Cosmopolitan Boys Sunday Snippets #006
Cover photo by Jean-Pierre Laffont - ‘Ali vs Frazier’, 1971.
05/26/2024, Sunday, 00:16 @ Centro, São Paulo.
Before anything else, I want to thank you for the positive response to our new segment ‘CB Profile’ (here, in case you haven't seen it). I confess that I was extremely surprised and did not expect such a commotion. And also thank you for us reaching 1k followers on the project’s Instagram, but that is less important. I always say that my commitment is to cultural impact; numbers are nice and mean something, but at the end of the day, what matters is relevance, and that’s what I seek.
I have been trying to slow down a bit on everything; my current battle is with my health, and I have been losing most of the time, but I believe that everything will settle down. Recently I also entered a nostalgia phase of revisiting content that taught me a lot about hip-hop, streetwear, and culture as a whole; I'll try to bring some of that this week and in the coming weeks.
*Each topic is dissected a bit more. Click the arrows and/or the links.
THINGS I AM READING
I stumbled upon this interview (which I think is from 2016) while researching other things. It is quite short and unpretentious, but it’s interesting to understand a bit about the context of the time. Pharrell was 36 years old, collaborating with Louis Vuitton on the development of eyewear and jewelry, and talks a bit about his career, his musical collaborations, his design vision, and his future ambitions. He mentions how he was helping Kanye West along with Nigo on Pastelle (!). He also talks about his desire to open schools for talented and underprivileged children and his collaboration with the Microsoft Foundation. I pulled out and translated some excerpts:
In 2003, it was estimated that Pharrell Williams was responsible for one in five songs played on British radio.
XC: So, why do you live in Miami? PW: Simple. The three Ws: the water, the weather, the women. But, actually, I spent only two days at home this year. And one in Virginia Beach when I passed through there on tour.
XC: Do you buy art? PW: Yes, occasionally. I have a great painting by Keith Haring of a spaceship that I hang in my house in Miami. And I have a Pomodoro; I own some of those works. But I really like Kaws. He probably created 90% of the artwork in the house. He is making a huge sculpture for me right now.
XC: Well, since we are talking about Richard Prince, let’s talk about appropriation, or as we say in music, samples. You don’t seem to use any samples in your work. PW: No, what I do is listen to old records and look for chord progressions and bass lines and things like that. I treat my music like a designer does. You know, they go to thrift stores; they don't necessarily copy something directly; they are looking at the cut and then looking at the colors, looking at the textures. It's the feel of the thing that you then reinterpret in music or clothing. To me, that’s cool.
XC: I see some similarities between you and Kanye West. How you both possibly achieved everything you could in music and are discovering new passions. I heard you are helping him with his brand Pastelle. PW: Yes, Nigo and I are helping him with the business side of things, giving him advice on production and marketing. I mean, what in the world could be better than designing your own clothes? Wouldn’t you want that? Who wouldn’t?
PW: Yes. Well, you know what, I’ve just been relaxing. I haven’t been going anywhere. That was the old me. [sings] "Look at me now..." Now I really am; I’m just in my Batman wave, I mean, my Bruce Wayne wave. See, that was the old me. Back then, I felt I had a lot to prove. But now I am just who I am, the real me doing what I love. I am the Discovery Channel, the History Channel, I am all those things. And I want to experience much more education than the old me. I need to learn. Now is the time to be more introverted. That is the new version of me.
I discovered this website this week and it has been quite useful. It is a tourism website, but it takes a very comprehensive cultural approach, connecting with local people from countries and bringing relevant information. It has several guides and themes about the main metropolises of the world. In their words:
Trippin is powered by a global community of diverse voices that are shaping today’s cultural landscape. We are an independent platform that connects travel, culture, and creativity like never before. Collaborating with our community to uncover stories found at the intersection of social and cultural boundaries. Combining guides and experiences with podcasts, films, and the written word to create an ecosystem that empowers people to travel more consciously. It is about promoting global creativity, mapping underground scenes, uncovering cultural mosaics, and connecting cultures worldwide - all through the eyes of locals.
The article describes the rise and fall of Been Trill and all the mystique behind the brand and its members. It started as a creative and DJ collective, eventually becoming a brand that was catapulted by the internet and influencer marketing, later sold to PACSUN and lost all its credibility. The collective was formed by Virgil Abloh, Heron Preston, Matthew Williams, Justin Saunders, and -possibly- Kanye. It contributed a lot to the early rise of Travis Scott.
https://www.instagram.com/p/C6G0jPaqtAX/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
A conversation with Teddy Santis at Aimé Leon Dore
Another interview with Teddy Santis here, this one more complete and up to date (2019). He is this mysterious figure on the internet who is behind Aimé and the 'reinvention' of New Balance, but in interviews, he tends to speak well and be quite eloquent. I pulled out and translated some excerpts:
Built on a core philosophy of authenticity, ALD opts to subvert the often superficial obsession with hyped products in favor of establishing close relationships with customers that go beyond exceptional clothing pieces to tell a story steeped in the heritage of Queens.
I was born and raised in Queens, NY, by Greek immigrant parents who believed in hard work and ensuring that we never forgot where we came from. That is definitely obvious in my aesthetic, and I think that’s also why the brand has been so well received abroad.
FINAL: Aimé Leon Dore likes to stay away from the 'hype' side of the streetwear industry to build deep connections with customers based on the brand values and not just the name ALD, why is that important to you?
Teddy Santis: That’s what I believe creates authenticity and longevity in a brand like ALD. The name means nothing if we are not being true to why we are doing this. I believe we are storytellers more than anything else, and the product comes second to that. No one wants to wear anything today unless they believe in what it represents. People who don’t care, I don’t want that consumer. They are short-term and more than anything else will hurt the brand for that specific reason. That is what streetwear is today; half the people wear something because everyone else is doing it, not because of what it really represents or because they really like it... With today’s market, trying to do what we proposed is really difficult, but if you stand firm enough because you truly believe in something, the difference between where you are now and where you want to be is just a matter of time, hard work, and an honest approach. The internet has given consumers the opportunity to discover the facts, and how brands like mine handle that will determine long-term success. To be honest, I’m not a fan of where streetwear is now, and that’s why I’m excited to be in the position I’m in.
FINAL: You mentioned that the decision to open a physical space in New York was about the ability to convey the brand identity in a way that goes deeper than experiencing the products. If you had to translate the experience of the ALD space into a few words, what would they be?
Teddy Santis: We try to create several moments that hit you with a ton of emotion when you experience them at the same time. Every single detail is taken into account when building those spaces.
I’m always looking back, to my childhood, and what inspired me then and how I can translate that today.
MUSIC I AM LISTENING TO
I have been going back to listening to Pop Smoke and giving attention to songs I never had before, and there’s a lot of good stuff. He appeared meteoric and shook the whole music industry and was gone too soon. It’s crazy to stop and think about the excitement that surrounded him at the time. Everyone knew from the beginning that he would be huge, and it seemed inevitable. This clip directed by Virgil is really dope and has an energy that can’t be replicated. Featuring Steven Victor, cars from L’art… May they both rest in peace, I wish I had the chance to meet them.
I think Vince Staples is quite underrated; he is very consistent and the albums are generally very good. I still need to listen more to this one, but I liked it a lot at first contact; it might be hard to surpass the last three, but still, it’s a great project. Highlights include “Shame On The Devil” and “Little Homies”
Album that feels like an album; I miss that in Brazilian rappers. Well-defined concept, curation, and development of the tracks are very well done, sound experimentation, etc… Great project. Highlights for the drum breakdowns.
Nulo has been my personal friend for many years and has always been by my side willing to support in any way. I am very happy and proud that he released this album totally against the current of the Brazilian industry. Everything sampled, beats without drums, mismatched rhymes… Highlight for “Casablanca.”
Before starting the Cosmopolitan Boys project, I had already done the first Cosmopolitan Sessions. Yesterday I woke up wanting to do the second and did. Basically, it’s an open format DJ set of about 1 hour. I want to bring in some guest DJs in the future.
THINGS I AM WATCHING
Video that follows Virgil as he prepares for his first set at Coachella, showing all his creative process behind choosing the songs, the concept, the screens, etc… The greatest of all time. Not a day goes by that I don’t remember this guy at least once. His energy and enthusiasm were very unique.
It also shows his closeness and trust with Brazilian Pedro Cavaliere. Arthur Kar and several other personalities also appear. Not to mention that office and the transparent Pioneer…
The Stremio app has become available for television (yes, you can watch anything now…) and I went back to watching The Bear. Not that I’m a great understanding of series, but I am sure it is one of the best currently in every aspect.
The Gawx is a little genius and has the best content on YouTube by a wide margin. This video he released today with Samsung advertising deserves to win some award. Not to mention the fact that he does everything alone.
TWEETS OF THE WEEK
https://twitter.com/byseanbrown/status/1793335642660704607?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1793335642660704607%7Ctwgr%5E4ec69996273a89f2f2c23ae2f6a24a04069e2e44%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fcaiodosreis.notion.site%2FCB-Sunday-Snippets-006-043ece6a36d24880ab44b13430db81cd
https://twitter.com/LINGUINI4A/status/1794033874265096394?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1794033874265096394%7Ctwgr%5E4ec69996273a89f2f2c23ae2f6a24a04069e2e44%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fcaiodosreis.notion.site%2FCB-Sunday-Snippets-006-043ece6a36d24880ab44b13430db81cd
https://twitter.com/TheCinesthetic/status/1793289462811972012?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1793289462811972012%7Ctwgr%5E4ec69996273a89f2f2c23ae2f6a24a04069e2e44%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fcaiodosreis.notion.site%2FCB-Sunday-Snippets-006-043ece6a36d24880ab44b13430db81cd
https://twitter.com/rapoutcontext/status/1792686987859923374?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1792686987859923374%7Ctwgr%5E4ec69996273a89f2f2c23ae2f6a24a04069e2e44%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fcaiodosreis.notion.site%2FCB-Sunday-Snippets-006-043ece6a36d24880ab44b13430db81cd
https://twitter.com/tlop444/status/1792969815113547939?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1792969815113547939%7Ctwgr%5E4ec69996273a89f2f2c23ae2f6a24a04069e2e44%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fcaiodosreis.notion.site%2FCB-Sunday-Snippets-006-043ece6a36d24880ab44b13430db81cd
Thank you for reading; I hope you found some interesting spark for yourself. I'll also advance exclusively for the readers that we are going to hold an event on the 8th; save that date. Soon I will bring more information. The situation in Rio Grande do Sul has worsened in recent days; don’t let that fall into forgetfulness and continue to stay alert and help in any way you can. Link with centralized help information.
OTHER EDITIONS
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2Nl1EW19QTm3t5QMA6eLtM?si=6c28989c3b2a48f3
©2024, We wake up and do things, Cosmopolitan Boys.
my portfolio http://caiodosreis.com my experiences http://intagram.com/reisceo my research http://culturalmidfielder.tumblr.com my dj sets, beats, and remixes http://soundcloud.com/reisceo things I save http://pinterest.com/reisceo small notes https://twitter.com/reisceo
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