The chopper is the one special breed of bike that has come to best embody the legend of freedom on the road that is everything Americana, from Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper’s Easyrider to Hunter S. Thompson’s Hell’s Angels. In the 288 pages of Gestalten’s hardcover, Chopper: the Real Story traces chopper history back to the early customized bikes at the turn of the 19th century […]


13 Feb
"Great songs & important stories that just won’t make the album"

As J. Cole prepares to drop his sophomore album Sideline Story he’s apparently grown a bit anxious, and wants to share some new tunes. So he took to his website to write a little letter and offer up some music, all castaways from the album that otherwise wouldn’t get heard. Here’s what he wrote: “It’s […]


26 Oct
Gianni Lee & Mike Blud assemble 9 tracks of KL samples

If you haven’t had a chance to listen to Kendrick Lamar’s debut good kid, m.A.A.d city, we cannot recommend the album any more highly. The Compton kid is a true lyricist and storyteller the likes we haven’t seen since maybe early Outkast. For many hip-hop fans, it will most likely be considered the album of […]


One of our favorite daily reading websites is without a doubt Grantland. Founded and helmed by Bill Simmons — author of Now I Can Die In Peace, The Book Of Basketball and a sports writer without equal — Grantland serves as the nexus of where sports collides with pop culture, and explodes in a fireworks […]


17 Oct
370+ releases & counting for the LA indie hip-hop & soul label

Anybody who even moderately pays attention to music knows how difficult it is to survive as an independent label nowadays — the shit is brutal. What’s even harder is surviving when you’re uncompromising about your product, discriminating with your roster and meticulous about your craft. Such is the case with Los Angeles’ Stones Throw Records, […]


30 Aug
Angry midgets with 40s, clown beatdowns & plenty of strippers

Even by Swag Rap standards, the latest by 2 Chainz raises the absurdity to retarded new levels. With a great verse by a threesome-pushing Yeezy, the Andreas Nilsson directed video for “Birthday Song” brings midgets spraying 40 ozs, dancing Pakistanis, booty cakes, clown beatdowns and of course copious strippers to the best party to hit College […]


13 Aug
Ole Kirk Christiansen and the genesis of the beloved toy

Have you ever wondered how LEGOs came about? As everyone’s favorite childhood toy celebrates its 80th Anniversary, LEGO has produced this 15-minute animated film telling the brand’s genesis. Formed in 1932 in Denmark by carpenter/toymaker Ole Kirk Christiansen and later developed by his son Godtfred, LEGO of course has blossomed into arguably the most creative […]


20 Feb
The story of Powell Peralta's legendary 1980s skateboard crew

When the Madman was not but a wee Mad Grommet, he stumbled across The Search For Animal Chin VHS tape and the world entered another era. That was my introduction to the Bones Brigade, and the Powell Peralta skate universe in general. Featuring all All Star roster of 80s skating talent — including Steve Caballero, […]