InTheRough - Chillin' Me Softly

Here is to warm beautiful weather, turning up, making money, and romance aka Summer 2015. "Chillin' Me Softy" is a playlist by InTheRough that captures the aforementioned themes. The collection draws upon tunes enjoyed throughout the staff's time at university in South Carolina and Washington, D.C., noticeable with trap influences from nearby Atlanta and more diverse sounds from the likes of 3LAU and Flatbush Zombies. A long-awaited return to native Pittsburgh, PA sparked the addition of Wiz and Mac. ITR aims to provide an arrangement of music that is cohesive as it flows from vibe to vibe, beginning and ending with Chance The Rapper, where is SURF, Chance? Enjoy "Chillin' Me Softly" below and explore SC for more tunes curated by InTheRough.

VibeRotation 16 by JR Walker

VibeRotation 16 comes courtesy of InTheRough's friend, JR Walker. I met him last year thanks to College, and quickly learned his West Coast, Los Angeles roots combined with a past obsession with Pharrell and one ongoing with Kobe Bryant make JR a well researched and well experienced spawn of popular culture. For instance, he is a tastemaker of many sorts. VibeRotation 16 will simply satisfy his musical influence. Today he delivers a playlist that stretches from the East Coast to his home on the West, with songs new and old, melodious and kicking. An appropriate remix of Lana Del Ray's "Brooklyn Baby" provides a splendid surprise. Enjoy VibeRotation 16 below and listen to the series in full at InTheRough's SoundCloud.

Valued: A Speaker for the Music Enthusiast

val·ue (ˈvalyo͞o), noun. the regard that something is held to deserve; the importance, worth or, usefulness of something. 

Source: Google 

Welcome to a new component of InTheRough.  Whether it be the shoes we wear, the coffee (or tea) we drink, or the books we read, consumers place a value on the products we buy and the activities we engage in every single day.  Rooted in aesthetic and functionality, Valued is merely the illustration of the essentials we at InTheRough and fellow creatives alike rely upon in our Goods-filled endeavors.

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The desire to listen and discover music also stimulates a curiosity to understand the way in which it is heard.  The medium in which music is perceived is just as important as the actual activity itself.  Great speakers, whether they be in your home, car, headphones, or on-the-go, execute an audial presence that encompasses the full range of human hearing.  The "better sounding" speakers are those that not only consider execution but the synthesis of material and design; science and art. 

For young or traveling audiophiles, portability is key.  A functional speaker that carries high quality, high fidelity sound in a work space, apartment, dorm room, or even outdoors is the goal.  The Bose Soundlink Mini Bluetooth Speaker is intriguing in its design while packing the clarity and volume to entertain the necessary vibes of large group settings or relaxing Sunday afternoons.  While great sounding speakers can come at an expensive price, audiophiles can find well executed models at a wide price range.  If you are in the market for speakers, the Soundlink Mini can be purchased here and don't forget to check out the accompanying visuals. 

VibeRotation 15

InTheRough's VibeRotation playlists continue with number 15. The newest member to the collection carries a contemporary theme as it features music released mostly within the last three months. It pays homage to one of 2015's early projects, Joey Bada$$'s B4.DA.$$  with a track that deserves more air time, same story for Drake's "Madonna". West Coast styles flow throughout playlist highlighted by a new track from Jhené Aiko that released yesterday. Atlanta group Two-9 and Timbaland signee, Tink appear as I have certainly joined their fan clubs, especially after listening to B4FRVR and browsing the young lady's ample catalog. Some house influences are sprinkled in as well. Give VibeRotation 15 a spin below and be sure to follow ITR on SoundCloud!

The Timberland 6-Inch Boot: Form, Function, and Hip-Hop Cool

The Swartz family was certainly not aware of the cultural mainstay they created in 1978 when the Abington Shoe Company became The Timberland Company solely from the success of one boot. Timberland, footwear specialists, makes a boot called the 6-Inch Waterproof Boot that is so deeply rooted in popular culture due to its functionality, simplicity, and urban youths who stomped around New York City in the early 1990s, specifically those in the world of hip-hop.

What made the 6-Inch Boot so unique, and better than its competitors during the time of its birth, was the boot's creation process. In 1965 Timberland introduced injection-molding technology that fused soles to leather uppers without stitching, producing a true waterproof boot. Innovative design and production led to a classic in 1973 when Abington Shoe Company delivered one of the first leather waterproof boots of its kind, the Timberland 6-Inch Boot, originally named under Abington as the "Timberland". The Yellow boot was an immediate success.  Such a commercial success only made sense for Abington Shoe Company to change its name to what it was best known for, hence The Timberland Company. Incorporating premium full grain nubuck leather, rubber lug soles, comfortable glove leather lining, padded leather collars, and unprecedented craftsmanship, Timberland's 6-Inch was the perfect work boot to fit within the company's hard working and dedicated philosophy that represented its fellow New England natives. Furthermore, the boot carries a simplistic attitude and build highlighted in its "Yellow", "Wheat", or "Butter" colorway that stores like Saks Fifth Avenue keenly recognized as a staple in fashion. This aspect allowed the Timberland 6-Inch to transcend its construction, weatherproofing, and work-purpose origins, opening the doors for the 1990s taste-making hip-hop community in New York City to make this rugged boot "cool".

The NYC hip-hop scene in the '90s saw Timberland's 6-Inch Waterproof Boot everywhere--on the feet of Notorious B.I.G., Wu-Tang Clan, Jay Z, Swif-N-Wessun, and more. In a 2012 interview current Timberland CEO Jeff Swartz stated how he was initially surprised the boot had such a following amongst inner city teens and young adults. Why was this the case? The pride the Swartz family has in their brand and their product was evident as Jeff Swartz spoke. He proclaims, "We make the best damn boot in the whole world, we guarantee it for life and it won't disappoint you... Our strategy has been about putting your head down and making something so good that they gotta have it." This confidence the Swartz family has injected into Timberland since its inception goes hand in hand with hip-hop's self-boasting and tough mentality that is often confused with brash arrogance. Black Timb poster boy and Wu-Tang member, RZA, said of the boot in an interview with GQ last year, "They had all the qualities of a good product and that's why we continued to wear them. Timberlands became something that was cool and rugged at the same time." In a world where suede Pumas, shell-toe adidas, and Jordans were already staples in wardrobes, the Timberland boot offered a fresh alternative to add to rappers' baggy jean, oversized, working-class chic look, while offering form and function in New York City's brutal winter weather. The boot was name dropped with ease in songs and appeared on album covers seamlessly fusing fashion and hip-hop into a cohesive unit that still remains today, "Timbs all seasons for ass kickin' reasons," rapped Swif-N-Wessun in his 1995 "Wrekonize".  This trend that gained momentum in the 1990s has now turned into a staple piece in the wardrobes of all walks of life and is still seen on the feet of pop culture's most influential people such as Kanye West and Cara Delevingne.

Without the Timberland craze that swept through the hip-hop and urban communities, the 6-Inch Waterproof Boot would not be the icon it is now. To pay homage to this fact, InTheRough took to our current urban environment in Greenville, SC with our classic Timbs to shoot a lookbook. The purpose was to highlight the confidence, rugged, and cool characteristics that weave through Timberland's boot and hip-hop culture. The top of Greenville's Paris Mountain and a happened-upon skatepark, called ROOTS Skatepark, served as the perfect landscapes with their colorful, raunchy, and boastful graffiti facades.  We showcase the one and only Yellow 6-Inch Timberland, as well as a copper brown pair that compliments the classic. The lookbook is available above, enjoy!

Buy your pair here and read more about Timberland on the brand's website!

ROOTS Skatepark

3708 White Horse Road, Greenville, SC 29611