Fashawn's 'Ecology' Release Day Set.

We’re proud to inform you that Fashawn’s “The Ecology” is set to release officially on February 24th of 2015. If this officiality is as legitimate as that surrounding the last two dates however, there’s no question as to when the album will truly grace Clouds and headphones worldwide. Either way, this afternoon we are greeted with the latest of two singles, “Guess Who’s Back” produced by Beewirks, which offers us a darker sound compared to “Golden State of Mind” released in October. Luckily, after his mixtape with Alchemist, Fashawn seems to be using this album as a way to take his step out from the underground scene into the light. Driven, and getting his reps up, Fash may very well be a common name in 2015. With his dynamic flow largely inspired and cosigned by Nas’ Mass Appeal Records, Fashawn has carved out a platform with which to impress the industry with his work, hopefully earning him a well-deserved seat on the train of recognition that until this point has evaded his grasp despite his efforts. Along with a set track list for the album, check out the two singles below as well as our and Soundcloud account.  

The Ecology - Fashawn

1. Guess Who's Back (prod. Beewirks)
2. Confess (prod. Exile)
3. Something to Believe f. Nas & Aloe Blacc (prod. DJ Khalil)
4. Higher (prod. by Exile)
5. To Be Young f. BJ The Chicago Kid (prod. Exile)
6. Golden State of Mind f. Dom Kennedy
7. Letter F (prod. Alchemist)
8. Place To Go (prod. Exile)
9. Man Of The House (prod. Quince Tones & Jo Caleb)
10. Out The Trunk (prod. Exile)
11. It’s A Good Thing f. Aloe Blacc & Choosey (prod. Exile)
12. Mother (prod. Exile)
13. F.T.W (prod. Exile)

Tupac Biopic

A motion picture portraying the life and career of Tupac Shakur is a must.  Other than  Anthony Mackie's supporting role in Biggie's biopic, Notorious, hip hop aficionados have very little to satisfy their thirst.  Fortunately, the wait is over.  In an interview with Collider, producer Randall Emmett revealed that the filming of an original Tupac biopic will begin this summer.  History has shown that hip hop films have the tendency to underperform at the box office, but with the backing of Afeni Shakur, Tupac's mother and executive controller of his estate, as well as the undying support from fans, hopefully the film will be a success.  Check out the visuals of the interview below and let us know what you think about an upcoming Tupac film.

The Fantastic Four Reboot

From rumors and tweets by actor, Michael B. Jordan, fans of Marvel's Fantastic Four franchise have known about its impending return for quite some time.  Today, fans received a sneak-peek to the reboot as 20th Century Fox released the official teaser trailer on YouTube.  Set to hit theaters on August 7th, Marvel's original and longest-running superhero team is based around a youthful infusion of Hollywood talent.  Project X's Miles Teller, House of Cards' Kate Mara, Academy Award nominee Michael B. Jordan, and Jumper's Jaime Bell will play the iconic Mr. Fantastic, Susan Storm, The Human Torch, and The Thing characters respectively.  The modern twist on the revitalized series features this young band of outsiders on an alternate universe, which alters their physical form in extraordinary ways.  Much like in the previous iterations, the Fantastic Four must harness their abilities to save Earth from Dr. Doom.  Check out the trailer below and stay tuned with InTheRough for future trailer releases. 

Nike Sportswear White Label Spring 2015 Collection

Over the weekend Nike released the lookbook for its Spring 2015 Nike Air collection. To catch your eye the lookbook features NBA stars Anthony Davis, Rudy Gay, and James Harden dressed in comfortable tees, hoodies, sweat shorts, tech jackets and more. In the same light, the Swoosh also released its Nike Sportswear White Label Spring collection, which is much more to our liking. While the Nike Air collection is graphic and print heavy, the White Label's delivery takes on a simplistic and functional approach. Provided are only the essential elements, such as t-shirts, crewnecks, Nike's GORE-TEX jacket, and tech pants all to the tune of a black or grey color scheme. The entire Nike Sportswear White Label Spring 2015 collection is available for purchase now at HAVEN.

Cross-Promotion and Collaboration...Just a Ploy

The expansion and popularity of streetwear has created a growing number of cross-promotional products and collaborations.  There are individuals, such as Ronnie Fieg, who have identified themselves as tastemakers able to discern the latest trends, effectively selling their observable eye to top footwear and apparel brands, like New Balance, Timberland, and Asics.  At the other end of the spectrum are unique companies who have established hold of a particular niche market--Pigalle, Mitchell & Ness, etc.--in order to sell their exclusivity to higher-end companies with a broader appeal.  

Japanese-based streetwear brand, A Bathing Ape, is no stranger to these collaborative efforts, as it has partnered with watchmaker, G-Shock, Pepsi, Supreme and many others over their short 21-year history.  Continuing to disseminate the BAPE name across all industries, the clothing company has announced that it will produce a limited edition moisturizing cream in conjunction with respected cosmetics brand, Kiehl's.  The "Ultra Facial Cream" will dawn a BAPE camo label with 100% of the revenues going toward the NPO Corporation, which supports the aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake.  The limited edition product will be available at Kiehl's on February 6 in two sizes: a 49g jar for $32 and a 123g jar for $56.  While some collaborations seem to make sense for both companies, I cannot seem to form a logical reason as to why a cosmetics company would partner with a streetwear company for anything but the opportunity to bump up prices on an already top-selling product.  Relevance aside, Kiehl's has broadened its scope as hypebeasts will be sure to scoop up every available A Bathing Ape x Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream.