DUB Magazine Issue 65

LUXURY & EXOTICS | TRUCKS & SUVS | LOWRIDERS | MOTORCYCLES

CAR CULTURE

DETROITDUB SHOW

@ THE NORTH AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW

NELLYcypress hillTONY HAWKBUCKY LASEKANDY MACDONALD

NELLY’SwidebodyMUSTANG

gt 5.0

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EVOLUTION OF A CHAMPION

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DUB EDITION WIDEBODYFORD MUSTANG GT

ON LOCATION


DETROITAUTOSHOWDUB COVERS THE NAIAS

BERNARD HOPKINSCYPRESS HILLTONY HAWK +BUCKY LASEK &ANDY MACDONALD

DUBEEDDIITTIIOONWWIDEBOODYWID

world premiere EXCLUSIVE!

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DUB EDITION WIDEBODY

FORD MUSTANG GT


CAR CULTURE

BERNARD HOPKINS

CYPRESS HILL

TONY HAWK +

BUCKY LASEK &

ANDY MACDONALD

DUBSHOWINVADESDETROIT

ONLOCATION

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BUCKY LASEK + ANDY MACDONALD

PLUSnelly

cypress hill

BERNARD HOPKINS

dub show detroit

CAR CULTURE


STANDING UP FOR SKATEPARKS


& THEIR SMOKIN’ CUSTOM MUSTANG GT


& MUCH MORE!

BUCKY LASEK + ANDY MACDONALD

PLUSnelly

cypress hill

BERNARD HOPKINS

dub show detroit

CAR CULTURE






& MUCH MORE!


CAR CULTURE

PLUS BERNARD HOPKINS

TONY HAWK + BUCKY LASEK

& ANDY MACDONALD

RETURN OF THE WEST COAST

HIP-HOP LEGENDS

NELLY’SwidebodyMUSTANG

gt 5.0

10 INTAKE

12 FRESH • JKS POWER AND LB PERFORMANCE • WHEEL GUIDE

18 GREEN STREETS • 2010 DETROIT AUTO SHOW GREEN CARS • HONDA’S NEW SOLAR HYDROGEN STATION

20 VOLUME • ALPINE, PIONEER, JVC, PHOENIX GOLD, JL AUDIO, MB QUART, ROCKFORD FOSGATE, MOTEVO MOBILE, AUTO PAGE

30 ON LOCATION • 2010 NAIAS • DETROIT DUB SHOW

DUB MAGAZINE ISSUE 65 MAR/APR 2010 CONTENTS

36BERNARD HOPKINSEXECUTION AND EVOLUTION

46TIARRA GRILLESFIT FOR ROYALTY

NELLY AND HIS2011 DUB EDITION 5.0 MUSTANG GT

26

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“Remember kid, there’s heroes and there’s legends. Heroes get remembered but legends never die. Follow your heart, kid, and you’ll never go wrong.” –The Babe, The Sandlot

While putting Issue 65 together, we noticed a unifying theme with our features…legends. This immediately conjured up the scene where The Babe talks to Benny “The Jet” Rodriguez about tackling “The Beast” head on during a dream in the classic baseball cult fi lm, The Sandlot. He tells the young, promising baseball player the diff erence between heroes and legends, which we can’t help but see a similar connection with Bernard Hopkins, Tony Hawk, Andy Mac, Bucky Lasek, Nelly and his Ford Mustang GT 5.0 and Cypress Hill.

Ford is on top of their game with the reintroduction of their popular 5.0 Mustang GT that emerged in the ’90s, but was later phased out until recently when soon-to-be hip-hop legend Nelly spoke up about its greatness. ’Stang enthusiasts, and muscle car fanatics alike, can now rejoice that the legendary 5.0 is back in full eff ect (but with a few added upgrades included in Nelly’s widebody, fully DUB modded version). Nelly will go down in Mustang history as the man who helped bring back the legendary car.

In the boxing world, Bernard Hopkins may be a veteran of the sport at 45, but he’s far from hanging up his gloves. The fi ght is still strong within this champion, who is the oldest fi ghter to hold a title in the middleweight division. With perseverance in his heart and an eye on the prize, Hopkins’ career is what defi nes legends in the sport.

Tony Hawk has helped take skateboarding to unimagined heights and is now giving back with his annual Stand Up for Skateparks event that funds his eff orts to build quality skateparks in communities that need them the most. What he has done for the sport is legendary along with his cohorts Bucky Lasek and Andy MacDonald, both of which are contributing to the sport’s upward progression.

Finally, Cypress Hill are west coast legends and highly respected hip hop veterans. After a six-year break from recording, Sen Dog and B-Real are back on the block and ready to pick up where they last left off with their new album, Rise Up. With a new school twist to classic Cypress Hill joints, the guys are saying f*ck the fads of today’s music, creating their own unique sound and transcending what is considered “hot” in mainstream hip hop.

EDITOR’S NOTES

DUB PUBLISHING, INC.LOS ANGELES : WORLDWIDE

Myles Kovacs | Publisher | [email protected] Haddad | Editor/Creative Director | [email protected]

John Ramos | Promotions Director | [email protected] Calbay | Managing Editor | [email protected]

Cynthia Tran-Kovacs | Accounts Manager | [email protected] Flynn | VP of Business Development | [email protected]

DESIGN DEPARTMENTSteve Cuevas | Graphic Designer | [email protected]

Jonathan Rodrigues | Art Director | [email protected] Guillemet | Video Editor | [email protected]

ADVERTISING : (626) 336-3821Rich Calbay | [email protected]

Myles Kovacs | [email protected] Boutros | Advertising Associate | [email protected]

Tony Madrigal | Advertising Associate | [email protected]

DUB MAGAZINE & EVENTS STAFFKristie Bertucci | Features Editor / Copy Editor | [email protected]

Kiani Tran-Boutros | Human Resources/Accounting Director | [email protected] Palmerin | Offi ce Administrator | [email protected]

Mike Shaughnessy | [email protected] Dowd | [email protected]

Walter Segovia | [email protected] DobkinManuel OrosEdwin Quiroz

Eli Paul ChavezMichelle Sanchez

Armando Rodriquez

TRANSPORTATION OPERATORSAndrew “Old Skol” CanalesMark Dyck / Daniel Serna

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERSGreg B / AJ Mueller / Kristian Dowling / Adrian Sidney

Michael Vincent / Patrick Daly / R. Pinson

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSTito Ruiz / Kristopher Ku / DeAnne DeLuna

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YOUTUBE.COM/DUB FACEBOOK.COM/DUBMAGAZINEsubscribe at dubmag.netor call (760) 291-1552

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DUB MAG 10 MAR / APR 2010

Keep the letters coming! Hit us up via email at [email protected] or through snail mail at:

DUB PO Box 91754 City of Industry, CA 91745-1819 Attn: [email protected]

DARK KNIGHT

THE BOSS THE DOGG’S IN CHARGE

KILLER ART

Rick Ross is seriously making moves now. He’s come a long way since the last time you featured him when he was fresh off his Trilla album. His new group, Triples C’s, is bangin’, so hopefully, his Maybach Music Group label comes out with more hot sh*t like that. Big props to Miami’s Boss Man!

Diego W.Via e-mail

Rick Ross is making moves, Diego, and it’s to the music industry’s advantage! All of the stuff he comes out with is hot, so you can expect everything that he releases from Maybach Music Group will be the same. Ross is taking his moniker of being the Big Boss Man to a whole other level, and we can’t wait to see what comes out of his camp. One thing for sure is that we won’t be disappointed!

Man, the Street Concepts Elite Continental GT Speed you have on the cover of Issue 64 is haaawwwt! That Premier 4509 Bentley widebody kit really makes the car, as well as the matte-black paint scheme. I’m thinking of trying out that matte-black on my own ride since it’s becoming so popular right now. The owner is a very lucky dude! Are you guys gonna be featuring cars by themselves on the cover from now on? How can I get on the cover?

J.P. MitchellVia e-mail

The Bentley is defi nitely one fi ne ride and quite a piece of eye candy, J.P. We couldn’t stop starring at the pictures when we were putting the magazine together...that’s how much we’re in awe of it. You should defi nitely go through with using the matte-black paint scheme on your ride. It will give your ride a whole new look. And, yes, look out for more cars on the cover. Hey, maybe after you do that matte-black paint, you can send us images to consider for the cover! Send images and info to [email protected]!

Snoop becoming Priority Records’ Creative Chairman is the best news in music I’ve heard for a while. I seriously can’t wait for him to resurrect West Coast music. It’s about time the West starts to represent in the music game again, and Snoop is just the man to do it! I’m also diggin’ his Malice N Wonderland album ‘cause it perfectly blends old school Snoop with a newer sound. It’s like a reinvented Snoop, and it doesn’t get any better than that!

Jorge Z.Via e-mail

We can’t argue that Snoop being named Priority Records’ Creative Chairman is an awesome thing for West Coast music and the whole music industry in general, Jorge. Snoop is an icon and legend here on the West Coast, and we couldn’t think of anybody better to take on the responsibility of putting West Coast music back on the map! If his Malice N Wonderland album is any indication of what he’ll be releasing on Priority Records, then all of us are in for some serious hits!

The Killer Kreations crew is coming out with some fi re! I fi rst saw their work when they were with you guys at the Philly Auto Show last year. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such precise work as Fred Sicoli’s; the man has mad talent! If I had a bike, I’d defi nitely have him do the artwork on it. If he comes out with a TV show or clothing line, I’ll sport his gear for sure.

Jase215Via e-mail

Fred Sicoli is like the Michelangelo of airbrushing to us. We’ve never seen such precision and detail on bikes such as his before either. We can just imagine all the compliments the owners of the bikes he has painted get. He’s really gifted and talented, and we wish him all the best with all his future business endeavors. We’ll also be watching his TV show if it comes out, but until then, we’ll keep ya posted on any more of his amazing work!

IF WE PUBLISH YOUR LETTER! WRITE TO : [email protected] *PLASE SPECIFY YOUR GENDER AND SIZE.

YOUR CHOICE OF MENS, GIRLS & KIDS DESIGNS

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DUB MAG 12 MAR / APR 2010DUB MAG12 MAR / APR 2010

JKS Power has been in the business of modifying specialty cars for more than 10 years and now has a new retail facility in the Bronx, New York. Their knowledge of servicing and modifying luxury and exotics, such as Lamborghini, Range Rover, Aston Martin, Ferrari, Porsche and BMW, makes them one of the few high-end custom tuners on the East Coast. JKS Power will also be working with a few selected dealers throughout the country, allowing customers to choose JKS products as options on their new or pre-owned exotics and luxury vehicles, all under the dealer’s warranty. They are the exclusive US importer and distributor for top high-end brands, including 9ff , Onyx Concept and many more, as well as the highly

exclusive LB Performance line. Hailing from Japan, LB Performance has created some stunning visual modifi cations for Lamborghini’s Murciélago and Gallardo that are aimed at making the exterior on both exotics a lot more aggressive without disrupting their already superior styling cues. Each of their kits is made of the fi nest materials out of their factory in Japan, with customers having a wide array of styling performance parts to pick and choose from. The selection ranges from front spoilers, side skirts, rear wings, performance wheels and even a custom air suspension kit for both Murciélago and Gallardo applications. In the performance category, they have engineered a “muffl er cutter,” which

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HONDA UNVEILS NEW SOLAR HYDROGEN STATION

Honda’s next generation solar hydrogen stations that it’s currently developing is intended for ultimate use as a home refueling appliance capable of an overnight refi ll of fuel cell electric vehicles. It’s designed as a single, integrated unit so that it fi ts in the user’s garage while still producing enough hydrogen (0.5kg) via an 8-hour overnight fi ll for daily commuting (10,000 miles per year) for a fuel cell electric vehicle. Designed for simple, user-friendly operation, the

intuitive system layout enables the user to easily lift and remove the fuel hose, with no hose coiling when the hose is returned to the dispenser unit.

CADILLAC XTS PLATINUM CONCEPTThe XTS Platinum Concept hints what the replacement to the STS and the DTS luxury sedans will look like. It showcases Cadillac’s emerging top-of-the-line Platinum series of models, emphasizing

new expressions of luxury and technological features, including a plug-in hybrid propulsion system. The plug-in system operates at maximum effi ciency when operating on power the battery

has drawn from the electric grid. In some conditions, such as urban commutes, drivers can experience effi ciency that doubles that of conventional hybrids.

REVENGE VERDE SUPERCARRevenge’s Verde Supercar may be green in color, but it also features “green” attributes that make the supercar more environmentally friendly. Among the mid-engined Verde’s supercar features are

three drivechain and powertrain options, with one that runs on E-85 ethanol fuel, which signifi cantly reduces green house gas emissions. According to Peter Collorafi , the CEO/President of Revenge Design

Inc., the Verdes boasts 400 horsepower, achieves 0-60 mph in 3.5 seconds, and has a top speed of 200 mph, while achieving an amazing 100 mpg for a supercar.

AUDI E-TRON ELECTRIC SUPERCARAudi showed off a second electric supercar prototype just a few months after the E-Tron debuted in Frankfurt and Los Angeles, but this one was a bit smaller. Audi says that “E-Tron” will be the name for

a family of electric cars — hopefully to gain the same kind of resonance as “quattro” and “TDI.” Two asynchronous electric motors with a total output of 204 hp give the car the performance of a genuine sports

car. The concept car can accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in 5.9 seconds if necessary, and goes from to 37.28 – 74.56 mph in 5.1 seconds.

TOYOTA FT-CH HYBRID CONCEPTThe FT-CH concept addresses Toyota’s stated strategy to off er a wider variety of conventional hybrid choices as it begins to introduce plug-in hybrids (PHVs) and battery electrics (BEVs) in 2012,

and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (FCHVs) in 2015 in global markets. The CH stands for compact hybrid as in compact class and it’s a concept that can best be defi ned by comparing it with the mid-size

class Prius. The FT-CH captures the spirit and functionality of a car that thrives in the inner-city environment; sized right to be nimble, responsive and maneuverable.

2011 HONDA CR-Z SPORT HYBRID COUPESet to go on sale later this year, the CR-Z is powered by a 1.5-liter i-VTEC engine with Honda’s compact and lightweight Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) hybrid-electric system. The i-VTEC system controls the opening

and closing of one intake valve per cylinder to enhance combustion at low rpms. The 10-kilowatt electric motor assists in acceleration and also acts as a generator during braking or coasting to capture

kinetic energy that recharges the 100-volt IMA nickel-metal hydride battery pack. The gasoline engine can automatically turn off during vehicle stops to improve effi ciency.


2010

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Cadillac Escalade 2005-06 6.0L 57-3050 +11.92 hpChevy Silverado 1500 2005-06 4.8L, 5.3L 57-3050 +11.92 hpChevy Silverado 1500 1999-04 4.8L, 5.3L 57-3021-1 +9.11 hpChevy Tahoe 2000-04 4.8L, 5.3L 57-3023-1 +15.17 hpChrysler 300C 2005-07 5.7L, 6.1L 57-1542 +21.09 hpDodge Charger 2006-07 5.7L, 6.1L 57-1542 +21.09 hpDodge Ram 1500 2003-07 5.7L 57-1533 +10.49 hpFord F150 2004-07 5.4L 57-2556 +15.47 hpFord F150 1997-03 4.6L, 5.4L 57-2541 +13.12 hpFord Mustang GT 2005-06 4.6L 57-2565 +15.26 hpHonda Accord 2003-06 3.0L 69-1207TP +10.4 hpInfiniti G35 2003-06 3.5L 69-7080-1TS +9.5 hpJeep Grand Cherokee 1999-04 4.0L 57-1526 +7.73 hpNissan Altima 2004-06 2.5L 69-7060TS +7.04 hp

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TI12D SUBWOOFERPower handling of 600-Watt RMS/ 1,200-Watt peak; dual, high-temperature OFC copper voice coils; woven spider tinsel leads; nickel plated 12-ga. speaker terminal; and rigid, powder-coated castbasket. MSRP is $300.

AUTO PAGE HEAVY METAL C3-RS915LCD ALARM AND REMOTE CAR STARTER6-channel alarm with remote starter and 2-way SST paging LCD Remote Transmitter with 1-mile range; fi ve on-board relays for parking lights, starter, accessories and one additional relay / socket for starter disable; and high-tech chrome metal fi nish with smart-looking leather strap for the key ring and new USB rechargeable lithium Ion battery with wall charger. MSRP is $599.95.

POWER AMP T1500-1BDCPCircuit design actively monitors and increases voltage and current as speakers impedance rises with music; more power is delivered at 4 Ohms and 2 Ohms over a traditional design leading up to 25% increase in total amplifi er power; and more power is also available over the eff ective frequency band as opposed to a fi xed voltage/current amplifi er design. MSRP is $749.99.

T212 POWER SUBWOOFERUnique design allows the woofer to be mounted either in an inset position or inverted to create a fi nished look; eliminates cone distortion; reduces piston fl ex; and has superior heat dissipation and high power handling. MSRP is $749.99.

UART

NIVERSAL FIT Mscreen TFT LCD In-dash GPS Navigatle); supports DVD, DVD+R, VCD, CD-R/RW, MP3,

control; an iPod Interface, SD Card slot and USB Port; and auto ra input. MSRP is $549.

I f you’re going to unveil anything at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, you better make the car’s design stand out

from all the other debuts hitting the Cobo Hall fl oor to get some buzz...which is exactly what the 2011 DUB Edition Ford 5.0 Mustang GT did! For the 2010 Detroit Auto Show, the biggest talk of the show was the return of Ford’s 5.0-liter Mustang GT that many muscle car fanatics can’t wait to see hit showrooms. The anticipation grew even larger when Nelly showed up to debut his 2011 DUB Edition Ford 5.0 Mustang GT. As the FIRST in

the world to receive one, he’s also the FIRST to get it specially modifi ed with a widebody! Nelly teamed up with Ford and DUB to create the menacing vehicle that boasts plenty of eye-catching mods, as well as the new, advanced 5.0-liter V8 engine that delivers 412 horsepower and 390 lbs.-ft. of torque, with expected highway mileage of 24 mpg. Nelly’s Ford collaboration fi rst started out with the Ford Flex, but then evolved into the Mustang after he had an impromptu conversation with Ford’s Vice President of Marketing, Jim Farley. “I was up at Ford in a

“…I think [the 5.0 Mustang] was one of the things [Ford] did best.”


WORDS: KRISTIE BERTUCCI PHOTOS: A.J. MUELLER PHOTOGRAPHY | WWW.IMAGEAJ.COMnelly resurrects the mustang gt 5.0

meeting and Farley stopped in to say hi,” he explains. “For the most part that was gonna be it, but then we got to chatting it up and talking about cars for about 45 minutes. I gave him a little input on where I thought things were headed on the automotive side, and what I thought Ford could do to get back into the swing of things, so to speak, as well as what people are looking for in terms of cars. Not that they’re out of it or anything—come on, they’re FORD. Just about gettin’ a little more in the mix of things with the newer generation.” Farley said he immediately was struck by Nelly’s enthusiasm for Mustangs. “[Nelly] said something that was really fantastic to me. He said, ‘When are you getting the 5.0 back?’” He then heard Nelly out and questioned him about the idea really working. “Hell yeah,” Nelly says he told Farley. “I think that at times when you’re unsure in life, it’s easy to go back to the things that you did best so to speak, and I think [the 5.0 Mustang] was one of the things [Ford] did best. I was just happy that he listened and was taking

heed to what I was saying. He didn’t have to sit there and take a little guy’s advice from St. Louis about cars.” It turns out Nelly is no “little guy” when it comes to the topic of cars. His appreciation for them is something that’s passed on from his grandfather, father and uncle. “They also loved cars, which is why I love them now.” And, he can defi nitely “talk the talk,” especially when it comes to his all-time childhood dream car: the 5.0 Mustang GT. Of course, back then, he couldn’t aff ord it, but when his rap career took off , he was defi nitely looking to buy one. But by that time in 1996, Ford switched up the previous 5.0-liter engine in favor of their newer Modular 4.6-liter SOHC V8, which Nelly did not exactly like. “It was the style, the speed that attracted me,” he recalls. “Back then, it was the hottest car on the street! I remember when I saw it in Menace II Society in that one part when Kane was driving in the one he had just bought and didn’t have any rims on it yet. So, he rolled up on some guy in the drive-thru and jacked the guy’s rims

DUB MAG 27MAR / APR 2010

Two 12” W3v3 subwoofers from JL Audio thump in the trunk of the 5.0.

for his own Mustang—not that I’m condoning that—but it was my favorite part of the movie. I was, like, I gotta get me a Mustang!” It took Nelly a couple of years, but he’s fi nally got one made to his specifi cations. After some coordinating with the design team at DUB on ideas for the fully customized Mustang, his dream car is now perfected. “I thought it needed to be mean,” he comments. “I think Ford needs to get a bit meaner; they need an edge. When you think of Ford, you kind of think family cars, nice, safe, economical and things of that nature. You really don’t think edgy, tough, taking risks, you know what I’m sayin’? And, I think that was my whole thing. I was, like, ‘Yo, man, someone here is gonna have to take a shot and loosen it up a bit. The 5.0 Mustang is the epitome of what muscle cars started, where it should end, where it should be, where it should go.” What resulted was a fi erce Mustang sitting low and wide thanks to a custom widebody construction by Topo at Mafi a Customs; a sleek Street Scene body kit; and a more aggressive stance via Eibach springs. To complement the look, a staggered set of 22-inch front and 24-inch rear fender-fi lling TIS Modular TM15 wheels partnered with Pirelli PZero Nero 245/30R22

front and 275/25R24 rear were fi tted on the ‘Stang. The factory deep-gloss black paint is subtly off set by the matte-black racing stripe that extends from the nose to the tail, while also being equipped with a blacked-out grille and hood scoop from Street Scene. The taillights were tinted, and the stock lighting was upgraded with ORACLE Halo headlights and fog lights provided by Advanced Automotive Concepts. The interior was refi tted with complete suede and leather and also houses a full custom JL Audio system that features premium W3v3 subwoofers, Slash v2 Series amplifi ers and their Evolution component systems. Performance additions, at the time of modifi cation, were limited to a custom K&N Aircharger and custom Borla Exhaust system. “When I saw it, I was, like, ‘Yo, this is defi nitely what I’m talking about,’” Nelly says. “It’s something that will push the envelope and is a generational must. When you talk about this generation, it’s about the risks and the aspect of the edge—from entertainment, music and beyond. Everything is a bit rougher and tougher, and I think the automotive industry needs to be that way, too.” Digging the widebody aspect of the vehicle, Nelly thinks it sits like a “Rottweiler.” “All that’s missing is a dog collar, you know what I’m sayin’?

• CUSTOM WIDEBODY CONSTRUCTION• STREET SCENE BODY KIT• 22” & 24” TIS MODULAR TM15 WHEELS• PIRELLI PZERO NERO 245/30R22 FRONT AND 275/25R24 REAR TIRES• K&N AIRCHARGER• BLACKED-OUT GRILLE AND HOOD SCOOP FROM STREET SCENE• EIBACH SPRINGS

• ORACLE HALO HEADLIGHTS AND FOG LIGHTS PROVIDED BY ADVANCED AUTOMOTIVE CONCEPTS• FLAT BLACK RACING STRIPES• BORLA EXHAUST• DUB EDITION INTERIOR SUEDE TRIM• DUB EDITION EMBLEMS• JL AUDIO W3V3 SUBWOOFERS, SLASH V2 SERIES AMPLIFIERS AND THEIR EVOLUTION COMPONENT SYSTEMS

2011 dub edition ford mustang gt 5.0 widebody

FORDWWW.FORDVEHICLES.COM

TIS MODULARWWW.TISMODULAR.COM

PIRELLIWWW.US.PIRELLI.COM

K&NWWW.KNFILTERS.COM

STREET SCENEWWW.STREETSCENEEQ.COM

BORLAWWW.BORLA.COM

JL AUDIOWWW.JLAUDIO.COM

TOPO AT MAFIA [email protected]

EIBACHWWW.EIBACH.COM

ADVANCED AUTOMOTIVE CONCEPTSWWW.ADVANCEDAUTOMOTIVECONCEPTS.COM

NELLYWWW.NELLY.NET

partnered with Pirelli PZero Nero 245/30R22 missing is a dog collar, you know what I m sayin ?

2011 dub editionford mustang gt 5.0 widebody


It looks real, real mean.” While Nelly’s Mustang is an exclusive commodity, he did mention that he and Ford fl irted with the idea of producing the “Nelly 5.0,” but nothing’s fi nal at the moment. “It’s up to those guys, but I appreciate what we were able to put together conceptually.” Besides his joint venture with Ford, Nelly, who recently ranked third on Billboard magazine’s “Top Artist of the Decade” list, has been hard at work in the studio with acclaimed producer Jim Jonsin, who is behind mega hits, such as Beyonce’s current chart-topper “Sweet Dreams” and Lil Wayne’s seductive “Lollipop.” With Jonsin on board, whatever the Derrty Ent. CEO has in store for us will defi nitely be bangin’. Nelly also has a few collabos on the joint, including Kelly Rowland, who he partnered with before. Expect other big names like Plies and

Chris Brown to be heard on the album, too. “It’s kind of like when you go back to what you’re doing best—although I can never duplicate a past album ’cause that’s just what it was,” he refl ects. “I think it’s a thing of having the same mentality and drive going into it and trying to create the same energy.” Don’t think he’s totally forgoing his movie career altogether. Instead, look out for him in a few “CSI: NY” episodes this year, while he continues researching future movie projects to do next year. “I’m taking my time with movie roles,” he says. “I’m not really rushing it or anything, and ready to tackle movies as they come.” But one thing he’s ready to tackle is his 2011 DUB Edition 5.0 Mustang GT. “I’m itching to get behind the wheel of my Mustang and really take it out on the streets. I already called my lawyers to get them on deck for more tickets.”

“When I saw it, I was, like, ‘Yo, this is defi nitely what I’m talking about,’”

Nelly says. “It’s something that will push the envelope and is a

generation must.”


T he New Year rang in with a bang with the fi rst DUB Show Tour stop in Detroit! Notably,

for the fi rst time, we partnered up with the most prestigious auto show in the world, The North American International Auto Show, to host the kick off DUB Show in the Cobo Arena during the opening weekend of the Auto Show from Jan. 16-17! More than 58,000 auto show goers rushed through the doors of the arena to check out all of the amazing custom rides and displays that make up every DUB event. The main attraction was Nelly’s 2011 DUB Edition Mustang GT 5.0! Detroit’s attendees were treated to free samples of the latest Monster Energy drinks, including our very own DUB Edition energy drink, at the Monster Energy lounge. Gamers got their fi ll with the latest and greatest titles in both the Xbox 360 Gaming Arcade and 2K Sport’s NBA2K display. For the mobile warriors, Metro PCS and Verizon Wireless had their 2010

line-up of phones to sample. TIS and Dropstars Wheels brought out the hottest lineup of new wheels on the market all on display in multiple color and fi nish schemes. Mobil 1 was busy educating show goers on the benefi ts of their synthetic oils, and Pirelli’s display was buzzing with a clean ‘64 Lincoln convertible on display. The DUB Show is always a celebrity magnet and this was no exception, with the likes of Twista, Erik Estrada, Trick-Trick, Kdeezy and NBA players Jonas Jerebko and Jason Maxiell from the Pistons all making their way through the show to see what’s hot for 2010 and sign autographs. NELLY WITH HIS 2011 DUB EDITION FORD MUSTANG GT 5.0 AT ITS DEBUT AT

THE DETROIT AUTO SHOW

NELLY AND FORD’S GROUP VP OF GENERAL MARKETING, JIM FARLEY


NELLY’S WIDEBODY ’STANG DISPLAYED AT THE DUB TOUR SHOW

THE 2011 DUB EDITION V6 MUSTANG WAS A CROWD PLEASER

TWISTA AT THE VERIZON WIRELESS BOOTH

DUB EDITION FORD TAURUS SHO

TRICK-TRICK SIGNING AUTOGRAPHS AT THE MONSTER LOUNGE JONAS JEREBKO OF THE PISTONS AT THE METRO PCS BOOTH

ERIK ESTRADA

JAM-PACKED AT THE 2K SPORT’S GAMING DISPLAY

T-REX Grilles • 2365 Railroad St. • Corona, CA 92880Contact • 800.287.5900 • [email protected]

T-REX Grilles • 2365 Railroad St. • Corona, CA 92880Contact • 800.287.5900 • [email protected]


Execution and Evolution WORDS: TITO RUIZ PHOTOS: GREG B.

C onstant evolution is a part of life. Accordingly, plenty has changed for North Philadelphia ex-con/turned fi ghter and

entrepreneur, Bernard “The Executioner” Hopkins since he graced the cover of DUB fi ve years back. Hopkins, the fi rst fi ghter to retain all four major championship belts in his former middleweight division, has surely gained exponential wealth. Of course, his former exotic and luxury vehicles have been replaced with new ones. In recent years, to add to his longtime Philadelphia, PA and Hockessin, Delaware addresses, he purchased a couple of new residential properties—a condo on the famed Collins Avenue in Miami, FL and a home in Burbank, CA. All a long stretch from the Raymond Rosen Housing Projects where he was reared, or the Graterford State Penitentiary where he occupied a cell from the ages of 17 through 23. And, although Hopkins isn’t the overly fl ashy type, he replaced his Jacob & Company watch with a prestigious Audemars Piguet timepiece (courtesy of a new partnership with the renowned watch maker). “I didn’t really know how prominent Audemars was, but Oscar [De La Hoya] defi nitely knew all about it,” Hopkins laughs. “Oscar immediately wanted in on the deal.” In 2004, Hopkins partnered with his former nemesis, De La Hoya, months after his highest earning career fi ght, which resulted in a ninth round KO victory against the “Golden Boy.” As the East Coast Director of Operations for the rapidly fl ourishing Los Angeles-based Golden Boy Promotions, his varied eff orts


I WANTED TO CREATE A NEW LEGACY SO I SET GOALS FOR MYSELF. I WANTED TO WIN 20 CONSECUTIVE DEFENSES, AND I CONQUERED THAT GOAL; I WANTED TO MOVE UP AND FIGHT AT LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT AND THEN CONQUERED THAT GOAL. THESE THINGS MOTIVATED ME TO BEING WHERE I AM TODAY.

include recruiting young talented prospects like Brooklyn middleweight Danny Jacobs and Philly welterweight Danny Garcia. Hopkins whole heartedly refers to his “discipline,” “ambition” and “carefulness” as being innate traits of his zodiac sign Capricorn. “I’ve proven that it means more to me than just being rich or a successful champion,” he articulates. “I wanted to create a new legacy, so I set goals for myself. I wanted to win 20 consecutive defenses, and I conquered that goal. I wanted to move up and fi ght at light heavyweight and then conquered that goal. These things motivated me to being where I am today.” If indeed astrological readings are precise, then no doubt Hopkins exemplifi es the thriftiness that is heavily associated with his sun sign. Long before the U.S. entered a “recession,” Hopkins started recession proofi ng himself. Back when gas prices began soaring, Hopkins wasted no time departing with his gas guzzling Hummer H2 that he posed with in his previous DUB feature. “I have to watch those gas prices,” he smiles. His current auto collection includes a 1966 Lincoln Continental hardtop, restored using its original frame and equipped with suicide doors and a black and red interior; a four-door 2008 Maserati Quattroporte Sport GT S; a 2007 Range Rover; and a pair of his and her Bentley GTs. His favorite driving choice, though, is his ’66 Lincoln. “You can’t fi nd cars like the ’66 Lincoln parked anywhere,” he says. “You won’t see fi ve of them in one day.” Hopkins’ fi rst ride that placed a cease to his public transit days was also an old school classic. His face lights up nostalgically when he discusses the two-door, white-top ’76

Cadillac Coup Deville with whitewall tires and spokes that he purchased back in 1990. “I’ll never forget it,” he says. “To me, it was like having a Rolls-Royce today!” While he’d like to add the 2010 Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe to his collection, Hopkins would rather wait than spending unnecessarily. He acknowledges that people with money like to “keep their money.” “I don’t have to have the 2010 just to say I have a 2010,” he says. “That’s one of the worst investments. What I do is let someone take the initial 2-3 year lease, which is the typical lease length. Once they take the hit, I’ll go for the Drophead for, like, $300,000, with low miles. But I’m not going to take the fi rst hit, nooo.” Hopkins, with his discerning palate, admits that he never thought he’d own a Ford either. However, he was extremely impressed when he saw the 2010 DUB Edition Ford Taurus SHO at the DUB Show in Philly, so he purchased it. Some 24-inch Lexani LSS-10 black machine-fi nished wheels with Pirelli PZero Nero 275/25R24 tires were added, as well as H&R lowering springs, which gives the SHO a lowered stance. The car also comes equipped with a two-speed fuel pump and Aggressive Deceleration Fuel Shut-Off technology, which helps achieve best-in-class gas mileage, and agrees with Hopkins fuel-saving ways. The 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 in the SHO uses twin-turbo charged direct-injection to deliver the thrust of a V8 with the thirst of a V6. “Ford has stepped their game up a million times with the last three models that came out,” he says. “When I saw the Taurus at the show, I said, ‘What is that?’ I drove it, and I loved it!” Hopkins

says it’s perfect for riding through the hood, going downtown or hanging with the boys. “It’s rugged and sexy, so it’s really an all-purpose vehicle.” Hopkins is wise enough to know certain cars you just don’t drive through the hood, but the Taurus defi nitely gets a pass. “You got to respect the hood,” he says. “And that doesn’t mean tucking your chain in or coming around late at night when no one is around. You’re going to have haters whether you’re wearing bummy clothes or designer fabrics. But when you come through fl ossing too much, them boys are coming to get you, so you got to keep them guessing…” The inner-city (hood) and its perils, The Executioner knows all too well. He vividly recalls at 13, riding to the movies on the Philly Sub (train) with a girlfriend, a night that turned quite ugly. Once he recognized that a few guys

The DUB Edition Ford Taurus SHO sits on 24-inch Lexani LSS-10 black machine-fi nished wheels with Pirelli PZero Nero 275/25R24 tires.

Hopkins and his trainer Naseem Richardson are continuing to dominate the boxing scene, while Hopkins is hyped to take on the streets in his 2010 DUB Edition Ford Taurus SHO that he fell for while at the 2009 DUB Show Tour in Philly.


experiences are what make you stronger or weaker. One look at his resume and there’s no contest as to how The Executioner’s life journey has aff ected him.


were scheming to rob him, he told his female companion, “Take your earrings off …”—seconds later the melee ensued. “At that time I was smoking weed, popping pills and drinking,” he recalls, noting that he’s been sober for the past 25 years. “I was aware, but I wasn’t aware enough to fend off three out of four guys.” He was stabbed and rushed to the hospital operating room where they performed surgery, followed by a six month stay. That incident made for one of three times in which Hopkins had been stabbed as a teen. Finally, his evil deeds—robbing people on the streets, at crap games and through verbal intimidation—had caught up with him. At 17, he was sentenced to 5-15 years at Graterford State Prison, where he enrolled in the prison’s boxing program. He served fi ve years of his sentence, and while making his exit, a guard told him, “You’ll be back.” Hopkins thought diff erent. “I’ll never come back here,” he says he contested. He

described his prison experience as one that made the HBO series “OZ” look like Disneyland. “I did nine years on parole,” Hopkins says. “That’s like not getting into a fi ght in Watts, because after a while of being in Watts, somebody is going to step to you. That’s just the way it is. Staying out has been more challenging than winning any championship belt in my career.” Hopkins is what most young fi ghters aspire to be. Typically, boxing managers urge their fi ghters to solely focus on boxing and not other aspects of the business because it reduces the fi ghter’s focus. However, Hopkins was an exception to the commonly implemented rule. For much of his career, Hopkins managed and promoted himself up until 2004 when he partnered with Golden Boy Promotions. Having been through the many trials and tribulations of an independent fi ghter, Hopkins is an advocate of fi ghter’s rights and even testifi ed before Congress in support of The Muhammad Ali Act. “I’m a guy that if I feel things need to be challenged—I don’t care who it is—I’m going to challenge that, even if it means career suicide.” Don King’s belief that you can present a fi ghter with a check for $1 million or $50,000 cash, and the fi ghter would opt for the cash because he’s not used to having money doesn’t resonate well with Hopkins; he refers to that ideology as an old street hustle. “I’ve been in the presence of Don King many times, and what he didn’t say is that you have to get the fi ghter in debt,” he says

with conviction. “You let the fi ghter know that he needs to be dependent. It’s like a drug dealer having a drug user, so he’ll always have to come back. He has to get a fi ghter in that state of mind; dependent, not independent.” Hopkins is a rare breed. He’s faced a multitude of heavy-hitting, elusive opponents. Unlike many of them who’ve aged and lost their touch, at 45, Hopkins still possesses his unrelenting, youthful drive. Today, he remains the oldest man to hold a title in the middleweight division. “Once you reach your important goals, it’s easy to lose the discipline you once had,” he says. “In fact, it’s normal to lose that discipline.” But, apparently Hopkins is anything but the norm. And right now retirement is far from his mind. “Why should you get divorced if you’re happy?” Ultimately, his philosophy is that life

LEXANIWWW.LEXANI.COM


GOLDEN BOY PROMOTIONSWWW.GOLDENBOYPROMOTIONS.COM

I’M A GUY THAT IF I FEEL THINGS NEED TO BE CHALLENGED—I DON’T CARE WHO IT IS—I’M GOING TO CHALLENGE THAT, EVEN IF IT MEANS CAREER SUICIDE.

S in City, a place where one bet on the tables can either make or break you. If you lose, there goes your money, but if you win, you

can either go home happy or let it ride. But the question still remains, how much are you willing to lose until you hit it big? For automotive enthusiast and modifi er Tony Lee, the risk of opening the fi rst automotive accessory store in Las Vegas was a gamble he had to take, win or lose. Growing up around his family’s auto repair shop was the foundation for Tony’s future endeavors. At age 16, when he bought his fi rst car was when Tony’s fascination with modifying cars reached a whole new level and fi xing up his then prized

Toyota Tercel became his life. By the time he was 20 in 1994, Tony opened up CCR Motorsports in the shadows of towering casino hotels and resorts. “I rented a small offi ce space and was basically ordering parts through a catalogue,” Tony recalls. After building and growing it for 11 years, Tony decided to sell his share and venture into his long time dream of manufacturing. Utilizing his experience and skills in the aftermarket fi eld, Tony took a gamble and decided to continue with his passion for cars. Continuously being asked by friends and run-ins with old customers, “What else could be customized on a car?” Tony knew that the

fi T FOR ROYALTY


WORDS: DEANNE DELUNA PHOTOS: R. PINSON

Iced Out Emz’s diamond-encrusted Bentley shift knob goes for $85,000 and features 21 carats of genuine diamonds and 8 ounces of 18-carat white gold. It’s the world’s second most expensive shift knob, with the fi rst from Iced Out Emz boasting 30 carats of genuine diamonds and 10 ounces of 18-carat white gold that sold for $150,000.

limits of modifi cation had already been reached. Carefully looking over one customer’s car, he noticed the emblems were the only things that had not been touched. He thought to himself, “This guy is wearing all kinds of diamond jewelries, but how can I express his personality through his custom car?” Knowing that diamonds are too expensive and can be easily stolen, he decided to use crystals.

Tony began with his fi rst crystal-embedded emblem experiment, not knowing that this idea would turn into a success. With great responses he got from his customer and friends, Tony got more and more requests and naturally jumped on

the idea of mass production. This in turn led him to create his next business in 2004, IcedOutEmz that manufactures Swarovski-encrusted emblems for those who prefer the “blinged-out” look for their rides. After the success of IcedOutEmz set in, Lee added another entity to his expanding product off ering in 2007—Tiarra Luxury Grilles. “I have a background in metal fabrication with experience in customizing grilles. A custom grille is a simple modifi cation but the end result truly sets your vehicle apart from the crowd, and I wanted to off er that to my customers.” As a sister company to IcedOutEmz, Tiarra

Luxury Grilles specializes in creating quality, one-off and handcrafted grilles to adorn a variety of vehicles. Taking the name from a crown associated with royalty, Tony thought it would perfectly summarize the type of quality for the product he’s creating. With an in-house designer and experienced craftsmen combined with state-of-the-art cutting technology, Tiarra Luxury Grilles provides customers unique grille kits made from 100% stainless steel mesh and frames that include side, hood and bumper vents, depending on the particular vehicle. “Nothing is ever imported,” Tony says. “We pride ourselves on building everything here in Las Vegas. Our most popular requests for Tiarra are


“A custom grille is a simple modifi cation, but the end result truly sets your vehicle apart from the crowd, and I wanted to offer that to my customers.”


for the Mercedes-Benz S550, Cadillac Escalade, 2010 Chevy Camaro, Chevy Tahoe, Lexus LS460, various BMW, Maserati and Range Rover models, as well as old school rides like the Chevy Caprices, Buick Skylarks and even the likes of a late-’60s T-bird. We basically can make any grilles for any vehicles,” Tony explains. While fairly new to the industry, Tiarra has already compiled a loyal following in part thanks to the already established popularity of IcedOutEmz. While Tony’s focus is on expanding Tiarra’s

popularity and growing IcedOutEmz into an even hotter commodity, he’s not ruling out introducing more items to his lucrative business ventures. “Right now I’m trying to make my companies into household names in our industry. I want to give my customers more options when fi xing up their rides. It always gives me great satisfaction when a customer is happy with my products.” Las Vegas might be known to thrive on gambling, but Tony’s success story is proof that risks do have its rewards.

Lee not only off ers custom grilles for cars, but can also fabricate one-off pieces for bikes and various accessories.

ICED OUT EMZWWW.ICEDOUTEMZ.COM

TIARA GRILLESWWW.TIARRALUXURYGRILLES.COM

Tiarra Luxury Grilles manufactures their products in its Las Vegas facility and provides customers with unique grille kits made from 100% stainless steel.

14 NEXT LEVEL • BRINK, METRO 2033 • PRO MODZ

16 TASTE • MICKEY AVALON

44 FACTORY TUNED • SONY XPLOD X CUSTOM CAR SHOP

DUB MAGAZINE ISSUE 65 MAR/APR 2010 CONTENTS

22STAND UP FOR SKATEPARKSTONY HAWK FOUNDATION

CYPRESS HILLRISE UP

36

* All locations are subject to change. Make sure you check with dubshowtour.com often to stay informed on the tour’s happenings. Also, friend us up on Myspace.com/dub and Facebook.com/dubmagazine.com

DUB REPORT 65Company Information

DUB Magazine® is now published 6 times per year. Subscriptions are now $20.00 for 6 issues. DUB® is the Original Automotive Lifestyles Magazine™ and is published by DUB Publishing, Inc. in the City of Industry, CA. DUB® Magazine was established in the year 2000.

To place an ad in DUB Magazine, please contact the Ad Sales department at (626) 336-3821

The 8th annual DUB Show Tour Custom Auto Show & Concert features the nation’s best custom cars and also features an all-star line-up of performers. For more information, visit www.dubshowtour.com

DUB® is also a design, marketing and promotions team, responsible for the development and marketing of many licensed automotive goods, collectibles, and apparel, as well as our sponsor’s key products. Contact: [email protected]

Get the word out and get free stuff !For more info, email: [email protected]

Bring on the Letters!We’re now accepting letters to DUB Magazine. Send your rants or raves to [email protected]. Your letter may end up in an issue of DUB!

National & International Newsstand Distribution:

Curtis Circulation Company

Promotional Printing: Smart Levels: (800) 465-1746www.smartlevels.com

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced without written permission. This book is purchased with the understanding that the information presented is from many varied sources from which there can be no warranty or responsibility by the publisher, as to accuracy or completeness.

©Copyright 2010 DUB Publishing, Inc.ALL RIGHTS RESERVED • PRINTED IN THE USA

“DUB” (ISSN 1536-3562) is published bi-monthly (6 times annually) by DUB Publishing, Inc., 16815 E. Johnson Drive, City of Industry, CA 91745-2417. Subscription rate is $20.00 for 6 issues. Periodical Postage is paid at City of Industry, CA and additional mailing offi ces. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to DUB, P.O. Box 469065, Escondido, CA 92046-9095.

Event ContactsSponsorship & Event PlanningMyles Kovacs: (626) [email protected]

Car Show Planning/Media InformationJohn Ramos: (626) [email protected]

Vendor Booths: (626) 336-3821John [email protected]

Jeanette [email protected]

Eli Paul [email protected]

All Other Inquiriesinfo@dubmagazine: (626) 336-3821

The 2010 DUB Show Tour is in full eff ect as it travels America, bringing the hottest rides, performances and booths to a city near you! For the fi rst time since the inception of the Show Tour, we’ve partnered up with some of the nation’s biggest Auto Shows. Our fi rst stop was Motor City, where we took over a part of Cobo Hall during the 2010 Detroit Auto Show. The highlight of that show was the debut of Nelly’s 2011 DUB Edition Ford Mustang GT 5.0, which is the fi rst to ever receive a widebody application. Check out the features for full details.

Next we headed to Philly for the Philadelphia Auto Show, then came back to L.A. to take over the Angels Stadium of Anaheim, which saw more than 28,000 show goers, before we tore it up in Phoenix a week later. Look out for in-depth coverage in following issues!

So far, from what we’ve seen, the quality of displays and vehicles is amazing. Each year, everybody steps up their game for the Show Tour. The tribute to Lowriding has really taken off , with more and more Lowriders showing at every stop. The Show is truly becoming a car lover’s dream since there’s something for everyone—exotics, Euros, Lowriders, 4x4s, DUB Vehicles and more! Chances are, whatever you like most, you’ll see it at the DUB Show Tour this year.

Just like the caliber of the rides, the performances have also been on point with big acts like Game, New Boyz, Three 6 Mafi a, Iyaz, J Cole, B.o.B and Nipsey Hustle tearing it up for fans. Expect even bigger names for the remaining stops.

As an event the whole family can appreciate, the 2010 DUB Show Tour has become an event with an audience comprised of all ages. In fact, it’s the perfect place to forget about your life’s worries and just relish in some fun and excitement!

This year’s tour will defi nitely not disappoint!

PRO MODZ WWW.PROMODZ.COM

As a fi rst-person shooter game, Brink off ers team-based multiplayer missions, where two sides, “Resistance” and “Security,” fi ght in the outskirts of a utopian city known as The Ark, a fl oating city surrounded by the waters of a fl ooded Earth. The Ark was designed as a prototype of a perfect city, with renewable resources and no pollution, large enough to support 5,000 residents. Its population has grown to 50,000, however, leading it to the brink (hence the name of the game) of a civil war. With tensions

Metro 2033 is a story of intensive underground survival that’s set in the shattered subway of a post apocalyptic Moscow, where the fate of mankind rests in the player’s hands. Almost all mankind is gone because of the apocalyptic even that took place in 2013, and the Earth’s surface is a poisonous wasteland. A handful of survivors took refuge in the depths of the Moscow underground, and human civilization entered a new Dark Age. The year is 2033. An entire generation has been born and raised underground, and their besieged Metro Station-Cities struggle for

Make your Xbox 360 controller all your own by getting it customized by ProModz. They can modify the controller to whatever color scheme your gamer heart desires, change the lights on your controller, install PlayStation3 analog thumbsticks and add rapid fi re for fi rst-person shooting game with one touch of a button instead of having to continuously press down buttons to shoot. You can either send in your remote for customization or buy a pre-made one from ProModz. Prices vary according to what mods you want done.

between the two groups growing, Security and Resistance forces are locked in a heated battle for control of the Ark. Brink allows you to develop your character whether playing alone, with your friends, or against others online. You decide the combat role you want to assume in the world of Brink as you fi ght to save yourself and mankind’s last refuge. Brink off ers a compelling mix of dynamic battlefi elds, extensive customization options, and an innovative control system that will keep you coming back for more.

survival, with each other, and the mutant horrors that await outside. The player takes on the role of Artyom, born in the last days before the fi re, but raised Underground. Having never ventured beyond the Metro Station-City limits, one fateful event sparks a desperate mission to the heart of the Metro system, to warn the remnants of mankind of a terrible impending threat. The journey takes Artyom from the forgotten catacombs beneath the subway to the desolate wastelands above, where the player’s actions will determine the fate of mankind.

BRINK PUBLISHER: BETHESEDA SOFTWORKS DEVELOPER: SPLASH DAMAGE PLATFORM: XBOX 360, PLAYSTATION 3, PC | WWW.BRINKTHEGAME.COM

METRO 2033 PUBLISHER: THQ DEVELOPER: 4A GAMES PLATFORM: XBOX 360, PC | WWW.METRO2033GAME.COM


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M ickey Avalon is a bit diff erent than your

average rapper. Besides being White,

he also fuses his rhymes with a bit of

electro rifts condensed with the usual hip-hop

beats, creating a sort of “rap-rock” genre of

music. He’s known to the world as one of the

hottest underground American rappers and has

become a fan-favorite in part because of his

tumultuous back-story to overcome adversity

to follow his dreams. However, many might

remember him even better for his catchy single

“Jane Fonda” that was a radio hit. Following

the success of his self-titled debut album back

in 2006, Mickey Avalon is ready to expand his

musical fan base with his second album, Electric

Gigolo. We caught up with Mr. Avalon to fi nd

out more about his latest release, and how the

industry is treating the promising lyricist.

You did the whole indie artist thing for a while

until you got signed for your fi rst album. Now

you’re getting ready to release your second

album. What have you learned about the music

industry from your fi rst one to now?

I mean all industries have a lot of scandals that

go on, and the music industry probably has a

little more than others. I’ve learned just fend

for yourself and not to take anything personally

I guess. I haven’t really changed the way I think

about my music. I just think that with anything,

when you start, some things are frustrating, but

you try not to get too bitter about it. I try not to let

the frustrating things aff ect me or my lyrics, and

what I’m trying to say in my music. I’m not bitter,

and know that I have to take care of myself at the

end of the day, which is why I do me in the end.

What can fans expect from your new release?

The sound is still a bit electro-ish; been doing

that since the beginning. It’s always been

straight rap, but there’s always been some

electric vibes here and there. It’s mainly just, like,

a second chapter of the last album.

I’m still a fan of musicians and music, so I fi rst

look at things how a fan would. I hate when

people do something I like and then totally

switch it up. The diff erence from the fi rst album

to now is that I never really performed any shows

before, so I didn’t know how a song would sound

live. So, really, the only diff erence in the writing

process was how the song would sound live. The

new tracks work really good live, and I’ve tested

a lot of them out. Lyrically, pretty much the same

deal as last album. I have a bit of success and my

head isn’t big yet, so I’m still hungry and want

my music to be as good as possible.

So why the title Electric Gigolo?

I didn’t think about it, my manager did. I didn’t

like it at fi rst, but it’s something that jumps out.

What I wanted to call if at fi rst was “The Ave”

’cause my fi rst record is called Mickey Avalon. I

like when the title doesn’t really have much to

say about the record. I thought it would be cool to

have something more chill. It also needs to jump

out ’cause now most people get their records on

iTunes, so it’s not even about it just jumping off of

shelves; it has to jump off the screen now. That’s

all marketing stuff I try not to get too involved in.

I’m sure I’ll have some record someday called The

Ave whether it’s an EP or my third record. That’s

something I can always play with.

You have some very cool and interesting

collabos like LMFAO, Travis Barker, Ke$ha, Katy

Perry and Kid Rock. What was it like working

with them, and how do the tracks sound?

The tracks sound really good. It’s been over the

last two years of recording. We pretty much had

the song and they just came in to do their thing

on the song, so it wasn’t like I was really working

with them. With Travis, he made the beat and I

wrote the lyrics. So that was the most hands-on

track I did, and I learned a lot working with him.

The track is called “Fast Life,” and the chorus

goes something like, “live fast, die young and

look good in your grave,” but unfortunately we

lost two of our friends since we wrote that so it’s

kind of weird.

How do you hope this album expands your career?

You want to reach as many people as you can

and have them into you, and if you’re doing

something that you stand behind, you’re going

to want to get that out as much as possible.

Hopefully, I’m just looking to broaden my fan

base. Right now, I’m working on getting on Lady

Gaga’s tour. I would probably make less money

on the tour than doing my own, but I’d get more

fans and that’s more important in the long run.

So what inspires your musical taste for rap?

First and foremost, you are going to have to do

what you can do. I grew up on rap music and

like it a lot, but then what I get from it is that

it’s just people telling their story over a beat. I

fi nd beats that I like, and then I talk about what

I know. The subject matter might be diff erent

from what you’d expect from a rapper, but what’s

the same is that it’s my story. Also, everything

I listened to in my life gets in there, too. With

music nowadays there’s a lot more fusion where

people just take the best of everything and throw

it in the blender.

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WORDS: KRISTOPHER KU PHOTOS: MICHAEL VINCENT | WWW.MICHAELVINCENT.COM


Galpin and DUB teamed up to create the unique “Hawkized” 2010 Ford Mustang GT, a one-off vehicle with a Jaimie Muehlhausen-designed hood decor, who is the creative director and brand manager for Tony Hawk, Inc. The ‘Stang also features a full body kit from Roush Racing, rear fascia inserts with Tony Hawk emblem, upper and lower scoops, hand-painted pinstriping and accents, custom Tony Hawk badging, Bassani custom exhaust, Eibach custom suspension, 22-inch TIS Modular TM16 wheels and Pirelli tires. UFC President Dana White was victorious in the auction for the Mustang. In total, the Stand Up For Skateparks in Beverly Hills raised $775,000!

A ccording to the Tony Hawk Foundation, 9.3-million Americans identify themselves as skateboarders. In fact, during the last 10 years, no youth sport had a larger increase in participation. However,

there are only about 3,000 skateparks for kids to ride, which causes them to fi nd unsafe alternative places like the streets, parking lots and anywhere they aren’t chased from.

To help aid the growing number of skateboarders to perfect their skills in an appropriate environment, skateboard legend Tony Hawk created his foundation to help build high-quality skateparks across the U.S., especially in low-income communities, where skateboarding is all that many kids have.

T ony Hawk isn’t alone in his quest to build skateparks in cities and towns all across the nation, his friend and fellow pro skateboarder Andy Macdonald (aka Andy Mac) is on the mission, too. “I’ve known

Tony since I fi rst moved to California back in ’92,” he explains. “I help out whenever I can at his Stand Up for Skateparks events.” Andy Mac has attended all of the events, donating time and boards to auction off , and is always hyping up the Tony Hawk Foundation (THF) while out on the road.

“The Tony Hawk Foundation is something I can get behind because [Tony’s] raising money to help build skateparks in communities that need them. As far as I’m concerned, every community needs one. I would love to see a skatepark next to every basketball and tennis court—at least the skateparks would get used while the basketball and tennis courts often stand empty.” A veteran in the sport and a pro skateboarder since ‘94, Andy Mac still actively competes in the world circuit of contests, goes to countless demos, and appears on dozens of TV shows. He holds the record for the most X Games medals, with 19, and he has received eight consecutive World Cup championship titles. And 36-year-old Macdonald isn’t ready to drop his skateboard anytime soon. “Basically I’ll keep doing it competitively as long as I feel like I’m progressing,” he says, “not even necessarily placing in contests, but just as far as my own personal performance. Even after that, though, I’ll probably stay involved in skateboarding in some shape or form, whether it be through consulting, teaching skateboarding at a skateboard camp, or just advocating for public skateboard parks. I’ll keep skateboarding as long as my body allows me to.” Macdonald started skateboarding in 1986 when he was 12 after he discovered it one day while shooting hoops at the basketball courts. A guy rolled by on a modern ’80s skateboard, (before that day, Andy Mac had only seen ‘70s-style banana boards), so he was immediately intrigued. “He let me try it out and I was hooked,” Andy Mac says.

After many years in the sport, Andy Mac sees the continual progression of skateboarding. “It’s pushing limits,” he says, “but no one will ever master or conquer it, there’s just no way. There’ll always be a new and better trick that will change the standards. The tricks that are being done now compared to when I started are light-years ahead.” And Andy Mac is still holding his own. He recently placed third in the 2009 X Games XV Vert competition, second in Park, and second overall in the Dew Tour rankings. “I get motivated to fi gure out what new, harder, challenging or technical tricks or line I can put together from one competition to the next, or even from one practice session to the next.” His ability to fi nd success in skateboarding has allowed him an iconic status, something he doesn’t take lightly. As a pro skater, he often has kids approaching him, asking for advice on how

to make it big. The main thing he tells them is not to do it for the money. “People tend to play up the success stories in skateboarding like Ryan Scheckler or guys they see on TV,” Andy Mac says. “Guys like [Ryan] and Shaun White are kind of anomalies. The majority of skateboarders don’t make the money like that. The majority of them are there, working hard on tours or whatever, and not getting paid much, but they do it because they love it. If you’re doing it because you’re gonna be rich and famous, then you’re probably in it for the wrong reasons.” Andy Mac never imagined the life skateboarding has aff orded him and thanks his life’s biggest

moments to the sport. One of the most memorable times in his career was in the summer of ’98, when not only did Macdonald win the X Games’ vert competition and its fi rst doubles competition with his then partner, Hawk, but it was also the summer he started dating his future wife, and bought his fi rst house. “That summer started big things in my life that I’ll never forget.” When he isn’t skateboarding, Andy Mac is doing something related to it. He owns his “Andy Mac” brand of shoes and clothing by Airwalk and helps run his skateboard company, Positiv Skateboards. He gives his time to not only THF, but also to Grind for Life, a non-profi t organization that raises awareness and funds for people with cancer, and to the Verizon Wireless STR8TLK Tour where he travels the country speaking at schools, motivating kids to set goals and follow their dreams.


Inside the GT you’ll fi nd leather seats with gold stitching, a carbon fi ber dash, custom Hurst shifter with pistol grip, 10-inch Kicker subs and a 1,000-Watt amp.

“THE TONY HAWK FOUNDATION IS SOMETHING I CAN GET BEHIND BECAUSE [TONY’S] RAISING MONEY TO HELP BUILD SKATEPARKS IN COMMUNITIES THAT NEED THEM. AS FAR AS I’M CONCERNED, EVERY COMMUNITY NEEDS ONE.”

A s a friend of Tony Hawk’s for years, it was only natural that fellow pro skateboarder Bucky Lasek stand behind Hawk to help promote his endeavors to build nationwide skateparks for today’s youth. “I’ve

been involved with his foundation since day one,” Lasek says. “I admire the fact that the foundation concentrates on helping areas that normally wouldn’t get attention. It’s those areas where the kids are most in trouble and are more likely to run into trouble.” Lasek believes skateboarding helps empower the youth of today because it off ers them something creative and physical besides team sports.

“Some kids don’t work well with teams since they are more individual types and skateboarding provides them the opportunity to focus their abilities in a no-team form.” To help support Hawk and his foundation, you can often see Lasek at all of the foundation’s events, including its biggest fundraiser, The Stand Up for Skateparks benefi t. “It’s an amazing event,” he credits. “Everything is so well organized. There’s great food, a fun-fi lled atmosphere and great music and demos. It’s really one big festival!” Lasek was one of the attendees at both the Beverly Hills event back in October 2009, and the one in November that was held in Las Vegas at the Wynn.

As an avid participant in the festivities each year, Lasek is no stranger to the DUB Edition vehicles that are auctioned off at the event and was particularly fond of this year’s customized Mustang. “I thought it was pretty sweet,” he says. “I’ve always wanted to do that paint scheme, but I wanted to do it for a 997 for the Gumball Rally. I loved everything about it, especially how it was classic and retro looking but on a modern car.” That’s a huge compliment from Lasek, given he’s not only a pro skateboarder, but also a racecar driver (he hasn’t gone pro yet, but has competed in a few amateur and pro races).

“I’ve always loved cars since I got my fi rst one,” he says. “I went from basic stereo modifi cations to doing exterior work to fi nally working myself up to performance. I attended driving schools back when I was 18 and I now race my BMW at the track.” Planning on going pro when his hectic schedule allows him to, he’s currently leaving it as a hobby. “I’m doing it more for fun. Skateboarding will always come fi rst; I love it way more, but fi nd car racing new and refreshing.” Lasek began his professional skateboarding career in 1990, but became interested in the sport after his bike was stolen when he was 12. He’s currently dominating vert skateboarding. “I’m just continuing to always outdo myself, which is my goal,” he explains. “If I’m not having fun, then I won’t do it anymore.”

Lasek enjoys how skateboarding always reinvents itself for him. “You can always learn new things and try diff erent stuff . I always tell kids to enjoy skateboarding for what it is, set some goals, set them high and have fun reaching them. Fun is the core of it all.” As a way to keep skateboarding fresh, Lasek built a massive concrete bowl in his backyard at his home in San Diego. It’s basically the world’s largest pool, built as a hybrid between modern vert ramps and the modern skate pool, which is likely to contain just about any shape.

While Lasek’s new bowl helps refi ne his love for skateboarding, he’s still pretty amazed at how fast the sport has grown over the years. “It’s probably because of all the TV coverage,” he says. “There wasn’t much of it when I fi rst started. It’s that and the fact that it’s super cool for young kids to own a skateboard. The sport is so fun that you can’t help but fall in love with it. Once you start it’s hard to put down. I’ll be skating in my backyard until I’m old,” he asserts. “Even when I stop competing, it doesn’t mean I’ll stop skateboarding.”


“IT’S AN AMAZING EVENT. EVERYTHING IS SO WELL ORGANIZED. THERE’S GREAT FOOD, A FUN-FILLED ATMOSPHERE AND GREAT MUSIC AND DEMOS. IT’S REALLY ONE BIG FESTIVAL!”

TIS MODULAR WWW.TISMODULAR.COM | PIRELLI WWW.US.PIRELLI.COM | GALPIN AUTO SPORTS WWW.GALPINAUTOSPORTS.COM | BASSANI WWW.BASSANI.COMROUSH RACING WWW.ROUSHPERFORMANCE.COM | EIBACH WWW.EIBACH.COM | KICKER WWW.KICKER.COM | HURST WWW.HURST-SHIFTERS.COMWWW.STANDUPFORSKATEPARKS.ORG | WWW.TONYHAWK.COM | WWW.BUCKYLASEKSKATE.COM | WWW.ANDYMACDONALD.COM

Receiving his fi rst skateboard when he was nine from his brother, Hawk, 41, helped lead the way for today’s explosion of skateboarding. He started entering competitions when he was 11,

and by 14, he signed with a professional team and appeared in several videos. He’s created tons of skateboarding maneuvers used in vert skateboarding and has won more than 70 professional skateboarding contests in his time as a pro. But it doesn’t just end there. Besides his talent on a board, Hawk has also become a very successful businessman, creating skateboards, clothes, video games, DVDs and so much more.

“When I fi rst started, it was a small industry and community,” he describes about skateboarding back in its early days. “We just did it ’cause we truly loved it. The way it’s evolved over the years is incredible. It’s so much more socially accepted and there are so many more opportunities out there because of it; I never imagined all this as a kid.”

As the poster child of the sport in the ’90s, Hawk has long retired from competition, but has never left the skateboarding realm, as he remains active in its progression. In 2002, he started the Tony Hawk Foundation to help those with no real place to skate develop quality places to practice. He fi nanced the organization with a personal gift and assembled a board of directors that represented a diverse range of backgrounds and expertise.

“I saw skateparks being built in well-to-do areas, but they weren’t being built right,” Hawk says. I didn’t understand why all this money was being spent to build terrible skateparks, but quickly realized they weren’t including the actual skaters themselves in the building process. So what I wanted to do was to help cities that were more in need of those facilities to get the parks and get communities involved in the design.”

According to Hawk, skateboarding is an alternative for kids who haven’t found their place in mainstream or traditional sports and provides a creative outlet they might have never otherwise had. “There are still negative views on skateboarders out there,” he says. “You might get chastised for it if you live in a small town with no access to parks.” This is exactly what Hawk is trying to eliminate across the nation. To-date, the foundation has given away grants to build skateparks in 444 communities, which adds up to about $3.1-million in funding, says Miki Vuckovich, the foundation’s executive director. “Out of those 444 skateparks, 348 are up and operating already,” he adds.

While the cost of each skatepark varies (it can cost anywhere from $20,000 to $1 million), The Tony Hawk Foundation gives up to $25,000 for each grant. “While it may not build an entire skatepark, it will get the momentum going for cities to raise more money or get the park fi nished,” Hawk explains. With a staff of four people, Hawk is pretty hands-on with the foundations inner workings, concentrating more on the skatepark designs. “I make sure that the skateparks are well rounded for every skill level and that nothing is misguiding for the kids.” While he focuses on the designs, the rest of his staff looks over applications and keep the foundation running on an everyday basis. When looking to fund a project, the foundation’s Board of Directors like to see projects that have

strong community involvement, grassroots fundraising, and a base of support from the skaters, parents, law enforcement and local leaders.

“We don’t just say, ‘Here’s a skate park, you’re welcome,’” he explains. “We want to support those who have already tried to get a skatepark going and actually petitioned the city, gone to city council meetings, held fundraisers. Whatever they’ve done, we wanted to validate that work, and I feel that’s the real accomplishment for them. There is literally concrete evidence of their work.”

Besides donations, the biggest fundraising eff ort for The Tony Hawk Foundation is its annual Stand Up For Skateparks Benefi ts auction held in Beverly Hills and Las Vegas. Filled with fun, loads of celebrities and music, the sixth-annual Stand Up For Skateparks benefi t took place on October 11, 2009 at the exclusive Green Acres estate in Beverly Hills to raise critical funds to support the Tony Hawk Foundation, and included a special Pledge Drive for a skatepark in Watts, plus an awesome performance by blink-182. Hawk also landed the elusive 900 during a vert demo that saw contest-winning performances by Hawk and fellow skaters Bucky Lasek, Pierre-Luc Gagnon, Andy Macdonald, Lincoln Ueda, and Kevin Staab, plus BMXers Simon Tabron and Coco Zurita, as well as some ramp-top cheerleading from Tom Green and Fred Durst.

In addition to the amazing Vert Demo and blink-182 performance, the family-centric action-sports carnival featured all-new games and activities, plus unique auction items like a “Hawkized” 2010 Ford Mustang GT customized

by Galpin Auto Sports and DUB. Guests had the chance to interact with stars like Tommy Lee, Tom Green, Danny Way, Victoria Beckham, Chris “Big Black” Boykin, Jon Favreau, Mat Hoff man, Chuck Liddell, Terry Kennedy, Fred Durst, Johnny Knoxville, Travis Barker, Erik Estrada, Verne Troyer, Tom DeLonge, Perry Farrell, David Spade, Mark Hoppus, Paul Rodriguez, Jr., and event emcee Sal Masekela. “The past two years, we’ve been able to raise more than a $1-million,” Hawk says. “It’s our biggest fundraising event, so we added a second Stand Up For Skateparks Benefi t in Las Vegas that took place on November 7, 2009. We hope to make it an annual thing there, too.” The Las Vegas benefi t was held at the Wynn Las Vegas and featured a performance by Rancid.

Realizing the impact he has on many communities, Hawk admits that starting the foundation was never one of his initial goals when he started in the sport. “I just saw this void and wanted to fi ll it,” he adds. “Once I was in a position to have

some infl uence and to provide some funding, I decided to tackle it head on and start the foundation. It all happened really quickly actually.”

As far as the future for the foundation is concerned, Hawk wants to one day have enough funding and support to fund entire projects. “If we did that now, we wouldn’t have enough money to support numerous projects,” he explains. “I’d also like to one day do more on a global scale and build skateparks overseas. It would all be a matter of having more funding and more staff .”


A set of TIS Modular TM16 wheels wrapped in Pirelli P-Zero Nero front 245/30R22 front and 265/30R22 rear tires were added to the Mustang.

DUB MAG 47JAN / FEB 2010

“I MAKE SURE THAT THE SKATEPARKS ARE WELL ROUNDED FOR EVERY SKILL LEVEL AND THAT NOTHING IS MISGUIDING FOR THE KIDS.”

tony hawk ride presents


5.

6.

10. 11.

2.1.

1. Hawk with blink-182 and Verne Troyer 2. Hawk gets things started on stage with Terry Kennedy, Erik Estrada and Sal Masekela 3. UFC Legend Chuck Liddell 4. Director and actor Jon Favreau also showed some support 5. Tom Green getting in on the vert action6. P-Rod and Terry Kennedy scoping out the DUB x Galpin Auto Sports Mustang that was auctioned off 7. Johnny Knoxville in the house! 8. Verne Troyer with his signed Tony Hawk deck and shoes 9. Limp Bizkit’s Fred Durst was part of the action 10. Big Black representin’ 11. Terry Kennedy and a friend 12. Comedian David Spade stopped by

4.

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12.

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PHOTOS: THE TONY HAWK FOUNDATION


“WE’VE ALWAYS BEEN THE TYPE OF GUYS TO PUSH THE ENVELOPE A BIT AND EXPERIMENT.

IT’S STILL CYPRESS ’CAUSE IT’S STILL B-REAL AND SEN, BUT BY NO MEANS THINK THAT WE

LEFT OUR CREATIVITY BACK IN THE ’90S.”– SEN DOG

I n a musical climate where you’re only as hot as your next single, Cypress Hill has managed to transcend the times to stay relevant to

their fans while still bringing something hot and new to the music scene. With their eighth studio release, Rise Up, B-Real and Sen Dog keep their signature fl ow that we’ve all come to expect from Cypress Hill, but also added some fresh, new elements that keep us wanting more from the West Coast hip-hop legends.

“B*tches like you always spittin’ the same rhymesWe put you all to shameYou never went through the same grindPut you in the bind from the minute you came bySo stay in your lane and get wet by the rain” – “It Ain’t Nothin”

Having gone off and done solo projects for a couple of years, how does it feel to be back together making music?B-Real: We’ve never really separated. We’ve been busy doing solo projects, but were still working together even though we weren’t on an active tour circuit; we’d still do shows. We’re always in contact now and never too far from each other. We are family, so it’s not just a business thing for us. We actually hang out and chill. I think that’s a key reason why we can still go on tour and rock the shows and still make good music…because if you didn’t get along, it would be kind of sh*tty so…

You guys are veterans in the music scene. What has so many years taught you about the industry?Sen Dog: Patience [laughs]. That’s the main one. If you ain’t got that you ain’t going nowhere ‘cause everything isn’t going to go according to plan. You have to be willing to hold out for a minute and exercise your patience and wait out the rough part. You learn it pretty quick. If you don’t, it’ll be pretty rough.

The music game has obviously changed since you guys fi rst came on the

scene. Now that you’re back at it as a group, what changes have you noticed, and how have you guys prepared to overcome them and become a huge success as before?B-Real: There have been so many changes since we recorded our last record six years ago. At that point, that’s when a lot of the online downloads for music were hitting heavily. That aff ected a lot of album sales because there weren’t as many avenues to promote your album as there is now. People have fi gured that the Internet can work to their advantage because the normal procedure to putting a record out doesn’t necessarily work like it used to. Music is more readily available out there, which is a good thing and bad thing.

Was Snoop’s new role at Priority Records the reason you signed there? What are your thoughts on Snoop’s goal to reunite the west coast rap scene with his new position? How is he doing so far?B-Real: It’s great! We’ve been talking about how to bring back West Coast music for years…us, Snoop, Cube. This is a giant step with Priority coming back and having Snoop take the reigns. We feel grateful toward Snoop and Priority for bringing us in. Hopefully, I can talk these people into signing Xzibit, and we’ll have the trifecta going on here, man, ’cause he has some hot sh*t right now. It all starts with the artists here really giving a f*ck and making good music. We’re one of the fi rst and really want to step up to the arena and make it happen.

Obviously, you guys have changed and matured over the years. How is this refl ected in your music now?

B-Real: Everyday of your life you go through sh*t. We always try to touch on that. Whatever is happening in society or now is what you try to use for the background. How we grew up is what we were talking about when we fi rst got on the scene, and now we’re talking about the sh*t we’ve been through during the course of our career in the industry. We’re basically, like, f*ckin’ journalists really. You can’t keep talking about the same sh*t when you fi rst got into the game because you ain’t doing that sh*t no more. You’ll be ridiculous to try and sell that lie to anybody, you know?

Can fans expect the same old Cypress Hill when hearing your new album, or are you guys trying something new?Sen Dog: We’ve always been the type of guys to push the envelope a bit and experiment. It’s still Cypress ’cause it’s still B-Real and Sen, but by no means think that we left our creativity back in the ’90s. It’s 2010, and our game is as current as anybody. It’s modern day Cypress Hill.

B-Real: We’re constantly updating our formula and sh*t. It’s a more experienced Cypress Hill as opposed to the “same old” Cypress Hill. We never do anything the same and that’s what kept us around is taking chances and risks. We don’t want to do the safe sh*t.

Why the title Rise Up?B-Real: Obviously, in the world right now, there’s a lot of funky sh*t and people are standing up, pointing out what’s wrong in the world. The only way to be heard is to rise up, stand up and

be heard and sh*t. For us, being gone for six years, it was time for us to be heard. The


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title came out of the song with Tom Morello, and I thought it spoke volumes to us since we’re back on the rise, coming back with new heat.

How long did the album take to make?B-Real: We took our time on it, so about two to three years. We were still doing our solo projects and didn’t want to rush it.

Tell us how the collaboration with Tom Morello from Rage Against the Machine came about, and what the songs sound like given Tom’s hard-core rock sound?Sen Dog: We’ve been friends with him for a while and would always talk about putting a song together, but never got around to it. So a couple of years back, he wanted to know what we were up to so we told him about the new album, and he said he had something for us. So he sent it, and we loved it right away. The thing about Tom is that he’s a great guitar player; not only is he heavy, but he’s funky, too. His rifts have grooves and stuff like that. Working with him isn’t like going so far out of our element. We’ve been known to get down with some heavy metal elements here and there, so we aren’t strangers to it. He came with something that represented his style and that fi ts us really good since we were still able to do our rhyme schemes, too. Heavy metal and hip-hop combine well. It felt natural working with Tom. We have two songs on the album with him, but we really could have done a whole album with him.

You guys also brought back the Smokeout Tour this year after a fi ve-year hiatus. What made you want to do it again? What was it like this time around? Will you continue to do it in the coming years?Sen Dog: It’s back for good. We just had to reorganize the organization from the bottom up and it took us a while, but here we are. We never really wanted to stop doing that. Came back with it this last year and it was great and next year will be even bigger.

What does the future hold for the group?B-Real: I think that we defi nitely want to get back to the high standards of putting out quality material and defi nitely want to get back to selling the amount of records that we are accustomed to. Really, only the release of the record will tell, and we have goals in the mind for ourselves, including the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. We’re also in the process of putting a book together, then and who

knows? Maybe the future might hold some acting for us. Defi nitely, as far as Cypress Hll goes, take it to the next level and make it a bigger household name than what we are now.

“Everywhere I turn I’m on a mission for moreBut I ain’t selling my soul” – “Rise Up”

What motivates you to succeed at what you do everyday?Sen Dog: Just our personalities. We’ve always been motivated for our group. It’s been like that since the ’90s. I think we have more motivation now since we are veterans. There’s only one Cypress Hill, and he [pointing to B-Real] and I are in it and that’s motivation to kick ass and come up with the best product ever. Glad I’m part of it and want to keep it going.

How do you overcome career and personal roadblocks to achieve success?B-Real: You just have to keep on treading. You have to try not to let anything be a roadblock. Unfortunately, some never get around their roadblocks, but we always do. We’re very competitive, and we look at it as a sport. We think of ourselves as a franchise like the Yankees or the Lakers. Whenever we go make an album, we want to win the championship no matter what. We will take our knocks along the way, but do anything to win. I think people see that, too. We’re motivated and not complacent and or just on cruise control. The minute you start thinking that is when somebody will come knock you off .

“I’m right here on the block when it’s time to ride out, you know what I’m all aboutHundred Harley bikes on site when it goes downMe and my homies always holdin’ the fort down” – “It Ain’t Nothin”

Word on the street is that you have a bike club. What’s its name and why did you start one?Sen Dog: The name is Cypress Hill Riding Group, aka The Cypress Hill Billies, and we started that in 2003 when I got my Harley with my friends. There are about eight or nine of us so far. Every member is from the Cypress Hill Ave. neighborhood. We decided to go with the Cypress Hill logo, too. It’s something we all take seriously; there are meetings and dues and we’re defi nitely Harley enthusiasts. We have a lot of people who want to get in with us.

What do you ride?Sen Dog: I ride a 2003 Harley Heritage Springer Anniversary Edition, which is my only bike right now. It’s one of my favorite things that I have that’s just mine. I want more though and would like to get a Harley Touring bike to cruise across the country one day.

So how does one become a member of your bike club?Sen Dog: If there are people that fi t the criteria that we want in our group then we defi nitely want to expand. We don’t want to be misconstrued as a gangster motorcycle club or anything like that; we’re all dads and stuff and not trying to get into nonsense. We’re in it for the love of motorcycle riding and the camaraderie of our members; whomever we let in is a clean-living person.

Any other car-related things that you like?Sen Dog: I’m a NASCAR guy. I’ve been a big fan since I was a kid. My friends thought I was weird for that. I actually rededicated myself to it in the ’90s. I love to see races and am excited to see Danica [Patrick] come out to NASCAR and expand her career.

How would you say your love of automotives impacted your lifestyle and music?Sen Dog: Actually my love of automotive impacted my lifestyle a lot ’cause back in the ’90s, I spent so much money renting cars just for a weekend or a week to drive it around. I rented cars like Corvettes, Benzes and Lambos; it was one of my hobbies to fi nd an exotic car to rent and drive the Hell out of it.

What’s your dream car and do you own it?Sen Dog: I have a lot but my favorite is a convertible Corvette, one of the new ones; the latest version was extremely hot. After the album drops and we do some tours and what not, I’m defi nitely going to be looking to getting myself a new hot rod.

What about Lowriders? Are you a huge fan of them like B-Real?Sen Dog: I don’t have quite the nice ones, but I redid my mom and dad’s 1983 Buick Regal and that’s my Lowrider. I had it repainted and did the interior and that’s my version of Lowriding.

“How high can you get?Cruising in the drop ChevyGot my foot on the fl oorI’m hitting switches and the frame is heavy” – “Rise Up”


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Are you still part of Lifestyle Car Club? Can you describe what it was like as a member?B-Real: I think at this point, I’m an honorary member. I’ve got the tattoos on me for life, know what I’m saying? When I joined I had a ’65 Impala ragtop. It never really got to fl y a plaque since it spent more time in the shop. But I had another car that I did fl y the Lifestyle plaque with proudly. It was my car “Nice Dreams,” a ’57 Bel Air. Those were some of the funnest times, man, because it was a camaraderie, a brotherhood, a team, and we all strived to be the best car club out there. It was fun being part of that whole culture. In my heart, I’ll always be a part of Lifestyle. Maybe, one day, I’ll put another one together. I have a ’54 Bel Air right now, but I’m probably going to get rid of it and get something else. But eventually will smash down the scene with a Lifestyle plaque in my back window one day if they decide to make me active again.

You’re also a member of Sen Dog’s Bike Club. When are you getting your bike and what type do you want?B-Real: I’m just a consult, man. Me, I hit switches. I know how to ride, but I’m not really a bike guy. But, I respect it and love the culture. They look great. If I should ever put one together I’d put the same passion in it that I put toward putting Lowriders together. We’ll see, maybe you’ll see the Dr. Greenthumb bike, you never know.

What are your thoughts on the current state of the Lowriding culture?B-Real: It’s cool, man. It’s constantly growing. Everybody always have diff erent ideas on how to put a car together. There’s a lot of creative cats out there and with all this new technology and ways to do sh*t. I think you’re gonna keep seeing crazier sh*t. There is going to be traditionalists that will say you can only go so far with the car, but I mean, when they were the fi rst ones on the scene, people probably told them that and they were pushing the envelope during their time. There’s no such thing going too far with a car.

What’s your favorite Lowrider to date that you’ve owned?B-Real: Well, you know, it was pretty much my ’57 Bel Air. It was two-tone with dark green candy paint with a microfl ake top. It had a lighter green on the bottom. The car was fi rst black and silver like the Raiders, but changed to green ’cause I’m Dr. Greenthumb. It also had a Continental kit on it, which really was an East Coast front kit. When you bought it on the East Coast, the front was a bit diff erent than the West Coast ones. What I did diff erent from most—that you see a lot now, but I was one of the fi rst to do it, and they’d all be full of sh*t now to say that I wasn’t—was that I took the hotrod interior and put it into an actual car that would be on Lowrider status, with obviously some hydraulics on it. It rolled on 520s ’cause that was a Lifestyle standard, so I had my sh*t on 520 Daytons and switches on that sh*t with four pumps in it; wasn’t trying to get crazy and hop since it’s a heavy car. But the engine was very tight; had some racing cams in it. But you know the diff erence between my

’57 and everybody else’s was the fact that the interior was Lowrider style, and I had a digital dash before anyone had one. The only thing that I didn’t get to do to that car and why it didn’t get to move up the Lowrider scene the way it could of because I didn’t get a chance to do the undercarriage the way I wanted to do it or chrome out the engine. Everything else was great. But eventually, I had to part ways with it. Will probably fi nd another ’57 along the way and knock it out the way I should have.

How has Lowriding aff ected your life and music?B-Real: I grew up around Lowrider cars. When I was growing up at the lower Eastside of L.A. and the main car club was Lifestyle. As a kid, I always wanted one and to be one of those guys. My boy Cartoon from Lifestyle said it the best: It’s an extension of your personality when you put a car together. It may be something you can’t say, but your car is an extension of your personality. People throw all their craziness in their car, and the great part about it is that you see everybody’s individuality.

Another big part was that people saw me in the streets. It kept me grounded. I didn’t get any special preferences because I was famous and still had to go through the same sh*t every member of Lifestyle did. I had to clean the cars, wipe the wheels, do all that sh*t to earn my stripes and this is after me selling millions of records, but that’s the dedication and the standards they have.

If you had to choose between the perfect Lowrider ever and, let’s say, a Bugatti Veyron, which would you choose and why?B-Real: I’d f*ckin’ roll the Lowrider ’cause then it will open people’s eyes up. The Bugatti is nice, but you know what, you have 15 other guys with the same Bugatti you have, even though it’s as expensive as f*ck and rare. The particular Lowrider you might build is one of a kind because in the Lowrider world, it’s a f*ckin’ crime to build one like somebody else’s. When you’re Lowriding, it’s the only one like it. Even if it’s plain Jane, it’s only yours.

Are their any other particular cars you’re feeling right now?B-Real: Right now I’m driving a 7-Series BMW. I was doing the SRT 8 Chrysler that I called “Vader,” since it was black-on-black, had some nice NC Forged wheels on there with chrome lips and black inserts. But I got too many speeding tickets so I had to let it go like a bad girlfriend, you know.


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B-Real’s 7-Series Bimmer rolls on Asanti AF 122 wheels with Lexani N3000 265/30R22 front and 295/25R22 rear performance tires.

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N ot getting enough use out of his Dodge Viper, John Wargo, co-owner of The Custom Shop, in Illinois, decided it was time for a change and opted for an Escalade EXT instead. “I have some custom

Corvettes and when I got the Viper, I was expecting it to have a bit more than my Corvettes, but wasn’t impressed with it,” he explains. “I needed a new truck for my shop to haul my cars and stuff and have always been a fan of the Cadillac Escalade.” Envisioning his 2007 Escalade EXT as something more than a daily driver, he creatively turned it into a show/work truck that he debuted at the 2009 SEMA show. Mocking up a rendering of his vision for the EXT to grasp what the fi nished product would look like, Wargo was defi nitely more than satisfi ed with the end product. “This is probably as nice of a SUV or truck that we’ve ever done,” he claims. “It’s got so many things done to it. The combo of the matching trailer to the truck makes people really appreciate the build.” Wargo’s favorite part is that it’s not only a show vehicle, but also a useful, daily work truck. Getting it show ready in less than two months, Wargo received positive reviews on his build while at SEMA. “We had nonstop traffi c while at the show. It’s nice to have something that’s classy and elegant that draws people.

Once they start looking at it, they notice all the little details. The color combo and details draws them in and all the extra stuff keeps them there.” Using products he used on other builds, as well as new products that he had researched to make sure they fi t the car, Wargo fi rst made sure it had loads of power, which is why he added a Pro Charger supercharger. “It’s always nice to have an extra 100 horsepower under your foot.” But that’s just one of the many additions Wargo decided to include. To give it an aggressive sound, a Corsa exhaust was included, while a massive Sony Xplod sound system provides quality tunes when driving cross-country to a show or driving around town doing errands. “You get a lot of bang for your buck in terms of quality and performance at a reasonable price with Sony products,” he mentions. “There are a lot of really high-end audio products out there, but they’re priced pretty high and a lot of people can’t aff ord it.” Wargo has done numerous project vehicles for Sony and uses their products in all of his builds. While his customers’ builds come fi rst (he’s currently working on a 2010 Camaro for a customer, which is tempting him to buy his own), Wargo won’t be doing another project for himself for a while, but has his eyes set on returning to SEMA with something new for this year.


N ot getting enough use out of his Dodge Viper, John Wargo, co-owner of The Custom Shop, in Illinois, decided it was time for a change and opted for an Escalade EXT instead. “I have some custom

Corvettes and when I got the Viper, I was expecting it to have a bit more than my Corvettes, but wasn’t impressed with it,” he explains. “I needed a new truck for my shop to haul my cars and stuff and have always been a fan of the Cadillac Escalade.” Envisioning his 2007 Escalade EXT as something more than a daily driver, he creatively turned it into a show/work truck that he debuted at the 2009 SEMA show. Mocking up a rendering of his vision for the EXT to grasp what the fi nished product would look like, Wargo was defi nitely more than satisfi ed with the end product. “This is probably as nice of a SUV or truck that we’ve ever done,” he claims. “It’s got so many things done to it. The combo of the matching trailer to the truck makes people really appreciate the build.” Wargo’s favorite part is that it’s not only a show vehicle, but also a useful, daily work truck. Getting it show ready in less than two months, Wargo received positive reviews on his build while at SEMA. “We had nonstop traffi c while at the show. It’s nice to have something that’s classy and elegant that draws people.

Once they start looking at it, they notice all the little details. The color combo and details draws them in and all the extra stuff keeps them there.” Using products he used on other builds, as well as new products that he had researched to make sure they fi t the car, Wargo fi rst made sure it had loads of power, which is why he added a Pro Charger supercharger. “It’s always nice to have an extra 100 horsepower under your foot.” But that’s just one of the many additions Wargo decided to include. To give it an aggressive sound, a Corsa exhaust was included, while a massive Sony Xplod sound system provides quality tunes when driving cross-country to a show or driving around town doing errands. “You get a lot of bang for your buck in terms of quality and performance at a reasonable price with Sony products,” he mentions. “There are a lot of really high-end audio products out there, but they’re priced pretty high and a lot of people can’t aff ord it.” Wargo has done numerous project vehicles for Sony and uses their products in all of his builds. While his customers’ builds come fi rst (he’s currently working on a 2010 Camaro for a customer, which is tempting him to buy his own), Wargo won’t be doing another project for himself for a while, but has his eyes set on returning to SEMA with something new for this year.


EXTERIOR • Custom hood with E & G grille and fender inserts • Alsa and Dyna Tone custom two-tone pewter and white with copper graphics• Sata Spray paint guns, Badger Air-Brushes Co. brushes, Route 66 Exotic Coatings waxes WHEELS/TIRES • Color-matched 22”x 11” Black Rhino TSW wheels• Good Year Fortera 305/40R22 tires • McGard Spline Drive wheel locks and lug nuts

UNDERCARRIAGE/SUSPENSION • Baer front 15” drilled rotors • Baer 6-piston front calipers copper powder-coated and 6-piston rear calipers • Kelderman Manufacturing air ride brackets• McGaughy’s dropped spindles • Firestone Industrial 5-gal. air tank, braided hard lines, polished fi ttings, digital air ride controller and dual air compressors

ENGINE/EXHAUST • 6.2L L92 engine • ProCharger supercharger and intercooler system • Corsa Performance cat-back exhaust system

AUDIO SYSTEM • Sony XAV-W1 in-dash TV/DVD• Sony XS-HF167 front speakers (2 pairs in doors)• Sony XS-HF137 rear speakers • Sony XM-GTR6001 sub-amplifi ers (2)• Sony XM-GTR2022 amplifi ers (2) • Sony XS-L10S SLIM 10” subwoofers (4)• Sony NV-U84 navigation system• Sony XVM-B62 headrest monitors• Custom enclosure in the bed of truck ported into cab• Scosche Power wire and connectors• Odyssey Batteries (2)• Viper security system• Rear view camera on truck and trailer• Dynamat Sound deadener and mat.

INTERIOR• Katzkin Leather two-tone seats, grey and black with copper stitching• Grant steering wheel• Copper paint interior panels• Clayton Machine Works metal bar inserts• Street Glow LED light eff ects (500 LEDs)• Enduratec Leather materials

TRAILER INFO: Rance Aluminum trailer

EXTERIOR • E & G grille insert• Alsa and Dyna Tone custom two-tone pewter and white with copper graphic

• Sata Spray paint guns, Badger Air-Brushes Co. brushes, Route 66 Exotic Coatings waxes

WHEELS/TIRES • Color-matched 16” x 6” Sendel T03 wheels• GoodYear 225/70R16XL tires• McGard Spline Drive wheel locks and lug nuts

UNDERCARRIAGE/SUSPENSION• Valley Industries trailer jack system• Valley Industries sway Controller and brake controller• Firestone Industrial 20-gal. air tank, braided hard lines, polished fi ttings, air ride controller and dual air compressors

AUDIO SYSTEM • Sony XAV-W1 in-dash TV/DVD• Sony XS-MP165W Marine 6.5” front and rear speakers (2 pairs in doors) • Sony XM-1S SUB amps (3)• Sony XM-4S high-level amps (2) • Sony XS-LB10S SLIM 10” subs (2)• Sony VPL-BW5 projection TV system w/pull down screen• Sony XS-LE121D dual 12” enclosure with Spun aluminum panel• Scosche Power wire and connectors• Oddessy Batteries (3)• Protec System One security system• Rear view camera• Dynamat Sound deadners and mat• Sony Bravia 22” monitors (2)

INTERIOR• Copper paint interior panels• Clayton Machine Works metal bar inserts• Street Glow LED light eff ects (300 LEDs)• Enduratec Leather materials• Superwinch with nylon rope and remote control• R & B Cabinets and storage system• Mac Tools • RTL Global ratchet straps• Custom Plexiglass fl oor insert• 36” ramp extention

THE CUSTOM SHOP 206 S. Main Flanagan, IL 61740 (815) 796-2772 www.customshop.org

TECH SPECS: 2007 CADILLAC ESCALADE EXT


DUB Magazine Issue 65

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