UP IN SMOKE.

I probably shouldn’t be shooting photos while doing 80 on the freeway, but this needed to be documented. L.A. has been ravaged with wildfires the past few days, it’s been an incredible sight to watch.

by bobbyhundreds

LIGHTS. CAMERA.

Olivia and I finally got around to hanging out tonight.  She had Comic Con, her show (Attack of the Show) on G4TV, her recent Playboy cover, and just filmed something today with Masi and Milo from Heroes.  She’s pretty much the busiest person I know besides your mama. Zing.

She’s showing me photos of herself from the set of Iron Man 2.  I don’t think I’m allowed to say who she plays, but.. alright, I’ll tell you.. She plays.. Iron Woman.  Huge metal boobs that shoot photon torpedos.

We also started fooling around with video, I’ll be uploading the little promo reel we shot later on.

Looks like a good read…

by bobbyhundreds

ALEXANDER SPIT.

When we started The Hundreds, it was never an idea that was limited to just t-shirts and a website.  So then we made denim.  And shoes.  Then stores.  But our dreams went further than that.  If you look back to some of my earliest interviews, I talk about us venturing into print one day and possibly even music.  This week sees The Hundreds attaining both of those goals.

Alexander Spit is an artist we believe in.  Most rap music today is so diluted, hackneyed, an echo of a greater generation, or perhaps just cheap mimicry.  Hip-hop music is an evocative spirit, it’s emotional and political, it should make you dance and piss you off.  Alexander Spit’s music does that.  Rap should be engaging and relevant, inspired by the past but directed towards the future.  Alexander Spit’s music does that too.

When Ben and I first discovered Alexander Spit, we didn’t have to look beyond our front doorstep.  He was one of the hired staff at The Hundreds San Francisco, and had already generated a decent buzz within his former rap group The Instant Messengers.  So when we heard that he was branching out independently on a solo project, we wanted to help make that dream become a reality.

Alexander Spit’s debut album, “OPEN 24 HOURS” is being released as a familiar jewel-case CD in independent music shops near you, including Amoeba SF, FTC, The Hundreds LA and The Hundreds SF this Tuesday, September 1st.  The digital format hits iTunes, Amazon, and the Limewire store 1 week later on September 8th.

And if you haven’t already, get your pre-sale tickets for Alexander Spit’s album release party at Slim’s in San Francisco, this Friday, September 4th.  Come and watch history in the making.

Until then, you can watch the world premiere of “BEAT FOR THE STREET,” the first single off Alexander Spit’s “OPEN 24 HOURS,” directed by Matt Hobbs.

photography courtesy of Alexander Spit
by bobbyhundreds

EVERYTHING IN MODERATION.

Mike Shinoda’s solo exhibition, Glorious Excess : DIES debuted tonight in downtown Los Angeles at the JANM.  This is maybe 1/5 of the entire line, it wrapped around the block and coiled inside.

Before the show began, Mike held a special VIP reception for friends and family.  Here he is thanking all for their attendance and support.

Joe Hahn (Linkin Park / SURU) and Casey (The Seventh Letter) hangin’ tough.

Mike was swamped the entire night.. I was super stoked for him, not only was it some of his best work, but all the homeys were in attendance, and the turnout was overwhelming.

But not as overwhelming as James Jean’s cookie. I know this shot’s out of focus but that’s because James was running around trying to dodge my camera with this huge circle to protect him. It was like that scene out of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom when Indy uses the gigantic lazy susan to protect him from bullets in the Chinese restaurant, except James is more Short Round than Harrison Ford.

Rob and Brian (Fantasy Factory) took time out of their busy schedules taking over the world to show some support for Mike.  Joe (off camera) shows his support in a different way.

Nothing says glorious excess like the happy girls circling the food table.

Custom Mike Shinoda Honda motorcycle being auctioned off at the show…

And let the show begin…

GLORIOUS EXCESS : DIES runs through October 4th.  Check JANM’s site for more information.

by bobbyhundreds

SILENCE.

I’ve been staring at my Blackberry for hours now, convinced that at any moment I’ll get a BBM response or a call back.  But all I hear is silence.

Our friend Adam Goldstein passed away today.  Adam was known to the world as DJ AM, as I’ve suggested before, one of the best DJs this world will have ever known.  Adam was a longtime supporter of The Hundreds and the work we did here.  That photo below was from the very first online interview I ever gave for Beinghunted.  It was July, 2005 and Ben and I  had nothing to show for ourselves except a few dodgy t-shirts and a mission statement.  I called up Adam and asked if he’d help out and meet us over at Brooklyn Projects to be photographed in one of our early t-shirts.  No problem.  He dropped what he was doing and was there in 30 minutes flat.

Over the years, I’d lose touch with him here and there with our busy schedules, but I still remember the best gift I received last Christmas was getting back in touch with this guy.  Over the past couple weeks, we had been talking about having him DJ our upcoming Block Party on Labor Day.

And that was the last I heard.

It’s a terrible tragedy, whether you knew him or not.  The world lost one of music’s most interesting and dynamic characters today.

Whatever comes out of an investigation doesn’t really matter. All I know is that Adam was a loyal devotee, if not the face, of the sneaker collecting community.  He was an avid supporter of local streetwear and independent brands.  He represented the postmodern musical phenomenon of mash-up.  And let’s be honest, he’s the first person that comes up when we all think of the celebrity DJ.

But most importantly, this guy was a friend to all, and a common thread that ran in so many different people’s lives.  Whether in the streets or on the dancefloor, DJ AM brought people together.  And he gave us all a really really great time.

(Here’s some never-before-seen footage I shot of Adam’s DJ set back in February.  This guy, always having fun.)

Thanks Adam.  Get some rest.

by bobbyhundreds

WHO IS LANCE MONTOYA?

by bobbyhundreds