This week, The Roots blessed us all by launching their 13th studio album entitled “undun” featuring our Sedgwick & Cedar iconic shot Urban Playground on the album cover! Now that’s what we call a damn good day at the office.
For S&C, The Roots and that raw shot represents who we are at our very core. Our brand celebrates those kids, The Roots and ALL people that have made something amazing out of literally nothing! At Sedgwick & Cedar, we will continue to pay homage to the pioneering spirit, creativity that has changed the world. Our work is undun.
If you love either Music, NYC, or both, then you have to dig into a copy of Will Hermes’s, senior critic at Rolling Stone and an NPR reporter, new book “Love Goes To Buildings On Fire.”
Hermes chronicles the period as a historian, and tells the story of how just a few years in 1970’s New York saw the rise of genre-defining artists and movements that shaped a variety of musical worlds, their influence felt strongly today in every realm of popular culture. It was the creative period that gave rise to the invention of Hip Hop, Salsa, Disco, and Punk during a time of chaos in the Big Apple (better known as the Rotten Apple in those days.) His journey encounters iconic names—Patti Smith, Ramones, Blondie, Bruce Springsteen—as well as more subterranean acts (at the time) that, he argues, were just as influential—Suicide, Television, and DJ Kool Herc.
The hand-drawn cover is a fly collection of music icons including Africa Bambaataa and DJ Kool Herc in front of the birthplace of Hip Hop at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue!
“Joe Frazier would not back up from King Kong. I knocked him down six times and when the fight was over, he was looking for me.” -George Foreman after his fight with Frazier in 1973.
“I hit him with body shots that would have brought down buildings.” -Muhammad Ali, on the heart of Joe Frazier
At Sedgwick & Cedar, we mourn the loss of a true original. A warrior and courageous fighter who never backed down – Smokin’ Joe Frazier, Olympic and Undisputed Heavyweight Champion of the World.
Joseph William Frazier was born into an extremely poor family of ten in the deep south of segregated South Carolina. He lived on a small, white dirt farm (meant the ground wasn’t worth a dam). But he was a naturally built kid who would be given a quarter or sandwich by his classmates to protect them from bullies as they walked home from school. Anyone that got in his face would soon regret it as he would whup anybody’s ass.
One day, Joe was teasing the aggressive family hog and injured his left arm in a bad fall. The poverty-stricken family was not able to pay for a doctor, so it healed awkwardly and his signature left hook was created.
By the time Joe was 15 years old, he had to go to work on the farm of a white family named Bellamy. Run by 2 men, Mac was the younger of the two and more easy going, and Jim was much rougher and somewhat backward. One day a little black boy of about 12 years old, damaged one of the Bellamy’s tractors without meaning to. Jim Bellamy became so enraged he took off his belt and whipped the boy with his belt right there in the field. Joe saw the event and went back to the packing house on the farm and told his black friends what he had seen. It wasn’t long before Jim Bellamy threatened Joe to get off the farm before he took off his belt again. Joe warned him he better keep his pants up because it would be the last mistake he ever made. Jim analyzed Joe for a bit and eventually said “Go on, get the hell outta here.” Joe knew from that moment it was time for him to leave Beaufort; he could only see hard times and low-rent for himself. Even his Momma could see it. She told Joe “Son, if you can’t get along with the white folks, then leave home because I don’t want anything to happen to you.
He was taunted mercilessly by Muhammed Ali as an Uncle Tom before a fight to try to unnerve Frazier. This self made man was no Uncle Tom and years later in retirement Ali would regret those hurtful comments made about Frazier.
When the Great Muhammed Ali got in the face of Joe Frazier during the Fight of the Century, he learned like others the toughness of this smaller man only 205 lbs. Ali was knocked to the matt for the first time in his life by a viscous left hook that broke Ali’s jaw. The equally tough Ali kept fighting with the broken jaw but lost that night in 1971 setting up a trilogy of fights. Frazier and Ali will always be connected by their epic battles as each man would not give an inch until they were dead.
A few years ago, Joe Frazier said during an interview that “I gave all eleven of my kids a piece of my Gold Olympic medal. It’ll come together again when they put me down.”
Smokin’ Joe, you are golden again. May you forever rest in peace.
Headphones have been dropping all over the place recently, so we rounded up our favorite 5 to show you. While this is in no particular order, we must confess that Matthew Lim’s headphones are definitely the sexiest.
TMA-1 Label/Ed Fools Gold Headphones * with microphone * for the hardworking musician * Fool’s Gold trademark yellow cable and cord * three-button in-line remote * 220.00 EUR * learn more here
Band & Olufsen Form 2 Headphones * lightweight * comes in red, orange, yellow, white, or black * aluminum-wrapped * $100.00 * learn more here
Sennheiser/Matthew Lim Headphones * comes with matching turntable * cork and aluminum * fully recyclable packaging * but sadly, it is not yet in mass production * learn more here
illest Beats Pro by Beats By Dre * “designed by audio professionals for audio professionals” * strong, lightweight aluminum * flip-up ear cups * designed by Mark Arcenal * released in November * learn more here
SOL REPUBLIC Tracks HD * the first interchangeable on-ear headphones * V-10 high definition sound engine * made with FlexTech which makes them virtually indestructible * 3-button remote and microphone * $129.99 * learn more here
How did you get into Hip Hop? I don’t ever remember my life without Hip Hop, my older cousin Lateef would spend the weekends at my house and when our Great Grandmother would fall asleep he would turn the radio onto the mix shows. He would make me memorize the lyrics to certain songs so he could do the beat box. My Aunt Jayne would record episodes of Video Music Box and we’d watch and study them like an instruction manual (ha ha) so Hip Hop has always been a part of my life.
Who was the first hip hop group/artist you remember listening to? The 1st group I remember was without question the KINGS from Queens Run-DMC. Hands down they were and still are ICONS. I was also a huge fan of EPMD, Brand Nubian. The entire Native Tongue collective. SO many artists I could name, they were ALL relevant and a part of my soundtrack growing up.
What do you do on a typical Friday night? Define typical (ha ha) if I’m not performing, I’m really a home body. I am a fan of The History Channel and Discovery Channel so it wouldn’t be uncommon to catch me on the couch watching a documentary on anything from Ancient Aliens to the search for Bigfoot (ha ha).
What is your favorite food? My favorite food is GOOD FOOD (ha ha), not partial to any one kind of food. If it’s good I’ll eat it!
What is your favorite website? My favorite website hmmmmnnnn…I have a few that I check daily depends on what I’m looking for – events, fashion, music, so it varies. With the impending election I have been on Politico quite a bit lately. Hip Hop sites I frequent are 2dopeboyz, Kevinnottingham, UGHH, 1200squad, of course kaydeerecords.com, ScratchVision, sc73.com, boundlessny, is a few I surf.
Who are the people that greatly influence your music? Today the most influential people in my career are the people that I grew up listening to as well as all the people in the world who are told daily their dreams will never come true. I am a product of a dream chased and attained through commitment and desire. The people who have laid the foundation of this thing called Hip Hop I am indebted to them and pay my debt by putting my all into every verse, song, performance, radio and/or print interview. I owe them that, they designed a culture that allows me an opportunity to be heard, to listen, to touch people globally all through words. I want to make them proud, so when or if they ever hear my music they can hear through me the appreciation I have for this culture.
If you could say one thing to the world of hip hop, what would it be? Thank YOU, thank you for listening and accepting me and my music for who I am and what it is….period!!
CONVERSE has taken to Europe to celebrate the glory of street art. The brand’s mission is to match blank walls with talented artists of that country, and let ‘em get to work. Belgium and France have already been covered, and last weekend CONVERSE hit Barcelona, Spain with Otone to cover the biggest wall yet. The outcome is an incredible patterned design that is set to make unscheduled rounds throughout the city. Head over to Freshness Magazine to look at more images!
When Return to the 36 Chambers dropped in 1995, everyone knew it would become a classic. Now, the album is being released again – remastered, with a bonus CD featuring rare tracks, remixes, a poster, stickers, and a wallet with a laminated Ol’ Dirty Bastard food stamp card. This dope set drops November 22, so keep an eye out for it.
