New Edited Lupe Footage

What up FNF army,
My name is Xavier and I wanted to share the fruits of my labor with you. This video is the product of three crazy sleepless days. It all started a week ago, June 25th, when I went to a concert here in Milwaukee Staring the Cranberry show (http://www.myspace.com/cranberryshow). I was inspired by their music and decided to design some skateboard decks for them earlier that week. When I was at the show I ran into my guy Whaz and we began to talk about how cool it was to just design stuff we like and how we wish we could just make a living doing our own stuff. Then the idea hit me. Why not design a deck for Lupe!





Click on the skate boards if you would like to own one.

I love his music and he's coming to my city in four days. I hadn't heard Shining Down at that time but I knew it was out. So on Friday, after already missing two days of sleep on top of working 8-5 and designing the Cranberry show decks I took a bike ride up the lake front to relax. Then I sat down and went to work. According to iTunes I listened to shining down 270 times that night. I banged out the first deck of Lupe being drawn up into the heavens sporting a warrior jacket. I thought to my self, hey this is cool but now what am I going to do with it? GET IT LASER ETCHED!!!!! get it, L.A.S.E.R.(S.) etched lol.

Now that the first board was designed I devised a scheme to try and get some media passes to the show and give a one of a kind laser etched version of the design to Lupe Fiasco him self in a gift basket. So all of Sunday was spent making phone calls. First to summerfest to try and get the passes which took 8 different calls. Then to local businesses and friends from school for more material to put in the gift basket to make it official (a lot harder than I thought it was). Then Cara Lewis' office, Lupe's booking agent, who told me to email his publicist at Atlantic. Remember this whole time I'm still doing finishing touches on the Cranberry Show deck and trying to get that made.

So now its Monday and I have to catch the bus down to my school and buy two blank decks from one of the illustration teachers because no one in Milwaukee sells blanks. Then go to the laser engraving place who said it wouldn't be a problem to lase a board. However, when I got there they realized my designs bled over the whole board and the machines couldn't handle the curves. Now I'm stuck resizing the design on the fly to fit his parameters.

I get a ride with my cousin to finish the work day, BTW he stopped at a tae kwon doe shop and bought a sword on the way which I thought was cool but I was in a rush and he was taking his sweet time. I get to work and have to sit though some meetings, when I get out I look at my phone... MISSED CALL FROM ATLANTIC RECORDS!!!! Egghhsh isdlfkna avaablv boo is all I can say. When I tried to call back the number they called from was always bussy.

Any how, I finally get a call from Summerfest and they tell me am good to go on the media passes. Now I'm all excited and stuff and I sent Whaz the message and he couldn't believe that I actually followed though on that idea we had riding in the car at 1:45am.

Every thing appears to be gravey so after work I head out to the laser etching company but once I get there they're closed. I am pissed. I mean no I really am pissed. They said they were going to wait for me to come and pick up the boards because I needed to have them that day but no they left.

But the show must go on so instead of having real one of a kind peaces of art to offer Lupe I went to digi copy and printed 25 2-6 inch fliers -the inspiration for the second deck with the words.

Met up with Whaz and Will then headed down to summerfest but once we got there and went to pick up our passes we realized that Summerfest gave us free tickets but not media passes! Egghhh by this time its 7:30 and the miller stage is all read packed with Lupe fans so there is no way we are going to get a good shot now. so I go and talk to the stage manager. I was able to get back stage by talking to some familiar faces. Two years ago I worked Summerfest security on that same stage for Lupe who signed my food and Liqour CD. I talked with the stage manager, told him my story, and he said shouldn't be a problem come back at 9:15 and we'll see what we can do.

So now I'm back in the general admission area not sure if every thing is going to come together or not and my guy will spots BISHOP out of the corner of his eye walking around the grounds. I thought to my self its now or never so I ran and cought him. Introduced my self and gave a brief boil down of the story so far. I handed him two fliers with my blog url (http://blog.xavierruffin.com) and he said "cool I'll try to get this to [Lupe]" A seigh of relief left my body followed by a burst of energy and excitement because now there was once again a real chance Lupe would get to see the work he has inspired through me.

Whaz and I had to play the waiting game on the side of the stage before they let us in. But when they did it was on. ONE SONG!! Yelled the security guard. We both bolted out to center stage but were met with opposition from another guard who wouldn't let us out there because we didn't have badges on. Once the first guard gave the second the nod we headed back out. And the rest you can see in this video.

I am picking up the laser etched decks later today and will post them then ship them though the mail along with some other goodies just to say thank you to Mr. Wasalu and his staff for performing in Milwaukee these past three years. Hope to hear from you soon.

BUY A DECK!!! IM BROKE!!!
http://www.boardpusher.com/xar