Sneaker Stories
Drake is sticking with Jordan and Nike — 3 moments that pretty much prove it
This week, the rapper basically dispelled every previous report that he’d join Adidas
11:16 AMRemember the speculation? That Drake might end his endorsement deal with the Jordan Brand to join Adidas? A few months ago, the Toronto rapper was rocking three stripes in Instagram pics, and courtside at Raptors games, every chance he got. Bow Wow thanked Drizzy for sending him Adidas gear. And even ESPN’s Nick DePaula confirmed that Drake and his team were “far along in negotiations with Adidas on a comprehensive endorsement deal.”
Well, Drake and Adidas are seemingly over before they started. Somewhere along the line, a deal fell apart. Maybe it was because Michael Jordan’s son trolled the musical artist on Twitter for wearing a brand outside of Air Jordan. Or maybe Pusha T’s diss track of Drake, “The Story of Adidon,” went too far, and ruined the plan for a future partnership. Regardless, it appears that Drizzy is remaining with Air Jordan — and the brand’s parent company, Nike. Here are three reasons we think this is so, all coming from the man himself.
An OVO x Drake jersey?
Drake took to IG to tease a potential collaboration between Nike and his record label, October’s Very Own (OVO), for a basketball jersey as a nod to his June-released No. 1 album, Scorpion. He posted the caption “On Road 18/19 🦂,” perhaps hinting that the jersey will go on sale during the upcoming “Aubrey & the Three Migos” North American tour. Peep the scorpion pincer details on the chest’s OVO logo. This jersey is swaggier than some worn by NBA teams.
Air Jordan 5s in the “In My Feelings” video
.@Drake in the "In My Feelings" video wearing Air Jordans again. pic.twitter.com/3W8O4SJ257
— Complex Sneakers (@ComplexSneakers) August 3, 2018
Drake wore a pair of “Fire Red” Air Jordan 5s in the new visuals for his culture-shaking No. 1 track “In My Feelings.” The music video for the song dropped Thursday night, and in it, the mother of Drake’s love interest, portrayed by the legendary Phylicia Rashad, tells him, “I want you to get your Jordans off my walkway!” Coincidence? We think not.
Drake’s Line on “SIcKO MODE”
seeing DJ akademiks' reaction to Drake on travis scott's #astroworld is the best thing i've seen in a while 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/br2ZoKDTlt
— LUIOFFICIAL (@LUIOFFICIAL1) August 3, 2018
A few hours after the release of the “In My Feelings” video, Travis Scott dropped his long-awaited ASTROWORLD. Drake is featured on the album’s third track, titled “SICKO MODE,” and one line sticks out. Jesus Christ, checks over stripes / That’s what I like, that’s what we like. Yup, Drake ain’t going anywhere. He’s sticking with the swoosh and Jumpman logo over the three stripes.
Media
Get to know Tyler Mitchell, the photographer Beyoncé hired for Vogue
The 23-year-old Atlanta native will be the first black photographer to shoot the magazine’s cover in 126 years
12:57 PMWho knew Beyoncé was as good a photo editor as she is an entertainer? When she was given creative control over Vogue magazine’s all-important September issue this fall, she did something that several magazines still do not: She hired a black photographer to shoot the cover image. This marks the first time in the magazine’s 126-year history that an image created by a black person will grace its cover. Take a minute to marinate on that.
And Beyoncé chose well. Tyler Mitchell is a highly creative and ambitious photographer from Atlanta who now resides in Brooklyn. Despite his young age, he has already photographed the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting survivors for Teen Vogue, Lil Uzi Vert for The FADER, curator Kimberly Drew for i-D, Ashton Sanders for Office magazine and Vince Staples for Dazed.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BQVmSpVFQgg/?taken-by=tylersphotos
The historical significance of this moment cannot be overstated. While print and digital publications have made it more of a priority to hire black writers (although progress in this arena has also been slow going), too often, the people shaping visual narratives are white, cisgender men, while the unique perspectives and talent of people of color are often pushed to the side and ignored.
Here is hoping that more celebrities will use their clout and platforms to encourage magazines to hire photographers of color to shoot their covers. And, more importantly, here is hoping that more photo editors follow Beyoncé’s lead in their hiring practices.