For the second consecutive year I was given the opportunity to design a pair of VANS as part of their CUSTOM CULTURE program. Hoping to encourage kids to pursue professions in the arts, the good people at VANS have created a competition where high school students can customize sneakers and potentially win $50,000 for their school’s art program. In an effort to promote the contest, VANS reached out to some of their favorite artists, musicians and creatives such as Conan O’Brien, Justin Bieber, ODD FUTURE and myself

As a CUSTOM CULTURE AMBASSADOR, I was asked to add my personal flair to pair of True White VANS AUTHENTICs.

Last year, I filmed the entire creative process and since the response to the video was so positive, I decided to make another one (3) this year.

This year’s video will be a 3 part series and part I follows the shoes as they spend a day with my roommate Jordan.

(Jordan’s nickname is Lite and once a girl thought i said “Life” so we call him Life too so i call this piece “A Day with Life”)

PART i of iii-
2013 VANS CUSTOM CULTURE AMBASSADOR – KENAN BELL

STAY TUNED FOR PART ii and PART iii !!!
COMING SOON !!!

GOOD DAY!
TBKB

Tuesday the 2nd of October in the Year 2012 is the Pops’ 60th Birthday. Today also marks the date my friends the HOOD INTERNET release their record, FEAT on Decon Records. The duo’s first original studio album features vocals/production from some of today’s freshest MCs and hippest indie acts.

Last summer, I met STV SLV, the Hood half of HOOD INTERNET, outside of the Troubadour in LA after his show. They were opening up for my friends WALLPAPER from the Bay and after a mutual friend made the introduction, STV SLV and I immediately hit it off. We discussed a bevy of topics ranging from candy to my Conway Twitty t-shirt before deciding we should collaborate on music should the opportunity present itself.
STV SLV and I corresponded over email for the better part of the last year, sending beat ideas, rap lyrics and PDF’s back and forth across the country via the interwebs. During this time, I continued to work odd jobs as well as pursue other passions and found myself spending time working with Milk at the home/studio of Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine).

While working out of the rock god’s humble abode, buried beneath the gold and platinum plaques, emerged a vintage uzi water gun. The toy gun had a motor, a shoulder strap and a removable clip. It was almost as old as I am and after much deliberation, we decided we were meant for each other.

The gun would turn up in recording sessions, on fishing trips and even at the beach. One day, while visiting a former student whom I use to mentor, who is now at the Army/Navy Academy, I promised to reward his good behavior by bequeathing him my beloved uzi water gun.

Within minutes of being handed down to the future generation, the plastic soldier met his doom and sputtered out it’s final words to minimal fanfare.

Until now…

A year later, after multiple recording sessions at several different locations thorough out the country, FEATis available on New York’s leading indie hip hop imprint, DECON RECORDS.

I am honored to have been asked to be a part of this project and would love it if everyone supported the release by downloading the song and playing it at high volumes…in other words…TU!

LOVE
tbkb

ps….also, I will be performing the song this Sunday at Los Globos in LA…holler if u hear me…X

CLICK HERE TO WATCH OFFICIAL “ARCADE” MUSIC VIDEO >>> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZosECCRZyA

A few months ago, I set out on what would end up becoming the most daunting and painstaking adventures of my life. Writing, directing, producing (co-directing/producing with long time collaborator Justin Hiroshi Tagawa aka Butt F) and funding my own music was more rewarding than I could have imagined. The creative process as it pertains to visuals is simply another form of music.

The video for my song “ARCADE”, which I recorded entirely on an iPad, had an extremely simple vision. Butt and I wanted the nostalgia commonly associated with the vintage video games mentioned throughout the song to be depicted visually, allowing the viewer to be somewhat transported back to their childhood selves. With the memorable sights and sounds of classic titles such as Ms. Pac man, The Simpsons, Street Fighter and a host of others, it was fun to immerse myself in that atmosphere for a few days and re-connect with my inner child.

The room smelled like teen spirit and we could feel the electricity in the air. The flickering, fluorescent neon lights ignited my senses and the scene surrounding the video shoot was equally electrifying. (opposite)
The camera captured candid behind the scenes footage such as and and also and my personal favorite

At the beginning of this year I made the declaration that I wanted to focus more on the visuals and how they relate to the overall aesthetic of the art. With three quarters of 2012 in the can, I have already achieved that goal and am only still just getting started.

Good Day!

recorded entirely on an iPad…actually two iPads! One 1 and one 2.

‘ARCADE’ music video coming soooooon!!!

Is Twitter an imaginary friend I can always talk to? A virtual shoulder to lean on when I feel no one is listening…sweet nothings everybody can hear?
Alas the world is much too busy to be entertained by my daily ramblings…
Even though they are delivered ever so eloquently with the push of a button reading ENTER
The center of the universe is vastly different than what’s trending on the Twitterverse
Hashtag so you know it’s real
Follow me @ symbol kenanbell

“might as well it’s 2012″ -tBkB

thanks,
mgmt

Last week, Brittany M. Ward premiered my latest track “Supersonics” on the B-Side on kzuu.fm, which is a student run radio station broadcasting out of the Compton Union Building on the campus of Washington State University.
The song received such an incredible response in the region, that I have been encouraged to release the track for FREE via World Premier Hip Hop

Download “SUPERSONICS” HERE
Download the Beat Ventriloquist Remix of “SUPERSONICS” HERE
Both versions are FREE for a limited time only and look out for another version of the song to hit the interwebs very soon!

Design by tBkB & Trapper Keeper