The Constorium of Greater Minds

It’s been too long since I stopped by my local record store. I happened to be in the neighborhood last weekend, so I popped in. I found one of my holy grails: Oran Juice Jones self titled LP, featuring the “hit” In the Rain. If you don’t know, better ask somebody:

http://youtu.be/9dZW1C3neao

The LP, produced by Russel Simons, Vincent F Bell, Kurtis Blow, and a than you credit for Rick Rubin, only has a couple of electro R&B tracks. The rest of the songs are in a late 60s sweet soul style, which is kind of odd next to the early gangsta aesthetic of In the Rain.

In addition to a couple of soul LPs, I picked up a bunch of 80s rap 12″s. Some record stores under price the early rap stuff, especially out here on the west coast. Dealers out on the east coast all run in the same collector/record show circuit and can figure out what’s collectable. Picked up a couple of Freddy Fresh 2 star joints (see Rap Records), including this one from the LA Dream Team.

just thought i’d drop this little story for all yall in the know.

i was down in the g-town the other night on the way to dins with m’julie, going to hit up some indian food. i saw a new sneaker/streetwear store that had opened up (which is all the rage these days. i thought of opening a shop here years ago and now the market is saturated). this new shop was in the same space once occupied by a dc record/punk/also sold some limited nikes shop of note.

so the next day i walk in to check it out and feel out the scene. i start talking with some of the dudes working there and the guy behind the counter, who i later found out is a part owner, asked me if i did my nike id’s in the studio and then asked me who i had as my design consultant. as im responding i blank on exactly who i had but i remember that we were chilling out with jolie during our first round although i couldnt remember her name. so i said to the guy i can remember her name but it was this really fine-ass girl. both of the dudes just bust out laughing and the non-owner guy is like damn. jolie was the owner’s ex-girl. not meaning to put this dude on blast or anything i’m like she was mad cool though and knew her shit. so we start talking for a minute about how they met (he was working at sean john where jolie now works) and how he has stupid amounts of vip id’s and how the whole id thing gets lame after a while.
the whole thing was mildly comical and just goes to show how small the whole street wear community is even as it’s reaching critical commercial mass.

also copped these on sale + discount for 140.

biggup kickballers. check the interweb: www.kickballersdc.com.

outlaw audio TT2150 stereo receiver

I’ve been waiting a while to get a good setup and i’m finally starting to piece it together. next up, some floor speakers.

coming at you via the publik hair…new GOODS fitted for the summer. keep an eye on these cats from the emerald city

also out of the emerald/cap hill scene comes my favorite new T from flying coffin. keeping it real in sunny seattle

!all values of yen x100

Supreme: everything in supreme japan is AT LEAST twice as expensive as the LES store.
*the loose guage beenie (for richard) was ~60 yen or ~52 daddy green backs
*the fila headband (for yourstruly) was ~15 yen or ~ 12 bucks
*vans collabo (fyt) ~ 130 yen or ~ 110 in johnny cash

Base Control: this store is “basically” visvim gear but 1/3 the price and x3 on the selection. quality isn’t far off compared to vim either, but sizes for us taller cats are a little hit and miss. i’m afraid that after the first wash my sweatpants might have to be worn at the mid shin gangsta level
*sweat pants were ~ 80 yen
*red polkadot LS T ~ 30 yen
*white LS thermal ~ 30 yen
*white 3/4 sleeve thermal ~ 30 yen
*purple LS thermal ~ saa

Busy Works Store Harajuku: as an international shopper might suspect, here at BAPE (japanese company) you see the exact opposite of what’s happening at supreme japan. everything here, compared to the SOHO store is about 2/3 to half the price. but you won’t find any XXL here big fellas!
*BAPE ape head T ~ 59 yen

Comme des Garcons: ill wallets you know from Commonwealth. CDG has a f’en crazy retail space in aoyama as well as a pop up store(?) called Dover Street Market where they have more of those fresh 3/4 zip wallets (exclusives too).
*ish is pretty expensive. large squarish 3/4 zip wallets are ~200 yen
*had some of the premuim leather AF1′s (including exposed airpocket joints) ~ 250 yen
*as for the CDG clothes…us bigger guys can pretty much forget about it unless you want to start rockin the emo look

Visvim F.I.L. space: this place is probably the coolest of the “street wear” spaces. so clean, spartan and full of light. lots of poured concret (yo, eyecue!) and white walls/fine wooden cabinets. BE WARNED! contents of store are EXPENSIVE!
*those yettie skin backpacks you wish you had ~ 450 yen
*shirts ~ nothing under ~150 yen
*you get the picture

TO BE CONTINUED…

partially devoured teriyaki burger from wendy’s…

will holding it down for the U in the inner city school

the line at supreme harajuku

for all you sushi addicts…

stumbled across this gem…giant 9 foot kaws dissection statue in the entrance

the damage

Everytime I go into Cmonwealth, I’ve been seeing this bag. Finally copped the middle one today. 2 bills. Shit is mad useful though. It’s gonna be the new school bag, record bag, dj bag, and you know I’m gonna take it to work to keep it a little street.

Today they dropped some new ish, including the illegal business hoodie, a nice new take on the otherwise played all over print craze. Even seen some designer all over prints. I know soundune was feeling them; they had one in large homie so if you need that, get at me. Biggup to the whole Cmon DC crew, especially my man who came through with the Tyson hook up.

We’ll have to wait to check out the Tokyo report from soundune in the next couple of days. I’m sure he’s got the Tokyo list drawn up already…

this is my japanese cell phone. it’s better than your crackberry. i could pay for my sapporo with it if i knew how.

this is why i can’t watch tv/listen to mp3s/pay for sake with my cell phone.