“For someone with so much relationship advice, you seem awfully alone.” A year ago, my friend sent this quote from the movie Beginners to me as a joke. But, it was true. Awfully true. I am the voice of reason between a girlfriend and boyfriend when they bicker. I am the drenched shoulder when my close […]
Read more2013’s Best: Nova’s Top Albums
I’m really sorry that I’ve neglected you this year, hip-hop. New waves of UK dance pop, PBR’n’B, and the budding chill-trap movement have distracted me from my deep roots with you. Songs by French Montana and 2 Chainz were shrug-while-fist-twisting worthy when I was at the club, but it made me cringe when I realized […]
Read moreROOK X STONE BREWING COMPANY
I really like beer. I don’t want to tell you how much I like it, because you’ll start judging my life choices, but Stone Brewing Company in Escondido has always been a favorite of mine. Our buddies at Rook obviously agree, as they have helped design a t-shirt with the brewery featuring a snake swallowing […]
Read moresingle life musings: timelying
One rainy day, early in my junior year of high school, my English teacher asked us to pull out a piece of paper and a pen. Vaguely, she instructed us to write a letter to our future self ten years from now. We were to write about our current dreams, aspirations, and accolades. But, we […]
Read moreSingle Life Musings: Instant Ramifications
It was beautiful. Everyone was there. Batman, Robin, Penguin, The Joker, and even the butler, Alfred. The Bat Cave set featured a zip-line that ran from one end to the other, a control center, and a parking space for the Batmobile. At the age of eight, this was what life was about. Quickly dragging my […]
Read moreThe Saigon Sky High Project: Support Graffiti Abroad
I first met Sahra in one of my Asian Am classes as a junior at UCLA. Aside from the fact that her name is spelled weird, you could immediately notice a fire within her. A fire that could set the world ablaze through her philanthropy, spoken word, and art. Fast forward eight years later, and […]
Read moreTDE x SZA
Top Dawg Entertainment houses a roster of Ab-Soul, Jay Rock, Black Hippy, Schoolboy Q, and some guy named Kendrick Lamar. After fleeting rumors of Jhene Aiko and Action Bronson being the next signees to TDE, SZA has emerged as the most recent addition to the team.
Read moreSingle Life Musings: Cheers To Her
My first beer as a child was a Heineken. I instantly turned red, laughed hysterically, and told my mom that my dad was in trouble. Twenty years later, I realized I really don’t like Heineken and I don’t turn red anymore. With a proclivity for a variety of different alcoholic drinks, I’ve eventually chosen my […]
Read moreJam On It: David Dallas ft. Freddie Gibbs – My Mentality
Four years ago, when I was unemployed, I listened to this guy named David Dallas talk about making the “Big Time.” It was the only song I had ever heard by him as he spit verse after verse about the bleak future of our country and the question marks that hung over our heads. Based […]
Read moreRECAP: 70’s SOUL JAM
Sorry. I underestimated LA traffic. An hour from Costa Mesa on a Sunday afternoon is definitely not enough time to get to the Greek Theatre. This being said, I missed a few acts for the 70’s Soul Jam on July 14th, 2013. But, in the almost two hours it took to get there, I must’ve […]
Read moreJam On It: Ta-ku – “Dowhatyoulove”
Pick your nose. Sing at the top of your lungs. Pretend your steering wheel is an 808 pad. There are lots of things we do when we drive alone. Mine just happens to be freestyling. A lot of it is nonsense, but hey, that’s why I do it alone. The only thing that is subjected […]
Read moreStash Presents The 30th Anniversary Of Reebok Classics Leather
When I was in junior high, my mother had this sweet pair of white Reebok Freestyles that she never wore. Even though she was a full two sizes smaller than me, I grabbed them and rocked them to the first day of school like a boss. My feet were definitely in pain the whole day, […]
Read moreSingle Life Musings: Choose-Your-Own-Adventure
When I was eight years old, my mother brought me hiking in the mountains of Shitou, Taiwan. Trudging up dirt paths through shrubbery, she talked about her experiences in the countryside as a child. After about three hours, I could see the worry in her face. Sundown was quickly approaching and we were completely lost. […]
Read moreJam On It: Scienze ft. Blu – Charlie Brown
Elements Of Music (EOM) reminds us that even though electronic music is alive and well, jazz infused melodies never die. Add in one part Scienze and one part Blu, and you’ve got some mellow goodness for your Memorial Day hangover. Look for Brooklyn’s very own, Scienze, to release his upcoming project Ella soon. Until then, […]
Read moresingle life musings: take a timeout
I knew what that glare meant. His bottom lip would quiver with anger and his eyes would bulge up to the size of ping pong balls. As an eight year old, my father looked like a giant. So when his voice thundered down from Mount Olympus that I was in timeout and to go to […]
Read moreBefore It Drops: A Journey Through Cole’s World
28 years ago, Jermaine Lamarr Cole was born in Germany to an African-American man from the US Army and a white mother. After relocating to North Carolina, his father eventually left the family and his mother raised him from a young age. Growing up in a multi-ethnic environment, Jermaine studied guitar, played basketball, and idolized […]
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THE 5TH ELEMENT MAGAZINE 