Kaws x Hajime Sorayama “No Future Companion”

This honestly just looks unbelievably cool. It's great conversation piece and probably fun to play with (PAUSE). Just imagine being a kid and having one of these bad boys to bring during show and tell, or fighting your homeboy's Batman action figure with it. Needless to say, you'd be the man on the playground. Good luck getting your hands on one. If the Kaws fiends haven't already started lining up for this, then the resellers will be right there to make your wallet thinner afterward...

Nike Terminator Hi "Jersey"

It's never too early to start thinking about the next season in streetwear and sneakers. These bad boys here look to drop this fall. They boast a grey and black colorway with an upper constructed of a heather grey jersey material. The swoosh, tongue, lace tabs, and NIKE on the heels accent the heather grey with a black tape material. There's nothing like a simple colorway for Fall. Consider these a cop...

The Census (6/22 - 6/29)

What's up people? We got this week's Census on deck, and its pretty serious. I want to see more votes and some comments talking about it. At Dear Whoever, it's not just about sneakers, music and the such. We dabble in world issues, and this week's Census is on that par. Holla:


A Mousavi supporter being sprayed with tear gas...

Unless you've either been living under a boulder, don't have a Twitter or are just plain ig'nant, you've heard about the Iranian elections and the violent protests against its results. With reports coming in that over 3 million of the record 40 million votes were fabricated (via NY Times), supporters of the supposedly-defeated Mir Hossein Mousavi have been taking to the streets for the past week and a half, engaging in numerous scuffles with not only supporters of the incumbent winner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, but also riot police and a guerilla military group called the Basij. The Iranian government, amid these new reports has been attempting to silence the protesters, who have become increasingly dependent on technology such as Twitter, SMS messaging and Facebook to organize their protests. The confrontations and the government's silence up until now have made the results seem all the more disreputable. With that said, Dear Whoever readers, here's the Census question for the week (the answers are simple too, so everyone should vote):

Are the Iranian election results fair or not?
Yes.
No.
It's too early to tell.

Make sure you vote in the tab below Dear Whoever's title, and put your two cents in by commenting on this post. The poll will be up until next Monday and we'll be debriefing this heavily, especially with news coming in every day about the election. Step your suffrage up, people!!!

The Census: Debriefing Session (6/15-6/22)

What's up people? This past week's Census results are in!!!

Fuck yeah!!! I'm about to go cop some new G-Unit gear now!!! 0%
No. Power of the Dollar was better anyways... 100%

It seems like you guys really, really, really hate the new 50 Cent. Your utter lack of respect for Curtis is evident in the landslide voting this week. Honestly, I agree my damn self. The new mixtape, while it had its moments, really didn't impress, and left me feeling like Curtis was still trying to hearken back to his pre-beef mongering days. The funny thing is, we still have no earthly clue when Till I Self Destruct is coming out, while 50's arch-nemesis Ross is sitting pretty with a Gold album worldwide and eating crab meats. 50, what's the dilly? Are the Dear Whoever readers right about you? Whatever the case, 50 looks like he's gonna take a hit in album sales, considering how lame the first single off "War Angel" was.


Dude better hold on to every stack he has with the looks of that mixtape...

Dear Mother Nature

Okay, I'll be the first to say it: We fucked up. Humanity has been milking your teat nonstop for years and its beginning to run dry. We burned ridiculous amounts of oil until your skies had no protection from the sun. We littered until the very ground we walk on had to be made of garbage. I wasn't cognizant of the ramifications of humankind's actions until I realized that I haven't seen the sun in almost a week. The weather reports aren't looking too bright either, with the month of June set to break a record for rainfall and temperatures. I always thought April showers brought May flowers, not more June showers. The worst part about our desecration of our atmosphere is the fact that in the winter, it's probably going to be hotter than Satan's hot tub in the depths of hell. Mother Nature, we've fucked you up so much that you've essentially switched up the M.O. for the seasons. Who knows what to expect now? Next year's spring could bring falling leaves instead of blooming flowers. We could be seeing snow in July and the longest day of the year in January. It's absurd how much we've messed up your natural state. Global warming (or cooling, if you live in the Northeast US, these days) is no joke. I guess if we're gonna die, I'd rather by flood or solar holocaust than a nuke going straight through my umbrella....

The Kid Daytona (ft. Outasight) - Cheers

Normally I don't include personal info on this blog, but a brotha's birthday is on JULY 6TH!!! This song is only proper for such an occasion. Not to mention, Daytona goes in. For those of you that don't know, the homie's dropping his first album "Come Fly With Me" on June 30th. This track didn't make the album, but peep the d/l link, as well as the cover for "Come Fly With Me" below...

The Kid Daytona (ft. Outasight) - Cheers

Curren$y & Wiz Khalifa - The Checkpoint

Curren$y & Wiz Khalifa - The Checkpoint

Here's more Music Monday shit for y'all. Hot Spitta and the Wiz are putting together a mixtape together featuring their respective FS Jets and Taylor Gang. I'm honestly not as excited for Wiz's verses as I am for Curren$y, just because Wiz doesn't seem to venture outside of smoking, women, and being fresh. I hope dude proves me wrong. The collab, called How Fly, is dropping in July. Check two other singles from it, and the d/l links for your pirating pleasure...



Curren$y & Wiz Khalifa - Rollin Up



Curren$y & Wiz Khalifa - Car Service

Dear Southern Hip-Hop

I'm not a hater. I think all hip-hop has its place in the musical spectrum, no matter how idiotic it may seem. That being said, what's the deal with you guys? It just seems like the South has taken up an affinity for replacing skillful lyrics with nursery rhyming and actual style and fashion for trends, gaudy jewelry and overpriced (and probably fake) luxury brands. Even the dancing in your videos has gone downhill. I never thought snap music's retarded cousin, "swag surfin" would ever make it big. Then again, I never thought Wayne would kiss another man. I respect the grind of some of you Southern MC's, but your music is sub par. It's like someone literally told y'all niggas to write the most ignorant, unskilled, ostentatious rap ever. The sheer idea of a grown man screaming "aye!" is preposterous. It's even more so considering he's rapping about pushing (badly). Some of this music seems like a joke to me. I guess all things come full circle though. Before you know it, we'll be entering another golden age, and random dances and shameless plugs for unneeded fashion accessories will be gone with the wind.

J. Cole - The Warm Up

So apparently light-skinneded niggas are coming back. With everyone surgically attached to Drake's nuts now, I thought it was going to be hard for any of the new acts to get any press. This man (above) is looking like he might change that sooner than anyone thought. J. Cole, out of Fayetteville, North Carolina, and fresh off being Jay's first Roc Nation signee, put out his second mixtape, "The Warm Up" a few days ago, to anticipation only matched by Drake's "So Far Gone". I must say, that I feel J. Cole a little bit more. I was unfamiliar with his first offering, "The Come Up" (check that out too!!!!), so hearing him for the first time felt awkward, like I should have known about dude months ago. This mixtape sounds and feels like an album (hell, even the cover looks album-quality). Lyrically, dude is a monster. He switches up his flow on every song, so he doesn't fall into the Wale trap. His punchlines sometimes take more that three or four listens to completely understand (so no Curren$y lines here) and his content is far and above anything that heads in his class (including Drake), this 'new' breed, have to offer. Real talk, Roc Nation has two BANGERS with him and Mickey Factz headlining. J. Cole is the REAL "Great Light Hype". Drake is cool, but this man takes interracially-charged rap to a whole new level. Make sure you check the mixtape download, the tracklist (on back cover), my picks and a few more goodies below:

J. Cole - The Warm Up



Cream of the Crop:
Young Simba
Just to Get By
Lights Please
Dead Presidents II
World is Empty
Get Away
Til' Inifinity

Cream of the Crap:
Welcome
Can I Live (both of these seemed a bit weak to start the mixtape with)

Obama Fly Swatting

President Obama just seems to have a swift hand when dealing with everything from the economy to foreign relations, to pesky flies during interviews. Too bad PETA had to get their granola bars in a crunch about it. (via MSNBC)

The Kid Daytona

The Kid Daytona is such a real cat. Unlike 90% of the rap game, when he doesn't have it, he's not afraid to admit it, and he's STILL baggin' the baddest joints. That's the type of honesty that hip-hop (sans the 'real hip-hop' heads) need. Reality rap aside, this interview has me hyped. Watch out for Daytona on June 30th, people. Until then, check one of the first leaks, "Twilight".

The Kid Daytona - Twilight

The Mailing List: June 2009 (#2)

2. Father's Day



Yes, yes, y'all. Here's the 2nd to last piece of this month's Mailing List, which should be number one in your hearts, unless there's something OD dope coming up for number one (hinthint, winkwink, nudgenudge). This upcoming Sunday, June 21st, is Father's Day. People tend to forget about their fathers; not so much as not appreciating him, but forgetting all the things that a father does in a life. I know personally that my father has been instrumental in my growth over the past 3-4 years, after a lifetime of him being the silent provider, which I'm thankful for. Many of my other friends have great relationships with their dads, but still a lot don't. A lot have pure disdain for their fathers, while some don't even know them. Whatever your situation might be, take some time out Sunday and make sure to show some love to whatever male role model you might have in your life. Uncles, grandfathers, family friends, whoever!!! If you have a guy that holds you down, Sunday is the day to do him right. And for all of the fathers out there, hold your kids down. Along with a lot of fatherless children, there are a lot of fathers not holding up their end of the bargain as fathers. A child are a responsibility and a blessing, make sure you treat them as such. Remember, fellas, it's easy to become a father, but hard to be one. Happy Father's Day...

Dear Myspace

Via NY Times:

MySpace, the social networking site owned by News Corporation, the media conglomerate controlled by Mr. Murdoch, said it was laying off roughly 400 employees, or nearly 30 percent of its staff. After the layoffs, MySpace will have about 1,000 workers. 

MySpace, which was acquired by News Corporation in 2005 for $580 million, was once the pre-eminent social networking site. But more recently it has lost some luster to Facebook, and at the same time has come up short of News Corporation’s financial projections.

Is the whole venture into the music industry worth it now? (Christina Milian is on Myspace Records; nuff said) Seriously, now I realize why Tom stepped down and became an adviser for you guys. I feel like anyone who was on Myspace, at or before it got really big, knew that the company could only get so big before people got tired of it, especially with the "sweet" advertising bots, sexual predators and people who took more profile pictures than showers on Myspace. It's not like I didn't have one, it's just that there are only so many times my computer can crash because of someone's seizure-inducing Myspace page. What's funny now is that Facebook is taking some of the stuff you guys didn't work with and made it better. You guys were fun while it lasted. Maybe Tom can get a Facebook now...

The Mailing List: June 2009 (#3)

3. Vans "3 Feet High" Pack



Vans are a staple in the streetwear game. It's like everytime they get corny, or someone makes a retarded song about them, they do a collab or just come out with pure fire to quell the criticism. This year is no different. The most off the wall brand is collaborating with three of the foremost streetwear boutiques, Kicks/HI, Huf and Dave's Quality Meat to put out a pack of Half Cabs. I must say, each of these colorways is dope. They each bring out the flavor and style of their stores and, more importantly, the cities they're in. These bad boys all drop on the 25th, and there will be a release party for them. Check some more pictures of the release and the flyer for the release party below:

The Census (6/15 - 6/22)

So, we had a few technical difficulties this morning, which kept us from putting out this week's Census. Bear with us though. Shit will be better soon!!



50 Cent - Redrum

If you've been following the blogosphere lately, you know that 50 is coming out with a new LP called "War Angel," one of his first mixtapes in years. His ideals look lofty judging by the cover and how hard he came with the first single "Redrum" (doesn't mean the song is good, he just promoted). With that said, our question for this is clear: Will 50 be able to get back to his "Get Rich or Die Tryin" days? Will the pride (and curse) of South Side Jamaica Queens shed the Vitamin Water and failed MTV show failures and get back to that ol' gangsta shit that made everyone bump GRODT like it was family reunion music? Vote in this week's census and let me know what you think!!!! Make sure you peep the D/L link for the mixtape below (I'll post it later, since 50 is on CP time), the updated tracklist and a cut of the first single from it:

Dear Los Angeles Lakers Fans

Well, you just sent black people back to 1854...

Okay, so the Lakers won. Big deal. When you have the second biggest market outside of New York City, one of the best coaches ever, one of the best players ever, and a commissioner willing to take it up the ass to see you in the Finals, it's kind of hard not to win. That's why I don't understand you guys. Have some class when you win!! By the way L.A. fans were acting in the streets, you would think the U.S. opened the Mexican border for free travel. Yo, since when does a basketball team winning a championship equal you stealing sneakers? Or better yet, since when does your basketball team winning mean you start burning shit?


If you're gonna steal shit, at least steal the same pair...


Dude to the left clearly came about 3 minutes too late...

I've always loved sports, but sports fanaticism is one of the dumbest things I've ever heard of. Through your fanhood, L.A. fans, has Kobe Bryant ever showed up at your door and thanked you? Has Pau Gasol ever personally invited you to Encierro de los Toros? When's the last time you've seen Lamar Odom at your favorite eatery and he engaged you in stimulating conversation? Seriously fans, sports are fun, but should not be the end all, be all of your lives. Do you really want to end up like this because you decided to burn a tree branch after the Lakers won??

Optical Illusions

The eye sees only what the mind is prepared to comprehend. That is all.

The Census (6/8 - 6/15 Debriefing Session)

Well, well, well. I guess you guys are beginning to like the idea of suffrage because we got a few more votes for this week's census. But the results are in, and I can't say that I don't agree:

Fuck Jay-Z!!! I'm working on my remix to "Buy U a Drank" right now!!! 54%
Fuck all these Parliament wannabe's!!! 45%

With the advent of Jay-Z's "Death of Autotune," the auto-tune era seemed to be on its way out. However, there's been a lot of backlash to Jigga's movement. Artists like Jim Jones (well, he hates everything Jay does) have been speaking out, saying that one man doesn't have the clout to just kill a fad (yes, it is a fad; things that are here to stay don't reappear every 20 years). I tend to agree with Jimmy on this one, as do you guys. While some of the music (coughroncoughcoughbrowz) has been less than stellar, a lot has been eye-opening to say the least. It gives way to new vocal styles and a much less stagnant sound for a lot of artists. Is it really right do dismiss autotune and make the users out to be one hit wonders? At least we know one artist who's made a career out of it:


T-Pain is eating... literally

Nike Terminator Low "Rainbow Pack"

I guess rainbows aren't as gay anymore...

I was never on the whole "rock ridiculous neon colors and a dookie chain" fad from like 2 years ago. Not only were there too many people (most not doing it right) wearing those things, the shoe game got bombarded with sneaker colorways following the fad. I seriously thought everyone had fallen in the Hudson River and come out with radioactive, ultraviolet skin. Everyone's sneakers looked like they came out of a damn Prince concert. But that's neither here nor there. Nike's "Rainbow Pack" Terminators look to bring back the bright colors, but in a much cleaner, subdued manner. Hopefully the dookie chains go away though. This generation needs to develop its own fashion icons. Peep some more flicktures of the pack:

Dear 50 Cent

Really 50? I guess all that Massacre and Curtis money is running short these days. Not only have you not released a mixtape in almost five years, you just came off record as saying that rappers should be less focused on sales. That's like the devil saying heads are too focused on their carnal and hedonistic desires. Curtis, you've really lost respect since GRODT came out. So you say it's not about the money? You say it should really be about creativity and being innovative? That's really funny coming from the man doing a reggeaton collab a couple years late. I think someone's a hypocrite...


This is either kinda hard or extremely gay...

But seriously, 50, do you really think you're gonna get anywhere with this mixtape grind now? What made you and G-Unit hot back in '03 was that y'all were consistently putting out new stuff. Do you really think you can adjust your strategy to line up with what fickle-ass blog-goers like? Or better yet, do you think whatever you have to put out is better than the shit you've been putting out recently? From the looks of "Curtis" I'm not looking for much. In fact, I'll probably Youtube the songs on the mixtape. If the first is wack, I'll just consider it a fail and keep moving. The mixtape drops Tuesday though, so I guess I'll have more than enough time to fill my head with good music, so I'm prepared to lose brain cells when I spin " War Angel."