I filmed this in the UK last fall and it’s finally up and rockin’ at the adidas Originals website. It’s great to be a friend of adidas – they sent me two boxes of sneakers/clothes and also took very good care of me at the shoot.

Look closely and you’ll recognize the Moschino suit from my performance at the BET Honors, illustrating a creative seamless integration of the campaign’s kickoff with the television special (the ad begins just as I’m walking off stage). I posted this to encourage you all to be fearless. Taking on the challenge of executing your creative vision can be intimidating, especially when you are passionate about the message you wish to convey. At times, you may get caught up in the numbers. How many people are watching? I encourage you to consider that what really matters is who’s watching. In this case, the time and energy invested in making a short film have indirectly influenced a transition from the web to the small screen in the form of this amazing branding partnership. For a behind-the-scenes look at the deal, check the video below:

At this moment, I truly have to give it up to all of you – especially those who have shared my videos with your friends and families. Your support of my creative endeavors is the reason that the Lexus brand has integrated me in their messaging. I appreciate all of you and I’ll be working with Lexus to provide a chance for someone to come and test drive the car in NYC with me. Stay tuned for details.

I love the fact that this piece focuses on Harlem. My ‘hood has been good to me! Shout to Mr. Ferguson at the end who said I’m on my way to being MJ. Trust me, I’m definitely aiming high and enjoying the journey. Thank you all for riding with me (especially Elliott & Casey at PhearCreative, who made this piece come to life and have always made great visual partners).

Since the feedback from the first album presentation was so strong, I’ve decided to present the album again on November 4th at The Times Center in Manhattan. Even more exciting, I’m also compiling a documentary-style film about the inspiration behind and the making of TRANSITION. These songs are special because of the circumstances. Sharing the story will offer a lens into my mind and heart as I was writing them.

I’m currently at the “Burning Man” festival in Nevada so I have limited internet here in the desert. In the meantime, pass the video on and feel free to ask anything you’d like to know regarding styling location, the girls, etc. and I’ll respond in the comments later.

The great mix of people (including my buddy Todd Moscowitz) and the backdrop of the city have me thinking about moving downtown to a loft where I can do this more often! I really had a blast and would love to give private concerts of songs-in-progress before I record my next album, which will be done in a classic 70’s rock style! The song I’m performing is called “Something That I Like”. The album version features Pusha T of the Clipse. This version features a great solo from Chris Morgan, a magnificent player and an equally great guy. Shout out to Evan for capturing this on our 5D Mark II, and to Shiv for playing DJ that night!

Central Park is an amazing venue. There were more than 5,000 people who actually made it into the performance area and another few thousand that were turned away. On my way into the park, I stopped for a small group that had been denied access, just to reach out to them and let them know I appreciate their continued support. As I hit the stage, I noticed an especially excited cheering squad in the front row, and had the honor of catching up with them (Chantel, Makila, Ayeshia, and Treminka) after the show. They were kind enough to share their responses to the performance. Thank you all for expecting greatness from me. I give you my word that I will always give everything I can possibly give…and thank you Joy for speaking this into existence!

Shout out to Doutzen Kroes for welcoming me to her hometown and bringing some great people to the show. Even more special to me is the fact that my grandfather (“Opa” in Dutch) lives in Amsterdam and thoroughly enjoys knowing that I’m pursuing my dream with vigor and passion and people are responding! Thanks to everyone who took pictures with me before the show. I’ll always remember my first European show with my band. Here’s to many many more!!

I enlisted my very good friend, photographer Pieter Henket to shoot the elaborate photo story. Over the course of two shooting days about a week apart, I worked with a team of professionals and interns to shut down the 30th Street Heliport in New York City and a massive suite at the historic Pierre Hotel on 5th Avenue. I became fast friends with Iri and the song is really about the excitement of getting to know someone new that inspires you the way she did me. The lyric “I might not speak your language” in the song refers to the fact that when we were shooting, she was still learning English as she’s from Russia. You can hear her accent when she speaks in her Sports Illustrated videos. She’s an amazing girl and we’re still great friends. Here are a few photos from the story (you can click to enlarge):

I learned so much from this experience that I could write a few pages about the lessons! Hit me if you have any more questions and thanks to Brittany Hall and everyone else who’s asked about ‘I-R-I-N-A’ for inspiring this post.

Looking at the tracklisting for Rick Ross’ album, you’ll see that this record is missing. Our schedules were such that we were only able to facilitate the collaboration once that album had already been closed. Look for this to appear on his next one (or on mine)!