For those of you attending the fashion conventions (Magic/Project/Pool) in Vegas in next week…

Original Penguin and BPM present BUNNIES & PENGUINS: An Ironic Petting Zoo. Taking place at the Playboy Club in the Palms, come join Love Made bunnies dance to music provided by DJs SQUEAK E. CLEAN of N.A.S.A., SKEET SKEET, CLASSIXX and WENDY CITY.

That’s in Las Vegas, Tuesday September 1st at the Playboy Club in the Palms Hotel (9pm-4am).  Capacity is extremely limited so RSVP right away at www.bpmmagazine.net/penguin.

The Vegas fashion conventions are upon us again, which means it’s time for one of the best parties of the year: Vapors, BPM and Triple 5 Soul’s sixth party together, appropriately named, VI.

This year we’ve brought artists and label-heads from three of the hottest record labels in the country together: Dim Mak, Stones Throw and Fools Gold. The DJ talent includes STEVE AOKI (Dim Mak), PEANUT BUTTER WOLF (Stones Throw), TREASURE FINGERS (Fools Gold) and NICK CATCHDUBS (Fools Gold).

The event is in association with Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment who is releasing “What Happens in Vegas” that very same day.

This all goes down in Las Vegas, Tuesday August 26th (10pm-2am) at Jet Nightclub in the Mirage Hotel. RSVP HERE (guestlist closes at midnight).

RSVP HERE

In Las Vegas, spending your hard-earned cash at the Spearmint Rhino never gets old. That is, unless you’re DJ Crooked, who partnered up with fellow New Yorker, DJ Neva, and kimchi shoe guru Kenn Davenport to open the Knyew (pronounced “new”) earlier this year. “People were telling me to invest in a house,” says Crooked, “But I’m from New York. Who needs a house?”

Crooked pitched the boutique idea to Neva while they were both resident DJs at Sin City’s famed Jet Nightclub, and it struck a chord. “There was nowhere to go out here. It was a void. I would have to fly home to the East Coast for gear,” says Neva. Wasting no time, they set after the guy who could bring the project together.

“I knew them from the sneaker spot I was working at,” says Kenn Davenport of the DJs. “But one day they come in and they’re asking about the light fixtures instead of the new arrivals; that gave it away. I thought they wanted me to consult or get some contacts but really they were recruiting me.” Raised in Seoul, Korea, Kenn was exposed to the burgeoning footwear industry early on, and his impressive collection and knowledge have made him the go-to guy in Nevada’s small streetwear community.

With the people in place, Crooked and Neva parlayed their top-tier position in Lost Wages’ over-saturated nightlife industry. Considered marquee DJs around town and beyond, they are in a unique position, being both highly visible to the constant onslaught of visitors and friendly with the other DJs, whether resident or featured. “We do well because our clientele run in those circles,” Crooked points out. “So we have a network and resources where marketing is concerned. It opens doors to select the brands we want to work with.”

But the Knyew Boutique is not alone is widening the choices in Las Vegas. Stores like Undefeated have recently rolled into town, hoping to plant a little culture in the desert. Though it’s not a contest, Neva is quick to express: “Any boutique you walk into out here, if they are doing it right, you will get a sense of their culture. It’s all about looking fresh, always about style, having swagger. It benefits Vegas overall. We wanted to bring a piece of us to it, bring that New York culture. I mean, Knyew stands for Keeping New York Every Where.”

Located in Chinatown, the shop is just a jump from the Strip, making easy access for anybody patient enough to weather a casino cab line. But that’s a small price to pay to experience something as unique to Las Vegas as the trapeze act at Circus Circus. Filling the niche that it does, Knyew is bound to become LV’s destination for those who don’t rock button downs and hair gel to clubs, or drink “yards” of margarita from long plastic tubes.  

3735 Spring Mountain Rd., Suite 206

Las Vegas, NV  89102

702.252.5212

www.knyew.com

Graham Funke

Hello my name is…
Clinton Sparks.

Aka…
Mr. Get Familiar.

I was raised in…
Boston. Dorchester to be specific.

The reason that you’re reading about me is…
I’m a DJ, producer, songwriter, and a TV and radio personality.

I work for…
Myself, The Daily 10 on E!, Body English in the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas, and the fans.

Right now I’m working on…
Ludacris, Beyonce, Colby O’Donis, and Bun B’s albums, as well as my album and my new artist Supastar L.T.’s album. Also working on music with Akon, Ne-Yo and the PCD’s.

But I’d rather be…
I’m doing exactly what I want to be doing in my life, if I wasn’t I wouldn’t be doing it.

I’ve worked with…
Akon, Diddy, Luda, Bun B, Busta Rhymes, Kanye West, Clipse, Kardinal Offishall…

I’d love to work with…
Teddy Riley, Weezer, Pink, Jay-Z and anybody open minded and willing to experiment with new ideas and sounds.

My most prized possessions are…
My family, my team (Daouda: manager, Kamau: engineer, DJ BK: assistant engineer), and my ability to understand different personalities and deal with irrational, difficult people.

The first thing I do in the morning is…
When I’m at home: put my contacts in, have breakfast with my son, vacuum my studio, then get to work. When I’m on the road: check my Blackberry, then get to work.

The last thing I do at night is…
When I’m at home: turn off my equipment and check out some online porn. When I’m on the road: I check out some porn then lie down and fall asleep watching TV.

I can’t travel without…
My Blackberry and laptop.

My momma always said…
I don’t know. I didn’t listen to her much, except when she yelled, “Turn that music down!”

I love it when people…
Help each other out and show courtesy to one another.

I can’t stand when people…
Are unappreciative—it’s disgusting.

I have too many…
Things I want to accomplish and friends.

I don’t have enough…
Time or real friends.

I spend too much money on…
My house and plane tickets.

The most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen is…
My son being born.

The ugliest thing I’ve ever seen is…
My wife’s face while that was happening! Just joking, she was beautiful.

I really should…
Hurry up and finish recording my album so I can be making more records for other people.

If you ever see me walking down the street…
I’m in a rush, so it wouldn’t be the best time to get my attention with an “I’m the hottest artist in the world” speech.

My most notable run-in with the law…
Was when I was in the judge’s chambers and the judge gave the plaintiff the choice of me going to juvenile prison or home after I was caught breaking in her house and was going to mash her with a frying pan in order to get out of the house, but she walked by without noticing me so I made a break for it. She told the judge let me go home. Bless her heart!

If I had to say sorry it would be because…
I spend all my time working. That’s the reason I wrote the “Sorry Blame It On Me” record with Akon. It’s a true story!

The last time I swore I’d never drink was after a night of…
Watching my dad as a kid almost kill my mom when he was drunk when I was 5. I decided I would never drink. If there is more negative than positive with something, then I want nothing to do with it.

You can catch me…
On The Daily 10 on E! every Tuesday at 7:30 and midnight, at Smashtime Saturdays at Body English in Las Vegas, every week on my worldwide syndicated radio show Smashtime radio (also on Shade 45 on SIRIUS and smashtimeradio.com), smashing down a club in your country or city, and on clintonsparks.com.

Future projects and plans…
My album is coming out soon, Supastar L.T.’s album, announcing my first major record deal and a massive new mixtape I’m dropping on 2008 featuring Ludacris, Rick Ross, Jim Jones, Akon, Clipse, Yung Joc, Kardinal Offishal, Busta Rhymes…

And before I leave I’d like to give a shout out to…
Everyone that enjoys what I do and comes to the clubs I smash, bumps my mixtapes, and anyone that has ever told anyone else to get familiar with Clinton Sparks. Thank you!

Hello my name is…
Graham Funke. Yup, that’s my government name.

I was raised in…
Los Angeles, California.

But I’m now in…
Las Vegas.

The reason you’re reading about me is…
DJ-du-jour. Print anthropologist. hACkTOR.

Right now I’m working on…
Trabajo mix CD Tour with Dj Stonerokk. Check out thecoipond.com/trabajo, you won’t be disappointed.

But I’d rather be…
Like Robert Evans or Anton Szandor LaVey and Bob Guccione with Roger Vadim; also Ernest Tidyman à la Emilio Pucci via Walt Frazier.

My most prized possessions are…
Vintage sunglasses collection. Some faves: Porsche 5620, Alpina Goldwings, Phantom Silhouettes, Cazal 902 Targa.

But I’d give it all away for…
An emotional breakthrough. Or some krugerrands.

The first thing I do in the morning is…
French press.

The last thing I do at night is…
French kiss.

My momma always said…
Family first.

I love it when people request…
Main Source. But that doesn’t ever happen.

I hate it when people request…
Daft Punk. Uh, you just discovered them? “Around The World,” people.

If you ever see me walking down the street…
Ackrite.

My most notable run-in with the law…
I was detained in South Korea for “impersonating a military official.”

If I had to say sorry it would be because…
I knew I was wrong and convinced you I wasn’t.

I am what I drive, which is…
1987 Chevy Monte Carlo SS Aerocoupe.

Future projects and plans…
Official Playboy Club Mix CD Tour: one bus, 10 Playboy Bunnies, and
Graham Funke.

And before I leave I’d like to give a shout out too…
The Captains Of Industry™, “Your favorite DJ’s favorite DJs™.”