AVERY GETS THE BOOT!
 The Dallas Mavericks fired coach Avery Johnson today, its the first of what's likely to be many offseason moves after the team with the league's highest payroll again flopped in the first round of the playoffs. Billionaire Owner Mark Cuban will do whatever it takes to win a championship. He is a maniac, I'm excited to see what he does next. Back to Back first round losses in the playoffs is very disappointing for a team of this caliber.
THE BLOODCLOT DIARIES
 The Village Voice recently ran a long feature about John "Bloodclot" Joseph, former singer for NYHC heavyweights the Cro-Mags. John recently published a book entitled "The evolution of a Cro-Magnon" detailing his life as well as his experience with the Cro-Mags. Check out the article here,and learn a little about NYHC's history. "I became very violent as a teenager, runnin' around on the streets," he says. "I wouldn't let anybody do anything to me. If I found out somebody did something to my brother, or my friends, I wouldn't think twice about cracking you with a two-by-four or a bottle or whatever. That was how it was on the streets. There was stuff I couldn't put in the book, 'cause, y'know." This is some real talk from a real dude...
"DUCT TAPE BANDIT"
 Kasey Kazee earned the nickname "Duct Tape Bandit" after robbing Shamrock Liquors in Ashland, Ky., in August looking like this. He pleaded guilty to the crime Tuesday. Under terms of a plea agreement, 25-year-old Kasey G. Kazee faces 10 years in prison, the maximum sentence. He pleaded guilty Tuesday to second-degree robbery. Police said Kazee entered an Ashland liquor store on Aug. 10 with his entire head, except for openings at his eyes and mouth, wrapped in duct tape. Kazee told a clerk he had a knife and threatened to harm her if she didn't give him the money from the cash register, police said. The clerk complied and the man left. Before the "Duct Tape Bandit" could make his getaway, another store employee tackled him in the parking lot, police said. The employee and several other men who came running from a neighboring store detained the suspect until officers arrived. What a idiot! Hahaha
MURAKAMI
 Somehow this one was off my radar... Superflat master, and every rappers new favorite artist, Takashi Murakami is back in L.A. with a solo show featuring new work! The opening reception is May 3rd, and no Kanye wont be performing like he did at the MOCA a few months back. While the show at the MOCA was a retrospective with artwork spanning from the early nineties to the present, this show is strictly new pieces... Judging from the image on the flier I am pretty interested to see his new direction. Blum & Poe 2754 S. La Cienega Blvd. Los Angeles, Ca.
STEVENSON THANKFUL FOR SHOUT OUT!
  As you know, the DeShawn Stevenson and Lebron James beef is a hot topic in streets right now. I thought I would post a pic of the last hard foul which almost led to another fight between the two. It seems DeShawn doesn't want beef with the Jigga man! Stevenson said that his problem is with James, not Jay-Z, even after the song. "Jay-Z is a legend. He'll go down in history. No disrespect to Jay-Z," Stevenson said. "I take it as a compliment. I like his music. I like everything he does. I would never go at a legend. Stevenson said he is also upset that a D.C. area club would allow a diss record to be played about one of its local players. "We're in D.C. If we did that in Cleveland, they wouldn't do it. So, I'm boycotting Love. Everybody on our team, we're boycotting Love and Park. We're not going no more," Stevenson said. "But I appreciate Jay-Z for giving me the shout out.
BILLY BLANKS X TRADITION
  Tae Bo master, Billy Blanks stopped by the shop today. Billy is a 7 time world karate champion and hold a seventh degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do. Aside from hawking his DVD's on late night infomercials and being an all around badass, Billy recently opened a new training facility in Westlake Village. Look for a Tradition X Billy Blanks muscle tee in the not so distant future!
GARBAGE ISLAND
 VBS.TV recently posted a 12 part mini-series/documentary called "Toxic-Garbage Island." The good people from Vice Magazine (one of my favs.) sent a small crew to explore the "Great Pacific Garbage Patch", a giant collection of debris in the middle of nowhere (near Hawaii). The series documents the crew's three week journey to find the patch which is basically a giant stew of floating pieces of plastic that is slowly photodegrading into even tinier toxic, digestible pieces. The outcome? We are all f*cked, and we are ingesting out own garbage! "Garbage Island" is definitely worth watching! Check it out here.
SQUBA CONCEPT CAR
  Thirty years ago, James Bond drove under water through the magic of animation in The Spy Who Loved Me. Rinspeed has turned Hollywood fiction into reality with the power of innovation and imagination. The sQuba, which debuted at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show this month, is a versatile concept car that can travel up to 33 feet under water. Since the sQuba is an amphibian vehicle, it features an electric motor with powerful torque to drive the rear wheels as well as two propellers ensuring momentum in the water. The sQuba also boasts zero emissions and zero pollution preserving the air above and below water.
JAY-Z "BLOW THE WHISTLE"
 The playoffs are heating up, with Lebron and Deshawn Stevenson going at it face to face with the Washington Wizards-Cleveland Cavaliers series. These two talents have been beefing. Washington Wizards shooting guard DeShawn Stevenson said last month that Cleveland Cavaliers small forward LeBron James was "overrated"; LeBron retorted that said insult was akin to, say, Soulja Boy dissing Jay-Z; and just this past weekend, Soulja Boy himself chimed in to express his displeasure at being used as a synonym for "wack rapper." Soulja Boy even recorded a distrack going at Lebron! As if any one cares what "Soulja Boy tell 'em!" Haha... You know Jay-Z aint gonna let his man Lebron go out like that, and he recently made a diss record on Friday about DeShawn Stevenson. Thats right! You heard it here first! Thanks to Nah Right we bring you Jay-Z's "Blow The Whistle.""Who the f*ck is overrated? If anything they underpaid him! Hate and thats only gonna make him spend the night out of spite with a chick you been dating!" Haha.. so many good lines!
WASTE OF A ROLLS ROYCE
  I was out and about today and saw the new yellow Rolls Royce Drophead Coupé, there isn't many on the road but this one has to be one of the ugliest produced! Why would anyone pay half a million dollars for a yellow one? Your guess is as good as mine!
USA TO FACE CHINA
 The United States men's basketball team will face host China in its first game at the Beijing Olympics. In a draw held Saturday in Beijing, the Americans were drawn into Group B with China, defending world champion Spain and Angola. The two other teams to fill out the six-team group will come from an Olympic qualifying tournament in Athens, Greece, on July 14-20. Group A is made up of Lithuania, Russia, defending Olympic champion Argentina, Iran and Australia. The sixth team will come from the Athens tournament. USA is bringing home the gold, I guarantee it!
WHEN COMIC BOOK NERD HAVE KIDS...
 ...They name them after their favorite superhero. In this guys case, his parents chose two! Batman and Superman!
THE BLACK MAMBA STRIKES AGAIN
  Kobe Bryant nicknamed himself The Black Mamba, after one of the world's deadliest snakes. According to Kobe, "The Mamba can strike with 99 percent accuracy at maximum speed, in rapid succession. That's the kind of basketball precision I want to have". Even though the MVP votes have already been tallied, KB24 gave the fans a reminder of why the trophy will probably end up with him. He exploded for 49 points Last night vs the Nuggets in game #2, one off his career playoff high and had 10 assists to become the fourth player in the past 15 postseasons to hit the 40-10 mark.
NEW NAS "BE A N*GGER TOO"
 Thanks to DUBCNN we bring you the newest single the controversial upcoming album from Nas. Nas has always been one of my favorites, and it is nice to hear him over a quality beat. Check out "Be a N*gger Too" here.
LOST TEN YEARS
 Eyeone | Seeking Heaven and Meltdown present: Lost Ten Years | Book release and exhibition Celebrating ten years of Lost | Graffiti in the City of Angels May 3 to May 24, 2008 Reception: Saturday May 3, 2008 • 7 p.m. Meltdown • 7522 Sunset Blvd. • Los Angeles, CA 90046 • (323) 851-7223 Show runs through May 24, 2008 Lost Ten Years celebrates a decade of the publication of seminal L.A.-based 'zine Lost | Graffiti in the City of Angels with the release of its first compilation book and an exhibit featuring work by artists influential and instrumental in its development. Art by Adikt | Asylm | Atlas | Cab | Codak | Friend | Geoff Oki |Iker | Jorger | Kara Marks | Kozem | Luna | Modem | Neo | Panic Patrick Martinez | Precise | Rick Rodriguez | Sherm | Swank | Tommy Ruets | Unit | Vyal | Worth | Yem DJs Kool DJ Sheak One | Thomas Wong | Gloze 54 | Adikt My friend Ray put this book together and curated the show. Stop by if you can.
NIKE "AIR YEEZY"
  You have probably heard all the hype and anticipation of Kanye West's collab with Nike, here is a look at mystery shoe, the "Air Yeezy". You can see that this colorway features grey suede, purple patent leather, and a carrot midsole. Kanye and Nike haven't issued any release info of when, where, and how much but I can bet that these are going to be pretty expensive. Oh, did I mention they glow in the dark?
THE MACONDO
The Macondo was a very special place to many kids growing up in Southern California. This small cultural center located on the east end of Melrose (walking distance from the legendary Anti-Club) was one of the only all ages venues that hosted Hardcore shows in Hollywood in the '90's. My band, Strife, was lucky enough to play the first show their (July 13 1992) as well as many other great shows their until the day they closed their doors. To many of us in the T.O.H.C. scene, this became a home away from home... The place could barely fit 200 people, it didn't have air conditioning, the P.A. was mediocre at best, but for us it was all we needed. I miss that place!  The legendary first show at the Macondo. This may have been Social Justice's last show before becoming Downset. My good friend Roy played in that band. Interlocked was East L.A. hardcore at their finest. If memory serves me right they played with Crazy metal guitars and Peavey amps!  Downcast had just released their first seven inch, and they were definitely one of our favorites. They were a big part of the politcial hardcore scene, check them out if you've never heard them. One Step Ahead was another great band... Heavily influenced by Verbal Assault.  This was a New Age Records showcase of sorts... We were all on New Age at the time... This is an amazing bill... sorry that you missed it!  It is so cool to see how diverse the bands that played there were. Supertouch were NY legends, hardcore but on the rock tip. Looking back, it's weird to even think that hardcore kids like them. Farside were really melodic as well. Stagger was a band from Simi.  This show was dope! Sparkmarker with their original singer (a post hardcore band heavily influenced by Quicksand). Seattle's hardcore heroes, Undertow and Unbroken! Their were just so many good shows at the Macondo! I definitely miss that place. You can check out more flyers here.If you haven't heard of any of these bands, do yourself a favor and seek them out! These were some of the best hardcore bands from the nineties! Labels: HARDCORE
MELO
 I had to post Carmelo Anthony's mugshot. He was arrested sunday morning for a DUI. The Denver PD has just launched an investigation into whether several officers acted inappropriately by giving Carmelo a ride to a hotel after his fianceé refused to come pick his ass up! One cop reportedly drove Carmelo to the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in downtown Denver, and another drove his $130,000 Mercedes to a safe place. He couldn't of picked a worse time to be arrested, the nuggets are playing the Lakers this weekend in the first round of the playoffs.
GOLDEN SHOWER?
 R. Kelly has officially lost all respect for himself! This new hairdo is super HOMO! Instead of dyeing his hair gold he needs to do what he does best, giving young girls "Golden Showers"! Hahaha
DEEP POCKET POOL
 Monarch Billiard's Cherry Hill Table is the coolest pool table I have ever seen. Its made up of brushed and polished stainless steel, African teak wood, and leather. The best part of the table is the pyramid-shaped base. I thought I needed this in my life but I then saw the price, $72,000! I'M GOOD!
MVP?
 The NBA playoffs are starting on saturday so we should be hearing who the 2007-2008 MVP is shortly. Its a tough call because both Kobe Bryant and Chris Paul equally deserve it. Both have led there teams to division titles. Kobe is averaging 28.3 points a game, 5.4 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 1.8 steals. Chris Paul is averaging 21.1 points a game, 11.6 assists, 4 rebounds and 2.7 steals. My vote is KOBE! Who's yours?
SHEPARD FAIREY X GEORGE ORWELL
  Shepard Fairey has recently redesigned covers for two of George Orwell's classic books, 1984 and Animal Farm. Both of these were required reading at some point in my schooling, though I don't exactly remember when. Anyway, lets see if this makes any kids put down the remote control, quit watching TV, and read a book!
SAM CASSELL AKA E.T.
 This is one of the funniest pics I have ever seen, you can't tell me he doesn't fit in perfect. He looks just like an Alien. Sam Cassell is top 5 one of ugliest players ever to play in the NBA.
BRA BOYS
 I Just finished watching this documentary Bra Boys, its a must see if u like fights, surfing and blood. Bra Boys documents the evolution of the inner-Sydney beach-side suburb of Maroubra and the social struggle of its youth who are tattooed and much maligned surf community known as the Bra Boys. It Explores the Bras boys success in professional big wave surfing, their international reputation for hard partying and rough nature, and touches on their running battle with authorities. It also Follows how the evolution of Maroubra and why its Australia's rebellious surf community. Go see it!
B-EASY..
 After putting together one of the best freshman seasons ever, Michael Beasley is headed to the NBA. Kansas State's All-America freshman announced Monday that he will skip his final three seasons to enter the June 26 NBA draft, where he could be the No. 1 overall pick. Beasley dominated his lone college season, averaging 26.2 points and becoming just the third freshman in NCAA history to lead the nation in rebounds at 12.4 per game. He had the second-most rebounds and third-most points by a freshman in NCAA history, helping Kansas State to its first NCAA tournament victory in 20 years...
MR. MIAMI
 If you didn't know Rick Ross was really feeling himself now you know! Yes he does have a hot album out right now but he's doing way too much with a chain of himself. I hate to admit it but it came out pretty dope!
THE VAPORS!
 We made it into the newest issue of Vapors. Vapors is now available online, so check out the newest issue here.Labels: VAPORS
THE BAY..
Had at chance to make a quick trip to the bay for the highly anticipated Goldenstate Warriors vs Denver Nuggets game , it was a huge tie break game for the 8th and final playoff spot in the west! Thanks again to AC(Nuggets) for getting Jeremy(Undrcrwn) and I a few tickets..    Before the game we decided to hit a few shops. We stopped in Alameda at DISTRICT, the shop is dope kind of reminds me of what you would see in N.Y. They carry Nike, Vans, Alife, New Balance, Creative Recreation and more. Some apparel they carry for men are Crooks, 10 Deep, Undrcrwn, Rogue Status, 10 Deep and Diamond. If you are ever in the area you gotta roll by a cop a few things, its well worth the trip!    After District we shot over to Berkley to visit our homies at FRESH, its one of the hottest stores in the bay area. Of course when I come into town the whole crew isn't there.. The shop is located across the street from Cal so there is always a ton of peeps walking around. They have a dope selection of DC, Supra, Reebok, Alife, Gourmet, Creative Recreation and more. When your in Berkley you gotta stop in there and try-on a bunch of stuff and then don't buy anything and just walk out! Hahaha!! Just kidding!    
PUNK'S NOT DEAD
 Ok, maybe it is... But it is is cool to see that although CBGB'S is gone, the new owners (or Leasers) of the space have preserved all of the original details of the legendary NY venue. Varvatos said “”We’re not trying to reinvent CBGB’s, we’re just trying to respect the past and let people have an opportunity to enjoy what was there. It sounds kind of hokey, but the walls kind of talk in that place.” 
SPLASH
 Yeah, I know they have taken hip-hop style to an all time low (Didn't I see these two last weekend at Chapter 8???), and I am really unsure with their fascination for all things Ed Hardy, but these two write hits... Thanks Nah Right to we bring you Splash by Jim Jones ft. Juelz Santana... Bump it down before it becomes the next "Ballin'" and gets way overplayed!
KID STEALS PHONE, DISSES EMINEM
 This is a pretty funny story... An aspiring rapper from Ontario Canada named Kyle Spratt tried to break in to the rap game by stealing Eminem's ex-wife's cell phone and calling him and harassing him to hear his demos. Spratt stole Kim Mathers' cell phone while she was playing bingo with her mother at the hall where Spratt worked. Eminem answered his calls, but pretended he was someone else. The kid then sampled the conversation and recorded an Eminem diss track called Slim Sellout, which sounds strangely like a young Eminem. Kyle was recently sentenced to a year probabtion and forced to pay a $230 fine for his shenanigans. So far, there has been no mention of a recording deal!
LIL' WAYNE'S THA CARTER lll COVER..
 If your a true Lil' Wayne fan like me, you gotta love this album cover. Wayne never seizes to amaze me! The picture kind of reminds me of that character "Chucky" but black! Hahahaha! This ablum is going to be FIRE, can't wait!!
BORN READY
 Lincoln High School in Coney Island is known as the breeding grounds for flashy New York point guards. Its the birthplace of NBA stars Stephon Marbury (Knicks) and Sebastian Telfair (Timberwolves). Lance Stephenson is the next in line, he is already being touted as the "next" LeBron James...At 6 feet 6 inches, he is widely regarded as the number one high school basketball player in the country. His team has won the New York City Championship for the last 2 years, and if all goes well, Lance will become the first player in New York history to win 4 championships. Oh did I mention he is only a JUNIOR! Guarantee you will hear about him on ESPN all year!
RELENTLESS THROUGH AND THROUGH
 Terror have posted their new track "Relentless Through And Through" online here. The track comes from the groups new album "The Damned, The Shamed", which will land in stores on June 10th through Century Media. If this track foreshadows what's to come on the new album, I can't wait to hear it... aggressive hardcore with just the right amount of metal! Labels: Terror Hardcore
HE'S BAAAACK!
 After having a seemingly season ending Achilles injury Elton Brand is back playing with only a week left in the season. My Clippers have no playoffs to look forward too but I am damn excited to have my All Star power forward back even if its just for a few games. We are gonna need a miracle in the off season for a successful 2008-2009 season! Go Clippers!
DESOLATE DELIGHTS
 Next month, our homey Derek Albeck is having a show with French out in Echo Park. Derek has been working hard on a new body of work for some time, and I am interested in seeing the new direction that his art will be taking. Mark your calendars now! Labels: Derek Albeck
STEP YOUR WHIP GAME UP!
 The new Rolls-Royce’s Drophead Coupé is built from the chassis of the Phantom sedan, and although it’s about 10 inches shorter, it still stretches nearly 19 feet from stem to stern. It has a 453 horsepower V-12 engine that moves this big boat. The price is only $450,000-$499,000! It is only a matter of time before we see this rolling in Westlake Village or if our buddy Mike gets one first.
AIR GORDON!
 Indiana freshman guard Eric Gordon is leaving the Hoosiers for the NBA, according to a report from the Indianapolis Star. The Big Ten's leading scorer and conference freshman of the year averaged 20.9 points and most definitely lived up to his billing as a top NBA prospect. If you don’t know who he is yet just wait until the first pre season game, I can guarantee you he’ll be all All Star in no time.
WESTURN UNION
 Westurn Union is a new West Coast that is about to blow. Backed by Snoop, Western Union features Soopafly, Bad Lucc, and Damani. Their newest mixtape, "House Shoe Musik Vol. 1", is about to drop. Thanks to DubCNN we bring you their newest single produced by Soopafly, called "Aint Gonna Happen.
GLOW IN THE DARK TOUR DATES
 This is gonna be one of the hottest tours ever! KANYE WEST, RIHANNA, N.E.R.D & LUPE FIASCO. If you haven't got your tickets yet be ready to spend some major $$$$$!! · 4/16 - Seattle, WA @ Key Arena · 4/18 - Sacramento, CA @ ARCO Arena · 4/19 - San Jose, CA @ HP Pavilion · 4/20 - San Diego, CA @ Sports Arena · 4/21 - Los Angeles, CA @ Nokia Theatre · 4/25 - * Las Vegas, NV @ Red Rock Casino Resort Spa · 4/26 - * Albuquerque, NM @ Journal Pavilion · 4/27 - Denver, CO @ Pepsi Center · 4/29 - Oklahoma City, OK @ Ford Center · 4/30 - Austin, TX @ Frank Irwin Center · 5/1 - Dallas, TX @ SuperPages.com Center · 5/2 - Houston, TX @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion · 5/4 - Atlanta, GA @ Gwinette Arena · 5/5 - Tampa, FL @ Ford Amphitheatre · 5/6 - Miami, FL @ American Airlines Arena · 5/8 - Charlotte, NC @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre · 5/9 - Raleigh, NC @ Walnut Creek Amphitheatre · 5/10 - Washington, DC @ Nissan Pavilion · 5/11 - Virginia Beach, VA @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheater · 5/13 - New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden · 5/15 - Boston, MA @ Tweeter Center · 5/16 - Hartford, CT @ North East Dodge Music Center · 5/17 - Philadelphia, PA @ Susquehana Bank Center · 5/18 - Scranton, PA @ Toyota Pavilion · 5/20 - Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre · 5/21 - Toronto, ON @ Molson Centre · 5/22 - Auburn Hills, MI @ The Palace of Auburn Hills · 5/23 - Chicago, IL @ United Center · 5/24 - Minneapolis, MN @ Target Center · 5/27 - Saskatoon, SK @ Credit Union Centre · 5/29 - Edmonton, AB @ Rexall Palace · 5/30 - Calgary, AB @ Saddledome
UCLA'S TOUGH TASK
 Just in case you have been living under a rock and haven't heard about the big game on saturday, UCLA Bruins are playing against the Memphis Tigers for a chance to play in the National Championship. UCLA is gonna need a big game from everyone to stop Memphis. Its gonna be a real treat to see Pac-10 Player Of The Year Kevin Love who is only a freshman go up against Memphis's Joey Dorsey whom I call "Baby Ben Wallace." Another crazy battle is gonna be between UCLA's point guard Darren Collison who in my opinion is the realest pg in college hoops versus Memphis freshman point guard Derrick Rose! Don't miss this game folks its gonna be a battle. GO BRUINS!
TERROR X TRADITION
 Scott from Terror stopped by the store today. Terror is headed out to the East Coast to do the Superbowl of hardcore with Agnostic Front and Madball, and then the head to Europe with Strung Out and Ignite. Look for an upcoming Terror X Tradition collab in the future! Terror's new album is out June 10th on Century Media Records.
CUTEST DOG EVER...
  Possibly the new Tradition mascot!!!
JAWN AGIONE
 You might recognize Jawn Agione's work from the "Open Your Eyes, You're Dead" show that we had a few months back at Tradition. He did a series of drawings with his "Peas and Carrots" characters. Anyway, Fart Minus F posted a short interview with Jawn. Check it out here.Labels: Art
I DONT KNOW HOW I MISSED THIS...
 If you happen to be in Riverside between now and May 17th, stop by the Riverside Art Museum to check out some art from two of my favorite artists, Barry Mcgee and Raymond Pettibon. Damm, two great artists on display at the same time... and I though people From Riverside were only into Meth!
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