Assemble Online Magazine

I am proud to present one of the best Hip hop dance competitions ever put together, Ultimate Brawl.  In its 9th installment, Ultimate Brawl continues to bring forth the hype and entertainment of street and studio dancing all on one stage. The Ultimate Brawl stage has been previously blessed with the likes of Sickstep (of So You Think You Can Dance and America’s Got Talent), Team Millenia (America’s Best Dance Crew), as well as the members of the Jabbawockeez (America’s Best Dance Crew) and Quest Dance Crew (America’s Best Dance Crew). This year, the competition brings forth a whole new generation of talent with crews old and new, ready to raise the bar of hip hop dance.

Here are this year’s performers and competitors:

Check out the trailer:




Brought to you by UC Riverside’s 909 Hip hop Dance Troupe, Ultimate Brawl will once again be held in the historic Riverside Municipal Auditorium in downtown Riverside, CA, on May 3, 2009. Doors open at 5 p.m. Pre-sale tickets are sold for $15 and will be $18 at the door. Come through and be ready for a night of stiff competition and insane street dancing.

P.S.  Did I mention alcohol is being served?  So bring your IDs and drink responsibly.

A Street Fighter Tribute Art Show?!?!  That is freakin’ genius!

For all you video game enthusiasts, Street Fighter and general art fans, Gallery Nucleus in Alhambra, CA, with support from CAPCOM, Udon Entertainment, and I am 8-bit, is proud to present: “Jab Strong Fierce: A Street Fighter Tribute” art show. Open until May 11 (a little late, I know), the show features artwork by Luke Chueh, Jim Mahfood, Eric Fortune, David Jien and over 40 other artists.

This tribute is in celebration for the release of the new Street Fighter 4 and the movie, “Streetfighter: The Legend of Chun Li.”

I know its been a while since those products have been released, but who cares.  It’s a Street Fighter art exhibit for goodness sake!  Any form of Street Fighter media always takes us back to the early days of the first Street Fighter. Even until this day, it still maintains its hype.

At the gallery, you can also sign up for a Street Fighter 4 tournament to win cash and other prizes. There’s also a Cosplay competition, raffle prizes, and a Street Fighter costume competition. In other words, it’s pretty much a Street Fighter festival. If you’re an art or Street Fighter fan, you can’t miss out on this rare event. Click here for more information.

Stay tuned to Assemble for updates on event coverage for this exhibition.

Jab Strong Fierce

10 Deep Spring 2009 Delivery 2

Coming at you is the second spring 2009 line from 10 Deep. This line has dope short sleeve button up patterns mixed in with some chill oxfords. The lookbook is available to check out and the line drops May 1, 2009.

Visual Communications Film Festival 2009

In honor of celebrating Asian Pacific Heritage Month, Visual Communications is bringing us the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival. Opening night is at the Directors Guild of America in Los Angeles at 7 p.m. on Thursday April 30, 2009. The festival hits off with “Children of Invention,” a drama about Americans attempting get-rich-quick schemes to get out of their financial troubles. It also touches on the influence of adults on children. The centerpiece film, “Treeless Mountain,” takes the audience on a journey of two young girls abandoned by their mother and left to fend for themselves. Ending the festival is the Oscar winning film, “Departures,” a tale of a struggling musician who later moves to the country and runs a crematorium. It sounds weird, but I’m curious to understand the director’s intent in this film.

This week-long festival will feature many other films from different Asian Pacific backgrounds. Here is a link to some of the other films’ trailers. So check this event out filmsters!

If you’re down for the Inland heat and a drive out to the boonies, UC Riverside’s Associated Students Program Board is hosting their annual Spring Splash event on the new and improved UCR Campus on May 2, 2009, starting at 11 a.m.  The Spring Splash stage has been previously blessed with the likes of Jurassic 5, E-40, Talib Kweli, The Ataris, and many other well-known musical acts.

This year Common is comin’ to blaze the stage along with The Skeletones, Wale, Beatmo, and others. First off, did I mention this event is free every year? Free Common?!? Yeah … you can’t sleep on that.

Spring Splash is off the chain every year. You have college kids runnin’ around startin’ water fights, the smell of BBQ in the air, local high school kids causing immature ruckus, games, bomb food, and live entertainment. And once again, FREE!. Click here for more details on the event.

Paul Smith Spring 2009

When we can finally get some sun back in So Cal, check out the spring line of eyewear from Paul Smith. What I love about his design is that it fits both casual and formal settings. I’ve come to live by one saying: “quality over quantity.” With sunglasses you will only need a couple of pairs in your wardrobe. The samples shown in the picture (starting from the top down) are my favorites in the collection.

The PS-840 is the classic aviator look, but the different color schemes add a new dimension and flavor allowing it to be worn cruising the beach or in a suit rolling up to a business lunch.

Now in with the retro style, the PS-509, which also comes in different colors, offers an old school look for these new school times. For some reason, in these shades you’ll feel like ditching work and cruisin’ the streets Ferris Bueller style. I really love this style, but for a lot of guys who have a wider face I chose the PS-3010. It is a wider fit and still holds the iconic look I saw in the 509’s. These shades can be found at many online stores, but the Oliver Peoples site offers a list of boutiques carrying them as well.

If you’ll be in Honolulu, Hawaii, on May 29, 2009 consider yourself lucky. The First Lady of Neo-Soul, Erykah Badu, is set to perform at the Waterfront at the Aloha Tower. There’s nothing that Badu can’t do and every musician would love to collaborate with this gifted soul singer and writer. I’m not too familiar with the opening acts but I am definitely excited to also see Goapele perform. Goapele’s voice soothes the soul and the beats just make you groove. This night of entertainment is a must for any music lover. Goapele, Erykah and Hawaii, what more could you ask for? Get tickets here.

Whether you’re feelin’ electronic, hip-hop, crowds of crazy-ass people or hot chicks, make sure you’re at Audiotistic May 9, 2009, in San Bernardino at the NOS Events Center. The vibe at Audiotistic is crazy and that’s not even due to the drugs being dropped or weed being smoked. It’s just the cool, energetic environment brought together by good music.

You have hip-hop cats such as Goldie, Z-trip, Cool Kids, and The Roots as well as other dope acts. Personally I’m not feelin’ electronic music, but Chromeo, after hearing only a few tracks, is pretty sick.  TheFreshman can vouch for that too.

Check out the lineup…

Need I say more …