Titan Collaborates with Brandblack for their 6th Year Special J. Crossover 3 "Mr. Mayhem"

The pioneer of basketball-centric concept store in the Philippines, Titan celebrates their 6th year in the most grand way to date. Correct us if we're wrong, this may actually be the first ever sneaker collaboration with an international brand that came out of Manila. So it's extremely a step further for the Titan brand than anything else. They have been setting the tone for Philippine basketball ever since they came in the industry, and it seems like there are no signs of them slowing down.

The collaborative sneakers dons the J. Crossover 3 silhouette by LA-based basketball footwear brand, Brandblack. Aptly called "Mr. Mayhem" the design of the sneakers is inspired by a cult cable television show about an outlaw motorcycle club. In addition, it is also a nod to Titan's fascination of brotherhood that's born from a shared passion.

We'd do the description of the pair, but we think the Titan just did it the best way possible already.

"The shroud comes in a bold Blue Curacao, reminiscent of the blue green shade of the bike’s fenders and gas tank, and the scatter of chrome on the mesh upper alludes to its metallic chrome accents. The shoe is decorated with patent leather on the heel counter, collar trim, and most notably on the inside of the removable shroud, to mimic the classic Knucklehead’s plush leather seat. Custom TITAN graphics can be found in plain sight, from the lightning fist logo on the left tongue, a chopper-inspired crest on the sock liner, to the more obscure locations of our mascot under the shroud, and a reaper-inspired graphic on the translucent outsole."

The Titan x Brandblack J. Crossover 3 "Mr. Mayhem" is limited to just 366 pairs and will be exclusively sold in the Philippines through Titan's stores. Get your first dibs tomorrow at the Titan BGC where they will first release the pair by 6pm. And then other branches will follow on Saturday, August 27, 2016, including their online store at www.titan22.com.

Saint Ice Rocks Slays it with Müdswang Mix

Be it a slump day or a low night, there's always that one soundtrack - mental or otherwise - that gets you out of it. It can do so for a number of reasons - maybe it's the beat, the synth, the verse, the melody. Regardless, at the end of it, you're left pumped, hyped, ready to take on the world once more.

Saint Ice Rocks' Müdswang is an example of this. Mixed by Blvck Lauren, the 3-song playlist mixes up a high exuberance with a near-effortless chill, making it easy enough to repeat but loud enough to jolt you up. And if you like this, you could find more tunes by following their Facebook page or Soundcloud.

Make some noise for the FlipTop OG Black Snapback Cap from WIP Caps

Filipino apparel company WIP Caps was founded in 2008, at first supplying a few stockists and selling their goods at local bazaars and trade shows. Then a couple of years later, FlipTop Battle League began and instantly became famous. WIP Caps also saw their fan base grow thanks to hip hop artists like Loonie, Abra and Batas rocking their hats on the events and videos of FlipTop. It is only fitting that their partnership yields the fourth collaborative hat of the two said labels. Here is their first snapback, the FlipTop OB Black snapback cap. This polyester-wool headgear has a black dome and visor. The 3D front embroidery features a "FlipTop" marker handstyle in white. Available via the WIP Caps webstore and at the WIP HQ.

Brklss' Terrible Children Collection channels your inner Wild Child

We've all probably had a naughty child stage. That short, chaotic period where we constantly went against our parents' wishes and did the things we knew we weren't supposed to do. It was probably out of a need to be seen more, but nevertheless it was exhilarating.

It's that kind of thrill that Brklss' Terrible Children collection gives, with its wild, outlandish graphics and somewhat-nostalgic imagery (mischievous imps and running with scissors, anyone?).  And yet, it manages to channel all this in a chill, classy way - never going full-trashy and letting the design speak for itself. Do check out more of their designs on their Facebook page if this strikes your fancy.

Curtismith and Suburb drops their collaboration track, Fire featuring Kali

It’s rare for three artists to come together and create a song without outshining one or the other, but the latest release from producer Suburb, rapper Curtismith, and R&B singer Kali proves it can be done. The result of their collaboration is Fire, a smooth song where each of the collaborators bring their unique flourish. Curtismith drops his verses with resolve and swagger, balancing off of Kali’s easy yet velvety crooning, both backed by Suburb’s impeccable beat strokes. Fire is a laidback track oozing with collected confidence, and hopefully not the last collaboration from this talented trio. Listen to the track below:

Photo from CNN Philippines 

Titan Trial Runs featuring the adidas Crazy Explosive

The Titan Trial Runs is a community-based basketball event where Titan's friends from the media and some influential individuals converge to play the sport together. In addition, it is where new releases from renowned basketball brands are tried in the court prior to releasing it to the public. This time, Titan featured the recently released adidas Crazy Explosive. It comes in four colorways which are all available in all Titan shops already. See other photos from the event on Instagram via #TitanWeaponofChoice.

Photos by Marvin Conanan

Sperry Reinvents the Original Boat Shoe with the Paul Sperry Collection

Sperry is paying homage to its founder, Paul Sperry, with a new footwear line. In 1935, Paul Sperry invented the world's first ever boat shoe, and in 2016, Sperry is giving it a twist to break waves and tradition for the modern adventurer. The collection aims to tie the past and the future by featuring the iconic boat shoe silhouette with a sporty design; in this way, Sperry is not only fashionable but functional, as well. The different shoe designs use materials such as mesh, lightweight micro fiber suede, and leather in the Flex Deck CVO that comes with a patented SON-R technology. The Paul Sperry Collection is not only made for your day-to-day escapades, but for your sand to sea adventures, too.

The Paul Sperry Collection is now available at all Sperry Stores and online at www.sperry.com.ph.

These are the Must-see Local Hip Hop acts at the upcoming Urban Jam 2016

Photo from L.A. Taco

Just a few more days and our local hip hop scene will be having a significant chapter in its history. On August 27, Urban Jam Philippine Hip Hop Music Festival will take place at Bridgetown Open Grounds, C5 Road, Quezon City. The show is highlighted by American rap duo Mobb Deep with Ski Beatz along with California-based Fil-Am emcee Bambu and Canadian DJ Skratch Bastid.

And of course, local artists of our motherland fill most of the lengthy lineup. To give you a heads up, here is our list of eight artists that you should definitely watch out for:

BLKD

If you haven't heard about it yet, BLKD is Mr. Vandals On The Wall Most Essential Album of 2015. That's all thanks to his debut project Gatilyo, a collaboration with DJ Umph. The hype started to build from his years of trading bars with opponents in FlipTop Battle League. Now his subversive maiden LP has that fire that he can carry onstage, to wield and to guide.

Curtismith

Curtismith is also from the rookie class of 2015, courtesy of his Ideal Mixtape. Aside from his smooth flow, another characteristic of this fellow is his work ethic. Five months after Ideal, he then unloaded the Failing Forward EP. Now he's reaping the rewards from the successive seeds that he planted, leading to his appearance in different gigs around the metro.

DJ Buddah

From Manila to California. Clubs to TV shows. Full-blown concerts to out-of-town shows. DJ Buddah has graced them all. He even dropped a compilation album back in 2009, a manifestation of his deep roots in our local hip hop scene. Expect a mix of Hip Hop and R&B, Top40, and EDM from this veteran.

Loonie

There is a reason why he is called the "Hari ng Tugma". Ten years ago, Loonie together with his Stick Figgas partner Ron Henley, released the album Critical Condition. They were arguably the first to masterfully use multisyllabic rhymes in Tagalog rap, earning praise from local emcees. Move forward to this year, with Stick Figgas now a full  band, getting work done in the studio for their follow-up album. Hopefully, Ron Henley comes up on stage and they perform an unreleased song or two from what the group have been working on.

Protege

Another heralded warrior of the Philippine rap battle scene, Protege is known as a mic slayer not just here but all across the world. Different battles have brought him to Canada and Australia, and he has always shown that his pen game is top-notch. Now everybody is excited for the debut solo album of this talented emcee & producer. Slated to drop this year, you better not miss out if you want more sneak peeks from Protege.

Red-i

DJ/producer Red-i is one of the few internationally-renowned music artists that we have on our local shores. A cornerstone of the Manila beat scene, he is a founding member of Dubplate Manila and regular weekend event Irie Sunday. Such is his talent that overseas outfits Dub Temple Records of Australia and SVBKVLT Shanghai have signed him on their roster. If you want some reggae, dub, hiphop and bass-weight, then Red-i is the one for the job.

Batas

Batas is one mean bearded bar machine. A force to be reckoned with, as shown by his back-to-back championships in FlipTop's Isabuhay Tournament. When it comes to music, his body of work has spanned years, releasing one neck-snapping song after the other. Now he has a new group, Illustrado, and they are also set to release their album this year. You can bet on Sayadd, Goriong Talas, and Apo Lerma joining Batas onstage and serve you with some tracks from their upcoming project.

Supreme Fist

One of the most decorated veterans that we have locally, Supreme Fist is a dedicated DJ and skratch musician. Some of the championships that he has won are the 2006 DMC Philippine DJ Championship and the Pioneer Philippines 2008 Digital DJ Battle. He has also traveled across the globe to perform in world expos and music festivals, sharing the stage with highly-touted artists such as D-Styles, Qbert, Shortcut, Jrocc, and Neil Armstrong. Prepare for some beat juggling and scratching madness from this crate-digging wunderkind.

URBAN JAM 2016 

 Presented by: RandomMinds 

 Mobb Deep with Ski Beatz / Skratch Bastid / Bambu 

Anygma / BLKD / Batas / Curtismith / Dash / Dcoy / Denmark / God's Will / KJah / Kemikal Ali / Loonie / Marga On The Mic / Mike Kosa / Nathan Jay / Protege / Pikaso / Skarm / Tatz / Tweng / Zaito 

DJ Arbie Won / Aryan / DJ Buddah / Selektah Kimozave / DJ Mick / Supreme Fist / DJ Teaze / Red / UMPH