Nike Is Dropping More GR SB Dunk Goodness

Posted by & filed under Sneakers.

Dubbed “Muslin” And “Blue Fury”

In the twilight era of hype, it is the General Releases that we turn back to in order to spark the continuous love we have for the silhouettes, and luckily, Nike’s got the colourways bang on for its SB Dunk models.

While the “Muslin” and “Blue Fury” (more affectionately known as Blue’s Clues) keep it simple with minimal colour blocking, the real thought goes into the details, more specifically, the materials used to create these models.

Both colourways employ smooth suede uppers, accented by a metallic Nike back tab for a touch of elegance, finished off with the signature SB fat tongue.

Priced at RM 389, both models are available to purchase on Nike.com on the 17th of April. Will you be copping?

We Caught Up With Fariz Jabba And Omar Kenobi To Talk About Their Latest Single, “Kalah”

Posted by & filed under Music.

It’s been a while since we last heard of Fariz Jabba since his last single, “Masa,” but now he’s back, and has brought a long new and upcoming rapper Omar Kenobi for a high intensity bop by the name of “Kalah.” We talk to the dynamic duo on their latest release, and why it took so damn long.

Firstly, for Fariz, why the long hiatus? 

Fariz: Sometimes it’s important to set aside ample time for reconnection and reorganisation in general. I’m back though! We have way more projects in line this year. I’m really excited. 

As your hit single ‘Masa’ was predominantly rooted heavily in R&B, how was the decision made to go back to rap as referenced in your previous single, Ape Sia? 

Fariz: Back by popular demand. A lot of my supporters missed my rap persona. We decided to bring it back! 

How did you and Omar Kenobi meet, and how did you guys formed the idea to collaborate? 

Fariz: Omar and I met at a local hip-hop show way back in 2018 but we never got close only until around early 2019. We have very similar taste in music when it comes to hip-hop and coincidentally, Omar stays pretty nearby. So he’d come over and use my home studio set-up and we’d just jam, make demos while sharing music and ideas most of the time. 

Omar: Yup, we met at a gig. We always jammed and I would hone my production skills together with him becasue we stayed really nearby to one another. “Kalah” happened organically and it was such an awesome feeling. 

 

Who’s idea was it to spark the beef first on Twitter? 

Fariz: Omar. I thought it was hilarious to do a prank with April Fool’s coming soon at that time. So we tried our best to stay in character even though I lost my cool a few times and gave myself away sometimes. 

Omar: I’ve always wanted to be a part of a “beef” so I jumped at the opportunity to make one up with one of my good friends. It’s such a rapper thing to have beef so we decided to run with it cause any publicity is good publicity on social media. 

 

Describe the collaborative process of “Kalah,” and will you guys collaborate further in other projects, or will this be a one off?

Fariz: ‘Kalah’ is a song that expresses our confidence and perseverance with how we live our lives right now. We’re very inspired and motivated by UK artists such as Octavian, Stormzy, Skepta. We decided to try something new and fuse it with our own local flavor and create something fresh that our fans would appreciate! As for upcoming collaborations with Omar, that is a definite yes. We have many songs in our unreleased catalogue. Did somebody say album? 

Omar: The creative process for ‘Kalah’ was so natural and we just ran lines by one another. Some lyrics that Fariz raps are written by me and vice versa. And yes, we have so much music still in the vault. A collaborative project could well be on the horizon. 

Stream “Kalah” now on Spotify and Apple Music.

 

We Ask How Musicians Are Coping During This MCO Period

Posted by & filed under Music.

Written by Charmaine

It is without a doubt that ever since the Movement Control Order was instilled, many events have been put on hold until further notice, one of them being music events. With that being said, this has caused a real underlying issue in Malaysia’s local music industry as musicians of the local scene have been left high and dry without any gigs and events to perform in and fans of these musicians have nowhere to enjoy some live good music and get vibe and smash together in mosh pits. 

Therefore, if you’re wondering how some of your local favorite acts are doing so far we’ve gathered a few of Malaysia’s favorite local bands to share their opinions on how they are coping during the MCO period. 

How is your band coping with the MCO period and what is it affecting mostly for you right now? 

Undoubtedly, the MCO has affected many individuals somehow on their daily plans and activities, when it comes to musicians, especially through gigs which could have either been planned for a fun show or a job. 

Bands like Jaggfuzbeats and Spooky Wet Dreams along with solo singers Helloluqman and Kidkhodi have been deeply affected by it as most shows have been cancelled and postponed to a “safer time“ .” We had 8 shows up to April before the Ramadan season, the biggest one was our performance at the Rockaway Festival which was supposed to be our final festival show before we close the curtain on our album campaign” says Ze, the lead vocalist from Spooky Wet Dreams. Whereas solo artist Khodi shares that her jobs at corporate functions, showcases and recording with sessionist have been put on hold which affects her income. 

However, a band which coincidentally enough was not really affected during this MCO period is Indie Rock band, Lust as coincidentally they have been meaning to take the year off and have planned some upcoming content that does not include live shows which makes their timing aligned. However, it has taken a toll on the members of the band when it comes to their full time job. “Personally, it has affected my full time job a lot, and leaves the next couple of months up in the air, which is kinda scary,” said Azfar from Lust. 

Apart from that, they are concerned and hope for the best for other bands and artists who make a living through live shows. 

What do you think musicians can do now during the MCO period or even after it to keep their careers going despite the stern restrictions on any sort of events? 

“Gigs or no gigs, the show must go because at the end of the day, the artist itself is the show that people subscribe to” says Ze from Spooky Wet Dreams. We have to accept the fact that even after the MCO period is over, any events of any sorts are not going to happen anytime soon and there is no going back to normal for awhile. Therefore, most of these musicians have suggested that they start taking their performance online for more stability. “ Bands should take advantage of other existing avenues such as IG/FB live ,Twitch, Youtube and Patreon which fans can directly pay for bands to keep on creating content, “ says Lust. 

“This is also a good time make more content in their own homes as social media is the best player “ says Helloluqman.

Apart from that, Jaggfuzzbeats also adds that this is a great time for musicians to sharpen their skills in producing, playing instruments and songwriting along with getting the chance to finally engage with fans .

What are your opinions on online gigs?

Taking your performance online has now become a norm to keep the scene alive, therefore for now it is the best alternative during this situation. Recently, Lust and Azrul from Jaggfuzzbeats did a live performance for Riuh in the city’s Instagram page and had gained a viewership of 100+ people which was above the average compared to a normal gig on the weekend according to Azfar from Lust. Although it might sound super fun, it is not self-sustaining as it only can be an alternative for the  time being. However, it does make it a good platform to promote the band and the merch. 

However, musicians like Ze, Helloluqman and Khodi beg to differ on the topic of online gigs, although it might serve a good purpose now but it is not as effective as how real life gigs should be. 

“Gigs are all about adrenaline, the sweaty sauna mosh pits, improvs and the stage dives. You can’t replace that virtually “ says Ze.

“Online gigs are also not effective especially when it comes to payment “ says Khodi.

What are your band’s plans after the MCO period? 

Undoubtedly, the MCO gives a lot of time for a lot of people to finally lay down their plans to freedom and start anew. Therefore, just like everyone else, these musicians have something planned up their sleeves as well . 

Jaggfuzzbeats expresses that they will be in the works of releasing their next album along with Lust who also plans to take this time as an incubation period of daydreaming and even visualizing the next album. They are also planning to release a short EP with Tekesima b-sides by the end of the year. 

Spooky Wet Dreams plans on finally closing Koleksi Dendangan Untuk Hadapan’s campaign and going on a hiatus to work on their next album. 

“I plan to settle all of my recordings for my upcoming singles and hopefully, start performing again” says Khodi.

Whereas HelloLuqman plans to work extra hard to get more gigs in order to be on stage once again. 

How can the public help to keep the music scene alive in Malaysia? 

According to Ze, it is not the public’s responsibility to keep the scene alive but merely the musicians themselves to keep on entertaining in order to keep the scene alive. 

“People need music during this MCO to keep entertained from all the gloomy news that’s happening in the world . Therefore, we as the people in the scene need to step up and continue on what we do best “ he says . “ At the same time, musicians should look at this like a business investment. People will remember your music during times of distress “ he adds. 

Other than that, Jaggfuzzbeats and LUST express that this is the time to give the local scene a chance and embrace homegrown talents as most of them have really diversified and improved compared to 5 years ago. 

Khodi and Helloluqman state that the public can lend a hand by being in touch with their favorite artist and keep up to what they are up to along with purchasing, or streaming their songs whilst sharing their content to other people. 

In time such as these, it’s important to show support for our local artists and musicians alike, but one thing’s for sure, no pandemic is gonna get all of us down. It’s great to see our very own homegrown talents doing the best they can to keep the local scene and not giving up on what they are most passionate about.

Free Online Courses You Can Take Now To Gain Some New Skills

Posted by & filed under Lifestyle.

Written by Ardi

Now is a great time to learn something new or improve our knowledge and skills that we already possess. Since we all are stuck in our homes, you should grab your laptop and start taking these online classes, you learn something new and it can help you have more qualifications for your CV!

Credit: @kaleidico (Unsplash)

Introduction to Marketing

This course is taught by 3 of the best lecturers from Wharton’s marketing department, one of the best in its field, this online course teaches you about customer loyalty: branding, customer centricity, and practical, go-to-market strategies. 204,725 people have already enrolled, make sure you save some time for this course!

Successful Negotiation: Essential Strategies and Skills

Negotiating is an important skill that we will need some day in some parts of our lives. It can be about your family, friends or your landlord or employers or it can be between two businesses together. To be able to negotiate properly can give you a huge advantage and opens new doors for you. It is a must-know skill for both our personal and professional life. 

You get to know how to: Plan your negotiation strategy, Use Key tactics, Create a Contract and perform and evaluate.

 

Credit:@fatosi (Unsplash)

Programming for Everybody (Getting Started with Python)

This course wants everyone to learn the basics of programming using the Python

software. You will learn all the steps on how to build a program by following easy and simple instructions. You don’t need any prior experience for this course except knowing the simplest mathematics.

How to Start a Startup

Initially taught at Stanford in fall 2014, this course features outstanding people like PayPal’s Peter Thiel, LinkedIn’s Reid Hoffman, and Airbnb’s Brian Chesky. By taking this course you learn about the basics of growth, fundraising, operations and management and many more elements that go into starting a business.

Basic French Language Skills For Everyday Life

If you are up to learn a new language, this course is a good start! you will learn the basic vocabulary and phrases used in everyday french conversations. It’s always great to know a little french especially if you are planning to visit places like Canada, Africa (most parts) where they speak french and France itself!

Presentation skills: Designing Presentation Slides

A great course for whoever is in school or working. The goal of this course is to equip you with the right tools to make clear, easy to read and pleasing slides that can help you present your ideas more clearly. You learn about the design principles, templates, colors, typefaces, slides’ typography, use of photos and pictograms, composition rules and different ways to make you charts and diagrams to be clear and meaningful.

Credit: @youxventures (Unsplash)

Social Media 101

Learn how to standout and establish your own voice in social media, understand how the online marketing algorithm works and how to sell your services or goods efficiently on these platforms. In our current age of technology, understanding social media and how it works is a necessity so take this chance and enroll in this course!

Communicating Strategically

We talk to others everyday, all the time. You can have great ideas and plans but if you can’t communicate with others property and strategically, you may lose great opportunities. This course is more suitable for those who are  technical professionals and helps them to convey and communicate their ideas with non-technical people such as management. 

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Learning How to Learn: Powerful mental tools to help you master tough subjects

A great choice if you have difficulties tackling heavy subjects and learning them. You can learn how our brain uses two different learning modes and how it keeps the information. You will get familiarized with different learning and memory techniques and how to stop procrastinating.   

Drawing as Self Discovery: 5 Ways to Start 

You may feel stressed or overwhelmed with emotions, this course helps you understand your feelings and lets you explore and express those feelings by giving you fun exercises and steps by using drawing as the medium. 

This class helps you to create a space where you can always go back to when you need to gain back your focus, express your emotions or to unleash your creativity!

Non-Essential Things That Have Become Essentials In During The MCO

Posted by & filed under Lifestyle.

Written by Ardi

Because of the pandemic that is happening around the world, there are things that we may have not cared about enough or never had any significant place in our lives but with the change in our lifestyle, our needs have changed. These are few things that turnt into an essential part of our current lives!

Movie/TV Show Subscription 

Credit: @glenncarstenspeters (Unsplash)

We may have too much time left nowadays on our hands and watching a good movie or documentary can help us spend these long days faster and keep our mind away from the chaos for a while. You may have not subscribed to streaming services like Netflix or Iflix but now is a great time to spend a little bit to gain access to a great platform of entertainment!  

Online Classes

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Now can be a good time to learn a new skill or improve on ones we already have and thanks to technology, there are many online classes that you can learn from, remotely. You have probably seen the advert for Masterclass all over youtube, but there are other options such as Skillshare and Udemy that you can refer to as well.

Face Masks, Latex Gloves, Hand Sanitizers

Credit: @taiscaptures (Unsplash)

The last time that the Face Masks has been in so much demand was because of the annual haze that comes by in Malaysia, but nowadays you may consider Face masks and hand sanitizers as the new currency! You need to wear masks every time you want to enter any enclosed, confined space such as supermarkets or public transport and gloves and hand sanitizers keep your hands safe from the virus.

Video Games

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If you are bored of watching movies and youtube videos, video games can actually help you get busy. Since you are playing a game, you are more invested in the activity and it can speed up the hours and help you get by. You don’t necessarily need to have a gaming console, there are plenty of fun games for your smartphone or computer!

Snacks

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Yes, it is necessary to keep enough food at home but you need something to reward yourself with and keep you happy. Snacks may not be a usual part of your grocery shopping list but for these times, having some guilty pleasure foods at home can really help you stay happy and sane!

Selfcare/Beauty Products

Credit: @supply (Unsplash)

Working from home and taking care of the home itself can be stressful! It feels really good to put on a mask at night after a full day of work. It is a great way to relax and calm your mind from all the stress that we are handling at this time. There are some really cool masks specifically made for men such as Barber Pro Peel-Off Mask or Recipe For Men Peeling mask or some amazing aftershaves such as Aesop Moroccan Neroli Post-Shave Lotion or The Body Shop Maca Root & Aloe Post-Shave Gel

Multivitamins

Credit:@pinamessina (Unsplash)

It is already a great thing to take daily multivitamins but especially now that we are not going out as much and may not be able to eat certain foods or get specific ingredients to cook with, having extra help from multivitamins can help you improve your immune system and get all those different types of vitamins right in! You can check out Blackmores Multivitamins + Mineral and Proviton.

Journaling Apps

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If you had any problems in life that bugged you for some time, you can take a walk to clear your mind to head out and talk to a friend to get it off your chest but with the MCO, we are not able to do such things. One solution for this could be using apps that let you keep track of your moods, thoughts and emotions. It is a good way of letting out your frustrations and stress without worrying of annoying others or saying something wrong, especially now that everyone is more sensitive and tense regarding the pandemic. You can check Headspace or Happify as few apps that can help you.

Saint Kylo Wants To Be A Muay Thai Fighter At Least Once In His Life | Cool Story Bro Ep.18

Posted by & filed under Music, TV.


The former frontman of Ryot Jones has a fair share of interesting stories to tell. We talk to Kyren Thomas, otherwise known as Saint Kylo about the break up of the band, kickstarting his solo career, before segueing into MMA, as it was made abundantly clear in this podcast that he’s a huge MMA fan who wants to try and compete.

Do follow him on his social media to get the latest updates on his music!

Social Media

MassesMY

FB: https://www.facebook.com/massesmy/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/massesmy

Website: http://www.masses.com.my/

Yim

IG: https://www.instagram.com/yiiiimm/

Kyren Thomas/Saint Kylo

IG: https://www.instagram.com/saint.kylo/

COMMUNITY: Television’s Most Beloved Lost Cause

Posted by & filed under Movies.

Written By Harris Kassim

Few weeks ago in March, it was reported that Community is available on Netflix streaming platform starting April 1st, and I can’t be more thrilled and ecstatic regarding their decision. Community has been one of those underperformed series that has a huge cult-following after all the drama that the series got into; From production disputes, prominent actors leaving the show and somehow it also involves a streaming platform from Yahoo! (remember your email ten years ago?). Let’s take a walk into the history of Community and what holds for the future of this beloved cancelled series.

Initially I discovered this show by accident about 8 years ago, because I’m a huge fan of Childish Gambino (also known as Donald Glover)  as he’s one of the main cast. Since then, there is no other series that have the similar dynamic in terms of characters and storytelling as good as Community did. The series made its debut in 2009 during the peak popularity of NBC’s most beloved series The Office, and Parks & Recreations. Being a show about a group of late twenties misfits in a community college setting is surely questionable at first, but that’s what makes the series so different from the other ones. It has a fresh take on humor about actual people in real life that rarely gets talk about in the media.

The ‘community’ or The Greendale Seven (as what they called themselves) consists of a fraud lawyer, a low-esteemed feminist, a divorced mother, a jock in disguised, an anxious narcissistic, a Muslim with asperger and an lonely but rich old white man. By that statement you might think that I’m joking, but it’s hundred percent. The way these characters have their own unique personalities is what makes them compatible as a group. Then there’s also side characters that also get their own shine once in a while such as the dean of the college, an Asian Spanish teacher, and a monkey. Yes, a monkey and his name is ‘Annie’s Boob’. You’ll get it once you watch the show.

Another thing that put Community above every other sitcom is the conceptualization of the episodes. Each of the seasons has an overarching plot that leads on its finales and that’s normal. But in the midst of it all, Community provides some of the best homages or parody of movies and television shows out there such as Law and Order, Star Wars and Zodiac, just to name a few. One of the characters, Abed likes to be ‘meta’ and treats his daily life like he’s in a movie which allows them to make these kinds of special episodes. The show was so innovative at the time with this approach but it didn’t get as much appreciation as it deserved  Most notable concept episodes in my opinion are “App Development and Condiments”, “Contemporary American Poultry”, “Basic Lupine Urology” and “Critical Film Studies”. 

So what went wrong? Why does almost nobody ever heardhear of this show but never get tired of The Office? Well, Community has a very rough journey in television ever since its debut. Plus, the setting of being in a community college is definitely fresh, but apparently not as relatable as working in an office with Michael Scott as their boss. Not-so-fun fact, Community was struggling with being in the midst of cancellation during the end of its third season. When it got renewed for the fourth one, Dan Harmon, the creator of the series got fired as the showrunner, and that’s when it all went downhill.

Season 4 has been known as the least favorite season of Community among die-hard fans. It was famously coined as “The Gas Leak Season”. With the inconsistency in character traits, to the most absurd plot that makes no sense for them to be in; It burnt the beloved series to the ground and finally, cancelled.

But surprise, surprise! The cast and the fans of the show never lost hope and the show finally got renewed with the returning of Dan Harmon as their showrunner. Season 5 is where things are starting to go back on track as the episodes are far much better in quality compared to the previous one. Just when you thought it couldn’t get worse, two of its actors decided to leave the show. Donald Glover and Chevy Chase left, which took a turn for the show into a different path.

By the sixth season, it feels like it’s not the same show that you watched back in the first season. The final season was picked up by Yahoo Screen, which is now a defunct streaming platform. Most of them are not even students anymore, new characters are starting to be a part of the group and in some way, it feels off. Despite all of that, some of the episodes are decent, they still remain as a community, helping each other throughout their crazy journey. The series finale is probably the most bittersweet episode they ever made and a memorable one for sure.

Now that the show is available on Netflix (finally!), let’s hope that it will receive the amount of gratitude that it deserved from the new audience. There were talks that maybe in the near future, Community might get a movie made, which was being hyped for years ever since the first few seasons. Community is definitely the most genius and inventive television shows ever, and you cannot miss this one. #SixSeasonsAndAMovie

HONOR Introduces Intelligent Lifestyle Products For Malaysia

Posted by & filed under TECHNOLOGY.

Written by Ardi

HONOR has officially launched their  range of Intelligent Lifestyle items in Malaysia. The range includes HONOR 9X Pro, the first HONOR smartphone to use Huawei AppGallery, HONOR MagicBook, the brand’s first notebook in the Malaysian market, and the HONOR MagicWatch 2 (42mm) in Sakura Gold.

 The HONOR MagicBook

Considered as the first notebook from HONOR for our local market, this MagicBook is light and has a great performance with a long lasting battery. The USB-C charging port supports quick charge and AMD Ryzen Mobile Processors with Radeon Vega Graphics Card supports the great performance of this computer. Dolby Atmos speakers with 3D Surround Sound make sure that you get the best audio quality while playing music or watching movies.

The HONOR MagicBook is priced at RM 2,299.

The HONOR 9X Pro

The first smartphone from HONOR which comes pre-installed with Huawei AppGallery! This is a start for an intelligent and interconnected ecosystem for HONOR users. Equipped with a 7nm Kirin 810 AI Chipset, 6.59” HONOR FullView Display and 48MP Triple Camera plus liquid cooling feature, the HONOR 9X can handle the all-day usage or even long hours of gaming.

The HONOR 9X Pro is priced at RM999 and will be available for purchase on 17 April.

HONOR MagicWatch 2 Sakura Gold

The latest variant of the MagicWatch, this new Sakura Gold colour features a Milanese wristband and runs on the Kirin AI chipset, having the battery life to last for 7 days. This new watch will receive the SpO2 blood oxygen monitor and female cycle tracking feature via an OTA update which makes it stand out more among the other products from the same range. 1.39-inch full-color AMOLED touchscreen and  15 goal-based fitness modes with customizable watch faces are other additional features of the watch.

HONOR MagicWatch 2 Sakura Gold is priced at RM799.

If you are interested to purchase any of these items or get any additional information, head to HONOR’s official website Here.

Kide Baharudin Finally Gets His Own Vans Collaboration, Bringing His Paintings To Life In A Full Collection

Posted by & filed under Art, Fashion, Sneakers.

It’s been a long time coming, and he’s finally did it. Vans Custom Culture Winner, and official artist for House of Vans, Kide Baharudin’s artwork is finally immortalised in a collection of his own, comprising of a head-to-toe fit replete with the artist’s art.

The Vans X Kide collection is a direct reflection of the emerging creative visionary’s playful, vibrant take on storytelling and unique characters he came up with that’s intertwined with inspirations rooted from local history and culture.

“While cycling in my hometown, I love seeing the small town and village of Kuala Pilah,” said Baharudin. “I like to imagine how the place looked back in the 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s. I try to find the story through my parents’ childhood. Then I’ll illustrate this in my paintings.”

The highlight of the collection revolves around the Slip-On SF in Kide Classic White/Marshmallow colourway. The classic model is constructed with heavyweight cotton canvas upper and engineered with a collapsible kick down heel, Vans UltraCush Sockliner for maximum cushioning, and an original waffle outsole. The art meanwhile, is crafted with water-based inks and glues.

Supporting the Slip-On SF is an Authentic SF and Slide-On, each featuring similar artwork. The Slide-On features a molded PU contoured footbed for all day support and a synthetic leather strap with soft foam backed stretch canvas for maximum comfort for all foot shapes.

To round it off, a 100% rayon straight-hem Camp T-shirt in all-over print, surf trunk, tee, tank, backpack, and two hats are included in the collection.

The Vans X Kide Baharudin will be available to purchase on the 8th of May, 2020