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If you’ve recently been to Taipei or roamed the streets of Broadway and Time Square (New York), you’ve probably stumbled across the renown face of the world’s first DMC Champion: Dj Noodles — who currently graces the exterior of public buses, MRT Trains, and billboards.
You can also see DJ Noodles in New York on the streets of Broadway, the bus stops of Times Square, and also L.A!
Joining with Yahoo to launch their “Your Yahoo” campaign — where the central focus is to inspire people to play into the character they wish to be. You can be a head of a company, an artist, a celebrity, a musician, etc.
By the way, if you’ve missed out on our exclusive interview with DJ Noodles, make sure you check on it now 
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Are you an avid ball player with fashion forward sensibilities strung with a need to stay proactive in the field? If so, here’s an emerging brand setting an unprecedented synthesis of Sports Performance Apparel and Street wear Urban Fashion; one that may prove more than suitable for you.
iSTATUS represents the individual in the world and greatness in his or her chosen endeavor. Essentially, iSTATUS is your STATUS…
We’ve got the inside scoop that iSTATUS is targeting our full launch around the 1st quarter of 2010. They have been doing projects with the some of the top NBA/NFL Strength Coaches/Camps and multi million dollar sports corporations in order to give their brand more exposure.
Various notable NBA teams they have designed Sports Performance Apparel for includes the New York Knicks, Houston Rockets, and the Memphis Grizzlies.
Their iSTATUS iDRI Performance Apparel is also used at some of the top NFL/Football Combine Camps such as at Coach Tom Shaw (Former Head Strength Coach for the New England Patriots and is regarded as the best Strength Coach by the NFL peers) and Coach Jaime Jackson (Certified SPARQ Trainer).
It doesn’t stop there. iSTATUS has been networking with people within the Music/Entertainment industry as well. They have designed custom cotton/iDRI performance wear for 50 Cent and his motorcycle stunt team the G-Unit Riderz.
When asked, “Doesn’t 50 Cent have his own clothing line?” iSTATUS advised us that 50 Cent wanted a Exclusive Brand that would provide his team with a “Sport” image for the motorcycle stunting sport, so they reached out to iSTATUS.
According to their Managing Director Ray Chin, “If you’d like to rock something fashionable when going out without having to worry about changing immediately for a quick pick up game, check out iSTATUS’s Sports Performance Apparel – implemented with iDRI Technology.”
For more information on iSTATUS Clothing, check out www.iSTATUSClothing.com
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I recently got the chance to touch down with the humble dynamic duo behind “The Preemption-Remixtape,” prominently know as “The Teknicianz.” Not do they command my respect for their beat-cranking dexterity, but I must also tip my hat off totheir undying thirst for perfectionism (what I see in myself).
Whether your choice of instrumental backdrop is street inspired, motivational, club-tinged, or tension-relieving soulful, these guys will have you well stocked with sounds that not only help you ramp up numbers, but most importantly, bring a song full circle.
If you’re ever short circuited with inspiration to put the pen to the pad, or even hit the studio, call the teknicianz
With no further ado, let’s get to know what “The Teknicianz” are up to lately.
How did you guys come up with the name “The Teknicianz”?
Freshmatik: Stepping into the Hip-Hop production scene we felt like we needed our own identity. We wanted to have our own look and sound to reflect our individual styles. We came up with the name The Teknicianz from our approach to making music which is spontaneous but technical at the same time. As a team, we’ve only been established for several months but we’ve known each other since junior high. We’ve always shared similar goals and visions so it only made sense that we would combine efforts eventually.
Trakrunner: Freshmatik and I have always shared a passion for music. It was only fitting for us to connect and start our push for production supremacy. I feel that our individual abilities and creative ideas perfectly complement one another. We have different styles that center around one basic, distinct Teknicianz sound.
2. Describe your brand, what is it like? What are three words that best define it?
Freshmatik: Our brand is The Teknicianz. We’re a production team from the Bay Area with a futuristic sound and mainstream appeal. Three words to best define our brand are versatile, innovative, and visionary.
Trakrunner: The brand I represent is The Teknicianz, an up and coming production duo consisting of Freshmatik and myself. Three words that best define us are innovative, futuristic, and unique.
3. What is your definition of success, and how much of it do you think you’ve achieved?
Freshmatik: My definition of success is being your own boss. Having a purpose for life and not letting anything stop you from reaching your goals. As far as our success as a production team, we’ve made progress but there’s always room for improvement. I’m a perfectionist so I’m always looking for ways to make our brand more effective.
Trakrunner: Success is not based on cars, women, or money. Success is about having the passion and courage to do what you love to do regardless of the criticism you receive in return. Fortunately, I’ve been blessed to be living out my dream.
4. What are some recent achievements you’re proud of and would like to share?
Freshmatik: We just finished our third remixtape “Jay-Z American Gangster: The Remix Album” which we’re really proud of. We remixed the entire “American Gangster” album Jay-Z released back in 2007. We wanted to create our own interpretation of the album to see what Jay-Z would sound like on our beats. Now that we’ve shown what we’re capable of we can start making a push for some major placements.
Trakrunner: The Teknicianz, in a span of a couple of months, have dropped The “Preemption: Remixtape”, “The Fix EP” and “Jay Z American Gangster: The Remix Album”. I’m very proud of the work Freshmatik and I have put into these tapes. I can honestly say that these 3 tapes have exceeded expectations.
5. What’s something that’s always running inside your mind lately?
Freshmatik: Not having a major placement yet. It gets frustrating sometimes but I just have to learn to be patient. Sooner or later we’ll have our shot and we’ll be prepared for it. Until then we just have to grind until it hurts.
Trakrunner: 1 question runs in my mind 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: “how can I push myself harder?”
6. What would you spend you a million dollars on?
Freshmatik: A professional studio and new equipment.
Trakrunner: I’ll spend $3.42 for a gallon of gas and drive straight to the bank. No chains, diamond watches or gold teeth for me.
7. What’s one incident that would serve as a turning point to your life?
Freshmatik: My turning point came the first time I picked up a Scratch magazine. I remember scanning through the pages and thinking to myself “that could be me.” Ever since then I knew what I wanted to do and I haven’t looked back since.
Trakrunner: Being diagnosed with the autoimmune disease “psoriasis” definitely changed my perception of life. A sense of urgency hit me. Life isn’t going to be perfect and its up to you to control your destiny.
8. What three pieces of advice would you give to others when it comes to life and business?
Freshmatik: Always be your self, never back down, and never be afraid to take risks.
Trakrunner:1. Everybody has dreams, it’s the ones that wake up and chase after them that become successful. 2. Believe in yourself because if you don’t, I wont either. 3. Love life and live everyday like it was your last.
9. What have been some of your failures, and what have you learned from them?
Freshmatik: Every time we submit beats for a project and get turned down is a failure in my eyes. Failure doesn’t have to be something that sets you back it can also be something that motivates you.
Whenever an artist or A&R passes on our music it motivates me to become a better producer. I want to prove them wrong by perfecting my craft. You might not be interested in our music now but you’ll be hearing about us in the future.
Trakrunner: In my opinion, every opportunity for a major placement that slips away is a failure. I’ve learned that failure is a part of life and the only thing we can do is to prepare ourselves for when opportunity passes along.
10. What’s a typical day in your life like?
Freshmatik: I usually wake up, get ready and head off to the gym. Once I’m done there I sit down to take care of any business that needs to get done like updating our profiles or working on new graphics.
After that, I usually work on new beats or remixes. Before I go to bed I always listen to music and write down any thoughts or ideas that come into my head.
Trakrunner: I wake up, thank the lord for blessing me with another day and get down to whatever needs to be taken care of.
11. What’s one of the highlighting moment in your career? Why is it so?
Freshmatik: I’m still waiting for my highlighting moment but I look forward to it when it does come.
Trakrunner: I’m still waiting for The Teknicianz’s first Grammy Award because that is the ultimate highlighting moment of any producer’s career.
12. What stops you from throwing in the towel and giving up during those frustrating days of being in this industry?
Freshmatik: I’m so focused and determined to reach my goals that I never think about throwing in the towel. I’ve invested too much time, money, and energy to stop now. It’s not always easy but I believe something isn’t worth pursuing unless you face challenges along the way.
Trakrunner: To be honest, I love those days. These days are what separate the pretenders from the contenders. I cherish pressure and thrive off of adversity.
13. Biggest risk ever taken?
Freshmatik: Starting a graphic design company with little experience to draw from.
Trakrunner: I don’t take risks, I take opportunities. Being asian and trying to make it in the music industry is one that jumps to mind.
14. Who has influenced you most and been your greatest inspiration?
Freshmatik: My biggest inspiration in my life is my mom. She suffers from rheumatoid arthritis but she remains strong and still manages to carry on with her life. I admire her courage and resiliency.
Trakrunner: My mother greatly influences my everyday life. She’s inspired me to follow my dreams and to just be myself.
15. How do you go about marketing your business or yourself? What has been your most successful form of marketing?
Freshmatik: The Internet is probably the most effective way since we can spread our music worldwide without having to travel far. Aside from that, our remixtapes have also been an effective form of marketing for us. Ever since we released our first tape people have been responding positively. Its good to know that people like what we’re doing which motivates us to work even harder.
Trakrunner: Who people see is who they get. The money, fame, and exposure isn’t going to change me. Im just happy to be blessed and in the position I’m currently in.
16. In three words, characterize who you are.
Freshmatik: I’m an artist.
Trakrunner: Dedicated, determined and down-to-earth
17. Excluding yours, what company or business do you admire the most?
Freshmatik: Famous Stars and Straps for their marketing, appeal, and relevance to hip-hop/rock culture.
Trakrunner: Cash Money Records has always been a company I’ve admired. After the fall out with the Hot Boys and Mannie Fresh, everybody counted them out. 10 years later, they are still a major player in the music industry.
18. How do you achieve balance in your life?
Freshmatik: I’m a workaholic so most of my time is spent behind a computer or in the studio. I try to keep myself active by going to the gym and staying in shape. Working out keeps me grounded and helps alleviate some of the stress in my life.
Trakrunner: I keep myself grounded. I interact with people the same way I’ve socialized with them since I was in preschool. I humble myself and don’t take my blessings for granted.
19. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years?
Freshmatik: In 5 years, I see myself becoming an all around better producer. I want to learn as much as I can about music and business so we can put ourselves in a better position. As a team, I see us landing significant placements and building up our track record.
In 10 years, I see bigger and better things for our brand. Eventually, we want to become the next big production team in music. We’ve got a long way to go but the drive and determination is in us to succeed so failure’s not an option.
Trakrunner: At the Grammy’s. That, to me, is the ultimate goal in the music industry. Somebody has to be there, so why not The Teknicianz?
20. What’s the first thing you would say to the world if all attention was on you?
Freshmatik: I would say we’re lucky to be in this position. Many people around the world don’t have the same opportunities we’ve been blessed with. We need to start looking at the bigger picture and stop focusing our attention on the insignificant things.
If there were more media coverage on issues that matter maybe more people would pay attention to what is really going on in the world.
Trakrunner: Don’t take anything for granted. Chase after your dream and be confident, but never loose sight of reality. Work hard and prove your haters wrong. Humble yourself because there is always going to be someone better at what you do.
For more information on The Teknicianz, make sure you visit www.myspace.com/theteknicianz
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We recently got a hold of the founder and influential icon of WWS Magazine. Please give a round of applause for Big Will, not just for squeezing time for this interview to his hectic schedule, but also the high caliber magazine and the radio-seductive singles “My Girl” he’s responsible for.
Give it up for Big Will! And here’s your opportunity to get inside his head for the next 20 questions.
1. What is the start-up story behind your pursuit as a CEO of WWS Magazine?
I started WWS Magazine when I was about 17 years old. It all spawned from my passion for good music and the entertainment business. I have been singing and rapping since a very young age and I knew in order for me to be successful I had to have more than just talent. I needed the connections and correct marketing and branding in order to make it. WWS stands for World Wide Success and it is a magazine focusing on the young, rich, famous and successful people in America. I believe it is just a great magazine haha.
2. Describe your brand, what is it like? What are three words that best define it?
WWS is all about being self paid and self made. It is dedicated to the many who went against being employed and made a name for themselves independently without having to be babysat by anyone. It is made, paid and success! Haha!
3. What is your definition of success, and how much of it do you think you’ve achieved?
My definition of success… it is a point where you come in your life and all the things you’ve had to worry about before is no longer existent. If you had money problems or financial problems or personal problems, these things all work together to go against your success. I believe success is of four things… personal success, relationship success, group success, and wellness to mankind in general. Without all four working at once, true success will not be achieved. And I’m of course not completely successful yet. Money and fame makes up only a small portion of my happiness. You can’t forget about my family, friends, girlfriend and God. I think I’ve achieved about 5% of my success as of this day.
4. What are some recent achievements you’re proud of and would like to share?
I’m very proud of being able to help artists and people out in general. There is no other feeling like it when you know that you’ve turned someones life around in a positive way, or have been able to give someone an opportunity they never though existed. This is one of the many great things about life. And it’s positive and contributes to my success. I thank God everyday for all the things I have along with my talents. I want to share my success with the world and show that everyone is capable of so many things.
5. What’s something that’s always running inside your mind lately?
I’m always thinking about my magazine business and my record company! Haha! Everyday I think of new enhancements to make my business stronger and better.
6. What would you spend you a million dollars on?
Besides a nice home for me and my family, I would probably spend it on my health and make sure I’m at the optimal state of being or saving the world. Other than that, I would probably get a nice car haha!
7. What’s one incident that would serve as a turning point to your life?
I remember one time about five years ago, I hit a point where I was going to give up on the magazine business because I felt it was just too hard to manage. I was understaffed so the pressure was very immense. I called my business partner and told him it may be all bad for me to continue. But ultimately, I decided not to haha!
8. What three pieces of advice would you give to others when it comes to life and business?
Always try to improve your business and make it better than the competitors. Never compete against peons and small mice. Always compare yourself to the giant. Every day try to do something small to make it as good as the giant. In no time, you will be as big as that giant.
9. What have been some of your failures, and what have you learned from them?
From all the times I thought about quitting and got put down… just do not ever give up. Never stop thinking big and dreaming, the only way that dream will not turn real is if you let it. Dreams are all meant to become reality in my opinion, its just up to the person to keep that dream alive.
10. What’s a typical day in your life like?
It’s not as tough as one would think. Once you have leverage and people working with you on your side, it’s easy. I usually wake up and check my mails and handle a few calls, then I’ll probably go to the gym and carry on with my day. I love spending time with my girlfriend and future wifey and just staying at home. Occasionally I’ll have those super busy days at the studio and with meetings, but overall it’s pretty relaxing. I try not to stress myself out.
11. What’s one of the highlighting moment in your career? Why is it so?
My favorite highlight is when T.I. took the front cover and promoted it on his myspace default picture and photo gallery. I felt it was a great push for the WWS company.
12. What stops you from throwing in the towel and giving up during those frustrating days of being in this industry?
Well first of all, it’s all about not being frustrated in the industry. Its all about having a good team of people you trust to take care of the things you might not know how. If I’m having website issues, I’ll know exactly who to call. If frustration does hit, you have to take a deep breath and tell yourself the problem will be resolved. When there is a problem, there will be a solution. It is tough sometimes and very stressful, but you have to hang in.
13. Biggest risk ever taken?
LOL, it would be starting WWS Magazine over everything else in my life
14. Who has influenced you most and been your greatest inspiration?
To be dead honest, I never had great inspiration for anyone in specific. Many of the bigger artists and people in the entertainment business do motivate me from time to time, but my greatest motivation comes from myself and the bigger companies that are trying to compete.
15. How do you go about marketing your business or yourself? What has been your most successful form of marketing?
I just try to get myself out there as much as possible. Online and solid street promotions work very well.
16. In three words, characterize who you are.
Big Will baby! Haha!
17. Excluding yours, what company or business do you admire the most?
I really like the Universal company. I really like Virgin as a corporation, they handle a lot of the worlds economy not just entertainment.
18. How do you achieve balance in your life?
Haha! I’m still trying to find balance! That’s one of the hardest things to find now a days! But, I guess like anything else you have to practice balancing and managing your own life.
19. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years?
I honestly cannot see a clear vision haha! I see myself doing very well!
20. What’s the first thing you would say to the world if all attention was on you?
I would tell the world to stop hurting each other and start helping one another out. In all aspects of life. The world is such a dark and cold place, I really wish it wasn’t like that. But maybe slowly we can turn the direction around one day at a time!
For more information on Big Will, check out his Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/iwantbigwill
WWS Magazine http://www.wwsmag.com
WWS Music Group http://www.wwsmusicgroup.com
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For those that appreciate and savor brands with superior execution in detail and quality, Bloodbath will surely exceed your expectation. More than just what meets the eye, here’s an emerging force that will stir excitement in our ever-changing streetwear fashion circuit.
Although the name connotes aggression and violence, their eminent designs boast a stark contrast with crystal-water clean features and simplicity.
Bloodbath is comprised of two words, which stems from two essential worlds that perpetuates the dynamics of life.
Blood - represents life, family, passion, sacrifice, and martyrdom.
Bath - reflects the state of cleanliness, being fully immersed in what you do, and a healing source for meditation.
Bloodbath encompasses these aspects and strives to create quality clothing for people that want something different. Many brands claim a lifestyle, for us it’s just style. It’s not a way of life, its simply clothing created for those that really live.
A mixture of statement, sentiment, and a story take part of every piece we make.
Sharing closely similar philosophy to LUXLIVIN Bloodbath declares that individuals should not settle for “easy,” but strive for “Greatness.”
This 4th quarter’s collection will spoil fans with a range of graphic tees and fitted caps.
For more information on BloodBath, check out thegoodiebag
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You’re looking at the the Jalou by Dolce & Gabbana: An epitome of luxurious phones.Produced by Sony Ericsson, the limited edition clam shell phone features a facet cut jewel form, which impressively measures at only 73mm.
The handset comes packaged with three satin bags for multi-purposes; protective cover for the phone, charger and the D & G branded headset.
A series of exclusive photography and video clips from D & G’s Autumn/Winter 2010 runway show will be pre-loaded on this stunning headset.
Highlighting features include the industry standard 3.2 megapixel camera, music player, video recording, 3G, Bluetooth, built in FM radio and a special two-inch screen that converts into a mirror at the touch of a button.
Available in the following gem inspired colors: Deep Amethyst, Aquamarine Blue and Onyx Black.
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Christina Milian and The Dream just announced their wedding plans to the press over the weekend. More creative content for The Dream now I suppose?
Christina said: “We don’t have plans yet but it hasn’t [already] happened, that I can confirm. We just want to have our closest friends and family there; it’s not going to be too big.” We’ll let you know when they announce the date.
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“Forbes” magazine has compiled their list of Hip-Hop’s 20 Biggest Earners over the past year and guess who came out on top?
Jay-Z.
Here’s the top 10 and how much each notable individual has earned:
* 1. Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter, $35 million
* 2. Sean “Diddy” Combs, $30 million
* 3. Kanye West, $25 million
* 4-5. Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, $20 million
* 4-5. Aliaune “Akon” Thiam, $20 million
* 6. Dwayne “Lil Wayne” Carter, $18 million
* 7. Timothy “Timbaland” Mosley, $17 million
* 8. Pharrell Williams, $16 million
* 9. Faheem “T-Pain” Najm, $15 million
* 10. Marshall “Eminem” Mathers, $14 million
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Lucas Ossendrijver continues his design efforts with Lanvin on a new set of sneakers from the fashion house’s Fall/Winter 2009 Collection, defined as “a mixture of couture and jogging.”
The sneakers feature a sleek, high top base combining the use of grey canvas with tonal satin details.
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