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After winning numerous awards and touring with hip-hop notables such as Mos Def and Damian Marley, acclaimed Somali emcee K’Naan finally releases his debut, The Dusty Foot Philosopher, to a U.S. audience. Don’t feel too shafted. The newly titled Deluxe Version comes with bonus material, including a cameo from Dead Prez’s M-1.
To call the album eclectic is an understatement. It’s hip-hop meets world meets folk meets R&B with a dollop of rock and jazz thrown in for good measure. Not to mention K’Naan bends the concept of what are considered musical instruments. The opening track, “Wash it Down,” is comprised entirely of a beat made by water. That’s right, water and not some cheesy serenity fountain trickle either. We’re talking splashing, crashing, choppy water.
Rapping in English and Somali, K’Naan tackles everything from Mogadishu’s armed struggle to poseurs and his own insecurities. On “What’s Hardcore” he juxtaposes U.S ghettos and “gangsta” rappers with the real life warfare of Africa’s slums. “If I rhyme about home and got descriptive, I’d make 50 Cent look like Limp Bizkit,” K’Naan quips. It’s true. Before his family fled to Canada when he was a teen, K’Naan was living in a Somali district known as “the river of blood.” Life was harsh. By his 20s he’d already been a refugee, served time in prison and survived a war.
Despite the serious subject matter, The Dusty Foot Philosopher doesn’t come off as depressing. K’Naan’s got jokes. When not lamenting about Somalia’s corrupt regime, he’s poking fun at fellow Toronto emcee K-os and Dylan from Diddy’s Making the Band. The album’s title track and “Soobax” aren’t club hits but their crafty, percussion heavy rhythm sections are enough to make any stiff bust a move.
The Dusty Foot Philosopher certifies K’Naan as an adept storyteller. His vivid verses paint portraits of lost innocence, hard lessons learned, and an unwavering hope for the future.
Kimberly Turner is Oh Dang! Magazine's resident music critic and pastry fiend. And No, she's not fat.
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For more info, visit http://www.funkanometrysf.com/thesockhop/
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for more information, contact volumecntrl@gmail.com or log on to www.apiasummit.com
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Let's talk about sex, baby. And I'm not talking about that watered down "birds-and-the-bees" mess. I mean I wanna get dirty, so dirty you cringe. Thats right, I'm talking I wanna drop the words "penis" and "vagina"...a lot...just 'cause I can. Sit back fools, and read on only if you can handle it. Because right now I'm fully about to enforce my first amendment rights. Penis and vagina.
For all of you females out there, listen up. I am about to share with you the second carnal rule of sex (the first rule, of course, is that black girls do it better): sex ruins everything. I know, you've heard this before, but I am about to share exactly why (sorry fellas).
Girls, the day you put out is the day that, in his eyes, you are officially a hoe. Its simple math, really. He sees that ass, he tries to get that ass, he conquers that ass, and now that ass goes in the hoe box. And let me tell you, once you are forgotten, that hoe box becomes a dark, lonely, cold place. You can give it up all you want, just make sure in return you get at least one of the following: gifts or commitment. See, I am a realist, I like to map out things, predict the future, and i reallllllly like statistics. According to missthemess.com, over 60 percent of women ages 18-25 have sex with their partner before they are in an established relationship. Look, I am not asking you to pledge celibacy here, I'm asking you to make sure you put that cat on lock until you get everything you want.
Think about it. Everything ever done--ever--in the history of man, has been done in the hopes that a man will get some ass. Everything ever invented or created was simply because a man thought that somewhere someone was going to give him some ass for it. Egyptian pyramids, space travel, toothpicks--all to get some ass. So, accepting this reality, we understand that once that man gets that ass he has conquered all there is to conquer. Oh, he doesn't like commitment? Then he must not like that ass. Oh, but it's our forth date? Where's my present. Either I want some gifts or some commitment. 'Said gifts ...or commitment. Gifts or commitment = penis + vagina. 'Cause once hes roughed/itched/tapped that ass without giving either one of those things, then girl, you can get nice and cozy in that hoe box. Use it don't abuse it ladies, and remember...black girls do it better.
Gabby Wooden is a sassy bad ass high schooler who ain't afraid to speak her mind and strut her stuff. Check out her blog at saffirerain.blogspot.com.
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With soaring gas prices and rising food costs you could say the latest release from Time Machine, Life is Expensive, is just stating the obvious. Luckily the LA threesome of emcees Biscuit, Jet Set Jay, and Producer/DJ Mekalek put together an album that is more creative than its title lets on.
Life is Expensive opens with the mellow “In the City of Everything.” It’s a casual, matter of fact account of a typical LA day from buying tamales out of someone’s trunk to the hovering of helicopters. The tempo of the disc quickly picks up with the sassy second track “(If you know what) I Mean” and continues the poppy, drum machine happy vibe with “The Groove that Just Won’t Stop.” The song could easily become a party and club staple next to classics like Deee-Lite’s “Groove is in the Heart.” That’s not surprising considering the group has already proved its party prowess with their popular remix of MIA’s “Boyz.”
Producer Stereok’s instrumental contribution “Mountains” breaks up the celebration with smooth 80s era inspired synthesizers and provides the perfect transition into the pessimistic title track “Life is Expensive.” Biscuit and Jet Set Jay lay ominous lyrics about diseases and natural disasters over an equally menacing but toe-tapping beat that together propel the listener towards the apocalypse.
Life is Expensive is both intelligent and entertaining and demonstrates a level of creativity that has rarely resurfaced in hip-hop since A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul. With their tongue & cheek humor and finely honed beat making skills, Time Machine prove that underground hip-hop can have pop appeal without sacrificing substance.
Kimberly Turner is Oh Dang! Magazine's resident music critic and pastry fiend. And No she's not fat.
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Qwel is one of the most heralded and highly respected members of the Chicago Renaissance hip-hop movement. For as long as the name rung out in the underground, starting with his group of fellow Windy City-ites, Typical Cats, his high pitched voice and aggressive style has been synonymous with a certified high-grade dope. On his newest album The New Wine, much of Qwel's standard fare still exists: wisdom, religiosity, and knowledge cloaked under a vocal labyrinth in a discombobulating flow of lyrics, syllables and pitch oscillations.
The difference this time is Kip Killagain, a jungle DJ from Flagstaff, AZ, who co-stars and bakes delicious audio-edible treats for Qwel to devour. Kip's beats make Qwel's sometimes abrasive flava seem much more palatable. And when Qwel complains on "Adam & Eve," that nobody listens, he misspeaks; just because they may be paying attention to the production, it doesn't mean they're not listening. Word to Dreamworks, Killagain orchestrates a high-def soundtrack compiled from a diverse instrument selection in order to score this masterpiece theatre. It’s as if Kip is Steve Spielberg or George Lucas producing a sound stage for the lyrical indie hero Qwel to dictate another mission from God, only now it all takes place in THX for the new millenium. And if Qwel's cenobitic message becomes overwhelming, Kip's snake charmer melodies become a nice opportunity for escapism.
What Qwel seems to not understand, or give a fuck about, is his listeners. He demands attention, even whines about his lack thereof, yet fails to recognize the essential needs of ears. They need a break. If he ever wants to bust out of the funk he's in, it would not take a dumbing down of his message, it would merely require him taking it a little bit easier on the audience. Too much of anything is bad, even the good stuff in life. One can nearly feel Qwel's hunger to get into his soundproof pulpit and recite neo-testimonials through mic cords and headphone wires, but his oratory style leaves those in the pews praying for an occasional antidote. Which is why when he's shortened, silly, or sharing airspace with Kip that The New Wine hits its highest heights. Killagain produces some epic Wu-banging sounds that would be appropriate for the next Abbot project, and Qwel rides most of them perfectly. But again, the Typical guest would be nice to hear; at least Qwaazar for a verse or Denizen Kane for a hook.
But Qwel handles his own sufficiently while only ruining a beat or two, and Killagain misses the mark occasionally with some weird hyphy snapish sounding beats that are ill-fitting. "Innuendo" sounds a lot like a Lyrics Born song, in both beat and vocals, which makes one wonder whether Qwel could ever achieve similar success if he was to pair up with the right producer. Since Qwel has relocated to the Left Coast, his sound has taken on a new appeal. Though cross-over appeal is probably impossible now, Qwel would be wise to go the Del route—a perfectly executed Qwel-tron would be classic. In his affinity to working solely with one producer, if he matched up with, say, Traxamillion and made some spacey thizz shit to preach to e-heads, it would go platinum...on Mercury in 2020.
After another great effort from a supremely talented, if not slightly mislead, hip-hop stalwart, the guidance of Ms. Hill from The Score may be in order: "After all my philosophy and theory, I add a 'motherfucker' so you ignant n****s hear me."
PREACH!
Austin Walsh is one of God's own prototypes—a high-powered mutant of some kind never even considered for mass production. Originally from Humboldt county, he recently venni, vitti, vicci'd The City of Frisco, and is now taking his conquest abroad to infect the rest of the globe with his passion for music, appetite for destruction, and loathing of fear. If you come across the wayward philosopher-king, don't cross him, just take the time to give him a light for his smoke, and spark one too, for the opportunity to add another excerpt to his ever evolving enigmatic epitaph.
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It's too bad for the religious folk who petitioned for the delay--looks like the gays will be gettin' hitched.
Today, the California Supreme Court rejected petitions to delay the decision to make it possible for same-sex marriages.
When the court overturned a ban on gay marriage on May 15, I was estactic. It shows how far our society has come in terms of tolerance by recognizing the union of two people in love, no matter who they are. Think about how monumental this decision is. There will be children growing up in a place where gay marriage may become a commonality. Already, people are projected a jump for the wedding industry in California because of the ruling.
Of course, there are still plenty of people who find this ruling crazy, or even disgusting. The gathering of more than 1.1 million signatures in efforts to put a counter-initiative on the ballot in November proves that (the California Secretary of State Office is still verifying the signatures). Many people based these opinions on their strong faith to their religion, probably quoting the Bible's teachings. I can respect people for having Faith, but those arguments against homosexuality are hard for me to understand.
Growing up in San Francisco, I was lucky enough to be in an environment where learning tolerance is taken for granted. I know I did. When I was younger, my mom worked at a bank in the Castro. Her boss was gay, as was several of her co-workers, so even though I grew up in a fairly conservative, traditionally Chinese family, I never thought gay people were any different from me because there were always gay people in my life.
It wasn't until I was in college that I understood how much people in other parts of the country don't have tolerance for gays and lesbians. Even after multiple discussions and reading arguments from people who condemn homosexuality, I still don't get it. To me, love between people is just that--love. Why does it matter what gender those two people are?
Donna Tam is managing editor of Oh Dang! She loves gays and lesbians, even when they make fun of her for being a "breeder."
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When it comes to music, Nigeria is best known for Afro Beat, Highlife, and Fela Kuti. Psychedelic rock usually isn’t on that list. However, Soundway Records has brought Nigeria’s burgeoning Rock scene to the forefront with the release of Nigeria Rock Special: Psychedelic Afro-Rock & Fuzz Funk in 1970s Nigeria. The disc is the fourth installment of the Nigeria Special series.
Heavily influenced by Cream drummer Ginger Baker’s time in Lagos and his band Airforce, which featured several Nigerian musicians, the album’s artists mix fuzz guitars and Hammond organs with African Rhythms and percussion. The end result is a cross cultural hodgepodge of tone, textures and genres.
The compilation opens with Ofege’s “Adieu,” an instrumental track with an infectious groove characteristic of the entire album. “Odenigbo” by The Wings features one of the best percussion sections on the disc coupled with some pretty sick riffs. The title literally means “one who writes in Igbo” so the dialect fits perfectly with the harmonized chanted lyrics. Colomach’s “Cotocun Gba Gounke” provides a brief intermission from the rest of Nigeria Rock Special’s upbeat tempo. It’s 2:55 of somber screeching guitars and monotone lyrics.
There are a few songs that are in English, although much is lost in translation. I have no idea what Tabukah X is talking about in “Finger Toe.” The track is still dope nonetheless. It’s kind of like how Reggeaton sounds much better in Spanish, rather than the English versions. “Another Man’s Thing” by Joe King Kolobo & His Black Sound is arguably the catchiest song on the album thanks to the chorus: “Another man’s thing/Don’t put your eye.” Apparently the vocalist does not appreciate anyone eyeing his woman or his food.
While the sound is unmistakably Nigerian, there’s no denying the influence of American acts such as Santana, Led Zeppelin, James Brown, and Sly & the Family Stone. Nigeria Rock Special captures 15 remarkable sonic snapshots of a nation recovering from war and at its height of creativity and experimentation.
Kimberly Turner is a 23-year-old graduate of San Francisco State University. When she’s not writing, she enjoys traveling, going to concerts and digging through the used CD bins at Rasputin Music. If she wasn't a journalist she'd be a pastry chef.
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Scion's National Art Tour - INSTALLATION 4: It's A Beautiful World -Concludes in Los Angeles with Show and Live Auction
Los Angeles - Scion's Installation 4, "It's A Beautiful World," opened in Los Angeles, the last of nine cities on the national tour, on May 10th. More than 800 people attended the opening night festivities, including most of the artists. The innovative Scion Installation Art Tour launched its fourth installment last July and features a diverse array of artists from around the world. The theme, "It's a Beautiful World," was interpreted by each artist, in one of four mediums— painting, photography, sculpture, and collage. The culmination of the tour is accompanied by a live auction where all of the artwork will be auctioned off to the public, and 100 percent of the proceeds will go toward art related charities - This year's recipient: Art From Scrap, an organization encouraging creative expression in the arts and promoting a greater understanding of environmental issues: http://www.artfromscrap.org. In previous years, the auctions have raised more than $110,000 for charity.
This year's artists include: Andrew Pommier, Andy Mueller, Angela Boatwright, Blaine Fontana, Blek LeRat, Books llll, Caia Koopman, Chris Yormick, Cody Hudson, Dalek, David Choe, Eye One, Francesco LoCastro, Freddi C, J. Shea, James Jean, Jeff Soto, Joshua Krause, Kelsey Brookes, Kenton Parker, Kofie, Mel Kadel, Michael Sieben, Mike Giant, Rammellzee, RETNA, R. Grimes, Ron English, Sam Flores, Sage Vaughn, Skwerm, Tim McCormick, Travis Millard, and The London Police.
The auction will be held in Los Angeles, at the Scion Installation L.A. space in the Culver City Arts District on Sunday, June 1, 2008 from 4pm - 7pm (auction begins promptly at 5 pm), as well as online and on phone lines. Located at 3521 Helms Ave. (at National), Culver City, Calif., 90232, the gallery will also host all the artwork during the 3rd Annual Culver City Artwalk happening Saturday, May 31st.
The gallery website is: http://www.scion.com/space. For information on bidding, visit: http://www.scion.com/installation.
Scion Installation 4 has visited the following cities around the country: Philadelphia; Austin; Chicago; New York; Seattle; Boston; and Minneapolis. Each tour stop kicked off with an opening event for local art aficionados, press, and other urban tastemakers.
The tour also stopped in Miami for the prestigious Art Basel event. Six of this year's artists designed custom balloons, each eight-feet in diameter, which were flown over the grounds of the Raleigh Hotel. Also on display were the custom designed Scion art cars from Dalek, Sage Vaughn, and Ron English.
Launched in 2003, Scion Installation is a revolutionary art tour affirming Scion's ongoing commitment to supporting independent artistic expression and featuring work from an unprecedented collective of contemporary artists. Previous participants have included: Andre from Paris, Gary Baseman, Mr Cartoon, Crash, Daim, Daze, Sam Flores, Friendswithyou, Futura, Mike Giant, Justin Hampton, Krush, Mear One, Ricky Powell, Persue, Revok, Retna, Rostarr, Saber, Kenny Scharf, Seak, StayHigh 149, Wearesupervision, and more. The program is designed to give exposure to both established and emerging artists.
For more information on the tour, the artists, the artwork, details from past tours, and to BID NOW please visit: http://www.scion.com/installation. ]]>
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New Design High School, located in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, is pretty much the school that every kid in high school wishes they went to. Imagine that way cool art school in the movie "Step Up," minus the posh reputation and the whole, you know, “ballet” thing. Underprivileged students get a chance to learn and partake in college preparatory classes and activities that focus primarily on design and hip hop-inspired arts, such as turntablism, spoken word, stomp theater, b-boying, graffiti and music production. These unique classes are taught by teachers who master in their craft, allowing students to learn subjects that they would most likely learn elsewhere right there at school. Though the school’s unique range of classes aren’t considered a part of the core curriculum, they are offered as after school electives as a part of an “extended school” day that are taken by a majority of the students. The faculty feel that creativity through music and art is a fundamental aspect of developing well-rounded students.
“We believe that integration of the arts is beneficial to the student experience. In order to shape students emotionally, socially, and academically, it is important to cultivate their artistic side as well,” says Sarah Baltazar, faculty member and fundraising advisor at New Design High School. “Essentially, it makes the learning experience more interesting and aids the students’ ability to balance out education with the arts.”
Unfortunately, the state of New York has experienced a $180 million dollar school budget cut this year, with millions more expected to be cut next year, causing recent riots amongst public school protesters and giving little hope for much needed art programs to survive. In attempts to relieve the school's programs from such intense budget cuts, New Design High’s officials have offered to rent out their school’s graffiti covered rooftop to benefit design related programs. Anyone from photographers who want to conduct photo shoots to people who want to host events are allowed to rent out the aesthetically-striking, street art-adorned space at a sliding scale of $2,500-$10,000.
The school, which used to be a prison decades ago, resides in a building that houses different schools on each floor, some occupying more than one level. Some may find the roof of the building—equipped with basketball courts, murals, and tags galore—to be a graffiti heaven. The dean of New Design High, graffiti artist Jessie Pais, started the graffiti project Rooftop Legends in order to give the kids a safe place to tag. School officials figured that by offering students the opportunity to tag freely on the school’s roof, they could keep the kids off the streets and from tagging illegally.
“There is a great difference in vandalism and graffiti art and how graffiti fits into the urban art world,” Baltazar says. “Our students see graffiti transcend into a major marketing tool through companies such as Vans, or Nike, or Urban Outfitters, and our goal is to help them turn their passion for sketching and tagging into something beyond graffiti. We want them to see how their creativity can play into something they can maybe one day monetize.”
Similar to an outdoor museum, Rooftop Legends is an event held twice annually (spring and fall) at New Design High that exhibits the work of urban artists, students and staff. The spring exhibition focused mostly on the fine arts aspect of graffiti, veering from the typical uses of the spray can and “name-tagging” strategies. Famous artists from all over the world such as Shelter Serra, whose diverse works have appeared in galleries across the globe, and Brazilian artist Eder Muniz came to artistically aid and endow the rooftop with their socially conscious murals.
The school has come up with many other dope ways to raise money for the jeopardized programs. They partnered with Rooftop Films, a weekly summer film festival and production collective, to premier short films every Friday, giving independent filmmakers a shot at the spotlight and donating half of the proceeds to the school. On June 7, New Design High and Rooftop Films will present Krush Groove: Fundraise the Roof, an event featuring music, poetry, dance and artwork from renowned artists and DJs in the heart of New York City.
New Design High’s overall goal? To raise $70,000. The best case scenario if their goal isn’t met is that programs that are normally held daily will be cut to once a week; the worst case, a majority of the programs will face cancellation.
Other similar programs, such as VH1’s famed Save the Music Foundation, which includes celebrity spokespersons John Mayer, Mariah Carey, and John Legend, have similar goals in fundraising for art programs that are gradually being revoked in grade school because of budget cuts. These programs address that words and numbers are only two of the seven ways to communicate information, the other five being movement, sounds, images, objects and spaces—all of which are provided through the arts. And they protest that without art programs, the delinquency and dropout rate greatly increases.
To learn more about New Design High School and their current situation, visit the school's blog at newdesignhighschool.blogspot.com. If you are interested in hosting an event at New Design High’s Rooftop Legends or if you just want to make a donation to the school, contact Sarah Baltazar at New Design High School at 212.475.4148 ext. 429.
Gabby Wooden is a sassy bad ass high schooler who ain't afraid to speak her mind and strut her stuff. Check out her blog at saffirerain.blogspot.com.
]]> slug=newdesign byline=Gabrielle Wooden thumbnailtype=jpg thumbnailname=newdesign-thumb ]]>
In true slacker fashion, we're about a week late on this (sorry, the ol' inbox was flooded with spam). Rapper Tone Tank, Nuk Fam member and one half of the Brooklyn duo Iller Than Theirs, dropped a new EP, The Black Six Sessions, available for free download here.
Doc Strange, Scott Thorough and J. Howells Werthman chop up old school hardcore punk breaks and samples, crafting hardcore and gritty beats for Tone to rhyme over. He holds it down well without Krayo, but it's got us amped for a follow up to Iller Than Theirs self-titled debut.
Read our feature on Iller Than Theirs: Time To Get Ill.
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Life can bitch slap you sometimes. Just when you think you've got it figured out, the swift hand of fate can firmly knock that ass back into the reality that humanly endeavors ain't shit when stacked up against divine intervention. Sometimes it's the small stuff – forgetting deodorant on a hellishly hot day or realizing that your iPod is dead just before a long bus ride with no seats and ample supply of foul body odors. Other times, it's the heavier shit – familial implosions, death, illness, addiction. However it unfolds, you start to realize you're just the unwritten lyrics for a song that other people have to write, produce and remix.
Raashan Ahmad's first solo album, The Push (Om Records), is just that – a reminder of life in a cappella. It's nowhere near devoid of beats, because musically the album is a strong testament to the eight years Ahmad has spent rocking venues across the country with his live band, Crown City Rockers. It also features guest appearances that include J5's Chali 2na, DJ Vadim and Ahmad's two-year-old son, Yusef. But this is where the versatile emcee dictates the cataclysmic struggle to get through the daily grind of both life's subtle and overpowering "Oh, shit!" situations. It's the emcee in his most raw, most visceral moment.
The album starts with "Hello", Ahmad's reintroduction as the hip hop head too real to bury a soulmate who's only dead to folks afraid to bust out a two step at a live performance. It's him breathlessly maneuvering soul sampled beats on "Cancer", almost in tears, describing the moment he pulls his cancer-ridden mother off of life support. It's him, on "Heavenbound", peeking behind the headlines of a schizophrenic mother who throws her three small children into the San Francisco Bay to level his unadultered criticism at a system that neglects disenfranchised Black women. And it's him giving thanks, despite all the bullshit, for being blessed with a life and a story to tell.
So while it's been a good four years since the fun loving and energetic Crown City Rockers put out a new album, this is the emcee's personal dedication to life. In his own words, it's a "a non-collaborative effort born out of my own fears, insecurities, observations, triumphs and tragedies." He writes, "it is therapy over beats."
Jamilah King likes to call herself a writer as long as it pays the bills. She's currently an editor for WireTap Magazine, and her writing has also appeared in the San Francisco Bay Guardian, TheNation.com and on her bootleg blog, Grits & Eggs.
]]> slug=raashanahmad byline=Jamilah King thumbnailtype=jpg thumbnailname=thepush_cover-thumb ]]>
![_________________________________ Scion's National Art Tour - INSTALLATION 4: It's A Beautiful World -Concludes in Los Angeles with Show and Live Auction Los Angeles - Scion's Installation 4, "It's A Beautiful World," opened in Los Angeles, the last of nine cities on the national tour, on May 10th. More than 800 people attended the opening night festivities, including most of the artists. The innovative Scion Installation Art Tour launched its fourth installment last July and features a diverse array of artists from around the world. The theme, "It's a Beautiful World," was interpreted by each artist, in one of four mediums— painting, photography, sculpture, and collage. The culmination of the tour is accompanied by a live auction where all of the artwork will be auctioned off to the public, and 100 percent of the proceeds will go toward art related charities - This year's recipient: Art From Scrap, an organization encouraging creative expression in the arts and promoting a greater understanding of environmental issues: http://www.artfromscrap.org. In previous years, the auctions have raised more than $110,000 for charity. This year's artists include: Andrew Pommier, Andy Mueller, Angela Boatwright, Blaine Fontana, Blek LeRat, Books llll, Caia Koopman, Chris Yormick, Cody Hudson, Dalek, David Choe, Eye One, Francesco LoCastro, Freddi C, J. Shea, James Jean, Jeff Soto, Joshua Krause, Kelsey Brookes, Kenton Parker, Kofie, Mel Kadel, Michael Sieben, Mike Giant, Rammellzee, RETNA, R. Grimes, Ron English, Sam Flores, Sage Vaughn, Skwerm, Tim McCormick, Travis Millard, and The London Police. The auction will be held in Los Angeles, at the Scion Installation L.A. space in the Culver City Arts District on Sunday, June 1, 2008 from 4pm - 7pm (auction begins promptly at 5 pm), as well as online and on phone lines. Located at 3521 Helms Ave. (at National), Culver City, Calif., 90232, the gallery will also host all the artwork during the 3rd Annual Culver City Artwalk happening Saturday, May 31st. The gallery website is: http://www.scion.com/space. For information on bidding, visit: http://www.scion.com/installation. Scion Installation 4 has visited the following cities around the country: Philadelphia; Austin; Chicago; New York; Seattle; Boston; and Minneapolis. Each tour stop kicked off with an opening event for local art aficionados, press, and other urban tastemakers. The tour also stopped in Miami for the prestigious Art Basel event. Six of this year's artists designed custom balloons, each eight-feet in diameter, which were flown over the grounds of the Raleigh Hotel. Also on display were the custom designed Scion art cars from Dalek, Sage Vaughn, and Ron English. Launched in 2003, Scion Installation is a revolutionary art tour affirming Scion's ongoing commitment to supporting independent artistic expression and featuring work from an unprecedented collective of contemporary artists. Previous participants have included: Andre from Paris, Gary Baseman, Mr Cartoon, Crash, Daim, Daze, Sam Flores, Friendswithyou, Futura, Mike Giant, Justin Hampton, Krush, Mear One, Ricky Powell, Persue, Revok, Retna, Rostarr, Saber, Kenny Scharf, Seak, StayHigh 149, Wearesupervision, and more. The program is designed to give exposure to both established and emerging artists. For more information on the tour, the artists, the artwork, details from past tours, and to BID NOW please visit: http://www.scion.com/installation.]]> byline=Oh Dang! ]]>](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2357/2529893331_c171805d50.jpg?v=0){kind=link}
![_________________________________ Scion's National Art Tour - INSTALLATION 4: It's A Beautiful World -Concludes in Los Angeles with Show and Live Auction Los Angeles - Scion's Installation 4, "It's A Beautiful World," opened in Los Angeles, the last of nine cities on the national tour, on May 10th. More than 800 people attended the opening night festivities, including most of the artists. The innovative Scion Installation Art Tour launched its fourth installment last July and features a diverse array of artists from around the world. The theme, "It's a Beautiful World," was interpreted by each artist, in one of four mediums— painting, photography, sculpture, and collage. The culmination of the tour is accompanied by a live auction where all of the artwork will be auctioned off to the public, and 100 percent of the proceeds will go toward art related charities - This year's recipient: Art From Scrap, an organization encouraging creative expression in the arts and promoting a greater understanding of environmental issues: http://www.artfromscrap.org. In previous years, the auctions have raised more than $110,000 for charity. This year's artists include: Andrew Pommier, Andy Mueller, Angela Boatwright, Blaine Fontana, Blek LeRat, Books llll, Caia Koopman, Chris Yormick, Cody Hudson, Dalek, David Choe, Eye One, Francesco LoCastro, Freddi C, J. Shea, James Jean, Jeff Soto, Joshua Krause, Kelsey Brookes, Kenton Parker, Kofie, Mel Kadel, Michael Sieben, Mike Giant, Rammellzee, RETNA, R. Grimes, Ron English, Sam Flores, Sage Vaughn, Skwerm, Tim McCormick, Travis Millard, and The London Police. The auction will be held in Los Angeles, at the Scion Installation L.A. space in the Culver City Arts District on Sunday, June 1, 2008 from 4pm - 7pm (auction begins promptly at 5 pm), as well as online and on phone lines. Located at 3521 Helms Ave. (at National), Culver City, Calif., 90232, the gallery will also host all the artwork during the 3rd Annual Culver City Artwalk happening Saturday, May 31st. The gallery website is: http://www.scion.com/space. For information on bidding, visit: http://www.scion.com/installation. Scion Installation 4 has visited the following cities around the country: Philadelphia; Austin; Chicago; New York; Seattle; Boston; and Minneapolis. Each tour stop kicked off with an opening event for local art aficionados, press, and other urban tastemakers. The tour also stopped in Miami for the prestigious Art Basel event. Six of this year's artists designed custom balloons, each eight-feet in diameter, which were flown over the grounds of the Raleigh Hotel. Also on display were the custom designed Scion art cars from Dalek, Sage Vaughn, and Ron English. Launched in 2003, Scion Installation is a revolutionary art tour affirming Scion's ongoing commitment to supporting independent artistic expression and featuring work from an unprecedented collective of contemporary artists. Previous participants have included: Andre from Paris, Gary Baseman, Mr Cartoon, Crash, Daim, Daze, Sam Flores, Friendswithyou, Futura, Mike Giant, Justin Hampton, Krush, Mear One, Ricky Powell, Persue, Revok, Retna, Rostarr, Saber, Kenny Scharf, Seak, StayHigh 149, Wearesupervision, and more. The program is designed to give exposure to both established and emerging artists. For more information on the tour, the artists, the artwork, details from past tours, and to BID NOW please visit: http://www.scion.com/installation.]]> byline=Oh Dang! ]]>](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2217/2529894729_485847d573.jpg?v=0){kind=link}
![_________________________________ Scion's National Art Tour - INSTALLATION 4: It's A Beautiful World -Concludes in Los Angeles with Show and Live Auction Los Angeles - Scion's Installation 4, "It's A Beautiful World," opened in Los Angeles, the last of nine cities on the national tour, on May 10th. More than 800 people attended the opening night festivities, including most of the artists. The innovative Scion Installation Art Tour launched its fourth installment last July and features a diverse array of artists from around the world. The theme, "It's a Beautiful World," was interpreted by each artist, in one of four mediums— painting, photography, sculpture, and collage. The culmination of the tour is accompanied by a live auction where all of the artwork will be auctioned off to the public, and 100 percent of the proceeds will go toward art related charities - This year's recipient: Art From Scrap, an organization encouraging creative expression in the arts and promoting a greater understanding of environmental issues: http://www.artfromscrap.org. In previous years, the auctions have raised more than $110,000 for charity. This year's artists include: Andrew Pommier, Andy Mueller, Angela Boatwright, Blaine Fontana, Blek LeRat, Books llll, Caia Koopman, Chris Yormick, Cody Hudson, Dalek, David Choe, Eye One, Francesco LoCastro, Freddi C, J. Shea, James Jean, Jeff Soto, Joshua Krause, Kelsey Brookes, Kenton Parker, Kofie, Mel Kadel, Michael Sieben, Mike Giant, Rammellzee, RETNA, R. Grimes, Ron English, Sam Flores, Sage Vaughn, Skwerm, Tim McCormick, Travis Millard, and The London Police. The auction will be held in Los Angeles, at the Scion Installation L.A. space in the Culver City Arts District on Sunday, June 1, 2008 from 4pm - 7pm (auction begins promptly at 5 pm), as well as online and on phone lines. Located at 3521 Helms Ave. (at National), Culver City, Calif., 90232, the gallery will also host all the artwork during the 3rd Annual Culver City Artwalk happening Saturday, May 31st. The gallery website is: http://www.scion.com/space. For information on bidding, visit: http://www.scion.com/installation. Scion Installation 4 has visited the following cities around the country: Philadelphia; Austin; Chicago; New York; Seattle; Boston; and Minneapolis. Each tour stop kicked off with an opening event for local art aficionados, press, and other urban tastemakers. The tour also stopped in Miami for the prestigious Art Basel event. Six of this year's artists designed custom balloons, each eight-feet in diameter, which were flown over the grounds of the Raleigh Hotel. Also on display were the custom designed Scion art cars from Dalek, Sage Vaughn, and Ron English. Launched in 2003, Scion Installation is a revolutionary art tour affirming Scion's ongoing commitment to supporting independent artistic expression and featuring work from an unprecedented collective of contemporary artists. Previous participants have included: Andre from Paris, Gary Baseman, Mr Cartoon, Crash, Daim, Daze, Sam Flores, Friendswithyou, Futura, Mike Giant, Justin Hampton, Krush, Mear One, Ricky Powell, Persue, Revok, Retna, Rostarr, Saber, Kenny Scharf, Seak, StayHigh 149, Wearesupervision, and more. The program is designed to give exposure to both established and emerging artists. For more information on the tour, the artists, the artwork, details from past tours, and to BID NOW please visit: http://www.scion.com/installation.]]> byline=Oh Dang! ]]>](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3072/2530711182_44043dd438.jpg?v=0){kind=link}
![_________________________________ Scion's National Art Tour - INSTALLATION 4: It's A Beautiful World -Concludes in Los Angeles with Show and Live Auction Los Angeles - Scion's Installation 4, "It's A Beautiful World," opened in Los Angeles, the last of nine cities on the national tour, on May 10th. More than 800 people attended the opening night festivities, including most of the artists. The innovative Scion Installation Art Tour launched its fourth installment last July and features a diverse array of artists from around the world. The theme, "It's a Beautiful World," was interpreted by each artist, in one of four mediums— painting, photography, sculpture, and collage. The culmination of the tour is accompanied by a live auction where all of the artwork will be auctioned off to the public, and 100 percent of the proceeds will go toward art related charities - This year's recipient: Art From Scrap, an organization encouraging creative expression in the arts and promoting a greater understanding of environmental issues: http://www.artfromscrap.org. In previous years, the auctions have raised more than $110,000 for charity. This year's artists include: Andrew Pommier, Andy Mueller, Angela Boatwright, Blaine Fontana, Blek LeRat, Books llll, Caia Koopman, Chris Yormick, Cody Hudson, Dalek, David Choe, Eye One, Francesco LoCastro, Freddi C, J. Shea, James Jean, Jeff Soto, Joshua Krause, Kelsey Brookes, Kenton Parker, Kofie, Mel Kadel, Michael Sieben, Mike Giant, Rammellzee, RETNA, R. Grimes, Ron English, Sam Flores, Sage Vaughn, Skwerm, Tim McCormick, Travis Millard, and The London Police. The auction will be held in Los Angeles, at the Scion Installation L.A. space in the Culver City Arts District on Sunday, June 1, 2008 from 4pm - 7pm (auction begins promptly at 5 pm), as well as online and on phone lines. Located at 3521 Helms Ave. (at National), Culver City, Calif., 90232, the gallery will also host all the artwork during the 3rd Annual Culver City Artwalk happening Saturday, May 31st. The gallery website is: http://www.scion.com/space. For information on bidding, visit: http://www.scion.com/installation. Scion Installation 4 has visited the following cities around the country: Philadelphia; Austin; Chicago; New York; Seattle; Boston; and Minneapolis. Each tour stop kicked off with an opening event for local art aficionados, press, and other urban tastemakers. The tour also stopped in Miami for the prestigious Art Basel event. Six of this year's artists designed custom balloons, each eight-feet in diameter, which were flown over the grounds of the Raleigh Hotel. Also on display were the custom designed Scion art cars from Dalek, Sage Vaughn, and Ron English. Launched in 2003, Scion Installation is a revolutionary art tour affirming Scion's ongoing commitment to supporting independent artistic expression and featuring work from an unprecedented collective of contemporary artists. Previous participants have included: Andre from Paris, Gary Baseman, Mr Cartoon, Crash, Daim, Daze, Sam Flores, Friendswithyou, Futura, Mike Giant, Justin Hampton, Krush, Mear One, Ricky Powell, Persue, Revok, Retna, Rostarr, Saber, Kenny Scharf, Seak, StayHigh 149, Wearesupervision, and more. The program is designed to give exposure to both established and emerging artists. For more information on the tour, the artists, the artwork, details from past tours, and to BID NOW please visit: http://www.scion.com/installation.]]> byline=Oh Dang! ]]>](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3284/2529894027_a852bc831f.jpg?v=0){kind=link}
![_________________________________ Scion's National Art Tour - INSTALLATION 4: It's A Beautiful World -Concludes in Los Angeles with Show and Live Auction Los Angeles - Scion's Installation 4, "It's A Beautiful World," opened in Los Angeles, the last of nine cities on the national tour, on May 10th. More than 800 people attended the opening night festivities, including most of the artists. The innovative Scion Installation Art Tour launched its fourth installment last July and features a diverse array of artists from around the world. The theme, "It's a Beautiful World," was interpreted by each artist, in one of four mediums— painting, photography, sculpture, and collage. The culmination of the tour is accompanied by a live auction where all of the artwork will be auctioned off to the public, and 100 percent of the proceeds will go toward art related charities - This year's recipient: Art From Scrap, an organization encouraging creative expression in the arts and promoting a greater understanding of environmental issues: http://www.artfromscrap.org. In previous years, the auctions have raised more than $110,000 for charity. This year's artists include: Andrew Pommier, Andy Mueller, Angela Boatwright, Blaine Fontana, Blek LeRat, Books llll, Caia Koopman, Chris Yormick, Cody Hudson, Dalek, David Choe, Eye One, Francesco LoCastro, Freddi C, J. Shea, James Jean, Jeff Soto, Joshua Krause, Kelsey Brookes, Kenton Parker, Kofie, Mel Kadel, Michael Sieben, Mike Giant, Rammellzee, RETNA, R. Grimes, Ron English, Sam Flores, Sage Vaughn, Skwerm, Tim McCormick, Travis Millard, and The London Police. The auction will be held in Los Angeles, at the Scion Installation L.A. space in the Culver City Arts District on Sunday, June 1, 2008 from 4pm - 7pm (auction begins promptly at 5 pm), as well as online and on phone lines. Located at 3521 Helms Ave. (at National), Culver City, Calif., 90232, the gallery will also host all the artwork during the 3rd Annual Culver City Artwalk happening Saturday, May 31st. The gallery website is: http://www.scion.com/space. For information on bidding, visit: http://www.scion.com/installation. Scion Installation 4 has visited the following cities around the country: Philadelphia; Austin; Chicago; New York; Seattle; Boston; and Minneapolis. Each tour stop kicked off with an opening event for local art aficionados, press, and other urban tastemakers. The tour also stopped in Miami for the prestigious Art Basel event. Six of this year's artists designed custom balloons, each eight-feet in diameter, which were flown over the grounds of the Raleigh Hotel. Also on display were the custom designed Scion art cars from Dalek, Sage Vaughn, and Ron English. Launched in 2003, Scion Installation is a revolutionary art tour affirming Scion's ongoing commitment to supporting independent artistic expression and featuring work from an unprecedented collective of contemporary artists. Previous participants have included: Andre from Paris, Gary Baseman, Mr Cartoon, Crash, Daim, Daze, Sam Flores, Friendswithyou, Futura, Mike Giant, Justin Hampton, Krush, Mear One, Ricky Powell, Persue, Revok, Retna, Rostarr, Saber, Kenny Scharf, Seak, StayHigh 149, Wearesupervision, and more. The program is designed to give exposure to both established and emerging artists. For more information on the tour, the artists, the artwork, details from past tours, and to BID NOW please visit: http://www.scion.com/installation.]]> byline=Oh Dang! ]]>](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2190/2529895051_fd8e0c2b6e.jpg?v=0){kind=link}
![_________________________________ Scion's National Art Tour - INSTALLATION 4: It's A Beautiful World -Concludes in Los Angeles with Show and Live Auction Los Angeles - Scion's Installation 4, "It's A Beautiful World," opened in Los Angeles, the last of nine cities on the national tour, on May 10th. More than 800 people attended the opening night festivities, including most of the artists. The innovative Scion Installation Art Tour launched its fourth installment last July and features a diverse array of artists from around the world. The theme, "It's a Beautiful World," was interpreted by each artist, in one of four mediums— painting, photography, sculpture, and collage. The culmination of the tour is accompanied by a live auction where all of the artwork will be auctioned off to the public, and 100 percent of the proceeds will go toward art related charities - This year's recipient: Art From Scrap, an organization encouraging creative expression in the arts and promoting a greater understanding of environmental issues: http://www.artfromscrap.org. In previous years, the auctions have raised more than $110,000 for charity. This year's artists include: Andrew Pommier, Andy Mueller, Angela Boatwright, Blaine Fontana, Blek LeRat, Books llll, Caia Koopman, Chris Yormick, Cody Hudson, Dalek, David Choe, Eye One, Francesco LoCastro, Freddi C, J. Shea, James Jean, Jeff Soto, Joshua Krause, Kelsey Brookes, Kenton Parker, Kofie, Mel Kadel, Michael Sieben, Mike Giant, Rammellzee, RETNA, R. Grimes, Ron English, Sam Flores, Sage Vaughn, Skwerm, Tim McCormick, Travis Millard, and The London Police. The auction will be held in Los Angeles, at the Scion Installation L.A. space in the Culver City Arts District on Sunday, June 1, 2008 from 4pm - 7pm (auction begins promptly at 5 pm), as well as online and on phone lines. Located at 3521 Helms Ave. (at National), Culver City, Calif., 90232, the gallery will also host all the artwork during the 3rd Annual Culver City Artwalk happening Saturday, May 31st. The gallery website is: http://www.scion.com/space. For information on bidding, visit: http://www.scion.com/installation. Scion Installation 4 has visited the following cities around the country: Philadelphia; Austin; Chicago; New York; Seattle; Boston; and Minneapolis. Each tour stop kicked off with an opening event for local art aficionados, press, and other urban tastemakers. The tour also stopped in Miami for the prestigious Art Basel event. Six of this year's artists designed custom balloons, each eight-feet in diameter, which were flown over the grounds of the Raleigh Hotel. Also on display were the custom designed Scion art cars from Dalek, Sage Vaughn, and Ron English. Launched in 2003, Scion Installation is a revolutionary art tour affirming Scion's ongoing commitment to supporting independent artistic expression and featuring work from an unprecedented collective of contemporary artists. Previous participants have included: Andre from Paris, Gary Baseman, Mr Cartoon, Crash, Daim, Daze, Sam Flores, Friendswithyou, Futura, Mike Giant, Justin Hampton, Krush, Mear One, Ricky Powell, Persue, Revok, Retna, Rostarr, Saber, Kenny Scharf, Seak, StayHigh 149, Wearesupervision, and more. The program is designed to give exposure to both established and emerging artists. For more information on the tour, the artists, the artwork, details from past tours, and to BID NOW please visit: http://www.scion.com/installation.]]> byline=Oh Dang! ]]>](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3007/2529893635_cdfeb66017.jpg?v=0){kind=link}