Bad Bunny rose to global pop star status following the release of his 2022 album, Un Verano Sin Ti. While singles “Tití Me Preguntó” and “Despues De La Playa” drew praise from music lovers around. On the other hand, track “Enséñame a Bailar” sparked a heated debate about creative ownership online.

According to documents obtained by Rolling Stone, Bad Bunny has been named in a copyright lawsuit infringement lawsuit centered around “Enséñame a Bailar.” In the filing, emPawa Africa’s Mr. Eazi accused Bad Bunny of sampling and interpolating “Empty My Pocket” by the label’s act Joeboy without proper credit or compensation.

“The team at emPawa Africa have attempted to sort this issue amicably since May of last year with our mutual legal teams,” said Mr. Eazi. “But the intent of [Bad Bunny’s record company] Rimas Music is clearly to blatantly appropriate young African creators’ work for their gain without attribution.”

Back in 2023, the track’s producer Dera called Bad Bunny outline. “It is not very often that a musical artist of Bad Bunny’s caliber and sophistication uses someone else’s music without permission, and then ignores the person’s efforts to resolve the problem,” Dera’s attorney Robert A. Jacobs told Billboard. “Such a response is especially surprising when the unauthorized use pervades the entirety of the musical artist’s work. Unfortunately, these are the circumstances here. Despite plaintiffs’ cooperation, these defendants stonewalled plaintiffs after receiving the requested information, making clear that plaintiffs’ only option for obtaining redress for the violation of their rights would be through the courts.”

Although Bad Bunny has not yet addressed the new filing. When the dispute was made public his team shut down the accusation claiming to have “obtained with permission from Lakizo Entertainment” the song’s distributor.

There’s a lot of good video game shows out there. The Last of Us? Excellent. Fallout? Love that Ghoul Daddy. Arcane? A perfect Rotten Tomatoes score.

But you know what those shows are missing? An ice cream truck-driving murder clown played by wrestler Samoa Joe and voiced by BoJack Horseman. And what if I told you the cast also included a Marvel Cinematic Universe star, Rosa from Brooklyn Nine-Nine (or Mirabel from Encanto, if you have kids), and one of the hosts of Doughboys? Sounds pretty good, right?

Well, that show is real, and it’s called Twisted Metal. Here’s everything to know about season 2, including plot details and the premiere date.

Plot

Peacock’s Twisted Metal season 1 was a lot of fun! But it occasionally felt like it was driving below the speed limit, so to speak, to delay arriving at the vehicular tournament the show and video game series is named after.

We’ve finally reached our destination in season 2.

The official logline for the new season teases John and Quiet, played by Anthony Mackie and Stephanie Beatriz, entering Twisted Metal, a “sinister demolition derby hosted by a mysterious man known as Calypso. As they try to survive an onslaught of dangerous new foes and familiar faces alike, including the murderous clown Sweet Tooth, things get complicated for John when he reunites with his long-lost sister, the vigilante Dollface.”

Showrunner Michael Jonathan Smith described Calypso (who is perfectly cast, as you’ll find out below) as someone who’s “always three steps ahead. He’s got great grand plans for the tournament. He’s a showman. He really loves showing off. I think this is a version of Calypso where he’s a performer. He’s got a little bit of P.T. Barnum in him where he loves to have those twists. But I think there’s definitely that element of he does not like being shown up and he does not like other people being the center of attention, which is great.”

But enough about the characters — will sh*t get blown up? Yes, yes it will.

“We blew up a lot of sh*t. Every day we blew something up,” Mackie told Esquire. “There were days where the police would come out and be like ‘Y’all can’t blow this up’ and we would wait for them to leave and we would blow it up anyway. It was insane. We blew up people, we blew up houses, we blew up cars. Just know some sh*t’s gonna get blown up in season two.”

To quote the Costco Guys (A.J. could play Sweet Tooth), Twisted Metal season 2 gets five booms: boom boom boom boom BOOM.

Cast

Twisted Metal‘s wildly-good cast includes Anthony Mackie, Stephanie Beatriz, and Joe Seanoa and Will Arnett sharing duties as ice cream truck-driving clown Sweet Tooth. There’s also Doughboys legend Mike Mitchell, Lisa Gilroy (quite possibly the best podcast guest out there today), Saylor Bell Curda, Patty Guggenheim, Tiana Okoye, Richard De Klerk, and Michael James Shaw.

Season 2 also brings in Anthony Carrigan (NoHo Hank from Barry!) as Calypso, “the mysterious, charismatic host and creator of a dangerous demolition derby tournament, who invites all assassins, vigilantes, mercenaries, and joyriders to participate. To the winner, he offers the prize of making their greatest wish come true, but with Calypso there’s always a twist.”

Release Date

Twisted Metal season 2 premieres on Peacock on Thursday, July 31.

Trailer

Check out the teaser trailer for season 2 of Twisted Metal below.

Taylor Swift appears to have bad blood with It Ends With Us director Justin Baldoni.

Based on a report from Deadline, the “Anti-Hero” singer is now wrapped up in Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni’s ongoing legal battle by way of a subpoena. Now, a representative for Swift has issued a statement regarding the court order. The insider slammed the move made by Baldoni’s attorneys as a ploy to create “tabloid clickbait.”

“Taylor Swift never set foot on the set of this movie,” the representative told Good Morning America. “She was not involved in any casting or creative decisions, she did not score the film, she never saw an edit or made any notes on the film, she did not even see ‘It Ends With Us’ until weeks after its public release, and was traveling around the globe during 2023 and 2024 headlining the biggest tour in history.”

They continued: “The connection Taylor had to this film was permitting the use of one song, ‘My Tears Ricochet.’ Given that her involvement was licensing a song for the film, which 19 other artists also did, this document subpoena is designed to use Taylor Swift’s name to draw public interest by creating tabloid clickbait instead of focusing on the facts of the case.”

Naomi Sharon originally planned to have her second album and follow up to her acclaimed debut Obsidian out to the world at this point in time. However, things did not go according to plan, but that’s just how life goes sometimes. Instead, Sharon returns with a new EP The Only Love We Know, a six-track transitional piece that readies listeners for the full TK of what lies ahead in her newest era.

The Only Love We Know isn’t just a bridge between Obsidian and her second album, but also a mirror of her growth and healing progress. “This EP is more about finding happiness within yourself and embracing the positive things in life,” she noted in a press release announcing the EP. “Love still plays a role, but now there is a deeper understanding that true love comes from within. If something does not work out, that is okay too. It is about self-love and independence.” Where Obsidian struggled to see the light at the end of the tunnel, The Only Love We Know masterfully captures Sharon’s newfound hope and optimism toward the brightest days life has to offer.

With The Only Love We Know out now, we caught up with Naomi Sharon to talk about the project, how she perceives love nowadays, both internally and externally, and what lies ahead in her current era.

There’s a saying that artists spend their whole life making their debut album, but not so much time is allocated for the next projects. So, how has the experience been for you in working on this second chapter of your career?

Even with Obsidian, we were pretty quick with it. An album always takes time with the after-effects of editing and mastering – sometimes you miss a piece. This time with the EP, it’s six songs, it’s different. I’ve been making so much music in the meantime that I’m not releasing, so it actually feels like a relief to finally put it out in the world. There’s a different energy between Obsidian, and The Only Love We Know.

You previously planned to release your second album sometime last year. How do we end up with a new EP that, I assume, serves as a bridge between your debut and your upcoming second album?

That’s how we felt as well. I could have been pushing for a second album, but I think it needed a little break before that. I believe that it’s good for people to digest your music, and yeah, an EP felt like a good piece of work for now until the next one. Also, I think it’s important to have a piece that is that feels transitional to people as well.

When did you realize that Obsidian – a record that you vent and pour out your feelings about heartbreak – had helped you arrive at a new understanding of love, one that shows that true love comes within as well as the acceptance that each attempt at external love will not always last forever?

I think I had it while making it, but also it manifested itself afterward. I always say that making music is like doing shadow work. In this painful era in my life, I tried to stay hopeful and that was also something that I was putting into the music. I think that came true because right now I’m in a very different stage where I feel hopeful. Back then, it was more something that I wanted to be and that I might have maybe projected upon myself because I was like, “I need that right now. I need to be hopeful,” and now I am.

What song on this project was the guiding light that helped to make the others come alive and be compatible with the rest to create this cohesive EP?

To be honest, there is a gap between some songs. I made “Calm Waters,” “Bittersweet,” and “Soft Like Dawn” before everything else, but funny enough, it always becomes cohesive. That’s because I’m part of the production where I need it to be and feel cohesive. I chose these three songs to combine with the other songs because if I look back at the things that I’ve made, I’ve always played them because it gave me a wonderful feeling listening to them. If I have that with my own music, not to be arrogant, but just to be happy with what I make, it’s hopefully gonna transcend in the ears of my listeners into something that they’re feeling. I just picked those three songs with the other ones and it became cohesive.

I really enjoyed how you depicted that moment of being in limbo in love on “Can We Do This Over.” What’s the story, or the frustrating thoughts, that led you to write this song?

I think “Can We Do This Over” resembles a moment in a relationship where you tell yourself if we could do this over, I know with the knowledge that we have right now that it will be better. It’s almost a fantasy and romanticizing a better end maybe, but at the same time, it could be happening as well. Sometimes in life, you stumble upon a situation where you thought it was over, then certain things happen, and you stay with that person or a situation and you grow from that with each other or within the situation, but that’s not always the case. But for me, it felt like that.

With you being an admitted perfectionist, I thought “Feels Like Home” was an interesting record as you acknowledge the flaws but note it’s not enough to make you uncomfortable. You sing, “A little dirty, but it feels like home / A little unsteady, but it feels like home.” When talking about love, I think there’s a level of accepting and maybe even appreciating flaws in both yourself and a partner in love. What does that balance look like to you? Especially in an era where you promote true love from within.

I think that’s the journey. Being a perfectionist doesn’t really mean that you’re a perfectionist in every aspect in your life — with love, I’m definitely not. I’m definitely more flexible, but I’m learning now that that’s also because — making a bridge to now — that’s the only love we know. That’s exactly what the song [and] the EP is about. You start to realize that this is a pattern, and you only go for the things that you know, right? It’s something you attract. [In] most toxic relationships, I know it sounds f*cked up to say this, [but] you attract that. You make the decision every time to be with a person who treats you like that because that’s your history. That’s the software you’re running. I think it’s a realization more than something that I’m preaching. It’s something that I’m trying to understand more — that’s why I’m saying — it’s a journey. Hopefully, I can be that person more where I can be flexible [but] to a certain degree.

What areas did you heavily focus on to show your elevation as an artist with The Only Love We Know?

I think that I’m showing more of my voice. I think that I’m definitely channeling something else than [on] Obsidian, which was more based on vibes and, of course, good songs, and the way I sang them was also part of it. After my tour, I started to realize that, “Oh, I want to sing this,” and I want to be able to pour my heart out in the songs in a way that I can walk off the stage and be like, “Yeah…” and I started to do it with the tour.

What about The Only Love We Know do you feel is still connected to Obsidian and about this EP do you feel is completely detached and the start of a new chapter?

Let’s start with the sonics: I think it’s pretty obvious that it’s leaning towards other genres. Pop is one of them. I’m experimenting with that [and] I’m really having fun with that. It’s really nice to go there and step out of that comfort zone that I was in. I’m starting to realize that it’s maybe my thing as well, who knows? Then, like I said, it’s a transitional piece of work, so songwriting: I think that people see that there’s something happening. There’s something moving forward. As far as songwriting, as in the song structures, I think it’s way more focused on songwriting right now. You had “Definition Of Love” on the other album that didn’t really have a chorus, it was just like a vibe from the beginning till the end. I feel like the songs right now have structure and that might be a reflection of my own life as well.

Speaking of the next chapter, what do you think we should expect as we dive deeper into this new Naomi Sharon era?

To be honest, I don’t know because it’s ongoing and I am trying to embrace the uncertain. So who knows, but I hope it’s positive.

The Only Love We Know is out now via OVO Sound/Santa Anna Label Group. Find out more information here.

The Best New Hip-Hop This Week includes albums, videos, and songs from JID, Leikeli47, and Stormzy.

Okay, so, I fudged it a bit. JID didn’t put out a new single this week, per se, but he did put out a moody trailer for his new album, God Does Like Ugly, which, for the purposes of this week’s column, is enough for top billing in my book. We’ve been waiting on word for this thing for almost too long, and now that we know it’s on the way, it’s worth celebrating.

Elsewhere, some of the genre’s most adventurous genre benders have made grand returns after some time away. That includes Leikeli47, who not only ditched her signature mask, but also announced the impending release of her long-delayed album, For Promotional Use Only, with “Soft Serve.”

It also includes Stormzy, who returned to his gritty grime roots with his “Sorry Rach!” freestyle.

Russ inched a another single closer to Wild with the video for “Crazy.”

And That Mexican OT teamed up with Lil Wayne for the lighthearted “Baby Mad At Me.”

Here is the best of hip-hop this week ending May 9, 2025.

Albums/EPs/Mixtapes

Blac Youngsta — Thuggin Dolo

Memphis’ Blac Youngsta has quietly been one of rap’s more consistent producers, dropping a project a year like clockwork. This year’s contribution to his growing canon is Thuggin Dolo, a 10-song effort that fits its title, with no features and a cohestive sonic structure consisting of the hardest-hitting Memphis trap around.

Lefty Gunplay & JasonMartin — Can’t Get Right

Lefty Gunplay got the biggest break of his career last year when he connected with Kendrick Lamar for the GNX standout “TV Off.” Now that he’s cleared up some of the business fallout, he teams up with another Hub City stalwart in JasonMartin (FKA Problem) for a collaborative effort that lets him ease into his newfound role as a budding star.

MIKE & Tony Seltzer — Pinball II

MIKE and Tony Seltzer’s previous Pinball turned out to be a fan favorite, so why not go back to the well? This time around, they’re joined by Lunchbox, Niontay, Sideshow, and of course, Earl Sweatshirt. It’s another fun diversion from the nominally bookish New York rapper, enjoying the best of all worlds: heady, intricate rhymes with bouncy, loose production.

Starlito & Don Trip — Step Brothers 4 Life

It’s appropriate, with so many other collaborative projects releasing this week, that we get a new project from a creative partnership that has been going for nearly a decade strong. The latest Step Brothers project lives up to its billing, with some truly chilling production and blunt, hammer-fisted storytelling.

Singles/Videos

Anycia — “No Scrub”

Anycia has been teasing a Gangsta Grillz mixtape with DJ Drama for a couple of months now. One of the first inklings we’ve gotten of the upcoming project finds the Atlanta upstart blending the old with the new, plugging her contemporary flow into a Lex Luger-ish beat harkening back to a more rowdy time in her city’s trap rap history.

Billy Woods — “Dislocated” Feat. Elucid

Coming from Woods’ recently released new album Golliwog, “Dislocated” operates in the perfect, eerie space to suit the horror vibes of his album’s origin story. Haunting, with a cutting edge of social commentary, “Dislocated” and Golliwog won’t appeal to every rap fan, but they certainly stand out against the modern backdrop.

E-40 — “Beating They Ass”

The Bay Area boss issues a stern warning to anyone overlooking his legacy, while reminding them of all the things he’s done to earn it.

Luh Tyler — “Rock N Roll”

Luh Tyler continues to be one of Florida’s most charming and charismatic rising stars. Taking a cue from the recent success of Gelo’s throwback tunes, Tyler employs a Mannie Fresh-esque beat here, over which he unreels his usual tongue-in-cheek wordplay and almost innocent big-money boasts.

Tech N9ne — “This I Know” Feat. Kevin “Church” Johnson

The OG indie-rap pillar shares a soulful rumination on his comeup, reflecting on both mistakes and the lessons learned.

Wednesday has taken a long detour back to Netflix, no doubt about it, and a three-year wait does present a hurdle to overcome, but Lady Gaga’s presence is certainly a bonus. The most recent updates on the second season promise not only a return to Nevermore Academy but Wednesday further deepening relationships with her roommate, Enid, and of course her mom, Morticia. We will also learn more about Tyler’s fate after his Hyde reveal, and Uncle Fester will take a bubble bath? Yes, that’s right.

Even more important considerations exist, however, such as whether Netflix is planning on a split season or not for this series. That would be a yes, but also, when will this happen?

Does Wednesday Season 2 Have A Release Date Yet?

Yep, a duo of dates exist. Part 1 will land on August 6, and Part 2 arrives on September 3.

The vibe of this season will stay the same brand of “kooky” like other Addams Family-related stories, but expect some branching out on subject matter. That is, these episodes will pay tribute to slasher movies and Edgar Allan Poe’s The Masque of the Red Death, which is so hot right now after Mike Flanagan and Netflix’s The Fall of the House of Usher and with a reported Sydney Sweeney movie with A24 on the horizon. During interviews, Ortega has also made reference to war movie Full Metal Jacket, which is an unanticipated tidbit, but surely, Tim Burton knows what he’s doing there.

This season will introduce several new cast members including Steve Buscemi, Thandiwe Newton, Billie Piper, Joanna Lumley, and Anthony Michael Hall. Also, do not forget Gaga. Mother Monster would get you for that.

Also, please enjoy this trailer. Or don’t enjoy it, as Wednesday would prefer.

In the video for PinkPantheress‘ new single, “Illegal,” the British dance-pop producer-singer sends a boy into a tailspin as he crushes over her after a chance meeting in the street that might just be more. Throughout the video, animated sequences splay plaid patterns across the screen as the couple’s animated avatars extend the chase, capturing the way it feels to be head-over-heels for someone on the inside.

“Illegal” appears on PinkPantheress’ new mixtape, Fancy That, which dropped today on Warner Records after being announced in March. The song reworks Underworld’s “Dark and Long (Dark Train),” while the tape sees Pink extend the range of her production to encompass even more variety and a deep understanding of dance music history. The tape is also home to the previously released songs “Tonight” and “Fancy.”

In a press statement, PinkPantheress said of the single, “‘Illegal’ feels like coming home, it’s garage, gritty, and takes me right back to where I started with music. I’ve always loved that raw, late-night energy, and sampling Underworld felt like the perfect way to tap into that spirit while making it my own.”

Meanwhile, Fancy That is “all about feeling the music in your body. I wanted to create something where dance is part of the story. i’m excited to have gotten back to my production roots for this project and i consider this to be my fancy era, very kitsch and colourful. It’s raw, fun, and completely movement-driven and i’m so excited to share it.”

Watch PinkPantheress’ “Illegal” video above.

Fancy That is out now via Warner Records. You can find more info here.

Leon Thomas’ sophomore album, Mutt, turned out to be one of the surprise breakouts of 2024, buoyed by the success of his hit single of the same name. Today, he’s announced the release date for the deluxe edition of the album, titled Mutt;Heel. Arriving May 30 via EZMNY/Motown Records, Heel will contain features from Big Sean, Halle (with whom he collaborated on “Rather Be Alone“), and Kehlani, and expand on the themes of the original album.

In a statement, Thomas wrote, “MUTT has always been about embracing complexity in sound, in identity, in experience. HEEL is me leaning even deeper into that chaos, and finding beauty in it.”

Among Leon Thomas’ breakout accomplishments over the past several months were his television debut on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, his NPR Music Tiny Desk debut performance, and becoming a coveted collaborator for singers like Coco Jones (“Here We Go (Uh Oh) [Remix]“), Rory (“Who Are You Anyway?“), and Chris Brown (“Mutt (CB Remix)“). With Heel coming down the pike, though, it’s clear he has no intentions of resting on his laurels; instead, he’ll keep chasing the spotlight like dogs chase cars.

Mutt;Heel is due on 5/30 via EZMNY/Motown Records. You can find more info here.

Revivals, remakes, retools, and reboots. TV shows that relive their past while looking into the future don’t always work out well, but when they do, they can be magical. Cobra Kai, for example, honored The Karate Kid spirit well. If we’re talking about recently launched examples, the jury is still out on Suits LA, although the critical and audience consensus hasn’t gone well for that spin off’s first episodes, but Dexter: Original Sin delivered the goods with Dexter: Resurrection looking even more promising.

That final example will also bring back the man himself, Michael C. Hall, which will give it a leg up for viewership, but what can we expect from the reboot of FOX’s Prison Break coming from Hulu? We thought you would never ask…

Cast

For starters, we won’t be seeing original central characters Michael Scofield (Wentworth Miller) and Lincoln Burrows (Dominic Purcell). Rather, we can expect a whole new cast in this retooling that will hail from Mayans M.C. co-creator Elgin James, who has already pulled in some Mayans crew members, including Clayton Cardenas who won over biker lovers’ hearts and minds as Angel Reyes for five seasons of the Sons Of Anarchy spin off.

Deadline has reported that Cardenas signed on as “‘Ghost,’ a ruthlessly dangerous inmate at one of the deadliest prisons in America.” Meanwhile, JR Bourne (known to Mayans M.C. devotees as Sons of Anarchy SamDino Charter President Isaac Packer) will portray “‘Junior,’ a mentally unstable lone survivor of a decades-old prison break that devastated the town.”

They will be joined by BMF‘s Myles Bullock as fellow inmate “Darius ‘Red’ Lewis” and Dumplin’‘s Georgie Flores as “‘Andrea,’ one of the female cadets training to be a Corrections Officer.”

Other cast members include Lukas Gage, Emily Browning, and Drake Rodger.

Plot

Elgin James has assumed lead writing duties and will executive produced this Hulu series that will be part of his overall 20th Television ride after Mayans M.C. chose to conclude its run. The show will take place in the same universe as original series creator Paul Scheuring’s show, but James will also be telling his own stories, like he did with Mayans M.C., especially after Kurt Sutter’s late-second-season exit.

According to Deadline, the audience can also look forward to “a new chapter” and “a new incarnation” of the same world. Whether that also involves a prisoner introducing himself into the system to help a family member prove their innocence, nobody is talking. Yet. At present, both Deadline and Variety have reported that the show has only been ordered to pilot, but a full-season order seems inevitable, considering the talent already involved, Elgin James’ passion for intense, high-conflict, layered storytelling, and the audience that will come from both Mayans M.C. and BMF sides of the ring.

Release Date

Hulu has been quiet about a release date

Trailer

Since filming hasn’t yet begun, we’re out of luck on a trailer, but perhaps Elgin can call up his old friend Danny Pino to join in as well for another fight scene? This Mayans M.C. clip does sort-of feel like a preview.

Grandma’s Couch is getting a sequel! A couple of years back, Adidas linked up with the Cincinnati-based streetwear boutique, UnheardOf, for a special take on the Rivalry Lo silhouette, dubbed “Grandma’s Couch.” The sneaker was inspired by UnheardOf owner Phil Lipschutz’s grandma, Naomi Phillips, with a floral upper design pattern that took its design cues from Naomi’s couch, a respite for Lipschutz and his friends in his youth between skate sessions.

Based on the look alone, Grandma’s Couch was dope enough to warrant a sequel, but after a video of Naomi unboxing the original went viral, the deal was essentially done as sneakerheads were instantly charmed by Naomi’s personality.

So Adidas and UnheardOf quickly started working on the “Grandma’s Couch 2” with Grandma Naomi helming the design. Sadly, Naomi passed away before the design was complete, but Lipschutz and Adidas have remained committed to honoring her legacy (and the legacy of dope grandma’s everywhere), and now, just in time for Mother’s Day, the Grandma’s Couch 2 will be hitting the UnheardOf store.

The Grandma’s Couch 2 looks even more fire than the original, with an embroidered floral design on the panels (handpicked by Naomi), blush pink suede panels, a gum sole, and “adidas” printed in Naomi’s handwriting, which is pretty significant considering the brand isn’t in the habit of letting designers restyle its name. Rounding out the design is a reproduction of the sketch her husband of 75 years used to propose to her on the insoles, with a personalized note from Lipschutz in reversed lettering (a reference to his dyslexia). The release comes in a special wooden box that resembles an old-school vintage makeup kit decorated with watercolor florals painted by her late husband.

Through its specific personal details, Grandma’s Couch 2 is undoubtedly a family affair and must be a bittersweet moment for Lipschutz, but in its specificity, its message is universal. This is a sneaker about honoring the women in our lives who helped raise us and always believed in us. We love collaborations that tell a story, and the story of the Grandma’s Couch 2 is the best one we’ve come across this year.

We linked up with Lipschutz ahead of the drop to talk about the design process of the Grandma’s Couch 2 and get the details on Naomi’s footwear game.

What is the significance of the colors and flowers chosen for this pair?

The flowers chosen on this particular colorway were flowers that my grandmother told me were her favorite that she grew in her garden.

One that sticks out specifically is the pink orchid, a flower that my grandma taught me how to maintain and take care of, but also one that I bought for her on Mother’s Day and Christmas the following years after they moved out of their house into their independent assisted living apartment once they got into their upper nineties… they couldn’t take their orchids with them, so I bought her one.

So the orchid really stands out because it’s a flower that will re-bloom. And the way my grandma taught me how to water it with the three ice cubes was a funny little trick that I thought she was lying about at first and then when I tried it and it worked, it was the only flower and plant that I ever was able to take care of myself.

How important was it to differentiate Grandma’s Couch 2 from the OG and fold Naomi into the design process? What was the original ethos going through this design?

Both Grandma’s Couch and the Mom’s Ugly Couch colorways were designed mostly by my grandma. My grandfather had input and helped in colorways, and he drew the flower that was on the insole of those original shoes.

After the release of the original Grandma’s Couch and Mom’s Ugly Couch Adidas Rivalry, the next weekend I went to my grandmother’s and told her that I wanted to make a Mother’s Day colorway for her to celebrate Mother’s Day.

We started picking out colorways and changing different flower patterns and making new flower patterns together. But she told me she didn’t want to do another release partly because her arm and shoulders hurt so bad from signing so many autographs. But I told her we still needed to mock the shoe up anyway, and we still needed to make a sample.

So for about three nights in a row, we colored up a bunch of shoes. I printed out templates and had her color it with colored pencils and crowns, and we researched on Google images, some of her favorite flowers, and we picked some of the flowers out of her apartment to use for inspiration to make the embroidered corduroy pattern that’s on the tongue and on the quarter panel of the shoes.

What was the process like to get Adidas on board with the handwritten name branding? Were they game from the jump?

Truthfully, it was just something that we did from the get-go. I had it in my head and in my mind from the very first colorway we made of the purple Grandma’s Couch shoe to have Grandma’s handwriting in cursive under the Adidas logo, because she also one day wrote in cursive, “Unheardof,” and it’s a logo we use from time to time, and we call it the Naomi Handwritten logo.

So when we started first coloring up shoes, I immediately asked her to write out Adidas a bunch of times. We just threw it on the shoe to see what would happen. It flew under the radar at first, but after the first release, there was a lot of push back and forth saying that the Adidas font couldn’t be changed and the logo couldn’t be changed. But there were so many people that loved and were appreciative of the shoe that came out of Grandma’s couch and Grandma’s story and Grandma’s work that it’s now a fan favorite at Adidas.

Outside of Grandma’s Couch fame, was Naomi known for rocking sneakers? What was her footwear game like?

No. My grandma growing up never wore sneakers just like every grandma, especially a grandma who necessarily didn’t have money, but just had a very biblically clean house, wore the same shoes that every grandma wore, just a plain black loafer kind of shoe and an all white pair of sneakers.

Once UnheardOf opened and I really started getting success, for the first year at Christmas, I bought Grandma a pair of sneakers. I bought my mom a pair of sneakers, and I bought my grandpa a pair of sneakers. I always bought them the best top of the line Adidas product and gave it to them on their birthdays and on Christmas, because every year growing up, I never got new shoes at Christmas. I never received any new shoes for any birthday or for any Christmas present.

So when I became the “Shoeman,” I made sure that my loved ones got the best top of the line shoes that we sold in our store. For the last couple of years of Grandma’s life at the assisted living place, she had her own sneaker collection from many different brands, but once we started working with Adidas, she always wore her Adidas, and then she would go to nursing homes, and she would go to doctor’s offices and hospital visits and churches wearing her Grandma’s Couch shoes. And everybody stopped her and asked her about her shoes. And she told them all that she designed them for Adidas and designed them for UnheardOf, and she was very proud of that.

The UnheardOf x Adidas Rivalry Grandma’s Couch 2 retails for $185 and will be available on May 10th exclusively in-store at UnheardOf.