Travi$ Scott - Antidote by Alex Young

The second single off Travi$ Scott's Rodeo album is now available. Travi$ has seen his name in the headlines a lot since the June 8 release of his song "3500", largely in part due to the incident where he kicked a cameraman off the stage for his Summer Jam set. In his newest track, "Antidote", the rapper says of the situation, "Kickin' the cameraman off of my stages cuz I don't like how he snappin' my angles." Obsessive about his art and his brand, Travi$ Scott debuted "Antidote" to fans at an after party this weekend and said it potentially featured OVO member PARTYNEXTDOOR, now it is apparent that was a hype-filled lie. Regardless, Scott's solo effort suffices. 

Listen to VibeRotation 21 by Alex Young

It feels like the sun is going down on a good summer day and a good ass night is about to ensue. This is the energy accompanied by great music provided by VibeRotation 21. Ready your ears for a steady flow of new heat from a handful of talented young artists. Unwind or rally to a smooth Chaka Khan sample from legendary producer Statik Selektah, classic west coast sounds from LA's own Dom Kennedy and RJ, a pair of refreshing tracks from Chris Brown, and more.

RetcH featuring Mac Miller - Troubled Man's Lullaby (Prod. Larry Fisherman) by Alex Young

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 by Alex Young

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 by Maxwell Young

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.