A younger counterpart to the YBAs, M.I.A. is a medley of confidence, controversy and 21st century multi-media sensibilities, Ms Arulpragasam has always known how to get people talking – ‘Bad Girls’ isn’t any different.

Another collabo with director Romain Gavras, the video features middle eastern racing boys and girls performing car tricks and Hip-Hop dance routines in traditional dress. Visually stunning, from the tricks, styling and lighting to the dope x-ray style car.

Any artist that manages to get coverage from both The Wall Street Journal and Pitchfork on what they are about to do next is doing something right. M.I.A. understands the ‘what’s’ and ‘why’s’ of cultural relevance to markets, the media and the perception of being an innovative multi-media ‘artist’ and plays the right tune to get everyone moving. That’s not to say there isn’t artistry to what she does, but like Young British Artists before, M.I.A. is in the business of selling her vision.

Check out her label N.E.E.T (yep that’s right, the Not in Education Employment Training acronym) for epilepsy inducing graphics and a roster of artists including NY hipster-rockers Sleigh Bells.

Angelo Dundee – the legendary boxing trainer – died on February 1 aged 90. Even The Greatest need a great team in their corner. From the age of 18, Muhammad Ali had Dundee.

Dundee once reflect: “When you’re working with a fighter, you’re a surgeon, an engineer and a psychologist.” Dundee worked with 15 other world champions, which is an amazing statistic in itself. It certainly made for a lot ‘surgery’ and ‘engineering’.

Throughout years of political and social turmoil, Dundee fulfilled all these roles and more. His relationship with Ali never faltered, never wavered. “Through all those days of controversy, Angelo never got involved. He let me be exactly who I wanted to be and he was loyal. That is the reason I love Angelo.” More than even a man of great loyalty and dedication, Dundee was man of great character. Just some of the reasons why you should love him too.

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Pics via The Guardian

A book cover has to work that much harder than say, a CD cover for the obvious reason that sampling a book actually requires you to read it. In the case of the best work, a books narrative begins with the visual narrative of the front page.

The Book Archive not only gives kudos to book artwork that works harder than most, it acts as a pretty resource into the book designers, their use of fonts and the genres in which they specialize. The archive lets you view over 1350 covers for the ‘Purposes and Appreciation and Cateragization’, meaning in this case, you can judge a book by its cover.

Zebra Katz, from Brooklyn NYC, cleverly subverts the played out hyper masculine narrative to make a record about education.

Don’t think you can get a read on his character from this video alone, as Zebra also appears to be quite the Hipster.

You’ve 2 days to catch The Insomniax‘s debut on Earnest Endeavours as part of the Gilles Peterson show on Radio 1. Sure we’re chuffed at the airplay, but this only the very start of the journey. The track forms part of an upcoming promo release that’ll introduce the world to the EE roster; and what a fine little roster it is.

There’s a lot of exciting times ahead for us as we build The Insomniax brand. We plan on making daydreams a reality in 2012.

You can either lean back or take photographer Paul Octavious‘ advice and lean with it.

I’ve been known to do a little doddle on my shoes, even had the fabulous Brennan & Burch doodle on some old Adidas trainers for me. So when Bucketfeet caught my eye it nearly made me open up a new pack of felt tips.

Bucketfeet is a footwear company that collaborates with global artists to produce colourful graphics for basic pumps. The philosophy is that each pair of pumps are a blank canvas for a means of expression and an opportunity to contribute to the founders passions. Providing arts and sports programmes for poor children around the world, with 5% of their profits going to their charitable partners.

Love the concept. Love the product. However what I wasn’t so amoured with the ‘brand’. The fashion industry is a tough market and taste maker fashion is an even tougher gig, usually reliant on a bunch of trendies to take said style to heart and proliferate to the masses while they move on to the next thing.

For a style conscious brand with an actual conscious, it’s important to be able to compete on all levels as your competitors. That means paying attention to the total communications package. A slick website, beautiful photography and a brand proposition that screams ‘buy me’ are must haves. The good news is that this is something Bucketfeet can easily rectify in time, allowing them to access an even wider market and share more profits with their chosen causes.

Bored with your over sized headphones already? Looking for alternative amplification? Well Mr Simo have got you covered with their Boomcases.

Take a leather or wood vintage suitcase, add a couple of sub woofers, top with a few customised features and there you have it; your own super stylish sound system.

Definitely targeted at the discerning muso and those with an undying love of handmade craftsmanship. The Boomcases are a quirky example of an up-cycled product made for new technology. A perfect pairing me thinks.

Days gone by.

We’re dead proud of our former twenty%extra Art Director Samuel Craven, who’s gone on to pursue his dreams of being a music video director.

Sam’s latest work for Brownswood Records new artist, Gang Colours showcases his penchant for found Super 8 footage which he has used spliced with some original film to give a warm and familiar feeling.

The world’s economic paradigm is shifting quicker than Lewis Hamilton would in a Red Bull. Brazil has officially overtaken the UK to be the 6th largest economy and Africa is the new China.

The relatively recent growth of the African nations is based on rich commodity resources (but that’s nothing new), improved infrastructure and a generation of young folk wholly embracing technology.

However, the perception of change on the continent will be a tad slower. Decades of mediated images and reports of famine, war and dictators has left westerners with a single vision perspective.

Afrographique is a blog that consciously aims to change that through infographics based on economic and lifestyle data from the African continent. From countries broadband speeds, Co2 emissions to foreign investment in Africa. Created by Ivan Colic, an art director at Zoom Advertising Cape Town part of the Ogilvy and WPP group, is an interesting story in itself.

The repositioning of the African continent for the 21st century has only just begun. First step first though, and it’s an important one. Repeat after me; Africa is not a country.

Moonrise Kingdom looks set to deliver classic Wes Anderson. The hallmarks of Anderson’s work are as recognisable as they are hard to pin down. Few people celebrate the strange absurdities of human relationships like Wes, who looks to be in fine abstractive form. Keep your eyes peeled for a release date.

Signature portraits by our good friend Agenda Photography for the F.Y.I Project. Agenda is a big fan of bouncing natural light sources onto his subjects, while is use of artificial light sources create a studio-like feel in otherwise natural surroundings.

The F.YI. photography exhibition of young creatives shot, produced and promoted by over 30 young people in collaboration with creative professionals (like Agenda) and social enterprises. Nice pictures aside, keep a look out for this group of focused individuals achieve in the future, as their legacy will be the testimony to the project’s success.

Illustrator Matt Green turns his hand to 3-dimensional merchandise with Brenda; a laser engraved, hand finished bamboo iPhone case made by Grove that is arguably more impressive than the phone itself.

If you know anything about the living legend that is Lance Armstrong then you’ll know that he’s still alive because he is a legend, which is why the Live Strong adage makes sense. For those of you that need bringing up to speed, Armstrong is a record-holding seven-time winner of the Tour de France and cancer survivor.

The Lance Armstrong Foundation unites, inspires and empowers people affected by cancer and anyone with a pulse. When it comes to a story like Lance’s you don’t really need to sell it, you just need to tell it, courtesy of a minimalist booklet designed by Hort and co-signed by Nike.

Beautiful. Touching. Honest. A few words to describe the photographic journal Days With My Father by Philip Toledano, recorded during the last few years looking after his aging father, who suffered from short term memory, whilst also grieving from the recent passing of his late mother.

Old age is something we’ll all face if we are lucky. The journal highlights the fragility of age and the joy that can be derived from taking the time to listen and appreciate the company of elders.

We popped down to St. Pauls a few weeks back to finally see the Occupy London camp for our selves. Whilst talking to a young fella, we came across another occupant who happened to be giving his mum – who was apparently checking up on him on her way home from work – a tour of the site before she left. The story makes the last image in this series particularly poignant. The others speak for themselves.

Banksy pays real attention to the world around him, which is why unlike many artists – musical, visual or otherwise – his work will always be around us.

Fashion – some people love it while others hate it. Style on the other hand is something most people would like to think they possess. Unlike fashion, style is a personal thing, wrapped up in a sense of identity and culture. During a lifetime an individual’s personal style may go through many changes reflective of where they’re at, at the time.

Style Like U is a video blog that deconstructs the process of how we go about creating ‘style’. Interviewing a range of stylistic folk, they garner an individual take on stylistas dress sense as interviewees share stories on their influences; from music, social consciousness to the effects of bullying at school. Getting dressed in the morning can be anything from an opportunity for artistic expression to a more regimented utilitarian approach. One thing is for sure; it really is what you decide to make it.

Rollup. Rollup. 15 years after rudeboy culture in put down the style of the rollup jeans, ‘trend central’ picks it up and runs with it like it was born yesterday.

The circle of style, fashion – and history in general – plays itself out courtesy of Size? and their promotion of the Nike Pre Montreal Racer which are being released for the first time since 1973.