Neishon

What a crazy week Ninjas!

We had the Beers for Books event and the next day went to Hoover High School’s bboy jam. We’ll be posting photos and a recap from Beers for Books in a couple days, but first here is our work from Hoover.
Yoda, Aaron, Felix and Tim- Big thanks to all of you for coming out to help The Neishon.

Caught me creepin.

Feelix rocking the Neishon flannel in the cyphers:

The kids came out to jam. They are surprisingly good for their age already busting out hand hops and windmills. Pretty crazy stuff.

Aaron, Feelix and Tim went to battle and made it to the top 8! Well done Ninjas. Tim’s moving too fast for any camera to catch on film.

After a successful night it was time to finish it off right. Time for some real food.

Perhaps the best feast after battle.

P.s. Can you say Neishon Onigiri? No really can you? Because it’s coming soon.

-Travis NN

Keeping New York EveryWhere. Knyew.

The other week I went out to Las Vegas to interview Kenn Davenport who is one of the men responsible for Knyew clothing boutique.

I had just spent a few days in sin city and I was already feeling the repercussions. Late nights full of dancing and partying, lights everywhere, gambling etc. It was a lot to recover from. Luckily I picked the one place in Vegas where I could relax and connect with some real homies for a few hours.
Kenn and I began our conversation with simple formalities and interesting stories from our businesses, yet as the night wore on I was able to hear some good insights into the streetwear industry from a man who has seen it all first hand.

Something that Kenn and I both appreciate is a brand that stays true to its roots; meaning that we like to see creativity and businesses coming from people and not from no name entities that run it from the background. Putting a face or faces to a company is important to everyone involved. Kenn’s signature hair is easy to recognize and he never hesitates to be a representative for Knyew no matter what the situation.

When DJ Crooked and DJ Neva approached Kenn three years ago to be a part of Knyew, Kenn was working at a local sneaker shop. All three of them decided that Las Vegas needed a focal point for fashion that carried something other than just the Ed Hardy. With their inspiration, their connections and a passion to be number one in the city, Knyew was born.

Making use of the friendships they had all formed throughout their lifetimes they were in a position to open accounts with some of the most prestigious brands on the market. When you walk in you instantly know you’re in good company.

Kenn showed me around the office.
Something for everyone to keep in mind, when you walk into a shop and see this:

you know you’re in the right spot.
I heard about Kenn’s ultimate dreams which include moving back to a beachside city in Italy that he fell in love with when traveling there. (Maybe it was the topless beaches… maybe). We talked about Knyew‘s success and about the rising popularity that their store and brand has been getting.

When people would come up to Kenn on the street because they recognized him, it really threw him off. He said he’s still not used to it, but it’s definitely flattering. But he pointed out to me that he is just like any other guy on the street, he just “has big fucking hair.”

I cruised around his store some more and found some of my favorite brands. We talked about The Hundreds and how he has watched them grow their business from the ground up. He is impressed with their marketing and with their ability to create a community around what they do. I shared with him a secret mission Ninja Neishon has with The Hundreds… so secret not even they know about it yet.

I’m really diggin the art around the place.

Kenn talked to me about how hard it was to define what their store was when they first opened. Las Vegas didn’t have a boutique dedicated entirely to streetwear at the time and so people would try and classify their shop as “urban.” He and I both agreed that the term “urban” is used in inappropriate ways. For instance the ethnicity of your skin can often determine whether a label you’re starting is considered skate, streetwear or urban. Obviously this is ridiculous, but it does happen. It’s a very interesting point to bring up and it deserves your attention next time you’re reading into labels. What makes something urban? What makes something streetwear? Just some food for thought, Ninjas.
After a few hours I eventually had to get back for another night of Ninjaing in Vegas. I thanked Kenn again for taking the time to show me around and as I walked out I resisted my urge to pick up a few things while I was there. If I hadn’t been down a few hundred already I definitely would have… but next time for sure.
Kenn showing some support for Ninja Neishon by throwing up The Neishon hands:

KNYEW Clothing Boutique
3735 Spring Mountain Rd.
(off Valley View blvd.)
Suite 206
Las Vegas, NV 89102

Hours:
Sun-Mon 12pm-7pm
Tues-Sat 11am-8pm

-Travis NN

I’ve been getting recommendations to feature this band on the website, and I keep hearing them in random places around San Diego.

So here they are, straight out of the U.K. please get acquainted with The xx:

Here, let AOL music tell you about The xx:

The xx are a London quartet, featuring the dual lead vocals of Romy Madley-Croft and Oliver Sim (who also play lead and bass guitar respectively), Baria Quereshi (keyboards and guitar) and Jamie Smith (beats, MPC sampler).

All 19 years old, The xx are childhood friends who formed while attending the Elliot School – the south west London comp whose alumni also includes such acclaimed boundary-pushers as Burial, Four Tet and Hot Chip.

Hushed vocal duets and a brilliantly inventive use of samplers and low-end frequencies produce the stark, sweet melancholic pop that is The xx.

Check this part of their website to watch the music video VCR, which is my favorite song by them.

Come by our event on Thursday night if you’re in San Diego.

Thanks,

-Travis NN

The Hip Hop club here in San Diego has really stepped up their game this year putting on some really good shows. Two nights ago was a prime example featuring Binary Star, Intuition, Afta-1, Add-2 and Mike Gao.

Add-2 came all the way from Chicago along with his producer to perform out here on the West Coast.

I talked with both of them after the show and it’s really nice to see such dedication to the trade. They both told me how amazing it has been to see their dreams come to fruition in the form of a nationwide tour. They agree there is much more work to be done, but to have the opportunity to be on stage performing is one of the most rewarding parts of their work. I wasn’t able to get to watch Add-2 perform that night, but I am definitely going to jump on any opportunity to see him around here. I picked up his cd and have been playing his music like Guitar Hero. Check it out.
Intuition rocked the microphone that night and it was fun to watch him battle his friend on stage. Check out and buy his music here.

Throwin up the Neishon hands after the show:

Binary Star took the crowd when they came out to perform.

Composed of emcees One Be Lo and Senim Silla Binary Star is known for their intricate storytelling and battle raps. Hailing from Michigan the duo found their lives sidetracked when they were convicted and sent to prison for armed robbery. It was during their three-year sentence that Binary Star was formed.

Starting with just 1000 pressed cds they began their career and quickly gained notoriety in the underground hip hop community. With the release of M.O.T.U. in 2000 and after selling over 25,000 copies it proved that independent hip hop producers could prevail in an industry that flourished on the commercialization of rap music.
It’s the support from the fans that support artist like Binary Star so make sure to add them on Facebook and check out their music online.
Senim Silla showing The Neishon some support.

This week Ninja Neishon will be having three events.
Thursday is Beers for Books at Homeplate Bar and Grill from 6-9pm. We’ll be sending out details this for this even later this week.
Friday is Hoover Jam at Hoover High School. NN will be promoting and selling some merchandise. Come out and battle!
Also sometime this week we’ll be out on Library Walk doing some Ninja Stuff.

If you would like to be the first to know about events send us an email with the subject “Join The Neishon” to info@ninjaneishon.com and we’ll put you on our event mailing list.

Keep it easy Ninjas,

-Travis NN

This story was sent to me throughout the day by ninjas from around the world.
Apparently in Australia this week a German exchange student was mugged in a back alley of Sydney. The only problem for the muggers: they attacked the kid next to a Ninja dojo. Haha sounds too good to be true, but it is. The following article was taken word for word from www.news.com.au:

-A STUDENT has been saved from a vicious assault – not by the boys in blue but the men in black.

Ninjas scared off three thugs who had the misfortune to attack the 27-year-old medical student outside their warrior school.

The German exchange student had been targeted by the men while he was riding the late-night train home, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.

They demanded he give them his wallet but when he refused and got off the train, they followed.

They pounced as he made his way through a dark alley in Sydney’s west.

They grabbed his phone and iPod and kicked him while he lay on the ground.

However, the men were spotted by a member of a nearby dojo.

Nathan Smith told his sensei and the rest of the students at Ninja Senshi Ryu and they rushed out to confront the thugs – all dressed in traditional black ninja garb.

On seeing the ninjas, the men fled, only to be later arrested by police.

“You should have seen their faces when they saw us in ninja gear coming towards them,” the school’s sensei, Kaylan Soto, told the Herald.

They also failed to notice a ninja, Nathan Smith, standing in the shadows outside the dojo. Mr Smith immediately alerted his sensei, or teacher.

Another ninja, Steve Ashley, said: “It was probably the worst place in Sydney where they could have taken him.”-

Dang playa, that’s intense. Go Ninja!

-Travis NN

You all owe Coen a thousand Neishon points for finding this!

As he put it, this is the most epic music video you will ever see:

Mark Ronson can be thanked for the music. I like his bio on his myspace page here it is if you want to read it:

“this bio (below) is so old, it’s embarassing. i will write something new when it’s appropriate (like before my next album comes out, whenever that is). i guess not that much has changed since i wrote it, ‘cept for three grammies and a brit award. peace out….. I’m a bit sick of looking at that stock-form bio (no offense, gabe), so i thought i’d just write something else….. I was born in london, and then my mum (she’s great, you would love her) moved us to new york when i was eight. before she moved though, her and my dad would throw tea-parties at their house in st. john’s wood and i (3 or 4 yrs old at the time) would sit, eating crumpets & playing air-drums next to the stereo speakers. drums was my first instrument, i have since laid them to rest…… skip to nyc, I started a band in high-school (playing guitar) and i listened to alot of good music (not to be confused with g.o.o.d music–g’day ‘Ye). then the brand new heavies came along and i found the funk aswell….. i started dj’ing in ’93 in downtown NY clubs, for whomever had five dollars. at some point, i got good and started to build a nice rep. around the same time, “urban music” (i borrowed that term from one of my college textbooks) got very fabulous, so alluvasuddden, it’s like well-blinging. then, the fashion world decided hip-hop was zuper-cooo-el, so i milked that for a bit, dj’ing gucci parties in milan (where i got in a shouting match with charlize theron–i’m usually a very peaceful person, like jehovah’s witness-peaceful) and a pair of puffy parties in paris (try and say those last seven words 10 times fast)….. then i hooked up with nikka costa (thanks dom), and me and her husband justin produced her criminally slept on debut album (“like a feather”, respect game). that led to my debut album on elektra (rip), “here comes the fuzz”–which kind of bombed in the US, but gave me a nice top 10 around the world with “ooh wee” (top of the pops, thanks for the memories)……. hooked up with rich kleiman and started Allido Records, which will release chicago superstar Rhymefest’s record this summer and australian wunderkind Daniel Merriweather next year. we’re also putting out the soundtrack to “Half Nelson” (a really good movie with Ryan Gosling) and a series of rocking compilations for the Hard Rock….. i still love dj’ing (and you can hear me most fridays on my east village radio show (hello Echo) but i’m mostly producing records right now. i have some of my best stuff yet coming later this year–robbie williams, lily allen, amy winehouse, christina aguilera, rhymefest, domino etc…. and, of course, my upcoming album “VERSION” featuring the radiohead cover (hello, alex greenwald–may i have a call back, please?) and many many more joints……Stay Tuned”

Word up.

-Travis NN

Do yourself a favor and check this video. They use a new technology called projection mapping to create some amazing visuals.

ENVISION : Step into the sensory box from SUPERBIEN on Vimeo.

Dang playa, there is no limit to what you could do with this. Woah.

-Travis NN

Hope you all had a good weekend Ninjas.

This past Saturday Asahi had an exhibition battle over in Chula Vista. Ninjas came out to support him and to enter some battles.
Check Tim in the Red Neishon Flannel. He was lucky enough to grab one before they sold out, go Tim.


Feelix with his brand spankin’ new NN hat! That’s what’s up!

Time for the exhibition.

Floatin.



Asahi proved his Ninja on the floor.
Bboy Shogun came down to support and battle as well. Ninja love.

You can watch both of them in this video we made exactly one year ago with A-1 crew:

See the rest of the photos from the battle over at the Ninja Neishon fanpage.

-Travis NN

Last year’s Sungod festival was pretty awesome.

Let’s see where this year takes us.

-Travis NN

Feelit San Diego is located in downtown SD right across the street from Kleen House. The first time I went in to check the place out I was able to have a good conversation with the owner of the shop, Mark.

As you can see from his shirt he is a Vinyl head at heart. Mark definitely knows his music. You can walk in and find many hard to find records. He told me stories of Djs from Japan stopping in and thumbing through every single record in his shop until they found what they were looking for. Now that’s dedication.

Before Mark owned the record shop he used to work there for years. When he finally took over his vision for FeeLit was to create a communal space where local designers, DJs, artists, musicians, photographers & sculptors can promote their art, music, talents & services. FeeLit is a unique boutique that has built a strong social circle of friends, and become a hub for networking & cross promotion.

FeeLit is definitely fun to browse and you can always catch mark spinning some tunes. Mark is also involved with different organizations helping to fundraise for good causes. These are two photos that a young girl took. Here photography has taken her from a poor neighborhood to high end galleries around San Diego. Definitely cool to see the shop supporting her.

With art on the walls, clothing on the racks and records all around, FeeLit is worth your time and attention. Stop in, ask some questions about the records and learn a thing or two from a guy who knows what he’s talking about.

Make sure to tell him The Neishon sent you for 10% off your purchase.

-Travis NN