Well, its that time of the year again. Tomorrow hundreds of New Yorkers will flee to Miami for the Art and Nightlife event of the season. Year after year, Art Basel becomes a bigger and bigger event – more people attend, more events pop up, things become more extravagant. Last year I was down there strictly for work but this year I am going down strictly to play. Super excited to check out SCOPE, PULSE, and FOUNTAIN Art Fairs, the Wynwood District , and of course the parties! Below is a guide by the flyer – you’ll notice a few familiar faces – Brandsway heading up the SCOPE Opening and Closing party at Set – FUNDAY Friday at Love and Hate, Day & Night Brunch at Vita, etc etc.

If you’re heading down there, be sure to follow me on Twitter! @downtowndiaries

We recently caught up with one of our favorite boys -Downtown Zak AKA Zak Perris – on the heals of his new single, ‘Clap Your Hands’ off of his new EP/ Mixtape “Downtown Delinquents” (produced by DJ Fresh Direct.)  As an up and comer in the hip hop world, Zak Downtown is already on top of his game – taking the stage with big names such as Lupe Fiasco, Chiddy Bang, Hoodie Allen, and even Swedish DJ duo Dada Life. Zak tells us a little bit about himself, his affinity for New York, and how social media is switching up the music industry. 

You were born and raised in NYC…clearly your from Downtown… what neighborhood are you from? Still live there?

Born and raised in the West Village-  just moved to SoHo but its a little too hectic over here- I’ll be heading back soon.

What’s been your favorite “Only In NY” Moment?

Since I’ve lived here my whole life all those moments are kind of just everyday life for me.

At what age did you start up your music career?

I started recording music probably when I was 15, didn’t get serious about it til I was 20.

How has growing up in the city shaped your music tastes and interests?

Being surrounded by so many cultures and people let me hear all types of music. But there was just something about the hip-hop culture when I was in middle school and highschool that I really loved. Being immersed in hip-hop with a mixture of all other types of music is probably why my music sounds the way it does.

You already have quite the Twitter and YouTube following – would you say social media has helped your career?

Of course, there’s so much independent artists can do today by themselves. When you can reach out to fans, and release music on your own it makes it that much easier. The music industry (especially hip-hop) is in the midst of a huge shift. Everyones still trying to figure it out. It will be interesting to see where that ends up, and artists who aren’t paying attention are only hurting themselves.

Clap your hands was filmed at Goldbar… is that one of your favorite spots in the city?

You know friends of mine have been djing there for years now and my friend Jonny Lennon has been throwing amazing parties there. Its just really aesthetically pleasing and as for going out they always play the best music.

What are some of your other top picks?

I’ve kind of fallen out of the loop on all the hot spots, but if I’m somewhere with a good dj and surrounded by good people that’s all that matters.

DJ Fresh Direct helped produce this album – How’d you get hooked up with him?

We both went to highschool in the city and had a ton of mutual friends. Someone finally realized… hey, this kid Zak is making cool rap music, but missing awesome production and engineering. So we linked up and have done some great stuff together. I’m sure well continue to do so , but be on the lookout for a lot of dope stuff Fresh Direct is doing on the djing side of things and production side.

What are currently listening to? Top 5 most played songs on your ipod?

1. Theophilus London- Accept The New
2. Troy Ave- Nino Brown
3. Ladyhawke- Paris is Burning (Cut copy Remix)
4. XV- All of this For Me
5. Kavinsky- Nightcall

Lastly, fill in the blank. I love downtown because It’s home.

Lets be serious, real New Yorkers avoid Black Friday sales like the plague.  BUT Friday may be a good day to have brunch with friends, grab a coffee and stroll around the East Village.   New York City based menswear brand Reason Clothing has opened the doors to it’s newest retail venture, the Reason Outpost on 9th last week and will be holding a special sale this Friday –  50% off from 9 AM to 12 PM and 30% off for the rest of the day PLUS rumor has it there will be free coffee and donuts!  If you’re still out of town on Friday, dont fret – the sale continues Saturday and Sunday  with 20% off and Cyber Monday 50% off 9 AM to 12 PM and 30% off the rest of the week. (reasonclothing.com)

About Reason Outpost:

In addition to stocking the full core range of Reason clothing and accessories, the Outpost also carries an assortment of antique collectibles, rare housewares, vintage American clothing, and vinyl records from the collection of the late DJ AM. Co-founder Philip Bassis notes that, “Besides showcasing Reason, the Outpost gives us a chance to display and sell some of the items that inspire the brand and truly give the world a
peek into the lifestyle and aesthetic that defines us.” Jon-Price, the brands other Co-founder adds, “This shop is a culmination of over six years of research. We make amazing clothes to begin with… but coupled with vintage from Japan, Europe, and all across America, we created a well rounded boutique that caters to all types of customers.”

The design of the shop is modeled after that of a classic American general store. Champagne colored walls are offset by dark walnut wood floors, reclaimed antique farm fixtures, raw steel racks, hand painted signs, taxidermy, oddities, and rare collectibles. Customers at the Outpost can pour through six years worth of Reason Clothing offerings, pick through antique home furnishings, pour through the extensive collection of rare hunting and military jackets, or explore the many stacks of vintage tees to find the perfect old rock tour tee.  The shop also carries select items from other prestige clothing lines including the Vane x Sebago boot collection and Los Angeles based accessory brand GunsGermsSteel.

WAGMAG, the Brooklyn art guide, has teamed up with Pernod® Absinthe Superieure to create an interactive arts & events guide all revolving around the BK art scene. The App features WAGMAG’S respected monthly gallery and events listings, as well as the best cocktail lounges that punctuate social life in this arty-party place. It connects (and directs) users with nifty GPS mapping, Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare integration. So within a single App, you can see what’s art parties are poppin. 
You can download them over at http://artandabsinthebk.com/.  Williamsburg’s 2:ND Fridays takes place this Friday….give the App a whirl this Friday and be on the lookout for free Pernod Absinthe cocktails!