Kid Dangerous Spring 2012 Look Book Preview
Photo shoots are one of the funnest things we get to do at Kid Dangerous. They’re chaotic, hard to organize, stressful and they typically never go according to plan but to watch the process unfold from idea conception to location/model scouting to shooting to color correction to look book layout, it’s an amazing journey and when you see the finished product after all your hard work, it’s a really rewarding experience.
We recently shot the Spring 2012 look book, featuring all the new men’s and women’s gear we’re going to be shipping to stores early next year. We actually didn’t do a look book last season so we were pumped to get some great new pics into the fold. We decided to shoot it at the Hudson, an awesome bar / restaurant owned by our good friends in West Hollywood at the intersection of Santa Monica and Crescent Heights. We shot during the day before they opened for business and it was a a GREAT location with various different places within the bar to shoot which gave the photos both variety and cohesion. We also were able to borrow our good friend Cameron’s sick old school Cadillac for some amazing shots outside in front of the bar which really was the cherry on top.
We did the shoot with Hannah Lux Davis (www.hannahluxdavis.com), who over the past couple of years has become the go-to photographer for Kid Dangerous. We also got to work with some of our favorite Kid D models, Kayslee Collins and Amanda Mayfield along with a bunch of other talented and hot girls and guys for what turned out to be our best shoot yet. We’re going to officially roll out the look book within the next two weeks, but I thought we’d give you all a preview. Check back soon for the real deal!
Gangster cover to our gangster look book
Beirut at the Greek
Beirut is in my top three bands of all time. I understand why a lot of people don’t really like them, or can’t get into them too much, but I think they’re amazing. Zach Condon is truly a musical genius and considering he’s only 25 years old and he’s got five albums and and a handful of EPs out, and that he can play almost every musical instrument under the sun, the guy deserves his respect. If you haven’t heard them and enjoy music with horns, pianos, ukuleles and more, it’s time to get on board. This was now my third time seeing them live and their stage presence and sound has improved a ton. I went with my girlfriend to the Greek Theatre and we sat in the pit so we had a front row view of the action. The Greek is an unbelievable venue. Nestled in the hills of Griffith Park in Los Feliz, it’s an outdoor theatre surrounded by enormous, beautiful trees, there’s not a bad seat in the house and the sound is great. If you live in LA and have never been there, I’d definitely recommend crossing it off your bucket list. I forgot to bring my flip but I did have my iPhone. Here’s a nice little video I threw together from the show. Enjoy!
Downtown LA Artwalk
So, I’ve been meaning to go to Art Walk in downtown Los Angeles now for like two or three years. I’ve heard it’s a lot of fun, a bunch of cool shit to see and a ton of people cruising around. Just recently, we heard there’s an area where people sell shit, like jewelry, clothes, etc. so we decided to throw our hat in the ring and get a booth with our good friend Laurin who was slangin jewelry. Brett and our intern MEJ went down there early to get set up, God bless them, and we rolled in super late around 9 PM.
In typical Kid D fashion, we decided to get wasted beforehand. Cammy and Wicky rolled through with a bottle of Skyy and the shots commenced. All the hype of the event ended up being justified. There were tons of people and we sold a gang of gear and the alcohol was flowing. The drunker I got, the worse my negotiating skills got. At one point, I told a girl if she could hold a handstand for ten seconds I’d give her a shirt for free but she backed down to the challenge. This blog is really boring….oh well. Here are some pics! wahoo.
Team Chickenhead
Photo included due to lack of other good photos to replace it with
Thug Life Bee-ya-yitch.
The Beautiful and Woefully Underpaid Women of Kid Dangerous
Old School Hip Hop Album Review: Gang Starr- Moment of Truth
Over the past year, we’ve made blogs about bands that we’re listening to and songs that we’re bumping. It’s all current stuff though so I figured it was time to do something a little different. Once every couple of weeks, we’re going to do an old school album review.
This time around, it’s
Gang Starr- Moment of Truth
This album dropped in 1998 or from my standpoint, my senior year in high school. So yeah, I listened to this CD while smoking a lot of weed and driving around with my friends. Gang Starr is epic for two reasons. The main reason is DJ Premier. He really came into his own and established the style that he would continue his career with. Unbelievable use of samples to make hypnotic beats and his go-to choruses, which were mash-ups of other rapper’s lyrics that fit together perfectly. DJ Premier has to rank in the top five beat makers of all times in my book. He never really was meant for commercial success but every dope east coast rapper from Biggie to Jay Z to naS have been blessed with Primo’s tracks. The second reason for the success was the rapper of the group, Guru. While I’d never put him on any short list of my favorite rappers. He truly is distinct not only in his voice but in his elevated lyrics. Guru managed to mix in gangsta shit with raps about social consciousness and the struggles people (particularly people in the hood) went through. So, when you combine the sick beats with a distinct rapper with deep lyrics, you get something much realer than a lot of the other hip hop that was coming out at the time, and for that matter, what’s coming out today.
While Moment of Truth wasn’t their first album, I believe it’s their best. The album has an impressive twenty tracks and while there are definitely a few more that deserve their props, I’ve decided to focus on these seven bangers.
You Know My Steez- The first song on the album and a true, true banger. This beat is just as sick today as it was when it came out. One of the more recognizable tracks on this CD that has stood the test of time.
Royalty- Another banger of a beat, this song also features K-Ci and Jo Jo. A great example of how he can get much deeper on a track than your average mc.
Above the Clouds- This is the song when you fully realize that DJ Premier is in a zone on this album that very few DJs have ever been in. I don’t know where he came up with this beat, but it’s ridiculous. Also, a GREAT verse by Inspectah Deck. Inspectah was a true unsung hero of Wu Tang. Could never figure out how to put together a full album but was always good for an epic verse here and there.
JFK to LAX- This is a cool track and just shows the creativity of Gang Starr. Basically, it’s a song about Guru getting arrested and his views on the judicial system. Thumper beat as usual.
Moment of Truth- So, when you hear this song, working your way through the album, I think it finally sets in the type of CD this really is. One for the history books. This is a perfect example of how much deeper Guru gets in his raps than most MCs and combined with this hypnotic beat, it’s a true timeless classic. That and the cheesy chick with the accent at the very beginning always cracks me up! hahaha
My Advice to You- I wouldn’t rank this in my top songs on the album, but it’s still really strong. I had kinda forgotten about this track but as soon as I heard the background beat, it instantly clicked back in.
In Memory Of- There’s something both gangsta and touching about doing a tribute song to all the people in your life that have died in hip hop. It’s scary at how many people it is when compared to people in your life. This has such a strong beat and strong lyrics, it’s a great way to end the album. On on the topic of “In Memory of”, R.I.P. to Guru who passed away April 19, 2010 ago from a heart attack. Thanks for all the amazing music.
Make Music Pasadena Festival Video Blog
After a short hiatus, it was time to dust off the flip video to chronicle some more drunk antics. This time, we took to the streets of Pasadena for a fun little music festival. Morning Benders, Best Coast, Ra Ra Riot and lots of vodka = a damn fun Saturday.
Coachella Survival Guide
Coachella is less than 48 hours away and for all you working stiffs (myself included) that are lucky enough to be going, it’s damn near impossible to focus on anything else. How can I worry about the shirts that I need to make when I’m too busy worrying about how I’m going to manage all the conflicts in the lineup schedule? How can I really follow up on campus rep emails when I’m thinking about what flip technique I’m going to use when jumping into the pool for the first time?
Oh, Coachella. It’s that time of year again. Truly one of the funnest, drunkest and most memorable weekends of the year. Every year I try and do it better than the previous one to usually mixed results. Heading into my sixth Coachella rodeo, I’ve put together a Kid Dangerous Survival Guide consisting of 10 Do’s and 10 Don’ts at Coachella.
1. DO- Come prepared for the trip. Key items to bring include: sun screen, gum, bathing suit, towel (if you’re staying at a condo), tylenol, advil or your hangover medicine of your choice, cash, ID, cell phone charger, camera, flask (preferably plastic), ATM card, cigarettes or any other preferred drug of choice.
2. DON’T- Be the guy that doesn’t bring any of this stuff and is jonesing off your friends the whole weekend. Cash is king at coachella. Make sure you have enough to get through the day. The ol’ “All I got is a credit card” routine doesn’t fly by day two.
3. DO- Get your pregame fade on. Depending on how committed you are to seeing the earlier bands, chances are, you are probably rolling into the show between 4-6 PM. Drinks are expensive, the only beer they serve is fucking Heineken and the lines for booze are typically a kick in the balls. Take advantage of the great time by the pool to have a few beverages and drink a couple beers on the always long walk into the show. To lower your costs and increase your awesomeness, bring in a flask to split with a couple friends. Play rock paper scissors to see who the lucky one is who has to stash the flask in their crotch when they walk in.
4. DON’T- Get too drunk before you get to Coachella. Or at Coachella while we’re at it. Everyone knows
See the guy on the floatie? It could be you if you're not careful.
partying with all your friends by the pool is amazing. What you might not be realizing though, is that it’s only 1 PM, you normally don’t drink for 12 hours in one day and it’s probably 90 degrees out. Have some drinks before the show but avoid taking too many shots or pouring too many uber stiff cocktails. They’ll be the death of you. Nothing worse than being so drunk at Coachella that you’re a total liability, don’t really remember much of the night because you’re too busy stumbling around or you end up back at the condo later that night with no wallet or cell phone (speaking from experience).
5. DO- Bring your cell phone. A fully charged one at that. You’re going to need it to stay in communication with your friends, twit pic a picture of the side of Paul Banks’ head to make your friends jealous and save the numbers of any cute guys or girls that you meet.
Take a vacation from Facebook and Twitter
6. DON’T- Drive two hundred miles to Coachella, spend $1,000 all-in to be there and spend all day dicking around on your phone. Facebook will be there, twitter as well and as fun as angry birds is, put the phone away and enjoy nature, alcohol and the amazing music you’ve been waiting all year to hear.
7. DO- Plan accordingly. From the moment you park your car to the moment you arrive at the stage of the band you wanna see, you’re really talking about 45-60 minutes. I’ve missed one too many bands thinking I can leave my condo 20 minutes before a show starts. Parking is a bitch and there’s gonna be a fat line of cars waiting to get in. If seeing a band is a priority, plan ahead.
8. DON’T- forget the right wardrobe. This is s two-tiered point. The first is weather. It’s going to be sunny so bring sunglasses and it’s going to be hot as hell during the day. BUT! It gets surprisingly chilly at night. Ladies, this point is especially for you because I know you have a tendency to get cold. Showing up in a bikini top and booty shorts is great not only for you but for all the guys ogling you all day but at night, it’s gonna get real cold and it won’t be nearly as cool when you have to buy an XL Duran Duran shirt to cover up and stay warm.
Second, and this is for my fashionably challenged single guys out there, put together a respectable outfit. There are more cute single girls at Coachella than in the entire state of Montana and if you want to improve your chances of making a good impression, leave the baggy cargo shorts and flip flops at home. Instead, try more form fitting shorts with some cool sneakers or loafers. They’re equally as comfortable and a lot more attractive. No one is trying to look at your grimy ass feet after three days of walking around in dirt.
9. DO- The little things. It’s an overwhelming experience to go to Coachella but a little planning on how to attack the day goes a long way. Stay hydrated, eat at least two meals a day, designate a meeting point if people get lost, have a plan for when you’re leaving, try and roll around in pairs. Once the sun goes down at Coachella it gets real dark real fast. If your cell phone is dead and you’re stumbling around drunk with no idea how to meet up with everyone, you’re in deep shit. A couple of small tricks about leaving Coachella:
a. Save a picture in your phone, write yourself a message, do something to remember where the car is. Ten hours and 12 beers later isn’t going to make it any easier to find.
b. Check around your car before you leave. No bigger buzz kill than to drive over your shithead buddy’s coors light bottle he happened to stash under your tire on your way in because he saw a security guard driving by.
c. If you aren’t hell bent on seeing the last few minutes of the final headliner, contemplate leaving early. There are horror stories of people getting stuck in the parking lot trying to leave for two hours. It totally sucks. Leave before the encore and you’ll have had four beers, made late night quesadillas and be asleep for half an hour before your other friends get back to the condo.
10. DON’T- Try too hard. I know, I know, I just gave style tips above but just keep in mind that you’re there to have fun. Not to be the coolest dude there, or rudely bird dog at every chick that walks by or to bump some fifteen year kid because you can or to cut in front of a bunch of people at the bathroom or beer line. Remember, everyone there has had to take off work, save up their money and have had their calendars circled just as long as you so they deserve to have an amazing time as well. Think of it as a modern day Woodstock, except for everything is ridiculously priced, corporate sponsors dictate what you eat, drink and feel and there are more orange county high school kids there than people that really care about the music.
Anyways….Hope you enjoyed the tips. We’ll be documenting our weekend with our handy dandy flip video so check back next week for that and we’re also going to be giving away stuff at the show to twitter fans representing the Kid Dangerous nation.
Peace…and I’m out.
cammymacmillan
darthhagus
kiddangerous
nicolamite
ninobrown
pandalfthewhite
regalkillz
chEEch
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