THE TATTOOIST by LARAW

SUMMER 2011

HERE TO BEAUTIFY THE BODY’S OF LA’S FINEST ONE TATT AT A TIME!!! ALSO FEATURING: DJ METRIC Mickey Taelor Satilite Rok TWIT TWITTA rawwater lookbook

JUSTICE FOR JULIAN &

FOH!!! MUSIC, ART, FASHION & NEWS THAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT FROM LOS ANGELES TO BEYOND

ADD---->ADD

STAFF

EDITORS Efehi Ogbebor Kaymar Haye Amanda Mester

ART DIRECTOR Efehi Ogbebor ART DESIGNERS/TYPOGRAPHERS Melanie Kearns Efehi Ogbebor WRITERS Amanda Mester Arthur “AC” Copeland Jason Thomas Christina Ledesma David Padilla Kia Riley Maya Freeman PHOTOGRAPHY Kaymar Haye Chris Chappelle Latoya Tyson ILLUSTRATIONS Peter Koskela STYLIST Chaz Dennis Reiynne Dekora ADVERTISERS’ INFO Caravagio Clothing (pg. 25) Mbarqgo (pg. 29) Mbarqgo.com Black Banditz (pg 33) blackbanditztattoo.blogspot.com A & D Wholesale Vintage Clothin (pg. 35) advintageclothing.com For inquires on writing, modeling, ordering, advertising..etc contact us at: RAWMAG@RAWWATER.NET LOS ANGELES RAWWATER 849 South Oxford Avenue, Suite 402 Los Angeles, CA 90005

EDITOR’s NOTe

I started browsing the other TV channels one Sunday evening as the show that I was currently watching, 60 Minutes on CBS, was ending. No real good movies were on, HBO’s Sunday lineup was all re-runs, nothing interesting on Cartoon Network, the Hub, etc; Then ahhh!!! The 2011 BET Awards!!! This will be interesting, let’s see how they are gonna make me be ashamed to be a fan of rap music this time. As I saw the program description, I read one promising thing: “hosted by Kevin Hart.” CLICK. Kevin was hilarious as expected, other than that it was a blur with a few moments…. Rick Ross skipping around stage shirtless (s/o to Fat Joe), Trey Songz taking his shirt off as if it would make him actually enhance his average-at-best vocals…. Free and that dress she wore (smiley face)….. the duo performance of Bruno Mars and Alicia Keys which further confirmed that Bruno is in the minor leagues….. Queen Latifah’s tribute to Gill Scott-Heron (funny how she failed to mention anything about Guru when she hosted the Hip Hop Awards last year). The highlight of the night was definitely the lifetime achievement award performances for Patti LaBelle. The actual award winners were pretty much no-brainers (not saying that I agreed with all of them but hey, it’s BET). One category, Best Female Hip-Hop Artist, did surprise me….. “The

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Nominees are Diamond, Cymphonique, Lola Monroe, and Nicki Minaj.” We all know who won but as the names were announced, I thought: huh? Who? What? Oh okay. What the hell happened to female MCs/rappers???? Where are they?? How did it come about that the 4 artists nominated only have 1 studio album…COMBINED. Diamond has been around for a while, since her Crime Mob days and Nicki, I can never say anything bad about Nicki after her verse on “Monster,” plus she’s wine fine. But let’s face it, the other 2 are Master P’s daughter/Nickelodeon star and a video vixen. I mean if BET was trying to be creative and nominate an up-and-comer, they could have at least nominated Rapsody (rapsodyonline.com, check her out). Where is the talent? When I was growing up there was the Queen Latifahs, Lady “Afro Puffs” of Rage, Mc Lyte (who ironically was the announcer of the awards show), Foxy Brown, Bahamadia, Lauryn Hill, Missy Elliot, Da Brat, Jean Grae, Rah Digga (who did release a new album and should have been nominated), and Eve. Is there that much of a lack of interest in being a female rapper nowadays? Or is it that no one wants to showcase a female that actually has talent and is rapping about something. Or am I just rambling now?.. Anyways, enjoy this visual issue, be safe out there, and RIP Amy Winehouse.-ED

3. 11. 17. 22. 23. 27. 31. 35. 39.

la CONTENTS

THE WATTS TOWERS THE VESPERTINES JUSTICE FOR JULIAN QUICK PICK 13 JOINTS YOU SHOULD COP MICKEY TAELOR SUMMER IN FULL EFFECT STYLE ON ‘EM DJ METRIC

43. 53. 57. 60. 63. 65. 70. 87. 89.

THE TATTOOIST: PETE KOSKELA ALI SAINT Q A WOMAN’S PLACE TWITTA BEACH BODY STAND UP FOR YOU RIGHTS LA RAWWATER LOOKBOOK THE BLAME GAME FOH

The

Watts Towers KAYMAR HAYE

The city of Watts, like a lot of south LA county cities is known more for its violence than its beauty. Watts is notorious for riots, gangs, drugs, prostitution, and death - all the ills of society. These ills however are also the ingredients and inspiration behind some of the world’s greatest artists. Musicians, printers and writers have used these hardships not as setbacks but as tools to uplift themselves and their community, and the creator of the Watts Towers is no different. [The Watts Towers (or Towers of Simon Rodia) are a collection of 17 interconnected structures, two of which reach heights of over 99 feet (30 m). The Towers were built by Italian immigrant and construction worker Sabato (“Sam” or “Simon”) Rodia in his spare time over a period of 33 years, from 1921 to 1954. The work is an example of non-traditional vernacular architecture and American Naïve art. The Watts Towers are located near (and visible from) the 103rd Street-Kenneth Hahn Station of the Metro Rail LACMTA Blue Line.] - everything in those parentheses was plagiarized from Wikipedia and other sites. Not good! They were designated a National Historic Landmark in 1990. Like the phoenix that rises out of the ashes, so did The Watts towers rise out of the trash of society. The builder literally took trash from the neighborhood to build this marvel. The towers stand in the background of Watts as proof that you don’t have to be born with a sliver spoon to follow your dreams, and beauty comes a lot of the time from the gutter of society, these towers exemplify everything that LA’ RAW is about: coming from nothing to something. Always follow your dreams and by all means, stay true to your self.

Come join us as we celebrating 1 yr of @

ZANZIBAR 1301 5th Street, Santa Monica

Sunday May 22, 2011 9pm-- 2am Featuring Live Performances from:

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NOLA DARLING NEW KINGDOM &BLACK PARTY POLITICS JESTY BEATZ 90's attire requested $10 ALL NIGHT!! !

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The Vespertines Float Ideas By Nate Jackson for O.C. Weekly

Long Beach’s the Vespertines are that rare act capable of combining jazzy atmospherics with explosive rock power without wandering into wankery. Although their talents are sharp enough to construct complicated swirls of dub, prog rock and funk, their songs remain delectably coherent and digestible to the last note. Formed in May 2009, the jam-leaning band unites vocalist Vanessa Acosta (who also plays trumpet), bassist Kyle Cavaness, guitarist Alex Kater and drummer Chris Walker. They’re finishing up their debut EP, Gravity Optional, which they tracked at Compound Studio in Signal Hill, where Cold War Kids, Dusty Rhodes and the River Band, as well as the Mars Volta have also made memorable music. Have the band always subscribed to a more experimental, jam-band sound? Kyle Cavaness: Chris and I started out in a different version of the Vespertines. It was more blues-rock-based a couple of years ago. We kinda kicked around with a few other bands, and then we met [Kater and Acosta] last year. We’ve been doing this as a four-piece since last May. Before we met Vanessa, it was just [Walker, Kater and me] working on musical ideas, and a lot of it just became the foundation for the songs we’re playing now. Vanessa, how’d you come into the band? Vanessa Acosta: Actually, I played in another band called Feed the Feeble with [Walker], and he knew that I sang and played trumpet, so he approached [the Vespertines] and said, “Hey, I know a singer.” [Laughs.] We did a gig together at Viento y Agua Coffee House in Long Beach, and we’ve been together ever since. How’s work on the debut EP going? Cavaness: We’re in the midst of getting the packaging together and getting it printed and put online. Chris Walker: We might also record another song and put it on the EP. 11

What are some things you’re enjoying about the process of putting the record together? Walker: The title of the EP is Gravity Optional, and we were just hanging out one day at the studio and I was like, “Damn, wouldn’t it be cool if you could just put your cup in the air at a party and be like, ‘Gravity is optional, I can choose, whatever.’” So we’re also doing a photography book inspired by the whole theme of “gravity optional” that’s gonna be for sale later this year. So it’s like Vespertines: The Book? Walker: We’re all gonna be in it, but it’s also gonna include some Long Beach locals. Do you guys think the city has been a good launching point for your sound? Acosta: It’s definitely been a growing scene. There’s always been a lot of good groups popping out of Long Beach. Crater: In Long Beach, it feels like all the musicians know one another, and they all play in one another’s bands, and they’re all multi-instrumentalists. Are you guys trying to reach a specific fan base? Cavaness: We’re definitely trying to develop this into something in which we can put on a show and have a lot of people come. That’s what everybody wants. We’ve been doing some promoting, and hopefully, we’ll be going on tour in the next month or two. It’s still in the works, mostly all in our heads. But we’re planning on it once the EP is finished. What’s the most random gig you’ve played so far? Cavaness: One of our bigger shows [called Acostock] was actually at Vanessa’s house with On Blast. It was random because there were actually a lot of people there. [Laughs.]

TORIN

Louis and Julian were excited about their camping trip, finalizing their plans on the night of June 29, 2010. They had planned to leave the next morning. The next day, Louis arrived at Julian’s house only to find chaos, with police going in and out of his house and the family in tears. Louis learns that his best friend Julian “Jules” Collender was killed by an officer from the Brea Police Department. All Louis could think of was that they were just at his house talking about their camping trip and now his best friend was dead. The night before, three teenagers reported to the Brea Police Department that they had been robbed by an armed robber demanding their money in front of an EZ Takeout in Yorba Linda, Ca. They claimed that Julian was involved. The police say that Julian was “known” to one of the “victims.” The “victims” are 19-20 year olds, one of whom is currently on probation. An hour after the report was made, Julian arrived home, where the police were already waiting for him. Julian was pulled over by one of the police officers in front of his house. He was unarmed and alone. There were multiple police officers shouting different orders at him. He was shot in the chest with a high-power assault rifle within a few seconds of exiting his car. The police handcuffed Julian as he lay dying in a pool of blood in front of his house. His parents came running outside barefoot after they were awakened by the gun shot. The police had their guns pointed at them, slammed them on the hood of the police cars, and immediately handcuffed them and put them in separate police cars for hours. Julian’s parents were not allowed to go back into their 17

RAMIRE

house because the police had to do a search. “We were left with no money, no car, and no phone,“ they said. Julian’s mom was pleading with the police officers to give them a ride to the hospital so they could be with their son, but they were just ignored. After some time, the Brea Police Department let Julian’s neighbor take his parents to the hospital where the 25-year-old aspiring film maker was already pronounced dead. When they arrived at the hospital, Julian’s parents said “At first they were not allowing us to see our son and kept calling him evidence.” His mom, already weakened by the loss of her youngest son, pleaded with the police to allow her to say her goodbyes. When they were let inside the room, “The police said we had to stay 5 feet away from his body and we could only stay 20 seconds in the room.” The police have claimed that they have found evidence that links Julian to the crime, but after search reports were given to the family, it all has been completely untrue. It was reported that the officer who killed Julian was only given 3 days of administrative leave and is back on the streets patrolling. “I’m mad as hell,” said Julian’s dad, Richard. “I think the Brea Police Department shot and killed him without any kind of reason.” For the last year, it has been Louis’ mission to bring justice to his best friend Julian. With the support of Julian’s family and friends, he has raised awareness in their local community, seeking justice for Julian by holding candle-light vigils, protests, and performances by local bands. The thought of losing Julian sits heavy in Louis’ heart and the only thought that comes to mind is that “This is just not fair, I’m not the same anymore.” VIOLET

www.justiceforjulian.com (Julian’s case is currently in court)

LOS ANGELES

RAWWATER

RAWWATER.NET

Album: Rise of the Underdogg Artist: Satilite Rok Type: FREE Download

Summary This is definitely an album you play in the ride on your way to and from the beach, club, party, work, baby momma or daddy house. From start to finish there is something so familiar (think Kid Cudi, Lenny Kravitz tip) but innovative, fresh and different about Satilite Rok. The first track Acceptance sets the tone for the rest of the album with it’s RAWness that everyone can relate to. Then there is one of the many rock tracks Breaking the Mold that rocks out. One of the most impressive cuts is Doin’ Me where Rok samples none other than Justin Bieber but as whack as that looks on paper the track actually goes super hard and unless you have kids or work with kids you won’t even realize where the sample comes from, so consider it an acceptable guilty pleasure. The album ends with an outro where this new artist with a grass roots following humbly thanks every one who has supported him from the beginning.

Must Listen To If for some crazy reason you don’t download the whole album (you’re really foolish cuz it’s FREE 99), then you have to at least download the ‘single’ Lost In The World. This track has a rock flavor where Satilite comes in and kills the verses with deep yet RAW lines but gives a smoothed out hook for your listening pleasure. Rating: 9999 (four out of five tapes) Links: Get the album here: www.soundcloud.com/satiliterok/sets/rise-of-the-underdogg#

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J.COLE - ANY GIVEN SUNDAY EP #1 AVAILABLE @ DATPIFF.COM

KENDRICK LAMAR - SECTION 80 AVAILABLE @ iTUNES

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SATILITEROK - RISE OF THE UNGERDOGG AVAILABLE @ SOUNDCLOUD.COM/SATILITEROK THORNZ - THORNZ AVAILABLE @ THORNZ. BANDCAMP.COM

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THE COOL KIDS - WHEN FISH RIDE BICYCLES AVAILABLE @ iTUNES

JAY-Z & KANYE WEST - WATCH THE THRONE AVAILABLE @ iTUNES

MICKEY TAELOR - UNWRITTEN AVAILABLE @ MICKEYTAELOR.BANDCAMP.COM

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GARY CLARK JR. - THE BRIGHT LIGHTS EP AVAILABLE @ iTUNES

by Jason Thomas

It’s her voice. That calm, melodic voice that can drip with sweet emotion then flow like a raging rapid. It stands out, grabs your attention, and causes you to ask yourself one thing: Who’s that singing? The answer to everyone’s question is Mickey Taelor. With three mixtapes already under her belt (The Mickey Taelor Project, UnWritten, and Make Me A Beat Vol. 1) and more on the way, Mickey is making moves. Her music flows with seductive songwriting and descriptive storytelling. You can hear the influence of her musical heroines - Amy Winehouse, Lauryn Hill, Billie Holiday, TLC. She sings over soulful grooves (Purple & Blue, It’s Me Not U), reggae vibes (Emergency), or hip hop drops (In The Morning, Single). Emotions easily flow from her live set. The stage is where she truly feels comfortable. She has been rocking crowds throughout all of southern and northern California. In the process, Mickey is carving out a spot for herself in the music scene and winning over fans at each show. She is creating a Taelor gang, if you will. 27

We snatched up some time out of her crazy schedule and got her to answer a few questions for our La Raw readers. Make sure you snatch her music up at www.mickeytaelor.bandcamp.com. Enjoy. What are you doing when you aren’t behind a mic? MT: Im usually writing, working, or smokin … lol naw… umm I love to swim recently became addicted to the gym …karaoke… .I have a fetish searching chopped and screwed tracks on you tube… hahah and hanging out with close friends when we can all get together. Was singing always a passion? MT: Actually writing has been my passion .. I began humming melodies to my poems… and one day at 20 at a open jam reggae spot in downtown Pomona I got up on stage and had at it…. And its been my new found passion ever since. Do you write your music? How long have you been writing? Do you write anything other than music? MT: I do write my own lyrics…. I’m at a beginning level when it comes to music theory….but I’m working on it .. hahah …. … I’ve been writing poems, short stories, movie scripts on the down low since I was 11 years old… parents broke up and I became the “kid in the bathroom at lunch writing” hahaha soo different from now …. Well maybe .. Who are you musical and life influences? MT: (Life) My siblings, my father, and my boss Jeff Chase. (Music) Billie Holiday, Bill Withers, Ella Fitzgerald, TLC, 2live Crew, Tribe, Pharcyde…. Ms. (Lauryn) Hill … Portishead.. hahah I could go for days. What was the first album you ever bought? MT: TLC - Crazy Sexy Cool ... nuff said. Favorite Song? MT: Roberta Flack’s Killing Me Softly What did you grow up listening to? MT: Reggae …..Dancehall….Earth Wind And fire…. Tina Marie … Anything Prince …. Brandy.. Etta….Billie…Roberta....Nina…. all the ladies….ooo and Ray and Quincy .. My parents listened to Prince, my mom loved anything Motown, she thinks she’s fancy. My dad (listened to) 94.7 The Wave, Temple Yard (REGGAE), Gregory Isaacs, …BLACKSTREET…. Mr.Vegas…. Major Lazer …. Bob of course..Slick Rick anything 80s, 90s hip hop …Ideal… jagged edge hahahah ..

How was your first performance? MT: Awesome…. I was hooked… first and last time I was ever able to freestyle that well hahaha Prefer singing w/ band or solo? MT: With band definitely .. soo much more heart in live music and that’s why I started this in the first place…. Meaning behind the name Mickey Taelor? MT: Mickey is a name I gave myself … and Taelor is the middle name my parents gave me 3 artist dead or alive you would wanna work with. MT: Amy Winehouse, Al Green, Cee-Lo Green What to expect from a Mickey Taelor show? MT: Someone truly giving you all they have in a realm that they are the most comfortable … I want people to get why I sing not just listen to it …. Understand and relate to my songs rather then just play them …. My boys are amazing they can play anything I hear in my head times 50 .. it’s truly an experience. How has traveling been?

Describe the sound of your music

MT: Hard.. lol train, car, bus…man o man …. From the bay to LA....I’m talking many overnighters…. Broken down vehicles….. starving…cramped… but always the best trees and people around me .. I swear every show is different and every road trip is sooo worth it ….

MT: Real… hahahaha …

What are your music goals/plans?

Who are you working with?

MT: I need a Grammy in two years!! Ahahah eventually I want to open a charter private boarding school in Santa Cruz, California for the arts…. By living on my own I learned and developed who I am as a person and artist now…. kids need that guidance and space to do soooo earlier than 18 ….

MT: Danny Boi beats…Jonah Christian …. Haze from Kasino Gang .. Black noise.. .High Fashion

Summer is still in full effect Most of the time, we as a society are very used to just getting advice about what to wear and what not to wear in the fashion world.You may find many leads as to what or who are having the hottest sales or must-haves, maybe even tips on where you should or should not shop at. We all know that everyone is good at something that others do not have. Many do not have fashion sense and are always on point when thinking outside the box, or they may have fashion sense but not a broad creative mind to take a piece of clothing, new or old and make it into something of their own. So I have taken the time to make up a couple of fashion recipes for the less creative, non- fashion heads.

Fashion Recipes: 1) De-Stress with Distressed- If you are low on money or just feel like wearing something of your own creation, just rock this season’s hottest trend of short jean shorts. This is what you need to go: Take an old pair of denim pants in your closet. Preferably the pair that are very run-down and maybe have holes in between the thighs. Maybe you just want your own look...or maybe you just want to start from fresh and use a new pair of denim. Either way, use this recipe for a quick fix:

Recipe: - Cut in a STRAIGHT line using the hole in your denim as your starter point. That is your MARKER. Once you have found the spot and one side is already cut, fold that newly cut jean leg over onto the other side and use that as a marker to make both sides even. - For the distressed look, take a razor (double edge or a regular razor) which you can buy at Wal-Mart, Target or Michaels craft store. Make parallel cuts through the shorts carefully cutting only the first layer of the material. - IF you want an acid feel, carefully take bleach and lightly splash onto your jeans, or for the double dipped look- simply dip the bottom portion of your shorts into bleach. NOTE: please do this outside and not on your carpet. - After this iscompleted to your satisfaction, wash the jeans. NOTE: The bottom of the jeans will wither away, leaving hanging threads from where you cut them... If you are into studs- go to the garment district and buy studs, make sure to get clothing glue and glue the studs onto your pockets on wherever you like. Ta da! Now you have the latest seasonal denim trend for the summer. And you saved your money for something you can not resist at the mall. You can also do the same with denim jackets and go with the punk look by going sleeveless. 2) Watch your back- If you’re tired of your old cardigan or if you went and bought a new one, or if you just want a new look use this below:

Recipe: -Go to your local fabric store (Jo-Ann), or again back to the garment district (Michael Levine). Find your favorite fabric. Recommendation: try using more satins or a harder-based fabric. Why? Because anyone that has sewn before knows how certain fabrics work. Depending on what garment you are trying to make, you have to make sure that fabric works with whatever designs you are envisioning in your head or on paper. -Take your cardigan- lay it flat on a big surface table. Depending on what you feel like- CUT the whole back out on it, or cut a big heart in it, or create a square, leaving the original fabric of the cardigan intact at the bottom. -Get your sewing machine out or take the cardigan and fabric to a seamstress if you cannot sew. It may become pricey doing it that way, because you are deconstructing a garment, not tailoring it. Most tailors - if not all - will not deconstruct a garment for you unless they are skilled at this technique, or you don’t mind paying the amount for it. So if you are along on this piece, proceed with sewing your new favorite fabric on the back of the cardigan. NOTE: When using satin, make sure that the fabric is straight when you sew because satin pulls at the seams and the back of your cardigan will look ridiculous and not hang right.Your fabric may be crooked. When you are done, your old boring cardigan has now come back alive. But now, the back is unexpected when you turn around. The key is to look preppy in the front and stylish in the back. Tattoo your look 3) Zip through your Summer- There are many swimsuits available for us Barbies to wear. Why don’t you change it up? Zippers have always been so much fun to me. Zip up or Zip down.

Recipe: -Take a one-piece swimsuit that is just boring or a two-piece bikini. - Next, take a good pair of fabric scissors (you can buy from garment district, Michaels craft store or an actual fabric store). There are many types of scissors in this world and trying to use paper scissors is not going to work. Just say no please and invest in the correct ones. NOW- neatly cut from the bust hemline down to your navel area, or you can cut from your armpit hemline down to your hip. -Take a long 12-inch zipper and sew the zipper on the section you just cut. You can use a 6-inch zipper or shorter and use it when creating this look for a bikini top and/or bottom. NOTE: Because you can use the same look for a two-piece swimsuit, you can put the zipper either in the front of the bottom of the suit, the sides, or the back. Or you can put it within the body of the swimsuit. Do the same at the top and now you have your own personal styled/created suit for the beach and/or pool. Congratulations, you have now successfully (I HOPE) created your own new look. The key to these recipes is to be able to personalize your style for others to envy.

4 streaming trends of Summer L.O.V.E. to look out for and buy up 1) The CAT EYE- Sunglasses have always been a game-changer. Through the years, designers have always made sunglasses in all types of styles. But the style that I am in love with right now are the Cat-eyed sunglasses. This is the most dominating style of sunglasses out for Spring/Summer 2011 and will still be dominating for the Fall/Winter 2011 seasons. Cat eyes are making fashion lovers fall in love with them, especially the overly dramatic cat eye. Recommendation: Make sure when hunting down these bad buddies that you actually try them on to see if the frame style even fits your face. Though you may believe these sunglasses are cute on display, they may will translate that same cuteness on your face. Try on every pair and really study the structure of your face to know if cat eyes will work for you. If they do, start searching for the basic ones and move up to the blinged-out cat-eyed glasses. 2) COLOR DENIM- These are truly the talk of the season, and I predict they are going to be used for the next year to come. The newest color that I feel is going to be used more and be seen more around the fashion world is that Kelly green. I have now witnessed this green in J- brand and AG. This color is to die for as well as all the other colors they offer in this new COLOR DENIM MAYHEM. There are plenty of high-waisted mini color denim shorts out that are hotness as well. Buy up buy up. Simply pair with a tank tucked in and you are good to go, with a very high thick-heeled platform. 3) THE BIG EARRING- You can almost go into any boutique and find a huge hoop or oversized earring. The feather look is being used a lot more as is going with the blinged-out gems on a hoop earring. People are in love with these two styles right now, especially the ones that are really colorful, creative and fun. Big earrings are sure to make a statement.Wear a simple plain one-color outfit from head to toe, pair with a huge stand-out earring and you are good to go. 4) The THICK HEEL Platform- I talked about this a tiny bit in trend #2. These shoes are more of the inspired ‘70s look, but some of the shoes made right now are classic and way beyond fun. It is always best to pair with short shorts. Any girl who is short or tall will automatically give off the look of having long legs because of pairing this heel with mini shorts. Find a fun screen tee, tank top or t- shirt and you are good to go. Deuces Barbies Written by: Maya Freeman Bfreestyle.blogspot.com

tattoo and hair

7262 Melrose AveNUE LOS ANGELES, CA 90046 323-936-0344

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Wholesale Vintage Clothing 3521 Union Pacific Avenue Los Angeles 310-701-5126 All Vintage Clothing is $7.00 lb every last Saturday of the month.

Christina Ledesma

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by AC

first met Pete Koskela about three years ago. A friend and I were looking to get some new ink and wanted someone who could do really good comic art. He found Pete after doing some digging then couldn’t stop telling me how dope this guy was and that he had already scheduled the appointment. The only work I had seen from Pete prior to meeting him for my session was the work he did on my friend’s arm. The colors he used and the life that came through in the tattoo had me psyched. I immediately asked my boy for Pete’s contact info. At this point I had pretty much decided that Pete would be the last person not employed by Kaiser to ever put a needle to my skin. Just a few weeks later it was my turn to get some new ink. I hopped in the bucket, drove over an hour to San Bernardino with a pocket full of cash ready to forsake rent in the name of getting needled. I had ideas of what I was looking to do, full sleeve in mind thick with characters reminiscent of childhood. As I shared my ideas with Pete, he nodded as he grasped the concepts of my vision, then took a moment to examine my arm. “Then he said what if we…” For the next 15 minutes, Pete began to throw out ideas, taking my thoughts far passed what my mind was capable of keeping up with. So I responded with the adopted phrase of anyone who is overwhelmed by excitement: “FUCK YEAH!” 43

Equally important as the portfolio of an artist is the experience a client gets when sitting in the chair. When you’re spending four plus hours letting someone permanently redecorate your skin, it’s preferable that they don’t have the personality of that automated customer service voice. Pete’s the farthest thing from it. We chatted away about everything from food, to music, to conspiracy theories. If it weren’t for the moments of pain as he shaded in my elbow and wrist, I would’ve forgotten all about the tattoos. AC’s advice on getting inked: “If you’re getting ink, and the people in the shop - including your artist - don’t make you want to pull up a chair and spend the day exchanging laughs for time… then you’re in the wrong shop.” Not that you’re trading goat heads for a promise to marry your youngest daughter, but you and your artist should feel like family. Childhood friends at the very least. Especially if you’re looking to get sleeves, half sleeves, or anything more than just Winnie the Pooh on your lower back. Now we fast-forward to present day… the buzz of Peter Tattooist has gotten mammoth. He’s become one of Los Angeles’s most soughtout tattoo artists. Not just to everyday Joes

like you and me, but celebs such as the Game, Brandy, and Ray-J are all feeling the ink. Usually LA-based magazines would harp on the fact that Pete’s a celeb tattoo artist and sprinkle some Hollywood glam on it, but that’s not our style. The only reason we care to mention that Pete’s name can be associated with celebs is to point out that he’s the same dude I met three years ago. In LA, someone can have a brief gas station encounter with a D-list celeb and feel the need to walk around with their dick out so when you notice them they can tell you they’re newly best friends with the dude who played Egon in Ghostbusters. Fuck that, we put Pete on the cover because of his talent, the attention he gives his craft, and for maintaining his humility as his success grows. Checkout this short Q & A I had with Pete, and if you’re in the market for some good ink and convo, hit him up!

How did you get your start in tattooing? And how long have you been tatting?

Trying not to sound too clichĂŠ but tattoing chose me. I have been an artist since Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been able to hold a pencil. I took my early art inspiration from comic books and thought I was going to be the next Jim Lee. My portfolio with nothing but Xmen and Batman was apparently good enough to get me an apprenticeship at a local tattoo studio. A year later, I dumped my savings into opening my own studio, Sub_Q Tattoo of San Bernardino. I operated Sub_Q successfully for over 10 years. I now reside in Los Angeles and work at Black Banditz Tattoo (7262 Melrose). I have been tattooing professionally for 12 years now

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a piece you havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t done but would like to?

Well, recently I have found myself fascinated by clocks and the concept of time. I have been living with a clock-maker for the last 4 months and am inspired by the actual movements and inter-workings of the clocks themselves. I am working on integrating the clock parts and movements with organics.

What do you see to be the most rewarding aspect from tattoing? Meeting people, getting to do your art, etc.? The connections I make with my client is lifelong. I have met the most interesting and inspirational people through tattooing.

And lastly, anything you would like people to know about you or anything you would like me to relay to the readers on your behalf?

I am now working exclusively at Black Banditz tattoo and hair studio at 7262 Melrose. For appointments, call 951-992-6620 and follow me on Twitter @PeterTattooist

RAWWATER.NET

Phuc Le

TORIN

Ali Saint Q

The Free Spirited Saint by Jason Thomas

Born in Paris, France, and raised in Southern California (West Covina), Ali Saint Q has always had a passion for fashion. From having a father in the leather garment business, to rocking the flyest Ninja Turtle pajamas as a youngster, to slanging print tee-shirts in high school, to graduating from F.I.D.M. (Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising), fashion has always had a major influence in Ali’s life. This has led to the birth of his clothing line, Caravagio, set to launch at the end of the summer. His Italian-made sunglasses can already be seen on multiple hip hop artists like Kid Cudi and Pusha T of the Clipse. I caught up with Ali recently and this is what transpired. JT: So tell me a little about yourself. Ali: I was born and raised in Paris, France. My dad was in the leather garment business. Growing up around it, I was always around the fashion industry, fashion business. As I got older I really wanted to focus on it. I did a lot of various projects in high school. Making different screen printed tshirts, selling them to people, or what not. JT: That was in Paris? Ali: Naw, that was here. I moved to LA when I was like 6. When I got out of high school is when I really started focusing. I went to F.I.D.M. and launched my line. It’s been a long road but I wouldn’t have it any other way because I’d rather have longevity than make quick cash. JT: So you always had a passion for fashion? Ali: Growing up, when my parents moved to America, they got involved in a lot of businesses. And I kind of had a mentality of a rich kid, just to be honest with you, and it kind of just lead me to the wrong place where I felt like everything was handed to me. Then my parents started slowly selling all their businesses. And I started realizing it was their money and not mine. So I was kind of like, “What do I do?” All I knew was fashion, so I just ran with it and it treated me well. JT: Is there a meaning behind the clothing line’s name “Caravagio?” Ali: He was a painter in the Renaissance. He was known for taking a lot of risks. A lot of people talked a lot about him, didn’t really like him. Didn’t understand what

his message was. And I felt like that was a good mix of what we were doing. JT: Anyone in fashion who inspires you? Clothing lines or specific people? Ali: Growing up I was into, you know, Phat Farm, Dada, Fubu. All that stuff. I don’t know if that was a big inspiration, but just overall I wasn’t really a fan of one brand in particular, I was a fan of fashion itself. I consider it art. I’m really impressed on how pieces are put together. So I was just a fan overall of fashion.

Ali: We teamed up with a manufacturer in Italy. We’re coming out with some really nice sunglasses. A few knits, some prints. New Era hats and a few other accessories for the summer launch in August. JT: Any chance you are going into ladies fashion? Ali: Probably not now. I don’t understand women unless it’s a relationship level so I wouldn’t understand how to make their clothing either. JT: Do you have a favorite clothing line?

JT: Who is your target audience? Ali: Basically anyone who just wants to be themselves. The whole thing with Caravagio is “no labels on life” because growing up I was an athlete. I played a lot of basketball, I played football, and I played baseball. And then towards 7th grade, people started skating around. So I was like “What is this?” and I started skating and I got really good at it. And I always got hit with the question like “What are you? Are you hip hop or white?” I used to listen to rock and play basketball. I used to listen to hip hop and skate. I used to hate getting hit with that question. You know, I don’t know if you notice but sometimes you go shopping somewhere and you go into a store and people look at you like “Why are you in our store? Why do you wanna give us money? Why do you wanna pay our rent?” Caravagio’s not about that, you know. It’s a free spirit. You should be able to wear it and not be asked anything about it. So the target audience is anybody who just wants to express themselves.

Ali: Yea I’m a big fan of Obey just because I like the overall operation. They are very professional, they know what they are doing, and every piece that they put out I’m really impressed by it. I feel like it’s so big but if you look at other brands I feel like they get approached by manufactures and they are like “we got these jackets. You wanna put your logo on it?” And they are like, “Yea, it’s a wrap, let’s do it.” But I feel like Obey, I feel like Shepard (Fairey), his message is still strong to him. I feel like that’s very important in this business. JT: Do you want to tailor your clothing line like Obey does with quality pieces? Ali: I would love to. yea, just quality overall...it’s crazy when you can be such a big brand but still be true to your message, you know what I mean? So I would love to be something like that. It would be an honor. JT: What are your plans and goals for the line?

JT: What pieces are you putting out? Ali: Just to get it out. My team we are in-

volved in TV as well so we have a crazy 9 to 5. But the plan is just to get it out. Slowly get it on websites and start getting it into stores and make it a household name. But we understand it takes time. JT: What clothing where you wearing in junior high and school? Ali: Phat Farm, Dada, Karl Kani, Wu Wear, Willie Esco. I always had this certain sort of swagger about myself. Even when I was rocking Ninja Turtle pajamas growing up, they were the freshest ones, you know what I mean? Like, they had creases on them. I’ve always been into it, but as I got older I found myself relating to other brands that appealed to me and not being like a little kid, you know, with Wille Esco and stuff like that. And also I didn’t really have the funds to wear what I really wanted in high school, you know what I mean? JT: So was Paris an influence on the line? Ali: It would be like brownie points if I said yea but I was like 6 I really didn’t know much of what was going on. It’s the fashion capital of the world. I get a few girls off of it, but I’d be lying if I said it was.

West or Big Sean. No one just wants to be themselves. I think fashion is at a weird state right now. People are really confused about it. They are scared to be who they really are, you know what I mean? So I don’t really bother with it. I always get hit with these questions like, “Oh, you went to FIDM? Oh, you’re gay.” Or “Oh, you like fashion? You like Project Runway.” No, I don’t. I’ve never seen Project Runway in my life. I don’t make dresses or anything. I think there is just too much confusion about fashion out there. People are really just lost. It’s like you like fashion so you have to watch Project Runway. People don’t understand, fashion is whatever you want it to be. It’s too hard to describe. Fashion is universal. You could line up five people right now. They won’t say a word to you. But you could tell what each and every one of them are about by the way that they are dressed, you know what I mean? You don’t need to speak about it at all. And you can tell there are a lot of people in LA that are lost. If Kanye West starting wearing a bra on his shoulder, I guarantee if you go to LA tomorrow there will be 3 guys with 4 foxtails and a bra on their shoulder. (laughter) JT: With blonde hair, right?

JT: How do you plan on getting your brand out there this August? Ali: With the website. We have a lot of blogs that are ready to work with us; we just have to get it out. I have a few magazine articles lined up, too. I’m going to do one with Vibe, one in Australia coming up. So there are a handful of people we can get it out to. JT: Have you tied your own personal style into the line? Ali: Yea I’d be lying if I said I didn’t, but the thing with the clothing line is, man, we can’t really create something really out there that people won’t buy. You got to kind of stick to a certain type of block, the basic stuff. I do have certain influences but it’s hard to implement that in your own line you kinda just have to go with what you feel is right and if it works it works. I would love to be like, yea I like, uh, Obey and I wanna be just like it, but it wouldn’t come out the same way. It has its own little twist to it.

Ali: Yea, exactly. Shout out to Chris Brown. JT: So it’s more of a costume than style and fashion? Ali: You know, man, I think you said it best. I think it is a costume. I think people watch 106 and Park or something and then they go out on Friday and try to emulate that. But they got to understand that Big Sean dresses how he does because he is connected to Kanye West, Kanye West is connected to everybody. Normal people like us; we don’t have funds to wear $5000 belts. People just try to be something they are not. We were somewhere and I seen a guy with like seven foxtails. That’s seven too many. (more laughter) JT: Did you grow up in Southern California? Ali: Yea, West Covina. JT: Did living in West Covina have any influence on the line?

JT: What do you think about LA Fashion? Ali: I think it’s a weird subject right now. I feel like everyone wants to be Kanye

Ali: It really didn’t influence the line, but it’s been a driving force. Growing up in West Covina, a lot of people took wrong

paths. I grew up with a lot of friends, in particular this guy named Isiah. He was an amazing baseball player, he woulda been a millionaire right now. And when we went to middle school he just took the path of gangs. I went to high school with a lot of people that are still like, ill see them at the shop where I get my haircut and they are still like, “Yea man I just got signed to Death Row.” But man Death Row doesn’t even exist. They are still just on their little grind. West Covina, I just wanna put it down for West Covina. I’m a pretty positive guy. I’m 26 years old I’ve never drank in my life, I’ve never smoked. I just want to be positive and show people. Growing up in West Covina everyone didn’t come from a good place. So I want to put it down and let people know that I came from there and anything can happen. JT: Is it hard to stay sober? Ali: Imagine now if we were at a club or something, some people might think it’s disrespectful not to drink. Some girls might think you’re uptight some girls think it’s cool. I always had this thing where I always thought I was too cool. I know it sounds wrong, but I never wanted to drink or smoke because everyone else was doing it. I always wanted to do what I was doing so everyone was smoking weed and drinking and I wasn’t going to do it. Got to 21, 22, still didn’t do it. 26, I still didn’t do it. That’s why the call me Ali Saint Q. Not because of fashion or nothing, it’s because I don’t do any of that stuff. I’d rather save up my money and buy shoes and stuff than buy drinks. JT: Was there a brand in high school you wanted to wear but never got a chance to? Ali: I always wanted a Coogi sweater. But I dunno I could never get it. But every time I saw B.I.G. wearing that, I wanted one. JT: What’s going on with the sunglasses? Ali: We were trying to come out for so long and we felt the sunglasses were the best summer product. They are limited edition items. We hooked up with a great manufacturer in Italy and teamed up for a great piece. JT: Will the glasses be the first item available from the line? Ali: It will all drop together but we will be pushing the glasses.

Party, NO Bullshit. Friday night RAW brings it every time: OPEN BAR_ LIVE PERFORMANCES_ VINTAGE CLOTHING SALE_ TACO TRUCK_ GOOD MUSIC_ GOOD PEOPLE. Friday night RAW is where you can find some of LA’s hottest underground RAW talent. $15 gets you in all night, in other words... if ain’t got no money take your broke ass home! I say if you got $15 then come to our party and drink your face off! For more info and dates check out rawwater.net under the events tab. (Los Angeles Rawwater where to be you is to be different)

A Woman’s Place: In The Refrigerator - Kia Riley I am a girl. I am a comic book fan. The two statements seem oxymoronic but as rare a breed as we may be, we do exist. Growing up, while most of my gal pals were busy taking their “Does he notice me?” quizzes from the latest issue of teen magazine, I was flipping through the colorfully violent pages of my comic books, rooting for the hero and cursing the resurrected villains. Back then my heroes of choice were: Spiderman (before he was on every lunch box across America), Batman, Spawn and Daredevil.

Gail Simone was one of the first to document the ‘misfortune’ that often follows females in comic books. She created a website (http://www.unheardtaunts.com/wir/) where she compiled a list of ill-fated ladies and prefaced it by saying, “not every woman in comics has been killed, raped, depowered, crippled, turned evil, maimed, tortured, contracted a disease or had other life-derailing tragedies befall her, but… it's hard to think up exceptions.”

Note the shortage of super females in that line up. This was not for lack of trying. I picked up a super heroine issue here and there but, unlike the drug, the content didn’t leave me hooked.

One group of talented ladies has embraced everything that is wrong with the female portrayal in mainstream comic books and created a satirical webcomic called, “Strong Female Characters.” (http://www.harkavagrant.com/index.php?id=311) Kate Beaton, Meredith Gran, and Carly Monardo collaborated through twitter and use their über cartooning skills to bring characters like, Georgia O’Queefe, Queen Elizatits and Susan B. Assthony to life. True to comic tradition, the ‘strong female characters’ pose themselves with both ass AND titties facing the same direction, all while screaming their mantra—“Sexism is OVER!”

The comic book industry is dominated by men, which makes sense given their target market is the human male species. Knowing this, with a little dissection, we can get a sneak peek at the (American) male psyche. For example, we see that most women drawn into comic books have outrageous bodily proportions that put Barbie to shame. These unrealistic bodies are then stuffed into skin tight spandex and their footwear of choice? Heels? When they’re not fighting crime as the star of their very own “B” comic book, the woman’s role in comic books is often as a supporting character ie Mary Jane, Lois Lane and Alex DeWitt. Beyond a supporting role, women tend to be used as a plot device to hurt the male super hero. Case in point—Alex DeWitt AKA the original ‘Woman in the Refrigerator.’ Alex, girlfriend to Kyle Rayner (Green Lantern) was gruesomely chopped up and placed into a refrigerator where Kyle, hungry for a snack, found her and surely made it his life’s work to avenge her death.

Now, I know it sounds an awful lot like I’m complaining or making a feminist call to arms but at the end of the day, I love comic books. I love the art, the story lines, the villains and of course, I love the heroes. I’m not canceling my subscriptions any time soon. I probably would not have even realized women were scarce in comics if I wasn’t one myself. I will continue to devour them and watch my heroes on the big screen this summer as their female counterparts are dressed in scantly clad outfits and used as plot devices. But hey, at least they’re not going to be the first ones killed off like the minorities.

Christina Ledesma

Vivian Rivas

Over the last two years, I have made a decent transformation of my body. Having been skinny all my life, I took on the challenge to go from Peter Parker to Spiderman. I often get asked the same questions about my workouts and dieting by people who are also looking to make changes in their physical appearances. In this installment of Beach Body, I thought I’d share some of the most frequently asked questions as well as how I typically respond to them. Some of the answers might surprise you, but hopefully you will learn something you didn’t know before that will aid you in your body transformation. Q: How many days a week do you work out? A: Six. I separate my body by muscles and each day is spent focusing on that targeted muscle. Example Monday- chest, Tuesday- quads, Wednesday- back, Thursday- shoulders, Friday- hamstrings, Saturday- back. Bonus tip: If you noticed, I do not have an “arm” day. Most guys in the gym want bigger arms so they have an arm day. However arms are one of the smallest muscles in the body, and are actively used as secondary muscles when working chest, back, and shoulders. Therefore having a day specifically dedicated to training your arms typically means you are over-training and hindering your own growth. I know that many of you have seen body builders training on an arm day, but remember: 1. You’re not a bodybuilder nor do you lift that level of weight. 2: Those body builders have an endless budget for supplements to take for recovery, as well as steroids. I train my arms once a week, just throwing them in on a day that I feel I have enough energy to give them maximum effort. Q: What supplements do you take? A: When I first started my weight training, I took just about everything they sold at the Vitamin Shoppe. I took protein, pre-workout, post-workout, during workout, and all my vitamins. However, I’ve learned that supplements become a crutch for most people, and they serve as mental enhancements more so than physical enhancements. Meaning, when you take a pre-workout supplement, it does more for your psyche than it does your body. Taking a pre-workout gives mental motivation for you to hit the gym and hit it hard. Through my training I have learned that I do not need all those supplements; I just need hard work and self-motivation. As far as supplements go, I just drink coffee in the morning before my workouts, and I utilize glutamine and branch chain amino acids (BCAAs) for my recovery. Q: How many times a week do you do abs and what do you do for them? A: Many people are shocked by this answer but anyone that knows my workouts knows that it is the honest truth. 63

I do abs MAYBE once a week. Abs are about 75% diet. I don’t care how many crunches you do everyday, if you’re not eating right then you will never have a six-pack, unless you’re just inherently skinny. However, with a good diet and a reasonable cardio program, you can have the best abs on the beach. Since nobody ever likes that answer because it was not the answer they were looking for; when I do abs I don’t do anything fancy and just keep it basic. Situps, crunches, and leg raises is all I do. High intensity, high reps, and fast pace are the key when doing abs. Q: How do you lose fat here? (Typically this is when the person points to their love handles or another specific area of the body) A: This question refers to “spot fat loss”; meaning a person wants to lose fat in a specific spot or area of the body. The answer to this question is that there is no such thing as spot fat loss. When you burn fat, you burn it as a whole throughout the body. No matter what those infomercials try to sell you on, there is absolutely no way to lose fat in just one area of the body. The only way to lose fat around a certain spot of the body is to lose fat around the entire body. Many people get muscle building and fat loss confused. Building muscle is not the same as losing fat. Doing crunches and other ab exercises, build muscle; this does not directly correlate to fat loss. Conversely, the muscle tissue is stronger than fat tissue, so it does aid in the burning of fat. Yet for the average gym-goer, if you want to lose fat there is only two ways to do so: eat right and cardio. Bonus Tip: Often ladies ask me how they can tone up and lose fat in their legs but keep their ass… Bad news is there is no way to do this. If your legs are fat then your ass is probably fat too. So you either keep it or lose it. If you’re trying to gain that Amber Rose figure it’s important to understand some people just have amazing genetics. Hence why she’s a model. Good news is if you lose fat in your legs it’s probably going to make your ass look bigger any way. Being fit is an illusion, you can create and sculpt body parts to look bigger or smaller than they actually are.

-AC

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CALIBEAR H

The bear is our mascot, it represents Los Angeles how we see it at times, deranged and scary, something that will kill you if you let it.

73 CALIBEAR sweater

B I K E

We own one and we all have a lot of fun riding it however I almost died a few times running a few red lights, which was kind of fun within itself, all the real fix gear riders out there know what I am talking about â&#x20AC;&#x153;What Breaks?â&#x20AC;?.

RAWtime

To be put simply he was one of a childhood favorite, like the Batman, he possessed no super powers. Simply with his yellow coat and cool ass watch, he got around and put some of the weirdest but coolest gangsters out of business.

cardiBULL

The bull represents death; the water drops represents life; the colors represent U.S.A, were we reside. As a whole it represents LIFE, so live it up!!!!

RAW KING

Threatened, Arrested and eventually Murdered for speaking up to attain and preserve the Peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rights.... We celebrate the KING

BBERRY

The man, the Clipp, the slam - dumk champ!!!!!!!!!

SEXsells

In the world, sex is the biggest driving force, between humans regardless of language, status or cultural make up. Sex is also one the most taboo yet over used human basic instincts in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s media, so we ask the question why it sells, and why the sexist woman can be the craziest and still get away with almost anything?

CALIBEAR shirt & cardiBEAR

QUICK!!!!!!

One of LAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best PG who so many people easily forgot about, it goes to show how they love you one day and the next youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a nobody. No one care where you go or what you did, its just on to the next one, always working on pleasing yourself (pause) and not them. His playing and attitude on and off the court was one who personified this.

BIKE

DOPEMAN

This tee has many meanings behind it. First of all, Ronald Wilson Reagan, the President of all 80â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s babies, was in office from January 20, 1981 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; January 20, 1989. This design gives him is credit for the term he spent in office, every President has a legacy that they leave behind, some will always tie Kennedy to the Bay of Pigs and aiding in the end of segregation, others will tie Lincoln with the freedom of the slaves because those are the major events that took place while they were in office. With Regan in office the major event that took place was the crack/cocaine epidemic.

POPKILLER

HORSE s

THE LINES REPRESENTS COKE LINES, AND THE WHITE REPRESENTS COCANE. THIS IS OUR DESIGN FOR COCANE STORIES, IF YOU LOOK CLOSELY AT THE HORSE, THERE IS A SYMBOL OF DEATH BRANDED ON IT;S THIGH WHICH SYMBOLIZES THE WAY MOST LIVES END WHETHER THE PERSON IS SELLING OR PURCHASING TICKETS TO RIDE THE WHITE HORSE RAWWATER.NET

FEEL FREE TO SEND COMMENTS TO THORNZ@RAWWATER.NET save the session and start a house song, or a soul song, or a glitch remix of a rock song etc. I can do anything, but I think I’m actually developing an allergy for TR-808 kits (fuck knows I can’t stand hearing them). So, while I make all sorts of music, the question I’m always asked is:

“You make beats?” I almost cringe when I hear this. Any aspiring beat-maker will tell you that this question is the I used to love H.E.R. but now she got like 5 STDs

first in a string of questions that never ends well.

and 3 kids from 3 dudes that didn’t stick around.

Unsigned rappers, these guys are worse than the finance department at an auto dealership.

I watched the BET Hip Hop Awards. Yeah. It was like when you break up with someone, and you

Let’s be clear. I’m not talking about MCs. I’m

find out they now have herpes, a kid by some

talking rappers, like second generation Mys-

lame that ain’t treating them right and became

pace/YouTube rappers. I know lots of MCs, peo-

everything they said they never wanted to be, so

ple who respect the art, old spirits, cats that have

when you see them again it’s like, “glad I dodged

integrity - those aren’t the dudes I’m talking

that bullet.” That’s the feeling I got within 5 sec-

about. I’m talking about these young dudes that

onds of seeing Rick Ross and Ace Hood perform

rhyme only incidentally, talk about how they’re

– with a special appearance by Lil Wayne! Wow!

going to blow up, and basically rip off whatev-

Didn’t see that coming.

er’s “hot.” There are far too many of these dudes,

Anyway, so I’m not sure if you know or not, but

and they have no money. I can’t fuck with these

I’m a musician, an “up-and-comer” or what have

dudes.

you. It’s hard; I’m not sure I’ll ever live off of it. I wish I could say I will with certainty, but I likely

Let me explain. Ok, so I want to make a beat.

won’t, unless Lil Wayne decides to...ah, who am I

I’ve listened to countless records, scanned for

kidding. I’m an old school head. I make Hip Hop

samples, dug through endless crates (looking

using breaks and samples. I’m versatile. I’ll

for the perfect beat), scanned every $1 vinyl sec-

use glitchy synths and huge sine waves on a Hip

tion in every thrift store and mom-and-pop re-

Hop beat, with an 80s New Wave sample, then I’ll

cord store I come across for new sample malte-

rial and just generally good music I can learn

rapper story here>. I got 2 kids and their mom

from. I then buy equipment to play and record

is <deny ownership of responsibility and blame

this vinyl, plus drum kits, software, hardware

other party>. I don’t really have a budget now

interfaces and countless plugins, on top of the

<see also: broke as fuck>, but I’m about to blow

drum machines, keyboards and midi controllers

the fuck up.”

to even play the shit – we’re talking thousands of dollars here. I spend countless hours reading

Actually, it comes out like this:

hardware and software manuals, books on sound

“Im bOut 2 BloW da fUkK up!”

engineering and music theory, endless hours playing different instruments, and even more

Then you get that high-pressure look, like you

time scanning internet production forums to

need to sign a contract now, to give out your shit,

exchange ideas and information, learning new

for free, and really, they’re doing you the favor,

techniques and rediscovering and improving

because they’re on stardom’s doorstep and, if

older techniques. Ok, so I make a beat. I take

you play your cards right, you might get your

a few minutes making a pattern/riff/melody/

foot in the door too.

a beat. Now I have to render all these tracks and

3 Letters

layer them over each other to begin the master-

you to think you’re going to come in the studio,

ing process. I spend hours listening to it over

spend 15 minutes writing 16 bars on how you’re

and over again, effecting certain sounds, mak-

the “next to blow and the haters can’t stand it,”

ing some things louder, some things quieter, ap-

and we’ll somehow be even, or even worse, that

plying EQ, filtering and compression to make a

I’ll owe you something??!? Fuck you, pay me.

mix that jumps from the speakers into your your

I’m not your fans on Twitter; I’m not your You-

ears and forces your head to nod. Ok, so I made

Tube followers. People will listen to you based

a dope beat. Now what? I put these beats online,

on the strength of the beat, don’t get that twist-

burn them to a disc and shoot ‘em to my friends

ed, rappers. You need producers way more than

and make a few social media announcements.

we need you, and if you think you don’t, in the

Then comes the question:

words of DJ House Shoes: “good luck selling that

motif, and then spend hours expanding those 4-8 bars into a full-length song with a verse, chorus, bridge, key/tempo change, etc. Ok so I’ve made

I did not spend that much time on that beat for

hot ass a capella record.” We’re all struggling, “You make beats?”

but being a producer requires a much larger in-

Yeah, I make a lot of music.

vestment. Not saying we won’t work with you,

“Oh like, dubstep and shit too?”

but don’t expect everything you want to be free.

… Yes, I can do that too.

You gotta spend money to make money son, and if you think you can do better on your own, do

“Well I go by Godz G1ff and I’m trying to <insert

it; people apparently like listening to unskilled

grandiose pipe dream here>. I got <namedrop

preset stacking these days anyway.

your cracked software, probably Fruity Loops or Reason> but I’m <looking for someone that

Get it straight, or get the FOH.

actually knows what their doing to make beats for me>. You know, I’m <insert tragic aspiring

Peace

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