Creating their own content, Wong Fu’s very own Phillip Wang hosts the first episode of the new dance show “Step By Step” featuring the beautiful and super talented Yuri Tag of ABDC‘s season 1 veterans Kaba Modern dance crew. “Hammer pants” and all, they obviously had a lot of fun making the video with Yuri’s choreography and Phil learning a new routine. Check it out:

More extended footage here.

Visit Kaba Modern’s Official Website here.

Check out more of Jackfroot’s cover of Wong Fu here.

Check out ISAtv.com for more shows to come!

Funny guy Ryan Higa of the infamous YouTube channel NigaHiga decided to pay homage to the film in his own rendition called “The Avengerz” which features “Ironing Man”, “The-Or”, “Captain Canadia”, and “Incredible Anger Management Hulk” with cameos of Black Widow, Hawkeye, and a 2-patched-eyed-white-skinned Nick Fury. Enjoy laughing to this:

Check out more of Jackfroot’s cover of Niga Higa videos here.

Jackfroot had the honor of interviewing Japanese-American artist and California based Hiiro Tomita of Hiiro Tomita Studios.

During an event called F.A.M.E (fashion, art, and music exhibit based in San Jose, California) a few weeks ago, I came across many vendors that day – but one in particular caught my artistic eye. Using New Era Caps as a canvas, beautiful pieces with intricate details and visual story telling was what captivated me to meet the artist behind the talent!  Hiiro was the most coolest and humble as he could be for the sheer amount of talent behind his work. The event was busy and loud, so we agreed to set up an online interview:

The idea behind Hiiro Tomita Studios came from:

I was in my college dorm room my freshman year and saw my fitted NY New Era hat sitting on the shelf. It had been weathered and yellowed from all the constant wear over the years. Since it was something I could definitely not wear anymore, I decided I’d spend some time drawing on it. Seeing that everyone around me wore hats but almost everyone had identical hats, I hoped that my artwork would help my hat stand out and make it a one of a kind design. Soon after finishing the hat, I wore it outside and my friends asked me where I bought it. Not believing the fact that I drew it on there myself, I realized that I had something going and quickly posted it on facebook. The rest is history.

My first New Era Hat that sold was:

A friend of mine saw my first hat on Facebook and immediately messaged me about getting a hat done for himself. It was a white/red/turquoise LA New Era and I drew a few Irezumi inspired designs.

If it wasn’t for art, I would be:

Slaving away at my college major of Architecture with no other venue for creative expression. My art is my passion and my hand drawing is where I succeed. Although hand drawing has become an old school type of art form since computers have come out, the ability to put it on an article of clothing besides shoes has enabled me to create a signature style.

Each hat can take up to:

Anywhere from 3 to 6 hours on average. However, the complexity of the order can change the duration of time. I made a Lil Wayne hat for a client in Atlanta and it was an all over hat design which took 22 hours. I am pretty proud of that one.

My favorite piece was:

So far has been my Hiiro Tomita Studios hat that I drew on a blank white New Era. I did it to commemorate my 100th custom hat since I started in 2009. I paid attention to extreme detail and had a combination of icons within the design that I felt represented my character and the history of the business I had created.

What hats have you auctioned off to help fund raise for a cause? 

I’ve done a hat for the Japan Relief cause with a friend of mine from Massachusetts. We auctioned it off via the internet and was able to successfully raise over $500 for the cause.

What custom hat artwork were you most excited about designing?

Definitely the Lil Wayne custom hat was one of my most exciting pieces. The client had purchased a New Era exclusive anniversary hat which came in all leather and had been limited to 3,000 pieces. Giving me such a special hat to draw on, I was able to get very creative with the hat and drew everything inspired by Lil Wayne onto it. The end result was a 22 hour production and displayed 3 portraits of Lil Wayne as well as famous quotes and icons.

Who and where are your clients from?

My clients come from all over the world. I’ve created hats for clients in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Jose, Massachusetts, Florida, Atlanta, New York, Colorado, and Iowa. I’ve also had clients outside of the United States such as Toronto, Mexico, and also Brazil. I’d definitely have to thank Cesco from Nectalk.com for helping get my artwork out there and providing me the opportunities to get these clients. Without his website I would probably would not have gotten those connections.

Besides individual clients, I’ve created hats for TRUE in SF, Headliners in SJ, Hall of Fame, Dissizit, and Diamond Supply Co.

Notable people I’ve done custom hats for are Levy Tran (Tattoo Model), Sasha Mallory (from So You Think You Can Dance), Lyricks (Rapper from Virginia), and Casey Veggies (Rapper from LA).

How many hats have you individually designed already?

I’ve created almost 120 hats since I began in 2009.

 If you could have one more talent, it would be:

Existing talents include soccer. I used to be pretty competitive in it.

However, if you’re talking about a talent I wished I had, it would definitely be producing music. I’ve taught myself the violin and guitar, but making beats and producing songs has definitely been something I wish I had time for. Music is just another extension of art so it would be a nice different venue for creative release.

What hat are you wearing right now?

I am currently wearing my own custom Hiiro Tomita Studios hat drawn on a blank white New Era. I sent the hat off to JBF Customs to have the bill re-designed in Python skin so it’s definitely a collaborative custom hat on a whole different level.

How has being Japanese American influence your game in the business?

I think it’s propelled me to be bold in my expression of art. Considering the fact that Japanese are known to be very creative and unique, it’s helped me use that to my advantage. Also, the fact that I am Japanese I think also has provided me with some credibility in the creative field. Ultimately, it has worked in my favor.

What influenced you to get into art as a career?

I’ve always drawn since I was a little kid. Both my parents are artistic so they’re influence on me as a child was crucial. My mother helped fine tune my drawing skills and encouraged me to keep working on my drawings until they were perfect. My father gave me realistic criticism and taught me the necessary knowledge to be successful in the creative field.

What is your number 1 advice for someone looking to be a creative director behind their own brand and product?

“What you think you become”. Just believe in yourself and never give up. Getting to where I am now took years of dedication. Like anyone trying to make it big, I’ve had my fair share of rejections from various brands when I asked if they wanted to collaborate on a custom hat. However, every opportunity I got, I spent on perfecting my craft. I definitely sacrificed plenty of holidays and vacations working on my hats. Don’t do it just because you have to though, remember to love whatever you are doing and surely, the money will follow.

Hiiro just had a successful first solo gallery exhibit at Yojie Japanese Fondue in Downtown LA last night. A portion of the profits will be donated to a children’s art organization www.freearts.org. Keep a look out for more clean artwork on the heads of fitted cap fans worldwide. Hiiro Tomita is looking forward to custom designing your New Era Cap. Hit him up!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All hats are hand drawn to the highest standards of perfection. Each taking a varying amount of hours to draw, the hats are produced to meet the quality and uniqueness of every client.

 

For more information on ordering your very own custom hand drawn hat:

http://hiirotomita.com/

http://hiirotomita.carbonmade.com/

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/hiirotomitastudios

TUMBLR: http://hiirotomitastudios.tumblr.com/

TWITTER: http://twitter.com/#!/hiirotomita

The group—Kev Nish, Prohgress, J-Splif, and DJ Virman—break out the big gold chains and grillz for this. To add substance to the hot club track, it only makes sense to roll through Hollywood in a pimped-out old school limo with a backseat full of hot ladies. This track is already set on my reply and would definitely be a hot summer track in the clubs this summer. Check it out:

Check out Far East Movement TV

More of Jackfroot’s cover of Far East Movement here and Tyga here.

1. Encore Beach Club @ Encore

2. Wet Republic @ MGM

3. Tao Beach @ The Venetian

4. Ditch Fridays @ Palms

5. Marquee Day club @ Cosmopolitan

Some people may ask why isn’t Rehab @ Hard Rock on the top five? but in reality is that Rehab has taken a backseat to the DayLife generation.

Place your vote now on your favorite DayLife party.

‎Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post’s poll.

Check out the NEW MUSIC VIDEO TRAILER TO “At It Again” www.vimeo.com/drexleefilms
DOWNLOAD NOW – www.Cashavelli.com

Chris Cash “Cashavelli the Prince”
youtube.com/cashavellitheprince

This time – covering pop princess Britney Spears‘ biggest hits! This video is layered with vocals and pure talent! Can you name the fourteen songs in this one of a kind infectious mash-up of a cover?!

Britney Spears fan or not, just admit it. You wanted to dance somewhere within the 5 minutes of this video.

YOUTUBE: http://www.youtube.com/user/TheSamTsui?feature=watch

FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/SamTsuiMusic

As a huge fan of HBO’s popular new television series Game of Thrones, Jason dedicated this cover to the cast and crew as well as to all the fans of the hit show. Check out his most popular YouTube cover with close to over 2.4 views to date:

My personal favorite is his Childish Gambino’s Heartbeat cover:

Check out his most recent Skyrim Violin Cover video here.

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/JasonYangViolin

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JasonYangOfficial

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/jasonyangviolin

F.A.M.E. is a bi-annual event that strives to feature the work of passionate artists to exhibit their contributions to the street wear experience. The event hosts as a collective showcase for fashion, art, and music to “exhibit” under one big roof – bringing together the aesthetic elements of streetwear culture.

The point of contact person behind all information about the event points to a gentlemen by the name of  ”bv” – or Bobbie Vie. It’s been over ten year since bv and I shared our years of post adolescent and roamed the hall ways of our high school together. He always carried a calm energy about him, as if he knew he would be doing such big things in the future. I felt honored when we reunited again Saturday night for F.A.M.E. SS2012: The Masquerade. Again, I saw the calm energy in him as he walked up smoothly to us and stated “I am here“.  We got to talking and I asked if it was alright to interview him for a Jackfroot article. Without having to say much, he calmly smiled and said: “It’s not about me. It’s about the people“. And with much respect to BV’s incredibly humble statement, I have no interview for you here, but an impressive list of the passionate people and talents behind what F.A.M.E. is all about:

HOST
Dem One

DESIGNERS
BOLO Vintage
Colorwood x Blank Shoppe
Eufia by Kathryn Guinto
Oak Creek Vintage
With Love, Made From Hate

FASHION
Below The Surface
BOLO Vintage
Booger Kids
Breezy Excursion
City League Champions
Clout
Colorwood x Blank Shoppe
Cukui
Elusive
Fully Laced
Girls Night Out Society
Halloway
Homegrown Blends
Intwined
Jayne Chen
Miss Levy
MKP
Nail Jerks
Oak Creek Vintage
Petals And Peacocks
Stoops And Kids
Suhreal
TheFWord
The Goods
The Imaginary Zebra
Umbrella Salon
With Love, Made From Hate
Yamamoto Industries

ART
Abraham Menor
AG Originals
Darkside Of The Moon
Geovanni Cortes
Hiiro Tomita Studios
Nick Giannini
Pops Fabrication
Sharper Than Any
State Of Grace
Wadl

MUSIC
A-Three
DJ Quantum
DJ Mad Antics

DANCE
Mix’d Ingrdnts
Pikmin Crew

Check out Pikmin Crew‘s sick routine showcased at F.A.M.E. SS2012:

Here’s some raw footage of the events that took place at FAME SS2010:

Website: http://bobbivie.com/

Portions of the ticket sales will benefit: http://futureartsnow.org/

The standardized image for “beautiful and sexy” is plastered all over the media, Hollywood, runways, and glossy magazines. Being a female in today’s modern age has more pressure and demands in the image department more than ever before, especially since we are more likely than men to have negative images about our own physical appearance. For men, looking good is primarily focused on good hygiene and looking fit. Whereas for females, we not only worry about hair – but also our faces on top of all of that!

How to make an “unfavorable” face … beautiful??? Behold –  the power of make up! It’s the secret behind how a  40 year-old Japanese mom looks 18 ! Females who wear makeup can spend anywhere from minutes to hours on “getting ready”. The good majority of that time is primarily spent on the face.

Video makeup tutorials have taken over picture tutorials overall thanks to YouTube with millions of views for just a particular look! Two ladies by the last name of Phan (entirely non related) are making a name for themselves in the world of beauty. Take Vietnamese-American makeup guru and YouTube internet sensation Michelle Phan and her “Lady GaGa Poker Face makeup video tutorial” that has to date over 30 million views! Check it out:

Join over 1.8 million people and subscribe to Michelle Phan‘s YouTube channel here.

Visit her official website here: http://www.michellephan.com/

With these video tutorials becoming ever so more popular, welcome the internet’s newest beauty guru,  22-year-old Nepalese American makeup artist Promise Phan!

Her amazing celebrity transformormation videos got her on the front cover of Yahoo’s headlining news threads last week. Check out her most popular Angelina Jolie make-up transformation video that has got over 14 million views:

Subscribe to Promise Phan’s YouTube videos here. Follow Promise on Twitter here.

I commend these two ladies for their bold and brave statement of the superficial reality behind physical appearance. The world is staring to take notice of this more. It’s individuals like Reddit user Munner 83 -who posted herself with a half make-up free face that confirms that we should never underestimate the power of make up and appreciate a women by looking beyond just her looks – especially beyond her possible make-up heavy face.  It’s an understatement to assume our favorite American female celebrities always look so damn good. Think again. It takes MAJOR time and effort people.

Beauty is only skin deep.

The film takes viewers back to the epic day Neal Schon, guitarist for the iconic rock band Journey, clicked on one of those videos and was blown away by Arnel’s talent and uncanny vocal similarity to former Journey front man Steve Perry. Arnel was flown into the states to audition for the band, and the rest made an iconic and captivating story – full of what dreams are made of.

I’ve had the incredible privilege of watching Arnel live in concert with his fellow Journey band mates, and it was one of the most humbling experiences of my life. I was surrounded by fans of every color, but mostly fillipinos! I saw proud tears as they all sang along to “Don’t Stop Believing” - and that was the biggest highlight of my concert life!

From being homeless and sleeping on the streets as a 13 year old kid from the Phillipines, to flying to California to audition for a legendary  American rock band, I can’t imagine what was going through Arnel’s head as he stepped out of that plane. That flight was just the tip of the journey he was about to embark on for the rest of his life! Check out the trailer below:

Synopsis:
Journey, the iconic, quintessentially American rock band who recorded eight platinum-certified albums during their heyday between 1978 and 1986, has chosen a lead singer in a manner befitting this internet age: they found him on YouTube

For those of you in the West Coast and especially the Bay Area, the film will screen May 3 as Closing Night of the 2012 San Francisco International Film Festival.

ARNEL PINEDA OFFICIAL WEBSITE: http://arnelpinedarocks.com/

For screening details and more information about the movie, check out the MOVIE WEBSITE: http://www.everymansjourney.com/

MOVIE FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/JourneyMOVIE

MTV’s “Randy Jackson Presents America’s Best Dance Crew (“ABDC”)” “Return of the Superstars” welcomes multi-platinum, international music sensation Flo-Rida to the stage, during an all-new episode airing Wednesday, April 18 at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on MTV, as he kicks-off the show with the performance of Billboard chart-topper “Wild Ones.”  This week, five all new dance crews will dominate the dance stage as they perform to some of Flo Rida’s hottest hits including; “Club Can’t Handle Me,” “Right Round,” “Low,” “Good Feeling” and “In The Ayer.” In addition, Flo Rida will join the judges’ panel with JC Chasez, Lil Mama and D-Trix, as a special judge.

In last week’s premiere episode, five dance crews ignited the stage to the music of Britney Spears leaving four crews moving on to the next round and “Mix’d Elements” having to battle it out in this week’s elimination round.

This season, nine all-new hip-hop dance crews are taking the stage with one returning past crew, fan favorite from season two, “Fanny Pak.” This is the first time in the series’ history a crew from a prior season will return to compete for the title.  Will they be able to win the prize this time around?  Other crews include; “8 Flavahz,” “Collizion Crew,” “Electrolytes,”“Funkdation,” “Irratik,” “Mix’d Elements,” “Mos Wanted Crew,” “Rated Next Generation” and “Stepboys.” Tune in as the crews get ready to showcase their fierce dance moves for the ultimate opportunity to become America’s Best Dance Crew, and win a $100,000 cash prize.

“ABDC” is executive produced by “American Idol” judge Randy Jackson, Joel Gallen (Tenth Planet Productions), Josh Greenberg (“The Sing Off”), Hip Hop International’s creators Howard Schwartz and Karen Schwartz, Rob Lee (Bayonne Entertainment), Harriet Sternberg and Abe Hoch (both of Dream Merchant 21 Entertainment). Craig Erwich and Brooke Karzen are the executives overseeing the project for Warner Horizon Television (“The Bachelor,” “The Bachelorette,” The Voice”). Lauren Dolgen, Kristina Edwards and Michelle Klepper are the executives in charge for MTV.