Sedgwick & Cedar

Rick Rubin and Russell Simmons are set to soon release their publication Def Jam Records: The First 25 Years of the Last Great Record Label. NOWNESS puts our excitement at rest for the moment by providing a few excerpts, of when Rubin and Simmons first met each other. Simmons said about the two “Rick and I were a good marriage because he had fresh ears and he affirmed that what I was doing had greater legs than even I thought.” To read more, visit the NOWNESS article.

• Posted on: Sep 26, 2011

Sujatha Fernandes took on what many of us can only hope to achieve in a lifetime – she dedicated herself to a life of hip hop and traveled across the globe to experience it’s influence in other cultures. Analyzing varieties of groups, her book “Close to the Edge: In Search of the Global Hip Hop Generation” challenges and questions age-old subjects such as racism, poverty, and music. This book seems like a must-read, and we are excited to see the discussions it raises!

• Posted on: Sep 21, 2011

When I was younger I used to play with plastic army men – but now these toys have a much cooler replacement. Meet Kidrobot’s ‘All City Breakers’, 2 inch figurines set in different break moves. For $29.95 you can secure a pack of 20 (which includes a tiny stereo figurine, of course) in fluorescent green, pink, orange, or blue. Check it out here, and rest assured that your kid (or yourself) is officially the coolest person on the block.

• Posted on: Sep 21, 2011

VH1 has released a documentary called ‘Planet Rock’ discussing the relation between hip hop and crack cocaine. In the footage shown, artists such as Ice-T and Snoop Dogg talk about how many drug dealers went into hip hop because of the crazy stories they wanted to share. Above is the trailer – if you are interested in viewing the whole documentary, click here. The history and correlation  is very interesting, so we definitely recommend you sit down and have a watch.

• Posted on: Sep 19, 2011

There is no other word to describe it – the new Incase headphone collection is sexy. Four models are available: Sonic (over ear), Reflex (on ear), Pivot (on ear), and Capsule (in ear). Our favorite is the Sonic, which features suede memory foam on the earcups, two detachable audio cables in different colors, and sound isolation. Available in white, black, and gray, these sleek headphones are…well, we just can’t stop staring at them. To see the beauty for yourself, visit the Incase website.

• Posted on: Sep 16, 2011

The Red Bull Music Academy is honoring five hip hop albums, one from each of the five boroughs, that they consider most iconic: ‘The Great Adventures Of Slick Rick’ (1988), Black Moon’s ‘Enta Da Stage’ (1993), ‘Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)’ (1993), ‘The Infamous’ by Mobb Deep (1995), and Dipset’s ‘Diplomatic Immunity’ (2003). The albums will be honored through workshops and public talks, in addition to special concerts by the artists themselves. The event starts next Sunday, September 25, so plan accordingly – you won’t want to miss out! Visit the Red Bull Music Academy website for more details.

• Posted on: Sep 16, 2011

Nike’s Air Royal Mid has been released in multiple styles, but their new design is definitely our favorite. The crepe pack features suede material that looks worn yet rich, and the colors are a great tone for fall. The shoe is set to drop on October 8, 2011.

• Posted on: Sep 14, 2011

I remember watching Back to the Future over and over again when I was younger, because the movie had so many epic qualities. The possibility of time travel, hoverboards, but most of all: the incredible kicks. Finally, after a long wait, Nike has released the Nike Mag to the public! The shoe is a limited edition, with only 1500 available by auction – and the potential to raise over $100 million for the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research through a matching donation by Google’s Sergey Brin. Let the bidding begin!

• Posted on: Sep 9, 2011

The past few years there was a lot of hype circulating the photography world: polaroid film production had come to a halt and would soon become extinct. I quickly ran out to a local camera shop to stock up on polaroid film, and have since been using it extremely sparingly. However, recent news has warmed my heart: Photojojo is selling the original Polaroid SX-70, which is restored and takes Impossible Print PX100 instant film or expired Polaroid SX-70 film!

As Photojojo says: “P is for Pretty – OMG the design! Who makes cameras this gorgeous anymore?! Sleek, well-built, folds flat to carry, pops up to take instant photos.” How can you possibly resist this glory? Make sure you check it out!

• Posted on: Sep 8, 2011

The recent New York Time’s article “Hip Hop Finds an Artist to Believe in” shines a bright spotlight on Jean-Michel Basquiat – one that seems long overdue.  Basquiat was a prominent figure in the world of graffiti, first establishing himself through the tag SAMO. Franklin Sirmans, a contributor to many books on Basquiat, “finds the hip hop connections logical, given the artist’s street origins and his status as a black star in a mostly white, exclusionary art world.” Artists such as Kanye, Jay-Z, and Nas have named dropped Basquiat in their songs, leading to his recent popularity in hip hop culture. Though he passed away from a heroin overdose in 1988, his work remains and continues to inspire many.

• Posted on: Sep 7, 2011