bboy cult -hip hop, sneaks, and beats

Bboy Fresh: Sling Shox for G-Shock Watches

2013-05-08T20:12:00.000-04:00

My man has done it again. Always the one to be on the cutting edge of hip hop lifestyle brands and marketing, my man Tramp has scored with yet another product line (read: check..probably a NICE one) with Sling Shox for G-Shock watches. As a continuation of their other products, including the toys and an upcoming graphic novel, this latest venture fits right in as a stylish and useful addition to the already impressive product line up.

The launch party was held at Ubiq, the ill sneaker store located in the heart of downtown Philadelphia and hosted a variety of media, music, and style aficionados of various makes and model. Some was more make than model, but thats beside the point. Whether inspiring or aspiring, a little over 600 people came to dip in the pool of energy these products seem to create on their own. The party was co-sponsored by Reebok in conjunction with the release of the Reebok Pump.

Also on the bill, was this lil dandy of a graphic novel, The Adventures of The Untouchables. I have the pre-release and man, this thing is no joke. The artwork alone is enough to justify the purchase, until you get into the story and get hooked. This is no Marvel comic. There's nothin' comic about it actually. This is some real street life sh!t. Im sure many of you have seen the videos for the Untouchables on World Star Hip Hop, so the print form is bound to become a collector's item. For those who may be living under the planet rock, get hip, with the 2 MILLION plus viewers who have watched EACH of the videos. These are bound to be collector's items. Pre-order yours now.

I can personally vouch for the authenticity of the creators. These guys are responsible citizens of the Hip Hop republic. They are true bboys, in every sense of the word, and the products are created with a knowingness of what it means to be a practitioner of the form, and not someone just practicing. These guys have a storied stay in the upper echelons of hip hop media, and are always presenting something for consumption that is ALWAYS responsible to the culture and NEVER panders to it. for a guy like me, (that almost gave his daughter the birth name B-Girl), integrity means more than execution. It's what most of these other 'brands' don't understand. But you might... that's why i roll witchu...

Catch up with the crew and their usual antics at Starlightstudio.net, and catch varying acts of wisdom, advice and shameless self promotion with my man Tramp on Twitter and Instagram @trampizm

Sure Shot toys on display with Sling Shox at Ubiq, Philadelphia

Gangster Chronicle toy on display with Sling Shox

Reebok Pumps with Sling Shox

Plenty of variety to choose from.. go to theslingshox.com to see more

Be the freshest at the function with these Pumps and matching Sling Shox....alriiiiight! FRESH....

Ubiq's own Nehaa and the man himself Tramp

And you thought that was fresh... this is the packaging they come in

Tramp Daly, creator and big wig and Quanzilla, executive producer and world renowned thorobred.

"We got that work!"

Graff Spotlight: MAD C

2013-05-08T15:16:00.001-04:00

This sister here is SHARP. she is a graff writer from Germany named MAD C. and she is TUFF. i mean, she can really paint.

it used to be a time when graffiti artists frowned upon the art students, because to us, they was cheating. graffiti was in the street, and thats where you learned it. but as the style progresses, it is only natural that it takes its place in the world of academia and in the galleries as a legitimate art form. im not MAD at it. (pun intended) enjoy these works of art.

and be careful homeboy... cause she will BURN you...

Complex Magazine's Best Rapper Alive Since 1979

2013-05-08T13:19:00.000-04:00

Here's something thats bound to have you ad your homeboys arguing. or not....

click here for the full list... and an explanation...

Sadat X- "Hot Breeze"

2013-05-06T11:56:00.000-04:00

hip hop legend Sadat X checks in with a hot one, Lo Life deep. this is the sound of classic hip hop music. get hip to a hot one. tay tuned. somethin tells me sun is gonna check in with a bunch of fire this summer...

Nissan Skyline

2013-02-12T14:00:00.000-05:00

Im West Indian, and as many of u probably see by the amount of people that you may see driving Nissans, especially Maxima's, that these particular cars have a special place in our hearts. just like Toyotas are favorites of my Puerto Rican brothers. so for me, a dude that done had more than a couple Nissans, this is THE CAR for me. These shit is ill!!! imagine pullin up at the function like this... well, i can. if u don't know, please get hip to some REAL car game...

Lo-Life 25th Anniversary

2013-02-11T15:00:00.000-05:00

anybody woth half an ear to the underground can hear the crazy amount of noise thats coming from the Lo LIfe crew on a worldwide basis. its really fly for me to see exactly how far this movement has gone from its humble beginnings of a crew of crazy kids from Brooklyn to an actual worldwide movement, with chapters in major cities across the globe. crew leader and longtime hip hop vet, Big Vic Lo, aka Thirstin Howl the Third, announced earlier this year that the whole year is to commemorate the 25 anniversary of the founding of the crew. check out the trailer and keep ur eye out for the flood...

Toddy Tee: "Batterram"

2013-02-10T16:30:00.000-05:00

Ay mayn, i fux wit it all. and im always on to some dope ass old skool Cali shit. front if u want to, Cali niggas was spitin some REAL shit from way back. and maybe a lot of em wont make ur top 5 (but i DARE you to tell me King T and MC Eight aint have lyrics), but its some REAl music anyway. and if u like music with real musiciam than u have ni chice but to fuck with that ol skool LA. let me say, old skool West Coast. cause i fux wit the music from the Bay as well. ok, i may be a lil off topic, but u see what im sayin. enjoy, and if it applies, get hip...

Polo Lake Placid BobSled Team jacket

2013-02-10T09:00:00.000-05:00

This is one MEAN jacket! i mean this shit is TUFF. i got this photo from my man Mehdi Amazeal, a real Lo Life from France. sun KEEPS CRAZY Lo shit. FOR SALE. 2LLs... and enjoy what i like to say is a quality build.

Complex Mag 50 greatest NY Graff writers

2013-02-09T23:00:00.000-05:00

Complex Magazine, a book i have mad respect for (a graff writer owns it) has released their list of The 50 greatest NY Graff writers. im sure this one got people talking... and arguing. i disagree with a few of the choices ,like my choice for this post's display, TRACY 168, i think should have been rated higher. if Phase 2 invented the wildstyle, TRACY definitely made it popular. check the list out and see if u agree...

click here.

Bboy Fresh: Ewings

2012-12-22T16:00:00.000-05:00

these was some fly joints back in the day! and im glad to see these make a return. these was always fly. and they still are. better than a lot of the sneaks coming out now, and some since they was out the first time. pictured above is the Ewing 33 Hi, my favorite joints and the classic joints from those times.

these are the Extreme Hi. these sneaks are fly and are the only Ewings with a clear sole.

these are the Ewing Eclipse. these are the joints he wore when he went to the Olympics and the USA team trashed the rest of the world. shit, somebody had to do it....

i had to throw these in. these are the Ewing Rogue II. these were released in Europe and are the ones sought after by real sneakerheads, and not just Nike hunters as i call em. i have yet to see a nice, diverse well rounded collection from these so called sneaker dudes. i'd take these in grey, with the purple and have you holding ur girlfriends hand real tight when i walk in...

MC Spotlight: Carmen Amare

2012-12-21T16:00:00.000-05:00

i cam across homegirl on the web and i had to share this. yung jawn got bars! and she make listenin to lesbian rap fun! cuz she the type of lesbo we all like. she cute. these dude lesbos should take note and catch a quote. she can spit. and she dont look like no man.

i don't know her and cant vouch for her, but its good to my ears to hear somebody her age (she's 16 in the video and probably 17 now) actually coming with something that sounds like it challenged her. and thats all we ask. sound like u give a fuck.

ok honey. its on u... u better not suck next time i hear you...

Satellite Feed: Spit Gemz "Graffiti Everywhere"

2012-12-20T16:00:00.000-05:00

this was a 'GO' from first of all! yall know im no graffiti enthusiast... i am the president! and when sun rocked this it was almost instant 'save' button. plus the line "instead of trickin, i'll buy something for my daughter". my nigga!

this a great graffiti anthem for whatever city your from. and sun rocks it right, with that diligent dialect crafted in the New York underground. it feels good for me to hear shit like this coming from New York, because i was fearful that New York was in danger of losing its identity. then Lo Lifes start poppin and buzzin in the city and all of sudden it looks like hip hop again. sometimes people need to be reminded. and this is a good one for that so that people can remember that there was a time that this part of the street life was all about how fly you can be.

bust out...

Starz Network To Air New Hip Hop Series

2012-12-20T13:50:00.002-05:00

Starz announced recently that its planning to develop a drama series based around the origins of Hip Hop in New York City's South Bronx. The show is called "Turf" and will feature how hip hop was born out of Bronx gang life in the 1970s.

Patrick Macmanus, who has written on Starz's "Marco Polo" and "Noir," will write the script for the show.

from VladTV.com

My Canadian Massive... Dig This!

2012-12-20T13:33:00.001-05:00

for all of you in the Vancouver, B.C. area, i got some great news for you! but i cant tell u yet.... but it includes free tickets to 2 shows! who are they you ask? leave me a comment and i'll let u know as soon as i know how many tickets im gonna have to give away. both shows are gonna be at the Fortune Sound Club, so you know its gonna be a well run event, with big sound and a comfortable, modern environment. BOTH shows u dont wanna miss, and one show i KNOW the fellas would LOVE to attend. ok... ready set... GO!

Raekwon: "Never Can Say Goodbye"

2012-12-20T12:48:00.003-05:00

Rae rocks it fresh over this classic Jackson 5 sample. u know how they do, rockin strait over the music, no new drums or nothin. but it works. definitely a fly joint. woulda been better if this woulda dropped in the spring or summer, but i'll take it. what yall think?

Raekwon- Never Can Say Goodbye.mp3

When Im Not Here

2012-12-19T22:33:00.001-05:00

i'm up in this jawn! and trust me im up in here a LOT. this is The BatCave Studios, in Philadelphia, PA. i have the distinct honor of being the mastering engineer for this studio.

i also do mixing and i enjoy it, but not as much as i love mastering. i dont know, i guess its something about having the last input to the record and actually being the person that balances the music to the point where it sounds like a record. i never get bored of that moment shen it all comes together and sounds like a record. i love it.

this studio is the same studio that gave the world Meek Mill. Meek Mill is actually a product of the guidance of Ruggedness, the chief engineer there , and Biz Porter, the 1st rapper to be signed to Motown Records. Rug just got nominated for a Grammy for his work for Rick Ross, which was recorded in this studio, but in the 'A' Room. this is the 'B' room pictured above. i work in this room with Don Groove, a Philly studio and production legend, and when his studio was open, he was the road by which many Philly rappers made it to stardom, including every last Philly rapper that was signed to Rocafella records. they all started out with him. i work at a great place.

since being here, i have mastered records for people all across the country and of all different genres. so this is the reason the site isnt being updated in a regular fashion. because ur boy Cult is actually being a part of the culture at a professional level. its a great crew, and trust me, im gonna be sharing some fly shit with yall for sure.

i'm not the type to feel like i owe anybody an explanation for anything i do. but many of u have been sending me emails telling me how much yall appreciate what we do here. and that was more than motivation enough to renew my efforts to make sure we stay broadcasting from at least 20,000 ft.

thank all of you... im back!

Bboy Fresh: DJ Clark Kent talks sneaks

2012-10-10T21:00:00.000-04:00

For those that know sneaks, know that Clark Kent is in the mix. he regulary gets exclusives and has shit made exclusively for him by Nike. check him out as he breaks down a portion of his collection. crazy...

Gear Head: Arturia Prophet V

2012-10-10T16:58:00.003-04:00

for all of you in the world of production, here is a piece that i think you'll find interesting. let me know what you think in the comments section below.

shout out the Air Users Blog, a wonderful place for reviews and product launches. i'll be sharing a lot more of their videos and tutorials in the future.

BBoy Cult Classic: Tears For Fears- "Everybody Wants To Rule The World"

2012-10-03T16:29:00.001-04:00

if you feel as tho u need to do pop, why not do it like this? nobody can deny that back in the day this shit used to BANG. still does to this day. and why not make some pop music with a lil message. not bad. this was my joint and i know it was yours too. enjoy....

Who is the real B-boy?

2012-09-09T16:00:00.000-04:00

now a days, hip hop is startin to look like it used to look to me. i mean there used to be a time when the dude who got the girls were those dudes who had an almost esoteric understanding of hip hop. the more obscure and unknown dopeness you knew about and had at your disposal made you that dude. i remember playing original records for A Tribe Called Quest samples before it was all popular, to chicks who used to just melt for that kind of shit. i can even remember a love affair that i had with a beautiful woman from D.C. who i met at the Rock Steady Reunion, all based on this mutual love and deeper exploration of the culture. in layman's terms, we was on some fly shit. some bboy shit.

back those times, the breakers called themselves just that. cause before then, bboys were the name that was given to the normal everyday dude, and not just the dancers in particular. bboys were those hood dudes that wore Kangols and had fat laces in their sneakers. these were the adherents and the supporters and creators of the original form of hip hop. and a some of them were drug dealers, convicts, stick up kids and the like. my cousin, used to always call himself a bboy. he was that dude who was always on the edge of whatever it was that was the fresh shit. he wore the construction Timbs with the slacks with the full length leather. he rocked the Stetson with the Neo Styles (some Philly shit) and was the dude in the all black neighborhood who had the only Puerto Rican girl dudes had seen on that side. and she was BAD. he was a stone cold bboy. and u couldnt tell him any different. and he was no dancer.

In NY, my fams was Devil jeans, Sheepskin coats wit the Wallabee Clarks (way before Tony Starks, this is 80s action) and Cazal frames. they was Blythe International sweaters, mock necks, Bally boots and British Walkers. they was stone cold bboys. they didnt didnt have any plans on backspins and windmills.

now i dont say this in a way to dis the breakers, not one bit. but it is interesting to me how this idea got lost. i was reminded of it one day when i posted what i called a BBoy Battle, and one of my twitter friends picked it up as a dancing competition. thats when i was like this has to be sorted out. because i love breaking and the art of it. i love those who do it. but im a graffiti writer, producer and a rapper. and i am a stone cold bboy. and i do NOT dance.

in the documentary, "The Freshest Kids", DJ Kool Herc himself gives the definition of a bboy. he says it was derived from a Bronx slang word 'break' that meant to come at somethin hard, like, ' he broke on you' or 'he gone break on that dude". his other meaning was for Bronx Boy, which would've been appropriate for the climate of where the music part of the culture originated (because by the time Herc started throwing parties, the art portion, graffiti, was almost 10 years old. more on that later...) now that was Herc talking and not me.

i don't think they're thinking about dancing...

the classic and arguably origin of gangster rap albums, "Criminal Minded" by Boogie Down Productions, was released on a label called BBoy Records. of the artist on the roster of this small label from the Bronx, NY, ( JVC Force, Cold Crush Brothers, Jewel T(from Philly)) not one was dedicated to the art of dance.

classic bboy stance

without question the most famous bboys were RunDMC. their whole presentation was to reflect the the look of the kids on the street at the time, because if you remember, other rappers were dressing like either punk rockers (The Furious 5) or like r&b groups (Whodini). RunDMC bacame the truest representation of the hip hop kids from the street when they struck a bboy stance. from the time they did that, complete with the Stetson and the leather blazers, the imprint was set in the mind of people around the world for generations to come what a real bboy looks like. altho they gave many references to the breakers ('let the poppers pop and the breakers break'- RunDMC, King Of Rock), this is not a crew dedicated to dance. but this is the crew that made the bboy stance a must-do for everyone wishing to outwardly invoke the spirit and to communicate the notion that they were unquestionably an adherent to this culture. worldwide. Run even said, famously, "In a bboy stance, is how i stand"(Krush Groove).

i have a friend named Candy, who is a well known dancer named B-Girl Candy and has performed with all of the heavyweights of the dance world, like Ken Swift and Crazy Legs, to be brief. and she got wild moves. she got shit on You Tube, go google her. but i dont consider her a b-girl because she dances. i consider her that cause she is also an all city graff writer, who tags DULCE. but she is easily a person who is an adherent to the principles and pillars of the culture. same with my man KAS, also a known dancer, but also a well known graff writer, all city, in Philly, PA. i think its the adherence to the CULTURE that makes them a bboy/bgirl. not the fact that they can dance. and they CAN boogie.

for the rest of us, i think as the culture makes its reemergence, in order to correct the insane amount of fuckery that exists in the mainstream, that we understand and uphold these terms in the way that were meant. its important to me because these self definitions were formed organically. no amount of marketing made us this. it seems that these days, adherents to the culture are grouped into a category called backpackers. now, as a Lo-Life, thats fine with me, our nappy's used to stay full of goodies. as a graff writer, thats cool with me too... i used to dip in the clubs back in the day, backpack full of Krylon and Rustoleum, to smoke a blunt, bag a shorty, and go back on route while the club hoppers was goin home. but as an adherent to the truest core of this culture, i find exception to the term that gives the connotation that the actual pioneers of the culture have somehow turned into a niche group that has minimal value and no market share. i take exception because WE are the builders of the construct that has produced wealth and opportunity for the rest of these people that somehow want to make us a sideline constituency. so don't call me no backpacker. im a stone cold bboy.

always have been. always will be.

now air it out...

Bboy Fresh: Maury Yield

2012-09-08T16:00:00.000-04:00

oh now you know these screamed at the player in me! i had no choice but to jump on these when i saw em. and imma jump IN these when i get a chance. for all of you in Chicago, Detroit, Atlanta, D.C. and LA know that Mauri IS THE name in player footwear. who knew you could get ur bboy on wit these too? crazy....

Here is another boot that is perfect for the coming cold winter season. This is the Mauri Yield which is made out of ostrich, baby crocodile and nappa material. It is made in black and genuine skins and this winter boot makes up the Mauri’s Casual Collection. It has a baby crocodile vamp, a bumper toe in ostrich leg plus a soft nappa foot that is accented well in shearling right at the collar.

It has a bejewel branding and some leather linings. It also has some cushioned insole, some black rubber traction sole and a fur like collar. It would certainly not just make your feet warm as you hike outdoors but also give you the opportunity to maintain a very unique statement. This shoe is handmade in Italy and it is available in all possible sizes. It also has some silver hardware right in the tongue tag and in the bottom part of the shoe lace.

Photos via arrosmithshoes.com

Bboy Fresh: Nike Air Max Express

2012-09-07T21:00:00.000-04:00

well, you know me! the sneaks are always fresh here, and these are no exception! i swear, i'm gonna look for a Marmot jacket to kill you niggas in these with! absolutely fresh and waiting for you to style on these dudes this fall with.

This comes with a design that takes its cues from the classic shoe models and mixes them with modern takes just like its Fuse build. It is retailed at just $155 per pair and made available in black and speed yellow colors.

BBoy Fresh: 1992 Ralph Lauren P-Wing Stadium Jacket

2012-09-06T21:30:00.000-04:00

this is one of the illest joints i've seen in a while! i saw this on Facebook and i had to throw it up on here. i mean, i hate a lot of this new Polo shit with a passion! most of it is loud and doesnt have that air of distinction that the vintage shit had. i love this and reminds me of a golden era from years gone by. and for hose tryin to catch a piece of a bygone era, expect to put down as much as a stack, a rack, a grand ($1,000), or whatever u call it where you're from. and ur gonna pay that for a USED jacket. classic hip hop never dies...

Bboy Graff Salute: BRAZE, BA, Philly PA

2012-09-06T16:00:00.000-04:00

this is just one of the pieces from one of the guys that influenced me in the graffiti game. he is also an influence on popular pop artist Steve Powers. this BRAZE, from Philadelphia PA. i'll definitely be spotlighting more of his work in the future. dude is a BEAST.

(for a full screen view, click the image)

Pacewon and Mr. Green: Lock me Up

2012-09-05T22:30:00.000-04:00

my homegirl LeBlanc just put me up on this. this shit is crazy! and the video is hot. Skull snaps break in 2012? im all for it! check it out n tell me what u think...