In 2004, “CAN’T STOP WON’T STOP: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation” author Jeff Chang asked SF-based T-shirtologist Mike Stern of ØRIGIN to translate crucial political and cultural ideas from the book into visually compelling designs. The limited edition CAN’T STOP WON’T STOP/ØRIGIN t-shirt line captures the style, wit, emotion and breadth of this instant hip-hop history classic.

Mike came up with three visually stunning designs: Black Lights, Global Roots , and Breakin’ Through. The shirts reflect the hip-hop generation’s journey to crush invisibility, to represent and unite youth globally, and to reflect a generation’s desires to inspire and incite, to rebel and raise consciousness at the same time. "It’s an honor to work with Mike. I love his total attention to quality, design, and freshness," says Jeff Chang. "Mike’s three t-shirt designs are works of art in themselves."

ØRIGIN founder Mike Stern is an award-winning painter and graphic designer who began as a graf writer, has illustrated for URB, XLR8R, and Tokion Magazines, has been featured in high-end design books, and co-founded the influential clothing company Half-Life with skateboarding pro Matt Field. He is best known for wild performance paintings staged with artists like MF Doom, Aceyalone, and the Shapeshifters.

Mike started ØRIGIN in 2003 to make t-shirts that, he says, “weren’t going to be just a well-arranged jumble of thread meant to keep the breeze off your back, but something more–something with political, social or cultural commentary, and always with the dopest design at the party!”

CAN’T STOP WON’T STOP is a groundbreaking history of the most important cultural movement of the past fifty years. The New Yorker calls the book “one of the most urgent and passionate histories of popular music ever written.”

Check out the shirts now at the ØRIGIN website, www.HouseOfZero.com.

The shirts are available at Future Primitive Sound and True in San Francisco, Transit in San Mateo, Workmen’s Outlet in LA – 7562 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, Fifth Element in Minneapolis, and many other fine stores. Online, you can find the shirts at The Giant Peach (www.thegiantpeach.com), Fabric 8 (www.fabric8.com), and of course, ØRIGIN’s online store (www.houseofzero.com).

For more info on Mike Stern, check www.Proper-Gander.com. For more info on Can’t Stop Won’t Stop, check www.CantStopWontStop.com.

Source:  Tools of War

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