Mikey Rocks, aka Sir Michael Rocks, is one half of The Cool Kids. I’ve posted their shit before on Westcheddar, and yes, they are probably my favorite of the new rap duos. Well Mikey has been putting out some solo songs since the summer, and I must say they are pretty dope. The kid’s got style, ya dig? From the lyrics to the beats to the gear. He even dropped a couple videos. Check “Foreign Features” above, and “S.S.” below. And no, The Cool Kids are not splitting up. Man, they haven’t even dropped their first real full length album yet! Enjoy…
I met Dirty JAX creator and designer Josh Kimerling (above, 1st on left) at University of Maryland in 1997. He was one year older than me, and from the Bronx, and I’m not sure how we initially crossed paths but we became friends pretty instantly. We shared a common love of hip hop and art and sports and girls and partying, and we were both from New York, so our circles began to overlap alot. From the moment he first heard me rap, he was always supportive, and even took the photos for my first album cover. And when he started up Dirty JAX sometime in the mid-2000’s, I had his back too. We’ve done events together promoting his line and my music a bunch of times, and of course, I rocked Dirty JAX in the “My Ferris Buellers” video hard body. I’ve watched Dirty JAX go from a small clothing line running out of the basement of his father’s store in White Plains, to a full blown business, with party animals all over the country rocking his shirts, from local up and comers like rapper Chris Webby (above, second from right) to A-list hip hopper Diddy. And it’s only getting bigger and better. Watch the new Dirty JAX promo video (what up Marko!), and below it, read my exclusive interview with the man behind the dirtiness, who is now a full blown Westcheddar resident living in New Rochelle…
ip: So, bring me back to how Dirty Jax started. Can you remember coming up with the name and concept for the line?
jk: I started designing tees when I realized I hated my job. I was always a creative dude and working in the corporate world really stifled that for me. I was an art director in advertising – PHARMACEUTICAL advertising which fuckin sucked. There was no art and certainly no creativity. Just ass kissing and taking orders from people I couldn’t stand. Living in this world made me long for my old life back. The one when I was growing up in the Bronx in the 80’s and 90’s, with hip hop mixtapes, Puerto Rican girls, drug dealers with guns, street fights, malt liquor, crazy slang, and on and on. Living, and surviving, in this environment gave me an edge, a uniqueness that stayed oppressed in the name of professionalism and responsibility. Dirty JAX was my way of saying, “fuck that shit”.
ip: What was the first shirt you designed for Dirty Jax that you actually got made? You still got it?
jk: The first line I designed was in ’04 and there were some cool shirts in there. They were more of a vintage style, with simple logos. I guess I recently threw a bunch of them out because I noticed the Mexican groundskeeper in my complex is Dirty JAX’d down. I swear this dude wears a different Dirty JAX tee everyday around the complex and it really cracks me up. Unfortunately the dude is deaf so I can’t trip out with him over it. All I do is wave and smile.
ip: Where do you draw inspiration for your designs? It seems to me to be a reflection of the New York street and club scene. You know, sex, drugs, and music.
jk: You pretty much nailed it. Shirts like “Always on my Grizzly”, “White Lines”, and “Zip Zero” speak to the street and the hip hop influence from my BX upbringing. However, even if you didn’t grow up in the city, Dirty JAX is like your alter ego. It’s like a good gangster flick or wet t-shirt contest. It allows you to express yourself in ways you may not always be able to. Dirty JAX is that dude you morph into when the work is done, the bills are paid and you’re ready to celebrate, get laid, get crunk, and have a story to tell. My inspiration comes from those moments when I was able to be that dude. The clubs, the girls, the music, just a celebration of life, success and the streets.
ip: You’re a big hip hop head right? I know you used to rap. In fact, I remember that you told me that when you heard me rap for the first time back at College Park you decided to quit and try something new. Haha. Truly the best compliment I ever got! What old school shit did you really like when you were coming up? And what are you feeling right now? You always have known what the hot songs are, and I can remember you being up on all the southern rap songs before anyone was really checking for that shit up here.
jk: It’s funny because I was the typical New Yorker who rejected all southern rap. I thought it was inferior and I couldn’t stand Master P which heads would try and shove down my throat when we were at Maryland. That all changed when I heard “Bling Bling” and Juvenile’s “Ha”. Granted these were commercial tracks but it also exposed me to Lil Wayne who instantly stood out to me. The music was fun, light, and entertaining. I was over that whole underground phase where I needed rappers to ‘”drop knowledge”. I would rather see some white chick “drop it like it’s hot” at a frat party than have a rapper with a GED try to school me on the illuminati (No disrespect to tragedy khadafi one of the illest ever haha). In my opinion, southern rap music saved hip hop. NY rap stalled after Mobb Deep, Nas, Wu-Tang, Redman, Boot Camp, etc. Everyone was trying to sound like those guys instead of inventing something new. The south on the other hand was being creative with hooks, production, creating a brand new sound that no one ever heard. In doing so they spawned a whole new legion/generation of hip hop fans. Whenever I see older heads griping about the current state of hip hop I have to remind them of how much they sound like the people who hated on our music when we were coming up.
ip: Word. You were the first one up on Lil Wayne, I remember that. You put me on to “Bling Bling”! So, Dirty Jax is bigger than ever right now. What did it take to get here? Can you describe the grind of having your own line? What does it take?
jk: I’ll avoid all the obvious cliche’s here “work hard”, “perseverance”, “blood sweat and tears”, etc. I started doing something because I enjoyed it. Although it was not a priority at first, making money was the goal. The brand started out small with local boutiques giving me a shot. Luckily the shirts sold, the reorders came and it became a little side thing as I continued to work full time. Little by little the demand grew and in 2007 I invested in the MAGIC tradeshow out in vegas (thanks to a long talk with your cousin Chris Isenberg who owns No Mas NYC clothing). MAGIC is a HUGE expense but we crushed the show and opened up about 30 new doors as a result. Fast forward to 2010 and its pretty much been a roller coaster ride since that first show. We just had an amazing summer sales wise but I’ve learned to never take the good times for granted. The recession is real and you are never safe in this business. It’s most evident when you hear about major retail chains going out of business, going bankrupt, or putting a freeze on purchasing. I can get a huge order from “Store A” and they sell every single piece but they can’t reorder because they owe Nike 30k. Or “Store B” can’t pay their bills period and shuts its doors. Although there was nothing wrong with my product and it sold well, I lose two major retail accounts that brought in major revenue for my company. This is something you can’t see coming but always have to be ready for. There are so many other factors involved in running not only this business but any business and all of them will make you want to quit and go back to a 9-5. You just have to step back, take a deep breath and remind yourself how lucky you are to make a living doing what you love. Also, make sure you can find other sources of income! Haha!
ip: What’s your best seller? How come you think it’s sold so well?
jk: The best sellers are usually the joints that are funny, clever and easy to understand or “quick”. Or, if they match a popular sneaker release like the Nike Copper Foamposites.
ip: What about your personal favorite shirts you’ve designed?
jk: In the early days, I was a lot more aggressive with colors because there wasn’t a science to it. I loved the freedom I had back then to do what I wanted. Now there’s much more of an intense focus on what sells because the economy is so bad and people aren’t spending like they used too. Nowadays, my faves are def the hoodies. I wear them all the time.
ip: There’s been alot of celebrity Dirty Jax sightings, my favorites being Diddy on MTV and Perez Hilton at some red carpet event. Any others you particularly thought were cool?
jk: I’ve actually had some NBA / NFL players cop stuff from me online and I only found out when I processed the invoices. But honestly, nothing is better than seeing a regular dude in the street who copped that shirt online or at his local boutique. Those are the folks who are keeping the dream alive.
ip: This is Westcheddar, and I know you’re a Bronx boy, but you’ve been living in New Rochelle for a while now. Any ill spots in the 914 for shopping we should know about? And where are your favorite spots in the city to cop clothes and kicks? Do they carry Dirty Jax?
jk: Unfortunately, Westchester hasn’t been a huge supporter of my type of product, you know, urban, streetwear, whatever you want to call it. However a little spot opened up in my neighborhood about a year ago called The Fitted Gallery (357 North Ave) and they’ve done extremely well with us. There are a couple of other places popping up that I have to check out so I’ll keep you posted. If you live in the boroughs – 4U House of Fitteds (White Plains Rd. also a location in the Palisades Mall), Sammy’s on Fordham Road. Swagga360 and Atlantis in Brooklyn. The Vault (Harlem) Ajays (Midtown), Get Set (Delancey St) and JJ’s (The Heights). And Shoe Gallery in Florida.
ip: How about online? I know you’re big on Karma Loop.
ip: You’re a big movie head. Just curious, what are your favorites?
jk: I’ll give you my Top 10…
City of God – Breathtaking from begining to end.
Romper Stomper – Early Aussie flick with Russell Crowe. Unbelievable fight scenes. Ahead of its time.
Chopper – Another Aussie flick this time with Eric Bana. Gritty as hell. Bana’s amazing.
Avatar – IMAX 3D glasses and all. Although I’m not even sure this can count as a movie.
Matrix – Neo and Morpheus styled on ’em.
Fight Club – Perfect flick for the 21 yr old American male.
Anchorman – Got funnier everytime I saw it until the whole movie was memorized.
Pulp Fiction – A masterpiece. Unfortunately he hasn’t come close since.
Sixth Sense – Created a new genre with this one.
Blair Witch Project – I’m sorry but I saw this movie 4 months before it hit theatres having no idea about it. I thought it was real and it bugged me out for a week.
Honorable Mentions: Boiler Room, Sling Blade, Anything with Don Cheadle, War of the Worlds, Most movies with Denzel, The Professional, Crash, Napolean Dynamite, 300, Charlie Wilsons War, Jurassic Park, Hoop Dreams, Office Space, Old School, Seven, Slumdog, Eddie Murphy Delirious, Enron: Smartest Guys in the Room, Super Troopers, Casino, The Bourne Identity.
ip: I love the new “I Does This” shirt, I’ve been telling you for years to bust that off and I’m so proud that it’s out now and people are actually rocking it! Thanks for blessing me with those, now I got all four colors! What else is hot for this season? Any shirts you think are gonna be big in the fall? Winter?
jk: Doing some pretty dope hoodies with embroidered patches, different types of sweaters too. Really looking forward to it. Also be on the look out for New Era hats. They may not drop til Spring ’11 but they WILL drop.
ip: So what’s next for Dirty Jax? Where is the line going. Is there gonna be a Dirty Jax store one day? What’s on the horizon. What’s the goal!?!?!
jk: Right now the goal is to put out a good product, make money and stay in business. We’re making some progress with the pieces we’re offering this fall and I’m really excited about the New Era caps. It’s really tough to think too far ahead because every season holds so much uncertainty. I’m hoping to take a big leap with spring ’11. We have a new manufacturer in Cali as well as our go-to printer in Brooklyn. Look for more fashion shows, photoshoots, a new website to launch this holiday and a collaborative mixtape with DJ Pay Homage that will be available on Soundcloud. We’re also working on a T-shirt/Crewneck collaboration with Sub Con Threads who are our mates on Karmaloop that will be available during the holidays. Were just trying to take advantage of every opportunity that comes our way and fight off this motherfucking recession.
ip: Thanks my G, appreciate your time. And good luck with everything!
*BONUS*
We dropped this last spring, but it’s still hot. Download it if you don’t got it….
Ever wonder what it takes to make the greatest gangster movie of all time? Well GQ recently put together an oral history piece on the making of Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas, which includes interviews with him, Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesci, Ray Liotta, and everyone else who was involved in the production of the movie. It’s an extremely interesting, ten page read, filled with behind the scenes stories about the casting, costumes, music, improvisation, filming, and much, much more. Props to Ev Boogie at UpNorthTrips for putting me on. Check it out…
I recently got back into collecting sports cards. I know, kinda weird, but it’s fun. Honestly, I could care less about any of the new cards, I just want the ones from the 80’s that I had when I was a kid. Not sure what happened to all of mine. I think I traded them to my boy Tic for a Nautica shirt when I was in high school! Haha! Or maybe they’re just gone. Who knows. But it’s been fun rebuilding my collection, because the cards I really care about aren’t that expensive. Most of the cards I want are only worth a couple dollars, with the exception of a few rookie cards, but even those are reasonable. Ebay’s a great spot to find cards. I got a bunch of old Don Mattingly cards on there for only a few bucks, and found his rookie cards too in great condition for super cheap. He’s my favorite player to collect. And I got a ton of old Knicks cards (Ewing, Starks, Oakley, etc), and some other basketball stuff too (a Chris Mullin rookie!). And I took my Dad over to the Westchester County Center last summer for the East Coast National Baseball Card Show which was lots of fun. Got a Darryl Strawberry rookie, a Wade Boggs rookie, a 2nd year Magic Johnson card, some Rickey Henderson and Jose Canseco cards, and other old Yankees and Mets cards of players that I grew up following, without having to spend a ton of money. And he had a blast looking at all the cards from his childhood, you know, the ones I wished he held on to!
Now that I have a son, I want to make sure my collection is tight so I can pass it along to him and teach him about all the great players I grew up watching. I figure it will be a fun hobby for us to share. But in the 21st century, forget it. Sports card collecting is crazy! The cards from the 80’s are so cheap because no one cares about those. They made a ton of them! The real collectors want the new, super rare stuff. There’s autographed cards in packs now, or cards that they only make a few of, and everything is really expensive. I’ll save my money and stick to collecting Eric Davis and Mike Pagliarulo cards. Thanks but no thanks.
I guess when my son gets old enough I’ll figure out what’s hot out there for him to collect without having to spend his life savings. Maybe he won’t care about the new cards and will be more into the older players. We’ll see. I’m taking him to his first baseball card show at the County Center in White Plains next week. Even though he’s only 4 months old, I think he’ll enjoy the atmosphere, and there will be lots of cool stuff to look at. It’s fun to hunt for the baseball and basketball cards I want from the 80’s, but also look at all the older cards from the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s. Most of those are too expensive to buy, but I like seeing what’s out there. And the old memorabilia is also dope. Wanna join us? More info on the show HERE.
Anyway, watch this mini-documentary about card collecting and how it’s changed over the years, filmed in Brooklyn at the Baseball Card Dugout. Pretty interesting to see what it’s like now. Lots of new types of cards (though many of the old brands still exist), but the same excitement. And even though card collecting will always be a kids pastime, it’s the adults that have the most fun with it! Forever young!
What’s your favorite card from back in the day? Anyone got some gems in their collection? Still got a stash in your parents’ attic?
Last year, after visiting a great little music shop in Laguna Beach, California on my honeymoon, I posted about some of my favorite places to buy music. Well, Rolling Stone magazine recently came out with their own Top 25 list of The Best Record Stores In The USA. We both were in agreement that Amoeba Music is the best store out there (Come to New York!). Check out the rest of their list in the link below. And to think, NYC only has one store on here (check the picture above of Greenwich Village’s Other Music). Shout out to Baltimore for having a couple spots in the Top 25, that’s what’s up (Max Bee just recently took me to one of them last time I was in town)….
Man, I’d love to take a road trip across country one day to visit all these shops. Better do it soon before they all go out of business! Support your local record store! I wish I could say I had one, but honestly, there are NONE in Westchester County. Bummer dude.
This is my 400th Westcheddar post! To celebrate, I went through the entire Westcheddar archives to find my Top 40 favorites (40’s?!?!), dating back to my first one in June 2008. It was fun, and truthfully it was tough to narrow it down, but I think I got the ones that mean the most to me. Thanks to everyone who reads and supports this blog on the reg. Hope you enjoy this trip down memory lane. Click away!
40. Move The Crowd– This was my first post ever, so I thought I’d start my Top 40 with it, featuring full page show reviews I did for XXL Magazine.
39. Top Quality– Top Quality is the first and really only rap artist to come out of White Plains and get a major label deal. Had to do a post dedicated to him. Plus he’s my dude DJ Destro’s cousin, who produced TQ’s biggest hit (check me and Des do our MC/DJ routine live at CBGB’s in this post too).
38. The Return Of Fitz Winkleman– Video footage of “The Newlyfriend Game” featuring a bunch of cool kids and me as the host.
37. Best Of Westchester’s Top 5 Tables 2010– Best Of Westchester is the best party of the year in the 914, hosted by Westchester Magazine, and featuring free food and drinks served by the best restaurants in Westchester County. Westcheddar correspondent Billy Henderson gives us his Top 5 Tables every year. Third time’s a charm.
36. The Encyclopedia of White Rappers– Complex Magazing put together a full and comprehensive encyclopedia of white rappers, and I’m in it!
35. River Ciphers Recap– Footage from the Open Mic that my man Moshe and I hosted in Dobbs Ferry, my favorite being our “Wifey Material” unplugged collaboration.
34. Leaders Of The New School– A look at the Hip Hop workshopthe big homie Lord Judah and I put together for kids.
33. The Young Professional– My 10 track release from fall 2009, featuring a more mature Stan Ipcus on the mic.
32. Talkin’ Hoops– Last year’s basketball preview featuring local hoops experts Tommy Dee, Brian Duignan, and Johnny Halas.
31. Decade Dingers– A mixtape of some of the best hip hop songs from the past decade.
30. Verses From The Ipster– An 80 minute mix of Stan Ipcus verses back to back and chronological, accompanied by an interview and some classic Ipcus pics and flyers.
29. Highlands To Hollywood– An interview with Sloane Crosley, a WPHS graduate, former classmate of mine, and acclaimed author of the very popular memoir I Was Told There’d Be Cake.
28. Baltimore Blam– Pics and footage from my appearance with Matisyahu and Max Bee in Baltimore in 2008.
27. IPmatic– My latest 10 track release, featuring production from Kaliph, Max Bee, Bless, and yours truly. Plus I went in on some choice 90’s beats.
26. (tie) Larry David’s Greatest Hits Part 1 and 2– Classic Curb Your Enthusiasm clips that I could watch over and over. Larry David is the king. I need to do a Part 3 asap.
25. Luca Long Legs– The picture in this post was taken of my son the day we brought him home from the hospital. I made it #25 on my list because that’s his birthday, May 25th, same as mine. Pic at the top of the post is me and him at the Jersey Shore last month. Young Ipcus!
24. Big Daddy– Great article my Dad wrote in the Journal News back when I was at White Plains High School about slang. Must read.
23. Home For The Holidays– Video of Family Guy writer and close friend of mine Andrew Goldberg’s return home to his old bedroom in White Plains, which is exactly the way it looked when he was a kid. Don’t miss the part of the video when I test his baseball card knowledge, it’s freakishly fantastic.
22. Nardwuar Interviews Matisyahu (Video)– I helped set up Nardwuar, the best interviewer on the planet, with Matis. They even talk about “My Ferris Buellers”.
21. Deconstructing Asher– The story behind why I dissed Asher Roth, and how I became his biggest fan.
20. My Book Of Rhymes Part 1– The “WP” rhyme that I spit with Matisyahu on his grammy nominated album, shown here when I first wrote it on loose leaf paper. I’ve been meaning to do more of these “Book Of Rhymes” posts. I have notebooks and boxes filled with old raps that I wrote stashed away.
19. Stay With You– Pictures and video footage from my wedding, featuring Matis and Max Bee and a great shot of all my boys with the bride and groom. I made this #19 because that’s the day we got married, April 19th, 2009.
18. Come Up Off That– The music video from a song the kids I work with made for Halloween last year, “Creepin’ On Ya Candy”. Fun!
17. Comedy Central– Interview I did with comedian Nick Kroll, who’s a buddy of mine from Rye that I grew up with.
16. Roundball Classic– Hilarious promotional video interviews about the Roundball Classic, an annual basketball tournament held in White Plains, featuring three of the most colorful personalities from our Pu Click team.
15. Stan’s Samples– A collection of songs I sampled dating back to my first album. One of my more recent projects and posts.
14. Going, Going, Gone– My personal farewell to the old Yankee Stadium. Great pictures in this post from my birthday when they put my name on the scoreboard, and from the unforgettable Mel Hall home run game vs. the Red Sox.
11. Untied and Unplugged– Max Bee and I perform “My Ferris Buellers” Unplugged, pictures from Matisyahu’s Festival of Light at Webster Hall, and my Holiday Edition of Stan Ipcus “Cribs”.
10. Genovese Thesis– Interview with Yonkers rapper best known for his affiliation with the LOX and DJ Clue in the latter half of the 90’s.
9. I Left My Heart In San Francisco– My dedication to my Grandma Sooky, which includes a beautiful eulogy written by my father. I gave this the #9 slot because her birthday and the day she passed away was in September. RIP Grandma Sooky.
8. Prime Time With Dan And Andrew– A look back at the public access TV show I co-hosted and starred in with my buddy Andrew Goldberg back in high school. This post features classic skits and clips from many of the episodes, and a link to the Prime Time Youtube Channel.
7. Tunnel Vision– Exclusive video footage from the Westcheddar hip hop archives of Jay-Z live at The Tunnel night club in NYC circa 1999. This footage was featured and linked on many major hip hop blogs including Rap Radar and Miss Info’s site. Hov!
6. Dark Wars– Video and interviews from my trip to Dark Wars, a “Get Dark” (aka Get Light, I know it’s confusing) dance style competition I attended in Manhattan. This style of dance is extremely popular with kids in Westchester County and NYC, and I got access to their premier event and the man who runs the whole movement.
5. Back From Iraq– My interview with Mike Halas, a very close friend of mine and Army hero, after returning home from being overseas in the Iraq War.
4. Ipcus And Matisyahu Live On Hot 97– Audio and pictures from my appearance with Matisyahu on the Cipha Sounds and Rosenberg Hot 97 Morning Show, as well as the premiere of the video for “My Ferris Buellers”. They ended up using the rap we spit on the air as the intro for their show.
3. Spring Training Revisited– A more detailed look back at the legendary Spring Training Trips taken by the Isenberg men in the 80’s, as told by my father. Great pictures and old programs in this post, including shots of my cousin and I with George Steinbrenner.
2. The End Of An Era– The complete Stan Ipcus discography as of April 2009, dating back to my first album, and the release of Dirty Jax Presents The Best of Stan Ipcus. Plus a wealth of unreleased material. More Stan Ipcus songs than you can imagine, plus all the artwork, for free download. I called this “The End Of An Era” because I was getting married and my outlook on making music was shifting. Since this, I’ve had two official releases, The Young Professional and IPmatic, as well as Verses From The Ipster.
1. Mixtape Memories– My most popular post, with the most hits out of anything I’ve ever published on Westcheddar. It also happens to be my favorite. Take a look back at some of the most monumental hip hop mixtapes to hit the streets in the 90’s. We lived and breathed the mixtape culture as teenagers, and went to any neighborhood in NYC to get the “new shit”. Enjoy.
Kanye West is my favorite hip hop artist right now, and actually, he has been for a while. Sure, he’s got his issues, but the bottom line is that he makes great music. And what I love about him most right now is that he’s completely embracing the internet rap scene during his comeback by joining Twitter (which even the New York Times is calling the hip hop’s new medium for choice words) and also by releasing FREE MUSIC! And these aren’t just some bullshit throwaway tracks, these are DOPE SONGS with BIG NAME FEATURES like Jay-Z, Beyonce, Common, Nicki Minaj, Justin Bieber, Raekwon, etc. So far, he’s released five free songs as part of his G.O.O.D. Fridays series (G.O.O.D. Music is his record label, get it?) and they’re all tight. My favorite is his solo effort “Devil In A New Dress” (see cover above). It sounds like these are going to continue into November, which is when he plans on dropping his new album. I’m very excite!
So stay tuned every Friday for a new Kanye West release, and get the first five for free HERE by simply entering an email address. And have you ever heard my story about meeting Kanye West at Sony Studios? If not, click HERE. And wanna see some great old school footage of Kanye in the studio making beats, rapping, and working with Jay-Z? Check this out…
Thanks for the free music ‘Ye! Keep it coming!
*UPDATE*
Kanye debuted another new song last night at the VMA’s (see pic above), featuring Pusha T of The Clipse. Dope performance. Watch it HERE, and get the song, “Runaway”, which they just released after the award show, HERE.
*ANOTHER UPDATE*
Oh shit, and Jay-Z brought Kanye West out to perform at his Yankee Stadium shows the past two nights. Peep the footage (low quality but worth checking out) HERE.
We’re back to school here at Westcheddar! Today’s Math lesson comes from Mr. Max Bent and his colleague and professor in rhyme Ernesto Lara aka GDK. It’s called “Math Rap: Mathematics for the Ages”. Ill concept, perfectly executed. Do the knowledge.
I know everyone is fired up about the football season coming back around, but I’m looking forward to hoops! This is a brand new video that I saw over at Slam Online, counting down the Top 50 NCAA dunks of all time. It’s really awesome. To my Terps that went to school with me in the late 90’s, you’ll love #4. LOL!!!! Enjoy this, it’s crazy. Later.
Westcheddar 