December21,2010

Up Close With Burn Rubber Burn Rubber located on 202 West 4th St. in Royal Oak, Michigan was established in 2007 when Co- owners Rick Williams and Roland Colt bought the store from a previous owner. Roland quoted: "We both have always had a liking for sneakers and the whole quote on quote "fashion industry". Going back to Junior high school I had to be the first person with the new Jordan's or Air Max, so we've always been into that, and always been into business and wanting to own our own business. So when the opportunity presented itself for us to buy it, it was like a match made in heaven" Rick added: "Everything just kinda lined up."

Burn Rubber has gotten a great deal of publicity in the music scene already, with rising artists such as Detroit based Big Sean & Mike Posner wearing their products. The company has become well established with a great image. With the new year only weeks away, I asked them their goals for this upcoming year. Rick quoted: "I think the goal for 2011 to be honest, is to keep coming with quality products, with everything we do its just top quality, because I think if we just focus on our product and the brand everything else just falls into place. The fact of the matter is people want to represent something that's quality, something they can take pride in. So we take pride in what we're doing. Like we wear these hats everyday (talking about their brand label skull caps you can see in the photo above) because to me its the best hat I own" Roland added: "And it's not just because it's Burn Rubber." Burn Rubber had a wide selection of brands offered along with the Burn Rubber label, collaborating with major brands like New Balance and creating their own shoes. Roland quoted: "That's gonna open new doors, we've done collaborations with smaller companies that's gonna open new doors giving these smaller companies new opportunities and the shot that they've been looking for." Rick added: "Not to say we won't continue working with these smaller companies, you know? We're a smaller company, so we appreciate that. If the quality is there with the product their putting together, we're gonna go ahead and still work with that, and as far as the big companies, we're gonna be looking at new products and change."

One thing I have always noticed is that there are certain faces established to the Burn Rubber store. Walking into the store you expect to see certain people. Everyone is always welcoming and kind, making the store an enjoyable place to shop and hangout as well. In my opinion, I feel the people and the total atmosphere of this store is what has made Burn Rubber what it is today. Roland quoted on how they established their Burn Rubber team: "Honestly we never really put to much thought into it, it's honestly the people." Rick added "That had the love for it and the passion for it." Roland continued: "It's more like a family thing." Roland then talked about young co-worker Devin (pictured bellow in center), and how he isn't actually their blood cousin or brother, but his loyalty to the store became "familiar", he proved his love for the store, which resulted in bringing Devin under their wing as an intern. After proving himself that he could handle and operate

the business he was hired to work at Burn Rubber. Roland than mentions another fellow friend and co-worker Cliff and the relationship that began at a young age which made him like a "little brother" to both Rick and Roland. Rick quoted: "The thing they all have in common is if you look at Cliff's Twitter or you look at Devin's Twitter, everybody represents Burn Rubber regardless if they're here or not, so it's like they have the same passion that we have for the shop. So it's like they're a perfect fit." Roland added: "And its a trust thing, I mean this is our baby, so it's like I'm not just going to hand my baby over to anybody. We just have to trust cause we're not here all the time." Burn Rubber has become so successful and as far as I'm concerned, there is nothing but growth and success ahead for these passionate and driven owners. Lastly, Rick and Roland quoted: " We want to shout out and say thank you to all the people that support us, like if you've ever just bought one thing from us like one shoe or one little five dollar sticker or something like that, we appreciate it. We are going to keep trying to bring a positive light and everything that's great to Michigan. And a shout out to everyone that's doing what we're doing and encourage people to keep going because that's what is going to turn this city or state around. You've gotta have that passion and be proud of what you're doing and make quality products."

Monday February 7, 2011

Hoodie Allen At the Loft in Lansing Hoodie Allen aka Steve Markowitz is an up and coming rapper that if you have not heard of, you might want to get familiar. This New York based rapper debuted his first mixtape "Makin Waves" in 2009. Since then, Hoodie has been taking the underground rap scene by storm. His fun and contemporary beats are becoming very popular among college campuses across the U.S. Hoodie's most recent mixtape: "Pep Rally" features songs like "You Are Not a Robot" and "January Jones". In my opinion "Pep Rally" samples incredible beats and also highlights just how talented this 23 year old artist is. On February 5th, Hoodie Allen showcased his music at the Loft in downtown Lansing. Although the venue was rather small, Hoodie's performance and his fans overall energy made the show a blast.

MondayApril4,2011

Artists to Watch: Andrew Koji Shiraki (Koji): A look at his music, mission and his message

On Wednesday March 30, 2011 I went to Justice Records in Mount Pleasant, Michigan with the mind-set of going to see Joe Hertler and the Rainbow Seekers perform. After their performance we watched a startling and tragic short film about the LRA (Lord’s Resistance Army) in Central Africa, and how they have been snatching young kids out of their homes and forcing them to join and kill innocent people. After watching this film, I was in complete shock. This issue truly moved me and I was more than curious as to where this was going. Then in walked Koji, a musician with so much wisdom and talent, so educated and passionate. The whole crowd was silent and engaged. Koji along with his friends and Advocates Brian Pappalardo and Pete Badour have been traveling the United States on “The Resolve Tour” talking and inspiring young adults to speak up. As well as encourage our generation to use our voices because they can make a difference. Koji performed his set list, which featured acoustic songs about his life experiences. After his performance,an optional workshop was held. This workshop was a time where people could become more educated on the issue they were advocating, along with discuss what being an advocate meant. At the end of the meeting we were given the opportunity to sign a petition and write a letter

to congress asking to follow through with a bill that they had passed. This bill was to fund a stragety to help get these kids back to their tribes and safe from the LRA.After the show and meeting was done, I was so inspired by what these guys were doing. I wanted to get to know Koji on a personal level, while learn more about him as an artist. Koji first talked to me about how he got on board this tour and what advocacy meant to him. “As far as advocacy goes, I think that it is something that my family raised me to do and as I came of age, I started becoming conscious of things outside of my own little world. As a kid, I learned about the issued of child soldiers and the people affected by the LRA. So since 2005, I’ve dedicated a lot of my time on working on this issue. The year is 2011, now 6 years later there is still work that needs to be done. So I am just following up with that and seeing the issue through”. Koji stressed the importance of starting something and finishing. These people in Central Africa were far from uneducated and were not

silent; it was the issue of not having the resources to get their voices herd. These people needed something to amplify their voices and our generation in the United States had the tools, power and resources to do so. Koji then began to talk about himself as a musician and who has influenced the person he has became today. “I grew up listening to a mix of a lot of things, I had a very eclectic household, so I grew up listening to Surf Rock & Hawaiian music, Folk music, Motown and bands like The Beatles.” Koji’s overall image and who he is as a musician was influenced by the music he grew up with and the culture that surrounded him. He then added, “ It was started by playing guitar myself, all my friends in Junior High and Elementary school where into Punk-Rock music. Now, I feel like what I do represents a sort of mix of all those influences in my life. The type of scene that was present in Punk Rock are definitely present today in my music and how I conduct myself as a professional musician and just a human being in general. So I guess it is really cool to take I guess the “Sum” of my creative learning experiences and be able to create original output and put it back out in the world.”

We then started to talk more in depth about the tour, along with his goals and mission. Koji discussed how important it is for our generation to be an active member in our society, that our voices are important now more than ever. He then stated, “ I feel really good about this tour because there is something really subversive to people that kind of do everything to plan. For example: In our schools, we don’t get the education we need to be effective, responsible citizens and we don’t get a lot of the education we need to live life. So it is in a way up to us to fill in the gaps and make a difference.” In my opinion, I think we need more people like Koji who have the gift to use their voice both in society along within their music to use it. Koji is a perfect example of what a musician should be; he is humble, selfless and stays grounded and focused on what he believes. Koji then added, “ A tour like this where we are combining art and activism, we are saying to people across the country that activism is really no different than art, it is just human expression and is something real and honest. When it is done that way, it can be very powerful. So we are seeing people connect to the story of the child soldiers and the displaced, as well as connecting to our story as musicians and activists and just human beings. We are seeing that we have so much common ground and we have a lot to say if we are given the opportunity. If we invite people to be a part of this dialogue, big things can happen. I think that the potential to be able to tour and celebrate that the possibilities to this life is really an amazing honor to be apart of.”

Lastly, I thought it was important to hear Koji’s rewards so far from being on such a moving and powerful tour. He then proceeded to state: “The most rewarding part is that there is tangible things like a huge stack of letters that are written to congress from all across the country, with people that we have met and we have spoken to along with hundreds upon hundreds of signatures. We know that we’ve been able to share our posters, shirts and CDs and things like that. Those tangible things are reminders of these intangible things that mean so much to us. I think just the gratitude we feel for the people that come to our workshops and our shows and stay for the film is huge. I think we definitely are taken back by the reaction that we get from people that attend our events.” I was taken back by the way Koji along with his tour members were able to open all of his fans up and discuss issues effecting their lives and using them to fuel ways they were getting involved. Koji finished the interview by saying, “ There are so many great stories from this

tour about inspiring people to act and that in return inspiring us to keep going. I think this tour is overwhelmingly rewarding and fulfilling and definitely a blessing to be a part of.” Koji along with the rest of the people on the resolve tour still have a long road ahead of them. Along the way, Koji will continue to grow as a musician along with ganging a following and fans. I think we need to focus more of our time on musicians and activists like Koji who are making a difference, who young people can look up to. I have so much faith and admiration for Koji and cannot wait to see the success that will continue to come from his tour and his music. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to get to Koji on a personal level and he truly has impacted my life in such a positive way.

April 12, 2011

Spring into Fashion: Girls

This post is a collection of my friends and their personal style, that I feel dominate a unique fashion sense that is true to themselves. I also wanted to introduce to you some young and driven people from our generation who are eager to get their foot through the door of their career paths.

Name: Julianne Rose Dillingham Age: 20 Hometown: Beverly Hills,MI Major: Deciding between Interior Design & Psychology Favorite Brands/Designers: Nanette Lepore, Rebecca Taylor, William Rast, Tracy Reese, Zac Posen, Christian Louboutin, Marc Jacobs, Chloe & 7 for mankind. "I have been told I have a Anthropology" style. Favorite Musicians: "No Favorite, I listen to all kinds of music except Heavy Metal". Inspiration For Style: "Art & nature really inspire me especially when I'm designing. I like bold colors as well as neutrals. I am very neat & organized and I like my style to reflect on that. Even down to the minor details such as shades of colors. My style is girly, not too preppy, with a hint of edge (occasionally). I like my looks to be timeless".

Name: Nicole Siklich Age: 20 Hometown: White Lake, MI Major: Recreation Parks and Leisure Service Administration, with a concentration on Commercial Recreation Favorite Brands/Designers: Alexander McQueen "Anything if I like the clothing/accessories" Favorite Music/Musicians: Michael Buble, Ray Lamontagne & Citizen Cope.

Name: Brittany Feldman Age: 19 Hometown: West Bloomfield, MI Major: Photography Favorite Designers/Brands: "No favorite designers, but my favorite store is Urban Outfitters. I also love vintage clothing, especially graphic tees. I love finding Vintage pieces that no one else has. I also love to shop at boutiques. One thing that really defines my style is my jewelry. Whenever I travel it is the only thing I shop for. I love vintage pieces. I mainly buy my jewelry from antique shops or from street venders." Favorite Bands/Musicians: The Beatles, Mumford & Sons, Bon Iver, Fleet Foxes, MGMT, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. Inspiration for Style: "A lot of things influence my style such as: people, music & nature. I always dress for comfort. My style can get a bit strange at times but I don't really mind. I wear what is comfortable. I try not to be defined by one style and like to change things up & make my own unique style."

Name: Kimberly MilkeAge: 19 Hometown: Huntington Woods, MI Major: Communications with a minor in Event Management Favorite Designers/Brands: Urban Outfitters, Incognito, Lost & Found "A Plethora of small boutiques, Royal Oak is where it's at!" Favorite Music/Musicians: "Coldplay will always be #1 on my list"

SundayMay8,2011

Spring/Summer Look: March 8th, 2011