POP Culture : Andy Warhol & The Factory

Andy Warhol (August 6, 1928 — February 22, 1987) was an American artist who became a central figure in the movement known as pop art. After a successful career as a commercial illustrator, Warhol became famous worldwide for his work as a painter; an avant-garde filmmaker, a record producer, an author and a public figure known for his presence in wildly diverse social circles that included bohemian street people, distinguished intellectuals, Hollywood celebrities and wealthy aristocrats.

A controversial figure during his lifetime (his work was often derided by critics as a hoax or "put-on"), Warhol has been the subject of numerous retrospective exhibitions, books and documentary films since his death in 1987. He is generally acknowledged as one of the most influential artists of the twentieth century.

Underground : Entertainers Basketball Classic

Entertainers Basketball Classic is street ball tournament that is played at Rucker Park and is often referred to as 155th street. The Entertainers Basketball Classic was founded by Greg Marius in the summer of 1980, in Mt. Morris Park in Harlem, NY. The tournament moved to it current location 3 years later and continues the tradition that began in Rucker Park more than 50 years ago. The tournament is known for its players showing their individuality on the court and has received participation from NBA players such as Wilt Chamberlain, Julius Erving, Allen Iverson, Elton Brand, Rafer Alston and Baron Davis. The games are currently aired on MSG Networks and ESPN.

WK INTERACT feat. KOBE BRYANT

Design : WK INTERACT

"The most important thing is to focus on who you are and what you want to do.It takes time to develop a style to represent yourself,so dont give up on what you are good at just because your style is not trendy at this moment.Pay attention on things surrounding you.Buildings, people, or even commercial signs from streets are good sources for stimulating your creativity." said by Eddy Desplanques

www.wkinteract.com

Back to 80s - De La Soul

De La Soul is a Grammy-award winning hip hop group from Long Island, New York. They are best known for their eclectic sampling and quirky, surreal lyrics, and their contributions to the evolution of the jazz rap subgenre. The members are Kelvin Mercer (Posdnuos, Mercenary, Plug Wonder Why, Plug One), David Jude Jolicoeur (Trugoy the Dove, Dave, Plug Two) and Vincent Mason (P.A. Pasemaster Mase, Maseo, Plug Three). The three formed the group in high school and caught the attention of producer Paul Huston (Prince Paul) with a demo tape of the song "Plug Tunin'". Prince Paul was also sometimes referred to as Plug Four. They also have their own Nike SB Dunks Called the "De La Souls."
With its playful wordplay, innovative sampling, and witty skits, the band's debut album, 3 Feet High and Rising, was hailed as a hip hop masterpiece. It is also the band's biggest commercial success to date, with their subsequent albums selling progressively less, despite receiving praise from critics. The group has influenced numerous other hip hop artists such as Camp Lo, Black Eyed Peas, and Digable Planets. They were also instrumental in the early stages of rapper/actor Mos Def's career, and are a core part of the Spitkicker collective. They are the longest standing Native Tongues Posse group, after the Jungle Brothers.

Back to 80s - Dr.Dre

Not many producers, in the arena of hip-hop or otherwise, can boldly state that their sonic experiments twice (first with N.W.A, later with The Chronic) transformed the musical landscape. But, then again, every producer is not Dr. Dre. "Although I’m from the west coast, I try to make music that will have a universal appeal," says Dre, whose latest disc Dr. Dre 2001 (Aftermath Entertainment/Interscope Records) is as musically diverse as the constant sounds blaring in his brain. "It’s always been my desire to make music for the world."Although it has been seven years since the release of Dr. Dre’s groundbreaking triple platinum The Chronic, a record that Spin magazine voted the eighth best of the decade, its not like the brother has been sleeping on the job. (Spin also voted The Chronic’s "Nuthin’ But A G-Thang"the best single of the 90’s.) Indeed, having constructed such projects as Snoop Dogg’s quintuple platinum classic Doggystyle, the bouncy "California Love" for 2Pac and the bugged The Slim Shady LP disc for rapper Eminem, a sophomore solo disc was the furthest thing from Dre’s mind. "I’ve always been just a producer at heart, but my friends and family kept insisting that I do another project."On Dr. Dre 2001, Cali’s own sound scientist has co-produced with Mel-Man twenty-two lowrider soundtracks, designed to thrill the souls of hip-hop macks. "Not trying to sound arrogant, but as a fan of rap, I just wasn’t hearing much music that I thought was moving the world," explains Dre. "And that’s what I wanted to create."
Reunited with Snoop Dogg, the first single "Still D.R.E." is a slow motion riot featuring wicked keyboards, Dre’s trademark vocals and a hip swaying groove that transports the track to the next level of sonic intensity. "We created almost a hundred tracks for this project," says Dre. "But, this song was the next to last song that I recorded. I needed the perfect song to represent Dr. Dre 2001."
Teaming-up with his latest discovery, mid-west rudeboy Eminem, Dr. Dre 2001’s second single "Forgot About Dre" is the perfect comeback in response to those haters who were praying that Dre would fall off of Planet Rap. With an otherworldly sound and lush strings hovering in the background, "Forgot About Dre" is as flashy as a pimp and as sharp as a tack.
In addition to Nate Dogg, Kurupt, Hittman, King-T, MC Ren and Xzibit, all of whom make appearances on Dr. Dre 2001, soul diva Mary J. Blige makes a cameo on the sorrowful track "The Message." Dedicated to Dre’s late brother, who was set to follow in his older brother’s giant footsteps, this is one of the most emotionally charged records in hip-hop history. "Anyone who has ever lost a loved one will be able to relate," says Dre. "And Mary’s singing just sends the song over the top."Back to once again reign supreme on booming stereos throughout the world, Dr. Dre 2001 takes the listener on a black to the future fantastic journey into wild soundscapes, blunted voices and new beginnings.

Graphic Designer : Jeff Soto

jeffsotoart.blogspot.com

Back to 80s - Run D.M.C

Run-D.M.C. is arguably the greatest group in hip-hop history. They were the first rap group to receive a gold plaque, the first to earn a platinum album, the first to star on MTV, the first to become a household name … and, for two generations of rap fans, they are the face and sound of '80s hardcore hip-hop.

Their backgrounds, however, are not those of the stereotypical MC: All three members — Run (Joseph Simmons), D.M.C. (Darryl McDaniels), and Jam Master Jay (Jason Mizell) — are products of solidly middle-class upbringings in the Hollis neighborhood of Queens, N.Y. Simmons is the youngest of the three sons of educator Daniel Simmons and his wife, Evelyn. Growing up in the '70s with brothers Russell (the legendary co-founder of the Def Jam empire) and Daniel Jr. in Hollis, he learned to adopt a streetwise posture without abandoning his virtues. "I went to school every day, but I was cool with everyone," he told New York magazine in 1986. "So I could hang, play basketball, and be down with [classmates], then go home and do my homework."

While Joe attended school, the older Russell began establishing a reputation throughout New York, first as a promoter of rap shows and then as a manager. When Russell brought his first major artist, Harlem, N.Y.-bred Kurtis Blow, to his parents' house, Blow and Joe struck up an acquaintance. "I know my brother and Kurt were having a great time … I wanted to be with them," Simmons — nicknamed Run for "running at the mouth" — told Rolling Stone in 1986. Soon, Run began DJing for Kurtis Blow as "DJ Run Love, the Son of Kurtis Blow" at area rap shows in the early '80s.

Meanwhile, Run shared tapes of his concert appearances with childhood friend and fellow comic book aficionado Darryl McDaniels, the son of an engineer and a nurse. Run coerced McDaniels to perform onstage with him: "The first time I got onstage with [Run] was at some teenage club on the corner in Hollis," McDaniels later recalled. "He just handed me the mic and said, 'Rhyme for an hour.' I ran out [of rhymes] pretty soon, but I got better." The two kept in touch as Run entered LaGuardia Community College to study mortuary science and McDaniels went to St. John's University. They pulled in another friend, DJ Jam Master Jay, to complement them. In 1983, the three released their first single, "It's Like That," on indie label Profile. The 12-inch garnered enormous acclaim from local B-boys and became a national hit. The B-side, "Sucker MC's," with its unusual (for the time) minimalist beat and advanced rhyme style, is considered by many hip-hop lovers to be the first hardcore rap song.

Run-D.M.C. released two more singles: "Hard Times" and "Rock Box." The video for the latter, a hard rock number with buzzing guitar riffs, earned the group airplay on MTV, a rare feat for black entertainers, in rap or otherwise, at the time. Run-D.M.C.'s ensuing 1984 self-titled first album later became the first rap album to go gold.

Russell Simmons had by then formed Rush Management and a record label, Def Jam, with producer Rick Rubin. Simmons packaged Run-D.M.C. along with other early '80s rap stars like Newcleus, Whodini, and UTFO for the first of several "Fresh Fests," one of the first cross-country rap tours. Onstage, dressed in black jeans, unlaced Adidas sneakers, and fedoras, Run-D.M.C. made a huge impression on legions of kids discovering rap for the first time. Coupled with rock-rap singles like "Rock Box" and "King of Rock" and MTV airplay, Run-D.M.C. quickly became the first hip-hop crossover group.

The group's second album (which would eventually go platinum), 1985's King of Rock, featured hits like the title track, "You Talk Too Much," and "Can You Rock It Like This," the latter including ghostwritten lyrics by a then-16-year-old LL Cool J. Run-D.M.C.'s growing success allowed them to perform at Bob Geldof's high-profile Live Aid concert — they were the only rap group to do so — and to contribute vocals to the all-star Sun City project by the Artists United Against Apartheid.

In early 1986, Run-D.M.C. starred in Krush Groove, a film co-starring the Fat Boys, Kurtis Blow, LL Cool J, and then-unknowns the Beastie Boys. Loosely based on Russell Simmons' life as an industry maverick, the film found Run playing the romantic rival of Blair Underwood as the two angled for Sheila E's — she of "The Glamorous Life" fame — affections. Unfortunately, the film's release sparked violence in theaters across the country, including a riot in Nassau County, N.Y.

Despite the subsequent negative publicity surrounding the group, Run-D.M.C. recorded and released Raising Hell in 1986. It marked a watershed moment in hip-hop history and signaled rap's final evolution from electro- and hi-NRG-dance music to tough drum machine beats and scratching effects. Raising Hell quickly became the biggest-selling album in rap history, landing at No. 3 on the Billboard charts and selling well more than 3 million copies on the strength of singles like "My Adidas" and "Walk This Way," an audacious remake with the song's originators, Aerosmith. "Walk This Way," for its part, not only became the first top 10 single in hip-hop history (discounting Blondie's 1980 new wave ditty "Rapture"), but also single-handedly revived Aerosmith's career.

A subsequent arena tour turned Run-D.M.C. into pop stars; unfortunately, several of their appearances were plagued by outbreaks of violence. One infamous show at Long Beach Arena in California found the notorious L.A. Crip and Blood gangs fighting each other and robbing and assaulting other concertgoers, leaving nearly 40 people injured. That concert made national headlines and allowed the media to single out Run-D.M.C., the group's music, and rap music in general as a cause of violence, a reputation that has haunted the hip-hop community to this day.

"They say we're putting out bad messages to the kids," Run told Rolling Stone in the issue that featured Run-D.M.C. as the magazine's first hip-hop cover artists. "Our image is clean, man. Kids beat each other's heads every day. They are fighting because they were fighting before I was born … we're role models." Despite the unfortunate incidents, Run-D.M.C. continued to mount massive tours with acts like their former protégés the Beastie Boys (whose rowdy License to Ill eventually eclipsed Raising Hell in album sales) and Public Enemy. They also starred in advertisements for Adidas and Coca-Cola and donated a memorable track, "Christmas in Hollis," to the Very Special Christmas compilation.

However, by the time the trio released its fourth LP, Tougher Than Leather, in 1988, rap music had changed considerably. Rock chords and chanted vocals were no longer en vogue, the lyrical content was more confrontational and complex, and the beats were more syncopated and sample-based. Despite some strong efforts in that direction, particularly the 12-inch single "Run's House," Tougher Than Leather was lost amid more albums by Boogie Down Productions (By All Means Necessary), DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince (He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper), and Public Enemy (It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back), among others. When Run-D.M.C.'s label, Profile, shipped out advance orders of 1.25 million copies and the album received only a platinum plaque, it was seen as a disappointment.

Run-D.M.C.'s second movie, the bizarrely violent action drama Tougher Than Leather, bombed in theaters; the group's 1990 album, Back From Hell (titled in part as a reference to the group's spiritual awakening after personal bouts with drugs and alcohol), also attracted little interest. More bad news followed in 1991, when Run was charged with raping a college student in Ohio. The charges were eventually dropped.

The members of Run-D.M.C. put their troubles behind them and made a surprising comeback in 1993 with their single and top 10 gold album Down With the King. Helmed by producer Pete Rock and guest-starring Rock's then-partner, CL Smooth, "Down With the King" became the group's biggest-selling single to date and a triumphant reminder of Run-D.M.C.'s — and, by extension, hip-hop's — lasting appeal. "Hip-hop is here to stay, Run-D.M.C. is here to stay," D.M.C. told The New York Times that year.

Following their triumphant return, the lads of Run-D.M.C. removed themselves from the spotlight to pursue lower-profile pastimes. Run served as an ordained minister for Zoe, a Christian sect that stresses economic empowerment, in uptown New York, where D.M.C. served as a deacon. Jam Master Jay, meanwhile, produced hits for several acts, including Onyx's first two albums and Suga ("What's Up, Star?"). However, the group continued to tour extensively around the world.

In 1998, a house remix of their classic "It's Like That" by Jason Nevins was a surprising success, eventually selling millions of copies. "It was as big as MC Hammer's 'You Can't Touch This,'" Run told XXL magazine in 1999. But Nevins alleged that Run-D.M.C. seemed unappreciative of his role in the hit, telling the same magazine, "I don't know if it was a black-white thing, but I don't think I got the respect I deserved."

A bigger, potentially career-threatening controversy erupted when D.M.C. revealed that he had not only lost his voice, but also wasn't interested in Run-D.M.C.'s current musical direction, which was scheduled to be unveiled in the spring of 1999 on the group's seventh album, Crown Royal. "I'm rappin' about more mature stuff: drivin' in my pickup truck, wakin' up in the morning and turning on the radio, kissin' my wife," he told XXL, adding that the group wants to "hide the fact that my voice changed." Run answered by telling Source that D.M.C.'s rumored departure from the group is unfounded. "You know what I do when I don't want to do something? Don't do it," he challenged.

As if inter-band squabbling weren't troublesome enough, the highly anticipated album ran into problems on the way to its release date, evidently related to getting rights from some of the guests' record labels. (Given the impressive roster — which originally featured collaborations with rap stars Method Man, Nas, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Fat Joe, and rock artists Sugar Ray, Kid Rock, and Everlast — it's not all that surprising.)

So the Hollis trio spent much of 2000 in release date limbo. Good news came at the end of the year, however, when the group announced that Crown Royal would come out in February 2001. To commemorate the event, there will be two singles released, each targeting different audiences: "Rock Show," which features Third Eye Blind's Stephan Jenkins, will be aimed at rock radio, while "It's Over," produced by Jermaine Dupri, will be pressed on a 12-inch vinyl record and aimed at dance clubs.

As for the internal turmoil, all involved say there's no beef between Run and D.M.C., and regardless of Crown Royal's performance, the trio will always be the Kings of Hip-hop for many fans. "There is history around Run-D.M.C.," Pete Rock once said, "and everyone should always remember and always respect Run-D.M.C. because they opened doors."

image creative designer : Fabien Baron

A born image-maker, Fabien Baron has been at the top of his field for nearly two decades. After moving to New York from Paris in 1982, Baron rapidly rose the ranks in magazine publishing to become Art Director of Italian Vogue and Interview. But it wasn't until 1992, when he was appointed Creative Director of Harper's Bazaar by Liz Tilberis, that Baron cemented his position in the publishing pantheon. It was during these celebrated years that his signature minimalist style, with its expanses of negative space and oversized, scrambled letters, became the fashion aesthetic.

Now with his own advertising and design agency, Baron & Baron (there's no other Baron, he confesses), the 41-year-old father of three and his staff of 27 have the mind-boggling task of conceiving and realizing the ad campaigns and product designs for Prada, Calvin Klein, Issey Miyake, Giorgio Armani, Michael Kors and Ian Schrager hotels, to name a few. As if that weren't enough, Baron keeps busy with two new loves: photography and furniture design (his eponymous line of geometric chairs, sofas and beds debuts this month in Milan), all the while staying one step ahead of imitators. Here, the poster boy for ADD brings Lee Carter up to speed on his myriad creative endeavors.

Lee Carter: Your time at Harper's Bazaar with Liz Tilberis is the stuff of legend. Was it as magical a tenure as folklore has it?

Fabien Baron: Yes, I look back at those years with immense fondness. Liz truly was an inspiration. But, at the same time, I put a tremendous amount of stress on the staff, probably more than I should have, but they rose to the challenge brilliantly. I remember never feeling satisfied and always pushing for more, but we all felt like we were on a special mission and knew we had to keep pushing.

LC: And the new Bazaar?

FB: Well, I loved Liz and I had a lot of respect for her. I remember at the time, I was only interested in one magazine, Bazaar. So, when the job came along, I grabbed it, but I did my job there and that was it. After I finished the issue of Bazaar that was dedicated in Liz's memory, I left.

LC: How did you leave things with Kate Betts?

FB: I've never had a conversation with her. We've never even spoken on the phone. Kate never called me. I never called her.

LC: Let's talk about your photography for W and Arena Homme Plus, for which you're Editor-in-Chief. There's a lot of action, i.e. Stella smashing vases and Gisele being carried by a mob, mosh pit-style (left). What are you trying to say?

FB: I like simplicity and I like translating simple ideas into high-impact imagery. I think it's beautiful to capture a model being carried off, or bottles and vases crashing to the floor.
LC: You haven't always been like this, though. It's quite different from product shots.

FB: I began incorporating a lot of action when my clients all asked for something that wasn't static. They wanted photos that had more than a model posing. I then began superimposed them on each other like I did with the Hugo Boss campaign, in which one model is seen in varying layers of motion. The flexibility of the clothing remains clearly visible, but it also becomes interesting to look at.

LC: You've collaborated many times before with Karl Templer, Creative Director and Fashion Editor for Arena Homme Plus. Was it a homecoming when you became Editor-in-Chief there or was there some getting used to?

FB: Karl's really talented and we work great together, so fortunately there was no big wake-up call. I felt very much at home.

LC: For most people, being Editor-in-Chief would be their only job, but not you. How do you find enough hours in the day?

FB: I move really fast and never think about all that's on my plate. I'd probably freak out if I did. And Arena Homme Plus only comes out twice a year so it doesn't take up a lot of time. I don't let it take up a lot of time. I could never do a monthly. I'm also really not interested in working for anyone but myself.

LC: In fashion photography, who are you inspired by?

FB: For me, it's still about Steven Meisel. He rules the fashion world. He is fashion. He gets it and he knows what to do with it. I worked with him for many years at Italian Vogue, but not after I went to Harper's Bazaar, since obviously the two magazines were mutually exclusive. They boycotted each other. But before that, it used to be like a family.
LC: Let's talk about Sex, the book. You and Meisel collaborated on it and though the reception was mixed, to say the least, art directing it must have been somewhat a boon for you. Did you feel like you were in the crossfire?

FB: Yes, absolutely. Madonna and I have remained friends and we laugh about it to this day. We still feel it was a great project and I'm proud to have worked on it. It had everlasting impact and we have absolutely no regrets.

LC: Do you get frustrated when people steal your style?

FB: Yes, I get a lot of that, but I'm used to it. I realized it's because I have a very specific point of view and I work a lot. I was saying that recently to Calvin Klein, who's the same way. I really admire him. He knows what he wants and he knows where he's going. It's as simple as that.

LC: How do you deal with the copycats?

FB: I just move on. By the time I'm copied, the work has already passed to the mainstream. It just forces me to work more and faster, to look for new ideas.

LC: Do you take photos for yourself, a private collection?

FB: Yes, actually. I'm developing a private collection of photographs of the sea. Not many people have seen them. I already have hundreds. It's very therapeutic. The horizon line is what unites them all. It stays exactly the same in each of the shots while the waves are like fingerprints, each one completely different. Maybe one day when I'm famous they'll become a book. I'd like to hang them in a new Soho apartment that I had built.

LC: What's next, Fabien?

FB: Interior design. I have a furniture company called Fabien Baron and it sells through Capellini, the Italian manufacturer. I design couches, tables, chairs - all in wood and metal. It's all very simple and minimal. I've been working on this for the last year. Everything was designed quite fast, but production takes a while.

LC: Is architecture in your future?

FB: Yes, I hope so.

LC: Next you'll be designing for NASA.

FB: That would be cool. (laughs)

art works

ROOM

Back to 80s - DJ Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince

Will Smith and Jazzy Jeff formed the group DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince in 1985. They released their first single "Girls Ain't Nothin But Trouble" in 1986. Five Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince albums followed between 1987 and 1993.

When Will Smith returned to music in 1997 dropping the "Fresh Prince" name Jazzy Jeff continued to work with his partner producing and scratching on Will's solo records from Big Willie Style to his latest "Lost and Found." On Willennium the album was executive produced by DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, and featured 13 tracks produced by Jazzy Jeff or containing his trademark scratches.

Will Smith and Jazzy Jeff continue to work together whether working on new tracks or performing in concerts together around the world. They have an amazing chemistry and friendship that has lasted more than 20 years.

It was Jazzy Jeff and Fresh Prince's success that led to the creation of The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, which both Jeff and Will starred in between 1990 and 1996. Will Smith then used that success to became one of Hollywood's biggest movie stars after a string of Box Office Hits ranging from Bad Boys, Independance Day and Men In Black through to Hitch.

Will Smith has just finished I Am Legend which is released in November. Jazzy Jeff is releasing his second solo album, "The Return of the Magnificent" in May on BBE Records. This site has all you need to know about Will Smith and Jazzy Jeff including albums, film and television. Keep it locked right here for the very latest.

The Godfather of Soul - James Brown

I would like to pass on the want to do something. The need is there. Good lyrics are good things, but I would like to pass on that drive, that invigorous undying determination.

"'Funky' is about the injustices, the things that go wrong, the hungry kids going to school trying to learn. 'Funky' is about what it takes to make people move - take it from the gospel, from the jazz."

"Thank God that I had the ability to understand that I had a different beat and that I was a drummer."

Do your hair in different styles, make people notice"

"Die on your feet, don't live on your knees."

"I'll never forget who I am, where I came from, where I am today, and who put me here: YOU."

"Killing's out and school's in and we're in bad shape."

"We need to protect the kids by giving them something to do. (It's about) making them interested, making them love mom and dad more, love the family more, love themselves more and love their school. So there won't have to be killing in school."

"We need (people) to come forward to save our country and our kids. I could care less about the record. If you say you're already into that, you can throw the record away. But we've got to save these children. That's what's important"

2Pac feat. Nas - Thugz Mansion

2Pac Feat. Eric Clapton - Thugz Mansion

Basquiat

Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960–1988) was born and raised in Brooklyn, the son of a Haitian-American father and a Puerto Rican mother. At an early age, he showed a precocious talent for drawing, and his mother enrolled him as a Junior Member of the Brooklyn Museum when he was six. Basquiat first gained notoriety as a teenage graffiti poet and musician. By 1981, at the age of twenty, he had turned from spraying graffiti on the walls of buildings in Lower Manhattan to selling paintings in SoHo galleries, rapidly becoming one of the most accomplished artists of his generation. Astute collectors began buying his art, and his gallery shows sold out. Critics noted the originality of his work, its emotional depth, unique iconography, and formal strengths in color, composition, and drawing. By 1985, he was featured on the cover of The New York Times Magazine as the epitome of the hot, young artist in a booming market. Tragically, Basquiat began using heroin and died of a drug overdose when he was just twenty-seven years old.

This exhibition gathers together more than one hundred of Jean-Michel Basquiat's finest works, including many that have never been shown in the United States. It is organized chronologically, with special sections highlighting Basquiat's interest in music, language, and Afro-Caribbean imagery, along with his use of techniques such as collage and silkscreen.

The exhibition seeks to demonstrate not only that Basquiat was a key figure in the 1980s, but also that his artistic accomplishments have significance for twentieth-century art as a whole. Basquiat was the last major painter in an idiom that had begun decades earlier in Europe with the imitation of African art by modern artists such as Picasso and Matisse. Inspired by his own heritage, Basquiat both contributed to and transcended the African-influenced modernist idiom.



From Street to Studio
Basquiat once told an interviewer, "Since I was seventeen, I thought I might be a star." As a teenager, he plunged into the emerging eighties art scene. He met artists and celebrities at the Mudd Club; appeared on Glenn O'Brien's TV Party, a television show about the downtown scene; and starred in a low-budget film, Downtown 81 (New York Beat), based on his own life. All the time, he was also making art: hitting downtown Manhattan buildings with spray-painted aphorisms, selling hand-painted T-shirts and collages on the streets, and making drawings. His big break came in 1980, when critics singled out his work at the Times Square Show, an exhibition showcasing young New York artists. He finally got a studio in 1981, when his first New York dealer, Annina Nosei, invited him to paint in the basement of her gallery.

Until then, he had little money to buy supplies, so he painted on window frames, cabinet doors, even football helmets—whatever he could find. After Basquiat began to make money, the quality of his art materials improved. Even so, throughout his career he often chose to paint on rough, handmade supports and intentionally pursued the awkward look of outsider art.

FEAR

Don't know what will frighten you more - the cover of this album, or the fact that I've just bought it.....

Turntable as Musical

生命短暫 但悅耳精彩

「生命即使充滿痛苦，也要滿懷熱忱和希望！」前年八月九日，今年金曲獎入圍作詞與新人的宋岳庭，躺在病床上微笑著對母親留下了遺言。

　宋岳庭過世一週年，母親李花崗為了紀念兒子年僅二十三歲的短暫音樂生命，四處向宋岳庭的朋友收集其生前即興創作的歌曲，集合成這張「Life's a Struggle」專輯。

　這次金曲入圍名單，宋岳庭入圍了最佳作詞與新人獎，雖然他已來不及上台領獎，但卻證明生命即使短暫，依舊可以活得悅耳精采。

　【精彩】創作生命

　宋岳庭從小就有嚴重鼻病，宋母為改變他的體質，在宋岳庭國一時，就送他去美國唸書，造就他戲劇性的人生轉變。

　個性頑皮的宋岳庭，在親戚眼中是個大麻煩，包括姑姑、阿姨都不願收留他，最後只好放棄在休士頓藝術學校的學業，搬到洛杉磯與弟弟宋學庭同住。

　高中時代開始，宋岳庭開始大量創作音樂，「Shawn（宋岳庭的英文名）連五線譜都不懂，也不會彈樂器，但他無論創作甚至舞技，都是同儕口中的King！」宋母因為是單親媽媽，經濟負擔大，宋岳庭沒錢買好的機器，只好用美金三百元的keyboard與卡但音帶錄製作品。

　「他最讓朋友稱讚的，就是能用最簡陋的機器，做出令人驚訝的效果！」宋母說，宋岳庭的歌曲不僅是用來娛樂的音樂，更是分享、記錄生命的歷程。

　在歌曲文字中，宋岳庭也傳達出這個訊息：「人生只是一個過程，即使再怎麼痛苦，也要懷抱著希望走下去！」

　【受難】入獄罹癌

　十九歲那年，宋岳庭入獄三個月，只因幫朋友站崗拿了二十元美金，最後卻被栽贓成華青幫份子。

　事後，宋母花了七萬元美金打官司獲得平反，宋岳庭卻已進入人生最低潮，三年假釋期一過，宋岳庭被醫生宣布罹患骨癌，骨盆腔滿是癌細胞，但宋岳庭仍不改對音樂的熱忱，持續創作，深受音樂才子陶吉吉賞識。

　宋岳庭過世前最遺憾的一件事，就是無法與陶吉吉簽約，正式進入錄音室錄製專輯。當時，TENSION的「I'll be with you」的RAP詞，就是宋岳庭親自寫與唱的，雖然酬勞只有一百六十八塊美金，但作品被分享的喜悅，卻讓罹患癌症的宋岳庭開心不已。

　事後，陶吉吉也與宋岳庭談過簽約的事情，可惜他已經罹患癌症，一切計劃宣告暫停，也成為他一生中最大的遺憾。

　【熱愛】天使轉世

　宋母說，岳庭過世前，最擔心的就是她。他對母親說，人生沒有什麼好遺憾與執著的，他只是不捨得看到媽媽難過，「我跟Shawn說，別捨不得我，我才捨不得你痛！」第二天，宋岳庭就在宋母懷抱中過世了。

　有位靈媒對宋母說，宋岳庭是一位天使轉世，他的使命就是用音樂洗刷人們的心靈，每讓一個人重生，宋岳庭的翅膀就會多出一根白色羽毛，飛得更高更遠。

　靈媒話語的真實性如何？其實並不重要。

　重要的是，宋母每天都會收到好多人寫信給她，訴說宋岳庭的音樂對他們的影響有多大。

　就如同專輯名稱與歌曲「Life's a Struggle」，生活就是一場掙扎與奮鬥的歷程，滿佈著疑問，但要勇敢、認真地生活，才能找到解答！

Design house : brosmind studio

Brosmind is a multidisciplinary studio based in Barcelona and founded by the Mingarro Brothers.
Educated as industrial and graphic designers, they are especially interested in product, illustration and space design. Often they also develop their own projects.

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www.brosmind.com