Hunting fashions with Killaqueenz

[This article was published in the Vice Fashion Issue 2010; photos by my boy Tommy Thoms]

After just one album, KillaQueenz are already a rarity in Aussie hip hop. They don’t suck. In fact, Kween G (aka. Gladys) and Belizian Bombshell (aka. Desiree) offer a fresh mix of old-school rhymes and dance-hall infused beats that kick the shit out of most music currently out there. Plus, their live shows are renowned for unleashing the energy of an epileptic fit on stage whilst dressed in clothing louder than you’d see staring at Elton John, directly after ingesting a Peyote Cactus.

We hung out with them on a muggy Monday in Sydney, and in between sweating profusely, drinking a weird array of organic juice and chuckling at Newtown crackhead banter, KillaQueenz took us shopping. It was kind of like going shopping with your girlfriend, except we didn’t get dragged around shops that specialise in handbags made out of some near-extinct species of Amazonian tree frog which cost more than your soul. Even better, we could yell things in crowded areas like “Hey Belizian Bombshell I think that this flourescent pair of space-age sneakers would look rad next time you support Lady Gaga!!” And Belizian Bombshell and Kween G would laugh because they can shop and retain their great sense of humour. Take that girlfriends. We took some photos and chatted about fashion.

Bangs took da world to da Mooooovies...shawtyyyyyyyy

[Interview I did for Vice with my boy Bangs. My boy Tommy took the pretty photos]

You remember my boy Bangs, right? He’s an internet phenomenon/international hip-hop superstar all thanks to his smash-hit single “Take U To Da Movies”, which revolves around taking a shorty to the movies and buying her popcorn and a drink. If you haven’t seen the video clip, watch it NOW. It’s the best. We were all over that shit when it first hit YouTube. No wonder he’s been referred to as everything from the “Sudanese 50 Cent” to “the illest rhyme-spitter this world has ever seen!”

I caught up with Bangs and had a good long chin-wag and photoshoot in the driveway of the carpark that happened to be next-door to the peculiar Latin-themed restaurant he was playing at in Sydney. We talked about popcorn, ladies and how inspirational Chingy is. Bangs turned out to be much more likeable than Kanye West at an awards show.

Fuck you, Mr. Versatility

Ashrita Furman (born Keith Furman) happens to be the douche that holds the douchiest world record on earth: the record for holding the most records in the Guinness Book of Records. He began his record-breaking career after meeting his inner spirit while riding a bike non-stop for 24 hours (he’s a devout follower of the Indian mystic Sri Chinmoy), and has kept on breaking records in order to “inspire” normal people to find their very own inner spirit. He currently holds 98 records and habitually demands people to refer to him as Mr. Versatility. We decided to fuck with Ashrita Furman in the only way that Ashrita Furman can be seriously fucked with: we set out to break some of his records. And then laugh in his shattered face.
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