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Sneakers peekers.. perception.....(what’s junk status???)
tweezy cover story #producersmustrise the food journal: cup java joys (winter is coming) Fashion: Asian Thread
Sneakers peekers.. perception.....(what’s junk status???)
tweezy cover story #producersmustrise the food journal: cup java joys (winter is coming) Fashion: Asian Thread
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SNEAKER PEEKERS WITH REZ
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nike airforce 1 ultraflyknit mid red black
EVerY BODY FrOM aLL waLks OF LiFe has sOMe sOrt OF LOVe FOr the LiCks we CaLL kiCks. TheY saY YOU are what YOU eat BUt here at VsiOn we BeLieVe that YOU are what YOU pUt On YOUr Feet. COMFOrt is One thinG we aLL LOOk FOr in the kiCks we piCk - sUre the shOe MiGht LOOk GOOD, BUt iF YOU Cant waLk in theM whats the pOint? its Been aBOUt 100 Years sinCe the First rUBBer sneaker was inVenteD in the U.S anD sinCe then, its Been an OVerwheLMinG COMe Up . BrinGinG it BaCk hOMe tO the MOther LanD we haVe a LarGe nUMBer OF sneaker heaDs natiOn wiDe. EVen the kiDs GOt the kiCks On FLeek in 2016. With this GrOwinG CULtUre OF sneaker heaDs we present tO YOU the sneak peak OF the MOnth - The ADiDas NMD. This aMOnGst Other ADiDas rUnners is One OF the MOst COMFOrtaBLe FOOtLOOse shOes YOU COULD FinD On the Market, nOt tO MentiOn One OF the MOst stYLish FOr this seasOn, anD it JUst DrOppeD. IF a pair OF YeezY BOOst is OUt OF YOUr BUDGet reaCh, the NMD is the neXt Best thinG FOr YOU. AnOther sneaker that JUst DrOppeD new COLOUrs is the ADiDas Stan SMiths. In pOwDer BLUe this shOe wiLL Make YOU LOOk Like YOU’re waLkinG On the skies sUrFaCe. These are BOth aVaiLaBLe at X-TrenD stOres. IF YOU’re a LOVer OF hiGh-tOps, the new LeBrOns FrOM Nike are GOOD pair tO COpp . These aLOnG with the Air FOrCe 1 ULtra FLYKnit are shOes that MaDe a DiFFerenCe in COMFOrtaBiLitY COMpareD tO their FOUr-Fathers. The Best thinG One COULD DO iF theY are aVOiDinG stOres Like X-TrenD anD SpOrts SCene is tO GO tO the FaCtOries in WOODMeaD. There YOU FinD sneakers that are FrienDLY On the pOCket. Be sUre tO #PeepTheSneak On OUr instaGraM anD twitter paGes
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reD/BLaCk tie-DYe ADIDAS NMD PK RUNNER
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pOwDer BLUe 2016 aDiDas stan sMith
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perception: what is junk status?? BY KEN KAI
ou want to know what we think about junk status. Firstly, who defines what we are. I mean we claim as human beings that we are what we say we are and that nobody else can define us. If that’s true we wouldn’t be shook about anything we hear on the bulletin. I know theres hope about our country and I’m still holding on to it. Trust me, “they” want us to leave and make us perceive that we have a rubbish
country. Then they takeover! You know, I think that aspect that we lack right now is so simple and overlooked, support in each other’s ideas, when we are asked to support an idea or a business. Why do we feel like we are being scammed? We have such a long way to go because of this mentality. Being richer than the next man type of thing going on. Nothing seems genuine with it. What is that aspect we lack? Belief in each other and a similar vision.
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That’s what we are about With all these people we right now. gonna feature, be sure Check, how crazy is it that they are gonna take that Starbucks can sell us their ideas to stages uncoffee for like 100 bucks. seen before. With this arHa ha, that’s mad, it’s all ticle you’re are reading about perception, right now, you might we value the imbe feeling motivatage and the ed to start somethought that thing, to get it’s better “South Africa is a young what you have than norcountry, meaning we have out right now mal cofa rich source of youthmaybe, to fee, but it ful and creative minds, support wincould just be actually some of which haven’t un- ning ideas. locked the potential to be- We’re gonnormal one lieve in THEMSELVES! na be on the stop shop That needs to search for cracoffee! The change” brilliant thing zy creatives with about percepdope ideas for the tion is that it is corporate side of created. We need life, with crazy new innothat for our country and its vations! It’s exciting. As a products and its minds! country, We are all we got to build off of. Each other! Introducing our business Don’t ever play yourself. section! Stay Tuned! KAI South Africa is a young country, meaning we have a rich source of youthful and creative minds, some of which haven’t unlocked the potential to believe in THEMSELVES! That needs to change
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PRO
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in hi only open to t take proc beat crea perf Wel as c
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ODUCERSMUSTRISE
And let the people say “AYOBUUR”
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BY OMPHEMETSE MANANA
umelo Mathebula, A.K.A. “Tweezy” is arguably South Africa’s most prominent and successful hip hop producer in the modern era and dare I say that he’s even challenging his predecessors as going down istory to be the best that ever did it in South African hip hop… Well y time will tell, one thing is for suare though, he has without a doubt ned a door and carved a lane that many thought would be impossible truly create a legacy on in South Africa: Producing, an art form that is en lightly by many, especially those who aren’t involved in the actual cess of making music. This includes more that just merely making a t and giving it to an artist, it involves every single process from the ation of the beat; to ensuring that the artists delivers the vocals fectly; aligning all the back up vocals to create a perfect synergy…. ll I guess that you get my point right now. It’s a LONG process until we consumers get the final product.
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However for Tweezy he considers this process quite enjoyable because for him it all started with a passion for music stating that from an early age him and his friends “were really passionate about creating stuff and being artistic with our lives, you know? Cause that was the strongest way to express ourselves”. Having first been introduced to making music as a hobby, Tweezy formed a bond with the art of creating music that would soon be inseparable stating that he would sometimes miss school in order to go to his friend’s house (where there was a computer) to make beats, “when everyone was walking into school, going to learn about mathematics and hyperbole or whatever, I was going to Hilbrow to just go make a beat”.
This eventually took a toll on Tweezy’s academics, which forced his sister to intervene and make Tweezy create some sort of a balance between the two. Tweezy then formed a group with his friends called “Ghetto Prophecy”, who were able to have a couple of songs play-listed on Yfm and a have couple of TV appearances too. However it was when Tweezy decided to go solo, due to the lack of passion and belief from the rest of the group, that he was able to emerge and create name for himself as a producer, putting his ambitions of being an artist on hold.
It wasn’t all easy for Tweezy however as he endured some tough times trying to make it alone but he does acknowledge and salute those that believed in him from the beginning stating “Sbudda P was my first put on, it was during the point when kasi rappers were blowing up on Yfm, the likes of Siya Shezi, Ma 7 and Speaka was like the god of the production game.
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Fortunately for me, he was one of my mentors and groomed me to become the person I am today”. However new oppotunites emerged for him when he was given both L-Tido and AKA’s number by a member from the Fraternity after he produced the group’s hit “Beka mina Ngedwa”. ”. However Tweezy naturally didn’t believe that he actually had the Supa Mega’s 10’s stating “when he gave me the number, I was like AHHH this isn’t the guys number, he’s f***ing with me, so I called the number and I hear AKA’s voice saying: Ay yo waddup. I hung up immediately I didn’t even know what to say man (laughs)”.
Eventually Tweezy was able to grow a pair and texted AKA, which resulted in him having a studio session with the hip hop star, who was incidentally working on his now Gold status album ‘Levels’. However it takes more than just talent to impress the highly musical rapper, something that Tweezy found out the hard way. “I got to the studio and I started playing him all my beats. It’s a party at the studio, people are feeling my beats, I thought all was good and about win, then Kiernan is like: nah, I’m not taking none of these beats. He told me that the beats were dope but it wasn’t the sound he was looking for with this album and he told me to just keep making beats and updating him”.
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This was a process that Tweezy endured for almost 3 months, without any progress of an actual song coming together, a process which saw him making beats non stop “I ditched girls, playing soccer, I ditched my normal life man; even bathing and brushing my teeth. Everyday I would sit in front of the computer and make beats, my life was basically followed this structure: make beats till you pass out and wake up and do it all over again”. Having been frustrated for almost 3 months, Tweezy decided to make a beat for himself that he intend on being his first single as a solo artist, however on his way to record the song he arguably got the phone call that would change his life forever.
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. “So I was on my way to the studio to record on this beat I made which I planned on f***ing up the game with, then AKA called me again and said that I should come to the studio. So I get there and dude (AKA) is like: yo waddup man, I just thought we should chill (Tweezy pulls an understandingly annoyed face). Then he asked me if I had any beats, which annoyed me cause I didn’t think he wanted to record. As I look for a buck to get dude a cigarette, I stumble on my flash drive, which had my beat on it. So I’m faced with a catch 22, cause I could either play this beat and which can result in him taking it or I could keep it for myself and actually use it, because I know it’s hot. I naturally don’t have pride so I just decided to give him the flash and he played the beat off his laptop. As soon as this beat played
he decided to stop everyone in the studio and play it off the monitors and everyone went crazy! He told me that this one was a guaranteed smash and paid for it on the spot via EFT”. “That beat” Tweezy keeps talking about is the beat that resulted in the song that changed Tweezy’s life forever, the Gold selling single “Run Jozi”. After being hospitalised for a while Tweezy was shocked once he heard Run Jozi nearing its completion “so when I get back from hospital I see dude posted that he’s dropping a track and I see that he’s featuring K.O. I didn’t really take it to mind.
He later called me to come to the studio and played me the song, which I made the beat for, as soon as the beat dropped I went wild, cause the bars were crazy. Then verse two I got confused cause I thought AKA was rapping in vernac, once I really listened to the voice I realised it was KO! And it all clicked, the post on social media, K.O’s voice on my beat- this dude was about to drop my song! (Laughs), from there I knew I was on!” Tweezy later produced “Sim Dope” and the continental hit “All Eyes on Me” which also went Gold and like most say, the rest is history, well in Tweezy’s case the history is being created everyday with arguably 60% or more of the major South African hits on radio being produced by him.
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However despite all the success he’s experienced, Tweezy along with manhy other producers are often in the shadow of the artists they create music for, which might seem natural however it shouldn’t be as many producers in the country aren’t given public credit or recognition by major awards ceremonies and so forth. This propelled Tweezy to start what he terms as a movement, #ProducersMustRise in an attempt to bring more recognition to his fellow colleagues, “the most unfortunate thing about people behind the scenes is that we’re not in the spotlight, people just give glory to the person that’s in the spotlight because that’s the person that they’re identify whatever they hear with”.
“ my movement is just aimed at creating awareness to the people, that its not only about the artist. For someone to come up and have a hit song, you need to have a guy that makes the beat, you need to have a guy that mixes and masters, the person that arranges everything, the person that’s the A&R, it’s a whole team. Like in soccer, if Kaizer Chiefs wins a cup, does the goal scorer go fetch the cup alone? Nah, the whole team gets to go there and lift that cup and that cup will remain in the clubhouse or training complex or whatever, you know what I mean? That means everyone in that team has been awarded and credited for his or her efforts in the team result. Why can’t we do the same thing in music? That’s what I’m trynna change. When you step into a doctor or lawyer’s office, your judgement or perception of that person kinda changes when
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you see all their degrees and accomplishments hung up on the wall, including the pictures with people like Mandela (laughs), you know you’re dealing with the real deal. So imagine now, you come to my studio and the first thing you see when you walk in are all my gold plaques from levels, various awards for all the other songs I’ve done and so on, you’ll know that if you work with me, you can get your own plaque and therefore my fee will be justified.” Having collaborated and gotten support from other prominent producers, Tweezy and his colleagues aim at ensuring that there are vast opportunities for young producers to show and prove their talent as well as get the opportunity to work with them, alongside the countries biggest names in music.
From the township of Jabulani, Soweto coming up under disadvantaged circumstances Tweezy has not only shocked and surprised the entire country and hip hop community but haas also graced dance floors, parties and clubs with the numerous hits he’s produced for South Africa’s musical elite. Through all of this, the homie has remained humble about his success and accomplishments, aiming to help develop the countries next top producers and artists. So the next time you hear “Ayobuur” on a beat, you’ll know the story of perseverance, hard work and humility behind that beat. Till next time, AYOBUUR! Instagram: @beatsbytweezy Twitter: @beatsbytweezy Mixtape download link: datafilehost. com/d/8fd6eaed
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THE FOOD JOURNAL JAVA JOYS (WINTER IS COMIN)
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JAVA JOYS COURTESY OF HUFFINGTON POST
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hen it comes to getting coffeed up, these days we’ve got plenty of options. Gone are the days of picking only between a cup of decaf or regular. Now we’re faced with an
array of coffee beans that come from all over the globe, a handful of specialized ways to brew a regular cup of coffee, and enough options of espresso drinks to make your head spin. Coffee has gotten an upgrade. And while we’re not complaining, the truth is that getting a cup of java has gotten a little more creative. This new coffee culture only means good things for us studets and caffeine fiends, but it also means that we need to stay on top of what’s what. To help you figure out how to order cupshisa, read on. We’ve broken down the best 5 Java drinks, so that you can always get just the shot of caffeine you’re looking for.
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Cappuccino One of the most popular espresso drinks, a cappuccino done right should be equal parts espresso, steamed milk and foamed milk (about 60 ml each).
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MOCHA With 60 ml of espresso, 60 ml of chocolate and 30 ml of steamed milk, a mocha is a the right choice if you want something sweet.
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Cafe Noisette The noisette is one step between the machiatto and the latte. It’s a big shot of espresso with half of that amount in hot milk
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Espresso A small shot of caffeine — but more than enough to get the job done — usually about 30 ml
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Macchiato With a macchiato you get a shot of espresso (or sometimes two) with just a dot of foamed milk.
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ASIAN THREAD BY OLIVER ZONDO
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From the time when Run DMC still had his Adidas tracksuits with the rope chain, Street style has had a solid imprint with in youth culture. Fast forward 10, 15 years later street style has become embraced by main stream culture, and is finding resonance with fashionistas across the spectrum. The Asian market, Japan and South Korea specifically are markets that are increasingly becoming the hub of everything cool and trendy, global culture has been disrupted by the wave of creative force coming from the Asian peninsula.
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COMME des GARÇONs The Japanese imprint COMME des GARÇON’s series of Guerrilla Stores – which ran from 2004 until 2008, starting in Berlin and ending in Glasgow – was arguably the catalyst behind the now-ubiquitous “pop-up store” concept. Today, the company is worth in excess of $200 million. Not only is this brand reimagining the concept of fashion but has helped pioneer a new trend in the retail space the “pop-up store”. The Visuals above are from its Comme des Garçon PLAY collection, which is a bit light hearted (excuse the pun) for Rei Kawakubo the founder of the brand whose style is a bit more avant garde.
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87MM was started by the trio of the most sought-after models in Korea Chan Kim, Wonjoong Kim and Jiwoon Park. Who in an attempt to ride the online shopping wave in their country wanted to establish a webstore but got so popular when they opened a physical pop-up shop in Gangnam’s Rodeo Street (yes, like the PSY song), their stock was sold out in four days. Twitter: @www87mmcokr Instagram: 87mm_offi
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Espionage Espionage has its roots in the classic Americana aesthetic which makes it hard to figure the brand to be Korean. The imprint blends neutral colour ways with loose fit sweatshirts and Navy style caps and other accessories. The name Espionage comes from the founder’s desire to investigate and almost “spy” on ways to make the best threads, so much that the head designer calls himself an agent. Tumblr: espionagekr.tumblr.comInstagram espionage_
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The visuals provided above are from the brand’s “Blood Paint” 2014 Spring/Summer collection which features graphic prints and bold silhouettes the brand has become known for. The likes of A$ap Rocky and Big Sean have been spotted sporting some of the Korean imprint’s pieces. Twitter: @HumanPotential Instagram hupot_official
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LeaTA Military, technical sport, workwear matched with cutting edge design are a combination that best describes Leata, this outfit hails from the city of Seoul, and in their Autumn/Winter 2015 collection claimed “Seoul city never sleeps” make sure you don’t nap on these guys, visit their website www. leatastore.net to get more of their threads. Twitter: @LEATA0610 Instagram: leata_official
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Nohant Bordering on high fashion, Nohant maintains its signature clean and fitted design throughout its collections. It’s kind of a Korean reimagination of H&M’s design aesthetic with its emphasis on monochromatic signatures. With the brand’s assortment of accessories scarfs, wallets and caps there is little not to like about this Korean outfit.
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