East Coast Hip Hop Legends Tee

admin    T-Shirts     NY Tees, The Booth Society, hip hop tees, hip-hop t-shirts, music t-shirts

The East Coast Hip Hop Legends Tee by The Booth Society pays homage to all the East Coast Hip Hop Legends, giving them the respect they deserve. The Booth Society is a hip hop brand from N.Y.C with a love of all things urban. A rough and ready design that visually hangs somewhere betwixt a crossword and a ransom demand, you’ll find plenty of names big and small from the largely neglected East Coast scene. Asides those who made it big like Jay Z and the Notorious B.I.G and plenty of classics from way back like Eric B. Rakim and Slick Rick, plus a whole load more I don’t even recognise. Definitely a tee for the hardcore hip hop scene, very gritty.

You can buy this shirt for $25 in sizes S-XXL, it features a 2 colour hybrid ink screen print that uses a discharge under-base for a softer feel. There are plenty more urban tees to scope, all available at the store, plus hats and theoretically CDs (although the CD link leads to the same t-shirts so something definitely needs fixing there). A promising start, albeit a few technical details, from a young radical urban label kicking up some trouble on the East Coast. See ‘em all at www.TheBoothSociety.com.

Benny Gold

admin    T-Shirt Reviews     Benny Gold, Pez, SF, hip hop tees, hiphop t-shirts, urban tees

All that glisters is not gold, unless that is, you’re Benny Gold. Benny Gold has a mantra “Stay Gold” which, for him at the very least, is a reminder that all the ideas and experiences we hold dear are the “real gold” inside each of us. Based in San Francisco Gold’s one man empire began with a lowly sticker and has now branched out to a massive list of design clients including big names like Nike, Adidas, Huf, Wired Magazine, Real Skateboards and tons more. Cool retailers across the planet sell his gear, America is totally covered alongside a few in Europe (including one shop in Britain in Gravesend (of all places!), a few in Canada and a whole shed load in Asia.

Still, if there isn’t a store near you don’t worry Benny Gold has his own online store featuring some very cool tees, tops, jackets, hoodies, hats and stickers. His tees are superb, not particularly on any conceptual level as such, the guy just has an eye and flair to boot. The print quality is mint, plus the house style is a few notches above the usual urban hip-hop iconography you’ve come to expect. What BG has is something almost unobtainable in the market, at least not without a ton of brand recognition strategy and that is a buzz around the label – not for the name or the logo, but the quality. There are some collaborations with some cool artists too including Barcelona born street artist Pez. My fave has to be the Mariachi tee tee which awesomely enough was created by a chance event that placed Benny and his photographer pal Bryan Derballa slap bang in front of a Mariachi player with one of BG’s stickers on his guitar. The rest is history…

No celebrities needed to rank this label in the public Zeitgeist, he has built it, they will come…

Mariachi Tee

Chance is a beautiful thing. Hecho in Frisco detailing with metallic gold accents. $30 in all sizes – colours black, white and green.

Tried & True Tee

Solid as a rock an anvil. $30 in all sizes – colours black, red and navy.

Freemasons Tee

Don’t forget the secret handshake. $30 in all sizes – colours black on black, white and royal blue.

Hold Fast Tee

Time is slipping away. Have fun whilst your young because it’s too much bother at my age :/ $30 in all sizes – colours black, grey and red.

Benny Gold, the beauty of it is, they’re just tees you know you’re going to wear…

Bandit-1$M

admin    T-Shirt Reviews     Bandit-1$M, banditism, graffiti t-shirts, graphic tees, hip hop tees

Borne from the minds of the French creative collective 123KLAN, Bandit-1$M was founded in 2007 by Scien and Klor, recognised graffiti artists who used the label as a way of making a living rather than risking their necks on the street. In French culture street artists deploy what is known as “banditisme” or banditry. The dollar sign represents their descent into the murky mire of capitalism an essential part of human survival. Held aloft under the banner of authenticity and uncompromising style, their t-shirt collection mixes bold designs and smart messages in an array of catchy colours. There are plenty of accessories on offer if you want to go the whole hog including hats, stickers, cushions, posters, wall design and lots more.

The Fall Collection consists of 15 tees and it’s deeply rooted within 123KLAN’s main in-house style including all the usual trademark details – a la mode graffiti icons, strong design and punchier messages. All the tees are presented in a slick palette of muted neutrals (grey, navy, black and white) revived with hints of red and deep orange. Available in unisex, girly and even kids sizes, all the tees are printed on American Apparel.

The collection is presented in an eighteen-page lookbook shot by artist Meka in iconic Montreal locations, and featuring Sylvestre from bike shop Brakeless, artist Yanick Blanchet, writer/blogger Elodie Laetitia and graffiti shop-owner Sino, plus the 123KIDZ. Here are a few of my faves from the ultra-street savvy collection  – all available in heaps more colours and styles at $32 each (tax included).

Above The Law Tee

Bible Tee

Have Fun Kids Tee

Phelli Krews

admin    T-Shirt Reviews, T-Shirts     Phelli Krews, biker tees, hip hop tees, skull t-shirts, urban t-shirts

Phelli Krews approached me for a quick review, I have to warn you that the store is damn ugly, however they’re working fast on a new and improved site design for the near future. As far as I’m concerned, as long as they have a few decent tees on offer all is forgiven. Style-wise they’re foremostly focused on hip hop market, although I know they’ll object to that description, it’s cool to want to appeal to a wider audience, but it takes a little more than ethos, I always say “do what you know and do it well”. Which they do. PK were set up in 2007 and all their tees are screen printed to a high quality, and even though there are few surprises in the design department, they’ve some solid talent behind the label that’s worth you taking a moment to check out. Here’s their blurb:

“We are a two man operation and we try to design t-shirt for the urban and edgy consumer.  Such as bikers, skateboards, rockers, hip hoppers/rap, etc.  We don’t design a particular style shirt geared toward a particular lifestyle rather a shirt that would fit your taste, lifestyle, and the way you want to express it.”

The logo tees are a little ropey, and there are a few tees that are conceptually interesting but don’t quite cut the mustard for me. The Ghost Skull With Wings Tee is a good idea but I’d have used half-tones to create that semi-transparent look they’re after, rather than overlaying a skull motif with a pair of wings at the printing stage. Still their Flying Skull Tee is much cleaner looking (if you like skulls), but my fave has to be their Chancellor Seal Tee. All the tees available at their store are selling at an incredibly low $10.95 each in black and white (sizes 2XL- 3XL). That’s damn low for a screen-printed tee, kinda shines a whole new light on the label…

Chancellor Seal Tee

Flying Ghost Tee

See them all at www.pheilikrewws.com.

The Peralta Project

admin    T-Shirt Reviews     Gaza, The Peralta Project, Tony Peralta, graffiti, hip hop tees, hip-hop t-shirts, political shirts

Dominican-born artist M. Tony Peralta is the sort of guy whose life might just end up being told in an urban TV documentary one day. He began his ‘creative career’ in Washington Heights as an escape from the prevailing gang culture, a former break-dancer, he quickly turned to graffiti art as a release from the violence and drug infested streets where he grew up. He first hit the headlines after being inspired by a news report about 11 year old kids learning to make home-made bombs by creating the Gaza Strip (Freedom) print, which as it happens is available at his unique site The Peralta Project. His collection of tees, hats, prints, jewellery and paintings are not a collection, or so Peralta says. He doesn’t follow the usual traditions of fashion, harking from a graffiti background and earning his living as an artist/designer. In fact he raised funds for his creative career by giving haircuts to drug dealers on street corners, his life experience enhancing a vision of how life is and how it should be, something rather unique to the t-shirt industry.

His store The Project Shop is cleanly laid out and offers a full background story on each and every design, which makes for an enticing stroll around the site, even if you’re only window shopping. Each tee explores a different aspect of gang culture, or in certain cases such as his Freedom t-shirt, the culture of violence as is so apparent in Gaza. With the recent Israeli attacks on aid ships attempting to break the blockade and bring the people of Gaza vital food and supplies, Peralta’s passion for the underdog are more pertinent than ever. I recently read that Israel were about to allow the import of confectionery which shows just how out of control the embargo has been until now. However, for the main part one can expect a particularly Washington Heights based view of culture, exploring different aspects of the ‘hood’ and how he and others have survived, armed with common knowledge and common sense.

As Peralta would say, take a look at his “art in progress”…

Uptown Livery Cab Service T-Shirt

As Tony so eloquently puts it “It’s a homage to the immigrant livery cab driver from Uptown that is out there night and day chasing the American Dream.” The Uptown Livery Cab Service T-Shirt design is a fictional advertisement for the ‘gypsy’ cab service circa 1920s. Often found in the least affluent and fructious areas of New York, picking up passengers from the street, the riders boarded “at their own risk”, however the drivers risked their lives almost every night, just to get ahead in the world. The t-shirt is available in cranberry, sizes S-XL for $35 here.

Money Makin’ Manhattan $24 Stamp T-Shirt

Again available for $35 in all sizes, the Money Makin’ Manhattan $24 Stamp tee commemorates  the purchase of Manhattan Island by the Dutch West India Company from the Lenape Indians in 1626 for $24. Perhaps the biggest con in all history. The deal took place at Inwood Hill Park, a place to hustle till you drop, make it big, and show the world you have more money than them. Great design, and a fascinating slice of history.

Defend Uptown T-Shirt

This one’s very cool. Designed to bring attention to the fight against the gentrification of Uptown (Harlem,Washington Heights,Inwood.) Killing the culture, and ousting local families, many of whom have lived there for generations. As usual when a problem gets too hot to handle, government will always take the option to shift it onto someone else, somewhere else, rather than try to fix the inequity. The Defend Uptown T-Shirt is available in all sizes for $35 here.

Freedom T-Shirt

As you’d expect I had to include Peralta’s Freedom t-shirt, a variation on the original print/artwork, I really like the guy’s stencil stylings, although I have to admit I much prefer the version featured in his interview with Giant Magazine. Available in black and only medium sizes are left (all others sold out) at $35, you can swipe yours here.

Fresh Jive Spring Collection

admin    T-Shirt Reviews     FreshJive, Spring, fresh jive, hip hop tees, street wear

They’re cheeky and irreverent and that’s putting it mildly, Fresh Jive’s Spring Collection is absolutely cracking, and half of their latest tees aren’t even fit for a family audience, so if you want to see the real nasty designs then head straight over to their site at www.freshjive.com. I’ll be featuring their more muted designs in a moment, not that they’re not crackers, it’s just this blog does attract the odd comment rant from an even odder religious nut, usually complaining about the state of the society and how we will all be damned. If Fresh Jive are going to hell, I’m going with them, their gear rocks, enough said.

So who are FJ? Perhaps one of the most influential founders of streetwear culture, it was begat by the mind of Rick Klotz in 1989 who is known for taking risks and even leaps of faith in the industry. He caused a big commotion last year when he removed all logo branding from his products. Logoless is the way to go I say, if your style is recognisable enough you don’t need it. What’s more retailers would rather their customers buy fashion that’s innovative and as this label promotes ‘fresh’, then what’s the point of pasting brand identity all over a t-shirt. You wouldn’t buy a TV with a logo printed on the screen, why suffer the same from a t-shirt?

Here’s what Rick has to say on the subject of branding “In later years, a dissolution with the façade of street style and fashion in general lead the company into commercial statements about politics and the culture at large, culminating with an abrupt action against branded culture.”

So, it’s official, branding sucks, and FreshJive’s tees rock. Here’s a few examples why…

Cryptonight Tee

If you’re not au fait with the wonders of marijuana then this one will be lost on you, although I’ve never heard of it in the UK there’s a particularly potent strain of weed called Cryp doing the rounds, from all accounts coast to coast in the USA. It originated in Florida and is supposed to be a dank and highly powerful smoke, ah well, I can always buy the t-shirt. Although the site describes it as The Cryptonight tee, it’s printed with a different spelling. Stoners eh? Get this super duper tee, perfect for customising with a wide array of burn holes, unless you decide to bong out, for $26 in sizes S-XXL in a variety of colours.

Kart T-Shirt

In common with a majority of men on the planet I hate shopping, I like cool stuff, I like to wear it or use it, I don’t like malls, traipsing up and down a faceless mega-corporate high street, and I have a fundamental aversion to supermarkets. It’s the muzak, the endless choice of crap, and the queuing that gets me. It couldn’t be a more sterile experience if they tried. Perhaps that explains why online shopping has exploded over the past few years, if you like it you buy it, no “real” shopping involved, sounds good to me. Anyway this is Kart, a special edition print by Mick Haggerty and probably my favourite tee of the Spring Collection, very pop, very to the point. What’s more, before the supermarkets started chaining them altogether shopping karts were great for rolling down a hill or two as a kid. Heady days. Get this shirt in black S-L for $26.

The Finger T-Shirt

The message is plain and simple. Be prepared for blood stains if you walk into the wrong late night bar with this shirt on. Get the Finger T for $26 in all sizes in colours yellow, black and turquoise for $26 here.

Acid Skull T-Shirt

“Aceeed! Aceeed!” In the very late 80s and early 90s, along side blowing whistles till your ears bled, shouting “aceeed” at a string of illegal raves on the M25. was particularly de rigeur. But were we all on Acid? No. Most were drugged up on Love Doves and MDMA. Still, asides the semantics, the smiley face did a good job of representing a generation of chemically loved up loons with little to do . Especially since  the Tories had sold half the country and took away their jobs. Loving this fine piece of blotter art, with an obligatory skull, although I think we should all move on from skulls, I did actually meet a tripper who had a bad one, he spent the night talking to a girl with a skull for a face. He later went on to form the Chemical Brothers. Joke. Anyway get your Acid Skull t-shirt for $26 in black and white, sizes M-XXL here.

See the rest of these totally fresh tees at the fashion outlet www.reservestoreonline.com.

The (R)evolution of a Subspecies

admin    T-Shirt Reviews     UK t-shirts, anrchy t-shirts, bmx t-shirts, hip hop tees, skater tees, subspecies, subspecies.co.uk, underground fashion, urban fashion

This is hardcore, this is extreme fashion, this is where fashion, politics and the oncoming revolution collide. This is the name of the game for Subspecies, a Yorkshire (UK) born and bred street fashion label with a taste for subversion served with a healthy dose of anarchistic tendencies, making urban wear heralded by the skater and BMX community as some of the finest in their field. Expect superb quality t-shirts. All enzyme washed to give a comfortable feel when new and made of the finest 200gsm Gold cotton available. Colours have been selected for the urban/street market in earthy tones that ensure the graphics propel from the base colour of the tees. Their artwork is built up with flocks, raised embroidery and raised rubber welds. All their garments have a subspecies trademark ‘T’ bar cut & sew panel on the back, the inner yoke is a non feel printed jersey lining with felt flock monkey logo. The back neck tape is herringbone with a velour overlay for maximum comfort – sizes are available in xs-xxl.

Subspecies have a great attitude towards their work, and are a perfect example of artists using t-shirt design as a progressive arts medium. Their message is always powerful and to the point, without being mindlessly offensive they still manage to shock certain sectors of society with an air of confidence of a global label and are certainly heading for greater pastures as they’re soon to sponsor a whole ream of extreme sports teams and events. Be you B-boy, skater, BMXer, or general trouble-maker, you may not have realised until now, but you are a subspecies!

Subspecies.co.uk is a fully modded flash site/store (and a fascinating experience), so you’ll have to track down the embedded product links there yourself, make sure you sign up for their newsletter and be in with a chance to win a freebie or two, and whilst your at it do have a gander at the blog for all the latest info on Subspecies. Don’t forget to check out their caps in their “Lidz Collection” but for now let’s crack on with some of their finest tees and learn just how hard Subspecies can push their message to the core. read more

Word Up To Word Apparel

admin    T-Shirt Reviews     cool tees, fresh t-shirts, graffiti t-shirts, graffiti tees, graffito, hip hop tees, hip-hop t-shirts, tagging, urban t-shirts, urban tees, word apparel, wordapparel

Deamn Right! Here’s a fresh young label straight from the street for all you homies out there looking for something laid back yet sharp, slick but with a nice line in self-deprecating humour. Great for a night out downtown, or chillin’ with your bro’s, your first stop should be Word Apparel; created, owned and run by Levi based in Houston, Texas. His style, distinctly ghetto, his humour, toon surrealism with a great eye for colour and a great knack for one-liners. This t-shirt collection is not your usual funny ‘ha ha’ eclectic range of old tired japes you’ll normally come across. As you might (or might not) expect from the freshest of the fresh, there’s a distinct blend of the underground street about Word Apparel. Bold prints peppered with touches of pathos and cheek, backed up by an illustrative edge that any self-respecting graffiti artist would have to lay down his cap to, that’s the order of the day at WP. You should expect big things from this lad, and you won’t be disappointed…

As Levi puts it at his popular Myspace joint, “We are always doing something new, focusing on new items to release, and many more things. So check back everyday, you never know what you could miss out on if you don’t! We have your biggest concerns in mind: Quality, Comfort, a “true to size fit”, and LOOKIN’ GOOD! That’s why we only use the highest quality prints and shirts, American Apparel!” read more