Monthly Archives: August 2010

the.blog.made.me.do.it.vol3

Posted on August 31, 2010 by MH| 9 Comments


The last set of the Smoke & Mirrors’ mixtape series (‘The Blog Made Me Do It, Vol. 2: Set It Off’) broke the first one’s record by over 1,000 downloads! Craziness. Guess it’s time to let off another round, huh?


Welcome to the third installment in the ‘Blog Made Me Do It’ series: Bling Dynasty – a sprawling, 30-track collection of the sharpest in hip-hop and R&B (not yet featured on the blog). Following in the tradition of the last two mixes, there’s plenty to please both hood-ees and hipsters. Including fresh sounds from hip-hop heavyweights: Game, Fabolous, Juicy J (of Three Six Mafia), Busta Rhymes, and Jim Jones, paired with unreleased material from under-the-radar acts: Ricky Blaze, Young AK, Kristmas, Verse Simmonds, Mac Miller, Crishan, Bei Maejor, and Ester Dean – the set is concocted to rattle streets and part seas. Expect air horns and bonafide block beataz! Through and through, third time is a fucking charm. Fall 2010… Bling Dynasty reigns. Remember where you heard it first & njoi. (click the link below to download the .zip file)

Smoke & Mirrors presents…
The Blog Made Me Do It, Vol. 3: Bling Dynasty
An MH Mixtape


View the tracklist after the jump. Continue reading →

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Posted in musicology, originals, song of the day

u.n.i.t.y

Posted on August 30, 2010 by MH| Leave a comment
image courtesy of gap archive

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Posted in cur8

summer.jam

Posted on August 28, 2010 by MH| 3 Comments


Bucket list entry #58: go to a summer jam concert – check. Last Sunday, me’n'my boys braved biblical downpours for the ‘Power Live at the Beach on Governor’s Island’ concert. As the perfect end to the summer, Ciara, Rick Ross, Fat Joe, Diddy, Dirty Money, and others (Ricky Blaze, J.Cole, Miguel, and Bobby Valentino) performed into the evening underneath a canopied stage amongst free hair products, port-o-potties, air horns, makeshift bars, soggy nachos, illuminated palm trees (that along with the rain made things seem more Spring Bling than summer jam), and a flabbergasting view of Manhattan. Highlights included Ciara’s back-breaking “Ride” routine, Dirty Money’s epic “Puff Daddy & The Family” medley, seeing Joey Crack perform “Lean Back” alone, and Bobby Valentino’s set of embarassingly good new shit (hear his hilarious new single below). The only thing missing, come to think of it, were the bitches in bikinis; which I suppose I’ll check off my bucket list once I get a chance to remake the “Rumpshaker” video… which ends up being #57.


[vodpod id=Video.4290519&w=425&h=350&fv=]
World Premiere: “Phone #” – Bobby Valentino
(Feat. Plies & Jazze Pha)


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Posted in musicology

corinne.day

Posted on August 28, 2010 by MH| 1 Comment


Rest in Peace
Corinne Day

image courtesy of corinneday.co.uk

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Posted in fashion, ish

tweet.elle.dee

Posted on August 25, 2010 by MH| 1 Comment
cartoon by frank stockton, courtesy of nymag.com

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Posted in cur8

^grade

Posted on August 21, 2010 by MH| 1 Comment


The blog has been around for a little over a year now and things are only getting better, so, it’s the perfect time for an UPGRADE! What can one expect from the new Smoke & Mirrors? An entire page dedicated to original content – including fashion editorials, new mixtapes, more from the “rappers in ready-to-wear” series, exclusive fashion week coverage and more. If you’re interested in collaborating, contact muah at holmlundm@gmail.com.

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Posted in ish

laundry.day

Posted on August 21, 2010 by MH| Leave a comment
photo courtesy of hunter freeman’s “astronauts”

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Posted in cur8

turn.the.key

Posted on August 19, 2010 by MH| 3 Comments

World Premiere: “Speechless” – Ciara

You could say I was right in more ways than one when I compared Ciara‘s latest project to those of Miss Jackson‘s former phases, especially when considering Ci-Ci’s third single cover would be just another silhouette without that defined dangling earring. Before her, Janet used a similar key to success to help launch her career as a pop front-runner of the 1980′s when she hung a sole latchkey belonging to her family’s lion cages from a single hoop. Going on to sell millions, the key has become eponymous with Jackson’s aggressive take control style. Will the key work for Ci? ‘Cause this Dream-produced track, which sounds like a mild “Rockin’ That Shit” rehash, is a locked door.


Get your own Janet hoop
by Chris Habana
at OAK nyc

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Posted in fashion, musicology

fiend4.3

Posted on August 18, 2010 by MH| 1 Comment

Altuzarra x Repossi armor ring

Alexander Wang F/W 2010 wedge boot

Vintage captain’s coat

LuvAJ ‘Light As A Feather’ two-finger ring

Vintage Aerosmith Draw The Line ’77 promo raglan
Zanzan ‘Black Rio’ sunglasses

Balmain F/W 2010 double-breasted jacket

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Posted in fiend4

gimme.dat.C

Posted on August 18, 2010 by MH| 4 Comments


Ciara‘s new album may be delayed a few months (again!), but, her press is still popping off as if it were due out this month! Read about Ci-Ci & Riccardo Tisci‘s relationship in W here or peruse my friend Alex Catarinella’s Q&A with Ms. Harris at Paper here. You ready to dance? Listen to Basic Instinct‘s second single here.

photo (top) courtesy of W magazine & (bottom) yb&f.com

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Posted in fashion, musicology

snake.face

Posted on August 18, 2010 by MH| Leave a comment
photo courtesy of jean francois carly

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Posted in cur8

3.L.W

Posted on August 18, 2010 by MH| 1 Comment

Song of the Day: “Playas Gon’ Play” – 3LW

The song of the day today is dedicated to my girl, Amanda, who bravely accompanied myself and mother to see 3L-dubya at the TRL tour back in 2001. Boy, has time passed… one member’s now a bonafide Disney slut, another’s cast alongside Bow Wow in this summer’s Lottery Ticket, and the other’s making low-budget videos about being raped for fun. I guess that’s what you get for selling your souls to an acronym. Though I must add, they do make some great points on the playa condition (um.. shot callas they gon’ call.. duh).

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Posted in song of the day

bottega.vendetta

Posted on August 17, 2010 by MH| Leave a comment


Lean wit’ it / Rock wit’ it

image courtesy of bottega veneta (f/w 2011)

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Posted in cur8

sellin.myself

Posted on August 11, 2010 by MH| Leave a comment

When in need… sell your ISH!
Check out the pieces for sale now at the Smoke & Mirrors ebay store.
S&M will return Tuesday, August 17th

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Posted in fashion, ish

haider.graham

Posted on August 10, 2010 by MH| 4 Comments

“Rappers In Ready-to-Wear”
a series by Jackson Moad

Drake in
Haider Ackermann S/S 2011

photo (bottom) courtesy of style.com

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Posted in fashion, originals, rappers in rtw

nu.badu

Posted on August 9, 2010 by MH| 2 Comments

World Premiere: “Window Seat (Remix)/Turn Me Away (Get MuNNY)” – Erykah Badu (Feat. Rick Ross)

The saga continues…

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Posted in musicology

back.traced

Posted on August 8, 2010 by MH| 2 Comments

MH circa 2007

Kate circa Now

photos (bottom) courtesy of vogue uk x patrick demarchelier

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Posted in cur8

big.girl.now

Posted on August 8, 2010 by MH| 2 Comments



Song of the Day: “Get You Home” – Foxy Brown (Feat. Blackstreet)

Remember Foxy Brown? You know, the Ill Na Na? Well, it looks like Fox Boogie’s a big girl now. But back in the day (even before she went deaf) when black lipstick was semi-acceptable, bitch was a teeny weeny Firm affiliate. I guess jail time really does slow down the metabolism… (Lilo – take note).

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Posted in song of the day

black.berry.yum

Posted on August 4, 2010 by MH| 2 Comments
photo courtesy of fulvio bonavia’s “a matter of taste”

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Posted in cur8

harder.better.faster

Posted on August 1, 2010 by MH| 2 Comments


Song of the Day: “Faster” – Slum Village (Feat. Colin Munroe)



Faster x Mark Fast
available now

photo (top) courtesy of faster by mark fast lookbook

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Posted in fashion, song of the day