St. Louis rapper SCRUB

St. Louis rapper SCRUB just returned from a week in LA performing in Long Beach and Hollywood and meeting with labels. Also check out www.nineballent.com/fr_home.cfm....to stay updated...support talent in your own backyard....out here with SCRUB....

Vidal Mora

dope local edit


Extra Leftover Vidal Mora Dagger Footage Edit! Guest Skaters: Levon Conkin, Colin Shue, Jake Schwerdt, Scotty Laird and Kino Kaiser. Edited by Levon Conkin

Archives:Going Back at Least 10 Years with David Koehler

Joe Herbert-melancholy (circa 1999 @ Webster Groves)

And in the back drop is the homie DRE

Curren$y at FTC

Diamond x Curren$y release at FTC in San Francisco from Ando Nesia on Vimeo.

3 Amigos pt 2.

This is a dope edit of Jabari, Brad, and Wussler... StL Natives ... We Out Here

At The Top Of His Game - James Stewart

If you haven't heard the name James Stewart before I can't necessarily blame you. He is one of the most unpublicized athlete in mainstream media, even though he has won several championships, broken barriers, and demolished many of the records in the off-road motorcycle world. He is considered by many to be the Greatest Motocross Rider of all time.

I've actually had the chance to see him race in person and I have to say that it was truly amazing. It is not often you get to see someone lap the field twice in a single race. It looked as if he was riding a completely different bike!

Here is an ESPN mini-documentary on James Stewart. Check It Out!

Written By DJ KASE ONE for WE ARE THE CITY
http://we-are-the-city.blogspot.com/

WATC:CANADA STyLe

Gilbert-kickflip

Thanks Matt Macleod for sending in this photo at FNF Media

check out there site (click here)

Beauty Bar Drunk'n High ollie challenge

Ando's new edit....fresh

Dj nappy needles: Ill Vibe 2|24|11

Shitside In Thrasher

While chillin in borders lookin at the latest Thrasher.. I came across this swagged out photo..... we out here

Nato Caliph-Appreciation

TAYLORMADE-WORLDWIND

Archives:Going Back at Least 10 Years with David Koehler

Keith Reese-5.0 grind @ Wet Willy's (early 90's)

Either LIVE or DIE there is NO in between

Documenting the LifeSTyLE

WATC4Life

Sal Orlando

The Fifth Element of Hip Hop

This is a cool documentary we came across

OFWGKTA!

I recently just found out about them. OFWGKTA is a young hip hop group from LA and whats tight about them.. THEY SKATE. Their music is also dope. Different style, but still catchy. Below is a pretty crazy music video.. and some of you may have seen them on the Berrics recently. You can peep more of their music at http://www.oddfuture.com/

Don't Stop Doing What You're Doing with Dutch Jackson

KOOL KID KATT!!

Produced by Dutch Jackson

John Motta-A Happy Medium

TURF AND DESTROY

New Turf video! Check it out. If you aren't aware.. The homie Jason Wussler rides for Turf.. and Jabari used to ride for them. They got some new members on the squad so def be sure to watch the video

TURF AND DESTROY from TURFglobal on Vimeo.

STAY POSITIVE

New edit from the homie Stephen Serrano

Motivation .........

Let this be motivation to everyone who is thinkin about quitting skateboarding to become a rapper.

Stay Skating.... WATC4LIFE

WATC:SKATEBOARDING FROM BERLIN - CHRISTOPH WEISS

Street Update: Clarence

Clarence with some more photos! This time they're photos of him. Sick. Just in time for Valentines day. Which reminds me, if you have a chick- dodge her all day and tell her you don't believe in corporate holidays for religious reasons.

here's some motivation for V-day

Fuck corporate holidays; spend $$ on WhiteOut & RT-FaQ

"..when we get to get on stage and look people in their eyes and express our passion... for however long our set is; we take advantage of that anytime possible, even if it means taking two gigs in one night.. The people of St. Louis, all of us on the East Side and the surrounding areas are more important than most of them even know.  Without them there is no US. Point blank." - RT-FaQ, 2.12.11.

Hailing from East St. Louis and Fairview Heights, WhiteOut and RT-FaQ had one of the best live performances I have ever seen. Their passion and enthusiasm represents WATC and it is highly visible in their words and presence. When I talked to them after their performance, I was shocked by the amount of energy they still had left over that even my scatter-brain-insomniac-mind could not comprehend. It was an impressive, yet graceful impression they left not only on myself but everyone in the audience. These twenty-something guys are driven by their heart and pushed by the constant attainment of more complex and rewarding goals that they create for themselves. Who knew two non-natives would defy the St. Louis DIY ethic..

If you are going to spend any cheddah on a bag of flaming hot cheetos or a rello (or some shitty chocolates), hold up on the artery cloggin' and purchase their single, On and On on iTunes. Celebrate this VeeDay by showing some positive love.

WATC will forever be my valentine.

we out here.

"Out Here" with Travis Crosby

"Self-Portrait"

We Are The City was able to catch up with one of Saint Louis' local photographers, Travis Crosby. I'm sure, whether you know it or not, some of you have already been exposed to his work through either We Are The City (Zen & The Art Of B-Boying) or through social networking sites like facebook where many use his photos as their profile pictures. Not to mention his work filming the music videos of several Saint Louis artist's such as Tef Poe, William H, Indiana Rome, and Family Affair. With that being said, we sought Travis out for this interview to let him tell us where he's from, where he is at, and where he is going.

Are you Saint Louis born and raised?

“Yea, I grew up in the city of South Saint Louis. I play a little joke with some of the folks on “FaceBookLand” by stating that I was born in New York City. That’s mainly because it has truly inspired me and the things that I create. The two times that I did visit was great and I hope to make it a continuous vacation/work location.”

How did you first get exposed to photography?

“Well, I have always been a visual person. Like a lot of creative’s, I was pretty decent in most visual art classes. In college I always had an interest in my marketing and advertising courses because of the way you could manipulate the publics mind by the imagery you show them through various media. Combine all of that with my music [guerrilla] marketing background and a “knack” for the appreciation for urban culture; I became a “concrete shutterbug” in the making. For the most part, I became exposed to photography from hours of studying the pages of Vibe, Source, XXL, and even CD artwork. Photographers were creating images in New York and LA that no one here was doing, so it really peaked my interest to capitalize on that niche locally.”

"Corey" + "Byron B."

What things have influenced you in your photography/artwork?

"The urban culture in general. Within that, I would have to say the Hip-Hop culture and the imagery that has emerged from it. Seeing images of Method Man blowing clouds of weed smoke or watching Aaliyah being “sporty-sexy” in Tommy Hilfiger jeans are just timeless in my eyes. Most photographers back in the day captured those same images with Polaroid’s or cheap disposable cameras.

The shots were classic because of the personality of the individual in the photo and not all of the fancy equipment folks try to use now-a-days.

You can’t Photoshop a person’s expressions and behaviors. I try to do the same in my work. I don’t use very much equipment and I expect the person I’m shooting to bring their personality."

Do you seek your subjects out? Or do they seek you out?

"I take subjects/clients who reach out to me. Believe it or not, I’m still somewhat new to the aesthetic, but I know what I want to come out of it. I am very passionate about my work and the type of images I try to create [photo or video]. I mainly focus on the creative/artistic side of photography. I do enough editing to enhance the photo and not destroy it. I am also trying to stay in a strict lane where I focus on the urban artistic side rather than the “weddings”, “club”, “nature”, etc. type of photography. I feel that I’m capable of handling those type of task, but I try to keep my focus on things that I am passionate about."

Is there any criteria or special things that you look for when evaluating a candidate?

"If I do seek out a subject to use, I do so because I see something about them that triggers a thought in my head that causes me to want to create a specific image. In actuality I would love to shoot a lot of people I have meet or seen but I can’t. I say this because with [digital] photography, the possibilities are endless! So at times I try and focus and seek out people or things who/that can give me the image I want in a few shots. I have an issue with just taking a bunch of random shots and a majority of them not even striking a nerve with me, and on top of that, taking so many shots that I never get around to editing some or even showcasing them. Overall, with whomever I work with, I want personalities! Some people want you to direct them like moving the arms and legs on a mannequin. I’m looking to work with those who can bring life and even sound to my pictures."

"Amy" + "Shalece"

What is your thought process when it comes to arriving at how you want to photograph a subject?

“It may seem a bit selfish but I attack each “subject” with the mindset of “How will these images benefit me..” I say it that way because a photograph is similar to creating a piece of art. My art is a representation of me. So I create the concept based on my vision and when this work of art is presented I want folks to know it was me.

I take pride in NOT being a traditional photographer who will shoot anything, anytime, anywhere.

I like to be in some type of control at my shoots. The other big thing for me is presentation. I’m big on this because this is what draws folks into the type of style I have. I place pictures in pictures to give the viewer an extra second to see the story of what’s going on in the photo. It’s nothing new in photography to do, but it’s a great way to capitalize the time someone is looking at your work.”

As of recent, I’ve noticed that you’ve switched to showcasing your video projects. How long have you been doing video work?

“Well similar to photography, I tripped and fell into video by total accident. It’s also similar in the sense that no one locally was capitalizing on capturing the “personalities of these” individuals. So, with my passion for still photography it was only right I give video a try. My first music video with “Family Affair” [Sunshine] was almost like an opportunity from the creative gods. I had done some personal documentary work to get my feet wet, but once “Rep” and “QB” called me I just had to jump on the opportunity! All of the odds were against me for that video too. It was well over 80 degrees. It was just me and Nikon D90 [which overheated a few times]. Their aunt had just passed so their whole family was in town, and I hadn’t had any training on how to shoot a music video! Overall it turned out well. I was so excited to edit the footage once I got home; 3 hours later I called “QB” and told him that I was done with the first draft."

"Carly" + "Family Affair"

Do you prefer one form of media over the other?

“That’s a great question at this point because I am about to put more of my focus back into photography. I grew into each medium extremely fast and I don’t want to stray away from what I got started in. As much as I don’t want to admit it, I may be going back to school to take a few courses in photography. Now-a-days Internet video is so powerful and as the creative director, you have the ability to capture the audience based off of your interpretation of what was recorded. On the other side, depending on the type of video, it is extremely tedious and time consuming. I’ve gotten better with focusing on creating treatments that makes it easier for me on the editing side. Photos are great because you can enhance the reality of a solid motionless image and give viewers a different perception on your vision.”

"A.I." + "Aziza"

What are your plans for your future projects?

“Well personally I really would like to solidify my self as a true “photographer”, but

one of my current hurdles is doing the work I want rather than doing what every one else wants.

It’s hard in this city because those who are open to shoot pictures for any occasion, receive more notoriety than some one like me who takes time to design each piece of work that I put out. I would also like to print out some more of my work [photos] and try presenting them different showcases in the city to get my name out there. I always get request to do videos and random photo jobs, but I would like to continue to document my vision and get folks familiar with my style."

What does the term “We are the city” mean to you? What direction would you like the site to go?

"The term is pretty relevant and straight to the point for any progressive individual in the city they reside in. Even though New York was a heavy influence in what I do, Saint Louis is where I grew up and have no major plans on creating a new home base. I would love to constantly be on the move and travel to other markets. Just as hard as a person may claim to be from a certain “city”, they should do the same to give back. It doesn’t necessarily have to be philanthropic but contributing to its growth in some way. Kanye [West] and [Young] Jeezy stated it best by chanting “I put on for my city”, and I truly feel I’ve done and continue to do that. My goal was to create imagery that was NOT being showcased here before and I feel that my mission is continually being accomplished."

"The site has great intentions and a great mission. Being current, always adding information and constantly focusing on true talent is the key to surviving this digital world. If all that is held to the highest standard then it’s already going in the right direction."

Word!

Now that you are hip to the man behind the photos be sure to check out his work in its entirety via the links below and also to check out what's dropping next...

Websites: http://www.traviscrosby.com/ / www.twitter.com/grandtheftnegro / http://www.grandtheftnegro.tumblr.com/ /

Written By DJ KASE ONE for WE ARE THE CITY

http://we-are-the-city.blogspot.com/

WE IN HERE

Yea since its cold outside, you may find yourself carpet skating..trying to practice your moves..

But sometimes shit happens..

Check out this video the lil homie sent..

WATC Trick Tip: Heelflip

We've been getting a lot of emails to do a heelflip tricktip.. Since its cold outside, this is the outcome

Blind Man - LA Carnival

You know I have to keep it switched up over here at, "We Are The City." I don't want you thinking that we just listen to Hip-Hop over here. So for this post I'm throwing it back to the 70's with this classic track by the band L.A. Carnival.

" It all started with the Les Smith Soul Band. They were a group of young kids, they might have been in their second or third year of high school. I was well into my twenties, and gigging six nights a week in a jazz trio. I was well into funk and R&B. I had a name for my self, and I worked hard. So I didn't make it easy for Leslie. He kept bugging me and bugging me to go check out his band. After about a month or two, I went to see them rehearse.

What a sight! They had so many horn players, I thought they might have been a marching band! But there was something there. Even though they were a bit green, I saw that Rick Chudacoff, their bassist, and Ron Cooley, their guitarist, had potential. Leslie, who could sing in a beautiful falsetto, and his rougher-voiced counterpart Arno Lucas, really had me going. I agreed to take over as drummer for the band. Pretty soon I took over as bandleader. I helped turn those guys into a funk band. I wrote songs, arranged the horn section. When Leslie got drafted, I renamed the band L.A. Carnival.

The songs you hear on this record translate exactly the way I thought I didn't have much tenderness in me. There wasn't a lot of room for it in my life at that time. I was pretty hard edged. There was a lot of racism in Omaha. Being bi-racial, I got it on both sides. I wasn't accepted by blacks or by whites. I was writing songs about my own position and perspective. Being on both sides of the fence, and being pissed on by both sides! I tried to write about it the best I could.

The group was of "one color," as we sang in our song. Ron, Rick and our trumpet player, Gino, were white. Leslie, Arno, and our saxophone section, were black. That's what we were trying to do, live what we sang about. And the rawness and intensity! I gotta admit to you, it's almost a little embarrassing, listening to this thirty years later. Now I'm older, and I probably don't wear that attitude-even though I'm the same person deep inside-so readily. I've changed a bit. I've certainly mellowed considerably.

We were the funk band in Omaha. There is no question about it. That band laid it down, and I tell you, the cats that were coming up listening to that band - to what they would want to do if they could be in that band-were numerous. We wore our band-badge like a shield of armor. We were proud of it. Everybody knew who the bad cats were. We were like a train, with a really bad attitude, going down the track, knocking off everybody that got in the way. "

Lester Abrams - Band Leader/Arranger/Songwriter/Drummer

From the Cover Notes of the Stones Throw Records Release

L.A. Carnival

Color b/w Blindman

Jukebox 45 No. 24

STH7024

Available @ www.Stonesthrow.com , www.Fatbeats.com , www.UGHH.com

Here is an interesting Mini-documentary from Egon and the results of his search for Lester Abrams.

L.A. Carnival - Minidocumentary - http://www.nowagainrecords.com/

Written by DJ Kase One for "We Are The City"

http://we-are-the-city.blogspot.com/

*VERY EXCLUSIVE* CAESAR ROSADO #BASED

A Tribute To Jay Dee

For all the Saint Louis natives, this February's edition of "Diggin' In The Crates" @ The Delmar Restaurant and Lounge, I will be doing a tribute set to the one and only James Yancey (February 7, 1974 – February 10, 2006) aka Jay Dee aka J Dilla. That's right, all Jay Dee all night long. Come through and check out the extensive discography of Hip-Hop LEGEND Jay Dee, straight from the record crates of yours truly, DJ KASE ONE. MC Thelonious Kryptonite will also be in the house...Music starts after the live band from Midnight til Close.

For those that don't know Jay Dee is one of the greatest producers and beat makers in Hip-Hop. With a discography that involves work with and for almost every legendary Hip-Hop group and artist.


CHECK HIM OUT!!

And on today, His Birthday, be sure to "Raise It Up" and "Turn It Up, A Little Louder".....

Clarance Archives: Jeff Rasp

Clarence sent us this the other day.. sick ass photo of Jeff doing what he does best-shittin on shit.. translation: performing skateboarding maneuvers

Footage From The Homies

Apparently we weren't the only ones to drop a sick montage this weekend.. check out some more local videos from the homies at PrettySkateboards and TheRadOne

WATC4LIFE WE OUT HERE

WE ARE THE CITY:VOLUME 2(RARE CLASSIC HOMEGROWN EDIT)

WE ARE THE CITY:VOLUME 2(RARE CLASSIC HOMEGROWN EDIT)

Droppin another montage to keep everyone inspired while its cold. Spring is coming soon, so stay up! WE OUT HERE!!

We Are The City represents each and every individual who has a creative positive outlet in all cities from art to skateboarding. Whatever you do...just do it well. If you want to represent your city and show everybody what your city is all about send your clips or photos to stldotglobal@yahoo.com. Again, this site is for all cities to showcase what is actually happening in them. This montage represents the urban skate scene in St.Louis, San Francisco, New York, Chicago, and Puerto Rico.

Thanks for all the support...you guys know who you are...

Shoutsout to everybody

DgKalis

Out Here Documenting

Another one from the Clarence Archives.. man shouts out to Clarence on the photos we got hellas lol.. anyway, this is one from the summer.. out here documenting

WATC4LIFE

since the midwest and east coast is currently snowed in.. enjoy this Wiz Khalifa and Roll one up WATC style fool

WE OUT HERE: Chi-Town/Wisconsin

Fuck winter. Hope everyone is stayin safe in these streets.. I am unhappy to say that I am currently not out here.. Im in here.. indoors... But the blizzard finally stopped earlier today, so I took some shots from my balcony.. nuts

These are some pictures from my homie Mitchell about 30 minutes North in Wisconsin.. Still out here. Aint even gonna stunt... this looks fun. I don't think it'll work from a 6 story balcony though haha

PLANИIИE Edit

The homies from Illinois sent this in.. pretty sick edit
Check out the skooter kid at the end... P.s. if you ride a skooter or a ripstick.. kill yourself

Blitz The Ambassador - Something To Believe

Everyone needs to have something to believe in.

Who are you?

What do you represent?

What do you stand for?

We all think we know the answers to these questions,

but when is the last time you really took a minute to think about it?...

Blitz the Ambassador - "Something to Believe"

Blitz the Ambassador is a talented MC and musician who brings the unique dynamic of being backed by a live band. Hailing from Accra, Ghana; Blitz moved from his native country to the US to pursue his music career while studying for his Bachelors in business administration. His latest album, "Stereotype" was released last year under his own label, Embassy MVMT, due to the run around from the major record labels. All of the music on the album is performed by his live band, the "Embassy Ensemble. Be sure to check it out!

Written by DJ KASE ONE for "We Are The City"

http://we-are-the-city.blogspot.com/

WE OUT HERE!!

another one from turf.. shoutsout to Larry Redmon

Hyde Park -St. Louis by F. Burke

"As one of the residents... said, “other people have wondered why I haven’t left, and I say, 'Why should I? I’m fine here'. The neighbors look out for each other, and I like the house and neighborhood. There is a nice mixture of people, from the poor to the college educated and well-off. That’s important to me. I don’t want to live in just a homogeneous upper-middle-class area.”"

I found an article that one of my professors wrote about Hyde Park in North St. Louis near downtown. Professor Burke made me appreciate and comprehend the importance of documenting the lifestyle of not only the people but as well as the life of the neighborhoods and buildings within them. At a glance, she is a small woman with a short boyish haircut, but when she speaks - you become amazed by her use of words and vast knowledge of relevant information.

Since you're going to be snowed in, you might as well take the time to read the article. It's worth it.

Flannery Burke - Hyde Park, St. Louis: Are We Almost There Yet?

Some Winter Inspiration

hope everyone is enjoying this snow.. the homies are still out here hittin tricks

Documenting with RADONE

Documenting with RADONE

Take some time out of your day to check this site out...its filled with amazing photos....this past weekend we got to get it in...and Andrew Wissman was out with us documenting...Wissman recently posted a sequence of Bobby Taylor and Ryan Brinkmann enjoying the good weather(click here to view the post)...also check out radone first online zine by( clicking here)...

BUILT ST.LOUIS

BUILT ST.LOUIS
A site dedicated to the historic architecture of St. Louis, Missouri - mourning the losses, celebrating the survivors.
POWER'S WAS NICE ENOUGH TO LINK US ON HIS SITE. LEARN MORE ABOUT STL...

ABOUT THE SITE

The content of Built St. Louis is brought to you by ROB POWERS, except for reader contributions(click here WATC) and quoted articles as noted.
Built St. Louis began as a way to document the destruction of the city's historic architecture. Spurred on by the 1996 demolition of the Ambassador Theater, and shocked that the Arcade, Syndicate Trust, and others were similarly threatened, I began photographing them and posting the photos online that fall. Over the years it's grown into a way for me to express both joy and outrage over changes in the cityscape.

BUILT ST.LOUIS CONTACT INFO.

BuiltSTLouis@gmail.com

when you get time catch up on your STL history...Built St.Louis is linked below on this site

or

CLICK HERE TO LEARN SOME STL HISTORY

Seva O.

I love this girl (and not because she's my cousin). She honestly has one of he best voices out there. Check out her videos, her style of mixing Kurdish with English is superb! Even us Kurds are out here! 

Check this mix of O.M.G. by Usher in Kurdish and English.

She hellaaaa spicy.
kicha gian, chan juani

Ladara-wain = we out here!