Lucky Code Book Cover

We recently designed a book cover for first time author, Gayneté Edwards. The book is called, Lucky Code: A Guide For Winning at Life. Lucky Code is a wonderful alphabetical guide to help you create your own luck in life. Visit gaynete.com for more information about the book and how to order it.

Be Glitterati Ties

My first attempt at tie making

In a recent post, I hinted at the possibility of releasing cut and sew products but in all honesty, I saw that as a long-term goal that I wouldn't be able to pull off any time soon. Knowing that I’ve been working towards this goal, my wife pulled some strings to help turn this dream into reality. I’m excited to announce that we will be releasing a line of neckties later this year! The images in this post are of my first kick at the can.

Work in progress

At the workroom in Toronto

Be Glitterati X ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

During the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge craze our gear has popped up in a few videos. Here is one of my favourites. It also happens to be the one where I was nominated! Support ALS Canada.

Hood Legend Video

Every neighborhood basketball court carries the memories of past great players on their worn concrete surfaces. To the people that witnessed them in action, those players will live on forever: As Hood Legends.

This is our first attempt at video production and it was a lot of fun, piecing it together. That being said: Please go easy on us :). Special thanks to Dean "Sizzlin Montana" Jones for repping the brand in the video, Nicholas Maynard for doing the bulk of the camera work and AbCents for the musical dopeness.

Glitterati Duane Interviewed on Tha Underground

Glitterati Duane with his brother Dean

During a recent trip to Bermuda Glitterati Duane was interviewed by JT of Tha Underground Radio show on Power 95 with his brother playing wing man. They chopped it up and discussed hip hop, the importance of branding in music, Glitterati Communications's active projects and the rap phenomenon that is of 2 Chaaaiiiinnzzz. Check out the interview here.

Glitterati Duane holding the Glitterati Power Swag shirt

Future Glitterati - Jaro

Photo courtesy of Katherine Kerr Photography

This interview was originally intended to be part of a project that I started late last year but got too busy to complete. Doing a Masters, working full time and taking on client work has taken over my life and is kicking my independent projects in the nuts right now. The project isn’t dead but I’ve finally accepted that I’m only human and can only do so much. That being said, I feel obligated to share this dope interview I did with my man Jaro. He released a crazy mixtape called Cherubim around the time the interview took place that you need to check out. The man has a bright future ahead of him.

How would you describe your music?
A combination of Jesus turning water into wine with H.I.M Haile Selassie I handing out free blunts while Buddah DJ’s at a million angel march in the lower Eastside of heaven, that has a strip club where the 70 virgins that radical muslims get after they kill themselves work. Only at this strip club they take of their clothes in a comfortable mind expanding environment… All that, for your ears. Ha ha jokes. On the real, as far as the type of instrumentations and genres I draw from, I would say at its core is hip hop and reggae, but I draw inspiration from anywhere for production and voicing. I love electronic, rock, dub, dancehall, dubstep, folk and music native to old countries such as China, Australia and India to name a few. I love having a world sound. Lyrical content is just a reflection of life and all aspects of it. I’m a very spiritual person with a real love for mystery so that’s reflected as well. Hope I didn’t offend anybody.

You got your start in music as a rapper/vocalist for a band called The Chronicles. Were you always into genre blending?
Man, I miss The Chronicles. We had some REALLY good times. *sidebar* I won’t say that The Chronicles are done. Our core members are still together for the most part. We have just evolved our whole scope of who we are, so look out for an evolution of ‘The Chronicles’ in the future! As far as the question, that’s hard to say one way or the other. I grew up in Bermuda listening to old school reggae, old school gospel, soul and African songs such as the South African National Anthem. So I have always had an appreciation for different types of music. But I first fell in love with blending music when Busta dropped ‘When Disaster Strikes’. The song ‘Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See’ was huge in Bermy. That instrumental was so deadly. Every major dancehall and reggae artist jumped on it and tore it up. That’s what exposed me to blending music and it being hotter than if each artist stayed on their respective genre’s beats and riddims. When I moved to Canada back in the day, I was exposed to so many other types of music in large part thanks to my band members and close friends. When we came together we just said lets just all play what we bring to the table and don’t call it anything. As long as it grooves together we were happy. So rock, reggae, hip hop, jazz all made into our sound. Good times… That’s where I realized music is music. And I should embrace all types of music for my own sound.

Glitterati Duane Interviewed by Showoff Magazine

The folks over at Showoff Magazine were kind enough to do a feature on me. Check it here!

Scratchy

Photo by Gayneté Edwards

Scratchy and his partner Theodosha have been keeping heads looking fresh in Bermuda for generations, including both of my grandfathers, my dad, my brother and me. In fact, their shop is located right across the street from the house that my father grew up in and is where my grandmother still lives today. There is even a picture of my brother and mother up in the shop from when he wrote a letter that earned my mom the title of, "Mother of the Year". When we went there, we had make sure that we had a large block of time sectioned off because it was always busy and they were in no rush. Like most historically black barber shops, I remember the heated discussions that occurred, ranging from politics to sports, to the state of the island as customers waited for their turn in the hot seat. As kids, my brother and I could care less about any of that. We were more interested in the impressive stack of comics and magazines laid out for the customers not interested in verbal jousting. Life was so much simpler then. I now live in Canada and have a new barber who also happens to be one of my closest friends. Like a lot of black men, I don't trust many people with my hair so it was great to find out that I had a friend with this talent. Although I'm happy with my new barber I was excited to get this  recent photo of Scratchy in the shop. It was nice to take a walk down memory lane and remember where I came from.

Chartis Illustration

Illustration gig we did for Chartis's Bermuda office. This was given as a gift to retiring executive.

Jaro - Faddah Jah (Possessed) Video

New video from Jaro's Cherubim mixtape. I really like the visual style he's using here. On a side note. he wrote and directed this. Pure talent.

Be Glitterati 2011-12 Look Book

Check it out. At long last the Be Glitterati look book and store are live. Hit me up about any items not displayed in the store that you might be interested in.

"Be Glitterati is a t-shirt line born from the daily influences of Bermuda born, Halifax based designer and artist Duane Jones. The inspiration for this line includes everything from rap, culture, depression, to happiness and sex.

The glitterati are known as the fashionable set of society but we consider the glitterati to be anyone on the grind who will stop at nothing to fulfill their dreams. The way we see it: Anyone can “Be Glitterati”."

Jaro - Cherubim

I'm almost a week late but cut me some slack, I've been busy okaaay! Anyway. Cherubim is a new mixtape from my man Jaro. Jaro is currently based out of Van City but we met as kids in Bermuda. I think we might have even had child-hood beef :). Jaro also spent some time in Halifax as member of the group, The Chronicles. My dude has now matured into a great artist that has been one of the few that I've seen to make hip hop that maintains a strong Bermudian identity without sounding "American". I think that the project is dope and feels authentic, beyond just a dude spitting slick bars. According to him, Cherubim is only a short preview of what's to come so we'll definitely be checkin for his next project. Here are some of my favs from the tape.

4. Purple Kushion by TypeHunDread

8. Tell Me If You're Down To Fly by TypeHunDread
2. Rise N Grind by TypeHunDread

Download the whole mixtape over at Hip Hop Vancouver.

Mz Malz - I Do It For My City (Video)

I love to see artists that we've connected with keep it moving. Props for the new video and song!

Trip Of A Lifetime - Cliff Jumping in Bermuda

I'm kinda late with this but I still think it's worth posting since I've probably watched it ten times since coming across it on Twitter last week. Shreddy Times was invited to Bermuda to do their thing with a local dude named Drew handling the filming and editing. I grew up on Bermuda's North Shore where jumping off rocks was a big part of growing up so this video takes me back to a much simpler time in my life. I was afraid of heights so I never jumped off of any of the big cliffs that you see in this video but I can't lie, watching them have so much fun makes me miss home a lot. 

The Genesis – Jaro album teaser video

Teaser video for my man Jaro of The Chronicles's solo album.

S.K.Y Streetball Syndicate In Bermuda 2011

The S.K.Y. Streetball Syndicate was in Bermuda again earlier this year for an exhibition basketball game against a local team. Thus video contains some highlights from their latest visit. I remember watching some of the S.K.Y. guys like "Half Man Half Amazin" and "Spyda" on the And 1 Mixtapes back in the day and being excited that streetballers were getting props for the skills that they bring to the basketball court. Seeing my brother play with them blows me away (He's the guy from the Bermuda team who threw the alley-oop at the 2:09 mark). Shout out to the Bermudian guys that played (Including my bro) as they head to Isle of Wight today to defend their championship title in the Island Games.

Mz Malz Article for Showoff Magazine

Check out the article I wrote about Bermudian rapper and producer Mz Malz for Showoff Magazine.
Go to Article

Reverend Judith Gardner Business Card

Business card we designed for Reverend Judith Gardner, a Bermuda based Ecumenical minister. If you're looking to have a scenic outdoor wedding in Bermuda give her a call!

The Meaning Of Conscription

I've been contemplating doing a post describing my thoughts on Bermuda's mandatory military draft for a few months. When I was 18 my mother found my name on the long ominous list of new recruits that's published in one of Bermuda's news papers. I was not a happy camper. I was playing basketball for Bermuda College and training in martial arts multiple days a week at that point and I knew that devoting my time to the regiment would mean giving up at least one of my interests. I did 2 weeks of basic training that resulted in more frustration than personal growth so my view of the draft is one of skepticism. Soon after basic training I was deferred so that I could pursue my education and haven't looked back since. I now live in Canada but I still owe the Bermuda Government my 3 years of service and have to send a letter to the Bermuda Regiment every year that includes proof that I no longer reside on the island. While doing my daily rounds on Facebook last week I came across this great post by one of my high school mates, Eugene Johnston. He described the issues surrounding this controversial issue far more eloquently then I ever could so I had to use this as Be Glitterati's first guest post. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this topic (Supportive or not). Read more after the Jump.

Prof-ac and Blac Get Some Love

Props to Blac and Prof-ac for being the first Bermudian artists featured on World Star Hip Hop for their video Stalker. I've been a fan of Prof-ac's music for a long time and I'm happy to see him get some well deserved shine.