WETHEURBAN MAGAZINE
MARCH 2011
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CO NTENTS M AR CH
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The Boys of Lookbook.nu Fast Five with Kay
Mac Miller Kid’s Life
On the road with Gaga John Stezakar Whitechapel Gallery
Model Talk Alexandra Joner The Masterminds of Nouse Sommess
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Letter from the
editor I
’m writing this letter two weeks before the magazines release. This is all so surreal for me! It has been an amazing journey this past year, watching my little blog turn into a full blown publication. I started WeTheUrban.com when I was only 15 years old. I was confused and had hardly any idea what I was doing, but my good friend Aly Silverio of Jawbreaking Jewelry helped guide me into the complex world of Tumblr and things just blossomed from there. For the first three months, WeTheUrban only had 6 followers. Then Tumblr created (it’s now deceased) directory and featured WeTheUrban as a ‘staff pick’ under its fashion category. That was one of the best days of my life! The second I saw WTU’s tag on there, I instantly started screaming and running all throughout my house. I called almost everyone in my phone and then you Urbanites started to flock by the hundreds each day. Now a year later, WeTheUrban has over 22,000 followers and I’m sitting here writing an editor’s letter for my magazine. I still sometimes wake up and wonder how all of this happened! My goal with this magazine is to create a world where all of my Urbanites can go for 10 minutes each month and come out a little more stylish and music/design savvy. Saying that the process of learning how to create a magazine is tough is a huge understatement, but I love a challenge and I’m so excited for you all to see what I have in store for the up and coming months. This is only the beginning of a movement. A movement where the youth can show that we can hang with the big boys! With that said, it is my honor to present to you WeTheUrban Magazine!
Willie Greene
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OUR CREW: EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Willie Greene ART DIRECTOR: Sarah Chiarot GRAPHIC DESIGN: Sarah Chiarot Zona Lewin COVER: MODEL: Bobby Raffin PHOTOGRAPHER: Bobby Raffin LOCATION: Toronto, Canada
wetheurban.com
t w i t t e r . co m / w e t h e u r ba n
fac e b o o k . co m / w e t h e u r ba n
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
w e t h e u r ba n . t u m b l r . co m
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V
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LUKAS DZIEWIC
OLA PODGORSKA (move models) stylist: WOJTEK SZYMANSKI make-up artist: MAGDA MARINKOVIC hair: MARCIN HET
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the crimson wings photography: models:
PATRYCJA LOREK, KLAUDIA CELINSKO (mango models) hair: make-up artist: designer:
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LUKAS DZIEWIC
MARCIN HET MAGDA MARINKOVIC
DOMINIKA GRZYBEK
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WE THE URBAN FASHION
W.T.U.’S Top 5:
march must-haves
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ThinkSound Headphones
Hole-onEx DIY Paper Camera
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designer:
Lomography Click here to get it!
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photo courtesy: thinksound
ThinkSound sent us a pair of these baby’s and they closely rival Dr. Dre’s beats. The first song that came on in my playlist when putting the ts02 ThinkSound headphones on was Right Thru Me by Nicki Minaj. We instantly heard parts of the song we had never heard before! If you’re looking for a lightweight, eco-friendly, booming and resonating pair of heaphones ThinkSound is the way to go! $79 . 00
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80s Styled Gold Wing Glasses
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80’s purple
The fact that these are only ten dollars gives you no excuse to not have them in your collection already! $10 . 00 WeTheUrban 28
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Forever Unique Fine Pleated Dress
photo courtesy: asos
Perfect dress for a night out on the town! Never underestimate a sequined pearl dress. Never. $179 . 00
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“Boys Boys Boys” Henrik Vibskov Shirt
photo courtesy: boys boys boys
Summer time is right around the corner! Is there a better tee to show off what’s been on your mind all winter? Don’t think so! €45
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OPI Black Nail Shatter from the Katy Perry Collection
photo courtesy: o.p.i.
When I first heard of this nail ‘shatter/crackle’ trend, I was baffled. After a few weeks of seeing it more and more, I finally had to investigate! The process is extremely simple. Add your favorite coat of nail polish, let it dry, and then apply a light coat of this Opi nail polish to shatter your whole nail. It’s mystical and quite sexy! $50 . 00 WeTheUrban 29
the masterminds of WeTheUrban 30
FROM TERRY RICHARDS TO GRACE JONES... ...from Karl Lagerfeld to Lady Gaga, it’s almost certain that you’ve heard of the innovative Praris brand Nous Sommes, created by artists Kizda and Jeremy. These two are the epitome of trendsetters with their unique pendants having been seen with notable personalities such as Amber Rose, Eve, Tyga, Bruno Mars, and the list goes on and on.
WTU: Who’s idea was it to start Nous Sommes? The idea was mutual,we had it while we were on a trip for christmas holidays. WTU: Your jewelry is fantastic. What material do you use to craft it? The material is treated pewter (tin) WTU: What has to be one of your favorite memories since starting Nous Sommes? The day we met Karl Lagerfeld in the streets of Paris,it was so random,we showed him the piece and he liked it and accepted to do some pics with it right there in the street,it was then the beginning of the adventure. WTU: Any new faces in the making? Yes we are working on some new faces, Marylin Monroe will drop soon and others but it is too soon to talk about it.
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J A W B R E A
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K I N G
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EW E LRY
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WE THE URBAN FASHION
WETHEURBAN and JAWBREAKING JEWELRY: A Jawbreaking Giveaway!
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PRIZES: WeTheUrban & Jawbreaking Jewelry Barcode Necklace WeTheUrban & Jawbreaking Jewelry Speech-Bubble Necklace Studded Cross Necklace Dream Catcher Necklace
HOW TO ENTER: “Like” WeTheUrban.com on Facebook Follow WeTheUrban on Twitter @Reply us your favorite fashion item
DEADLINE 4/1/2011
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THE BOYS OF
lookbook.nu Unless you know nothing about the online street-fashion world, you’ve surely heard about the popular personal style site LOOKBOOK.nu. LOOKBOOK.nu is a fashion, youth, culture and community website, created by Yuri Lee in San Francisco. It was inspired by street fashion websites and blogs such as The Sartorialist and Street Pepper and designed for users to post their own street-fashion photography, featuring themselves and their outfits. LOOKBOOK users have turned this website into a culture and fashion phenomenon, with a growing audience of hundreds of thousands of users that can ‘hype’ each other and comment on individual looks. WeTheUrban got the opportunity to chat with the big boys on LOOKBOOK.nu. Hot off the top leader board we have Blake Jacobsen, Bobby Raffin, Denny Balmaceda, and Nigel Lew speaking about the effect of LOOKBOOK.nu to their lives, style, and more.
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blake jacobsen
Denny Balmaceda
Nigel Lew
bobby raffin
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“IT’S INSPIRING TO FIND OTHERS THAT ENJOY EXPRESSING THEMSELVES THROUGH FASHION!” WeTheUrban 42
BLAKE JACOBSEN
WTU: How has LookBook.nu changed your life? Blake:LookBook.nu has really opened my eyes to unique styles across the world. It’s inspiring to find others that enjoy expressing themselves through fashion! WTU: What does LookBook.nu mean to you? Blake: Right now, LookBook.nu means a lot to me. It has helped me create an online presence, as well as given me the opportunity to network with so many artistic individuals. It keeps me motivated and allows me to evolve. I love it.
WTU: Have you ever gotten noticed in public from being on LookBook.nu? Blake: Not yet! WTU: Favorite places to shop? Blake: H&M, Urban Outfitters, asos.com, and thrift stores. WTU: What’s been on your ipod lately? Blake: Christina Perri and Lykke Li. Both are musical geniuses. WTU: Favorite thing ever to wear? Blake: My leather biker jacket. It’s so versatile!
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WTU: How has LookBook.nu changed your life? Nigel: I wouldn’t say LookBook has so much changed my life, although it has offered me another outlet through which I can indulge my curiosity and desire for inspiration, culture, and above all -- fashion. I find that I am becoming increasingly aware and conscious of my style, as well as those around me.
WTU: Have you ever gotten noticed in public from being on LookBook.nu? Nigel: Not so far! I do get approached a lot over Facebook, my website, and Tumblr a lot however!
WTU: What does LookBook.nu mean to you? Nigel: I believe that LookBook is a great way to showcase something so raw, personal, and extremely individual to the rest of the world. The accessibility of the website is great as well. Both of these points are vital in modern digital culture and networking.
WTU: What’s been on your ipod lately? Nigel: A lot of mellow, study tunes: The Kooks, Brett Dennen, Eddie Vedder, The Shins.
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WTU: Favorite places to shop? Nigel: To be honest? Thrift, antique, and vintage consignment stores. The thrill is in the find!
WTU: Favorite thing ever to wear? Nigel: Black boots, black skinnies, and a crisp white shirt.
NIGEL LEW
“I BELIEVE THAT LOOKBOOK IS A GREAT WAY TO SHOWCASE SOMETHING SO RAW, PERSONAL, AND EXTREMELY INDIVIDUAL TO THE REST OF THE WORLD.”
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“IT WAS TRULY A BLESSING IN DISGUISE DISCOVERING LOOKBOOK.NU.”
DENNY BALMACDEA
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WTU: Has LookBook.nu changed your life? Denny: Oh definitely! I wouldn’t be where I am on my fashion game if it wasn’t for that site. I wouldn’t be doing big things because of it. It was a truly a blessing a disguise discovering Lookbook.nu! WTU: What does LookBook.nu mean to you? Denny: It means quite a lot to me. I started posting my outfits on facebook way before lookbook.nu was around. Luckily, one of my friends told me about it one day and the rest is history. It was love at first sight. WTU: Have you ever gotten noticed in public from being on LookBook.nu?
Denny: Haha, yes, yes I have. It truly is quite flattering and because of it I am no longer a shy kid. My confidence level definitely went from 0 to 10. WTU: Favorite places to shop? Denny: The thrift shop in my town called Ann’s Closet. The best place to be, it’s where I get most of the stuff I wear. There’s not a day where I don’t wear anything from that place. WTU: What’s been on your ipod lately? Denny: A lot of new hip hop especially from J.Cole and Big Sean. WTU: Favorite thing ever to wear? Denny: Any of my snapback caps and my sperry topsiders.
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WTU: How has LookBook.nu changed your life? Bobby: Ever since I’ve joined the website Lookbook.nu, I feel that my life has changed as I have become more confident in myself. I constantly receive positive feedback from my viewers, motivating me to keep posting looks. I get to share my personal style with people all over the world and at the same time become inspired by others on lookbook. I’ve met so many interesting and creative individuals who have similar interests towards the fashion industry. Through this website I’ve been given so many opportunities that I never would have imagined such as collaborating with designers and other artists. On top of that, I have been offered several magazine features sharing my story as well as my style. So in my eyes, I feel that
Lookbook.nu makes dreams come true. WTU: What does LookBook.nu mean to you? Bobby: Lookbook.nu means a lot to me as I would define it as my “freedom” to escape from reality. It gives me this sense of happiness to be able to share my personal creativity with the world. It’s an even greater gift to have received such positive feedback from everyone. I’ve developed such great relationships with people I’ve met through the website. I feel that Lookbook.nu is a key that opens many doors to achieve great success in the fashion industry. WTU: Have you ever gotten noticed in public from being on LookBook.nu? Bobby: Yes, actually! Several times! I love meeting people who recognize me from Lookbook.nu because I automatically know we have something in common. By sharing a similar interest in fashion, it makes it easier to keep a conversation from being awkward when meeting someone for the first time. WTU: Favorite places to shop? Bobby: I’m not the type of person to shop at “cookie cutter” stores. I stand out in a crowd by creating my own unique look by shopping at vintage boutiques and thrift shops. Some of my favorite stores are Value Village, Black Market, and the Salvation Army. A cool place to shop in Toronto is Kensington Market, for having such unique “one of a kind” pieces. Another personal favorite place to shop is called “Dis- a-Ray’s Antiques” located in my hometown Guelph. Here I collect many of my props that I like to incorporate into my art and also use for photoshoots. What makes this store so intriguing to me is that they sell “dead people stuff”. That’s right! Each item is so ancient, almost turning to dust while sharing a fascinating story from the past, making it even more special. WTU: What’s been on your iPod lately? Bobby: Some of my favorite artists that I can’t get enough of are as follows: Air France, Black Kids, Crystal Castles, Jónsi, Mika, Mother Mother, Mylo, Of Montréal, and Stars. I find that listening to these artists influence my personal style. WTU: Favorite thing ever to wear? Bobby: I thought it would be a great idea to show off some of my all-time favorite items in an exclusive photo shoot for WeTheUrban Magazine. Here I am wearing my favorite patterned vintage headscarf matched up with my custom made patterned cardigan. I always try to include my leather biker gloves and an overdose of bracelets no matter what occasion. And of course I can’t go anywhere without my combat boots. I call this look “the rocked out gypsy”. It’s a mix of patterns going one way and the other and in this case “Go Bold or Go Home”.
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“ I LOVE MEETING PEOPLE WHO RECOGNIZE ME FROM LOOKBOOK.NU BECAUSE I AUTOMATICALLY KNOW WE HAVE SOMETHING IN COMMON.”
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Photo: Reno Ranger (www.reno-ranger.com) Models: Kid, Lars & Jan (Place Models) Hair & Make-Up: Ina Ciernia (Nina Klein Agency) Photo-Assistant: Marc Renger
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MODEL TALK ALEX ANDR A J O NER
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J . CO LE F T . D R A K E ’ S M U S I C V ID E O F O R IN THE MO R NIN G DR O P P ED A FEW W EEKS AGO , but the song itself isn’t what has gotten people’s interest peeking. The beautiful girl in the video, Alexandra Joner, has instantly become the picture girl of every teenage boys wet dream since the videos debut. Alexandra is a young dancer, model, and singer-songwriter who recently was a contested of the Norwegian version of So You Think You Can Dace. We got the chance to sit down with J. Cole’s European love and find out a little more about her. You can almost hear that distinct Norwegian accent booming through while reading the interview. WTU: Hey Alexandra! How are you? Alexandra: Hello I’m good thank you :) WTU: You have a very pretty face. What’s your ethnicity? Alexandra: Thank you :) I’m half Cuban and half Norwegian WTU: How did the whole J. Cole video come about? Alexandra: Hmm it was kind of random. But i have done some other music videos the last year. Such as Justin Beiber, Eenie Meenie, Ludacris & Quincy Jones soul bossa nostra, J-lewis shut them up. WTU: How was it working with Drake and J. Cole? Alexandra: It was really fun and relaxed. They are very nice
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boys and a lot of fun. I just felt like one in the crew WTU: Are you a Blackberry or iPhone type of girl? Alexandra: In Norway we don’t have the Blackberry, so it must be an iphone. But to honest I have a really old phone that I love, that’s been with me for many years. So kind of waiting for my phone to die before I buy myself a new one. WTU: What’s next in your career? Alexandra: Now im working a lot in the studio. Working really hard on releasing a single. It’s a lot of fun! WTU: Celebrity crush? Alexandra: Hmm, always had a crush on Bow Wow
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DESIGNER HIGHLIGHT
RAUN LAROSE AUTUMN/WINTER 2011
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ooks like we’ve got another menswear mastermind on our hands! While his work may seem avant-garde at first glance, his clean-cut look is actually quite simple. As menswear often should be! His latest collection features superb tailoring and an assortment of suede, cotton poplin, Swarovski crystals, foam, and more. Living in Brooklyn, his knowledge and appreciation for refined style & sophisticated design were showcased to him at an early age, through the hand and work of his mother whom worked as a seamstress with high end clients. “As a menswear designer I want men to see the beauty within themselves. I want them to look and feel masculine, but still exude a certain type of confidence than cannot be defined. I want to represent, Quality, Fit, and originality.” says Larose on his work.
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FAST FIVE WITH: WeTheUrban 67
its first Fast Five with the baddest Nova Scotian around: KAY. We’d give her about 6 or 7 months until she’s a definite household name. This chick has brought pop music to a level we’ve never heard before. She describes her music as “a mix between Outkast, Gwen Stefani, and Missy Elliot”. Her distinct and slightly androgynous sound is sure to catch on once her debut album produced by Ryan Tedder of OneRebulic, Even Bogart (Beyonce, Britney Spears, Rihanna, Eminem), Danja (Justin Timberlake, Nelly Furtado) and so many more is released with Interscope Records sometime in the coming months.
FAST FIVE: The most played artists on my playlist are... KAY: Robyn, Outkast, Drake, Tom Petty, Dolly Parton & Blackalicious In 5 years, I see myself... KAY: Still crazy, but hopefully with more money I could never live without... KAY: A full length mirror, lipgloss, and Miller High Life I am most influenced by... KAY: Miller High Life Beer If I could go back 5 years in time and tell myself one thing, it would be... KAY: You are too blessed to be stressed.
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MARK
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KANEMURAon the road with Gaga Y
ou might recognize him from season 4’s So You Think You Can Dance, but his biggest break has to be his opportunity to tour and work with the one and only Mother Monster. For the past two years, Mark has been sequined shoulder to shoulder with Gaga touring in both The Fame Ball and The Monster Ball tours while also dancing in the Alejandro, Telephone ft. Beyonce, and her most recent Born This Way video. He is easily one of the most talented dancers in the country right now. We got the rare opportunity to talk to Mark about touring with Gaga and how it’s like on the road.
WTU: Hey! How are you? MARK: Haha I’m good! WTU: So where were you when you first got the call that you’ll be dancing for Lady Gaga? MARK: For the very first time I got the call, I was actually in Nebraska. It sounds really random, but I was actually up there teaching. It’s so vivid! I remember every little detail. It’s crazy, I was like walking down the street and I got the call from my agent
and I was literally bouncing off of everything! Poles, benches, and I was crying. It was amazing. It had always been my dream to work with her ever since her first single and how I saw how she performed. WTU: How has the whole Monster Ball experience changed your life? MARK: Definitely in a drastic way. She’s one of the few artists I’ve really truly connected with. I’ve always felt at home at the Monster Ball and with her. And I think that’s because she really encourages people to be themselves and to be who they are and I think that’s why she has the fans that she has. She creates this safe place for them to be who they are when most of the time it’s difficult for us to be who we are in the world that we live in. So if anything, she’s really encouraged me to be true to myself and to keep growing in that aspect. WTU: What’s your favorite song to perform each night? MARK: Since we added Born This Way, definitely Born This Way! It ends the show and it brings everything back and reminds me why I’m even on the tour
and why I’m doing what I’m doing. It encourages me every night to stay true to who I am and also encourages the others around me to stay true to themselves as well. WTU: Although I’m sure there are very many. What has to be one of your favorite moments on tour? MARK: I mean, Madison Square Garden when we shot for her HBO special was kind of amazing! The energy from the crowd was insane and on top of that, there were celebrities there like oh my gosh! WTU: Yeah, I heard that Beyonce was there? MARK: Yeah, Beyonce was there! I heard Madonna was there and I got to meet Paul McCartney backstage which was kind of ridiculous haha! And after that I met Florence as well who was really really sweet. I mean, I’m obsessed with Florence and the Machine so that was amazing. It was really special because that’s where she’s from as well, in New York
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City, and it made it much more special for her and for us and I think the crowd was just really really excited for it. And I think that every night when they hear Born This Way come on and everyone goes insane, It’s just amazing to hear the support that she gets back because you know, she’s just a pioneer in this movement and works so hard. WTU: Any advice for future dance professionals reading this interview? MARK: Get into as many different things as you can and learn from many different teachers. Learn as many styles as you can and I mean, if you’re gonna do it. Dive head first and go for it! You either have to get wet or don’t get wet at all! WTU: What’s next for you? MARK: Nothing planned after this tour. I’m just going with the flow of life and taking it day by day and just enjoying today!
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Photographer - Justin Violini Equipment: Nikon F100 35mm Model: Malthe Lund Madsen Location: Bowery, NYC www.justinviolini.com WeTheUrban 75
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nstairs Photo courtesy of Bryant Eslava WeTheUrban 81
“Let’s get fucked up! A-L-C-O-H-O-L!” You might remember these lyrics from the once popular girl band, The Millionaires. Band member Dani Artuad of the electro-pop mix left the group last year and teamed up with the extremely talented Asia Whitacre to form Mr. Downstairs. This was probably the best decision for Dani seeing that Asia and her mesh together like peanut butter and jelly, and the music they have made together is actually incredible. With their first single “Legendary” coming to itunes March 29th, this duo is sure to grab the music industry by its vocal chords and show it what they’re made of!
photo courtesy of
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Kriss Kidd
WTU: Who is Mr. Downstairs? How long have you two been friends? Mr. Downstairs: Mr. Downstairs is us!! Dani Artaud & Asia Whiteacre. We’ve been best friends for a little over 3 years now. We had been playing around with the idea of making music together for a while & it was never the right time but we finally did it & couldn’t be more pleased with the outcome!! WTU: How did you come up with the name? Mr. Downstairs: Technically, Mr. Downstairs is the unpleasant (and nameless) ex-downstairs neighbor to Asia. This guy absolutely LOVED to file noise complains about everything & ANYTHING at just about any time of day.... the place was practically unlivable.. very unpleasant indeed!!
we leave at least 6 voice mails. Then, we brush each other’s hair while listening to Justin Bieber and talking about boys. Then, we like to go to at least 3 different museums we’ve never been to before and buy all of the cups in the gift shop. Then, we eat a snack. Then, we write a song about eating snacks. Then, we read the entire series of Harry Potter. Then, we go pee (in separate bathrooms). Then, we like to spend AT LEAST 45 minutes in the car making weird noises. Then, we choreograph a new dance (a new one, every day) to Madonna’s “Holiday”. Then (if we didn’t get much sleep the night before), we’re usually tired so we go to sleep. You can only fit so much into one day, yanno? WE AREN’T ANIMALS. WTU: 5 things you can’t live without?
WTU: Who are some of your creative inspirations?
Mr. Downstairs: Asia:
Mr. Downstairs: We love to pick up little bits of inspiration from all over! From the edginess & diversity of Shiny Toy Guns, to the anthemic “epicness” of 30 Seconds to Mars, to the sonically sound ambience of M83, to the super catchy pop hooks of Neon Trees that you just can’t help but love!! We could go on & on & on & on...
1) Socks 2) Bucket 3) The Library 4) Hot Sauce (every condiment I could possibly get my hands on, really...) (I like food customization) 5) More wishes Dani:
WTU: Album in the works? Mr. Downstairs: We just finished wrapping up our debut 5 song EP but before we do anything with that we are releasing our debut single ‘Legendary’ coming up this March 29th!! VERY excited for the release & to see the response & yes, eventually begin working on a full length!
1) World of Warcraft 2) Asia (ALTHOUGH SHE OBVIOUSLY DOESN’T NEED ME) 3) Myspace 4) Red chili peppers 5) Matthew McConaughey’s role diversity
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In just one year, Mac Miller went from playing all ages shows to headlining national tours! You may recognize Mac’s mixtapes and video serious on your favorite blogs and websites. Right after graduating high school in Pennsylvania a year ago, Mac was literally thrown into the industry as a new signee of Rostrum Records and proud member of the Taylor Gang.
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WTU: Instead of a regular interview, we asked you guys to ask Mac Miller anything you wanted and we narrowed it down to our top six questions. Somehow in his extremely busy schedule, we got to chat it up with Mac right before his boarding a plane to the ATL. The conversation started off a little rocky due to a two minute loud speaker announcement in the airport: MAC: Ok, we’re good! WTU: Ok! Phew, thought that was never going to end! Any who, I checked your twitter today and saw that you just decided to go to Atlanta today? MAC: Yeah! WTU: Nice! Ok, well I know you’re a busy man so let’s get right into this! As you know, WeTheUrban posted for your fans to ask you anything they wanted and we narrowed down the 70 or so questions into our favorite 6 for you to answer. You cool with that? MAC: Of course! Let’s do it. Acleanhead: How has being jewish influenced your lyrics and music all together? MAC: Um, I don’t think it necessarily has to do with the religious aspect of it. I think my music and lyrics have more to do with who I am as a person as far as culturally and all of that. I don’t know if you’d read my lyrics, but I can’t really think of anything in particular that that would do for my music or my lyric writing. But hey! It gives me something to speak on and it’s different than most other rappers! Cricrew2: If you weren’t becoming an amazing famous artist, what other career would you be pursuing? MAC: I would definitely be a teacher. Before I wanted to be a rapper, I always wanted to be a teacher. WTU: Nice! What kind of teacher? Like a coach? History teacher? MAC: Just an English teacher I guess. I don’t know. I mean, whatever teacher. A creative writing teacher… Anything! I just want to be able to teach kids. WTU: So did you have a good high school experience? MAC: Um, I don’t know about that. I mean, I kinda had a couple good teachers throughout my career that inspired me. But I still take what I do as teaching kids, just on a different level. Areyoustonedorjuststupid: Among all the experiences (the girls, the money, the weed) what is the best thing that has happened to you while out on tour? WeTheUrban 86
MAC: Just seeing my impact on individual people. You know, when you travel all over the country and every single city you go there are hundreds of people that are really impacted what you say and know every word and it’s been a complete out of body experience for me. It helps show me why music can really do for people. Like when people are at my shows and they’re impacted strongly and are crying when I hold their hand or seeing kids so excited and screaming. It’s just crazy. Jessicaistrouble: I love your music! Would or have you ever toured Britian? MAC: Yes! HELL YES! I can’t wait! I’ve never been there before in my life and I’ve always wanted to since I was a kid! I actually talked to my booking agent recently about the possibility of going overseas and he told me that people have been trying to book me from over there. So we’re in the process of getting that together. Asksomebody: Is your ‘no woman, no cry’ tattoo because you’re single and lovin’ it or is it a term of endearment to woman and their hardships? MAC: It’s actually not the meaning that anybody would actually think it would be. I’m just a huge Bob Marley fan, number 1, and that’s my favorite song by him. It has two other meanings. You know, it helps remind me to always stay focused on my life and my purpose no matter what girl problems I have or anything like that. The other meaning is when my grandpa died recently and I was driving in the car and listening to that song. It just hit me in a way it’s never hit me before. So I had to get the tattoo. Imsosyren: Do you ever wake up and feel like you’ve “made it”? Is there a certain aspect of your life that makes you feel that way? MAC: I mean as far as “made it”, that’s like a funny term. Especially for someone where I am because if you would have asked my 16 year old self if me doing what I’m doing right now is making it then I would have send “hell yeah I made it!”, but me right now is like “hell no!”. I mean I have so much more to do that I feel is necessary until I can say I’ve made it. And I’m not sure if I can ever say that I’ve “made it” since I have such high expectations for myself and what I really want to accomplish and even higher now than it’s ever been before since being given this one in a billion opportunity. I definitely have woken up
and reflected how crazy this is, but all of this makes me feel like I have more work to do and do really big things like changing the world. That’s what I’m really out to do. WTU: How does your family feel about your success? Have they always supported you? MAC: Yes! They’ve definitely supported me. My parents have always supported my music and my passions in life and have always been right there in my corner and like, fans of me doing music. But when I first started it was more like “why are you rapping? You should be focused on schoolwork!” and then it kind of shifted over to them seeing how dedicated I really was but yeah, they’ve always supported me.
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Credits to add to one of the photos: PHOTOS BY: Lukas Dziewic MODEL: Kinga Mikos - United4Models STYLIST: Karolina Gliniecka MAKE-UP: Magda Marinkovic HAIR: Marcin Het WeTheUrban 92
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Photographer a Gorbachenko Stylist Julian Pierre Boney Makeup Artist Mari Shten Hair Stylist Coree Moreno Set Designer John Yusaku Machlouf Model Ekaterina S. at MC2 Model Management WeTheUrban 94
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Alexa Meade – Living Art N
ow this is what you can an artist! These may look like more boring old canvas paintings, but in-fact they’re real people painted with acrylic paint! Washington-DC-based artist Alexa Meade, 23, took the idea from the trompe l’oeil technique, which uses optical illusion to make two dimensional paintings appear 3D. Born in 1986, the young American artist graduated with a bachelors degree in political science. Her background in the world of political communications
has fueled her intellectual interest in the tensions between perception and reality. She never attended art school and she has not taken any advanced painting course. However, with that fascination with perception and how the sun casts moving shadows, Meade has come up with the idea for her work. The finalized work is one that is beautifully engaging, temporary and colorfully alive. In her shows, the physical painting exists only for mere hours and is obliterated when the model sheds its metaphorical skin.
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WE THE URBAN ART & DESIGN
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WE THE URBAN ART & DESIGN
W.T.U.’S Top 5:
Paper Cameras
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Dating back to before the 1850s, photography wasn’t about megapixels and photo editing.It was about little more than film and light. To show you just how simple (and beautiful) photography can be we’ve compiled a list of 5 paper cameras that reflect the purity of photography. Most of these cameras can be downloaded and printed out on your very own printer. Within minutes of reading this, you can go ahead and add five new cameras to your collection!
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Hole-onEx DIY Paper Camera
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designer:
Lomography Click here to get it!
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Dirkon Paper Camera
designer:
Dirkon Click here to get it!
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five
designe
three Peyote Paper Camera designer: Corbis Readymech Click here to get it!
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four
Pentax Paper Camera
designer:
Pentax Click here to get it!
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World Pinhole Camera Day
er:
Corbis Readymech Click here to get it! WeTheUrban 105
WHITECHAPEL
GALLERY SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL!
By splicing together and collaging classic movie stills, vintage postcards and book illustrations, British artist John Stezaker gives old images new meaning and examines the photograph as a documentation of truth. By adjusting, inverting and slicing separate pictures together to create unique new works of art, Stezaker explores the subversive force of found images. This first major exhibition of John Stezaker offers a chance to see work by an artist whose subject is the power in the act of looking itself. With over 90 works from the 1970s to today, the artist reveals the subversive force of images, reflecting on how visual language can create new meaning. The exhibition will be running until March 18, 2011. HTTP://WWW.WHITECHAPELGALLERY.ORG
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i +a Igor + AndrĂŠ Chatting with Danny Roberts of Igore + Andre
Danny Roberts words by Willie Greene
illustrations by
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WE THE URBAN ART & DESIGN WTU: Hey! How are you? Roberts: Hey! Good! WTU: When did you first find you had a knack for illustration? Roberts: I took a fashion illustration class my first year of fashion school, and my teacher told me I should stick with it. That was in 2006. WTU: What is “art” to you? Roberts: To me art is anything that inspires. WTU: So what is the “dream job” of an illustrator? Roberts: I think the best would be to work for a client doing illustrations or paintings, but being able to art direct the entire project. Just to cut loose and produce something great. WTU: What are your interests outside of drawing? Roberts: A lot of things actually! I love writing music. I’m actually currently working on an album with my friend Tim. I’m really excited for the project. We are hoping to have some great musicians involved! I’m also writing a
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book with my brother David Roberts who helps me with Igor + André. WTU: What has been your favorite subject to draw? Roberts: Definitely models and fashion. I’m very inspired by beauty. I would say women inspire me more than anything. That’s why the majority of my art revolves around women. WTU: Are there any artists you look up to? Roberts: Egon Schiele and Aubrey Beardsley are my two favorite artists, and have been two of my greatest inspirations. I was able to see Egon’s work in person for the first time last year, and it was absolutely incredible. WTU: Are you a fan of Gaga? Roberts: Gaga saved my life. Haha. What I mean by that is, whenever my brother and I are driving really late at night, we put the Lady Gaga Pandora station on to keep us up. It’s fun. WTU: What has to be one of your proudest achievements as an artist? Roberts: By far my proudest achievement/biggest honor as an artist was when my tribute painting of Lee Alexander McQueen was used on the cover of the Sunday Times London. McQueen was my favorite designer by far, and has always been and will always
be a great inspiration to me. WTU: What’s next for Danny Roberts? Dipping any fingers in any other pies? Roberts: Really the two things I mentioned previously - the book and the album - are where my mind is dwelling a lot right now. I’ve been planning the story for the book for a few years now and am really anxious to get it all out. I’ve been working on the album for a while now as well. I’m just really excited to get to share them both with everyone! WTU: Any advice for aspiring artists such as yourself? Roberts: Stay true to yourself, and make sure you are having fun. It’s easy to get focused on various motivations, but its always important to make sure you are enjoying it too.
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Big Buddah
ZHANG HUAN’S RULAI SCULPTURE
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hang Huan, perhaps the most prominent Chinese contemporary artist, successfully works in many mediums to create very personal works. One of his early performance pieces featured the artist sitting in a filthy, outdoor latrine in China, covered in oil allowing flies to swarm his body (12 Square Meters) and another featured him parading around in front of the Whitney Museum wearing a suit he made of meat. Huan is very known for his nautical and outrageous art showcases. But one of his most beautiful and jawdropping works has to be his 97-1/2 x 142 inch handmade paper and ash Buddah. “The compacted ash surface of Rulai, supported by an internal metal frame, is
heavily embedded with miniature porcelain Buddha relics, copper offering dishes, miniature skulls and unburned joss sticks. The strikingly beautiful grisaille palette of the sculpture is sharply contrasted with blood red paper wrappers” (from the press release). Simplicity is one of the hallmarks of his show, even in the seemingly chaotic six-ton, 18-foot Buddha, Rulai, which will blow smoke out of its head, effectively turning the gallery into a temple of provocations. Made from incense ash glued onto a wood and steel frame, it’s the result of six months of work by 20 assistants. For this exhibition, the artist intended his Rulai (seated Buddha) to possess an interactive effect not only in terms of its silence, but through the olfactory impact of temple incense.
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WETHEURBAN WETHEURBAN.COM TWITTER.COM/WETHEURBAN WETHEURBAN.TUMBLR.COM FACEBOOK.COM/WETHEURBAN
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