Dancing like a white boy...

These are a few pictures from Master Shortie's video shoot yesterday for his tune 'Dance Like A White Boy'. Fun and vibrant, the make up artists truly went to town on the extras with the resulting effect being what can only be described as, an extremely motley crew. With goths, chavs, transvestites and ragamuffins wondering around the set, I can assure you that the video will be, if nothing else, extremely entertaining to watch. I shan't disclose anymore, but I shall say this - Shortie your doing BIG things, well flippin' done!

All hail Obama?

'With great power, comes great responsibility...'

Now we shall see what sort of man Obama truly is... Though if he performs as brilliantly in his role as President of the United States, as he did as contender during his campaign, America shall be in safe hands. With 'Change', 'Hope' and 'Progress' on the agenda, Obama has a lot to live up to, now all I can really do is hope that he is as influential, innovative and fair as he has portrayed himself to be...

A few brilliant kids...

Check out these kids who have recently been added as writers on Ruby. These include Dazed & Confused's very own Jake who, at the tender age of 16, puts my literature abilities to sorry shame, Belgium's Pieter, who is one of the most brilliant 15 year olds one could ever encounter and, from Belgium to Brooklyn, 16 year old Sophia, who has been hosting underground raves in her basement for the past year. Finally (for now) meet Gabo, a 23 year old Italian film maker/graphic designer/band member who, somehow, still manages to fit in the time to rave amongst his busy schedule. Nice.

Stitching the Gap

Last Friday I spent a section of my evening in Kings Cross's Shaw Theatre supporting my good friends the Rope Chain Spiller Kidz as they performed a few of their songs to the assembled crowd. My small role in the performance simply involved strolling onto the stage casually sporting one of the band's t-shirts - an experience to say the least, I had fun both on and off stage. Stitching The Gap is a fashion show production company that is attempting to open the polished oak-wood door of the industry to those aspiring fashionistas of whom fashion is their dream. Fusing fashion, dance and music, they hold shows twice a year, encouraging young upstart brands to display their collections with the hopes of finding an independent store to take them on. Though the organization of the night was a tad shambolic, the clothing average and the performances (minus the excellent dance crew) mediocre at best, it was all done in the best of spirits and amongst an excellent atmosphere.

A hectic week...

I've had a crazy week so far to say the least, which, as ever, involved little to no sleep, plus a bit of this and a dash of that. I also ended up here with my Princess P, and a bunch of other cool critters including him who played me this - smashing stuff. I had a meeting with these lot, met up with him, bumped into this maverick, and hung out with this dude, and this fella, which was good even if they did made me listen to this. I was extremely happy to meet up with this lovely lady as she helped to salvage my life and took me here too - BIG love. I've also been doing a fair bit of posing with these kids as I was here (pics to follow) as well as rummaging through some fabulous trainers whilst I was here and talking to this brilliant bunch as I ducked and dived from Whitechapel's fiendish community. That was all in between a hectic week with this lot working with some wonderful folk including this glamourous man. Exhausted, and I've only just hit the weekend... Strewth.

Image taken from here, thanks and check out more of his stuff here.

The one hundred million pound man

This is the face (and watch) of a man who is said to be worth an estimated £100m and is set to be paid anywhere in between £200,000 to £500,000 a week. This is Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite, better known as Kaka; an immensely blessed footballer by trade and, if Manchester City have their wicked way, he may soon be plying his trade on these sunny shores sometime in the coming months. The 2007 world player of the year is undoubtedly a fantastically talented footballer, however £100m for an individual player - especially in what is supposed to be a team sport - does seem extravagantly excessive, though the Blues' Arab owners clearly doesn't agree...

Credit crunch? What credit crunch?

Image snatched from here.

Look what Santa brought... 3 weeks too late...

These are my Air Force 1 iDs that arrived yesterday - a good thing too, I've been impatiently waiting for these bumblebee toned kicks since I first ordered them! T.Magic also grabbed some the same day and his have similarly arrived, check his out here. With a huge thanks to the people from Nike, especially Mel - it is extremely appreciated.

Livin' Proof - January 09

I have been meaning to post this for a minute, but, to be honest, blogging about Livin' Proof last Saturday will mean I would have to relive at least a fraction of the tumultuous evening that I was subject to in the mad, bad base that was a heaving Marketplace. It was busy - ridiculously so - and had it not been my mavern mate Magdi's 28th birthday, I would have given the venue a wide berth. With excellent music and a mixed, cool crowd a great night should have been in store; instead I was met with the smell of sweet sweat and a mashed up medley of a mass of bodies. Lovely.

With thanks to the ever excellent Ollie for the pics. Peace

A credit crunch countering quote from Churchill

We are still to this day, learning from the great man of whom our nation owes so much:

"A love for tradition has never weakened a nation, indeed it has strengthened nations in their hour of peril."

Let's revert to the traditional values from which this great isle was born; let's unite. Thank you Mr Churchill...

Image obtained from here.

The insomniac...

Ok I can’t take it any more - I’m a self professed insomniac. I have come to the end of my particularly short tether with the whole concept of sleeping, especially as my actual sleeping pattern is more in tune with New York than it is with London at this not so merry moment in time (my head hurts). I need a bloody remedy - what is one to do? I like sleep just as much as the next man, so why is it that my body literally disallows me to slumber until it hits 6 o’flippin clock every single day for the past 2 months? It’s past a bloody joke now, especially as I’ll have work in the morning and there will be precious time to rest (it’s a Friday after all). Attempting to complete my UCAS application alongside several late night phone calls (you know who you are) haven’t aided my plight, though once the stress and strain of UCAS is over, I’m sure I shall be able to recapture a conducive sleeping cycle. This is as close to a blathering raving rant as you shall ever read upon these pages, but it’s late and I need to do something productive with my time. I hope you're having a good night’s sleep – I know I’m bloody well not.

Image stolen from here.

We Are HQ...

Watch out for We Are HQ... (those dots afterwards are important), a new online store that shall be launched officially later on in the year. Selling some exclusive pieces from brands such as Alife, Patta, T.Magic, Crossover, HQ, Staple, 10 Deep and a merry many more, they also stock some of the very rarest trainers in the world. Created by Crossover's brilliant founder Magdi Fernandes, big things are promised of We Are HQ..., which could, potentially, even eclipse the success of Slammin Kicks, one of Fernandes' most successful ventures. I shall be involved in the project over the coming months with a select few other worthy individuals; I'll keep you all posted.

Get more info here.

Dazed & Confused teen edition

Dazed & Confused's most recent edition is all based around the British youth, the myths surrounding them and the talented, brilliant young people of this great nation. With a look at young creatives, teen entrepreneurs and just the average kids off of the street, it is well worth purchasing and having a good old read - it's a huge regret that I didn't get involved in this edition of a magazine that, to this day, is still one of my absolute favourite reads - I love its creative concoction of captured class, style and British sensibility.

Image stolen from BNTL, hope ya'll don't mind...

2009 will be a huge year...

2009 will be a huge year for absolutely everyone, and as Britain's young and talented gear up for a year where they are set to shine, a select few individuals already have their destinies well and truly placed in the starry sky. Two of said individuals are my buddies Theo a.k.a. Master Shortie and Julian Perretta, and I predict great things for both these young aspiring artists. Both 19 and both ridiculously talented Londoners, they have both been entered for the 'MTV Spanking New For 2009/Your Choice' award both of whom have pretty decent chances of actually winning. Alongside artists such as the established Daniel Merriweather, and the extremely loud Lady Gaga, winning shall be no easy feat, but the fact that both are even being considered displays how big 2009 will be for both of them. Good luck, though it does make this whole voting thing rather awkward...

Vote for them here!

A debaucherous night and aiming high for 2009...

Check out Mr Cobbie Yate's excellent post here on A Tribe Called Next, quite nicely summing up certain people's ever so scandalous new years celebrations in picture form. My own night was spent at a busy and bustling Work It, and, courtesy of a few bottles of rum, I had an absolutely excellent evening, aided, in no little part, by all the drunken debauchery around me (it got a little out of control, as most pictures somewhat suggests)...

Leading on from that night of pumped up tomfoolery, and the occasional fashion faux pas, I got thinking about 2009 and what it will bring. New years resolutions have never been my cup of tea (milk, two sugars) and keeping them have never been my forte, so instead of putting myself through that unnecessary month or so of unsolicited structured stricture and self imposed rules cum regulations, I have instead decided to set myself some goals for the year. This, I hope, will be a lot more manageable than sticking to something I so clearly do not want to do (for example spending time with my provoking parents or joining a blasted gym). In short goals are a lot easier to accomplish and – they aren’t something you have to stick to regimentally, they’re something you aspire towards. I shan’t bore you with all my goals and aspirations but I do suppose I can reveal the most important and the biggest of them all...

To make a difference; to affect people positively; to inspire people; to guide and to aide my peers – basically to constructively influence at the very least one person this year. I have been lucky enough to have some genuinely great people about me, but we don’t all have a Ruby around to actively show us the wily way. I doubt I could ever mentor someone as affectively, or change anyone’s life as much as, Ruby has changed mine, but I do look to Ms Pseudo as a truly inspiring mentor. And now I want to do the same - 2009 is the year I want to say that I positively changed someone’s life...

Bring it on and a happy new year to all...

With thanks to everyone who has made 2008 such a hugely memorable year, 2009 looks like it’s going to be even bigger and even better.

A word on a new year

Yup, there's been loads of talk about the up and coming year and now I feel it is high time that I give you all my own 2 penny's worth...

I reckon 2009 should be the year of collaborating; be it people, artists, technologies, brands, musicians whatever - let’s start mixing it up, creating something different; doing something new, something innovative, something inspirational. Forget the flouncy, boring, regular and averagely mundane; let’s begin actually doing something of true value, creating something of true worth. Let’s all aim to, not only aspire to inspire (don’t we do that anyway?), but to inspire to aspire too – look at people who motivate and influence others as well as ourselves, and learn from it, follow that path; lets forge our own. What have we got to offer that can be of use, how can we come together with other people to create; to ‘do’; start something, then finish it. With all the impending troubles, trials and tribulations that this so called ‘credit crunch’ has left us all with, shouldn’t we be looking at the people - the knowledge - the resources around us, that can help us and we can, in turn, aide.

Just a thought or three...