I’m beat. Trying to recover from a crazy week of traveling. Had an excellent time in the bay. What a great city! I loved it. I am definitely going back at least a week next time around. I’m mad inspired by all the street art I saw. The murals are amazing and hella deep. The graff was cool, but them murals boy really made an impact on me. Hands down a great city for art!!!

DAY 1: Sisterz of the Underground @Club Six

After a long nap at the hotel and a nice walk to the venue I had arrived to the 9th annual the Sisterz of the Underground anniversary event at Club Six. Sooo….I’m personally not a fan of live painting in clubs but when there’s a trip involved I’m there no mater what! I love art and it needs to be properly displayed. Having had a few years to curate exhibits I’ve become a nut about it. I was happy I got a chance to zoom my slideshow really really big across the walls of this place. Whew! What a difference that made. { saved }

If your gonna rock it you gotta do it right. Never attend an event without a dope slideshow. This has become “MY” new rule.

So the gals hooked it up with Upper Playground! yeah baby. They looked out and made a sweet deal to get me here. Shout out to Traci P, Cricket, and Sarah for the invitation! Also big ups to Adam for hooking it up with my capsule collection T’s. Currently up on my shop for sale NOW >>> Shop for Toofly X Upper Playground  T-Shirt collaboration.

10PM. B-boyz warming up, and the female DJ’s setting it off on the 1 & 2′…I must say the women DJ’s were on point!

Aight. Time to get busy…

Sarah & Cricket ready to hit the mic and the dancefloor. Good job ladies!

Ciphers & perfrormances were pretty tight. Wish I was tall sometimes so I could shoot…

Night went smooth. I didn’t take advantage of my drink tickets enough though:( Next time. Shout out to my hommie Rolando Brown for swinging by to support, and big ups to Suzie for the wonderful rooftop dinner!

DAY 2: See, Taste, Feel…

Early riser. Mornings are my thing. All is quiet, all is peace. I trooped it to the Japanese Tea Garden to give thanks for all my blessings, and sip on some Jasmine tea.

If Japan looks anything like this I’m there! Maybe 2011…we’ll see…

Japanese Architecture is beautiful…

I got the traveling bug. CROSSOVER BABY!!! making plans…

Koi. According to Japanese legend, if a koi succeeded in climbing the falls at a point called Dragon Gate on the Yellow River, it would be transformed into a dragon. Based on that legend, it became a symbol of worldly aspiration and advancement. More generally, the Japanese associate koi (also known as carp) with perseverance in adversity and strength of purpose. Because of its strength and determination to overcome obstacles, it stands for courage and the ability to attain high goals.  – Werd!

Dope place. I recommend it, but go there early before it get’s filled up with tourists and you can’t enjoy the natural view cuz it’s a tiny oasis.

By 12 noon I had made it to the San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge. Glad the skies were clearing up it had been cloudy and cold since I got there. I guess my only complaint about this place was that there was not enough to do here besides ride your bike and charge like $3 for cheetos! Crazy tourist prices…not cool.

Besides that and looping up, down, and around the bridge I found a nice little spot to chillax and eat my $3 cheetos. I can’t believe I payed that! argh…still beating myself up about it, lol…

{ Hungry } Found out there was an annual international food festival at the missions, and I was outta there! I bid my farewell to seaguls and hit the bart to catch up with homegirl Nancy.

WOW! Pupusa time! Yummy. I was loving the food festival but was not about to wait an hour on the longest lines ever for grub. Hommies knew just where to take me to get one of my favorite salvadorian patties. Thanks ladies!!! Great meal. { Happy }

I truly got blessed linking up with Nancy. Homegirl took the time to show me around and give me a personal stroll through the missions and point out various artists, and stories about all the murals down here. Amazing! I got so inspired by the whole thing, and even more so because she herself is mural artist, educator, and activist. You can see her on this flick below on this mural detail with the bun on her hair.

Nancy you ROCK!!!

Balsy Street

I gotta ask Nancy who this artist is again. I loved his work!!!

This mural blew me away too. The tone on tone blue color I love so much, the theme, the story that runs so deep. Mural is called La Llorona” by Juana Alicia

“La Llorona’s Sacred Waters”A project on women, water and globalization. La Llorona weaves the stories of women in Bolivia, India, and at the U.S. Border together. It highlights Bolivians in Cochabamba who have fought to keep Bechtel Corporation from buying the water rights in their country; Indian farm workers in the Narmada Valley protesting in the flooded waters of their homes against their government’s irresponsible dam projects; and the women in black protesting the unsolved murders of women in Juarez, in the shadow of the Rio Bravo and the maquiladoras (sweatshops).

I can’t wait. That’s all I gotta say.

San Francisco is a city that is in love with murals. With over 600 murals, San Francisco’s mural tradition is rich and diverse with murals painted on building walls and facades, fences, garage doors and more. The colorful Mission District is the capital of San Francisco murals with the greatest concentration of murals in San Francisco. The San Francisco Mission neighborhood’s love affair with murals stems from the Mexican roots of the Mission District community. The Latino community took up residence in the Mission neighborhood in the early 1970s and they brought their muralist traditions with them. A walk along 24th Street between Valencia and York illustrates the vibrant mural traditions of the San Francisco Mission neighborhood.

My peoples. Transcending…

I kept running into the work of this artist who’s graff work I was really feeling. I gotta get his name…

Love it!!!

Homegirl Nancy. Thank you for the lovely street art strollz! Your DOPE.

By 6pm or so I was ready for the cipher and some chillax…

Besides walking up the crazy steep hills, it was all worth it cuz the view and the sunset made it all better:)  What a lovely day Saturday was. I couldn’t have asked for anything more. Shout out to the hommies who looked out and made me feel really welcome. Big ups to Suzie for putting together a lovely rooftop dinner and filling the day with love, friends, and blessings. THANK YOU!!!

DAY 3: Oakland Chillax…

Spent my last night it Oakland with a lovely woman named Tracy and a room filled with beautiful plants. Had some really nice conversations about philosophy and all things that make up our crazy beautiful lives. Shout out to my homegirl Izzy Izmz for linking us up:)

Took the afternoon to check out the Art & Soul culture arts festival in downtown Oakland. Had some ice cold lemonade, listened to Jazz & Salsa music and got some henna art. Met Rachel-Anne Palacios who rocks some sick Mehndi. I couldn’t resist. There’s always a first time for everything and I was way happy she did it:)

Younity baby! She’s down.

And that my friends was a sweet weekend filled with art, soul, and friendship. Thanks Tracey! Thanks Nancy! Thanks Suzie! Thanks Sisterz of the Underground. More reason why I love building with women and their open approach to life, art, and community. Younity is everywhere. Even though I’m rolling solo these days I’ve learned that the soldier of love is in all of us and we need to continue to spread it in any way, shape, or form. It has no boundries. The trip, the bridge, and the James Balwin documentary ” The Price of a Ticket” made all the sense in the world to me that all is as it should be. I’m SOOooo hooked on this new found freedom…

“Know from whence you came. If you know whence you came, there are absolutely no limitations to where you can go.” – James Baldwin

DAY 3: GAMLA STAN

After a good night’s rest from the Art of the Streets event I geared up my camera and took some street strollz through a little town called  Gamla Stan. I don’t know what I would do without my camera these days, it’s become my third arm! Hooked. Anyway…Gamla Stan is a lovely old island town, dating back back to the 13th century. It consists of medieval alleyways, cobbled streets, and archaic architecture. There’s lot’s of yummy little bistros, old merchants’ houses, antique shops, and mad tourists! I made sure I steered away when I saw packs and packs of them getting out their buses. Geez…luckily I was able to enjoy it’s quiet appeal when I came back in the evening and all was settled…

Gamla Stan

Every corner I turned pretty much looked like this…Yellow and brick colored homes, shops, and bistros…

” on the Sunny side of the Street” One of my daily mottos…

The cobbled streets reminded me of my country’s streets…

This had to be the skinniest street I’ve ever walked through! lol so awesome…

Stopped in a shop to get me a little gnome. There’s a cultural heritage that dates back to the vikings which influenced many folklore tales. They make references to elves, witches, and other non-human characters. They are supposed to take care of your home and not let the evil spirits bug you, but you gotta make sure you feed them with love because otherwise they get naughty. I was drawn to this baby gnome to add to my miniature collection:)

After an afternoon interview with Jacob, and Adam at a coffee shop I headed back to Gamla Stan to try and grab some evening shots. I took a different route this time, exploring a different way has become super fun lately. I don’t like taking the same road twice. I ended up further away but got a found a peaceful place where I could quiet my thoughts and be in an aura of thanks…

There’s something to be said about solo travel missions. There are no distractions. You follow you, and no one else. It’s a great time to center yourself when you stray away from the noise. If you truly want to find a way back to your heart’s calling you have to stop, think, and let go of many many things. Especially things that no longer make you happy, that you have outgrown, or that need to be left in the past simply because you no longer need it. Living in a busy city can get you off track sometimes. There is so much to do, so much to see, so much that occupies our mind. It is important to take a time out, and reflect on what matters most to you so you don’t get sidetracked. So yea…I was taking the time to ponder on these thoughts by the water, overlooking Stockholm. I knew that in 14+ hours I would be back to the noise, back to the grind, and back as a member of the noise contribution. Sigh… However, with every passing day there is a new plan. A plan to “get free”. In a few more years all the hard work will pay of. Balance will be restored to it’s natural state. Until then, or the next time I sit still in awe of nature’s beauty…busy bee mode: ON!

Time keeps on slipping, slipping, slipping…into the future….

Big thanks again to Jacob Kimval for the invitation to come to Stockholm. I had a wonderful time!!!

“The best day of your life is the one on which you decide your life is your own. No apologies or excuses. No one to lean on, rely on, or blame. The gift is yours – it is an amazing journey – and you alone are responsible for the quality of it. This is the day your life really begins.” – Bob Moawad

OOoooooeeee back from Stockholm, Sweden! Wow. What a beautiful 3 day trip to Europe, and what a dope project to take part in. I had a great time at the ART OF THE STREETS event. Everything, and I mean everything was well organized and taken care of. I really appreciate and give much props to folks that put events like this together in a professional manner. Shout out to Jacob Kimvall, Tobias Barenthin, and producer of project Ceyan Holago for organizing Art of the Streets, and making my stay such a pleasure. You guys rock!!! I big thank you Riksteatern and the Sodra Teatern who help make events like this possible to support artists, and ideas that need a voice and a well respected platform. I didn’t realize how tough it had been for Stockholm to get an urban arts project like this to happen. The media was going bonkers over this. Apparently there is a lot of controversy surrounding an event that celebrates graffiti and street art. I guess I should have noticed. Stockholm is a very clean city, and the traditional folks in power are definitely not in support of graffiti or any type of illegal vandalism that could influence youth to go messing with their streets. The debates were pretty intense, I didn’t speak a word of swedish but I could feel the tension. Change is inevitable folks. The new generation will have it’s part and say just like you did. Graffiti and street art is not going anywhere. It’s only getting bigger and wiser. It will be just a matter of time until we are the ones in power making a few minor adjustments here and there to create the world we want…and on that note here’s to the beginning of it { cheers! }

DAY 1 – 14HRS LATER…TF HAS ARRIVED!

Hello Stockholm! Hello Scandic Malven Hotel! Flight was hella long but worth the wait to get to this flyyyyy hotel. Shout out to homie Ayman picked me up at airport, along with Adam Mansbach who wrote for Stress Magazine back in the days. Small world!  Had a nice chat on our way to airport. Peeps is peeps:)

Dope hotel. Organic breakfast buffet was no joke! Wow…too bad I have no flick of that. Really dig that they got Jamie Oliver from Food Revolution TV show to team up on their meals. Love that show!

Room 508, Sweeeeeeeeeeeeet!

Ayo Cinik your on a wallpaper at the Sandic Malven hotel in Stockholm Sweden! lol, I think you better look into it. I wonder what the culture minister would say about this? hmmm….Is this graffiti? is this wallpaper? hmmm….

6PM. Approaching location. Eeek! nervous, but mad excited. Ready to rock a presentation and share my life’s work & Younity up to this point…

Sodra Teatern
Sweden’s foremost International venue for Music, Theatre & Debate!

Ghetto-electronica from Angola, Mexican punk-salsa, political drag from New York, streetsmart flamenco, avantgarde rock from Tokyo, and Senegalese hip-hop.

Every corner in the world has its own aesthetic expression… it’s  picked up, transformed, influenced by and influentially transposed into a world that is both microscopic and awesome at once. In our micro cosmos, we are always searching for new life-models and alternative outlooks.

Södra Teatern holds up the mirror to the world we see around us; presenting music, performance, debates and festivals. We are particularly fascinated with the world’s big cities, where cultures mix and clash to form scintillating new subcultures. On our stages we strive to expound upon new angles in culture, and to open your minds eye to places you have never been before. Here, we want to question identity, mix up reality and have a ball while we are doing it. We want to be the exciting watering ground where everyday you can meet interesting people, discover contemporary artistic expression, and be inspired anew!

Södra Teatern is a part of Riksteatern. We present events all year round on our three stages; The Main Stage, Södra bar and Kägelbanan. In 2007 over 160,000 people visited our venue and saw over 500 productions from all around the world!

Jolie was up first. I was so bummed we didn’t get a chance to catch up:( Haven’t seen her since Berlin in 2008! Wasup Jolie!!! Tough timing homegirl I’ll hit you up through FB. Huggggz!

Wow I was SOooo honored:) Presentation went great!!! It’s a lot easier when you speak from the heart. People respect and get inspired by the honesty and risks one takes in order to follow their dreams. It’s a universal language when you show people you care and how you made the journey to discover who you want to be in this world.  The more you fight for it the more folks will support you because they understand how powerful it is to just do it! I thank everyone for their questions, and chance to understand where I came from and how I got to this point. I’m still thinking about many of the things you guys asked. Truly felt { Loved } THANK YOU!

Finally got a chance to meet and kick it with RosyOne! Love her work. Her style. Her attitude. Look out for her new book coming out soon. Congratulations Rosy!!!

Live painting by ROSYONE

Classic Steelo. PROPS hommie I’ll be in touch!

First night was awesome. Kicked ass on the presentation, the organizers welcomed the tooflowers with open arms, met Rosy, and ate some delicious fish and shrimp with potato…

YUM. This was just the beginning of them little food tickets they provided the artists with. Riksteatern knows how to treat their artist! { bowing with many many thanks }

DAY 2 RISE & SHINE!

Big day today. Woke up and saw the news was all over the event….

Big ups to Ceylan Holago  producer of Art of the Streets event. Woohooooo!!! Breaking barriers one at a time…

Tobias representing for graffiti and street art with the culture minister of Sweden! wow…I couldn’t understand a word they were saying but it felt intense. eeek!

Ok seriously I wanted to pinch myself every time I had them meal tickets and sat to eat at their beautiful terrace…

I was in heaven. Every meal I had was amazing…yum…

TOOFLY WORKSHOP: STYLE 2-3PM

Time to get to work. My Style workshop went pretty smooth. Everyone got hooked up with an unlimited supply of Art of the Streets special sketchbook and markers. There were about 15-25 members and their ages ranged from 10-30+. I was especially happy to see a graffiti dad and his two sons working on pieces together, sketching, and coloring.  That was awesome! Shout to that dad, who reminded me of how much better this all is when you have the support of your family. There is an amazing power and magic that happens when you can share this with your children. Those kids are gonna be amazing when they grow up. You can count on that:)

Zoned out…Art is theraputic…you can’t deny that.

A little technique secrets to go around and folks felt comfortable enough to rock their aerosol skillz. Practice makes perfect…

Shout out to Lotta rocking out on the free for all wallz. Not many women stepped up to rock, and I was especially feeling this drippy marker. Gonna get me one and try some pieces with it, shit is fresh!!! I love drips…drips drips drips…

LIVE GRAFF BY TOOFLY 4-5PM

Here we go…Got 2 hours to share my live classic steelo with the Swedish community…

ART OF THE STREETS – STOCKHOLM 2010 baby!

After a long day of painting, workshops, and panel discussions I headed back to hotel which was only like 5 minutes away. Had to get ready for the closing party!

Found a little bit of street art along the way…

Party time!

{ Drum roll please } If ya don’t know now it’s the time to find out.  The Secret Wars was in full effect for the first half of the kick off and closing party. These guys from what I think I understood are the original art battle creators of the live marker art performance. What a freak’n awesome performance this was. Amazing!!! and the best part is I got a chance to participate:) Yay!

This is how live art indoors at club events should be done. Been saying it for years in NY. You gotta go all out like this if you really want to do it right. Shout out to Secret Wars for developing this idea you guys are AWESOME!!!

Even though I’m personally not a fan of art battles, I needed to feel this one out. 90 minutes of music, marker lines, and some freestyle flows. ATOM & TOOFLY Get Free…

Shout out to our competitors. I was especially digging Olli’os steelo on them vines. I’m still not down for art battles but guess what…Atom and Toofly won the battle wooohooo!

Time for jamz. DJ’s were off the hook. Mad beats…

Sweden’s Hip Hop community…

What an awesome event. No redbull to hold me down just pure happiness and some club soda with Ice. Ahhhh….I feel the blessings. Thank you peeps! You are great people. You have love, and the warrior spirit. Together we can and will share the dopeness and inspire folks to bring back the love:) Big hugggz to all, and many many thanks for this beautiful experience!

Day 3: GAMLA STAN coming soon….

It’s been a minute since my last trip to Europe. This time around though I’m rolling dolo, solo, sola! On a mission to rock one of my workshops, build with the locals, and paint live at the Art for the Streets International convention. The event will be held in Stokholm August 13th & 14th at Kägelbanan (Södra Teatern). Ooooooeeeeee more after the jump baby! Shout out to Jacob Kimvall for the invitation. See you guys soon!

Flickr Photo by © Tophee

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Back in NY. Finally get a chance to catch up on my flicks! We had a great time in at the 3rd Eye Open Hip Hop Festival in New Bedford, Massachusetts this past weekend. Shout out to Ben Glbarg for hooking us up! Thank youuuuuu:) Event was dope, piece came out fresh, and we had some delicious seafood wow! Now we know where New England clam chowder comes from:)

The official road trip painting crew for 2010: TOOFLY, VIK, YVEY, and SHIRO. Good Times!

DAY 1 3RD EYE OPEN HIP HOP FESTIVAL. “YEAR OF THE WOMAN”

Live Painting 8 X 24 foot wall…

Always happy when Shiro comes to NY for the summer. It gives us an opportunity to catch up on an entire year of projects, relationships and family:) Hommie 4 life right here. Summer is sOOooo busy for all of us trips like make all the difference in our lives. Love you Shiro!

Aight…time to get busy…tweeting away the process…

Photo opps for the the little kidz…

Shout out to Yvey who not only was our designated driver, but held down our booth and took flicks of our pogress. Thanks Yvey!!!

Making progress…taking mad breaks in between…it was HOT!

Love them skater kidz and their funky decks. This deck matches my piece…

mmmm’mmmm my favorite! Love DEL’S FROZEN LEMONADE ahhhhhhhh – yes save. Ice Ice baby!

Time to pull in the shade tactics to preserve our energy…

FINITO! 6-7 hours later…Wow, loved the colors scheme we chose to go with…still loving green and everything in between…that pink neon eye shadow was yummy….I gotta get me more…

VIK is sick with her letters…love it!!!

Shiro’s character was so on point with the event! Tough Love…Rise up Ladies! Sooooo Fly!

Very happy with this collabo, the crew, and the whole event. THE WALL WAS A SUCCESS!!! P.S. We were the only women painting at this event. Yes mam!

Back from the hotel, and refreshed for some final press flicks…

THE TOOFLY CREW did it again baby! They don’t call me an organizer freak for no reason! lol…

Finally ha a chance to take a stroll around the park. This was a huge event, there was so much to see, taste, and take flicks of…

WOW. some of the other artists/live pieces were beautiful! Especially this one…DOPE.

Art was everywhere…T-shirts, Skin, Paper…everywhere…

B-Boyzzzzz doing their thang on the vinyl…

Graffiti Letter Classics…

They def got a hip hop scene up here…without a doubt…

Shout out to all the artists of 3rd Eye Open. Wish I had all your names!

Made it to Jean Grae’s performance…but was beat. All we wanted was some seafood, and a pillow. Zzzzzz…..

DAY 2

Refreshed, and rested. Swam in the pool for a bit, and then hit the road in search of beautiful things, and relaxing views…

There’s nothing like an ice cold beer, or an ice cold ice cream during the summer…OMG 2 scoops! Sherbet….mmmmmm”

fresh breeze and a lake to sooth the soul, and soak our five’s…

Silly on the swing time!

We were having too much fun with the automatic setting on the camera. Lol! We couldn’t stop…

Got super duper lucky during lunch when we passed by a SEAFOOD FESTIVAL! What…OMG cold beers, Fish & Chips, Clam Strips, Lobster Rolls, Fried Shrimp, you name it…we had it:)

It was a beautiful day with the gals…

Before we knew it it was time to hit the road again, and get back to our regularly scheduled program. Pulled out the Brand Nubian album and zoomed out.

Switching it up left and right this year, and heading out of NY to see how folks in other city’s rock HIP HOP FESTIVALS. I miss the days when we used to take trips to the Philly BBOY BBQ to paint, and share a little slice of happiness with the Philly community. Those days are long gone now, but lucky for us the movement has grown and we can now travel to different cities. New landscape, new faces, and new organizers who know how to take care of their artists. Who’s rolling this year? The one and only VIK! – Her letters and pieces are sick. Love her work. Lucky for us they extended the budget and we are happy to announce SHIRO’S on board YAY!!! Yes mam, in NY for just 2 months and I’m dragging her to another city, Lol! Finally gonna get a chance to celebrate music, celebrate art, and most of all celebrate people together:)  NEW BEDFORD, MA see ya soon!!!

3RD EYE OPEN. HIP HOP FESTIVAL. YEAR OF THE WOMAN!

Featuring: JEAN GREY • CLIMBING POETREE  • TIYE PHONEIX
Live Graff Art by; TOOFLY, VIK, & SHIRO,
Buttonwood Park in New Bedford, MA
Saturday, July 17, 2010 // 9am – 8:30pm // FREE FOR EVERYONE!!!
www.3rdeyeunlimited.com

PRESS RELEASE BELOW >>>

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ahhh yes it’s officially summer in NYC! It was an excellent holiday weekend. From maracuya batidos with my querida family before their trip back to Florida, to a delicious Ecuadorian BBQ with my BFF’s in Staten Island. There was plenty of delicious grilled etraña, hammock sessions and mosquito smacks to go around. Let’s not forget “a party isn’t a party until you dance!” Dragged my brotha from anotha to LIBATION in the LES { official troopers } and “rocked the house yo!” lol, good times, good times. Got it all in and still managed to chillax with my love love at one of our favorite places in Queens, Long Island City Pier. I guess all that was missing was my iphone which got washed away that morning on the permanent cycle. Woops! probably best anyway…haha!

HAPPY SUMMER 2010!!!

Back home from a relaxing weekend at Mount Tremper Arts in the Catskills, Upstate NY. Every now and then it’s good to take a break from city life and reconnect with nature…

- We are shaped by our thoughts; we become what we think. When the mind is pure, joy follows like a shadow that never leaves. – Buddha

The night we arrived we made a quick and delicious home cooked meal then hit the firepit outside. Nothing like a little warmth by the fire, some sake and much needed giggles. The next morning we got a chance to soak up some sunshine as the cloudy sky cleared up, and Alice got busy with the charcol to draw. The art of  relaxation was in full effect. It had been a minute since we touched base with nature again, there’s ((( Mind.Body.Soul ))) freedom in all this green!

The Temper Arts community home. Nothing like having a grill and a kitchen with everything you can possibly need to make healthy and home cooked meals. I love chopping up that cilantro in the morning, noon, and night. Mmm’m my favorite herb:)

It’s too early to see the full blown garden and it’s flowers but you can check them out here…took some flicks last year when we discovered this place…

Speaking of discovering, you gotta take the road less traveled and seek new trails! Yes, and we heard the river and we followed the stream down the pebble pond…

determined to find the river…

We made it! The journey is the destination. Our mind really opened up at this spot. We found a beaver damn with some fallen tree trunks by the water, and chillaxed with some dry fruit and nuts. We were talking about all kinds of crazy beautiful things about life. I love moments like that where your thoughts just flow like the water…

About Mount Tremper Arts

Nestled in the Catskill Mountains, just over two hours from New York City, Mount Tremper Arts supports contemporary artists in the creation and presentation of new works of art. Founded by photographer Mathew Pokoik and choreographer Aynsley Vandenbroucke, MTA fosters an environment of creative risk taking and intellectual curiosity. It does this through an integration of performances, exhibitions, artist residencies, educational programming, and informal gatherings.

We love it here!!!

We’re coming back so get ready peeps. 8ppl max crew, all facilities included!:) >>> FALL 2010 – Younity Pow Wow Retreat!

B-Girl Be 2009 Block Party included Mainstage Performances, MCs, Spoken Word, DJs, Dance, Live Mural Painting, Film, Food and an Art Marketplace! Featuring local, national and international artists including aerosol artists Motel7 (Capetown) and Toofly (NYC); MC Eternia with Chesney Snow (Canada), DJ Chela (NYC); spoken word poet Tish Jones; Akira Johnson; Bloody Black Eyes; Ill Chemistry; Black Pearl; and the Twin Cities All-Stars: Katana, Maria Isa, Indigo, Desdamona, performing onstage together for the first time in twin cities hip-hop history!

FINITO! Got my piece done early so I can rock my style’n photography skillz. Here are some of my favorites….

Fall back now you don’t know me!

MC BIG TARA is a B-girl and MC with the Anomolies Crew, Fox Force 5, Shoten Zenjin and the House of HOWL. Born and raised in the Lower Eastside of NYC, she was influenced by the dance and music culture of her neighborhood. She has graced many stages across the country including the Apollo, BB Kings, Lincoln Center and the Manhattan Center and has worked with the Roots, Erykah Badu and LL Cool J to name a few. After receiving a public service award from the New School University, she decided to dedicate her time to helping non-profit organizations further serve marginalized youth. She has been working in community outreach for over 10 years and believes it is crucial to help guide our youth to live absolutely happy and productive lives.

LOVE YOU BIG TARA!!!

These girls were FLY! Their outfits wen’t great with the shoot;) YEAH BABY!!!

WLR…

Amanda Lopez, was also getting her shots in for THE GIRLS GOT KICKS! Photoshoot…

Amy Campion

Little Minniapolis Girls…

My new STEEZ was a hit…

MOTEL 7 ( Capetown ) Welcome!!! I thought I was fast, this girl went all out…

PROPS!

AM going high…

and stencil’n it up…

B-GIRL AIKO! See ya soon in SF;)

AIKO (Aiko Shirakawa) started street dancing at the age of 11 in the parks of San Jose, CA, and performed by the age of 15 with her group, Quick Style, opening up for Ice T in 1983. This began a long list of performances for Quick Style, who opened for many major bands and singers in the Bay Area of California. In 1995 Aiko began to teach street styles to youth in San Jose at the local youth centers and still does to this day. Aiko has been teaching after school programs for the past 7 years for YMCA and Catholic Charities. Over the past 16 years of teaching street dance to the youth, she has been writing a curriculum to add to her classes so that her students can embrace the history of hip-hop and how it can be better than what the media has portrayed it to be. Aiko has taught street styles everywhere in the States, including B-Girl Be 2007 in Minneapolis, MN; Street Science 2008 in Holland; and the film documentary release of All the Ladies Say in New York, NY in 2009 (she is one of the leading Ladies in the film). “Hip-Hop has been there for me and has saved my life; I will be here for Hip-Hop for the rest of mine.” —Aiko

It’s not easy triple threating it, You gotta have a heart, you gotta be original, and you gotta have style! We’re about to set it off…WATCH OUT!

Trinity sold like HOTCAKES!

The new team: MAMA made it! wooohoooo…

SHEVA + RUKUS + RUST

Shout out to CHICAGO who was in the house! Repping hard every year…

Well behaved women seldom make history! >>> Well said!

Shout out to T-Rose! Our wonderful host for the week. Made us some protein shakes, drove us up in the PLAY DATE Cadillac, and overall blessed us with mad love. Thank you T!!!

mmmm dinner time. The chicken curry was slamming! Time to rest, and get some energy for the DeCipher jam…

Photo by B-FRESH >>> More at: CITY PAGES

DJ CHELA on the 1 & 2’s

DeCipher This showcases the very essence of hip-hop dance: the ability to freestyle in the cipher. The 2009 B-Girl Be Block Party After Party with DJs and live drumming as locally and nationally recognized female hip-hop dancers take their turn in the cipher sharing their specific skills and raw energy!

Jen One was killing it! Be a part of instant creation as improvisational elements come together with some of the most talented female breakers, poppers and hip-hop freestyle dancers in the country.

Featuring Aiko, MimotheGreat and Venus Fly Trap Crew; with performances by AnnieUp, B-Girl monArc, Yonci Peaceful Jameson, Alissa Paris, Amy Sackett, Sarah Savengseuksa, B-Girl Seoul Assassin, Kim Sorenson, and Ti-en-T, and Legend ROKAFELLA!

Always inspiring to see these women rock and keep it alive. Budget cuts suck, especially when the organizers that gave life to the HEART & SOUL of B-Girl Be are not longer on board;( You can feel, and see the “DIFFERENCE”. Regardless of some minor mishaps, at the end of the day our community has to keep events like this alive. There’s a new generation that still needs platforms like this to represent, and come together to exchange new ideas. Money or no money true activists will continue to hold it down. I was happy to see some new talent brewing. Electro Funky Flowz baby! I’m diggn’ it!!! We missed our crews from the past B-Girl Be’s specially MELISSA, MARTHA COOPER, NIKA, ARUNA, VENDETTA, ASIA1, LADY CHAMP, MARTHA DIAZ, FAITH47, LADY PINK, QA, FEVER, SHIRO, SILOETTE, and PHEM9. We rocked it ONE LAST TIME, but It wasn’t the same without ya!!! To all the new folks who came thru to represent PROPS! Our hommie Big Tara did great! Motel7, Annie Up, PANDORA wow you blew me away w/ your skillz! DJ Chela, Eternia, Lori from Female Sneaker Fiend, Amanda Lopez w/ the Photo skillz, and many many more…I gotta get folks names right. Shout out to the ladies who had our back during the trip; MELISSA for organizing all the DOPE ladies to represent! AUTUMN for hooking us up w/ the goodies, and T-ROSE for being a wonderful host! THANK YOUUUUUU

Friday September 18th. Intermedia Arts walls at the Twin Cities, in Minniapolis MN. MISSION: Lock down your spot, gather your colors, and sketch in your piece!

Glad I didn’t go crazy with a 20 foot piece like in years past. Wanted to experiment a little with some new designs, hang w/ the crew, and enjoy taking photos…

JEN ONE! We repping NYC this year baby, ready to rock the walls, and hit that linolium

Different sponsor this year…CLASH. Not bad, didn’t mind it. Came w/ good caps too…

My B-Girl hommies 4life! Legend Rokafella, and BIG TARA! Stretching for the SHEro show…
ROKAFELLA
Hip-Hop dancer/choreographer Ana “Rokafella” Garcia was born in Spanish Harlem where she grew up with a strong Latin background. At the age of 16 she began going to clubs and doing back-up dancing for freestyle singers on the local NYC party scene. Her hip-hop dance style became her bread and butter when she began street performing with such crews such as The Transformers, The Breeze Team, and the New York City Float Committee. Rokafella has taught workshops at NYU and Howard as well as neighborhood high schools and community centers. The non-profit company she co-founded with her husband, “Full Circle Prod”, serves the community with educational performances and multimedia urban-themed performances. She is presently producing a documentary based on the challenging lifestyles of female breakdancers featuring b-girls from all over the world. She believes this culture was born to help urban youth get through the ups and downs of life with something to hold on to.

Motel7 from Noraway came thru to represent for the overseas artists…she’s a sweetheart!

Leaving the finish for the BLOCK PARTY!!!

Back from Minniapolis! here’s a few flicks from the gallery exhibition entitled MAMA SAID KNOCK YOU OUT!

Friday 9.17.09

Mama Said Knock U Out!, an upcoming gallery exhibition at Intermedia Arts, will showcase 28 female artists from around the world who use their visual voice to empower, inform and organize. These women are employing Hip Hop culture as a means of expression, connection, education and social and political activism globally.  This group exhibition will include work in video, photography, painting, sculpture, film, and textiles. Nationally recognized photographer and Huffington Post contributor Lauri Lyons (New York) will produce a commissioned installation in the main gallery as part of the exhibit.

KNOW THYSELF – SOLD!!!:( Bummer I always feel sad when my stuff sells, I get so attached…

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Took a short visit to Florida this weekend to visit my Familia before shit get’s hectic this fall. Happy my aunt Mimi, and Hector took us to this new spot called BLUE SPRINGS STATE PARK . It’s the shit!!! Their website does them no justice. If your ever in Orlando I recommend you check it out. You can BBQ, Snorkel, Canoe, Kayak, Camp, and swim in paradise.

Damn this place is It’s BEAUTIFUL!!! Wish MOM & Jenny came, but they had to work;( Working sucks!

BLUE SPRINGS STATE PARK. The largest spring on the St. Johns River, Blue Spring is a designated Manatee Refuge and the winter home (mid-November through March) to a growing population of West Indian Manatees. For centuries, the spring area was home for Native Americans. In 1766 it was visited by Colonial American botanist John Bartram, but it wasn´t until 1856 that it was settled by Louis Thursby and his family. The Thursby house, built in 1872, remains standing. The spring´s crystal clear, 73 degree water can be enjoyed by swimmers, snorkelers, and certified scuba divers with a partner. Swimming or diving with the manatees is not permitted; this rule is strictly enforced. The river is popular for fishing, canoeing, and boating. The park has plenty of picnic areas and a hiking trail. For overnight stays, air-conditioned cabins, a full-facility campground, and primitive campsites are available.

paradise one trip at a time…

Took me a while to convince the rest of the fam to jump off this tree trunk, but they did it!

no, si, bueno…little cuz, she’s so cute!

I must say, I’m glad I did it but damit my arms hurt that night from rowing! No more canoe shit for me, maybe I’ll kayak next time?

Spending time with family is priceless. Even though it was short it was hella sweet.

I MISS YOU FAMILY!!! Have a safe trip back to Ecuador PAPITO! Nos vemos en el winter;)

Heading to Minniapolis for the B-Girl Be 2009 Event September 17th-20th. Looking forward to chillax with my bgirlzzzzzzz, and get some more painting done, before the end of summmmmmmmmmer….

Intermedia Arts presents B-Girl Be 2009. A Celebration of Women in Hip-Hop
August 28-October 23, 2009

Mama Said Knock U Out!
Opening Reception: Friday, August 28,
6:00-9:00 p.m. with DJ Drea

Mama Said Knock U Out! an upcoming gallery exhibition at Intermedia Arts, will showcase 28 female artists from around the world who use their visual voice to empower, inform and organize. These women are employing hip-hop culture as a means of expression, connection, education and social and political activism globally. This group exhibition will include work in video, photography, painting, sculpture, film, and textiles. Nationally recognized photographer and Huffington Post contributor Lauri Lyons (New York) will produce a world premiere installation in Intermedia Arts’ main gallery as part of the exhibit.

Other artists featured in Mama Said Knock U Out! include: Abeni Garrett, Alice Mizrachi, Amanda Lopez, B Fresh, Catiesha Pierson, Chanel Kennebrew, C-Rocka, Corinne Santiago, Desdamona, Erotica67, Faith 47, Janelle Olson, Jennifer Rasinski, Jessica Kitzman, Katrina Knutson, Keegan Xavi, LadyKFever, Lauri Lyons, LICHIBAN, Monica Kelly, Motel 7, Niz, Sarah White, Shannon Joyce, Stef Skills, Tamiko Mitchel, Tiffany Smith, and TOOFLY.

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The HIGH LINE is finally OPEN!!! Shout out to NY1 news for the heads up this past week. It’s pouring out now, not but earlier today the sun peeked just enough for an afternoon stroll. Monday’s rock because it’s like a Sunday for us. Babe and I get to go on dates! We’re all about it, especially when it involves scenic views like today. As a designated footprint couple we rode our silver limo downtown, and entered at Ganesvoort St to cross the park down to the 20th street exit. The view is DOPE, great for long walks, flicks, lounging, napping, and stealing some wifi on your lunch break. The High Line is a positive glimpse of NYC turning green. We’ve been waiting for stuff like this to finally take shape ( even if it’s not in our own hoods just yet ) I’m a true believer in “leading by example” and SO…I look forward to the day when ALL cities, and hoods go GREEN!

The High Line is located on Manhattan’s West Side. It runs from Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District to 34th Street, between 10th & 11th Avenues. Section 1 of the High Line, which opened to the public on June 9, runs from Gansevoort Street to 20th Street.

The High Line is open from 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM daily.

More flicks and Info at the HIGH LINE BLOG

Be sure to check out the IMAGE GALLERIES. They got some ill flick’s with Graff like REVS & COST below…CLASSIC! Wish they preserved our graffiti “LAND MARKS” as well…

HISTORY:
The High Line was built in the 1930s, as part of a massive public-private infrastructure project called the West Side Improvement. It lifted freight traffic 30 feet in the air, removing dangerous trains from the streets of Manhattan’s largest industrial district. No trains have run on the High Line since 1980. Friends of the High Line, a community-based non-profit group, formed in 1999 when the historic structure was under threat of demolition. Friends of the High Line works in partnership with the City of New York to preserve and maintain the structure as an elevated public park

whew! Last post of life lived and cherished;)

Every May babe and I give ourselves a well deserved vacation to paradise. This year it came close to being canceled due to the swine flu nonsense. Whew! glad I’m don’t fall for all that media bull crap on TV. It’s a good thing the politics and truth leaks out enough for us to be aware of what is really going on. Anyway…Playa Del Carmen in Mayan Riviera in Mexico was a BLAST!!! Pure Bliss:) Hotel La Tortuga & Spa was a beautiful cozy hotel just a few blocks away from the white sandy beach, local boutiques/shops, and a variety of restaurants. If your looking for a quick 4hr trip to paradise from NYC, easy on the wallet this is the place to be!!!

HOTEL LA TORTUGA & SPA dope!

Hotel La Tortuga, 14 North 10ave. Playa Del Carmen, Mexico

We prefer small lounge hotels like this, cozy home style, full of plants, handmade furniture, organic landscape design, etc…

Our kind of place!

Something about the afternoon swims at the pool that triggered our sweet tooths…

as well as babes happy hour liquid lunch…

YUM! Our favorite Crépe with nutella and Ice cream. OMG where can I find this in NY?

PLAYA DEL CARMEN our daily beach bum sunshine…

Happy it’s not like Cancún here. No hi-rise hotels. Really despise those tall structures, they kill the whole natural landscape. Less is so much much more!

Babe needed this…

as much as I need this every chance I can get it!

You can never go wrong with this dish: Ceviche Mixto! delicious…

In a few days we’ll be crispy! until then going easy on the sun rays, 45 SPF all the way no more freckles for me!

Strolls to and from down the main street…

cute shops like this one. Trees & branches displaying handmade jewelry. Inspiring! These tree installations I keep running into are trying to tell me something…

Nights at the hotel were very soothing after a long day at the beach…

Evening at the strip full of lights, candlelight dinners, and mariachi bands…

Can’t go wrong with Filet Mignon for half the price you pay in the states. Must of had it more than once with a glass of fresh papaya juice…

Closing the evenings off with walks down the beach.

XEL-HA See it, and do it all in one place…

All I gotta say is they filmed the Blue Lagoon movie here…

A must! I still can’t believe we swam around this whole place in 7 hours.

We got to go inside naturally formed underwater caves, snorkle with a pool of colorful fish, jump off a cliffs, and relax down a river of naturally formed vine tunnels…NATURE ROCKS!!!

Wish they made water cameras digital…at the CVS as we speak! ( water cameras suck only these 2 were decent rest too dark:(

Okay yea back tot he logistics here…this is an all inclusive spot. Our suggestion just take the $3.00 van there, and pay the entrance which is cheap for what you get. Otherwise you’ll get a tour that will cost you like $100 a person. You can do it in half if you troop it on your own there. Not far, 30min from Playa Del Carmen. Go!!!

All kinds of good grub here…our favorite shrimp tacos.

The place was ours literally. Tourism was hit hard down here do to all the media hype about the fake flu. A lot of people cancelled their vacations to Mexico because they got caught up in the hype. Places like this where almost ghost town. It’s sad because people truly love their towns, and want to see it grow and flourish. They want to be able to earn a living in their own country, off their own natural resources. Tourism helps them do that and helps them preserve it for future generations. Then you wonder what the hell you expect people to do to survive and earn a living to feed their families if you go messing with their country and economy by taking that away from them. Pisses me off. Sigh…At least we left a bit of our crappy dollar over there:)

TULUM one of the best-preserved coastal Maya archaeological site…

We were tight on our budget by the 4th day so we decided to troop it on our own and hop in the $3 van to Tulum. Only 30 min away, a$5 entrance fee, and we were walking on Tulum’s ruins. A historic Mayan land. We had no idea about the gem hidden behind the ruins. Glad we brought our bathing suits!

The Iguanas everywhere lead the way there…

Never seen a beach so beautiful…

We stayed here almost all day…

Soft sand all the way into the deep turk crystal blue water of the carribean sea. Fell asleep by the shades of the rocks. You need no umbrella or chair, it’s all straight up chill with what you got! the best part of going there on your own is that once the tourists groups leave you were alone. No guide to tell you it’s time to go…you leave when you want:)

We stayed pretty long on this one. Didn’t make it to the cenotes:( underwater caves. The only thing I forgot to do…next time!

The closest town out is 15-30 min walk if you get hungry like we did so we had to head out:( You won’t find anything else but the ruins, and the stairs down to the beach. THAT’ IT!  It’s what helps preserve the natural landscape so plan accordingly eat & drink some mangu or something to last your swims and naps until you have to really really bounce…

Best Trip Ever! We are def coming back VIVA MEXICO!!!