bsbcbu

Maintenance

2011-01-14T16:18:00.001-06:00

Site will be down for a few weeks soon as we're completely renovating our web presence (MUCH overdue).

Stay tuned.

86dope

2011-01-13T00:46:00.003-06:00

my homie over at 86dope just received a care package we sent over to him as a late holiday gift of sorts and he was kind enough to show us some love on the blog. if you like all the outrageous stuntastic stuff that pops up on most blogs, and have jumped on the tumblr bandwagon as most people have, check him out. he posts some pretty outrageous stuff.

86dope

#006 is here.

2010-12-06T01:26:00.000-06:00

go!

#006

2010-12-03T13:40:00.004-06:00

#006 will be dropping Monday, December 6 in our online store. Everyday we'll drop a preview of the collection. above is our 'authentic snapback' in navy/red.

Don't Mention It.

2010-11-07T01:25:00.002-05:00

Trying to build a brand is extremely difficult, especially if you're doing it without a lot of money or political connections behind you. In our case, everything seems to work itself out.

Part of building a brand involves surrounding yourself with like-minded individuals who share some or all of the same ideals and thoughts and growing together with a common goal. For some brands, and I'm not one to say what's right and wrong, this isn't very important. Trust, not every person you see in print advertising wearing Brand X's fall apparel is a big fan of Brand X, but more than likely a big fan of the big fat check Brand X has written. Like I said, I can't say that's right or wrong, nor knock anyone taking advantage of endorsement deals, our economic climate is crazy right now so supporting yourself probably comes above all.

But let's just be clear, we're not going to do that.

Luckily, though, 3 guys out in the city of Los Angeles like what we're doing so much to show some real, genuine support on a regular basis. That's hard to find these days, despite what you may have heard.

Pac Div has popped up on our blog more than a few times and they're practically family. This latest set of pictures are shots from the road as the guys were on their Underdogs Tour spanning the entire country with stops in DC, ATL, New York, you know, all those fancy places. Shout out to Mibbs, Beyoung, Like, Steve, and the whole Pac Div family for the constant love.

Oh yeah, be looking for Pac Div in a city near you soon. And for an upcoming Pac Div/bsbcbu... well, we'll save that for another day.

young, fly, motherf*ckers.

2010-10-19T18:21:00.000-05:00

team robot - ahhhhh! (ha) from aknc on Vimeo.

hint. hint.

2010-10-17T22:17:00.001-05:00

Imitation is the best form of flattery

2010-08-28T12:41:00.004-05:00

I have no idea what's going on at the Diamond Supply Co. offices, how long this design has been in the works, could be years old. I'm also not mentioning that Pac Div has had these shirts AND been wearing them all over Los Angeles since we got them ourselves.

Ours came to fruition in late 2008/early 2009. And in no way should this be taken as a "shot" at Diamond. I'm just saying. In the words of my friends at MBCXXX, maybe we're "not just your local t-shirt brand".

alan's revenge

2010-08-23T18:46:00.002-05:00

team robot - alan's revenge from aknc on Vimeo.

It's NOT Magic

2010-08-22T20:48:00.003-05:00

So I just got back from MAGIC in Las Vegas. For those of you who don't know what MAGIC is, it's one of the premier fashion tradeshows occurring in the US annually with the purpose of connecting buyers, sellers, manufacturers, wholesalers, importers, exporters and the like. I discovered MAGIC a few years ago and attended previously and like most, was pretty impressed. However, after putting a few more notches in my belt in regards to the "fashion industry" my opinion has changed quite a bit.

Let me start by saying that I am in noway trying to put off the idea that attending MAGIC is in no way useful. I did pick up a few things and accomplish a few things while I was out there, so I won't completely write off MAGIC. However, I can say with 1000% certainty that there is entirely too much unnecessary nonsense going on at MAGIC. I won't go into a rant about brand integrity and what not, like most of my posts, thats for another day.

What I will do though, is leave you with a brief sneak preview into bsbcbu f/w 2010. one of the things I got to see at MAGIC.

unplugged.

2010-08-05T16:17:00.003-05:00

i can't possibly stress enough how stressed not being able to blog here daily bothers me.

for a while, i would just post whatever on here. i mean, the brand is a representation of myself and the rest of the group, so it would make sense... but the more i thought about it, i didn't want the daily musings of my everyday life to clutter the blog for what it's supposed to be. informational.

this is why i don't re-post everything that pops up on hypebeast, nicekicks, hiphopdx, etc. you can go to those guys for that content or one of the million other look-a-like sites. i aspire for original content.

i do keep a personal blog, as does another member of our group, so if you're looking for daily thoughts or pictures or both, you should visit those. (links at bottom)

i just want to give you guys something you can look forward to and right now, things are regretfully moving slowly. when you do the designing, but someone else does the sewing, things can get hectic.

but i do promise, we're working, working hard. because for every design you'll ever see, there's another 50 that don't leave the hard drive.

just stay tuned. i promise we won't let you down.

as always...

be safe. be cool. be you.

click here or here

grindtime.

2010-07-29T03:17:00.002-05:00

thank you to Pac Div for letting us sit in on a studio session while on vacation in lovely Los Angeles. I wasn't able to hear much, but what I DID hear sounds GREAT. make sure you go get their debut album "Grown Kid Syndrome" when it drops on October 12.

lightweight.

2010-07-11T04:16:00.001-05:00

more summer drops now in the online store. lightweight hoodies, perfect for summer.

We're here

2010-06-27T02:27:00.002-05:00

We've caved in and joined facebook.

You can follow us here.

Still not on twitter. Yet.

no one man should have all that POWER!

2010-06-04T14:36:00.001-05:00

we're open.

2010-05-26T01:17:00.001-05:00

the first half of summer 2010 is in the online store

go there now.

making sense (and cents)

2010-05-20T20:25:00.005-05:00

friend of mine who I hadn't spoken to in a while shot me an e-mail the other day. before I go too deep into the subject of this post, let me say one thing. keep in touch folks. we've all got cell phones, e-mail, pdas, twitter, skype, facebook, pigeons. all sorts of stuff. no reason to go months without speaking.

that being said, along with a few unnecessary congratulations and props that we certainly don't deserve, he sent me a few spy photos of some gear that he hadn't yet released from his growing project titled "Huey & Earl".

for those of who you don't know, Louisiana's most (in)famous governor was Huey P. Long and his brother Earl was a pretty household name. the Huey & Earl line is primarily based around LA inspired designs and history, and if I may say so myself, a pretty cool idea.

the guys behind H&E, Chris and his brother (whom I must admit, I haven't met nor know his name) are pretty cool guys (if Chris's brother is anything like Chris) and have come up with a pretty cool brain child. show them some love and some support because I'd be willing to bet a large majority of our initial readers are from Louisiana and whether you like it or not, this is your history.

props to H&E for your summer 2010 campaign. they're currently available all around Louisiana at fine retailers such as politics and rukus.

huey and earl 'logo tee'

"union justice confidence"

"DC"

opening up shop.

2010-05-20T20:21:00.004-05:00

if you've tried to visit the online store recently, then you already know that it's currently down for scheduled maintenance (we're updating it with new product).

the first half of summer should be up by the middle of next week (May 26).

the second half of summer... well that's just a whole different ball game.

be safe. be cool. be u.

Don't Mention It.

2010-04-30T02:38:00.003-05:00

(via txt)

Me: steve, why didn't you e-mail me an early copy or something... show some love

Steve: mannnn, mibbs and like told everybody they had to wait... dom called last night, they told him to download it like everybody else.

oh well. for your listening pleasure.

download here

April 20, 2010.

2010-04-20T15:32:00.000-05:00

I'm the world's worst blogger...

2010-04-12T01:05:00.004-05:00

Seriously, I don't know anyone who forgets to blog or comes to his blog to blog and just doesn't, as much as I do.

I always say I'll cut that out. I'm trying.

Anyways. I (should I say we) have been busy. That's not the reason I haven't been blogging. That's probably the reason I don't blog as often. Because I'm just too tired.

I recently put together a few videos for some comrades, Team Robot and my old buddy from my stockroom days, Ronny My.

I also have some cool photos I took on one nice day in New Orleans. Enjoy friends.

sweet 16s - ronny my from aknc on Vimeo.

"Fresh" @ Republic feat. Team Robot from aknc on Vimeo.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the planet...

2010-03-21T17:55:00.003-05:00

while we Americans had to sit, sleep or skip through the NBA's excuse for a dunk contest this year, over in Russia, a bunch of guys who can't seem to stay in the NBA were putting on one hell of a show. If you've never heard of James "Flight" White or Gerald Green, then you don't know what "hops" are. James White might be the most explosive jumper, ever. Ever.

winter is over...

2010-03-19T00:30:00.002-05:00

and summer is coming soon... literally. stay tuned. head over to the online store to grab the last bit of our holiday lineup before it's gone.

p.s. we took a little extra off the top.

dear rappers...

2010-03-11T15:20:00.003-06:00

Diggy - Made you look Freestyle (Flow Stoopid) from Diggy Simmons on Vimeo.

how is diggy simmons going harder than all of you aspiring new rappers?

beautiful girls

2010-03-09T12:59:00.000-06:00

really, really feeling this song.

aknc - deuce

2010-03-07T22:13:00.002-06:00

aknc - episode 2 - rfrsh from aknc on Vimeo.

you can find bsbcbu. at re:fresh in new orleans.

skiit, skiit, skiit

2010-02-24T16:35:00.002-06:00

there are still ski caps left in the online store, but not many. go here to get yours now.

aknc: cypher

2010-02-22T03:05:00.000-06:00

aknc - episode 1 - cypher from aknc on Vimeo.

4 his homies...

2010-02-22T02:27:00.003-06:00

download here

bundle up

2010-02-17T19:54:00.003-06:00

releasing on friday february 19th is our first piece of winter inspired headwear, the military issue deluxe ski cap.

made in the usa and 100% wool, i'm very, very proud of the final product. it's been an unusually cold winter in louisiana, so these come at a pretty perfect time. i'm not one to milk the "limited" gimmick, but these are limited to 25 per color, 50 total. they'll also be available at re:fresh in new orleans on saturday.

check the online store on friday to grab yours.

thanks, as always, for the support. also, in the spirit of the world champion new orleans saints, use the promo code WHODAT for 20% off any purchase for the rest of february.

the art of storytelling: tall tale

2010-02-17T03:37:00.002-06:00

i'm gonna be blunt with you. I get e-mails everyday from people who want sponsorships, shout outs, free advertising, etc. i delete more e-mails than I read. it's pretty aggravating to say the least.

also, to add to that, i'm not just going to put anything up on the blog. that's not what this is for. however, i post what i support, and in this case and in most cases, family comes first.

my dude mike just released the first portion of his collection tall tale. rooted deep in the tradition of passing history down through the art of story telling, both the brand image and aesthetic design are something very refreshing to see in what's become the new "rap game" (i hate the use of the word 'game' behind everything [rap game, music game, etc] but i'll save that for another day). seems like sneaker inspired t-shirts and cliche' phrases are the new rage, but just like bsbcbu, that's not the case with tall tale.

check tall tale out here and i'm sure you can find out tons more than what i'm telling you. mike's family. show love.

WHO DAT?!

2010-02-09T01:52:00.005-06:00

and perhaps, my favorite image of the entire night.

364 days from now.

2010-02-01T21:16:00.004-06:00

this will probably be the most fitting image to describe the post-grammy feeling next year.

now, let me clear the air first. i don't idolize kanye west. as a matter o' fact, i don't idolize anyone. but i do appreciate the man for not only his creativity in music, but his overall creative contributions in general. i happen to know someone who lives vicariously through kanye to the point where it's actually caused me to look at the person differently, which is sad, i mean that's not my place is it?

if you just so happened to NOT watch the grammys last night, i'll give you a quick rundown. on air, rihanna and jay-z accepted the award for best rap/sung collaboration for "run this town" and eminem, lil wayne, and drizzzzzy drake performed "forever" to close the show.

both of these moments were kanye-less, as he was not in attendance, hence not there to receive the award or perform and apparently he was NOT asked to perform. now, i believe he wouldn't have skipped the awards, had he not been asked not to perform, if that rumor just so happens to be true. i can't blame him if that's the case.

so where was kanye last night? as far as i know, no one outside of kanye and whoever was with him knows. but if i had to guess, i'd guess a studio. working. if i had to bet, and i am a betting man, i'd be willing to bet he was recording a song that will feature a line that when we hear it, we'll be "ohhh.... so this is how he felt during the grammys". i'd also be willing to bet that this song is going to appear on his next album, an album that surely will be nominated for at least a half a dozen grammys.

and how many of those possible grammy nods will he win? who knows. if i've learned anything from watching all these tv/film/music awards shows, its all politics. but if i had to bet, i'd be willing to guess he's got his eyes on the only award he hasn't gotten yet. and should he get it, i'm sure he'll let us know about it then.

the snap, the hold, the kick....

2010-01-25T17:42:00.001-06:00

no need to freight.

2010-01-23T18:39:00.001-06:00

free shipping in the online store now until... well until.

use the code FREESHIP.

thanks for all the continued support.

want.

2010-01-16T02:41:00.003-06:00

I have not wanted a g-shock in quite some time, but I actually am contemplating purchasing both of these. first one reminds me of the bape issue that i keep procrastinating from getting. i'll get that one too, but for now, this one will have to do. chances are, it's that stupid glossy finish as well.

attention "rappers"

2010-01-16T02:39:00.000-06:00

... hip hop is coming for you in 2010.

better late than never

2010-01-13T14:09:00.000-06:00

right? 11:59 tonight.

holiday 09 update

2010-01-06T00:09:00.000-06:00

holiday 09 will be online sunday at 11:59 pm... see you there.

giving back. brand building 101

2009-12-30T15:58:00.001-06:00

fast forward to the last three minutes or so. this is why Dana White is that dude.

holiday 09

2009-12-22T12:21:00.004-06:00

available online 12/26/09. www.bsbcbu.com

music for the soul

2009-12-13T15:29:00.002-06:00

if there's anything the rock band the used reminds me of, it is how close-minded i could be at times in high school. i didn't like their music for really no particular reason other than how they dressed, but i've managed to overcome my self-constraints, and while they're not my favorite band in the world, i do enjoy what they bring to the world of music. last night during ufc 107, clay guida entered the arena to this song and i couldn't help but think, hey i used to hate that song, but it's a pretty fitting entrance song, and its a tight song in general.

enjoy.

SNL

2009-12-08T00:46:00.002-06:00

There was a time when SNL hit a low spot in the comedy. Recently it has pulled itself out of the sketch comedy gutter and now has a damn funny show. This skit was funny to me because I try to be somewhat a connoisseur of underground sounds. It also reminded me when the whole rap rock came around so the nostalgia added that little extra. enjoy.

who said local news never has anything new...

2009-12-07T22:35:00.001-06:00

anyone who watched the news in my hometown, unbeknownst to them, saw our fitted on the news... on that clown ass Wayne.

Trife Life x RFRSH x bsbcbu.

have a nice week.

a breath of fresh air

2009-11-27T22:45:00.001-06:00

download here

courtesy of 2dopeboyz

and I don't even fuck with lupe' that hard, but this shit is nuts

clipse - doorman

2009-11-12T19:19:00.001-06:00

Clipse - Doorman Music Video - Til The Casket Drops Dec 8 from Malice of the Clipse on Vimeo.

this is gonna be the best album of 2009. easily.

show love.

2009-11-03T12:40:00.002-06:00

What did you do yesterday?

Mibbs from Pac Div wearing the College Sucks Tee in DUB Magazine.

Wale rockin' the Rising Sun fitted.

As always, we appreciate the love. Shout out to Chuck Inglish and Dee&Ricky as well for showing some love this weekend.

"G"

2009-10-27T18:25:00.002-05:00

So as long as I have been alive, I have wanted to be an artist in some way. I guess with that, comes the search for things that inspire me to some degree. A lot of my idols come from the Italian Renaissance. People such as Michelangelo and DiVinci. Also the later works of the 15th century painters like Peter Rubens and Johan Vermeer. While I enjoy this painting of the world around me, I enjoy the rawness and abstraction of graffiti. It always seems to have a place in my heart and it comes in and out of my life randomly. As with the Renaissance masterminds, I also have modern day idols in graffiti. Of course the great Barry McGee (Twist) and the members of The Seventh Letter Crew (mainly Revok and Saber). As I go on through my studies, I find myself narrowing my thoughts in attempts to find a niche. I seem to be wrestling with two different ideas and the fight to marry them into a cohesive piece. Recently there has been a large backlash facing graffiti and with every action there is a reaction. The reaction is by TSLC starting the Seventh Day Project. Here is a video for your enjoyment.

*clack clack pssshhhhhhhh*

labor of love

2009-10-27T17:47:00.002-05:00

A lot of people ask, "Hey, why the Panda? Doesn't (LRG, enjoi, Panda Express, etc.) use the panda as their logo? I mean, can't you think up something original, yada yada yada..."

Well fact of the matter is that I draw a ton of inspiration from LRG, not so much their design, but the vision that they, and when I say they, I mean Jonas Bevaqua (co-founder of LRG) have for the future of their brand. So, while I didn't completely jack their logo, you can say it had something to do with it. I also have a really personal reason for the panda, but I'm keeping that one close to the chest for the time being.

Anyway, I found this shirt video of Jonas talking about his work life with LRG and every time I hear him talk, I get really inspired. I can really hear the passion in his voice, and I think it's obvious that he really loves what he does.

I know LRG has lost a bit of its luster these days, the brand isn't really in the same lane that it started in, as limited has somehow taken importance over quality these days, but I still like the brand. Nowadays everyone wants to be the next Crooks & Castles, the next Bobby Hundreds, or whoever is the hot "it" brand... but for now, I think Jonas is still the leader of the streetwear pilgrims.

LRG's Visually Heard Videos featuring Jonas Bevaqua from bf bk on Vimeo.

WHO DAT? WHO DAT?

2009-10-26T02:50:00.000-05:00

REGGIE! REGGIE! REGGIE!

stunna

2009-10-14T23:19:00.000-05:00

all you clowns wanna be wayne... i wanna be birdman

DAY 3 YOUNG MONEY CASH MONEY IN LONDON from DERICK G on Vimeo.

world tour.

2009-10-13T00:44:00.002-05:00

I know you probably wondering why I keep posting CM/YM videos... especially with my documented love/hate feelings toward Weezy... but Birdman just cracks me up so much. enjoy.

80s, baby.

2009-10-12T12:56:00.002-05:00

I grew up on music like this... and I still listen to it, don't get it twisted.

money to blowww...

2009-10-11T15:20:00.001-05:00

i apologize for my constant disappearances... i promise i'll cut that out.

and if this ain't living... then i dono what is.

DAY 1 YOUNG MONEY CASH MONEY IN AMSTERDAM 0CT 2009 from DERICK G on Vimeo.

the 4 horsemen.

2009-09-23T13:33:00.001-05:00

Man, you can just see that look in Em's eye... the "I'm about to remind you why" look.

Good Advertising

2009-09-23T00:23:00.002-05:00

I have watched these videos more than I care to say.

Last name ever, first name greatest.

2009-09-10T12:50:00.001-05:00

riding through the city.... everybody know me...

2009-09-03T12:57:00.001-05:00

saturday at the new orleans house of blues!

health = wealth

2009-08-31T13:40:00.000-05:00

we over here eating good... protein and carbs... what are you doing?

kennedy

2009-08-28T12:48:00.000-05:00

click here

forever

2009-08-26T18:48:00.002-05:00

click here

SHAPOW!

2009-08-17T00:00:00.001-05:00

clipse ft. pharrell - i'm good.

2009-08-13T17:50:00.001-05:00

i was out of town when this leaked, so posting it now.

we don't pay for shit.

2009-08-12T12:24:00.003-05:00

I can't stress enough how appreciative I am for all the love our small (but growing) brand has received, ESPECIALLY in the last year. WE can't be thankful enough. With summer ending, there's alot about to happen with the brand (fingers crossed) but here's just a preview of some of the stuff that will be (but not quite yet) released, being rocked by some friends of ours you may know...

cypher and lu showin love... as always.

big mibbs from pac div wearing some unreleased sh...

and of course you can check these guys out on myspace music.

Pac Div

Team Robot

2009-08-10T13:01:00.001-05:00

click here for a sample

lack of updates

2009-08-10T12:31:00.003-05:00

hello all.

sorry for the lack of updates. last week was hectic. if i wasn't sleeping, i was working. i also had to make a trip out of town to continue creating innovative ways for red bull to market their products to our youth.

trip wasn't so bad, however, the company that i've been employed with for oh so long is beginning to cut corners... such as making me take a 5.5 hour mini-van ride rather than the usual 56 minute flight. trust me. mini-vans were made for people shorter than 6'0. if you're 6'0 or taller, than the mini-van is going to be rough on you.

got to check out the red bull manny mania amateur series stop while I was there. houston's got some nice amateur skaters. i was pretty impressed. houston's also got way too much barbecue to go around. not gonna be eating any of that for a while.

here's a few pictures from manny mania that my dude with red bull sports marketing took...

you get love but that's the shit that I was made in.

2009-07-31T00:58:00.003-05:00

i haven't commented on it, but recently, part of the bsbcbu. family has taken a leave of absence from working on the brand. i won't say he left the brand, isn't developing the brand, or no longer with the brand, because bsbcbu isn't just a brand, it's family. when your brother decides its time to move out the house and go to college or find himself in the world, you don't disown him, he doesn't get kicked out of the family, he's just going out to find his own.

either way, i wish him the best of luck, and he definitely knows there's no hard feelings, it's like dom said, "you n's get love but that's the shit that I was made in".

he recently forwarded me some footage of some louisiana guys shredding in lake charles and i thought that i would share it with you. there's a few bsbcbu cameos in there, and i appreciate all the love from the guys who showed love in the video.

hard work.

2009-07-29T17:23:00.001-05:00

this picture screams at me. come and get me. come and get me.

pegleg x union nyc

2009-07-29T14:29:00.002-05:00

just came in. pegleg x union nyc x opening ceremony g-shock. last collaboration ever from union nyc as they will be closing soon.

dope watch.

I get fly as Ibn JASPER...

2009-07-28T02:38:00.001-05:00

I'm having a stellar year. See you at Denim & Dunks... don't tell Geder.

you see what it is man.

2009-07-26T15:59:00.002-05:00

good old Ibn... stunting as usual. showing off the new Louis Vuitton Don's and Jasper's. Don C also makes a guest appearance.

oh yeah and...

you probably can't even read that... but more on that tomorrow or some shit.

how twilight should have ended.

2009-07-22T13:50:00.000-05:00

I'm sorry, I laughed.

Texas Hold'Em Fascade.

2009-07-20T12:35:00.001-05:00

I was pretty tired of this song. Hell, I was pretty tired of Cudi at this point. But I really liked this video. So Cudi has come back strong in my book. Anxious for his CD.

high jump.

2009-07-20T12:02:00.002-05:00

I appreciate athletic prowess almost as much anything. Being an invested athlete as a kid, I love seeing acts of athletic dominance. BJ Penn is probably one of the most naturally gifted athletes in the world right now. His dexterity mixed with his skill is on the level that few can match. Check out the video, then really think of what he just did. I definitely want to try it, but I don't see anything happening beside some scraped shins and/or broken bones.

Good Vibrations

2009-07-18T16:20:00.002-05:00

If you know me, you know I like Mark Wahlberg. I've seen pretty much every movie he's done in the last 5 years and I think he's one of the best actors in Hollywood. Here's a short clip of the undisputed, undefeated former champ Floyd 'Money' Mayweather catching some mitts with Mark... in Mark's home gym. It's ridiculous.

Be on the lookout for The Fighter starring Mark Wahlberg coming next year.

We the Champs.

2009-07-16T22:39:00.003-05:00

apparently Pac Div's Church League Champs is about to drop soon. Well I've been sitting on this picture (and the actual mixtape) for about a month. It's a good cd, so when it drops, download it at ChurchLeagueChampions.com

Oh, and I didn't spell that.

GSP > you

2009-07-15T18:35:00.006-05:00

The following is a blog entry by George St. Pierre, the UFC Welterweight champion of the World, made on July 15th, 4 days after successfully defending his title against Thiago Alves at UFC 100.

I must admit. I was never a big GSP fan until recently. He's already beaten two of my favorite fights, Josh Koscheck and BJ Penn, both in dominant fashion. It wasn't until I saw how hard he truly trained, how he truly wants to be a legendary champion in his sport, and how down to earth and laid back he is until I realized that GSP is easily one of my favorite athletes in professional sports right now. I'd definitely love to meet him in the future, and I don't say that about many people.

UFC 100 Notable Moments We’re two weeks before the fight. I’m in my hardest phase of training - this is my last week of hard training. Then after I’m gonna slow down and relax a little just before my fight because the week of the fight you don’t do much. My trainer keeps telling me to not be over-trained and that’s my biggest mistake that I do sometimes. On last Friday on my last sparring when I finished the fifth round, I felt very tired, and I felt that I was a little bit over-trained. I start the week very hard, and have Nathan Marquardt this week training with me. So, I had a great training partner to prepare for the fight. My last sparring was on the Friday 7/6, the week before the fight. I did five five-minute rounds – very, very intense and the last round was with two guys who were sparring with me 2.5 minutes each, one after the other one. I felt I did very well, but my timing at the end of the sparring was a little bit off because I was probably a little bit over-trained and little bit over the line. In sports, it’s better being under the line than over the line ‘cuz when you’re over the line you don’t recuperate as well, you don’t sleep as well and you can get injury. Because I felt a little bit over-trained, I took the weekend off. I went to the spa, a place where I can do a sauna and steam room and jump in ice cold water to help my body recover from all the hard training that I have. Saturday night I went to my house for the last time having dinner with my parents to see them for the last time before the fight - it’s like a tradition I have before the fight. I have to go to my parents’ house and eat a very good meal, because the following morning (Sunday) I start my diet, cutting the carbs down and the sodium for the weigh-in. Monday morning 11am – we just arrive in Vegas that’s the week of the fight. And I’m very nervous the week of the fight - even though people talk more about Brock Lesnar’s fight and this fight is less expected than my fight against BJ Penn, I truly believe that’s what makes it even more dangerous. I’m training at night around 8:30pm because I’ll probably fight around that time, so I want my body being acclimatized to it. When I’m training in the room sometimes there is a lot of other fighters, so we don’t have a lot of room and my workout total is 45 minutes maximum. I hit pads, I do some drill on the ground and wrestling. And then some shadow boxing to finish, then stretching, then I leave…that my routine. I do it every day until Thursday night. The cooks that I brought with me, Ross and Jennifer, are making amazing meals and that helps me losing my weight for the weigh-in process. Friday…weigh in day. I wake up at 175.5lbs. So I right away go and weigh myself on the official scale, and make sure that the weight is right and the scale that I got in my room is accurate and then I go in the sauna and lose the rest of the weight that I have to lose to make 170. It’s pretty hard because I see people drinking juice and eating in front of me, and it makes me very cranky. After the weigh-in, the only thing that I am thinking about is eating! So I go to my favorite restaurant in Las Vegas, with all my friends from Montreal and all my training partners coming in Vegas to support me for the fight. And I have a very good time. At night I’m staying at the hotel and I’m eating a pizza, homemade without cheese, made by the cooks that I hired for this trip. Saturday – fight day. I didn’t sleep much because I’m very nervous, I’m very stressed - I sleep maybe five to six hours. I wake up a couple of times during the night because I’m very nervous. But right now it’s not too bad because I know it’s a normal thing. I decide to go take my breakfast around 10:30am (I eat oatmeal with banana and an orange juice). I drink a lot of water. After that I go and do my rehearsal in the Octagon. I go walk in the Octagon and walk around in the locker room behind to make sure I’m used to the place and I feel good when I’m going to be there and make this place (like) my home. Then I go back to my hotel and I take a little nap. A little nap during the time that I'm not going to be able to sleep because I’m too nervous thinking about the fight. But it’s still good to shut down a little bit and relax before the fight. At four o’clock I go back and take my second meal of the day. I eat always pasta with orange juice again. I eat a lot with chicken. Then I go put my suit on and psyche myself ready to go to the arena. When I'm in the locker room I find out that I’m matched with Frank Mir. He’s a very nice guy, I like him, so it’s very cool. So the night starts and we’re supposed to be the last fight before Brock Lesnar and Frank Mir, so we’re having fun, we talk and making jokes between each other even though I’m very scared and nervous. All of a sudden, I'm starting to put my wrap and my gloves on and I'm not even warm, and when Michael Bisping got knocked out, one of the guys of the athletic commission came in and he told me that I'm next! I'm very surprised because I was not prepared for this…I was not warm enough…and it was unexpected. But I have to deal with it. Stuff happens. I guess it was for the TV they wanted to put the final fight at a certain time. So I walked in the Octagon…even though I'm not as warm as I should have been, I tried to jump and keep moving to make my body warm. The fight starts. I have to keep my strategy in mind. Stay standing up, stay always on the outside, hit and run, touch and not getting touched. And if he becomes too aggressive, put him down - once he is down avoiding the fence because he is very good at getting up from the fence. So I'm very focused, the fight is going well until the fourth round when I try an arm-bar from his back and something happened…I felt my right abductor cracking…something went wrong. I hear the noise of the ligament ripping. I end up in my guard and Thiago Alves landing big shot on me. I hold his head down, I wrap his arm, protect myself and I make a prayer in my head: “Please God, help me to get out of this situation, I work so hard to win this fight and give me the strength to keep going and fight well.” I found a way to stand up - I pushed my thighs and pushing in his hips and I stand back up, and even though I'm in a lot of pain I keep fighting. Round four, when I came back in my corner I told my trainer Greg Jackson that I pulled my groin. All of my trainers are very worried. Greg Jackson answers back to me, “I don’t care! This is how champions are made! Fight on it and hit him with your groin! I thought I was kind of funny (afterward) but it was not funny during the fight. The fifth round starts and in my head I have only one thing…not getting hit and winning the fight. Be able to survive and stay there until the end. The round starts and I tell myself if I only try to survive, I'm going to be easy prey, so the best defense is an offense. So I make sure that he respects me by using my jab on his head. So the fifth round starts, I throw a couple of take downs and even though I was in a lot of pain, I was able to control the fight and win in a unanimous decision. When I came back in the locker room, I was mad because I didn’t control the fight and I was not able to finish Alves on the ground like I had been planning to do. What made me mad a little bit is that Fabio Hollanda, a guy that was teaching me a couple of years ago, was in a Florida training Thiago Alves even though a month before he was training with me at the wrestling club. I think it was a cheap shot and he should have told me. But I forgive him - I will be more careful with him next time. When I came back to the locker room, even though I was in a lot of pain, I asked my trainer John Danaher to show me what I been doing wrong during that fight to allow Thiago Alves to stand up so many times. He showed it to me, so like that it’s fresh in my mind and I know right away what I did wrong in the fight and I will never do the same mistake again. I was very happy, even though it was a very hard night. But with the help of Jay Kiss and Steven Friend, I had a treatment and I felt a lot better after it. The swelling and the pain I had went down dramatically. Because of this, I was still able to meet my fans that showed up at my after party at the Foundation Room. This was a special event, because it benefits my Foundation, and it was very fun. I also met the guy who gave me my new logo, Raymond de Ramos, which I really like – thanks again to all my fans who support me. The next day I went at a pool party at Rehab with all my friends who came to support me. We had a booth (cabana) and it was great spot in the place. I drank so much that I forgot my whole name. It was very cool because at one time, Thiago Alves showed up with his entourage and came in my booth (cabana) and drinking with me and congratulate me for the fight. I thought he was a class act and that prove that he was a real professional athlete and a real good person and a gentleman. I really appreciated it, he’s a great fighter and also a great gentleman, and we had a good time drinking together. John Fitch showed up as well, and we celebrate together our victories. Shonie Carter came a little bit later with a gold speedo and a hat and a cane dressed like a pimp with his cane. He make us laugh very much and as always me and Shonie had a great time because Shonie is a good old friend of mine. We had an amazing time at Rehab then I came back to my hotel…took a little nap of one hour and went back to a club at night called Body English at the Hard Rock Hotel. I drank so much that I couldn’t sleep at night. I took my plane the following Monday – when I got on the plane…I think I was still drunk. The flight went very well. People who know me know that I can’t sleep on the plane, because I'm always afraid of flying, but the fact that I was drunk helped me out controlling my fear. I watched the movie Shawshank Redemption - it’s very, very good. Then I came back home, went to have dinner at my parents’ place and had the chance to watch my fight again. It’s very funny because when you watch your fight on TV, it’s so much different because when you’re in it, you don’t have any clue of how the fight looks on the perception of the people who look at it. I want to thank everybody who helped me out for that training camp out and support me. Thank you very much.

check out George at his official website and blog.

WHAT!

2009-07-15T18:18:00.001-05:00

just got off the phone with the connect and he will have this backpack soon.

I need this. it matches my hair.

it used to be cool.

2009-07-15T15:29:00.002-05:00

alright, so I remember back circa 2003-2006 when I was SUPER hyped on battle rapping. Maybe it's because I like seeing people get roasted, but I used to love battle rapping. I had CD's with battles burned on them and I would listen to them, drive, and nearly wreck from laughter. I used to love Jin. Might be an asian thing, but he did do his thing for a very long time, although when Jin lost, Jin lost baddddddd. lol

Well last year, my friend Pat introduced me to this white guy named Iron Solomon. What he's doing now, who knows, because battle rappers are about as relevant as VCR's, but some of his battles are still on YouTube. Here's a few of my favorite battles that I could find, promise they're good for a few laughs. There's even the one where he murders Jin.

stuff I got.

2009-07-15T11:12:00.003-05:00

So I picked up a few things over the last few weeks and while I thought about it before posting, I realized, fuck, that's what you want to see right? I mean sure, it's real cool for me to copy/paste things off of hypebeast, highsnobiety, etc. (it's really not, and I try to keep that kind of posting to a minimum), but you'd rather see some real life stuff right?

dee & ricky brooches and bogie. they're not 100% my style, but they were a gift of sorts, so I'm rocking with that. I'll save the brooches for the wintertime. bogie immediately goes on my hat.

division 1 vans sk8 hi's. I saw these on hypebeast (yes, i know) and had to get them. I'm a sucker for one color with a white midsole and I happen to really like vans. I know skate enthusiasts and hardcore skate fans reading are probably mad, being as i don't skate and won't skate these, but hey, i can't do it all. also behind them are some nudies that i grabbed like three weeks ago, but they're all crumpled up and you can't really make them out.

and yes, that is my toe/foot/sock in the bottom of the 2nd picture.

be safe. be cool. be you.

it's gonna be f*cking insane.

2009-07-10T11:40:00.002-05:00

sorry for the lack of updates guys, i get very caught up doing other things (not trying to sound important or cool, i'm really referring to stuff like eating/sleeping a decent amount a night) but i've got a few little things to show you.

hmmm tomorrow july 11th, UFC 100 airs on ppv. not sure how many of you follow MMA, but i love this shit. tomorrow's pay per view is really worth every $ because you get to see one of the world's best fighters defend his title.

here's two videos, one a preview for tomorrow, so those of you who aren't familiar can get familiar and another of the current WW champ and possibly P4P best fighter in the world, GSP.

inspired by the major motion picture

2009-07-02T00:01:00.002-05:00

if you've been following levi maestro like i have... then you definitely want this. i know for a fact, i thought the music selection was awesome.

download it here

drake - best i ever had

2009-07-01T23:21:00.001-05:00

basketball + voluptuous women = genius

i hate duke.

2009-07-01T17:40:00.000-05:00

can and will be used against you.

2009-06-26T15:27:00.004-05:00

disregard him "playing the guitar", just listen to the chicks screaming in the background.

I bet she didn't realize this fuckery would be heard. wait a minute, she probably didn't care.

rest in peace.

2009-06-25T17:41:00.003-05:00

rest in peace, king.

Ballin'.

2009-06-24T17:01:00.002-05:00

Okay... so back when I was at Magic in Vegas, I shook hands with a few "celebrities" but because I've got ridiculous foolish pride and I don't want to come off as a tourist, rather just another person who admires he work of others, I didn't take pictures. Amongst the guys I met (and shared a few words with) were Stephon Marbury, Antoine Walker, Johnta Austin, Bryan Michael Cox and Gary Payton. I feel like I'm leaving someone out, but it doesn't matter. However, I did shake hands and say what's up to one guy, whom unbeknownst to me, is a BALLER. That man is Phil Ivey. Check this story.

Hang around Vegas a while and you'll hear many tales of luxurious excess, though few can rival this Phil Ivey anecdote we heard moments ago.

Allegedly a group of businessmen were enjoying dinner at the Wynn when they looked over at one of the nearby tables to see none other than Phil Ivey.

Big fans of the poker superstar, they summoned the waiter and asked him to send Ivey a bottle of Cristal champagne, compliments of their table.

Happy with their deed, they went back to tucking into their top-class steaks.

Twenty minutes later, the waiter came back...armed with five bottles of Cristal!

"These are for you, courtesy of Mr. Ivey."

The businessmen were impressed. These bottles were selling at four or five hundred bucks a pop so $2.5k's worth of top class champagne was a very generous gesture.

They felt like they still wanted to send a message to Ivey that they were big fans of his though and took the waiter aside for a word.

"Would you have twenty bottles of Cristal delivered to Mr Ivey please?"

The waiter raised his eyebrows just a notch but took the order, made arrangements and twenty bottles of Cristal were sent over to the poker legend.

The businessmen were satisfied that their point had been made and went back to talking about stocks, shares and of course cracking open a few of the five bottles of champagne stocking their table.

Some time later, they noticed a group of staff approaching their table.

They watched with ever increasing disbelief as bottle after bottle after bottle of Cristal was unloaded until their table and surrounding area were filled with no less than 200 bottles of the vintage champagne - retailing at approximately $100k!

When the delivery had been made the waiter passed the awestruck businessmen a note.

"This is from Mr Ivey sirs."

As the waiter walked away they all crowded round to read the note.

It simply said, "...and I won't stop."

I need that Phil Ivey money.

2009-06-24T14:00:00.002-05:00

Clipse feat Pharrell - I'm Good Behind The Scenes from Malice of the Clipse on Vimeo.

if you don't know me that well, which you should have a pretty good idea since you might check the blog pretty frequently, but I'm a HUGE clipse fan. I can't remember which year of high school, hell it might have been freshmen year, but from the moment they dropped "grindin" I was hooked.

I think these two guys are two of the most slept on artists in music, and had the music industry not picked up "streetwear" like it has the last 2 years or so, I think they wouldn't be getting nearly as much press as they're getting now, which would be a shame.

check the behind the scenes look at what's currently my fav. song, I'm good.

be safe, be cool, be you.

or for the slow ones out there... go in peace.

Pac Div - Mayor

2009-06-24T12:00:00.001-05:00

show the boys some love.

deuce trey

2009-06-21T22:23:00.001-05:00

Twenty-three from Daesun Hwang on Vimeo.

BAR EXAM 3???? ROYCE.. GET EM!

2009-06-17T23:50:00.011-05:00

Royce Da 5'9" - D.O.A. (Redemption) | Hip Hop Songs > HipHopDX.com

JIGGA WHAT? JIGGA WHO?

U SAW IT COMING...

2009-06-12T23:57:00.007-05:00

I'll start by saying that Koston is amazing, point blank period. But i cant say that i'm happy with with the switch. I fully understand that the deal was probably far to good to pass up, but damn nike give us a break. So i guess the sneakerheads will be waiting on those "exclusive" ( James Earl Jones voice") overpriced Air Kostons to drop. Let's just hope has total control over all of his projects.

ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST

PS. NIKE: u cant buy loyalty by just picking up legends. Do skateboarding a favor and focus on some young niggas.

don't do drugs.

2009-06-12T17:30:00.002-05:00

as if this video wasn't bad enough, pay close attention at 0:53-:59

attn: beaverton

2009-06-11T13:47:00.001-05:00

Air Yeezy Spec: (Extended Version) from Samtubia Edwards on Vimeo.

wow. these boys are sick.

fallon did it. that son of a bitch did it.

2009-06-09T03:47:00.002-05:00

words.. cannot express... the feelings... oh joy.

Remember He's Regular

2009-06-08T18:59:00.001-05:00

killa!

2009-06-08T17:04:00.002-05:00

my favorite killa cam song ever.

little known fact: I recorded a freestyle over this beat in 2006. no, I'm not kidding.

haha.. laugh of the day

2009-06-08T15:41:00.001-05:00

put your money where your mouth is.

2009-06-08T11:59:00.002-05:00

as you may recall... i made some pretty bold statements regarding the air yeezy here. later, i backed off of my statements just a bit here. nevertheless...

*cue can't tell me nothing*

have a nice day.

team robot...

2009-06-07T22:02:00.001-05:00

i'm not really big on the whole "fresh" and "sneakerhead" movement going on, i think it takes something very natural and turns into a fad, but my dude cypher kills the 2nd verse on the song. met the kid g-eazy this weekend, he's a good dude. check out the video, peep the cameo.