Wordsmith’s newest single “Hook up Hotline” is currently in rotation at select radio stations across the United States. Nu Revolution Entertainment is also preparing the release of the video for the song. It’s on the cutting room floor and should be ready shortly. So be on the look out.

But here at Vintage Limited, we thought we’d give you a taste of his spiritual side as well. This new joint is called Leap of Faith off the International Odyssey Mix Tape, and it’s available for free download through the link below. The hook and the beat are addictive, and as usual Wordsmith provides fire on the microphone. Tell us what you think.

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Shaun B, Wordsmith, and myself finally coordinated our schedules and were able to head out together to one of the swankiest and trendiest spots in Baltimore: Red Maple.

In the minds of the Baltimore elite, Red Maple is a hot spot for fusion cuisine. But during the week, they host a hip hop party called “Always Dope” sponsored by local boutiquer PedX. This was my first opportunity to meet Pedx owner Garth and check out the spot. I was pleased on both accounts. The DJs played a great set of classic hip hop, house, techno. They even had a few emcees jump on the mic and rock the crowd. Garth himself is an even-minded promoter with a drive for success. For such a small and intimate venue, pulling in 60 people on a week night is quite an accomplishment. And they do it weekly.

Wordsmith will actually be performing at Red Maple – Always Dope on February 2nd. So clear your schedule and come out and support the Baltimore hip hop community!

On another note, I visited PedX at their shop location on Aliceanna Street in Bmore a few weeks back. If you get the opportunity, visit these guys, support them, and tell them Vintage Limited sent you. I found stuff in the shop that was priced under what the actual labels price their stuff for on their own websites. And if you’re into street fashion like we are, they have a fantastic selection for the brand conscious.

Yours truly was on location for Wordsmith’s UK single video shoot “Tour Guide to New Bride” this past weekend. It was my first time hearing the song. And the hook hasn’t left my head yet. It’s that good. I even found my way into the video with about 20 extras, so when the shot comes out, I’m the guy in the hallway wearing a Carolina blue Amongst Friends baseball cap, white Marc Ecko track jacket, white Adidas sneakers, and a Carolina blue Vintage Limited “Lion in the City” t-shirt. Yes, I like to coordinate my outfits.

After a late night of shooting on Friday, Wordsmith was spiriting around the city of Baltimore on Saturday morning and I had a hard time keeping up. No sooner had he texted me his first location and I arrived, then he was on to the next. But I grabbed photos where I could and when I could. In sub-freezing temperatures, I finally had to bow out on much of day two and all of day three. I posted a few photos here for interested fans. This was a full-out production done by Washington DC film company D Dot Films. And we had a blast!

If you want to see more exclusive photos than what I’ve posted here, send me a friend’s request on Facebook and then dig into my photo albums where I kept other great photos. I’m sure you’ll find other interesting things too.

Big thanks to my buddy Greg Jones for bringing out his heavily modified 2004 Chevy Avalanche, Southern Comfort edition. Greg sat around for nearly six hours only to be told by the production company that they didn’t have enough time to capture his truck in a particular scene. At least he got face time in the video.

photos copyright © 2010 Trey Palmisano (distribution is prohibited)

I took these exclusive photos of Wale when he rocked the 9:30 Club on New Year’s day. You can read the article/review I wrote here for On Tap Magazine:

http://www.ontaponline.com/view_article.php?article_id=11776

Wordsmith is no stranger to hard work. In 2009, the Baltimore emcee has emerged as a mainstay on the regional hip hop scene, building an impressive resume, sharing the stage with big name talent like Wu Tang, Wale, Sheek Louch (of LOX), Jim Jones, and Poor Righteous Teachers, and creating buzz with his mounting success that includes a CD release with hip hop legend Chubb Rock, a clothing deal with DC’s hottest brand Durkl, and a veritable hailstorm of tracks released to major media sites.

In December 2009, Wordsmith dropped “Overdue & Underrated,” his most expressive and well-received mix tape yet, scoring over 500,000 downloads in less than a month from the largest free mix tape sites on the internet. The tracks are produced by Strada and Street Level and are mixed by DJ Ykcor and DJ Nominal.

Overdue & Underrated demonstrates the most sophisticated beat mixing, lyrically emotive, and deadeye delivery of any Wordsmith project to date. And yet, this is just a prelude to his first solo album “Vintage Material” dropping March 2010.
But why take my word for it? Download it for free at one of the following sites, check back, and tell us what you think.

http://www.flawlesshustle.com/music/wordsmith-overdue-underrated-mixtape

http://www.frostclick.com/wp/index.php/2009/12/07/overdue-underrated-mixtape-by-wordsmith-just-released-catchy-hip-hop-tracks-now-free-from-frostwire

http://www.coast2coastmixtapes.com/mixtapes/mixtapedetail.aspx/wordsmith-overdue-and-underrated

Wordsmith being a Vintage Clothing Limited sponsored artist has partnered with us to bring you a special 20% off discount code found in your mixtape download contents. The code is good towards your next purchase of any Vintage Limited item in our online store. Note that this code was only good until December 31st 2009 as it states on the coupon in your download. However, we have secretly expanded that expiration date thru January 31st 2010 and if you are reading this post now you should take advantage of that offer before it expires once again.

Just got back from DC where I watched Wale kill it! Someone forgot to tell me that the clubs in DC stay open way past my bedtime. 3 am is hard on a dude with three little children!

Anyhow, the ride was worth it. The line wrapped around the block. Waited almost two hours to get in. But the night had some highlights – Wale, UCB, and Fly Gypsy. And some lowlights – Remy! Last time I saw someone booed from the start of their set that bad was in the early ’90s when I saw N2Deep open for MC Serch at Towson University.

I was covering the show for On Tap Magazine, so look for a more indepth review in next month’s issue at www.ontaponline.com. Also, Wale’s got a fresh jam out on Nike’s Secret Society mix. You can find it at http://joegalvan.net/secretsociety.

What’s good Vintage fam? Maybe some of you are looking for a venue to bring in the new year?

Mist, a new nightclub in B-more is located on 5,000 sq ft of property and for 25.00 a person you are treated to a great mix of music by DJ Sal Flip and Mark Forrest from 9pm-4am. Oh, and since it’s a masquerade ball, masks are provided to all who come. Hide that ugly mug of yours or create a little mystery! A portion of the proceeds will go to The Epicenter, an organization that takes Baltimore youth off the street and mentors them with an eye towards various career opportunities. www.epicenterbaltimore.org.

Mist is located at 124 Market Place in Baltimore, Md. Or check them out at www.mistbaltimore.com

Why do we follow fashion? Why is fashion a part of who we are? Expression is everything. We’re creatures who, despite our differences, our lifestyles, our principles, crave social interaction. That interaction isn’t always about communicating verbally. It’s just as much communicating who you are by what you wear, what you drive, or even where you eat. In the Devil Wears Prada, Meryl Streep has one of the most memorable monologues. It’s a classic retort to Anne Hathaway’s character who thinks people who thrive on fashion are simply disconnected from the social mores that rule the masses. In the movie, Hathaway who is a vanilla fashion assistant makes an ignorant, though unforgivable comment (given the company she’s keeping), about what she considers indistinguishable differences in fashion choices, to which Streep replies:

You go to your closet and you select out, oh I don’t know, that lumpy blue sweater, for instance, because you’re trying to tell the world that you take yourself too seriously to care about what you put on your back. But what you don’t know is that that sweater is not just blue, it’s not turquoise, it’s not lapis, it’s actually cerulean. You’re also blithely unaware of the fact that in 2002, Oscar De La Renta did a collection of cerulean gowns. And then I think it was Yves St Laurent, wasn’t it, who showed cerulean military jackets? I think we need a jacket here. And then cerulean quickly showed up in the collections of 8 different designers. Then it filtered down through the department stores and then trickled on down into some tragic Casual Corner where you, no doubt, fished it out of some clearance bin. However, that blue represents millions of dollars and countless jobs and so it’s sort of comical how you think that you’ve made a choice that exempts you from the fashion industry when, in fact, you’re wearing the sweater that was selected for you by the people in this room. From a pile of stuff.

The point is clear: Those who take themselves too seriously to be fashion conscious are unconsciously partakers. But what doesn’t come out clearly in Streep’s comments is the fact that those who do go into a Casual Corner or a New York and Co. or a GAP or an Old Navy and choose a blue sweater over a purple one base that decision not simply on momentary whim but on a variety of factors that have taken up seat in their subconscious. It’s not about promulgating what you will wear as if some ellusive blend of illuminati-type fashion mavens huddle around a table in a secret location and decide the new black is blue. The talent of the designer is to anticipate what you will wear before you do by reaching into those subconscious frames of references, considering what might have contributed to them, and then to build hot apparel that appeals to as wide an audience as possible. Think about that the next time you think you’re above or beyond such “pretenious” forms of expression. You might just be at the bottom of the food chain and not even know it.

Vintage Clothing Limited started as a clothing company with a commitment to cater to the savvy hip hop fan. We’ve never lost sight of that goal and at this time of the season when everyone is focused on retail shopping, you would think a clothing company would be too.

But there is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven. While you can’t help but be distracted by the rampant buying and shopping, let’s remember that the tradition of giving gifts helps us reflect on the greatest gift of all – the salvation offered by God to humanity through Jesus Christ.

We hope in this time of family, friends, and celebration that you set some time aside to re-evaluate your own relationship with God and consider all the blessing you have.

If you’re looking for a last minute Christmas gift, and you’re a special kind of Wii fan that’s not only into the family games but wants to try your hand at a few more mature games, there’s three good reasons to go pick up MadWorld. Yes, MadWorld has been out for a minute, but consider this if you never picked it up: (1) The game received great reviews from the critics. (2) It is now only $19.99 at most retail stores.(3) It features the song “Death and Honor” from our homie Wordsmith! I picked up my own copy yesterday, having just picked up a Wii for my kids for Christmas. So when they’re done tearing up Wii Resort, Disney Princess, and everything else, I’ll steal downstairs in the later hours of the night to play some MadWorld and peep what I’ve heard is a great soundtrack of top-notch underground hip hop.