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Seems like Hip Hop is alive and kicking in 2010. Starting with Jay Electronica’s “Exhibit C” which is the biggest “Real” Hip Hop song of the year thus far (release date for Jay Electronicas album with Super Producer Just Blaze is still TBA). So with a bunch of solid releases lined up for 2010, there’s way to much to talk about so lets take a sec to go over the official/unofficial releases I’m most looking forward to in the month of Feb.

After hearing Freeway on a few Jake One productions over the last year, it’s obvious they had amazing chemistry. So they have now joined forces to create a new album called “The Stimulus Package” which is dropping Feb. 16th  – here’s the video for their first single “Know What I Mean” also the packaging for the CD is insane and worth checkin out.

Speaking of Freeway, I’m working on a mixtape with him that will be coming out in about a week titled “The Art Of Freeway Blends“, which he hosted….. Its Freeway vocals mixed over various instrumentals. That will be on all the major Hip Hop sites next week so make sure to keep yours eyes open for it.

Make sure to also pick up that Green Ghost – (Green Lantern & Styles P) mixtape/album that just dropped Feb 2nd and is full of dope production, and Styles P never disappoints! This album is full of certified bangers! Cop that shit

Mikkey Halsteds new mixtape “The Best you Never Heard” is scheduled to drop Feb 11^th. If you don’t know who Mikkey Halsted is do yourself a favor and check out the song “Liquor Store”

Up & comer Johnny Polygon is dropping his new joint “Rebel Without a Pause” February 14^th. First single off that is “That’s You” – y’all can check out the video below.

Till next time , I’m out!

I just got back from a quick jaunt overseas where, for a few blissful days, I consumed almond croissants and macarons from Fauchon in Paris, enjoyed the ingenious variety of take-away in London, and soaked up impeccable European style.  But what I came home with was an even deeper love for English country romanticism and a new appreciation for rugged shoes.

English Rose – A different take on the peek-a-boo mesh of Jill Sander, Alexander Wang, and Marc Jacobs, sheers in nude, white and blush coupled with muted florals in spring colours are…heavenly. Finnish designer Minna Hepburn has captured this eternal English-country Romanticism perfectly. After a period collecting brooches and buttons, Hepburn started designing dressing and tops out of Scottish lace and decorating them with her antique finds. With an design ideology that minimizes environmental impact by using organic and recycled materials, Hepburn’s handmade pieces are soft, chic, and ‘lovely’ for the environment.

Petit Pied – I’ve always been intrigued by the equestrian-meets-rugged look of Blundstone boot; I just never thought I would incorporate that look into my personal style. However, a little shop in Paris changed my mind for the better, and a slightly slimmer, shorter version are my new favourite pair of boots. Rodarte has something similar from California made from vegetable-tanned leather, and the website www.planetshoes.com has a shoe by Greenbees that is a great eco-friendly alternative.

What’s going on in the mind of video artist, artistic director and all around tastemaker, Gibran Ramos?  Apparently, little mice have taken over and the wonderful world of MAD MAUS has emerged.   MAD MAUS is the international movement where fashion, design, electro music and pop culture converge into a monthly night of decadence and debauchery in Montreal and, soon, the world.  PR machine and MAD MAUS co-founder, Patrick de Grace, will see to that!

Ramos confessed to me that the whole MAD MAUS thing is a manifestation of a childhood fetish of embellishing existing photos and images with mouse ears (à la obscure 1930s, Van Beuren, depression-era mouse illustrations). Fast forward a few years and throw in some influences of Bauhaus, Dadaism, Surrealism and a whole lot of black, and you’ve got MAD MAUS.

Not only is MAD MAUS a night, but it’s a cyber-meeting space for hipsters, fashionistas and the avant-garde all around the world; whether it’s Twitter, Facebook or the MAD MAUS blog, you’ll discover what is up and coming in the world of art, fashion and music. Top DJs, designers, photographers and artists will be showcased, but the next step for Ramos is the exclusive artist collaboration of the MAD MAUS product line, which includes limited edition designer t-shirts and other wares that will be exclusively sold online…too hot!

Invited “Mausketeers” include Canadians Erick & Alexander Faulkner (stylists & performers), Rene Leblanc (fashion designer), Zilon Lazer (graffiti artist), Martin Rondeau (photographer), Naomi Laliberte (fashion designer), Dimitrichris (fashion designer), Jennifer Silencieux (singer), Emanuel Botello (photographer), French designer Naco Paris, French illustrator Alexandre Bis Dufoix, French contemporary & graffiti artist Andre Saraiva, UK performer & fashion icon Scottee Scottee, Spanish fashion designer Carlos Diez Diez and American Creative Director & fashion designer Christopher Lee Sauve.

On Saturday, February 20^th, the Faulkner Twins will be unveiling their vision of the “MAUS HAT”.   Go to Velvet in Old Montreal, dress like you mean it (in black of course), sport your best ears, check out Faical Hajji doing the live photo shoot with invited “mausketeers,” be “camera ready” for paparazzi extraordinaire, Daniel Payette, be captivated by Bunk3r TV installations and sip on the designer drink (yes, even the drinks are designer) MAD MAUS 9, made with Belvedere IX, a unique vodka with nine intoxicating ingredients (Guarana, Ginger, Ginseng, Jasmine, Cinnamon Leaf, Sweet Almond, Eucalyptus, Black Cherry and Acai juice).

Be prepared to party  à  la MAD MAUS in Paris, Istanbul, New York City, Berlin, Mexico City, Sao Paolo, London, Tokyo and definitely get ready for the Toronto edition, launching at the CLOSING PARTY OF THE ALTERNATIVE FASHION WEEK.

The MAD MAUS Team is: Artistic Director: Gibran Ramos / Graphics: Simon Lévéillé / Fashion Photograghy: Faical Hajji / Event Photographer: Daniel Payette / Visuals: Bunk3r tv / PR: Patrick de Grâce

For program information: madmausworld@gmail.com

Facebook Group: Mad Maus

Blog: mad-maus.blogspot.com

So Valentine’s Day is right around the corner!  Many of my friends (mostly female and some male) have been checking in with me to find out what new products are available on the market to make that special evening even more spectacular. Well LA VIE EN ROSE weighs in with their new fragrances, Rose Délice par/by La Vie en Rose ^TM and Rose Elixir par/by La Vie en Rose ^TM.

Light in scent but heavy in impact, Rose Délice par/by La Vie en Rose ^TM and Rose Elixir par/by La Vie en Rose ^TM cater to a woman’s duality: natural beauty by day and seductive sensuality by night. A carefully created line of fragrances and beauty enhancers, Rose Délice par/by La Vie en Rose ^TM and Rose Elixir par/by La Vie en Rose ^TM, will definitely keep him close.

Here are a few products that I felt would be a great addition to an already steamy encounter.

Rose Délice/Body Soufflé

This creamy and sensual body soufflé lotion is an ultra-whipped moisturizing formula which will leave your skin super soft and delightfully scented. ($19.95 before taxes)

Shimmer Body Powder

Caress your body with this delicately scented soft puff. Its shimmering powder adds a luminous glow to your skin. ($16.95 before taxes)

Rose Elixir/Massage Candle

This candle with benefits melts into warm and luxurious oil; its ideal for sensual body massages. ($19.95 before taxes)

Secret Message Balm

Glow-in-the-dark body balm dares you to get creative under the sheets. Complete kit comes with a sensual caressing brush. ($19.95 before taxes)

For more information on these products, visit www.lavieenrose.com . Have Fun!!!

I’ve often wondered what the world would be like if women were in charge. It’s likely that there would be fewer wars and conflicts, and we’d probably have a more egalitarian society. But how much of what I believe is true? Even today, in virtually every culture, social pressures largely dictate what roles women are supposed to play. What if that changed suddenly and irrevocably?

Y The Last Man, one of Vertigo Comics’ most original titles, explores the possibility of a world where in one instant, mankind ceases to exist. Yorick Brown, an unemployed escape artist with a pet monkey named Ampersand (also a male), becomes the only man alive. Sounds a bit like the average heterosexual male’s ultimate fantasy, doesn’t it? The only glitch is that Yorick happens to be in love with one woman, his fiancée, who is stranded on the other side of the planet.

What happens next is more like a nightmare. Since almost all pilots, truck drivers, ship captains, mechanics, electricians, construction workers, and world leaders died simultaneously, society, as we know it, ceases to exist. While the world restructures, Yorick becomes the subject of a manhunt, and scribe Brian K. Vaughan (who is a writer-producer on TV’s LOST) and artist Pia Guerra deliver brilliantly.

Y The Last Man challenges us to reconsider our notions. Are women really less violent? Are they less ambitious and power-hungry? And are they more nurturing and emotional? Like most guys, I’ve grown up with a slew of ideas regarding the opposite sex, and at best it’s messy territory to even explore the idea that gender determines behavior. Fearless creators Brian K. Vauhan and Pia Guerra delve into the subject headfirst, giving us such realistic, compelling characters that we can’t help but question gender stereotypes. For that alone, Y The Last Man is one of the best comics being published today and one of the most entertaining reads.