RAISED BY WOLVES

Born With what? You mean to tell me you came straight out your mother's vagina in a tram with gat in hand?

Asstroland!!! that's some old New York shit right there boy...

This thing never let's me fuckin post the first time. What the fuck is up!!! Sick of this cut and paste bullshit... but anyway:

When I say, "my man at Sound City" I mean it in the general not the specific. As in, that 60 year old grey bearded guy behind the counter knows more about whats going on with QB artists than your average knee legnth white tee rocker. Plus those dudes, scragely and white and aging, are exactly the essence of the old new york we been bullshiting about for the past page. And yeah I remember How hyped I was with my first EMS gore-tex too.

On to "who or what is killing it with the Kunta fly shit right now", cause I guess as you said, that was the purpose of this thread. All this waxing lyrical is real nice, and believe me I could go on for hours, but what motivates me these days? Shit, it's hard to say. Much of a NYC kid as I am , alot of my motivation these days comes from anywhere else. Grime is really doing it for me these days, not having the internet in my house makes it hard to amass the collection I would like, but I'll burn a few CD's at work every now and again. Check for The whole Rolldeep entourage (trim, Roachee, and Flowdan in particular), Ghetto(hungriest MC out period), shizzle, Ruffsqwad ( their production style takes abit of getting used to but it's real sick once you do), JME, Scorcher, D double E, wretch, etc.. What I love about this shit is the energy. I love my New York mixtape rap, but this shit is just getting stale as fuck. You hungry!! you wanna deal right? then spit like it!! That laid back "pushin the whip down the henry hudson getting brain from your dame" shit from these rookies just doesn't pass muster (need I mention it's 99% fabricated). Any of the above dudes will eat just about any New rapper out round these parts, Cause that's just what they do. Go to barefiles.com and download anything with these names in it, it won't dissapoint.

Photography and Art: again, New York is slipping. We get to comfortable, we wanna blow quick, and we neglect the slow and steady, cause at first glance it seems like that isnt what New York is about. But it is. The richardson/mcginnely snapshot shit died quicker than it was born (and when i say born I mean a regurgitated amalgam of Nan goldin, wolfgang tillmans, jim goldberg and others) so what's next. We got vets like Rickey Powell with some classic street shooting (which with respect due to the man, I hate) Boogie, with the grimey underbelly stories (hit or miss) and a whole bunch of "straight out of my MFA" art stars. here are some people who exhibit the patience, contemplation and talent in their art that are keeping me on mine: Alec Soth (Minessota), Antoine D'agata (this guy is a pretty twisted frenchman), gareth McConnell (Northern Ireland), Luc Delahaye (france), Todd hido (california), Eugene Richards (Dorchester, MA, but a long time New york dweller), Christoph Bangert (shooting some amazing front page Iraq pictures for the NYT, but from the Netherlands). These guys understand how impulse, as well as persistence can go hand in hand to make amazing pictures, and a decent living. That's real. And that's what I strive for.

Travel: Nothing has me loving my city like a couple month's away. Simply put, it's just hard to find adventure amidst everything we've already discussed here. New York is just Too fuckin predictable! Instead of lamenting it, i make changes where I can, and make sure to try and bounce out if and when I can. I'm going to Alaska. Why? Why the fuck not? Maybe (and this is in all seriousnes) I will meet some fuckin kids out there who have a bit of the undiluted essence that we all miss. Someone who isn't jaded like I've become. Maybe I'll go work on a fishing boat. Maybe I'll just creep around the cities and take pictures non-stop.

Point of all the above is, there is something to be said for truth and simplicity where ever the fuck your at. But it sure as hell isn't gonna find itself for you. Happy hunting...

This fucking thread stays gobbling my posts, but dug up another one with the search function:

A. Thanks Minya.

B. Laguardia HS.

c. Urban Academy.

d. Cormega freestyles on Doowop and Touch tapes (thats right TAPES).

e. That shop by the banks used to sell/giveway used decks (imagine that in 2006).

f. Originality has a price, Honesty is priceless.

g. At the end of the day, we discuss shit like this on internet message boards because many of us are doing the 9to5 shuffle whilst trying to keep ourselves inspired and creative without losing sight of our ambitions and passion.

h. Hunchbak and Deeznuts are right...we live in a world in which "word of mouth" no longer exists.

i. As soon as you know everyone you looked up to/wondered about, life is infinitely less exciting.

j. doesn't "superbored global shopping expert" smack of some serious Bullshit?

k. Banh Mi "with spicey".

l. The UK is and has been doing it big on all fronts since day

m. Filson

n. Carharrt

o. Orvis

p. papoose is getting old real quick and KaySlay's prolly gonna get him for 60% anyway.

q. why did The North Face have to do us like that? (or was it vice-versa).

r. blackout books RIP.

s. We still got Staten Island.

t. BAM, the skate spot, not the Music academy.

u. Cat and rat rock.

v. Vasque.

w. Allen Edmonds.

x. Lincoln center, the blunt spot, not the cultural institution.

y. Again, much love to all my Superbored global shopping experts participating. some real good points of view around these parts. It's good to know there are some like minds, and that we still have a healthy amount of haters in the pretty city with no pity. Stay sharp.

z. Go out and cop Cormega & lakey the Kid "inspired by actual events" June 27th. If you can't get it at your local friendly chain store. my man at sound city on 30th and Steinway will have them by the truckload. Mega is the truth, and lake is just Greezy as fuck! Who better to bring back that real rap...

Easy

managed to dig this up somehow:

Been Lurking here for a minute now, discovered the site by chance, and this is the first time I've actually been driven to post.

Abel, that was one hell of a rant man. That's the type of shit I know you put some thought and heart into and regardless of weather or not I agree, I respect that. Here is where we differ though. There is a tendency when people start talking about the good old days of NYC street culture to start spitting out the names of a bunch of OG luminaries in the "streetwear" game, or talking bout how so and so "really knew what was what" and that today, NYC is run by a bunch of young bucks in clown suits (and I mean that literally, saturday afternoons in soho I sometimes think I'm at the Big apple). This is some shit that I think we can say might be true by general rule, but I think it to a larger extent misses the point.

What I miss about NYC is a feeling. Granted, I'm only a couple over twenty myself, but I remeber the spots your naming well. Footwork in particular was a favorite of mine, and i still got that fondle em shirt in the top drawer holes and all, but that's not the point. My favorite memories have nothing to do with a rich history of sneakers and premium quality t shirts. They are made up of a fucking tapestry of late nights, getting high before art class, skating the same metal curb for 2 hours straight. Dirty fingers. the Smell of NYC school lunchrooms. No such thing as limited edition clothes. Brooklyn banks bymyself cause I didn't know no one down there. not being a apart of the scene. ABC NO Rio. Building my first bike from a pile of rusty parts at Recycle a Bike and riding that fucker literally till the wheels fell off. Hopping off a freight train, feet touching the gravel of Newark New Jerz, and going straight to the nearest egg sandwhich spot... double fried with cheese lotta hot sauce...

These are things that not even the slickest, most in the know, down with the scene label can fuck with. When I see kids on here like: "I hate people who wear (insert respected REAL NY brand name here) without understanding the meaning, and the culture it represents", I just laugh a little bit. not at them, nah... I just laugh at the idea that peole think that a brand like Supreme or Xlarge constitutes or represents a culture. Are you fucking Joking? talking bout aNYthing, and how ingenious their shit is. Get the fuck outta here!!!! I respect anyone grinding for theirs, so by all means go get yours. But Half the kids who run and run with the people who are now known worldwide as Streetwear icons are the kids of New york's power elite. It's the same fucking cocktail party boys... and guess what, You aint invited.

In closing, I just wanna say that this site is real civil, nothing wrong with nice clothes, and I like the diversity of educated opinions around here. But for fucks sake, always remember... If your style sin't evident in the way you move, the way you handle yourself, and the way you treat your family. . . All the hot gear in the world can't hide the fact that your a mark ass bitch.

Much love to Abel for starting an interesting discussion, and Oneman for the opinions shared here, and in a couple other posts (you know what it is..I see you man) That's that. Easy

Fuck man, My 1st post, a long one too and it got lost. Yo Abel, how did you find yours? I'm trying to get up on the conversation here.