Superlative Conspiracy No.1

ELI REE D OUR N EWE ST RECR UIT

OL D DIRTY B A S TA R D R ES T IN POWER

No.1 FA L L / W IN T E R 2011

M E R C E D E S H E LN W E I N GOOD T E M P TAT I O N S

ST O CKHO LM N OT JUST FO R M E AT BALLS

SUPERLATIVE CONSPIRACY J ASO N LE E SHO T BY GI O VAN NI RED A

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WORDS FROM ABOVE

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It’s been a while since we did this - published a book or publication with the content based on the ideas, words and expressions of the people within Superlative Conspiracy, that is. In 2001 the world got to see three issues of the never-forgotten We Mag - a highly appreciated and severely sarcastic/ fun version of a magazine that still graces the walls of the WeSC office. The constant reminder and the memories of it made us want to do this again.

Bring back the words, the inspiration, the images, visuals and ideas of the people within the Superlative Conspiracy, collect and present them to you.

So we present: The Superlative Conspiracy Issue No.1: Fall/Winter 2011.

This book, magazine, fanzine or what you prefer to call it, deeply reflects what we do, who and what we are - we’re a collection of people who do what we love, the way we want it done and with our friends and loved ones. We’ve brought together a selection of this group and presented them and their stories here - with the purpose to inspire, entertain, confuse or to just enjoy. These immensely creative characters and personalities are all somehow related and connected to WeSC - unique relationships that have been formed for years across the world and connected more people than you could imagine - which is exactly how we like it and what we live for. Bringing together all sorts of people, ambitions, thoughts and individualities no matter of background, race, religion or worldly demeanors. It’s about past achievements and stories, current events and future ambitions. That’s what makes things interesting and that is what we want to share with you.

WeSC is always active and we have no intention of stopping or slowing down - in the upcoming months also introducing a selection of exciting things besides what we have in here, such as the collaboration with smart (we’ve made a car and a headphone), the WeSC x RZA: Chambers By RZA (street and premium headphones with a one of the worlds legends to put it simply) and also the collaboration together with The Standard! All of the above is something we hope and think you’ll really like.

With that said it’s time to let you start this. Dig into it - read, think, feel, enjoy.

Welcome to the world of WeSC.

-GREGER HAGELIN [WeSC CEO & CO-FOUNDER]

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CONT RIBUT ORS

V OIC E No . 1 J A MES J . WIL L IA MS III

VO I C E N o. 2 TONY ARCABASCIO

VO I C E N o. 3 D O M D E LU C A

VO I CE N o. 4 S ON AM D AWA

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FOO D RORY HERRMAN N AND FRIEN DS TALK

WINE C A R L O MONDAV I ON S ETH C R IPE

S K AT E E LI R E E D

MUSIC DANTE ROSS ON O LD D I RT Y B A S TA R D

ART M E R C E D E S HE LN W E I N

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COVER CH RI S PAST RAS ON JASON LEE

FA S H ION FA L L 2011 ‘ TIL DEATH

FA S H I O N FA LL 2 0 1 1 2 FA C E D 1 x WeS C

FA S H I O N WINTER 2011 BREAK ICE

P HO T O S

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I N SPIRAT IO N ARKITIP

C ITY G U IDE S TOC K H OL M

LO C AT I O N S WeS C CONCEPT STORES

CONTRIBUTORS

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CARLO MONDAVI - From the ripe age of five, Carlo could be found in the vineyard, still in his pajama’s, helping harvest before sunrise. Later, Carlo worked at the Robert Mondavi Winery in several areas including winemaking, viticulture and sales. In 2003 he struck out on his own to found Davi Skin, a skin care line utilizing the healthy antioxidants found in grapes. Outside of the wine business Carlo has snowboarded, professionally competing in big air and slope style events around the world. A passionate athlete, he enjoys spending time in the great outdoors. His favourite places include Napa, Lake Tahoe, Park City, Laguna, Tuscany and Kauai. When it’s not harvest or work time at the winery you can find him snowboarding, surfing or skateboarding. continuumestate.com wesc.com/weactivist/carlo-mondavi

STASH - Based in New York, Stash exhibited his first canvases in 1983, with his first piece ‘The Wall’ being published in the renowned graffiti book ‘Spray Can Art’ in 1985. He painted his last active subway with Zephyr in 1987 and has since showcased work alongside some of the scenes icons including Futura and pop graffiti artist Kaws. Today he has established himself as an influencer in the world of clothing, founding design studio Subware where he was the first to use elements of graffiti and the street environment as simple, sharp graphics. wesc.com/weactivist/stash

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CONTRIBUTORS

STEED LORD - Steed Lord is a musical performance art project working on the frontiers of pure creativity and powerful music making with impressive and energetic live shows, experimental filmmaking, photography, fashion design and styling, art direction, graphic design and other visuals mediums.

The threesome Kali, Mega and Demo all hail from their native Iceland where they grew up in the entertainment and art world learning their craft at an early age in their fathers studios.

Drawing their raw inspiriation from their icelandic background, they have managed to create a world of their own that they call New Crack City where they write their music and create their art.

Steed Lord have since early 2006 been a 100% DIY project and have toured all over the world with their music, performing for thousands of fans while being featured in numerous magazines, on music and fashion blogs, in tv-shows and on radio. steedlord.com wesc.com/weactivist/steed-lord

MERCEDES HELNWEIN - Mercedes Helnwein was born in Vienna, Austria, daughter to renowned painter and art provocateur Gottfried Helnwein. With a deep fascination developing early on in her childhood for both the visual arts as well as literature, she began to dedicate her time equally among the two.

She moved to Ireland with her family, where she spent her teens drawing, writing and listening to the blues in a castle. Her influences, which range from Southern Gothic traditions to the cartoons of Robert Crumb, to nineteenth Century Russian literature, American motel culture and the Delta blues, eventually landed her in a style distinctly her own – unsettling, direct and quietly humorous.

In 2003 she added Los Angeles as a second home. Teaming up with friend and photographer Alex Prager, Mercedes Helnwein began exhibiting her art regularly around L.A. in unorthodox one-night shows. Initially a lot of people came to these shows for the free beer, but her intricately executed drawings of weird goings-on soon began to attract a strong following, making her a vital representative of the L.A. art scene. Her exhibition “Whistling Past the Graveyard” was bought out by Damien Hirst in London in 2009.

In 2008 Simon and Schuster published her first novel “The Potential Hazards of Hester Day”.

Film became an important element in her work in 2008, when she made a three-minute film to accompany her exhibition “Whistling Past the Graveyard” at the Merry Karnowsky Gallery in Los Angeles. Since then she has accompanied all her exhibitions with a short-film, for which her brother Ali Helnwein composes the music. She has also started shooting films for fashion, amongst them Ai for Ai and recently a film for Orla Kiely’s A/W 2011 collection. Mercedes Helnwein currently lives and works in downtown Los Angeles and Ireland. www.mercedeshelnwein.com wesc.com/weactivist/mercedes-helnwein

CONTRIBUTORS

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JAMES J. WILLIAMS III - James J. Williams III, a Brooklyn native, is an artist, curator and creative director. He has had solo exhibitions in New York, Miami, London and Paris. For five years he was a director/partner at Envoy enterprises. Additionally, James is an art director and board member of Opium For the Arts, a literary and cultural non-profit responsible for the Literary Death Match and Opium Magazine, and is acting ombudsman for SVA’s PhotoGlobal Program. Since 2003 James has served as the director and founder of the Thorstein Foundation, a project specific idea management firm specializing in collaboration and creative cultivation.

JJWIII.com

TONY ARCABASCIO - Both my parents came to NYC from Italy, had me in 1970, and I’ve lived here in NY my whole life. I’ve done everything from working in a pizzeria, to dancing at parties and clubs for cash. In 1995 I started working in the magazine industry, made a couple of great friends, and founded the collective brand ‘ALIFE’ with them in 1999. In 2006 I became a daddy and started a new business, Tony Arcabascio Inc. Basically, I just try to work on cool shit with cool people... My plan for life. tonyarcabascio.com

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CONTRIBUTORS

DOM DELUCA - Born and raised in Brooklyn New York. Growing up in Brooklyn, Dom became introduced to many different lifestyles and tastes in music - loving this new genre of music: rap. After a few run ins with the law, his parents gave him a new outlet to express himself - a BMX - and soon started racing BMX bikes to National and State championships. Racing BMX he befriended another group of friends who then turned him on to music and culture that would change his life - Heavy Metal. He started frequenting his uncles club in Brooklyn: L’Amours, ‘The Rock Capital Of Brooklyn.’ Here he met up and coming unsigned bands such as Slayer, Metallica and Anthrax whom he would later work for as a roadie. Despite being so deep into the world of Heavy Metal, Dom still loved rap and soon started working at Rush Management/Def Jam Records. He’d already established a presence in the LES NY Hardcore scene by going to the matinees at CBGB’s every Sunday but he now became part of the streetfashion art world where the likes of Stash, Futura, X Large and an unknown designer Stussy were making their mark. Soon after he put together what was to become a whole new genre of music - convincing Chuck D of Public Enemy with the help of Scott Ian of Anthrax to do a remake of Bring The Noise. Dom was then approached by MTV to be the co-host of Headbangers Ball for more than 6 years - simultaneously working for record labels such as Def Jam, Roadrunner, Universal and EMI. If that wasn’t enough Dom embarked onto fashion - selling all his free clothes he’d worn on MTV from then unknown “streetwear” brands at a local flea market. In 1993, he opened up Brooklyn House Skate Shop, Brooklyn NY followed in ‘96 by one in LA, which also encouraged a move to LA. After a year off in 2000, Dom reemerged in 2002 with Brooklyn Projects - the first ever skateboard shop/boutique. This is where the story is right now but Dom’s journey is one that is never ending and only time will tell what will happen next. brooklynprojects.com SONAM DAWA - Sonam Dawa is a Buddhist monk since the age of 10.

Since his childhood he has been speaking a lot about his passed life, where he came from and what he was. Strongly motivated of finding the answer of the concept of rebirth through the ancient Indian thought, he studied 25 years and became a doctor in philosophy.

He is the founder of Peace Ling centre in Zanskar; Ladakh Himalaya region, a vegetarian, animal lover and activist too. At present he is managing the universality where he finished his studies.

Sonamdawa@rediffmail.com.

CONTRIBUTORS

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DANTE ROSS - Dante Ross has over the last 20 plus years produced and remixed records for the likes of Brand Nubian, Busta Rhymes, Korn, Everlast, ODB, Carlos Santana and a host of others. He is considered one of the architects of the so called golden age of hiphop where as an A+R man he signed Ol Dirty Bastard, Busta Bus, Pete Rock and CL Smooth, Grand Puba, MF Doom and Del the Funky Homosapien during his years at Elektra records. Mr. Ross has also written for Vapors, Interview, The Village Voice and Mass Appeal Magazine where he was doubled as a contributing editor as well as a featured columnist for 5 years. Mr. Ross, never one to be limited by any creative field is also a brand strategist having provided this service for the likes of 10Deep, Pro Keds, Mass Appeal Magazine, The Agenda Trade show and SRC records amongst a host of others. Mr. Ross currently is the director of A & R for Warner Brothers Records and divides his time between both coasts. He is also a regular contributor to The Berrics where his HipHop101 has become a favorite for the skateboard community at large.

highsnobiety.com/columns/danteross

CHRIS PASTRAS - Chris is a legendary skateboarder, artist, longtime WeActivist, and television host from New Jersey, who began his career in the 80’s during the emergence of the New York City skate scene as a rider for Shut Skateboards. Chris relocated to California in 1990 and shortly afterward turned pro for the groundbreaking brand World Industries. Then in 1992, Pastras founded Stereo Skateboards with longtime creative partner Jason Lee. With it’s unique, retro based aesthetic, Stereo has been credited with revolutionizing skateboarding graphics, advertising, and videos. Alongside being Creative Director, and Co-Owner at Stereo, Chris is still an active pro skater. As a television host, Chris is featured in numerous shows on Fuel TV, and on ESPN’s X-Games. His artwork can be found on the racks of skate shops and on the walls of galleries all around the globe. www.stereosoundagency.com wesc.com/weactivist/chris-pastras

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CONTRIBUTORS

GOIVANNI REDA - Giovanni Reda’s skateboard photography career began in 1993 when he would take the train everyday from his home in Brooklyn to shoot photos of his friends skating the streets of NYC. As his reputation and network of friends grew, he began photographing the world’s top professional skateboarders, freelancing for every major skateboard publication, including Transworld, Thrasher and Skateboarder. By 1996 Reda was a senior photographer for Transworld Skateboarding Magazine. In 1999 he shifted gears and became the staff photographer for Zoo York Skateboards. Upon completing his tenure at Zoo York, in 2003 Reda became the Photo Editor for Big Brother Magazine, which produced the MTV show Jackass. He is still a frequent contributor to Thrasher and Transworld Skateboarding Magazine.

Reda’s infectious humor and appealing personality has earned him a weekly episodic video blog on skateboarding top content producing website, The Berrics.com. “Wednesdays with Reda” showcases his unique humor and quick wit as he travels the world with a camera and various professional skateboarders.

Through his skill and devotion to his work, Giovanni has become one of the most sought after and successful photographers in the history of skateboarding. Today any contribution made to a skateboard magazine is always accepted. His devotion to both skateboarding and photography are unquestionable, and he vows, “As long as I breathe I am going to shoot skateboarding.” giovannireda.com wesc.com/weactivist/reda

CHERYL DUNN - Cheryl Dunn is a NYC photographer and filmmaker who has spent her career documenting the city streets, and the people who strive to leave their mark there, from graffiti writers, artists, skaters, boxers, and bikers. After launching her career shooting for music and fashion magazines she began to focus on filmmaking in the late 90’s, creating some of the most classics films about artists of her generation who have ennobled the realities of urban life through their own work. She has had two books of her photographs published - Bicycle Gangs of New York (2005) and Some Kinda Vocation (2007) and was recently shown in the “Art in the Streets “ exhibition at the Geffen Contemporary MOCA. Dunn is currently completing a feature documentary entitled “Everybody Street“ about NYC street photographers, featuring some of the legends in the field of street photography of the last century. cheryldunn.net

JAMES J. WILLIAMS III

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NOTES ON HOME PHOTO BY JJ WILLIAMS III

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o one ever believes I am from Brooklyn.

In fact there are not many of us left. At least in the circles I run in. So like most waiting it out until they are drafted elsewhere, people assume I arrived on this great civic conveyor belt from Detroit, from Connecticut, from Cleveland, from boarding school, where I will inevitably return once I have made famous, or rich, or babies, or nothing of myself. Some see my overzealous municipal pride as another example of my integration. What they don’t see is that New York has been the closest thing to a home of my own for the last three decades.

That was how this began, a brief, pointed account of my search for a home. It was chronological, sporadic, full of drama, and approaching the length of a book. It was a story I had tried to write numerous times and given up on. There were the breakdowns of every neighborhood, every apartment, house, couch, and park bench I had inhabited. A plethora of overindulgence. I could recount every friend won and lost, every brief or enduring love affair. A hopscotch on sentiment and memorial. There were lines like this: Crack was making its way from LA to New York; one of the few times I will acknowledge the west coast as early adopters. I told my mother I never wanted to grow up to be a teenager.

And this: Eventually we hopped on the white flight wagon and moved out to the womb of suburbia, the spawn of Robert Moses’ Tri-State rape.

Moments of comic relief bridging one sentimental moment to another to a timeline. Anyone I know has heard these stories over and over. Some have even stolen them for the plot points of their own books. And I realized this was not a story of

trying to find some thread through the sometimes self-inflicted chaos, but ideas swapped. Like any good city, stories and ideas and loves and people get traded around. It is a perfect cipher of goodwill. An acknowledgement of connectedness.

That is how this really begins. I was not cataloguing my great failure upwards, or reminiscing about all those people gone. I was digging for kindling.

Whenever I am speaking or teaching, the first thing I always do is tell people to spend the next three to four weeks mining for mentors. I tell them to list every person, thing, color, feeling they are now and have ever been inspired by. I make sure they include every person, thing, feeling, place that has ever inspired rage, extreme envy, nausea in them as well. Those bits of life that we find most vomitous are often the perfect key to our individual inspiration.

It is not an original idea. And I think the first time I felt it really resonate was in Bill Upski’s No More Prisons. Upski in a tender-bitter moment asks his father, “Dad, in all yours years, how many mentors have you had?” And his father pauses a moment, and answers, “I am not sure. Two maybe three.” Upski goes on to explain how upsetting that is to him. “I have hundreds of mentors.” It is a rather wholesome account of how not to repeat our parents’ mistakes, but the point I took away is to gather everything. To get my hands, my fingers, my lips, my nose into as much as I could.

There is a book by Paul Smith called You can find inspiration in everything (and if you can’t, look again). Sometimes it takes a while to realize how important a moment or a flash is to our creative process, but the more vigilant we are everyday in attacking inspiration, the more conscious we become of just how all those moments fall into place.

Embracing mentorship just make all of this easier.

The ideas of the lone genius, the toils of solitude

are an epic myth. Innovation, how we know it today, could never have happened without the birth of cities. We live in a whirlpool of ideas. I do not want mine to get come to me, trickling down like material runoff. I want a pool of handholding and spinning as the current picks up and we all get taken for some thrill ride. It is that support system that is doing the real work. Over and over again I have heard this line: No one who has any passion for what they do, ever turns away someone else seeking help or advice in their passion.

It is a wonderful cliché that happens to be a terrific truth. I have never met anyone that was not willing to help some eager young something, if they just asked. Everyone has had some form or a mentor. Sometimes the mentor does not even know how important they really were. It is a gorgeous naïve cycle. We want two steps forward, but I will side with Paula Adbul, we are always checking in on our legacy one step back. {one more idea here} And this long drawn out meandering search for a home of my own, the mapping my way back and through Brooklyn, and the sometimes hilarious, often disturbing anecdotes, is not proof that I had cracked the myth of myself. It is proof that I have gotten lazy, and perhaps a little preachy.

I have let some of my mentors slip away. I have turned my back on the incessant obsession with how gorgeous everything can be. Sitting here with a glass of scotch looking out on the Wisteria blooming, it is pretty easy to feel sated and sentimental. But I want more and more and more and more.

Even if I have found ultimate love, infinite inspiration, and yes, finally, Home. On Staten Island of all places.

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VOICE No.1

‘Cross river ponds and the con-nerve-cord bound’ LASERJET ON NEWSPRINT 2008

TONY ARCABASCIO

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CHINATOWN PHOTO BY ALESSANDRO SIMONETTI

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think we’ve come to a point in the past 6 years where most NYC neighborhoods are becoming homogenized. It’s inevitable when you’re in a city where the cost of living keeps rising. The variety in neighborhoods came primarily through different groups of immigrants setting up mini-cities within the city. But now not being able to afford the Manhattan life anymore, the diversity has diminished, and these mini-cities have shrunk, if not disappeared. I know there have been a million articles already written about this gentrification, and that the yuppies, hipsters, etc, are invading the city and are the ones to blame, but this is totally not the point of this piece and/or me starting out with this. It’s more to set a tone of loss of culture and diversity of life. And coming from a person that has run his own business for the past decade in downtown Manhattan (the important part), there is only one community that seems to have survived it all, and in my eyes, seems to have grown… Chinatown.

If you’ve never been to Chinatown, you need to visit. It impresses me to see a downtown community in NYC that is still self-contained and selfsufficient in a way that they basically can provide everything for their people in their native tongue and shut all outsiders out, if they really wanted to.

That’s pretty powerful in our city. The stationary store, the banks in the neighborhood, the buses, and even the NYC Post Office located in Chinatown all cater to the Chinese (The last time I went to the post office on Doyers street there were actually signs within the space that requested there to be “NO SPITTING”, implying that at one point this was a problem ‘inside’ the post office.

Must be a Chinese thing?). But none of this is unusual. It all actually makes sense. And it’s actually refreshing to be able to walk a block from my office and be totally immersed in a foreign culture, down to some of the smallest details. It’s like traveling without getting on a plane.

What really impresses me the most about Chinatown is the food situation. Now, coming from an Italian background myself, I’m used to food being a major part of my family’s life. Growing up, everything revolved around cooking and eating, as it does for most Italians who are considered “off-the-boat” (my parents are both from Italy).

But as I mentioned, like most neighborhoods, Little Italy (right next door to Chinatown) should be renamed ‘Extra Little Italy’, for it has whittled to basically no more than a block and a half at present. At one time considered the mecca for the best Italian food in the city due to it’s thriving Italian community, it now is mostly tourist driven, left with only a few storefronts selling some guido trinkets, and a few restaurants all serving the same bullshit. But not in Chinatown.

Go take a walk in Chinatown in the late afternoon. The streets are still packed on a daily basis with Chinese people going to buy food to cook that night. And I mentioned that this impressed me previously, not because Chinese people are eating, but more because there is this ‘wild west’ feeling to it all. It makes me feel alive and curious, as well as uncomfortable. It all happens in front of you. Fresh food is being sold out of storefronts, as well as on the sidewalks and out of the back of trucks or vans. There are fish being thrown, frogs hopping out of buckets, and enough dried roots and other stuff in bins that I couldn’t begin to understand what to do with. And I guess ‘not understanding’ is where being uncomfortable comes into play with me. As a New Yorker I’m supposed to ‘get it’. As a New Yorker I’m supposed to be a ‘know it all’ on what to do in every situation. But to see all this fucken great looking stuff in front of me and to feel afraid or weird to even ask what it all is, makes me feel fucked up and out of place.

I’m a dude that normally isn’t afraid of anything.

I guess this is why it’s so intriguing to me. It’s a frontier that I haven’t conquered yet, and may never know or be let in to ever know.

But I want to know. I want to know how to cook that thing that looks like a thick piece of tree bark, or what that dried-up looking sea creature tastes like. At the very least, I just want to know what it’s fucken called. But I don’t talk Chinese, and the ‘tourist-like’ feeling that overcomes me every time I get the balls to ask a local a question stops me from doing so. I’d ask that question if I was in Shanghai (which I’ve been, and have), but in NYC, my city, it just feels weird. But guess what? I still walk through everyday, and I still stare, and I randomly touch something like I know what I’m doing. I’m getting closer to buying something with each visit, and one day you’ll be able to come over for a home cooked Chinese dinner. Promise.

There’s a reason Chinatown is one of the most visited neighborhoods in the city. It’s one of the last vibrant and true neighborhoods that still exists, regardless if someone with a little money has moved around the corner, or even upstairs. The Chinese run that shit their way, and there’s nothing you can do about it.

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VOICE No.2

‘WINDOW’ CHINATOWN NYC 2009

DOM DELUCA

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1986 PHOTO BY DOM DELUCA

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o the year was 1986... at this time I had just started hanging out every weekend at my Uncles club.. L’Amours.. the iconic “ Rock Capital Of Brooklyn “ as they penned it.. everyone and anyone has had their start there from the world of Heavy Metal. Back to my story.. it was Summer of 86.. and the great Manowar played.. now anyone that has had the pleasure of seeing them live know what a GREAT show they put on.. in part by the way they dressed ( loin cloths and shirtless ) and by their slogan ... “ Death to False Metal “... also what they did to get the crowd hyped up and salivating was to play to LONG ( 40 minutes ) operatic intro before they hit the stage... after listening and being tortured by that shit .. a dog farting would sound pleasurable.. but it helped them create a very crazy energy inside the club once they played their instruments and started into the first chords of “ Blood Of My Enemies “.. pure genius. Now the singer.. Eric Adams .. was what a Heavy Metal frontman was all about.. HUGE stage presence .. great voice... and a cocky narcissistic attitude... At this one particular time they played.. my friend Jimmy, who played in a pretty big thrash metal band from New Jersey called Hades, wound up being invited to the after party... my first of many... and what better band to party after the show with than Manowar. The party was at the Holiday Inn in Staten Island , NY, about 20 minutes from Brooklyn... So Jimmy drove us there and from the time I walked into the lobby of the hotel I soon realized what Heavy Metal was all about.

So we mingled in the lobby with a few groupies..

I wound up with this one chick from Old Bridge , New Jersey... back then the cream of the crop of Heavy Metal Vixens came from Jersey.. especially Old Bridge. So after smoking a little weed with her.. she proceeds to blow me in the mail room of the hotel. Amazing blowjob I might add.. so amazing I remember her name.. Stacy Verrano...

19 yrs old.. I was barely 18... now during this time

I had lost my friend Jimmy who was my ride back to Brooklyn. Staten Island is just that.. an Island.. unless you drive.. you’re fucked. So Stacy tells me her friends and everyone else is on the 11th floor... thats where the after party was.. at this point I busted a nut and was ready to go home .. didn’t want to spend anymore time with that gargoyle. So I take the elevator to the 11th floor and as soon as the doors open up.. just picture what an 80’s heavy metal after show party would be like and multiply it by 100 and you’re almost close. I go from room to room to find Jimmy.. every room was the same.. girls and drugs and roadies. Now I make my way to the second to last room on the floor... hoping to find Jimmy and the door of the room is almost fully closed whereas the others were wide open with people running around. I slowly open the door.. and I see at the edge of the corner of the wall that separates the bathroom and living room three naked girls.. or shall I say groupies. I proceed in and what I saw that night has stuck in my mind all this time. I turn the corner and I see MORE girls.. naked !!!!!!! Gathered around and beneath the coffee table with a chair on top of it... a makeshift throne if you will... and sitting on this “throne” is none other than Eric Adams.. singer of Manowar.. I was star struck.. but what he said to me blew my mind more. Sitting on top of his throne .. wrapped in an animal print loin cloth.. he looks at me and says.. “ My son.. please partake in my fruits of lust and pleasure “ ( I couldn’t make this shit up in a million years )... I stood there for a minute.. like a deer in headlights.. all I can say was.. “I will be right back “..why I said that has been a mystery.. but at the time all I wanted to do was find Jimmy to help me partake of the fruit.. On the way out..

I shut the door... I then went running around frantic... trying to find Jimmy... I eventually found him.. but the dickhead I am.. I shut the door behind me. We went back to the room.. and banged and knocked for twenty minutes... and nothing.

My man Eric Adams was in some fucking.. and

a whole lot of it... we then went back to Jimmy’s car.. and drove back to Brooklyn. This was only the beginning of future adventures as I soon became a roadie... this was the deciding moment.

When other kids wanted to become lawyers, doctors and policemen.. I wanted to live the life of a roadie or rockstar.. which ever came first....Now.. my journey begins........ more to come soon.

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VOICE No.3

SELF-PORTRAIT IN HOT TUB WITH ‘FRIENDS’

SONAM DAWA

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SEARCHING FOR THE ANSWER PHOTO BY ROLF PESSEL

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he country where I was born is called Zanskar, Ladakh, in the Himalayas. It is remote and isolated from the modern world. Modernity and technology were totally unfamiliar to the people of Zanskar. When the first truck entered the region, the people mistook it for a bison and even put water and grass on the road when it was coming from far away. Then they hid because they were afraid of the beast.

The driver used the water to cool the engine and then left the place. Afterwards the people gathered and kept telling each other that the bison drank the water but left the grass. The first helicopter flying over the region was mistaken for a big bird, and everyone guarded their own animals, afraid they would be taken away by the bird. I remember vividly chasing any kind of vehicle that came along the road.

In this remote Himalayan region, my mom gave birth to me along with six other children, I being the third. The minutes after my birth, my mom and all other family members were happy. In particular, my two elder sisters had wished for a long time that mom would give birth to a brother, so their wishes came true. But the happiness and joy did not last long, for everyone was shocked when they found that I did not open my eyes for an entire week. Everyone thought I was a blind baby and would be an extra burden on them, taking care of me, and for myself I would have a difficult life ahead. Later their happiness resumed when I finally opened my eyes. My mom asked a meditation master, who lived his whole life in a cave on a remote mountain so he could meditate, to name me. The master named me Sonam Dawa. Sonam means “merit,” and Dawa means “moon.” When a child is born in the Himalayas, the parents usually ask a great master for a name for the child. The name consists of two parts: first, the master gives you his own name; second, he chooses a name for you. For example, the

master who named me was called Sonam Dorjee, so he gave me his own name, Sonam.

A few years after I started to talk, I caused everybody more shock and surprise, because I had been born into this tiny Himalayan region for the second time. My present village is three miles from the village of my past life. I could not understand anything, being a three-year-old child, but I had talked a lot about my small meditation shrine where I lived alone to meditate throughout my past life. I even talked about the names of everyone in my family in my past life. Surprisingly, I had been a monk and owned a private small shrine called “Heaven House,” alone on a hill just above the village. After the monk died, the family locked the shrine and left it empty. But they had been checking, caring and making sure that everything was safe. The monk was also cremated on the hill just outside his shrine. My parents remind me that I always insisted to them that I wanted to go to my shrine to pray, meditate and perform rituals. I can still recall how one day I packed a small bag and walked out of our house and told my mom I was leaving to go to my shrine to pray.

Unfortunately, a stray dog behind our house frightened me from walking further, so I returned home again.

Life went on until I reached an age around 10 and I was listening to people and my family members about my past life. Who was I and what was I doing? For me it was difficult to understand the concept of life and death. Most puzzling was how it happened. First, you are alive, and then you are no longer as you were before. And then you are reborn again? How could anyone verify and prove that presently I am a child, once a monk, and when death occurred the entire body was cremated and turned completely to ashes? How can I be that monk? On the other hand, if there isn’t any connection between me and that monk, and the child of three or four years old had never

been to that place before, how could he tell and recognize everything perfectly without mistake?

Many of these questions came, one after another, to my mind, and I was filled with thirst for an answer to this entire question.

At the age of 10, I was working in the fields with my mom. It was summer, everywhere was green, and the area was full of the sweet scent of flowers. Suddenly, this verdant land was brightened by the red robes of passing monks. As they went by, they greeted us in the local language, and I was struck by their clean, honest appearance.

They seemed so pure, sincere and so very gentle.

I asked my mom about them, and she told me they were from our village but studying ancient Indian philosophy in south India thousands of miles away. Their appearance influenced me greatly, and I had a desire to follow their example to find the answer to my question of rebirth. I decided to follow them to south India to study the epistemology of life in ancient Indian thought.

Gathering provisions and money for travel, I finally started the journey with 600 rupees to cover my expenses. The place I was going to study was called Gomang, a monastic university where the ancient Indian writings are studied. The journey by truck, bus, car and train would take eight days and nights to reach the place where I was hoping to find the answer to my question. On our journey, many stupid and funny things happened.

On the second day of the journey, we rested in a big city where there were a lot of shops and many different things were sold in the market and along the road. With curiosity, another boy and I went to the market to look at things we had never seen before. Among the businessmen, we found a man selling a doll on the roadside. I shouted to the other boy, “Hey, look there’s a doll!” When I saw the doll, I remembered a story about a doll [ continued on page 118 ]

[015]

VOICE No.4

VIEW OF ZANSKAR FROM MOUNTAINTOP

COME BACK SOON

[016]

WORDS BY COLIN WHYTE PHOTO BY CHRIS SHONTING

WeActivist RORY HERRMANN, 33, is a chef with an impressive pedigree -- not to mention an unmatched passion for food and his chosen profession.

His talents and tenacity are evident in his being hand-picked by Thomas Keller, the most admired chef in modern American history (French Laundry, Per Se), to helm the kitchen at Bouchon Bistro in Beverly Hills, where food is regularly raised to an art form. We hit Herrmann up to discuss trends and food at large and he kindly invited fellow L.A. culinary commandos, Michael Voltaggio and Jon Shook, along for the ride.

MICHAEL VOLTAGGIO, 32, is the winner of Season 6 of “Top Chef.” Following in brother Bryan’s footsteps, Michael has worked in restaurants since age 15 and studied under some of the best. He is set to open Ink., his eagerly awaited solo effort, this month. And he has mad Twitter followers.

JON SHOOK, 30, is co-author of the brilliant cookbook “Two Dudes, One Pan” with partner Vinny Dotolo. Together they own L.A.’s Animal and Son of a Gun restaurants, both highly original efforts. At press time, Son of a Gun offered a $7 lobster roll (!) and a king crab leg with Tabasco butter for $26.

In today’s world, there is a big difference between “eating out” and “dining out”. Jumping in the car and heading for the closest fast food drive-thru is not even close to the experience you get when sitting down with friends to enjoy a meal prepared by the hands of an artist, served in an atmosphere that allows you to savor every minute. But forget the ironed white tablecloth, waiter with the foreign accent and 22 service pieces. Enjoying the highest level of dining in an unpretentious atmosphere that won’t break the bank is an important trend surfacing in both New York and LA. The way people dine out is changing… again.

“It still is important that there’s a certain level of respect and professionalism in the kitchen. We’re not lowering our game in the back because we’re making it easier and more accessible for people to eat in the restaurants; the same discipline still applies... We’re still professionals. We’re not doctors, we’re not lawyers: we’re chefs,” says L.A. Top Chef winner Michael Voltaggio.

Yet, there is something different. Super chefs like Michael Voltaggio and Rory Hermann are not just making other peoples’ style of dining accessible, they’re creating a new dining culture that other cities are trying to copy.

However, there is still some great food guests will never see on the tables of these new restaurants with their minimalist design, simply because they are too labor-intensive to produce at an affordable cost. When it takes an hour and a half to prepare one plate, it may taste great… but the average Joe can’t afford it.

continues Michael. But it’s more than just a great meal; it’s the whole dining experience and a little bit more. Rory Hermann adds, “I think of the word camaraderie, it’s about a team focused on providing an experience and a memory the guest won’t forget. At the end of the day, you’re gonna remember the food and the people you were with. The food, the wine, that feeling you had...will make you want to come back. If the whole team is focused and there’s true camaraderie, I think it translates to the dining room and [diners] feel that. It’s really about letting you know how grateful we are that you’re there and how excited we are to show you our art and perform our dance for you.”

Maverick master chefs like Michael Voltaggio and Rory Hermann are changing the landscape of fine dining for the better. It’s becoming much more of an occasion and adventure, than a just a basic need or the display of affluence. It’s the connection and communicating between souls sharing the inexplicable subtleties of taste. It’s hanging out…with great food and great friends. Hermann sums it up nicely, “The food world is a community we all live in, we’re trying to do one thing and that’s to, you know, reach out to you.

What’s on that plate is the way we do that...”

*

“People are turning on their televisions and they’re seeing what we do on TV and, all of a sudden, they want to go out and try it. This has created a whole new demographic of diner, allowing us to cook for a lot more people,”

RORY HERRMANN, MICHAEL VOLTAGGIO, JON SHOOK BOUCHON LOS ANGELES

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FOOD

A DOG/WINE NAMED LOLA

[018]

WORDS BY CARLO MONDAVI PHOTO BY CARLO MONDAVI

For CARLO MONDAVI, being a WeActivist started when he was snowboarding professionaly and continues now with his current lifestyle as a winemaker and farmer. Behind the walls that the wine industry unintentionally puts up is a group of farmers and winemakers that love food, wine, life and the outdoors. For Carlo Wine is passion. It’s family and friends. It’s warmth of heart and generosity of spirit. Wine is art. It’s culture. It’s the essence of civilization and the art of living. The Superlative Conspiracy had Carlo Mondavi hook up with fellow winemaker SETH CRIPE to talk about grapes, glasses and a walking filet mignon in the California country side.

Winemaking is as old as civilization and generations have understood its mystic qualities of being able to brighten a party, celebrate the moment, and make a great steak taste even better. Carlo caught up with winemaker, surfer, and all-around nice guy Seth Cripe at his winery in Napa Valley, California. Named after his canine companion Lola, whom he rescued from the L.A. freeway, his Pinot Noir is made from grapes sourced from the Russian River Valley region in Sonoma County, California and is now winning much deserved praise among those in the “nose.”

So, how is a guy in his early 30s able to produce such a great wine at a cost of around $25 a bottle? “I got interested in wine when I was about 13. Then, after my 17th birthday, I packed up my car and drove to Napa Valley and landed a job at Swanson Vineyards where I stayed for the next four years.

After that I moved onto Caymus, splitting my time between the winery and vineyard for the next seven years before I started Lola,” says Seth. That is where I learned the craft and art of wine and from there I started Lola.

I wanted a world class wine but one that was affordable but tasted like a Grand Cru.

is viewed and consumed. Personally, I want see wine enjoyed more and revered less,” Seth says and adds, “ I’d like to see critics review wines in a less partial manner. Nobody wants to make a bad wine. Wines are just different, not better or worse. I love to see the general consumer form that point of view, but it starts with critics putting aside their egos and realizing they’re not God’s gift to wine. None of us are. We just make a beverage, and enjoy life.”

And enjoying life is important for Seth and a great way to keep in touch with reality. Cripe shares, “I was hiking in the central coast at Point Sal one morning with my dog Lola. Suddenly, Lola was crouching and growling when a mountain lion appeared in the trees near us. I grabbed Lola and slowly backed away. I was really scared, but it’s pretty awesome to see something like that in the wild. I don’t take Lola on many hikes in California anymore… she’s like a little filet mignon walking around out there.”

Here’s to great stories, great wine, and a great guy! Cheers!

*

Known for producing some of the best Cabernet Sauvignon in the world, Caymus could not have been a better education for Seth. According to Vintner Cripe, “wine has so much history in so many cultures in the world.

It relaxes and enhances social gatherings by increasing our capacity for abstract thought. Why do you think Plato and Homer were so wise? Lots of wine!”

Inspired by Robert Mondavi, Seth would love to turn Lola into an international brand with a reputation for premium quality at a reasonable price. “I think our generation is in the unique position to help share the way wine

SETH CRIPE & LOLA NAPA VALLEY, CALIFORNIA

[019]

WINE

THE ONE NAMED ELI

[020]

WORDS BY JULIA PEREZ PHOTO BY PETE THOMPSON

A downtown New Yorker by way of Boston, Eli Reed has been on the serious come up in the skate world, having gone pro with Zoo York shortly after winning Manny Mania in 2009, and then following that, a banger part in Zoo’s team vid, “State of Mind.”

But more than a widely respected skateboarder, there is much to learn about Eli. His artistic background, overall creativity and love for all things diverse, only scratch at the surface as to why we’re hyped to have him on board as our newest WeActivist and addition to our skate crew.

When did you start skating and how did you get into it?

I started skating when I was 10. My brother started first and I kind of just wanted to do what he was doing. I distinctly remember him drawing out this new board he wanted and showing it to my mom. Right away I knew I wanted to get into it.

When did skating really start to take off for you?

It happened pretty quickly, but I would say at around 11 or 12 years old I started to get serious with it. At that age I wasn’t sure where it would take me, but I definitely knew it was something I wanted to do and keep at.

Can you tell us a bit more about growing up and skating in Boston?

Growing up in Boston was great because there was a big up and coming local scene at the time, and I was blessed to be able to grow up around that.

We had the younger kids all feeding off each other’s energy and the older skaters who were constantly motivating the younger group. It was really influential to watch the local bros skate and really blow us away.

Who were some of your biggest inspirations early on?

I always looked up to Andrew Reynolds. I would buy everything he had; shoes, clothes, everything. I think a lot of younger kids like to do that with skaters they look up to and emulate them. Mark Appleyard was another skater I looked up to -- I was super psyched on him. Donny Barley, Brian Wenning, Jamie Thomas. Locally it was Jamal Williams and Charlie Wilkins, and so many others.

Aside from other skaters, what else influences you?

My mom and my brother influenced me a whole lot growing up. They’re both artists -- my mom paints and draws, and my brother is into illustration, kind of like a Japanese comic book style.

Another thing that really influenced me was studying Kung Fu when I was 16. When I was getting injured a lot with skating I studied Kung Fu and used it as an outlet to stay physical during the pause in my skating. My brother studies Kung Fu and it inspired me to start. I learned some amazing things that have stayed with me today – great things mentally and physically.

New York is really influential to me on a daily basis. I think being in New York inspires me to just be different with my skating. There is so much diversity in this city with people from so many walks of life. I have so many friends that do entirely different things so it’s not like I’m hanging out with my skate friends 24/7.

When did you decide to leave Boston? And why New York over anywhere else?

I was always in love with New York. Even as a kid, I always knew I wanted to end up here. I would take the bus to New York from Boston and my dad

would go to New York often, so since then it was always Boston and New York, back and fourth. I’ve been living here for the past five or six years.

But you spend a lot of time on the West Coast as well, right?

It was back and fourth between LA, New York, and Boston for a while, and at one point I was living in the Valley. I have a good amount of friends out there and know my way around the LA area, so I try to skate there as much as I can.

One thing that WeSC embraces is the merging of the creative world and the skate scene. You’ve been quoted saying that you view skateboarding to be an art form rather than a sport – is this right?

I was always inspired by my mom and brother. They’re artists so art was always their thing, and I was a hyper active little kid so skateboarding was my thing. Not right away, but eventually I started to think of skateboarding as my art. Living with artists, you think like an artist. Contests and landing tricks are a part of skating, but I like to think of skating as a way to be creative and to think outside of the box. It’s not necessarily about wanting to be “different”, but finding a niche, doing your own thing, and just having fun with it. Now that I’m older and more comfortable with the tricks I like, I can spend more time focusing on what I think looks good and putting my own spin on things. With pictures too, skateboarding becomes more like art, especially in New York. When you’re skating in New York, the shots you can get here are amazing– from a bright yellow taxi to construction work in the background, everything is very rich and unlike other cities.

All of our WeActivists are dynamic personalities with interests that widely vary across the spectrum. Any tricks up your sleeve -- something people may not know about you?

I’ve always been really interested in film, and my friend and I are working on a side project right now. I don’t want to say too much about it yet because it’s still in the works, but it’s kind of a skate film with serious skating footage, but also transcribes some acting with a story line.

What does being a WeActivist mean to you?

WeSC wants to support people who have their own thing going on, not step in and direct them. I like that because it’s kind of a mutual respect – celebrating who you are, that’s how I see it. All of the WeActivists have so many different talents and interests, from athletes, to models, to artists and musicians. I really like how WeSC can bring them all together.

If you look into a crystal ball, what does the future look like for you?

It’s lookin’ good – it’s lookin’ great! Long-term plans include longevity, of course: hopefully win the next X Games, work on some side projects I have in mind. Just keep going and keep skating.

*

[021]

SKATE

THE OLD DIRTY BASTARD AND ME

[022]

WORDS BY DANTE ROSS PHOTOS BY MATTHEW SALACUSE

ODB aka Dirt Mcgrirt aka Osiris aka Big Baby Jesus aka his government name Russell Jones was a live wire full of crazy exploits from the start. He was also the biggest character I’ve ever worked with in my whole life and someone I truly loved. He was also a total genius and madman a common dichotomy for creative types, me included. He was difficult to work with, exceptionally hilarious, very loving and believe it or not came to me with a damn near finished record.

I couldn’t even tell you how old Brooklyn Zoo or half of those songs were initially really made but I can tell you this: finishing it up was a handful. I once spent an entire week trying to get Dirty to put an additional verse on Shimmy Shimmy and all I got back was his backwards vocals which was just a part of a rhyme from the 1st verse, him claiming Qtip did it and asking, “Why can’t I?” (Tip in fact did do it on “Oh My God” running the same verse twice). When Dirty was first signed to Elektra I got several 2 inch reels from RZA with vocals on ‘em and they were used for the most part on the final version of the album. Regardless, Dirty was a sensational train wreck, something you can only imagine. I have seen him do the craziest things not only any rapper has ever done, but what any person has ever done. I have to tell a few Dirty stories as he truly, of all the people whoever touched my life, deserves to have them told: The way I came to sign Dirty is itself a pretty great one. I was already aware of him from his stellar appearance on The Wu’s first release “Protect your neck”. I literally was listening to the legendary Stretch and Bobbito show one late Thursday evening and heard Dirty getting busy on air, hopped in a cab to go meet him and meet him I did. I entered the studio to see Dirty, RZA, Meth and a few other Wu Tang members and quickly started to hit up RZA about signing Dirty, Meth and anyone else who didn’t have a solo record deal at the time. RZA was quick to say, “Lets get up this week and build son,” and I subsequently scheduled a meeting 2 days later in my office at Elektra records, which much to my dismay Dirty and RZA actually showed up for sans Method Man. I secretly had an idea that I could turn Meth and Dirty in to a new Run Dmc or some crazy shit - RZA though, he already had a game plan. After exchanging pleasantries in which he told me, “I remember you from when I was wack running with the god Melquan,” referencing his days on Tommy Boy when he had out a record called “We love you Rakeem”, pre Wu Tang. I laughed, the ice was broken, and RZA and myself proceeded to the getting down of business. I laid out my game plan to make Meth and ODB a dynamic duo and was promptly shot down. RZA had his own game plan which he intended to follow to a T. Meth was, “Going to live with Russell and them”, Meaning Def Jam and that he felt Dirty and me were a good fit. I was understandably bummed, imagine if I had actually signed them as a duo? The world of rap would be a much different place but alas it wasn’t meant to be.

RZA noted that my “roster was ill” and that I liked “that dusted shit” - he thought Dirty on my roster made sense. I was open - at least I was going to get half of what I wanted, albeit the highly dysfunctional half. I was getting an artist I felt was one of the most talented members of the Wu Tang Clan.

Little did I know how important Raekwon and Ghost Face would be down the line or I would have tried to sign them as well. I have to say that if I hadn’t run up to the station I don’t think I would have gotten Dirty and if that were the case my life would be short a couple of hundred colorful stories right now.

During our working relationship Dirty had an unusually close friendship with me. I had to deflect a lot of media attention for Dirty - it came with the territory. There was a moment when he got arrested every other week while making that 1st record. I remember in the span of 1 month he was arrested and hospitalized for jumping out of a window in queens after being attacked by a dog in a strangers house he had randomly invaded (I suspect substances were the reason he ran in to some neighbors house) and got shot on a corner in Bed Stuy for refusing to run his jewels. I remember finding it really odd that when he got shot not wanting to let anyone know where he was, not even his cousin Buddha Monk, his right hand man. The NY Post somehow tracked me down to ask me questions about Dirty after he got shot, but me being the cat I am, never told ‘em a god damn thing.

I once had the pleasure of taking Dirty to LA where he performed at the LA Palladium and wowed a crowd of serious LA gangster rap fans, then watched him walk right outside, no shirt on, drinking some Cisco and jump on a mailbox and do an impromptu performance. An ODB-special to say the least. I had to get him down and tell him to put his shirt on in fear of us getting arrested. In another moment of pure rap madness I saw him with the help of KRS ONE, who was hosting the event, and a cassette tape, take out the pre-platinum Fugees in NY at a CMJ performance. I remember the crowd being baffled yet into his performance and at the end of Brooklyn Zoo, KRS telling the crowd, “You just heard your new favorite record for the 1st time, remember I told you that”. His want to bum rush any stage any time was legendary. I saw him do it to The Lost Boys at the Palladium in NYC right when Brooklyn Zoo dropped and I swore to god The Lost Boys were gonna kick the shit out of me when he bum rushed they’re whole program. He came out after they performed “Lifestyles of the rich and famous” in the middle of their set before they could drop Lexs, Beamers and the Benz and made the sound man put on his Dat (an ancient shitty digital format digital audio tape) while he proceeded to rock the brand new mix of Brooklyn Zoo on the unsuspecting crowd, followed by a never heard before “Shimmy Shimmy yall”. Needless to say, he took the wind out of The Lost Boys performance and thank god I didn’t get the beating Dirty deserved that night. The gang of 10 plus Brooklyn Zoo cats stepped up when The Lost Boys checked me, creating a Mexican standoff of sorts. I was glad it didn’t end in a big fracas. If it had, I’m sure someone would have got shot... probably me with my luck. That was just the vibe in the circle I was dealing with then. Thank god I no longer have to worry about getting shot these days.

Dirty was, amongst other things, brilliant. Before the drugs got my man he was without a doubt one of the most creative artists I had ever worked with.

His visions for the 1st records artwork is a fine example. Dirt came to my office one day and told me, “D, I got the thoughts for the record cover.” I listened intensely as he explained: “My welfare card should be the cover son”.

I thought for a second and remembered that UB40 had done it a good 10 years before with a record called “Signing on” which was on Sire records,

[023]

MUSIC

MUSIC

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MUSIC

[025]

a part of the WEA (Warner, Elektra, Atlantic Family). There was a precedent for it so I figured maybe we could do it. I marched Dirt upstairs to the art department and asked my co-worker, a super sweet lady named Ali Truch, if I could use the color Xerox for a few. This was before the days of scanners being common place in your house or office. She asked me what I had cooking and Dirty quickly blurted out his whole record cover plot. Ali being a stoner and rap enthusthist laughed and helped us blow up the welfare card to approx a 10 X 12 image. It was pixilated but the idea came across in full.

She suggested we turn the NYS logos into Wu logos which we later did. She also said she thought the record cover would fly, as did I. She asked to borrow his card for a few hours and she quickly mocked a little something up for us. She came down to my office with it and we were blown away by the 1st proto type. She then offered to show it to the higher ups which she did and a few days later we got approval to roll with Dirtys concept. This was an example of Dirtys vision. It was seriously one of the deepest understandings of ones own career that I had ever witnessed. It pissed me off that after he passed and while he went through all his trials and tribulations, his brilliance was forgotten and worse he was turned in to a joke of sorts. To me Dirty was never a joke - just an eccentric, misguided, bug out who wasn’t built for the success the world offered him. He grew up in group homes and on the street, in juvie halls and sometimes in his house when he was lucky. He was a wild cat, but not the buffoon he is often made out to be. His passing for me was truly tragic on way too many levels and I wished I could have made a difference in his final outcome, but I suspect he was too far removed from any form of reality at the end for anyone to have been able to truly save him from his ultimate demise. That said, I am not done telling my tales of ODB. There are too many exploits I have to break down, so here goes a few more dooseys.

When I went to shoot Dirtys album cover session we basically had no idea what we were going to do. We had the cover idea nailed but we didn’t know what the package shots were going to be and we didn’t have a concept. I hired an old pro and a great dude named Danny Clinch who was just a totally cool cat. Danny shot Dirty in the studio and had the location van ready to go. We explained to Dirty that there wasn’t really much of a concept and asked him if he had any ideas. He took that as a sign to go for his own and suggested we go to his cousins house, 60 Second Assassin, in east New York cause “his crib looks fucked up”. Dirty hit his cousin up real quick and we headed out to the east (New York) - one of the worst hoods in all of BK. The driver upon arrival was so shook he threatened to leave. Dirty quickly solved that problem by getting 2 cohorts of his from the neighborhood to guard the van. We quickly proceeded to Dirtys cousin 60 Second Assassin’s humble dwelling on the 5th floor of a god forsaken tenement. I had grown up around shit like this, Danny I suspect did not, but he didn’t skip a beat, he was a trooper like that. We entered the apartment and Dirty quickly went in to art director mood stating the crib wasn’t fucked up enough and sent an assistant to the store to get 10 blunts, some 40s and some ghetto snacks. The assistant returned and Dirty proceeded to empty the blunts guts on the floor, drink a 40, open the snacks and place them around the pad. Then Dirty stacked up two broken TVs on top of each other, took off his shirt and said lets do this. Danny shot a few test shots then dived in head first - creating in my eyes one of the definitive rap music packages and covers of all time. One thing I remember was Dirty walking me to the weed spot a block away and telling the thugs who ran the spot I wasn’t a cop and it was all good to sell me a few bags of weed, so they did. That was typical Dirty - always into something, always talking shit and usually making people laugh. He was that guy. A week or so later Danny Clinch, Ali the art director at Elektra, Dirty and myself marveled at the session and just knew we had something special. This was totally due to Dirtys vision and us being cool enough to understand and trust his unique thought process. To this day, working with him is one of my proudest achievements in my entire career. I

know he loved me like I loved him. We were down for each other.

The Dirt Mcgirt train was never an easy ride but always an experience. I remember going to New Orleans for the Gavin convention and playing the Brooklyn Zoo video at the WEA portion of the convention. Dirty and his video were the stars of the convention, on the rap side at least, and Dirt, me and Mr. Meth amongst other members of the extended Wu family marched the streets of N.O. til early morn one night - drunk as skunks after an amazing showcase knowing Dirty was headed for super star territory. It was a triumphant night. Another time Dirty being Dirty showed his true colors and then some. Let me explain: In my entire life as an A&R/record producer, rappers have been trying to borrow money from me. One thing, when a rapper borrows money he isn’t really borrowing money he simply is gaffling you. I had gotten got a few times by people like Grand Puba or lower hanging fruit like Charlie Brown and learnt my lesson. Do not lend an artist money - you will not get it back, it’s not part of the program. In my whole life being around rap music, only 2 rappers have ever paid me back: one being Everlast, my best friend and brother and the other being ODB. Dirty’s motives for paying me back though were not quite as pure as my man Everlasts were. Let me explain: See one afternoon I was at my pad in Greenwich Village watching the NBA finals with a few of my old graf writing crew members. It was my friend Wolf, Keene and my brother from another Paul Moore, a black kid from BK who Dirty knew since he had been in LA with me when Dirty almost got arrested with his street corner performance, that fateful Cisco fueled evening in front of the LA Palladium. See Dirty hit me up mid game and stated, “Yo D, I got that 100 dollars I owe you. I’m a swing by and give you that”. The mere fact that he knew where I lived was freaky enough, but he had actually slept on the couch a few drunken nights and honestly he wasn’t that type of dude.

He wasn’t scary or a hard rock in the least. I never had one problem with him other than him just not showing up. Let me not digress though. I told my boys Dirty was gonna stop by and they were understandably excited by the prospects.

Sometime around the end of the 3rd quarter Dirt Mcgirt rang my bell. I answered it and he quickly charged up my stairs. Upon seeing my boys on the couch Dirty remarked, “That’s the most white boys I ever seen you with nigga”. I pointed out that Paul who was a dark skinned brother he knew was there, and Dirt cracked wise and said, “Yeah that’s what I mean, I never seen you with so many white boys before”. My friends all started laughing they’re asses off, Paul included, and Dirty quickly pulled out 5 crisp 20 dollar bills and asked me where the bathroom was. I pointed quickly not thinking about the ramifications of ODB dropping a bomb in my toilet. He charged towards the bathroom with a shit dropping and eating grin on his face. I knew I was in for it and so did my boys, most of all Keene, my OG big homie who started with the snaps right away. Dirty went to the bathroom and several minutes passed. Keene said, “Man I think he’s melting porcelain in there”. Paul my man stated we needed to get some scene of a crime tape around the door cause that shit was definitely a felony. Wolf then took some gaffers tape I had laying around and put across the door. Dirty heard us laughing and started cracking wise while on the throne...* Simply put I could go on and on with stories about my man Dirty but none of them would really do him justice. Like most great things in life, you had to be there to really experience, and I was... something I am eternally jazzed about, as his early history is intertwined with mine and for this I am prouder than a muther fucker. REST IN POWER DIRTY. I LOVED YOU MAN! [ *to read the full story visit wesc.com ]

*

TEMPTATION TO BE GOOD

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WORDS BY MERCEDES HELNWEIN PHOTO BY WILL MORGAN

All my work whether literary or visual is probably attached to America by an umbilical cord.

I can blame this partially on various influences that hit me in my early teens, amongst them: “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”, the Delta blues, Robert Crumb’s sketchbooks, Tom Waits, Bukowski, Steinbeck and John Register paintings. These artists thoroughly cared for me growing up and baby-sat me through a modern-day culture that didn’t do anything for me. I was by no means, ONLY influenced by American culture – I love Victor Hugo and Alexandre Dumas, Rimbaud, and Dostoevsky and Dickens, etc. – but I’m always drawn back to this simultaneously idyllic and dark universe, whether that’s a long gone age of pies cooling in windows, or the vast array of losers that crawl its streets, bars and strip malls. Even the banal life-styles stored safely in between the top and the bottom of this country interest me – maybe because I refuse to believe that there isn’t something unbearably weird hidden within the fat layers of what is “normal”.

There is so much space in this country, so many cultures and so many crevices for impossible things to be happening, and maybe because I am European all those minute details seem like Disneyland to me. I’m fascinated with Jesus and the Devil, and the raging battle that they are having all across the middle of the country. I love the small ghost towns in the South, I like the wastelands, the abandoned buildings, the bizarre signs and individuals living their lives in ways I’ve never encountered.

I think the temptation to be good is a dilemma that exists in some of those towns, pawnshops, living rooms and churches. Whatever that struggle is.

I’m not dictating what my drawings mean, but for me personally, there is no doubt that the DNA of my work comes from some weird American true story.

*

STUDIO LOS ANGELES

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ART

ART

[028]

[CLOCKWISE] PHIALA IV, 2011 Oil pastel on paper 70 x 44.5 inches Alice, 2010 Oil pastel on paper 60.5 x 44 inches Ginger, 2011 Oil pastel on paper 80 x 44.5 inches

[OPPOSITE] Summer II, 2010 Oil pastel on paper 57 x 44 inches

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ART

ART

[030]

My Uncle’s Got Religion, 2009 Black pencil on paper 7.5 x 11.75 inches

[OPPOSITE] Goodnight Irene, 2007 Black pencil on paper 40 x 30 inches

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ART

ART

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[033]

[OPPOSITE] Love is a Dog from Hell, 2009 Black pencil on paper 24 x 18 inches

Georgia Floor, 2007 Black pencil on paper 30 x 40 inches

ART

THE MULTI-CHANNEL EXPRESSIONIST

[034]

WORDS BY CHRIS PASTRAS PHOTOS BY GIOVANNI REDA

Jason Lee is so many things to so many people… skateboard legend, talented photographer, accomplished actor, film and television producer, company owner, WeActivist, family man, great father and friend, the list goes on and on. I’ve known Jason for about 25 years now, and I can honestly say he never ceases to amaze me. He’s always progressing and learning, and everything he does in life, he does with the same passion and intensity we’ve all come to know and love from his skateboarding.

Jason changed the game, and that comes as no surprise if you know him on any level personally. Dude’s intense. We call it “bitch slapping something, J.Lee style”, better known in modern day skate lingo as “throwin’ down the hammer”. Whether it be doing ten foot kickflip tailslides before most people can do kickflips, riding bikes for twenty five miles, or acting in a scene alongside another legendary actor, you can also count on J.Lee to bring it and steal the entire show in the process.

I conducted this interview a month or two back while Jason was in the midst of taping his new show Memphis Beat in New Orleans. Even though he was really busy, it was awesome to visit my best buddy in his new second home. Jason has been spending eight months out of the year in NOLA, and as I am sure you can see from the accompanying photos, Mr. Lee is right at home these days, and happier than I’ve seen him in a long long time. Carry on Mr. Lee!! Carry on…

NEW ORLEANS CHRIS PASTRAS: You’re here in New Orleans, and seem to be settling right in…how is it treating you?

JASON LEE: It’s my home away from home. New Orleans is unbeatable. My favorite US city next to SF.

Is the area fully recovered from Katrina?

Because of that strong sense of togetherness and community; city pride, you get the feeling that everybody came together and prevailed. And it was amazing to see this city win the Super Bowl. It’s amazing to see that smalltown pride energy in a big city. LA lacks that.

MEMPHIS BEAT

What are some things you enjoy about NOLA? The weather (before it gets hot), bike rides from uptown to downtown. City Park. The music. The neighbours. The sense of community – a oneness; a pride. The architecture. The food! It’s a beautiful city. Magical.

What are the major differences to your home in LA? Community. Togetherness. LA lacks a sense of connectedness. LA lacks a sense of identity.

When first got word your series (Memphis Beat) was shooting here, what was your reaction?

I was a bit bummed and concerned because the series takes place in Memphis and I didn’t want to disrespect the city of Memphis, and also have the show not feel authentic. But I guess we’re making it work pretty well, and the fine folks of Memphis have been pretty supportive, and that’s gone a long way for us.

Do you have a desire to make this a permanent home at all?

Yes!

Season Two (Memphis Beat) is filming now, how’s it going?

So far season two is a big improvement over season one. A lot of kinks were

[035]

COVER

COVER

worked out and the show this season feels more like it should have last season. And it’s feeling overall very old-school cop show, like a Hill Street Blues or Streets of San Francisco, which we’re always referencing because we really want MB to have that energy to it. And I really dig playing a left-ofcenter cop – drives an old Pontiac GTO, sings on the side, digs Elvis, and the Blues, and Johnny Cash, is from the South, wears old cowboy boots.

It’s pretty rad.

Your producing along with fellow WeSC alumni Luke Watson? Tell us about that...

I wanted to bring Luke on this season to help guide it in the direction that it’s now taking. He’s been a big asset to the show and is a very, very strong, smart producer.

How does being a producer differ from being just in front of the camera w. these projects?

It just means being more involved, and being more aware of what’s going on around you. And you learn a lot this way.

Any changes you can describe between Season One and Two? It’s a lot looser and less “precious” this season. And a bit more straight-forward and just fun. My character carries a good bit of weight on his shoulders because he loves his city, but this season he’s less of a “martyr” and just more of a good, honest dude from the South who’s getting by doing his thing, and doing his best. Having a bit more fun.

What are the differences with your work on this series vs. role and work on Earl?

Earl was just plain fun, the way you and I get when we’re goofing off with a video camera and recording skits. There were of course touching aspects of the show, which we loved, but it was so incredibly fun, and I miss it. MB is a lot of fun too, and we goof off on set a lot, but it’s a bit more “heady”, for

“JASON IS A STREET SKATER ICON. HE’S A PIONEER THAT INTRODUCED US TO THE TECHNICAL SKATEBOARDING THAT WE CONTINUE TO SEE TODAY, WITH ONE OF A KIND STYLE AND GRACE.”-GUY MARIANO

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[037]

COVER

COVER

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COVER

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lack of a better word.

Earl was cancelled even with it being still hugely popular. It is still getting heavy airtime, what were your feelings about the show ending?

I was really bummed man. I thought it was premature, and I was totally surprised when no other network picked us up. I was pissed at NBC. And after all this time passing, I still really, really miss it and sometimes just can’t believe it’s actually over. Makes me sad sometimes.

FILM/ACTING When you were making the transition to acting, did you have any initial fears or hesitations?

Yes and no. One part of me said “fuck it, let’s just see what happens”, and another part of me thought “what the fuck does acting mean?” But like with anything you’re passionate about, you gotta just punk it.

Can you explain any connection you may see between your career with skating and your career with acting?

I feel more like a skater than I do a “Hollywood actor”, and so even though I’m playing an apparently “bigger game” now, I’m still and will always be a skater, and that means I’ve always got and will always have a bit of an outsider’s perspective. And I like that I’m just doing it my way as much as I can.

Is there any major differences between your work on television and working in film?

You try and put as much into whatever it is you’re doing as you can, but movies are slower-paced, in terms of shooting, and you only have one shot at it so you work really hard, sometimes rehearsing for weeks at a time, to make it absolutely perfect. You of course try that with TV, but with TV you’re working long hours to film a 50-page script in 7 days, and so it’s a hustle.

Desires to work on any film projects during your break this year?

I’d like to do some movies, and I’m really starting to pursue directing. I’m

“J.LEE IS A UNIQUE HUMAN, EVERYTHING HE DOES HE PURSUES IT WITH PASSION, STYLE AND CREATIVITY. I’M PROUD TO KNOW SOMEONE LIKE HIM.”-CLINT PETERSON just gonna keep on keepin’ on, but I’d love to do some movies, as it’s been a while because of all the TV I’ve been doing.

Any film projects coming out this year?

Alvin 3. Love doing those movies because my kids get super stoked, and they’re fun. It’s just rad to bounce around as an actor and work doing different things.

Have worked alongside some amazing talent, any favorite or most memorable experiences with that?

So many rad experiences for sure, but when we worked with Burt Reynolds on EARL, I just kept saying, “Holy shit, it’s the Bandit!!!!” It was surreal man.

COVER

[040]

STEREO/SKATEBOARDING

PHOTOGRAPHY

Your impact on skateboarding has been felt for decades. You’re one of the few skaters that gets named as a favorite skater even when they don’t have much time to skateboard. Does this surprise you?

I don’t know. Maybe people just like to get nostalgic - I know I do. People like to remember the way things “used to be” for some reason. Maybe people like to look back on what seems like “better days” - I know I do.

That’s why I talk so much about Mark Gonzales, and the old Blind and Stereo days. But whatever it is, it always feels good to have been a part of an apparently rad time in skateboarding. But skateboarding’s rad no matter what, isn’t it?

Still find time for photography? Anything coming up this year involving that?

Photography for life, too. And film. Only film. Photography has become as an important part of my life as skateboarding was and is. I shoot a few rolls of film per week, and when I’m not working I’m shooting a lot more. Will eventually publish my first book after I’ve edited all my images, which is going to be a huge undertaking. Excited!

How did you first become interested?

Being on movie sets and wanting to know how cameras and lighting work.

Back in the old Stereo days we shot Super-8 film cameras and Polaroid cameras, but I didn’t know about photography the way I do now.

Yes indeed!

When we first met, you were one of the up and comers on the scene for street skating. You were blowing minds with tricks like kickflip tailslides, 360 flips and backside flips before most skaters could kickflip, were you aware of the impact your skating would have at that time? How so or how not?

It definitely felt like we (you, me, Ed T, Mike V, Matt Hensley, Natas, Gonz, etc) were a part of a new chapter; at the beginning of some kind of change.

Nowadays kids learn a selection of tricks that many, many kids can do, whereas back then it was still new enough to where the excitement factor of the “discovery” was pretty off the charts. “Wow, I learned a kickflip!! Holy shit!!”. Nowadays you’ve gotta learn 45 variations of the kickflip to be what we were back then, to be recognized. But it’s rad to see how many kids these days are just killing it, doing stuff that was just completely unimaginable 20 years ago. It was a rad time...

What drove you to set yourself apart so strongly during those early days?

I don’t know that I was consciously trying to set myself apart, I was just trying to be a good skater and emulate what I saw around me - Mark, Natas, Mike V. Who were some of your early influences?

Mark, Natas, Mike V., Jason Jessee, Neil Blender.

Is there any skaters that stand out to you today?

Man, that’s tough. So many good skaters doing so many things, but what stands out for me now, just as it did back then, is speed, style, control, and a sense of individuality.

Any words of advice for the young skaters or pros out there?

Find your own style, skate with speed, and have fun.

Stereo stuff and skating again more...?

Stereo for life. I’ve joined you recently as you know in getting a Stereo 45 logo tattoo. Stoked. Haven’t been skating as much recently because I’m working, but skateboarding for life, in one form or another, always.

What prompted? Feelings about skating today?

As much as I always want to say “Skateboarding was better ‘back then’”, skateboarding is just rad, period.

What is it like to see your son have a passion for skateboarding?

Indescribable. Absolutely.

Plans to travel or anything with us Stereo guys this year?

Whenever I’m free, it’s on!

Who are some influences for you in photography?

Good, honest street photographers who get out there and shoot the shit out of the world and what’s going on around them – the ones who stay out of the way and make the world the author. Rad. Thoughts on the digital process?

Not interested.

“JASON IS AN EXTRAORDINARY PERSON WHO HAS A LOT OF DIFFERENT TALENTS. REMEMBER THAT HE IS NOT ONLY ONE OF THE FEW WHO TOOK SKATEBOARDING TO WHAT IT IS TODAY, BUT ALSO AN ACTOR, AN AMAZING PHOTOGRAPHER, AND A GREAT PERSON THAT STAYS TRUE TO HIS ROOTS. I KNEW THAT JASON WAS VERY CAREFUL ABOUT CHOOSING WHO HE WORKS WITH, SO FOR HIM TO ASSOCIATE HIMSELF WITH WESC HAS BEEN AMAZING. WE ARE EXTREMELY HAPPY TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH JASON FOR ALMOST 10 YEARS AND COUNTING.”-GREGER HAGELIN / WeSC CEO AND CO-FOUNDER WeSC How did you first become involved in WeSC? Why, Mr. C Pastras introduced me to the loveliness that is WeSC. Thank you Mr. C Pastras. Amazing clothes. Amazing people. Good times.

What WeActivists have you been able to bring on board?

If I’m not mistaken, Beth, Mercedes, Chad, Alex.

Things that make the brand unique?

They follow their own road. Amazing.

*

[041]

COVER

‘TIL DEATH PHOTOS BY CHERYL DUNN STYLED BY JILLIAN ATUN

[043]

FASHION

[ FOR MORE PRODUCT INFO GO TO WWW.WeSC.COM ]

2FACED1 X WeSC PHOTOS BY ANDERS LINDÉN STYLED BY MARIA “DECIDA” WAHLBERG / 2FACED1

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FASHION

[ FOR MORE PRODUCT INFO GO TO WWW.WeSC.COM ]

BREAK ICE PHOTOS BY ANTON RENBORG STYLED BY BILLIE JOSEPHSON

[079]

FASHION

[ FOR MORE PRODUCT INFO GO TO WWW.WeSC.COM ]

PHOTOS

[098]

RICKY POWELL “SLIM RICK” RICK RUBIN STUDYING ‘NATURAL GEOGRAPHICS’ IN HIS BROADWAY LOFT / SPRING 1986

PHOTO CURATION BY STASH

PHOTOS

[099]

ALEX PRAGER ALEX PRAGER, DEBRA, 2010 / COMMISSIONED BY W MAGAZINE © ALEX PRAGER / COURTESY OF ALEX PRAGER STUDIO

PHOTOS

[100]

FUTURA GARGOYLE ENGARDE FROM NOTRE DAME DES PARIS

PHOTOS

[101]

ERIK BRUNETTI THE PHOTOGRAPH WAS TAKEN LATE NIGHT AT MY FRIENDS GARAGE DURING MAY 2011 WHILE BUILDING FOR THE ‘BORN FREE’ BIKE SHOW

PHOTOS

[102]

FRENCH FRED ON A HOLIDAY TRIP TO MONTREAL TO JOIN MY GIRLFRIEND, I HAD A FEELING I WOULD HAVE TO GO SHOOT SOME PHOTOGRAPHS AT THE OLYMPIC STADIUM WITH SOME LOCAL SKATEBOARDERS. IT TURNED OUT TO GO A MILLION TIMES BEYOND MY EXPECTATIONS, SHOOTING MORE GREAT PICS IN 3 DAYS THAN IN THE PRIOR MONTHS! LOVED THAT PLACE. / ALEX GAVIN, WeACTIVIST AUG 2008

PHOTOS

[103]

BOOGIE BOR IS A CITY IN EASTERN SERBIA WHICH REVOLVES AROUND ONE OF EUROPE’S BIGGEST COPPER MINES, ONCE THE PRIDE OF EXYUGOSLAVIAN INDUSTRY. OUTDATED TECHNOLOGY AND THE FACT THAT THE COPPER MELTING PLANT IS IN THE CENTER OF THE CITY HAVE MADE BOR ONE OF THE MOST POLLUTED CITIES IN THE BALKANS. THIS IS A LAKE OF WASTE WATER FROM THE COPPER MINE.

PHOTOS

[104]

BETH RIESGRAF A BEHIND-THE-SCENES SHOT FROM ‘LEVERAGE’. IT’S FROM AN EPISODE CALLED “THE TAP OUT JOB”. THIS WAS A FANTASTIC EPISODE AND THE TRAINING GYM SET THEY BUILT WAS INCREDIBLY REALISTIC. WE WERE ABLE TO GET MMA FIGHTER MATT LINDLAND (PICTURED) FOR THE EPISODE. IT WAS A BLAST WATCHING HIM AND CHRISTIAN KANE WORK (BOTH STUNTMEN/FIGHTERS IN REAL LIFE).

PHOTOS

[105]

IO WRIGHT TILLET THIS WAS JUST AFTER ANTHONY (LISTER) CELEBRATED THE LAUNCH OF HIS INSTALLATION AT THE STANDARD HOTEL LAST YEAR. WE WERE OUTSIDE ‘CHA CHA’, SMOKING CIGARETTES, AND DRAWING ON THE SIDEWALK. HE HAD THESE FAKE TEETH HE WAS WEARING ALL NIGHT, AND HE KEPT DOING THIS MONSTER FACE UNTIL I SNAPPED ONE OF HIM DOING IT. / OCTOBER 2010

PHOTOS

[106]

SARAH MUERLE SKATEBOARDING BRINGS US TO ODD PLACES. DIRTY DITCHES OR MILLION DOLLAR PLAZAS CAN BE JUST AS THRILLING AS THE OTHER. THIS EMPTY MOSAIC POOL IS ON TOP OF MONTJÜIC MOUNTAIN WITH A VIEW ALL OVER BARCELONA. / MIKE VINCE, JANUARY 2011

PHOTOS

[107]

RAY BARBEE A LITTLE WHILE BACK, MY FRIEND TOMMY GUERRERO ASKED ME TO PLAY GUITAR WITH HIS BAND AT THE NOISE POP FESTIVAL THAT TAKES PLACE ON TREASURE ISLAND. HAVING ALL ACCESS BECAUSE OF PERFORMING, I TOOK ADVANTAGE WITH MY CAMERA. AFTER SHOOTING SOME FRAMES OF GRIZZLY BEAR, I DECIDED TO TURN AROUND AND SHOOT THE SEA OF PEOPLE WATCHING THE BAND.

PHOTOS

[108]

SKYE PARROT ‘FIRST TIME’ / BROOKLYN 2010

PHOTOS

[109]

13TH WITNESS ‘CROOKLYN DODGERS’ / MARCH 12, 2011

ARKITIP

[110]

WORDS & PHOTOS BY SCOTT A. SANT’ANGELO [CURATOR / ARKITIP, INC.]

Point Dume is a promontory on the coast of Malibu, California that juts out into the Pacific Ocean. The long bluff forms the northern end of the Santa Monica Bay, and Point Dume Headlands Park affords a vista of the Palos Verdes Peninsula and Santa Catalina Island. Zuma Beach lies to its immediate northwest. Featuring headlands, cliffs, rocky coves and vast beach access noted for swimming, surfing, scuba diving and fishing.

Arkitip chose this location to film a Chronicle for our upcoming Pendleton Woolen Mills project with artist and Arkitip Alumni Michael Leon.

[111]

INSPIRATION

STOCKHOLM [SWEDEN]

[112]

CITY GUIDE

[113]

Stockholm - the city by the sea. The Venice of the north. The capital of Scandinavia. Stockholm has many names and references, although most of them might be made up by the locals in an honorable attempt to present the town. But the thing is, Stockholm is an amazingly beautiful city - it’s a city where you’re never far from water, where old victorian buildings dominate the city,

mixed with 70’s architecture and newer constructions. The city has got something for everyone - may it be fine dining, skate spots, pictureperfect views and good food. Yes, Stockholm has flaws too, but if you follow our guide and visit the places we recommend here we’re sure you’ll have a good time.

Presented here are some of our favorite spots in Stockholm - everything from fine dining and coffeshops to parks, museums, those places you’d never find in a regular tourist guide, bars, galleries and more. More than anything, it’s a list of places that means something to us and we feel represent the city where WeSC is from. The city that some of us call home.

CITY GUIDE

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RESTAURANTS & CAFES

NIGHTTIME

Divino Karlavägen 28 114 28 Stockholm www.divino.se

Riche Birger Jarlsgatan 4 114 34 Stockholm 08- 545 035 60

Enoteca Karlavägen 28 114 28 Stockholm www.divino.se

7:an/Södra Sjöfartshotellet 7th Floor Katarinavägen 26 104 65 Stockholm

La Neta Barnhusgatan 2 111 23 Stockholm 08- 411 58 80 Pubologi St. Nygatan 20 111 27 Stockholm 08- 506 400 86 www.leijontornet.se Gildas Rum Restaurang Skånegatan 87 116 35 Stockholm 08- 694 75 90 Babylon Björns Trädgårdsgränd 116 21 Stockholm 08- 640 80 83 Louie Louie Bondegatan 13 116 23 Stockholm 08- 640 02 71

Steinsland Berliner Bodegatan 70 116 33 Stockholm Tensta konsthall Taxingegränd 10 163 04 Spånga 08- 36 07 63 www.tenstakonsthall.se OTHER KEY SPOTS

Trädgården Hammarby Slussväg 2 118 60 Stockholm 08-644 20 23 www.tradgarden.se

Fryshuset Mårtensdalsgatan 2-8 Stockholm http://www.fryshuset.se/ [Skate institution - indoors skating bowls, ramps and parks for kids, grownups and more]

Kåken Regeringsgatan 66 http://kaken.r1900.se/

Nytorget Skånegatan/Nytorgsgatan [Best peoplewatching in town]

Debaser Medis + Slussen + Humlegården Karl Johans Torg 1-5 111 30 Stockholm 08-462 98 60 + Medborgarplatsen, Södermalm + Humlegården, Östermalm (in the park)

Medis - Björns Trädgård Medborgarplatsen, Götgatan [Bring a skateboard]

CULTURE Fotografiska Museet Stadsgårdshamnen 22 116 45 Stockholm 08- 509 005 00

Akki Folkungagatan 45 11826 Stockholm 08-6433377

Moderna Museet Skeppsholmen 111 49 Stockholm 08- 519 558 00 www.modernamuseet.se

Medis - Björns Trädgård

Fotografiska Museet

Locals Only Wollmar Yxkullsgata 9 118 50 Stockholm 08- 428 701 81 [Nicest staff, coolest interior, best hairdressers] SHOPS Sneakersnstuff, Åsögatan 124 Beyond Retro, Åsögatan + Zinkensdamm Caliroots, Brunnsgatan Aplace, Brunogallerian Jus, Brunngsgatan 10 PUB 01, Hötorget

Moderna Museet

CITY GUIDE

[115]

TOP TO BOTTOM: BABYLON, Gildas Rum Restaurang, LOUIE LOUIE, AKKI

TOP TO BOTTOM: LE ROUGE, DIVINO, รถstermalms KORVSPECIALIST, LA NETA

TOP TO BOTTOM: ENOTECA, LOCALS ONLY, Steinsland Berliner, Humlegรฅrden

LOCATIONS

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WeSC HAS 29 CONCEPT STORES AND OVER 2600 RETAILERS IN 27 COUNTRIES. FIND US: www.wesc.com/world www.wesc.com/storelocator

WeSC OSAKA [JAPAN] 5F, 3-1-3 Umeda, Kita-ku (above)

WeSC OSLO [NORWAY] Nedre Slottsgate 15

WeSC BORDEAUX [FRANCE] Rue du Pas Saint-Georges 17

LOCATIONS

[117]

FOLLOW US: facebook.com/superlativeconspiracy twitter.com/WeSC1999

WeSC SANTA MONICA [USA] 395 Santa Monica Place Level 2 Center Plaza (above)

WeSC LONDON [UK] 35 Neal Street

WeSC STOCKHOLM [SWEDEN] Jakobsbergsgatan 6

[118]

SONAM DAWA: SEARCHING FOR THE ANSWER

[ continued from page 014 ] that my uncle told me on a mountain. He told me about the benefit of the doll, which acted like a human being except speaking. He told me that I could send the doll anywhere, to deliver a letter, thing, or message, from one place to another, and the doll would go directly to the exact place where I wanted her to go and give the things to the right person. I remembered the story, and when I saw the doll I got really excited because I wanted to buy the doll and send a letter to my family about my journey. So believing my uncle’s story, I bought the doll for 15 rupees then rushed to our hotel room. We put the doll on the ground and asked it to walk, but it didn’t listen to us.

Then we held the doll tightly, pressed its hand, and warned and scolded it to walk. Still it didn’t listen to us. Finally I pressed the doll so hard that a sound like crying came out of it from somewhere. I was so afraid and piteous of the doll, thinking that scolding and speaking harshly had hurt it. Then the other boy told me to let it rest for a while, because it might be tired of staying a long time in the sun on the roadside. So we let it rest in the corner of the room. After some time, the elder people of our group returned to the room and when they heard the things that we had done, they couldn’t stop laughing. They explained that such things are impossible and said my uncle told a children’s story to a child.

Then I found out that the man took from me a huge amount of money for the doll. The sound like crying that came out of the doll was under its feet, where there was a small hole that helps you to hear the sound when you press the doll.

The next day, we continued our journey on a train. There were thousands of people on the train, and I was concerned about where all the people were going. Was everyone traveling like me in search of some answer? Some time later, a man came through with snacks and gave them to the people. He gave me one, too, and passed

without asking for money. I admired how kind and generous this man was to give out snacks freely.

I had been eating it peacefully when he shocked me by collecting money from the people who ate his goods.

truth of rebirth. For many years, there has been a vast amount of scientific investigation into the question of rebirth. Many of these investigations have gradually built up a convincing case for the reality of rebirth.

After this long journey, we finally reached our destination in a remote Indian village where it seemed nothing would be easy, even if we spent our entire lives there. In the beginning, it was really not easy, as my whole life changed. The food, water, people, weather, environment, culture, language, and habits were all different. Ten students stayed in a room only one meter square, and one bathroom was shared by 300 students.

The breakfast we lived on was only a cup of tea, lunch a simple tea with bread, and dinner innutritious rice with dal. Not a single day did we eat enough food to fill our stomachs. But my aim was to find the answer. That was like water to quench my thirsty question.

The main reason for rebirth as explained in ancient Indian philosophy is the continuity of the mind. The mind naturally has no beginning and no end. It has been and will be produced only by the mind itself rather than any outside object.

The idea that a mind needs to be produced by another mind makes it clear that if we try to find the beginning of a mind, we will never find it.

But this is not transmigration. When we light one candle from another, no substance travels from one to the other, though the first is the cause of the second.

I have been here and studied the five treatises of the epistemology of ancient Indian thought for the past 22 years and even completed a doctorate in Indian philosophy. But what about my search about rebirth? Did this help me to understand what exactly rebirth is?

I will focus on the concept of rebirth in general before beginning to talk about it specifically according to ancient Indian thought. Rebirth is a concept with which many people have difficulty.

This has been especially true over the past century or so, when we have become increasingly conditioned to think in what are regarded as “scientific terms,” that is to say, terms that many people naively take to be scientific. This attitude has caused many people to discard the idea of rebirth because they think that it is just a superstition and belongs to an old-fashioned, out-of-date way of looking at the world. But major schools of religion commonly accept the

Every sentient being has a mind, but why are there such great physical differences between human beings and animals? Understanding how the concept of rebirth and karmic action is closely connected to particular physical differences is helpful. We can learn from this concept that a murderer is in jail as the result of his karmic action of killing someone. Another example is that some of us are wealthy, while others are poor; some are strong and healthy, while others are weak and diseased; and so forth. The particular circumstances in which each living being finds himself are the effects of his particular karmic action, which conditions his specific situation.

That seems right to me, because all of us have our own particular capabilities, our own particular inclinations or disinclinations. For instance, some of us are more talented at some sports than others are. Some of us have a talent for mathematics, while others have a talent for music. Some like swimming, while others are afraid of water.

Are all such differences in our abilities and attitudes merely the result of conditioning?

[119]

There are often dramatic and unexpected turns in the course of personal development. Let me take my own case. I was born into a family in a remote region of the Himalayas. There was absolutely nothing in my background to indicate that I would become a monk and would travel to south India at an early age, or that I would spend the next two and a half decades of my life predominantly in south India where I would become deeply involved in ancient Indian thought, nonviolence and peace, while my two other brothers joined the Indian armed forces and endured frightening episodes of violence. There are also situations in which we sometimes feel a strong presentiment that we have been in a particular place before though we have not visited it in our present lifetime. On occasion, we feel that we have known someone before. We meet a person for the first time and yet very soon we feel that we have known that person all our life.

Thinking deeply on such things, all powerful logic could not convince me one way or the other but did give the concept of rebirth the benefit of the doubt. Even as we discuss whether rebirth truly exists, I should become ready for my next life, to be in a peaceful family and country where there is no war, fighting, or famine, no hurting or killing.

I am totally preparing for my rebirth in a better place, and therefore always walking the right path. I became a vegetarian in 1990 and don’t eat eggs, use leather, or go to circuses or the zoo, which are associated with abuse of animals, because I don’t want to be reborn as an animal and experience cruelties like that to provide enjoyment to people. I work for animal rights because I hope that if the next life truly exists and if I am reborn as an animal and trapped by great problems, then those animals who received help from me can be reborn as human beings and will return the favor by helping me.

I am always friendly to everyone and even patient

if someone makes fun of me. I always pray that any country where people suffer in much violence will soon have no more conflict, because I don’t want to be reborn into a life where there is violence. I founded a center called peace ling (www. peaceling.org) for helping people and at the moment I am volunteering at a philosophy school.

So if rebirth truly exists, then my rebirth will be in a peaceful land, born to beautiful parents, brothers, and sisters, because I have totally prepared the cause and condition. I want to be born as the youngest child in my family, so all my sisters and brothers will love me very much.

While I was studying, I returned to my country about three times for vacation. During those times, on several occasions I went to the village where the shrine is. When I reached the village, people asked me, “Are you going to your shrine?”

One day I went there hoping just to check the shrine. It looked very old, and outside and all around the shrine there was the place where the monk had been cremated. I felt frightened seeing all these unusual things, like my shrine and my funerary place, for the first time in my life. I really wanted to enter the shrine, but the idea of death remained in my mind and made me stop, because at that time my mind was not in a position to bear the concept of my death. But after studying ancient Indian thought for a long time, now my knowledge of the concept of death is more durable and has reached a level that I can bear the process of death and rebirth. So in the future, I will return to my shrine and will follow the path of my predecessor in the way he practiced meditation in the shrine room where he stayed, and I will be cremated where he was cremated.

Finally, it is clear to me that there is only one time when I will be able to find the answer to my question of rebirth clearly on my own. I have to wait until I die. That will be the only time to know the answers to many different questions and ex-

pectations. So when I die, my mind will die, too, like scientific people claim. Or it will go to heaven or hell, like the Christians and Muslims believe.

Or it will be born back into a sentient being like ancient Indian writings explain. If I die and my mind dies, too, then my past efforts won’t bring me the expected results. But they won’t be useless, either, because your respect towards others is not related to the issue of rebirth. My final death will give rise to two important feelings: joy and sorrow. Joy that I will clearly see for myself the exact answer to my question about rebirth that I have anxiously sought for so long. And sorrow that I cannot tell my fellow human beings of my proof of the truth of the existence of rebirth, rebirth, rebirth.

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