Ford Model Alejandra On Swimwear.

I like this because it has an appeal for everyone. It's a classic win-win situation. Ford mannequin, Alejandra discusses her favorite swimsuits in a short video on Bluefly's blog, Flypaper. At least I think that's what she was talking about. I'll have to watch it again. This time with the volume up. Anyway, Bluefly is without a doubt one of my favorite places to shop and I always enjoy their email. Especially when they come with a super model attached.

Alejandra on Flypaper.

Phat Farm Sneakers.

I've always loved Phat Farm sneakers and at $39.99, budget or no budget, I can get a pair of these. I'm going back to preppy this spring so, these pair have an extra bonus for me. I guess I am an old fart because only old cats go ga-ga over Phat Farm. It's cool, I'm embracing getting older. Anyway there's plenty of hot styles on Mr. Russell Simmons' website. For under $40 even young dudes should be willing to add a little old school pizzazz to their spring wardrobe.

Phat Farm.

田中ロウマ Featuring Melody "BoyFriend - Girlfriend" (PV).

Chris Brown: Rihanna's "Just A Friend".

Undoubtedly feeling refreshed after his Caribbean vacation, Chris Brown was in Los Angeles Saturday for the Nickelodeon Kid's Choice Awards where he addressed the rumors he and Rihanna are dating. According to Mr. Kiss-Kiss, he's single and Rihanna is just a friend. I wonder if he meant just a friend in the Biz Markie sense of the word, or if he knows who Biz Markie is (that's an age joke). Big coinky-dinky, Rihanna, was also at the event, but the 20 year old pop Goddess dodged the press line. They both need to stop and just admitted it already.

Source: Yahoo!

Chloe Sevigny, Anja Rubik & Clemence Poesy on The Cover of Nylon.

Undeniably another fabulous issue of of Nylon magazine. Besides the great cover featuring Chloe and Anja Rubik and Clemence Poesy, there's the B-52s, coverage of Paris Fashion Week and Kylie Minogue. Awesome. There are more cool photos of the cover girl trio available to see.

Nylon.

Billionaire Boys Club Hooded Sweatshirt.

Beautiful, baby blue hooded sweatshirt $295 at the BBC/Ice cream site and Ice Cream Store in Harajuku as well as BBC/Ice cream shops and exclusive retailers worldwide.

Billionaire Boys Club/Ice cream.

Adidas Y-3 Bags.

Damn. I just got a Y-3 bag last month. It's a red Mobility Notebook Messenger bag from the Y-3 store in Isetan in Shinjuku and I love it. Ikue spotted it before she came over and shot me some snaps from her cellphone and a text message announcing it was half price. Immediately, I responded "get it". I didn't say "Honey, what else do they have there?". I think it's beautiful but it's not as beautiful as this one. Crap! Now how do I get this knapsack? How do I justify the expense? Having a keen eye for fashion is only good if it's discerning and using my brain wouldn't have hurt either... I need to do more research next time before I shop.

Adidas Y-3 Collection.

Yankees Outfielder Hideki Matsui Gets Married On The Down-Low.

I am a diehard NY Yankees fan. Having grown up in the Bronx, how could I be anything else? Anytime I see anything about the team or any of the players in the media, I immediately take notice. Take for example the reports that first surfaced in Japan, then in the U.S., that Yankees outfielder Hideki Matsui got hitched on the low earlier this week. The newly minted, Mrs. Matsui is a twenty-five year old Japanese woman, whom he described as a "civilian" who works for a good company. Alrighty. Not one member of the team attended the wedding, or even knew about it. Nobody knew he was dating, much less engaged.

Sidebar: my own Japanese woman, Ikue, and I have been arguing for nearly two years (virtually the entire time we've known each other) regarding Matsui. Ikue is from the same town as Matsui, and she tells me there have been rumors for years now that he was gay. Many of my gay Japanese friends are extremely secretive, and when I say extremely secretive what I'm really saying is C.I.A. covert, take-a-blood-oath, married to the mob style secretive about their lifestyle. The girlfriend says he's never been seen with a woman in Japan. Ever.

If Matsui is gay that may explain why he introduced his "wife" to the world as a drawing. seriously. Like, not even a photograph. He held up a sketch of her at a press conference. Now that's covert. On the other hand... the Japanese media has hounded the man beyond anything you could ever imagine.
Anyone who's has seen the amount of Japanese press that still, after five seasons with the Yankees, trail Matsui around can multiply that by at least three when he's on Japanese soil. That's insane. It might drive anyone to introduce their mate as a pencil drawing. Maybe he's just loosening up and having a laugh at everyone's expense. That would be a good as far as the upcoming season is concerned. Still it's kind of weird.

That is if you look at it from an American perspective. To an American, Matsui introducing his wife as a police sketch is actually normal from a Japanese perspective. Whenever a man or woman in public life marries someone who is not in public life they've introduced them the same way Matsui did to the U.S. media, as a drawing. He called  her a "civilian" but cause that is the literal English translation of 民間人, pronounced Minnkanjin, which means an ordinary person or a civilian. That's what all of us normal, working stiffs are called in Japan. To maintain a spouse's privacy, that is what is customarily done in Japan, somebody makes a sketch.

So Wednesday morning in Tampa he announced he was getting married, Thursday it was a done deal and Friday he was showing off his skills with lead. Then came word that he made a bet with Derek Jeter and Bobby Abreu, for an undisclosed amount of money, about whom amongst the three would get married first. It almost makes you wonder if getting in Jeter and Abreu's deep pockets was the motivation here. Hideki may have saw an opportunity to get Abreu & Jeter to cover some or all of his wedding expenses. Considering the pranks ball players play on teammates, this isn't an unreasonable assumption.

Anyway, I'm not naive, I realize, looking at the statistical percentage of gay:heterosexual males (approximately .07% if you're curious, err..., statistically curious, that is) in America, and the number of males in baseball to know, that statistically speaking, it is more likely that there are gay men in baseball than not. Seven percent would be more guys than got outted via the Mitchell Report. I have no idea what the numbers are for males in Japan. Given the fact that homosexuality has been around almost as long as sex and exists in every culture on the planet, I would guess it was the same percentage everywhere. So why not a Japanese baseball player, why not Matsui? It's not impossible although I would not believe so.
 
Not that it's a problem, in life or baseball. It doesn't change my love and admiration for the Japanese home run king or pinstripes. Frankly, I don't care about anything as long as the Yankees win ball games and, please merciful God, some more titles. As far as I am concerned, it is far more relevant that Matsui stays healthy this season than which side of the plate he bats from. I don't care what my girlfriend, the good people of Kanazawa or anywhere else in Japan has to say on the matter. Still, this news and the way it has unfolded is quite peculiar. At least from an American perspective.

SATOMI' "Angelite".

青山テルマ "Diary".

I've been locked into my textbooks this past week. I've had to keep my eyes firmly fixed on my books because I've essentially had to run a gauntlet at school the last few days. four exams, two papers, two research projects over a ten day period. Not a personal highlight.

What has been a personal highlight, or is at least shaping up to be one, is listening to Thelma Aoyama's brand spanking new debut CD, Diary. I've been waiting for it to arrive in the mail courtesy of amazon Japan, since I pre-ordered it two weeks ago. It was well worth the wait. The 21 year old singer is blessed a truly beautiful voice and, looking at the credits on the CD, some fair skills as a lyricist. I absolutely love her first two singles, そばにいるね and My Dear Friend, both of which are very well written and pack an emotional punch without being over the top.

あなたに会えてよかった, a cover of the 小泉今日子 classic, is another standout as are the cuts, リズム, Good Time Remix featuring Miku from Ya-Kyim and Higher. The solid vocals and lyrics and complemented by excellent instrumentation and tight productions. However, if there's one complaint about this CD, it's that, perhaps, it 's got one ballad too many. That aside, I give her props, but you can hear Ms. Aoyama's soulful Diary and decide that for yourself. Check out the tracks below and perhaps you'll also fall in love with the rising J-Urban starlet.

THE B-52s "Juliet of The Spirits".

I mean, Seriously, whos's been doing it longer than them? They were in their twenties when I was, um... er, never mind. Before I start dating myself, check out this track off the B-52s new CD, Funplex. These guys are truly the party that won't quit. Head to iTunes people.

ARIA "Departure" Featuring AK-69 (PV).

This track is amazing. It's an interesting blend of sounds; electro, house, R&B, hip hop. I haven't seen anything this genre bending like this since the days of Deee-lite, Todd Terry, The Jungle Brothers and masters At Work. Excellent.

George Michael Is Touring The U.S.

George Michael announced he's hopping across the pond for some live dates. I'd be seriously dating myself if I ever told anyone when was the first time I saw George Michael perform in Concert, so I'll just keep quiet, but I will say this much, it'll be the first time he's hit a stage here in nearly two decades. My, how time flies. Check out George's site to check the single of his new CD, TwentyFive.

June 17: San Diego/San Diego Sports Arena
June 19: San Jose, Calif./HP Pavilion
June 21: Las Vegas/MGM Grand
June 22: Phoenix/US Airways Center
June 25: Los Angeles/Great Western Forum
July 2: Seattle/Key Arena
July 4: Vancouver/General Motors Place
July 7: St. Paul/Xcel Energy Center
July 9: Chicago/United Center
July 13: Dallas/American Airlines Center
July 14: Houston/Toyota Center
July 17: Toronto/Air Canada Centre
July 18: Montreal/Bell Centre
July 21 & 23: New York/Madison Square Garden
July 26: Philadelphia/Wachovia Center
July 27: Boston/TD Banknorth Garden
July 29: Washington, D.C./Verizon Center
July 31: Atlanta/Philips Arena
Aug. 2: Tampa/St. Pete Times Forum
Aug. 3: Sunrise, Fla./Bank Atlantic Center

George Michael Online.

ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION "新しい世界" (PV).

Ken Hirai Concert Date in Tokyo.

Everybody's favorite Japanese crooner, Ken Hirai, does his thing on stage May 2nd. Show time is 7PM and tickets are ¥6,800 to be seated and ¥6,300 for the general at Nippon Budokan. The show is presented by HIP, so call them for information on the event, 03-3475-9999.

GNARLS BARKLEY "The Odd Couple".

I like this sophomore effort from the dynamic duo of Danger Mouse and Cee-Lo Green, the, one and only, Soul Machine. The Odd Couple is heavily inspired by 1960s Philadelphia & Baltimore soul. It’s better and more interesting than their 2006 debut, St. Elsewhere, but not as quite as eclectic. I don’t think it will sell as well, although I think it is an artistic improvement over its predecessor. Then again, what else would you expect from these two immensely talented and marvelously creative music veterans.

India Fashion Week Courtesy of Fashion Sensei.

New addiction alert, Fashion Sensei is a (somewhat) new blog that I came across and fell in love with. Totally worthy of a subscription with lots of interesting reads, one of which covers fashion week in New Delhi, India. Hit the link below and take lessons from the sensei.

Fashion Sensei.

Jen Lasher DJ Set.

I love this electro set from Washington D.C. native, Jen Lasher recorded back in January live at NYC’s Alchemy. Check it out. For more Jen Lasher hit that link to 2012 Muzik in the side bar.

Jen Lasher DJ Set.

NINA SIMONE "Why Keep On Breaking My Heart".

With three exams, one lab project and one paper due within the next seven days I am over here busting my ass to get work done. It’s all got me a bit at the end of my tether right now. I need the kind of release that only quality music can provide. I need to sit back and listen to some Nina Simone for just a little bit, so I don’t lose it. It’s going to be a long night and an even longer week. I really need to pace myself.

Asian Kung-Fu Generation Concert Dates.

Asian Kung-Fu Generation have a whole slew of dates coming up in Tokyo. They will be at Studio Coast on April 29th; Akasaka Blita on April 30th at 6:30PM; Yokohama Bay Hall on May 5th & 6th at 6:30PM and at Shibuya-AX on May 2th & 29th at 7:00PM. all shows are ¥4,000. Call Disk Garage to get your tix, (03)-5436-9600.

Ayumi Hamasaki on The Cover of ViVi.

Anyone who goes clubbing in any city on this planet knows that, whatever your sexual orientation, some of the hottest parties are at gay nightclubs. Apparently, J-Idols are hip to that, too. One of Ikue’s best friends is gay and regularly frequents a club in Shinjuku called Arty on 新宿二丁目. Last weekend he spotted Vivi cover girl, Ayumi Hamasaki partying it up with Arty patrons. Perhaps, she’s still trying to compete with Namie Amuro, whom he says goes there frequently. So, if you want to get a glimpse of either diva party it up in Shinjuku. I might even be able to pursuade my baby’s best friend to play party tour guide.

ESTELLE "American Boy" featuring Kanye West.

Kanye West and his girl, Estelle, kill Will.i.am’s Impatient. Beautiful track and a nice video. I’m glad I finally got a quality copy of it. Look for the obligatory John Legend cameo. John’s popping up in more videos than P. Diddy. Not that it’s a bad thing, it’s just damn funny.

In Search of Tom Ford Eyewear.

Click here for larger view.

Every year or two and usually in the spring time I get the urge, or in this case nigh irresistible compulsion, to update my look. For the last eight years I have grown my dreadlocks unencumbered ala Lenny Kravitz circa 1997. My dreds are history. Well, soon to be. Much to my girlfriend’s dismay, I’ve decided to go leaner, tighter and more polished. I’ve decided on a look that’s less Rock and Roll and more professional.

To complete my transformation, I’ve decided to unleash my inner nerd. I am a psychology major, after all, and I have a deep love for all things techy. So, I’m going to let that version of Allen out of the box this year, however, I’ve got to do it with some degree of panache. That’s just my style. I just won’t be as customarily over the top. So, how am I going to express my inner geek, but with a modern, fashionable edge? I’ll do it with horn-rimmed glasses designed by Tom Ford, that’s how.

The hard part will be finding these puppies anywhere near Athens, Georgia. Ikue is going to New York City in two weeks. I may have to send her on an excursion to 845 Madison Avenue so I can make this happen. If like myself, you want to be all the nerd that you can be, but do it in a style that won’t repel any potential sex partners or make yourself the target of spontaneous ass whuppings or wedgies, may I suggest taking a look at Tom Ford for some horn rimmed specs that say “geek” but not “Revenge of The Nerds” geek. Other fashionable purveyors of nerdy but cool gear: Marc by Marc Jacobs, Burberry and Theory (of course). Definitely keep those guys in mind when you start working below the neck. More on that later.

Tom Ford.

Dating Tips From Andrea Syrtash.

Andrea Syrtash is my favorite internet dating guru. Not that I’m single and I need dating advice, but because I remember single and I remember mucking up a few “sure things” on dates that should have been nothing but a formality on my way to getting some. I remember, all too vividly, scratching my head as I took my sorry ass home, struggling to figure out where I went wrong. If by passing this on, I can save a few guys from such heartache and (sexual) frustration, my life is complete. For more dating tips from Andrea hit the link below.

OnDating with Andrea Srytash.

Soundbytes: New Music I got This Week.

Well, if you couldn’t tell spring was right around the corner just by sticking your head out your door, all you had to do was check out your favorite music retailer. There, you could not help but notice all the new releases that hit last Tuesday. When musicians start dropping releases like there was no tomorrow, it’s either spring or Christmas.

No way in heck am I going to do a write up on all of them, I got exams and research projects up to my eyeballs. That said, I’ll leave my favorite cuts off of each CD I got during my last foray through iTunes, with the exception of one, Gnarls Barkley’s The Odd Couple, which is so good, I think I’ll pull it from the pack. Without further ado, here’s what’s bumping on my computer during study breaks this week:

A really solid dance music release can be yours with Groove Armada’s SoundBoy Rock, but this track, Feel The Same, a bonus cut with vocals by Angie Stone, goes the extra yards and is just all sorts of exceptional. It’s house music just the way I like it; deep, lush, sexy and incredibly soulful. Grab your boo and bust out those sexy gyration dance moves you’ve been practicing all winter on the nearest dance floor.

____

Although, by no means bad, Flo Rida’s CD does nothing for me personally, but I’m sure the MTV/106 & Park set will lose their ish over it. All the dance tracks sound like Low and Elevator and then there’s the obligatory gangster tracks with guest spots from the usual suspects; Lil Wayne and Yung Joc. This track, All My Life, however, is not as run of the mill as the other cuts and it’s got a nice, slightly old school bounce to it.

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Although I am a fan of electro, I only recently heard of Crystal Castles. This is more my speed; creative, unique, diverse and danceable. Absolutely a good buy, if you are into electronic music. These two tracks are Through The Hosiery and Crimewave, respectively.

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I wouldn’t describe Welcome To The Dollhouse from Danity Kane as something, anyone couldn’t live without, but for what it is, commercial, youth-oriented pop, it’s not bad at all. It’s well produced and, in spots, very well written. Overall, it’s a decent sophomore effort demonstrating respectable growth from their debut. Besides the single, this track, called Strip Tease, is pretty hot.

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The Kills‘ CD, Midnight Boom, is straight fire. Period. An incredible CD as fully demonstrated by this chunky, bumping bonus track, Night Train.

Aiko "二人" (PV).

Alicia Keys in HArper's Bazaar.

What's The definition of "amazing"? Here's mine...
Alicia Keys in the European edition of Harper's Bazaar.

Proof That Not Every J-Idol Was Meant To Be A J-Pop Singer.

I guess that J-Pop star thing is a lot harder than it looks because I really don’t know about this. It’s borderline embarrassing. I have made frequent mention of J-Idols, gravure models and the like making their way into other realms of media and entertainment. Now, please don’t get me wrong. I am not a hater. I’m all for someone seizing opportunities and going for theirs. And I have said on several occasions, I’m not into bashing folk, however, this is really, really not so good. at least in my opinion.

Nonami Takizawa is a great idol. I think she is beautiful and I think it’s cool that she keeps her clothes on. NoteveryJ-idol can make that claim. That’s another story. I’m cool with the woman trying to make a few extra duckets, but God… this song and the production and the video… I never knew staring at a hot woman could be so dull.

It looks like it was shot by a still photographer not a cinematographer, because her ass doesn’t move much at all. She looks like she was posing for a gravure shoot. And what the heck is she wearing? Anyway, this isn’t a new track it’s been out for a minute. I don’t know. It does have entertainment value, just maybe not what they intended. I guess that pop idol stuff is a little harder than it looks. Oh well, Nonami-chan… at lest you still have your day job.

OM: MIAMI 2008.

Okay… so what you can’t afford to go to the winter Music Conference. Not a big deal at all. All you would do is go broke, get heat stroke and destroy a countless amount of brain cells from all that partying. Right here, right now on Ikinoii I have the only reason to go to the WMC, excluding hearing all those world class DJs spinning live, but that’s a minor detail. We’re trying to stay positive here. Check out some of the best music from one of America’s premier independent house labels, Om. Just hit the appropriate link below, grab a margarita, close your eyes and BAM!… you’re got the WMC (minus Danny Tenaglia, Paul Oakenfold, Doc Martin, Paul Van Dyk, John Digweed…). BTW, the Fred Everything, Lisa Shaw track is excellent.

iTunes & Winamp users:



Window Media Player Users:

LUCY LIU: Eye Candy of The Day.

At 39 years old, Lucy Liu still looks absolutely amazing and is still one hot mama. From Ally McBeal to Cashmere Mafia, From Payback to kill Bill Vol. 1, she’s always been exciting and fun to watch on screen. With Cashmere Mafia getting whacked by ABC, I hope it’s not long before she’s back on the small screen so I can get a weekly dose of the native New Yorker.

AYUMI HAMASAKI "Mirrorcle World" (PV).

SANTOGOLD "Les Artistes" (PV).

Santogold are helping Peaches and Miss Kittin carry the torch lit by Nina Hagen, Ann Magnuson and Karen Finley years ago. There's not just avant garde performance art here, there's good music to back it up. Am I the only person who thinks the vocalist looks like Venus Williams?

THE CHARLATANS "Mis-Takes".

Anyone who hasn't got the new Charlatans UK CD needs to go to their website and get it. Like so many great artists before them, NIN, Radiohead, Chuck D to name a few, The Charlatans are giving their new CD, You Cross My Path, away for free via download on the internet. This track, Mis-Takes, is my favorite. Hit the link below to get your own copy.

RYO THE SKYWALKER "Pon De Floor" (PV).

Mariah Carey on SNL.

Mariah actually did two new songs on SNL last Saturday night. I guess I can't say anything about how ridiculously secretive she is about her new music anymore. I also actually like T-Pain on the second track she performs, Migrate. Her voice, however, is as amazing as always. Check it out.

Touch My Body.

Migrate featuring T-Pain.

SATOMI "Bright Will" (PV).

L'ARC~EN~CIEL "Drink It Down" (PV).

CHISATO MORISHITA: Eye Candy of The Day.

Chisato Morishita is a former gravure model and race queen. Like so many other J-idols she’s broadened her horizons by dabbling in singing and acting. To my knowledge she hasn’t done a film in about two years. Which is about the same time she hooked up with J-rocker Yasu of Janne Da Arc. I have no idea what she's doing these days but it would be cool to see her doing stuff again.

JFW: Raphus Cucu.

Fun, beautiful, cutting edge, very dramatic yet still immensely wearable is what I thought when I saw the photos of this line from The Japan Fashion Week at Tokyo exhibitions.

SNOOP DOGG "Ego Trippin'".

Usually when I review a CD here there are two things I try not to do, one is gush (because that’s just boring), two is I really like to listen to a CD for a few days, because flaws start to become more apparent over time. Although Ego Trippin’ isn’t perfect it’s not exactly accurate to call it flawed. Because of that, I felt like there wasn’t any real need to delay posting this.

I like this CD a lot. What I like most about it is it’s concept. It’s concept is what keeps it from reaching classic status in the traditional sense, but it’s concept is what makes it unique, interesting and fun, at least for us grownups who can relate to what Snoop was doing here. However, it’s because this isn’t something that everyone can identify with I say it isn’t a classic in the traditional sense. If that makes sense.

Led Zeppelin I, Songs In The Key of Life, Thriller and The Joshua Tree are classics because everyone can identify with them regardless of age, race or social status. While some young people may like this, even love it, they may not truly get it (at least not on every level), but that’s the beauty of music, it brings people together and can be all things to all people and I think Ego Trippin’ reps that to the fullest.

Yeah, I know… I’m talking about a Snoop Dogg CD. He stays so true to his late 70s and 80s concept that I think a lot of younger listeners who were never exposed to that era of music can come away from this with a clue. I think that’s a beautiful thing. A large piece of the credit has to go to Producer Teddy Riley who provided the majority of the beats. I think his involvement was the masterstroke. If you want to cop that sound, who else is there to bring in? Teddy also updates it in spots, bringing a little bit of Dr. Dre to Let It Out, for example.

The other producers also deserve kudos, Raphael Saadiq is always amazing. The young guys like Notts, Polow Da Don, The Neptunes, DJ Quik and Scoop Deville also did their thing. When Raphael and Teddy are in the room, those cats are the young guys. Most of the tracks bring in those classic soul and disco elements but they don’t sound dated or kitschy.

They update the sound while staying true to the vibe. Snoop has always tipped his hat to that era. His detractors will say he’s been doing this since day one. However, this CD feels like a natural progression. It shows artistic growth and maturity much like Mary J. Blige’s The Breakthrough.Snoop’s found that sweet spot between commercial viability, retro cool, gangster credibility and it’s a beautiful thing for his fans, both young and old.

Standouts amongst the 21 tracks are Gangsta Like Me; Scoop Deville’s floor burner, Life Of Da Party; Cool, which is credited to Prince; Been Around Da World; Sexual Eruption; Let It Out; Raphael’s Waste of Time; The Neptunes’ Sets Up and the gangster rap meets country cut, Johnny Cash dedication My Medicine. Ego Trippin’ is an interesting and entertaining juxtaposition of classic 70s/80s synth driven disco and soul and contemporary gangster rap. As good as he’s been the last few years Snoop provides his most interesting and relevant work since his debut.

Rating: ♦♦♦♦◊ 4 out of 5 diamonds.

LeBron James & Gisele Bundchen On The Cover of Vogue.

King James became the third man in Vogue’s 116 years history to grace the magazine’s cover and he does it sporting his own Nike gear and Gisele Bundchen. Unfortunately, Gisele’s only a loner. LeBron’s got to give her back to Tom Brady. Still, it’s good to be the king.

TERIYAKI BOYZ "Zock On" featuring PHARRELL & BUSTA RHYMES.

This track is crazy. Back in a big way is the first Japanese hip hop group to go

international. After The Fast and The Furious III: Tokyo Drift made them huge, the Bape Sounds recording artists are not showing signs of letting up. They follow up their single, I Still Love H.e.r., which featured Kanye West with this Neptunes produced track. Having Pharrell and Busta Rhymes kicking lyrics on it certainly won’t hurt sales either. If your in Tokyo, head over to the Shibuya bape store Go Ape!, they may still have some of those limited edition Teriyaki Boyz shirts.

BRITNEY SPEARS "Break The Ice" (PV).

Springroove '08.

Springroove is a massive annual event that brings the hottest U.S. hip hop & R&B acts to Japan. As good as I thought last year’s lineup was, the 2008 version is even better. Hitting stages throughout Japan this year will be Ne-Yo, Rihanna, Keyshia Cole & Sean Kingston with Bape presenting Kanye West, N.E.R.D., Teriyaki Boyz and my girl, DJ Kaori. Bananas. The Tokyo stop is Saturday, April 5 at Makuhari Messe. Virtually all of the artists are doing solo dates as well.

For example, Neyo is performing April 1st at 7PM at Akasaka Blitz, tickets are ¥8,000 & ¥10,000 for the 7PM show; while Rihanna & Keyshia Cole take the stage at Zepp Osaka on Thursday, April 3rd and Sunday April 6th. Ticketsrange from ¥7,500 to ¥15,000 for those shows. Sean Kingston is making solo stops in Fukuoka, Nagoya and Osaka.

For full line ups and info hit the link below or call Creativeman 03-3462-6969 or their Springroove hotline at 0180-993-050. This is one of, if not the, premier event to hit Japan each year. Don’t miss out.

Springroove '08.

THE TEENAGERS "Love No" (PV).

David Fincher's Heavy Metal.

David Fincher, the director who brought the world popular, quality films like Fight Club, The Game, Se7en and Zodiac will executive produce a sequel to the 80s animated hit film, Heavy Metal. The new film will follow the format of the popular 70s large format comic book, just as the original film did, and feature several directors directing different fantasy, science fiction and horror vignettes. Check out this amazing collection of covers from the classic comic here.

Actress Tang Wei Banned By Chinese Government For Her Role In Ang Lee Film.

Twenty-eight year old actress Tang Wei has been banned from all Chinese media because of the sexual nature of a character she played in Ang Lee’s latest film, Lust, Caution. This is just the latest of bizarre censorship moves by the communist government. The Chinese government’s lock down on the internet is already legendary news fodder.

The State Administration of Radio, Film & Television, the Chinese government agency that polices all electronic & print media made the stunning announcement last Saturday, yanked a television commercial for a skin care product that featured Ms. Wei and adviced the producers of an awards show to strike her from their list of guests.

None of the other artists involved in the film were banned, Director Ang Lee, or the film’s stars Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Joan Chen & Lee-Hom Wang. SARFT prohibits an scenes considered lewd or pornographic, any material that shows “promiscuous acts, rape, prostitution, sexual intercourse, sexual perversity, masturbation and male/female sexual organs and other private parts”. Now, I have not seen the film, which was released last September (I thought it looked dull, see the trailer for yourself here), Which is described as an erotic thriller, but I imagine Tang Wei did not perform any objectionable scenes alone.

A love scene, or two - it’s hard to tell, between Tang Wei and Tony Leung is evident from the trailer. No bans announced on Tony Leung. In fact this would be the third time, that I am aware of, that Tony Leung has done a sexually charge movie. One of my favorite films, Wong Kar Wei's In The Mood For Love, featured Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung Man-Yuk as neighbors whose spouses are having an affair and eventually hook up themselves.

The sequel, 2046, featured Tony Leung bedding a whole slew of women including (quite graphically) Zhang ZiYi. Who has yet to make a movie that she doesn’t get laid in. That is not to be misconstrued as a complaint, FYI.

In fact plenty of other Chinese actresses in films past have been in sexual roles. Gong Li, Maggie Cheung, Vivian Wu to name but a few, and have not incurred the wrath of their nation’s government as Tang Wei has. The government has waited in the past to throw the hammer down on a film that it has deemed offensive, so that in itself is not too unusual. I guess I will have to see the movie after all.

This is extremely puzzling. Ang Lee became a national treasure after Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. But perhaps part of that luster was lost with Brokeback Mountain. Still, looking at this film itself, the highest grossing in film in China, you would have to think the Chinese government would love it.

It deals with the Japanese invasion of Shanghai during World War II and a group of young actors who plot to assassinate a powerful Chinese traitor (Tony Leung) by using one of their own Tang Wei, who becomes his mistress for the sole purpose of killing him. Despite what they may say, the Chinese government is not big on Japan, who still won’t own up to the Nanking Massacres during WWII and whose leaders still visit Yasukuni Shrine, where Japanese war criminals are enshrined amongst true Japanese heroes.

In the past the Chinese government has edited offending scenes from movies before their release. Why wait and then only ban the newcomer Tang Wei and not popular leading man, Tony Leung Chiu Wai, who presumably is in every offending scene with Wei? Why they didn’t opt to simply cut out the scenes instead of electing to destroy a young woman’s career is a sad, unfortunate mystery that only the SARFT can answer.

Source: Reuters.

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