A DAY IN THE LIFE, Vol. "UNDER THE BRIDGE"

...A day in the life.

EL TORO

 SLAM no.152 is here!!! Grab yourself a copy at all quality bookstores and at Titan!

Them dope dudes at the "Hoops' Bible" house also did a quick feature on my dude, the man of the hour J.Cole! Read all about it in this issue. Out now!

Post Scriptum

Don't sleep on the pull-out poster!!! LOLZ ON LOLZ ON LOLZ! #EndTheLockout

THE BROOKLYN NETS

BALL SO HARD THEY SWITCHED NAMES!

Hip-Hop Mogul, music and marketing genius, and Nets part-owner Jay-Z announced earlier this week that the Nets will now fly Brooklyn's flag, hence the name switch to The Brooklyn Nets for the 2012 NBA season.

Jay-Z further added that aside from a brand new stadium, The ballers from Brooklyn will be in new unis (all black everything?). Also, a series of concerts and events will highlight the Nets' season opener.

Check out Fox's coverage of the historic name switch.

WE GOIN' SIZZLER!

One of my favorite movies growing up, me being a '90s kid and all.

"White Men Can't Jump" has been playin' almost on the daily over at Jack, and this got to be one of the best scenes in it! Press play.



Hoop LULZ since '92!

IT'S 1996 ALL OVER AGAIN

"Black Maybach, white seats, black piping
Remind me of Paul McCartney and Mike fighting
You know, The Girl Is Mine
Life's A Bitch, so The Whole World Is Mine..."

4th grade joints!

MARTIAL LAW

PERFORMANCE REVIEW /// CONVERSE THE PLAYER DL MID

 

What's good fam?

Today we kick off a new segment where I showcase a basketball shoe, run it in the court, and make a review of its looks, and more importantly its performance. I hope this becomes a regular thing... I'll do my best to dish you a review at least once a month.

Anyhow, for our maiden run I've chosen the CONVERSE THE PLAYER DL MID. Very appropriate for the pilot post given that Converse was a pioneer in the game of basketball, and footwear in general.

Just so you guys know how we did this: I wore a DS pair to an actual full-court skirmish. Played my usual game, broke it down and made an objective assessment of the shoe's on-feet feel and performance.

So let's get things started.

THE SHOE

FIRST OFF: The box and the code.

THE PLAYER DL MID: One of Converse' Basketball Performace shoe for 2011.

Solid all leather upper, Rubber sole integrated with a herringbone pattern bottom for traction. Very straight forward basketball shoe.

Entire package includes:  

CONVERSE THE PLAYER DL MID,  

BOX,  

TISSUE.  

No extra laces.

ON-COURT/ON-FEET LOOK

I apologize for the lack of documentation since no one was available to take photos of the full-court game. 

Anyway, on with the performance assessment:

PERFORMANCE

The very first thing I noticed was how light it was. Looking at the photos you would assume that it's got some weight to it, but surprisingly it's very light! It's may not be a 10 oz. shoe, but it sure won't compromise your quick feet especially if you play in the backcourt. I play 1-guard and I'm very comfortable playing at the back, so based on how it weighs, I'd definitely rock this. When the game calls for it, I also felt how this shoe can be useful in the post/paint.

It's got very good ankle support... I'm very satisfied with how it held my ankles comfortably.

Breath ability/foot ventilation was a small concern for me though. The sturdy, solid all-leather upper had little perforations and caused minor heat build-up within the shoe.

THE PLAYER DL MID gave no problems when cutting and slashing into the interior. Like I said, the lightness of the shoe coupled with the supportive collar for ankle stability made it possible for me to cut inside without drag nor discomfort.

The traction was okay. Though it got some grip on a rubberized court, I think it will perform better on a blacktop, pure outdoor playground.

The toe box, initially, was a tad bit tough especially when the toe is fully folded when sprinting. The toe box for me didn't have enough flex points. But once the leather softened up and broken in, it no longer became an issue.

Shoe condition after skirmish. Still in very solid shape!

The Collar. Peep the dope bright-colored sockliner!

THE PLAYER DL MID.

Rear elevation.

Side elevation.

 

Aesthetically, I think THE PLAYER DL MID is a killer. Wore it to the CONVERSE EASTWOOD GRAND OPENING that night. It may not be a shoe that's QS nor hypebeast bait, but it broke a few necks.

OFF-COURT/ON-FEET LOOK. Nice, yeah?

IN CONCLUSION

CONVERSE THE PLAYER DL MID is a shoe that is versatile, tough, and could handle any style of game any player might possess. It's called THE PLAYER for a reason; it's made for each and every player: whether he makes a living posting up the competition in the paint, or blows pass rivals in transition for fun.

It looks like a stealth bomber. It looks like a tank. It gives off that throwback vibe reminiscent of the velvety smooth cool cats that played in them Harlem playgrounds in the 80s, but it still exudes a no-nonsense, take no prisoners on-feet attitude that remind you of west-coast streetballers. No one would ever question this shoe aesthetically. If you do - you got issues, son.

There's a plethora of basketball-based performance footwear in the market right now; faster, lighter, and chock-full of technology. But THE PLAYER DL MID can go to battle with the best of them - anytime, anywhere. It performs well and gets the job done - but most importantly it makes a statement: that you are THE PLAYER, and you are not to be messed with.

This shoe simply gets better with every battle. I would definitely rock this again, on and off the court.

CONVERSE THE PLAYER DL MID retails for Php 3,690.00. Not bad for a shoe that brings the pain to the competition!

Available in Converse boutiques and quality department stores nationwide.

_____________________________________________

Photo credits to JD.

Shot entirely at the Alabang Hills Clubhouse.

A STAR IS BORN

Clap for 'em!

Another CONVERSE store opens its doors to all it's patrons, this time in the heart of Eastwood! People flocked the new store to enjoy the festivities, the vibe, and of course - the footwear!

The crew then took it to BLUE ONION to celebrate! Sorry no photos from there... Was busy having fun!

Anyway, I would like to congratulate our CONVERSE fam on their new store! Here's to your continued success!

Go visit them at Eastwood, or at their other equally awesome shops scattered 'round the metro. Visit them at Facebook - CONVERSE PHILIPPINES, and follow them on Twitter, @ConversePH!

On with the photos!!!

GENERAL RELEASE

For some unexplained reason, I have an affinity for General Release sneakers. You know, the common ones. In a short list of favorites, majority of them are GRs (or once upon a time GRs). It's not that I can't afford heat; matter of fact, if I could be less modest about it, my collection would probably best most cats' in the game and could go toe-to-toe with the illest of them.

I don't know. I just have a thing for GRs... Something of a love affair.

One of my favorite joints is this pair of Air Max Wavys that my girl gave me (as blogged here). Sentimentality aside, I love that pair! Clean as 'f... Fresh to death. I love how it looks, I love the fact that it's efficient - that I can wear it to work, battle in it on the playground (which if I may add, performs like a dream), and wear it to church.

I shun being labeled a sneakerhead. Please, I am not. I'm not a sneakerhead... I'm just a dude with interesting feet. Feet tell stories, and it just so happens that the stories mine share, more often than not, are interesting (definitely more interesting than those of the new cats and hypebeasts, LOL!).

Anyway, allow me to share with you a story about the shoe featured above: my Nike Zoom Kobe VI - Blue Camo, or what I fondly call "Manila 6s" (know why here).

The story, unfortunately, won't be published in full; reason being I wouldn't want the people who helped me cop this get into trouble. :) Don't get it twisted though! Nothing illegal, nor inappropriate went down. Ha ha!

When photos of the Manila 6s surfaced on the net, I went bananas over it immediately. And that's a rare thing; when I see a hot pair, I usually just nod my head in approval, with this look seemingly saying "ayt... ayt!".

But I slept on it. And slept on it like the dead! Priorities came first (bills, business expenses, other essentials). And before I knew it, it was long gone. My favorite hoop store Titan ran out of sizes in a couple of weeks. Nike retailers 'round the Metro sold out on my size quick. That Kobe visit didn't help either. Resellers had them, but no one in their right mind would pay a peso above retail for them.

So I had no choice but to live with regret. The thought of a solitary pair floating in an outlet store somewhere, waiting for me, still got me excited... But I wouldn't count on it. It's been way too long, and way too late.

Fast forward to a week ago. I was chillin' in my room; book on one hand, remote control on the other. The white noise coming from the TV usually helped me concentrate, but that particular evening it broke my focus and made me look. Star Movies was on, and they were showing AVATAR. Damn... Really? Avatar? Just when I thought I was over this whole Manila 6 drama, it came back mounted on a flying Na'vi dragon! Then and there I realized I really wanted that pair. I needed it in my life.

A recent mid-week trip to beautiful Palawan kept the Kobes on my mind. The blue of the waters and the black of its depths reminded me of the snake-skin upper. Rays of sunlight shining on the lush vegetation reminded me of the bright green/yellow heel cup. Poetic and cheesy as it may be, I shit you not, I was desperate for them.

When I got back, I got a text from a dude saying they were able to get me a pair! They'll be arriving in a day! Man... Was I stoked beyond comprehension!!! The dopeness didn't stop there. When I asked how much they were, he said that I was lucky because they were on sale! I almost fainted. LOL! It's one thing to find the shoe you like, it's another story if the shoe finds you.

This is the part where I have to cut my story short.

I'm writing this now in the comfort of my room, staring at my shoes with my Manila 6s sitting comfortably on top of the stack... Where it rightfully belongs. Copping it waaaay below retail made it so much sweeter. I look for deals too, you know! :)

I am grateful to those people who went out of their way to get me that pair. I am also grateful for their tenacity in searching for it on my behalf... They never gave up on it. You guys know who you are. Thank you.

In a game where they put a premium on hype, status, and rarity, it's nice to know that people like me are now the minority. In any given sneaker event, it's funny how many people would end up rocking the same pair they consider heat... But no one would be seen wearing common sneaks you see on outlet racks and sale bins. Nowadays, terms like "Quickstrike" and "Limited Release" get thrown around so lightly that it depreciates its meaning. All for the sake of hyping up and adding market value to a pair that, objectively speaking, is not really rare.

You hear dudes nowadays say or post on forums "Ay... Ayaw ko yan kasi GR." ("No, I don't like those 'coz they're GR), and that's fine with me. If wearing heat is your thing, I salute you... I'm not hating on you, matter of fact, I respect that. Real talk.

But that's the irony of the GR; it's the new holy grail. No one rocks them because they're, well, General Releases, you know what I'm saying? Any kid can go online, search for South Beaches and cop them on the spot. Resellers are abound, and can supply you with heat for days. Come to think of it, it's really easy to cop grails especially if you've got rich parents and money was never an issue for you.

It takes more than eBay prices, hype, scarcity, demand and status to make GRs special. It requires a lot of skill, experience... a lot of intangibles, really, to see the rare beauty in something common.

CAN WE GET AN ENCORE?

weLEGENDARY heard you and they're giving you more!

9.17.11
This time at weLEGENDARY KAMUNING.

HUGE discounts on footwear and other merch.

wL x Bembol Dela Cruz Collabo shirt.

Good vibes.

Great people.

3 years in the biz and still killing it EVERY DAMN DAY!

Roll thru fam!

J.COLE x JAY-Z /// MR. NICE WATCH

As we draw closer to September 27, The Dreamvillain drops another joint from Cole World: The Sideline Story!

"MR. NICE WATCH" is a track featuring J.Cole's boss and mentor Jay-Z. Heavy on that "Watch The Throne" vibe, Mr. Nice Watch showcases another dimension to the already talented lyricist and beat-maker from the Tar Heel State.

Peep the track below, and click on the banner above to download the track.

   Mr. Nice Watch (ft. Jay-Z) - Dirty by J. Cole

NEVER FORGOTTEN

As a child of the 90's it's hard not to be influenced by his genius. Tupac inspired a generation to open their minds to hip-hop; to it's culture, and to it's chaotic beauty.

15 years and a day ago today, he was taken from us... Way too soon. And although I personally was more of a Biggie fan (at that time), I felt a deep sense of regret and disappointment; I was sad, needless to say. A great loss to music, to philosophy, to poetry, to politics... To humanity in general.

So to the great Tupac: You, sir, will never be forgotten.

THE STAR /// CONVERSE PRE-CHRISTMAS SALE X EASTWOOD GRAND OPENING

Just reminding y'all... Christmas comes early for all of us as CONVERSE ushers in the holidays with a nationwide sale from September 16-19!

Visit any CONVERSE branch on these dates to enjoy great deals on all your favorite sneaks and wardrobe staples!

Spread the holiday cheers early and tell your friends! Visit and like their Facebook page (CONVERSE PHILIPPINES), and follow them on twitter, @ConversePH.

Also, CONVERSE Eastwood is opening this SATURDAY, September 17!

Drop by, say hi, and be in your Saturday's best... It's a Converse party, after all.


See y'all there!


______________________________________________________ 
I'm a star, CONVERSEs conversin' with them girls with them curves like cursive...

BRICKS ON BRICKS ON BRICKS

It's that time of the month again folks! BRICKS... SHALL BE SHAT!!!

Stefan Janoski SB "Brickhouse"

weLegendary RONAC
Saturday, September 3.
2PM

Php 3895.

weLEGENDARY.