KAWS Museum Exhibit Opening from Paper Fortress on Vimeo.
KAWS INTERVIEW IN BLAST MAGAZINE | Aerosol Fiends
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Monday, September 27, 2010
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
"Paint the World" - Interview with John Regan - NEW HIP-HOP
Recently, RYMEdesign blog and myself, Grey Matter, were invited by the Wil Loesel and the rest of the great people at Culture VI records (NY) to produce promotional artwork for new music off up-and-comer John Regan's new album, as well as present the good hip-hop people of the web with an exclusive interview.
John Regan is an artist who actively projects the elements of hip-hop in his music and even further, through his very essence. According to Culture VI, his work ethic and networking skills are up to challenge anyone in his quest for musical dominance on college radio stations and blogs around the world. His collaborations are solid in hip-hop and places him in high hopes for fans with guests on his upcoming album ranging from Joell Ortiz, PackFM, & Skyzoo to Joe Budden, Royce Da 5'9" and more.
As a lyricist, family man and newly appointed President of the Culture VI label, this former graffiti artist is determined to follow the path he has set out for himself and accomplish whatever it is that crosses his motivated mind.
Speaking of mind, you can get into John Regan's by reading the following interview. Don't forget to peep the artwork for the new song "Paint The World" featuring PackFM.
So tell the people your name and where you’re coming from…
A couple of years ago you might have called me Poizun and caught me hanging on an exit 1 mile ahead sign while you're driving. But now, my name is simple: John Regan. And to clear the air - no I am not related to the 40th president. I grew up in a suburban Baltimore neighborhood and now live a half of an EP ride away from downtown Baltimore. You follow me right…?
How long have you been involved in Hip-Hop, or music in general and how did you get involved in the first place?
I’ve been dealing with H.E.R. for quite some time - sometime before this century began. I’d hate to bore you with the old "rhyming in the lunch room cliché", but there really isn’t a hallmark story tale here.
Who or what were the biggest influences on you while developing your style and who inspires you to write your rhymes nowadays?
Well I’m a mid-eighties baby, so traditionally Mobb Deep, Wu-Tang, Nas, et cetera, but I branched off to a lot of your old school Sam Cook, Etta James, & Sara Vaughn - you know, that golden age of music. I felt in order to understand today’s music, you had to learn what and where it was influenced by.
NOW - I’d have to say my manager Wil and my producer, YZ. The folks I mentioned above gave me my influence, but these guys TEACH me, its like Danielson times 2, lol.
YZ spent his career working with the world's biggest artists - Mary J. bilge, Lil Wayne, Pattie LaBelle, Chucky Thompson, Fat Joe, Young Guru, Rich Harrington. And he doesn’t hand out beat CD’s. He's actually WORKED with these artists. Most producer today never even met the artists they claimed to have "worked with".
Lemme sum up YZ like this. Thanks to Wil, I have beat CDs from almost all my favorite producers - with a green light to record on whatever I like --- and i STILL had YZ produce over half the album! That's real shit right there. If i told you the producers who we recorded with that DIDN'T make the albums, you'd flip.
Oh and Wil? Pfft, he’s like the guy on the couch on Half-Baked, lol. Nah, he’s incredible. He’s like the most easy going guy, and a great, positive person to be around. Yet he yields results. He walks into meetings like he's Suge Knight. He has a reputation of being an asshole - and don't get me wrong...he definitely is! But it's because he works his ass off and expects a lot in return. He pushes me, which I'm thankful for. He's a results guy. Very genuine - you always know where you stand with him. You can’t even give him a title, he could just walk around with a name tag that says “Done”. Both of them, long-term thinkers. Together, the results are amazing.
So, tell us a little about this track “Paint The World”. What’s it about and how did it come together?
Ah, this is like my love song right there! Nah, like I said earlier, I use to be heavy into the graf world, so it was only right I touch on the topic. I had mentioned to Wil & YZ that I wanted to make the record, so they went into the studio, and when they came out, OMG - what they created was so, so…perfect. A hard hitting, Premo-influenced drum track that was so spot on and just truly amazing.
On the record, I talk about growing up in the graf world and then converting over to hip-hop, but still having that “thing” for the krylon. DJ Pain came thru and gave it that real hip-hop feel with the scratches. And the hook? Getting my dude PackFM to do the hook was fucking perfect!
"Paint The World" is going to be the first single we release off "Sorry I’m Late". It’ll be available on iTunes August 3rd and the video will follow. We hope to turn that into a movement!
Tell us about Culture VI and what kind of work has been coming out of that camp…
Culture VI is like a fraternity. Just great musicians who can always count on each other. We've been around since 1999 - though Wil actually had his rap crew Culture VI way back in 1994. I've been working with them since i was 15! In 2004, we released the group’s debut album “Elite”. Being a part of that album was amazing - traveling back and forth to NYC, performing, recording in real studio’s like Chung King. A humbling experience. Then being involved in Wil’s album “ninety-four”, I got more in depth with the groundwork of the album, the relationship building, all the stuff that makes the music a product.
Both Albums are available now. On "Elite", I appear on numerous songs, and "Ninety-Four" I partner up with Wil & Royce Da 5’9” on “Never Had A Clue”.
Are there any other projects that we should look out for soon?
Oh, yeah. Only the reason I’m sitting here with you now!. Were going to be releasing my debut album, “Sorry I’m Late” in October. Let me just say, the music on this album, the quality, it's just truly amazing.
How about collabs? Are you working with anyone else that we should be paying attention to?
Man, let me tell you Grey Matter, the people that I got to work with on this album are just amazing. Marsha Ambrosius, Joell Ortiz, Skyzoo, Sha Stimuli, Nottz, Needlz - who did 3 tracks - 88-Keys, PackFM, Dub B, YZ, Jaiden, Meylin - I couldn't have had a better team around me.
Anything you want to say to the fans or the hip-hop community in general?
If you’d like to reach out, I’m not very hard to find. For anything business related, you can hit my manager, Wil via twitter @CultureVI, or shoot him an e-mail at culturevi@gmail.com. If you want to just say hi, you can find me on twitter at @Getatpoizun.
Any Shout Outs?
Nah, I don’t really run around with a pre-rehearsed list half crumbled up in my back pocket. I guess I'd like to thank all the folks I got to work with on the album, though. The experiences we had together throughout the process I will never forget. All the folks, including you Grey Matter, that give us up-and-coming artists the platform to speak and present what we create.
Thanks!
John Regan is an artist who actively projects the elements of hip-hop in his music and even further, through his very essence. According to Culture VI, his work ethic and networking skills are up to challenge anyone in his quest for musical dominance on college radio stations and blogs around the world. His collaborations are solid in hip-hop and places him in high hopes for fans with guests on his upcoming album ranging from Joell Ortiz, PackFM, & Skyzoo to Joe Budden, Royce Da 5'9" and more.
As a lyricist, family man and newly appointed President of the Culture VI label, this former graffiti artist is determined to follow the path he has set out for himself and accomplish whatever it is that crosses his motivated mind.
Speaking of mind, you can get into John Regan's by reading the following interview. Don't forget to peep the artwork for the new song "Paint The World" featuring PackFM.
So tell the people your name and where you’re coming from…
A couple of years ago you might have called me Poizun and caught me hanging on an exit 1 mile ahead sign while you're driving. But now, my name is simple: John Regan. And to clear the air - no I am not related to the 40th president. I grew up in a suburban Baltimore neighborhood and now live a half of an EP ride away from downtown Baltimore. You follow me right…?
How long have you been involved in Hip-Hop, or music in general and how did you get involved in the first place?
I’ve been dealing with H.E.R. for quite some time - sometime before this century began. I’d hate to bore you with the old "rhyming in the lunch room cliché", but there really isn’t a hallmark story tale here.
Who or what were the biggest influences on you while developing your style and who inspires you to write your rhymes nowadays?
Well I’m a mid-eighties baby, so traditionally Mobb Deep, Wu-Tang, Nas, et cetera, but I branched off to a lot of your old school Sam Cook, Etta James, & Sara Vaughn - you know, that golden age of music. I felt in order to understand today’s music, you had to learn what and where it was influenced by.
NOW - I’d have to say my manager Wil and my producer, YZ. The folks I mentioned above gave me my influence, but these guys TEACH me, its like Danielson times 2, lol.
YZ spent his career working with the world's biggest artists - Mary J. bilge, Lil Wayne, Pattie LaBelle, Chucky Thompson, Fat Joe, Young Guru, Rich Harrington. And he doesn’t hand out beat CD’s. He's actually WORKED with these artists. Most producer today never even met the artists they claimed to have "worked with".
Lemme sum up YZ like this. Thanks to Wil, I have beat CDs from almost all my favorite producers - with a green light to record on whatever I like --- and i STILL had YZ produce over half the album! That's real shit right there. If i told you the producers who we recorded with that DIDN'T make the albums, you'd flip.
Oh and Wil? Pfft, he’s like the guy on the couch on Half-Baked, lol. Nah, he’s incredible. He’s like the most easy going guy, and a great, positive person to be around. Yet he yields results. He walks into meetings like he's Suge Knight. He has a reputation of being an asshole - and don't get me wrong...he definitely is! But it's because he works his ass off and expects a lot in return. He pushes me, which I'm thankful for. He's a results guy. Very genuine - you always know where you stand with him. You can’t even give him a title, he could just walk around with a name tag that says “Done”. Both of them, long-term thinkers. Together, the results are amazing.
So, tell us a little about this track “Paint The World”. What’s it about and how did it come together?
Ah, this is like my love song right there! Nah, like I said earlier, I use to be heavy into the graf world, so it was only right I touch on the topic. I had mentioned to Wil & YZ that I wanted to make the record, so they went into the studio, and when they came out, OMG - what they created was so, so…perfect. A hard hitting, Premo-influenced drum track that was so spot on and just truly amazing.
On the record, I talk about growing up in the graf world and then converting over to hip-hop, but still having that “thing” for the krylon. DJ Pain came thru and gave it that real hip-hop feel with the scratches. And the hook? Getting my dude PackFM to do the hook was fucking perfect!
"Paint The World" is going to be the first single we release off "Sorry I’m Late". It’ll be available on iTunes August 3rd and the video will follow. We hope to turn that into a movement!
Tell us about Culture VI and what kind of work has been coming out of that camp…
Culture VI is like a fraternity. Just great musicians who can always count on each other. We've been around since 1999 - though Wil actually had his rap crew Culture VI way back in 1994. I've been working with them since i was 15! In 2004, we released the group’s debut album “Elite”. Being a part of that album was amazing - traveling back and forth to NYC, performing, recording in real studio’s like Chung King. A humbling experience. Then being involved in Wil’s album “ninety-four”, I got more in depth with the groundwork of the album, the relationship building, all the stuff that makes the music a product.
Both Albums are available now. On "Elite", I appear on numerous songs, and "Ninety-Four" I partner up with Wil & Royce Da 5’9” on “Never Had A Clue”.
Are there any other projects that we should look out for soon?
Oh, yeah. Only the reason I’m sitting here with you now!. Were going to be releasing my debut album, “Sorry I’m Late” in October. Let me just say, the music on this album, the quality, it's just truly amazing.
How about collabs? Are you working with anyone else that we should be paying attention to?
Man, let me tell you Grey Matter, the people that I got to work with on this album are just amazing. Marsha Ambrosius, Joell Ortiz, Skyzoo, Sha Stimuli, Nottz, Needlz - who did 3 tracks - 88-Keys, PackFM, Dub B, YZ, Jaiden, Meylin - I couldn't have had a better team around me.
Anything you want to say to the fans or the hip-hop community in general?
If you’d like to reach out, I’m not very hard to find. For anything business related, you can hit my manager, Wil via twitter @CultureVI, or shoot him an e-mail at culturevi@gmail.com. If you want to just say hi, you can find me on twitter at @Getatpoizun.
Any Shout Outs?
Nah, I don’t really run around with a pre-rehearsed list half crumbled up in my back pocket. I guess I'd like to thank all the folks I got to work with on the album, though. The experiences we had together throughout the process I will never forget. All the folks, including you Grey Matter, that give us up-and-coming artists the platform to speak and present what we create.
Thanks!
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Friday, July 2, 2010
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Deph One painting @ Black Book Sessions 8
Here is a message from another artist friend of mine from back in the day, Deph One, regarding the upcoming Blackbook Sessions in Ontario, CA. If you are down with graffiti, illustration and art in general, here is a way to bring that into a positive light with some fantastic artists, many of which inspire me to do what I do.
"Ill be painting LIVE at this years Black Book Sessions 8 on July 10th, 2010 at the Killer Distribution Warehouse in Ontario, Ca with artists Maxx242, Jeff Soto, Craola, OG Abel, Risky, Retna, Dire one, Munk One, and many others. This event is brought to you by FMS and The Wild Ones. Black Book Sessions is a non-profit organization committed to supporting and acknowledging young artists to reach their highest potential in their lives and communities. Their Long term commitment is to contribute to the education of talented youths and their careers. Come watch your favorite artists paint LIVE, also check out the custom cars, food and music." -Deph One
So check out Blackbook Sessions. More info at the links below.
Official Blackbook Sessions site
The Art of Deph » Blog Archive » Painting @ Black Book Sessions 8
"Ill be painting LIVE at this years Black Book Sessions 8 on July 10th, 2010 at the Killer Distribution Warehouse in Ontario, Ca with artists Maxx242, Jeff Soto, Craola, OG Abel, Risky, Retna, Dire one, Munk One, and many others. This event is brought to you by FMS and The Wild Ones. Black Book Sessions is a non-profit organization committed to supporting and acknowledging young artists to reach their highest potential in their lives and communities. Their Long term commitment is to contribute to the education of talented youths and their careers. Come watch your favorite artists paint LIVE, also check out the custom cars, food and music." -Deph One
So check out Blackbook Sessions. More info at the links below.
Official Blackbook Sessions site
The Art of Deph » Blog Archive » Painting @ Black Book Sessions 8
Maxx242 - Pearl Jam poster prints
I've had the pleasure of knowing Maxx for some time and although I don't say hi as often as I should or could, I always follow his work in illustration, murals and whatever else he may be doing. This is a great artist and I hope you all can appreciate his dedication to his style and cleanliness in conception to production.
Peace Maxx. Keep doing what you do.
Buffalo, NY
Auckland, NZ
maxx242.com - Pearl Jam Prints Now Available!
Peace Maxx. Keep doing what you do.
Buffalo, NY
Auckland, NZ
maxx242.com - Pearl Jam Prints Now Available!
Vinnie Paz talking about Kill Devil Hills (DJ Muggs & Ill Bill project)
Here is a great clip of Vinnie Paz of Jedi Mind Tricks speaking on the Kill Devil Hills project collaboration between DJ Muggs of Cypress Hill and Ill Bill of La Coka Nostra. Take a peak!
Soul Assassins
Soul Assassins
Legalize It 2010 - Slightly Stoopid and Cypress Hill
If you are a fan of Cypress Hill (or Slightly Stoopid) you are bound to enjoy these free mp3s as part of the promotion for the Pass the Joint Tour, a Legalize it 2010 music tour featuring the 2 bands. Just follow the link, share it with your friends on Facebook or Twitter and get your SMOKE on!!!
Legalize It 2010 - Slightly Stoopid and Cypress Hill: Pass The Joint
Legalize It 2010 - Slightly Stoopid and Cypress Hill: Pass The Joint
OZONE 50 MC's: OZONE 50 MCs available for download
I personally checked out this mixtapoe recently and was happily surprisesds with the project and concept completion. Basically, 50 MCs on a variety of classic hip hop instrumental tracks and WOW, do these guys come with heat. Check out the fire with the link below for download.
OZONE 50 MC's: OZONE 50 MCs available for download
OZONE 50 MC's: OZONE 50 MCs available for download
Eminem's "Recovery" at Billboard No. 1
I myself have been enjoying this album, loving the lyricism, but to be honest, I do not agree with so many who are saying this is his best work ever. I think it is refreshing to hear him come back after the Relapse album (although, this MC loved 3AM), I am not so accepting to the commercially backed pop singing on the album. All in all, great project and I will be listening. For more on this story, check out the BallerStatus.com link below.
BallerStatus.com » Album Charts: Eminem Splashes The Billboard 200 At No. 1 With ‘Recovery’
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
OG Slick x Gears of War 3 on Vimeo
OG Slick x Gears of War 3 from SA Studios Global on Vimeo.
World renowned graffiti artist, OG Slick and his Los Angeles based clothing brand DISSIZIT! were commissioned for the exclusive tee for the gameplay debut of Gears of War 3 at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles.
SA Studios Global and the creators of Gears of War 3 teamed up to produce this video which highlights the collaboration.
GearsofWar.com
For more information on the artist check out DISSIZIT.com
For more information on SA Studios Global, contact info@sastudiosglobal.com
OG Slick x Gears of War 3 on Vimeo
Juxtapoz Magazine - New Jeff Soto Mural in Chelsea | Current
Juxtapoz Magazine - New Jeff Soto Mural in Chelsea | Current: "While he was in town for the opening of his current exhibition—Lifecycle, Jeff Soto (Juxtapoz #99) painted a striking piece in NY’s artsy Chelsea district. In our recent interview with Soto about the show, we asked him about this new mural."
Read the whole story @ Juxtapoz here.
Read the whole story @ Juxtapoz here.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
DEPH X CRAOLA X MAXX242 X MONTANA GOLD
Now, here is some graffiti that can be appreciated by all. Deph and Maxx242 are chums I used to run into and paint with occasionally in the Inland Empire. Today, they are both successful in painting, illustration, clothing graphics and more. Craola is an artists whose styl I have and will always admire. Chcek out this Montana Gold production they recently painted @todiefor HQ.
UP CLOSE VIEW
ARIAL VIEW OF THE WALL
"Original post here
Saturday, April 3, 2010
"Bay to Taipei" - Optimist DE crew solo art exhibit
My good homie Optimist DE is having a solo art show in San Francisco in a couple of weeks. If you are in the Bay Area, definitely check this out. You will not be disappointed.
Felt-Glory Burning (Video)
I have been bumping this album all month! Love Felt and glad they added Aesop to the production.
Felt-Glory Burning (Video): "
Here’s the latest video from Felt (MURS & Slug) & their project A Tribute To Rosie Perez. Aesop Rock on the beat.
FOUR G's Magazine - Interview
I recently had the pleasure of communicating with Andy Souza, creator of FOUR G's Magazine, a fresh graffiti mag that focuses on a little more than the competition does. Andy's hustle makes this magazine stand out in the graff community, but it also reaches across market boundaries and dares to spread into the California sub-culture realms of Marijuana, fine Cali women and get this - firearms. That's right, the Four G's are - well, Andy explains this in the interview, so I'll let him tell you.
Staying true to it and keeping fans wanting more, here is an interview with Andy and some images from issues that will have you begging for more:
How did Four G's magazine get started and who was involved?
Four G's was started by me, Andy Souza in Northern California back in 2007. I do work with some local writers and photographers, but for the most part I'm running the show. I have been a fan of the ganja and graffiti culture all my life due to growing up and living in Santa Rosa, a mid-size city between the Emerald Triangle (Mendocino, Humboldt, and Trinity counties), known for its Marijuana production and the Bay Area (San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose) well-known for the graffiti arts scene. Four G's is a product of this environment.
Why were the Four G's chosen to represent California culture?
The Four G's equals Graffiti, Guns, Girls, and Ganja. I chose these subcultures to highlight in Four G's because they're basically my favorite hobbies here in California. I also knew that magazines for each of the "G's" already existed, so this would be like a compilation of existing working ideas, all slammed together into one dope magazine.
Who is your target demographic and how do you reach out to them?
Four G's target demographic is likeminded individuals, male or female, of all origin, whose interests coincide with some or all of Four G's content. We don't limit our market to just the Four G's, we also feature tattoo artists, musicians, illustrators, skateboard companies, clothing companies, and may even feature types of martial arts, lowrider cars and bikes, pit bulls, and other topics that are related to the culture of the Four G's at some point in the future.
What is the current status of the magazine and where do you see it going in the future?
Four G's Magazine is a biannual (two issues per year) publication, with a distribution range of 10,000 world-wide. We have distribution companies here in North America and deal with individual shops and persons all over the world, including Australia, New Zealand, China, Japan, Europe, Canada, Mexico, and even select parts of South America and Africa.
Any shout outs you want to give?
Thanks to RYME for taking the time to check the magazine and to all the loyal fans that love Four G's and demand more. For any magazine to continue it's all about the advertising so if you're interested in ad space please contact us today - http://www.fourgsmagazine.com/contact.html
And here are some other ways to get in touch with or do some business and support this great Cali culture mag:
Four Gs online store @ Big Cartel
Four Gs official MySpace
Follow Four Gs on Twitter
Four Gs on Facebook
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About RYME and Grey Matter
- Grey Matter
- Grey Matter (aka Ruben Young) is an anthropologist, activist, artist, MC & blogger working as a freelance graphic designer and illustrator. Originally from the Inland Empire, CA. Currently living and working in Sacramento, CA.