My journey into the world of competitive gaming, technology, and business began in 2004 when I became restless with the current state of my gaming team.  Restless is probably the best way to describe my attitude before I embarked on the drastic changes effecting those in my sphere of influence.

I am confident that my role in athletics led to an easy transition to “captain” gaming teams, so when I proposed that the active members of my team of the time, Violators, merge with our good buddies Just Bring It, it raised some eyebrows.  Violators and Just Bring It became Violent By Instinct in 2005. Having the experience of running such a large team was nothing short of amazing, but over time I found that I was on a completely different mental state than the majority of team members.

This blog is sectioned into three parts:

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I have gradually gained interest in Nicki Minaj’s career the last few months. There’s something about her “style” that attracts people to what she’s doing.  I must admit, I was a non-believer at first and there are still times I don’t really care for some of her lyrics, but she is constantly improving.  It will be interesting to see how her career progresses over the next few years as one of the few female hip-hop/rap artists out there.

The recent “My Time Now” MTV documentary provides a more detailed look at her life, prior to the release of her debut album Pink Friday which is available now.

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FREJA BEHA BY NATHANIEL GOLDBERG

When I look at the potential market value of some of the Pro Gamers out there, I really question why more advertisers and sponsors are not backing some of the players with significant amounts of influence in the market.  There is a growing number of super influencers out there promoting games, products, and gear for various companies without much support (from those companies).

I think there is a common misconception amongst the gaming community that only the “top” teams or individuals that are the ones with a viable means to market themselves.  In reality anyone, or more specifically any gamer, can create opportunities to build their marketability amongst sponsors.

My thoughts on marketability as a gamer after the jump.

Here’s a nice one by Levar Allen on his Youtube account.  This one is covering Kanye West’s Lost in the World track.

It’s been awhile since I’ve taken a peek at Creative Recreation sneakers.  They just recently released the Turino as a part of The Collection series.  The low top sneaker features a slick, single-tone upper with an accompanying white, blue or grey sole.  There are six colorways overall with availability at select locations.

Check some of the photos after the jump.

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Can I sing? No. Do I think this is hilarious? Yes. My little 4-year old sister has an obsession with Justin Bieber, so I decided to murder the track. Now listen ASAP!

Whoa! Supra teamed up with DJ Samantha Ronson on this collaboration Skytop II sneaker.  I’m not sure if many of you know or have heard of Samantha Ronson, but she has one of the largest sneaker collections I have ever seen.  The sneaker is dubbed “Lil Red” and  I’m sure many of you guessed why this specific sneaker caught my attention. If you could not guess, it’s because the Red/Black uppers are off the charts!

“SUPRA is proud to present the “Lil’ Red” Skytop II, a collaborative effort with DJ Samantha Ronson. The “Lil’ Red” is constructed entirely of red, white and black premium full-grain leathers, features waxed black laces and comes with a custom Samantha Ronson hangtag. Only 413 units of the extremely limited-edition Skytop II were produced worldwide and will be available this Friday, November 26th.”

I am undecided on whether or not I am going to pick up these kicks.  I am not really a huge fan of Samantha, but I am pretty envious of the collaboration effort with Supra and I like a small selection of her work.  Remember folks, this is a limited edition sneaker! There are only 413 of these being produced, furthermore there is a “Lil Red” mixtape, produced by Ronson, that comes with a purchase from the Factory 413 store.  Interested Supra enthusiasts can check them out at Factory 413 when they drop on Black Friday.

More photos after the jump.

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