The Definitive Spin is a cornucopia of pop-culture.
Music, Art, Fashion, Film, and everything in between.
Put your spin on the topics that relate to you.


Sunday, February 21, 2010

Artist To Watch = Kevin Sandbloom



I've had the luxury of knowing about Kevin for several years. He's one of the best undiscovered (and under-appreciated) songwriters of our time. I kid you not. Our paths crossed around 1998 when he fronted a dope act called, The Congregation that my friends and I used to follow. To this day I am sick to my stomach that I never was able to recover all of my tapes (and yes, I did say tapes) of theirs. I digress.

Check him out and tell a friend to tell a friend...

-NB









Spin Fashion: Converse All-Star Robert Indiana's



One of the original pioneers of the pop art movement, Robert Indiana's iconic LOVE motif is recognized around the world as a great symbol of optimism. The definition of optimistic rebellion, Indiana's artwork broke boundaries and changed the face of the art world, while injecting informal humor, irony and pop culture references along the way. Iconic itself, the Chuck Taylor All Star shoe has long been worn by artists who are driven to realize their vision and in the process change popular culture. This collection is dedicated to those folks who chose to follow their own path and create symbols of optimism and hope. The collection is inspired by a few of the original color iterations of Robert Indiana's iconic LOVE artwork.

Bottom line, these shoes are dope. Sneaker fans need to grab these ASAP.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Artist To Watch = Outasight



Born and raised in Yonkers, New York, Outasight was brought up by a mother who collected records and a father that loved to play the guitar. Always jumping from apartment to apartment never gave him a true sense of home, but Outasight always found a home within music. Whether rocking solo or with a band Outasight gives his all and has always loved the stage. Using his life experiences, Outasight is definitely on the rise and creating a brand of music all to his own.

Download his new record entitled "Further" from his MySpace page:


Check out the video for:
"Good Evening (Dream Big)"


Bands to Watch = U-N-I



Born from the ashes of gangsta rap Los Angeles, California is experiencing an indie hip-hop resurgence. Inglewood rap duo U-N-I are the talk of the Internet and guiding hip-hop's path in the city by juxtaposing music with customized fashion. The two MC’s have loaded up on accolades over the past 2 years-- being named “Best Breakout LA Artist” at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards, featured in URB Magazine's “NEXT 1000,” XXL Magazine’s “New Kids in Town,” Billboard Magazine’s “Acts to Watch,” The Source Magazine’s “Unsigned Hype,” ending up on the “SoundBoard” of The Los Angeles Times and serving as the inaugural artists for Scheme Magazine's Schemer series--on the strength of their observant, life-affirming rhymes that revolve around everything from limited-edition sneakers to cosmic existentialism and old-school video games.

Though the two rappers--"Thurzday" (Yannick Koffi) and “Y-O” (Yonas Semere Michael)-- hail from an area of Los Angeles commonly associated with the trappings of violent ghetto life, their debut street album, Fried Chicken and Watermelon--powered, melodic and groovy, employing angelic strings, electro-bounce and Nintendo 64 scores--eschewed Dickies, lowriders and high-powered armory in favor of positing their lives against a greater Black experience that was at once earthly and universal.

Their progressive swagger and throwback fashion sense may initially compel comparisons to “hipsters,” but the duo’s truth is at once more complex and far simpler: Y-O has been sporting a vibrant mohawk for going on five years while Thurz notes that the group is innately fashion-conscious and not willing to sacrifice substance for style. Y-O explains, “What duo out of Cali you know looks like us? My man Thurz stays with the latest hats & kicks. I stay in thrift shops putting together $20 outfits & still walk the Red Carpet.”

True to their laid-back sneaker pimp theory, the aficionados flipped the Wu-Tang Clan’s “C.R.E.A.M” into the popular song “K.R.E.A.M.” (Kicks Rule Everything Around Me), complete with a Do The Right Thing inspired video, garnering the attention of major shoe corporations including Adidas and Puma and landing them in the footwear department of Slam Magazine. Their other visuals--the lazy, color-rich, slow-rolling “Beautiful Day” and the genre-jumping, kaleidoscopic “Soul Hop”-- continue to play in rotation on MTV Jams and VH-1, while the duo hit MTV2’s Sucka Free for a freestyle appearance.

U-N-I’s latest offering, A Love Supreme is put forth with a “recession-proof theme” for folks who have fallen on hard times in our struggling economy (soon to be available via free via download). The effort continues the band's mission of expanding and texturizing hip-hop's conversation: tackling the lust, love and hate of relationships (“Right Now,” “Desha Dayana”), tossing crafty, whimsical odes to black actresses (“Lauren London”), dramatically dealing with the mundane aspects of struggling artistry through borderline poverty and senseless crime on the sublimely dark “Halftime.” Where Fried Chicken and Watermelon was a spontaneous and easy-going trip backed by a handful of producers, A Love Supreme is a matured and intimate journey produced entirely by west coast producer RO Blvd., who is steadily garnering acknowledgement in underground movements for his boundary-crossing inventiveness.

These guys are truly one of my favorite indie hip-hop artists out there. If you are into acts like A Tribe Called Quest, Wu-Tang, Del La Soul, and the Roots, be sure to check these guys out at
http://www.myspace.com/unimuzik

Spin Fashion: Nike Zoom Kobe V




The Zoom Kobe V is the next evolution of basketball footwear, emphasizing superior performance fit with upper and bottom technologies working in a system, one supporting and enhancing the other. My birthday is next month, ya'll. Hook it up.

Sports Spin: Lakers head to the White House



Lakeshow takes it to the House...

Sports Spin: The Superbowl





So, the table is set for the 44th Annual Superbowl in South Florida. Colts vs. Saints. Drew Brees and Peyton Manning go head-to-head for an opportunity to become legendary. Both have high-flying offenses and defenses that have held their own in this years playoffs. Who do you think will prevail and why?

Spin Fashion: Bathing Apes



These were a gift... and I love them.

Monday, January 25, 2010

Comedy Spin - Aziz Ansari - "Intimate Moments for a Sensual Evening"
















For those who aren't familiar with Aziz, it's about time to get dialed-in as he's one of today's brightest and most hilarious comedic minds. Aside from being a hard-working stand-up comic, he currently stars as Tom Haverford on NBC's Parks and Recreation, has appeared in hit TV series like Flight of the Concords, Reno 911!, Scrubs, and has appeared in hit films like Funny People, I Love You Man, and Observe and Report. His latest special entitled Intimate Moments for a Sensual Evening is a series of LOL moments. Seriously. On multiple occasions I was forced to run the DVR back to figure out what I had missed from laughing to hard. Some of the best moments include rants about Facebook, Blackberry, a fake beef between his young Indian cousin and Kanye West, and the best R. Kelly concert he had ever seen.

Find out more by going to http://azizisbored.tumblr.com/

Check out this clip: