A Vermont man is $650,000 richer after retrieving a lottery ticket he had been given for Christmas but accidentally threw away. Steven LeClair of Richford got the ticket for the Dec. 24 Tri-State Megabucks drawing as a gift from his mother. But it was in a gift bag that LeClair threw out, not knowing it was inside. Vermont Lottery spokeswoman Hadley Melendy says LeClair's wife found out two days later that the only winning ticket had been sold at a market in Richford. So LeClair went through the trash at his home and found it. LeClair works for a car dealership and doesn't normally play the lottery.
Charles Barkley was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol early this morning. An officer with a task force that targets drunken driving saw the former NBA star run a stop sign about 1:30 a.m., Gilbert police Lt. Eric Shuhandler said. Barkley was in Scottsdale's Old Town area, a trendy spot in the Phoenix area. "I am disappointed that I put myself in that situation," Barkley said in a statement to The Associated Press. "The Scottsdale police were fantastic. I will not comment any further as it is a legal matter."
"Ladies and gentlemen... The moment you've all been waiting for..." Here's some new Em for the new year... Check out "Crack A Bottle" here. An earlier version of this leaked a few weeks back but we didn't post it, so I figured I would throw this one up for all of you... Marshall raps a verse fore Dre that may or may not make the final version.
SURU has been killing it with their artshows recently. Their upcoming show is a photo exhibition by Estevan Oriol entitled ‘This Is Los Angeles; A Photographic Retrospective’ being held at SURU on Melrose Ave. This show will run from February 1st to the 28th. Limited edition prints, along with a collaborative t-shirt with SURU will be made available at the show.
Here's a behind the scenes look at B-Real's listening party for his upcoming album "Smoke & Mirrors", which is due out in February on Duckdown Records. He talks a little more about weed than the album, but would you expect anything less?
It's that time of year again...Skillz just dropped his "2008 Wrap Up." He's been dropping these for the last few years, and they always cover everything that went down.
STRONG ARM STEADY - SUNNY CA. FT. MISTAH F.A.B., BISHOP LAMONT, & PLANET ASIA
Check out the newest joint from Strong Arm Steady called "Sunny Ca." This tracks features verses from Mistah F.A.B., Bishop Lamont, and Planet Asia... You can't go wrong with this crew on the same track! Look out for the new SAS mixtape, Gang Mentality, dropping January 1st.
Clippers swingman Ricky Davis was suspended five games yesterday for violating terms of the NBA's drug program. The NBA said Davis' suspension will begin with the next game for which he is eligible and physically able to play. Davis, who hasn't played since Nov. 22 because of a sore left knee, is averaging 4.3 points in 13 games in his first season with the Clippers. This dude is a dumb ass, we need to trade him ASAP!
Eighty81 sat down with GOOD Music's Kid Cudi to talk about what it takes to make it in the music industry. This interview really sheds some light on this up and comer from Cleveland.
I don't really care about these... I just wanted to beat our celebrity blogger/employee 50YEN to the punch... These are new pics of the Air Yeezy which are slated to drop as a Quickstrike around March of 2009... I bet Bui is already waiting in line somewhere!
I came across this old Black Flag interview somewhere on the internet... Part of me feels sorry for the poor kid doing the interview, and another part of me can't help but laugh... Here are a few of my favorite quotes... "You look like some kind of warrior man..." "So... You guys selling out?" "... If I'm selling out, how come we're playing little tiny places like this?"
Here's some new Kanye to brighten up your boring ass Monday. This unreleased track is called "Payback", and features Sly Polaroid and Timmy G. This DEFINITELY isn't an out take from 808's... This is on some classic 'Ye shit...
If you missed the news today then you didn't hear about the 14 innocent children that were killed today in Kabul, Afghanistan. A single-file line of school children walked past a military checkpoint today as a bomb-loaded truck veered toward them and exploded, ending the lives of 14 young Afghans in a heartbreaking flash captured by a U.S. military security camera. The video shows an SUV slowly weaving through sand bag barriers at a military checkpoint just as a line of school children, most wearing white caps, comes into view. They walk along a pathway between the street and a wall, several of them pausing for a few seconds in a group before moving forward again. The vehicle moves toward the security camera while the children walk in the opposite direction, nearly passing the SUV when the footage ends in a fiery blast. SO SAD! ONLY COWARDS DO THIS!
So much music was released this year, some good, some bad, and some didn't even get even a spin or a download... It was hard to narrow these choices down, so I apologize in advance if your favorite album didn't make this list. I tried to choose an eclectic mix of albums from a variety of genres. Here are the choices for the album of 2008... Get your vote on!
Here's an unreleased Biggie track called "Microphone Murderer" from the upcoming Notorious sound track. Supposedly, this is the track that got him signed... And the rest is history.
TRADITION X INTERNAL AFFAIRS X TRIUMVIR X DEATHWISH X TLFI X MALFUNCTION AND MORE!
Corey from IA came up with this crazy collab tee for Internal Affairs' upcoming Australian tour. It's made to look like an MMA sponsorship t-shirt. These are extremely limited, so try your luck on Ebay. I am going to be filling on bass for Internal Affairs East Coast tour at the end of January, so look for me making a mess of their songs at a city near you.
Jan 27 2009 Richmond, Virginia Jan 28 2009 Long Island, New York Jan 29 2009 Albany, New York Jan 30 2009 Montreal, Quebec Jan 31 2009 Boston, Massachusetts Feb 1 2009 Philly, Pennsylvania
The Christmas Day game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics was the highest rated regular-season NBA game in four years. The rematch of last season's NBA finals earned a 5.3 fast national rating on ABC, the network said. The rating for the Lakers' 92-83 victory, which snapped Boston's 19-game winning streak, was 51 percent higher than the 3.5 mark for last year's late Christmas game between the Lakers and the Phoenix Suns.
After work on Saturday I am going to try to make it down to the Echoplex to check out the Basement Block Stars party featuring performances from Pacific Division, U-N-I, Diz Gibran, Dom Kennedy, and more... Let's see if I can get some of my lazy employees to show up too!
Space Invader as you may know him, is a street artist out of France, he creates his space invader characters as well as other video game characters in his signature style, constructed of tiles made to look like pixels. His street work can be seen in over 40 different countries and he has now started “Invading” the gallery scene with his indoor works. In this video he explains his new binary code street art. He is stepping up the street art game by incorporating his lo-tech ceramic tile work with high-tech binary code technology. He creates binary codes in black and white ceramic tiles and with an i-phone application called i-matrix (or BeeTag) you can translate the hidden messages in his new works. I think this is a very creative approach to add a futuristic touch to his retro looking work. Check the video for the full break down.
Lil' Wayne talks some nonsense after his recent appearance at the Gibson Amphitheater in L.A. For some reason he thinks he is going to be nominated for an Academy Award.
I have to say that getting 2 2nd row tickets to Lakers vs Celtics Xmas day game was probably one of my most favorite Xmas gifts ever. It was a mad house at Staples. The star studded game was the hot ticket of the year, it felt like the Finals! My Lakers pulled it out despite some scary moments. This post is pretty long but I hope you enjoy the pics..
You know I had to wear the Kobe tee.
Crowds trying to get out the rain and into Staples Center.
Ugly ass Sam Cassell shooting around, Damn we are close! Hahaha.
Every person sitting courtside got this special Xmas gift bag, it was a free pair of the Nike Zoom Kobe IV.
National Anthem!
Kobe wearing a new limited Xmas edition of his Nike Zoom Kobe IV.
KG, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen all wearing their Xmas edition kicks. KG was wearing the Adidas X Undrcrwn TS Commander. Shout out to the Undrcrwn fam.
My son Miles A.K.A Lil Meezy and Snoop Dogg!
Adam Sandler and Kevin James, NO HOMO!
Dane Cook wearing a wack ass tee!
George Lopez in the building.
Jimmy Ivoine rocking the Eminem X Jordan II's. Look at everyone with their new Xmas gifts compliments of Kobe and Nike.
My video of Trevor Ariza's reverse dunk of the night!
Fashawn is an up and coming MC from Fresno, Ca. You may not have heard of him yet, but trust me, Fashawn will be making some noise in 2009. He just dropped his newest mixtape "Higher Learning" in collaboration with OnSmash and NahRight. The mixtape features appearances from Evidence, Alchemist, Krondon, Kid Cudi, Adele, Mickey Factz, and more. You can download "Higher Learning" here.
“There is a lot of shit that I haven’t spoken about even though I put out like five mixtapes. That’s why I can’t wait for my career to unfold.” - Fashawn
A nine year-old girl in India named M. Lavinashree has passed the Microsoft Certified Professional Exam, becoming the youngest person to ever pull it off (smashing the record previously held by a 10 year-old Pakistani girl).The Microsoft exam, usually taken by techies for better job prospects, measures problem-solving skills and Lavinashree (9) passed it with flying colours. She is now cramming for the Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer Exam. Check the video! Wonder if she is related to our good neighbor Ghandi! Haha
Eccentric designer Vinti Andrews got together with the NIKEiD Studio in London to create this life-size pit bull sculpture made out of Nike Air Max 90 shoes. I've seen people customize shoes, but this is really taking it to the next level. The Air Max 90 Dogs are for sale at Loveless in Aoyama, Tokyo. Good luck getting your paws on one.
Here's one of the most gruesome football injuries you will ever see. In the New Orleans Bowl game, Southern Mississippi's standout receiver DeAndre Brown broke free on a route near the left sideline. Quarterback Austin Davis lofted a pass, but just as Brown planted his left foot, it seemed to catch in the turf. He tumbled to the ground while trying to extend for the ball. Brown immediately began to clutch at his lower left leg, holding it up in the air as part of the leg dangled at an impossible angle. Disgusting! He was diagnosed with a fractured left tibia.
Royce is on some storytelling shit on this one... Royce flips a classic urban legend on his newest track "Part of Me." Listen to the whole song because, like the Twilight Zone, the twist is at the end... You can download "Part of Me" here. Royce's new album "Street Hop" drops on April 9th and is Executive Produced by DJ Premier.
My friend Pat once told me "Collabs are like assholes... everybody has one." Although that statement rings true, we saw a bunch of great collabs drop in 2008. So many, actually, that I could hardly remember all of them. Anyway, here is a short list of a few that stood out. Let's see who makes the cut!
I have always been a fan of Paul Reubens. From his early appearances in the Cheech and Chong movies, Pee Wee's Playhouse, and even his more recent role in Blow, Paul Reubens has always had me laughing. Most of us grew up with the Pee Wee movies as well, so I am sure most of you will be excited to hear the there is a Pee Wee's Playhouse movie slated for production in 2009! I'm sure most of you couldn't care less about his police record... So what? The dude likes porn... Not that big of a deal. It's sad to see that his convictions were able to put such a talented guys career on hold for so long. Swindle recently did an interview with Paul Reubens for their third annual Icons Issue, discussing the past present and future of Pee Wee Herman, which you can read here.
Grand Star Jazz in downtown L.A. has been Chinatown's home for hip hop for a minute now. On Saturday, January 3rd, Boombox is hosting an event with Exile and Percee P. Mark your calendars now, because you won't want to miss a DJ and live MPC set from Exile.
Graphic artist, Grotesk, breaks down the current trend of fixed gear bikes in NYC. This is pretty relevant for L.A. as well... I see quite a few of these guys on a daily basis.
By now you have all seen tons of footage from the big party we did with Akomplice back in November. We just got another video sent to us fro our boy Oliver Brian. This is actually the longest of all the videos from the event, and it features interviews with me and Jason, Raekwon, Young De, and Patrick and Mike from Akomplice.
Marsha Ambrosius is an up and coming singer from the UK group Floetry. She is signed to Aftermath, and is supposedly all over Dre's upcoming "Detox." You may have heard her voice on such songs as Hi-Tek's "Music For Life", The Game's "Start From Scratch", Nas' "Hustlers", and many more. Here newest mixtape was produced entirely by Focus and features appearances from Little Brother, Busta Rhymes, and The Game. You can download "Yours Truly" here.
Vimby has got the streets on lock... Check out their newest feature of the NY premier of Nike SB's "Nothing But The Truth" skate video. The film was three years in the making, and features some of the top pros in the game.
Last Saturday, Shepard Fairey's Subliminal Projects Gallery hosted the opening for Glen E. Friedman’s first retrospective, Idealist Propaganda. Friedman chose to show prints from all his series – Fuck You All, Fuck You Heroes, Fuck You Too, and Recognize. Wether you know it our not, I guarantee that all of you are familiar with the work of Glen E. Friedman. From his iconic images of Tony Alva and the entire Z-Boys crew, to his photos of every great punk bands that ever existed from Minor Threat, SSD, Bad Brains, Black Flag and more, to his images of Hip Hop legends from Run DMC, Public Enemy, Beastie Boys, KRS One, and other... I guarantee you have seen his work. Juxtapoz recently ran a review of the show that also features a full length interview with Glen E. Friedman which you can read here.
Kobe will be debuting his new Nike Zoom Kobe IV tonight against the Miami Heat. Hope he doesn't sprain his ankle since they are low tops, in any case Tradition will be getting all colors of this shoe!
I saw a lot of great art shows in 2008. There are so many great artists, both big and small. I wanted to concentrate on some up and comings artists as opposed to the obvious artists that seem to get all the press anyway. Yeah, I know your favorite rapper likes Kaws, I know Futura designed your favorite SB's, and I know Damien Hirst and Banksy made mad loot this year... This list is limited to artists that have shown at Tradition... If you don't know them, google them and get familiar.
New Orleans Hornets Chris Paul set an NBA record with a steal in his 106th straight regular-season game last night. Paul broke Alvin Robertson's mark set between November 1985 and December 1986. Robertson was playing for San Antonio when he set the previous mark of 105, which Paul tied Tuesday night in Memphis. Paul broke the record when he stole the ball from San Antonio's Tony Parker with 3:43 left in the second quarter. The crowd immediately recognized the record and stood in applause. CP3 is so real its scary!
You guys have all heard different stories about rock stars and their outlandish requests on their tour riders... The story that is is the most ridiculed is one band's request that stipulated that brown M&M's should be banned from their backstage dressing room! The band was Van Halen, performers of such classics as "Panama", "Jump", and "Runnin' With The Devil." Check out the highlighted paragraph from their infamous rider below... Van Halen has since claimed that the M&M provision was included to make sure that promoters had actually read their lengthy rider. If brown M&M's were in the backstage candy bowl, Van Halen assumed that more important aspects of a performance including lighting, staging, security, or ticketing may have been botched by an inattentive promoter.
Check out the homies from Terror, live from the "Persistence Tour" in Europe. This footage was shot just a few days ago in Europe, and features an in depth interview with frontman Scott Vogel.
Talented graffiti artist, fine artist, curator, and friend of Tradition, Eyeone recently put out a book of his latest work. The book is sort of a yearbook showcasing his works from 2008. The book comes complete with artboard covers, hand-letterpressed embossing, a slipcase, and two giclee tip-in prints? All I can say is "where's my copy?" This book will be available soon on Eyeone's website.
