Thursday, May 29, 2008

Rockness Monsta - Shell Shock


I don't know why it took me so long to post this mixtape. But this release by Rock of Heltah Skeltah and the famous Boot Camp Clik is long over-due. Rock a former Decepticon Gang Member from Brooklyn, New York was recently released from an attempted murder charge stemming from the shooting of a notorious Blood Gang member/Pimp.

Watch the interview with Rock about his short time in Rikers here.



Download Rockness Monsta Shell Shock Mixtape here.

Rockness Monsta - Shell Shock

password: www.rapgodfathers.com

GEAR 4 SALE!

I came across what can be described as a virtual yard sale. Andrew Freeborn from Philadelphia is selling off everything. He's better known for running the Northern Liberties store Undrcrwn and contributing to the development of sneaker and fashion projects around these United States. He has a good collection of old Starter gear, sneakers and well some stuff that you just might like. Check his online store out here.


AdidasxUndrCrwn C-Billups


Nike Air Max 97 (euro release)


For my aki's! Vintage Bally's "Fordham"



Raider's Starter Cap - Wool (Reference NWA)


76ers Starter Cap - Cotton


UNLV Starter Cap - Cotton Twill


Jackets to match all the hats. 49ers Starter Coat


London Fog - Black/Red - Small


Air Burst (Asia Release)


Remember check his online store http://stillill.myshopify.com/.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

World Wars

Jacob died. His body was never recovered. The cause of death was unknown. The fact that he died wasn’t questioned though. He was 17 and his blood was smeared across the wall. There was a memorial service and no further questions were asked.
Jacob didn’t really die. He just needed to get away. True, that was his blood. He cut himself and smeared the blood. Jacob found a field.
He walked to the field after he cut himself. He had a shovel, so he started digging. He got pretty deep, he actually almost made it to the core. He built a little shelter and then put together a ladder. Jacob had an idea.
He then dug his way to the Atlantic. He positioned the ladder firmly in the sand and started climbing. He made it through the troposphere, stratosphere, and well into space. He went into black holes and other galaxies, but he wasn’t interested in all that. He built a bridge from space to water, two things that never touch. He was just hanging out on Venus one day with all the fly traps when he decided to send a message to Earth. He walked to the moon with his shovel and carved in a message. It read “fuck what you think.”
Earth saw it and, needless to say, was not too happy. Earth was so upset that he sent a clear message back. It swept the gravity right out from under the moons feet. Jacob saw what happened from the Big Dipper, where he liked to eat brunch. He was amused, so he decided to play a game. He was going to try to make all the Planets war with each other. He devised his plan under the watchful eye of the constellation Orion.
He started sending messages to all the planets in bottles. He would sign the messages with the name of another planet or moon. The Planets are smart. They got together and figured that Jacob was the problem. Not only did they take away Orion’s belt for participating but they had Taurus cut off Jacobs limbs. They put them in a box and mailed them to his parents house with a note that was signed by nine planets and a couple moons.
Now Jacob was dead.
- William Wallace a.k.a Winston Wolf a.k.a World Wars

Thursday, May 8, 2008

Quotes from the blue side.

Before I start this post, I want to publicly state that I am not a 14 year old kid with Anarchy signs painted on his clothes or an ignorant street thug. But.....the state of policing needs to be addressed just like the rest of society does. I regularly read through forums where police officers post under anonymous screen names similar to me, however if you read back I am little bit more forthcoming with who I am. They post about everything from the Sean Bell incident to the recently broadcasted beatdown of three shooting suspects in Philadelphia. I have family that are police officers so I understand they operate in a stressful environment. I'm also positive that there are officers who like every other job are embarrassed by the words and actions of their colleagues. In a world such as policing, every thing you do reflects on those around you as well. Call me a liberal for criticizing cops, call me a conservative for understanding their job stress...whatever, I'm not much for labels, there's more substance to me than that. This one's for my crazy cop uncle who sleeps with his gun.

Comments made by Police officers after a 19 year old was shot dead for killing a police dog.

-POS DAD: " we want to see justice is done".

-JUSTICE WAS DONE, YOUR POS SPERM DONATION WAS PUT TO DEATH....... WORKS FOR ME!!!!

-A K-9 is an OFFICER. They are issued badge numbers just like a P/O. AND DAMN RIGHT THAT OFFICERS (K-9) LIFE IS NOT ONLY EQUAL BUT MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE VALUE OF THAT POS' LIFE. HE' WORTHLESS TO SOCIETY & ANYONE ELSE, NOW!

-Mr and Mrs Jackson, nice dirty white tshirt you nasty fuck. You both failed as parents. You son is dead, and the world is a better place for it.

New York Police talking about the death of Sean Bell while making fun of the deceased's wife. They created an imaginary character named Lootie, who is the racially created embodiment of urban black people and through digitally altered photos he consoles the grieving widow of Sean Bell. Yeah..."Lootie", even black officers should take offense.

-SHE IS SUCH A F U C K I N G BROODSOW!!!

-She should be grateful that Saint Sean Bell didn't live long enough to give her AIDS.

-Lootie is seen here adressing the crowd at Fat Al's National Action Network. Lootie has his own style of whipping up the crowd into taking action. Lootie was seen demonstrating to the crowd what they are suppose to loot for if the crowd decides to start looting after the march for justice on 05/07/08.





Police officers are professionals and should not engage in political rhetoric. But I guess they feel safe behind the computer screen.

Monday, April 28, 2008

Sean Bell

This isn't about white or black because the officers were all different races. This is about taking ownership.




Story stolen from CNN.com

Sean Bell was killed just before dawn on his wedding day, November 25, 2006. He and several friends were winding up an all-night bachelor party at the Kalua Club in Queens, a strip club that was under investigation by a NYPD undercover unit looking into complaints of guns, drugs and prostitution.





Undercover detectives were inside the club, and plainclothes officers were stationed outside.
Witnesses said that about 4 a.m., closing time, as Bell and his friends left the club, an argument broke out. Believing that one of Bell's friends, Joseph Guzman, was going to get a gun from Bell's car, one of the undercover detectives followed the men and called for backup.




What happened next was at the heart of the trial, prosecuted by the assistant district attorney in Queens.

Bell, Guzman and Trent Benefield got into the car, with Bell at the wheel. The detectives drew their weapons, said Guzman and Benefield, who testified that they never heard the plainclothes detectives identify themselves as police. Bell was in a panic to get away from the armed men, his friends testified. But the detectives thought Bell was trying to run down one of them, believed that their lives were in danger and started shooting, according to their lawyers.
A total of 50 bullets were fired by five NYPD officers. Only three were charged with crimes.



No gun was found near Bell or his friends.

On Friday, Justice Arthur Cooperman cleared Detectives Michael Oliver and Gescard Isnora of manslaughter, assault and reckless endangerment in the death of Sean Bell.




From L to R: Marc Cooper, Michael Oliver, Gescard Isnora

Bell, 23, died in November 2006 in a 50-bullet barrage -- 31 fired by Oliver.


Friday, April 18, 2008

Like Oceans

Flying is a very humbling experience. No matter who you are or where you are from, once you step onto that plane and fasten your seatbelts, you are all equal. Every person onboard, first class or coach, passenger or crew, is immediately at the mercy of not only a giant machine but also a human. Machines and humans have flaws. It is commonly known that men folly, but at 20,000 feet there is not much room for error. But machines and humans do, in fact, have flaws, and things go wrong. The odds are against you, that’s what they say. But the odds get better when the engine fails, or you hit a storm, or the pilot isn’t really a pilot, or someone on the plane wants to bring it down… If something like that happens, then everyone on board instantly has a bond that can never be broken.
Joshua was leaving his fairly normal life for only a week. He had just moved out of his parents’ place and into his own apartment, which he shared with a close friend. He was just out of college, and just into a relationship. He loved everything about his girl. Life just seemed to be going his way recently. He was just hired to work in the PR department of a mortgage company in his hometown of Long Island, New York. They were sending him on a “business trip” to Cancun, Mexico. He knew what “business trip” meant in “business” terms. It was just an official expression for a week long “meet and greet” with the new boss. Luckily for Joshua, he played a lot of golf and smoked cigars…
Joshua got on his flight, 5018 to Cancun, at around 12:30 on a Sunday afternoon. He said goodbye to friends, family, and his girlfriend and hopped on the plane figuring he would be back in a week and could continue with his life. At 23, he was beginning to settle down. He made a steady amount of money at the firm and was ready to move on to the next phase of his life. He wasn’t sure if he was in love or if she was the “one,” but he definitely hoped so.
The trip to Cancun was a projected 6-hour flight. Joshua hated flying. As he sat down in Row 14, Seat C, he let out a sigh of relief to discover he had the window seat. Maybe this flight wouldn’t be so bad after all. Another good omen came when a man not too unlike himself sat down next to him. His name was Andy and his story was much the same. Just going down to Cancun for “business.” They started talking to make things easier for the trip and seemed to hit it off. They started talking about relationships and Joshua began talking about his girlfriend. “She’s got eyes like oceans.” Coincidentally, the plane had just left land behind and was now flying over the Gulf of Mexico. The flight didn’t have much longer. Out from underneath Joshua’s clothes, skin, and bones, came another sigh of relief.
About that time is when the plane got a little shaky. The pilot attempted to reassure the passengers, but Joshua knew something was up. The stewardess’ sat in their seats with worried looks on their faces. Looking out the window, Joshua saw nothing but the blackest clouds he had ever seen. The lights flickered and the plane rocked back and forth. On the drop down monitors that tracked the planes movements, the altitude began slipping closer to zero.
Engine failure. It went down. Fast.
The plane hit the water traveling faster than the speed of sound. Joshua tried to brace himself, but there is no preparation for an impact like that. Somehow, he lived. Huddled in a floating mass, he survived. He climbed out of the plane and onto the top. He had no idea how long it had been since the plane crashed, but the skies were clear and the sun was setting. Joshua sat on the top of the plane and watched the sunset. It was beautiful. The way it reflected, they way the clouds came in painted him a picture. Like Oceans. All he could see were his girlfriends eyes. He wanted to stare into them so bad, but all he had was a memory, a mental photograph. He wondered if he would ever get that chance.
The plane started sinking, so he was forced to paddle out into the abyss and grab a flotation device that somehow survived the wreck. Andy was dead. He floated on that device for a day. The next sunset came and to the west he saw a ship coming his way. It was not just any ship though. It was a sailboat, an enormous sailboat. Spanish flags waved off of the top. It was made of wood and he could see the cannons in the side. Suddenly the plane was gone and so was his suit and tie. The metal and steel wreckage had been replaced with splintered wood and rusted brass. His suit and tie had been replaced with a wool shirt and black pants. He was no longer holding on to an orange life vest, but to a brown piece of wood from a ship that somehow wrecked. A million thoughts crossed his mind, but he remained calm.
The Spanish ship sailed closer. He made out the name of it on the massive hull from a distance, Como Los Océanos. Maybe she came to save him, he thought. That thought was fleeting. A man in captains threads pointed a gun at him and told him to get on. He was a prisoner.
They kept him in the basement of the ship and he was treated as prisoners are. He didn’t understand so he did not speak. He was fed little and was given water even less. Within the week, he arrived in Cancun. It was about the same time he should have been returning home. He walked, more like stumbled, onto the beach. It began to rain, and the ocean reminded him of her. He looked to his left and there she was. Walking out of a hut on the beach of Cancun was a true beauty. It was his girlfriend, but instead of embracing Joshua, she embraced the man with the gun. Their eyes met and she nodded her head and mouthed the words “I’m sorry.” She turned away, speaking fluent Spanish, and he was left with a million horrible and heartbreaking emotions. All he could say was “like oceans.” She said “Wait” and turned to him, but before she could put a hand out or even scream, he was shot and killed by the man with the gun.


Written by my man WILLIAM WALLACE.

Friday, March 14, 2008

Book Recommendations

Gang Leader for a Day



When Venkatesh walked into an abandoned building in one of Chicago's most notorious housing projects, he was looking for people to take a multiple-choice survey on urban poverty. A first-year grad student hoping to impress his professors with his boldness, he never imagined that as a result of the assignment he would befriend a gang leader named JT and spend the better part of a decade inside the projects under JT's protection, documenting what he saw there.




I first read this in Freakanomics, basically he infiltrates the gang during a study for graduate school and shows why the bottom level drug dealers still live with their moms. A real life study of risk and return.




Fletcher Street




Deep in the heart of Philadelphia, past row houses and vacant lots, run-down playgrounds and dilapidated schools, is a little place called Fletcher Street. It has everything one would expect to find down an alley in the ghetto, with one addition: horses. The men and boys of Fletcher Street have used their passion for riding and bonds with their rides to build their and their community’s sense of worth. They describe their passion for horses as having kept them from the temptations of street life. Fletcher Street by Martha Camarillo documents the lives of these men and the boys they mentor, who board their horses in abandoned houses or makeshift stables, and ride them through the streets of Philly.


This is a more recent update of what happened on Fletcher St. just last year. The bulldozers knocked down the building on Fletcher Street piece by piece. All that's left is a pile of rubble. About 95 percent of the property was condemned.


Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Tunnel Exploration

I know up until this point all of the posts have been related to what I know and what we know. However whenever I come across some shit thats different than what I know I get curious too. As was the case when I discovered this young kid who has a real affinity for crawling through the dingy, dark tunnels of NYC's subways. This is what I came up with....

How did you get into this?

Ever since around 5 years old (if I can remember right), I thought the subways were the shit. Although back then I didn't really think I would be exploring the tunnels at 3 in the morning. It began when I first started learning about graffiti, then I started to creep up on what I call ‘explorer flicks’. It all just came together man and I don't know how to explain it, but I'm here now. Cats think the NYC subway is a dirty place and it is, but they don't know how much stuff is down there. It would blow your mind, I probably only explored like .03% of it.

 


You ever have any problems with the law, workers, trains or the third rail?

I’ve had a couple close encounters with work bums and they never spotted me out. I never had problems with the law underground, but I did on the street. But I've had problems with trains…a lot of problems. Problems ranging from being salty and having to step in between pillars to sparks shooting from the third rail. I was taking a flick one time and a train was passing by on a local track and sparked up the third rail out of nowhere. It almost knocked me back.

 

What are the most exciting tracks you ever had the opportunity to walk down? What’s your favorite line?

The most exciting was probably the Queens IND between **th and Queens Plaza. It's got trains coming in from all directions. E,F,G,R, and V trains. It's a mad colorful and open tunnel too. You have to watch out in this tunnel though because trains still run express and people think that they don't because it's a "late night".
My favorite line would probably have to be the Brooklyn 2/5 and the Brooklyn 3/4 trains. Also the Queens ****** Ave, because they stay having trains laid up on the express tracks. Walking down those tunnels is fun too.

Does your mom know about this shit?

Haha yeah. She knows. Just like any other parent, she hates it.

 


You ever seen some craziness down there?

Yeah son, bums doing some nasty shit in the hatch exits. I fuckin' dipped out after that.

How long can you picture yourself doing this for?

Man, I have no idea.

I'm gonna explore every tunnel before the cameras get in the stations!! They're getting mad deep with those cameras. They can have you really salty sometimes, but I don't think they check them unless something big goes down. There's a new line being built. The T. I want to get down in that tunnel. I've seen a couple people that have already.

Any words of advice for those reading into the same thing?


 

Yes, those trains are quiet and fast. For anyone wanting to go into the tunnels, don't go down there unless you know what you're looking at. If you don't even know what the third rail is or what it looks like or what a white/red stripped line means, don't even think about it. Learn your shit and check out the tunnels before you go in. If the line still has cars with a rail-fan window, just look out and scope the tunnel out before you decide to go exploring.

Keep us updated and be safe man.

I appreciate the interview and your blog is the shit.


 

peaceout.

Friday, February 8, 2008

ISSUE 2 IS HERE

For those of you wondering why this has not been put in print yet, I'm asking those same questions. But for right now, this is heat and I have no right to hold onto it. Thanks to Save and W. Wallace for the contributions to the below pieces. Just Click the pictures and then press F11 for full screen view.

Slick Aleas Interview






Controversy


Ground Control contributed by W. Wallace



For those of you still looking for this in print. I'm always in the process of trying to make it happen, I've got a boat load of material sitting here waiting to get shipped out. Let me know if you have any ideas...Thanks.

SOLD OUT! THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!


Thursday, February 7, 2008

Delaware's war against graffiti..

"Take it from a champ, graffiti is for chumps." That was the slogan for NYC's anti-vandalism war and damn the ads were at least pretty cool looking. I'd like to see Delaware at least use one of it's 5 celebrities. How about Ryan Phillipe, Rocky Bluewinkle or ex-Presidential hopeful Joe Biden? Can anybody submit some anti-graffiti poster designs and I will forward them to somebody in the Tips department. Because the ones below are not too aesthetically pleasing.


if her ears hurt, why doesnt she just turn the music down?




Honestly vandalism in Delaware is out of hand. Tags are up, and they are blocking my daily commute to the WaWa. If we could get rid of just a few of the transgressors than I would be much obliged because writing on peoples private property is not art, its just stupid.

Thursday, January 31, 2008

Supposed to be Issue 2.

Too many...time to release some of the pressure behind the flood gate. Just Click!


The following story is something I found online and reworded it into a spread. I'm not sure how much I actually like the actual write up. In a few ways it reads like somebody who has 2 hours until a research paper is due, and doesn't quite know what they're writing on. Its a good read though.




I'm not good at this spread shit. I know....

Monday, January 28, 2008

Sunday, January 20, 2008

Playtime is over.

I'm done with you kids,



When the beards is in the building you know what it is.

Some footage I shot in 2001.

Saturday, January 19, 2008

Issue 2 is around the corner...

We gotta celebrate.
click the pictures to make them larger.

Camden




Wilmington









Philadelphia









Issue #2 Features

Will the real Agua Stand up?
"..I guess getting locked up for somebody elses crime must be pretty exciting."
Stolen Suroc Scriptures. "Buford Youthward woes"
Ground Control Violence in Philly. "The best we can do is survive. I was 13 the first time I saw a homicide."
Silent Wrytes Interview. "I say fuck em', they aren't fooling anyone and just playing themselves."
Ugly Squad in the news. "They kept alligators in a basement pond and fed them chicken and pigs ears."
Slick Aleas Interview. "Once you hit a wall its up for the people to decide. It's like being on American Idol, the street does the votes."
and I'll throw in some tunnel flics for good measure.


Yeah it's going down.


THANK YOU AGAIN FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT. THE 2ND ISSUE AND ALL REPRINTS ARE NOW SOLD OUT.