The Ultimate Trunk Show In New York City

     Yesterday I attended a show for independent clothes brands in the city, brought to you by Chris Leann Boutique. I primarily went to check out my friend Jason and Karlo's clothing brand called Irregular, which you can find at theirregularlife.com. When I got up to the 14th floor of the building where the event was being held, the number of people inside was amazing.

    I should have known from the amount of people that were in the lobby and the fact their were 2 greeters, that this was going to be an official event. I wasn't wrong either. When the doors opened on the elevator, I heard music blaring out and saw a ton of people. As I walked around attempting to find my friends, I noticed them by the window near the female DJ. Yes, I said female DJ, who was great with her selection of music as well as her execution. The world needs more female DJ's in it.

   When I finally got to the Irregular table, they had a bunch of T-Shirts on it for sale, as well as some vintage sneakers. They even had a custom bike behind the table which Karlo told me they had already sold to someone. My friend Jason told me that somebody had even bought the vintage varsity jacket off his back that he was wearing when he got there. On top of that, Irregular also does snap back New Era hats.

    It was hard to walk around because of the sheer amount of people inside of the place, but you can't complain because the crowd was great,right? There were slices of cake for sale as well as cups of Alize closer to the back of the room. I'm not sure of it was free or not because I never had a chance to get any, but I imagine, they may have been sponsoring the event.


    There was no shortage of ladies in the building either. A ton of them actually. I estimate about 250-300 people inside of the room, with half of that being females. This is how hip hop shows need to look these days instead of the massive amount of guys, and about 5 women if your lucky.


    As for the day at the actually Irregular Life table, I think things went well. Jason and Karlo were in front of the table ready to talk to anyone interested in the clothing, while myself and Darren were behind the table helping out. We had the usual business cards as well as stickers to give out to people, both with the website for the clothing brand on it. I had a few of my Birth of a Dream cd's on me as well, cause like cash, or however that commercial goes, you never leave home without it.

   It was a good show though and after that I ended up at BBQ's with Darren cause working makes you hungry. If you would like more information on the next Ultimate Trunk Show or Irregular clothing, check out the links below.

http://www.chrisleeannboutique.com/
http://theirregularlife.com/


 

Interview With "Lateef Ade' Reid" by J.Burke

1. What exactly is the Hip Hop Trading Card Series?
Collectibles. A series of trading cards with legendary TRUE hip hop that artists featured on
them. They can be purchased in packs of 50 at http://www.facebook.com/l/76911Nugl1KA2s0NX3940oKM8zw;crmnlelements.blogspot.com and are also packaged
randomly in the clothing when purchased online.

2. What made you want to start making hip hop trading cards and how do you choose who is going to


be a part of the series?

Honestly anybody can get down if they're serious about hiphop. I mostly want independent artists
and hiphop legends because all the mainstream artist get enough shine as it is. Most of the
artists I ask to be a part of it are artists that I listen to when I'm doing art work or working
on a project, etc. Then they usually bring other people in that like the idea. Series one was
basically an experiment. I reached out to my close peoples that are down for whateva and then it


got bigger than I expected.

Its basically something I started from constantly hearing myself say "there are 100 artists for
every one of the 12 artists who are being forefronted on TV and radio, all of which are way more
talented".
I always say that in music discussions and people look at me like only 12 hiphop artists exist or


something just because the Radio & MTV/BET only forefront 10-12 artists. People will say shit
like "what ever happened to so and so" meanwhile that artist is right on my friendslist and just
dropped a fire ass LP or something. People's attention spans are so short these days that you
can name all the artists you want, they're not gonna check for them unless they have something
physical to represent it.

Alot of the innovative artists from back in the day who were overlooked back then are now in
people's personal music lists 10 years later so I figured why not appreciate the artists that are


pushing the envelope and trying new sounds NOW instead of 10 years from now.

That's another reason why I decided to do the collectible trading card thing. People like to
collect rare things. Plus I'm bringing back the collectible element to hiphop. There's always
something collectible that signified an era of hiphop (tapes, vinyl, stickers, action figures,
etc) but now the game is so watered down and robotic that nobody collects anything because a
million MC's are dropping a million mixtapes over other people's beats, etc. Its getting to the
point where the shit ain't fun no more.

3. How do you feel about the state of hip hop, both mainstream and the underground/indie side of
things?
I feel like the state of actual HIPHOP isn't threatened. Actually true HIPHOP is stronger than
it's ever been. What happened is that it generated alot of commercial success over the years
which resulted in corporate America using the genre of music as a vehicle to influence the youth
into doing things. They saw how influential it is and decided to supress anyone that was
providing a positive influence because 99% of the time positivity/intellect does not go hand in
hand with Corporate American agendas. If you arent convinced of bullshit then you will not
behave like a consumer.

Corporate America then slowly used media supression to stifle every hiphop artist that does not
want to put out certain self destructive messages that the artists whom are being financially
back are willing to do.
Eventually it got to the point where the commercial hiphop became a whole different genre of
music.

People haven't grasped the concept that what is being played on the radio and on MTV and BET is
NOT HIPHOP, it's just a series of corporate entities trying to piggy back off of the invention of


hiphop which was never SOLELY about radio, fame, cars, material things, pimping, selling drugs,
etc. People didn't get into hiphop when it first started thinking that they were going to be
rich and that being their ONLY motivation. People behave like Hiphop is dead and actually think
artists fell off who have still been active for years and took their talents abroad and are
selling records overseas, etc.

If a music genre deviates from its original purpose it becomes another genre of music in my
opinion.
Hiphop is the only genre of music that is grouped into one category with no sub categories. If
you go to the record store you'll see that there are sub genres for just about every other form
of music BUT hiphop.

In truth the underground and indie scene is no more because technology is so advanced that nobody


is truly underground. Underground used to mean that their voice isn't being heard because
they're in the basement with no way to get their music out there. Media suppression really
fucked with people's minds as far as what is considered hiphop and not.

REAL hiphop is actually more worldwide. Alot of people in other countries know more about TRUE
hiphop and artists that still do it, than Americans do.

The mainstream hiphop music of the 90's would be considered "underground" now, but in reality
what was hiphop then is hiphop now. What people consider hiphop now radio-wise wouldn't even be
respected or considered hiphop back then so why would that form of expression suddenly be grouped

into the category of hiphop years later.

Mainstream and the Industry has nothing to do with hiphop anymore for the simple fact that the
elements of hiphop are the least relevant thing in the industry so its like taking a guitar, and
drums away from a Heavy Metal band and then still trying to call it Heavy Metal. It's music just


not THAT kind of music anymore.


4. Do you believe the internet has hurt the music business or just presented a different way for
people to express their talents to the world?

All the internet did was basically take away the purpose of having or obtaining a record deal
because someone can accomplish the same goals without a label stealing their money and there are
artists who are on labels that take home the same amount of money that an independent artist
would but meanwhile selling more records and having to give away a portion of their money to
people who didn't truly work for it.

An independent artist takes home all of his or her money and is the sole controller of releases,
promotion, etc. With both situations you get out of it what you put into it.

People have always shared music so I honestly do not believe that record labels saying that
downloading music hurts the industry as severely as they claim it does. Everyone has dubbed a
tape and none of those old school artists complained. People are living in million dollar houses


and driving $100,000 whips talking about how downloading is hurting their sales, so......


5. Do you have anything else in the works planned after the trading card series?

In the future I may drop a compilation album featuring alot of the artists who participated in
the trading cards only for people who support real hiphop though, it's not something that I would


do to impress corporate America or anything. It will probably be something that is obtained
through sending certain items back that would be packaged in with the CRMNL Elements clothing.
Sort of like the Bazooka Joe stuff from back in the day.

Also I'm going to release way more gear, jackets, fitted caps. All products are sold on my blog
and on http://www.facebook.com/l/76911kabQP0b6Zay-jZCmpTZbVw;thecoralreefclothingco.com, a graphic novel written and illustrated by Me(163).
The graphic novel will serve as a storyboard for a 3d animated movie that I will release
featuring alot of these artists as voice overs. There will also be vinyl action figures to
support the movie and graphic novel eventually. The figures will happen when I find the right
situation and get together what I actually want to mass produce. The 3d movie is not solely
about hiphop but addresses alot of issues that are brought up in hiphop.

There are ideas for 5 or 6 3d CGI movies actually, I'm just taking one step at a time. There's
also a hiphop based animated movie that I'm working on with my cousin, Phil Gordon. He has his
own clothing line as well called Memory Lane. Phil is tight with alot of people in the game too.

Other than that anything can happen, many ideas are spontaneous and then later form into
something developed. In working with creative people anything is possible.

The compilation CD, new gear releasing, and the initial graphic novel/CGI movie are the things
that I'm certain about as of now.

6. What would you like to say to the hip hop world and the world in general about yourself and
what you do?

I would say just keep doing what you're doing. Don't let anybody tell you how to do it because
there is a market for EVERYTHING. If you can think of it there's a market for it for the simple
fact that you as a human thought it up and you may be one in a million but multiply that one in a


million by the population of the world and there is going to be an audience for it, now with the
way technology is, it's easier and easier to find that pocket.

To the world: Don't believe anything you see on TV or hear on the radio. ALWAYS question.

About Me: I don't want to be TOO long winded as I probably already was on some of the answers so
here's my links:

facebook group:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/CRMNL-Elements#!/pages/CRMNL-Elements/136269556390821

twitter: @Me163

facebook:
facebook.com/lateef.a.reid

blogs:
http://www.facebook.com/l/76911Nugl1KA2s0NX3940oKM8zw;crmnlelements.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/l/76911OZ0UIkdTfsfvPOcrXjkfFw;thecoralreefco.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/l/76911BRLUYpBWJeN7dM3NSFQAiQ;thecoralreefclothingco.com

Thank you for not selling out.
1

Young Murderers...

It's not odd to say someone is a killer who's not an adult yet, and the fact kids are killing other kids is crazy. Anyone killing a kid is crazy in general but people are on some crazy shit sometimes.Like the other night, when I was watching this E! network  special called "Too Young Too Kill:15 Shocking Crimes." And I think people should check it out if they're interested in things like that.

It's basically about child killers, meaning someone who's committed a murder who's under the age of 18. It's sad watching this show hearing some of these stories about the things that's people do but it's even worse knowing that things like this regularly go on depending on where you live.


Many other countries outside of the United States are well aware of children who are murderers because of the type of government that is set up and the lack of law going on inside of the country. Movies like City of God prove this point and even the opening scenes in a movie like Shottas, set in Kingston, Jamaica, shows people how different the world is outside of their comfort zone.

It seems like this whole issue of children being able to carry out a murder has come to the light in the past decade or so with school shootings such as Columbine or Virginia Tech, but the truth is, it's been going on a lot longer then that, those shootings were just when it hit Middle America or the mainstream as people call it.

I live in New York though and, more accurately Brooklyn, and I grew up here so I understand what it was like in the 80's before living in Brooklyn, in almost every area of the borough was a popular thing to do. Since I was a kid, my parents and older cousins always had to let me know about how harsh the outside world really was and luckily, it helped me avoid a lot of bs I could have went through.

Not everyone was so lucky though and I've known quite a few people who aren't around anymore because of someone else having a problem with them. And all of these people, both the victim and the suspect were only teenagers.

Children who are murderers is a sick thought, and not just something in a movie anymore for most people, it's real life. If you don't believe me, check out how people are warned about going to Mexico now for any reason when Cancun used to be the hot spring break party destination. Now it's a destination for a drug war, and some of the soldiers on the front line are just kids, but hard times push people to hard choices, or maybe their pushed into these scenarios by others.

Either way, I hope someone can push them back towards to good side of life because a reality like this is only going to make things worse, and no one, well, most people don't want that.

Our Politicians...

    This Carl Paladino guy is a clown. If you don't know who that is, he's running for governor New York. I have my own issues with people who hold political positions in New York, especially the governor position but this guy is just spewing the absolute wrong message for someone who's supposed to speak for a majority of people. If you don't know what I mean he basically said we can't let the perverts and pornographers target our children and destroy their lives. Hold up....perverts and pornographers are seeking to destroy our children's lives? How so....exactly, and if this is true what do you say of the MTA officials who wanted to take away student passes for the buses and trains? What about the city officials who close down countless playgrounds and centers for children but then complain about the rise in violence and kids getting into trouble? I suppose none of that has any connection....and as for the student passes.....,i guess kids don't need to go to school every single day their thinking,just 3 or so days should do, or their parents can adjust their schedules and take them to school as well as pick them up, cause yeah, we all control our own hours at work since were all bosses at our respective jobs....(insert sarcasm here). You would think that comment by Mr Paladino was enough, I mean the clip is only a minute long, what else could he have slipped into the speech. Oh yeah....the comment about not marching in the gay pride parade and the fact his opponent did and the other comment about not wanting kids to be brainwashed into thinking homosexuality is a valid or successful option in life.....Damn,all that in a minute huh,should have stopped after 15 seconds. The guy is entitled to his opinion but when he spews such widespread comments about his position on being gay and not wanting kids to have to grow up like that, you would think it was a choice people make weather to be gay or not. I'm no expert but it's hard for me to believe someone would openly choose to accept all the negativity that comes from society when homosexuality comes up and that people just are who they are. And in the wake of all of these hate crimes being committed in new York against the gay community, you would think he would choose his words more carefully but no,....and then he even had the nerve to defend his comments and expand on them the next day when asked about them again. This is what passes for a political figure for the most part these days,someone who says very dangerous things that could have some violent effects against society in the long run...what's next....i don't want our kids to have to grow up being black, or asian or hispanic? Never know what he would say if he had the chance to really speak,the video was only 60 seconds,not sure i even want to hear more,check it out for yourself...

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKL9TRaePww&feature=player_embedded