RDQLUS Sneaks for Weeks!

Complex Magazine has tapped RDQLUS Stash again, making it four straight selections and two straight weeks of making their top pics nationally for the best sneakers being put on the grid. It seems a small, trivial or slightly sad thing, but for those who truly love the culture, this is dream status.

This weeks selection was a mix of a classic silhouette from Nike's "golden era", and a fresh (and so clean) profile from a more recent upstart young footwear company, Supra.






To all my heads; Hustle hard… Rock higher… Step lightly… and everyone else can kick rocks!

--
Steve G

Man Up!

Old Spice is at it again! Over the last couple years, Old Spice has had their tongues firmly planted in their cheeks with their cheeky brand of humor directed at lampooning stereotypes. Well they are back at it with the new "Manmercials".



Featuring a buff gent with a rapid fire delivery and an ultimately hyper-typical, manly persona. The result: belly laughter and a a strange urge to get my Old Spice product usage on, for sure!


--
Steve G.

COMPLEX.COM Respects the RDQLUS Passion!

It's no mystery, to any who truly know me, that I have an affinity for fine footwear. Translation: I'm a sneakerhead. I've had good friends find, put on hold, alert me to, and even send me the choicest sneakers because I have stay consistent, authentic and true to my passion for wrangling of rare soles.

Well, a little validation can invigorate and reaffirm a passion.



Marc Ecko's COMPLEX Magazine is a staple with urban aesthetic, streetwear & fashion set. The magazine's website and blog recently began a twice-weekly feature highlighting the best in reader/tweeter footwear. This week RDQLUS was 2-for-2, getting props on both weekly installments for my daily sneaker choices out of supposed thousands that submit photos thru the COMPLEX Twitter feed. Now this might be because my feets is so fly, or it could b simply because I have monkey arms and can take shots of my own person, giving the illusion of fine photography… who's to say? But I do know that it's nice to get love for my commitment to my "thing" and shine a little love on my city, the ONE aka Omaha, NE, not really known as a bastion of style—high, street or otherwise. That's not true and it is changing.





;-)

Thanks to COMPLEX Magazine (Twitter: @ComplexMag) and love to all those sneakerheads out there. Walk lightly… all others can kick rocks!


---
Stevie G

RDQLUS' 'COLDFOOLISH' CARE PKG 090918

"If Travel is Searching and Home What's Been Found…"

Welcome to RDQLUS' "COLDFOOLISH"–the new weekly drop-shop of just a handful of fly goodnesses that I've come across this week. There's no rhyme, reason, slant or even purpose, except to lace you with a sip of tasty deelish while you zone on a Friday, faking like you're working. Get your [cmnd+tab/ctrl+tab] actions ready for when your boss comes lurking.


Click pics to get up… get out… and get som'thin!

Pullin' Jack(et) Moves… Garbstore @ hypebeast.com


Fix the Rip… PK Ripper "Fixie" @ highsnobiety.com


To tha' Moon Alice… Kid Cudi - Man On the Moon @ iTMS


Shadow Boxin'… food & style @ LuxiRare.com



Site Hump of the Week:
highsnobiety

"Take Me Out to the…" NOPE!

Honestly MLB?! Have you not heard nor seen the benefits of viral mktg. Embrace the medium. Embrace the times. It's football seasons and you're losing viewers in droves. You claim the title of "America's Pastime" but we all know that has belonged to football for decades. Along comes a moment—a genuine, improbable, unplanned moment—where once again you were the darling pastime of America… and you block it. You quell the word-of-mouth buzz for reasons of profit protection?

Look, I get it. I'm a designer. Intellectual property is golden in my world. But every now and again, if someone wants to spread a little good word about me and my work and the goodness that is me… I may actually help rather than hinder. It's just a thought. I'm not even a fan, but I was right then. I wanted tickets to the next game, having forgotten what it was like to chill at the park and take it all in. But hey… way to pass on a goodwill moment, that in these times would have gone for a lot! Yes, even on your fiscal bottom line. Give a little… get more than you could even plan for.

What a cutie! What a dad! What a moment! You could have left a new fan saying "What a game!" Instead, the copyrights are all yours. You win. Or do you. That's just my humble take.

Steve G.

Read the original post by Jennifer Van Grove, that got me to thinking about this.

Thanks to Brian Mays (@brianmays on Twitter) for passing along the original link

Take That to the Banksy

With all the recent hubbub surrounding the AP & Shepard Fairey's Obama image, it got me to thinking back about one of my favorite street artists. Now I know we all have certain stances on graffiti and tagging (and some of us even know the damn difference). We know of the legal kind of commissioned art and the illegal kind of thief-in-the-night vandalism. If you don't go read up. But that's not what this is about. Shepard Fairey rose to public prominence as everyone and their mom started to don the image of entertainment wrestling legend, Andre the Giant under the moniker of OBEY. That was supposedly carrying the commentary about this famous man whose life was all about being made to obey in old circus side-show freak fashion. But not many even know that. One of my faves is "Banksy".

Now this isn't passing judgment on the commentary of Shepard Fairey's work. Nor is it saying that Bansky hasn't pulled some crap things in the name of so-called "art" or "cause". The whole subject just brought to mind someone that I thought did an amazing job of using the environment to tell a story using things and situations that are pre-existing.

For instance below, the story is so clear and even sarcastically humorous. Graffiti of a power-washer removing cave drawings of the first ever form of graffiti artists. A vandal making art showing art being removed from a cave in a time where ownership was a fuzzy term and vandalism existed in different terms. Wow. To me, as an artist, that's powerful commentary. Love it or hate it, it makes you go "Hmmmm".



Google "Banksy" to see more work and read more info. There is plenty of art and commentary out there about it.

Peaces, my babies.
Steve G.

They Will Swing On You!

Patting myself squarely on the back, I have a very keen ear for good sounds. Born and raised on the good, underground-style hip hop from the originals, shaped and molded as a rave and concert Jungle/Drum-n-Bass DJ with an affinity for Björk and Enya, my eclectic musical tastes and aural facinations are well documented. They have lead me to a relatively new group and they have quickly cemented themselves in my musical heart. Swing the way of PENDULUM. They are new to the states with their sophomore release 'In Silico', but they are established musicians from Oz.






This sonic barrage is like stepping into your own sci-fi movie soundtrack. Cue the flying cars and sweet tailored leather jackets. Bladerunner should be rescored to THIS! With an unapologetic, hard-driving sound they come at you in a full frontal assault that seems reckless until you find that they are getting through your defenses. They have a well-rooted sound that is 75% Drum-n-Bass with 25% ol'fashioned rock. Imagine that the Prodigy was haning out in the studio with your favorite hair-band while the Chemical Bros. tinkering on some beats, Trent Reznor whispering in everyones ears, and Kasabian and Linkin Park are chilling on the couch chiming into the convo… There you have it: PENDULUM.

Not since KASABIAN's "Leadfoot" have I fallen head-over-heels with a band's unique take on sound. Okay, at least until I cool out to Enya's Christmas CD.

Peaces,
Steve G aka RDQLUS

RDQLUS Humpday Hilarity

Enjoy this clip from the absurdist comedy "Coffee & Cigarettes" (2003)

Mad funny quotables:
"He specializes in alternative medicines… that is, alternative to this PLANET!"

"You're Bill 'Groundhog Day, Ghostbustin'-ass' Murray!"





Coffee & Cigarettes (2003)
dir: Jim Jarmusch

Pick Up the Spare.

With the events of a week ago now done, it's time to get back to the creative rantings and style ravings, the RDQLUS way, shall we?

I'm a noted accessories junkie, so I cruise and paruse in search of all things tasty, even if lacking refinement and high-class snobiety, though I'm all good with that too.



So I found this oh so money belt on UNCRATE! It's made of intertubing, yes—real rubber tubing from a bike. I'm all for crazy fun, unique things that don't have to look mad stupid to get attention. Peep the flavor of this subtly unique item.

Spare Tire Belt @ UNCRATE


-story courtesy of UNCRATE.com-

This Moment of Clarity…

So we've come to it. The day has come for all of the ads to stop and the votes to be cast. We will all breathe a collective sigh of relief as we lay down our choices and walk away with clear hearts and resolved minds. For some this history-making moment is bigger than anything we've seen.

Some know of my younger days growing up in almost stereotypical scenarios for a young Black male in the U.S. But striving to succeed in life and exceed expectations was always the mantra of the day for my mama. There wasn't a day that past that she didn't press hard on me to do better, not as some false hope and fairy wishes, but truly because she knew I could truly do somethign better. So I strived to make her proud even when I didn't quite know the outcome myself. But then it became a survival tactic. Trust me with all the things I've seen and been thru it was more of a running "stride" as my mother's belief in better for me became my own life-sustaining call to action. "RUN!", she would tell me, "Play this game and win!" So That's what I've done to this point and will always do.


This is where I come from… my old housing project in North Omaha, NE


But I bet my mother never thought she'd see it; A day like today.She's a woman of faith so belief in things unseen is what she has but with her own eyes, a child of the 50s & 60s, I bet she never thought the day would come when there is a good example of hope.


This is where I'm headed… around the corner from my polling place as I walk to vote.


Well Ma', here I am. At my polling place ready to at the very least have my voice be heard. Your own young Black man, about to cast a vote for one of my own who has a real chance at being the President of the United States of America. I'm crying while I write this because win or lose, I can't believe it myself. I don't care about politics. I care about life and hope and dreaming of things we want but feel we cannot reach. Well, reach people. REACH! You might just get your hands on something good.

He's Baaaaaack!

Apparently there is rumors of music on the wind coming from Bed-Sty, BKLYN… Peep and be so excited… The Mighty Mos is coming!

Sincerity Looks Like This…

My friend—and I am VERY proud to call him that—Dave Nelson of Secret Penguin took the time to record this and make a micro-stite of it. Now I dont care what your views are, this is the face of a sincere man. An honest man. A good man. How many of us would have taken the time or had the guts to do such a thing. Some of us won't even vote let alone record a pointed and informed video, make a site or eve profess your faith in anything at all.



Why I Am Voting For Obama



My hat off to Dave. I respect and admire you sir.

Your friend,
Steve G./RDLQUS

Is Pepsi Sniffin' Coke?

Hmmm… how to start this? "Dear Pepsi…"

I'm not a big soda drinker now but was in the past. Besides it's always cool to check the lens-flared, faux-moistured, drop shadowy goodness that is the visuals of the drink industry on the whole. No sarcasm. It's the only place you can get away with a lot of graphic design no-no(s) and have it work.

Ahhh but Pepsi. The new logo… Why run your old—but albeit, tried and true—logo thru a simple fish-eyed lens excersize? here's the equation: Logo + Photoshop spherize = new logo. Yeah… not so much. And then why make the other sub-brands suffer the same fate. That's like punishing me for what my parents did. Not my fault, yo!

Honestly, I like the Sierra Mist can. That's really dope. But to spread the new (& very weak attempt at minimalism) Pepsi branding across the entire drink platform is a mistake! C'mon, who's really gonna DO the DEW now. That is not "EXTREME", to quote the chodes from 'Harold & Kumar'

Have a look and have an opinion. This is a good Friday "beer30" banter topic, especially if you have a student or intern. It's not right or wrong, but everyone will have an opinion for the discussion.




"What Is Pepsi Thinking" @ TheDieline.com
--
(courtesy of TheDieline.com & Twitter 're-tweets')

Laughing My "Cool Kid" A$$ Off!

Speaking of poking fun at one's own self (see earlier post "Beethoven"), I found this hilarious video cartoon lampooning current trends in anti-cool coolness. Peep and laugh… at yourself. I know I did!

Hipsters In Space!

From L.A. to the Beethoven

I can't see myself rocking these but I love things that poke humor at themselves and the glamourized lifestyle of the big ballers out there. Now trust, I grew up street-level and have an affinity for hot sneakers, good beats in my trunk and my Jesus-piece & chain… but I never did go in for the heavy diamonds or platinum status. I'm a stainless-steel guy myself. So these silly baubles, from the AMBUSH line fronted by MC Verbal of the Teriyaki Boyz slay me!



AMBUSH Beethoven Pendants

The internationally-known music crew Teriyaki Boyz are known perhaps as much for their wild-out hip-hop-via-Harajuku style fashion sense as their music. Fronted by the ethereal recluse and street stylisto, Nigo—the man behind the A Bathing Ape/BAPE empire—have been at the center of the influx of Japanese street fashion flooding into the States the last number of years.

Notable street fashion cohorts of the T-Boyz are Kanye West, super-producer Pharrell Williams of the Neptunes & N.E.R.D., and more recently underground hip hop brainiac Lupe Fiasco.

(Full story & image: hypebeast.com)

RDQLUS Style: Rock'em Like it's '88!

I don't really have many vices or obsessions so I consider myself fairly well-balanced although a bit out-there at times. But for those who know me, they know of my sneaker collection. if the ladies can spend insane amounts on one single pair of Choo(s) or Monolo(s), then leave me to my high-end collectables.

The newest additions are a classic pack of rare finds brought together for a killer combo. Behold, the Jordan III/XX combo pack.



There are nice… And I mean NICE! The III(s) alone are quite exquisite from my Jr high days before I was able to actually rock a pair. So between those & my mohawk, to quote the 'Cool Kids', "do the wop, do the smurf, baseball bat/rooftop like I'm bringin' '88 back!"



More sneaker shenanigans: The RDQLUS Collection (… and yes I rock them like dress shoes with suits, ties, slack and all. ha ha)

On the realness though, having something you love and are passionate about makes life all the better. Find something and dig into it; music, sneakers, style, gourmet coffees, duct tape wallets… who cares. You'd be surprised how the most trivial and silliest of things can lift the spirits or help you calm the mind from the fear-fest that is piped into the information stores of our everyday lives.

Ya' boy,
Steve G. aka RDQLUS

Knee-Deep in the Sh*t?! Was "Joe The Plummer" frontin'?

Okay, I stay of the politics around this way because that's your own business. Just make sure you take your arses out and lay down a vote. That being said… here… we… GO:

Seems as if "Joe the Plummer", who brazenly shot himself to the forefront by fronting on Sen. Obama, and who was so lovingly embraced last night in the final presidential debate seems to have been frontin' on more than just Obama. Note to all, have your sh*t together before you start feeling froggy & go jumping into the pond!

Read the complete story linked to the New York Times, below.

Awww Sh*t, Joe! Right in the Pooh Now…

(credits: story - New York Times, & thanks to Jeff Fisher for calling it to my RDQLUS attention)

Who's Blockin' Jimmy?!

To continue the wreckles barrage of commercial hilarity, this is a gem from a bit ago. Keep an eye out for the girl in the kitchen with the most awesome t-shirt just about ever! Keep it smooth Jimmy.

Get Your "Swagger" Up!

Aw man, I'm a sucker for cheeky humor and pokin' a little fun at one's own self. Old Spice, who's been around for decades and had to over come an image something close to English Leather (everyone's dad had a bottle of the English!) has done some fn reinvention of the brand image.

It starte with the perfection that was the Bruce Campbell commercial and rolled from there. The new Swagger ads that have been running are flat out hilarious. My fave being LL Cool J… "Now look at me… NICE!"

Happy friday from RDQLUS, go forth and laugh your happy arse off!


Nice!


An honor duEL! (love how he throws the cap! LOL!)


Ice cream… yep!


And of course… The BRUCE!

Peep the painting… that's how he rolls! And, rolls and rolls and rolls!

Crazy Insane & RDQLUS'ly Wonderful!

Bike messengers are a different breed. If you are one, know one, seen one… you know that I mean. Now I want you to witness the free-wheeling love, in complete free-wheel!

I love NYC something crazy and I grew up racing and riding two-wheeled, pedal-powered pieces of a dream so this is a perfect marriage of the two. My guy Shane B. aka "Dunks" put me onto this and I haven't stopped watching it since. I even take a peek when I just need to see the city and feel the love again.



Now don't even think about doing this yourself! But marvel at the skill and freedom that you feel from riding along. I don't know who filmed it fromthe helmet-cam, but if you're out there… thanks man! I love this vid.