Summer is coming and that means I start passing on rap and start playing lots more roots and dancehall.
I came across this Diplo mix and although it doesn't have anything rare or obscure to geek on it is a very very solid primer for the genre during the early 80's rub a dub rootical catalog of Greensleeve's library.
Warning:
There are no lasers, no wild inappropriate dancing videos, and no blonde mohawked mad men. It is just reggae songs.
Here is a shot of the last order of Heavy Manners tees to be sold.
Why no more Heavy Manners?
Maybe it was the economy, maybe it was apathy towards a consumer culture that sickened me, or maybe it was just shitty destiny.
I've been making tee shirts since 2002. It's been a long road. Compared to some of my peers 8 years in the game is nothing. Some of my mentors have been at this game for decades and are still going.
Heavy Manners only did one full offering and few other one off tees and I really didn't get a chance to show visually where the brand was going. I've been sitting on amazing stuff that never saw the light of day due to money issues and bad business decisions.
It was fun while it lasted and although the line went generally unnoticed by the blogosphere we did manage to pull off a few things that made me proud.
Some of the highlights:
Producing a DanceHalloween exclusive mixtape for The Fader with Dasheye and Unite from Tribe of Kings Sound. We got dubs from Demarco and Michael Rose right when "Shootout" Riddim was blowing up. We also did another tape with Sizzla which wasn't too bad I must say.
Working with Kevin Lyons who was and is still a huge inspiration to me.
Getting to work with my partner in crime designer Justin Atallian. Who I still believe is the most slept on designer in the game. Get your fucking website up homie!
Having the skinhead dudes featured in the photo on the Heavy Manners "Riot" tee somehow email me and tell me what really happened in the picture when that photo was taken. Small world.
Having Unite get a tee on Sly Dunbar of Sly and Robbie fame.
Sitting in a ganja filled bus chatting with Half Pint about how dancehall started in the Waterhouse era.
And most importantly having the Godless Killing Machine tee featured on FFFFOUND.COM
Thanks to everyone that showed support and love and although I am going on record and saying this is the end that doesn't mean I won't bring it back sometime down the road.
If you want to buy any of what is surely the last batch of Heavy Manners tees on the planet just check back here when I post a link of where they will be sold at online.
Thanks again.
To end here is my favorite dubplate that we did.
Demarco "Can't Frighten" (Heavy Manners x Tribe of Kings)
