DUB Magazine Issue 61 by DUB Publishing Inc.

THE ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE LIFESTYLES MAGAZINE

FAST LANE FASHION

ED HARDY SUZUKI HAYABUSA

INSIDE

TERRY KENNEDY SLEEPY BROWN KEN BLOCK P-ROD

SOULJA THE HIT MACHINE BOY TELLEM

PLUS+ PIONEER THE WORLD STANDARD DJ ISSUE 2009’S HOTTEST DJS & NEW DJ GEAR

DUB SHOWS

MEMPHIS + ATLANTIC CITY

JULY-AUG 2009

FAST LANE FASHION ED HARDY RDY SUZUKI SUZUK HAYABUSA

THE ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE LIFESTYLES MAGAZINE

M E L L E T Y O B A Y J L D U E O N S RY KEN N TER EPY BROW SLE BLOCK KEN

IDE S IN

D MS N A ODRE Y E E

BKAT S

B S W DU OH IS+ CITY H P S EM NTIC

E U S

D N A T S D L R O

M LA AT

W E H T ER

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S I J D ARD

NE & S DJ T S TE

HO S ’ 9

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DOWNLOAD WWW.ROCKSTARGAMES.COM/MIDNIGHTCLUBLA

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ADD-ON CONTENT. MIDNIGHT CLUB LOS ANGELES REQUIRED TO PLAY. © 2006-2009 Rockstar Games, Inc. Rockstar Games, the r logo, Midnight Club and the Midnight Club South Central logo are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. “PlayStation,” “PLAYSTATION,” and “PS” Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies and are used under license from Microsoft. The ratings icon is a trademark of the Entertainment Software Association. All rights reserved.

DUB MAGAZINE ISSUE 61 JUL / AUG 2009 CONTENTS

SOULJA BOY TELLEM DEFYING ODDS

29 13 14

SLEEPY BROWN: ROCK ‘N’ SOUL

PIONEER “WORLD STANDARD” DJ ISSUE: DANCE MUSIC IS ON THE RISE AND SO ARE THESE DJS

INTAKE DUB DAILY

AIR FORCE AND GALIPIN AUTO SPORT’S “PROJECT: SUPERCAR,” JAY LENO RECEIVES HIGHEST HONOR IN AUTO HOBBY

20 GREEN STREETS

ELECTRIC HUMMER H3, RUF’S ELECTRIC PORSCHE, KELLY BLUE BOOK’S 10 GREENEST CARS ARS

22 DRIVEN KEN BLOCK

46 BREAKDOWN CUSTOM CAR APPRAISAL 101

16 18

FRESH

MANSORY BENTLEY GT SPEED BODY KIT, AIR RUNNER DECADE “SAKI-GAKE” SUSPENSION

VOLUME

BEST ALL-IN-ONE HEAD UNITS: KENWOOD EXCELON DNX9140, JVC EL KAMELEON KD-AVX77 RECEIVER, PIONEER AVH-P4100DVD

48 FACTORY TUNED REALM ’63 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL

EDITOR’S NOTES

Everyone can agree that the warm Summer season and skateboarding go hand-in-hand, which is why we’ve included features on three pro skaters, and the founder of one of skateboarding’s most recognized brands. P-Rod is on top of his game, and it’s not all just about skating either—he has two movies out this summer, a new skate boutique, a P-Rod shoe release and a growing family. Despite all of his accomplishments and acclaim, he’s still the down-to-earth kid who’ll hang at skate parks with his respecting fans. His homie Terry “TK” Kennedy is also coming up in the skate world, with a new Benz, Supra shoe, movie release in Skate Dreams with P-Rod, all while grindin’ hard in his second contest season. Then you have the new kid on the block, Chaz Ortiz. Although he swears up and down that he’s just a regular 16-year old, Chaz ollies over many in the skate industry hierarchy as he competes against heavy-hitters like P-Rod. Finally, find out how Ken Block has grown DC into the massive worldwide brand that it is, as well as how he’s gotten heavy into racing rally cars. Summer is also the season to party, which is why we thought you’d want to read up on some of the hottest DJs and their thoughts on the new trend toward dance-flavored tracks in our Pioneer “The World Standard” DJ issue. If you are inspired to create some beats of your own, check out Pioneer’s latest DJ Gear in Next Level, as well as a preview of Activision’s new DJ Hero game coming out this Fall. Speaking of dancing, remember that Soulja Boy dance for his 2008 hit single “Crank That”? Well, he’s back with a new album that already has two tracks rising on Billboard’s charts. A one-hit-wonder? We think not. You may remember his sultry voice on many of OutKast singles, but Sleepy Brown is being pushed to the forefront, making a name for himself with a new compilation album coming out on his own Orion Records. Then, there are our Power Players for this issue. Meet Ralph Holguin, a self-made millionaire who has worked his ass off building his own successful marketing company despite prematurely leaving high school. Melvin Murry was a working man all his life, but always knew his heart and passion was for cars. So after many years as a union plumber, saving every dollar he could, he was finally able to open up his own shop, Murry’s Autobody. Here’s the takeaway from these stories: Dreams do come true no matter what walk of life you come from, as long as you work hard enough to make them a reality. As our Monster Energy 2009 DUB Show Tour currently blazes its way across the nation, check out how our Memphis, TN and Atlantic City, NJ stops went with our exclusive show coverage. Actually, Atlantic City had some of the sickest bikes we’ve ever seen in one place and has fueled our enthusiasm to showcase more ’cycles. If you dig custom bikes, be sure to stop and read about the Ed Hardy Suzuki Hayabusa, which is one mean machine from Ed Hardy Motorsports and R.I.S. Designs.

DUB PUBLISHING, INC. : LOS ANGELES : WORLDWIDE Myles Kovacs | Publisher | myles@dubpublishing.com Haythem Haddad | Editor/Creative Director | haythem@dubpublishing.com John Ramos | Promotions Director | john@dubpublishing.com Rich Calbay | Managing Editor | rich@dubpublishing.com Cynthia Tran-Kovacs | Accounts Manager | cynthia@dubpublishing.com Pierce Flynn | VP of Business Development | pierce@dubpublishing.com DESIGN DEPARTMENT Steve Cuevas | Graphic Designer | steve@dubpublishing.com Jonathan Rodrigues | Graphic Designer | jonrod@dubpublishing.com Adrian Guillemet | Video Editor | adrian@dubpublishing.com ADVERTISING : (626) 336-3821 Rich Calbay | rich@dubpublishing.com Myles Kovacs | myles@dubpublishing.com Adel Boutros | Advertising Associate | adel@dubpublishing.com Roman Racela | Advertising Associate | roman@dubpublishing.com Tony Madrigal | Advertising Associate | tony@dubpublishing.com DUB MAGAZINE & EVENTS STAFF Kristie Bertucci | Features Editor / Copy Editor | kristie@dubpublishing.com Kiani Tran-Boutros | Human Resources/Accounting Director | kiani@dubpublishing.com Jeanette Palmerin | Office Administrator | jeanette@dubpublishing.com Mike Shaughnessy | mike@dubpublishing.com Sean Dowd | sean@dubpublishing.com Walter Segovia | walter@dubpublishing.com Ryan Dobkin Manuel Oros Edwin Quiroz Victor Herrera TRANSPORTATION OPERATORS Andrew “Old Skol” Canales Tim Slayton CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Dick DeLoach / Vi Peou / Kevin Ou / Elle G. / Matt Campbell Greg B. / Elizabeth Richardson / Jay Cantar / Emily Malan / Clayton Hauck CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Dick DeLoach / Deanne DeLuna

Of course, there’s plenty more DUB inside to digest, so ﬁnd some shade, kick up your legs and down a cold one, while enjoying Issue 61!

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TRAGICALLY INSPIRED Just wanted to let you guys know that the article on TapouT was very inspirational. Stories of people who have nothing, but have a dream that they turn into a reality are always interesting reads. I’ve met Mask before, and he was a very down to earth person. It was so sad to hear of what happened to him. This issue was one of my favorites because it had so much MMA material. I’m a chick who loves the UFC! Watching these guys trying to beat up on each other is awesome! I also love your Toyo Tires Q & A of all the big-time fighters in the UFC. My fav definitely has to be Rampage—I love how he talks sh*t! Thanks…R.I.P. Mask. Jackie Z. via e-mail The MMA world has truly lost one of its best with the ve had the passing of Mask, Jackie and Cenica. We were quite lucky to have i i note, iit’s ’ great to see chicks hi k opportunity have met with him before his tragic accident. But on a positive are digging the sport that is quickly growing in popularity! It is quite entertaining to watch the fighters beat the crap out of eachother, but a lot of hard work and training goes into each match, which we usually don’t get to see very often. For us, they are all our favorites! Thanks, Cenica, for the props on our 60th issue with Ice Cube on the cover, too!

REPRESENTIN’ FOR THE WEST It is truly an honor to see Ice Cube on the cover of DUB. I have been a fan of his from day one—from the music to the movies. He has definitely held it down for the West Coast respectively. And, to know that he hit the LA DUB Show stage and shut it down, that itself, is an honor to me. That 2010 Ford Taurus SHO is an amazing thing to see. I would drive that for sure! My thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of Charles “Mask” Lewis, Jr. He was a true hero to the MMA world, and to the Members of TapouT (Punkass and Skysrcape). He’s smiling down and cheering for you from above. Great job on the 60th issue! Cenica Edwards via e-mail What’s up DUB! Man, once I saw my boy Cube on the cover, I was like “Yay Yay.” Cube has been my favorite rapper since I was a little kid. He was one of the first pioneers of West Coast ast gangsta rap, rap and he still has that flavor in his music today. The article about him was dope; it felt like I was right there with him at the DUB show (I wasn’t able to go because I had to work). It’s pretty crazy that he doesn’t have a lowrider. You’d think he had a bunch. Anyways, keep up the good work! Reggie P. via e-mail Our Ice Cube cover and feature for Issue 60 has been a hit with a lot of our readers and fans, and we thank you for your heads up on the story, Reggie. He’s definitely going down in hip-hop history as one of the greatest rappers of our time. He’s for sure an influential West Coast figure, which is why we thought he’d be perfect for our L.A. show-opener for the 2009 DUB Tour Show. We thought he’d have a lowrider, too, but we understand his sentiments about having the time to commit to creating the lowrider of your dreams. Maybe next time we feature him he’ll have one.

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JAY LENO RECEIVES HIGHEST HONOR IN AUTOMOTIVE HOBBY Concorso Italiano will present its prestigious annual “La Bella Macchina” award to legendary late-night host and avid automotive hobbyist, comedian Jay Leno this August. One of the highest honors in automotive circles, the award signiﬁes outstanding contributions and a passion for the automotive hobby. Previous recipients include distinguished designers Sergio Pininfarina, Giotto Bizzarini and Giorgio Giugiaro, race drivers Stirling Moss, Phil Hill and Carroll Shelby, and industry notables Piero Ferrari and Luigi Chinetti, Jr. among others. Concorso Italiano is a must-attend convergence of sophistication, taste and fun that embraces cultural elements of Italian style, including music, cuisine, fashion, and travel. The event is centered on as many as 1,000 collectible Italian automobiles, motorcycles, and boats.

TO BUILD TWO UNIQUE MOBILE MARKETING SUPERCARS Galpin Auto Sports has recently teamed up with the United States Air Force to create two customized vehicles for the 2009 Super Car Tour – a new U.S. Air Force recruiting initiative that kicked off last month. The white Ford Mustang “X-1” and black Dodge Challenger “VAPOR” are Air Force-inspired designs that will travel across the country, as part of a mobile marketing campaign to educate young people on career opportunities available within the Air Force. The Ford Mustang “X-1” features a jet-driven theme, complete with a jet cockpit that has advanced instrumentation and a single-driver seat in center of vehicle. It also features a concealed motorized steering wheel, and a dash equipped with a sensor pack that displays night and thermal vision. The vehicle also has a GPS transponder and customized gull-wing doors that feature interior panel fabrication that completes the ‘jet-like’ feel of the X-1. The stealth-black Air Force Challenger “Vapor” features thumbprint access to the Lamborghini-scissor doors, a custom stealth body kit, with Jet enhancements and a carbon ﬁber exterior trim. The interior is complete with aircraft-style controls, a passenger side steering wheel and the most technologically-advanced computer system with Internet access, GPS tracking and exterior proximity sensors. Both cars will be featured at various stops of the Monster Energy 2009 DUB Show Tour. Check out the 22-minute documentary that captures the making of the X-1 and Vapor at www.airforce.com/supercar.

14 DUB MAG JUL / AUG 2009

AIR RUNNER DECADE “SAKI-GAKE” EDITION SUSPENSION WWW.AIRRUNNERSYSTEMS.COM

As the industry leader of integrated air suspension systems, Air Runner wanted to introduce a new, cost-effective and quality air suspension system to its product lineup with its Decade “Saki-Gake” Edition. In Japanese, “Saki-Gake” translates to “a pioneer or premier of its group,” which is how they describe their new suspension system. The new Decade System provides a customizable ride height adjustment of 4 to 5 inches without sacriﬁcing quality, which Air Runner is known for. The MSRP price for the Decade “Saki-Gake” Edition is $3,799 ($1,000 lower than their basic suspension kit).

NOVITEC TRIDENTE MASERATI GRANTURISMO S WWW.NOVITECTRIDENTE.COM

NOVITEC TRIDENTE reﬁnes the Maserati GranTurismo S with various exterior, interior and engine enhancements. The newly developed supercharged engine boosts the V8’s horsepower from 440 to 600 that propels the car to 62 mph in

just 4.5 seconds and reaches a top speed of 195 mph. The aerodynamic body kit includes a two-piece front spoiler that is attached to both sides of the production front bumper; a subtle spoiler lip on the trunk lid; diffuser for the production rear bumper; and a set of light-alloy, three-piece 20-inch front and 21-inch rear wheels available in various color combinations wrapped in Pirelli 275/30R20 front and 355/25R21 rear tires. All exterior components are optionally available with a clearcoated carbon-ﬁber ﬁnish. Exclusive interior options include a custommade, fully leather interior in any desired color or upholstery. The NOVITEC TRIDENTE conversion starts at $30,610.

MANSORY BODY KIT FOR BENTLEY GT SPEED EMAIL OR CALL: BDANTZLER@OGARACOACH.COM | (310) 967-7160

Unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show, Mansory has created an impressive body kit for the Bentley GT Speed. Painted matte black, the new kit features a front bumper, side skirts, rear bumper with integrated exhaust system with four angular, chrome end pipes and air diffuser. The new parts optimize the air duct over the car’s silhouette, which improves its handling and performances at high speeds. Under the hood, the Mansory GT Speed’s horsepower has been increased from 610 to 685. A set of 21-inch wheels and high performance Pilot Sport PS2 tires from Michelin makes the exterior package complete. Inside, upgrades include the ﬁnest leather, aluminum pedals, carbon ﬁber applications and a newly designed steering wheel. Mansory’s U.S division is headed by Byron Dantzler at O’Gara Coach Company in Beverly Hills, CA.

16 DUB MAG JUL / AUG 2009

ALL HEAD UNITS ARE NOT CREATED EQUAL. WE’VE COMPILED SOME OF THE BEST MULTIMEDIA HEAD UNITS THAT FEATURE ALL THE BELLS AND WHISTLES YOU’LL NEED TO MAKE YOUR DRIVING EXPERIENCE WORTHWHILE.

KENWOOD EXCELON DNX9140

PIONEER AVH-P4100DVD

WWW.KENWOODUSA.COM

WWW.PIONEERELECTRONICS.COM

The new eXcelon DNX9140 DVD receiver features a high-resolution WVGA touchscreen control, built-in advanced navigation technology by Garmin, and the industry’s most comprehensive voice control system that provides the utmost in handsfree operation. Kenwood’s voice control feature allows the user to

fully operate the navigation system and utilize features, such as entering addresses, choosing menu options and selecting points of interest. High-performance audio is made possible through an on-board DSP processor, providing true 5.1-surround sound and digital time alignment. Suggested retail price is $2,100.

Pioneer provides the luxury of home entertainment on the road with its AVH-P4100DVD. The multimedia systems is a hub for music, video and connectivity in any vehicle, offering a large 7-inch touchscreen display for exceptional viewing of DVD videos, DivX and jpeg

images; enhanced iPod and iPhone integration for expanded control of these devices; and Advanced Sound Retriever (ASR), which restores sound lost during the process of compressing a recording into MP3, WMA or AAC ﬁle formats. Suggested retail price is $580

SONY MEX-BT5700U

JVC EL KAMELEON KD-AVX77 RECEIVER

WWW.SONYSTYLE.COM

WWW.JVC.COM

Sony’s top-of-the-line MEXBT5700U model features a front USB-1 wire port for easy connection to all digital music players, including iPod and iPhone devices. New for 2009, this unit is able to automatically browse phone book contact information from a Bluetooth-connected phone to the display. For added ﬂexibility, this model comes supplied with an accessory external microphone in addition to the built-in microphone.

18 DUB MAG JUL / AUG 2009

Additionally, while streaming audio via Bluetooth wireless technology, the MEX-BT5700U unit transfers part of the metadata of a song ﬁle, so album, artist and track information appear on its large four-line display. It also has a ﬂip-down faceplate, front aux-in and three pre-outs. In addition, it supports ZAPPIN, Quick-BrowZer, Jump Mode, Passenger Control and utilizes DM+Advanced technology. Suggested retail price is $300.

The new 2009 El Kameleon Receiver is loaded with a multitude of new technologies and features, earning it the 2009 CES Best of Innovation Award for the “In-Vehicle Video” category. It features a 5.4-inch ultra-wide monitor for a super-wide Cinemascope viewing experience and a built-in electrostatic proximity sensor, which illuminates the screen when the user approaches it with their hand. The KD-AVX77 receiver is loaded with the latest in-vehicle connectivity, including built-in Bluetooth with high-quality external

wired microphone, and is ready for HD Radio and Satellite Radio connection. The unit also features full-speed control for iPod/iPhone via an included USB 2.0 Port, which allows users to control their iPod/ iPhone from either the music player itself or from the receiver’s controls. iPod/iPhone video playback is also available with the KS-U30 adapter. The KD-AVX77 receiver also offers Dual Zone, Dolby Digital 5.1-channel surround decoder, and a highquality DVD. Suggested retail price is $649.95.

HUMMER H3 MAKES ELECTRIC DEBUT

BUY A FRENCH VILLA AND GET A FREE TESLA ROADSTER

THE 4-CYCLINDER, DIESEL ENGINE C 250 CDI BLUEEFFICIENCY PRIME EDITION MIGHT MAKE ITS WAY TO THE STATES SOMETIME SOON.

A real-estate company called “Welcome in France” is offering a free Tesla Roadster with every purchase of one of its homes in a new ecological luxury-housing development on the outskirts of Paris. Although its exact location is not yet known, it’s rumored not to be that far from Paris. The development will be outﬁtted with all kinds of cool amenities, from a heliport to various green technologies. Those that choose the “green package,” will get a Tesla Roadster in the garage as an incentive to buy.

BMW AND MERCEDES-BENZ WORKING ON NEW FOUR-CYLINDER ENGINES FOR U.S. BMW and Mercedes-Benz are working on new four-cylinder engines for cars sold in its U.S. market. The last time BMW offered an engine with fewer than six cylinders was back in 1999. Mercedes-Benz put a supercharged four-cylinder engine in the C230 and SLK230 back in 2005, but dropped those engines in favor of a range of naturally aspirated V6 powerplants. Expect to see these new four-cylinders at dealerships in the near future.

20 DUB MAG JUL / AUG 2009

Everybody knows that the Hummer brand is the Earth’s worst offender in terms of fuel economy and emissions, which is why Raser Technologies and FEV, Inc. have partnered up to introduce their Hummer H3 range-extended electric vehicle (ReEV). The concept uses Raser Technologies’ 200 kW traction motor mated to a 4-speed automatic transmission. Their 100 kW generator-driven by a 2.0-liter SIDI turbocharged GM Ecotec 4-cylinder engine-provides the electrical power that still gives this eco friendly Hummer the powerful edge it’s known. The concept is actually catching the attention of General Motors’ engineers to see if the technology would really work in a production model. Although it’s still a work in progress, the driveable H3 ReEV represents a good step for the Hummer brand toward saving its reputation.

RUF’S “GREENSTER” ELECTRIC PORSCHE RUF has partnered with German-based Siemens to create the world’s ﬁrst electrically driven 997 Porsche 911, appropriately named the RUF eRuf “Greenster.” They’ve managed to create a complete electric replacement to the standard 911’s 3.8-liter, V6 engine. The 362 horsepower doesn’t hurt either, but that’s not what you’ll feel when you mash your foot hard on the pedal. What really sets the electric RUF apart from the other eco-based sports cars is Siemens’ eDrive

“double-motor” concept that can charge on a 400-volt power source. RUF says that they’ll build a small run of the eRUF electric sports car that you’ll see on the streets in 2010.

KELLY BLUE BOOK NAMES ITS 10 GREENEST VEHICLES Kelly Blue Book has made its annual list of the greenest cars available in the U.S., which features cars that go beyond just great mpgs and includes vehicles from a cross section of various models. The Chevrolet Silverado hybrid appears on the list, along with the easy choices like the Toyota Prius and Honda Insight. In total, only six of the 10 vehicles are hybrids. Two o normally-aspirated sub compacts, the Honda Fit and nd MINI Cooper, made the list based on their highly efficient gas engines. Two German cars made the list ist with diesel engines: the Volkswagen Jetta ta TDI and the BMW 335d. Ford also made the list with both of its hybrid models, the Escape cape CUV and Fusion sedan. an.

Driving to Succeed

ver the years, Ken Block has developed a long and reputable history in the world of action sports, not only as a passionate and accomplished skateboarder, snowboarder and motocross rider, but also as the co-founder of one of action sports’ most successful companies, DC Shoes. The Southern California native is responsible for helping push skateboarding to the forefront of mass culture with his innovative DC brand created in 1993 and is now expanding his horizons as a professional rally car driver. When he puts his mind to something, he’s determined to succeed because he’s Driven… When you ﬁrst came up with the idea for DC, did you ever think that your company would take off as successfully as it did? It was one of those things that you always have high hopes to do something that would be successful. It takes a lot of hard work and a bit of luck, too. We’ve been very thankful for how well it has done over the years, and how well it still continues to grow. How did you go about strategically making the small company grow as big as it is now? Marketing is all about perception. We did something that we thought was a little unique in our market, and we tried to do everything as upscale as we could and focus on the performance of our great athletes, and it worked really well. So, it’s kind of a combination of a great product, great athletes and great advertising.

PHOTOS: DC

As a successful businessman, what traits would you say helped you get to where you are now in your life and career? A lot of hard work, honesty and integrity. And, I guess, one trait would be knowing your strengths and weaknesses. Also hiring appropriately because, you know, one person or two people can’t do it all. You need a great team of really strong people to make it work well. You’ve proved that following one’s passions in life truly leads to success. Can you describe what steps you took to make those passions materialize? Just because you’re passionate about something doesn’t mean you’re going to be successful in business. It’s actually two completely different things. Luckily, for me, we hired the right people to surround us and make smart business decisions. But I’m a creative guy, and if I hadn’t had those business people surrounding me, I would have made some really bad decisions and would have probably been out of business by now [laughs]. So, I think passion really helps a lot. Instead of a person wanting to work six or seven

22 DUB MAG JUL / AUG 2009

hours a day, that passion for what I do helped me work 24 hours a day if need be. You’ve won many accolades since the inception of DC. How do you feel when receiving such awards like being one of SportsBusiness Journal’s “Most Influential People” of 2004? As a marketing person, I think my biggest reward is having a successful company that continues to grow and succeed. A lot of those awards are great and all, but they don’t really mean all that much to me. You have to have a great product and a great company to really be successful. We continue to try and push that everyday. So, yes, I do enjoy the awards, but at the same time, too, an even bigger reward of being successful is that we continue to grow the company. Besides being a businessman, you’re also an athlete at heart. How do you find time for sports while still running a business? It’s actually becoming more and more difficult, especially now that I have two daughters. It’s just a matter of time management and prioritizing what’s important to you. Now that I’m a professional rally car driver, my job has actually been turned down a bit, meaning that I don’t work at the same pace and time that I used to. How did your rally driving hobby turn into a career? I’ve always been interested in motorsports, and I’ve been a fan of rally cars since I was a little kid. About five years ago I had the opportunity to go try out at a rally school, and I did really well in it. So, I just decided to go out and try my hand at it and ended up being pretty good. Within a year or two I had a full sponsorship. It’s an amazing career and really fun to do. What was the biggest challenge you faced in your career, and how did you learn from it? It was dealing with partners, or a partner, that I didn’t necessarily agree with their opinions, as far

as the future of our company. That made things very difficult and a challenge, but it’s something you have to work through and eventually we did. In your own words, how would you describe the impact of your contributions to the action sports industry? What more do you think you have to contribute? That’s a tough question, but I’d have to say we brought some bigger picture-type marketing to the skateboarding world back in the day, and we tried to further advance the exposure and accessibility of skateboarding. I’d love to see skateboarding get as big as it can and see skate parks in every town around the world. What advice would you give someone who wanted to be successful like you? The simplest advice is to do as much research as you possibly can of what you want to do. I’ve had lots of people come to me with crazy ideas, some good and bad. If the ideas aren’t based with good economic foundations, then they most likely won’t succeed. Knowing your possible consumer base and what you can sell them are really important things to know. How do you define success? The thing about success is that it’s always measured by your own perimeters. Success is always determined by each individual’s goals and aspirations. So, I guess really, that’s all an individual-type thing that they have to determine by themselves. For me, it was mainly to have a successful company that was growing and profitable and was able to stand on its own feet in the marketplace, with its own great product. What have you yet to achieve? The thing that comes to mind first is being a successful father. Being a father is a whole new experience and definitely more difficult than I imagined, but it’s very fun.

24 DUB MAG JUL / AUG 2009

WORDS: KRISTIE BERTUCCI PHOTOS: KEVIN OU

SOULJA BOY IS A LAMBORGHINI ENTHUSIAST, OWNING TWO GALLARDOS (THIS WHITE ONE AND A RED ONE BACK IN THE ATL). HIS WHITE ONE WAS RECENTLY PAINTED BLACK SHORTLY AFTER HIS SHOOT, BUT STILL ROLLS ON 20-INCH FORGIATO “ESTREMO” ON THE LEFT SIDE AND “VIZZO” WHEELS ON THE RIGHT SIDE THAT ARE WRAPPED IN PIRELLI TIRES.

oulja Boy Tellem isn’t sweating the critics anymore. He’s confidant with the music he creates and knows that despite being called a “one-hit-wonder” by many, his sophomore album, iSouljaBoyTellem, depicts otherwise. It’s evening and he’s chillin’ on a couch on the recreational floor of his luxury Downtown L.A. condo, sporting designer shades despite being indoors. He just finished shooting with his prized Lamborghini Gallardo (one of two), and he’s now relaxed and comfortable— he’s slumped on the couch, arms spread wide across the top— ready to talk about his musical defiance, and how’s he’s silenced all his haters. When DUB last caught up with Soulja Boy, he was a 16 year-old-kid, who used the Internet to maximize his musical exposure, which eventually led to a major record deal. His first hit single “Crank That,” was an Internet phenomenon and the top-selling digital track of 2007, according to Nielsen SoundScan. It’s had 3.9 million digital copies sold, making it the thirdbiggest song download since such data started being tracked in 2003. His YouTube Video instructing fans on how to do his highly popular “Crank That” dance has received more than 40 million views since it first came out. Many consider him the poster boy of the digital generation. Still maximizing on the power of the Internet, the Soulja Boy is a boy no more—he’s quickly become a man. At 18 (he’ll actually be 19 at the end of July) his newfound “swag” is showing. He answers questions with selfassurance and doesn’t hold back on anything. And why should he? After all, Soulja Boy has more than proven himself to the industry, haters and critics that he can musically hold his own. Back when his debut album

SouljaBoyTellem, started getting play, many critics and fellow rappers considered Soulja Boy and his Internet antics as a joke in hip-hop and a fad that would eventually ﬁzzle out. “Any time [critics and haters] thought of Soulja Boy, they immediately thought of “Crank That,” he intensely describes now sitting upright . “They just thought of this young kid, blah, blah, blah. They didn’t dig deeper to really know my musical talents. With my sophomore album, they can now see that I’m not that one-hit-wonder they ﬁrst categorized me as.” However, there was a time, when he questioned if he could remake the success that “Crank That” brought him. “I went through that phase,” he recalls. “I didn’t want to be a one-hit wonder. But I put into my head that I wasn’t going to top “Crank That.” That’s what made me hot, but I’m going to keep making hits.” In order to overcome one-hit-wonder status, Soulja Boy had to step up his musical game. He’s changed up his sound to include R&B jams in conjunction

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to his usual catchy rifts and hooks heard on his ﬁrst album. The two singles currently rising on Billboard charts—“Kiss Me Through The Phone” and “Turn My Swag On,“ display his musical growth perfectly. I wanted to achieve a different sound when recording my second album,” he says. “I wanted to touch on other elements and reach for a different crowd. I not only have those teen girls, but I got older females digging me. This album has something for the ladies, the club, the hood—everybody!” Despite a new sound, Soulja Boy continued an Internet-related name for the title for his second album, in homage to what has helped him become a musical success. “I feel like I needed to pay respect to what got me to where I’m at today and it was the Internet, MySpace and YouTube,” he explains. “Me having 400 million views on YouTube is crazy. Me having 70 million views on MySpace without being signed, that’s crazy. I was getting $10,000 a show without being signed just off of the strength of the Internet.” Besides his new direction in music, Soulja Boy has also learned to be more selective in what he puts on the Internet for his fans to see. Before, he would put up everything he was doing. There were videos of him hanging out at his house playing video games, some of him popping pimples with friends and tons of others that showed him doing the most random things possible. “I’m wiser on what I put out there,” he says. “But I don’t regret anything that I’ve put up before. I like to get my fans involved with my life and career as much as I can.” Right now, he’s currently trying his hand at breaking the record with having the most Twitter fans than any other artists. At the time of print, he has 745,125 followers on Twitter, with the number growing each day (twitter.com/souljaboytellem). Soulja Boy’s taste in vehicles has also matured to include two Lamborghini Gallardos. “Before I got signed, my dream car was a Chrysler 300, which I bought and put 24s on. Then I wanted the Hummer with 28s and got that. Now, it’s all about Lamborghinis,” he says with a smirk. “I can’t get past them; still stuck on them as my dream car. My homeboys are like, ‘You need to get a Bentley or Phantom…’ I’m, like, it’s all about the Lambos—all you gotta do is keep switching colors. Right now, he as two Gallardos: a red one back in Atlanta and a white one in L.A., which he recently shipped back to Atlanta to get painted black. “I couldn’t ﬁnd a black one when I went to get this one,” he says. “They only had white and orange. Most people go loud—I want to go jet black with the windows tinted black, with the 20-inch black rims and drop top. It’s gonna be so hard.” Although he’s doing promo for his second album, Soulja Boy is already talking about his third record, coming out later this Fall. Slated to be titled The DeAndre Way (his birth name), Soulja Boy is opening himself up and

26 DUB MAG JUL / AUG 2009

digging deeper into his musical journey. “My third album is going to go stupid hard, it’s gonna go harder than other rapper’s album” he describes. “Real talk… it’s gonna be the sh*t. Everyone is gonna feel me on it. I’ll be dropping it when I’m 19, and I’m gonna share life stories, and talk about things from when I was a kid, my situation of where I used to live at and came from…but still have radio -chart-topping singles.” Soulja Boy feels he is starting to gradually gain the respect he wasn’t receiving before and is taking advantage of all the newfound success. He exchanged verbal shots with rapper-actor Ice-T, who said his brand of music was “killing hip-hop.” He even beefed with Bow Wow shortly after the two released the video “Marco Polo.” But through the disputes, Soulja Boy’s business savvy moves and new musical style has silenced the critics and proves he isn’t stopping anytime soon. Back in May, he appeared on the morning talk show, “Good Day L.A.” where he is quoted as saying he wasn’t happy with the success he’s had so far, which, once again, opened the ﬂood gates for criticism. “I mean, I guess people look at that statement and think, ‘Enough isn’t enough for Soulja Boy,” he says, taking off his sunglasses, allowing you to see the sincerity in his eyes. “’Man, he has the No. 1 single in the country, a platinum album— what more does he want?’ I want it all…I want the video game, movie; I want the Trump empire. I see stars and clouds, and billions and skyscrapers. I’m not saying diva bullsh*t either. It’s just, like…man, I want to keep going to the top and keep striving; the sky’s the limit.” And that’s how far he’s literally taking his career. Besides music, he’s also designing his second shoe with apparel company Yums. “My ﬁrst ones did good and were in every Finish Line in America,” he says. When asked if they would be bigger than Kanye’s Air Yeezy, Soulja Boy laughed. “Shout out to Kanye, that’s my homie, but my shoe might go harder than the Air Yeezys.” His franchise will expand even farther with a new cartoon he has in the works that will be airing on TV soon, as well as a video game. “For my future, I predict it holds mo’ money and mo’ problems,” he says laughing while putting his sunglasses back on, as he leans back into the couch and stretches his arms around the top. “Nah, I see a Soulja Boy empire.”

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Rock ’N’ Soul

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itting at a keyboard in a dimly lit recording studio in Garden Grove, CA, Sleepy Brown (Patrick Brown) tries to finish laying down a track before getting into his interview. As a producer, first and foremost, he wants to let his creative juices flow before he forgets what musical sound he’s aiming for, as he works on tracks for his upcoming compilation album. When he’s finally happy with what he’s recorded, his attention turns to the interview, but you can tell his thoughts are back on his music. Although being a producer is Brown’s first passion, the industry veteran is best known for his sexy voice on the chorus of OutKast’s 2003 hit single “The Way You Move.” Brown was a member of the Atlanta-based producing team, Organized Noise, from the mid- to late-’90s. The production team is credited to having helped shaped the sound of Southern hip-hop as a whole, grooming and producing acts like the Grammy-award-winning Big Boi and Andre 3000 from OutKast, as well as Goodie Mob. When he finally decided to step into the limelight with his own album, his musical plan didn’t turn out the way he figured. Although, the Southern crooner’s 2006 debut album, Mr. Brown, fell under the radar, he’s determined to change all that this time around. “This album has more of a rock edge to it,” he explains in a smooth and distinctive voice, reminiscent of musical greats from the ’70s like Smokey Robinson, Isaac Hayes and Marvin Gaye. Particularly known for his ’70s-influenced, lush, funk-driven songs he’s produced for others and made on his previous album, Brown is evoloving his musical talents to reflect a more “Hollywood” scene that he’s been accustomed to since coming to L.A. from Atlanta, GA. “I’m part of this Hollywood lifestyle and you can hear it in my music. It’s dirtier, grimier and raw. It’s not so smooth anymore; there’s a rock feel to everything.” His first single off the new compilation album will be called “Rock Chick” that will be hitting airwaves soon.

AS A PRODUCER FIRST, SLEEPY BROWN PERFECTS TRACKS FOR HIS UPCOMING COMPILIATION ALBUM ON HIS IMPRINT, ORION RECORDS, WHILE AT OMEN ROOM STUDIOS IN ORANGE COUNTY, CA.

But, the new sound isn’t just heard in his music, he’s personiﬁed it through his style. Talking about his music from behind some bling’d-out Valentino sunglasses, you vividly see how he has meshed his ’70s-inpired persona that he is primarily known for, with his new L.A.-rock edge. Resembling Isaac Hayes a bit, Brown’s attire consists of some dark, distressed jeans, Chucks and a bit of bling around his neck for the inteview at the recording studio. Even his perfectly manicured nails feature black nail polish with white stars. The new Sleepy Brown has emerged, but his love of all things classic is still seen through his taste for vehicles. Right now, Brown cruises L.A. streets in his ’63 Lincoln Continental. “I’m usually a Cadillac man, but I fell in love with the Continental when I saw it parked on the street in the Valley,” he recalls. “It was so beautiful that I had to have it. Everything about it was just so gangsta.” Nicknamed Linda, aka “Sexy Suicide Love Machine,” Brown had the interior redone, did some engine work and added a performance exhaust system. “She growls at you JUL / AUG 2009

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ORIGINALLY A CADDILAC MAN, BROWN COULDN’T RESIST BUYING THIS ’63 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL, WHICH HE CALLS LINDA, AKA “SEXY SUICIDE LOVE MACHINE.” HAVING DONE MINOR CHANGES TO IT, BROWN WILL SOON TRANSFORM IT INTO HIS LABEL’S SIGNATURE VEHICLE, MAKING IT AN “ORION CONTINENTAL.”

“I want everything… as long as it’s a hit and it’s special, then I’ll bring it out on my label.” In conjunction his own musical endeavors, Brown is currently promoting his latest female act, Roxxy (aka Liana Mendoza). “I really care for the artists on my label,” he says. “I’m building a family. I want to teach them that it’s not all about having a No. 1 single in the ﬁrst week. I’m looking to grooming my artists to help them create a great career. They need to know that it’s not just about creating good songs, but about working hard. Success will eventually happen for all of them if they just to do what they love, which is creating music.” With music running through his veins (his father was a musician in a ’70s band called Brick), Brown is embracing his busy schedule as he juggles producing, being an artist and a businessman. “I want Orion Records to be one of the biggest independent labels in history,” he explains. “I want to make it into what Motown was back in the day.” And as the interview concluded, Brown went back and sat at the keyboard again, ready to start up right where he left off. “Let’s take it from the top,” he tells the sound engineer. “We need to perfect the last track.”

SLEEPY BROWN’S ORION ARTIST, ROXXY.

in a sexy way,” he says. As the conversation shifted back toward music, Brown’s head turned to look at the keyboard he was playing at, signaling his mind wasn’t far from the track he was previously working on. “I’m more mature and have grown as a person and artist since my last album,” he says. “I’m way more focused than ever and know how totally real this is now. I’m dead serious about my career moving forward.” Besides his new album, Brown is also focusing on building his newly established indie record label, Orion. The new compilation album will actually feature music from his new artists, as well as his own. Tired of the same runaround from other record labels he had gotten in the past, Brown wanted to have his own entity to release the type of music he wants to make and provide an outlet for artists overlooked by major labels. “It’s not going to be a straight hip-hop or R&B label,” he describes.

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Dance music is making a come back. Artists, DJs and producers are upping the BPMs (beats per minute) to their tracks, creating a global dance phenomenon geared toward packing dance ﬂoors. “If you had to pick one genre that’s migrating at the highest frequency, it would be the dance world,” Black Eyed Peas’ Will.i.am said in a recent Billboard interview.” That’s where music as a culture really lives.” Check out some of dance music’s biggest movers and shakers, and why they think dance-oriented tracks are the future of the industry.

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rmed with more than a decade of experience in the nightlife business, DJ Reza taught himself the art of mixing as a true enthusiast of dance music culture in the early-’90s. He has since then become a musical trendsetter and favored party-rocking DJ, as well as a producer, founder of Go Ventures (one of Americas leading purveyor of dance music events), and owner of Saturday Night Sessions recording label. He has put in years of hard work, self-discipline and strong personal ethics, earning him such notable professional credibility behind the decks. How did you get interested in DJ’ing? I’ve been buying records since 1988, but was a promoter ﬁrst. I officially started playing in 1995, so it’s been about 14 years now that I’ve been doing it. I enjoy the ability of playing good music and pumping up the crowd. I can play what I feel is proper dance music and be able to share that with others. The genre everybody knows me for is house, but I play everything; anything that sounds good and makes sense in my set. I enjoy being able to make a lot of people have a good time and rock a party.

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Besides being a successful and notable DJ, you’re also a producer and owner of Saturday Night Sessions. What made you want to own a record label? Being involved in the dance music scene for so long, I wanted to have an imprint label in L.A. and have a strong hold in its music scene. I wanted my own platform since I thought it would be easier than having to go through other labels to release my music. What do you look for in talent when signing new artists to your label? I look for people to make good music. I like crossovers and those that don’t usually do the norm. They have to be different and have a new sound to them. I want fun music that will make people have a good time. What appeals to you more: Dj’ing or producing? When you’re a DJ, you’re performing what you make as a producer. I love both. I was first a DJ and then became a producer, which gave me knowledge as to what will work or won’t work in my own music. Will you ever give up DJ’ing to solely produce and run your businesses? I’ll never give up DJ’ing. I love performing; it encourages me to produce more and make music people dance to. I’m known as a party rocker, so while I’m still behind the decks, the party will definitely be rocking! Where do you see your future headed within the music industry? I’ve been getting approached a lot to put music in film and TV lately. I’ve also had a lot tracks that just went on sale. The next five years will be a groundbreaking time as my businesses expand. Things are definitely blowing up for me.

What DJs do you look up to? I look up to a lot of my peers like Danny Tenaglia, Dirty South, Steve Angello, Axwell…people who have created new sounds that others haven’t done and come out with quality music that’s rocking. Do you still play at regular clubs in L.A.? I do more special events, rather than regular clubs now. I’ll play at a club if they are having a certain event. I’m usually booked every Saturday somewhere. In your numerous years in the industry, what has been your most memorable DJ experience and why? I have a lot of those. I just played at Queen’s Day in Holland. I was the only international DJ asked to play. I felt honored to go to a country that wasn’t my own and play at such a great event. If I had to choose a memorable gig, it would have to be playing at my own party, “Monster Massive.” It happens each year around Halloween. It’s a special gig for me since I get to close out the night.

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we get offers. If it’s a track we’re into, and if the timing is right, we’ll do it. So Far, which song has been your favorite remix? Jo’B: Probably the remixes we did for Justice early on that were completely bootlegged. They ended up picking up one of them after we did it. Then a lot of others started doing it, too. What’s your favorite type of music to remix and why? Jo’B: We’re into rock a lot. What pulled us into doing this was the merging of rock and electronic music. Is there a musical element you always try to incorporate into your remixes that make it an “LA Riots staple?” Daniel: I think we are getting to that point now, where we are defining our sound more precisely. For a while, it was just trying out a lot of different things and having fun doing remixes. Jo’B: The first singles from our upcoming album are straight up dance-rock, featuring Chris Cornell; things that can work on the dance floor and still be on a rock radio station. How has life changed for you since becoming hot commodities in the scene? Jo’B: No more day jobs for us. We are able to focus 100 percent on what we are doing and put all our time and effort back into making the most out of our music.

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o’B and Daniel Ledisko are causing mad hysteria on the dance ﬂoor as the electronic DJ duo LA Riots. Taking their moniker from the infamous riots that blazed across Los Angeles in 1992, LA Riots has quickly established themselves at the forefront of the electronic music scene, with various electro-centered remixes and club bangers from the likes of Justice, The Ting Tings, Chromeo and other big names. Individually, both are veterans to the music scene—Daniel as a DJ and Jo’B as a producer. Their combined skills and love for mashing up various music genres with electronic sounds led to a record deal on A-Trak’s Fool’s Gold label in less than two years of hitting the L.A. dance scene. Constantly on global tours, LA Riots is bringing their unique energy to the musical masses. How did you come together to form LA Riots? Daniel: We were friends for more than 10 years. We both made the move to L.A.; I was ﬁrst, then brought Jo’B with me, who is originally from North Carolina. I’m from New Zealand. Jo’B: LA Riots didn’t exist at that time. We were both doing separate things then started messing with collaborations. Daniel had DJ gigs, while I was doing more production things. When we thought of a name for ourselves back in April 29, 2007, it was the 15-year anniversary of the Los Angeles riots, and we thought it was a cool name to go by.

Daniel: It’s only been about two years, so we are still in our struggling phase of trying to get our music out there. We’ve been hustling a lot, so we haven’t had much time to reﬂect on it yet. There’s no denying that you guys are destined for greatness. Do you consider yourselves having “celebrity DJ” status yet? Daniel: Not at all...we still get turned away at clubs in Hollywood. We’ve actually tried to pull the “DJ card” a couple of times. We’d be, like, “They’re playing our track inside…”, but haven’t had much luck most of the time. That’s crazy. Do you guys even make it out to clubs often to just hang out since you’re practically in a new city every night playing? Daniel: Not really since our tour schedule has always been hectic. Earlier this year we toured Europe with MSTRKRFT, and are currently touring with The Crystal Method and doing smaller venues here and there. So, what’s your take on why dance music is dominating the industry right now? Daniel: It’s now being merged with different types of music as opposed to just being associated with that trippy sound of the ’90s. It has more of an idenity to it. You have acts like Justice and MSTRKFT that people know about and can pinpoint out in a crowd. Before, these acts could walk around anonymously. Back in the ’90s, dance music was supposed to be big, but it never was ’cause it was made by all these anonymous dudes, making a certain type of music that only appealed to a certain type of crowd. Now, we have people with an image, who are borrowing from hip-hop and rock, so more people can relate to it.

How long did it take you guys to make a names for yourselves within the scene? Jo’B: It was pretty quick since the timing was perfect when we took it seriously. We were able to come right off the bat into a fresh scene, right in our neighborhood. We were able to walk to 80 percent of our gigs in the ﬁrst six months. How do you go about choosing songs for your remixes? Jo’B: At ﬁrst we took what we could get and did a lot of bootlegs and stuff to get our name out there. But these days,

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I’m very involved with the Pussycat Dolls—I’m also their music director. They are not only great artists that continually record fun songs, but people really enjoy dancing to their music. Looking back over your remixes, what has been the most difficult or challenging remix you’ve had to do? The ones I find most challenging are those that aren’t really made for the dance floor. The singles that are already huge on their own can be a little tricky, too, because it’s always going to be compared to the original. How has your musical skills progressed since you first started? With new programs, software and techniques popping up all the time, I am constantly perfecting my craft. You really never stop learning in music, especially when there’s always a new flavor of the month. I love technology and the possibilities Pro Tools, Apple computers or Pioneer CDJs give me to make music or pack dance floors.

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s a veteran of the music scene, Dave Audé pretty much grew up playing and listening to music. After high school, he began his career as a MIDI instructor at the same place where he learned his process and technique, the Los Angeles Recording Workshop. In the ’90s, he began making house music and helped start Moonshine Music, where he expanded his production acumen and produced a number of top artists at the indie imprint. Since then, he has been working with big acts, including U2, Beyonce, Kelly Clarkson and Madonna, in conjunction to starting his own label, Audacious Records. While producing is his passion, Audé still rocks the turntables to keep in touch with the scene. His love of music and keen production skills has solidified him as an industry leader in the dance world, as he helps lead it into mainstream America. You’ve been a DJ and a producer for more than 15 years. What made you choose music as your career? I’ve been playing music in one form or another since I was 13. I started out playing keyboards, falling immediately for the sounds the synthesizer created. I sort of fell into it actually. I basically woke up one day to realize I was supporting myself doing it. What was your motivation to start Audacious Records? Audacious began four years ago because I needed an outlet to make and release music with my friends. Do you prefer DJ’ing or producing more? I’m a producer first, and I DJ for fun. Dj’ing is actually a very important part of what I do. It allows me to go out and gauge reactions from the crowd, and it also keeps me in tune with what works on dance floors.

How would you explain the progression of dance music into what it’s transformed into today? The electronic music of the ’90s was very underground, but managed to produce some crossover acts like C+C Music Factory, CeCe Peniston and Moby. Then in the mid-to late-’90s, electronic music kind of fell off the pop/radio map. To hear it, you’d have to go to a club. Today, with availability of digital music on the Internet, satellite radio, and even TV, everybody is exposed to dance music. Even today’s top pop acts are integrating dance music into their songs and live shows—Lady GaGa, Pussycat Dolls, Black Eyed Peas and Kanye are prime examples of that. Why would you say that it’s gone so mainstream lately? People are just stuck. Not to downplay other genres, but radio has been controlled by one type of music for a while, and it’s ready for something new. It’s an exciting time for electronic music. What’s your take on the celebrity DJ that is popping up now? They are all very talented, but basically, these guys are playing the same music that is being played at weddings. Don’t get me wrong, what they do is great, but they have become famous as DJs because of their celebrity status, not because they have a hit song. Maybe I’ll have a hit song one day! What advice would you give to aspiring DJs/producers? To get some type of music education to learn how it’s made and to know its history. Having this foundation provides new DJs/producers the blueprint for success. A lot of kids out there think they can just buy a computer and make hot tracks. Honestly, you need to be a little more educated than that. You need to listen to a lot of music; you need to turn a few knobs; crash a few computers; and lose a few hard drives. The other thing I would suggest is to always ﬁnish a project and don’t’ dwell on it for too long.

Besides working in the studio most of the time, how often to do you DJ still? I am on the road three to four times a month, playing big events and clubs. I still enjoy it, which is why I do it. What’s you favorite type of music to include in your sets? I typically stick to electro and progressive, but I like to throw in a remix, bootleg or mash-up here and there to keep things fresh. When you’re producing, what elements do you always try to feature in songs, if any, to make it an “Audé” track ? Something that I like to do that I think a lot of other producers don’t is that I try and keep the original elements of the song. I always keep the original vocals in tact, and I don’t try to remake the entire song. A lot of people look at remixes as a way to make themselves famous, but I look at it as an alternative way to promote an artist. So I just put my personal spin on it. Who’s been a favorite artist to work with thus far in your career and why? Probably Sting and U2, but I enjoy working with all different types of artists, as it allows me such diversity on my remixes. Although, right now,

WWW.DAVEAUDE.COM

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minutes. Then I get on stage and really grab the audience in the opening minutes of my set. I’m very conscious of gaining control right away. The ﬁrst 15 seconds is where you grab your audience. What’s been your most memorable gig so far in your career? Recently, I played in Taiwan for a big outdoor festival in a ﬁeld about 10 minutes from the beach. It was a really cool experience. There must have been more than 5,000 people…it was pretty crazy. I enjoy both big and small gigs. The smaller ones at little venues are fun ’cause you can see people dancing around, and you feel like you’re running a house party. The bigger festivals give you more of a rock-star feeling, as everybody in the crowd throws up their hands when they dig your music.

THE NEW KID IN TOWN DJ ARSENAL: PIONEER DJM-800 MIXER, APPLE MACBOOK, MIDI CONTROLLER

What are your thoughts on the popularity of indie/electro/house music that is slowly becoming a global phenomenon, including here in the States? I think it’s a great style of music moving to the forefront ’cause there are a lot of musical genres in dance music, so there is really something for everyone. A lot of people label dance music as techno, and I think as it moves to the forefront, people understand there is other musical elements contained within it. Electro is becoming a bit more commercial since it can appease a mass audience pretty well…as long as North America isn’t afraid of it.

s a rising electro star from Vancouver BC Canada, Felix Cartal is ready to take center stage of his own music career with the upcoming release of his first LP later this year on Dim Mak records, which features original music produced and mixed all by him. However, fans can now grab his new Skeleton EP to get a feel for his musical prowess. Having always been interested in music, Cartal always knew it was somehow going to be his career, but never actually knew what path it would take. Part of a circle of DJ friends that includes the likes of MSTRKRFT, LA Riots and The Bloody Beetroots, Cartal’s innovative production and DJ dexterity continue to cement him as festival-headlining material instead of merely being considered “the opening act.” You knew music would ultimately be your career. How did you first become intersted in music? Well, I started really young, playing in punk and rock bands, which was my first musical influence. I then made the transition to dance music from rock bands that had electro/dance elements in it. Once I was of clubbing age, dance music was more prevalent for me. I played bass and guitar in high school, and got into the production side of things after I took a class called “music composition,” where I learned studio software. When my band was in the studio, I’d always try to be with the soundboard engineer, learning my way with the software. So after you decided dance music was your thing, how did you cement yourself in the scene? It was basically 100 percent networking on the Internet. I jumped onto the blog scene at the right time before the whole thing blew up. I was fortunate enough to have a couple of songs that got a lot of downloads, and from there, I started to notice my songs were being used in other DJ’s mixtapes from around the world. Then the DJ requests came here and there, which is how I ultimately learned to DJ. I was a producer first and foremost, and then gained the respect from Jesse from MSTRKRFT ’cause he was playing most of my songs. He became my mentor and helped me get my name out there back in 2007; it was the turning point of my career. What type of music are you currently digging and remixing a lot of right now? For DJ’ing, I’m playing more techno-edge stuff. For mixing, I’m working on my own stuff for my LP album right now that’ll flow a bit more musically rather than feature all mixes. It’ll have actual song structure with verses, choruses and bridges instead of just mix-in, build up, then mix out. My EP came out this past May, and it contains more dance tracks that I’ve had for a while. The album comes out end of the year and features all of my own produced music. Do you have certain things that help inspire your mixes? I think my biggest thing when I write a track is that I never try to follow a formula. I try to bring a new idea to every track. The minute you start to follow what you started out doing in the beginning is when you pigeonhole yourself and your music gets stale. I take risks with every track I make. Since you’re more of a producer than a DJ, do you have a pre-stage ritual or anything when you preform to get you into “DJ mode?” Not really. I just try to listen to what the DJ plays before me for, like, 20

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WWW.MYSPACE.COM/FELIXCARTAL | WWW.FELIXCARTAL.COM

DROPPIN’ BEATS FOR THE MASSES DJ ARSENAL: PIONEER DVJ-1000 DVD TURNTABLE, PIONEER DJM-800 MIXER

he Mississippi-born, Philly-based Wesley Pentz, better known as Diplo (a nickname that came about from his childhood love of the dinosaur Diplodocus), wanted to be a paleontologist as a kid, but ended up becoming one of the hottest producers/DJs in the music industry today. But he’s more than that…he’s now part A&R, discovering new acts; part cultural curator (he’s largely responsible for bringing Baile Funk to mainstream attention); he runs the party-centered-label Mad Decent that continues to push the envelope with its artists; has produced a documentary; is currently remixing and producing tracks for Ashanti, Kelis and tons of other big names in the industry; and he isn’t showing signs of letting up any time soon. There’s literally nothing that Diplo can’t do, which is why he’s such a hot commodity right now, traveling around the world and creating new sounds that will change the way we categorize music. Mixtape and mash-up culture simply wouldn’t be the same without Diplo’s discerning ear, since his crossgenre mixes have been tearing up dance ﬂoors all over the world. Check out what makes his creative juices ﬂow, and what type of musical treats he has in store for us in the coming year. When we hear the name Diplo, we think of a modern Superman DJ, throwing huge parties in L.A.; free Mad Decent label nights in Philly, Miami and Austin; and a continuous traveling itinerary that competes with most airline pilots. Who’s the man behind the turntables? Do you have several impersonators helping kill it from city to city every night? I do have a few Diplo imposters. We are working with Diddy right now to make a hologram projector, but we are a few years away. Then I can perform live in a couple of cities each night.

What were your thoughts/feelings when you got the alerts of Sir Paul McCartney playing one of your mixes as his intro at this year’s Coachella festival in Indio, CA? Ha…I thought, “Sh*t…how am I gonna make money off this?” I realized it’s impossible. I’m just happy Paul got to hear some of my weird sh*t—that’s pretty cool. I hung with him after the Grammys. He was at Thom Yorke’s after party…that was the jam. I was mad drunk, and he was dancing with some ﬂy girl—like doin’ the Wop; ?uestlove from The Roots was DJ’ing. A “Diplo remix” has become a hot ticket in the music industry, from Young MC’s “Bust A Move” to the Diplo vs. Santigold mix. Is there a particular project that stands out in your eyes? That Santi mixtape, and the May mixtape from four years ago. “Piracy Funds Terrorism” was the jam, too, but I liked the remix I just did for Radiohead. That was pretty cool, mad weird and hard. Not only are you on the music side of things, but you’re also in the works of producing your documentary, Favela on Blast. How did that project come about? Well it’s done. Three years travelin’ to Brazil and hangin’ with the kids out there, vibin’ on music and culture and puttin’ it on tape. It has been played at a few ﬁlm festivals. It’s gonna be on DVD later this year I hope. Would you agree with the notion that the “Brazilian Baile Funk” sound seems to be the core foundation of your own sound? Nah…my own sound is basically hip-hop—a mix of everything. Early on, I was into

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WWW.MYSPACE.COM/DIPLO

bass and dancehall (being from Florida), but now I’m incorporating everything. How did the name Diplo come about? It’s short for a dinosaur. I always meant to change it, but never got ’round to it. And, now it’s too late. You’re a Grammy-nominated producer, and you’ve worked with some of the biggest names in music. Who’s on the radar for your next project(s)? Got some with my own crew: Amanda Blank, Spankrok, M.I.A., Santigold again. Robyn, Kid Cudi, Lil Jon—a bunch of kids in sessions right now. Also, lots of my own artists like Blaqstarr, Rye Rye, Rusko, etc. What do you prefer doing more: DJ’ing, producing or running your own label? All of it, but I stay way too busy. I’m ready for somethin’ else like investing in Mexican cell phone cards or airlines. I’m about to Richard Branson [ the 236th richest person according to Forbes’ 2008 list of billionaires] this sh*t. What can we look forward to hearing from your Mad Decent camp over the next year? Rusko, Rusko, Rusko—it’s the biggest record we ever did. Gonna mash it up! As an automotive lifestyle magazine, we have to ask: Do you have any hot pieces in your garage? Do you have a dream car? Man, I got a Jeep. But, I’m ready to get a new joint; probably an old Dodge Dart all tricked out. I’m into the old joints, but as far as new joints, I just want some giant bigfoot-style monster truck with a DVD player and a grill to cook on…somethin’ like that.

so I can play it. It’s an outlet for my own production and one for young producers that other labels have overlooked. I look for artists who make quality music, and if I would personally play what they create. I usually test drive new releases on the dance ﬂoor to see if it’ll work.

A GLOBAL TRANCE PHENOMENON DJ ARSENAL: (3) PIONEER CDJ-1000 DIGITAL TURNTABLES, (2) PIONEER DJM800 MIXERS (ONE IS A ONE-OF-A-KIND GOLD DJM-800 MIXER)

nce an outsider in a world dominated by European and UK DJs, Christopher Lawrence has risen to the top of the international dance music heap since hitting the dance scene in the early-’90s. He is now considered one of the key global players of dance music, and America’s leading dance export, playing his tough-techno trance sets main stage at the world’s biggest festivals and superclubs. Over the past few years, Christopher has received numerous awards and accolades, including many that single him out as one of the world’s best DJs and producers. Originally from San Francisco, Lawrence travels the globe to play everywhere and anywhere and continues to be one of the world’s most evolving and respected DJs. How did you go about progressing your career to become so recognizable in the dance scene? It’s not something that happened overnight. I’ve been involved in the dance scene for more than 14 years. It was 1992 in San Francisco, and I was in the right place at right time when raves were taking place. From there, I moved to L.A., became one of the ﬁrst DJs involved with trance music, and then over the years progressed and evolved to become what I am now.

You said dance music hasn’t been very commercial, but it’s currently going mainstream, as bigger acts tend to feature aspects of it in their music. Why do you think it’s appealing to mainstream markets now? You can’t keep a good thing down. Dance music has been around for, like, 20 years now, but it’s been as an undercurrent. A lot of people who liked the music before have grown up and are now in positions of power; they want to hear music they are familiar with, which is dance music they grew up with in the ’90s. What held it back was major music labels, media and radio. The established music industry just didn’t have the time of day for it since the big executives were from an older generation that was familiar with rock. They fought rap and hip-hop for a long time, but it became popular. The same is happening with dance music. With a newfound interest in dance music taking over, who are you digging right now? I’m really into an underground, psychedelic trance sound that Israeli producers have been creating for a while now, but has taken a while for the rest of the dance world to take hold of. Also, music that my comrades, John 00 Fleming and Astrix, are doing. With such a notable and successful career in music, what have you yet to still achieve? I ‘d like to do less touring and more producing for TV or movies; I’ve never done that before. I think it would be a great challenge. How did you go about becoming a Pioneer DJ? It was four years ago that I became one of their sponsored DJs. I use everything they make. I ﬁrst started using their products when I transitioned from vinyl to CDs back in 1997. Their products have become industry standard around the world. Their stuff is what all the clubs use.

What made you first become interested in dance music? I’ve been obsessed with music since I was a kid. I was first into alternative music. I became interested in dance music when a friend told me of a party in a basement of a club. I heard house music for the first time and it completely changed my life. It touched my soul like nothing else ever did, and I knew that was the type of music I wanted to make. When you first started out in the industry, what were your career goals, and have you achieved them all since then? I had no expectations. There was no such thing as an international DJ that toured back then. I never thought I’d be doing what I’m doing. I had a day job and was in school, so DJ’ing was just a passion that started out as a hobby. I’d DJ a party and get $50 for the night. I thought that was as good as it got. I’ve achieved more than I’ve ever dreamed I would as a DJ/producer. Having done so many gigs, what’s been the most memorable one thus far? New Year’s Eve 2000 at the L.A. Coliseum, which was the biggest festival I had played at back then. There was more than 60,000 people in attendance. I remember looking out at the crowd and realizing how I’ve come a long way in my career. What was it like transitioning from putting out DJ mixtapes to producing your own CDs? It was a huge difference. For mix compilations, you can just select music from other people that you like, but when you go into the studio for your own music, it’s totally different and more difficult. It’s easy to listen to someone else’s music, but a lot goes into creating your own, especially when you first start doing it. After you became more interested in producing, you started your own label, Pharmacy Music. How did that come about, and what type of artists do you tend to sign? Primarily because I knew there was people making music that I liked and since it’s not exactly very commercial, it didn’t always make it to dance floors. It was partly selfish of me since I saw it as a way to get that music

WWW.CHRISTOPHERLAWRENCE.COM

JUL / AUG 2009

DUB MAG 43

credit is due to him for the overall sound of the album. He really was the ﬁrst to execute hip-hop over electro—it really did guide the production of the album. Once we had that N.O.R.E track, it was an eye opener and people started to see what we were doing. Besides producing your own music, you guys have remixed songs of notable groups and artists. Do you guys ask to remix a song, or are you the ones asked? We’ve never asked anybody. They bring us a song, and we listen to it to see if we can add anything to make it better. We’re always getting remix opportunities, but we say no 90 percent of the time. Sure, we can say yes, give someone a piece of sh*t and take their money, but we don’t operate that way. We were asked to remix a Brittney Spears song and dropped it. When we ﬁnished the remix, we realized that we didn’t even use any of the original vocals after working on it for two weeks. We’re really particular about what we put out in the world.

MASTERS OF MUSICAL MUTATIONS DJ ARSENAL: (2) PIONEER CDJ-1000 DIGITAL TURNTABLES, PIONEER DJM-800 MIXER, SERATO SCRATCH LIVE

he names Jesse F. Keeler (aka JFK) and Alex Puodziukas (aka Al-P) alone might not strike a chord with many, but their musical moniker, MSTRKRFT, will definitely spark images of Canada’s production/DJ duo. Their 2006 debut album, The Looks, is partly responsible for pushing electronic music to the forefront of the club scene. As close friends already immersed in the industry while playing in different bands, the guys joined musical forces after realizing they had the same interests in music, switching from heavy rock and punk to funky electro beats that would ultimately lead to headlining tours around the world, non-stop requests for remixes and rock star status reserved for legendary musicians. Fresh off the release of their sophomore effort, Fist of God, MSTRKRFT is securing their place as innovative producers and evolving their sound with tracks featuring notable hip-hop names like John Legend, N.O.R.E and Ghostface Killah, which fuses dance elements with those from rap, boom bap and bounce, creating their distinctively brutal club grooves. Keeler talks about thier masterful mutations of music and how they’ve evolved since 2006. Your first singles, “Easy Love” and “Work On You,” put you guys on the electro-house tip as leaders of the scene. When you first became MSTRKRFT, did you guys intend on making this type of music? Not a lot of stuff sounded like us back then, and we didn’t fully know what we were doing. All we knew was that we wanted to make music we liked...make dance music our way.

A lot of artists are catching on to your dance remixes, and are now putting dance elements into their own tracks all of a sudden. Why do you think they’re doing so? I think that all R&B and hip-hop is becoming really clubby right now. Just by judging the artists that come to us for remixes like Keri Hilson, Lil Wayne and The Black Eyed Peas, it’s really becoming popular. This type of thing wasn’t happening two or three years ago. Rock music is becoming more dance oriented, too. I think hip-hop is returning to its roots since everything was electro and disco with old rap in the early- and mid-’80s. It changed when the music started coming from loops and samples. Part of our plan was to be on the front of this movement in North America, so we’re happy with the way things are going. The idea was to make a very Americansounding electro album for Fist of God. For sure electro has always been a big part of club culture, so we wanted to take inﬂuences from there and mesh in with what’s happening today in the club world. Other DJ/production acts like DJ AM, A-Track and yourselves are becoming really known beyond only the dance/club scene. How do you feel about this new take on DJs being compared to rock stars? People are recognizing that these people are really good at what they do. The DJ booth isn’t in the corner anymore—it’s front and center on stages. There’s more recognition for the talent. We are kind of like rock stars now and getting respect at the same level as traditional musicians. As far as being so recognizable, it’s cool and makes us try harder to always push ourselves to make better music. It’s given us a greater responsibility to be innovative and push music forward. What does the rest of 2009 have in store for guys? We’re doing less remixes and making our third album, while still touring and doing promo for Fist of God. We’re actually getting involved in doing stuff for movie soundtracks, television and commercials, which is really cool since it’s challenging us to create various types of music.

Your MySpace page classifies you as “electro/punk/rap.” Since your music is all over the place, how would you describe your musical evolution from 2006 to Fist of God? It’s natural to change musically. If we made the same record as we did the first time, it would be pretty weird. People expect something similar, and it’s hard because you’re a different person than you were for the first one. We started making this record the month we submitted the last one to the record label. It’s influenced by our remix work. It’s hard because we have a pretty broad skill set. It’s tough to apply how we want to do things. We write everything and then mix it all at once. The whole album isn’t merely club tracks, either, like the first one. You have an interesting list of guest appearances on the album. How did you hook up with most of them? The first was with N.O.R.E and that came from a friend of our manager’s, who went to jail with one of his friends. We invited him to collaborate, and he was onboard right away. A lot of

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WWW.MSTRKRFT.COM | WWW.MYSPACE.COM/MSTRKRFT

What’s Your Ride Really Worth? A certiﬁed auto appraisal is the only way to know WORDS & PHOTOS: DICK DeLOACH

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN AN APPRAISER One of the best ways to find a good appraiser is to ask around for a referral. Ask a lot of questions. Some of the more traditional appraisers believe that an automobile only has value when it is original, bone stock and are completely oblivious to the custom car scene—and should probably be avoided (at least if you’re looking for an appraisal on a modified vehicle). You might not want to drive your show car across town in traffic, so an appraiser who is willing to travel to you is a big plus. Keep away from the companies who come out to you with a single-page carbon copy form and then fill in blank spaces. Auto Appraisal Network uses a laptop computer with a proprietary appraisal program designed for custom vehicles. Also, ask to see sample appraisals. A good appraiser will be prepared and have lots of samples to show you—at least one of which should be particularly appropriate to your type of vehicle. They should also take a lot of pictures and be descriptive enough so that someone who has never seen your car should be able to read the report and have a pretty good idea of what your vehicle looks like and consists of. Make sure that they give you two copies: one should be kept for your records and the other is for your insurance company. When the appraiser comes out to you, they should have a very good general knowledge of your car. They then should know where to find all the appropriate identification (cowl tags, VIN numbers) and engine numbers without asking you. They should also have a very good overall knowledge of the aftermarket business and be able to identify and name the manufacturer of most of the custom components on your vehicle. If he has to ask you what things are, send him away. A good appraiser keeps up to date with the latest products by reading magazines, going to DUB shows and attending major trade shows like the annual SEMA Show. WHAT DETERMINES THE APPRAISED VALUE OF A CAR? Some factors include: the type and exact model of the vehicle and whether or not it was customized, along with whether or not it was a total custom fabrication, a frame-off, a ground-up rebuild, or just mildly personalized; the caliber of the work performed; dollars spent; the extent of modifications; components used; its overall appearance; and the creativity and uniqueness of the vehicle, as well as who performed the work.

he car in the lead shot is a 2005 Bentley Continental, built by West Coast Customs for Monster Cable CEO Noel Lee (and featured on TLC Channel’s popular show “Street Customs”). It has custom candy-blue paint with ghosted-Monster logos on the roof; 22-inch Asanti wheels with candy-blue lips and Continental tires; Asanti grille inserts; a custom leather and suede interior with an Alpine audio/video system housed in a custom candy-blue fiberglass enclosures; and a custom motorized Segway lift in the trunk. What would you guess an insurance company would say it’s worth if it was wrecked or stolen? It’s a tricky subject, but the best way to find the true value of a vehicle is to have it professionally appraised. A professional takes the emotions out of the process and is unbiased when it comes to the appraisal. Choosing an appraiser can be a tricky task. Someone who works solely with high-dollar antique autos probably has little knowledge about the value of a custom car. It’s important to find someone who knows the custom industry and the type of car you want to have appraised. “By far the most common reason that vehicles get appraised is for insurance purposes,” says Jeff Hyman of Auto Appraisal Network (Irvine, California), who has been in the appraisal business for more than 21 years. “However, they are also done for a multitude of financial and legal reasons, including bank loans, tax donations, divorce, diminished value, estate sales, or just because an out-of-touch owner wants to know how much to sell their car for.” For insurance purposes, a professional, independent appraisal of your vehicle is about the only way to be sure that your insurance carrier knows what your car will cost to replace in today’s market. WHY SHOULD YOU GET YOUR CAR APPRAISED? The bottom line is that if your vehicle has been modified, customized, is unique, very rare, or just plain special, and it is now worth significantly more than a stock version of the same vehicle as originally manufactured, you should have it professionally appraised. Similarly, if your car is completely stock with matching numbers and has a rare factory equipment package that might make it worth considerably more than a run-of-the-mill car, you had better have that confirmed in an appraisal.

46 DUB MAG JUL / AUG 2009

WHAT SHOULD ALL THIS COST? As long as the vehicle is within a reasonable driving distance, expect to pay about $400 to $500. For this, the appraiser should drive to you, spend about an hour inspecting the vehicle, take all the appropriate photographs, and either hand-deliver or express-mail two original copies of the report to you within 48 hours. Finally, the appraiser should also offer to update your report from time to time for a nominal fee. This is particularly important if your vehicle is an ongoing or unﬁnished project. WHAT’S IT WORTH? After carefully evaluating the WCC/Monster Bentley, Hyman (and his son, Howard, who did the on-site appraisal work) came up with a fairly respectable value. In the expert opinion of Auto Appraisal Network, the car is worth approximately $255,000! Far more than any insurance company would have offered without a certiﬁed appraisal had the car been damaged, stolen or declared a total loss.

WEST COAST CUSTOMS (951) 284-0680 WWW.WESTCOASTCUSTOMS.COM

AUTO APPRAISAL NETWORK (800) 454-1313 WWW.AUTOAPPRAISALNETWORK.COM

Realm

his ’63 Lincoln Continental is anything but ordinary. With a sleek and sophisticated exterior, peak inside and you’ll notice that this restomod sets massive example of the type of audio products Realm has. In an effort to produce a show-worthy vehicle capable of featuring the audiophile-grade of Realm products as the ultimate focus of the build, Realm has actually created a massive audio machine that has drawn huge crowds at both last year’s SEMA and this year’s CES show this past January. While the original cost of the car was merely $13,000, the end result skyrocketed the car’s worth to more than $150,000! The Realm Continental was built at the company’s R&D facility and the entire build took a bit over a year to complete (by lead builder Nathan

Perkins and other in-house installers and professionals), with four weeks devoted stricktly to the audio install itself. For the paint and body work, Realm enlisted L&G Autobody (San Dimas, CA) to straighten and smooth out body lines, while the suspension was done by Executive Automotive (Canoga Park, CA) and the interior by JB Customs (Camarillo, CA). “Currently, the Lincoln sits at Realm’s headquarters in Oxnard, CA, but you can occasionally ﬁnd it cruising down California’s beautiful Paciﬁc Coast Highway,” says Doug Broadhurst, Marketing Administrator for Scosche Industries. “However, the Lincoln will be used to support local dealer shows and demonstrate the quality of the Realm audio system.”

TECH SPECS 1963 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL Audio/Video: • Pioneer DEH-P780BT head unit • One set of REALM 5.25-inch LS5c front component speakers • Two sets of REALM LS6c 6.5-inch rear component speakers (one with no tweeters) • Three REALM LFT12-D4 subwoofers • Three REALM D500.1 Class-D amps • Three REALM D300.2 2-channel amps Body/Paint: • Porsche Charcoal Grey / Porsche Metallic Silver (L&G Autobody)

48 DUB MAG JUL / AUG 2009

Interior: • Custom leather door panels and seats embroidered with REALM logos Engine: • 430 cid engine rebuilt by Extreme Automotive Suspension: • Factory suspension restored by Extreme Automotive Wheels/Tires: • 22-inch Panther Octane wheels • Nitto NT420S 265/35/22

PHOTOS: REALM

PIONEER DEH-P780BT

REAR SUBWOOFERS

REALM D500.1

FRONT

REALM D500.1

REALM D300.2

REALM LS5C

(KICK PANELS)

REALM LFT12-D4

REALM LS6C

(MID BASS NO TWEETERS)

REALM LS6C

9 Asanti Wheels www.asantiwheels.com 28 Borla Exhaust www.borla.com 32-33 Diablo www.diablousa.com 34-35 Gianna www.giannawheels.com 4-5 GMC Accessories www.d20edition.com 11 Hankook Tires www.hankooktireusa.com 21 IcedOutEmz www.icedoutemz.com 8 Lexani Wheels www.lexani.com 12-13 Meguiar’s www.meguiars.com 3-4 MHT - DUB Wheels www.mhtwheels.com 7 Modular Society www.modularsociety.com 23 Nitto Tire www.invotire.com

DUB Magazine is all over the web. Visit our sites for even more DUB content and friend us up on your favorite social network. Also follow us on Twitter to stay in touch with everything happening at DUB!

45 Pitfall Kennels www.pitfallkennels.com 2-3 Midnight Club LA South Central www.rockstargames.com/midnightclubla 15 Savini Forged www.saviniforged.com 36 Silverstar www.buysilverstar.com 27 Sony Xplod www.sony.com/xplod 47 Superbuy Tires www.superbuytires.com 31 Swag www.myspace.com/swagmusic642 19 Universal Air Suspension www.universalairsuspension.com 49 Universal Car Lifts www.universalcarlifts.com 41 Verde Wheels www.verdecustomwheels.com 17 Zinik Wheels / Avarus Wheels www.zinikwheels.com

47 Air Runner www.airrunnersystems.com 50 Air Zenith www.air-zenith.com 4 Dropstars Wheels www.dropstars.com 8 DUB Shop www.dubshop.com 43 DUB Show & Concert www.dubshowtour.com 27, 29, 31, 35 Forgiato Wheels www.forgiato.com 11 Gazario Wheels www.gazariowheels.net 17 Metal FX www.wheeldg.com 9 No Touch Tire Care www.bestdressednation.com

7 Pirelli www.us.pirelli.com 19 Starr Wheel Group www.swg1.com 15 Status Wheels www.statuswheels.com 23 Strada Wheels www.stradawheels.com 5 TIS Wheels www.tiswheels.com 2-3 Vossen Wheels www.vossenwheels.com 39 Zoe Wheels www.zoewheels.com

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PHOTOS: GREG B. (CARMELO ANTHONY), CHRIS FESLER (LUDACRIS), MIKE BLABAC (ROB DYRDEK)

A GLIMPSE INTO ISSUE 62

CARMELO ANTHONY LUDACRIS ROB DYRDEK

DUB MAGAZINE ISSUE 61 JUL / AUG 2009 CONTENTS

P-ROD BEYOND SKATE DREAMS

CHAZ ORTIZ

TERRY KENNEDY

RALPH HOLGUIN

NEXT LEVEL

MONTHLY DROP

PIONEER’S DJ GEAR, ACTIVISION’S AND ROCKSTAR’S HOTTEST GAMES FOR FALL ’09

MURRY’S AUTO

TASTE

DUB SHOWS

ED HARDY HAYABUSA

$WAG, RUM, ROCK VS. HIP-HOP FASHION HION

PRIMITIVE AND DISTRICT 8

MEMPHIS, TN AND ATLANTIC CITY, NJ

48 ENTHUSIASTS RIDES ANGEL LOZANO’S 2008 FORD EXPEDITION LIMITED

DUB REPORT 61

NEW 2009 TOUR SCHEDULE*

March 22, 2009 April 18, 2009 May 16, 2009 May 30, 2009 June 6, 2009 June 13, 2009 June 20, 2009 August 1, 2009 August 15, 2009 September 5, 2009 September 20, 2009 October 10, 2009

L.A., CA Memphis, TN Atlantic City, NJ Detroit, MI Dallas, TX Phoenix, AZ Charlotte, NC Chicago, IL Atlanta, GA San Jose, CA Houston, TX Miami, FL

We’re currently right in the middle of the Monster Energy 2009 DUB Show Tour schedule, and we can’t believe how each of our city stops always steps up their automotive game every year! It’s amazing how fast car culture grows across America. So far, every stop we’ve visited has brought out the area’s best in custom rides, bikes and everything in between! The Memphis, TN and Atlantic City, NJ stops (our second and third for the Tour) were packed with tons of automotive enthusiast and the sickest from around the area as seen in the pictures of our show coverage starting on page 44. You can read up online about the rest of the cities we’ve been to or check out the many pics we’ve posted, too! We’d also like to welcome Pioneer and The Air Force, who jumped on board with the Tour midseason! The Air Force has teamed up with Galpin Auto Sports to create “ Project: Supercar,” which features two customized vehicles that are like nothing you’ve seen before. The white Ford Mustang ‘X-1’ and black Dodge Challenger ‘VAPOR’ are Air Force-inspired designs are now traveling across the country, as part of a mobile marketing campaign to educate young people on the mechanical and technical career opportunities available within the Air Force. To check updates, read reviews, scope out pics or get information on the Tour, visit www.dubshowtour.com. Stay updated on everything automotive related by making frequent daily stops to DUB Daily (www.dubdaily.com)! Everyday, we post various bits of news and the like, from the hottest cars around the world, industry news and fashion trends and more. You’re also going to want to bookmark www.dubmag. com for exclusive stories, in-depth interviews and continuation articles from the magazine.

* Dates and venues are subject to change. Make sure you check with dubshowtour.com often to stay informed on the tour’s happenings. Also, friend us up on Myspace.com/dub and Facebook! (Google “DUB magazine, facebook” for the fan page link.)

Company Information DUB Magazine® is now published 6 times per year. Subscriptions are now $20.00 for 6 issues. DUB® is the Original Automotive Lifestyles Magazine™ and is published by DUB Publishing, Inc. in the City of Industry, CA. DUB® Magazine was established in the year 2000. To place an ad in DUB Magazine, please contact the Ad Sales department at (626) 336-3821 The 8th annual DUB Show Tour Custom Auto Show & Concert features the nation’s best custom cars and also features an all-star line-up of performers. For more information, visit www.dubshowtour.com DUB® is also a design, marketing and promotions team, responsible for the development and marketing of many licensed automotive goods, collectibles, and apparel, as well as our sponsor’s key products. Contact: marketing@dubmagazine.com

Get the word out and get free stuff! For more info, email: john@dubpublihsing.com Bring on the Letters! We’re now accepting letters to DUB Magazine. Send your rants or raves to intake@dubmagazine.com. Your letter may end up in an issue of DUB!

National & International Newsstand Distribution: Curtis Circulation Company Promotional Printing: Smart Levels: (800) 465-1746 www.smartlevels.com All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced without written permission. This book is purchased with the understanding that the information presented is from many varied sources from which there can be no warranty or responsibility by the publisher, as to accuracy or completeness.

©Copyright 2009 DUB Publishing, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED • PRINTED IN THE USA “DUB” (ISSN 1536-3562) is published bi-monthly (6 times annually) by DUB Publishing, Inc., 16815 E. Johnson Drive, City of Industry, CA 91745-2417. Subscription rate is $20.00 for 6 issues. Periodical Postage is paid at City of Industry, CA and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to DUB, P.O. Box 469065, Escondido, CA 92046-9095.

Event Contacts

Sponsorship & Event Planning Myles Kovacs: (626) 336-3821 myles@dubpublishing.com Car Show Planning/Media Information John Ramos: (626) 336-3821 john@dubpublishing.com Vendor Booths: (626) 336-3821 John Ramos john@dubpublishing.com Jeanette Palmerin jeanette@dubpublishing.com Victor Herrera victor@dubpublishing.com All Other Inquiries info@dubpublishing: (626) 336-3821

Dress to impress. Dress to excess. And dress to profess your admiration for a tire shine so potent, so arrogant, and so serious it could only be No Touch h® Serio Seriously Wet.™ Stop by your local auto supply store to dren nch your tires tire with Seriously Wet and soak up all the attention. drench And visit

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weekly for your chance to win a $100 gift card. w Available at:

Permatex No Touch Gift Card promotion is open to legal US residents, 18 or older. Void in Puerto Rico, outside the US and where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary to enter or win. Promotion starts 3/23/09 12:01pm ET and ends 10/31/09 12:01pm ET. Subject to ofﬁcial rules available at www.bestdressednation.com. No Touch and Seriously Wet are TMs of Illinois Tool Works Inc. Copyright © 2009 Permatex, an Illinois Tool Works company. All rights reserved.

BECOME A MUSICAL MIX MASTER WITH PIONEER’S BEST DJ GEAR ON THE MARKET.

PIONEER CDJ-400 CD PLAYER

PIONEER DJM-400 & DJM-700 MIXERS

Never before has a digital turntable been more multi-purpose, multifaceted, multi-featured or more fun than Pioneer’s new tabletop CD player, the CDJ-400s (pictured above on the sides of the DJM-400 mixer). They’re packed with features that are ideal for different levels of DJs, from the “newbies” to the professional DJs, who want to better manipulate their DJ computer software. It provides DJs everywhere the power to scratch, effect and play music from multiple sources, including CDs, MP3 ﬁles from USB drives, or even controlling computer-

Pioneer’s DJM-400 (pictured above inbetween the CDJ-400s) is their entry-level mixer with an all-digital mixing machine (24bit/96kHz), featuring seven onboard effects, including the all-new In-Loop Sampler! The DJM-400 matches Pioneer’s CDJ-200 CD turntable in both function and design, allowing DJs to expand the range of their DJ’ing and remixing. Its new symmetrical design is also the same size as a CDJ200, enabling an easy ﬁt in a compact DJ coffin. MSRP $755. Pioneer’s DJM-700 4-channel digital mixer will reignite jaded turntablists’ enthusiasm and make

based DJ software right from the player. The CDJ-400 combines a sampling of features found in the different levels of Pioneer’s CDJ series with the simplicity of a standard CD turntable, including MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface, which enables electronic musical instruments to communicate, control, and synchronize with each other) scratching capability, scratch jog effect (which creates unique scratching sound effects that can be enabled by the DJ on the ﬂy) and a variety of looping functions. MSRP is $860.

PIONEER HDJ-2000 HEADPHONES The newest in Pioneer’s DJ headphones, the HDJ-200 has the high-sound quality needed for professional use that stems from numerous requests from top DJs desiring top-of-the-line headphones. With a driver unit featuring a diaphragm of the best material and optimal thickness, a voice coil for good balance from bass to treble, and a large, high-ﬂux magnet 2-inches in diameter, the HDJ-2000 pro headphones catch dance music beats (bass drums and cymbal rhythms)

10 DUB MAG JUL / AUG 2009

needed for DJ performances. They provide superior sound insulation to make it easy to cue up the next track, even in noisy clubs or festivals. The insulating material inside the headphones was also carefully selected and ear pads provide a tight seal, contributing to clear reproduction of mid-to high-sound ranges with subtle nuances. While known as DJ headphones, they are also suitable for professional use in studios. MSRP$450.

it easier to entertain the crowd, while producing the purest sounding mixes. The solid construction chassis and dual shield structure of the DJM-700 helps eliminate worry over vibration and digital noise creeping in. Output-wise, it has a 96khz/24-bit digital sampling system with a 32-bit/96kHz DSP, with ideal ﬁltering that doesn’t deteriorate any of the sound quality. The DJM-700 DJ mixer also has a unique effect frequency ﬁlter that limits the frequency bands subjected to effects to help showcase your particular mixing style. MSRP is $1,600.

PIONEER MEP-7000 PROFESSIONAL MULTI-ENTERTAINMENT PLAYER The MEP-7000 is perfect for the mobile DJ, who doesn’t have much space to work in and wants access to a wide variety of media. Offering the same basic functions and operations as the CDJ series, the MEP-7000 reads CD/CD-ROM/DVDROM, as well as USB media. It offers a ﬂexible high-quality solution speciﬁcally with digital music in mind, being compact and easily to transport, yet inheriting the basic functions and features of the popular CDJ series. The system can also be setup to playback and

mix music automatically using playlists, allowing the system to entertain when no DJ is present. A key new feature includes a 4.3-inch color LCD screen that gives clear and accurate information, allowing intuitive and easy menu navigation. The MEP-7000 transforms into a Karaoke playback device when a CD-G disc is inserted, displaying the playback video on the LCD screen, but can also be fed to external monitors using the composite video output terminal. MSRP is $2,650.

FOR MORE INFO WWWPIONEERPRODJ.COM

ACTIVISION’S MUSICAL FALL LINEUP: GUITAR HERO 5, DJ HERO AND BAND HERO GAMING NEWS

Activision Publishing, Inc. is set to once again revolutionize how consumers interact with music by releasing three new titles this fall—DJ Hero, Guitar Hero 5 and Band Hero— that will redeﬁne the company’s popular music gaming platform.

DJ Hero expands Guitar Hero’s signature social gaming to all-new consumers with the addition of diverse music genres, including hip-hop, R&B, Motown, electronica and dance. Introducing an all-new innovative turntable controller, DJ

TONY HAWK: RIDE PUBLISHER: ACTIVISION | DEVELOPER: ROBOMODO PLATFORM: XBOX 360, PLAYSTATION 3, WII | WWW.THRIDE.COM

This fall, players will be able to experience skateboarding like never before in Tony Hawk: RIDE. For the ﬁrst time, players will have the ability to physically play the game using an innovative motion sensing skateboard controller, allowing for unprecedented freedom and movement. Tony Hawk: RIDE focuses on innovation and fun, bringing the No. 1 bestselling action-sports franchise to the forefront, with cutting-edge technology for the hardcore fans and accessibility for the mass audience.

12 DUB MAG JUL / AUG 2009

It features a wireless skateboard controller designed in conjunction with the game to offer a dynamic gaming experience built from the ground up. Using a combination of accelerometers and motion sensors, the intuitive controller allows players to physically control the action by performing various movements and gestures on the board that directly translate into amazing tricks in the game. Without complex button combinations or analog sticks, gamers of all skill levels can literally step on the board and play!

Hero transforms players into DJs who rule the club scene by creating original mixes of popular songs and music from the world’s most exciting artists and DJs. Letting fans continue to fulfill their rock fantasies, Guitar Hero 5 features the hottest rock and roll artists of today, as well as classic rock bands, and gives players an unprecedented level of control over the way they play the game with the ability to drop in and out of songs and change band members, instruments and difficulty levels on the fly. The franchises’ first E10+ rated console game, Band Hero delivers an exciting music collection featuring Top-40 hits designed to expand the appeal to a broad family audience, who can play together on the guitar, drums, bass and microphone and experience new genres of music. The game builds upon Guitar Hero’s easyto-play, difficult-to-master signature gameplay and allows novice players and expert fans to join together on their favorite songs.

GRAND THEFT AUTO: THE BALLAD OF GAY TONY DOWNLOAD AND GRAND THEFT AUTO: EPISODES FROM LIBERTY CITY DISC PUBLISHER: ROCKSTAR GAMES | PLATFORM: XBOX 360

The second episode of Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony— will exclusively be available for download on Xbox LIVE online entertainment network, and Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City, which will include both episode one, The Lost and Damned, and episode two, The Ballad of Gay Tony, together on a single disc exclusively for Xbox 360. Grand Theft Auto IV’s second downloadable episode, The Ballad of Gay Tony injects Liberty

City with an overdose of guns, glitz, and grime. As Luis Lopez, part-time hoodlum and full-time assistant to legendary nightclub impresario Tony Prince (aka “Gay Tony”), players will struggle with the competing loyalties of family and friends, and with the uncertainty about who is real and who is fake in a world in which everyone has a price. Grand Theft Auto: Episodes from Liberty City delivers two games on one disc,

together for the ﬁrst time for Xbox 360 for $39.99 and will not require a copy of the original Grand Theft Auto IV to play. The Ballad of Gay Tony will release on Xbox LIVE this fall for $19.99 or 1600 MS points and requires players to have Grand Theft Auto IV for Xbox 360 and Xbox LIVE membership to download.

RED DEAD REDEMPTION PUBLISHER: ROCKSTAR GAMES | DEVELOPER: ROCKSTAR SAN DIEGO PLATFORM: XBOX 360, PLAYSTATION 3 | WWW.ROCKSTARGAMES.COM/REDDEADREDEMPTION

As a follow up to the 2004 hit game, Red Dead Revolver, Red Dead Redemption is a Western epic, set at the turn of the 20th century when the lawless and chaotic badlands began to give way to the expanding reach of government and the spread of the Industrial Age. The story of former outlaw, John Marston, Red Dead Redemption takes players on a great adventure across the American frontier. It features an open-world environment for players to explore, including frontier towns,

rolling prairies teeming with wildlife, and perilous mountain passes— each packed with an endless ﬂow of varied distractions. Along the way, players will experience the heat of gunﬁghts and battles, meet a host of unique characters, struggle against the harshness of one of the world’s last remaining wildernesses, and ultimately pick their own precarious path through an epic story about the death of the Wild West and the gunslingers that inhabited it. JUL / AUG 2009

DUB MAG 13

Primitive

ndy Netkin and high school pals, Jay Partow and Jubal Jones, have always been involved one way or another with retail and the skate scene. When he finally hooked up with P-Rod, his dream of Primitive materialized. “I was team manager at a skate shop I worked for, and I met Paul back in 1999,” he recalls. “I put him on the store’s skate team, and we became close over the years. He was the ‘Golden Child’ that made the store happen with his various resources.” While Netkin and Jones are invovled in the shop’s every day operations, Partow contributes to the store’s business processes, while P-Rod promotes the store every chance he gets. “If I was handling the books, we’d be under right now,” P-Rod jokes. Primitive was a name Netkin had come up with in high school when he first became interested in having his own store. Bobby Hundreds (from The Hundreds) described the shop as “a futuristic interpretation of ancient ruins,” as depicted with the pyramid in the middle of the store illuminated with neon lights, wood-plank benches courtesy of Nike and a floor that’s made to look like polished rock. The shop carries a wide assortment of Nike products, including SBs, Air Maxes and Jordan brand. Clothing brands carried include The Hundreds, Diamond, Crooks and Castles and ALIFE, just to name a few. With their own full line in Winter 2009. “There’s so much stuff in the works,” Netkin explains. “We have collabos with Diamond, Oakley and Nixon, where you can only get those particular items here at Primitive.” Given that the high-profile shop is nestled on busy Ventura Blvd, expect to see a pro skater browse the racks any given day, as well as celebrities that have heard about the store. “Bobby Brown came in and bought an entire outfit and walked out with it on,” Netkin describes. Visit their site to get more info on upcoming releases and specific brands they carry.

CO-OWNERS: ANDY NETKIN, P-ROD, JAY PARTOW AND JUBAL JONES

ooking back on his childhood, District 8 owner Felix Babauta, realized that while growing up in the LBC, he never had a streetwear/ skateboard shop to go to. “We always had to go online or to L.A. when I was younger to get clothes and exclusive shoes since there was no store that carried the cool streetwear apparel within miles of the area,” Babauta says. “I wanted to bring something back to the neighborhood for the new generation of skaters. Kids tend to support local shops rather than corporate ones because they feel more involved and have a sense of belonging, which is why I wanted to open up District 8.”

17060 VENTURA BLVD ENCINO, CA 91316 (818) 479-7171

WWW.PRIMITIVESHOES.COM

District 8

Co-owned by Terry Kennedy, District 8 opened its doors in November 2008 and has quickly become a community staple within Bixby Knolls and the city of Long Beach. Despite being open for just five months, District 8 recently underwent a total renovation in March 2009, when Felix decided the look of the shop’s interior needed to be revamped to look a bit more “industrially modern.” As far as merchandise, the shop carries lines like FLY SOCIETY, 9 Grand, Supra, Diamond, Akomplice, Neff, Baker, Blood Bath and many more. “We have a special FLY SOCIETY x Blood Bath collabo T-shirt dropping soon,” Babauta confirms. “Which you would only be able to get at District 8 and a few select boutiques. There is also a District 8 x 9 Grand collabo, as well as a highly anticipated FLY SOCIETY x Diamond Supply one coming out.” FLY SOCIETY clothing is exclusive to the store, and Kennedy’s Supra “TK Society” shoes were at District 8 before anyone else got them in May. “We were the first store to get 100 pairs, and they’ve been selling like hotcakes,” Babauta says. CO-OWNERS: FELIX BABAUTA AND TERRY KENNEDY

14 DUB MAG JUL / AUG 2009

4242 ATLANTIC AVE LONG BEACH, CA 90807

WWW.MYSPACE.COM/DISTRICT8

so I wanted to incorporate the music from everywhere I’ve been. I’m situated in the West, so I wanted the album to have a West Coast feel to it. But, at the same time, I didn’t want to be limited to just that type of music; I wanted to incorporate sounds from all over the country. Given that you wanted the album to have a diverse sound, how would you classify your music? Grown and sexy with street appeal to it is the best way I’d describe it. It’s so diverse that anybody can relate to it. Did you have any big names come into produce or have any special guest artists on the album? I worked with Jon B on a track, but I did a lot of stuff myself. I wanted the world to know me before I did a lot of features, so I basically wrote and produced my own music. It’s like an introduction to my career; the album lets you know where I came from, and where I’m trying to go. It tells the story of how I was hustling, so that you can see the growth and maturity from this album to my next one, The Corner, coming out in the fall. My next album’s sound is similar to this one, but it’s not strictly about the streets anymore. It has more feel good music that people will want to drink and dance to.

BLUEPRINT OF A HUSTLER

ith his urban bravado and authentic style, $wag is an up-and-coming musical gem within the hip-hop scene. His Warner Music Group debut, The Blueprint of a Hustler, is an ode to the hustlers grinding everyday in the streets, an experience he witnessed firsthand. A veteran to the industry, but a newcomer to most, $wag first started out under the name Goldberg Slim, in which he generated an underground buzz with his mixtape, D-Boy Music: The Mixtape. The streets responded by snatching his mixtapes out of the mom and pop record stores, eventually leading to his first music deal that unfortunately ended badly due to his novice understanding of the industry. A bit older and wiser, $wag is back on the scene, not just as an artist, but also as CEO of his own record label, Paper Route. His album is a compilation of classic journal entries in the form of a broad spectrum of various topics expressed through hard-hitting beats and R&B rifts. Experience his musical swagger firsthand at various Monster Energy 2009 DUB Show Tour Stops, where he’ll be performing hits from his debut album.

listen to other people’s raps and copy it by sitting in the mirror, rapping to other people’s songs. The more I did it, the better rapper I became, which is how I got to where I’m at today.

How did you get interested in a music career? I just love music. I came out dancing and singing songs from my mother’s womb. I also come from a very musical family. It has become my passion over the years. I’ve always liked the style of clothes and the overall swagger of hip-hop. I started doing it when I was 14 and taking it seriously by the time I was 18. I would actually

When thinking about the type of music you wanted to create for your debut album, what sound were you trying to achieve? This is actually my debut album under the name $wag. I had another when I was 20 under my previous name, Goldberg Slim. I wanted this album to have a variety of different sounds. I’m a worldly person, who has done a lot of traveling,

16 DUB MAG JUL / AUG 2009

What steps did you have to take in order to actually make your dream of becoming an artist come true? A lot of hard work is what I had to endure. For me, it was a constant process of promoting myself. This was before the Internet, so I was always on the phone, doing shows and making mixtapes to perfect my craft. Were there any roadblocks that hindered your steps to success? Trying to ﬁnd people in the business that weren’t about playing games. Different labels gave me the runaround too many times, which is why I wanted to start my own. I also went through a lot of street experiences when I was younger, so I had to grow up real fast. I was also immersed in the gang life and everything that came with it. Unfortunately, I was incarcerated for a while, but it gave me a new appreciation for music.

How did the name $wag, with a money sign, come about? My nephew gave me my name. One day, he told me I had a lot of “swag,” and I just rolled with it. The reason it has a money sign is because swagger is about money in the streets. What do you ultimately hope to achieve with your music? I hope that music opens doors for me so that I can produce tracks for others and maybe some acting. Right now, it has opened up so many other avenues for me, so I really want to utilize it to try new things in various parts of the entertainment business. How did Paper Route Records come about? After my ﬁrst record deal didn’t go anywhere, I didn’t want to have to go through that again. I started the independent label myself and started pressing my own CDs and putting them in mom and pop record shops. The name came about because I actually had a paper route when I was a kid. I currently have a couple artists signed to it. Be on the look out for stuff from my artists, Ambush and E.Moe. You’re actually going to be at a couple of the 2009 DUB Show Tour city stops. What are you looking forward to experiencing at the shows? I’m looking forward to showing the crowd what $wag is all about and gaining a different fan base. Being on stage is my favorite part about being an artist. I love to give the audience a real visual show that is full of energy and fun. You’re quite the car enthusiast. Where did this interest come from, and what do you have right now in your garage? I loved cars since I was a toddler. You can say cars are my fetish. Right now, I have about nine cars. They are addicting! I love speed, candy paint and thick rims. Having a nice car complements your personality. I have a Hummer on 28s, a Benz S550, an Escalade, and a couple of classic rides. My two favorites are the droptop 1971 Caddy and the 1971 Skylark that I named the “$wag” car.

The sugarcane-based spirit gives Vodka serious competition as the alcohol of choice in many liquor cabinets. Primarily from the Caribbean and South America, Rum is one of the most ﬂexible sprits on the market since you can mix it with anything for a ﬂavorful or strong concoction (depending on your preferences).

MALIBU ISLAND MELON WWW.MALIBU-RUM.COM

Malibu, the No. 1 selling Caribbean Rum with natural Coconut Flavor in the world, adds a splash of the tropics to their portfolio with the debut of Malibu Island Melon. The new flavor combines an inviting taste of ripe sweet melon with a hint of Malibu’s distinctive creamy coconut flavor and Caribbean Rum. With a light, smooth finish and enticing, natural fresh melon aroma, it’s a taste of the Island to enjoy anytime. The exciting new flavor is the perfect companion in cocktails, providing consumers with a taste of the tropics anytime.

BACARDI DRAGON BERRY WWW.BACARDI.COM

APPLETON ESTATE JAMAICA RUM RESERVE WWW.APPLETONRUM.COM

Appleton Estate Reserve Jamaica Rum is the perfect sipping Rum. This luxurious blend of Rum is made up of 20 select aged Rums and makes the most amazing luxury cocktails if you prefer it mixed with something. Appleton Estate Reserve Jamaica Rum is also great for sophisticated drinks like champagne cocktails, as well as delicious martinis.

CRUZAN ESTATE CLIPPER 120 WWW.CRUZANRUMS.COM

A Rum originally from the Virgin Islands, Cruzan Estate Clipper 120 is aged two years and features 120 proof alcohol. It’s a blend of older aged Rums, achieving a distinct oak ﬂavor and aroma. Clipper 120 (along with the 150-proof version) is useful for tall island drinks or shots.

18 DUB MAG JUL / AUG 2009

RUM CLASSIFICATIONS White Rums are generally light-bodied, clear and have a very subtle flavor profile. They are primarily used as mixers and blend particularly well with fruit flavors. Golden Rums, also known as Amber Rums, are generally medium-bodied. Most have spent several years aging in oak casks, which give them smooth, mellow palates. Dark Rums are traditionally full-bodied, rich, carameldominated Rums. The best are produced mostly from pot stills and frequently aged in oak casks for extended periods. The richest of these Rums are consumed straight up.

Spiced Rums can be white, golden, or dark Rums. They are infused with spices or fruit ﬂavors. Rum punches are blends of Rum and fruit juices that are very popular in the Caribbean. Añejo and Age-Dated Rums are aged Rums from different vintages or batches that are mixed together to insure a continuity of ﬂavor in brands of Rum from year to year. Some aged Rums will give age statements stating the youngest Rum in the blend.

DOPAMINE ENERGY DRINK RUM COCKTAIL RECIPES Dopamine Energy Drink is a sexy, powerful and upscale energy drink with the same kick as other brands, but with a light, refreshing, enjoyable taste. You can easily mix it with your favorite Rum to create a sensational drink! DOPAMINE MOJITO - Muddled mint & lime, brown sugar, Rum, Dopamine DOPA-CUMBER - Muddled cucumber, Rum, Dopamine, squeeze of lime DOPA-TROPIC - Muddled strawberries & mint, Rum, Dopamine, splash of pineapple

WWW.DOPAMINEENERGYDRINK.COM

As the latest addition to the Bacardi family of Flavored Rums, Dragon Berry offers the light, fruity flavor of strawberry, infused with the crisp, fresh flavor of dragon fruit. This unique ingredient is an emerging superfruit with a bold, tropical taste that creates a truly exceptional flavor experience when combined with strawberry. Bacardi Dragon Berry has a versatile taste that can create any cocktail, using such mixers as ginger ale, lemonade and lemon-lime beverages.

THE OPERA

Originally from Las Vegas, the Orange County rock band, The Opera, has an edgy sound that will have rock and hip-hop fans nodding in agreement to their up-beat tempos and unforgettable lyrics.

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT PABLO - GoldSpun “We R One” Jeans • Rouge Status “The Devil Makes Me Do It” Shirt • Vans Shoes JOSE - Joe’s Jeans “Brixton” Slim Fit • Vans Shoes • Everyday Villains “Worldwide Villains” Shirt ANDREW - Joe’s Jeans “Rocker” Slim Fit • Converse Eyewear • Everyday Villains “LA Blue” Shirt • Macbeth Shoes MIGUEL - MEK “Belize” Denim • Wild Ones X Choc Croc Shirt • Lovewright Co. Trucker Hat • Vans Shoes WWW.THEOPERAROCK.COM | WWW.GOLDSPUN07.COM | WWW.VANS.COM | WWW.ROGUESTATUS.COM | WWW.JOESJEANS.COM | WWW.EVERYDAYVILLAINS.COM WWW.CONVERSE.COM | WWW.MACBETH.COM | WWW.MEKDENIM.COM | WWW.LOVEWRIGHTCO.COM | WWW.CHOCCROC.COM/STORE PHOTO COURTESY OF VI PEOU WWW.ZEROGRAIN.COM

20 DUB MAG JUL / AUG 2009

CHECK THE PREMIUM DENIM GUIDE AT WWW.DUBMAGAZINE.COM FOR MORE FROM AG JEANS, CHRISTIAN AUDIGIER, DENIM OF VIRTUE, G-STAR RAW, GOLDSPUN, JOE’S JEANS, MEK DENIM AND WEIZHI DENIM

FAR EAST MOVEMENT

The Far East Movement (also known as FM), hailing from the clubs and streets of Los Angeles, are one of the freshest crews representing the next generation of artists and “ﬂy music.”

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT KEV NISH - Orisue Carter Button-Up Shirt in Magenta • Orisue “No War” Shirt in Carribean • Orisue Jungle Denim in Grey • Nike Blazer SB Sneakers J SPLIFF - Orisue “Red Damant” Jacket • Orisue “And We Still Rock” Shirt in White • Orisue “Ronin” Japanese-Brushed Twill Denim in Light Grey Nike Jordan 3s • New Era Hat • Shutter Shades from Edition Shades PROH - Orisue “Take Flight” Shirt in Mint • Orisue “Ronin” Denim in White • Nike Tiffany Dunks DJ VIRMAN - Orisue “Alrick” Denim in Black • 10 Deep Button-up Shirt • Supra Shoes • in4mation fedora WWW.FAREASTMOVEMENT.COM | WWW.ORISUE.COM | WWW.STORE.NIKE.COM | WWW.NEWERACAP.COM | WWW.SHUTTERSHADESONLINE.COM WWW.SUPRAFOOTWEAR.COM | WWW.STORE.IN4MANTS.COM | WWW.10DEEP.COM | PHOTO COURTESY OF EMILY MALAN | WWW.EMILYMALAN.COM

JUL / AUG 2009

DUB MAG 21

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT:

MIBBS • Atlanta Braves New Era 59/50 Fitted • Fauchion Jacket • BSBSBU Tee • S&H Jeans • Salvatore Ferragamo Sneakers

BEYOUNG • California Angels Custom New Era 59/50 Fitted • Nike Crewneck Sweatshirt • Cargo Camouﬂage Shorts from Surplus Thrift Shop • Nike Air Max 90

LIKE • Naughty by Nature Hoodie • Ralph Lauren Letterman Jacket • Goods Khaki Shorts • Dolce & Gabbana High-top Sneakers

West Coast hip-hop is restructuring in the second half of the ’00 decade. As styles, faces and crews may change, three MCs from Palmdale remind you that it is, was and forever will be the Pac Div.

22 DUB MAG JUL / AUG 2009

PAC DIV

BEYOND SKATE DREAMS

P-ROD’S NEW SNEAKER: THE P-ROD 3 FROM NIKE SB

24 DUB MAG JUL / AUG 2009

t’s a beautiful day in Encino, CA, and P-Rod is hyped for his DUB photo shoot even though it’s his third time gracing the pages of the magazine. First at his new store Primitive, then later at his private skate warehouse 15 minutes away. However, he’s not alone—he’s brought along his ﬁancé, up-and-coming fashion designer Rainbow Alexander, and his newest family addition, Heaven Love Rodriquez. A lot has changed for the professional skateboarder since he emerged on the skate scene back in 2002. First off, he’s become one of the biggest and most respected names in the skate industry, something he never originally expected when he received his ﬁrst skateboard as a gift from his comedic actor father, Paul Rodriguez. Then there’s Primitive, a skateboarding boutique he co-owns with a couple of friends, another plan he never expected to materialize. Finally, the birth of his daughter in December of 2008 has totally

changed his outlook on life, as he focuses on not only expanding his already successful career, but also his family. In-between shots, he’s feeding his daughter, rocking her to sleep and being an all-around attentive father. “Now I can’t just be selfish and do what I want to do all the time,” he says. “I have a responsibility for this life; I can’t be careless as I was before. It’s time to buckle down and have responsibilities.” It’s hard to imagine P-Rod being careless though. He’s never had any “incidents” that appeared on the cover of gossip magazines, and has appropriately filled his role as being an influential role model for next-gen skateboarders, which is what makes him so appealing to many. However, being the modest man he is, P-Rod doesn’t exactly brag about his accomplishments. At 24, he has won numerous skate contests, secured various sponsorship deals and is currently starring in Rob Dyrdek’s, Street

TIE BERTUC CI PHOTOS: GREG B. HIS 2008 MERCEDES-BENZ CLS550 ROCKS 20-INCH ZENETTI RADIUS WHEELS WITH CONTINENTAL 245/35R20 FRONT AND 275/30R20 REAR TIRES.

JUL / AUG 2009

WORDS: KR IS

Dreams, “a movie made by skateboarders, for skateboarders,” as the main character. He also has a second ﬁlm, Vicious Circle, coming out this summer, which is a coming-of-age drama set in modern day Venice Beach, CA. In the movie, P-Rod plays rocker teenager RJ, who’s an artist and chess master, on a mission to ﬁnd out what happened to his dead girlfriend. “You know, at this point, I don’t really think about what else is left to achieve,” he replies. “I’ve been blessed to have achieved a lot, and I think I was able to do that by not focusing on what I wanted to achieve and just focusing on how much I loved skating. Everything has naturally progressed from that love.” And when P-Rod says love, he literally means it. For him, skateboarding is far from merely being a means to an end—it’s life. “I never really grow bored of skateboarding itself,” he says about having his love turn into a day job. “But to tell you the truth, I grow bored

DUB MAG 25

g, so n i c i t c s pra for it. y a w m al ’m ready ’ I , t or noontest, I n o s c t sea have a s e t Con en I do wh that

COMPLETE WITH A FRESH PAIR OF BABY P-RODS HANGING FROM THE MIRROR, PAUL’S 2008 RANGE ROVER SPORT RIDES ON 22INCH ZENETTI MASQUERADE WHEELS WITH CONTINENTAL 265/35R22 TIRES.

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of the industry a lot. I don’t really pay attention to videos or magazines. Me, I just focus on my personal relationship with the skateboard.” The relationship with his board is a very tight one since there’s never a day that he doesn’t skate. Unlike other sports, there’s no offseason from skating, as he constantly perfects his skate abilities 365 days a year. “Contest season or not, I’m always practicing, so that when I do have a contest, I’m ready for it,” he says. In between skate practices and family life, P-Rod is busy perfecting his line of Nike SBs. The young Nike SB line launched in early 2002 and is an extended line of footwear and apparel made for the skateboard community. In the beginning they had some great skaters as spokesmen, but when it came time to making a signature shoe for the line, Nike SB turned to the young P-Rod as a front-runner and signed him in 2004. In 2005, the Nike P-Rod SBs were released and were an instant favorite among skaters, fans and sneaker heads. Every new release translates to long lines for streatwear and skate aficionados, hours before his shoes drop at skate shops across the country. He’s actually the fifth athlete (and currently the only Latino) to have a Nike shoe named after them, which is a massive honor! “Well, it’s hard to say exactly why the shoe is so popular,” he explains modestly. “I think that skaters out there just relate to me and understand where I come from. Just like them, I grew up skating in the streets and parks—you can still find me skating the streets of L.A. with any other skater. I get to run into my fans a lot and get to interact with them, so it helps them want to buy the product.” Like his devotion to skateboarding, P-Rod gives everything he has into creating a quality product. He takes his time designing a functional and good looking skateboarding shoe that skaters can benefit from. “Skaters are picky with their shoes,” he explains. “It has to be perfect. It has to have the right board feel, the right materials to grip the board; that’s my main goal.” Personally saving each release, his all-time favorites (so far) are his Nike SB P-Rod x Air Jordan, aka J-Rod, release. “Just the fact that Nike took my shoe and incorporated it with Jordan was an honor,” he says. “They haven’t done that with any other of their athletes. I’m grateful to have that since Jordan is the most iconic and inspiring athlete there’s been and to just connect my shoe with his is a blessing. It’s something I thought could never happen

P-ROD AND HIS BEAUTIFUL LADY, RAINBOW ALEXANDER, AT PRIMITIVE IN ENCINO, CA. READ UP ON PRIMITIVE IN THIS ISSUE’S MONTHLY DROP ON PAGE 14.

CONTINENTAL TIRES WWW.CONTINENTALTIRE.COM PIRELLI TIRES WWW.PIRELL.COM ROCKFORD FOSGATE WWW.ROCKFORDFOSGATE.COM ZENETTI WHEELS WWW.ZENETTI.COM WWW.MYSPACE.COM/ PAULRODRIGUEZSB WWW.SK8SITE.COM PRIMITIVE WWW.PRIMITIVESHOES.COM

P-ROD’S 2008 CHEVY AVALANCHE IS USEFUL WHEN HE WANTS TO THROW HIS SKATEBOARDS IN THE BACK AND GO. IT FEATURES 26-INCH ZENETTI MASQUERADE WHEELS WITH PIRELLI 305/30R26 TIRES.

from skateboarding.” Right now, P-Rod is looking forward to the release of his P-Rod 3s coming out in August, which he says are going to be the best of the collection thus far. “Obviously, you want to get better each and every time, but with this one, the board feel is amazing,” he describes. “It’s something I feel like all skaters will be comfortable skating in.” The ﬁrst colorway to be released will be all black suede, with a hint of red (they’re the ones he’s wearing for the shoot), with the next one in all white, which he says is for “chillin’ and lookin’ fresh in.” But besides his Nike endorsement, P-Rod has a plethora of other sponsors that include: Plan B Skateboards, Silver, FKD, Active Ride Shop, Boost Mobile, Incase, Nixon and Mountain Dew. Although P-Rod has become quite a commodity, he doesn’t cave under the pressure of having to please everyone. “You basically can’t think about pleasing everyone,” he says. “You just have to do what you have been doing—what attracted [people] to you in the ﬁrst place. I’ve caught myself worrying about if I was performing to my sponsor’s standards or at the level that my fans expect me to skate at. If you start thinking about those things, you can’t go out and be loose. I just go out and enjoy skateboarding and practice everyday to be a better skater. That in turn should satisfy everyone because if I’m skating good, it’ll show in contests and in skate videos.” As P-Rod nestles into his role as an industry leader and father, he’s always ready for whatever change happens in the ever-evolving skate world. Now that skateboarding has become a worldwide sport with limitless possibilities, the progression

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of it is booming as new tricks are showing up every day. “Young kids are coming up and going pro really young. They’re pushing the sport so fast that in a year or two, the tricks that are popular now are going to be considered whatever. You don’t have time to slack off. In skateboarding, there are so many new variations of tricks that you constantly have to be on your game.” But P-Rod isn’t complaining and is happy to see the sport growing in popularity. His picks for up-andcomers to keep your eyes on include Chaz Ortiz and Tory Pudwell. In conjunction to his life and career changes, P-Rod’s garage also sports new vehicles. Previously, he’s owned a Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon and a BMW 6-Series (as seen in his past DUB features). Now, he’s switched it up with a Range Rover Sport and Benz a CLS550. “I think the CLS550 is a beautiful car. I love the sleek shape of it,” he describes. “It has four doors but looks like a coupe.” While the Range

is his ﬁancé’s, the Avalanche is perfect for when he goes out skating. “All I do is throw my board in the back and I’m off.” Happy with all of his past vehicle choices, P-Rod wants to see a Maybach sitting in his garage later in his life. “As far as the immediate future, I’d want a Bentley Flying Spur,” he says. “Hopefully everything goes well with my career, and I’ll get one soon.” How can everything not go well for P-Rod? He’s currently on the top of his skate game, owns his own skate shop, drops his own Nike SBs, has a budding acting career in the works and has a new skate video coming out in 2010. It’s pretty much predictable that his career will only get better. Although, in P-Rod’s eyes, he doesn’t do much worrying about how things will look. “All I want is to be happy with myself and do my best as a person.” By the looks of it, he’s fulﬁlling his future goals perfectly.

ﬁrst. I looked up to them and wanted to try it, so I gave it a shot. I was six at the time, and I just wanted to keep skating. I had fun doing it and kept at it. If I wasn’t having fun, I wouldn’t be doing it. If I looked at it as a job, I wouldn’t be doing it.

THE NEW KID GRINDIN’

How did you go about perfecting your skills at such a young age? I practiced a lot. If I’m going to learn a trick, I’m going to continue at it until I land it. I think that’s what every skater does. I dedicate myself to practicing all the time. But, perfecting a trick depends how hard the trick is. It shouldn’t take more than a day or two to get the trick down. There’s not one trick that you will land perfect the ﬁrst time. Who do you look up to in the sport? I look up to all the older dudes, like P-Rod, Ryan Sheckler, Jereme Rogers…all those cool dudes.

PHOTOS: SEAN CRONAN | SEANCRONANPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

You barely went pro at 13, having won the wildcard entry to compete in the AST Dew Tour prelims, and then won a spot on the rest of the tour. What was going through your head when you beat top pros? I was really surprised and wasn’t expecting it. I was just there to skate and wanted to get at least top ﬁve or something. But to win and beat out all those dudes was a blessing for me; it was really cool!

t 15, Chaz Ortiz is unlike regular teens his age…but don’t tell him that. He still thinks of himself as a regular 15 year old— just with a professional skateboarding career. With a breakout year in 2008, Ortiz pretty much knocked out skateboard heavyweights left and right at the 2008 Summer Dew Tour Skate Park Finals. He’s also one of P-Rod’s up-and-coming skateboarders to watch out for this contest season. He’s been skateboarding since he was six and landed his ﬁrst endorsement deal in 2005, when the late-Zoo York pro and legend Harold Hunter spotted his talent. The Chicago native’s burgeoning skate career is on the rise, but he doesn’t think much of it. His skate mentality is that of fun rather than a job, which is probably why he’s taking his newfound career day by day, allowing it to take its course. How did you ﬁrst become interested in skateboarding? From my older cousins, who got into skateboarding

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What was your mindset when you went on to compete in the actual Dew Tour and won it? I just kind of went in there saying, “I don’t care if I win. I could get last place and be happy ‘cause I’m excited to be skating with all these dudes that I’ve looked up to for so long.” I really just practiced a lot and got ready for the contest hard. How would you describe your skating style? I skate everything. I can skate whatever you give me. What can we expect from you from this year’s contest season? Well, I just got third in the Tampa Pro, and I have the various Dew Tour stops and, of course, the L.A. X Games, which I think is the biggest contest since everybody knows about it. I’m looking forward to it. It’s my ﬁrst year competing in it. Last year, I did the one in Mexico City and got second, but it’s different since it’s in another country. You said before that skaters like P-Rod and Ryan Sheckler are your inspirations. Are you still star struck by them now that you get to hang with them? Ummmmmm, you know, in the beginning I did. But, you know, I got used to it and now they’re all my homies. I know them all better, so it’s not like that

any more. I still look up to them, though. They’re just regular people. Who would you say is your biggest competition this year? Paul and Ryan—they are always on top of their game, especially Paul right now ’cause he’s killing it. I need to learn more switch stuff ’cause Paul is the master at that. You’ve racked up some impressive sponsors. How did you go about getting them? Well, I really started when I was nine. I was at a contest and Zoo York wanted to hook me up with boards…that led to where I’m at now. Obviously, you’re not living the traditional teenage life of a 15 year old anymore. How has life changed for you since your breakout year in 2008? I mean, it hasn’t really changed besides a bit of fame. I’m still a regular kid at school. I don’t really talk about skating at school unless my friends bring it up. Do you have your driver’s license yet, or a car waiting in your driveway for when you do get it? No…hopefully I get it in a little bit. No car yet either. Once I get my permit, I will deﬁnitely get one though. What’s going to be your ﬁrst car purchase? I’m thinking about a Benz, but I’m not sure which one I want. All of their models really catch my eye since they are all really nice-looking cars. Having turned a hobby into a career, how do you go about still making skateboarding fun instead of just a job? I skate with my friends and try not to think of it as a job. I mostly go out and have fun with it. What would you like to achieve within the skateboard world? I don’t know…hopefully to be on top. I’d like to have kids think of skateboarding and associate it with my name—that would be really cool. I just want to keep skating, doing well at contests, get my pro model board and pro model shoe and just have skateboarding go as far as it can for me. To tell you the truth, I really haven’t thought that far in advance. It has been a real a blessing just to be skating, which is why I’m taking it one day at a time. Any advice for kids that look up to you and want to be in your shoes one day? What I say to every little kid is to just keep skating and doing what you’re doing and try your hardest while never giving up. That’s my mentality when I skate.

TERRY’S NEW SNEAKER: SUPRA’S “TK SOCIETY.”

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ast we saw Terry Kennedy, he was pushin’ a 2007 Cadillac EXT with the Zenetti Skate Team feature back in Issue 56. Since then, he’s moved on up in both the skate world and life. For starters, he traded in his EXT for a 2008 Mercedes-Benz SL550. “I didn’t want something with a lot of room ’cause I was tired of hauling my friends everywhere,” he says jokingly. “I needed a cool little car for me and a nice little hunny.” His choice of the SL was based upon the fact that he wanted to stand out and own a different Benz than his skater crew. “A lot of my friends have Benzes—Ryan [Sheckler] has the CL and Rob [Dyrdek] has the S550,”he explains. Besides upgrading his automotive game, TK is currently on the road for the ﬁrst time with the Dew Tour and is gearing up for his second year participating in the Maloof Money Cup and X Games. “I never skated contests until last year,” the 24-year-old, Long Beach-native says. “I’m more of a street skater, and these contests are now more street-oriented when creating the skate courses, so I decided to try it out. The people behind these contests are now asking us skaters for input, as to how the courses should look and be built, which I thought was pretty cool.” Happy with how his 2008 contest season went overall, he’s still grindin’ to make this year’s season even better. “I practice everyday for at least three to ﬁve hours,” he says. Although, he may not have his own private skate warehouse or facility yet, he trains at either P-Rod’s skate warehouse in the Valley or Rob Dyrdek’s “Fantasy Factory” in Downtown L.A., saying that he’ll one day end up with his own. And when TK puts his mind to something,

you best believe that it will come true. For him, skateboarding is more than just a hobby or his career…it’s his life. He eats, sleeps and breathes skateboarding, which is probably why he has gone from novice to pro in only three short years. Since going pro, he’s scored numerous sponsors, multiple music video appearances and even has his own signature shoe with Supra. “The shoe was designed when I became involved in the project, and I just switched a couple things like the sole, made it a high-top and changed the color scheme. I was pretty hands-on throughout the process,” he explains. Hype for Kennedy’s “TK Society” started generating months before the actual release of the shoe, which was in this past May. Although, the shoe wasn’t affiliated with a big name brand like Nike or DC, madd buzz started generating early on, cementing his reputation in the skate world as a trendsetter on the rise within both the skate and fashion world. Despite being relatively new to the industry, TK has actually seen the skate world change since he ﬁrst began in 2005. “There’s more minorities skating now since I started,” he describes, having gotten into skateboarding as a distraction from gang life growing up in Long Beach. “It wasn’t cool for minorities or the urban youth to skate, but it’s completely different now. It doesn’t matter if you’re from the inner city or what background you come from to be a skateboarder.” Enjoying the way his skateboarding career is going and how the skate scene is evolving, TK is also trying his hand at a music career with his group FLY SOCIETY. “I played around with rapping, but when I met Curren$y at a D.C. X

JUL / AUG 2009

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WORDS: KRISTIE BERTUCCI PHOTOS: MATT CAMPBELL

FLY SOCIETY’S H.I.T., TK AND FELIX BABAUTA FROM DISTRICT 8. READ UP ON DISTRICT 8 IN THIS ISSUE’S MONTHLY DROP ON PAGE 14.

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Games party, he said that I had a cool voice and that if I worked on it, I can be a dope rapper,” TK explains about his emerging rap career. “I went to high school with Felix and didn’t know he was a producer until I found out my cousin worked with him on some beats. I wasn’t really into it at ﬁrst, but once we put our music on MySpace, it started blowing up.” FLY SOCIETY is a fusion of hip-hop and the skate world created by TK, H.I.T. the “Long Beach Lyricist,” Curren$y the “Magnolia Hot Spitta,” and producer Felix, who also owns the LBC streetwear and skate shop, District 8. Set to release their debut album later this year, FLY SOCIETY is quickly becoming known throughout the Internet and not only represents music, but also fashion and style since releasing their own clothing line. When asked whether skateboarding or rapping was harder, TK chose skateboarding. “Rapping requires you to sit in a recording booth all day, while

skateboarding takes physical endurance, where you can easily get hurt,” he says. “If I had to choose one to give up, I’d skate before anything. It’s my life and what I enjoy doing most.” Besides a rap career, TK hopes to also incorporate an acting career into his busy schedule, having already appeared on “Viva La Bam” on MTV, music videos for Snoop Dogg and Mistah Fab and ABC Family’s show “Switched,” in conjunction with his first movie role with fellow skateboarder P-Rod in Dyrdek’s skateboarding-centered film, Street Dreams. With a blooming entertainment career mixed with an already successful skateboarding one, TK might finally be able to get his dream car this year. “I love my new SL, but my real dream car is a Lamborghini Murciélago,” he explains with added emphasis on model of the car, as if he can picture it clearly in his mind. “Honestly, if everything continues to go as well as they are, I can see it happening this year.”

AS TK’S CAREER PROGRESSES, SO DOES HIS TASTE IN CARS. TRADING IN HIS PREVIOUS TRUCK FOR A 2008 MERCEDES-BENZ SL550, KENNEDY OPTED FOR A SET OF 21-INCH VELLANO VSE WHEELS, WITH BLACK CENTERS AND CHROME LIPS, WRAPPED IN CONTINENTAL 255/30R21 FRONT AND 295/20R21 REAR TIRES.

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s a high school dropout who grew up in a disadvantaged neighborhood, statistically Ralph Holguin wasn’t supposed to succeed, let alone own his own company and become a millionaire. However, he overcame the odds and now runs RMD Group, an event marketing company that has worked with big names like Ford, Xbox 360 and Callaway Golf. RMD Group actually expanded to what it is now from a small car detailing business Holguin started in 1993 when he was 21. Called “Ralph’s Mobile Detailing,” he started it with $600 to his name and a dream to become someone in this world. Having learned the trade of detailing cars when he was 16, Holguin ﬁgured he’d start the business since it was the only thing he was good at. He was tired of working under someone else,

HOLGUIN CALLS HIS ’61 IMPALA, “TIFFANY & CO.,” WHICH IS NAMED AFTER HIS DAUGHTER.

dead-end jobs and living life paycheck to paycheck. “I was going to have my first daughter and didn’t want to ever be fired again or have to depend on somebody,” he explains. “I said I’d be the person who would be in charge of my future. I had to give up what normal 21 year olds were doing and become a businessman. I grew up in a neighborhood that was tough to make it out of, not to mention try to be successful.” With determination in mind and a heart full of passion, Holguin put all his energy into his detailing business. “Everywhere I went, I hustled,” he says. “I wouldn’t eat lunch because it would stop me from working. I was so hungry for success that it kept me focused and eventually helped develop the person I am today.” After long days of detailing, hustling and flyering cars, Holguin’s life and business drastically changed after he got a call from a women who was vice president of a well known marketing agency to detail her car. “That day, I must have put flyers on more than 100 cars and got only one call; it was the call that would change everything,” he admits. She liked his detailing work and asked him to go back every Friday to work on her car. As their professional relationship grew, Holguin learned that she worked with name brands in the automotive industry and was asked to assist her on a marketing campaign for the launch of the 1994 Honda Accord. “I went in to clean cars and remember

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RALPH HOO EVERYDAY HUSTLER TO SELF-MADE MILLIONAIRE

WHILE HOLGUIN TAKES PRIDE IN HIS RESTOMOD, WHEN HE WANTS TO DRIVE FAST, HE CHOOSES HIS 2009 AUDI R8 ON 20-INCH FORGIATO MARTELLATO WHEELS, WITH BLACKSATIN FINISH, AND PIRELLI TIRES.

WORDS: KRISTIE BERTUCCI PHOTOS: VI PEOU

OLGUIN O JUL / AUG 2009

DUB MAG 37

THE RESTOMOD FEATURES NUMEROUS ENHANCEMENTS, INCLUDING A LS6 CORVETTE ENGINE, CHROME KIT, CCP HYDRO BOOSTER, AIR BAGS AND A CUSTOM PAINT JOB TO MATCH HOLGUIN’S “TIFFANY & CO.” THEME. HE CHOSE 22-INCH FORGIATO VIZZO WHEELS TO ROUND OUT EXTEIOR MODIFICATIONS. THE INTERIOR SPORTS A DAKOTA DIGITAL DASH, IDIDIT STEERING WHEEL, CUSTOM INTERIOR WORK AND A SONY SOUND SYSTEM.

setting everything up and hustling all day,” he says. “I helped with everything that day, and she was so impressed that she asked me to go on the road for their national campaign. I knew at that moment my life would change.” After the initial opportunity, Holguin started to collaborate with the company more and began to do grassroots marketing for them. Fifteen years later, Holguin evolved his small detailing business into a full-blown marketing company that consists of a staff of more than 100 in Bellflower, California and primarily deals with Fortune 500 companies, given Holguin’s extreme interest and extensive knowledge on the subject. “What we do is develop campaigns for these big companies creatively, then execute and activate them in the field that inspire their customers to interact with the brand,” Holguin explains. “They come to us with their brand, and then we give them ideas, fabricate all the necessary displays in-house and have our own promotional teams go and execute the campaign on the streets. Everything is done in-house, so once it leaves here, it’s ready to go and be activated.” Without any self-promotion, RMD Group thanks their extreme passion and hard work as the reason why they’ve been fortunate to have so many clients despite never having to advertise their services. “Barely now, have I hired a new business director to go after and chase new business,” Holguin says. “People in the industry saw how we are passionate in everything that we do. Besides that, we think of our clients as partners and build a relationship with them. We do everything to make them happy and usually go above and beyond what is required of us to ensure that everything is done right for their campaign.” Holguin likes to thank his father for showing him how to instill such passion and hunger into RMD and its employees. His father worked as an engineer at an aluminum factory for more than 20 years, who rarely missed a day of work and dedicated each day on the job with the same passion he had when he first started the job.

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Hoping to grow RMD Group’s client roster to included other companies besides those in the automotive industry, Holguin always goes back to the ﬁrst moment he envisioned owning his own business to keep motivated on the future success

of the company. “I always go back to that moment because I know now that my dream has provided people with hope, a future and jobs.” And, given the current economic crisis the country is in, Holguin actually sees it as a blessing in disguise Holg and isn’t worried about it affecting his business. “Thiis economy has brought people back to the basics and how you hold on to that,” he says. “It putss everything in perspective. It’s good to put the b brakes on life and see where you are going and what’s the purpose of going there. A little humility neveer hurt anyone.” With a great passion in all things auto omotive, it only makes sense that Holguin wou uld demonstrate this interest in his personal arseenal of vehicles. Right now, his 2009 Audi R8 hold ds his full attention. “I like to be different and didn n’t want to go with the usual Lambo or Ferrari thatt everybody has, “ he says. However, his ’61 Impala titled “Tiffany and Co.” will always hold a speccial place in his heart. “I wanted it to have a retro o look, but with new features that technology has to offer.” Holguin’s ﬁrst big car purchase, though, was a Mercedes-Benz S500 back in 1997 thou when he was 25. His garage also houses a 2008 Range Rover Sport and two 2009 Ford Flexes. Holguin’s passion for his work doesn’t seem to be dying out anytime soon. Besides growing RMD Group, he wants to inspire younger generations to follow their dreams and overcome obstacles as he did. “I believe that with what I have gained and learned over the years, I can help so many people follow their own dreams, so that they, too, can become successful in life, no matter what odds are against them.”

RMD WWW.SUPPORTBYRMD.COM | STREET PERFORMANCE WWW.STREETPERFORMANCE.COM CLASSIC PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS WWW.CLASSICPERFORM.COM | BAER WWW.BAER.COM COOL AIR WWW.COOLAIR.COM | DAKOTA WWW.DAKOTADIGITAL.COM | IDIDIT WWW.IDIDITINC.COM EDDIE & SON UPHOLSTERY WWW.EDDYANDSON.COM | CAESAR’S CHROME PLATING (310) 518-7822 WEST COAST CUSTOMS WWW.WESTCOASTCUSTOMS.COM | SONY WWW.SONY.COM PRO COAT POWER COATING WWW.PROCOATPOWDERCOATING.COM | PIRELLI TIRES WWW.US.PIRELLI.COM FRANCISCO’S AUTO REPAIR (310) 518-9308 637 | FORGIATO WWW.FORGIATO.COM | ICWIRE WWW.ICWIRE.COM SPECIAL THANKS TO: My parents, Martha & Arturo; my beautiful wife, Patzy, and daughters, Jenny, Tiffany, Nadia, and Jazlene; and to my sisters for their support, open minds and big hearts. Also, my brothers and friends for believing in me, and a special thanks to Felix Gomez, David Ortiz, Joe Ellis and Ryan Freidlinghaus from WCC for all their help with the ’61 Impala. Finally, thanks to all my staff for it is through all that they do that makes me who I am.

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elvin Murry remembers quite vividly the days he spent at the track, as his father drag raced when he was younger. It was his father who helped him develop his love of all things automotive and sparked his interested in customizing cars. “My father took me to car shows and got me interested in all types of cars—especially muscle cars—then we’d wrench on things since he was also a mechanic,” he remembers. At ﬁrst, working on cars was strictly a hobby. Murry’s day job was as a union plumber, and he’d customize cars on his free time out of a two-stall garage he rented from someone in a commercial area when he was 23 years old. It wasn’t until he was 35 that he quit his plumber job to work on

WORDS: DEANNE DELUNA PHOTOS: ELLE G.

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MURRY TOOK HIS FATHER’S 1967 CHEVY CAMARO AND DID A FULL RESTOMOD, FEATURING A CANDY APPLE RED PAINT SCHEME, AND CUSTOM PIPES, AIR RIDE SUSPENSION AND FIBERGLASS COLD AIR INTAKE. THE ALL-LEATHER INTERIOR WAS DONE BY A1 UPHOLSTERY, WHILE A CUSTOM SONY SOUND SYSTEM WAS INSTALLED. THE AWARD-WINNING CAMARO SITS ON 22-INCH VELOCITY M190 FRONT AND 24-INCH VELOCITY M190 REAR WHEELS WITH PIRELLI PZERO 245/30R22 FRONT AND 275/25R24 REAR TIRES.

customizing full time. “At ﬁrst, it wasn’t even a business since I had a full-time day job,” he says. Now 38, he is proud to see his shop doing well in the small community of Peoria, Illinois, about an hour-and-a-half away from Chicago. When Murry started out, he was doing basic things like two-tone paint jobs (which he is now famous for), vinyl graphics and simple customizations. While his dad taught him the mechanical aspects of car building, he learned about custom car painting from two different people, one being the former owner of the shop that he currently has now. “Louie Huffman owned the shop before me. I used to work for him a bit, and he showed me the ropes in terms of painting cars and making them truly unique,” he explains. While Murry’s Custom Autobody might not

be located in a thriving metropolis, his notable paint jobs and custom work on muscle cars have preceded him. He currently gets tons of cars from out of the area. “We can either go pick it up or the client usually has it shipped to us,” he says. Right now, Murry is working on a ’57 Nomad and a ’68 Camaro. He’ll be showing a customer’s ’72 Cutlass convertible at the Chicago DUB Show Tour stop in August, too. “We do work on a lot of showcars,” he explains. “Our paint jobs are so unique and eye catching that people know they’ll take home something after bringing their car to our shop,” Murry’s detailed and custom paint jobs are so impressive, that it makes up a huge percentage of his yearly business. He likes to credit the type of paint he uses and his impeccable technique to explain why his paint

MURRY SITS ON A 2006 WALLY STINGRAY CUSTOM CHOPPER IN CANDY APPLE RED IN FRONT OF HIS SHOP WITH HIS EMPLOYEES, (R TO L) JOHNNY MURRY, JEREMY MURRY, JOHNNY MURRY JR, AND GARY HUFFMAN.

JUL / AUG 2009

DUB MAG 41

THIS 1970 CHEVY CAMARO CONVERTIBLE HAS A CUSTOM CANDY APPLE RED PAINT, HAND-BUILT 396 MOTOR WITH ALL CHROME ACCESSORIES AND FEATURES A LOWERING KIT. IT RIDES ON 20-INCH FRONT AND 22-INCH REAR VELOCITY 190 WHEELS WITH HANKOOK 245/40R20 FRONT AND 255/30R22 REAR TIRES.

jobs are so famous. He uses candy color paint, which is a brightly colored, typically high-gloss, automobile paint that provides a lot of shine and makes the car look like a “Jolly Rancher” candy, according to Murry. But, besides his renowned paint jobs, the shop can do it all. “We specialize in muscle cars, but we do other types as well like Chrysler 300s,” Murry says. Hoping to expand the type of vehicles they wrench on someday, his shop still sees business flowing in regularly…and he’s not complaining because he’s appreciative for even the smallest requests from his customers, especially in such harsh economic times the country is facing. When he first started working on the shop full time, he was the only employee. Now, he has four. On a monthly basis, the shop does about three full customizations— which includes a full customization paint job, wheel and tires package, suspension, some restoration if needed and, maybe, some stereo work. “Besides being a customization shop, we’re also a collision center, and we get more than 20 of those a month,” he explains. “Right now, there is a one-month waiting list to get a car fully customized at Murry’s Custom Autobody and the wait list is constantly getting filled given the fact that there is only three of us.” Before he started specializing in muscle cars, Murry’s interests leaned more toward lowriders. “I used to do tons of hydraulic jobs before air bags took over,” he explains. “Lowriding didn’t exactly tly catch on over here. Now all you see is muscle caars, donks and cars with big wheels. I don’t miss it though. I’m loving the big wheel trend. It’s opeen to everybody. Lowriding was geared more towaard Latinos and not a lot of African-Americans got h into it. I’m also loving the new muscle cars with the Hemi engines like the new Chargers and Challengers. I like horsepower and like working on cars that go fast…it’s what my father liked and did.” Right now, he has been getting a lot of

42 DUB MAG JUL / AUG 2009

request for the big wheel look, as well as donks. But instead of riding the big-wheeled cars high, he prefers to have them low to the ground. “We try to ‘tuck ’em,’ which is the street term for riding low on big wheels,” he says. “That’s what makes us different from other shops.” So far, Murry’s most beloved customization is the one he did on his father’s ’67 Camaro. “My father bought it in 1968 to drag race with it. It’s been in the garage since 2005 when I ﬁrst began the restoration. It took me two years to ﬁnish. My love for my father and automotives inspired me to do it,” he recalls. “I wanted to take it to another level. When I was done with it, my father sat in it, but didn’t drive it. He hadn’t heard it start up for about 20 years. He was very pleased with it.” The car has actually won several awards, including some at the Chicago and St. Louis stops of the 2007 DUB Show Tour. While Murry took the 2008 show contest season off, he’s back in full force for 2009, hoping to take home a couple more awards on his latest pieces of

work. His shop also just won three awards for his highly prized Camaro at the 2009 DUB Show Tour Memphis stop in April. Having been born and raised in Peoria, Murry doesn’t see his shop anywhere else. Most of his clients are regular Joes, with a few notable local personalities, but Murry would like to expand into having a versatile clientele, including a couple of celebrities. “Peoria is a small town of about 150,000 people or so,” he says. “But it’s a growing town that has money to spend. My goal to open the shop was never to cater to only the elite. I wanted to offer a quality customization job to regular guys interested in car culture. My goal has always been to offer a big-city-car-look in a small town. I have to thank Christ for all my talents, strengths and my success thus far since it’s through him that the shop has been successful thus far.” So far, he is succeeding at following his original goal of providing regular guys quality jobs, but is now looking ahead into the shop’s future that hopefully includes a Rolodex of celebrity clients.

MURRY’S AUTOBODY WWW.MURRYSCUSTOMAUTOBODY.COM

PIRELLI WWW.US.PIRELLI.COM

VELOCITY WHEELS WWW.VELOCITYWHEEL.COM

WALLY CUTOM CHOPPERS WWW.WALLYSWORLDCUSTOMCHOPPERS.COM

HANKOOK WWW.HANKOOKTIREUSA.COM

A1 UPHOLSTERY (309) 697-6470

BORN PAINT COMPANY WWW.BORNPAINT.COM

d iles an M s iu r t ou . Da BA’s olph hanging N e h T d h Ran Zac

he second stop of the Monster Energy 2009 DUB Show Tour made its way to Memphis, Tennessee on Saturday, April 18 at the Cook Convention Center. The event featured tons of the hottest cars that Memphis and surrounding areas had to offer. Car culture was deﬁnitely strong in Memphis, as more than 16,000 people showed up for an afternoon of fun, entertainment and loads of eye candy in the form of highly-customized vehicles. Highlights included Big Wheels’ booth, which displayed tons of Chevys that had more than $100,000-worth of customizations to them. A couple of these Chevys belonged to Zack Randolph of the Los Angeles Clippers and Darius Miles of the Memphis Grizzlies, who were also in attendance to greet fans. Immortal Kustomz brought out some of their latest creations, including NBA players Marc Gasol’s ’09 Escalade and Chucky Atkins’ ’09 Mercedes-Benz S63! Yo Gotti, Pleasure P, Gorilla Zoe, Novakane, Small World, King James III, President A.C, Maino and Kia Shine tore it up on the concert stage with their latest hits that had the crowd moving all night long.

44 DUB MAG JUL / AUG 2009

BEST IN SHOW WINNERS DISPLAY: JOE CHAVEZ PAINT: BIG WHEELS – 75 IMPALA INTERIOR: JEFF GREGORY GB CUSTOMS ENGINE: MELVIN MURRAY PAINTED GRAPHICS: RICHARD HAYES – HIP HOP D-DROPS UNDERCARRIAGE: JOE CHAVEZ

DOMESTIC MILD: HOUSE OF DUBS – BOSS GT MUSTANG DOMESTIC WILD: MELVIN MURRAY DODGE: HOUSE OF DUBS CHRYSLER: LARRY BAINE SCION: JEFF GREGORY GB CUSTOMS FORD: JOSH SMITH – XTREME CHEVY: MELVIN MURRAY OLD SCHOOL STREET: HOUSE OF DUBS OLD SCHOOL MILD: PAUL BUSH

ning tars sig Ball Up s s for fans. ph autogra 2.

3. 1. Monster Energy Girls giving samples to the attendees. 2. Immortal Kustomz blacked out H2. 2. The 2K Sports booth provided non-stop gaming action. 3. Car show winners took home trophies and Surf City Garage car care packages. VISIT DUBMAGAZINE.COM FOR MORE SHOW PHOTOS & VIDEO 4.

OLD SCHOOL WILD: BIG WHEELS – 75 BROUGHAM EXOTIC: CHRIS MOORE FULL SIZE CAR MILD: BIG WHEELS – 96 IMPALA FULL SIZE CAR WILD: LARRY BAINE FULL SIZE TRUCK: JOSH SMITH – XTREME MINITRUCK/SUV: DAVID BODEGAS – MEGA CUSTOMS SUV MILD: FREDDY VIERYA SUV WILD: CHINO VIERYA 4X4 TRUCK: JOSH SMITH

LUXURY: MARKEASIAN GIBBS LUXURY SPORTS CAR: ANTHONY COLLINS CUSTOM MOTORCYCLE: HUBBA BUBBA –HOUSE OF DUBS 2-DOOR: JEFF GREGORY – GB CUSTOMS 4-DOOR: LARRY BAINE CELEBRITY CAR: YO GOTTI’S LAMBORGHINI – XTREME RETAIL SHOP CAR: HOUSE OF DUBS RETAIL SHOP BOOTH: XTREME SPORT-COMPACT SOUND SYSTEM: GERARDO BANDA JR

Pleasure

P at the Monster

Lounge

DUB VEHICLE ON PIRELLI TIRES: BIG WHEELS – 75 BROUGHAM DUB VEHICLE SOUND SYSTEM: BIG WHEELS – 73 IMPALA LOWRIDER 1ST PLACE: FRED SMITH LOWRIDER 2ND PLACE: RICKY SIMS LOWRIDER 3RD PLACE: LONNIE WILEY BEST OF SHOW 1ST PLACE: JEFF GREGORY – GB CUSTOMS BEST OF SHOW 2ND PLACE: GERARDO BANDA JR BEST OF SHOW 3RD PLACE: JOE CHAVEZ

JUL / AUG 2009

DUB MAG 45

he third stop of the Tour touched down on the East Coast for our Atlantic City, NJ show on Saturday, May 16. Despite the gloomy weather outside, automotive lovers from New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, D.C. and Maryland made the trip to Atlantic City to experience the hottest annual custom car show in the country. More than 12,000 packed the Atlantic City Convention Center to feast their eyes on the area’s hottest customs, bikes, exotics and more! This stop featured the sickest custom sport bikes we’ve seen so far, with many shops and clubs bringing out themed bikes decked out with airbrushed paint jobs and props sticking out from the every nook and cranny of these modiﬁed bikes. Movie-themed bikes that really wowed the

crowd included Predator, Pirates of the Caribbean and Scarface custom bikes. Killer Kreations, Pit Stop and Tricked Out Custom Bikes each won awards for their unique bikes and were some of the most visited booths, along with the Monster Lounge, and F1 Motoring/Moble Addictions, which actually won Best Vendor Display. Their booth had various DJs, eye-catching customs like their white Lambo Murciélago LP640, and had tons of great giveaways for the crowd. Clubs that rolled deep to this show stop included: Low Mentality (who won the Best Club award), Ghetto Fame, Grantrismo Auto Club, Next Level and Final Impact. The concert stage was off the hook with performances by Red Café, Fabolous, Juelz Santana and Jada Kiss, who closed the show with hits off of his latest album, The Last Kiss.

1. Fabolous holding it down on the main stage. 2. Jadakiss photo-ops with lucky fans. 3. Will Castro of Unique Auto Sports at the Pirelli booth. 4. Red Café debut performance at the DUB Show.

46 DUB MAG JUL / AUG 2009

BEST IN SHOW WINNERS DISPLAY: JOHNNY BLAZE – LOW MENTALITY PAINT: ANGEL – CHROME KINGZ INTERIOR: MARK LALMAN -GRANTOURISMO ENGINE: ROBERT HENDERSON - STEETLIFE PAINTED GRAPHICS: DUSTIN GUTHRIE - - KILLER KREATIONS UNDERCARRIAGE: MATT JACKSON – NEXT LEVEL IMPORT MILD: WAYNE SOGIERTO IMPORT WILD: MARK LALMAN – GRANTOURISMO DOMESTIC MILD: MAT JACKSON – NEXT LEVEL DODGE: JACKIE SHOCCHIA CHRYSLER: ANTHONY BARBATO SCION: GREG PERONO – STREET LIFE FORD: MATT JACKSON – NEXT LEVEL CHEVY: DARLY SELDON – DC SHOW STOPPERS BMW: PAUL CORERA LEXUS: CATHY JOHNSON – D2 OLD SCHOOL: JOE RODRIGUEZ – STREET LIFE MERCEDES: BOB DRUCTOR – WR TEAM EXOTIC: JAMES SCARPINITO – MOBILE ADDICTION FULL SIZE CAR MILD: CEE – LOW MENTALITY FULL SIZE CAR WILD: MATT JACKSON – NEXT LEVEL MINITRUCK/SUV: SEAN BURTON FINAL IMPACT SUV MILD: AMPAR KHAN – LOW MENTALITY SUV WILD: KEVIN LOOKHOOR – LOW MENTALITY 4X4 TRUCK: MATT JACKSON – NEXT LEVEL LUXURY: CHASE PRESBOTTO – D2 LUXURY SPORTS CAR: DON MALONE – D2 CUSTOM MOTORCYCLE: DUSTIN GUTHRIE - KILLER KREATIONS 2-DOOR: PETER COLELLO – WR TEAM 4-DOOR: MARK LALMAN - GRANTOURISMO CELEBRITY CAR: MATT CAANAN RETAIL SHOP VEHICLE: TRICKED OUT KUSTOMS RETAIL SHOP BOOTH: F1 SPORT-COMPACT DRESSED ON PIRELLI TIRES: JACKY SHOCHIO SPORT-COMPACT SOUND SYSTEM: PETER COLLELO – WR TEAM DUB VEHICLE: ON PIRELLI TIRES – STEFAN WILLIAMS – D2 DUB VEHICLE SOUND SYSTEM: TON SHOCCIO MOTORCYCLE 3RD PLACE: PHIL BRADY – KILLER KREATIONS - $250 MOTORCYCLE 2ND PLACE: MIKE KATZCSKI – KILLER KREATIONS -$500 MOTORCYCLE 1ST PLACE: DUSTIN GUTHRIE – KILLER KREATIONS - $1000 RADICAL THEME BIKE 3RD: STEVE LEBRON - $250 RADICAL THEME BIKE 2ND: JAVIER RODRIGUEZ -$500 RADICAL THEME BIKE 1ST : DENNS D-MAN VASQUEZ -$1000 CLUB 3RD PLACE: STREETLIFE - $200 CLUB 2ND PLACE: GRANTOURISMO - $300 CLUB 1ST PLACE: LOW MENTALITY - $500 BEST OF SHOW 3RD PLACE: MARK LALMAN – GRANTOURISMO - $500 BEST OF SHOW 2ND PLACE: KEVIN LOOKMOR – LOW MENTALITY - $1000 BEST OF SHOW 1ST PLACE: PETER COLLELO – WR TEAM - $2000

P PRESENTED BY NITTO TIRE ““FUELED BY ENTHUSIASTS”

NAME: ANGEL LOZANO | LOCATION: GULF BREEZE, FLORIDA | CAR: 2008 FORD EXPEDITION LIMITED WWW.NITTOTIRE.COM

JUST LIKE NITTO TIRE, DUB BELIEVES THAT INNOVATION AND CREATIVITY IN THE AUTOMOTIVE SCENE ARE FUELED BY ENTHUSIASTS. WANT TO BE FEATURED? SEND US YOUR BEST PICS AND LIST OF VEHICLE MODIFICATIONS FOR A CHANCE TO BE SHOWCASED IN THE MAGAZINE. E-MAIL YOUR ENTRIES TO EDITORIAL@DUBPUBLISHING.COM WITH THE SUBJECT “ENTHUSIASTS RIDES” FOR YOUR CHANCE AT A FEATURE.

PHOTOS: ELIZABETH RICHARDSON

ngel Lozano became interested in car culture when he first started modifying Acuras, while in the Import scene when he was 17. As the years went by, he took his modification interests to new heights by customizing a show-winning Saleen Mustang and a third-generation Mazda RX-7. After enlisting in the military, Lozano moved to Florida and started a family, which fueled his need for a bigger car. “To be quite honest, I didn’t think I was going to modify this SUV, but eventually, I couldn’t fight the urge,” he explains. He first started by adding some 24-inch DUB Moguls last year (which he’s changed since then), and everything else took off from there. “There isn’t many heavily-modified ’08 Expeditions around, so I felt it was a great way to show my automotive creativity on something that people wouldn’t expect anything from,” he says. “I wanted to keep the look clean—not too flashy. It needed too have a good balance of mods with no shortcuts.” What resulted was a fresh 2008 Ford Expedition that will be hitting the contest circuit, including our Atlanta stop for the Monster Energy 2009 DUB Show Tour.

48 DUB MAG JUL / AUG 2009

EXTERIOR: Custom Jet Black paint with marble stripe and airbrushed Louis Vuitton logos ; DUB badging; Street Scene chrome grille; chrome fender vents; HID projector headlights, with a black housing kit; smoked tailights with LEDs; and a Belltech lowering kit. INTERIOR: Fiberglass dash, with marble paint and LV logos airbrushed in; fiberglass door pods with same paint scheme; and overhead fiberglass console that surrounds a 15-inch flip down screen with StreetGlow purple neon built-in and a marble LV paint scheme. AUDIO: Kenwood DDX-6019 head unit, with 7-inch screen and DVD player; one Rockford Fosgate P450.2 4-channel amp; one Rockford Fosgate P550.2 two-

channel amp; JL Audio TR570-CXi 6x9-inch speakers in each of the four doors, with JL TR050-CT tweeters; and two 10-inch JL Audio 10W3v subs. VIDEO/NAVIGATION: Kenwood KNA G10 Navigation connected to Kenwood head unit; Alpine M780 7-inch headrest monitors; Auiodvox MM1504 15-inch ﬂip down screen, with DVD; eight 7-inch Power Acoustic PT-700MHR monitors (four in the trunk and one on each door); two 12.2-inch Hitachi TFT-12 visor monitors; and 22-inch Haier HL22R ﬂat panel screens in each side window. WHEELS AND TIRES: 26-inch DUB Autobahn Zane Edition wheels and 305/30R26 tires.

ed hardy Suzuki HayabusA

“eye of the tiger”

PHOTOS: JAY CANTER

lready a staple in the fashion industry, Ed Hardy is moving in the motorsports world by collaborating with R.I.S. Designs to create a one-of-a-kind 2002 Suzuki Hayabusa, called “Eye of the Tiger.” With performance credentials that establish it as the hottest sportbike on the planet, the Suzuki Hayabusa is designed for serious riders who will settle for nothing less. The name Hayabusa translates directly from Japanese as “Peregrine Falcon,” which is said to be capable of speeds of more than 200 mph—and predator of (perhaps not coincidentally) the common blackbird. The name is a subtle reference to Honda’s competing Hawk models. When introduced in 1999, it overtook the Honda CBR1100XX Super Blackbird as the fastest production motorcycle. Its combination of unsurpassed power, crisp handling and superb aerodynamics creates the ultimate sportbike. The “Eye of the Tiger” was built in only 12 days so that it could be

unveiled at the Lake Havasu Bike Week back in March. Despite the short deadline, no shortcuts were taken to create the impressive machine, ensuring a quality custom bike demonstrating the collaboration between R.I.S. Designs and Ed Hardy Motorsports. The unique “Menace” body kit, custom front windscreen, gold -anodized billet accessories, one-piece rear tail section and Ed Hardy-themed paint scheme transform the ‘Busa to an Ed Hardy-approved piece of art in motion. For the last year, Ed Hardy has transitioned over to motorsports by releasing a helmet line, along with leather goods, such as riding jackets and gloves. With R.I.S. Designs, Ed Hardy has also now created a full array of billet products with a touch of Ed Hardy styling for ATVs, Sport Bikes, V-Twins and now a full line of customized motorcycles. Keep a look out for more eyecatching designs that will take the motorcycle industry to new heights! JUL / AUG 2009

DUB MAG 49

Model: Nancy Kiuftis

IGNITION: Power Commander

TIRES: Pirelli Diablo 120/60R17 front and 240/40R18 rear tires

EXHAUST: Brock’s Performance Alien Head

BILLET ACCESSORIES BY ED HARDY MOTORSPORTS BY: R.I.S. DESIGNS: Clear Clutch Cover; Adjustable Kickstand; Top Lowering Clamp; Clear Stator Cover; Footpegs; 3pcs Fork Caps; 6pcs Fairing Spikes; Clear Gas Cap; Clutch & Brake Levers; Chain Guard, Front Rotor Inserts; Grips, Mirror Block Offs; Front Brake & Clutch Reservoirs; Front Tank Cover; and Rear Caliper Bracket.

AIR INTAKE: K&N CLUTCHES: Stock w/ 2pcs. Clear Clutch Cover Ed Hardy Motorsports By: R.I.S. Designs REAR SUSPENSION: Ed Hardy Motorsports By: R.I.S. Designs +6 Swingarm Billet Arm 240mm REAR SHOCK: Tricky Air Ride REAR BRAKES: GALFER Wave Rotor REAR BRAKE LINE: GALFER Custom White Brake line w/ Gold Ends CHAIN: Regina 130 Link Gold Chain w/ O-Ring Chrome CLUTCH & BRAKE LEVERS: “Flames” Ed Hardy Motorsports By: R.I.S. Designs CLAMP: Ed Hardy Motorsports By: R.I.S. Designs Handle Top Lowering Clamp CUSTOM PAINT: Paul Wong of H20 Cycles BODY: “Menace” Body Kit By: Canni Designs LED LIGHTS: Drastik Plastix GAUGES: “Ed Hardy Paint Theme” Gauges Street Racer Parts GRIPS SWITCHES: Grip Ace Switchless System FRONT WHEEL: PM “Torque” 17-inch Chrome REAR WHEEL: PM “Torque” 18” setup for 240mm

50 DUB MAG JUL / AUG 2009

BUILT BY: R.I.S. DESIGNS AND ED HARDY MOTORSPORTS 8410 SOMERSET BLVD PARAMOUNT, CA 90723 (562) 251-1330 HAIR AND MAKE-UP CYNTHIA BECKER WWW.BECKERSTYLE.COM WWW.RISDESIGNS.COM WWW.EDHARDYMOTORSPORTS.COM WWW.MYSPACE.COM/RISDESIGNS WWW.MYSPACE.COM/EDHARDYMS WWW.BROCKSPERFORMANCE.COM WWW.TRICKYAIRRIDE.COM WWW.GALFERUSA.COM

WWW.H20CYCLES.COM WWW.MYSPACE.COM/CANNIDESIGNS WWW.DRASTIKPLASTIX.COM WWW.STREETRACERPARTS.COM WWW.GRIPACE.COM WWW.MYSPACE.COM/NANCYQT

VISIT DUBMAGAZINE.COM FOR MORE PICTURES AND OUR INTERVIEW WITH NANCY KIUFTIS