Skyrider Band Self Titled (Anticon) act abstr p hip ho
Pushing out tweaked abstract beats and lyrically intricate rhymes, the Anticon artists stable maintains a unique position in the global hip-hop fraternity. A prominent member, Sole, complete with his newly formed Skyrider Band, continues this tradition with their latest self titled release. At the dark end of lyric and beat fusion, while the album will not set the party alight, these 13 new tracks provide a deep, listening experience. In the true nature of Anticon sounds, Sole’s leftfield lyrics delve deeply into the society we live in. His commentary is a punchy insight into the controls of market forces and one-eyed foreign policy on us all. The blend of classic beat production (Bud Berning) with live instruments (including the glockenspiel, organ, stand up bass and violin), makes this groovy, complex album itself an eerie challenge to the contemporary hip hop status quo. -M.T Davis
Spider Loc West Kept SecretThe Prequel (Baymac Music) r Gangste rap
Spider Loc’s West Kept Secret- The Prequel is, much like his hair cut, a collection of edgy, haphazardly compiled eruptions of toughness protruding from a dome of smooth fillers. While songs in the album are riddled with mentions of G-Unit (word is, we could hear more of him within Gorilla Unit Productions), the difficulty of growing up in the projects and once twice and thrice-guns, Spider’s lyrics seem tired and exhausted of any creativity. By all means though, if you’re still into the gangster rigour associated with talking about bitches and ho’s without rhyming much or even flaunting any kind of ghetto poetry- this is for you. Credit where it’s due, this is the kind of album with an instrumental and base factor resonant of the greats, 50, Eminem, and dare I say Tupac. The best way to enjoy this album is to zone out on a cruise, and just coast on the beats. You’ll respect the synergy of intensity, smoothness and harmonious grunt. -Khaled Khalafalla
THE MESS HALL Devils Elbow (Ivy League/Liberation) Alt. rock
The Mess Hall are a two piece Sydney band with Jed Kurzel responsible for vocals, guitar, organ, piano and vibraphone and Cec Condon on percussion. The Mess Hall duo are generating quite a buzz within the rock world right now and with a sound that at times is reminiscent of Zeppelin (Keep Walking) and on other tracks such as Be Not A Man their sound could almost be described as Folk and Blues. The Mess Hall have a reputation for a thumping live show and much of the criticism levelled at Devils Elbow and their previous albums has been for the group’s inability to capture the same energy as their acclaimed live performances on their recorded material. Some critics have also whined about the group’s move away from their earlier thump heavy sound in favour of ballads. I haven’t seen the group live and without those grounds for comparison I can only speak on my experience of listening to this album. To me the variety between songs is a plus and overall this is an enjoyable listen but this is the opinion of a guy who doesn’t listen to a lot of rock music. To me it’s a throwback to a more classic sound, similar in that respect to Wolfmother’s ability to capture the sound of a cherished era in rock music. I dug it, maybe you will too… -Jerry Jerri
GAMES
Words by MT Davis Photo by Nick Bassett
L-R >Jon Lorcan, DJ Samrai
NEED FOR SPEED PRO STREET
Wheels of steel vs Wheels of polyurethane. Two boys used to going fast, turntable whiz DJ Samrai welcomed pro skater Jon Lorcan over to test drive // Need For Speed Pro Street, the latest in a long line of
82 - 83 lifestyle
car racing games from EA. Arriving at Samrai’s house, the hand skills of a champion were on display and a little hip-hop treat provided a nice entrée to the task at hand. With hands more often than not holding wax, Samrai was up against the skills of Lorcan. Like most skaters, after a day of feet slapping concrete, the video game is a lazy break and thus, he had a few skills of his own to show. Entering the game room, both boys braced for some tyre burning madness. Firing up the Playstation, the tunes switched from Samrai’s mix to a hard hitting rock soundtrack that brought the race vibe to the room. With a plethora of cars available to race, the new game features a car body customisation option into the game that kept everyone busy. Locking straight into two player race mode, each hot car of choice flew around the track with seemingly a lot of ease. In fact, maybe too much ease.
Need for Speed Pro Street recognises that even learner drivers like a game of car racing and have included a ‘driver assist’ function. Bored by the ease of the first few races, eventually the collective gang figured this out and turned off the function,
bringing the challenge back to real skills. As any damage to the car actually affects the cars performance, it wasn’t long before their crash count started to slow things down. With Krystal (of Big Brother fame) running across the screen throughout, the boys explored the various race options that include drag mode, drift mode and story mode. Both the drag and drift modes were a great laugh. Requiring a “fully sick burnout” to begin, the chosen car of choice was a little hotted up VW Golf Gti. Who needs a big car anyway?
A good couple of hours of dragging, drifting and racing through new and improved race tracks and streets had their thumbs calling timeout. Both agreed the game was good, but they agreed the producers had only made a few new improvements. Critique aside, there’s only one reason most of us play car games, that is to win the race. So who took out the Need for Speed Pro Street title? “I think I smoked Samrai, in fact I know I did”, laughed Lorcan.
The Orange Box Windows // XBox 360 [Valve]
N ACTIO E PUZZL
The Orange Box’s name alone is entertaining, but the fun factor increases rapidly once you look inside. Valve Software’s latest is without a doubt the best value gaming release ever. To kick things off, the Box includes Half-Life 2 and HL2: Episode One, two of the finest shooter titles in existence. This saga is furthered with the inclusion of the freshly baked HL2: Episode 2, which is just as tasty as its older brethren. If you’ve played any of the previous HL titles, you know what to expect – fascinating characters, great pacing, decent puzzles and tight combat, all set in amazing and varied environments. Hardly innovative, but damn solid, and one step closer to the series finale. The second new title is the purely multiplayer Team Fortress 2, ten years in the making and all the better for it. It’s a gem for many reasons, the most striking of which is the visual style. Everything looks like it’s been ripped out of a comic and brought to virtual life. Each of TF2’s nine characters is so distinct you can tell them apart from a mile away, from the things they’re yelling to the way they move. Each one offers a massively different playing style too. Feeling aggressive? Get your gatling gun on with the Heavy. Feeling supportive? Heal your team-mates and turn them invulnerable with the Medic. Feeling shifty? Disguise yourself as the enemy and then stab them in the back as the Spy. One for every mood. Last but far from least is Portal. At its black heart, Portal is just a very clever puzzle game. However, it’s padded out with so much dark humour and slick atmosphere that it feels like much more. The idea is that you have to negotiate through each level using portals, which you get to place. It’s an absolute headfuck at times, but knowing you’ll be rewarded with some caustic hilarity for your efforts is highly motivating. The Orange Box gives you five games for the price of one, they’re all bloody good, and they’ll all run decently even if you’ve got an old shitbox. Buy it. -Thomas Baker
NBA 2K8 Xbox 360 // PS2 // PS3 // PC [2K Games]
T SPOR
The ongoing saga between EA Sports NBA Live vs. NBA 2K Games series is definitely an interesting one, with forums dedicated to the arguments for people’s respective favourite, there is a lot of hype each time the franchises release their games. Being a fan of the 2K series, it almost pains me to say this, but 2008 has been won by EA Sports. The game play in 2K8 has been only slightly modified from its annual instalment last year, with no real new standout modifications. The graphics are still the signature 2K Games’ brightness, and a little sketchy when it comes to face models. The Create-A-Player is deepened with the ability to change mannerisms, but the face is still hard to master. Interesting new additions to the game include the Sprite Slam Dunk Contest, which is A LOT easier than the EA Live series. Gameplay involves a simple “flick” motion, still tricky but not difficult at all. Also added is the 3 point shootout which gives the game a little bit more life. In conclusion though, when the smoke settles on the debate between games this year, EA Sports NBA Live 2008 wins. -Tate
Folklore PS3 [JapanStudio//SCEE]
FIFA 08 Xbox 360 // PS2 // PS3 // PC [EA Sports/EA Games]
RPG
JapanStudio have combined two things that everyone likes into one game: soul–devouring, and the Irish. Set in the town of Doolin, where twisted faeries rule the night, you play as one of two characters trying to solve a series of murders. During the day you must scour the minds of Doolin’s citizens to find and solve problems from their pasts, and then at night you enter the netherworld, where you’ll be fighting through a variety of enemies to reach a specific boss of the area. Your goal is to tear their souls out – successfully capturing them adds their abilities to your attacks. Capturing souls also makes great use of the SIXAXIS – when an enemy is defeated, you jerk the controller to rip their soul out – and it is truly satisfying when you manage to capture a few at once. The village of Doolin is visually stunning and crisp – you can even see dust particles in the air. Each level also features a unique look and feel. The sound features ambient noises and unusual but addictive melodies. It’s got a fantastic story, addictive gameplay, impressive visuals and sound, and good use of motion control. If you like action games, you can’t go wrong. -Benn Gardiner
Christmas with Sony and Microsoft
ER SOCC SIM
In the past many of the FIFA titles have been the same old game with some new packaging, but this year the EA team have put some work in to the franchise and it seems to have paid off. To compete with their direct competitor, Konami’s Pro Evo series, EA have made a more measured event with the importance on plays on goal. You can no longer get away with a through pass from halfway to a runner striker to score; instead the game encourages building up plays from the backlines and down the wings, so when a goal is scored, you really feel like you have earned it. With 30 leagues (including Australia’s A-League) and over 15,000 players you’d think that FIFA wouldn’t have any faults, but it does. Even though the gameplay has improved, ball passes between players can feel somewhat slow and sluggish, and trying to shoot a goal from a free kick is near impossible, yet corner kicks are sometimes just too easy. Other than that, the gameplay tuning and polished visuals are welcomed. It’s good to see the FIFA series is finally on the way up. -Shane Edwards
Both companies dish out an affordable alternative to their pricey consoles. A lot of money is going be spent this season on gifts, so it’s probably best you know what you’re in for with next gen consoles. Microsoft and Sony have both got new cheaper models out, here’s a rundown. The first is the getting-closer-to-affordable 40g PS3. Sony nerfed their console and took out PS2 backward compatibility, took off a couple of the USB ports, and reduced the hard drive capacity, but have also cut the price down to $700. Given that most Blu-Ray Players are the same price, it’ll turn heads of those who are considering making the jump to next gen. To compete, Microsoft has released the Xbox 360 Arcade. You get 5 free Live Arcade games, a wireless controller and a memory card. No hard drive, but the setup costs $400, putting it on par with the Wii. With the new Xbox firmware adding classic Xbox games for download, you’re going to want a hard drive at some point down the track, but at that price you’ve got no excuse to put off getting one this season. -Kyri
PLAYLISTS jesse i ae
regg
DJ ONO
(Bangkok Invaders)
p
hip ho & rnb
dj skee
p hip ho
Sleater Brockman
party jams
84 - 85 lifestyle
jps
Jesse I presents the weekly reggae show Chant Down Babylon on Melbourne’s PBS FM and runs Higher Level Records, importing the freshest reggae & dancehall direct from Jamaica. As part of Chant Down Sound with Ras Crucial, he throws Australia’s longest running monthly reggae night More Fire on the 2nd Saturday of every month at Brown Alley in Melbourne. www. chantdown.com Tarrus Riley - Back Biter (Don Corleon) Capleton - Prophet Rides Again (Ink-A-Link) Alborosie - Sound Killa (Forward) Alborosie - Police Polizia (Forward) Morgan Heritage & Busy Signal - Run Dem (Juke Boxx) Capleton - Snitch (Danger Zone) Rayvon - Games We Play (Big Yard) Shaggy - Who Wear Di Jacket (Big Yard) Pressure - Stress (H20) Midnite - Dem A Wonder (Lustre Kings) Hitoshi Andrew Ono aka DJ Ono, born and raised in Vancouver, Canada has been putting his skills to the test for over 10 years as both a turntablist and partyrockin' DJ. Currently residing in Bangkok, Thailand where he is one of the top club DJs, soon after his arrival DJ Ono teamed up with Mister Meeh and MC Dandee. In 2005 they won the Denon DJ Sound Clash. The Bangkok Invaders consisting of Ono, Djay Buddah, Mister Meeh and Kenny V started rocking the clubs in 2004. They quickly became the resident Soundsytem for the infamous Route 66 Club. Kanye West featuring T-Pain - Good Life Kanye West featuring Dwele - Flashing Lights Jay-Z featuring Pharrell Williams - Blue Magic Alicia Keyes featuring Cassidy - No One Remix Soulja Boy - Crank That The Dream featuring Fabolous - Shorty is the Shhh Remix Nas - the Times Chris Brown featuring T-Pain - Kiss Kiss 50 Cent featuring Timberland & Justin Timberlake - Ayo Technology J. Holiday featuring Fabolous - Bed Remix With a listening audience over 1 million strong every week, DJ Skee has become known as the definitive DJ for the West Coast. From producing street classics including Game's infamous 300 Bars to putting out the hottest and most listened to music in the streets. He has a long and accomplished background in the music business (from starting off on the radio at only 15 years old, to working full-time at Loud Records at age 16), DJ Skee has risen to the exclusive, elite upper circle of the entertainment business, in addition to his skills behind the turntable. Jay-Z - American Gangster LP Lil Wayne - Gossip Snoop Dogg/Terrace Martin - Fear & Respect Omar Cruz - Hang With My Dawgs G Malone/Akon - Certified Ice Cube - Gangsta Rap Made Me Do It Young Dre/E40/Nate Dogg - Cant Be Faded Keak Da Sneak - In front Of Yo Mammas House Outkast/DJ Drama - Da Art Of Storytellin Pt. 4 Bishop Lamont - No Stoppin Carson Ex tennis pro and total douchebag Sleater Brockman plays party music for sweaty folks all over Australia. Residing in Sydney, Sleater Brockman (aka Andrew Levins) is a member of DJ boy band Ro Sham Bo and is one of the good souls behind indigenous youth music project Heaps Decent. He is also the founding member of the Dukes of Haggard, a new collective set to take over the world when they feel like it. Spank Rock & Benny Blanco - Pu$$y (Downtown) Curses - Hungry For Love (Institubes) South Rakkas Crew feat New Kidz - Mad Again (Mad Decent) Hood Headlinerz - Wood Grain (Paper Route Records) The Opposites feat Dio & Willie Wartaal - Dom, Lomp & Famous (TopNotch) Kid Sister & DJ Gant Man - Switchboard (Fools Gold) Jay Z feat Lil Wayne - Hello Brooklyn 2.0 (Rocafella) LCD Soundsystem - Get Innocuous (Soulwax Remix) (EMI) Muscles - Sweaty (Shazam Remix) Dexplicit - Good For Me (Riddler Records)
Hailing from Singapore, JPS’ move to Melbourne in 1999 opened up the world of Drum n Bass to him. After launching the successful Bassix parties JPS established Elementz with Blanco and DJ Fletch, now one of Australia’s most successful DnB events teams. When not laying out the sounds of DnB, JPS loves digging in his collection to present a multi-genre mash-up of hip-hop, funk, soul, house, salsa, samba, dancehall, reggae or basically whatever else comes to mind. He has also started exploring production by means of collaborations with Kiat, Johnny Hooves and Motive, proving successful and leading to being signed to Black Sun Empire’s label Obsessions. Tea Leaf Dancers - Flying Lotus feat. Dreya Superior - Gentleman Herfst Sonate Featuring Pips:Lab - Red Nose District Waajeed- Anything various Marcus Intalex- Lowlife (Soul:r) J Dilla- Phatcat Joe arroyo - El Preso (Puerto Rico) Orishas - Represent Pharoahe Monch ft. Showtime, Mela Machinko, Tower Of Power- Push Rufige Kru (Goldie)- Is this Real (VIP)
ON THE OFFICE STEREO Jay Z- American Gangster; Nas- Greatest Hits; Boombox Radio podcast; Chamillionaire- Ultimate Victory; Milano- Spanish Harlem Mixtape; The Mess Hall- Devils Elbow; AOTP- Ritual of Battle; Prodigy- The Fat of the Land; Justin Timberlake- Future Sex Love Sound; Ludacris- The Red Light District; Sean Kingston- Sean Kingston
KNOW YOUR CLASSICS Larry Ellis & The Black Hammer Funky Thing (Part 1)
Jay-Z Success (feat. Nas)
American Gangster is Jay-Z's 10th studio album. Inspired by Ridley Scott's movie, it started at the top of the US charts with its first week sales and tied Jay-Z with Elvis Presley for the most number one albums. One of my favourite tracks on the LP is the new collaboration between former enemies Jigga and Nas, Success. The track is produced by No I.D. and co-produced by Jermaine Dupri, of SoSo Def fame. It contains a dialog sample from Denzel Washington taken from the movie and features a sample off Funky Thing (Part 1) by Larry Ellis & The Black Hammer. This is a very rare 7-inch originally released in 1968 by Al King Records, a really small label from New York. Only 500 copies of the record were pressed, but it has since been reissued on Jazzman's label Funk45. Larry Ellis is from upstate New York. He previously backed Sun Ra and Miles Davis. The track is a slow builder but storms into a frenzy with its mad organ riff. Funky Thing (Part 1) provides a wild bone-shaking Hammond B3 squeal that has been really hard to capture so wildly on later funk records! The swirling organ teases the ears before the bass starts to throb and the drums expand in a classical seventies vibe with lots of hats and splashes. It takes a high level of cratedigging mastery to find records like that, not only because of their rarity but also because vocal funk usually limits the sampling possibilities – unless the vocalist is very special (ask Kanye). Vocals can reduce the impact of the tune itself : luckily for No I.D. and JD, Larry Ellis doesn't sing much on this song and therefore lets them use a pretty long sample. A story to this tune has it that Larry and his band were on their way to the already booked studio when their van happened to break down. When finally arriving with only 30 minutes recording time left, the band launched straight into their usual warm-up tune Funky Thing, and this material was the only tune caught on tape during that session. Pierre Henny
get down
PARTY PICS
This issue fell between ACCLAIM launch parties so we’ve featured shots from the launch of the Hennessy Devilclot Pop-up Store in Kong Kong and the Launch party for Grand High’s K-Swiss collaboration in Washington DC.
dvds How to Eat Your Watermelon in White Company (And Enjoy It)
DV1
Doco
There are OGs and then there is Melvin Van Peebles: Chicks love him, guys wanted to be like him and high society wish he would go away. How to Eat Your Watermelon… is a vivid, sometimes cheeky insight into his genius and what drives him to continuously piss off “the man” after nearly forty years. Through a series of interviews with Melvin, his family and friends, director Joe Anglo traces Van Peebles’ journey from a San Francisco cable car driver to air force pilot, street poet, author and filmmaker of the classic “Sweet Sweetback’s Bad Ass Song”, a landmark film which single-handedly ignited the Blaxploitation film movement. The success of Van Peebles lies in his philosophy that life is one big hustle and a setback is merely an “opportunity dressed up in work clothes”. The many scenes in which he hilariously recollects the times in which he wheeled and dealed his way into America’s elite film and theatre industry in the conservative seventies is worth getting the DVD alone to learn a few pointers. The film also includes interviews with African American artistic luminaries such as ‘hip-hop’s Godfather’ Gill Scott-Heron and Spike Lee who count Van Peebles as a continuous inspiration. This is a truly fascinating account of an artist who created a legend with nothing more than a few street smarts and an undying dream. -SS
Note- Australian cover art is different
Manufacturing Dissent: Uncovering Michael Moore
DV1
86 - 87 dvds
Doco
For nearly two decades Michael Moore has frustrated anybody attempting to honestly analyse his body of work and filmmaking methods. Reason being that he put himself in an enviable position where he is beyond such important critique: his fans love him and his critics are fobbed off as American rightwing loonies with an axe to grind. Previous attempts to discredit his work were unsuccessful because they were rightfully exposed as smear campaigns. But Manufacturing Dissent cannot be labelled as such as the film was created by self confessed Moore fans Debbie Melnyk and Rick Caine. What was meant to be an exploration into Moore’s genius instead became an expose of an intelligent yet highly insecure person who doesn’t mind manipulating certain facts in order to drive home his otherwise important message. Throughout the film Moore ignores repeated requests for interviews and instead friends, critics, co-workers and local residents step up and give us revealing insights into Moore’s complex personality and ask the question whether he is really pushing for social change or is it all just one big chase for the spotlight. This is an important addition into the discussion about Michael Moore as it adds balance to the fiery rhetoric that is the signature of all of his films. -SS
JAY-Z – REASONABLE DOUBT
Eagle Eye Media // Roc-A-Fella // Grindin
DOCO
This DVD is a must see for Jay-Z fans and a real walk down memory lane for '90s hip hop kids. Watching this documentary made me feel kind of old, especially the footage of a baby faced Jay performing classic tracks from his classic debut album. This feature is nothing out of the ordinary, it does a simple job but it does it well, it tells the story of how Reasonable Doubt was created. This story is told through interviews with the various producers (Premier, Irv Gotti, Clark Kent, Knobody, Sean Kane and Ski) and rappers (Sauce Money, Memphis Bleek, Foxy Brown plus others) who helped shape the album. Jay-Z is of course also interviewed throughout the documentary and provides insightful explanations of the motivations behind the tracks, explanations of specific lyrics and discusses his journey from street hustler to recording artist. There is some great, rare footage of JayZ performing live and the DVD extras are good value including additional interviews with various people involved with the album and industry commentators. If you’re not a Jay-Z fan I think you can still get something out of the viewing experience but probably not as much as I did. -Frank Blanck
Method Man Live At Sunset Strip
Shock Records OP HIP H
It isn’t often that a live DVD delivers to the level that Method Man Live at Sunset Strip does. From start to end you are drawn into Method Man’s unique stage presence whilst he showcases the likes of Bring The Pain , Wu-Tang Clan Ain’t Nothing Ta F' Wit , ODB tribute Shimmy and many more. Method Man explodes onto the mic in the packed out L.A venue serving up what would have been an amazing show to witness. The DVD comes with some nice backstage interviews and with WuTang about to drop another album and Method’s own Crystal Method due in 2008 this DVD will keep eager fans more than happy in the wait. Method Man is easily one of the biggest personalities in hip hop to date and this DVD brings that man and his music right into your home. Even if you only buy one live DVD this year make sure you check this one. -RhymeSchematiks
know your
know classics your classics BLOOD IN BLOOD OUT (Also known as BOUND BY HONOUR) Taylor Hackford [1993]
Based on the life of poet Jimmy Santiago Baca who co-wrote this film, Blood In Blood Out is the story of Chicano brothers Cruz and Paco and their biracial cousin Miklo. Cruz, Paco and Miklo are members of an East LA Chicano gang, Vatos Locos and it is their warring with a rival street gang that sets the scene for a tragic string of events. When members of a rival gang Tres Puntos attack Cruz they leave him a cripple and the bloody revenge exacted by Miklo and Paco results in both boys being arrested. Miklo is sent to prison where his entry into the La Onda prison gang is conditional on him murdering a member of the white supremacist gang Aryan Vanguard. While Miklo gradually rises up the ranks of La Onda, Paco joins the marines in place of jail time and eventually becomes a narcotics detective with the LAPD. Meanwhile Cruz’s dependence on pain killers leads to him becoming a heroin addict. Upon release from prison, Miklo’s continued association with the criminal world soon sees his path collide with the now straight-edged cop Paco. Blood In Blood Out is confronting, real and tragic. Largely filmed around LA’s Spanish speaking neighbourhoods and inside San Quentin Gaol, all of the extras in the prison scenes are actual San Quentin inmates, lending to the reality of the film. The character of Miklo is modelled on real life Croatian-American Godfather of the Mexican Mafia prison gang ‘Joe “Pegleg” Morgan’. Often compared to American Me for its storyline similarities, Blood In Blood Out is the better of the two films in my opinion. American Me incorrectly depicted the Mexican Mafia (La Eme) as being run by homosexuals which enraged the godfather Joe Morgan and resulted in the director being extorted and the murders of gang members who consulted on the film. Blood In Blood Out resulted in no such reaction so I guess its more on the money! The director’s cut is largely considered the superior version. -Montell
books YAKUZA MOON- Memoirs of a gangster’s daughter
Shoko Tendo (Kodansha International // Bookwise International)
In her first novel, author Shoko Tendo writes an honest account of her life from childhood through to now and takes the reader on an interesting journey from her comfortable, spoilt upbringing living in the affluent surroundings of her family home through her teenaged rebellion as delinquent paint thinner sniffing ‘Yanki’ girl which leads to drug addiction and a series of extremely abusive relationships as the mistress of various Yakuza men. Shoko’s story is incredibly depressing as she goes from one disastrous situation to another and just when things seem to be on the right track her family’s internal problems drag her back down to despairing depths once again. Yakuza Moon allows a glimpse into the world of Japanese mobsters and reveals the less glamorous reality through the experiences of Shoko and her family as her father’s business collapses thrusting them into unescapable debt. Although Yakuza Moon had me frustrated throughout at Shoko’s self destruction, her eventual quest to repair her life is inspiring. RRP $22.95 AUD
Lonely Planet Blue List The Blue List is something of a bible to those who have been everywhere or have had enough of your garden variety bonk bus tour, fishing out all the places you'd never realised you really wanted to go to. The earth is constantly bubbling with change, and as wars end, cities sink and others are re-opened after decades of militant rule, new travel destinations follow. Far from your average 'sleep here, drink there' guide book, the Blue List ferrets out all of the places that are ripe for visiting right now. High on the list this year is Tuvalu, which at 5 metres above sea level is cited to become the next Atlantis, a whole world of Islamic locations and for the cashed up, adventures into space. Any given page offers up snippets of info, local secrets and ideas for travel that may have never crossed your mind (feel like being in the audience of Future Arab Superstar, anyone?), with a million choices for the bug-bitten and loads of inspiration for those who are still undecided.
Street World: Urban Culture From Five Continents
Roger Gastman, Caleb Neelon, and Anthony Smyrski (Abrams Books)
Street or urban culture is an enormous topic to address, and this book does a remarkably good job of it. The streets are what link humanity. It is the infrastructure which humans have learnt to negotiate and live life, and in over a thousand images this book is designed to informed from readers how this geographic feature has become the epicenter for modern culture. Unlike other books, graffiti and hip-hop aren’t central to the text though they are covered heavily. Music, fashion, partying, festivals, sport, protests, drugs and sex all get a mention, as well as more obscure inclusions such as pigeon keeping, guerrilla gardening and Pakistani truck art, but that’s where this book is remarkable. Theres also a focus on contributing individuals such as party photographer Cobrasnake, L.A graff monster Saber, local legend Atome and of course Banksy. It’s a photo document of the diversity of what we’ve created with our individual cultures. Neatly laid out, text is brief and to the point which allows the photos to really carry the message. This book is an important document of culture in modern life which we have created. -Callum Vass
Street Renegades – new underground art
Francesca Gavin (Laurence King Publishing)
The latest in a tidal wave of street art publications, Street Renegades brings a heavy art edge to the book shelf. Francesca Gavin’s creation documents artist installations across Europe, the Americas and Australia’s own dot on the street art map, Melbourne (Psalm). Far from the wild styles of graffiti pioneers and the more recent wave of stencils colouring our cities, Street Renegades moves in a new direction profiling a wide variety of artists and their creative escapades. Including building size portraits, fixed structure installations, and LED ‘throwies’ by Graffiti Research Lab, the books creative base is unquestionable. While most of the talent do have a more traditional street background, profiled artists like G-Star and the “granddaddy” of street art, Dan Witz, bring their own, original touch to our surrounding aesthetics. How this resonates with the fans of more classic street art and graffiti remains to be seen. -M.T Davis
recipe
Words by T-Rock\ Photos by Rome Torti
Mixed BBQ + SALAD By Liam Reddy
Liam Reddy comes from a family of high achievers in the Australian sporting world and with only a couple // of years in the professional football (soccer) league
he’s surpassed a somewhat controversial career start to become a highly watched player with a bright future ahead of him. When he’s not guarding the woodwork for Queensland Roar, this A-League goalkeeper is sizzling up the hot plates in his backyard and pumping Biggie albums (in between his six squillion training sessions). Liam Reddy invited ACCLAIM around to his joint to show us exactly how he gets it cookin’ - nice and simple. And being that we’re now into the Aussie summer, what better than a mixed BBQ that any dunce could get right. Keep an eye out for Liam and his Queensland Roar teammates during the current A-League season.
Ingredients:
Chicken Skewers Cevapis (Croatian sausages) Scotch fillet steak Honey soy garlic marinade Salad (carrots, tomatos, lettuce, cheese) Step 1: Going to buy it from the shop! [laughs] Step 2: Get the honey soy garlic marinated all over the chicken skewers, take the cevapis straight out of the packets, season the steak with salt and pepper and chuck ‘em all on the barbie at once. [Note for the dunces : make sure you have previously turned on the BBQ and it’s hot enough to sizzle]
88 - 89 recipe
Step 3: Get together a little salad. I’ll usually use some carrots, tomatos, lettuce and blocks of cheese. Recipe secrets: None at all. That’s why I do it! It’s the one meal I cook that the wife doesn’t.
Soundtrack: Well, I basically listen to hip-hop. I might listen to some 50 Cent or some Biggie.
Family Ties Liam’s sister plays netball for the Adelaide Thunderbirds, his brother plays rugby league for the Parramatta Eels and his old man played league for St George Dragons and the national team. That’s some serious pressure right there.
directory Alizé
Ironlak:
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Lonsdale
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LRG
Crooked Uniform
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És
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CONTRIBUTOR SPOTLIGHTS TOM CONNELLAN Tom’s been part of the team here at ACCLAIM since day one. Originally positioned exclusively within Ad Sales, Tom’s expertise has evolved to include journalism, marketing and promotions and sometimes he’s practically a secretary! He even peddles the bike that operates the generator for our office’s electricity supply so if you ever speak to him on the phone and he sounds out of breath you know why. Tom’s almost as valuable as the glue that binds each issue together and despite the fact that he’s extremely un-photogenic we thought it was about time he got some much deserved recognition. MEGA An internationally renowned illustrator and designer, we were extremely fortunate to have Mega join our team last year. Mega is responsible for our current layout template. Ever the traveller, Mega returned to France a few months ago and has just arrived in Indonesia where he begins his Asian residency. Thankfully in this digital age we are still able to receive work from Mega no matter where he is based and he currently sources artists for our Skill Check section and Tattoo pages as well as other article content. This issue Mega conducted the interviews and laid-out the articles for Craig Briscoll, James Jirat and Fip Buchanan.
The Wall This is a piece of the wall in our office. People just cruise by and stick things up and we shoot it
90 - 91 the end
when we finish the new issue. If you wanna be featured on this beautiful and messy canvas, you can also send us stuff by mail.
INGREDIENTS This issue was created with the assistance of 1 Federal Election; Several very difficult
conversations with girls; 1 housemate from hell finally moving the fuck out of my apartment; 1 missing sales girl; 1 pair of double F cup boobs; 1 ongoing police investigation; 20 stressful phone calls to tour promoters in Asia; 1 new mobile phone; 1 blindsided ambush in a bar from a jealous, wack rapper and his coward friend; 1 act of sweet sweet vengeance; 4 pizzas; 3 chicken kebab dinner packs; 7 burgers from Andrew’s Burgers (best burgers in town!); 14 vodka on the rocks with fresh lime; 28 chai lattes with soy milk and honey (look I know it sounds very gay but it tastes really good and is better for me than coffee OK!)
politics by the Hater
With the Australian Federal Elections just over as I write this I felt it appropriate to say what most of us have been thinking- All of our politicians are assholes. It comes down to choosing the lesser of two parties of assholes or rather the party with less of an asshole factor. Unfortunately the kind of people with aspirations of political leadership in this nation are not the kind of people I have any respect for. Usually they’re the product of smarmy private school debate teams, former captain of the debate team type of assholes. Basically it’s the school geeks who get into politics, the dudes who we used to shoot in the back of the head with spit balls and extort for canteen protection money. I mean have you ever met a member of the Young Liberals? To join a conservative political party for teenagers you have to have excelled at being an asshole by a young age. If you’ve joined the Young Liberals you’re an asshole for life with really well crafted asshole aspirations. Of course there are different types of assholes. You’ve got your conservative asshole who commonly displays traits of extreme arrogance, an attitude of money before morals and a dash of subtle racism and then you have your more down to earth type asshole who can be a bit of a pain to deal with from time to time but his faults are usually forgivable and even sometimes loveable. For my money Kevin Rudd was the one to vote for this year but not because I think that he’s necessarily a more qualified Prime Minister, no my vote went to Kevin because he got busted for a visit to a strip club while on political business in the US and instead of denying it he said that he was too drunk to remember what occurred in the club. Now that’s a cool type of asshole and a politician I can relate to! So don’t be fooled by multi-million dollar ad campaigns trying to convince you that this MP is a more down to earth Aussie bloke than the next guy. It is true that most Aussie blokes are assholes but politicians take it to that next level, that blackbelt asshole level. Nobody was a more well crafted asshole than our former Prime Minister John Howard. He had real assholes calling him an asshole. But he’s finally outta there so kiss my ass asshole! Lets see how the next asshole pans out…