Best of NYC

Considering I'm flying out today to NY, you're gonna have to cut me some slack on this one. Thought I'd present some of the best of NYC street culture from over the years. Or at least what interests me.

Graffiti has its home in New York. Young artists painting trains in the late 70s and 80s probably didn't realise how far it would go: just look at Basquiat and Banksy now. This early rawness of graff is what I love-the spontaneous use of your surroundings and the imitation and mocking of advertising theory.

Check out @149st.com.

Good site for a quick guide to graff in NY. There's also the Recon store which I'm going to drop in on. At Fat Buddha, we're carrying all the Recon/Subware stuff online, designed and inspired by original artists like Stash and Futura. I'll leave it to Callum to dig up some good New York videos.

In New York, hip-hop also has its home as I'm sure we all know. Artifacts were my favourite New York group-their use of all the elements and their jazzy samples really make a summer for me every time. Tame One has great flow:

Skateboarding wise, New York has so much to offer. Brooklyn Banks is probably the most famous remaining spot, recently saved from destruction too. I'm gonna try make this on August 19th for the 2008 Back to the Banks jam. Here's 2007's and p.s. do not expect me to throw down anything like the back noseblunt at the end of this video. I would not return in one piece.

Basketball? Rucker Park. Going here for the summer jam which will be some event.

Zoo York have long been a pinnacle in East coast skating since Shut closed down-at Fat Buddha we're stocking lots of fly tees, hoods and jackets by them and a new season is due in soon. Thought it was best to drop a wee clip of one of the great riders and sometime actors they had, the late Harold Hunter.

Gone a bit OTT on the videos but that should keep you going till I've got a week of Brooklyn under my belt and have something to report.

Ciao!

Mark

ps. http://www.blogger.com/www.markbuckland.blogspot.com-this week, quantum physics, basketball and Bob Crampsey. Promise you it'll be good.