If the first Larry June and Adidas Adistar Control 5 drop back during Super Bowl weekend back wasn’t enough, the “Watermelon Smoothie” splash this week was the perfect end to summer. But if you live in Cali, you know that September is the month when the tourists stay away and the locals can enjoy the nice weather with a fresh smoothie or some Oolong Tea…
Read moreSteph Curry's Sponsorship Journey from Under Armour to Li-Ning
I have always known Steph is a champion. He knows how to win. He had one of the greatest Olympic moments of all time and his dynasty with the Warriors will not soon be forgotten. But last year, Curry walked away from Under Armour and had done something that I don’t think any NBA athlete has ever done. He could have worn any shoe on the market, and last year he tried on more than a few. Let’s get into it.
Read moreJeru the Damaja is One of the Coldest Emcees from the 90s
Sometime early in 1997, I was 17 years old and 90s hip hop had officially taken over my life. I loved going to different record stores nearby (Tower Records, The Wherehouse, Sam Goodies, Music Trader) where I’d dig through CD racks and read rap magazines to stay up on the industry.
Read moreBook 2 x McDonalds
This one is too good to ignore. Nike signature athletes have put pieces of themselves into their shoes since the beginning. Recently however, we have been given some very memorable pairs that allow the shoes to give us a glimpse into who these athletes are off the court or a reflection from a moment in time. The Jordan 1 low “Rookie of the Year” was inspired by the outfit that Micheal Jordan wore during his acceptance speech for rookie of the year in 1985. The Kobe 5 Protro “Merion” pays tribute to Bryant’s alma mater Lower Merion High School in Pennsylvania with its maroon and silver colors. The Ja 3 “Kool-Aid” is an asymmetrical blend of a yellow shoe and a pink shoe to highlight the Morant family’s favorite Kool-Aid flavor of pink-lemonade. But one recent shoe stands out above the rest, and of course it belongs to my guy Devin Booker. So wipe the BBQ sauce from those Memorial Day ribs off your fingers, and let’s get into it.
Read moreA Tribe Called Quest - The Low End Theory Cassette
When I go back to the early 90s, I remember the music I was listening to at the time more than the actual memories from my life. In 1990 I was only 10 years old and in that impressionable time of growing up, it was the always the music that moved me most. And when I had certain cassette tapes in my hands, pressing play on my portable cassette player took me on journeys in my headphones I had never been on before. My older brother Todd’s collection of cassettes was my only source of music to listen to so when I opened that old empty shoebox full of cassettes from under his bed, it was always a choose your own adventure type of experience for me. So in the early 90s as an 11 or 12 year old, I had no idea what was about to happen to me when I grabbed that cassette for the first time.
Read moreAll-Star Weekend and the Book 2
The Book 2 rollout matched the personality of Devin Booker. Until it didn’t. We saw a few concept sketches. A few pictures emerged, and then Book showed them off from Nike University. Subtle. No loud roll out. Just like Devin himself. And then something happened that I couldn’t have guessed…let’s get into it.
Read moreThe Return of the CD aka Compact Disc
Back in the Mid90s, CD’s began to become the most popular, reasonable, and practical option for listeners to enjoy a great listening experience with their favorite albums. Vinyl was always there for the older folks, enthusiasts, DJs, and producers but the casual fans? We needed to listen to music and maybe our parents had a record player but at least for me, I couldn’t go anywhere near my dad’s record player. So around ‘93 - ‘94, cassettes were the only music medium I purchased because I had the Sony Walkman on deck. For $10, I could get a new album on cassette tape and that tape would stay in my walkman for weeks as I listened to every song and then flipped the cassette after side a was done. I loved and forever will love the cassette experience.
Read moreadidas x Larry June Collaboration: Adistar Control 5
Props go out to adidas and Larry June on their new official collaboration with the Adistar Control 5. To roll out some of the photography on the same week that the Super Bowl touched down in The Bay was a straight chef’s kiss to everybody watching. The first piece of content that hit me was the boxes of sneakers riding shotgun as Larry stacked more inside the whip. Then he shuts the door, gets in, and drives off in his silver Ferrari. all you can say after seeing that is…. #numbers.
Read moreSuede Vans Back in the Early 90s
Take it back to 1992 and those suede Vans were a smash. They were Vans so they didn’t cost a ton and then when you bought the shoes, you knew you needed that spray… let me tell you… those mustard suede Vans put in some strategic steps in ‘92 - ‘93… Kickball in the suedes? Nope… I shoot j’s so I could keep the kicks crispy…
Read moreDevin Booker - The Nike Book 2
2026 is here. We try to look back at 2025 and celebrate all the good things that happened in the past 365 days. And for me, 2025 gave us a hopeful Phoenix Suns roster and some great kicks! Sneakerheads had a huge 2025. The Jordan 5 Metallic Reimagined had my chest feeling a certain type of way. The Jordan 4 Undefeated gave me a sneaker moment that I won’t soon forget. And we saw the Galaxy Foam return and the Nigel Brick by Brick is a piece of art that you can wear on your feet. But for me, 2025 was the year we said goodbye to the Book 1, and we welcomed the Book 2. Let’s get into it.
Read moreWhy Vinyl, Cassettes, CD's, and Books Still Matter in 2025
For years, we’ve heard about the resurgence of vinyl records which seem to increase in popularity (and sales!) each and every year. At first you might have brushed it off as a trend that you felt would eventually die but then you’d see another story come out seeing that vinyl had once again grown by “X%” in sales over the year prior. It always caught my eye. So did the estimate that 50% of people that purchase vinyl don’t even have a record player. So interesting! It opens up the market for more collectors to buy a record player but then also shows that fans see records as art. Personally, I have 2 full crates of records (I need a new one!) and I don’t own a record player. And believe me, I want to buy a record player but my space isn’t ideal for one now. In due time tho? Yes, I will have that record player spinning my vinyl collection. I think you will too? Regardless, look at record sales since 2010 as reported by Statista.
Read moreStarting a Rap Online Business on eBay in 1999
I’ve watched the music industry since the Mid90s including the formats music was sold on, the locations where these physicals were sold, as well as the streaming era. I’ve been invested as a fan but have also been enamored with rap music as a business since I was a kid. I always heard about hitting a lick in 90s gangsta rap tracks I loved but I didn’t hit my first lick until eBay in 1999.
Read moreNike x Halloween Sneaker Season
Spooky season is officially here. We have put summer in the rearview mirror. Football is in full swing and baseball is in the playoff hunt. For some people, it’s fall colored leaves and pumpkins. For some, its goblins and ghouls. For us, its Halloween sneaker season. So grab your pumpkin spice chai with extra caramel drizzle and let’s get into it.
Read moreComics and Hip Hop - Legend Has It
Shout out to Marvel and Mass Appeal working together to release the first major rap comic book, Legend Has It. If you’re a fan of rap or hip hop and also happen to be a comic book fan, this is a very big deal. The comic dropped yesterday (10/10/25) at New York Comic Con with a live panel featuring Nas, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah and many other legends. This comic also ties in with the new album from Mobb Deep (!!!!) and it follows a crazy run of releases from Mass Appeal this year from Slick Rick, Raekwon, Ghostface, Mobb Deep, and then we got a Big L and then a Nas and DJ Premier album?? AND THEN IT IS ALL TIED INTO THIS COMIC BOOK IN ALL KINDS OF WAYS?!??!??!? No way…. This is epic.
Read moreNike x Undefeated
The Jordan 4 Undefeated is having its moment. This shoe is exactly what the sneaker community needed. Nike and Undefeated went all in on this shoes release. Social media was in a chokehold over this one and it absolutely did not disappoint. Let’s get into it.
Read moreYams and Odessa Kane - W.O.R.D.
We just dropped the Yams and Odessa Kane album, W.O.R.D. which can be found on Spotify, Apple Music, or wherever you listen to music. The project includes 21 tracks and includes features from Scarub from the Living Legends, Pep Love from Hieroglyphics, Trapper Loc, and SVTTERBRVIN. Yams on the beats. Odessa Kane on the raps. This is W.O.R.D.
Read moreAwake NY x Jordan Collab
As sneaker collectors, we are all drawn to different pairs for different reasons. But sneaker brands know that collectors and casual shoppers are drawn to collaborators. This isn’t anything new. Over the years, sneaker collaborations have given the community some of the all-time grails. Some collaborations push all their chips to the center of the table. Angelo Baque and Awake NY have gone all in on every offering. As sneakerheads, we are lucky to find pairs that resonate with us. The pink Jordan 5 x Awake NY is that shoe. If you get pair, your one of the lucky ones. And if you do, make sure you wear them!
Read moreThe Weight I’ve Carried: A Personal Story for Mental Health Awareness Month
It’s mental health awareness month and I know I have to contribute. But I also know that I’ll go deep on stuff that can hit a spot inside of mind I try to stay away from. It’s a spot that I know I’ll revisit when I fall again and when I do, it’s honestly the worst thing you could encounter… or let me rephrase, the worst thing that I’ve encountered. Some people get hit with crazy trauma.. others hit with death to those around them. For others, they might battle demons. Everybody has their inner struggles they might not wear on their sleeve… Here’s what you gotta know though… Don’t judge somebody on the type of struggles they have because you don’t know how each individual copes and deals with what they’re facing.
Read moreMike Bibby and The Collection
This month I catch a social media post about an event at Gila River Casino. The post is for “The Collection by Gila River”. The post describes the event as a “sneaker lover’s dream”, so they had my attention. The Collection is described as an event to discover the history and artistry behind each pair from Mike Bibby’s personal collection. The highlights of the event include iconic Jordan Brand collaborations from Bibby’s collection that span decades with rare, limited edition releases and exclusive colorways straight from the vault. So of course I had to check it out.
Read moreNike’s 2025 Sneaker Heat: Jordan 1 Banned, Book 1 Forrest Gump, Galaxy Foam & More Must-Cop Drops
Nike is making 2025 a year to remember for sneakerheads. From Devin Booker’s Book 1 drops in exclusive colorways to the return of the legendary Jordan 1 "Banned" in a hyper-limited 10,000-pair release, the hype is real. We also got the Galaxy Foamposite, the surprise Wizard of Oz SB Dunk variant, and a back-to-back Jordan 1 drop that shook the game. Are sneaker retros making a comeback, or is Nike flooding the market? Let’s break it all down.
Read more