Gold Coast Trading x 23 Tribes
Have I mentioned my fondness for Emeka Alams’ Gold Coast Trading Company yet? I’ve been following the design developments for over a year now, and I admire the way GCTC is branding itself - a little mystery, a lot of details, and always an overwhelming sense of origin. It’s a beautiful new take on global street wear, and in this case, a melding of cultural craftsmanship. Aztec mocs, lined with African wax cloth (via Europe, usually),... Read More
Holiday Special: Jazzy Ladies
I’ve always loved to sing the jazz songs meant for instruments, and the holidays are a perfect time to listen to old jazz records. There are a few songs that I’ve had an incredibly difficult time finding, including Ray Noble’s beautiful Indian love song “Cherokee” (I used to bang it out on my piano in high school) sung by the fantastically brassy Sarah Vaughan: and also the haunted vocals of Abbey Lincoln killing Mongo... Read More
Africa Mon Amour: Colors x Good Mag
A Guide To The Rest Of Africa My pal and excellent photo-journo Chris Saunders passed along this awesome guide to Africa by my two fave international culture pubs, COLORS and GOOD. It’s full of inspiring photos and adventurous ideas, and it’s perfect for anyone who has ever been to Africa, been intrigued to go or has no knowledge at all of the vast continent. I love how the guide gives each country a special cultural note and supporting... Read More
NPR: Listening To Rap For The First Time, With A Book Critic
Thanks to Alexandria Gamlin, I have been privy to this amazing interview subsequenting an equally amazing review of a great book. Enough superlatives? You’ll think of more after you complete the content below. As a long-time loyalist to hip-hop, I am so grateful that someone finally did a nerdy science experiment on rap, lyrics and beats, and measured emcees in a larger context of language, performance and musicianship. I could hardly believe... Read More
Octave One x Chuck Gibson
Octave One is a group of American Techno musicians composed of siblings Lenny Burden and Lawrence Burden, sometimes associated with their three other brothers, Lorne Burden, Lynell Burden and Lance Burden. In 1989, The band debuted on Derrick May's Transmat record label with the single "I Believe".[1] In 1990, "I Believe" was included on the compilation Techno 2: The Next Generation (10 Records).[2] Also In 1990, with their brother Lynell,... Read More
Mary HK Choi on Men Dresssing Well
Found this brilliant sartorial essay on Facebook via Leah Taylor, who found it on The Awl’s new sister blog The Hairpin. Within the first two sentences, I became officially obsessed with author Mary HK Choi. Former Exec Editor of Mass Appeal, Founder of it’s now-defunct sister mag Missbehave, and current Senior Editor of Complex, Choi has probably already made twenty people laugh this morning. Thank you for introducing me to the term “dickroll”.... Read More
Paul Mooney: Comedy Royalty
I’m not sure why it took me so long to find this Miami New Times interview with legendary Paul Mooney, but better late than never. Mooney, who worked with “King of Comedy” Richard Pryor for 30 years, also wrote for In Living Color, Saturday Night Live, opened for Eddie Murphy’s Raw Tour, and acted regularly in skits on Dave Chappelle’s eponymous show. As for his own successful stand-up comedy career, Mooney continues... Read More
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