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O.G O.G O.G

Dancehall: The Rise of Jamaican Dancehall Culture

I came across this book a few months ago and immediately wolfed it. I had no idea it existed until I saw it on the shelf. The book features photos from Beth Lesser who apparently was living in JA during the eighties who somehow managed to live and photograph nearly everyone that was relevant in dancehall at the time.

The book is full of photos of nearly everyone: Tiger, Johnny Osbourne, Johnny Clarke, Purple Man, Yami Bolo, Pinchers, Prince Jazzbo, Jammy, Nitty Gritty, Cocoa Tea, Admiral Bailey, and the list goes on.

Besides the photos there is a good amount of insightful writing about dancehall culture, artist bios, life in Waterhouse, Jamaican culture, and so on.

Obviously, I am a complete geek for this book, but you have to understand how rare it is for someone to have photos from this era. Jamaica has always been a third world country and outsiders are not welcomed in. It is a gross stereotype to think Jamaica is this warm an serene place. Most folks think of resorts and postcard esq beaches which is true when you're staying at a resort, but when you actually are born and raised in Jamaica it is a whole different scene.

Thankfully someone managed to capture the era on film.

Here's some of my favorite pics from the book.









Link:
Buy it HERE

Radio Silence

From website:

Hardcore music emerged just after the first wave of punk rock in the late 1970s. American punk kids who loved the speed and attitude of punk took hold of its spirit, got rid of the “live fast, die young” mind-set and made a brilliant revision: hardcore. The dividing line between punk and hardcore music was in the delivery: less pretense, less melody, and more aggression. This urgency seeped its way from the music into the look of hardcore. There wasn’t time to mold your liberty spikes or shine your Docs, it was jeans and T-shirts, Chuck Taylors and Vans. The skull and safety-pin punk costume was replaced by hi-tops and hooded sweatshirts. Jamie Reid’s ransom note record cover aesthetic gave way to black-and-white photographs of packed shows accompanied by bold and simple typography declaring things like: The Kids Will Have Their Say, and You’re Only Young Once.


Ed* Hardcore is getting some love these days.


Links:
Radio Silence Home Page

After Eight Book

I'm a geek for graffiti books. I don't like all of them per say and I don't exactly "pay" for them when I do want one, but I pretty much have any graffiti book worth its weight in paper from the last 5 years and this one I think makes the cut.

After Eight8 is a sketch-based book where writers are asked to produce sketches on various outlines of subway trains. The book has been around for a while, but was hard to get in stores.

Check them out:
Buy After Eight8 Here Via PayPal

Ralph Baksi "Unfiltered" Book

Speaking of Ralp Bakshi. His new book is available now at Amazon.

If you like cartoons, characters, animation, drawing, or just plane old bugged out offensive over the line art work buy this book now.

You're welcome.

Ralph Bakshi Book Buy Here