In Their Shoes; Taylor @ Beats Rhymes Hype

It's interesting how a blog can help you to meet fascinating people in different ways.  Taylor is based in Atlanta in the US and runs a music site that also has a keen eye on urban style.
He heard about my video covering the 2012 Sydney Swap Meet, and ran it on the site, from there we got talking and the rest as they say is history.
His story is an interesting one and he was happy to talk about the influence of 'A Tribe Called Quest', the widespread influence of sneaker culture, and where he thinks it's happening most. 

IDYSM: Hey Taylor, thanks for taking the time to talk to IDYSM.  Beats Rhymes Hype may sound like a project just focused on music, but is it?  Give us the lowdown on what it’s all about.

Taylor: Thank you.  Initially I created Beats Rhymes & Hype to promote my music and other underground artist musics. I know personally how hard it is for independent artist to gain exposure. But then it hit me, I could promote independent people like clothing designers/brands, photographers, and entrepreneurs looking for that same exposure.  

We’re a small site based out of Atlanta, Georgia but I like to think of us as being a global brand since we’re on the internet. Beats Rhymes & Hype originally began as Aristocracy magazine.com back in 2010. Frustrated with how the site was going I decided to walk away from that project. After taking a few months away from the blog sphere I launched www.BeatsRhymesHype.com in January of this year.  Our name is inspired by the album Beats Rhymes & Life from the 1990’s hip hop trio “A Tribe Called Quest”.

IDYSM: What makes Beats Rhymes Hype different to other culture sites?

Taylor: We try our hardest to be different from other culture sites by actually searching for people doing things that we find attractive and not just duplicating posts from major culture sites. We invest a lot of time into browsing the web and the content we select.

IDYSM: As a studier of modern culture, what role/influence do you see sneakers having?

Taylor: I didn’t realize until recently how wide spread sneaker culture is. It’s miraculous how it connects so many different nationalities and people from different facets of life. I really enjoy the fusion of so many cultures.

IDYSM:  Is this a poignant time for sneaker culture, and are sneakers as important and influential now as they have been in previous times?

Taylor: I feel sneaker culture has always been an expression of self. Initially significant to urban culture, but its adoption into other cultures has been amazing. I believe that sneakers are more influential now then they have been at previous times. There’s a nostalgia that sounds shoes releases, and there are more sneaker heads now then ten years ago.

IDYSM: Please describe the sneaker scene where you’re based.

Taylor: The sneaker scene in Atlanta is remarkable. It’s such a diverse city that there’s no telling what you may find on the feet of its residents. Sneaker culture is very popular here.

IDYSM: What’s your own relationship with sneakers – do you collect, how much of a sneaker head are you?

Taylor:  I would say I have a healthy relationship with sneakers. The majority of my sneakers are Jordan’s, but I wouldn’t consider myself much of a sneaker head. I buy what I like and not what’s been hyped, lol.

IDYSM: What’s the hottest sneaker location in the world for you and why?

The hottest sneaker location in the world to me would have to be Atlanta, because it’s sneaker culture is diverse.

IDYSM: Where is the sneaker game at right now and what does 2013 have in store?

Taylor: The sneaker game right now is ok, I mean you get a lot of choices to choose from, but companies don’t give consumers enough time between releases. Companies have lowered the quality of their shoes but have raised prices.  I expect some really dope kicks to drop.

IDYSM:  I always like to end my interviews with this question… what’s on your feet right now? The Air Jordan Grey Cement 3’s

Say Hello To; Danny Clayton

In this instalment of Say Hello To it's time for something of a celebration as I caught up with Channel V's very own Danny Clayton.
The shoot coincided with the 100th episode of the music channel's live and uncensored show The Riff, and the show had just finished when I arrived which meant that the hosts Danny, Carissa, Marty and Billy as well as the studio were well decorated with after some anarchic on-air celebrations.
The show sees the team face some pretty exciting stuff, and for Danny the shoe brand to tackle everything are Palladiums.  With enough style and strength to cope with everything he throws at them, they're the shoe to tackle all of the 'on-air celebrations', gigs, parties, travel and even 10 metre stage dives Danny faces.

Danny and Palladium's in a 10m stage dive...yes, they both survived.

In addition to being pretty fearless Danny is a genuinely nice guy, so a big thanks to him and the team for having me into the studio to shoot and I'll be keep a close eye on what Danny and his shoes get up to next...11 metre stage dives perhaps?

Alex and Juliet; Melbourne

The frontman for Gold Coast garage punk band The Bleeding Knees Club, Alex was enjoying some downtime in Melbourne after a gig at a Melbourne festival with his girlfriend Juliet and we met while they were taking in the surroundings in Fitzroy.

Like any good frontman Alex has enough presence and style to influence his audience, and that starts with Juliet, as she shares his ‘skate punk’ look, and the influence even extends to Juliet even wearing Alex’s gear sometimes too.

In terms of shoes Alex always goes for Skate shoes with Vans and Cons commonly used to top off his look (he's rocking a pair of classic Vans Old Skools here), and Juliet is following his lead with some All Black All Stars of her own, they're the perfect match every step of the way.

Thomas; Sydney

Thomas is a Sydney musician who has recently developed a fascination with the accordion, and whenever possible he takes to the Sydney streets to perfect his craft.
When on the streets he's very specific about what footwear he chooses, and although not a sneakerhead his choice of shoes is interesting.  Dr Martens have been ever present on the streets in 2012, and the brand's iconic style is something that Thomas loves, but with a limited budget (maybe accordion busking doesnt pay too well) he couldn't afford a genuine pair so instead picked up these Raben imitations.
Raben are a low-cost brand that offer low price point replicas of famous brands, and Thomas has been impressed to see these shoes survive busking, festivals, walks through lakes and in his own words 'a walk across a field of skulls'.  Apparently this last one was made up so I do hope his accordion playing is better than his jokes!

Ed Sheeran; Sydney

A big thanks to IDYSM's friends at ARC Factory for the invite to check out Ed Sheeran's exclusive gig at the fantastic Bondi bar The Bucket List last week.

The gig was the latest in Nova's series of Red Room gigs and gave one of the hottest UK stars the chance to play an intimate gig to a small and lucky crowd who had the chance to get up close and personal with this phenomenal performer who has already announced a 2013 Australian tour that I urge you to check it out.

Ed sounded like a star, and also looked like one too decked out in gear from G Star (pardon the pun!) which you can see from a couple of the performance shots I got during the night.

Recap - Behind The Brand; DJ Neil Armstrong

So while I take a short break due to the arrival of a new member to the IDYSM family (yes, a baby!), this week will see another recap of some of my favourite posts from 2012 so far.
To start the week off it's time to revisit my interview with DJ Neil Armstrong.
As a huge music fan it was a great honour to meet him earlier this year at the Carbon Festival in Melbourne.  Despite the huge success he has achieved, the accolades, the prestige of being Jay-Z's tour DJ, and his role as a global adidas ambassador he's remained an amazingly down to earth guy who was happy to sit down and chat about his love for music and how he turned his passion into a globetrotting career.
So check it out as this video has everything - great adidas product, Neil on the decks, Star Wars, David Beckham, Noel Gallagher and Snoop! 

Recap - Kid Mac Rocks!

 

 

I'm going to be keeping a low profile over the next couple of weeks as my wife and I welcome the newest addition to the family, so while I swap kicks for nappies and sleepless nights I thought it would be a great time to revisit some of my favourite content of the year so far.  

To kick things off I thought we'd revisit a shoot I did at a Kid Mac gig at the start of the year. This multi-talented Sydney rapper has dropped his fantastic debut album 'No Mans Land' and is backing it up with his a tour - so for more info check here.

Back to the above shots, and this was a great night where Mac was joined on stage by musical powerhouse Sarah McLeod, and I hope the shots go some way to capture the energy and fun that is sure guaranteed on each live date on the tour so it's definitely one to check! 

Man Of Many Tastes; Melbourne

Cass plays in a punk band with an absolutely fantastic name; Chics Who Love Guns.  Awesome!

Cass fuses a couple of key styles in his look, both punk, and street with influences ranging from hip hop to the skate scene.

His shoe of choice to straddle his array of tastes is the good old Vans Era.  He has a number of pairs all in black, and kudos to him as it truly is a shoe as hot as a chic with a locked gun!

Behind The Brand; DJ Neil Armstrong

At the recent Melbourne Carbon Festival I was lucky enough to sit down with DJ Superstar and adidas Global Ambassador DJ Neil Armstrong.
His story is a pretty amazing one; he grew up in the golden era of Hip Hop in New York, and his eclectic love of music took him from a mere music lover, to Producing mix tapes, to becoming Jay Z's tour DJ and a global ambassador for adidas.
The 3 stripes have a rich history of backing music acts (think Run DMC, Noel Gallagher, Ian Brown, Snoop etc) and Neil is among the elite who wear the brand with pride.
Enough of my rambling, check out the vid to hear his story in his own words.

Boxfresh x Semi Permanent After Party; Sydney

 

 

Hi everyone - I hope you had a great weekend.  The highlight for many of Sydney's cool set this weekend was attending the Boxfresh x Semi Permanent after party at The Standard on Saturday night.

The evening was a celebration of style, art and music, with great acts entertaining the crowds through the night and plenty of 'fresh' Boxfresh product around to check out (which is in stores now - check it out!)

It was a great night, and to ensure that everything went to plan The Avengers were even there to watch over proceedings (see last pic of neighbouring billboard overlooking the stage through the window).

DJ Neil Armstrong; Carbon Festival

One of the key messages from the Carbon Festival was that passion is one of the most highly sought catalyst's for turning an idea into a success story.  

DJ Neil Armstrong is a walking, talking and spinning example of just how successful this theory can be, as he has gone from out and out music fan to become one of the world's leading DJ's.

The combination of growing up in NY amidst the golden era of hip hop, combined with Neil's passion for an eclectic array of music has seen him evolve to be at the forefront of the music scene.

Fusing the roots of hip hop with his own varied tastes he has been able to establish a credible and unique voice by bringing some fantastic musical marriages together on his infamous mixtapes, and once his voice had been heard and established it was only a matter of time before an appreciation was developed.

I could sit and write more about Neil's background, his role as Jay-Z's DJ, and becoming a global adidas ambassador, but I will leave Neil to talk about that in his own words in a video interview where you can hear from the great man himself in the coming weeks.

For now I will simply say he's a top bloke, and I love his adidas aidrise 2's!

Neuw Sharp Launch Party - Pt 2; Sydney

I couldn't resist throwing up some more pics from this week's Neuw 'Sharp' denim party launch...enjoy!