taji's mahal
Abstract Expressionist Leslie Alfred Created Art with Jack Kerouac. Now He Makes Art with Photoshop
Abstract expressionist Alfred Leslie's new 'Pixel Scores' series explores Photoshop, New York City, and 'The Maltese Falcon.'
Lurking the Lower East Side with Lurkavelli
Outsiders have taken over the Lower East Side, but according to the rapper Lurkavelli, gentrification hasn't stopped the neighborhood's poverty and crime problems.
Acapulco Gold and Friends
Spring starts next week, and to celebrate the hotly anticipated good weather, I'm premiering my latest skateboarding video, “Acapulco Gold and Friends.”
Dro FE Raps About Life on the Border of Texas and Mexico
For this week's Mahal, I cruised the streets of New York with Dro FE, a Texan rapper who recently released a free self-titled EP exploring his childhood in the Rio Grande Valley, where you either drive a Lambo or live in a shack.
Eby Ghafarian Wants to Create a New York–Based Skateboard Magazine
For this week's Mahal, I spoke to New York-based skateboarder Eby Ghafarian about Stoops, the new skateboard magazine he's currently raising money for on Kickstarter.
Teenage Rap Collective 3L$ Wants to Make Cobb County, Georgia a Household Name
Many rappers pretend to hail from Atlanta, but 3L$ has no desire to represent the ATL as their home base. When I spoke to Xavier Lee, one of 3L$'s ringleaders, about the group, he remained true to the group's mission to make Cobb County as famous as...
NEWTHINGS and AMO Had a Kickass Fashion Show
I headed down to the grand opening of the Lower East Side AMO Studios art space and NEWTHINGS fashion installation and caught up with the two people behind it, Ana Bezanilla and Edwin Bolta, to learn a little more.
Cruising with Philadelphia's Rap Guru Ryshon Jones
This week, I drove around in a fancy car with Philadelphia's Rap guru Ryshon Jones, as we chatted about his latest project, Hope Is a Dangerous Thing, an album and poetry collection examining hope in 21st century America.
Help Mosaic Man Finish His Mosaic Trail
For this week's Mahal, the Lower East Side's Clayton Patterson introduced me to Jim Power, the legendary Mosaic Man. Over the last 25 years, he has been creating the Mosaic Trail, a series of tile-encrusted lamp posts highlighting the people and places...
The Eramatics Are Teenage Rappers with Classic Hip-Hop Souls
For this week's Mahal, I met with the super fly trio the Eramatics. TahJmall, Ziiion, and Lexington bonded in middle school over their mutual love for music and being knuckleheads. In between skipping class and staying out late, they discovered their...
Simon J. Heath Talks About His New Movie 'Ten Men Talk New York'
This week, Lower East Side legend Clayton Patterson invited me to the screening of Simon J. Heath's new film, Ten Men Talk New York. A tale about what New York means to ten of its natives, the film doesn't fall short of its title. I caught up...
Rilgood Is Brooklyn's Self-Proclaimed King of Nigeria
For this week's Mahal, photographer Cheney Orr and I hooked up with our friend Rilgood—a rapper who calls himself “the King of Nigeria.” Rilgood immigrated from Nigeria to New York and since then has established himself as a musician known for his...