Well, to truly some up the year you’d have to remember more then bits and pieces. I am pretty bad at knowing what the deal with pop culture so this might be a touch more personal. Then again, what here isn’t? This past year has been craze for me, from re-branding, making my life design and skateboarding, working at a private school where the kids had more money then god, making new friends and cutting some old ones out. 2009 showed me a great deal about people and about myself. What I’ve learned the most, is this world is populated with clowns and dealing with them is just a part of life..
Shouts & Thanks for 2009.
My fam, Don, Mikey, Rich, Avellino, Al, Dougals, Martin, Mike Ryan, Jimmy Carlin, Meeks, Shannon Green, Katie Ryan, Chris Carbaugh, Billy Willis, Danny Howe, Bobby Izzo, Anthony DiRocco, Chase Whitaker, Steve Klotz, Scotty ILL, Matt & Gino at Poets, LIS kids, Everyone at In4mation, Geordie Gillies and of course all our customers who support the shop and brand!
Considering the shop is a one man show here is a list of many of the people that have pushed me to do this over the years,helped me out through opening the shop, and motivate me in general. I am not going to be loser and claim big things in 2010 and power moves this and that. Because apparently everyone is going to the best at everything in the new year. So I guess just check back and have a happy and safe new year.
Christmas night a handful of us went skating at Oil City. Filmer/Skater/Friend Chris Carbaugh put this little montage for shop together. I was super hyped to get the guys I skate with together to film, because most of the homies are out filming with Chris, for their upcoming video. These guys are out there killing it having fun and just doing it in a good way. FFS is backing the video so you will hear more and more about when the time comes. I am trying to get these cats to do the FFS video down the line. Riders in the video above are: Chris Carbaugh, Me, Bobby Izzo, Billy Willis, Anthony DiRocco, James Carlin, and Kieran.
Keeping in the FFS tradition of hate/realness I bring you the top 5 worst rappers of 2009. I’ve written a few blogs on the current state of Rap music and how hip-hop is a thing of the past. Sad but true. This is strictly my opinion I am sure the dudes over at Complex will disagree and look at record sales, money made, and airplay. I am kind of beyond that, this is my top 5 of the worst. There are probably a list of honorable mention feel free to let me know. In no particular order lets start this off..
Gucci Mane, you and your chains get a come on son. That single with Mario about how your girl doesn’t like Gucci anymore is the pitts. Your chains could buy my house and then some, so have some one write your verses. But I mean at least there some equity for the time when you bankrupt like hammer in the near future, doing ads for the Superbowl. The power of a buck!
Lil Wayne, rewind your life to the days of Cash Money and I will be all for you again. This whining on records needs to stop. Cough syrup and trees is like messing this dude up beyond recognition. He has more money then God yet still catches a charge and needs to serve time. Maybe jail time will make him listen to like Project Chick and make him stop mumbling and recording it. I hope it does.
50 Cent, this dude is astonishing. Homeboy, puts everyone on blast including Jay-Z and then comes out with a garbage album. He’s on all these interviews talking about record companies and the phrase “marketing plan” like its some shit he just learned and is showing off. But it doesn’t matter because cause there’s a world of people being like “that new 50 album is sick!”.. He can count his lucky stars that Dr. Dre the legend that he is makes beats for him.. If 50 can talk over a Dr Dre beat and make millions the world is truly full of possibilities. Yeah good look putting Jay-Z on blast and he had the best hip hop album of the year. Selling out MSG as a solo act.
Jereme Rogers boy oh boy. Stop rapping come out with a youtube that apologizes to the world for beign a clown, get your face tat removed, and start skating again. Everyone knows he’s a terrible rapper and a good skater so I mean where is he missing the point. Like, where does that get lost in the mix. Dude skates really well and no one can knock that.. Oh yeah and please don’t run out of money and then go back to skating.
Drake, heres a dude I loathe. Firstly, dude drops a record about a chick and everyone is on his jock hows he’s the new Kanye West. Everyone needs to pump the breaks. Say what you will about Kanye being a moron this that and the other but he has produced some of the best tracks in the last decade. And on top of that he’s not a bad rapper either. Not many can pull both off. Back to Drake, his rhymes are the pitts, loves him some autotune, and he’s not fooling anyone trying to sound hard on that forever track. Go back to playing a kid in a wheelchair on a Nickelodeon show. Stop trying to be a rapper.
So now that you’ve read all of my hateful words to these chumps, you might think to yourself “what a hater”, wrong. I just feel there are not many good rappers anymore. The days of dudes like Jay-Z and Nas are gone and there is nothing to fill that void. If dudes didn’t put out crap, I wouldn’t hate. You’re not reading how Jay-Z’s album sucked or the new Raekwon album sucked, cause they were both awesome. God help hip-hop in the new year.
Yes the shop will be open from 11-5 on Christmas Eve to get your last minute steals on here at FFS. Some hats still available and tons of items on sale. So don’t be bummed when the prices go back to normal. As always thank you for the support.
Thrasher video premier this Tuesday, Dec 22nd. @ B. East. 171 East broadway. New York NY. $7 for beer +shot….Eddie IXL djing…Please make sure to rsvp as I have nothing to do with guestlist. Just sharing the info. Feel free to sharethis invite…Come down and support Cons which is one of the biggest supporters of FFS.
This Saturday 12/12 at noon we will releasing our new Long Island fitted. The LI is representative of both Long Island as well as 51 in Roman Numerals. We collaborated with Elm Company to make a really quality product. I am super hyped on it.. It is limited to 51 pieces so don’t sleep. More images on the next page. Read More
The Nike team is about to be on some next level shit. Debacle was sick. Now they go on a tour with Brock, Koston, Salazaar, Cory Kennedy,Brian Anderson, and the rest of the team. Oh yeah Gino is still on the team. So what I am saying is, this is going to be epic.
At the current time there is a serious lack of art direction and good design sense. So many people are guilty of it but it seems to be the new trend. That being said we will start with footwear. I mean a large majority of the footwear industry needs a c’mon son. I am going to be doing a top 5 countdown on various items. Above you can see the eS Koston 2. Besides being one of the best skate shoes of all time, it is my favorite. I had it in 2 colorways. Before 3m reflective was on everything it was on this shoe. Besides the fact of it being super functional as a skate shoe it looked good and didn’t have any dumb ass color way. We can only pray that sneakers will revert back to this. If anyone has a pair in an 8.5 or a 9, let me know.
As a side note, I find it really funny because Koston leaves Lakai, goes to Nike SB (non skateboarders love those two letters more then anyone else) and Complex, writes and article of the history of Koston sneakers. I guess because skateboarding is as cool as it is now, they write an article about it. Stick to shiny metallic sneakers, or boots you climb Everest in but where on the street.
Thrasher just announced skater of the year. I can’t say I am happy about it, my pick was Sean Malto. It’s cool though Cole earned some points with me watching some stuff with him on the berrics. I hear the dudes from FFS are up in the running next year. YEAH RIGHT. If you haven’t see the video you may not get that one. Congrats Chris Cole.
