I first learned of Good Wood NYC jewelry company when I received a custom version of their now ubiquitous Jesus pieces from Marcus Troy as a gift, and I was further impressed when I got to give away one of their limited edition Erykah Badu ankhs on SpeechIsMyHammer. The company has a great trilogy of excellence: affordability, uniqueness, and customization. Dozens of celebrities and even more under-the-radar acts have enlisted their services to up their fly, and there are options for everyone.

That said, GWNYC’s collaboration with All Things Fresh and Team Drizzy may be my favorite yet. As you’ll see in the video above, the three teams banded together to create a custom kit dedicated to Drake’s October’s Very Own crew for the Canadian rapper/singer/songwriter’s 25th birthday. The case is fly enough, but inside are owl stands (OVO’s mascot), drinking glasses, shot glasses, wood beaded bracelets, wood beaded chains and iPhone cases. Not only is it a great display of what Good Wood NYC is capable of; it’s also just a hell of a gift. Any of my friends/colleagues/business partners, feel free to use this as inspiration for your boy when July 18 comes around next year!

For closer images of each item, CLICK HERE.

When preparing to leave for A3C Hip Hop Festival in Atlanta this month, I was desperate for a new travel bag since my tattered Nike duffel was on its last legs. After scouring the Internet and getting suggestions from Marcus Troy and John Gotty, I decided to go with Herschel Supply Co.’s “Journey” bag. Read below to see why I’m happy with the purchase.

Pros

• Size: One thing the photos don’t really translate is how expandable this duffel really is. I have nearly two weeks’ worth of clothes inside of this, along with a toiletry bag and two pair of shoes, and everything fits fine, without the need for a double zipper to close it completely.
• Shoe compartment: I’m not nearly the sneakerhead that some of my friends are, but I definitely found use with the shoe compartment (shown above) on the Journey. I had initially just saw it as a gimmick and cool factor, but it makes the shoes easy to take out quickly without having to dig through everything else in the bag, or dirtying your clothes by piling your shoes on top of them.
• Minimalist look: I’m a fan of the clean, minimalist look in most of my accessories, and the Journey fits that preference to a tee. The bag’s black body, contrasting gold zipper, white “Herschel” side patch, and the clean red and white striped lining inside are a fly, low-key way for me to carry all that I need through the airport, to the gym, or any other place I’m going. If only I could get the camo and blue colorway that Marcus got his hands on, though…
• Durability: I haven’t put the Journey through a harsh wear and weight test, but when I have the bag packed, it feels durable while holding it by the handles or on your back.

Cons

• No shoulder strap: Though the dual hand and back usage of the the Journey’s handles give great options, I still would have loved to see a shoulder strap on this. I sometimes prefer that method to carry large amounts of weight, and I’d love to drape this over my shoulder while walking to and fro.
• No extra pockets: A tech junkie like me would’ve enjoyed some extra pockets on the bag to store the likes of a cell phone, pen, keys, etc. But this design also forces everything to be hidden inside, which may throw off would-be thieves from obvious target spots.

For more information on Herschel Supply Co.’s Journey, visit the Online Store.

My appreciation of Moleskine notebooks has already been covered here in the past, so this post shouldn’t be a surprise. That said, I love that Carhartt was able to collaborate with them on this. This is a perfect example of what can happen when two brands of similar ilk can combine. Carhartt is known for workwear that withstands the elements; their jackets, hats and boots are virtually synonymous with hard work, durability and perseverance. Many Moleskine fans feel the same way about their notebooks: the weight of the paper and the covers (which I’ve heard some fans describe as “indestructible”) are praised as being dependable for everyday use.

I readily admit that I’m a hypebeast for these things – along with brand collaborations in general – but I love it when companies can really collaborate and it makes sense. This understated notebook, in my opinion, makes more sense than Moleskine’s previous collaborations with Star Wars and Pac Man, which were definitely fly, but seemed slightly more style over substance. This time around, Moleskine found the perfect balance.

[via HypeBeast]

As a teenager, I used to always clown my father for carrying around a black book. While I was always excited to head to RadioShack every couple years to cop a new pocket organizer or Palm Pilot, pops never left home without his black leather address book. But as with most things I misunderstood or disagreed with when I was younger, I now see that William E. Ketchum, Jr. had a point.

Any smartphone disciple can attest to the usefulness of his/her device’s notepad application. I’ve used it to draft business emails, take down interview questions, and more. But the homie Alvin Blanco of Slang Rap Democracy constantly raves about Moleskine notebooks, and Jay Electronica wrote a song entitled “Dear Moleskine.” So I figured I’d give one a shot. So far, it’s been paying off beautifully. After the jump, see five reasons why using a Moleskine – or any other quality notebook of your choice – is better than using your cell phone.

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Y’all know how much I love GoodWoodNYC, so I had to throw up this video of Chace Infinite breaking down the inspiration behind his collaborative Africa piece with the company.  This joint is dope as hell, and at $40, I probably should’ve copped one for myself. It’s all good though, because I’ve got some other heaters from them on the way. Check under the cut for a picture of the Africa piece, and stay tuned for a special treat from SpeechIsMyHammer, Urbane Reflections and GoodWoodNYC!

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SpeechIsMyHammer readers and people in my immediate crew know about my allegiance to custom jewelry company Good Wood NYC. My natural wood Jesus piece (courtesy of blogger Marcus Troy) has become a daily accessory with every outfit I wear to work and otherwise. It gets constant compliments, and when people ask where I got it, instead of dismissing them as dick-riders, I direct them to the web site just because I respect the company so much. Even my artist JYoung The General copped their red Jesus piece after respecting their work on mine so much.

So seeing GWNYC collaborate with Erykah Badu, in lieu of her new album New Amerykah Part Two: Return Of The Ankh, has me ecstatic. I’m trying my best to get a piece to give away on the site, so I’ll let you know more details as I get them. More information after the jump.

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My favorite blogger on the Internet, Marcus Troy (or @MarcusTroy on Twitter), teamed up with jewelry company Good Wood NYC to give away natural color Jesus Pieces to five readers who explained why they read the site or how they came across it. Fortunately, my comment caught Marcus’ attention, and I received one of the limited edition pieces. I regret not posting this right when I received it – Good Wood NYC didn’t begin selling the natural color pieces until Christmas day, and they don’t start shipping them until late January.

I had been fiending for one of GWNYC’s products ever since I saw the black version of this Jesus Piece on Marcus’ blog before. The company cleverly released those on Black Friday, and when I checked the site later, I saw they were sold out. But I lucked out with this natural color piece. As corny as this sounds, I’m going to actually use this Jesus piece as a reminder of the spiritual reinforcement I plan to build in this new decade; 2009 was a tough year.

I’m honored that my comment inspired him; search “Marcus Troy” on this site, and you’ll see that I’m a loyalist of his work and of his site. Here’s what I commented:

I first got familiar with your MarcusTroy.com as a linkback from another site. But several things make me continue to read it.

For one, you keep me up to date on the latest, dopest stuff. Point blank period. I find out about gadgets, gear, and other stuff from here. You have great taste, and you give me a good idea on products I’d either buy or gawk at.

Also, you seem to be humble and appreciative of the products you receive to review. Many other “cool hunters” simply use their blog as a forum to brag about free stuff they get, but you seem to appreciate the work/art put into products, their usefulness, and the way they can enrich lives. I respect that passion a lot, and that’s one reason that I actually visit *and* comment here, lol

Lastly, the “From The Berry” posts are always on point. You usually either say ideas/beliefs that I either already agree with, or are new ideas that give me a change of perspective. Favs include the “Come Heavy Or Don’t Come At All” and the “Rules On Cosigns.”

So in short, MarcusTroy.com is exactly what a blog should be. Planned on sending this in an email during some year-end kudos to colleagues/mentors, but the opportunity for a Good Wood piece gives incentive to make it a comment, lol. Keep up the good work.

Follow the jump to see pictures of my gift.

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I’ve always been a fan of Pharrell’s music – whether it’s his N.E.R.D. material, his solo productions and his work with Chad Hugo as The Neptunes, or his underrated solo album In My Mind. (I’m especially a huge fan of Out Of My Mind, the unreleased version of In My Mind remixed by “The Yessirs,” which are Questlove and James Poyser). And after seeing him rock the stage twice with N.E.R.D., I’m convinced he’s got one of the most energetic live performances in the biz. But I’ve mentioned on this blog before that one of the more underrated aspects of Pharrell’s career is his appreciation for art and fashion.

Extravagant clothing, accessories and jewelry have been a status symbol in hip-hop for what seems like forever. But what makes people like Pharrell stand out is that he doesn’t settle for simply rocking expensive gear. He makes sure that every piece he rocks is truly part of who he is by helping design it on his own, but he’ll usually work with a something that’s already out there and tweak it and customize it to his liking. To me, this shows that not only does Pharrell love being creative on his own, but that he also respects the creativity of others enough to where he doesn’t have to start everything from scratch.

I’m a huge gadget head and a burgeoning sneaker/gear coniesseur, and while I’m not big on jewelry, I’ve got a piece or two that tends to turn a few heads. I say this to say that I’m not nearly as enthusiastic about these fields as Pharrell does, but I still respect the hell out of his passion for it. What’s funny is that while I’m not a big fan of his BBC/Ice Cream clothing line, I always find myself falling in love with his other projects. And what’s even better is that he’s encouraging others to hone their creativity by launching ARTST.com, an online community where artists can meet, share and collaborate.

After the jump, I’ve posted a bunch of photos and videos of custom work he’s gotten done on jewelry, clothing, art, and more. I know I’m going to get some flack for this, but I don’t care: dude combines creativity with appreciation, and you can’t ask for anything more.

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Fly.

via BBC by-way-of the.LIFE Files

P.S.: Talitha, if you don’t leave a comment, I swear, lol

MOSologist’s favorite rapper/my homie 88-Keys had an interview/photo shoot with Italian magazine Basement. I obviously can’t read the article at all, but I thought that the photos were well done. And of course, I’ve got to give dude kudos on his Polo collection: he literally wears only Polo Ralph Lauren, head to toe, every day. I don’t even fuck with their clothing like that, but I respect the dedication.

CLICK HERE to download the entire spread from 88-Keys’ blog, and check under the cut for a video with Men’s Style on his obsession.

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