Muramura

2011-04-06T15:07:00.000-07:00

So Appalled

2010-12-03T14:44:00.000-08:00

"How should I begin this
I’m just so offended
how am I even mentioned by all these f-cking beginners?
I’m so appalled I might buy the mall
just to show n-ggas how much more I have in store
I’m fresher than you all
so I don’t have to pause
all of y’all can suck my balls through my draws
dark knight feeling, die and be a hero
or live long enough to see yourself become a villain

I went from the favourite to the most hated
or would you rather be underpaid or over-rated?
moral victories is for minor league coaches.....

....Success is what you make it
take it how it come
a half a mill in twenties is like a billion where I’m from
an arrogant [ball player] the legend I’ve become
CNN said I’d be dead by 21
black jack, I just pulled an ace
as you looking at the king in his face

everything I dream muthaf-ckers Im watching it take shape

while to you I’m just a young rich n-gga that lacks faith
Range Rove leather roof
love war f-ck a truce"

On the way back home bumping this song and listening to some of the lyrics, I couldn't help but be reminded of the game last night.

I'm thankful for Kanye West - Lost In The World Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade?????

2010-11-25T23:41:00.000-08:00

宇多田ヒカル - Goodbye Happiness

2010-11-16T14:15:00.002-08:00

2010-10-26T00:52:00.001-07:00

Genius

2010-10-14T16:53:00.001-07:00

Senor Chang aka Slim Chin

2010-10-09T15:19:00.000-07:00

John Wall 360 Layup

2010-10-04T14:57:00.000-07:00

2010-10-01T18:42:00.000-07:00

2010-09-22T01:06:00.000-07:00

Sh*t Happens

2010-09-18T00:13:00.001-07:00

Block or foul?

Anybody have any idea when this footage was shot?

OH MY

2010-08-27T21:22:00.001-07:00

I don't think I've ever been this excited for a game. 2ksports, how do you do it every year?

La Magnolia

2010-08-24T00:24:00.000-07:00

In case you haven't heard, the famous Magnolia bakery from New York has opened up in LA. It has been about a month since they've opened and I was lucky enough to get a bite today. I must say I did enjoy the Red Velvet Mini Cheesecake. Still got a few more cupcakes left to try, which should be easy to get through, hahaha. Jeeez, first Get Shaved comes to town, bringing me a Hawaiian specialty and now Magnolia comes to LA from the Big Apple... I may never have to move from LA if all the specialty foods come to me. I can just stay here and get fat, instead of having to try to travel and explore new areas to do so. Anyways, here's their web address, and their yelp page, enjoy! "But first my hunger pangs are stickin' like duct tape. Let's hit up Magnolia and mack on some cupcakes! No doubt, that bakery's got all the bomb frostings! I love those cupcakes like McAdams loves Gosling!

Two! No, six! No, twelve! Bakers' dozen! I told you that I'm crazy for these cupcakes, cousin!"

808 in LA

2010-08-04T17:32:00.000-07:00

Well, if you've been to Oahu and have had the real shave ice, Waiola (sorry to all you Matsumoto fans), then I know ever since you came back to the mainland, you've been longing for that day you'd return to taste that smooth syrupy snow that seemed to be heaven sent. And when your spoon hits that vanilla ice cream in the bottom of the bowl and mixes with the shave ice.....might make your head explode. Anyways, lucky for us, for the past 3 months Get Shaved has brought that quality to southern California. In fact all over southern California. They have a food truck that heads out almost everyday. Here's their twitter page so you can follow them and get ready when they make a stop in your hood. GET SHAVED soon, you won't regret it. As a personal favorite, I suggest #8 on their menu, the 808 Rainbow, it's just like on the island. Hope this makes the rest of your hot summer that much nicer. Hang loose everyone.

Another Step To Making Life A Video Game

2010-07-21T16:03:00.000-07:00

It's always cool to get rewarded. May cause unwanted "bump ins" though.

2010-07-13T19:27:00.000-07:00

I feel bad for Cleveland, but I understand

2010-07-09T03:07:00.000-07:00

When I think about it, in Lebron's position and mentality of winning at any cost, I do think Lebron made the right choice as far as basketball is concerned. He has close bonds with Wade and Bosh, being from the same draft class and especially after getting gold in the Olympics together. They know they have chemistry and how to work together and put egos aside. This could be something very special and will be exciting to watch, especially to see them battle against the elite teams like the Lakers. Lebron, Wade, and Bosh will be peaking together and that type of talent rarely comes together at the same time. With Riley under control of the Heat, there is some safety there as far as the organization is concerned, which is something elite players would want. There are many great players throughout the history of the game that have never won a title. I mean, it's an honor to know you're a great player, but to be considered the best team in the world at one point, that's something special and something that's indisputable. You can always dispute who was greater than who. You can't take away rings. With the emphasis on winning and sacrificing for the team, who cares about personal attention of being "the man." This actually shows a very unselfish mentality, to throw away the most money from Cleveland, the glamour and money from New York, and what seemed to be the perfect scenario to win and be the man in Chicago, and possibly his personal legacy as the greatest player as well. Lebron, Wade, and Bosh have a chance to do something very special, maybe something greater than any of our wildest dreams, and as a basketball fan, I'm excited to see what will unfold. Heck, even if they lose I'm curious. It does suck that there won't really be that next generation Michael Jordan, but maybe that's our fault for desiring that. As I recall, Michael Jordan has 6 rings and is considered by most as the best individual player ever with some great teams that surrounded him, but Bill Russell has 11 rings and I can't recall how many hall of famers were on Bill Russell's teams at one time through those years. Boston had greater team play for the times, and even though individuals didn't shine as much as they could have, the winning is undeniable. I'm no math wiz, but by my calculations, Jordan is pretty far behind, even crediting a couple of years, considering his premature retirements. It sucks for Cleveland fans, but he is still a product of the area, and representing through how he plays, etc. His years in Cleveland were amazing and should be appreciated, but he really shouldn't be held in the position to make or break a city, he's just a basketball player. It's always amazing to me how much power sports figures have when they really shouldn't. They're playing a game, and if the objective of the game is to win within the rules, then there's no problem with what Lebron did. Of course, you can always handle a situation better, and there's always haters......but let's just end it by stating, "winning cures all," ask Ron Artest. Went from craziest thug in the league to a champion on a Wheaties box. I don't think Lebron did nearly as bad, hopefully when the time comes, you'll be able to forgive him for whatever reason too. Oh ya, on random notes my 2k10 rosters are definitely updated and the Heat are rated just 1 point behind the Lakers still, and Kanye was backstage at the announcement, hahaha

2010-07-01T16:13:00.000-07:00

J's Back

2010-06-13T12:55:00.000-07:00

Not that it matters too much with shared rosters and the talents of some hardcore NBA 2k fans, but Michael Jordan is set to be legitimately put into 2k11. Not as an owner or player for the Wizards, but what we all want, the Bulls years...all is right with the world.

Use Your Gaming Mentality

2010-06-10T17:33:00.001-07:00

COACH

2010-06-04T21:25:00.000-07:00

I have a very vivid memory of Coach John Wooden, and I was lucky to spend a morning and afternoon with him. I'd like to share a few things I can remember off the top of my head. My father, brother, and I were fortunate to have breakfast with Coach at his favorite breakfast spot, VIP's on Ventura blvd. and then spend more time with him at his condo in Encino. We were trying to set up a little scholarship and somehow he needed approval, which also granted us an opportunity to meet the legend. Anyways, I can remember him talking about various things such as how when he was young he witnessed the poor quality of tomatoes that went into "catsup" at a farm and after that he would never use catsup again, or how he felt about the future of the UCLA basketball team at the time (Kevin Love, Westbrook, Collison, Ship, M'Bah, etc.) saying they'd do well. I remember his favorite players to watch were John Stockton and Tim Duncan. I remember my cousin bringing a magazine that he happened to be on the cover of, with a little John Wooden picture on it, for Coach to sign. I remember grabbing his mail. I remember just being in awe, staring most of the time. I recall walking into one of his rooms and being like, "dang, Coach has the same Bose speakers that I have at my place in LA!" I remember as we left, he brought out a little gorilla doll and as he squeezed it, it spoke, and I thought that was the silliest thing ever. I can remember how he was so articulate and remembered poetry by heart. I remember being amazed about how he fell in love with his wife Nell and the story he told of the first time they met. It was something out of a storybook. I seem to recall him working out on the fields and Nell and her friends came driving by to invite him to a party and he refused because he was so embarrassed how dirty he was at the time. I remember him talking about how he and Nell moved from Indiana together and just drove in their car without almost no money heading to LA. I remember how he said he knew that Nell was the special person he'd spend the rest of his life with, even though he said she wanted to date around in college, and that bothered him a bit. Out of all those things though, I can still remember the most vivid instance in my mind was when I asked him about the biggest challenge he faced through his life. It wasn't losing all those years before his first championship. It wasn't keeping the winning streaks going. It wasn't even being poor in Indiana and moving out to California with almost nothing to his name. It was when his wife, Nell, passed away. I could see the pain in his face instantly as he answered. Even after all those years since she passed, the hurt was still very deep and real. I could see this man had it all, and nothing meant as much as his love for his wife. I have much respect for that. I could see an undying, pure love in the man, and it made me feel that I wished I had something in my life like that. I am inspired to feel like him, and was incredibly lucky to be able to come in contact with such a great man. I will never forget it. On behalf of everyone that's been inspired by you, thank you Coach, you have changed so many of our lives for the better. You have done so much more for us than could ever be repaid. Your work here is done. You can finally, happily, rest in peace with Nell until the end of time. Best Wishes to your undying memory and all your friends and family Coach, you will surely be missed.

Showboat

2010-06-04T03:45:00.000-07:00

A new commercial, a new special colorway for the finals, and an entertaining win for the purple and gold. Livin' up to the old nickname....and some

So this is what Andre 3000 has been up to

What A Memorial Day Weekend

2010-05-31T23:01:00.000-07:00

2 Concerts, a basketball tournament, burgers and hot dogs, and the Lakers are headed to the finals, once again....all was right with the world this weekend. Of course, remembering our fallen US soldiers is important too. With our freedom and luxuries we sometimes take for granted, we must remember, it comes at a cost. Anyways, for those of you who may be studying for finals or are just bored, here's some footage from the concerts and a little Laker compilation thing I edited with personal footage for fun as a commercial project. Enjoy!

If we ruled the world.....imagine that

Angels & Airwaves

Lakers

Alicia In Concert

2010-05-27T13:05:00.000-07:00

If you didn't get a chance to see her perform this year, here's the whole concert! Enjoy!

In Awe

2010-05-13T20:25:00.000-07:00

Game 6 is over. So many weird things happened in this game, but one thing is for sure, the Cavaliers never deserved to win this series. The flaws of the team shown through tonight at the most important time. This may be the worst thing to ever happen to Lebron and the Cavs...maybe even the city of Cleveland. I feel it is unfair to place so much blame on the team, even if they did, lack heart. Teams can go through this cycle and you can take this negative experience to be better for the future or you can wither away. I really do hope Lebron stays, his team becomes better from the experience, and the Cavs win their first championship. I feel Lebron is the hope that the city of Cleveland needs, and right now people may feel that hope is almost extinguished. Thinking about it now, if he leaves Cleveland, it might show that he's not the mythical player we all expected him to be, and may be a reality check for a lot of people, stereotypical, "Superstar athletes have no team loyalty and will just go to better situations,"which is fine...but...I hope he comes back and proves us all wrong. Cleveland deserves that. Akron deserves that.

Conan the G-MAN

2010-05-10T13:46:00.000-07:00

My Predictions

2010-05-07T21:47:00.000-07:00

Even though I'm from LA and have loved the Lakers growing up, and even though some of my friends are hardcore Laker fans and will beat me if I say anything bad about them, after tonight's win against the Celtics in Boston, I believe, Lebron is going to win his first championship this year. And ya, this offseason, he's not leaving Cleveland, hahaha. Say I'm crazy all you want.

Oh ya, isn't that Indian guy at the beginning of the video the guy who got an exclusive interview with Michael Jackson and ultimately ended setting the King of Pop up?

The Boondocks Is Back!!!

2010-05-02T19:22:00.000-07:00

After a 2 year break, the premiere of the 3rd season is on at 11:30pm on adult swim tonight! Here's some behind the scenes footage to get you warmed up for the new episode, beware, content may be offensive to some.

Conan On 60 Minutes

2010-05-02T18:29:00.000-07:00

In case you didn't see it.

Watch CBS News Videos Online

CONAN KILLS UNIVERSAL

2010-04-26T16:42:00.000-07:00

Went to the show last night at The Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City Walk. Same old Conan =). Can't wait to watch him on TBS. Some guest celebs stopped by too. Enjoy!

La Bamba!!!

The Final 8th Step Of Conan's Powerpoint Presentation To Get Back To Showbizz

An "Unnamed NBC Executive"

Conan, Eddie Murphy RAW style

Andy

Had to upload this again in Super HQ for the Muramura peeps, because it's that good and you all deserve it=)

Jim Carrey supporting dancer

The Encore

The Party Never Ends

Team Coco Apparel

A shout out to Zigabid.com for giving me a deal on the tickets! Thanks, you guys got the best deals in town!

Conan is the King

NY-Z

2010-04-08T16:12:00.000-07:00

I know it's a little old, but here's a short film on Jay-Z and the Blueprint 3 that I thought was kind of cool. Enjoy

NY-Z: Jay-Z – Full Version from Emmanuel A Brown on Vimeo.

What Kanye has been up to

2010-04-08T15:31:00.000-07:00

KWF S.H.O.W. 2010... Are you Ready?! from Kanye West Foundation on Vimeo.

Kanye West Foundation

What Did You Learn?

2010-04-08T15:03:00.000-07:00

Light As A Feather...

2010-03-18T16:37:00.000-07:00

It was confirmed today that Nujabes, Jun Seba, has passed away. He had been in a fatal car accident February 26th in Japan. It's crazy to think the first song that was put on this blog was a Nujabes song. Before finding out about his personal albums, his music even resonated with me through the collaborations he did for the Samurai Champloo soundtrack. Listening to his music gave me a great sense of peace and understanding I had never felt before. Thank you Jun Seba, may your music live on forever.

On another note, cherry blossoms are in bloom here in Southern California. Luckily we have some in our family garden. I recommend you find a place to see them in all their beauty before they fade away....

BE SAFE!!!

2010-03-17T03:03:00.000-07:00

Just got to wish everyone a safe and fun St. Patrick's day! Don't forget to wear green or fear the wrath of the 1,000 pinches!!! Peace!

My Apologies

2010-03-07T22:33:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone, it's been a while since I did a post with some substance and for good reason. There's some personal issues I've had to deal with within a week and a half and will continue on for at least another few weeks. I sincerely apologize for not saying anything in advance, but hopefully you understand. I will post when I can but most likely it won't be consistent or very long. Thank you.

In relation to this, Muramura was there for the Mariah Carey concert at the Gibson Amphitheatre on Feb. 24, 2010. Mariah is truly an icon, and even though I'm usually not the type to say they like pop music, I'm not blind to see that she's one of the greatest vocalists of our time. She actually did the scream thing too, which I thought was cool, hahaha. Anyways, enjoy the videos. I'm sure you liked at least one Mariah Carey song from the past 20 years, even if it may be hard for you to admit it, hahaha, like me. Peace everyone~

Oh ya, I'll try to post the pictures from the concert soon! Thanks for understanding!

Linkin Park - Not Alone

2010-03-03T12:46:00.001-08:00

Nabil: Kanye West's "Coldest Winter"

2010-02-23T16:40:00.000-08:00

KANYE WEST "Coldest Winter" Directed by: NABIL "ITUNES link below" from nabil elderkin on Vimeo.

It's Official

2010-02-19T15:34:00.000-08:00

Captain EO's official reopening date is February 23, this Tuesday!

If you don't believe me, check out Disney's official blog

The Only Lebron Dunk Contest You'll See This Year

2010-02-08T18:59:00.000-08:00

Unless he jumps into the event from the sidelines and dunks in his street clothes, seems the "King" won't be dunking in Dallas this year for the All-Star Saturday Night's heralded Sprite Slam Dunk Contest. Even after he said most likely he would during last year's All-Star weekend, there are no signs of him doing so.

It kind of reminds me of when the USA Basketball team members were talking about bringing human rights issues to the public eye and using their power to do something about it. This was before the Beijing Olympics. After they got their gold medal, I didn't hear anything come up of that. Hopefully I'm misinformed and there was some follow through, but I'm betting most likely I'm right, and nothing has been done. Anyways, excuse the tangent, but I just can't help to feel a little disappointed by these types of things. I must say, even though there's some disappointment, I'm still excited for All-Star weekend coming, as I am every year. Yesterday's pre-Super bowl commercial with Dwight and Lebron helped strengthen that excitement, especially since they played off the classic Bird and Jordan's HORSE commercial. If you haven't seen it, here it is along with the classic, enjoy!

Tenacious Support To Help Haiti!

2010-02-04T16:06:00.000-08:00

This past Tuesday night at the Wiltern in Los Angeles, was a charity concert hosted by Tenacious D to help out the needy in Haiti. I was lucky enough to attend and see the love and power that Tenacious D & Friends have to help make some good out of such devastation. All net proceeds went to the Partners In Health Haiti Relief. Please donate and support Haiti relief efforts at http://www.standwithhaiti.org/haiti or http://stillerstrong.org/

The show was awesome to say the least.
Maya Rudolph got the show going with her classic rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner

Will Ferrell was in the house and as goofy as ever.

Jason Segel stopped by to play some tunes, including his ever popular "Dracula's Lament"

Then Russell Brand stepped into "Inside Of You" and emotions and love were high.

Ben Stiller came on stage a couple of times and made everyone scream as he blessed us with his "Blue Steel" and later with his drum playing ability. I'm kind of happy he didn't bust out "Magnum," because my camera would have probably exploded.

There were other great comedians and musicians out there like Patton Oswalt, Frank Black, Aimee Mann, and the Iron Sheik

to name a few, but the headliners, by far, were the jewels of the show.

Tenacious D has a stage presence unlike anyone else I've seen. They can make you laugh and they can definitely make you rock out.

It's kind of a weird feeling to get both at the same time, but I'm not complaining. They've touched me in ways I've never felt before, hahaha. You should definitely try to check them out when they perform. They're just pure entertainment.

Especially if they have or are part of a charity concert. That happened to be my first charity concert I attended and I'm definitely down to go to another one because having fun for a good cause....there's really no negatives to it. Anyways, thanks to http://www.zigabid.com/ for hooking up the tickets! They're a great concerts/sports/events ticket company where you can negotiate your own price & get benefits for registering as a member. They're the ONLY ONES around who provide all those benefits! Thank you ZIGABID for being charitable to me as well as Haiti, letting me have such a great experience at such an awesome concert!!! And to everyone else out there, I hope all is well, thanks for dropping by. Cheers!

More Motivation

2010-02-01T18:30:00.000-08:00

Has your New Year's resolution to lose weight been fizzling out recently? Well, Zuzana will help you out! She's another online fitness trainer I've found through youtube, who I think is excellent. For all those people out there who don't like Destorm, especially those women who think he may be too forward and loud and need someone with a softer touch to motivate them to workout, check her out! All her routines I've seen usually involve small spaces and all body weight exercises so, there's no excuse to not workout! She even usually mentions what degree of difficulty the workout she's doing is so you have an idea of what you should attempt.

Her website, bodyrock.tv, has very detailed information about nutrition, workout routines, and a FAQ's section as well. Everything I've seen on the website makes sense to me. Learning to become fit is so much easier these days....thank you youtube, Destorm and Zuzana! Make this year different and keep the weight off!

Watch CONAN!!!

2010-01-22T03:05:00.000-08:00

Tonight night will be his last Tonight Show with NBC. The scheduled guests will be Will Ferrell & Tom Hanks. Make sure you check it out, if you're down with Coco! It might be the last time you see

...that thought just makes me incredibly sad. I hate big chins even more now....

Utada - In The Flesh

2010-01-20T04:00:00.000-08:00

Literally just came back from the Utada show at The House of Blues on Sunset and I must say it was a great concert! Utada performed her english songs off her new album, "This Is The One," but also a lot of her Japanese hits like, First Love, Sakura Drops, Automatic, Can You Keep A Secret, and Passion =)

Sorry for the bad quality, the footage is from my camera phone because The House of Blues is really strict on the no camera policy, which just seems silly to me. If you're an artist, why not promote yourself more by having people be happy and have memories from their live experience of your music, especially since Utada is trying to break through to the American audience. I mean, most of the cool things I run across are from blogs nowadays, so why not feed into that means of marketing yourself through the people and the internet? Of course, some may think I'm just a nerd who blogs, but, I really don't think of myself that way, hahaha. In fact, I feel pretty amateur when it comes to dealing with technology. Anyways, the concert was great and the music was good and her voice was amazing live. For most, the tickets were at max $40, so it was a great deal for many. A lot more value than to see her in Japan where she's popular, tickets are pricier, and the shows are in huge venues. Overall I can't say anything bad about the performance itself. Issues I do have though is concerning The House of Blues. They're really disorganized and somehow at the same time, too strict. I mean, we bought VIP tickets, which were pricey tickets, and they didn't have us on a list or have seats reserved for us until I complained. I called Live Nation multiple times to make sure I had seats since I was paying so much and I come to the venue and they don't know what's going on?! Sounds too shady to me. Also, when people were trying to take a picture of Utada, which I'm sure were many of people's favorite artist that were attending the concert, the security would shine a light on them and blind the person and mess the focus on the camera up. What the hell is that?! I mean, the security was tighter here than anything thing I have ever experienced, including airports! I'm sure people were just using their camera phones too! Can't we have one crappy picture from our camera phones to help us remember the good time we had? Aren't we suppose to enjoy ourselves? What's one picture going to do? So in general, I'd say the House of Blues isn't really worth going to, unless you really prefer a small venue or your favorite artist happens to only play there because it's really not worth some inconveniences, even though I must say, when I did complain I got some very good service. Thanks to The Foundation Room host, Steve, and my man Saul who straightened the whole ticket mess out. Saul didn't even take a $20 tip after the show to thank him for making things right. He just said, he wanted to make sure people had a good time. That's what I'm talking about! Anyways, sorry for the rant about The House of Blues. For last thoughts I just want to say it was great to be able to be present at an Utada concert on her birthday, I feel so lucky!

She's a great artist, and I hope she comes back to LA again soon to perform. She's always welcome. Also, I hope she got the Bear Fireworks T-shirt we threw up on stage before her final song. The shirt is a birthday present compliments of Muramura, hahaha. We saw someone take it backstage after the band went back, so our fingers are crossed. Anyways, I'm wiped after such an eventful night, Peace~

****FOUND SOME EXCELLENT FOOTAGE FROM THE UTADA LA CONCERT TODAY (1/20/10) & HERE IT IS, ENJOY!**** Thanks to nesfarted for being able to record it!

The Best James Cameron Film Ever

2010-01-18T15:25:00.000-08:00

James Cameron is coming out with a better movie than Avatar already?!

Pure genius.

You Know That I Could Use Somebody

2010-01-18T02:36:00.000-08:00

He's not only a trainer ya'll

A pretty damn good remix and editing job. I love the song itself too, good choice. Keep it up Destorm!!!

Seeing Greatness For The First Time

2010-01-12T01:58:00.000-08:00

In honor of the Space Jam Jordan 11 shoes being recently rereleased, I thought I'd post something on his Airness. Even in 2010, when I look at old footage, I can't help but be amazed by how good this guy was. I personally think, if he were in his prime today, he'd still be the best player roaming the NBA hardwood, above the likes of Kobe, Lebron, and Wade. Here it is, an 18 year old Michael Jordan's television debut, brought to you by the best Michael Jordan video archiver out there, hoopsencyclopedia.

Even viewing his debut now, he surpassed my expectations. MJ always seems to find a way to.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

2010-01-01T03:10:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone has a great, fun, and safe New Year!!! I'm definitely looking forward to what's in store this year. I know it may not make sense with the economy and all and all the negative things that have happened in this past year but I just have a feeling incredible things are on the horizon. I feel a new beginning. I hope others sense and share that same optimism too.
On another note, congrats to Kid Cudi for his album being named album of the year by Complex magazine

Kid Cudi Speech [Live at House Of Blues, SC] from AychKay on Vimeo.

Hope people stop hating on you this year, because you're definitely an amazing artist, performer, and character. Hope you don't stop what you're doing and keep elevating the Hip Hop game. You'll get everyone's respect soon enough.

Peace everyone, good things will come if we unrelentingly strive to become better day by day. Happy New Year!

Cudi for Christmas

2009-12-26T03:41:00.000-08:00

Mista Hippo from Getdownnn got me some Kid Cudi footage today on Christmas. He went to the concert at Club Nokia Dec. 23 and from what I've seen of the concert, it was amazing. I wish I could have been there in LA to see it in person and wish Cudi would have performed some more of his songs when I saw him at UC Riverside. Cudi's definitely a character, hahaha. I know Getdownnn will have a full post on the concert so here are my favorites. Enjoy!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT

2009-12-24T18:50:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to wish a safe and Merry Christmas to everyone!

To bring back some old childhood memories to others, here are some videos of Christmas cartoons I grew up with.

Can't go without the Charlie Brown Christmas special. I really miss all these cartoons, especially the music.

Of course the Grinch is classic. I remember watching the cartoon almost every Christmas. I thought this Walter Mathau narration was interesting.

Got to have the claymation!

To all those separated from ones they love, I found this new unreleased Beyonce song that fits the mood.

It's actually a remake of the Ne-yo song "Waiting."

Hope you enjoy! Peace to all~

NEW RELEASE & SALE!!!!

2009-12-18T17:30:00.000-08:00

"Hey folks,
We're finally back with a new release for you, hot off the presses. Things have been really busy for the both of us but we finally got everything in and are happy to announce:

Winter Cities

We introduced this design last spring and now it's getting the falling snow treatment with a new gray gradient/purple colorway. Special silver metallic ink kid logo at the neck, just because.
Sizes:
Men's american apparel basic tee: S, M, L, XL
Women's american apparel scoop-neck tee (BB301): S, M, L

Think Green

We've been wanting to do a shirt for a while now that reflects on current social issues and concerns, but not the typical in-your-face highly-inappropriate methods that streetwear companies seem to favor nowadays. So we tried to make something a little more tasteful and throw some bonsai up in there while we're at it. And to go with our think green theme, these are printed on american apparel organic crew tees for men, and organic unisex vnecks for the ladies (besides the XXS which dont come in organic.. lame). Plus we decided to go nuts and print in FOUR different colors.
Colors-Sizes:
Grapefruit // Vneck: XXS, S
Red // Vneck: XXS, XS, X; Men's: S, M, L, XL
Green Dark Green // Vneck: XXS, XS, S; Men's: M, L, XL
Cotton Candy Blue-Pink // Men's: M, L

We know the seal is used for food, but just thought it'd help get the message across to all those blog skimmers out there. These are both pretty limited runs, for some think green colorways we only have ONE of each size, so don't wait too long :) Both are $25! And pictures are in the "photos" section of this group.

HOLIDAY SALE!

We know ya'll are looking for gifts for friends and family so.... With any purchase of a new shirt, we'll give you a shirt from previous seasons for just $10. The backstock is listed in the "info" section of this group, just let us know which one you want :)"
As always, e-mail us at Muratomura@gmail.com to make an order or follow our Paypal directions and we'll get the shirts to you ASAP!
-This announcement was for our facebook group message so the amount of stock we have might be less then what's advertised for the new shirts because some have sold already, but the sale still applies. The group gets updates and deals before anyone else, so you if you want that special access, search "Muramura" on facebook and join us today!!!

Rockin' Christmas

2009-12-14T02:55:00.000-08:00

Last night Muramura was present for KROQ's Almost Acoustic Christmas 2009 Saturday show. I had never been to a rock concert like this before and it was quite an experience to say the least. It was at the Gibson Amphitheater at Universal City Walk and the show spanned from 6-11pm. Here are a few of the highlights.

Anberlin was first up and I must admit they had some pretty catchy songs.

Next was Dead By Sunrise, which is Chester Bennington's new band that he formed. I always wanted to hear him scream his lungs out in person and it definitely lived up to my expectations. Don't worry Linkin Park fans, he said they're currently working on new stuff now.

Three Days Grace came up next, and performed a good amount of songs, including their old hit, "I Hate Everything About You." I can still remember listening to this on the radio and thinking..."Damn, that guy really needs to chill out and grab a beer or something."

30 Seconds To Mars then touched down, and I was extremely happy because I've been bumping their new album, "This Is War" A LOT, and it's cool to see a band you like perform live. Only thing that could have been better with their performance is if Kanye would have come out and performed Hurricane with them. Oh well, you can't get everything you want hahaha.

Sublime came up unexpectedly and played all of their hits. They weren't on the program list so it was an awesome surprise.

Alice In Chains was next, and sorry to all of their fans out there, but maybe I'm not so hardcore of a rock fan, but yeah, I just don't dig their music too much, therefore I don't have any pics or video of them. But much respect to them and their longterm success, keep rockin'!

Rise Against came up, and damn, did they rock the crowd. They are now one of my new favorite rock bands along with 30 Seconds To Mars. There was so much energy that people were bringing out the "I LOVE YOU RISE AGAINST" signs and hardcore moshing was being done in the pit. It was crazy.

Last up, AFI. They really have their own style and unfortunately I ran out of memory in my camera and had to leave the show early but from what I saw, they're definitely a sight to see, hahaha.

I apologize for some of the footage having terrible audio but I had to switch cameras every so often and one happens to be better than the other. Hopefully next time I'll be better prepared to get everything in good audio and video. Much love to ZIGABID for the cheap tickets! They're the best online ticket site out there, so make sure you check them out if you're looking for a deal. Anyways, hope everyone is having a great December, "PARTY ON!"

Gettin' Me In The Mood

2009-12-07T00:32:00.000-08:00

Well, it's that time of the year again, with the cold evening air persuading you to bundle up in your favorite winter clothes and blankets, sip on some hot chocolate, get close to the fire and watch the colored lights flicker and bounce in the reflections of the shiny decorations all around that new evergreen coniferous tree you just bought, decorated, and placed in the corner over there, filling the whole house with that intoxicating scent, making you feel like there's nothing better in the world than to just sit/lay there and be at peace. Actually, this image may be premature and not occur for a lot of you out there for about a couple of weeks more, but if it is, and you're not too much in the mood for that traditional Christmas music but want something nice and new, I suggest listening to the new Alicia Keys album, dropping on Dec. 15th. For some reason, to me, her music always fits the holidays so nicely that you just got to throw some Ms. Keys in your holiday mixes. Either that or Norah Jones. Anyways, there's some previews out there on the web if you want to listen to some of the other tracks, but here are a few of my favorites off the album. I hope you enjoy them! And Ms. Keys, thank you again for another amazing album!

Wait Til You See My Smile

That's How Strong My Love Is

Empire State Of Mind (Part II)

2009-12-05T02:03:00.000-08:00

Being in Hawaii these past few days has given me some good time to think about life. Here's a classic remake by the legendary IZ that seems to capture everything so well for me right now.

So much has changed, some good some bad, but overall I'm grateful for every moment. Hope everyone out there is doing well. Peace

Burn What You Gained

2009-12-03T01:32:00.000-08:00

For most of you out there that probably ate a lot during Thanksgiving and feel guilty about how much pudge you gained since Halloween, I got the remedy, DeStorm TV. I found the DeStorm and Destorm TV channels the other day on youtube and I've been watching a lot of his health videos, and I must say, based off my experience with other trainers, he's pretty good, and pretty detailed. He gives so much information out for free and presents it in a very entertaining way that will give you better motivation. He's even doing a daily video diary on loosing 15 lbs. in 21 days through the holidays and is currently on day 10. Here's a few videos I found to be very good for people, because they inform about a lot of the issues people usually have questions on concerning exercising and one gives you exercises to do in a small space, so there's no excuses to do nothing.

I'm definitely planning to try a few exercises he's posted. Hope this helps more people out there to be healthier! Peace

Cause It's Turkey, To Eat....So Good

2009-11-26T01:45:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! Hope you have a great time with your family and friends! Be safe! In honor of this great feastival, I just got to put this classic song up in two versions. Enjoy!

METALOCALYPSE

2009-11-23T18:53:00.000-08:00

If you were a fan of Beavis and Butt-head back in the day, I recommend watching Metalocalypse on adult swim. It has that same kind of grotesque, heavy metal, random humor that you use to see on Beavis and Butt-head, but overall has much better story lines, hahaha, not that that was hard to achieve. It's offensive and disgusting, but it sure fills an entertainment/comedy niche that I haven't seen in a while, and throughout episodes I can't stop myself from laughing at how outrageous some things are. The cartoon has been around for a couple of years, but not until this year have they become a full, 30 min. time slot, which I'm sure means that the show is becoming more popular. You can watch the newest episodes on the adult swim website. DETHKLOK ROCKS!!!

Technology is Beautiful

2009-11-21T20:02:00.000-08:00

A special thanks to Mista Hippo at Getdownnn.blogspot.com for pointing this out to me. This is one of the most amazing things I've seen in a while, relating to the practical future of technology. If you got about 15 minutes, I highly suggest you watch it. Here's more info

UTADA TOUR

2009-11-20T18:21:00.000-08:00

Utada is touring the US and will perform in London for her "This Is The One" album tour called, "In The Flesh." This is a great chance to see her if you're an Utada fan because it looks like the venues are pretty small, so everyone who goes will probably get a good, up close feel from the performance. I sincerely hope she doesn't get sick again because I'm sure a lot of fans in the US and UK are excited that she's coming to their neck of the woods. Tickets for LA are on sale tomorrow. IN THE FLESH

Wale & J. Cole freestyle at Denny's

2009-11-20T17:59:00.000-08:00

Scannable art

2009-11-20T11:39:00.000-08:00

Some barcodes from Japan. Kind of cool. More info

More Than A Number?

2009-11-20T11:28:00.000-08:00

Lebron, before you change your number, think about who the greatest #6 was. If you're going to honor Mike like that, you should honor Bill Russell, the greatest NBA winner of all time like that too.

Also Lebron, I think wearing 23 now is an homage to Michael in itself. In a way you're keeping his legacy alive. Plus you're actually good enough to do his number well.

The Future of HIP HOP is NOW

2009-11-16T03:17:00.000-08:00

Wale, Drake, & Kid Cudi featured in the December GQ Men of the Year issue

M-FLO!!!!

2009-11-13T22:33:00.000-08:00

I haven't even watched the videos yet, but just knowing there's new songs from Lisa, Verbal, & Taku makes me happy. M-flo fans, you gotta love it!

Words from Wale

2009-11-12T17:36:00.000-08:00

New kid, Wale, dropped his first album November 10th. If you haven't heard it yet, check it out, it's called "Attention Deficit." There are some songs on there that are amazing, as well as some songs around the internet that never made it to the album that are amazing too. I highly recommend checking him out.

OkayplayerTV: Wale from Okayplayer on Vimeo.

Jay's decision to not let Wale, Cudi, and Drake be on a track yet makes me frustrated, but I'm sure it was for a good reason.

HOVA, J Cole, NERD, & WALE in PAULEY

2009-11-10T20:10:00.000-08:00

For the record, MURAMURA was in full effect the day HOVA decided to drop by Pauley Pavilion in 09. My business brother actually had an extra ticket, and asked me to go, making it kind of like our first recreational event outside of basketball and business. And I must say that it was one of the coolest hip hop shows I've been to, and so convenient being at UCLA. Here's some pics and video from the show, hope you enjoy. I apologize if I happened to not put up a song you like because I ran out of battery towards the end of the show, but overall, I am happy with the footage and I hope you will be too. Enjoy!

J Cole

Wale, another artist like Cudi that could be the future of Hip-Hop

N.E.R.D

Jay-Z

As Jay said at the concert, "Elvis has left the building"

Peace

SNEAK PEEK

2009-11-03T01:20:00.000-08:00

HEADING IN A BIGGER DIRECTION

NYC & Happy Halloween

2009-10-31T11:38:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK BABY!

Here's my NYC post! First of all we got the "Empire State of Mind" video of Jay-Z and Alicia Keys up there that just came out (dang it Kanna you beat me in thinking of posting the music video by 15 minutes, hahaha). And then we got a little photo recap of my recent trip to NYC. Last week I went for 4 full days, for a convention which subject matter is personal. So with the convention going on, I really only got 2 days of site seeing but, even in our limited free time, to me, it felt like we did a lot. Here are some of my favorite pics, hope you like them! Sorry for not putting descriptions! I felt the pics are pretty self explanatory, but if you have any questions on what something is just comment, or ya...google hahaha. On another related topic to NYC, well actually focused on one of its many great singers that's come from there, Alicia Keys has a new song out that I really like. Hear it is for your listening pleasure!

Peace everyone, hope you have a safe and Happy Halloween!

Trick or Treat

2009-10-30T13:14:00.001-07:00

Behind the Scenes With Kanye from We Love You So on Vimeo.

KANYE WEST "Glow in the Dark" book promo by: NABIL from nabil elderkin on Vimeo.

NYC

2009-10-25T20:21:00.000-07:00

In the Big Apple for a couple of more days. I apologize for not posting for a while and I promise I'll put up some stuff from my trip as soon as I get back! Hope everyone is doing well out there! Peace

PostItThoughts this is for you =) Preseason Post

2009-10-20T19:18:00.000-07:00

Well, it's October and that can mean only one thing.

That's right, the start of a new NBA season! Tickets just came in and things are as exciting as ever for me, a basketball junkie.

As PostItThoughts commented in my "More Than A Game" post, "woot! Lakers vs. GS! where's your blog on the preseason games?!!!!" Well, as fate would have it, I was was lucky enough to attend a few NBA preseason games within the past couple of weeks! So here's my little blurb on the NBA preseason games I saw. Well, as for attending the games, it was all by chance and even though I got sick last week, I was able to make it out to Staples Center and take a lot of pics. I must say that both the Clippers and Lakers look very good and I wouldn't be surprised if BOTH teams made it to the playoffs at the end of the season. Baron Davis looks as skinny as I've ever seen him, including his time at UCLA. This leads me to believe he won't get hurt this year and he should be able to lead the Clippers to a lot more wins. Blake Griffin is a super athlete and shouldn't have any problem getting rookie of the year if he keeps rebounding and getting highlight plays as he did in the past 2 weeks. Artest looks like he's having a little trouble getting use to the flow of offense but since he's still getting accustomed to the triangle offense, it's understandable. He's amazing to watch on defense still. Bynum looks as athletic as he did before his injuries and should be an integral part of the Lakers this year. Shannon Brown looks like Spiderman with the way he jumps all over the place and hopefully he can replace some of that athleticism that Ariza brought, even though they're different types of players. He may need some work on his shooting though. Kobe has a great flow to his game, passing at the correct times and creating for his shot when he should. Even though it's preseason, I must say, all is good in LA =) Here are the pics!

A fun little pre-game photo-shoot

Hall of Famer: Coach Jerry Sloan

That kid is the coolest

Jack Black

These two pictures with the paintings, TV, and plush seating are of the secret Chairman's Room. This is where the stars go during halftime to mingle and grab some food and drinks. Even inside this exclusive room is another room with smokey glass for the super celebrities that don't want to be bothered. I think that's a bit much. Anyways, we were lucky enough to get a peak during off hours.

LA Live after the game

I love this game!

Wild Recess

2009-10-16T03:07:00.000-07:00

It's opening day for the "Where The Wild Things Are," movie! It's not my photo but I just saw this mural on a school's handball court wall driving down Sepulveda near Palms.

Pretty awesome =) I'm jealous of the kids that got to play on that court. I really can't wait to see the movie, the special effects look incredible. Happy Friday everyone!

Happy 99th Birthday Coach!

2009-10-14T20:46:00.000-07:00

It's rainy and I'm feeling sick, but I got to at least wish Coach John Wooden a Happy 99th Birthday!

To a great and influential human being that achieved so much, I hope you have the best birthday and I pray we all will get to see you celebrate many more! With all my admiration and respect,

-Clark

I'll share my experience with Coach as well as post more pictures in the near future to explain why I have this photo, hahaha, but for now I must drink some chicken noodle soup, listen to the rain, and rest up for another day. Hope everyone is doing well out there!

THIS IS IT....THE SONG =)

2009-10-12T15:03:00.000-07:00

Just came out...sends shivers down my spine. Hope you enjoy it!

What's the haps with our CAPS?

2009-10-07T23:29:00.000-07:00

We've got some more cap designs for you! Let us know what you think by commenting below this post, participating in our poll on the right side bar of this blog, or e-mailing us at Muratomura@gmail.com. Keep in mind that they are rough drafts, but with your help we may be able to alter them to your liking for the finished product, so commenting is very valuable. If you decide to comment or e-mail us and are really interested in purchasing a cap in the future, please let us know your fitted cap size.

Cities Logo Caps: Purple Grays (left) & True Blues (right)

Tanuki Kid Cap

Hope you like them. We appreciate your voice. Thank you!

Jesus of Pop

2009-10-05T02:11:00.000-07:00

Just can't think of October without thinking of Thriller and Michael Jackson. Even today amongst friends, Michael Jackson just naturally came up. We talked about how Michael Jackson was like a scapegoat...a super popular, controversial scapegoat, like......Jesus.....you could say.....the "Jesus of Pop." Hahaha, "Jesus of Pop?!" That was pretty hilarious at the time, and to be honest, I have been working for a while on a little design in recognition of Michael Jackson passing, so the timing couldn't have been better to implement that idea even more into the image. The thought of releasing it hadn't even crossed my mind because of the flood of Michael Jackson shirts in the market since that memorable day. The image itself is influenced by the memory I have of MJ resting as he did in many of his sold out concerts around the world. I remember he would perform a big hit like "Beat It" and once the song ended, all the lights would cut out except for one spotlight directly on Mike, and he would just stand there with his arms straight out like some sort of God for like 5 minutes. The crowd would go nuts during that whole time and he would just be standing there. I thought it was appropriate on so many levels to have that image for a "Rest In Peace" design. Even though there was a lot of thought in the idea, the execution of it was just for fun, so please don't judge it too harshly! Thanks, hahaha

Oh ya, here are a couple of my favorite MJ songs that weren't really promoted and kind of hard to find, so if you haven't heard these, hope you enjoy them!

More Than A Game

2009-10-03T03:21:00.000-07:00

Just saw the 12:05 AM showing at the Bridge. I really liked it. It was incredibly well done, and made me remember how my relationships with my basketball teammates were growing up. It also reminded me of how in high school I was watching Lebron on TV and reading about this mythical manchild that was destined to be the greatest since MJ. I remember even creating his player in the NBA Live video game when he was still in high school because I was so in awe of the descriptions I read about him. Pass like Magic and soar like Jordan?!! No way! Built like a Power Forward but can move like a Point Guard?!! No way! Well, they all turned out to be pretty true, and it definitely has been a joy to watch him improve as a player. It's also been cool to see that for the most part, he's handled all the off court stuff very well. He still continues to impress me in ways I never thought possible, and with stuff like this movie immortalizing his teammates and path through high school, I can't wait to see what else this talented kid from Akron can do. Dang, I just realized, Ohio is becoming a hot spot with the likes of Lebron and Kid Cudi arising from those parts. Dare I say a, "revolutionary hot spot." I mean, to me, it seems clear that Lebron has changed the game he's apart of, and Kid Cudi may definitely have his chance. I believe Cudi's got the talent to do so, but of course, only time will tell how much they both fulfill their potential. Anyways, enough rambling, here's some high school pics of Lebron and clips I have or remember seeing of Lebron James and his pals, during the epic high school St. Vincent St. Mary's years. Enjoy!

And ya, go see the movie if you're really into basketball like I am, or just like the ideas of teamwork and brotherhood. Peace!

MUTTPOP ON TOP

2009-10-01T17:09:00.000-07:00

We've been featured on another website!

The part owner of the toy company MUTTPOP, Bobby, is a long time friend. He's always been into basketball, comics, toys, & video games, so one day he decided to make part of his interests into his career choice. I remember when he first decided to go in that direction, I was extremely happy for him because he was on his way to living his dream. It was inspiring, needless to say, and I think it definitely helped push me on the path of partaking in the creation of Muramura. When he did it, I felt like, "wow, Bob did it and he's from the same area I grew up in, maybe I can do something like that one day." I still have much to learn from what he's done. Anyways, I really like his toy designs and still have my special edition "Tequila" standing on my work desk in LA.

The one I got is the one on the left. I really like the faded colors.

Keep it up Bob! Maybe one day when Muramura becomes bigger we can do a T-shirt for you, even though I know you already have a bunch of artists that you know and a previous shirt released. It would definitely be an honor for us. Cheers

More Wild Things

2009-09-29T20:43:00.000-07:00

"Where The Wild Things Are" the movie is coming out October 16th! For those that didn't get the chance to read the book when they were a child, here's a video narrative of it.

As I recall, my grandma had it placed among the toys she had for the grandchildren. Every time we stopped by to visit, we'd play with those toys and always look at that book. It was really special to me then, and even more so now, since I can associate it with happy memories at my grandma's. I'm sure it means a lot to many others of my generation too. In fact, even though Mista Hippo at GETDOWNNN posted on this movie already, as many others have, I felt I must help spread the word too.

Anyways, for those that don't know the director, Spike Jonze, I'm sure you'd remember some of his work. He's done a lot of music videos and documentary films. Here's a few music videos he did that are my favorite.

Spike is actually the main dancer with the glasses, in this Westwood street performance.

Dang, Christopher Walken is pretty smooth.

Classic Beastie Boys
Back to the "Where The Wild Things Are" movie, I'm really looking forward to it because I loved the story as a child, I like Spike Jonze's work, and I love Karen O's (main singer of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs) voice/music. That's right, Karen O is doing the soundtrack =). The whole thing is available to listen to on imeem, but I put my favorite track up at the top of the post.
I can't wait to see it!

Glorious Excess (Dies) Virtual Tour

2009-09-29T17:05:00.000-07:00

If you want to save gas and the environment or if you won't be able to make it out by Oct. 4 to see Mike Shinoda's "Glorious Excess (Dies)" exhibit at the Japanese American National Museum in downtown Los Angeles, here's a full virtual tour. Of course, it's just not the same as compared to seeing it in person, but great nonetheless.

Glorious Excess (Dies) virtual tour

Kid Cudi in Riverside

2009-09-28T04:42:00.000-07:00

I was lucky enough to make it out with a couple of friends to Riverside last Friday night for UCR's block party. Kid Cudi was performing, and I must say I was incredibly impressed by his set. He just seemed so natural in what he did. He was funny and knew how to rock the crowd. He performed with great confidence and enthusiasm. He knew how to change up his songs slightly to sound better and fresher than what you would hear off the CD. He seemed so friendly, it felt like he was the type of person you could just have a beer with and watch sports or something. After experiencing that, I have little doubt this guy is going to be a superstar if he already isn't considered by most. I'm still amazed by how lucky I was to see him for free. I think even if I paid $60 per ticket it would have still been an incredible deal. Here's a lot of pics and video I took from the event.

The crowd watching breakdancing

Day N

Nite

The Chancellor sporting the official UCR Block Party shirt

The back of the UCR Block Party shirt worn by the crowd MC of the night

The stage awaits the Kid

Arrival

One of my favorite tracks off his new album - Cudi Zone

The nonmusical expressiveness of Kid Cudi

Man On the Moon

Pursuit Of Happiness (I think he was talking about me when he said "...and you too dude next to him" hahaha)

Day N Nite

Well, we didn't stay very long after Cudi's performance, but I managed to get a shot of Talib Kweli on the way out. I've seen Kweli perform and he's good, but my friends and I had to go and I was on a high from Cudi's performance so I didn't want to ruin that. What an awesome concert. Can't wait for his next album to come out! If you want to check out more about Kid Cudi, here are a couple of posts done by my blogger friends on him. GETDOWNNN & LIPPEDJEANS check them out!

Anyways, hope everyone had a great weekend! Peace

What The QB Warrior Brings To LALA Land

2009-09-24T04:08:00.000-07:00

A tough presence and a great work ethic...

Unfortunately this was the first thing I've seen of Ron representing the Lakers (at the practice gym, in Laker color cut offs, at Venice Beach, etc.) since his signing. I guess it's cool though. He's free to express himself in this way if he wants to. In my real opinion, if this is a joke or for real it doesn't matter, as long as you help bring another championship to LA QB Warrior, you're good in my book! From my personal experience, I really do know Artest puts a lot of work into his game. I saw him almost daily for a couple of weeks before his LA signing, playing ball against NBA competition at UCLA's Student Activities Center. He even gave advice to the Japanese player I talked about in an earlier post saying, "You done??? You gotta be the first one to get to the gym and the last one to leave." This is always true of the great ones. I never saw him show up late or leave early so it seems that he practiced what he preached. Anyways, Mr. Artest....you're always the character, and I'm always expecting the unexpected from you. The video has got to be a joke...right??? RIGHT?!?!

T.G.I.F. (Thank God It's Free)

2009-09-22T12:56:00.000-07:00

This Friday, if you feel like going out but don't have a lot of cash on you, you may be interested in a couple of events.

UCR Block Party
It's meant for UCR students, but it's free, no wristbands or tickets needed. Says that they will not turn your friends who don't go to UCR away, so it almost seems that anyone can go. If you have a friend who attends UCR, seems like you don't have to worry at all about being rejected. Check out the site for more detailed info of course. Anyways, the headliner to the event is Kid Cudi. He will be performing, so if you're a fan of him and want to see him perform for free (or technically the price of a half tank of gas if you plan to drive from LA out there, like myself) then you should definitely make your way to UCR Friday, Sept 25, 5-9:30pm. I'm sure Kid Cudi won't be performing too many tracks since it's not a personal concert, but I think it'll be a great experience anyways. There will be food and game booths available too.

Fuel Friday
If you were interested in seeing the movie "Fuel," (the trailer is posted below in the "Fuel To Change The World" 9/14/09 post) it will be shown at the Santa Monica Pier this Friday, Sept. 25. There is no mention of the exact time of when the movie will be shown (after dusk), but it says that gates will open at 7pm. You do need to obtain tickets for this event even though it's free. They won't be available at the Pier. Tickets are, "while supplies last." Check the pdf flier on the Santa Monica Pier website for ticket locations and other details.

HOPE EVERYONE HAS A GREAT FRIDAY!

YOUR BRIGHT FUTURE WITH NO IMPACT, Maaaaan

2009-09-22T05:20:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went to LACMA's, "Your Bright Future," exhibit, which is composed of 12 Comtemporary artists from Korea. It was very enjoyable and refreshing to me. I always love how art makes you think and feel things you wouldn't usually experience in everyday interaction. I felt the art from this exhibit pressed on some important issues such as mixtures of cultures, exploitation of workers, the power of money, what tourism is, what the next generation inherits from their country, as well as, what a bright future really means. Of course since this is art, I may be assuming a bit with those descriptions of what the intentions really are, which could be wrong. Only the artists who produced the works can answer what the meanings behind their creations were, but there was no real in-depth explanations present next to the pieces themselves, so giving my personal observations is the best we can do for now. Anyways, here are some pics from the trip.

This was made from plastic objects like Tupperware and food strainers. It was pleasant to see a bunch of kids running back and forth through it like it was the greatest thing ever invented. To be able to bring that type of joy to people through your creation has got to be amazing. I couldn't help but just smile when I saw this piece.

A huge screen where a twenty dollar bill was projected on it. An animation of a painter came out onto the bill and painted all the windows white until they disappeared. I think it's interesting that what occurs from this process, is you get a bunch of people just staring at a huge twenty dollar bill. To me, the messages are present in seeing other viewers looking at the piece, rather than just the piece itself.

This one regarded, "Your bright future." To me, the blankness represents the unknown. I think the lights represent a sense of optimism and the wall represents possibility. The future may be bright, but just because it's bright, doesn't mean there's anything there. We need to work to create something on that wall.

This front model had a smaller, old Asian house, crashing into a humongous Western house. In the model in the back, that same Western house and Asian house is present, but they are both in an icy looking color, and the Asian house is inside the Western house. This has to represent how the process of cultures colliding occurs. The cultures first clash and disrupt each other, and mix until they become one, uniform identity. This uniform identity has a certain, dead quality to it because, only in the differences of cultures lies the beauty.

There were many more art pieces there but photography inside was not allowed and I could not find any pictures online for them. They were all great pieces in their own right and hard to really compare to these.

On a related topic, I truly think the fireworks T-shirt is a great piece of art too. That's why I took these 2 pictures with the fireworks shirt on, in this location. The main aspect about the shirt I like is that the front and back are connected as one continuous picture. I think that's such a cool concept to connect everything as one, because when you think about it, everything in life is interconnected. Every action has a reaction, and that being subtlety represented in a shirt, is amazing to me. I love the colors too.

Anyways, this trip to LACMA has definitely pushed me to think about what type of power art has. It can leave you with so many feelings and messages, that sometimes the literal forms of communication have a hard time being as effective. From now on, here at Muramura, we will try to represent that higher form of communication.

Later in the evening I was lucky enough to watch the film, "No Impact Man." Here's the trailer to explain the premise of itThis film was great for what it was. I'm very glad I saw it because I feel more aware of how I can improve the environment without restricting the freedom of my life. The film gives you insight into how you can be effective at multiple levels, some steps having more negative consequences or hassles than others. The format of the film is great because it's something you watch and feel like you can imitate because Colin Beaven and his family go through it. The family doesn't seem like super environmentalist at the beginning and actually, Colin's wife is very much a consumer conventional of a New York, white woman. She loves her fashion bags, clothing, coffee, etc. She seems dragged along by the experiment at first, but later begins to enjoy the changes in her life. Colin even has his doubts about certain parts of the project at times. These factors make it relatable for the viewer because we don't dismiss them as being unusual people. It's not just a film lecturing and criticizing to us how we should help save our environment. It gives a clear example of how we can actually do it step by step, and leaves you with a sense of freedom to choose how you can live your life. It gives the impression that, if you accept the responsibility and change, you will empower yourself while improving the well-being of everyone around you. Seems like a win win situation. Anyways, if you're in the mood for something a little different than your average Hollywood movie, check it out =)

All in all, it was an inspiring, great day

K Cudi

2009-09-17T01:20:00.000-07:00

A pretty good live performance. Already up on the TV as a main attraction and his album has only been out for a couple of days, not bad Kid.

Happy Birthday To Us!

2009-09-16T06:52:00.000-07:00

It's been exactly a year since our first post on this blog and as we recall on the process, it brings us great joy to think about how everything has gone. Just having the freedom to create for a year has been a dream come true and we hope to continue to live it, and continuously elevate things. We still aim to produce high quality, fashionable shirts for everyone out there, so if any of you have suggestions or ideas you'd like to see on a shirt or any type of apparel, feel free to comment or e-mail us. We always appreciate any opinion you may have. On a related topic, we want to thank everyone who has helped us up to now. All of you have been so kind and giving, we really can't express how appreciative we are. We hope we can continue to make all of you proud and as we continue to grow, we will surely stay grounded because we know we have a bunch of great people behind us, supporting what we do. It really means a lot, thank you so much. It's been quite a trip up till now and we can't wait to experience whatever lies ahead for Muramura in the upcoming years. Much love to everyone, take care~

(This is our serious, "we're determined to be successful" picture, hahaha)

Oh ya, here's a little rough mock up for a baseball cap idea. Hope you like it!

Peace everybody!

All We Need Is Love

2009-09-14T14:45:00.000-07:00

Fuel to Change the World

2009-09-14T14:44:00.000-07:00

Can't wait to see this

Taking it to another level

2009-09-14T13:52:00.000-07:00

The words in the title header are often associated with Kanye West. With his lyrics, music, fashion ideas, and performances, the man always seems to push the envelope in whatever he does, and this is no exception with his outbursts at award shows. Here are some of Kanye's past outbursts if you haven't seen them (we're not going to post last night's outburst because we're sure you've seen it on every other blog and website out there and are sick of it).

Well, like the game elevating showman he is, he outdid himself yet again, today...check it out

A personal message to everyone out there (just like all the other celebrities that had to comment on their blogs/websites about last night too): I'm sorry for posting on something that's been covered by everyone and really doesn't matter too much in today's world. I feel guilty for making a whole entry strictly based on celebrity conduct, but hopefully it made you laugh a little about the situation, so you can see how ridiculous everything is. Kanye is great in certain things like every other human. He has faults too, just like any other human. We can all be a little bold and dumb sometimes, especially if we're under the influence of alcohol.

For the next post I think I'll try to make it up to you all and focus on something a little bit more important like the economy or saving our earth/environment. Like Kanye, our deepest and sincerest apologies. Please forgive us. Thank you.

Keeping it fresh in our minds

2009-09-14T02:31:00.000-07:00

Jay-Z gave a benefit concert in Madison Square Garden on 9/11/09, same day his new album (Blueprint 3) was officially released. He performed a lot of his great, old hits and even some tracks from his new album. Here's part one. The whole concert is on youtube. Enjoy!

Just got to post this, THIS IS IT

2009-09-14T02:21:00.000-07:00

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

Vote Leroy for 2010

2009-09-14T02:01:00.000-07:00

In case you missed Michael Jordan's speech for the Basketball Hall of Fame, here it is.

He is, without a doubt, the most influential basketball player of our time. He built upon what Magic Johnson and Larry Bird had taken to another level from the likes of Dr. J and so on. He made basketball shoes fashionable. He made those commercials that you just had to stop and watch till the end. He made the game of basketball world known. He kept us awe struck with his abilities and creativity. His competitive fire and heart impressed us even more. He inspired us to believe anything is possible. I personally just want to say, Thank you Michael. I can't recall the numerous amount of times I watched you play on TV and went directly to the backyard to practice for hours, just because you made me wish I was you. Your moves on the court were like poetry in motion. Your career was like a storybook and I'm glad I was around when it was unfolding.

Now, since I'm thanking Michael for influencing me, I also got to give respect to the man who greatly influenced Michael. From the beginning, he created the spark to Michael's legendary basketball career. By beating Michael out for that final varsity spot, he made Michael want to prove to everyone that he was the better player. Michael continued this trend of trying to be the best, until the end of his career. I think he probably motivated Michael as much as anyone, so I think it's only right to help with the petition to induct Leroy Smith into the class of 2010 for the Basketball Hall of Fame. I plan on signing and you should too! Just think about it, without him, Michael Jordan may have been just a normal player. The world would be a very different place. In Michael's Hall of Fame speech, he even recognized Leroy for being a great influence (around 6min 20 sec for those that just want to check that out and not the whole speech). As you can see by his infomercial, the man has got skills.

It's pretty obvious why he beat out Michael for that final varsity spot. "SHAZAAM!"

There will be tears

2009-09-11T01:52:00.000-07:00

Music video for Mr. Hudson's song, "There Will Be Tears," off his upcoming album, "Straight No Chaser."

MR HUDSON "There Will Be Tears" Directed by: NABIL fx: weirdcore from nabil elderkin on Vimeo.

I always like Nabil's use of effects. They go well with all the songs he's done music videos for.

A breath of Fresh air

2009-09-11T01:30:00.000-07:00

Just felt this track was too good not to post, even with the remark about blogs, hahaha.

KiD CuDi - Soundtrack 2 My Life

I'll keep listening to your soundtrack Kid, you've got a great sound.

Audio Elegance: Mr. Hudson

2009-09-01T23:09:00.000-07:00

Now I was planning to do a post on Mr. Hudson a few days back, Sept 1, because of his string quartet version of "Supernova" and then more recently hearing him sing the chorus to Jay-Z's "Young Forever," but I was deterred by some school work, more specifically an 8 page paper. I guess it was for the better because tonight, Sept 5, in downtown LA's Bottega Louie, my girlfriend and I ran into him.

We actually have never been to Bottega Louie and were planning to go to Little Tokyo, but on the way, we just happened to stop by Grand and 7th and saw a bunch of people in what looked like a New York style type of restaurant. We debated if we should keep going to Little Tokyo, but as we passed the restaurant, we saw a huge, nice bakery inside connected to it, and that made the choice easy, hahaha. We decided to be spontaneous and check it out. Bottega Louie was definitely a cool experience and I was reminded of a certain Manhattan, New York atmosphere, which I enjoyed very much.

To eat, we just got full pastrami sandwiches from the gourmet market, which came with a little caesar salad, a chocolate chip cookie, and some fruit (cantaloupe, watermelon, and strawberries) for only $10 each (tax included, no tip necessary), which was a great deal considering the quality and portions. Now, we don't know what the prices of the regular restaurant food was, but it definitely looked like an expensive place, even though it seemed like an extremely popular place. It felt like every minute a large group of well dressed people would come in and nobody would leave. Anyways, if you're in the area, I definitely recommend just checking it out. Here's their site.

But I digress, back to Mr. Hudson. Just as we were finishing up at our table, I saw through the window, a guy with blond short hair smoking outside. Then I thought to myself, "dang he's got REALLY blond hair like Mr. Hudson. Wait, he kind of looks like Mr. Hudson...hmmmm, I better use my phone's internet to check a picture of him and compare. Wow, he looks just like Mr. Hudson!" After all that wondering I just had to ask him as he came in. It was him, British accent and all! Anyways, I must say that he's just the coolest guy. I mean, he actually stopped and had a full conversation with us. He was shocked that I recognized him because people in the States don't know much about him...yet. I asked if we could take a picture with him and he said "sure." The only problem was that the camera we had was my blackberry storm phone camera, which is the most difficult and slow camera for strangers to use. He was really patient and we tried for at least 5 minutes taking pictures with this one woman helping us. In fact, after the woman got one good pic of us, Mr. Hudson stopped one of his friends as he came in, who he said was a professional photographer, to have him to try to take a picture for us with my phone camera! That's one of the nicest things a celeb has ever done for me! We got another photo,

(hahaha, I know I look funny)

thanked him, and wished him luck on his next album, "Straight No Chaser," release in the US, and were on our way. Now for people who don't know who Mr. Hudson is, he's an artist from the UK and was signed onto Kanye West's G.O.O.D. Music label, and has worked with Kanye on "Supernova," "Paranoid," and "Street Lights." Most recently, he's on a track singing chorus for Jay-Z's "Young Forever." I definitely recommend his first album, "A Tale of Two Cities," if you're in the mood for some really good classical, yet soulful music. The closest person I'm reminded by him vocally, is Sting. Yes, he's that good, so here are some tracks for those who want to listen to what I'm talking about. Enjoy! Best of luck Mr. Hudson!

Supernova (String Quartet Version)

Upon the Heath

Jay-Z feat. Mr. Hudson - Young Forever

Jay-Z Fans, Enjoy

2009-08-31T19:21:00.000-07:00

Glorious Excess (Dies): Mike Shinoda the Artist & MC

2009-08-30T02:05:00.000-07:00

I went to the Japanese American National Museum tonight for Mike Shinoda's unveiling of his new exhibit called, "Glorious Excess (Dies)." It was a promotional event and Mike Shinoda was there to sign autographs and meet fans. The set up was pretty amazing to me, since admission was free and you had the option to buy something for him to sign, but could just opt out to take a free picture with the humble star. Usually events like these get you to pay for something somehow. This was not the case, and that gave attending this event such a refreshing feel to it. Of course there was some advertising of products going on around the building but, that was in a way, refuted by the art that Mike had produced. Mike's artwork was very well done, and I felt the topics he covered through it was interesting to see coming from a person in his position. In a sense though, the artwork could only come authentically from a celebrity status person, and he visually articulated those messages very well. I don't want to give it all away, and as art always is, you need to see it yourself to get your own interpretations, so head on down to The Japanese American National Museum 369 East First Street, Los Angeles California 90012, phone: (213) 625-0414 before the exhibit closes on October 4, 2009.

I give Mike all the respect in the world for having his exhibit in the Japanese American National Museum. He has brought culture and issues from Japanese American experience back onto the mainstream table so more people, especially the youth, can learn about not only part of his heritage, but a big, integral part of US history. Myself, being Japanese American, felt honored to meet this icon, get his autograph, get a few pics, and say a few words. Interacting with him for just a minute or so was definitely memorable because he was just so nice and laid back. When I spoke to him he seemed genuinely interested, enthusiastic and thankful, which I found suprising from past dealings with celebrities. Mad props Mr. Shinoda!

I find it cool he was signing in the normal Japanese American history exhibit and not his own. Everyone who attended was at least a little exposed and had to go through the whole historic exhibit to exit.

He was signing in one of the empty internment camp barracks, which I thought was cool too.

Well, I hope all of you get to check out Mike's artwork soon because, to put it plainly, it's pretty cool. I also wish continuing success to Mike Shinoda! Keep making new music and art because I think we all are definitely looking forward to it.

Only fitting to wear "The MC" T-shirt in the presence of a great MC

Also, thanks for taking our shirts! I hope you really get to use them Mike! It's our present to you, regardless if you're sponsored by anyone else, we just hope you enjoy them. Peace

Best____ice cream I ever had

2009-08-29T02:03:00.000-07:00

Summer is technically almost over, but it's still hot in some areas like LA, which makes it perfect weather for, ICE CREAM. Even though any type of weather is fine to enjoy this treat, it's the hot summer days that you feel the most satisfied from part taking in a creamy chillness of indulgence. Now, I'm not an ice cream connoisseur or anything, but I found myself trying a couple of new ice creams this summer, and I'm happy to promote and post them on this blog because they're JUST THAT GOOD.

Best Vegan Ice Cream I Ever Had

First there's, Coconut Bliss. It's a vegan ice cream that's soy, dairy, and gluten free. It uses coconut for its natural unique fats, which are medium chained saturated fats that are easily digested by the human body and have a totally different effect than normal, long chained saturated fats according to many studies. It's sweetened with agave syrup, which is suppose to have a low glyclemic index, which means it doesn't have the unhealthy rise in blood sugar levels you get from normal sugar. Here's the explanations on their site. Those 2 things may be considered a tad controversial, but I can say from eating it, I don't feel the heavy, unhealthy feeling you might feel from regular ice creams or the sugar spike. Regardless of the health pluses associated with it, Coconut Bliss still tastes as an excellent ice cream should. Each one that I've had, has tasted creamy and rich without being overbearing. It's just right.

Now, you may detect a little hint of coconut in each flavor, which I've experienced with the flavors that I've had, but I feel that it makes it a more unique taste and doesn't get in the way at all of you being able to enjoy it, unless you're the type that really hates coconut. Anyways, I recommend this to people who want to replace their ice creams for a great tasting alternative that may have less negative effects and possibly some health benefits. Just don't go overboard eating a whole cup at one time though, still keep moderation and calories in mind, hahaha. It's still a dessert.

Best Mochi Ice Cream I Ever Had

What's that you say? You don't care about different types of saturated fats or if it's sweetened with agave syrup or not, you just want great ice cream?! Well for those mochi ice cream lovers out there, this is for you. Bubbies mochi ice cream is a favorite on the island of Oahu, and has been on the "O" list in the June 2006 issue of Oprah Magazine....only problem is, if you didn't live in Oahu or travel there on occassion, there was no way you could have known about or experience this

...until now. There's 2 ways to get Bubbies mochi ice cream in the mainland, apparently. You can purchase through this site, which to me seems ridiculously expensive, unless I'm reading the pieces and shipping cost wrong, or, you can head over to your Whole Foods, and see if they're in the frozen section. Now, I've been to Whole Foods in Westwood a lot and have never seen Bubbies mochi ice cream there, so some of them don't carry it. When I found it, it was in the Santa Monica Whole Foods, which is a much bigger store than any other Whole Foods I've been in. So if you really would like to try it, you should try calling Whole Foods stores around your area to see if they carry it (Ask for Bubbies Mochi Ice Cream because Whole Foods carries another, unrelated Bubbies brand for pickles)

or ask if your local Whole Foods can get it shipped in for you. Anyhow, I hope you do get to find a source, because tasting Bubbies mochi ice cream has a very authentic feeling to it. You'll get the feeling that, this is the way mochi ice cream should be! The mochi itself is very chewy, completely unlike those rock hard shell imposters that pose as mochi ice cream. The flavors I've had so far are very smooth and addicting.

I can't wait to get my hands on another box,

and writing about Bubbies mochi ice cream is making part of me wonder why I wouldn't just keep this as a secret to myself. If you plan to go to the Santa Monica Whole Foods, please leave me a couple of boxes of different flavors, thanks, hahaha. Anyways, good eats everyone!

Where Amazing Happens....for free

2009-08-23T16:09:00.000-07:00

Are you a basketball fan? Can't wait for the next nba season to start? Live around the West LA area? Have some free time Mon-Thurs. from 3-5pm? If so, then head over to UCLA's Student Activities Center (SAC) during the summer. Located on the top floor, the men's gym hosts the best pick up games in California. NBA, college, and even professional players from other countries come to compete and keep their games sharp. Over this summer I've seen the likes of Ron Artest, Danny Granger, Shawn Marion, Russell Westbrook, Cuttino Mobley, James Harden, Gerald Henderson, Brandon Jennings, Nick Young, Earl Watson, Matt Barnes, Ryan Hollins and even retired nba greats such as Jalen Rose, Mark Jackson, and football superstar Terrell Owens. A couple of years ago I dropped by one time and was lucky to see Kevin Garnett play. My friend also saw Lebron James stop by to watch. This is the best free show in town, and the only problems you have to deal with is traffic and parking. Another tip if you plan to go is, before you head out to see them play, make sure you research if there are any UCLA events happening, because on a couple of occassions I've dropped by anticipating to watch nba players and was stuck seeing kids do drills for basketball or volleyball camps. Plan ahead. Also, don't expect to see all those nba players at once because as you can imagine, they have their personal schedules and sometimes they show up to play and sometimes they don't. Most likely you'll see a few though. Pictures are not allowed but, I was lucky enough to snap a few before someone told me. I also got to meet a professional Japanese player training to try out for the nba. His name is Joji Takeuchi and he plays for the Hitachi Sunrockers. He's 6'9" and 24 years old, so I think he's got a good chance to make it, as compared to Japan's long time best player, Yuta Tabuse, 5'9" 29 years old. G'luck Joji!

If you don't get to make it out before summer ends, they play there every year and I've heard they've been playing there since Magic Johnson was in the league, so I'm sure you'll get your chance. Enjoy!

How-To: Eastbay/Bing.com 50% Cash back

2009-08-11T21:03:00.000-07:00

Since i've been getting some questions on how to do this new-fangled bing.com cashback thing, i've decided to write a primer on the process. Enjoy.

What the heck is this whole mess?
In order to attempt to compete with google's search engine, MS launched their own search engine, bing.com. Since no one would use it otherwise, they are offering cash rebates on things you buy through their referral, ie searching a product and clicking through to the site that offers it and buying it. MS gets referral money from that site and more hits for their engine, you get money.

How do I doooo this?
These instructions are going to be for eastbay.com only. other stores offering cashback will have similar processes.

1. Go to bing.com and sign up for a windows live ID, under the "sign in" link in the upper right corner.

2. Go back to bing.com and click "extras" in the upper right corner, and then "your cashback account." Follow all the steps to get a cashback account.

3. Go once again to bing.com. On the left hand side, click the "Shopping" link. Now search "hyperdunk" in the box.

4. You will be taken to a page showing all colors of hyperdunks, each with a "Bing Cashback 50%" link under them.

5. Click the link, and when prompted enter the same email address you used to sign up for the windows live/cashback account. Your cashback session is now activated.

6. Now choose whatever you want, even if it says "Excluded from discounts" and buy it through eastbay.com. It doesn't matter since you're paying eastbay up front, and MS is reimbursing you 50% of the purchase. Even though it doesn't mention bing.com anywhere on the eastbay site, if you've followed the directions your session will be active.

7. Along with your eastbay order confirmation email, you should get a cashback email, detailing the rebate amount.

8. The cashback will be pending in your newly-created account for 60 days, after which time you can transfer it to a paypal account. You can figure out how to link this by yourselves, yeah? :)

FAQs
Q. Will microsoft screw us and not pay?
A. In the past year I've probably done a dozen cashback transactions and always have gotten the money. Just remember that it takes 60 days.

Q. Do I need a paypal account?
A. There may be other ways to get the money from MS but I find it easiest to have it transferred to my paypal account. From there you can do whatever with it.

Q. Any suggestions?
A. hyperdunks, hyperizes, kobe IVs, tf-1000s, under armor, asics kayanos, soccer cleats, pretty much ANYTHING regularly excluded.

Q. When is this ending?
A. No one knows for sure. I wouldn't wait too long.

Q. I still have questions!
A. Go to slickdeals.net and check out their huge forum post on bing.com cashback. Sorry I couldn't be more clear. Punk.

I have to do hw now, so happy shopping. Let me know what you were able to pick up!

My old 2k4s vs. Billy Hoyle Hyperizes