J. Cole was just a rapper trying to find his spot in the game, a year in which a handful of breakout artists arrived on the scene, when The Sideline Story dropped. While under the watchful eye of Jay-Z at Roc Nation, one could assume the pressure was on the Fayetteville emcee.
Fast forward a little under two years and Cole is ready for his return, but this time he’s doing things a little different. Originally scheduled to be released on June 25th, Jermaine pushed the Born Sinner release date up to compete with none other than Kanye West’s album, Yeezus, on June 18th. A bold move from an artist with a fraction of a career his peer has had, but a respectable move at that. With “Power Trip” still tearing up the radio and Billboard charts, and “Crooked Smile” featuring the legendary TLC to soon be on the same path, Born Sinner provided just what the fans wanted.
A balance between radio hits, introspective records (“Runaway”, “Rich Niggaz”), and lyrical showcases (“Villuminati”, “Chaining Day”) is exactly what Born Sinner was anticipated to be. With discussions of who will sell more between himself and Kanye, J. Cole’s promotion for the album almost took care of itself outside of his most notable $1 shows as apart of his “Dollar & A Dream” Tour. Time will tell what Born Sinner ends up being but one thing is for certain. J. Cole is making it known why he is not one to be slept on. Now that the day has arrived, we want to know your favorite track is.
Click Image To Watch Pharrell’s Sits Down With Hypebeast
Recently, tastemaker/producer Pharrell Williams celebrated a decade of business wit his very successful high-end streetwear label Billionaire Boys Club. Hypebeast got a chance to sit down with Skateboard P at the New York City BBC flagship location; discussing the 10 year anniversary of the brand, what they stand for, and what’s in store for the near future. Pharrell also gives a little insight on military inspired sub-line BBC Black, where he plans to bring in more mature looks with the help of designer Mark-McNairy.
In the video below, check out Skateboard P talk about the first decade of BBC, and the new things they have in store.
Designed by Californian-based architects Studio 9one2, the highly contemporary residence is located not far from the ocean on a slightly sloping lot. An interesting relationship between void and solid composes a beautifully modern facade. An aluminum and wood roof curves around one side of the building, while the other side opens to face panoramic views of the surroundings. Solid wooden boxes and transparent glass volumes intermingle resulting in a fascinating visual appeal.
2013 has been a big year for both the Nike Air Foamposite One and its slightly worse looking twin brother, the Nike Air Foamposite Pro; there have been successes (the Nike Air Foamposite One “Phoenix Suns”) and flops (the Nike Air Foamposite One “Whiteout”), and some in the middle (the Nike Air Foamposite One “Fighter Jet”). Today, we bring you the release date for one of the Foams that looks to be a hit, the Nike Air Foamposite One “Sport Royal”.
Since images first leaked of this University of Memphis-flavored sneaker (courtesy of Penny himself), one that was initially thought to be a “PE Only”, the reactions have been mainly positive, with fans of the Foamposite line of kicks clamoring for these to release. Was that due to folks actually liking the shoes, or because sneakerheads tend to get extra-hype over things they think they can’t have? Who’s to say? One thing that’s for certain is that these kicks will be releasing this month, on June 29th, at select Nike retailers. Hit the jump for release details and a few pics of this upcoming sneaker, and let us know if you’ll be copping a pair in the comments below.
6/29/13
Nike Air Foamposite One “Sport Royal”
Sport Royal/Game Royal-Wolf Grey
Style Code: 314996-401
$230
Available at Nike.com (Twitter Link Only, 8am EST)
Take a look at these Giuseppe Zanotti London sneakers ($650) with crocodile skin texture embossed detail. They feature black patent leather, side and back zips, and a white rubber sole. Are these on your must have list?
It’s no wonder that Jay-Z signed a partnership deal with the electronics giant Samsung that’s rumored to be worth $20 million. The Korean company spends an incredible amount on advertising every year.
Samsung Electronics’ advertising spending in 2012 was $4.6 billion, an amount higher than that of Pepsi ($3.7 billion), Coca-Cola ($3.3 billion) and Apple ($1 billion). How big is that $4.6 billion figure? It isn’t far off Universal Music Group’s 2012 revenue ($6 billion) and dwarfs the annual A&R spending of record labels globally ($2.7 billion). In other words, no music company has the resources to do what Samsung can do.
Jay-Z and Samsung created an album release plan that leverages the size and scope of the company. His “Magna Carta Holy Grail” album will be available for free download on July 4 to the first 1 million Samsung Galaxy S III, Galaxy S 4 and Galaxy Note II users. With about 70 million smartphones in the global market in the fourth quarter of last year, and with a massive advertising presence to create awareness, Samsung is a large and effective distribution network for the artists it partners with.
Let’s be clear about Samsung’s music spending: the company’s advertising spending goes toward many things other than smartphones. The company also sells such products as televisions, semiconductors, digital cameras and printers. And because Samsung’s advertising spending goes toward products other the smartphones, it’s easy to deduce that music probably may not get much of that huge advertising budget.
Coca-Cola and Pepsi spend a great deal of money on music. As Billboard’s Andrew Hampp noted in his 2012 cover story ”The Cola Wars,” Coca-Cola and Pepsi spend $240 million and $330 million annually on entertainment and sports, according to research firm IEC.
But Samsung certainly has the capacity to spend a great deal on music. And there will be more money available for music as Samsung’s revenue grows. Total marketing spending — advertising is just one component — has risen as Samsung’s smartphone sales have exploded in recent years. Marketing expenses were 6.5% of revenue in 2012, up from 5.9% and 5.7% in 2010 and 2011, respectively.
Wyclef Jean has released his latest visual for his track Dumb It Down. This track is featured from his most recent mixtape April Showers.
Known for their highly provocative art, the two brothers worked with Kim Jones and Louis Vuitton on a capsule collection for Fall/Winter 2013.
Look out for the release of these limited edition items at Louis Vuitton stores soon
How does a manufacturer standout in a crowded marketplace? For up-and-coming Chinese phone maker Huawei it’s by cutting the fat. Huawei has announced their new smartphone, the Ascend P6, will measure a mere .24 inches thick (6.18 mm).
Huawei has been gradually moving its branded phones into the marketplace, but the Ascend P6 is their biggest foray yet.
In addition to the thin size, the P6 is attractive – it has an aluminum frame, and it looks quite similar to the iPhone. Despite the slim build, reviewers have been impressed by the phones sturdiness.
The P6 also sports a 5 megapixel front facing camera – making it ideal for Skype or Facetime. The phone has an 8-megapixel rear camera.
In the nuts and bolts category, the P6 sports a 4.7-inch 720p display and a 1.5GHz quad-core processor. It runs Android’s Jelly Bean 4.2.2 OS.
The one big drawback of the Ascend P6 is the lack of 4G capability. For many, that’s a deal breaker.
Huawei appears committed to crafting their own brand image in the smartphone category. The Ascend P6 looks like a great start. The lack of 4G is, however, a serious impediment.
