Let’s do this again!

Raffle and / or Auction items for the FOR THE PEOPLE: HELP SAVE HAITI EVENT

If you haven’t heard, we are hosting an event to raise money for relief efforts in Haiti at the Goodlife in Boston this upcoming Sunday.

Peep flyer and scroll down to peep all the goodies we have lined up!

Adri Cowan the Public Relations Manager from Mark Batty Publisher donated a stack of “pop culture / art / graphics” titles from their Spring 2010 catalog. Thanks Adri!!!

My brother Fresh from Concepts donated a crispy pair of Kobe V’s to the cause. Fresh is Haitian and is a major reason why I decided to get involved in the cause. Hold your head fam.

This amazing P Rod 3 promo skate deck and shoe package was given to the cause by Spungie of Concepts. An amazing contribution that is going to raise some eye brows! Thanks Spunge!

The first colorway in the infamous Spizike was donated, once again, by our Jordan Brand rep George McConnaughey— Peep the pics. SIGNED! Thanks George for opening your heart and your stash closet!

Megan Farry of New Era has been gracious enough to donate every MLB home cap to one lucky raffle winner. So if you win this raffle, your size info and address will be sent to New Era and you will receive each hat in your size!! That’s 30 hats!!!!!

I cant stress enough that the focus of this event is to raise money. Please come ready to spend for the cause.

Here are a few more items we will have available to raffle and auction at the “For The People: Help Save Haiti Event”.

My man Paul Middleman, the creative director of Stussy, has donated some amazing stuff. Can you say collectible? Holy shit.

Stussy x Bape “desert camo” jacket. Japan only exclusive from the mid 90′s.

Stussy x Hiroshi Sunglasses. About 3 years old. Shape designed by Hiroshi Himself— also the pair he currently wears.

Rza as Bobby Digital promo toy from his 1998 debut album— this bus has a record needle and will drive on a record and play it. Bong.

This is very interesting— Hiroshi Fujiwara Nike Presto miniature toys from 2001. Hong Kong bootleg that Paul picked up on a trip to China.

A nice Porter messanger bag Paul bought 3 seasons ago to bring some stuff back from Japan— Very dope.

These Tiffany x Nike AF1 lacelocks were an exclusive given to attendees of the One Night Only event in NYC.

Yeah I know!!

This picture obviously isn’t mine but I have the Air Jordan IV Thunder & Lightning Pack – both shoes with matching jacket! Donated from my man George our Brand Jordan rep. My man!!!

From my man Harmeet of Puma— one very big Puma Suede!!! Peep my phone for size comparison!

My man Levi Maestro sent me some of his MK13 tees he did with 13th Witness and his Gourmet x Pepsi friends and family colab. Big shout to Maestro knows!

My muthafuckin man OG Slick blessed us with some canvas work!! Amazing donation from a legend!

The Cult Leader Ill Bill has sent 6 limited “Ill Bill” New Era fitted caps! La Coka Fans stand up!!

See you there— bring your heart and your money!

Here is just a taste of the items we will have available to raffle and auction at the “For The People: Help Save Haiti Event”.

My big homie Bun B has donated the AJ 23 Finale that was only available in 23 accounts world wide. The last color of the last of the numbered Air Jordans. Holy Shit. Bun signed the box and sent me a pic.

My big brother Danny Boy of House of Pain and La Coka Nostra has donated a pair of the infamous HOP Adidas Campus. The designer of the shoe and founder of HOP has also signed the box! If you missed it last St. Patty’s day… here is your chance to get yourself right.

My good people at Mitchell & Ness has donated a Chicago Bulls Michael Jordan Limited Edition 1984-1985 authentic rookie jersey. 1 of 1,264! This jersey represents the moment the game of basketball changed forever. Want it? Come through!!!

The New Balance 574 Clips pack was one of the most limited and sought after set of shoes of 2009. Well guess what? My friends in the PR department at New Balance have donated the set of 4 for the event!

Nike SB and Supreme partnerships are always incredible and most wanted. Our people at SB have looked out once again and have donated the red and green Supreme Bruin! We also will have a couple pairs of Blue Lobsters to raffle off.

For The People: Help Save Haiti Event has joined forces with Good Wood NYC to create these incredible pieces exclusively made for our event. These pieces will be available for sale at the Goodlife in Boston on Sunday night (peep flyer in previous post).

Only 15 pieces available in black and 35 in natural wood and feature the quote “L’Union Fait La Force” (Union Makes Strength) which is featured on the Haitian flag. The back features the Brek.One “B-Man” logo holding a cleaver to represent our partnership.

We will also have tees available at the event featuring the same artwork.

Most of us live in a world where a really bad day consists of morning commute traffic, a slow line at Starbucks or being the 25th in line at a 24 pair sneaker release. We, including me, sometimes take for granted the blessing we are allotted on a daily basis.

Regardless of the location, the horrible tragedy that has taken place in Haiti should open our eyes to real pain and hardship. Many of our friends and colleagues have yet to locate their family members who were affected by the natural disaster. My family in Puerto Rico is but a few hundred miles from where the earthquake hit. I could have easily been someone trying to locate my grandmother— the thought is surreal and makes me very sad and uncomfortable.

At Concepts I have friends I work with directly affected by the tragedy so this has hit home. Another friend of mine, Brek.One – who is Concepts family, is also Haitian. We have decided to work together to do our part with the resources we have. I have reached out to friends in my industry to donate some cool product for our event. We will raffle off most of the product with some pricier rare stuff auctioned off.

This is all going down this Sunday night at the Goodlife in Boston (location details on flyer).

Please join us to bring awareness and raise cash funds for OUR people of Haiti. I want to emphasize the RAISE MONEY part. Buy as many raffle tickets you can and donate as much as possible at the door. It is for a great cause and everything counts.

Brek.One, The Bladerunners and Devlin will be providing the entertainment.

Special Collaboration with Good Wood NYC: Limited edition “Help Save Haiti” pieces to be sold at event.
Special Collaboration with Quinton: Limited edition “Help Save Haiti” snap back cap to be sold at event.

Product donations by:

Concepts
New Balance
Nike SB
Mitchell & Ness
Bun B of UGK
Dr. Romanelli
Danny Boy of House of Pain / La Coka Nostra
ILL BILL / La Coka Nostra
Paul Middleman of Stussy
Puma
Diamond Supply Company
Columbia Sportswear
Sorel
Maestro Knows
St. Alfred of Chicago
Mark Batty Publisher
& more….

We hope to see you there…. again, emphasizing the bring money part!!!

It was 1988 and I was a 10 year old absolutely obsessed with hip-hop music and culture. I didn’t even refer to it as such because is was as normal to me to listen to rap music as it was to eat grandma’s Puerto Rican food. With out the internet to fuel ones need for discovery, I would walk from my neighborhood to Strawberry’s (the local record store – now closed) to cop cassettes and help a DJ friend at the time boost vinyl.

Its hard to explain how important 1988-1989 was for hip-hop music and how much of a contribution it made to my development as a person. Everything was so new: let me explain. When Slick Rick dropped his single “Children’s Story”, it was the first time I have ever heard a rapper recite a story in a rap that was so vivid, animated and complete. He invented that shit. When I heard KRS One’s voice for the first time on “My Philosophy” it was like I was at a self help seminar! Let’s not even start an Eric B and Rakim conversation— they were so serious, it made me serious! The things these artists were doing were literally the first time they were being done. Can you say that about any one artist today? Probably not. Absolutely not.

One song in particular that really made an impact on me was Rob Base and DJ EZ Rock’s “It takes 2″— for a few reasons.

1- It was amazing – first and foremost.

2- My DJ friend that I used to steal records with had the Lyn Collin record “Think (about it)” which is the original sample used for that song (and many other hip-hop classics). He used to cut up and sample the record before I actually heard “It Takes 2″. Shit, might have been his favorite record because we heard it a lot! To know the origins of the record made an impact on me.

3- It became incorporated into the theme song for YO! MTV Raps which was religion for me. Would not miss a show and when we finally could afford a VCR it was dubbed, re dubbed and re re dubbed.

Fast forward to present day and Snoop Dogg has resurrected the Rob Base song for a modern day hit (and tribute…) and I’m not mad at all. It was a reminder of what was but a confirmation that what happens today is with direct influence of yesterday.

From Lyn Collins to Rob Base and DJ EZ Rock, to Snoop Dogg, to the numerous rappers that ended 2009 freestyling over the Snoop Dogg instrumental – the seed Lyn planted in 1972 has provided the fruit we eat today.

Below are the videos for the Rob Base smash, Snoop’s joint and the foundation Lyn layed.

Enjoy.

And yes I am getting old….

Gift from Adidas to Concepts

Celtics Phantom II with an Adidas basketball signed by #43 Kendrick Perkins.

Big thanks to Shaun Fitzpatrick.

What you on huh? Dope or dog food?

D-Nice does it again with a new episode of True Hip-Hop Stories featuring the King Asiac Big Daddy Kane!

Explains the making of “Ain’t no Half Steppin”… FUCKIN CLASSIC.