Before Its Official dropped, the Kayo Corp was stirring up quite a frenzy over their first video and quite rightly so! This DVD ‘officialises’ the Kayo Corp as a premier company for street skating, incorporating various styles through it’s network of DGK, Expedition One, Organika and Gold.
The DVD kicks off with Kenny Hoyle who is the newest Kayo recruit. Kenny is your typical contemporary street skater, but Kenny can handle his business like the grown-ups, perhaps better..? I had never heard of Kenny before watching Its Official, but now I know why street patriarch, Stevie Williams is backing him.
Next is Kelly Hart who I had heard about and was anticipating quite greatly. You see, Kelly has a very laid back and controlled style on board, plus one of the best 360 flips in the business. When you couple this kid’s skating with a very well edited Common track, the results can only be astonishing.
Things only get better when Enrique Lorenzo pops up. Finally ridding himself of the cartoon characters, Enrique is all smiles and styles for miles. Like a Spanish version of JB Gillet, this street veteran can switch things up at a drop of a hat.
Time for a change of tune as catch up with Chany Jeanguenin and Richard Angelides. Now we all now Richard is an underground king who has repped the Adidas Shelltoe far too long to not get a proper hook-up, but Chany was killing everything since day dot! Not to be funny, but all I can here is Chany saying “Is it ‘cos I’ze Swiss???”. Bring on more Chany – and I don’t care if it’s on vert!
Organika gets some heavy repping next with King Dread Head Adelmo Junior. I have a new found respect for Adelmo since I watched this new part of his. The guy has pop, power, and a few unseen tricks hidden in that forest of hair of his, and he isn’t afraid to show it.
The last Organika rider to get eerie on the silver screen is Karl Watson who teams up with fellow brother, Robbie Holmes, to cruise the bay area and San Fransisco hills. Jamming to the beats of Damian Marley and Nas, this section is right up there in the ones to watch.
Always a pleasure to watch is Quim Cardona. I know some people criticise Quim for his weird style, but before your Brents and Co. there was Quim. An OG East Coast ripper who flows over every surface; if you still don’t like the visual music he plays, stick a tweaker in it!
Back to the Dirty Ghetto Kids with Lenny Rivas – a pocket sized gangsta that lots of you will hate, but trust me you wouldn’t step to the mouthy kid. Lenny reminds me of a young Steven Cales, but with the contemporary pop that amateurs seem to pack nowadays.
Next up to bat is Marcus McBride who doesn’t need to break a sweat to make you understand this brother knows how to ride. Please check out any old FTC video is you doubt this Bay Area boss.
Things get a whole lot heavier when Wade Desamo scrolls and rolls across the screen. Wade has raw power tucked into his XXXL clothes, and he isn’t worried about unleashing it on ledges, rails or gaps. I’ll put good money on Wade blowing up everywhere as of now.
Surprise surprise, DGK Mastermind, Stevie Williams doesn’t get last part! But, that doesn’t mean Stevie isn’t going to serve out some unique magic. Stevie has swagger and demeanor that some people misunderstand for arrogance, but when you catch the Keenan Milton dedication at the beginning of his part, you’ll understand that he is just carrying the torch for street skaters everywhere.
Finally, it’s the curtains with last part going to Jackson Curtin (*Tophat snare!*). Jack has spent a lot of time travelling and homing his skills so sharp that nothing is left unscathed by his skate tricks. There are some serious nollie and switch hammers going down in this section powered along by the beats of Kanye West’s Diamonds are from Sierra Leone track.
I take my hat off to everyone involved with this DVD because this is set for instant success in the streets. Powerful skating and great music edited very smoothly with fun graphics and atmosphere- something a lot of recent productions lack. Could this be a modern day 20 shot sequence? I think so- It’s official!
Ralph Lloyd-Davis
04/05/2006