Some pics from our current collaboration with Globe. We curated art from Jose Araujo, Rye Purvis, and Stacy Kranitz to make these limited edition (50 per artist) skate decks.
"The thing I love the most about this album is it takes advantage of the lo-fi sound. A lot of other gangsta rap records have this really polished sound, like "Yeah, I'd kill you but I won't 'cause I don't want the cops to take my good studio equipment away." This tape literally sounds like he's rapping over beats from his car stereo and his whole posse is driving around in a used minivan looking for people to take out hits on. The original album cover is just a murky polaroid of him standing in a graveyard leaning on a rusty shovel, no artist name or anything. TW3 ain't afraid of nobody." - YouTube Viewer
A nice little recap video from our Innocnts x Globe party at General Admission in Venice a few weeks back. A nice look at the crowd and vibes from another successful Innocnts gathering. Good thing our friend Ryan Hackbarth videoed the evening cause we were too busy drinking the free King Harbor beer on tap. Ryan mixed the video up with tunes by DIVOLA or played so well the opening night that the cops decided to show up.
Come check us out this Saturday (7/15) from 11am to 7pm at the Tijuana Zine Fest off Pasaje Rodriguez & Pasaje Gomez in Tijuana, Baja California. Very stoked to be participating in this event with a number of other solid exhibitors from both sides of the border. More info about the programming and event here.
We'll have a nice selection of zines, pins, stickers, tees, and original artworks on paper by Valerie Jocelyn Bower, Alfonso Gonzales Jr, Marco Zamora, Sic Kid, Tacocidal Tendencies, Aaron Elvis Jupin, DJ Javier, Daniel Gibson, Nadia Bent, Luke Pelletier, Kristen Liu Wong, Evan Mendel, Felix Quintana, Stevie Traylor, Andrea Nakhla, Skullphone, and maybe some more.
Last Friday we officially launched our collaboration with GLOBE at General Admission in Venice, CA. King Harbor beer was flowing like the salmon of Capistrano, latin beats by Alf Alpha enticed the crowd to shake it and the building almost came down when Divola performed. The cops even payed a visit and might have had something to do with our premature finish. Regardless we had a blast and appreciate those that made it out! Our "Friends With Benefits" installation remains up for a few more weeks at General Admission with the full range of decks and tees available.
All opening pics by Cory Hackbarth
General Admission hours: 10am - 7pm // Monday - Sunday
52 Brooks Avenue Venice California 90291
THE DECKS
We curated a 3 deck artist series for GLOBE showcasing artwork from our friends Jose Aurajo, Rye Purvis and Stacy Kranitz. The series has a nice range of shapes ideal for liquor store runs to skatepark sessions. All decks are a limited run of 50 per artist with etched artist's name and numbering on each deck.
JOSE ARAUJO // 80'S SINGLE KICK
- Limited numbered edition of 50
- 9.25" x 29.75" x 15.5” wheelbase
- Resin-7 hard rock maple
- Mellow concave
Jose Araujo was born in Aguascalientes, Mexico and currently lives and works in Los Angeles, California. Jose’s traditional fine line black / grey and bold traditional tattoo work draws influence from elements of Americana, Chicano art, LA gang writing, and prison art from various time periods. His gallery practice pulls from similar resources combining Chicano art with traditional American imagery and the use of handwritten typography to help covey various inner-city sentiments. Jose maintains a regular position at Mid Town Tattoo in Los Angeles taking appointments in between raising his family in nearby Mid City.
RYE PURVIS // LIQUOR STORE CRUISER
- Limited numbered edition of 50
- 7.75" x 30.5" x 14” wheelbase
- Resin-7 hard rock maple
- Medium side to side concave, full nose and tail
- Built-in bottle opener
Rye Purvis was born in New Mexico and currently lives and works in San Francisco, California. Rye’s contemporary still life paintings depict everyday objects and moments. The work acts as representational portraiture commenting on commercial vices and personal adventures in a satirical fashion. Optimistic, upbeat colors coincide with corner store items, oldschool automobiles, and characters based on Rye’s friends and her surroundings giving homage to an underbelly that exists and prospers within her Bay Area and New Mexican desert experience. Rye graduated with a BFA in Painting from the San Francisco Art Institute.
STACY KRANITZ // MODERN DOUBLE KICK
- Limited numbered edition of 50
- 8.25" x 32" x 14.25” wheelbase
- Resin-7 hard rock maple
- Full concave
Stacy Kranitz was born in Kentucky and currently lives and works wherever her interests lead her. Stacy’s photography explores history, representation and otherness within the documentary tradition. She uses photography to open up a narrative that confronts our understanding of culture; one poised between notions of what is right and what is wrong. Stacy received a BFA from New York University and an MFA from the University of California, Irvine. Her work has been featured in publications including Adbusters, Elle, Granta, Mother Jones, New York Times Magazine, Oxford American, Rolling Stone, Vice, and Wired.
Interviews, TV & Internet appearances, Videos & Live footage from The Gravediggaz collected from T.V., online, from the fans, News outlets & the Gravediggaz.
The group's first album was originally to be titled Niggamortis; however, this potentially risqué title was changed to 6 Feet Deep for the American market, it was released on August 9, 1994. The four members adopted Gravedigga alter egos for their work with the group: RZA became The RZArector, Poetic became The Grym Reaper, Prince Paul became The Undertaker and Frukwan became The Gatekeeper.
The second full-length Gravediggaz album The Pick, the Sickle and the Shovel was less humorous, dealing more with social and political issues; it also used calmer and more conventional production. Prince Paul played a considerably smaller role in the making of this album, with many of the production duties now taken care of by RZA and his Wu-Tang affiliates.
Around 2000, Gravediggaz recruited DJ Diamond J. Poetic died of colon cancer in July 2001. Frukwan stated in an interview not long after Poetic's death that a new album using leftover Poetic material would be released. Nightmare in A-Minor, the third official album for Gravediggaz, came out in 2001; it featured two of the original members, Poetic and Frukwan. This album was their darkest work yet, including many references to Poetic's struggle with cancer, as well as apocalyptic themes to do with the teachings of the Five Percent Nation. Although RZA did not take part in the album, some Wu-Tang Clan affiliates such as 4th Disciple, True Master and Beretta 9 were involved. The album was mostly produced by Poetic and Frukwan.
In 2010, Frukwan & Rza recorded a new song, "2 More Cups of Blood" as The Gravediggaz. In 2011, it was announced that the group had been recording new tracks involving former collaborators OMN999, Shabazz The Disciple & Killah Priest.
INNOCNTS x GLOBE “Friends with Benefits” limited edition skateboard release party this Friday night. We teamed up with GLOBE to curate a limited deck series featuring artwork by Jose Araujo, Rye Purvis and Stacy Kranitz. Please join us this Friday, June 30th, 7-10 pm at General Admission. 52 brooks ave. Venice, CA. Shop the collection, live performance from Divola, sounds by Alf Alpha and drinks from King Harbor Brewery. Kick the summer off with us properly!
