Frank White at his finest.

Frank151 would like to extend its heartfelt sympathy to the friends and family of Joey Semz, who passed away April 7, 2007. Semz will be remembered by those that encountered him as an explosive artistic force. Making his presence felt in New York City as a fierce graffiti artist starting in the mid-90s and into the early 2000s, he was a master of both hardcore street bombing and crushing walls with intense multi-color pieces. After growing tired of the dramas associated with graffiti, he would put down the spray can and pick up a guitar, directing his creative energies into making music. Self-produced, homemade albums such as Cowboys In IRAK, would generate underground buzz, and those who had a chance to hear his early work encouraged him to continue pursuing his blossoming musical talent. In 2006 Semz would release his first official album, A Great Believer. The album is truly a masterpiece, with a sound that drew comparisons to a modern day Bob Dylan. Capturing the scene of his downtown New York stomping ground, and the struggles of him and his friends, the emotionally charged album went largely unnotticed by the public at large. For all those curious to gain more insights into the life of this prolific artist, the album deserves a listen - proving that under a tough exterior lay a gentle soul. A Great Believer will certainly stand as a testament into a deeply creative soul who was compelled to share his art with the world. His presence will truly be missed, as New York City suffers another untimely loss of an artist that died just when he was beginning to hit his stride.

You can hear a sample of his work online at myspace.com/joeysemz

Favelas are the slums of Rio de Janeiro, and are so gully they make Queensbridge look like the Hamptons (no offense, Ron Artest). These neighborhoods are notorious for their child drug gangs, as highlighted in that flick City Of God which was out a few years back, gangs who aren’t afraid to attack police stations with grenades and machine guns if they feel like it. But this isn’t your only problem if you live in a favela. These residents also have to deal with private “militias” made up mostly of off-duty police officers that extort favelados with the promise of killing gang kingpins. Add some extreme poverty into the mix, and you get that the favelas aren’t exactly the nicest places to grow up. Well Favela Painting is trying to do something about it. (CLICK BELOW TO READ ON)

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Thirstin Howl the 3rd dropped in on the Chop Shop last week. Peace to one of the realest dudes to do it. Buy his product. www.thirstinhowlthe3rd.com

It’s not impossible, as much as annoying.

Take The Impossible Quiz

Sweet sneaks man Al Cabino is at it again. This time he’s petitioning for Nike to release the (way) high-top sneakers donned by Michael J Fox (as Marty McFly) in Back to the Future Part 2. We feel that Cabino’s not asking too much, as most of us are still waiting for our hover boards and flux capacitators. The petition allegedly has over 3,500 signatures. We wonder if Biff Tannen’s on there…

South Beach, Miami got a dose of Blowfly, as he made an appearance at the Frank151 Miami Issue release event during The Winter Music Conference. Out by the pool and sky bar (while DJ Soul spun a fierce set), and in the Red Room by the bottles, the Frank and Blowfly crews hung tough. Advanced/Limited Glow in the Dark issues of the Miami book circulated South Beach throughout the week. Look for the Frank Miami book in fine establishments, and gracing elite coffee tables everywhere very soon…

The worldwide television rights of the Pillow Fight League have just been bought. The “sport” is pretty much just what you hoped: hot girls in skimpy outfits hitting each other with oversized pillows. It was created in Canada where it is currently a TV show, making it officially the greatest thing that country has ever done. It lacks the same grace as, oh say, bacce ball (thanks, Italy!), but there’s plenty to appreciate about the olde fashioned pillow fight.

Having your last remains dumped into the Pacific Ocean is for stoners. The truest dead bad-asses have their ashes strewn across the universe in a noiseless outer space explosion.

Thanks to Space Services Inc., eccentric rich people can kiss terrestrial burial goodbye, and say hello to the final frontier in funeral technology: dead guys in space. A portion of your loved one’s cremated remains can be sent into a temporary orbit around Earth for as little as $1,000, and launched out into deep space for just pennies over $12,000.

If you act RIGHT NOW, there’s still space on The Legacy Flight, which will dump a rocket-full of ashes into the cosmos on April 28th. Current registered participants include James Doohan (Oh snap, it’s Scotty from Star Trek!!!), a 23-year-old techno music fan/car crash victim, and a 90-year-old big game hunter.

…From the stars we are born, to the stars we will return…

The American Museum of Natural History’s SonicVision appears to be a lot like drugs. Except less habit forming. And probably cheaper.