In My Shoes ft. Torae
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[one_half_last]Growing up in Brooklyn in the 80's was the coolest. Hip Hop was bursting on to the scene, the fashion was crazy & Michael Jordan was on his was to becoming a basketball God. Not only was I viewing his super human feats on the court, I was watching his feet on the court, and in February of 1988 Nike released what is in my opinion the greatest Air Jordan sneaker ever. It was the 3rd sneaker released between the two parties & it was a doozy! Now being a March baby I really wanted these sneakers bad for my birthday but kids my age were getting robbed left & right for their kicks back then. It was a long shot but I asked......and got rejected, we really didn't have money like that back then anyway but moms just hit me with the it's too dangerous excuse & shattered my hopes & dreams.
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It would be a number of years before I had another shot at obtaining these beauties. Without dragging you through my various failed attempts at getting the 3's I'll just fast forward to 2010 when I FINALLY got my first pair of retro Jordan 3's (black cement color way to be specific).
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[one_third]As an artist in the public eye it's important for me to always show up fresh from head to feet & the Jordan 3 never let's me down no matter what the outfit. I've walked the red carpet, hosted events, performed all over the world & have interviewed your favorite artists wearing this sneaker.
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[one_half_last] I can recall landing in about a foot of snow in Germany back in 2012 and all I had to rock was my trusty 3's.
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They're fashionable, comfortable & durable. My oldest pair I've had about 2 years but they've been through it all with me. Anytime they retro I try to get a couple pair at least at retail price, but my latest pair I paid a pretty penny for (Thanks to Flight Club). My closet holds over 100 pair of sneakers, but none compare to my beloved Jordan 3's.
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Discovery: Jeff Staple
Jeff Staple, of Staple Design sits with Sutterstock for their video segment titled “Shutterstock in Conversation”. Jeff discusses the things that inspire him, how good design shapes his business and the process that he use to keep his businesses creative. Jeff also shared the many layers of Staple Design which is the parent company of Reed Space a fashion boutique in SOHO NYC and Staple Pigeon an urban menswear line. Want to know more about Jeff Staple watch the video below…
- Hero Image by: Photos by Jaryl Cabuco ©
- Video by: Shutterstock
Sunday's Beats for Brunch ft. DJ A.C.L
Open Crates resident DJ, A.C.L drops into this weekends Beats for Brunch to share some of his heat straight from his vinyl record collection. Today we present yet another oldie but goodie session which I'm pretty sure you'll enjoy. Some of the artists DJ A.C.L feature include Diana Ross, Black Heat, Lonnie Smith, Gato Barbieri and Flip Nunez just to name a few. This mix should remind you of HOME! Remember when your grand-mom was up early with her records spinning while she got breakfast and dinner ready at the same time? Yeah, that kind of HOME. Enjoy!
THE FOOD
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Right in the heart of Hoboken, NJ we discovered a cool, traditional and very down to earth sports bar that serves up a spectacular Brunch menu on the weekends. If your 20 something or outgoing newly weds then this spot is for you! Mikie's attracts a ton of young energy making this venue a spot to hang out at in the middle of errands. As far as the food, this bar serves up some awesome breakfast wraps along with a man loving steak and eggs dish.
DETAILS
Address 616 Washington St. Hoboken, NJ 07030 - (201) 792-0001
Parking Street
Dress Casual
Specialty Breakfast, Lunch and Brunch
LOTS of Alcohol
Photobooth: Segment Commercial Recaps
This past weekend the gang and I hooked up at the GMLV studio to work on some segmented commercials. What do I mean by 'Segmented Commercials'? Are you familiar with the Happy Hour and Urban Exploring videos posted here? Do you know that for the past two weeks we've been sharing brunch spots while putting together a mix of music for you on Sunday mornings? We call that Sunday's Beats for Brunch. What about the post that features a photo timeline based around your favorite pair of sneakers titled In My Shoes?
Urban Exploring, Happy Hour, In My Shoes and Sunday's Beats for Brunch are all part of our Original Content series also known as segments. Each segment features an Artoholik crew member and a featured guest/host. So we decided to create short videos, similar to commercials, that will feature a future host and guest that we all can share.
As usual Guru documented the process in between his recording sessions. Here are a few photos, but stayed tuned for the spots as they'll roll out starting next week. We're also putting together a gag reel to share some of the embarrassing moments. None of us love the camera. lol
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Urban Exploring: Episode 2 - Harvey Hirsch
In this edition of Urban Exploring, IquanW's former employer Harvey Hirsch takes over the episode to show him and Guru his old neighborhood, Coney Island. The trio started the day by having breakfast at one of Harvey's favorite spots, The El Greco Diner in Sheepshead Bay and after chowing down on the Brooklyn Breakfast of Eggs, Locks and Onions, they took a short ride to Brighton Beach where Harvey grew up. Harvey then showed the two where he made his first dollar by hustling comic books, sandwiches and lemonade to the beach goers. The last stop was lunch at the Original Nathans for some good old fashion hot dogs!
Here’s why we decided to ask Harvey to be included in this month's adventure...
Harv has traveled the world, in the US ARMY in Vietnam as a helicopter Crew Chief in 1968 and as an international marketing expert. He started and managed one of the most innovative direct market firms in America, winning all sorts of prestigious awards for his strategic communications work and for his revolutionary patented marketing technology. In fact in 2006 Xerox named his firm #1 on the planet when they awarded him their First Place PIXI Award for Variable Marketing. IquanW and many other students worked as paid interns in his agency, (and learned secrets that enable us to get and keep jobs). Now he's a food video blogger, specializing and having fun with getting his videos placed on page one of organic Google searches. But most importantly, Harv said he would buy us a real Brooklyn breakfast. He’s just a fun guy and he knows things and that's why you hang with a foodie! Check out his YouTube channels... Food of the World and Free Range Chow Hound. That's it for this month's Urban Exploring, stay tuned for Episode 3.
Discovery: AbJo
Who is ABJO? Abraham Joseph b.k.a AbJo is your "neighborhood beat crafter, sound selector, and midnight miscreant." At your service coming out of San Diego, CA. ABJO is down with the music collective Soulection a record label and radio show based out of LA, which is part of the reason for why he killing the internet and underground music scene. After listening to a few tracks from Abraham, over an over again, I can't put him into a direct genre of music however I can explain it.
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ABJO's MUSIC: I've personally taken a liking to the abstract hip-hop beat instrumental type of things that has begun to be very popular within the last 3 to 5 years. "Abjo definitely falls in the category of artists who are making something truly original with a sound of his own." - Mixcloud.com
I wouldn’t say Ab has a unique sound, however I do hear a unique use of distribution with the elements he uses in his music. In a lot of his pure instrumental tracks you’ll notice an inconsistent flow of up and down tempos followed our lead by trap sounding 808′s claps. AB has also become very well known for his remixes and covers featuring Busta Rhymes, Lauren Hill, Little Dragon and Q-tip just to name a few.[/two_third_last]
ABJO's DISCOGRAPHY: The young San Diego producer has released over 10 Albums, Mixtapes and EP's and flaunts a sexy 44 tracks on his soundcloud profile.
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We look forward to catching up with ABJO in person in the near future, but for now here's the best part of the post...
LINKS AND STUFF
Souncloud: @midnightabjo
Bandcamp: abjo.bandcamp.com
Twitter: @abjonian
Website: abjonian.com
Label: Soulection
Urban Exploring: Harpers Ferry
During the Christmas break, my lovely wife and I took a mini vacation to West Virgina to visit family. During the trip, we were suggested to take a vacation from the vacation and visit Harpers Ferry.
Harpers Ferry is a historic town in Jefferson County, West Virginia, United States that's situated at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers where the U.S. states of Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia meet. Little did we know that we were walking on US history, we later learned that Harpers Ferry is best known for John Brown's raid on the Armory in 1859 and its role in the American Civil War. Initially, we parked at the north end and were very confused on what we were supposed to see. All we could see were facility buildings, trees, and mountains (which were extremely beautiful and refreshing) and we thought we'd see more. Though we were confused and disappointed we took the opportunity to snap some photos of the scenery.
Luckily, we ran into some facility employees that nicely directed us to the suggested area and my god what a big difference it was! This section was a tiny old school town filled with restaurants, coffee, ice cream, and novelty shops. It was easy to tell that each and every building was well maintained. The type of facades that you see in historical-themed movies.
The highlight of the mini trip was a short walk (0.3) from the Bolivar Heights parking area that provided great views of the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains, the Potomac River water gap, and the Shenandoah Valley. At this point is where we had the most fun. See below...
Lastly, we decided to stop for a bite at The Coffee Mill, where we had a light snack and some coffee. The fresh baked peach pie was Aleesha's choice, while I enjoyed a warm slice of pumpkin pie. Overall, we really enjoyed our one hour there (it got dark) and look forward to going back with the kids. I wouldn't recommend traveling to this place if it's not on the way to another destination, but if you're into camping, hiking, and researching/documenting history, then this is definitely the place to go. That's it for now, enjoy the photos below!
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RECAP: Munny Social Trilogy
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[one_third]RECAP
This past Sunday (October 27th) The Artoholiks hosted their final Munny Social of the year after two successful ones in August and September. All events were hosted in Newark's Downtown Arts District at three locations which include Elbow Room, GMLV, and Center Stage Cuts. The events attracted over 90 guests, who all came ready to eat, create, relax and enjoy a niche event on a Sunday afternoon.
The overall goal for these events was to introduce the Newark Art scene to the custom Vinyl Toy Community, while socializing and having fun. In addition to all the action, each space acted as a personal art gallery for the IquanW's Custom Toy Collection. IquanW also of head the Artoholiks dove into the Custom Toy design world just under a year ago and has already collected and customized dozens of Munnys and Dunnys.
Munny Social 1: Just like the movies and music albums, "Munny Social 1" was the best because everyone was excited! It was brand new to everyone and they all grasped the concept.
Munny Social 2: Best venue hands down! GMLV! Definitely a place to be in, GMLV's design and atmosphere of exposed brick, glass walls, and open space, made the guests comfortable and allowed them to bring out the kid at heart, letting creativity take over. Unlike Elbow Room, where participants were under time restraints to finish their Munny, GMLV had no "clocking time", everyone was allowed to get it in!
Munny Social 3: Being the finale, we provided 4 DJ's to cater to the momentum of the event, as well as feature a branded step and repeat capturing the moment.
Overall: People had FUN! People came back! People shared! We have a feeling people will want a 4th Munny Social!
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[one_third]TWEETS
Had fun with the #InfamousCrew @iquanw 1guru @mrsaleeshaw & @iquanw #MunnySocial #HappyHour #Diva… http://t.co/2YK6o1L9bQ
— BQ-MAMI (@MURDERMAMIBQ) October 29, 2013
I had a fun time from today's #munnysocial hosted by @theartoholiks It keeps getting better. #kidrobot
— Joe Baron (@joebarondesign) October 28, 2013
"Rogue Ranger" , this was my submission for #munnysocial today @iquanw http://t.co/QwWQiB2RLb
— Call Me LV (@LMagiccc) October 28, 2013
So, this is what I made at @mrsaleeshaw and @iquanw's #munnysocial event. I didn't win, but next time… http://t.co/hAHYL58Yqo
— Aura Harewood (@auraluvsu) October 27, 2013
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Photo: I’m #Munny Sitting for the night lol …. THE ARTOHOLIKS @theartoholiks SEASON FINALE MUNNY SOCIAL is... http://t.co/4KcT9OGZ3D
— ℒℴѵℯ.☥.Audaciously™ (@4everAudacious) October 27, 2013
DJing this Sunday afternoon at @CenterStageCut for the season finale #MunnySocial hosted by @theartoholiks http://t.co/SpTU31HrfG
— Layton Weedeman (@laytonic) October 24, 2013
#MunnySocial complete. I was the only one to vote for mine! Idc, idc, idc! http://t.co/cW118IMGjQ
— Nakeiya Cadet Sabb (@fabulousmommys) September 29, 2013
Got tix to #MunnySocial going down this Sunday! Eat, mingle, and show ur creative side! Tix @ http://t.co/sKCIOm2xgL pic.twitter.com/UIott7PrrW
— Monee Perry (@monee) September 27, 2013
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[one_half]SPOTTING THE ASTROHEAD
Upon arrival, each guest was greeted with a bag that contained their Munny. The process was simple… get your bag, name tag, and get stamped! Guests that RSVP’ed via Meetup or Eventbrite were stamped with the RED Artoholik Astroman, certifying them as Artoholiks.
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[one_half_last]CREW LOVE
The energy of the event was outstanding, here are a few clips from our Munny lovers:
ARTOTV: Munny Social Shout Outs! from The Artoholiks on Vimeo.
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[one_half]INFOGRAPHIC
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[one_half_last]POLLS
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TOP 20 PHOTOS
by Guru
Knowing moi(me), expressing thoughts on why the following photographs spoke one thousand and one words to me; would take centuries. Hopefully, they do speak for themselves! But hey, I was given word from a high-ranking Artoholik commander to drop a few words on why these “XX Flicks” are dope! Each photo captures energy, so I guess you can say that these are my top energetic photos from the #MunnySocial trilogy. You also may notice that there are no faces in some pictures, but please note, I judged energy by body language and posture as well. Enjoy!
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LMagic with his pregame pose.[/one_fourth]
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JMine knows everything![/one_fourth]
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You couldn't tell her nothing, honey child![/one_fourth]
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Ream Supreme was catching some sun.[/one_fourth_last]
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Nunzio and his attention to detail.[/one_fourth]
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Dom, showed off her Astro Head stamp first.[/one_fourth]
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Munny Social Security Crew.[/one_fourth]
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Love from Queens.[/one_fourth_last]
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The Showoffs![/one_fourth]
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Adding kids to the family.[/one_fourth]
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Whistle while you work![/one_fourth]
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They were probably laughing at me and not with me. Hmmm![/one_fourth]
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I'm a magician.[/one_fourth]
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FOCUSED![/one_fourth_last]
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Talking about energy![/one_fourth]
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I'm not the only self absorbed person.[/one_fourth]
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Dude, the event is over please stop![/one_fourth]
[one_fourth_last]OUR FLICKR
Visit our flickr account for all the photos from all 3 #MunnySocial events!
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LOYAL MUNNY
We don't mean to put people on the spot, but it wouldn't be fair if we didn't give our returning guests some love. Not only did The Munny Lovers below come through all three times, they assisted in ideas, set-up and general support. We love all of our crew members, friends and guests. The one timers are just as important to us.
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Kaylan J...
Baby sat IquanW's Mega Munnys' the night before Munny Social 3.
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LeRonL...
Brought guests with him two of the three times and entertained other guests around him.
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Layton W...
Provided music and tunes to vibe out to while you create and a bundle of moral support through the planning process. Offering help, ideas and advice.
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Latoya N...
Long time supporter of The Artoholiks also gave an enormous amount of moral support.
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[two_third]DJ MUNNY
While Munny Social 3 was the only event of the three to have a live DJ or four, the Munny Social Trilogy was blessed with awesome tunes. In August, DJ Laytonic kicked the event series off with 90's Hip Hop and in September, IquanW brought his laptop into GMLV to bless the guests with his favorite tracks from artist such as Little Dragon, The Internet and DJ Day. Download the Munny Social 1 mix by DJ Laytonic for free by clicking here. DJ Ream Supreme also have a mix from Munny Social 3 for share, see below.[/two_third]
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IQUANW
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REAM SUPREME...
Batting in the cleanup spot, he delivered on his promise to hit the crowd with an alternative twist on today’s hits.
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CAL'QULATED
Got the guests right where he wanted them, FOCUSED. While guests were battling for best design, he blended classic Hip Hop & R&B hits.
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LAYTONIC
Welcomed guests into the venue with a laid back sound, allowing them to mix, mingle, and bop their heads to hip hop instrumentals from the 90's.
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EL SIETE
Had guests dancing in their chairs and at the photobooth with his selection of Global Rhythms.
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[one_fourth]THE GRUB
Munny Social wasn't about the food, but Elbow Room set a tone so we continued to make sure the food was on point! Word on the street is guests enjoyed a great bowl of Mac and Cheese, Fancy Chicken wings covered in Jack Daniel Sauce, delicious Cake Pops and tasty Baked Ziti.
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ELBOW ROOM
Known for their wonderful cups of Mac and Cheese in the bowl, guests were just as impressed with the decor and facade of this unique venue. Attendees were provided with several options to choose from such as the Cheese Burger Mac, Buffalo Chicken Mac and even a gluten free option for those who requested it.
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CLIFF KITCHEN
Cliff brought his kitchen with him, preparing over 100 chicken wings in three different sauces, Jack Daniels Honey, Jack Daniel and Buffalo. But that's not it, he also whipped up a mean buffalo dipping sauce that was the talk of Munny Social 2.
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R&B'S CANDY BUFFET
After carefully listening to the feedback from both Munny Social food menus, we decided to piggy back off of the Elbow Room's pasta in a bowl format. Alisha McLean of RB's Candy Buffet whipped up Ziti and made it easy to serve in small aluminum container. Everyone loved the wings at Munny Social 2, but they left JD sauce on their Munnys! This time around, we made sure chicken was served with the ability to pick up and eat minus the mess. Oh yeah, people loved the food just as much as they appreciated the solution.
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[one_fourth]FINAL WORDS by IquanW & AleeshaW
We put a lot of hard work and effort into this event. Event planning and coordination is not easy. After three events, we still see ways to improve! We look back and say "we should have done that" but overall we are happy with the outcome! - Iquan & Aleesha
This year, I came up from under the rock and did some of the things I always TALKED about doing. I learned that no one respects you until they see something. I feel like I earned a new level of respect from my peers and I'm flattered and amazed. IquanW
At the end of the day it's important that we support each other. Munny Social showed me that people who were and weren't familiar with the Artoholik brand still found a reason to love it. We look forward to bringing you more kick ass events and ARTOmemories. - AleeshaW
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[three_fourth_last]WORDS from THE CREW
All three socials were great events, they allowed us to express ourselves without being judged. -Toya N.
Munny social is great because you're having fun with other artists, that's sort of rare here in Newark - Louis R.
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[one_half]RECAP PHOTOS via Flickr (mobile friendly version)
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[one_half_last]RECAP VIDEO via VIMEO
Recap: Munny Social (October) from The Artoholiks on Vimeo.
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THANK YOU ALL FOR THE SUPPORT!
Recap: Munny Social (September)
YES! We did it again on September 29th! We ate, chilled, and enjoyed each others company while expressing our inner artist on vinyl figures. We kept it in Newark, but moved over to Edison Place across from the Prudential Center at GMLV. Everyone loved the space with its exposed brick, heavy branded fixtures, pool table and glass conference room. With the help of Guru, Laytonic, and Joe Baron, Iquan and Aleesha were able to put together, sell tickets and decorate the space within two weeks, nearly a full month since the past Munny Social at Elbow Room. The goal was is to make Munny Social a monthly event and because of the awesome hype and support from the August event, we were able to expand our goal for yet another.
Guest arrived at 1pm, and unlike the previously Munny Social we decided to switch up the process. This time guests were greeted in the main lobby by Artoholik assistants Maurice and Lonell Jr. and were stamped with the RED Artoholik Astroman, certifying them as an Artoholik. We also switched up the way guests received their toy, on a first come first serve basis guest were directed to a table full of three different types of KIDROBOT vinyl figures to choose from; Munny, Raffy and Foomi. Once the guest picked their toy, they were then directed to choose a table covered in drawing paper that had cups filled with markers and pencils.
We had a 50/50 split between returning guests and new guests, however everyone came focused and jumped right into their designs. After an hour in, our chef for the event Charles Davis owner of Cliff's Kitchen greeted the guests and shared his menu for the event and the process for grabbing the grub. At this time the event turned into a social networking event. With everyone scrabbling for food, it opened up the opportunity for guests to kick it and exchange names, info, ideas and inspiration for their designs. Each attendee raved about Chef Cliff's "Cheese Cake Shots", as they threw them back after having 3 different types of Buffalo Wings and Chicken Empanadas.
Once the messy hands were cleaned up, Artoholik AleeshaW started the giveaways, with the help of Monee Perry from Sony Music Group, Louis Rodriguez of Mission & Company and Joe Baron repping Branded Baron.
Each winner received a ton of goodies, from T-shirts to Music CD's, stickers from TheStylz and IquanW's madCOWards collection. Speaking of Iquan, he rocked the event with a custom Munny Social music playlist and received props from DJ Laytonic who curated the list for of last month's event.
Artohoik crew members Steve Cancel, Dominiqué la Reine and Kaylan Jones made it back to support and rock out but didn't find a way to win the Artoholik Best Design award, which was won by "Mr. Get Your Swirl On" Laytonic and new certified Artoholik Dalila.
Overall, the mission was a success, everyone had fun, hung out with liked- minded people, enjoyed good food, learned something new and expressed themselves in a creative way. We're already working on the 3rd and final Munny Social for 2013. Lock in October 27th as the date and Newark, NJ as the place. The exact venue is still in the works, but in meantime check out the photos and videos below put together by the hard working Artoholik Guru.
PHOTOS
Set1: Click Here to view MOBILE GALLERY
Set2: Click Here to view MOBILE GALLERY
VIDEO
Recap: Munny Social at GMLV from The Artoholiks on Vimeo.