Blog
THINGS THAT ARE AWESOME [VOL 3] July 30 2012
1. Finding things that remind you of where you came from. I’ve had this ongoing project at my home to clear out the garage. In doing so, I found a box of old CA stickers. This is a collection of pretty much every Chicharon Adventures sticker. It’s kind of surprising that I haven’t done the handwritten CA. **adds that to task list**
2. Interns turned employees turned friends, specifically Alex Campos. Campos started interning for Backside a little over a year ago, moved up to an employee because of his work ethic, and now I can call him my friend. It’s refreshing to see someone that young have so much interest and enthusiasm for an industry that’s often called dead and saturated. He’s been a source of inspiration for me, especially when he texts me in the wee hours of the morning to tell me his next idea.
3. My tattoo artist, Tony Action. I’m scheduled to get two more tattoos in the next month, both of which he has to design. One of them is an addition to what’s currently on my wrist. The other is a piece that has been conceptualized since 2007. My cousin, the original artist of that design, suddenly passed in 2008, and wasn’t able to finish it. It’s something that holds so much significance, and I’ve finally found someone to do the job. You’ll see it when it’s done.
4. SSUR. I’m currently writing a feature on Ruslan Karablin, the owner of SSUR, and just received his answers to my 20+ questions. He’s been in the game for two decades; it’s cool to read his tales of survival and relevance, it’s cool to learn about the evolution of the brand. (photo courtesy of http://www.ssurempirestate.com)
5. The fall season. It’s my favorite time of the year. Judging on how fast summer is going, it’s right around the corner. My birthday, the holidays, the leaves changing colors (I really do love that), and the clothes. By the time you read this, I’m probably en route or I’m in Long Beach for the Agenda Show. I personally like attending this one because it showcases what brands have in store for the colder months. Layers, jackets, darker colors, boots, accessories, oh my.
6. Man of Steel!!!!!!! I caught the trailer for the movie before Dark Knight. It simply deserves that many exclamation points. (photo courtesy of http://www.huffingtonpost.com)
Tweet
EYES ARE UP July 30 2012
Here’s how EYES UP looked last Thursday with some of LA’s super producers: Descry, Taurus Scott, Freddie Joachim, and Computer Jay. Peace to everyone that came through! Full coverage is on Rick & Ray’s Tumblr.
Tweet
I’VE MISSED THESE GUYS July 27 2012
I was back at the old stomping grounds last night for Soul Assassins radio. It’s been a looooong time since I’ve been there, but nothing’s changed. There’s still hustle everywhere you look - Erndogg and Choc running the show, Fredwreck making beats, Muggs working on something. It was an added bonus that The Baka Boyz were there last night, too. Who remembers the world famous roll call?!
Tweet
CARS LAND!!!! July 26 2012
I’ve been fascinated with Disney and Disneyland for as long as I can remember (except when I was a teenager and Warner Bros/Magic Mountain was cooler). They came out with these movies and TV shows that were brought to life at their theme park. As a kid, I could meet Mickey Mouse, I could soar above London as Peter Pan did, I could actually be inside Sleeping Beauty’s castle. As an adult, I see the dreams of Walt Disney realized, the empire he has built, the evolution of his product both on screen and at the park.
One of my favorite things about Disneyland’s history is the opening of California Adventure. I was in high school when construction began on a park that compacted the best things about the Golden State into a 67 acre space. It was amazing how it all worked out - from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Santa Monica Pier, from Napa Valley to Mulholland Drive. It changed this year when the entrance was made to look more like old Hollywood, and Cars Land was finally complete. It’s even more amazing now.
I visited Cars Land and California Adventure over the weekend and was overwhelmed by the detail, by the wonderment. I’ll go back there, and I’ll continue to go back. After all, Walt Disney did say, “Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world.”
Tweet
TOMORROW July 25 2012
Hard to believe that we’ve pretty much come to the last week in July…
Since May, Rick & Ray has been throwing a monthly concert series called EYES UP at Nola’s. We’ve had performers like Kixxie Siete, Rhythm Natives, KB iMean, and El Prez grace our stage. It’s that time again, and for this one, we invited some of Los Angeles’ top producers. Tomorrow, Computer Jay, Freddie Joachim, Taurus Scott, and Descry will do what they do best.
We’ve received good feedback thus far; people have told us that there’s nothing like EYES UP happening in LA, that we’re consistently building a reputation to feature talent. Come see why tomorrow night. The stage is set, all you gotta do is get there.
Tweet