GZA Liquid Swords - The Chess Box Vinyl Edition

*via turntablelab.com

"The game of chess is like a sword fight..." Get On Down comes correct with another incredible reissue job exclusive for Record Store Day 2013. This time it's GZA's "Liquid Swords" that gets the deluxe 4 LP package, complete with an actual chess set! The box converts into a full size chess board and a set of wooden chess pieces are included for you to match wits with a friend while listening to one of the finest solo Wu efforts ever recorded. The original version of Liquid Swords is included as well as an instrumental versions luxuriously pressed over 4 LPs, plus a booklet with extended liner notes chronicling the story of the GZA and the creation, inspiration, and legacy of the album, and more. A must-cop for the Wu enthusiast! Recommended.

Is 14-Year-Old Seventh Woods the Next LeBron James?

Admittedly, we don’t show a lot of sports highlights around these parts. But it’s hard to ignore certain aspects of sporting culture when it transcends mere box score analysis and becomes a pop culture lightning rod. Case in point, the highlight tape of 14-year-old Seventh Woods that has been making the rounds on the net. The freshman dynamo – listed at 6-foot-1 and 170 pounds – averaged 19.3 points, 4.3 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 2.7 steals per game this past season while playing varsity, leading Columbia (S.C.) Hammond School to a 22-5 record and the South Carolina Independent Schools Association Class AAA state championship game. Sure, it’s pure hyperbole to label him the next LeBron…but it’s just so damn hard not to make that assertion after watching Woods dominate on both ends of the floor. ***words via highsnobiety.com

Major Lazer - 'Get Free' feat. Amber (of Dirty Projectors)

** major lazer's new album is on repeat. check out this video from last year, cheers !!!

**shout out to everyone checking this blog and let us know what you think in the comments section.

The Hundreds x Grateful Dead Collection

**late on this but diggin' this collection by the hundreds x grateful dead.

**via freshnessmag.com

Take a heap of references from the 1960s counter culture movement, along with a love of good music, a sense of community and belonging, then infused all that with a hint of psychedelia. What you get is this – The Hundreds x Grateful Dead Collection. Ahead of its launch tomorrow, on the symbolic April 20th, Bobby Hundreds and photographer Rick Rodney enlisted assistance from Chris, aka Jillionaire of Major Lazer, to model some of the collection’s key pieces. In the meantime, the exclusive collection will be available at all The Hundreds retail locations in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York tomorrow. Working in conjunction with TRUE Clothing, the collection will also be available within a special 4/20 Pop-Up Store on 1429 Haight Street at the heart of San Francisco.

try this gif creator online for free

Nike 1972 QS “Dark Brown”

gif maker picasion.com is here After already presenting the rich deep red colorway a couple of days ago, we follow up with the Nike 1972 QS in an equally classy dark brown leather construction on top of a vibrant Volt-colored Goodyear-welted wedge sole. Have a detailed look in the gallery above. You can pick up a pair beginning tomorrow at Kasina. *via highsnobiety.com

Casey Veggies - Faces

*** I believe Casey veggies just may be the future of rap/hiphop. west coast feel but has a worldwide appeal. shout out to casey veggies. D/L his past mixtapes you will not be dissapointed.

Dove Real Beauty Sketches

**just saw this video today. very interesting piece on our own perspective versus how others see us. check it out below. cheers

What Happens When You Throw Some Glow Sticks into a Waterfall

***via boredpanda.com

What may look like an example of Photoshop trickery was actually created by throwing some high powered glow sticks into the waterfalls of California. Using long exposure that would range from 30 seconds to 7 minutes, San Francisco-based photographers Sean Lenz and Kristoffer Abildgaard transformed the waterfalls into nocturnal underwater rainbows.

“This project came from months of refining a simple idea that finally turned into a concept worthy of using for an entire series,” says Kristoffer. “We were both fascinated by artificial light such as glow sticks, lasers, flares, and being big on landscape photography we tied them together in hopes of creating something that we had never seen before,” added the artist.

Even though neon lights is something completely unnatural and unrelated to the settings of the photoshoots, the final results in their ‘Neon Luminance‘ series are very harmonious.

The ‘From the Lenz’ artist duo also worked on lighting the nature around the waterfalls, and used various head lamps, road flares and even taking advantage of the moonlight: “Although this series was meant to focus mostly on glow sticks in waterfalls, we are exploring the idea of creating artificially lit landscapes in general as well, such as mountains, lakes, tree lines, grass fields and caves,” Mr Abildgaard added.

THE NORTH FACE PURPLE LABEL 2013 Spring/Summer PERTEX Nylon Mountain Wind Parka

***via hypebeast.com

For Spring/Summer 2013, THE NORTH FACE PURPLE LABEL makes even further inroads blending the two worlds of fashion and functionality with the introduction of the PERTEX Nylon Mountain Wind Parka. Offered up in a plethora of colorways, the super lightweight jackets are treated in a two-tone pop color composition and comprised of durable PERTEX nylon. Those in the market can find availability via nanamica for a price point of ￥19,950 JPY (approximately $203 USD.)

Nike LeBron 10 EXT - Red Suede

Aside from a the "76ers" Barkley Posites and "Bugs Bunny" Air Jordan 8's releasing this morning, Nike Basketball officially launched their Elite Series "Gold Collection" which includes footwear from Kevin Durant and LeBron James. Speaking of the latters' tenth signature sneaker, even more from James' series is on the horizon in the form of various premium versions such as the EXT joints that have surfaced. Above, we get another look at the "Red Suede" edition which has been extremely impressive so far. While we have yet to receive any release info, we do have another group of photos above to keep you updated. Click through the new images above and let us know what you think. Images: NikeLeBron

**via sneakerwatch.com

Funkmaster Flex – Who You Mad At? Me Or Yourself? (Mixtape)

Velo 2nd Gear: Bicycle Culture and Style

Although biking as a means of transportation is inseparable from cities like Amsterdam and Copenhagen, many other world-class cities are far behind and are in the process of making up for lost time. Velo 2nd Gear: Bicycle Culture and Style highlights contemporary bicycle culture’s diverse scenes like city riding and classic racing. Spread across 256 pages, Velo 2nd Gear showcases some of today’s most unusual bikes and their riders in full color.

Check out the accompanying video below and order your copy here.

**via highsnobiety.com

Nike Air Max 97 SP “Italian Camouflage”

The latest addition to Nike‘s Air Max 97 SP legacy comes in the form of a new quickstrike release this month. This time, the legendary silhouette has been re-appropriated in “Italian Camouflage,” adopting an on-point military aesthetic. Here we find the Air Max 97 SP with darkened camouflage laid under the wave-like paneling along the upper portion of the shoe. Of course, no Air Max would be complete without the time-tested and approved Nike Air cushioning, ensuring comfort no matter the situation. An olive heel tab and matching laces complete the subtle details of the shoe, which is available at retailers such as Slam Jam.

**via hypebeast.com

couple of tracks I stumbled across....*check em out below

Your iPhone can be turned into a biometric scanning device

**via theweek.com

Hello, future. Nice to make your acquaintance. 

The app can be used for iris, face, fingerprint, and voice biometric capture.

Today, a California tech company called AOptix is launching a tool that can turn an iPhone 4 or 4S into a handheld biometric scanning device. Imagine one of those gadgets in movies that scans your fingerprints and irises before letting you into a vault or a spaceship control room. Really.

The tool, called AOptix Stratus, includes both an app and a wrap-around device that hooks onto an iPhone using a 30-pin connector. The app, with a price tag of $199, collects basic data — images of faces, recordings of voices, and GPS coordinates. The device, whose presumably sky-high cost remains a mystery, does higher-level work, like scanning irises and fingerprints. The app then sorts the data into profiles, and with the tap of a finger sends that information to a network via the phone's internet connection.

But before you send your tax return check directly to AOptix for a weekend of James Bond cosplay, hold tight. The Department of Defense footed the development bill — $3 million — back in February, and though AOptix doesn't release specifics about its customers, Wired claims they're essentially all from the U.S. government. "It's not a consumer application," Amanda North, AOptix's marketing vice president, told the magazine. 

The DoD's intention was to make biometrics light and easy for border control, airport security, and law enforcement agencies. As CNN explains, "Stratus could be used at border crossings, during disaster relief operations (when regular infrastructure for identity verification isn't present), for remote mobile banking, or even remote healthcare." 

One has to assume it's intended for stealthier operations as well. The app has an automatic capture feature, says CNN, that can gauge how close a person is, then automatically snap away, collecting identity data and storing it in the system.

If you're feeling the Big Brother heebie-jeebies right about now, take this small bit of comfort: AOptix told CNN it follows the guidelines of the U.S. Department of Commerce when it comes to deciding where to sell. Meaning countries like Iran and North Korea won't be buying AOptix Stratus anytime soon.

THE HUNDREDS PRESENTS “SO FAR SO CHILL” BY CBG

***via thehundreds.com

The Hundreds is proud to present the release of LA rap trio CBG’s latest album entitled “So Far So Chill,” available now for free streaming and downloading through LiveMixtapes.com.

“So Far So Chill” encompasses thirteen songs, including the group’s latest single “Wit Da Shit”­, as well as two additional bonus tracks to boot. The album also features appearances by fellow RSWD denizens Alexander Spit, Polyester the Saint, cARTer and Donniss, making The Hundreds X CBG collaboration a project that hits tremendously close to home. The Hundreds X CBG collaboration also comprises a commemorative tee, offered exclusively in a black colorway featuring white text overlay. Quantities for the  collaborative tees are extremely limited… Get yours exclusively through the Online Shop.