February 2021 – Jit Camp

February 23, 2021February 23, 2021

Carry Your Adventure!

Everyone that wants a bag will get a bag.

After a slew of teasers and a t shirt drop, the homies at Cowboy By Takeo & Balaclava Boys are back with possibly the biggest drop of the year from both brands.

All I need is some drugs and some woods for my nest.

The collection is made up of various designer bags showcasing the Cowboy By Takeo X Balaclava Boys logo with the “Carry Your Adventure” theme. The look book done by Dex Q highlights every piece in the collection. Each bag is available in three different color ways Tan, Green, and Cordura. The first piece “Full Circle” is a side bag small enough to not be a burden, while still allowing for major storage. The perfect match for stashing your woods and lighter.

Might be my favorite piece of the entire collection.

For those of you that need a little more space for your product, I would suggest the “Trapsack”. This adjustable backpack is essential for all them road warriors rolling down 275. This is the perfect middle ground piece, not to big and not to small.

If your looking for more of a smaller side bag I would recommend the “Sidekick”. This piece is your right hand man. Perfect for holding a small amount of gear, this side bag is your go to for quick trips around the burg.

The homies made this laptop bag piece for all the content creators. The “Courier” is essential for any creative on the go. Sometimes we need a little more power than our phone, carry around your laptop and other gear with this piece when your in the daily battle of creating content.

One of the smaller pieces in the collection is “Au Revoir”. With this padded case it’s never been easier to carry around your medicine and other goodies. The Cowboy Goods And Wares grinder was pretty much made to stash in the case.

With this top notch quality, your bag ain’t going nowhere.

Now for the centerpiece of the entire collection “Cache N’ Stache”. I remember when Takeo first showed me this piece I was blown away. This duffle bag piece is something you can’t just get anywhere. From sports gear, to your entire Balaclava Boys collection, you can pretty much fit anything in this duffle. This feature brings the “Create Your Adventure” theme to the forefront. The adjustable strap is a really dope feature, not often seen with other designer duffles.

The homies out of BTMVLE got you covered for all your custom embroidery needs.

Super easy to order and shipping is mad quick.

If some how you are able to get the entire collection your are a certified legend. The homies Takeo and Moose really brought their craft to the next level. I love how they are able to evolve as creators while still staying true to both of their brands. Stay locked to Jit Camp for all the dope product coming out of the shop from BTMVLE, Cowboy By Takeo, & Balaclava Boys.

February 22, 2021February 22, 2021

Love=Hate.

On “Conflicted” Johnny Adama carves out his own lane in the St.Pete Hip Hop scene, combining elements of RnB with a chill Hip-Hop vibe.

The first time I heard Adama was on a track with Zhudaru1963 called “Blessings”. That track had more of a conscious vibe. This project puts Adama more in a RnB pocket fitting the Valentine’s Day theme. The album is a perfect blend of tracks for the ladies and tracks for the dudes.

The intro “A Vibe” is one of my favorite tracks on the project. The way Adama changes how he says “baby” at the end of each bar was a nice touch. This one has big Casey Veggies vibe to me. The production is real airy and spacey, my type of intro.

“Spell” and “Keep It Real” have more of a sing songy vibe to them. The later will have you looking for a real one, with one of the most ear wormy hooks I’ve heard in a minute. There is no short of dope bars and flows on this project. Adama is able to flow and spit with some of the best MCs the scene has to offer.

“Countdown” has early Franck Ocean vibes, I could see it played next to some “Channel Orange” tracks. “On 2 U” reminds me of one of those late 2000s RnB club bangers. Adama should shoot a video for this at a beach party. His flow and confidence makes it a smash hit in my eyes.

“Say U Luv Me” brings it back to those Casey Veggies vibes with a chill west coast ride out song.

“These Girls” produced by Dj Complex, has a Boom Bap vibe with a beat and hook that sounds like it could have been on Pac’s “Me Against The World” or another mid 90s album. “It’s Complicated” produced by Sean Taylor, places Adama back in that Boom Bap lane which I am a big fan of. The story telling on this track is top notch.

The last couple tracks “11:11” and “Distance” have a chill lush vibe to them with the outro “Distance” being one of my standouts.

“Conflicted” is one of my favorite projects to come out of the St.Pete Hip Hop scene, I really loved Adama’s versatility. There really isn’t anyone else in the St.Pete Hip Hop scene bring this type of sound. Can’t wait for whatever Johnny Adama drops next. Hopefully we can get some visuals for a couple of the tracks very soon.

February 14, 2021

Shiso Crispy In A Flying Boat.

The girls at the Shiso Crispy food truck have officially opened up their new food trailer located at Flying Boat Brewing.

The new menu keeps the favorites while adding in some new ones.

With a new trailer comes a new menu, featuring your Shiso Crispy favorites but also adding in some new vegan options.

My go to is always the Bang Bang Shrimp dirty rice. The Shiso girls always make the shrimp extra crispy, just how I like it. It’s the bang bang sauce that puts it over the top for me, you could put that stuff on a shoe and I’d probably still think about taking a bite. Pairing with the brewery vibe, the girls now offer Pub Ale Tempura chicken strips with fries. I have been praying to the dumpling gods for fries to make a permanent home on the menu. Ask the girls about the new sauce they are offering with the tenders, it’s a game changer.

The newest addition to the menu are the French Onion Soup Dumplings. Shiso Crispy is the only location in the entire Tampa Bay Area that makes these dumplings. Each one is crafted by hand, and will have you guessing, “How did they get the soup in there?”. It’s best to eat them in one single bite to get the entire french onion soup flavor blast. They are also available in a vegan option.

Two new gyozas join the party. I was able to get a sample of the “Firecracker” vegan gyoza and I’ve go to say despite not really being my thing, I really enjoyed them. The gyoza sauce pairs well with the spicy mushroom blend. I have yet to try the new ribeye gyoza but it’s next on my list for sure. Why get a regular burger when you can just get it in gyoza form from Shiso Crispy.

Many vegan options can be found throughout the menu.

Despite not eating vegan, I think it’s really dope that Shiso Crispy has vegan options so everyone can enjoy the food. Like who else is serving up vegan lobster rangoons and gyoza.

Just wait til the stage and projector are up.

This new Shiso Crispy food trailer located at Flying Boat Brewing is the new place to be, whether it’s to catch the big game with friends or just unwind after a long day of work. Let the Shiso Girls feed you tonight, oh yeah and they have their own Shiso Sour only available at Flying Boat Brewing.

February 14, 2021

Hang Em High!

Cowboy By Takeo is back with a new crewneck drop, following up a run of collabs and solo tee drops.

Everyone that wants a crewneck will get a crewneck.

The new crewneck comes in a dark green color way with orange print. The minimalist approach on the crewneck allows the Cowboy logo to be the statement of the piece. Plenty of customization patches are available via BTMVLE.

Personally I am going with the purple color way so I can cook up some dope 1 of 1 customizations. I am pretty sure Takeo is open to whatever customizations you might be looking to create, so I would just hit him up if you want a 1 of 1, since they are for the GOATS.

The next statement collab piece from Cowboy By Takeo X Balaclava Boys.

After the success of the duffle bag piece, Cowboy By Takeo and Balaclava Boys have come together again to add another piece to the capsule. This luxury padded handgun case is covered in Cowboy By Takeo X Balaclava Boys branding. The zipper is a nice touch, making sure all your gear is secured. Having the entire bag collection is the big flex for sure.

Don’t miss out on both of these drops. Everyone that wants cowboy will get cowboy!

February 14, 2021February 14, 2021

Garbäj Bullets Pierce My Heart.

The homies at Garbäj clothing are back just in time for Valentines Day with the “Lupercalia” drop.

The capsule is made up of a white tee shirt featuring the Garbäj logo we all know and love but this time with a more heartfelt vibe. The graphic reminds me of something out of Sonic or some life point heart a video game character would run through in order to gain an extra life. The candy blue pairs up great with the pink heart over the all white tee.

Really like the minimalism of this piece.

The hoodie piece comes in this really dope candy blue color way, featuring the classic Garbäj logo in a white font. The minimalist approach to the piece allows the logo to take front and center.

With a bunch of other teasers popping up on the Garbäj IG page, it’s safe to say fans won’t have to wait long for the next drop.

February 13, 2021February 14, 2021

Lonely Hearts Club.

To show some love to all the lonely singles on Valentines Day, Coastal Creative is hosting the “Lonely Fans” art show curated by Coastal’s own Stephanie Agudelo.

A majority of the pieces showcased in the show deal with themes of love and lust. The first piece by Bujikimo shows off his signature style in a pink Valentine’s Day color pattern. Bujikkmo’s work reminds me of classic Nickelodeon vibes. Letter Fart who designed the poster for the entire show had some of the dopest pieces on display. The magazine style piece captures a sixties style with the mash up of the three male figures.

Really dug the three dimensional aspect of the heart piece by Dwight Mathis. Seeing this project come from the design stage to a fully formed piece was really impressive. Clay Frapwell came through with this glossy lip piece.

The curator herself Stephanie Agudelo brought us this “Game Of Love” piece. This piece has big “Twin Peaks” vibes with the red background and chess game. The covering of the eyes was the dopest aspect of this one. I could see an experimental pop artist using this as a cover to an album.

Chris Sellen gives us a darker approach to the heart theme with this spooky looking heart. This heart was definitely hurt by someone and is now evil. The sharp teeth are the dopest part of the piece.

This collection was a huge hit at the show.

The collection from A.Rose Gallery was a really nice change of pace from the other pieces in the show. A.Rose took more of the single approach with her pieces, portraying a women riding solo dolo. The colors mixed with the comic book esque style made this collection one of my favorites from the show.

Once I heard the homie iBOMS was going to have a new piece at the show I had to come through. After the “Ego Death” series it is nice to see iBOMS return his focus onto the Ashi character. In this piece the blooms represent love surrounding Ashi, who as we see in the piece is heartless. I feel it is telling that we only see a majority of the back of Ashi, rather than a frontal portrayal. This by far was my favorite piece from the show, and a new favorite from iBOMS.

The first official “Lonely Fans” Art Show was a huge success. The options are endless when it comes to what themes curator Stephanie Agudelo will present to us next time, but Jit Camp will be there to support.

February 9, 2021

Floridarama At The Fairgrounds.

The Fairgrounds St.Pete has teamed up with my favorite Indie bookstore Tombolo Books to present The Floridarama Book Club.

The titles will all have Florida ties,either from a native Florida author or set in the Sunshine State. So many titles come to mind when you think books that have Florida ties. I hope the book club takes on some of the more wackier titles the area has to offer.

The first title on the slate is “Cat Tales” by Craig Pittman. Although I am not a fan of the Florida Panthers hockey team I am excited to learn more about the animal and it’s importance to Florida. Hopefully we can get Craig Pittman on one of those Fairground IG live interviews to give us more insight on the book.

The Floridarama Book Club gave me another reason to read more books as well as support my favorite local bookstore Tombolo Books. Really excited for everything The Fairgrounds has been doing recently, can’t wait to check out the upcoming art installations. To join the book club all you have to do is go to Tombolo Books and pick up a copy of “Cat Tales”, and start reading!

February 9, 2021

The Brewery Hidden In The Springs.

Hidden Springs Ale Works located in Tampa Heights is my favorite brewery in the Tampa Bay Area, combining dope can art with some of the best flavor combinations in all of craft brewing.

Despite not being the biggest beer drinker out there , I still like to enjoy a craft beer now and then. Working at Mazzaro’s gives me the opportunity to try out some of the Bay Area’s finest beer selections. The eye catching can art work of Hidden Springs is what draws me in to the flavor hidden inside the can. “Serenity Now!” is the perfect Valentine’s Day selection bringing that chocolate covered cherry vibe but in ale form. This one is pretty tart but sweet enough to balance it out.

“Riot” by 2 Chainz on in the background.

The can color and art work is so key for Hidden Springs. Each design tells the story of each can, adding more to the drinking experience. “Riot Juice” a Berliner Weisse featuring blackberry, lime, and vanilla is one of my favorites. The blackberry and lime combo is mad underrated.

When I drink this I feel like the bear on the can.

Not being the most knowledgeable craft beer drinker, one of the easier selections to start dipping my toe into the HSAW water was “Orange Crush” an American Wheat with wildflower honey and orange peel. The imagines on the can totally encapsulates what the beer tastes like. This is one of the best wheat beers I’ve ever had. The touch of honey is what puts it over the top.

We need another Big Baby Scumbag collab ASAP.

The detail HSAW puts in all their releases is what puts them above the rest, from the ingredients inside to the can design on the outside. Hidden Springs Ale Works is sold locally around St.Pete, but head across the bridge to the brewery located at 1631 N. Franklin St. in Tampa.

February 7, 2021February 7, 2021

It’s A Stick Up.

After a friends and family only premiere, Heyeyella has finally dropped the full “Stick Up Kids” video, featuring the man himself Zhudaru1963.

I really dug the boom bap approach Heyeyella took on this track. Not many artists have tapped into that sound in the St.Pete Hip Hop scene, but Heyeyella is one of the best spitters the city has to offer.

The duo brought “Belly” vibes on this one.

The video plays out with Heyeyella and Zhudaru1963 taking part in a drop but in order to get to the next point they are driven around the city. While driving Heyeyella spits some of his illest bars to date like “We ain’t tryin to sit in illusions, homie you better wake up!”

Zhu kills his verse every time he touches a mic.

Once the drop is done, Heyeyella and Zhu swerve off, setting the stage for Zhu to spit his verse. Zhudaru1963 always delivers on his verses, leaving us with quotable lines for days. A gem from this track is “ I’m outchea in the world, where a dog eats fleas, you wouldn’t understand cause you livin on your knees.”

This video is a huge accomplishment for not only Heyeyella and Zhu but also the entire St.Pete Hip Hop scene. Videos play a crucial role in telling your songs story or even showcasing your artistry in a visual medium, and the homies definitely proved it on this one. “Strange Noize” is now at the top of my most anticipated albums list.