Rapper Feud Mirrors World Politics

NPR Music pointed me to an interesting article by Marc Lynch. A professor at George Washington University and the director of the Institute of Middle East Studies, Lynch is a rap fan and is interested in parallels between rap, political science and international relations.

Some of the greatest minds in national security have turned their attention to a classic problem: When there is one dominant power, the rest of the world tries to challenge it. That’s what happened to Britain in the 19th century and to the United States today. The same thing is happening in the world of rap.

Read the NPR Music article here and scope out Lynch’s full article here.

RE-SURFACE D-Light Pillar Candles

RE-SURFACE is a boutique factory and design studio based in Brooklyn that dedicates itself to producing interior lighting with a sense or urban art and culture in mind. Their D-Light Pillar Candles are contained in slender cylindrical glasses with printed urban graphics inspired by graffiti. Perfect to give your apartment that gritty urban vibe!

[via Freshness Mag]

Jeff McMillan

SoCal based artist, Jeff McMillan was born in October of 1977 and his influences lie heavily in 80’s pop culture. I was doing a trawl of the interent and found his painting, All Together Now. It lives up to it’s name: The Dude (from The Big Lebowski), The Ex-Presidents (from Point Break), Borat, David Lynch and the creepy bunny from Donnie Darko all together – it’s like being hit by a dump truck full of awesome sauce!

Miranda July

Miranda July is a filmmaker, artist, performer and writer. She grew up in Berkeley, California where she began her career as a teenager, writing and directing plays. Her work has a wry sense of humour and I dig it.