Each week, we’re asking different writers, artists and others to share some of their current favorites. This week we feature picks from Ashok Kondabolu a.k.a. Dapwell, a former member of rap group Das Racist who lives in Brooklyn.
1. Fake Rolex Watches
I’ve been reading a lot about watches, their history, how they work. Pretty fascinating stuff. This has, of course, led to me trolling Canal Street for knockoff Rolexes, which takes approximately three minutes. I’ve been going to the same Chinese woman since. She’s the runner, she brings you to someone else who asks what you want and shows you a laminated card. You pick what you want and either wait there for it to arrive in a ziploc or you follow them to a third location. I’ve gotten them down to thirty, I refuse to go any lower because they deserve that money and they’re (sometimes) fine watches, they just happen to closely resemble extremely expensive ones.
2. Highland Pants
I met Lizzie Owens a few years ago when she was designing costumes for videos and stuff like that. Her label Highland is totally rad. I’ve been buying these pants from her, I’ve slowly accrued them in several colors. They have light sheen, the fabric is awesome, but the fit is incredible. I’m mostly off jeans (since you asked). I had to buy Chuck Taylors in optic white, my first pair of white sneakers (and Chucks) ever. Heavy.
3. Slice Harvester Zines
My dude Colin aka Slice Harvester started a blog where he went to every pizzeria in New York from the top to the bottom. I interviewed him for the first episode of my rarely-dropped Chillin Island show and we became friends. We go on long walks and ramble every three months and then don’t see each other. Once he sat in my room while I was on a bender and we had a wildly “deep” conversation for an hour. Things like that. He is in the process of writing a book that is coming out next year, he’s a smart dude and a good writer. I just found the three zines of his he gave me during that taping a few years ago. The zine covers are all based on records (I think).
4. Rave Tank
GloFish are genetically modified variants of three different species of fish that glow under blue LEDs. It looks seriously trippy. I had a fish tank when I was growing up, but it’s been awhile. It’s a lot of work but I’m totally into it now, I have 3 ghost shrimp, 2 red cherry shrimp, a snail, and 6 GM white skirt tetras (3 pairs of pink, green, and orange). I also have some java ferns in there amidst the fake blacklight plants, just to oxygenate the tank. Make sure to do your partial water changes, people. Oh, the fish are illegal to own or sell in California and the EU.
5. Lakutis, Three Seashells
One of my best friends of many years Aleksey Weintraub is putting out his first album, Three Seashells, in a few weeks. I’ve been listening to it excessively and helped him with the tracklisting a bit. Which means I wrote and produced the entire album. It’s a fairly short and intense listen, but pretty good. Check for it soon, you can hear a half second of my terrible voice at the start of the first skit (I’m famous now).
6. Blackfish
Horrifying CNN/Magnolia documentary about cruelty towards (and committed by) killer whales at Sea World and other places like that. Horrific all around, people and corporations are terrible and both should be wiped off the planet by G-d.
You can follow Ashok Kondabolu on Twitter @dapwell or at dapwell.com.
I second the Slice Harvester zines. Good Stuff!!!