Month: July 2020

If you’ve ever wanted to hear Frosty the Snowman growl the words “My man!” boy, are you in luck.

In news that we can safely say nobody saw coming, Jason Momoa will voice the classic holiday character in a live-action Frosty the Snowman movie. The film is being put together by Momoa’s Aquaman producers and will feature a CGI Frosty played by the former Game of Thrones star. Via Deadline:

“From his role as a fearsome count in a land of ice and fire to the oceanic success we all had with Aquaman, it felt only right to realize Jason this time out of snow,” [Jon] Berg said.

Said [Greg] Silverman: “We know Jason’s as a true human being filled with love, compassion and a deep connection to ohana… all of which is the living spirit of Xmas and Frosty.”

At this time, there’s no information on when Frosty the Snowman will start filming or is expected to hit theaters, but judging by the current conditions on the ground, Christmas 2021 is probably the earliest audiences can catch this new Momoa twist on a holiday classic.

On top of updating Frosty for modern audiences, Momoa also recently signed on to Good Bad & Undead, a film that’s being described as “Midnight Run in a Bram Stoker world.” The actor will reunite with his Game of Thrones co-star Peter Dinklage in the project that has an absolutely awesome synopsis:

Dinklage will play Van Helsing, last in a long line of vampire hunters. He develops an uneasy partnership with a vampire (Momoa) who has taken a vow never to kill again. Together they run a scam from town to town, where Van Helsing pretends to vanquish the vampire for money. But when a massive bounty is put on the vampire’s head, everything in this dangerous world full of monsters and magic is now after them.

Don’t get us wrong. Frosty is cool, too. (See what we did there?)

(Via Deadline)

Actor Tom Hanks is speaking out about Americans who can’t manage to practice basic precautions to help stop the spread of the COVID-19.

Hanks and his wife, Rita Wilson, are in a unique position to talk about the virus, they were among the first major celebrities to announce they contracted the virus in March.

The couple recovered form the disease after self-isolating in Australia.

The “Forest Gump” and “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” star didn’t mince words when speaking at a press conference for his upcoming film “Greyhound,” which debuts July 10 on Apple TV+.

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“There’s really only three things we can do in order to get to tomorrow: Wear a mask, social distance, wash our hands,” he said according to People. “Those things are so simple, so easy, if anybody cannot find it in themselves to practice those three very basic things — I just think shame on you.”

He has had some harsh words for those who refuse to follow basic health precautions that have led to the spread of the virus.

“Don’t be a prick, get on with it, do your part,” he said. “It’s very basic. If you’re driving a car, you don’t go too fast, you use your turn signal and you avoid hitting pedestrians. My Lord, it’s common sense.”

Hanks a great spokesperson for COVD-19 safety given his experience with the virus and his status as one of America’s most beloved actors. Hanks has always excelled at representing the common man on screen, hopefully his message will resonate with Americans who have been unwilling to comply with basic social distancing protocols.

A “shame on you” from America’s dad is what we definitely need right now.

During the press conference he also shared how he and his wife recovered from the disease.

“Oh, as the canaries in the coal mine for the COVID-19 experience, we are fine,” he said. “We had about 10 days of very uncomfortable symptoms. Not life-threatening, we’re happy to say. We were isolated in order to keep an eye on ourselves because if our temperatures had spiked, if our lungs had filled, if any number of things had gone wrong with this, we would have needed expert medical care.”

via Deutsche Bank / Flickr

Having experienced the disease first-hand, he and Wilson are adhering to strict social distancing protocols.

“I guess we were model recoverers from COVID-19, but we were also isolated so that we would not give it to anybody else that we came in contact with, and since then have been doing the same isolating, social distancing that is being asked of the world so, we are fine,” he added.

The actor’s words come as the U.S. cannot seem to get a handle on the spread of the virus. On Tuesday, new U.S. COVID-19 cases rose by more than 47,000, the biggest spike since the onset of the pandemic. In June, cases of the virus doubled in at least ten states.

“Clearly we are not in total control right now,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told a U.S. Senate committee. “I am very concerned because it could get very bad.”

COVID-19 has claimed the lives of more than 126,000 Americans.

As we say in the viral stories world, there’s viral and then there’s viral. A post with 100K shares in a month would be considered super viral. A post with a millions shares—even over a long period of time—is nearly unheard of.

So the fact that a post about Irish slaves has been shared nearly a million times in just nine days is incredibly disheartening. Why? Because it’s fake, fake, fake. And not in an “I don’t like what this says so I’m going to call it fake” kind of way, but in a non-factual, already-debunked-by-real-historians kind of way.

As someone with a crapton of Irish ancestry, I find the perpetuation of the Irish slaves myth utterly embarrassing—especially since it’s most often shared in an attempt to downplay the history of Black slavery in the U.S. If it were true, that kind of deflection would still be annoying. But pushing false history narratives to deny the reality of the impact of institutionalized, race-based chattel slavery is just gross.

And to be sure, this is false history. To begin with, the photo isn’t even of Irish people at all. It’s a photo of Belgian miners crammed into a mining elevator around the year 1900.

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And the text for this post comes from a discredited article from 2008, written by a man whose identity has never been verified. Since Reuters already did a beautiful job of going through the post detail by detail and sharing historians’ corrections of what it claims—with citations—I won’t rehash too much here. (Find the Reuters debunking here. Find an Irish Journal debunking here. And a Pacific Standard fact-check of the Irish slaves myth in general here.)

Please, please read those links. Save them on your computer or phone so that you can share them with people who keep sharing these posts.

And please, for the love of all that is good and holy, let’s all learn how to check things for ourselves. Here’s a quick tutorial for how to do that, using this viral post as an example.

First, let’s check the photo. There are two easy ways search for a photo online.

1) In a Chrome browser, hover over the image and right-click (or “control”-click on a Mac). Select “Search Google for Image” and you’ll see all the places the photo shows up with descriptions.

2) In any browser, right-click the photo and select “Copy Image Address.” Go to images.google.com, click on the camera icon in the search bar, then paste in the image address.

Here’s what comes up in the image search for this photo. Clearly, this is a photo of Belgian coal miners, not Irish slaves from the 17th century (when cameras hadn’t even been invented yet).

Now let’s look at the text.

The first red flag on this post is that there are no citations. The person who created the post gave no credit at all for where the “information” came from. If a post contains historical claims and offers no sources, it needs to be verified. Always and forever.

The second red flag is that comments have been turned off on the post, which means no one can share refuting information on the post itself. Sometimes people turn off comments for problematic responses, but on a post that’s sharing “history,” it’s super suspect.

The third red flag is the content of the post itself. Claims like “The majority of the early slaves to the New World were actually white,” and “It is well recorded that African slaves, not tainted with the stain of the hated Catholic theology and more expensive to purchase, were often treated far better than their Irish counterparts,” are both extraordinary, considering what we know about the horrors of the transatlantic slave trade. If your first reaction is, “Wow, I’d never heard that before,” that’s a good sign that you should check with actual historians before sharing.

In the misinformation age, we all need to get used to googling the words “myth” and “debunked.” A search for “Irish slaves myth” and “Irish slaves debunked” both bring up well-cited, credible historians’ responses to narratives like the one in this post. (Again, read the debunking links above. Check the links they share from interviews with and written works of Irish historians.)

Of course, part of the reason this post has almost a million shares is that a whole lot of people want it to be true. This narrative makes slavery in the U.S. seem like an equal opportunity reality, thereby diluting the racism and white supremacy inherent in the “peculiar institution” of American slavery, and thus absolving white folks of any responsibility for the powers and privileges we’ve inherited as a result of it. It also allows white folks to say ignorant things like, “See? Our ancestors were enslaved just as badly and you don’t see us whining,” or better yet, “Where are MY damn reparations?” (Actual share text from someone who shared the post.)

We have got to stop this kind of misinformation and disinformation from spreading. It’s not harmless. It’s not a matter of opinion or an “alternative viewpoint.” It’s blatant lies, and no one from any background should stand for it.

To say that rum has a dark history would be an understatement. Much like Kentucky bourbon, Caribbean rum has its very foundations in African slavery. Rum was created by enslaved Africans from the by-products of sugar production and then hijacked by white colonists as a commodity to export. Most brand names reflect some aspect of rum’s history, from pirates and seafaring to the island-based locations of distilleries themselves. Plantation Rum was a bit of an outlier in this regard, as it was named after an agricultural system that directly profited off of slavery.

As conversations around racism and police violence continue globally, the French-owned company behind Plantation announced this week that they’d be taking steps to change the name of their rum expressions. “As the dialogue on racial equality continues globally, we understand the hurtful connotation the word plantation can evoke to some people,” Alexandre Gabriel, Plantation’s master blender, said in a press statement. “Especially in [Plantation’s] association with much graver images and dark realities of the past.”

Plantation Rum is a sourced rum — mostly from West Indies Rum Distillery in Barbados, but also from distilleries in Jamaica, Trinidad, Peru, and Fiji. The rum is then aged and blended by Maison Ferrand, a premiere Cognac maker in France. It’s a truly international brand with an 80 country reach, making this shift a far-reaching move sure to make waves across the industry.

Stephanie Simbo, Plantation’s Global Brand Manager, adds, “We pride ourselves on making delicious rum for people to enjoy and never want any part of their experience to create feelings of discomfort. To that end, we want to be on the side of actions and solutions.”

The new name for the rum has not been decided on yet. But, it’s expected to arrive globally within two years.

(Via The Spirits Business)

The NHL smartly waited to name its host cities for its restart plan, likely waiting to see how the coronavirus spread through the continent prior to ironing out any firm plans, and now will pivot to a pair of Canadian cities for its East and West bubbles, according to multiple reports.

Edmonton and Toronto will host the NHL this summer, with Bob McKenzie of TSN initially reporting that the two Canadian cities will be the two hubs for the league’s return “barring any last-minute complications.” There were other possibilities, including Las Vegas once being the frontrunner in the West, but with cases on the rise across the United States, the NHL has chosen to play in a country where it has historically had a major presence — and the one that has handled the pandemic better by comparison.

McKenzie also noted final details could be voted upon as soon as this weekend.

The NHL took a more deliberate approach throughout its return plan process, and now will benefit from less outside danger than the NBA or MLS, both currently headed to Orlando which has seen a major outbreak recently, when it gets back on the ice. Part of what the NHL must soon agree upon is when Phases 3 and 4 of its plan will take place, and what pay and transaction rules will look like during the irregular season.

While MLB plans to launch its players around the country this summer and fall and the NFL tinkers with its typical schedule, the NHL appears to have been wise with a more patient approach.

Gus Dapperton quickly launched into a tour following his 2018 debut record. The lengthy tour ended up being degrading to his mental health and used the time to begin writing music which would eventually comprise his sophomore album. On Wednesday, the singer finally shared a preview of his songwriting with “Post Humorous,” a lyrically moving track that officially announces his next album.

“Post Humorous” features Dapperton’s signature buoyant instrumentals juxtaposed against poignant lyrics which reflect on dealing with death in early childhood. “Yeah, I can’t help thinkin’ ’bout the way we joked / In those funeral homes, yeah, I could only hope / It was appropriate,” Dapperton sings.

The single arrives ahead of Dapperton’s sophomore album, Orca, which is slated for a September release. In a statement, Dapperton reflects on difficult experiences that would eventually serve as inspiration for his songwriting. “I was unbalanced,” Dapperton said. “My lifestyle and habits had gotten extreme. I wasn’t getting eight hours of sleep a night, I was drinking and doing drugs often. Wasn’t eating healthy. And on top of it, I was performing. A show can be the most inspirational, emotional high; but if something goes wrong it can be devastating.”

Dapperton continued that he aims to be unguarded with his emotions through his songwriting. “I’m a huge advocate for putting myself in vulnerable positions in my music,” he said but admits that confronting these feelings “was a chance to be open that I was afraid of. It was cathartic to put these emotions into music.”

Listen to “Post Humorous” above and find Dapperton’s Orca cover art and tracklist below.

1. “Bottle Opener”
2. “First Aid”
3. “Post Humorous”
4. “Bluebird”
5. “Palms”
6. “My Say So” Feat. Chela
7. “Grim”
8. “Antidote”
9. “Medicine”
10. “Swan Song”

Orca is out 9/18 via AWAL. Pre-order it here.

When WNBA players head to Bradenton, Fla. next week for their shortened season at IMG Academy’s bubble site, Washington Mystics forward Aerial Powers will be there with her entire video game set-up in tow. Powers, known by the gamertag powerzsurge on streaming platform Twitch, is arguably the league’s most avid gamer and has become a woman on the rise in eSports.

Since getting started on Twitch last September during the late stages of the 2019 WNBA season, Powers has earned 2.6K followers and now streams almost daily, playing mostly NBA 2K20 and Apex Legends. During the season, gaming is a way for the WNBA star to wind down after practice or games. She even travels to road games with her PC monitor so she can play in her hotel room.

Because she’s been quarantining at home in D.C. the past few months, Powers has been streaming a lot more to satiate her competitive appetite and increase her visibility in the gaming space. In March, Powers competed in the first-ever NBA 2KL Three For All Showdown alongside her fellow WNBA players Allisha Gray and Alexis Jones. She’s also teamed up with the Washington Wizards 2K League squad and became the first WNBA player to commentate an NBA 2K game live on ESPN in June when the network began airing NBA 2K League matches.

“I think people really like when I play [NBA 2K20] just because of my basketball background,” Powers told Uproxx with a chuckle. “They really get into it and they can see what I’m like on the court. It’s fun to get into that mode especially because I can’t [play] right now with our season being on pause.”

The 26-year-old Michigan native grew up playing on different consoles including the Nintendo 64 and PlayStation Portable. The Powers family loved playing video games, and it was through her brother that the eventual WNBA champion first learned about playing online against people around the world. Powers’ brother would frequently play Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, and once he handed his headset to his sister, she was hooked for life.

“And then my dad came in and got a whiff of all of it, and then the next day, he brought home two more XBoxes, two more TVs, and we were like all in one household, playing the game, driving my mom crazy,” Powers says while laughing. “So that was pretty dope.”

Now, Powers loves connecting with people all over the world through her Twitch streams, reading their comments as they hear her hilarious commentary while she dunks on people in NBA 2K20.

“I have people from Italy, Turkey, people from all over the world come to my streams because they know me or saw me somewhere,” Powers says. “But it brings us all together. Now, with the pandemic going on, we’re not able to go out and hang out as usual so for me — especially with our season not happening right now — it’s connecting me to my fans. So that’s the reason why I love it.”

Released in September, NBA 2K20 is the first version of the game to include a WNBA mode. For the first time, Powers, who had been playing the NBA 2K games since she was a kid, was able to play as herself on the Mystics. But for all the progress made in the video game, she agrees that there is still a long way to go in terms of the actual gameplay and different modes. In NBA 2K20, the WNBA mode only lasts one full 34-game season whereas the NBA’s GM mode can go on for decades. Additionally, users cannot online against other people with WNBA teams, contracts and player ratings are often less than realistic, and users can’t even create their own female player, meaning Powers has to play as a man when she heads into The Neighborhood.

While Powers enjoys gaming and streaming on Twitch, she is also looking at different ways to use her platform for good. She hopes to challenge the stereotype of what a gamer looks like and to educate people on ways to stay healthy even while sitting and staring at a computer screen for hours. When she is streaming, Powers makes sure to be mindful of what snacks she’s eating and sometimes she games while exercising on her stationary bike.

“When you think of a gamer, you think of someone eating chips on the couch, not being healthy at all,” Powers says. “But there’s tons of ways that gamers can be healthy and stay healthy when it comes to gaming. I think that perception needs to change a little bit.”

Another perception that needs to change: the notion that young girls don’t have a clear interest and passion for eSports. As a prominent Black female athlete in the gaming space, Powers is one of few who look like her in a world that is often run by and filled with men. And while the WNBA star was raised in a family that supported her love for video games, she knows that is not always the case for many young girls around the world.

“When I got more online, it was like, ‘Hey, are you a girl?’ on the other side of the mic and you know, people making girl jokes,” Powers says. “But all in all, it didn’t affect me because I wanted to play and I wanted to be good at it so I didn’t let what the other people said take me out of the realm of playing video games. That’s another thing I want to teach other girls. If it’s something you like and it’s something you enjoy, then keep doing it.”

Even when there are girls who confidently love gaming, they don’t have as many role models in the growing professional esports space, which is something Powers has been working on with the NBA 2K League and their Women in Gaming initiatives. According to Statista, women account for 46 percent of all gamers in the U.S. yet no female gamer made Forbes’ list of top-earning gamers in the world in 2019.

“I think it’s important for younger generations of female gamers to see that so they know that girls do game. We do take it seriously,” Powers says.

With her presence on Twitch, not only is Powers able to grow her profile in the gaming space, but she’s also introducing new fans to the WNBA every time she streams. As the biggest gamer in the WNBA, players from around the league have even come to Powers asking how they can get started playing video games or to get advice about streaming.

“It means a lot to me,” Powers says. “To be known as someone that knows what to do and how to do it is cool because this is just something I love. It’s something that I picked up from an early age and I’ve done well with it. It’s definitely a cool accomplishment.”

Last year, Pup released Morbid Stuff, their wonderful third record and first for Rise Records. Now they’re looking back fondly on the time they spent promoting the album with a new live release: The band has announced Live At The Electric Ballroom, which was recorded during a pair of shows at the historic London venue on November 20 and 21 last year.

Like the show itself, though, this release will be fleeting. It comes out on Friday, July 3 (on Bandcamp for #BandcampFriday), and that is the last day it will be available for download. Half of the record’s proceeds will be donated to Critical Resistance and Breakaway Addiction Services in Toronto.

In a statement about the release, the band says they recorded the album primarily as a keepsake for themselves, but the result ended up sounding better than they expected:

“We never planned on putting these recordings out, because we expected them to suck. They were mostly just for ourselves, to mark what we considered to be a pretty big moment in our careers. But turns out, they suck a bit less than we expected. So in typical PUP fashion we made a plan to release them in a self-sabotaging, stupid way. The record will be sold for one day only. After that, it’s gone. Everyone we work with told us it’s a terrible idea. And they are definitely right. But one of the reasons we love working with them is because sometimes they agree to let us f*ck up on our own terms, and rally behind us in a supportive way. Thanks guys.”

When the album is available, pick it up here.

20 years ago, if you said Nike would become one of the most visible brands in the realm of skate shoes people would’ve laughed in your face. Something by Osiris, a new iteration of the Puma Clydes, anything by Vans, Converse, or D3 shoes… Hell, even Adidas, no one would’ve batted an eye. But Nike?

No way. That was a mega-corp for hoopers and workout fanatics. It was MJ’s company. And though Jordans were definitely cool in hip-hop, skate and rap hadn’t fully crossed over yet.

All that changed in a hurry in 2002, when Nike officially launched its SB sub-brand with the Nike SB Dunk Lows. The Swoosh had the deep pockets, brand familiarity, star designers, and unmatched distribution reach to succeed smashingly, but the experiment still could have fallen flat had Nike (not yet a billion-dollar company in 2002) tried to strongarm the scene. Instead, they slow-played it, clout borrowing (thanks to boatloads of cash) from the coolest names in the sport.

It proved incredibly wise. To help kick off the SB Dunk Lows, Nike linked up with Supreme — you know, those craze-inducing purveyors of cool and still one of the strongest tastemaking brands on earth. After leveraging Supreme’s cultural cache, Nike rolled out custom colorways with SB athletes Danny Supa, Richard Mulder, and Reese Forbes. Soon, every skater and street icon had to have a taste, leading to collaborations with prolific street artists like Futura, counterculture icons like Jeff Staple, and skate brands like Diamond Supply Company.

By the time Lupe Fiasco shouted the SB Dunks out in 2006’s “Kick, Push” and certainly by the point when skater Eric Koston (“Do a kickflip!”) helped Nike finally make the shoe better for actually skating in 2009, the silhouette had become an institution. As fresh and coveted as a pair of Jordan 1s. The fact that the shoe itself — which was a reinvention of a mid-’80s hoops classic — proved incredibly popular with skaters and easily adaptable to collab-driven colorway changes and design tweaks definitely helped move the needle.

To celebrate the sneaker, which is enjoying a resurgence of popularity (thanks, in part, to Travis Scott’s Cactus Jack-spin on the silhouette), we’ve collected all the best iterations in the sneaker’s history from 2002 to 2020. Check them out, save your coin, and dream of re-releases.

Supreme x Nike SB Dunk Cement, 2002

What a way to kick off the list. The Supreme Nike SB Dunk Low is still one of the greatest pairs of the sneaker in its eighteen-year history. This particular iteration is notable for its use of the textured “elephant skin” nubuck leather first introduced on the Jordan 3 back in 1988. When this sneaker dropped in 2002, it was the first time the “cement” colorway was used on another sneaker, and Nike couldn’t have chosen a better streetwear label to break it out for.

Supreme Nike SB Dunk Low dropped in both a black and cement colorway with a crimson collar, or the much brighter white and cement colorway, with the true blue-collar. We lean more towards the black, but both pairs are wildly popular — selling for close to $10,000 on aftermarket sites.

Nike SB Dunk Low Mulder, 2002

The debut sneaker in Nike’s “Color’s By” series — a collection of Nike SB Dunks released in colorways hand-selected by Nike’s roster of team riders — the “Mulder” was selected by pro skater Richard Mulder who tried to recreate the colorway of his first pair of Nikes. The Mulder is one of the sneaker’s best colorways, thanks to its crisp leather upper with a simple bright blue swoosh. It’s minimalist, sure, but white leather sneakers have never looked this good.

Nike SB Dunk Supa, 2002

Another great colorway from the SB Dunk’s debut year, pro skater Danny Supasirirat’s New York Knicks referencing take on the SB Dunk was also part of Nike’s “Colors By” series, consisting of colorways hand-selected by Nike’s sponsored team riders. When Supa’s take dropped in 2002 it was a quick favorite amongst sneakerheads and holds up to this day as one of the silhouette’s best presentations.

Nike SB Dunk Reese Denim, 2002

Say what you will about this pair of Nike SB Dunks, but credit where credit is due. When Nike decided to take inspiration from a pair of signature jeans that pro skater Reese Forbes had just dropped, art director Natas Kaupas struck on something that spoke to a lot of streetwear tastemakers.

The upper consists of midnight blue distressed denim with bright red accents. Despite the fact that you could make a strong argument for these being ugly, they fetch prices well above $5,000 in the aftermarket.

Nike SB Buck, 2003

The Nike SB “Buck” colorway came straight from the mind of Nike co-founder Phil Knight, who stayed repping Oregon hard with this design that borrows the colors of the University of Oregon. Other highlights from the design include “PK” branding on the heel, and suede paneling over the leather upper.

Supreme x Nike SB Dunk High, 2003

We don’t blame Supreme for doing a complete 180 with their followup to the Cement SB Dunk — that’s a hard sneaker to follow. But the 2003 high top SB Dunk isn’t without its charms. Featuring a varsity red and white colorway with a distinct star-patterned graphic beneath the swoosh, this design feels like a dope victory lap to kick off the second year of Nike SB Dunks.

Nike SB Dunk Low Tokyo, 2004

Part of Nike’s City Series, the Tokyo SB Dunks swap out the leather upper for a canvas/muslin blend that gives the sneaker a sort of down-to-earth workwear vibe. The Tokyo was absent of branding on the heel and tongue, making this a favorite amongst DIY sneaker painters who treated the pair as a blank canvas.

Nike SB Dunk London, 2004

Another low-key subdued design out of Nike’s City Series, the London’s also played with the base upper of the SB Dunk, trading the leather for a full-suede makeup. The tonal panels of grey captured the foggy vibe of the city, and to round out the design an embroidered outline of the River Thames in midnight blue adorns the side heel panel.

Nike SB Dunk Low Paris, 2004

The best colorway out of Nike’s City Series, the Paris Dunk is just a beautiful pair of kicks. Made in collaboration with French painter Bernard Buffet, each pair of the Paris featured a totally unique upper, making the production run of just 200 pairs feel all the rarer.

Nike SB Dunk Hemp Pack, 2004

Dropping in a red mahogany, bonsai, and cascade blue iteration the Hemp Pack featured uppers composed entirely of hemp. Not only do they still look dope 16 years later, it’s proof that Nike is perfectly capable of making sustainable shoes. Why they don’t continue to do so is beyond us.

Nike SB Dunk High FLOM, 2004

Made in collaboration with graffiti artist Futura, the FLOMs, or “For Love Or Money” Dunks featured a tile-based upper composed of different denominations of currency. In a strange way, they feel like a precursor to Travis Scott’s take on the silhouette from this year, providing that Futura has always been ahead of the game no matter what field he decides to dip his toes into.

Nike SB Dunk High Pro Sea Crystal, 2004

Sandy Bodecker was to the Nike SB what Tinker Hatfield is to the Air Jordan and one of his best iterations ever came about when Bodecker stumbled upon a color in Nike’s seasonal color palette selections in 2004 that reminded him of the washed-out sea glass that he once collected as a kid on the beaches of Connecticut.

Other notable variations to the SB design on this iteration include the use of Pig Suede which helped to bring out the sneaker’s unique colors.

Nike SB Dunk Pigeon, 2005

Probably the most legendary sneaker on this list, the Pigeons came about at a time when sneaker culture was entering an new golden age. Made in collaboration with Jeff Staple, the Pigeon’s release was so hyped that a riot broke out over the sneakers in New York City, the city the sneakers were repping with their embroidered pigeon on the heel.

Stussy x Nike SB Dunk Cherry, 2005

A fan favorite to be sure, this collaboration with Stüssy sports a colorway of chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla inspired by Neapolitan Ice Cream. Why Nike felt the need to add a cherry to the tongue (and name) when Neapolitan Ice cream doesn’t have cherry is a mystery we don’t care to solve because — inaccurate name or not — this pair is just too fresh.

Nike SB Dunk Rayguns, 2005

The Rayguns hold the distinction of being one of the first of the Dunks to feature the SB logo on the tongue. This mismatched colorway was inspired by a fictional ABA team called the Roswell Rayguns and features an alien — which would naturally be that team’s mascot — embroidered on the heel. It’s a silly concept, sure, but the colorway of orange flash, deep black, and bright white is one of the Dunk’s best.

Diamond Supply Co. x Nike SB Diamond Dunk, 2005

The Diamond Dunks look like they would be better utilized in a display case in a sneaker museum than getting beat up on a skater’s feet. Would that stop us from wearing a pair if we owned one of our own? Nah. Featuring crocodile-embossed leather, a shimmering chrome swoosh, and Tiffany Blue leather detailing, this collaborative kick designed by Diamond Supply Co. founder Nick Tershay is an undeniable entry on this list.

Nike SB Dunk SBTG, 2006

Designed by famed Singapore-based artist Mark “Sabotage” Ong, the Dunk SBTG featured hand-painted graphics and patterns by ONG and a screened lace flap. The lace flap hasn’t been seen on a notable pair of SBs since, making the SBTGs instantly recognizable amongst seasoned sneakerheads and SB Stans.

Nike SB What The Dunk?, 2007

Ironically, when Nike decided to design a Dunk cobbled together from 31 of the best SB Dunk colorways, the stated goal was to create a “Dunk to end all dunks,” and you’ll notice a huge gap between the years 2007 and 2019. Don’t get us wrong, Nike didn’t stop making Dunks in the intervening years, the designs just fell off pretty hard and the SB Dunk wouldn’t start to get its groove back until around 2017.

You’ll quickly notice how the upper of the What The Dunk takes on a sort of Greatest Hits quality. Unfortunately, the design turns into a mess. Still, it signifies the end of an era for the SB Dunk. Oh yeah, and owning a pair means you hold a small fortune — these are pricey on the aftermarket sites.

Parra x Nike SB Dunk Parra Dunk, 2019

Though not as cool as the Parra Nike Blazer that the dutch artist of the same name produced for Nike in 2019, the Parra Dunk was everywhere at last summer’s ComplexCon. Featuring a distinct soft chenille swoosh over whiter leather with red, pink, and blue accents, the Parra Dunk oozes serious 80s vibes, offering a different take on the SB Dunk and reinvigorating the brand.

StrangeLove x Nike SB Dunk, 2020

Nike dropped this collaboration with StrangeLove skateboards just in time for Valentine’s Day in a special pink box with a heart-shaped window, a coveted gift amongst skater couples. Featuring an upper of red, pink, and white velvet, atop a clear pink outsole, the StrangeLoves are not just one of the best Nike SB Dunks of all time, they’re one of the best drops of this year.

P-Rod Dunk, 2020

Before the SB Dunks got the “SB” in their name, they were just a simple 80s basketball silhouette intended for the court. Then they became the premier skate shoe for about 20 years in the new millennium, and now maybe they’ll enjoy a third life as a boxing shoe. Paul Rodriguez, aka P-Rod, designed this Mexican-flag-inspired leather take on the high-top for his signature SB Dunk, and it was a great way to start the year in which the SB Dunk became cool again.

Travis Scott Nike Sb Dunk Low Cactus Jack, 2020

Probably the most hyped SB Dunk since the original Supreme Cement, Travis Scott’s earthy take on Dunk perfectly reflects the rappers’ aesthetic. Featuring rope style laces, a woodsy camo pattern, and Cactus Jack branding, Travis Scott’s iteration on the Dunk swaps out the tongue for an extra thick version and adds some paisley bandana patterning on canvas overlays.

When this shoe dropped in February, so many snakeheads flooded the Nike site that it had to temporarily shut down.

Ben & Jerry’s x Nike SB Chunky Dunky

The Chunky Dunky was the most recent Nike SB Dunk to drop and to be honest, we feel a little uncomfortable closing the list with something so polarizing. But the Chunky Dunky was the sneaker that proved that even a pandemic and an economy barreling toward depression wasn’t enough to stop sneakerheads from absolutely losing their mind over a pair of shoes.

What’s cool about the Chunky Dunky are all the small details — the cow print leather overlays, how the upper utilizes the Ben & Jerry’s logo, the psychedelic tie-dye collar that pays homage to Ben & Jerry’s crunchy hippie roots… It’s a sneaker for sneakerheads and a great reminder that the best sneaker designs come from a place of humor and fun.

The RX is Uproxx Music’s stamp of approval for the best albums, songs, and music stories throughout the year. Inclusion in this category is the highest distinction we can bestow, and signals the most important music being released throughout the year. The RX is the music you need, right now.

IDK‘s friends are a nice addition to the Maryland rapper’s latest EP, the fittingly titled IDK & Friends 2, but the main attraction throughout remains the man himself. IDK last used the concept of a straightforward EP of collaborations with his closest associates in 2018, offering up a 16-minute, seven-track free-for-all with both fellow DMV area natives like Q Da Fool, Rico Nasty, and Wale and a broader range of fan favorites including Denzel Curry, Domo Genesis, and Maxo Kream. At the time, he called the project a means to an end; having secured a major deal for his Clue imprint with Warner Records, he swore to fans he’d never make another.

Much like the oft-repeated promise of IDK’s fellow rappers to drop an album and retire, it turns out he couldn’t keep himself from snapping this promise himself — and thank goodness. The eight tracks here, which feature an even larger guestlist than its predecessor, are a welcome, low-stakes addition to IDK’s mostly high-concept canon after his heady major debut Is He Real? This time around, the justification he’s presented for returning to the time-proven well is his role as music supervisor on Kevin Durant’s documentary film Basketball County: Something In The Water — for which IDK & Friends 2 serves as a de facto soundtrack.

The song that most ties the two projects together is “495,” a celebration of the film’s titular Prince George’s County, from which both Durant and IDK hail — along with the rest of the posse cut’s roster. Rico Nasty returns, bringing with her PG County staple Weensey, as well as up-and-comers Big Flock, Big Jam, and YungManny, who released his debut project Confused in May at 16 years old. “495” is a heavy-hitting jigsaw of a track, clobbering listeners with its hypnotic beat and caressing them with Weensey’s soulful hook. A fitting showcase of some of the county’s hottest talents, it’s like putting a petri dish under a microscope and watching chemistry in real time.

That chemistry extends beyond the borders of “basketball county,” though. On “Mazel Tov” with ASAP Ferg, the bars swarm like angry wasps over a freaky flute loop, and on personal favorite “Bulletproof,” the goth trap vibes of 2015 come back for a raucous exchange between IDK, Denzel Curry, and Maxo Kream. The tough guy talk is fun, but down-to-earth, with slick turns of phrase punctuating the threats. “That boy the type to spin a n**** block like a dreidel,” IDK quips. “His hammer got him dancin’ up and down like they Ellen.” Likewise, his guests get in their own punchlines, “Stevie Wonder, walk with sticks like Ray Charles,” smirks Maxo, who shows he’s got the chops to keep up with the clever DMV native.

But it’s not all stick talk and menace here. One of the qualities that sets IDK among the most engaging and imaginative of the rising class of rap stars is his competence in multiple disciplines. While the title and beat of “Square Up” might suggest more fight music, instead IDK makes a twerker’s anthem worthy of his rhyme counterpart — Juicy J — on the track. Then, on album closer “Live For It” featuring PG County’s highest-profile non-athlete native, Wale, the two rappers reel off their rags-to-riches stories, humblebragging lines like “Never been ashamed to say my name if they sayin’, ‘Who the best?’”

It’s not a coincidence that the rhymes could just as easily apply to Basketball County subjects like Victor Oladipo, Micheal Beasley, and Markelle Fultz. IDK’s gift for metaphor carries over from Is He Real? to provide yet another set of parallels between hoops and hip-hop, underlining the grind, dedication, skill, and raw talent needed to succeed in each. IDK & Friends 2 proves that its star player is not only adept at racking up highlight plays for himself but also capable of being a good teammate, giving his collaborators the opportunity to shine without being afraid to take over. This time he hasn’t made any pronouncements of his future plans, because he’s learned — as any great player knows — to let the game come to him.

IDK & Friends 2 is out now via Clue No Clue LLC / Warner Records. Get it here.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.