New Jersey rapper by the name of RetcH recruits Pittsburgh rapper and beatsmith Mac Miller for his latest single, "Troubled Man's Lullaby". RetcH prepares for the release of his LP Finesse The World, while Mac delivers an introspective verse and flexes his alter ego Larry Fisherman on the song's production. Both artists have chemistry on account of their past collaborations, like "Amen" and seem to catch a vibe we might here on Mac's "Faces" mixtape. Listen to "Troubled Man's Lullaby" below and look for Finesse The World on June 30.
adidas Yeezy 350 Boost a Symbol for Creativity /
Since Kanye West stepped into the limelight he has been on a challenging mission to create outside of his musician box. He is a glorified rapper, but many have doubted his artistry, design-eye, and creative ingenuity. For a genius this is frustrating, and Kanye voiced his feelings in the following 2013 interview with BBC Radio 1's Zane Lowe:
“Well I’ve reached a point in my life where my ‘Truman Show’ boat has hit the painting, and I’ve got to a point that Michael Jackson did not break down. I have reached the glass ceiling as a creative person, as a celebrity. When I say that it means I want to do product I am a product person, not just clothing, but water bottle design, architecture, everything that you could think about. And I’ve been at it for 10 years and I look around and I say, ‘Wait a second, there’s no one around here in this space that looks like me and if they are they’re quiet as fuck.’ So that means wait a second, now we are seriously in a civil rights movement.”
Every project, every interview, and every meeting Kanye West fights for creative achievement no matter who you are. His frustration he expressed in 2013 came to a head in 2014 when Nike refused royalties in his contract, despite the success of the Air Yeezy silhouettes. This led to a welcoming home for Mr. West at adidas as he states, "adidas was a company that was flexible and used to dealing with creatives enough to allow me to create something that was very close to my heart." Yeezy Season 1, adidas 750 Yeezy Boost, and the newest development--adidas Yeezy 350 Boost are all products of Kanye's struggle he wishes everybody to enjoy.
Following the success of his high-top 750 sneaker Ye extends his footwear prowess with the low-top 350 causally dressed in a grey-melange Primeknit® upper. At first glance the sneaker is easily compared to Nike's Roshe Run, but the 350 boasts a minimalist aesthetic seen as reflective rope laces mix with the grey colorway and the heel tab appears to be added solely for function. Walk on clouds thanks to adidas' comfortable Boost sole unit. The next installment to Kanye's vision releases globally at select adidas locations on June 27 for $200 USD. "Never stop fighting no matter what anyone says, no matter how they try to compromise you, compromise your vision," says the artist, and let this sneaker be a testament to that very statement.
Nike Launches Sneaker Raffle /
Even when Nike tries to mitigate the unfairness that has arisen through purchasing limited release sneakers, their efforts seem half-assed. The dawn of the Twitter link has had sneakerheads clamoring for ways to beat the system in hopes of copping the most exclusive Air Jordans. First, they tried to render "sneaker bots", which are computer programs that can be purchased off the internet intended to jump the consumer to the front of the virtual line, obsolete. Nike introduced a reCAPTCHA application, designed to detect which consumers were actually human versus robotic; however, such attempts fell through as the bots inevitably found a way to bypass the barriers.
Taking another crack at combatting the bots, Nike has introduced an online raffle system for limited releases. With the hopes of putting the shoes in the hands of the real consumer, customers will now have to follow their local Nike store on Twitter and await a Twitter link to an entry page that will require input of their size to enter the raffle. Sneakerheads will have 24 hours to complete this process. The only Nike store to be involved with this system at the moment is Nike Chicago, but hopefully this is the effective solution Nike leadership has been searching for. It will be interesting to see if this has an effect on the secondary shoe market. Will the raffle allow more of the sneaker enthusiasts to purchase limited releases or does it perpetuate re-selling? For more details on the raffle head here.
Here Active Listening Gives Users Control of Audio Environments /
Imagine a world where you could personalize your live audio environment; you are on a train and the crying baby next to you is deafening or you are walking through the city and the hustle and bustle is too distracting, with Here Active Listening you can adjust these sounds for a pleasing, enhanced audio environment. "Use two wireless, in-ear buds and a smartphone app to control what you hear and how you hear it," says the product's description. Here is essentially the first development in "hearable" technology, because it allows users to control real world volume and mix their world with the live music equalizer, reduce the reverb at a concert or crank the bass at a violin recital. The developing team, Doppler Labs, also includes preset filters that combine volume, EQ, and effects to elevate the audio environment, such as "Hendrix" for a rock 'n' roll vibe. See the product in action in the video below, and note Here Active Listening is simply a prototype now, but you can move the project along by backing its KickStarter campaign here.
Kamili - Sustainable Art Exhibition by Amani Davis and Hannibal Hopson /
"People from Pittsburgh love to talk about how they are from Pittsburgh," says any non-native who has interacted with the prideful bunch. Calling Pittsburgh home is acknowledging the city's importance; Pittsburghers point to steel production, Heinz Ketchup, popular figures, sport culture, its key position as Gateway to the West, and neighborhoods. This pride carries local artists Amani Davis and Hannibal Hopson in their sustainable art exhibition titled Kamili.
Both Amani and Hannibal hail from Pittsburgh's Highland Park-Point Breeze-Squirrel Hill region and have seen the area go through changes over a sixteen-year period of growing up there. The pair notes how gentrification results in new housing developments, new businesses, and new families who are unaware or forget the history and culture already instilled in the neighborhood. Kamili counteracts the process as Amani and Hannibal's exhibition celebrates past memories and attachment to their community. Using wood as their medium, the artists paint and draw on pieces people threw out on the street and scrap from demolition projects, repurposing their forgotten world. Amani voiced, "This is about my street," evoking a sense of empathy with his neighbors who have come and gone. Change is what inspires Kamili--Swahili for concrete, complete, or perfect. With city life change of landscape and people is constant, to which Amani appropriately states, "When neighborhoods flip people forget shit." Kamili pays homage to remembrance, while acknowledging nothing ever stays the same.
On June 11, 2015 InTheRough met with Amani Davis and Hannibal Hopson at their studio to talk about their upcoming exhibition. The conversation, and accompanying visuals, dealing with art, Pittsburgh society, hip hop, and their movement will be available here July 3. See Kamili for yourself July 2-3, 2015 at PointBreezeway, 6 to 9pm EST.
PointBreezeway
7113 Reynolds St.
Pittsburgh, PA 15208