Month: March 2021

Over the last month or so, NFT has become the new buzzword. It stands for Non-Fungible Token, and NFTs can be sold as one-of-a-kind digital collectibles using blockchain technology. People have been making millions from selling original content as NFTs. Jack Dorsey recently auctioned off the first-ever tweet and the Bad Luck Brian meme just went for $36K. Musicians have also been breaking into the industry, and Diplo is now the latest to join the trend.

Diplo announced this week that he’s selling a collection of animations as NFTs. The digital artwork is a series featuring happy, dancing characters like a cloud, rainbow, mushroom, and a star. It’s made in collaboration with FriendsWithYou, the artistic duo made up of Samuel Borkson and Arturo Sandoval III.

Sharing news of the endeavor on social media, Diplo’s collaborator FriendsWithYou wrote: “introducing Cloud10 a ten part animation collaboration w one of my oldest friends Wes who has also been a supporter of me and Tury for years. We are going to be releasing these works as NFT’s, a space we feel is a revolution in the accessibility of art and a big step towards artist empowerment.” They added that they’ll be making a “sizeable donation” to a few charities after the final sale closes.

Diplo isn’t the first musician to sell artwork as an NFT. Azealia Banks recently sold an audio sex tape as an NFT, Grimes made $6 million from selling digital artwork on the NFT marketplace, and Post Malone is giving fans a chance to play him in beer pong through an NFT auction.

Check out a preview of Diplo and FriendsWithYou’s NFT collection above.

Diplo and FriendsWithYou’s Cloud10 collection goes live on Nifty Gateway 3/23. Find it here.

Joel Embiid is in the midst of an MVP-caliber season. The Sixers big man has been in full possession of his powers on a near nightly basis and, as a result, has kept Philadelphia at or near the top of the Eastern Conference standings as they look to exorcise some demons leftover from disappointing postseason showings the past few years.

Embiid and teammate Ben Simmons were both set to appear in the All-Star Game last weekend in Atlanta, but they were both abruptly ruled out due to COVID protocols. Both had apparently recently visited a barber who subsequently tested positive for the virus.

Of course, that didn’t stop Embiid from joining the fun from his hotel room, where he couldn’t help but notice how many of his All-Star colleagues had gotten fresh shape-ups for the festivities. Embiid was forced to miss Thursday’s game against the Bulls as he continued to quarantine, but according to multiple reports, including head coach Doc Rivers, will be made available against the Wizards on Friday.

The Sixers say Joel Embiid will be available for tonight’s game against the Wizards.

— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) March 12, 2021

There’s been no word, however, about when Simmons might return. Embiid’s numbers through the first half of the season have been ridiculous. He’s averaging 30.2 points and 11.6 rebounds on 52.1 percent shooting from the field and 41.6 percent from downtown.

Joe Biden addressed the nation on Thursday following the historic passing of another coronavirus stimulus package, this time a $1.9 trillion bill that starts with checks to Americans as soon as this weekend. President Biden laid out a hopeful plan for America in the months ahead, with vaccines hopefully inching the nation to an end of the COVID-19 pandemic that’s altered life for a year now.

Getting lives back on track is a priority for, well, pretty much everyone these days. And there are a lot of things in the stimulus bill not just directly for Americans but other unemployment benefits, funding for state and city governments and lots of other things that may not be so evident to the naked eye. Which is why New York representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez helped break down what’s actually in the bill in a video that went viral this week.

Ocasio-Cortez is very, very good at speaking clearly and directly to ordinary people about complex government issues. which is why the video is so useful and important. And though the $15 minimum wage was not included, there is a lot to like from what actually made it to law.

“Did we get what we wanted? Absolutely not,” she said. “But did we get things that are gonna change people’s lives? Absolutely yes.”

The video detailed the direct payments given to Americans, as well as additional healthcare benefits and relief for businesses impacted by the pandemic.

You can watch the full video above. And if you’re worried about whether this misrepresents what was a much lengthier explanation on social media, Occasio-Cortez herself retweeted the video on Friday. Retweets aren’t always endorsements, of course, but in this case it’s clear the New York congressman is happy to amplify what will be a life-altering piece of legislation for millions of people.

Many of us have likely missed the chance to see Christopher Nolan’s Tenet on a big screen thanks to the pandemic. But the next best thing, of course, is to watch it on a Game Boy Advance.

The latest entry in the “experiencing cinema the way directors wanted” series is a homebrew project to put all of Nolan’s confusing thriller onto a Game Boy Advance cartridge and playing it on the 32-bit hardware that was first released in 2001.

As The Verge laid out, the project comes from YouTuber Bob Wulff, who said he was doing the project “out of spite” alone.

The video is actually a pretty good demo of both the finished result, but also how to do it if you wanted to replicate the project. Basically, Wulff turned the video of Tenet (all 2.5 hours of it) into a ROM download, similar to the game files that can be read by console emulators. When you use a GBA emulator, you can play the movie, though it is a bit temperamental, to say the least.

It took five GBA cartridges to get the full movie fully ready to go, but he did take the extra time to give them a bit of label art and everything. All in all, it’s a fun project to watch play out. Maybe a bit more enjoyable than actually trying to watch Tenet on that LCD screen, but that would be your choice if you were to put in the work to make it happen.

[via The Verge]

McMillion$ was a big hit for HBO among people who love crime dramas, board games and also fast food, and its creators are ready to tell their next wild story for Apple TV+. This time, however, the tale will involve a story from the other side of the soda wars.

The Hollywood Reporter wrote on Friday about the next project from James Lee Hernandez and Brian Lazarte, who spearheaded McMillion$, the story of a huge but largely-forgotten scandal involving the McDonalds Monopoly promotional game. That story, which perfectly blended criminal intrigue and corporate investigations with a mix of absurdity, makes the duo perfect for their next story: a legal fight over whether Pepsi was obligated to give a military jet to a man over a promotion from the 1990s.

Called The Jet, the Apple TV+ series is expected to explore what unfolded when a joking promotion for a Harrier jet suddenly got serious when one enterprising person collected enough Pepsi Points to take the soft drink company to court over the claim.

The series will delve into Pepsi’s 1990s promotional campaign that allowed consumers to trade in “Pepsi Points” for merchandise like T-shirts, leather jackets and other items.

Ads for the “Buy Pepsi, Get Stuff” campaign also featured a Harrier II jump jet available for 7 million points. When a man actually managed to gather that many points, it led to a court case over whether Pepsi had actually promised to give away a jet.

The series will cover the court case while taking a nostalgic deep dive into 1990s popular culture and the aftermath of the tongue-in-cheek promise from the ad campaign.

The case in question is fairly infamous in some circles, especially those who have gone to law school. But like the story covered in McMillion$, enough time has passed that it’s likely to reach a very unfamiliar audience when it hits the streaming service. Given the style the duo told the Monopoly story with, there’s plenty of reason to get excited about what The Jet will look and feel like. Here’s hoping there’s another secret star like Agent Doug hiding somewhere in this one, too.

Welcome to our weekly roundup of the best streetwear drops of the week! This time around, we’ve got fresh collections from Supreme and Nike, who are joining forces once again on the heels of their Nike SB Dunk low drop from last week, a KITH collection that celebrates the legacy of fellow New York staple Notorious B.I.G., the latest lounge and activewear from Set Active, Peachy Den, and fresh collections from Stray Rats, Palace, and more.

It’s a pretty jam-packed week (as opposed to last week) with a little bit of something in there for everyone. If you’re looking for some fresh sneakers to complete your look, be sure to hit our weekly sneaker column SNX DLX.

KITH x Notorious B.I.G. Collection

What better to honor a legend like Biggie than with a legit streetwear collection from a brand that shares the city he best repped — NYC. An official partnership between Ronnie Fieg and the Christopher Wallace Estate, all proceeds from the KITH x Notorious B.I.G. collection will go directly to local schools around Brooklyn.

“As we headed into our second The Notorious B.I.G. collection with the Christopher Wallace Estate, I began to think about BIG’s legacy outside of music.” Writes KITH label head Fieg on his Instagram, “He showed people from his neighborhood that if he could make it, so could they.”

The full collection consists of t-shirts, hoodies, and crewnecks that pay homage to Biggie’s legacy, utilizing portraits of the late artist as well as plenty of items featuring the artwork from his debut album, Ready to Die.

Proceeds from the collection with go to buying school supplies listed by principals from six Brooklyn area schools. The KITH x Notorious B.I.G. Collection is out now. Shop the full collection at KITH.

Supreme x Nike Spring 2021 Collection

Just a week after Nike and Supreme dropped a super hyped up pair of star-spangled SB Dunks, the two heavyweight brands are doubling up on another collaboration with a collection of late winter and early spring outerwear essentials. The collection consists of vibrant hoodies, crewnecks, long sleeves, tracksuits, sweat pants, and puffer jackets featuring simple Supreme and Nike branding.

Don’t expect loud and flashy designs with this collection, Supreme and Nike kept it pretty tame and functional this time around and the collection is definitely better and more wearable for it. As part of a largely Supreme drop, the skatewear label is also dropping a brand new deck that has skaters on the internet salivating.

The Supreme Nike Spring 2021 collection is out now. Hit the Supreme webstore to shop the full collection.

Peachy Den — The Naomi Set

London-based loungewear brand Peachy Den is dropping a new matching velour sweatsuit that features stretchable cotton ribs in four spring-centric colorways. Dubbed “The Naomi,” this set drops in your choice of sage, cream, navy, and cinnamon and consists of a long-sleeved crop top with matching straight-leg pants. Five percent of each sale of The Naomi will be donated to Women’s Aid, a grassroots charity in UK fighting domestic abuse against women.

The Naomi Set is out now at the Peachy Den webstore. Pick it up as a set or individually for a retail price of $90 for the top and $132 for the bottoms.

COMME des GARÇONS Coaches Jacket

Paris-based Japanese fashion label COMME des GARÇONS have just dropped a refresh of a modern streetwear classic, the CDG Coaches Jacket. Featuring a light nylon shell, a minimalistic CDG logo graphic on the back, insulated fleece lining, and an adjustable hem, the CDG Coaches Jacket is completely reversible, with a white inner shell and a graphic that reads “My Energy Comes From Freedom.”

We’ll probably just stick to the OG design for this one. The COMME des GARÇONS Coaches Jacket is out now. Pick it up at the CDG webstore for a retail price of $156.

Palace Spring 2021 Drop Five

Palace will resume dropping their Spring 2021 collection this Friday, which will be delivering the hyped-up GORE-TEX P Cap Jacket, as well as some matching GORE-TEX cargo pants and other outerwear staples. The cargo pants unzip at the knee, allowing you to transform them into shorts as we head into warmer months, though why you’d ever need GORE-TEX-equipped shorts is something we just can’t understand.

But hey, do you!

Highlights outside of the GORE-TEX include the simple PALACE denim shirts, pants with Palace graphics, and vibrant multi-colored ripstop caps. The fifth Palace Spring 2021 drop is set to release today at the Palace web store.

Set Active x Madelyn Cline Collection

Online active and loungewear brand Set Active has linked up with actress Madelyn Cline — of Outer Banks fame — for a comfy collection inspired by Cline’s own personal style ethos. Designed by label founder Lindsey Carter, as well as Cline, the collection features a Set Active Sculptflex set in six spring-focused colors, as well as a baggy sweat set, t-shirts, and halters.

Whether you’re looking for something to work out or just lay around in, this special collaborative collection has got you.

The Set Active Madelyn Cline collection is out now. Shop the full collection at the Set Active webstore.

Stray Rats x Maharishi

Florida-based streetwear label Stray Rats have linked up with London-based streetwear brand Maharishi for an elegant spring-focused collection of embroidered short sleeve overskirts, long sleeves, pants, bags, and t-shirts. And by “elegant” we mean as elegant as a t-shirt with a rat graphic can get. The collection’s highlight is easily the Japanese Cupro Twill shirt — available in both faded black or muted pink — which features Maharishi branding on the back and breast, as well as an elaborate embroidered cherry blossom graphic with white rats crawling all over it.

It’s simultaneously fresh and disgusting like only Stray Rats can pull off.

The Stray Rats x Maharishi Spring collection is set to release today. Check out the full collection at the Stray Rats web store.

Following Georgetown’s 72-71 win over Villanova in the Big East Tournament on Thursday, Hoyas head coach Patrick Ewing made a comment about Madison Square Garden being his “house.” While it seemed like fun coach banter during an interview, it turned out there was some added context here that made Ewing feel like he had to say something.

Ewing, who of course plied his trade at the Garden during his time as a member of the New York Knicks, said after the game that he kept getting stopped by arena security who wanted to see his credentials. It seemed absurd that security at Madison Square Garden, of all places, would not recognize Patrick Ewing, but this is apparently a thing, and James Dolan spoke to Ewing in the aftermath.

One person, unsurprisingly, finds this all baffling. Spike Lee went onto ESPN’s First Take and compared Ewing getting stopped at the Garden to another New York legend being stopped in their old stomping ground.

“I’m not blaming this on Dolan, but there has to be something just wrong at Madison Square Garden,” Lee said. “Can any of you imagine Derek Jeter being stopped entering Yankee Stadium? Magic Johnson being stopped entering the Staples Center? Michael Jordan — the GOAT, don’t hate — Michael Jordan being stopped entering the United Center? WTF?”

Lee went onto say that he called Ewing, who was “hot” over the entire situation. Lee, of course, had his own run-in with Madison Square Garden security in the recent past, as he was not allowed to enter the Garden in early 2020 through his normal entrance, which led to a butting of heads between himself and the franchise.

There’s a new trend spreading across social media where heterosexual men have been identifying as “Super Straight.” They claim this newfound sexual identity is for heterosexuals who only want to be with cisgender people.

Urban dictionary defines being Super Straight as “When you only are heterosexual but you are only attracted to the person that was born the opposite gender.”

So, to put it simply, they are heterosexual people who aren’t attracted to transgender people.

When you take the new sexuality at face value, there’s nothing wrong with only being attracted to cisgender people of the opposite sex. After all, the heart wants what the heart wants. Plus, a trans woman or man probably wouldn’t be interested in someone with such a narrow definition of sexuality anyway.

However, what we’re dealing with isn’t simply someone creating a new banner for a sexual preference. It appears to be an identity created to sow chaos and give people the ability to voice their transphobia while hiding under the guise of having a preference.

The identity appears to have started on February 21 when TikTokker Kyleroyce posted a video titled, “who else is super straight?” The video was later deleted by TikTokk, but then uploaded to YouTube.

Super straight original TikTok video

www.youtube.com

“I’ve made a new sexuality,” Kyleroyce said in his video. “Straight men get called transphobic because I wouldn’t date a trans woman. Now, I’m super straight. I only date the opposite gender, women, that are born women. So you can’t say I’m transphobic now because that is just my sexuality.”

He later explained his video to Insider.

“I created it because I was sick of being labeled with very negative terms for having a preference, something I can’t control, and getting labeled by the community that preaches acceptance with that sort of stuff,” Kyleroyce told Insider. “It was never meant to be hateful towards anyone.”

Now, Kyleroyce can date whomever he likes. There’s nothing wrong with that, but why does he make such a big deal about not dating trans women? Less than one percent of adults in the U.S. identify as transgender. Why is the fact that he’s not attracted to such a small percentage of the population such a major part of his identity?

He says he was “sick of being labeled” which probably means he’s been very vocal about not being attracted to transgender people.

After the initial video caught on, the identity was taken up by right-wing trolls on 4Chan who saw it as an opportunity to provoke the LGBT community.

TikTokker ProcrasClass makes the point that only being attracted to cisgender people of the opposite sex actually makes you less straight.

This Super Straight identity sounds a lot like the Straight Pride movement that had its moment last year. These people took to the streets to proclaim their pride in being straight, just like the LGBT community does in their parades. However, the comparison falls apart pretty quickly.

LGBT people have historically been marginalized and faced prejudice, so having a pride movement was a way for people to stand up for who they are in the face of bigotry. The straight community doesn’t have to deal with the same kind of prejudice (to put it mildly), so to claim straight pride is tantamount to proclaiming your privilege.

Identifying as Super Straight pretty much does the same thing. It’s a way of taking a swipe at a marginalized community under the guise of proclaiming an identity. You aren’t fooling anyone.

Transgender people face tremendous hardships both economic and health-wise stemming from systemic discrimination. They are much more likely to be victims of violence and die by suicide than straight people. Kyleroyce may be “sick of being labeled with very negative terms” but his discomfort pales in comparison to the tremendous obstacles faced by transgender people.

Instead of punching down, maybe these Super Straight people could grow up to become Supermen that spend their time uplifting marginalized communities rather than ostracizing them.

It’s been exactly one year since Caribou, mastermind of producer Dan Snaith, released his acclaimed album Suddenly. To celebrate the album’s anniversary, Snaith tapped several contemporary producers to reimagine songs for the project Suddenly Remixes. Joining musicians like Four Tet and Jessy Lanza, Toro Y Moi put forth his cover of Caribou’s track “Home.”

Toro Y Moi’s remix injects the song with off-kilter synths, turning it from a snapping anthem to a mind-bending tune. Speaking about the remix, Snaith praised Toro Y Moi’s skills:

“[Toro Y Moi] is an incredible musician fluent in seemingly every musical vocabulary but with a sensibility all his own. His remix is like an Alexander Calder mobile or a Kandinsky painting where the musical geometries of the original song circle each other in space.”

Echoing Snaith’s statement, video director Kenworthy described how he transformed the remix into a captivating visual. “When I first heard the mix, I was taken aback—he’s pulled the song apart, laid all the bits on the floor, and made a minimalist sculpture out of little wiggly pieces,” he said. “So, similarly, I want to strip this right back and focus on minute details by making a sort of scratch film—the kind of animation which got me interested in animation in the first place. The idea is that each day I would isolate a tiny fragment of the song and hand animate some little doodles by scratching into black. No preconceived end goal, just whatever occurs to me daily, so it has an improvised, freewheeling, dreamlike, and fragmented quality. Just little weird details and evaporating thoughts. Little fleeting sketches.”

Listen to Toro Y Moi cover Caribou’s “Home” above.

Suddenly Remixes is out now via City Slang/Merge. Get it here.

In a lengthy The New Yorker profile on Cyrus Vance, the Manhattan district attorney tasked with combing through Donald Trump’s questionable finances, journalist Jane Mayer uncovered a shocking and yet not entirely surprising anecdote about the former president. As part of the investigation into the Trump Organization, the company’s CFO Allen Weisselberg is now under the microscope in an attempt to get him to flip on Trump. Through the Weisselberg connection, Mayer was able to get in contact with his former daughter-in-law, Jennifer Weisselberg, who remembered her first encounter with Trump at a shiva in the early 2000s where he acted with all the poise and class that America has come to expect from the one-term president.

Via The New Yorker:

Jennifer told me that she first met Trump before she was married, at Allen Weisselberg’s modest house, in Wantagh, on Long Island. That day, the Weisselberg family was sitting shivah, for Allen’s mother. Trump showed up in a limousine and blurted out, “This is where my C.F.O. lives? It’s embarrassing!” Then, Jennifer recalled, Trump showed various shivah attendees photographs of naked women with him on a yacht. “After that, he starts hitting on me,” she said. Jennifer claimed that Allen Weisselberg, instead of being offended on her behalf, humored his boss: “He didn’t stand up for me!” Asked about this, Weisselberg’s lawyer, Mary Mulligan, said, “No comment.”

While no specific date is given, Mayer reports it took place sometime before 2004, which is when Trump got engaged to his current wife Melania. However, the two had been dating since 1998, so it’ll be interesting to see how the former First Lady handles this latest accusation involving Trump’s infidelity.

(Via The New Yorker)