Los Angeles Lakers guard Nick Young, AKA "Swaggy P", joins 2 Chainz and GQ in the latest edition of "Most Expensivest Shit." In the episode, the two stars head to RIF in Los Angeles, a sneaker shop that has been covered by other urban culture staples such as Nice Kicks and The Hundreds. Browsing a collection that would make the biggest sneakerheads on the planet gasp, 2 Chainz and Swaggy P are privy to an inventory that included the Nike Air Mag, original Yeezys, and Air Jordan Retro IV collaboration with Undefeated and Nike. Just purchasing the shoes in the video would cost a whopping $46,000, after retail of course. Check out the video above.
Earl Sweatshirt - Grief /
Joey did it, Kendrick did it, Lupe did it, now it’s Earl’s time. Due March 23rd, Earl Sweatshirt’s project “I Don’t Like Shit, I Don’t Go Outside” was announced yesterday after some controversy regarding his label and the announcement of his album on iTunes. Accompanying the minor twitter rant was a music video for a single from the album, “Grief”. The song is filled with anxious but pointed bars directed at other wack rappers and the industry, as well as the pitfalls of even the lesser-celebrity lifestyle. While this thematic content isn’t new territory for the Odd Future affiliate, “Grief” and it’s lo-fi production sets our expectations for the content of this album to be focused around Earl’s experience so far in the rap world, and the choices he’s made in light of it. With some of the most creative and colorful lyricism in popular rap and Hip Hop today, Earl has set the bar high for himself, and we really look forward to whichever creative direction the young artist decides to go. However, as Hip Hop seems to be the focal point of the music environment in 2015, Earl’s success is directly dependent on how he sounds relative to his peers, such as Kendrick Lamar and Drake. Both of whom broke Spotify records for total streams in a day with their most recent projects, “To Pimp A Butterfly” and “If You’re Reading This It's Too Late” respectively. Whereas just last year fans were clamoring for the next track to bump, it’ almost difficult for listeners to keep up with the newest releases, and even more difficult for artists to make an impact and stay relevant. Check out the track below.
2015 March Madness Breakdown /
The NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament is such a compelling sporting event in the United States because it showcases some of the most dramatic basketball games of the year. No matter what the seed (unless you're a sixteen seed playing the one seed, good luck), any team can win on any given day. The unpredictable nature of the tournament often creates intriguing storylines, such as the deep tournament runs of cinderella teams like George Mason, VCU, or Wichita St. With the first round games starting today and the Round of 64 beginning on Thursday, this year's NCAA tournament figures to be no exception.
The main headline of the 2015 season has been the stellar coaching and play by the currently undefeated and number one overall seed, Kentucky Wildcats. John Calipari, a major proponent of the one-and-done trend that has dominated recruiting over recent years, has formed a team that leans on the talent of prospective NBA draft lottery picks. The veteran leadership and experience of forward Willie Cauley-Stein and twin guards Aaron and Andrew Harrison is a major bonus, especially when faced with the many foreign challenges that come with tournament play. To be honest, at 34-0 it is Kentucky's tournament to lose, but here's a rundown of some of its challengers.
Elites
Other than the Wildcats, there are a number of elite teams that can contend for a national championship. College basketball's blue bloods such as Duke, University of North Carolina, Arizona, and Kansas as well as Wisconsin, Villanova, Virginia and Gonzaga all have realistic chances at challenging Kentucky.
(1) Duke: With one of the most hallowed programs and coaches in college hoops, the Blue Devils are practically always capable of deep tournament runs. In addition to having the best offensive freshmen in the country in Jahlil Okafor, Duke is battle-tested, exhibiting impressive road wins against UNC, Wisconsin, Louisvlle and UVA. If that isn't enough evidence, guards Tyus Jones and Quinn Cook alleviate some of the offensive pressure with tremendous penetration and shooting.
(1) Wisconsin: An odd but obsessed basketball team had their hearts broken in last year's March Madness when they were defeated by the all-freshman Kentucky Wildcats in the Final Four. Ever since, Wisconsin, led by senior Frank Kaminsky, has been determined to get back to the the big dance and compete for a national championship. The badgers turn the ball over less than any other team in the NCAA. The loss of senior point guard, Traevon Jackson is certainly a downside for the Badger's push in March, however, his injury did not seem to be a factor during the regular season as Wisconsin only lost one game to a talented Maryland team.
(2) Arizona: Defense wins championships. Allowing the fewest second-chance points in the NCAA, Sean Miller's Wildcat team is just as talented defensively as they are offensively. Arizona is in a tricky West region where potential upsets loom on the horizon, but if they can make it to the Final Four to play Kentucky, I see no better team to attempt to knock-off the undefeated. Their impenetrable defense along with budding Duquesne University transfer T.J. McConnell running the point and athletic forwards would certainly cause problems for any team.
Mid-Seed Madness
Over the past several years, there have been teams from outside the top four seeds to perform well into March; after all, last year's national championship game featured the seven seed, and eventual champions, Connecticut Huskies against the eight seed Kentucky Wildcats. These are the few teams that could find themselves dancing on the final weekend.
(5) West Virginia: Led by coach Bob Huggins, the West Virginia Mountaineers will provide headaches for any opposing team because they press for the entire game. The defensive change-up shook ball-handlers loose on 28.2% of their possessions. As a five seed, the Mountaineers start the tournament against a tough Buffalo team that finds itself in the tournament for the first time ever, but a win could set them for a head-on collision with the number one overall seed in the Sweet 16.
(6) Southern Methodist University: SMU is probably most known throughout the world of sports for the death penalty they received in football in 1987, the same year their current basketball coach, Larry Brown, won an NCAA title. SMU has the only coach to ever win an NBA and NCAA title, a top 25 rank in assists per game and field goal percentage, and their first American Conference title in a convincing win over defending national champion, UCONN Huskies. In other words, they are dangerous.
(10) Ohio State: Entering the tournament as a ten seed, the Buckeyes had a sub-par season. However, they remain a threat in the West region because of one player, D'Angelo Russell. With a style of play that is NBA-ready, Russell has an innate feel for the game that will be rivaled by few during tournament play. The problem for this Ohio St. team has been their lack of consistency, but a win against a VCU team hindered by injury could certainly give OSU the jump they need to make a deep run. Russell is the truth, check out his highlight tape here.
Sleepers
Last year, seven double-digit seeded teams advanced to the Round of 32, and of those seven, three teams moved on to the Sweet 16. You can never be so sure of any one match-up because of the threat these following teams pose.
(12) Stephen F. Austin: In the 2014 NCAA Tournament, the Lumberjacks knocked off Shaka Smart's VCU team. Finding themselves with the same seed as last year, this current team is arguably better. The Texas team has lost one game since November 24th, has the most assists per game in the nation, the fifth ranked field goal percentage in the nation, and the ninth most points per game among D-1 teams. Whether the Lumberjacks can make it past Utah and standout point-guard, Delon Wright, remains to be seen, but be wary of how you choose this game.
(14) Georgia St.: NBA prospect R.J. Hunter, former Kentucky starter Ryan Harrow, and comeback kid Kevin Ware make up the veteran trio of starting guards for a Panthers team that dominated the Sun Belt Conference this year. Their first round matchup against three seed Baylor is a potential upset because of the Bear's inability to get to the free throw line as well as their poor field goal percentage, ranked 189th nationally. If Baylor gets off to a slow start this game could have an interesting finish.
Part of the enjoyment of March Madness is the prospect of picking every game in the tournament correctly. With the plethora of intricately, and sometimes carelessly, filled out brackets in mind, InTheRough has created its own March Madness bracket group through ESPN's Tournament Challenge. Compete with InTheRough staff and basketball fans alike by joining the group here! Brackets can be filled out until the tournament's tip-off Thursday night.
Rihanna Ever the Trendsetter /
I bet we see more pink silhouettes filtering into the lines of fashion designers and labels. Why? Because Rihanna.
Over the past several days, RiRi has been strutting around New York City promoting the upcoming animated movie, Home, as well as her concept album, which serves as the movie's soundtrack. If Rihanna's Giambattista Valli pink pouf gown for the 2015 Grammys wasn't telling enough, head-to-toe tonal pink outfits have been a recent staple for the Barbadian songstress. Above, Rihanna sports a pink barbie suit and fur scarf--cautionary to the unpredictable weather transition from winter to spring--as well as a Sean John tracksuit that is reminiscent of the early 2000s hip hop scene.
It's interesting how cyclical trends can be. I look at denim shirts, baggy pants, and clip-on sunglasses and wonder why I feel so nostalgic. The truth is, my earliest memories of clothing and fashion in general were around these trends during the late 1990s and early 2000s. If anything, fashion is not just a form of self expression, but a way of holding on to precious past memories.
Home, the DreamWorks animated film is set to debut on March 27th. Check out the trailer here.
Wiz Khalifa Covers 'Brick' Magazine Edition 01 /
Pittsburgh's pride and joy Wiz Khalifa has been making noise recently from his recent release "Decisions" and his featured work on compadre Juicy J's Blue Dream & Lean 2 mixtape. Today he is of note because he covers the inaugural issue of Brick, a hip-hop and lifestyle publication that places the music and culture at its forefront. Edition 01 features Wiz speaking on the importance of inspiration, as well fresh innovative artists like Tinashe who comments on her growth and independency regarding production and songwriting. Standouts T.I., ScHoolboy Q, and Cam'ron also make appearances in Brick's first magazine issue. Pre-order your copy here and preview it with the visuals above. In honor of Wiz listen to his new work now under OfficeVibes.