Janelle Monae.......

I was invited by a good friend a couple weeks ago to see this lovely woman perform at Schuba's in Chicago. She may be one of the most splindifferous people on the western hemisphere and her moves are second only to Little Joe Dancer. The only problem I had with J.M. was that her performance epitomized "form over function." But it didn't have to...the girl has an impressively strong vocal chord/diaphragm combo and I would've loved for it to been a little more about "the music." That's just personal preference, though. I still think one of the only worthy acts in music today.

Hats.......

From Hypebeast.

I remember seeing one of the Beastie Boys wearing a similar FUCT snapback circa 91 or so. Erik Brunetti is a pretty wise man and he's got a provocative philosophy.

adidas Originals by Originals.......

Motocross Sweat Pants by Jeremy Scott for adidas.

Black Wisdom.......

Photos by Kwesi Abbensetts taken from stopbeingfamous.com

A Jacket.......

Pretty fun looking jacket from Thoroughly Denim...perforated cotton detailing.

Denim Outerwear.......

Penfield Vassan Parka in Denim. Get it here & here.

Butter Pecan.......

Beauty...as captured by Jamel Shabazz.

Shoes.......

There were probaby about 5 occasions when I almost bought these via eBay since 2004. I never pulled the trigger because older Nike's have a tendency to bust at the seams with ease. Good thing they're re-releasing them this month. This is 1 of 2 Nike releases that actually mean shit thus far in 2010.

Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film For Theaters.......

I realized that a lot of people haven't seen this movie and most folks don't even know it exists. Well it does...I went to see it the day it premiered and thoroughly enjoyed myself. Here's the intro.......

Read this backwards, you fuck.......

We all make silly purchases, some of us on the daily. But if you're buying bottled water, you may be the social offal equivalent of those silly ass Oompa Loompa Ladies (the ones from the tanning salon) with their Louis Vuitton purses. Like, seriously, bottled WATER? Why would you buy some shit like that? I'm not even going to get into the "Enhanced Water" category (Vitamin Water, Propel, etc.).......
*But seriously, read the image backwards*

Say Your ABC.......

Via Vita-Morte.

I don't really like going out so you may never see me here HOWEVER, this is where you want to be Thursday nights in Chicago. If "No Cover" wasn't good enough for you, I hear it's a good place to catch some pussy. And I'm real serious about that...

Chancletas.......

From SlamxHype.

I think these are cool.

The brown skinned lady (she's in the middle at around the 0:44 mark) is BY FAR the baddest bitch in this entire movie. "Whitley" comes in at a close second. Tisha Campbell is a bum.......

Gorton's.......

This jacket has to be over a year old and I'm still lusting after it a little bit. I've made a promise to myself to get it if it ever decides to become discounted again.

PegLeg NYC has been one of my favorite brands for the past 4 or 5 years and Leaders1354 carries their stuff in Chicago.

MCM.......

Click the image for a whole world of MCM accessories. I'm not sure (or care) how to tell the difference between authentic and fugazi MCM and I don't if anyone else can tell the difference (or cares) either. Have fun.......

The BKc Sky Cap.......

Available now at The BKc. Available soon @ Solemates...Chicago.

Converse x ThePermanentWave x Dr. Funkenstein.......

Well kinda...I'd actually come a lot harder (II) than this, if given the chance. And ifyou don't know who Dr. Funkenstein is.......

New Balance Shoes.......

Via Highsnobiety

"I really want people to start getting into New Balance sneakers more so they can start being happy with their footwear purchases."- Unknown

1996.......

Fuhgeddaboudit...This is the best Air Force 1 ever released.

Wood Wood.......(II)

About $220 or so if you can find one.......Ahhh what the hell, get one here.

Hip Hop Music.......

There aren't too many tracks out there that represent the quintessence of Hip-Hop music. This is one of them...ironically coming from the most "commercialized" member of the Wu-Tang.

WTF.......

I seen this back in January in a lookbook of some elusive Japanese brand. It looks as if I'll have a chance at these two now. I'll take one of each, please.

Shoes.......

I'm not sure who mass455 is, but I've always thought this colorway of the Nike Air Check was the illest shoe that Nike had ever shat out...and I still do.

Lackluster Video.......

If you were unaware, Blockbuster has been in the fucking blender for quite some time now. At one time synonymous with movie rental, the Billion dollar company's slow reaction to burgeoning distribution channels (most notably the INTERWEBS!!!) has resulted in almost 1,000 stores being closed across the United States. Now the good folks @ BV have concocted a BRILLIANT idea that will definitely place them back into America's graces. With a move that may be the most brilliant marketing decision since M&M's turning down E.T., Blockbuster has decided to re-enlist the ever-joyous late fee. Yup, $1.00 per day up to 10 days, for every day past the due date. How brilliant is that? I mean, we all know there's only one thing that customers love than saving money...and that's paying MORE money. And BV, took that mantra a step further. Now all movie rentals at BV's (corporate) stores will be a whopping $4.99...and yes, that includes releases that have been on the shelves since the VHS was introduced. I've got a lot to say about this situation, but this'll have to be the denouement (but not really, though).

Changs.......

I've never really dug the way these looked ON my feet, but I may need at least 2 of these just for the "got-dammit."

Clairvoyant........

Clairvoyant doesn't just describe the kid from The Shining. It's actually the new sunglasses collection by Cheap Monday. These vintage inspired styles are only $35.00 a pair. Available now at Solemates...Chicago.

For the Feet.......

Guys: Ladies like Happy Socks. Get yourself a few pair just for fun. They're $10 a pair on their website, but if you're in Chicago Belmont Army Surplus sells them $8 each.

Meh.......

I posted the Timberland 3-Eye Lug a little while back and the 7-eye chukka is second only to them (in the Timberland realm). I've wanted the shoe to make a hard-core return to the U.S market for a while and it's uncanny that I DON'T like these. Maybe I have to check them out in person...

From Hypebeast.

The Sartorialism of one Rupert Pupkin.......

Robert DeNiro as Rupert Pupkin in one of my all time favorite movies "The King of Comedy." Rent or buy this film, watch two masters at work (DeNiro & Scorsese), and pay attention to Pupkin's garb.

A Good Day to be Black and Sexy.......

If you've got a Blockbuster near you or a Netflix account, I encourage you to seek out this film. It's very creative and interesting (though at times that creative justice makes it tough to watch). www.theblackandsexymovie.com

Damn.......

Simple & Clever.......

Nice, simple shit.

Arrow Moccasin.......

Arrow Moc is nothing new to the initiated. For those who aren't familiar, 6 weeks and about $180 will afford you a pair of these hand-crafted dandies.

Cardigan Sweaters.......

I think versatile would be a perfect descriptor for these. Find them here....

Belts.......

Not really a fan of woven belts but these are cool.

Shoes.......

Wait...are they finally giving the AM180 the respect (and colorways) it deserves?

Old Time's Sake.......

The Setting: 1994, me & my guys just outclassed "whoever" in tonight's football game. After we grab a couple buckets of wings from Harold's we stroll into the party probably around 12:34. At that time, I can imagine I'd have been decked in Lo gear and a pair of Barkley's (hat banged mean to the left since that's what it was then...). This cut comes on, as one of the guys yell "NAJ-AYYY!" Everybody's hands hit the sky once the beat drops and some sweet thing in typical 90s makeup with rings on every finger comes to grind on the kid. One hand goes behind my head (Dougie) while the other still rests in the air. A few of the gods in the party are havin' a good time while bussin' the "Mr. Cheeks" dance; another couple makes out on the dance floor while all the ladies recite this cut word for word. That's how it should be everytime.......

The Real Cassie.......

Cassie Steele aka "Manny" Santos from Degrassi. I watched this show in H.S. for three reasons: Manny, Ellie, and Emma. (LOL @ Drake getting shot in the back by a tarred and feathered assailant).