Over the past year iBOMS has become one of the most prolific faces of the St.Pete Art scene, on the closing day of his latest collection at D Gallerie I had to come through and document the greatness.
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Jabari had been locked in the studio working on some of the pieces for this show. This latest collection taps into a lot of IBOMIAN trademarks like prescriptions, Exit Signs, blooms, birds, and don’t forget the bees.
Master Of My Seas
As of right now I am pretty confident this is my favorite piece Jabari has done. The arms surrounding Ashi are reminiscent of a shield power up in a video game. An artists needs protection from energy zappers. I would love to see a statue or mold of this piece one day.
To Love A Poltergeist
What’s it like to love a ghost? This piece is something else man. From the custom “Bloom Woods” box to the “R.I.P. Ashi” newspaper clippings. Once I understood the full meaning of the piece it became very relatable to me, bringing my connection with it to another level.
For Those Raised Like The Red Nose
Despite the darkness that surrounds Ashi, he is able to strive through it and make it through to the other side. I really dug the triangular aspect of this piece. Not sure if Jabari came up with this piece first before creating the masks but I am pretty sure we will see the masks pop up again in future works.
See You In The Rebirth
The innocence of a child. It’s always a vibe when iBOMS incorporates the sun into his pieces, bringing the gap between his realm and the normal realm. This time the exit sign makes an appearance in a graffiti style rather than just a sign.
Divine Prescription
This piece really brings all of Jabari’s work full circle. If you have a god given skill work at it and watch it grow, don’t let it drown and die amongst the algae. This time the exit signs and the rubber ducks fuse into floating observes above a prescription bottle formed figure. Within the darkness beauty can be found.
IBOMIAN Trinity
Whole Lotta Orange. I dig how this piece has a pop up book vibe with the cop car and figures off to the side. This piece is filled with IBOMIAN trademarks such as the blooms, HDA, clouds, and the exit sign. If Ashi is around there are bound to be some bees buzzing around the piece. I also peeped the hieroglyphic font turning the o in iBOMS to an x making it iBXMS, on some trill shit.
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Congratulations to Jabari on this game changing collection. A majority of these pieces are some of my favorites in this phase of your career and the best part about it is this is only the beginning. Your work and the city are one, keep capturing life in St.Pete.
Hinted at with the limited socks, now there is more FUKK EM WORLDWIDE available in REACH.
🏕💯🖕🏽🌎🙌🏽One angry sponge
The latest release from FUKK EM WORLDWIDE is the brands take on the Sponge Bob tee. This one has early 2000s nostalgia vibes for me. Back in the day every Jit in Tampa Bay had some sort of cartoon shirt with the character flexing money, I feel this is an ode to that.
Shout out Bam MargielaFlorida Jit
The collection comes in three color ways red,white, and black. Personally my favorite is the red and black tees because I am not the biggest fan of white shirts, but Jit upping his game. I really dig how the design fully embodies the motto of the brand. That “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” esque font in the flames is all the way live.
Gimmie the loot 💰 Tampa Shit
It’s always really dope to see REACH showing love to the other brands out of Tampa. Who knows maybe one day we could see a 727 brand show up on the rack at REACH. All these other areas try to take our sauce, but if we stay unified the realest will remain. Big Tampa Bay shit!
Just when you thought they were done, the homies at REACH continue to apply pressure with a brand new “Flubber” esque, “Gel” collection.
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The capsule is made up of two tees featuring the brand in a gel almost DNA style font. For me these have big summer vibes, almost feeling like some trippy “Woodstock Era” esthetic right out of “Dazed & Confused”. The capsule comes in two different color ways a white tee and a salmon tee.
Trippy vibes
Personally I am picking up both tees in the capsule, but my favorite has to be the “Salmon” color way. The green and pink font just hits different on that alt orange/pink. Definitely would be a great piece to rock to a festival or upcoming show.
Essential on the 4th
Just in time for the 4th, get your Red, White, and Blue on. This one has more of a cleaner look as well as fully capturing that “Americans” and seventies vibe. The homies really snapped on that font
REACH continues to dominate the game with every release. Like all of their drops, they are all very limited releases and will not be restocked any time soon, if ever. Everything is Made In REACH!
One of the most versatile groups in the entire Tampa Bay scene, Barely Legal is making its way over to Coastal Creative in sunny St.Pete for “Another Barely Legal Show”.
🏕💯Cybr
Building off the success of their latest project “Cybr” the group is out on tour and what better place for a show than Coastal Creative. I really dug The Neptune’s influence on their latest project. Can’t wait to hear tracks like “King Of The Hill” and “Flavor”. As soon as that “Creep” beat hits I’m gonna go nuts. They have a pretty rabid fan base so I know the whole 727 is pulling up to the show.
Mamba Mentality
Following up his “Kobe Day” celebration at the BTMVLE Studios, Jay Browne is ready to rip the stage, playing all your favorites and maybe event a couple exclusives for the St.Pete crowd. It’s all part of the plan!
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While the entire TB Area is waiting on that “Pico” video a live performance from Frankie X will definitely hold us over. “Pico” is one of my favorite tracks of the year. Pretty sure he will play some joints off “Heartbreak Summer” as well. Big Outside World vibes.
MEL. The 8th is on some futuristic shit. Really hype to see his set, hopefully he plays some tracks off of “Following My Shadow”. If Mel. plays “Wasabi Bar Test” or “Crucified”, I feel the whole crowd will be drawn to his vibe, you really feel his music.
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Anytime my bruther Cowboy is doing a pop up, you know I gotta come out and show love. He really snapped on that new Barely Legal X Cowboy By Takeo graphic, combining both worlds into one image. Rumor has it the graphic might make its way on a t shirt or two. Cowboy has a few other surprises in store so you don’t want to miss this event.
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New Age Mafia will be doing a pop up at the show some stop by and pick up some dope product.
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Landkiss and Night Air Clothing will also be in the building. Personally I am a big fan of everything she is doing with Night Air and their whole “Neo Vintage” vibe. Fingers crossed for a surprise “Pink Wax” performance. Also shout out to Outside Illz and the entire Outside World ENT family for everything they are doing across the bridge. Also shout out to 23 the manager and Duprey Studio Recordings.
It’s been a minute since we have had a big show in the burg, so let’s make this the start of something special, Big Tampa Bay vibes. Tickets are available now for $20.
St.Pete boutique Fresh Rags has teamed up with Saucony for the summer capsule “Fresh Springs”.
Thank Your Water 🏕💯🙏🏽💧 Fresh Springs
The capsule is inspired by the Florida Manatee as well as the natural springs that are found in Florida. The capsule was created to bring awareness to the “Save The Manatee” to raise funds for the effort.
Sneaker of the year contender The life aquatic
The centerpiece of the capsule is the Fresh Rags X Saucony Grid Web. The sneaker features some aquatic elements to give you that Manatee vibe. If these are still available I am definitely going to pick up a pair for myself.
The options are endless That patch doe
To dive deeper into the story Fresh Rags teamed up with New Era to drop on four different hats. My favorite has got to be the black park ranger dad hat. They really snapped on that “Fresh Rags Park Service” logo adding another layer.
So Fresh and So Clean All the way live
My favorite piece when it comes to the shirts is the tie dye spring tee featuring Florida’s favorite Seacow. The “all year round“ shirt pays homage to the 700 natural springs that are found in Florida that regulate at an average temp of 72 F.
Electric BodySpooky
Teaming up with Florida’s own Anthony Bayshore for the “Reaper” tee brings everything full circle. I remember hearing about Bayshore way back when I was a Jit during the early days of Fresh Rags. Tapping into the dark past of underwater cave diving as well as the harm humans can cause to the environment can be found in the piece. The statement “Prevent Your Death, Go No Further” really hits home. That Springs Blue color way is brazy.
Stash pocket is essential Product of my environment
The Nylon and Spring Camo shorts are the finishing touch on the capsule, having you ready for tons of exploration. I am a huge fan of the ranger patch so I will probably be picking up the Nylon pair. Plus the stash pocket in the front is a vibe.
Swing Ya RagMeet me in the springs
I am really stoked for the entire Fresh Rags team on how much love this collection is getting. Fresh Rags has been the primer boutique in St.Pete for years now. The online drop is Monday and I am sure tons of product is still available in store so stop by and tell em Jit Camp Sent you.
With a special $GREY edition of the “Bonfire Podcast” dropping later this week, I felt it was the right time to finally give the foundation of St.Pete Hip Hop the immortal classic status it deserves. In my city the 727 we treat this like our “Diplomatic Immunity”. If you ain’t local can you really relate?
Cover Art by the $GREY GOAT 🏕💯🗿🐐
At the time only a few people were out here really putting on for the 727 when it came to Hip Hop. You had pioneers like Skroodle, Famous Kid Brick, Smooth Hines, DJ Shurefire, and Lil Keis ( R.I.P. to the legend) all doing their own thing making it shake for the city. When Local Muzik came onto the scene their style and sound painted the picture of what life in the St.Pete was really like. With Crown Marquiss, Mari So Dope, Ameen Spade, and Robert Gallardo bringing the rhymes, style, visuals, and local lifestyle to life. Shout out to the homie King Quel.
The project is a compilation of songs from the collective, some featuring all the members some are just solo efforts. A majority of the videos for this project are directed by Robert Gallardo, as well as the iconic cover art. Down the road “Honcho” should be added as a bonus track but for now it is just a rvre CyberMonk artifact.
The project starts out with “Juicy Freestyle” featuring Mari So Dope. This was the best way to kick off the project taking us back with some old school shit while adding in that local flavor. Someone told me this is their favorite track from Mari and that’s hard to argue. The video by Rob is the perfect companion piece.
The next track “Changes” featuring Crown Marquiss is a perfect example of the experimental style Crown and the other Locals dabbled with. Who else back then and still to this date is rapping over this type of production. Crown always kills it with the slow flow.
“Dream on” featuring Ameen Spade for me perfectly captures the St.Pete Hip Hop sound. Spade is one of my favorite lyricists of all time so anytime he graces a track you better listen up. This track is super nostalgic for me.
“Badd” featuring Mari So Dope is on some “Fear and Loathing in St.Pete” type shit. Mari needs to perform this at a festival or something all the jits would go wild.
“Trippin” is the first posse cut off the project. Crown, Mari, and Spade all spazzed on this one. Big shout out to FAF on that Spade verse, that’s another potential classic review down the road. Not sure if Hit Wonder made the beat for this one but it definitely has that vibe.
“I’m Preferred” is another posse cut with all three going brazy over some jazzy production. The storytelling approach each one took with their verses was a really dope touch. The way the beat changes after each verse is on some futuristic shit. Definitely one of my favorite tracks on the album.
“Gameboy” by Mari So Dope is one of the most important tracks in all of St.Pete Hip Hop, if this shit ain’t classic than I don’t know what is. This song is super nostalgic for some many jits in the burg, whether it’s the brazy beat made by Goodie, or the iconic video directed by Rob. Not sure if this is my favorite Mari song but it hands down is my favorite track on this album. “ I Got Game!!!!!!”
“Early Bird Special” features Spade and Crown on one of the more chilled out vibes. To me this track has more of a west coast influence, something that has always been a fixture of the Local Muzik sound.
“Searching” by Ameen Spade is a classic in its own right. So many quotable to mention but if you understand “Searching for the Goodie like the Mob in the building” I’ll shout you out lol. The beat by Hit Wonder fits Spade’s style perfectly. The video by Rob brings the song to life. It’s always a treat when Rob and Spade work together.
“Avenue” featuring Crown and Mari is on some grungy Southside type shit. Like I said before the experimentation when it came to a production stand point is still not being touched today. Crown and Mari snapped on their verses with some of the hardest lyrics they had spit at the time.
“Local Muzik Houseparty” is what we are jamming at all the upcoming functions from now on. It was only right to make this one a posse cut, and you can definitely feel how much fun they had recording this track.
“All Wood” is one of my favorite Crown Marquiss songs of all time. The abstract beat and style he had on this one is still timeless. I will never forget when this video first dropped from him and Rob, iconic.
Anytime Spade jumps on some boom bap shit I am all for it. “Still Searching” features a sample from my favorite Pac song of all time “Temptations” so the love was there off rips. Honestly I like “Still Searching” more than its sequel. The way Spade rides the choppy beat is unmatched.
“Splitem” is also an essential track. This one is on some video game shit, with spade flowing over a futuristic beat from Krikkes. The video from Rob brings it all together with all the “Space Invaders” vibes. I love of Spade can go from being on his introspective shit to just spazzing out on a track, that’s what makes him one of my fav artists.
“Pam Grier” is on some 2000s rock type shit. Crown always snaps when it comes to the storytelling, painting visual pictures with his words, allowing the listener to understand the St.Pete vibes. I’ve said it enough but I’ll say it one last time, who was or still is rapping over this type of production.
This project is so important to me, to the city, and to St.Pete Hip Hop. This project is one of the reasons I do what I do, and I want to thank Crown, Mari, Spade, and Rob for everything they do and have done for the city. The Local Muzik Dynasty lives!
Coming off the landmark “Carry Your Adventure” collab with Cowboy By Takeo, as well as the armory of gun plushies, the homies at Balaclava Boys have something for all the jits this summer.
New Profile Pic
The summer collection “Fuck Tha Feds” is made up of a designer tee featuring the collections slogan as well as the brand new “Gunman Shorts”. What would a Balaclava Boys drop be without brand new masks, so also included in the collection will be the new “Recon Balaclava”.
The devil is in the details
It’s all about the details when it comes to Balaclava Boys and the “Fuck Tha Feds” t-shirt is no exception. The minimalist approach allows us to fully take in the message of the piece. Those brand tags are essential.
Summer Vibes
Since I am trying to boost up my short game for the summer, I will for sure be picking up a pair of these. The back pocket and branding tags really make these shorts stand out from the rest. You’ll always have your shooters with you when your rocking these.
The options are endless
Complete the fit with the “Recon” balaclava. The color options range from black to pink and even grey compliment the branding surrounding the mask.
Be on the look out for the “Fuck The Feds” collection dropping on July 1st on the Balaclava Boys site as well as some pop up appearances soon.
Fresh of the release of their latest collection the homies at 2001 Odysey are taking it back to the home base with a pop up on July 9th at REACH.
Big Tampa Bay shit no bap Twilight Zone
I am not quite sure what pieces are still available for the pop up but I know personally I am going to try to get my hands on the purple shorts and the 2001 trucker hat. The hat is definitely going to make an appearance on the podcast in the future. This whole collection is can’t miss though, I really love the collage take 2001 had on the shirt.
Shout out TurboPockets Button goin brazy
It’s all in the details! Not sure if these new jeans will be available at the pop up but I had to show them some love. The abundance of pockets on the piece is definitely a vibe and stands out from some of the other pieces coming out lately. Not sure how they did it but that 2001 button is iconic.
Limited Socks
Everyone knows I am a fan of limited socks so when the 2001 dropped the photos for their new socks I was hype. Your fit isn’t complete until you get the white and red socks. The photo campaign for the socks was masterfully done.
Big shout out to REACH as well for hosting these pop ups, as well as putting me on to other dope brands like 2001 Odysey and FUKK EM WORLDWIDE, and Hunts Fabrications. I need all my 727 family to come out and show some love, on some Tampa Bay shit.
After a surprise drop at the Robb Bank$ show pop up, the homies at REACH have officially launched the second capsule in the “Testament” collection.
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The second capsule is made up of two black tees. Featured on the back is pretty much what is considered the brands motto at this point “You Ain’t Right With REACH, If You Ain’t Right With God”. The front of the shirt features a crucifix with “REACH” on the front. This capsule comes in two color ways a “Dove White” and my favorite the “REACH RED” in 3-D puff ink.
When doves cry No Bap
The “Dove White” adds a more clean minimalistic approach to the collection that compliments the brighter summer colors that were featured in the first drop. On some John Woo shit.
This one is essential for any supporter of the brand Whole Lotta REACH
The “REACH RED” color way for me is an essential piece from the brand. The color red is almost synonymous with the brand at this point, so any red piece they drop just embodies the REACH vibe. I for sure will be picking up this piece, shit might even rock it on the podcast.
Pull up on your block in a ski maskJit affiliated
Like I said in the previous article on the collection I am not the biggest fan of ski masks but damn I might have to pick up that red on to make the whole fit. I also appreciate the ability to turn the mask into a beanie, making it fit ready for the winter time.
The homies at REACH have definitely been on a run this summer, pretty much dropping three different collections on top of the “Cigar City Champions” fitted restocks, the homies are constantly applying that pressure. Would love to see them make shorts to tie into the drop down the road. Everything is MADE IN REACH!
The Factory’s Juneteenth Jubilee was definitely a special night, celebrating community, culture, and freedom.
🏕💯 🏭 🏕💯🌊
The whole city has been waiting weeks for this performance from Onlyonetwo and boy did he deliver! Performing a variety of tracks off his most recent “Fire EP” and the 727 Hip Hop Classic “222”, there was a song for everyone on the set. As long as he played “Been Fair” I would have been good. I haven’t seen so much energy from a St.Pete show in a minute, with the crowd so hype that Onlyonetwo did an encore performance of “Sam Kassel (Fluuu)”. Shout out to Wrecka, Alex, and the rest of the SEVAW family.
🏕💯🌪☔️🦂🤞🏽
Anytime my brothers from Before The Storm are doing anything you know the Jit is going to support it. The “Life In The Desert” Fashion Show brought their latest collection to life, combining stealth and desert attire with a “Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas” style brought the entire capsule together. This shit literally blew my mind when I saw the models rocking the hats Johnny Depp had in the film. Even some of the show exclusive pieces like the various bags and anything with a scorpion on it was absolute heat. Huge congrats to Raheem, Laurent, Chad, and the models for putting this all together. This is something I have always wanted to see happen in the city and I knew they where going to be the ones to accomplish that, a definite game changer.
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Myiah Pink had some new pieces on display as well has some new “Happy Soul” merch. I have been following her over her last few pop ups with the $lugged $ound$ family so it was nice to see everything come full circle. Big shout out to Zulu Painter as well for his dope installation inside of The Factory, and The Nature Of Fire for her work that was on display .
Review coming soon! 🏕💯
Per usual the homie Sean.mp3 went brazy during his live performance. Be on the look out for a review of his latest project “MP3 & Me (DEMO) dropping on the site this week. QueenofEx straight up killed her performance, having the whole crowd hype. To close out the event The Sunchildren came through with a dance performance.
Y’all ready for Lxrd $lugg II?
It was also really dope connecting with the homie Lazz Beats as well as kicking it with Rishi, ABR, and Yella. This is only the beginning of all the amazing events that could happen at The Factory, bringing the entire city together for the culture.
