[street art: little saigon]

beautiful wheat paste in Little Saigon, sf

My girl Nic lives in the Civic Center/Tenderloin hood of San Francisco. She is also right next to the area called "Little Saigon" which is on Larkin st. One night while strolling back to her place I noticed an incredible amount of street art in Little Saigon and surrounding blocks. Shepard Fairey's work was right near a dope art gallery called The Shooting Gallery (love the name!). I wasn't able to experience the gallery but I will definitely visit when I go back out west in May. Here are pictures I snapped on my crackberry :

[Celebrate Black History]

Legacy: Treasures of Black History. by Moorland-Spingarn Research Center, Thomas C. Battle, Donna Wells

FREDERICK DOUGLASS -photographer unknown, ca 1850. Daguerreotype mounted in brass frame and mat. Frederick Douglass Collection, Howard University Museum.

"COME AND JOIN US BROTHERS," printed by P.S. Duval & Son Lithographers, Philadelphia, ca 1864.Broadside. General Museum Collection.

FISK JUBILEE SINGERS, photograph by Allen and Howell, ca 1890. Prints and Photographs.

WOMEN ATTENDING THE SECOND NIAGARA MOVEMENT CONFERENCE, photographer unknown, 1906. Freeman Henry Morris Murray Papers.

[creative thievery]

[bay area music pt. II]

While I was in San Francisco I checked out True on Haight Street. They have a men's and women's store loaded with fresh clothing, accessories, and a respectable selection of music. I picked up an Acrylick ladies T and a bunch of Cd's. Here's the music I got:

Also picked up Dj Gary and Dj Romeo- Bay Flavor 8, and True Mixtape 12: DJ Supreme Nothing Special.

[the bay]

fat, lazy a** sea lions at fisherman's wharf, SF

I was quite lucky to have spent my birthday in San Francisco with my homegirl Nicky Nick Nic! Coming from upstate NY a week in the Bay area (in late January) is basically like a vacation in Barbados. I flew out of the Roc in a snow storm and stepped off the plane in sunshine and 70 degrees. After a brutal winter on the east coast SF felt tropical. Enough about the weather (which I will tell ya'll was perfect. Stayed around 70 degrees and sunny the whole week). If you're like me when you travel then you go to other places to experience the culture- music, art, fashion, food, and to learn how people do what they do in their hood. Music is an essential part of my life so I always make sure to pick up some mixtapes/cds/vinyl whenever I go someplace new. I especially like to hear what local musicians are doing and get that local flavor in my ear.

In SF I quickly realized that there aren't people slinging mixtapes on every corner like you find in NY or down in the subway in Philly. I asked around and ended up at Rasputin Music in union square. Here a very energetic employee (who reminded me of Jack Black) was literally jumping up and down with excitement to help me find some Bay area music to take back with me to the East Coast. Here are the cds i copped:
Outside Rasputin Music I talked to a dude named M.A. who was selling the "Been Official" mixtape hosted by DJ Mind Motion. I had heard Mind motion on 106 KMEL and he was pretty good so I flirted until M.A. gave me the cd for free. While I was on the west coast I also heard a bunch of tracks from this dude: Laroo. Now that I'm back in the Roc i'm delving into my new Bay area music collection and there's way more to it than just goin dumb, gettin hyphy, and thizzin with the homies. Yay area!

[home again home again]

[street art in little saigon- san francisco]

I am back from the west coast! The bay was incredible. More pictures/stories/anecdotes to come shortly. (To sum up my experience all you need to know is that I can't get Tupac's "California Love" out of my head. Here's the video for ya).

[respect the architect]

N.A.S.A. "Hip Hop" feat. KRS-One, Fatlip, & Slim Kid Tre

[blues harp interlude]

Ane Trolle/ Siebenhaar- "Sweet Dogs"

[handlebar or dali]

Have you ever wanted to have a moustache? Or just fake it? Well here's your chance- The Mustache Party is going down January 28 at the Bug Jar! Not only will there be art, music, and general mischief-making there will be mustaches (hopefully on everyone). Party starts at 6pm so get your faux mustaches ready and get there early. I will already be in the bay area so just party without me.

[beats for boards]

You gotta be at the Beats for Boards party at the Bug Jar on Jan. 30. Not only will you be supporting the movement for a Rochester skate park you will also get to hear some brilliant music from some brilliant artists. Tim Tones, Mdot Coop, Emilio Rojas, Ric Rude- they will all be in the building. Party happens to fall on my birthday, however, I will be in Cali so you go head and party without me! Check out: Krudco