Shontelle - Licky (Under the Covers) [Video]

Video to her 1st UK single off her sophomore effort titled "Licky."

Jay-Z Backs Kanye West VMA Outburst, “He Was Telling The Truth”

Illuminati Hov defends his “Run This Town” collaborator Kanye West in the February issue of Interview which he also covers. The accompanying article does a thorough job of questioning Hov about the ups and downs of the industry, including the perils of rapping after 40 and his dismay at Eminem having to wear a bulletproof vest, but when talk turns to Kanye’s VMA debacle – Hov holds it down for Yeezy. Look under the hood for his exact words:

MITCHELL: Sometimes his passions ruin him.

JAY-Z: Yeah, which is great. I like that, man! I really do. I mean, no one’s walking around here perfect. Everyone’s gonna make mistakes. That’s part of how you learn. I think Kanye . . . Well, I know he said what he believed. He was telling the truth.

MITCHELL: To which event are you referring?

JAY-Z: I’m talking about the Taylor Swift
thing. I just think the timing of what he did was wrong, and that, of course, overshadowed everything. He believed that “Single Ladies” [by Jay-Z’s wife, Beyoncé] was a better video. I believed that. I think a lot of people believed that. You can’t give someone Video of the Year if they don’t win Best Female Video. I thought Best Female Video was something you won on the way to Video of the Year. But, hey, I guess it wasn’t—and that’s a whole other conversation about awards shows and artists.

MITCHELL: You’ve always had interesting takes on awards shows. I remember back in the day, you talked about the Grammys and said, “Well, they don’t take rap seriously, so why should I go? They don’t know what we do—and they don’t care about what we do.”

JAY-Z: It’s just honest, man—they really didn’t. I’ve always seen awards shows for what they are. For the awards show people, it’s about sponsorships—it’s not about recognizing anyone’s art, because if you get into the business of recognizing art, then you have to get it right all the time. You have to get it right. You can’t have the woman who wins Video of the Year not win Best Female Video. I mean, Herbie Hancock is great, but you can’t have him beat the Kanye album that year. I mean, come on, seriously. That can’t happen. That just lets me know that the people who get to pick these ballots just check the only name they know. I think that’s what’s happening with rap music now.

MITCHELL: Yeah?

JAY-Z: I think it’s a bunch of people who don’t know anything about rap, and have probably never even heard a Kanye West album, are doing the nominating, and they say, “Kanye West. I know that name. That’s the guy who made the comments about the president that time! He’s nominated!” That’s how the process works, and I think that’s part of Kanye’s frustration. Me, I look at it for what it is. But Kanye is so passionate about it. I mean, the guy shot three “Jesus Walks” videos. Three. Two of them he shot with his own money
just so he could get it right. He really cares about it. And then, back to the original point, his passion kicks in and he takes things too far . . . He doesn’t realize that that girl, Taylor Swift, is just like him. That was her moment. It wasn’t her fault. She didn’t do anything. It’s not her awards show. So he just did the wrong thing to the wrong person at the wrong time.
VIA:http://bossip.com/

NEWS: MAJOR EARTHQUAKE HITS HAITI + HOW YOU CAN HELP

A Haitian woman is helped after being trapped in rubble on Tuesday, January 12th in Port-au-Prince following a huge earthquake measuring 7.0 rocked the impoverished Caribbean nation of Haiti. The massive quake toppled buildings (including the Haitian Presidential palace, also pictured above) and caused widespread damage and panic.

President Obama released a statement shortly after the news broke of the earthquake saying,

“My thoughts and prayers go out to those who have been affected by this earthquake. We are closely monitoring the situation and we stand ready to assist the people of Haiti.”

No official word on the loss of life, but according to CNN, it is expected to be in the thousands.
HOW YOU CAN HELP…?

Wondering how you help Haiti in their time of need? You can donate $5 by texting YELE to 501501 or get more info by visiting www.yele.org. The American Red Cross has also setup their website for donations (www.redcross.org).

MAG COVERS: RIHANNA COVERS W

Rihanna covers the February issue of W, which features a fashion spread of the singer and an interview on “who she really is”.

‘ROUND THE WAY: JAY-Z SPEAKS ON ILLUMINATI + ‘ON TO THE NEXT ONE’ DIRECTOR CLEARS THE AIR

Jay-Z spoke with Angie Martinez of Hot 97 on Wednesday afternoon about claims that he is a “devil worshiper” and part of a secret society (aka The Illuminati). Peep what he said:

“I don’t know where it started. I don’t know where it came from. I really think it’s really silly. For the record, I of course believe in God, but I believe in one God. If people must know my religious beliefs, I believe in one God. I don’t believe in religion. I don’t believe in Christians or Muslims. I think all that separates people. I think it’s one God. I think it’s all the same God, and I don’t believe in Hell. But as far as God, of course I believe in God. Am I a part of some sect or cult? That sounds stupid to me. It’s like ignorant to even say, and umm… I guess that’ll be the last time I address that. It’s ignorant to me”

Do you believe that those sort of organizations exist?
I think there are cliques of friends that control things. I don’t if there is a devil worshiping sect. That’s a little Tom hanks. I believe there are cliques of people that control the world…but that’s just natural process. I’m sure Obama has his people and everything is good but as far as how far people are taking it… [ Read more at NECOLE BITCHIE ]

‘ON TO THE NEXT ONE’ DIR. CLEARS THE AIR

Speaking of Illuminati and occult images. Sam Brown, the director of Jay-Z’s latest video, “On To The Next One’ recently spoke out about the video, which received some backlash for its ‘Freemasonry images’.

There’s been a lot of talk about Jay’s video containing Freemason imagery such as the horned animal head, an eagle and skull. What are your thoughts about such talk and why do you think music fans are so quick to believe a conspiracy narrative?

I’m aware of the stir the video has caused and what people are saying. I think when you’re dealing in abstract imagery people are going to want to draw lines between things and make sense of it. However, I’ve always felt that the viewing public was, in general, extremely visually literate. They don’t always want or need things to be spelt out for them. One of the great things about music videos are they can be enjoyed purely visually—it doesn’t need to mean anything or make any sense. Conspiracy theory is another thing entirely, and seems to me to be about projecting pre-existing beliefs and desperately looking for things that confirm them. There is imagery in this video that is drawn from all over the place. None of it is owned by any one culture or belief system. You can connect anything if you try hard enough, and make it mean anything you want it to.

VIA:http://concreteloop.com/

Spring Dream

The Business Polo

If you want to a cool Polo Shirt? The cool Business Polo($25) features the Big Richard Logo.
The red logo says: “I’m in charge here.” It says, “I’m passionate about what I’m doing.” It says, “I’m the man, and I know it.” And you are the man.
Available in red and orange.

Attaching SLR lenses to an iPhone with the Phone-O-Scope

Camera hacker Bhautik Joshi has built an optical adapter - the Phone-O-Scope, so he could attach SLR lenses to the iPhone. [ link ]
"Just to get the inevitable question of 'why' out of the way - well, why not? As far as I can tell, I think this is the first - I couldn't find any similar SLR lens to camera phone attaching attempts anywhere else online. The Phone-O-Scope doesn't take especially superb images, and it's a bit clumsy to handle. On the other hand, it's fun to shoot with and produces very analog (almost Holga-like) results. You also get the advantages of SLR lenses - that is, DOF effects, and the wide range of available focal lengths (i.e. macro to telephoto). "

adidas Originals by Originals 2010 Spring/Summer James Bond for David Beckham Collection

Following up on yesterday’s preview we get a closer look into the upcoming adidas Originals by Originals James Bond for David Beckham range. Included within the lineup are various garment choices, all falling in line with the contemporary sportswear aesthetic made popular within the previous collections. Footwear is also seen, each model tying in to the entire lineup quite well. A release can be expected through adidas Originals flagship locations worldwide.
VIA:http://hypebeast.com/

COMME des GARCONS HOMME 2010 Spring/Summer Collection

Kicking things off in the new year is a selection of looks into COMME des GARCONS HOMME. Known for their ample use of remixing and multi-material concoctions over various lines, knitwear finds some interesting and colorful combinations over sweaters with a further mix of jackets also included in January’s releases. Available now at COMME des GARCON Hong Kong.
VIA:http://hypebeast.com/

Rihanna feat. Lil’ Kim “Hard” Remix

DJ FunkMaster Flex premiered a Rihanna feat. Lil’ Kim Hard remix track. Supposedly it’s going to be on Kim’s new mixtape, which should be dropping soon.
Copy link<<DOWNLOAD HERE>>>> http://www.mediafire.com/?nkuzmj55myj

My Thought Of The Day

Before you speak, listen. Before you write, think. Before you spend, earn. Before you invest, investigate. Before you criticize, wait. Before you pray, forgive. Before you quit, try. Before you retire, save. Before you die, give. LIFE IS MONEY

Quoddy - Maliseet Oxford & Blucher/3sixteen x Quoddy - Leather Deck Chukka (Navy)

Stussy Japan will soon be dropping their collaborative 7-Eye Chukka alongside Timberland. I'm really feelin' the sleek suede construction placed on the two-tone tan colorway. Both parties keep the boot pure with little to no branding. Look for these to hit Stussy Japan chapter stores, Zozo stores, as well as webstores October 30th (2009). Hopefully select retailers in the U.S. will be receiving a shipment soon. Retail is set at ¥26,250, which is $289 USD.
One of my favorite brands, 3sixteen, has finally released their collaborative Leather Deck Chukka with Quoddy of Maine. The clean-cut sihlouette features a sleek upper made up of premium blue leather, joined by contrasting white details and a hand-crafted construction. Available now in limited quantities via 3sixteen's online store. Image via Hypebeast
H(y)r Collective's The Shop has just received two styles from the Maine-based footwear manufacturer Quoddy. The release includes both the Oxford ($250 USD), in which features a dark toned 4-hole design with a clean upper, along with the Blucher ($220 USD) sporting a light brown option wih a collar trim. Definitely a clean wear from just about any occasion.

Apple Tablet (2010) - A Closer Look

I'm sure you all remember the Apple Tablet I posted sometime last month. I stated that it was supposed to be releasing in September of 2009 - well I was wrong. According to Gizmodo and sources, the Tablet may not make it's way out to retailers until sometime in 2010! Well now that that's out of the way, Gizmodo cheers us up with a closer look at the highly-anticipated device. The price-range is expected to be around $700 - $900 USD. Stay tuned for more information as I discover it.
VIA:http://www.angelologan.com/