If you haven’t heard by now, let me just save you the trouble of asking around — José James‘ sophomore effort, Blackmagic, is incredibly dope.  You are in for such a treat once you get that in your possession.  If you need a little nudge in the right direction, please peep the video for “Code” (produced by the equally amazing Flying Lotus).  I don’t know if the audible scenery of the song could be captured any better than just filming Jose in his element.  A studio, a mic, some headphones and some natural ambiance.  Nothing more, nothing less.  Shouts to the Friends We Love crew (as always) for their work on this one.  Get that incense burning as soon as possible.

It’s always interesting the physical growth and evolution of a human being.  The first time I ever saw Doze Green was in the classic hip-hop documentary movie Style Wars, when he was a rebellious, young Bronx b-boy runnin’ around with an upstart Rock Steady Crew.  Time eventually passed and now he’s a full grown adult.  But that wild spirit, hip-hop sensibility and youthful personality is still present.  And all of that energy had been channeled into a very fruitful fine art career.  The man does some exceptional work.  The Friends We Love gang have produced their latest installment of Off the Wall and made Doze their latest subject.  Here’s a little intro…

It’s with great pleasure that we present this studio visit with the man, the myth, the legend…Doze Green. Besides being one of our favorite artists for the longest, he is now also one of our favorite humans.  Long story short, the man knows how to have a good time! But more importantly, he does so while inspiring everyone around him in the process.  In this episode of OFF THE WALL we simply feature Doze and his assistant Ian doing what they do best, paint and have fun. No interviews. No reasons. No justifications. Just a creative process. Enjoy…

I can’t sing the praises of Friends We Love enough. Their aesthetic, selectiveness and digital eye is bar none. It’s almost like they’re reading my mind on what I feel is inspirational and at the peak of creativity.  One of my favorite sites, hands down.  Here’s a great 5-minute profile on London graffiti / street artist D*FACE.  Watch as D*FACE (whose face is strategically blurred for obvious reasons) explains the difference between the US’ and the UK’s acceptance of his methods and as he unveils his well-deserved first NYC show at the Jonathan Levine Gallery.

One of the mottos I strive to adhere to on a daily basis is “life is too short, live it to the fullest.” And there are many people who follow the same creed. But when you juxtapose it against the kind of experience that Jeff Staple explains in the above Friends We Love 120 Seconds piece, it kind of takes on a whole new meaning and importance.  And make sure you watch all the way to the end.

Shout outs to the Friends We Love team. Such a dope site.  Please check it out when you get a chance if you never have.  They just threw up this great 8-minute artist profile on the incomparable José James (who I’ve blogged about in the past here and here to great response).  Jose just finished up his sophomore release, Black Magic, which should be seeing stores in the very near future.  In this video, he touches on his influences, creative process and his love of music in general.   And if you listen close enough, you get a preview of a couple of joints from the new album.

First of all, please check out Friends We Love when you get a sec.  As the creators Mike Vargas and Moni Pineda (aka DJ Moni of the lovely Ubiquita crew) so eloquently describe it:  “Friends We Love is an insightful video series exploring the motivations, inspirations and creative processes of some of today’s most forward thinking artists and creators.”  Something that’s right up my alley.

Here’s a profile recently done on Ellis G, a talented Brooklyn-based street artist who has gained notoriety for his chalk shadow outlines.  Apparently, this got so many votes on Current that the piece will appear on cable television.  Kudos!