A continuation of his “100 Items” NFT projects, Robert Gallardo calls back to his 2014 “Food” art show with the “100 Grocery Items” NFT drop.
🏕💯🗿🐐
From bacon to bagels, Rob hits all of the five food groups on this project. My favorite thing about all of Rob’s releases are he drops stuff that everyone can pretty much afford. Yes, there are bigger ticket projects, like the “User Interface” collection from earlier this year, but his last like 4 collections all offer tokens ranging at or under $100. We always see high profile projects like “Bored Apes” and so on but Rob be on his “Blue Collar Minter” shit.
Strawberry or Grape?
I’ve got my eye on a few of the tokens featured in this collection. PB&J is a go to for me and being a Grape guy, especially for Smucker’s “Concord Grape Jelly”, I will more than likely be picking up that one piece.
I was just thinking the other day how dank “Jiffy” muffins used to be when I was a jit. From the blueberry to the corn they are all fire. Back in the day my pops would whip up a batch of those blueberry flavor, something about the blueberries they put in the muffins just makes them hit different. This piece is at the top of my favorites list.
2014 vibes
The fact that this collection harkens back to Rob’s art show “Food” which was his take on various foods from the culture is what makes this collection my favorite he has done this far in his “100 Items” series. Just based on that the “Goya” and the “Beef Ramen” pieces are on my wishlist.
Beef Rap 🥩
It’s really special to see Rob go back into the archive to mint some of his older work into NFTs for his supporters to enjoy and show off. It would be crazy to see the “10 Commandments” collection get its own drop, as well as the highly influential “Purple Children” cover arts, his collab projects with DJ Slim K make their way onto the Opensea marketplace. $GREY is the future!
Recognized for his minimalistic digital artwork that is often a reflection on the modern human condition, Robert Gallardo has released the “100 Everyday Items” NFT collection on OpenSea.
🏕💯🗿🐐
The drop consists off 101 images, with 1 image containing all 100 images, and the other 100 images containing 1 item each. At launch the price for each image was around $35 or at about .0086 ETH.
Bowl by Robert Gallardo
All of the pieces sold within about 30 minutes to an hour. Instantly prices on each image began to sky rocket with the cheapest image still costing you around $700 or .17 ETH and the highest priced the “Bowl” fetching a whopping 300 ETH on the market or $1,226,751.
I was unsuccessful waiting on the GAS fees but theres always next drop. I still wanted to drop this article to shed light on the ground breaking art Gallardo continues to create, inspiring myself as well as many others to continue our creative pursuits.
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!
The Cybermonk Robert Gallardo takes us on a musical odyssey through the Stargate on “before the algorithm ep”.
🏕💯🗿🐐
Music is art and being creatives why limit ourselves to only one medium. It was always a treat when Rob G would pull up on a Local Muzik track or whenever I discover one of his rvre artifacts on YouTube, most notably the classic “Honcho”. I love how versatile Rob can be on a track, he can go from some flexing shit like “DONDADA” to a more experimental vibe on “computer games (no scrubs)”.
The collection of songs on “before the algorithm ep” are ones Rob made while crafting his debut album “Algorithm And Blues”. The vocal style Rob used on the first track “Needed You” (Prod. by Tape$) vibe well with the intergalactic beat, not coming off corny at all. The $lugged out ending of the track was a really dope touch.
“Where We Goin’?” (Prod. by Yung Aug), is a straight vibe. This that shit you can just ride out to, full blast in the Grey Civic. The storytelling on this track is so vivid, I would love to see what Rob would bring to a concept album.
My favorite song on the EP is “TYPE” (Prod. by jxpvtty). Big funky vibes on this one mane. It was really dope how he sprinkled in some West Coast shit on the project. This track is just really fun.
“Questions” (Prod. by Osaka) starts off with some really dope melodic vocals before going into one of my favorite flows Rob G has ever came through with. The slow pace allows the listener to take in everything Rob is saying, and when the Cybermonk talks the Grey Children listen.
Overall this is a really dope collection of tracks, all with very different styles, but still feeling very cohesive. I am not sure when “Algorithm And Blues” is dropping but you can bet the Grey Children and everyone else in the 727 are gonna run it up heavy. Rob’s music is just another example of how Rob G inspires me and my fellow creatives that we don’t have to be boxed into one medium or lane. We are the Grey Children!
After dabbling with a few NFT drops over the past year or so, Robert Gallardo is dropping one of his most ambitious collections, with some new NFTs based on 7 pieces of artwork he created on vintage digital.
Cybermonk artifacts
Inspired by some of the work Warhol did with Blondie, using a desktop computer, Rob did his own take on that concept but in Cybermonk fashion he spread the concept across various digital platforms both from past and present.
High Art
The Marilyn Monroe piece done on the Mac Book Laptop has the biggest Pop Art vibe to it, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen Pop Art done so well from a digital aspect.
Very Rvre
The Mona Lisa iMac piece might be the most ambitious in the entire collection. Many won’t understand just how dope this piece is, as well as its meaning and connection to the rest of the pieces in the collection.
The Abstract
The more surreal or abstract piece done on the old school desktop is hands down my favorite in the collection. The weird Microsoft Paint esthetic takes it to the next level. Whoever is able to get their hands on this one def is getting the crown jewel of the collection.
The remaining pieces in the collection are done on Etch A Sketches and old school Texas Instrument calculators. I am not really sure how he did that shit, but I guess that what makes him the Cybermonk am I right?
The entire the collection will be available for sale as NFTs on June 1st, purchasers of the NFT will receive the physical copy of the piece from the man himself. Please someone give this man his own art exhibit or just a solo installation he definitely deserves it, but until then Jit Camp will continue to spread the word of $GREY throughout the Burg and FLA!
With the St.Pete Hip Hop scene in full force and so many dope artists and styles popping up I thought I would put people on to who some of the pioneers of this St.Pete Hip Hop shit are. First up is one of my biggest inspirations Robert Gallardo.
So ahead of its time.
The first time I remember hearing about Gallardo was his series of visuals he did for Crown Marquiss, Ameen Spade, Mario So Dope and the rest of the Local Muzik crew. The video he did for the J Goodie and Crown Marquiss classic track “Unsuccessful” was recognized as an instant classic at the time. If only we got an Ancient Barbarian video.
Free Smoothie!
Another one of my favorite videos from Gallardo is the “All I Want” video from Smooth Hines featuring Crown Marquiss. This one was actually filmed at a corner store right down the road from my house. This video showed me that people from St.Pete could actually be apart of Hip Hop and be on our own shit. Back in the day Marquiss, Smooth, FKB, DJ Shurefire, and Gallardo could do no wrong, which is still pretty much true still to this day.
Rocky’s most ambitious project to date. Crash test dummies.
After his dominance in the St.Pete Hip Hop scene Gallardo decided to take his talents to the next level becoming the creative director for A$AP Rocky, designing and helping Rocky create the vision for his album “Testing”. This also opened the door for Gallardo to join the AWGE creatives collective. Gallardo had major input on all of Rockys set design as well as the vision for the videos accompanying “Testing”.
Video Games become reality. One of my favorite visuals.
Gallardo was able to bring Rocky’s dreams to life with both of his sets for Camp FlogGnaw in 2016 and 2017. Has a member of AWGE Gallardo had major input in the first A$AP Mob album “Cozy Tapes Vol.1” designing the album cover as well as the memorable “Yamborghini High” video.
It came with a beam. Kiss my ring.
Some of the more underrated videos from Gallardo are “New Choppa” by Playboi Carti and my favorite “Richard Mille Plain” by Gunna. The late has some ahead of its time visuals aspects, reminding me of the film “Uncut Gems”.
Grey skies turn black. Box design by jxpvtty.
Now that he is no longer doing free lance work, Gallardo has become a Youtuber creating vlogs and content to help other creatives. He is the creator of two apps the “Adventures of Gallardo” app and “Cover Art Studio”. He also has a greyscale Rubik’s Cube in development. For the last few years Gallardo has only dressed in grey color ways to keep up his image like some of his creative influences.
Everyone who wants $GREY will get $GREY.
Gallardo also developed his own crypto currency “$GREY”. “$GREY” can be used in the Grey Area to trade and share ideas with other creatives. Only 10 Million $GREY will be created.
727 Legend.
Who knows what Robert Gallardo has planned next in his creative projects. He’s got a solid foundation behind him, most notably social media rep King Quel. I would like to possibly see him curate a series on the Criterion Channel or get back into making videos for select artists. Either way I will support and thank him for everything he has done for the St.Pete Hip Hop Scene.
St.Pete Hip Hop pioneer Robert Gallardo is helping artists centralize their creativity by creating the “Cover Art Studio App”.
Gallardo created the cover art for A$AP Mob’s “Cozy Tapes Vol.1”.
With the “Cover Art Studio App” artists are able to become the graphic designer by creating their own project cover art work. The platform features a free version but for maximum access I would recommend upgrading to the premium version.
Parental Advisory to make it official.
As a creative myself I have been struggling to find a consistent graphic designer to help with branding and logo work so I can only imagine the work it takes to find a solid graphic designer. Now artists can take their vision into their own hands.
The free pack is pretty solid. The skulls are essential for any underground project.
Gallardo is really blessing the community with this app. It’s super easy to use and as a graphic designer himself Gallardo should know what works and what doesn’t. I heard rumors of the first app Gallardo was working on and hope to see that project come to light one day, he definitely is showing us the way.
St.Pete Hip Hop pioneer and creative Robert Gallardo has created his own form of Cryptocurrency to be used by and for creatives $GREY.
$GREY Skies turn black.
Members of the Grey Area use $GREY in the think tank to share ideas amongst other creatives, curator, and designers. Merely just having $GREY will help you on your creative journey.
Once it’s gone it’s gone.
$GREY allows your to interact and access others work in the Grey Area. Like other cryptocurrencies, there will only ever be 10 Million $GREY created in the world.
This is a huge movement for Gallardo and the creative community. All creatives should get behind $GREY so we can build the Grey Area. Everyone that wants $GREY will get $GREY.
