The Tastemakers Society

You might be right, Colin. In a world where conformity is all too common, Mr. Munroe is a genre-crossing, multifaceted musician with a talented voice.  Want an example? Just check out his latest mixtape, which features rappers, instruments, and U2. Open your mind and embrace.  Colin Munroe is on the marquee.

Take chances in your life.  TTS did with this interview.  DviousMindZ is an rising interest in the production game with his “Beats I Would’ve Gave…” mixtape series.  So far, he’s enlisted the names of Mos Def, Lupe Fiasco, and Nas in his musical tributes.  Hailing from Canada, this recent high school graduate is breaking the mold of conventional wisdom and taking time off from school to take a stab at musical fame and fortune.  This may or may not be his stepping stone.  We’ll take some credit for breaking him.

One step ahead and never two steps behind, this week TTS brings you the next generation of producers. The Apple Juice Kid is a North-Carolina bred college graduate with ten years of international drumming experience. Now, he’s got his hands in a production career involved with artists such as Camp Lo, Little Brother, and Miles Davis. Fresh off of releasing his mixtape “Miles Remixed,” The Apple Juice Kid sat down with us and had some time to squeeze the juice out of the headphones.

We’ve already talked about her once before so lets cut the chit chat and get right to things, re-introducing Honey Larochelle.

When was music it for you, when did that light bulb go off?

Well, my mom was a singer, so that’s all I’ve ever done. It’s sort of like taking over the family business so to speak.

Who are some of your musical influences, your sound seems closely rooted to the neo-soul sound?

Well, my mom raised me on soul and acceppella. So Stevie, Prince, and Take 6, were the ones I loved most. Also, Anita Baker. But over the years developing my sound, I was definitely touched by many of the neo-soul era as well as rock n roll, hip hop and funk. Jill Scott, and Erykah Badu or course, the Beatles, Gavin Degraw, Dave Matthews, and so many more have influenced me for a time or a season…

Fashion changes like clockwork every season something new, someone in, someone out, but its some things you can count on being consistent over time. Fashion shows, fashion week, skinny models, new designers, and the ugly shit that always seem to the new “it” for the upcoming season. Well, I wanted to get someone that I not only felt mastered the fashion game with his designs more then his words, but I also wanted someone I could have talk about these things and spread some truth light and thoughts on the fashion game, because you must be a player to play in fashion. Brian Wood was the designer whose work proved itself to be a step above the rest and who was willing to speak his mind on matters of fashion week, the seasons, and the brands he’s just not feeling at all.

Society- a population of humans characterized by patterns of relationships between individuals that share a distinctive culture and/or institutions. That’s the definition of Society according to wikipedia but if you refer to The Society that Amanda Blakley and Ashleigh Dempster created it’s something more on the lines of a gathering of liked minds. Started in Toronto out of boredom and now spread to NYC, it’s “social encounters” put together by Ashleigh and Amanda with the goal of spreading these events all over the world with all types of like minded members who are all looking for something more then just a bar and a drink. Now join my conversation with the double A’s and she what they have to say.

In the midst of commercial rap’s takeover, Kumi Hues caught the attention of our ears through their mixtape “Revolutionary Love.” Enter M.E.R.C. and iLL-FLaVa. As leaders of the new school of thought-provoking music, the duo pushes their reality and message of progression through their undeniably smooth chemistry.  Get in tune with Kumi Hues, a group carving their own niche in the hip-hop block.

It’s amazing how one can be lead into the world of fashion, in life some things are passion, some things hobbies, some things are paths, others are just simply things that interest you. You learn things from trial and error, you can be self taught or school taught. To me it’s not really what you do but how you do it and the journey you took to get there. The story of Helena Fredriksson is one of many paths, hobbies and self lessons that have lead her into fashion and designing clothes. This isn’t the life and times or even the biography of Helena Fredriksson but a mere story of her life and many tidbits that make up who Helena Fredriksson is.

The Tastemakers Society prides itself on finding tastemakers and one thing for sure is Jerry Lorenzo Manuel and Javier “Leber” Laval are definitely tastemakers in every since. They help cultivate lifestyles by having their hands deep in the cookie jar making sure to spread them around to as many as they can. And they’re talents don’t end there both had plans to be professional athletes, and read on to see who would come out on top as the better athlete.

We never leave you alone on New Music Tuesdays.  What up, world?  Fly. Union is back in the place with an interview.  Managed to catch them (you know ’cause their flyin’ and stuff?) long enough to get a glimpse of their life and their perspective on this thing we call hip-hop.  Don’t get left behind, these dudes are sneaking in the game any which they can.  Oh yea, “Kill Fly. U” and “Close Doors, Open Windows” for download online right now.

Allow me to introduce Craig “space” Hackey, a TTS team member. Melissa from Emperial Nation has started a interview series her 2nd inductee into her series catalog was none other then Mr. Craig Hackey. Listen to Craig talk about bad questions and cutting grass.

Maybe you live under a rock, if you don’t then you’ve seen one of Improv Everywhere’s missions, maybe their ”no pants” mission, or their “frozen in grand central” mission, or one of their countless others they’ve pulled off. No matter what they seem to pull off you can be sure that Improv Everywhere will make it something worthwhile and entertaining. I caught up with Charlie Todd the founder of Improv Everywhere and had him run down some things for me, like his favorite missions, how IE got started (drinks and college buddies), and what the future holds.