Paul Labonte

A gentleman by the name of Paul Labonte created a book entitled "Photographs Inspired by the Rap Music That Once Inspired Me", which instinctively caught my attention. Although i do not have the book, what was unveiled to me felt a little shy of what i thought it would be. I actually felt like he could have crafted a little further. However check the video for his personal audio.

Kenny Scharf Mural

This mural blinds all the monotony of the world with one glance. It turns a sidewalk into a museum. How do you dress your life? Well i would like to dress some parts of my life like this. I'm sure it is painfully obvious now that i love this mural.

The Influencers: Trends & Creativity

I've slated myself to read a certain book by Malcolm Gladwell (Shout out to The Roots) but I haven't gotten around to it. This is a small piece that points out a little of what Gladwell talks about. Most of us are very aware of trends and the ebbs & flows they take along time, however everyone does not look at trends the same. There are spectators that watch and eventually have a "Eureka!" moment once the trend is front and center; but there are also those that have that "Eureka!" moment at 2:38 in the afternoon on a mundane Tuesday in August. The principle is simple, either you make them or you follow them. Check this film out and see if it peaks your interest, and see where you stand. I know where i stand.

Kuntzel + Deygas Lamp

It's really not a whole to say to be honest. However if you have the expendable income you can purchase from this Euro website, Colette (I'll warn you, this site is going to start playing music). Legend has it these are hand-made in France, each is numbered, and it seems there are 250 of them.

'Steaks' Are High

This is something you have to mentally be prepared for, you don't just blow in here on a whim. Eating in thin or thick air seems quite intense to me...I love it. Apparently this is something that the Belguins (you know...the people who make the waffles [I'm just kidding]) have indulged in and now it appears to be coming to Vegas at the top of the year. I hate to see it rain or either have to fight with an eagle or hawk for a plate of corn.

The point is i would eat here everyday.

Micro Sculpture

I don't even completely know what this is, but it's so amazing and makes my creativity abound so i'm posting it. It's a pencil sculpture and that's about all i can provide. Oh, i also know it can take the creator [Dalton Ghetti] up to 2 1/2 years to complete one of these puppies. Observe please.

Swimming Pool Room

Very creative swimming pool room. This is in the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art over in Japan. I thought this marvelous. It also makes me want to go swimming.

"Argentinian artist Leandro Erlich created this fake pool called The Swimming Pool, for The 21st Centurey Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanazawa, Japan. Leandro put two clear acrylic glasses about a foot apart and filled the space in between with water. The top surface is also filled with about 4 to 5 inches of water so that it looks like a realistic pool."

Fresh Framework

This is a display of artwork over in Paris; a 5x5 sensoric installation that consists of an aluminum plexiglass structure which is illuminated by 6750 LED's. I actually don't think that they display anything particular but the artistry of it is what snagged my attention. Many of your know i rant about art and the lack of it in the States therefore im paralyzed with curiosity whenever i see this sort of work. Feel free to just gander and let it inspire you however it may.

Fruit Post-It

I just like these and thought y0u might as well. Its from Japanese studio, D-Bros. They are probably extremely hard to obtain. Enjoy

Melbourne Recital Center

Alright I retrieved this from Kanye's blog but...that's not the point. You know how we operate over here. Viscous art always gets my attention. This is a building designed by Ashton Raggat McDougal, and as the title specifies, its the Melbourne Recital Center. Oh how i wish we had more cool things to look at over here in the States. I don't want to sound like a broken record but..."where's all the creativity folks". I want creativity "stat", "pronto".

Creativity Alert

This is an MTV Europe ad. Why can't we get that creativity over here. We always get stuck with the seductive ads over here in the lustfully driven U.S.A. Simple yet creative, enjoy

The Linienlampe Pendant Light

I dare one to say this isn't tantalizing.

Electrical Wiring

We take many avenues to greatness on this blog, and i found some greatness on Kanye's Blog, (or at least creativity) the link is on the side. I do not concede that i would find this in someone's home anytime soon, however its fun to look at. To be honest i wish our homes over here in the states had more creativity to them, breaks up the monotony, go ahead and tilt your head to the side and say "true".

The Sharky

The regulars know how much we like cool things on the 'Sofa. I thought this was the coolest thing in the world when i saw it, so im sharing, im not even stingy like that. The Sharky "tea infuser" by Pablo Matteoda is meant to extract certain properties from soluble ingredient such as tea leaves, herbs, or fruit by soaking it in water until it gets saturated.

I used to drink tea sparsely but i might have to drink it with more regularity. I want to sit down with jaws in my cup, to make my hydration process much more riveting. This is the creativity i look for on a day to day basis and i get excited when individuals bring their creativity out to court my creativity. I haven't found a merchant to purchase this from nor have i discovered a price but when i do i will supply an update for our dear friend of the 'Sofa, Sharky.

I Had to Do It!

This is going to be one of my few self motivating post. I was recently in Atlanta at a store entitled Wish. They had the illest shoe collection in the western hemishpere. Those who live in fashion priviledged areas such as Atlanta, LA, or NY may scoff at this post but im an ardent seeker of quality and variety and i do not get much of that in the "D", so "what choo want me to do, im sorry!". Who am I kidding nobody in LA reads or NY reads this blog!

The unique thing about a lot of the aforementioned places is that they have a good selection of independent boutiques and shops which creates diversity, individuality, and identity. When you live in a big city and they only utilize big business it creates redundancy, and it really doesn't promote the spirit of entrepreneurship. Also when you have other budding designers they are afforded an avenue to get out their pieces or collections and it makes a beneficial scenario for everyone involved. There are positives to larger business, such as jobs and familiarity but you need to mix it up with a little friendly competition. As far as a tourist is concerned they are not looking to come into town and visit a Macy's because every state contains one already, nothing new the same things, give them something fresh, native, and indegenious.

So back to my shoe zeal, you can't even see all the shoes they had in here but you can extrapolate from what i've displayed. I was just a little excited; they had a bevy of shoes and i assume they must own a top tier account with most of the brands. Nonetheless i hope you found something of quality amongst my excitement. Oh and they are killing everybody with the name embedded in the concrete like "we own this spot". Life is about the details.

Kanye reminds me of...

Before you write off my assessment, you have to hear me out. As i was sitting watching my favorite movie Above the Rim the other day it forced me to think about Tupac's life and this is what i resolved, Kanye is extremely like Tupac. It is rare that people so different can reflect the same light.

Follow me, its ok, trust me. Both individuals were intensely passionate about their work, especially music. Their passion for music pushed them to the cusp of greatness, Tupac created music that was felt like never before. The first fingerprint of his work was his voice, never had an artist up to that point spilled so much assertion and aggressiveness on their music. The most potent characteristic of his music was its impact on the rest of the game. He dared you to step your game up, with thought provoking songs as well as when he had his ambitions as a ridah. Kanye has also pushed people to take their music to a whole new level, he was essentially the godfather of a whole music revolution as far as the resurgence of the soul sound. Even now he makes music that changes the whole dynamic of his genre, if you can still box him into one.

Both of these guys were technically bred as anti-mainstream artist. Tupac came through with Digital Underground, a heavy contrast to the "gangsta-rap" that was taking place at that time. Kanye came up with Talib Kweli who is certainly more about helping generations than he is about selling records. Kanye says Kweli is the most important person in terms of his development as a rapper. Both Pac and Ye ended up being extremely available to the mainstream.

Both individual are extremely emotional, if you have the opportunity look at some old Tupac interviews or if you have snippets stored in your brain just think back. Look at how emotional Kanye gets, just like Tupac did. Both were passionate from an uncommon viewpoint, let me explain what that means. Tupac was such a layered individual and there was more to him than what met the surface, people would often ask him how he could make these aggressive and violent songs and in the same booth create some of the most inspirational, thought-provoking, and uplifting material. He took his experiences from an under privileged environment and merged that with privileged living, what he saw during the later chapter of his life. Most people weren't like that, which is why it was so hard to fathom for most people. Either you were hood or you were uppity, there were very few that had come from so little and achieve so much and have a platform to express it to the world, simultaneously trying to explain to the opposing viewpoint to each side. He couldn't convince the media and mainstream America that people from the slums don't always have bad intentions and they are just like you, they could not absorb what it was like to be from the slums. Just like people from the "hood" couldn't understand the demands he had on his life now and that he had work to do as far as helping as many people as he could with the platform that he had. So his viewpoint was so uncommon because there were so few that could relate.

Kanye on the other hand was taught to be different by choice. He defies all the laws and platforms that were set before him, from the time he entered as a rapper, he says himself " they were looking at me funny cause i didn't have a jersey on". He is part of the mainstream but he thinks like an underground artist, he doesn't want to do it the way others do it. Kanye would make an album and gripe because he didn't get a Grammy Award, but you have to look at what drove him to act this way. Kanye is so talented a lot of songs that are produced, he could do in his sleep, his brain is thinking "push the envelope" and create something truly original. He thinks why are we rewarding people for songs that sound just like ten other ones on the radio and lack so much from a creative aspect. Kanye is a true artist stuck in the world of painters. Everyone can paint especially if you have a stencil. Kanye is trained to think the way you SHOULD think. Lets use the example of taking someone out to a fine restaurant with the finest delicacies and they don't want anything because they are looking for a hamburger, and you are thinking "dude, we got filet mignon here, what do you mean you want a hamburger?". That is what he deals with in his field, but he works amongst them and with them. So back to my original comparison, both were hellbent on making you see things from their uncommon perspective.

Pac and Ye were also both raised by single mothers and were very close to their mothers, which I personally think had to do a lot with them being so emotional. Both had mothers that were relatively activist and progressive on societal concepts. Tupac's mother was affiliated with the black panthers and although Kanye's mom was a teacher at the tender age of six she participated in the sit-ins.

For me when i look at the two i am able to see a lot of the same brilliance, creativity, and emotion. That's why i see these two as carbon copies that walked two different paths.

Creativity

Fresh and novel creativity in the form of a poem, straight out of my man M.Eazy's memoirs. Take a read and enjoy.

A Dream,

that’s all it seems,

A wish dancing in the wind,

never to be fulfilled,

or believed.

If eyes are truly the windows to the soul

when you look into mine

would you see the love you desperately yearn to find?

Or would u see a person not worth your time?

I wonder.

I wonder if I can share my secrets with you

and pronounce you the queen of my world

And assure to you you’re my one and only girl

I imagine.

I imagine us taking things slow, never fast

Eternalizing each moment with you

making it last

I imagine myself being there for you,

when you feel alone and when you cry.

And erasing the emptiness you feel inside.

When I imagine you smiling at me,

I can’t help but blush.

A storm rages inside me of love and lust.

Even the thought of you is jus too much.

I need you in my life.

Your absence has had me empty for so long.

I cry at the feelings of loneliness whenever I hear love songs.

So whisper in my ear sweet nothings,

and reveal to me how you feel.

Share with me this one secret that you keep inside.

I promise I’ll tell no one ‘til the day I die.

Cling to me now,

so we can explore this thing together.

I can show you a love that can be so gentle,

so tender.

And to this life

To this love

To you

I will surrender.

Building Something Exotic

First take a look at these pictures they are from Argentina, Holland, Austria, Singapore and one more place. These are beautiful, we'll talk in a minute.








Why do other countries have such extravagant architecture and we have boring block buildings every where? Buckle your seatbelts, because im going to give you the plush red sofa perspective on this one.

This is a collaboration blog with Bejhun. This is what came from the dialogue: Americans are taught to go to school, get good grades so you can get out of school and get a good job. The arts industry is frowned upon, a lot of people don't feel like it is a real career. When people are into vocal arts it is more acceptable because people see the outcome of large amounts of money and people have a hope for the next sensation. From generation to generation values have been passed down generally encouraging people to be a businessmen, doctors, or a scientists. These are all supposed to be sure fire and secure positions in America. People in other countries are encouraged to be more expressive (Shout out to Julie who was hanging in Japan). In America it boils down to money. Money is good but it seems that's where all the emphasis is. If you notice everbody wants to be rich (that's why Creflo Dollar is so popular, but that's a can we cannot open up right now).

A lot of the exotic buildings in America were created by foreign architecture. Heck, even the statue of Liberty was a gift (go to history class on that one). America does have talent but everyone is so forced into following the norm. Companies are obsessed over marketing formulas and strategies. A lot of times people want you to think outside the box but you better not lose the packaging. Matter of fact i believe just recently they were cutting a lot of art programs in the public school system, which i think is very unfortunate. This even trickles down to fashion, look at all the major designers and where they are located, all the major fashion shows are overseas. Even when people don't wear what everyone else generally wears then they dress funny or they are weird. Take my main man Andre Benjamin or Andre 3000, I have had to stick up for that man for many years due to his wardrobe selections. Some things i wouldn't wear but if thats what he feels like putting on who cares and really some of it is kinda cool i think.

This is something that i thought i would share with the constituents of the Plush Red Sofa. A beautiful mind is a terrible thing to waste.

HYPOcrite!

When is it ever good to copy? When is it a good time to copy? There appears to be a double standard in effect. Companies are duplicating other brands and designs that have already hit the market. As I was thumbing through the Vibe magazine the other day i noticed a pair of Fila sneakers that looked exactly like some Prada sneakers that have been around for an extended amount of time. Why do companies do this? They seem to be able to get away with such plagiarism if their product costs significantly less money, no one cares because they are no threat. However, that's still not right.

Why don't companies hire anyone with ingenuity anymore. Matter of fact if you are creative your services are at a premium (that's an insider tip). If someone worked for my company and presented me with a product that looked exactly like another companies product i would fire them just for bringing the spirit of copy cat into the building. I know when i was in school we got in trouble for cheating off someone else's paper or in college they use the fancy word, its called plagiarism. Someone please help me understand the rationale behind this. Ladies think of when Minolo Blahnik came out with the boots that look like timberlands and then Steve Madden made some just like it, or what about all these companies that duplicate the Gucci print and Coach print. If you just so happen to be into those kind of things wouldn't you want the best and not the inferior reproduction.

Maybe the competitive spirit is gone in America. Im about to start stealing other people articles, because im a writer and its easier that way. PSYCHE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My articles are better anyway.