In4mation Fall '08

Now I'm not onto the most current "trends" or whatnot, but I know what I like and In4mation is delivering once again. Staying a step ahead of the curve has always been their modus operandi, ever since Define days. Much respect to Todd and Ryan who've always been down to support the keeds and also to Keith!


Really Dope design, reminds me of the MRR-ADM 10"


Oh, how I love the Shorty Tee

More Here

Here's where it gets boring if you're not into reminiscing.

Story time once again. My friends and I used to go skating every weekend from china town all the way to Ala Moana where my mom would usually drop everyone off after she finished work. We started going to Define which was at the Ward Villages (RIP) next to the Kua Aina Kitchen and some random pottery, color me time i think, spot. Ever since the first time we went, Todd and Ryan were always hooking us up with shoes, stickers, and even helped me get a deck when mines broke outside the shop. This was at the time when we were broke ass kids scraping by with bus passes, transfers, and $2 lunches from McDonalds. We were dirty, broke, and crazy kids, but yet they were warm enough to let us come by their store, which was as upscale and tight as in4mation is currently, and hang out for hours while we planned where we were going next. Todd even let us fool around with the DJ setup they had in the store! Define was one of those places, Ahead of it's time. They sold records, skate stuff, clothing from A#, Elwood, Mixwell, Matix, diamond, chocolate, pretty much everything that everyone is going gaga over now a days.

Now when they moved to Mililani, this was at the time when I got my first dj setup. Todd was cool enough to hook me up with some scratch records. I didn't really have a chance to go to the Mills store too often cause it was way out of the way, but the times that I was able to, it was the same vibe and environment. This again was before everyone was striving to be like them.

Now fast forward a few years and the grand opening of In4mation at Ward and they've been far ahead of the rest of the competition in terms of designs and companies they bring in. I haven't been stopping by the shop as much as I would like to, mostly because all my money has been spent on records and I have a "dress code" I must follow at school, but when I find my career job I will definitely be going and supporting the guys who've always been down for the broke kids. Say what you want about their designs and the whole "streetwear" thing, the guys running the company do what they do with a PASSION which is something I think the average consumer and critics don't recognize.

Much Respect due to the posse at In4.

Style, Style, Style, Style, Style, Style, Style, Style, Style, Style. Did you hear me?

Nga Fish + Riddlore kill! Chillin Villain Empire!



My god! Gajah, Beond, and Khule!!!



P.E.A.C.E. Freestyle, dude throws down more style in a 45 second freestyle than most will ever in their life.



Ellay Khule & Pterradacto

Royce, The G4 Secret Weapon

http://www.myspace.com/royce

Lakai - Fully Flared

So if you haven't seen this yet, this is your opportunity.
Lakai decided to up the entire video on Thier Youtube Channel

Here are my three favourite parts


Guy Mariano


Mike Carroll


Rick Howard


Speaking of which they're releasing a DVD with Bonus Footage, Blu-Ray Fully Flared.

Here's the trailer.

Skate Videos Helped Me Get Into Hip-Hop

So I found a clip that brought back memories and decided to blog it.

The year was 1999 and some of my friends skated, so I decided what the heck I'll try to skate. Well after a shitty sports authority board, laughing out loud right?, I asked my cousin if he'd be able to give me a board that he wasn't using. It was a 8" powell deck with mismatched trucks, I don't even remember the brands, but it beat the shit out of the POS SA board.

I'll never forget the first time skating with two of my elementary friends, Colin and Mackay. I had my mom drop me off at Highlands where we skated for a little bit before heading out to Manana Elementary school where the task of the day was to launch off the two stair, haha! Now this was at a time when I could barely grasp the concept of an Ollie. Well after many unsuccessful tries we headed back to Highlands to meet up with Benny, John, and Jorgie. So back in those days what we did was to use our boards to get water from the sink to the ground and powerslide at the cafeteria. After getting extremely dirty from falling in dirty water, it had started to rain and my mom picked me up on her way home from work and that ended my very first day of "real" skating.

This was almost 10 years ago, I must say that skating, whether it was consistently skating or just skating every few weeks, has been something in my life that I actually committed myself to, besides the obsession with music. I tried other things like Judo and playing basketball, but I feel like skating defined me as an individual because in sports you're always told to be a team player, but skating allowed me to go for self, haha!

Onto the whole music connection. Now when I was purchasing skate videos and dubbing copies from friends, yes yes, the one thing about older skate videos that stuck out was the fact that they had underground music. It wasn't no poppy-weak-ass shit. It was good music by relatively unknown artist, at least to my friends and I. As the years went by and I started skating with different people, my home boys from intermediate and high school, Rhyan and Jon, introduced my to the Catalyst, which coincidentally sparked my interest in being a DJ. That's another thing too, I remember attending this Church thing at the Hyatt where they had a bboy battle after the service. You'd never guess who spun the bboy battle, Kavet and Oliver. It's a moment like that and reflecting upon that moment that just makes me think how different my life would be if I never picked up a skateboard.

Fast forward 9 years and skating is still very important to me, whether I do it once a week or once a month, I still try to keep current with skaters and I watch footy of the locals. At times when I get frustrated with the "scene" BS, I return to my roots and ride my skateboard to feel at ease because there's no other feeling like pushing with the fresh air blowing in your face.

Anyways, heres a clip that evokes a very nostalgic feeling. From 1999, the Blind Team part from the EPIC Rodney Mullen vs Daewon Song: Round 2 Video. Creagers part is so slick.




P.S. I just remembered that through skating I also met Ryan and Todd from In4mation who were working for Define at the time. Crazy right?

Let the Sunshine In

So I've been listening to the Hair OST, the Broadway version, a lot as of late. I never realized how really cool this song was. The 5th Dimension version is much better, but Galt Macdermot did the movie and Broadway version justice.

Teeko!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

KILLING IT!!!!