GIGI: ----Embodies a collection of thoughts, inspirations, justices, creations, ideologies, expressions, images, sounds, icons, mesmorizations, impact, dreams, power, cultures, languages, energy, voice, response, beauty, faults, past, present, and future. Awaken your fashion senses. Compliment the purpose of womaness. Demand respect. Challenge all obstacles. Motivate and deliver. Music, art, food, travel, nails, architecture, simplicities, complexes, sex, love and loss. To summarize an infinite entirity, GIGI is all the shit you WANT and NEED to know.
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and http://twitter.com/isisnicole //
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illy Lussiano, a hair artist wonder woman who hopes to positively impact the lives of all girls, is by far one of the sweetest people I’ve ever interviewed. I actually came across her in September when I was on this massive Euroasian hair search, which she probably doesn’t remember! And now she’s on my list of bloggy love. See how life works?! In this Q&A illy Lussiano talks inspiration, a history with mixed hair textures, sex friendly hairstyles, wanting to work with Disco Nail + Eriko Nakao, and more after the jump!
Name
illy Lussiano
Hometown
Boston
Age
(Laughs) Almost as young as I look.
Website
illyL.com or illyL.tumblr.com
Most Known For
I’m not really sure. (Laughs) I’ve encountered so many people in my life and they all probably know me for something different *shrug*
Unknown For
All the things I keep to myself. (Laughs) lf I tell you they won’t be unknown anymore.
Sexiest Place You’ve Ever Been
(Laughs) I’m not really the “sexy” type. “Cute” is more my speed.
Sexiest Hair Style
You can never go wrong with one of my blow drys, but the sexiest is hair that makes a woman feel comfortable and confident!!!
Top 5 vices
I really can’t say I really have any vices… not my kinda thing.
Currently on your playlist
Mavado, Nipsey, Jah Cure, C. veggies, Future, etc. Mostly Hip-Hop, Reggae, R&B.
Least favorite trend(s)
My least favorite trend is seeing all these great hair ideas that girls create themselves but execute HORRIBLY! I just wanna give them my card and do it the RIGHT way!!!
But… I really just don’t enjoy seeing people who are uncomfortable in their own skin… forget a trend just do what you like and what works for you.
How important is the existence of the illy Lussiano and what does your art represent?
Bringing it upon myself to take the time to individually connect, build, help and educate girls and women all over the world is very important. Setting out to help others find themselves and claim or reclaim the confidence that they may not know they have or have lost is huge. A world full of happy woman and girls will be a beautiful place.
It’s not easy being a woman in 2012 and I think sometimes we forget we’re all going through the same struggles and can be of help to one another, weather we want to admit it or not! If unity can start with something as simple as hair so be it.
When did you start doing hair?
According to my mom I’ve been doing hair since I was about five and cut my “My Size” Barbie’s hair into a Bob (laughs) But I’ve been in the industry for about six years.
Who comes into the illy Lussiano shop?!
I wish the sign out side the shop said “illy Lussiano” but I’m not quiet there yet. (Laughs) In due time. But my clientele is pretty all over the place. Very diverse and that’s definitely something I love!
What’s the inspiration behind your styles and how do you prepare for each design?
Each client inspires the style I give them or we collaborate to come up with [something]. Everyone sees themselves a particular way in their mind, and often don’t know how to bring that to reality so the world can see them for who they really are. It’s my job to help make that reality with all of my clients.
I prepare by actually getting a feel for my clients, talking with them via email or text (mini consults). Then they come in for their appointments and we do a full blown consult so at this point we have already established a level of trust and comfort. This allows for my clients to be open and honest about what they really want to know about hair and what they want their hair to look like.
Do you have any particular hairstyles that remain to be your favorite or long lasting?
In all honesty I just love to see healthy hair that moves and really brings out the beauty and key features of a woman. Not everyone that’s had a haircut has had a “real” hair cut, but when you do you’ll know. (Laughs) Your confidence will hit overload.
I consider you to be innovative and much needed to fashion/entertainment working with all types of hair. Does it come in handy being an expert to different textures?
Thank ya lady. I find it to be a blessing that I can relate to everyone. Years ago I had so many hair questions go unanswered, or was turned away because a stylist didn’t know how to handle my texture and I was always torn between what kind of salons were right for me. Black, Spanish, white. etc? Having family and friends that look similar to a box of crayons made it very clear early on that I needed to know how to do ALL hair textures. Also being that I’m multi-racial like many girls today, there are certain things that I have faced in my hair journey that other stylists simply can not relate to or truthfully speak on. There really hasnt been anyone in the hair world who has spoken truthfully on what it’s like to have hair that stems from multiple ethnicity’s or been through a “hair journey”, speaks from experience, has taken the time to learn and care for ALL textures, that also has an extensive art and hair education to back it all up! A lot of things need change and I’m more than happy to light that fire.
What’s your favorite hairstyle you’ve coined or created?
(Laughs) I’d say my dreads and blondes! I love creating blondes. Sounds strange I’m sure but if you know anything about being a blonde you know it’s very hard to achieve a natural look on all skin tones. And my dreads because I put my heart and soul into creating them, their my babies!
How do you set yourself apart from other hair stylist/colourist?
I think a lot of people call themselves hair stylists and never earned that title. I call myself a hair artist because this is my artistry. I take all of my creative skills (painting, sculpture, colour theory, theatrics…) and put it into my work. The same seriousness that doctors and lawyers put into school I put into educating myself on hair and people. I take what I do very seriously. It’s more than just hair to me. Often times I have clients who really put their trust into me with helping them through good, bad, and tough times to help them find themselves. At the end of the day I genuinely care about my clients and their happiness.
Why don’t some guys understand look but don’t touch?
(Laughs) Unfortunately not all men have home training or manners but I’m a firm believer that you give off energy that deserve and demands respect you shall receive.
Are there any sex-ready or sex-friendly hairstyles?
(Laughs) Ohhh gees! Girls are always saying how much their boyfriends love their messy buns, so maybe start with that and end with it down and wild. Keep it simple.
I’m a fan of weave. It’s one of the coolest accessories and I get so excited walking into a hair store or cyber shopping. Where would you say is the best place to hair shop?
…Ehh I’m really disappointed in the weave market right now to be honest.
Have you seen Disco Nail weave nails on Eriko Nakao?!
YES! I want to work with both Disco Nail and Eriko Nakao!!!
Do you feel like there’s a hierarchy of natural hair?
I feel it’s crazy how much more judgmental it has made woman of one another.
What does it take to be successful and motivated in this business?
Everyday is a learning process but for me God, patience, the people, balance, and doing what I love for the right reasons and the bigger picture keeps me going.
What’s the most challenging part of making a name for yourself and how do you overcome it?
The most challenging part is getting the world to see things as you see them. Having patience, never giving up, staying true to myself, and staying humble are helping me get over this mountain.
What do you want illy Lussiano to be remembered for this year and in the future?
If people were going to remember me for anything this year I’d like it to be for my progress. I still have a hard time believing the things I’ve seen, done, and accomplished this year! (Laughs) So many blessings. And in the future I’d like to be known for my hard work, honesty, warm heart, bringing women together, educating, changing lives, creating jobs for others, and getting as many people in the world as I can to experience happiness.
@illyL](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m41wsmmyvc1qzwhpyo1_r2_250.jpg)
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By now just about every nail fiend has come across the ‘hoodratism’ Kidney Stone Ale phenom, so I had to get word from the 23-year-old Nail Jerks x Chipped and Broke creator herself, Lila Robles. I mean literally, getting down to what’s really good in order to have a better sense of Robles intentions. What did I find out? She’s in the nail game to invest in her future. Her art exists as a contribution to nail culture, and you can see why Kid Sister, Chippy Nonstop, and more f*** with her after the jump.
Name Lila Robles
Name of Business Nail Jerks
Location San Jose, CA
Age 23
When and why did you decide to work in the nail industry? I loved getting fancy nails forever, but when I came across a t-shirt called NailsDid on MySpace my eyes instantly glued to the screen. It was as if everything that I loved and stood for was captured and silkscreened onto this shirt for me! Patrick Nagel infused ladies with the NailsDid touch and Hoodrat humor. I adored it! Later in that same year I discovered Mama which led me to finding out about M.I.S.S., the ultimate women’s urban culture outlet. This magazine was like no other: it had nails on calendars with sneakers, I was like damnnnn!! I emailed the editor Gabriella asking where I could get these nails done at to look just like theirs and she actually said they had to make them because no other salon wanted to do the outrageous nails they set out to achieve. When I heard that I was like oh my God, I have that same trouble too. When you get your nails done and you want the new new on the nail tip, the salon nail techs get mad. They wither, don’t know what you’re talking about, or they just don’t want to do it. This was a time before nail art really hit its prime. Like now you can go into a good nail salon and ask for what you want but before…it was a whole other ballgame. So I did what any other rational nail lover would do. I went to beauty school and did the manicurist license since it was the fastest.
Do you have a staff or is this all a business run by you?Currently I do not have a staff, it’s all collectively run by me. Entrepreneur …maybe ;)I started as an intern for M.I.S.S. and they let me help on their nail calendars. I worked on the calendar until they RIP’ed, maturing in their business and to be frank they had been there, done that, and onto new and better things. But I continued contributing to M.I.S.S. and ended up on the Nailsdid column.
How do you market yourself?I wanted to do something so I created Nail Jerks a design, photography, nail collective. Nail Jerks brings culture to nails, redefines basic French tip manicures and uses nails as sign language. Nail Jerks is set to bring prints focusing on lifestyles and individuals. I’m gifted in the natural marketing department so it just flows. My work with Nail Jerks comes when inspiration for a print or photo come into place either by client or my own ideas. A lot of people want bling nails and I give it to them. It’s the Hoordatism. The way I market is to effectively communicate with my audience. I like making great visual that attract the eye period. The e online interweb has had a major effect on marketing. You can tap in and access so many people and gather more information faster and bigger then ever. If you’re not using the Internet for marketing or you don’t think that having a Twitter will not impact your business at all then you are totally under a rock. You have so many supporters out there you don’t even know it yet! Sometimes you just start and you invest in your future. When I get paid I’ll let you know.
Has your Tumblr pages performed the way you want it to?I recently got over 1k notes and even hit Tumblr radar from an Instagram picture I linked to my Tumblr. I obviously do not have 15k followers but thanks to reputable nail gurus that reblogged my post I got there. And now I have more like 1k followers. Hashtags also make a difference.
Who are some of your clients?I’ve worked on Kid Sister, Chippy Nonstop, Cult of Beauty, M.I.S.S., and various models.
Are you familiar with organic polishes? How hard are those to come across?Organic polishes? Well I am a Whole Foodie and they do sell nail polish there but I’ve never seen organic.
Who are some of your competitors if any?If you are doing your own thing then competitors don’t exist.
What does nail art mean to you?Nail art means nothing but girliness in your own individual way. It is another form of expression and cuteness.
How would you describe success?Success is when you are doing what you really want, and the creativity never stops, and you are never bored. Success is landing that client, or that gig, or even that stoke of paint in a fathered motion and doing it again and again and the excitement never ends.
What advice would you give to other nail entrepreneurs?If you’re not bringing anything new to the table, don’t come [where] you aren’t welcomed. But if you want to be a “Nail Entrepreneur” then do it why wait, because some other girl will pick up on a wave and run with your shit in your head and then it’s your loss. Don’t be a sorry ass.](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3qeissU8b1qzwhpyo1_1280.jpg)
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M is one of the machines behind jewelry line Evol Heist, shared with Jandu who I find to be quite brilliant and mysterious. I was introduced to M’s designs through Leslie Fuentes, and haven’t looked away from Evol Heist since. She’s got great taste in music and brings forth this innominate spirit parallel to Evol Heist collections—-that desire to rid of accessory only limits, or to sound too feminine or masculine to expand into other volumes of art. In our Q&A, M discusses her designing preparations, who’s she’s currently listening to in music, her fascination with skeletons and mirrors, and much more after the jump.
Name M
Hometown Birmingham, UK
Age ∞
Blog http://evolheist.tumblr.com/
Most Known For EVOL HEIST jewelery and being like a real life cartoon character.
Unknown For Being a clone.
Most Evol revenge? (Laughs)… Karma seems to hook it up for me.Favorite accessory? Favourite accessory? That’s tough, I can’t choose! My style changes everyday so my accessories are always different.
What inspired you and Jandu to create Evol Heist and what does the name represent?Well, I’ve always made my own jewelery and accessories. Jandu (along with people who would give me orders to make them pieces) basically recognized that there was a demand for what I was creating, so we joined forces and started EVOL HEIST!
The name EVOL HEIST is a play on words. EVOL spelled backwards is LOVE and HEIST, as you know is, most associated with extravagant jewelery robberies, so it’s kind of like a HEIST of big, dramatic jewelery. We also wanted a name that wouldn’t be pinned to just jewelery or accessories or to sound too feminine or masculine as we’ve had talks to expand into different ventures in the future.
How did you two meet?Jandu and I have actually known each other since high school, so we’ve been good friends for a while. We see eye- to- eye on a lot of design based things. Plus he understands my crazy concepts and sketches, he’s a great designer and flows with my ideas effortlessly.
How do you prepare to design your collection?I get a lot of inspiration from my dreams. I have a VERY colourful imagination and I’m a very visual person. Sometimes a piece will come to me based on an outfit I am wearing, and I’d think “Oh something like ‘this’ would look perfect with what I’m wearing. I need to make it.” Then I’d scribble a rough sketch down and I would be able to think of a collection or story to keep the theme consistent. That’s how our infamous “Death Grips” or “Skeleton Hands” came about.
I’m very inspired by surrealism. Salvador Dali is my idol. Also culture and traveling, cartoons, nature, movies, Sci-Fi, music, death… the list goes on!
What’s your fascination with skeletons and mirrors?I have always had a little obsession with the skeletal structure, I blame my dad, he collects skull ornaments (not human or taxidermy, I mean crafted/sculpted ones) and that’s always been around me so I suppose that’s where that fascination comes from. As for mirrors, girls got to check her lipstick. HA! No, I just like the depth of a reflection. It means the piece you’re wearing is constantly changing, almost like a kaleidoscope. Also, mirrors/reflective objects are associated with futurism, robotics and space… I’m into that!
Who are some of your clients?We have had so many amazing clients and opportunities since starting EVOL HEIST, which have been totally unexpected! We have made pieces for international celebrities/ musicians, artists, house-wives, students, fashion designers, models, journalists, stylists, TV personalities etc. We appreciate our customers & clients so much; we wouldn’t be where we are without them.
Going through your website I saw that you have mixtapes available which is super sweet. Is this a personal compilation and what’s your relationship with DJ Miss Yellow?We LOVE music. Music is constantly on in our work-shop. It helps with the design process, the art direction of our photo shoots, and sums up the story of our collections.
We have a new DJ that we really like do a mixtape for us for each collection that we produce, so we are constantly looking for new DJ’s (if you would like us to hear any of your mixes please email your sound-cloud to me- m@evolheist.com) Miss Yellow is a KILLER DJ from Hong Kong, I first heard one of her mixes for our friends at HELLZ- BELLZ (whatthehellz.com) and I had to get in touch with her right away.
She was touring in the UK a few months after, so we met up at one of her gigs and partied all night!
Being the bad-ass-lady that she is, she whipped up a phenomenal mixtape for our S/S 2011 collection (available on evolheist.com) and even flew to London to model the collection “NEW BREED” for us, then played a live set at our 1st Anniversary party! DJ Miss Yellow = T O T A L B A B E ! !
I also saw that you’re into ‘Blow Your Head’, so you obviously know what’s up! Who are some of your favorite music acts out right now?YES!! I’m into a lot of different music genres but right now the summer vibes are attacking my brain. Currently loving Maluca Mala, 18+, Bo Ningen, zAK-MATIC and a close friend of mine @BambooClart who is causing murderation on the dance floors of Birmingham & London- UK, he has also done our latest MixTape (EVOL DEAD) available at evolheist.com, GO GET IT!
[I’m also a fan of Maluca, 18+, and zAK-MATIC! So already I’m digging your taste!] Have you had a chance to design for any of them? Not yet ;)
What’s the best part of being your own boss?Being a designer, you need plenty of time to digest your environment (nowadays everything around you is constantly changing) and to be inspired. Being my own boss allows me to do exactly that. It’s also perfect for me to stay in touch with clients to discuss custom designs and to also make new friend. It gives me the freedom to live life the way I want to live it and having the ability to work from different cities.
Creating isn’t work for me, it’s what I feel most comfortable doing.
What has been the biggest challenge for Evol Heist and how have you learned from them?I think the biggest challenge to date has been making a piece that was so complicated to put together. We couldn’t release it because we would have had to charge a crazy amount for the work that had gone into it.
It was quite an extravagant bird- piece as apart of our Egypt collection; it covered your entire neck & chest area. There were over 100 small pieces that brought it all together. This taught us to simplify the technical side of our designs.Where do plan to expand Evol Heist? I read in a previous interview Evol Heist was thinking of furniture! Have you ever done any collaboration with anyone in the nail industry?We are planning a few things, furniture would be incredible to do. I have this vision in my head of a white room with everything in it made out of clear Perspex, so objects would look like they are floating at strange angles, but that would be in the far future if I had a chance of making these ideas. I suppose I have a thing for wanting to take people out of reality, with my visions/ designs.
As for nails, I LOVE GETTING MY NAILS DONE! I haven’t had a chance of posting my nail game up lately because we’ve been so busy. Also because I hand-make every piece of our jewellery, meaning I have to keep my nails short, or they break. It would be a dream to collaborate with a nail brand. So far we had the privilege of having Sophy Robson and her talented ladies throw down a sleek nailbar at our 1st Anniversary party in London, which was insane. Chicks were cued up to have their nails done by them!
What’s next for Evol Heist say F/W 2012?We’re actually in the process of designing accessories other than jewelery, I don’t want to give too much away!
Success is… a form of love, inner accomplishment and good vibes@evolheistwww.evolheist.comwww.twitter.com/evolheistwww.facebook.com/EvolHeistwww.evolheist.tumblr.com](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m21dpyKlWl1qzwhpyo1_r2_1280.jpg)
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Manicures are now more fun than ever, and Patty Cakes of Cake Nail$ wants everything to do with it. Rocking a chest piece tattoo, nerdy oversized frames, cat liner, and dyed bangs, Cakes puts her art background onto print and pattern hungry fingernail canvases. Known to her clients as a mother and craft master, Cakes stirs up her mobile nail business throughout LA. She started designing nails in 2008 and recently expanded her business to providing manicure services at fashion events in her city. Her technique includes use of a 10/0 art brush, dotting tools, toothpicks, OPI lacquers, and craft paint for better control and flexibility over the nails.
According to CND Grand Master Educator and ONYX Beauty Systems Laura Merzetti, craft/acrylic paints are safe and easy to use for quicker drying and less smudging - as long as applied thinly.
“When I use nail polish it dries up and it clumps really fast but with craft paint I can work with it longer,” says Cakes.
In a research by Scratch, trending OPI lacquers for summer 2012 are copper colours, rich indigos and clay shades including ‘Dutch Ya Just Love OPI?’, ‘Gouda Gouda Two Shoes’, and ‘Did You ‘ear About Van Gogh?’
Cakes Nails$ specializes in a variety of tribal pieces as well as pop art themes including Andy Warhol, Beavis and Butthead, and Hip-Hop counterparts ranging from $25-$35. Cakes has since attracted the attention of MTV Style and even gained demand from women’s streetwear Dimepiece Designs, Kelly Love of Dripped Fashion Soiree and Trunk Show, and rapper/dancer Rye Rye, all due to her natural knack in design, knowing what each client wants.
“The start [of working with Dimepiece Designs] was really cool,” says Cakes. “I was actually really surprised. Ashley Jones [Co-founder] turned into me their press packet and from there I got all the inspiration and just transferred all of their designs onto the menu, the nail board.”
In January 2012, Cakes had recreated the Dimepiece S/S 2012 collection ‘The Drug and The Dream’, incorporating sunset ambiance, lipstick, and pills. A rather fascinating preview of the brands lookbook before it was released to the public at the beginning of this month.
Earlier, at the end of summer in 2011, Cakes set aside her shy qualities and referenced herself to rapper Rye Rye via Facebook, sending a nail design she thought she might have liked.
“After that she was like ‘where were you last week when I did my video shoot, I need these nails in my life’ and I was like oh my god! A few weeks later she texted me if I could do her nails for her Jay Leno appearance. It was a very fun experience. She’s really down to earth,” says Cakes.
Today, Cakes preps herself early morning for her next appointment with Rye Rye in the afternoon. The rapper/dancer turning actress has a red carpet event for the action comedy ’21 Jump Street’ which she and singer Esthero made the theme song for. “She’s going to be in the new ’21 Jump Street’ movie, that’s what I’m doing nails for today!” says Cakes.
Outside of her experiences with branding Cake Nail$ online and getting her name out by word of mouth, Cakes gives a great amount of her careers success to her services at events.
“I think without my events I would just be sitting at home trying to get clients to come to me which is really hard,” says Cakes. “But when you’re out there people get to see you and get to know your personality instead of just looking at pictures online and coming in. It’s kind of scary. You don’t know what you’re going to get when you meet people online so events I feel definitely help with my branding and everything.”
But even with her confidence in her nail art performance at events, Cakes still has yet to answer what she would say has been her most game changing take on the nail industry. Instead she finds pleasure exploring what other nail artists are doing to add refreshment and inspiration to her own craft.
“I always watch what Nail Porn is putting out,” says Cakes. “It’s so dope! I have kids so I never really get a chance to be online too much so it’s really helpful to me to see what’s new.”
Some of Cakes web surfing has led her to seeing lots of crazy takes on nail art, the most alluring to her taste being 3-D.
“I’ve seen some crazy 3-D shit! I don’t really do too much, I just stick to art but it’s kind of like wow!” says Cakes.
Just as Cakes has dabbled in 3-D, she has also dipped into past entrepreneur ventures designing tees back in 2005. “Cakes” was her 6 piece collection that she promoted through events in LA with the help of her Myspace friend turned real friend Kelly Love. But “Cakes” faded away, and Cakes Nail$ was born as soon as she decided nail art had to be a major part of her life.
“When she [Kelly Love] started up again with Dripped she asked for my help. I told her I didn’t really have anything to offer with clothing but I’m doing nails and she said it would be cool. That’s where I got started, because she asked me to come to her events,” says Cakes.
“Patty is distant for great success as an artist, as a mother and as a business woman,” says Kelly Love. “I have been privileged enough to have seen Patty’s work from the very beginning and it keeps progressing and that’s why I go back for more. Every time I see new work I get very excited.”
Sidenote: When Patty Cakes spoke with me over the phone she misheard one of my questions. Phone reception will do that to ya! So to answer what has been her most game changing contribution to nails she says it was her A Tribe Called Quest nail tribute that she did after watching Beats Rhymes & Life: The Travels Of A Tribe Called Quest. Herwork ended up caughting the attention of director Micheal Rapaport and he actually made it his default on Facebook, “I was and still am on cloud 9 about that,” says Cakes.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m171b8EZiA1qzwhpyo1_r1_250.jpg)
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Every year there comes a point in time where I overdose on the internet. Like I take it too far with the finds, and Rollz Royce is by far one of the most addictive HTTP cravings. Not like I want to virtually eat him up or anything but I just can’t get enough of his, and fellow Traphouse’r Zak-matik, cleverness. Put it like this. They pick songs to remix. Zak-matik takes care of the beats, Rollz Royce blesses the visuals. Btw, we did this whole interview via Facebook and Twitter. Where there’s a will there is a new age way. Enter his haus, feed your virtual soul.
△ $ $ [ᶻ△KM△TIC Edi✝] TRAPHOUSE ! Rollz Royce v!deo edit NICKI MINAJ BIG SEAN from TRAPHOUSE on Vimeo.
Name Royce William RussingHometown Vegas Age 22 Blog ttauritraphouse.com Favorite Blogs BADLANDS777 but most blogs piss me off now (laughs).Most Known For My videos, I guess (laughs).Unknown For My video I guess (laughs).Trillest adventure? Driving to LA from Vegas, when I was 18 to see M.I.A show at The Wiltern and the Murakami exhibit. It was crazzy I can’t believe I survived to tell that I did that. How did you get the name Rollz Royce?! I don’t really know how I got that name, It just kinda stuck.I was introduced to your music videos after seeing your take on Maluca’s ‘Lola (Ging Danga’) then my girl Helen Koh put me onto the Traphouse Vimeo [which for the longest time, I thought was spelled ‘traphaus’]. What is Traphouse? And when and why did you start to make your hypnotic ass visuals? Traphouse is a blog that got started in the spring of 2010. We wanted to do posts on music, videos, and art we are obsessed with but not just post about them in a boring way. We wanted to add a trippy little spin on it, for example we would take a press shot of the artist, invert it and add trippy graphics to it. Or I will make a video for a song we love, or Zak would remix it. We also have t-shirts and clothing too. I’ve always loved movies and music videos and that’s something I’ve wanted to do my whole life. So when the blog got started I immediately started making videos from there and just kept growing.How did you and zAK- MATIK end up working together? For his first remix which was an edit of that Nicki Minaj and Christina Aguilera ‘Oh Nani Nani’, that was the first video I did for him…We met when I was in high school and he was in middle school though.I like the way you play around with different infrared emotions in your remixes. Sometimes they’re like mad sexy and spellbinding and other times they’re like a fiendish secret society. How do decide between the two (or whatever more you pull from) which is appropriate? Well the whole traphouse vibe is like sexy, dark, and hypnotic. Kinda like we want to brainwash you. And that’s something we wanted to do since the beginning like the whole hacker internet thing. But that just got so trendy. Have any of the music videos of yours been recognized by the artists you remix?Yes, traphouse videos have been recgonized by Maluca, Blaqstarr, Munchi, Heartbreak, and I did a video remix for Rusko’s song everyday which premiered on the Spin Magazine website. I know the remixes are still very much a creation of your own, but have you ever directed a video from scratch behind the camera? I just did a behind-the-scenes video for a clothing line called Capture. But to be able to actually direct a music video behind a camera would be a dream come true! I’m always hoping that a DJ will spin you and zAK-MATIK’s ‘A$$’ remix out in Chicago. I’m still waiting! Oh yeah!? Well, if any djs from chicago read this please play that remix!!!Does your work get play at parties or clubs? Yes there is this Moombahton party in LITHUANIA that @BOYFRIENDLT throws they always play the trpahouse vids . Oh my gosh I owe him a video! (laughs)Who do you consider to be an inspiration? What has been your biggest accomplishment, as well as challenges, since Traphouse? Omg, I feel like there are a lot of inspirations out there! Obviously all the djs from LA really inspire us, parties, David Lynch, the internet! Honestly, it always feels like we’ve accomplished something whenever an artist we really look up to shouts us out on Twitter (laughs)! Any upcoming projects/collaborations you got going on you care to share? Yes, I just did a video for Sticky K for a crazy song called ‘Persian Algebra’ Do you take remix request? Yes! As long as it’s dope! Who is your favorite breakthrough artist of 2011-2012? Hmmmmm I don’t know cuz all I listen to is mixtapes and DJs so I guess all the DJs I listen to! Where are you hoping to see Traphouse take you this year? Hopefully Traphouse will be traveling this year. We really need to get out of the country!
@rollzroyce_
http://vimeo.com/traphouse](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m02u4zdPNK1qzwhpyo1_r1_250.jpg)
