A Conversation with Andre 3000...

I remember having a conversation with Andre 3000 at the Dungeon about fashion and music. It was during the making of the OutKast album "Stankonia". There was a time when I spent a considerable amount of time with Dre discussing music, rhymes, theory & hip hop culture in general.



Being a free spirited kid from California I've always been into expressing myself through fashion and taking pride in being unique.



On this particular day, we were downstairs in the Dungeon shooting pool and watching a documentary on George Clinton and Funkadelic. Ofcourse being from L.A., the Parlaiment sound is pretty much embedded in my musical history but, I've always felt like I was short changed by never having the opportunity to see them perform live.



So, I (as was he) was fascinated by the live performance footage in the documentary. That's when he turned to me and said "Man, KED... I'm telling you, it's time to start dressing like the music sounds..." He was right. My music is just as unique as I am as a person. I've never tried to sound like anyone else including my Dungeon Family compadres, nor have I ever tried to dress like anyone else.



Although at the time I hadnt advanced to the point of performing live or even actually recording music yet, I was a writer still dreaming of my future as a recording artist and living in an environment such as the Dungeon on and off for over 10 years helped to cultivate how I would present my craft to the world. Now, my music and style of dress go hand in hand. I rarely try to be different. I have confidence in my personal taste and that just happens to be different.



Because of this, I get a lot of comments, questions and jokes on my clothes and style which neither of them bother me at all but, seeing other artist pick up on certain aspects of my style has bothered me in the past. Recently I've matured to the point of realizing that my style no longer belongs to me. Once I step outside my door, it is now shared with the world and there is nothing wrong with influencing the lives of others in a positive way.



So, where as before I dreaded the often asked question of admirers wanting to know where I got "this and that" from, I now welcome them and will actually be sharing this info on my blog from now on. I tend to shop in some really cool places as well as more common places where I find the often overlooked items and incorporate them all into my wardrobe.


Spinns - (Harajuku Japan) - One of my Favorite Clothing Stores in the world. Make sure you holler at God Harajuku... Dudes Style is CRAZY!!!


Costumes ETC. - (Atlanta, GA) - This place is great for accessories. Especially if you like to walk on the wild side. Make sure you ask for Jimmy. Dude is really cool and into classic rock and old school reggae movies lol


Lucky Exchange - (Atlanta, GA) - This is a great vintage clothing store with lots of cool hats and sunglasses for a good price. If you decide to stop in look for Damon. He's the one that plays the 60's soul music during his shifts.

Hopefully you too will check out these places and support these businesses as I do. Make sure you tell them you found out about them from SideStreet KED because some of these places will give you a discount. Enjoy!



The Effn.

Hey! Broke Nigga... Pay Attention!!!

I grew up in Los Angeles, California during the 80s & 90s when Southern California's Gang Violence was at an all time high.



Most people that know anything about hip hop or rap music know of the notorious Compton, Ca popularized in the 80s by N.W.A. The godfathers of west coast gangster rap & Long Beach, Ca that was later made famous by Dr. Dre's protegé Snoop Dogg but, few have heard of the city that lies between the two called Carson, Ca.



It doesn't matter that Carson has produced more Professional Athletes, Actors & Entertainers than both Compton or Long Beach it also doesn't matter that Carson has produced more business professionals, educators, innovators and community leaders than Compton or Long Beach as well. The only thing that seems to matter when it comes to the popularity of the 3 cities in comparison is which one has produced the most popular rapper.



Carson has one of the richest industrial histories in Southern California as well producing most everything from refined oil to skin and hair care products. It is also the home of the Good Year Blimp and host of the 1st airshow ever. With such a rich history and culture to its credit, it would seem that the city would be more known across the country but, thanks to the media's negative depiction of hip hop, rap and west coast gang violence this once affluent city is relatively unknown outside of Los Angeles county and virtually non existent to people across the country.



It seems to me that there are two worlds that co exist in Los Angeles. There's the popular idea of Los Angeles being a place where the beautiful people of the world enjoy fun and sun, Beverly Hills, the beach and Hollywood. Then there's also the fame of the L.A. Underworld known for drugs, gang violence and the massive homeless population.



Carson is no exception to this dichotomy. On the surface It is known as being one of the cleaner cities in Los Angelean sub urbia but also suffers the same downfall as its neighboring cities. In the early 60's, the more well to do members of the black community migrated to cities like Carson in search of a clean and wholesome environment to settle down and raise children but as the effects of Regonomics took hold of the nations economy in the early 80s we began to see a drastic change in lower and middle class communities across the nation and with the black panther party being destroyed by political persecution and the flood of heroin on the streets, there was no longer a buffer to protect the black community from the spread of crack cocaine, aids, gang violence and it's ultimate demise.



Soon the cities that make up Los Angeles County took a turn for the worse. Once taking pride in the advancements that were made during the 60s & 70s with more and more black people being home owners and business professionals, these communities soon started to pride themselves on who had the most street credit and which gang "put in the most work".



Now, the reputation of being "Real" seems to be all that matters and without a publicly known figure with a vocal role in commercial media to popularize the city once considered to be a beacon of African American achievement... We are left with only the stereotypical images Los Angeles County being full of Khaki Sagging Gangsters getting drunk In front of liquor stores, Esés & Low Riders "bending corners" & "hittin' switches", Baby Mommas, Bitches and Hood Rats. Although, California is diverse enough to house all of these stereotypes and more. I am here to represent the "more".



I am a product of my environment. I am a product of Carson, Ca. Support my movement and help shake the mental slavery placed on our brains by the Media and Corporate America that continuously bombard our minds with the negative imagery used to promote poisonous products to our youth, our families and our communities. Stand & fight for the betterment of our future!!!



The Effn.