Late, but R.I.P. Pun

February 7th, 2012 | 11:37 pm | Daily News | 1 Comment

Unlike Big L, there aren’t a whole lot of Pun songs in skate videos (this is the only one that comes to mind.) Probably because Capital Punishment is only a classic in New York, and L’s catalog quickly entered widespread holy territory over the last 10+ years (you know, growing up, when people would get into Pac V.S. Biggie debates, there was always the weird kid who wanted to pretend like he knew more than everyone else and say Big L was better than both…) Maybe it’s because Rawkus and not Roc-A-Fella released his last album or something.

But that’s a topic for another day. R.I.P. Christopher Rios.

“FIRST LATINOS TO GO PLATINUM IN HIP-HOP.”

“Came Up” was a favorite when the album dropped 13 years ago, and it’ll still be a favorite 13 years from now. Related. For nerds, at least.

Filed Under: Daily News | Tags: ,

See You At The Parade

February 6th, 2012 | 2:00 pm | Daily News | 9 Comments

To think that only a month ago, we were claiming we wouldn’t mention the NFL for a few years. Congratulations to the New York Giants. The Knicks are never winning anything (especially when you need 25 points & 7 assists from a Chinese Harvard graduate to beat the Nets…), so perhaps we should direct our local sports radar beyond basketball.

In other Super Bowl / Skate-Related News: Fred Gall wins the Dobbin Block Super Bowl squares pool, Paul Rodriguez does what is presumably one of history’s more expensive switch flips for a Samsung commercial (@ 0:56), Mixtape star and circa-1997 “King of Style,” Peter Bici, informs close friends that “Boston sucks” immediately after New York’s victory, and Gucci Mane declares the trap’s comeback. Does anyone go to U Mass? You guys didn’t handle the loss too well, huh?

The most interesting post-Super Bowl development? Cam’ron resurrects the nearly three-year-old Cousin Bang project for a special Super Bowl edition. He still insists that the full-length movie is coming soon (original trailer here.)

Paulgar put together a six-minute montage from the late-Autumn era featuring Jake Johnson, Ted Barrow, Kevin Tierney, Brian Delatorre, and other QS-favorites. Some of the footage is previously unseen. All shot in/around New York, minus a few Miami clips from that awful “short film” Paul made starring Lemony Snicketts.

To answer our own question from a few months ago about when skaters will get tired of editing videos to songs off Jeru the Damaja’s The Sun Rises in the Eastnot anytime soon.

Fresh off the demise of the Santa Monica Sand Gaps, Los Angeles loses another iconic skate spot (one that actually deserves to be a famous skate spot.) The Department of Water & Power Benches are knobbed.

The Shit U Not blog offers a tour through a classic Big Brother issue (#22). Andy Roy on the cover, Gino Iannucci interview, a Chris Keefe Capital Skateboards ad, and other varying points of interest.

The official video “Got One” by 2 Chainz just dropped, and it’s easy to say that the Torey Goodall version does the song way more justice.

Quote of the Week: “Yeah, the du-rag from that one summer was ironic, but I used to wear du-rags un-ironically.” — Roctakon


The forecast for tomorrow promises “near record high temperatures.” If only every February had multiple 50-degree days.

Who would’ve thought we’d fulfill two life goals in one night?

January 31st, 2012 | 1:52 pm | Quarter-Diary | No Comments

1. Seeing Paul Wall & Slim Thug do “Still Tippin’” live (in New York, nonetheless.)

2. Seeing Raekwon & 2 Chainz share a stage together.

(These photos are garbage, but you get the point.)

Filed Under: Quarter-Diary | Tags: ,

We Dropped ‘Duffle Bag Boy,’ They Started Takin’ Ideas

January 30th, 2012 | 8:30 am | Daily News | 16 Comments

THE MONUMENTAL 2 CHAINZ NYC DEBUT IS UPON US (AND SOLD OUT.) “I HAD MAD PEOPLE CALLING ME ASKING WHY I DIDN’T GET THEM A TICKET, I’M LIKE, ‘I DIDN’T EVEN KNOW YOU LIKE 2 CHAINZ.’”

“In 1992, I filmed an interview with my friend, former pro skateboarder, Jeff. Jeff was at the lowest point of his career. This footage has been unseen for almost 20 years.” Peter Sidlauskas = Oscar winner by 2043? Billy McFeely “Best Actor in a Leading Role” winner by 2036? Not no, right?

Kalis now owns two of the benches from Philadelphia City Hall. Skateboarding wins. (Supposedly, a bench like that runs for ~$5K, which means you could make a perfect skatepark with $30-40K, zero “ramps,” and a paved lot…)

Jimmy Marketti uploaded a montage of new old footage that looks like it came from the mid-2000s. Unseen Rob Campbell clips, Andrew Reynolds second angles, and a somber look at the original back of Union Square.

Some raw footage live from the Tompkins bench, a dive into the odd mind of Shawn Powers, and Tribeca Park stuff that you could probably skip. Tompkins > Tribeca.

While on the topic of nineties west coast company excursions to the east, this 1994 clip of the Girl, Chocolate & Firm east coast tour (from 411 #8) is worth a look. There’s a New York section at the end, but it’s mostly lifestyle clips.

A well-written, contemplative, and occasionally Freudian analysis of “why l*ngb**rds suck” by Will Staley. Naturally, someone in the comments posted a link to a video insisting “You have no idea what can be done on a l*ngb**rd. It puts skateboarders to shame.”

“Skateboards as props in rap videos hit a new, unforeseeable, low recently in Soulja Boy’s video for ’50/13.’ Dude on the left is holding a deck with no griptape, trucks, or wheels. It is not a skateboard; it’s just a board.”

A pair of interviews from two of the finest content-creators in skateboarding went online last week, and they’re definitely worth your time: Robert Brink and Patrick O’Dell. The O’Dell one should have been more in-depth, but whatever.

The Be Pretty video is now online in full. Highlights include a front 3 up Three-Up-Three-Down and a Flushing grate gap NBD, and a reminder that Big L was ahead of his time with the whole “From New York and never was a fan of the Knicks” thing, considering the current 7-13 mess we’re in.

Quote of the Week:


Last but not least, happy birthday to the G-Man. Hope to see you back living in New York this year.

Hopefully a return to form

January 19th, 2012 | 2:07 pm | Quarter-Diary | 1 Comment

This dude needs to focus and start trying to rap well again i.e. The Movie, Writing on the Wall, Burrprint, etc. days. And stop going to jail. Someone somewhere wrote the other day that “Gucci should be where Rick Ross is at right now,” and they are 1017% right.

This one isn’t sounding too bad.

February 5th.

While on the topic of Bricksquad, Frenchie’s new mixtape cover might’ve just topped Waka’s DuFlockaRant artwork while utilizing the same concept. Too bad the Knicks are permanent trash.

Filed Under: Quarter-Diary | Tags: ,