Three facts:

1. Streetwear has become emblematic of the global style industry as a whole.
2. As goes streetwear, so goes high fashion.
3. The industry wouldn’t be what it is today without the work, creativity, and culture of Black America.

To put a finer point on it, everything cool and “American” is filtered, at least in part, through the lens of the African American experience. Especially streetwear. Our modern style slang owes a debt to the queer black femmes and drag queens who popularized it, the beauty trends of the day originated with black women (pay homage, Kim K and Ariana), and hip-hop has defined how people dress for decades.

But while Black America is vital to defining American style, the fashion houses of Europe and the fast-fashion brands responding to trends are overwhelmingly white-owned (whether public or privately held). It’s time to change that. And while subsidiary brands like Jordan, Yeezy, Off-White, and Golf Wang are important, it’s time to give the independent creators some love.

Below, we’ve collected our fifteen favorite black-owned streetwear brands. Get these companies and designers on your radar and your wardrobe will be that much cooler as things start to open up again.

A-Cold-Wall

A-Cold-Wall comes from the mind of Samuel Ross, a young British designer who first started the label in 2015. In just five short years, Samuel Ross has been named a GQ Hype cover star, won the Emerging Talent Menswear prize at the 2018 Fashion Awards, and brought his brand to over 100 global stockists.

Speaking to GQ, Ross mentions that it was Virgil Abloh’s work that inspired him to create the first A-Cold-Wall pieces, which started as “an art project” based on exploring the cultural melting pot of the UK. Ross’ interest in art is readily apparent in the photo shoots of A-Cold-Wall’s lookbooks, which have an almost fine-art quality to them.

ALLCAPS Studio

If graphic t-shirts with varied fonts are your thing, All Caps Studio is your label. All Caps Studio’s designs come from Philadelphia’s Saeed Ferguson, who is a master of typography, letting the kerning do all the work by keeping his prints simple and cleanly printed on a single color base.

The looks out of All Caps are strong and get their message across, you know, like WHEN A PERSON TYPES IN ALL CAPS.

Art Comes First

Art Comes First’s particular brand of streetwear combines punk rock fashion and bespoke tailoring for an edgy and elegant aesthetic that exudes cool. The British label is headed by the team of Sam Lambert and Shaka Maidoh, who, according to MotMag, met outside of a nightclub and joined forces to create a label that reflects their shared passion for music, photography, and fashion.

Bricks & Wood

Founded in South Central Los Angeles in 2014, Bricks & Wood’s brand of streetwear is as functional as it is high quality. Throughout the label’s six-year history, Bricks & Wood has shown an unwavering commitment to carefully cut and sewn pieces that are entirely unisex.

With streetwear staples like hoodies, crewneck sweaters, graphic t-shirts, and hats, Bricks & Wood has an almost endless supply of comfort-focused pieces that’ll keep your wardrobe cozy.

The Brooklyn Circus

To say that The Brooklyn Circus is merely prep-meets-streetwear is an oversimplification of the brand. What the Brooklyn Circus does well — aside from making preppy letterman jackets and college sweaters actually look cool — is mine the iconic silhouettes and design ideas used throughout American history and retranslate them for a new era.

That makes every look out of The Brooklyn Circus instantly classic without feeling overly outdated.

Darryl Brown

https://www.instagram.com/darrylbrwn/?utm_source=ig_embed

This brand new label still has a fairly small following, but expect them to blow up this year. Darryl Brown comes from the designer of the same name who, before becoming Kanye’s personal stylist, cut his teeth as a steelworker for General Motors. That 9-to-5 lifestyle informed Brown’s workwear-inspired label, which the designer told Gear Patrol was directly inspired by Dickies and Carhartt.

Most of the pieces out of Darryl Brown used the simple and boxy silhouettes of our favorite workwear, but add a sort of luxury sheen to the whole thing, which makes them feel all the fresher.

Denim Tears

A former consultant for Kanye West, Denim Tears’ Tremaine Emory is using his label to highlight cotton as a symbol intertwined with the history of slavery in America. The brand’s logo, a bushy wreathe of cotton, is meant to provoke a conversation about slavery as it exists in the modern age, telling The Face in an interview “I’m using this story to also tell about the human condition and how we treat each other. I can’t just relegate [the blame for slavery] to Western Europeans and white Americans. It’s still happening today. There’s indentured servitude in America and in Europe.”

The brand recently did a notable collaboration with Levi’s, affixing their logo to Levi’s classic trucker jacket and 501 jeans, and creating a special t-shirt and hat that Emory has dubbed the “Plantation Hat.”

Fear of God

We thought about passing on Jerry Lorenzo’s massively popular Los Angeles based label for this list, but on the off-chance you’re not a big sneakerhead, Fear of God might’ve fallen under your radar. In recent years, Lorenzo’s beloved brand has dipped further and further into the realm of luxury goods but the label regularly drops new streetwear staples, like graphic t-shirts, sneakers, caps, and hoodies.

Heron Preston

Straight from the Parsons School of Design alumnus of the same name, Heron Preston combines workwear staples with luxury brand presentation for a label that serves looks from graphic and slogan heavy streetwear, to high fashion conceptual pieces and everything in between.

Nicholas Daley

If acid jazz was a clothing style rather then a genre of music, it would look something like Nicholas Daley. The British designer has a knack for mining the psychedelic styles of musicians like Jimi Hendrix and artists like Frank Bowler, offering a variety of tie-dye and color-saturated streetwear pieces that’ll have you looking like you walked straight out of the type of art collective that would’ve inspired Andre 3000 or Erykah Badu in their primes.

RenownedLA

First founded in 2011, Los Angeles-based Renowned, from designer John Dean, has quickly gained success both domestically and overseas, where the brand is a favorite amongst K-Pop’s most famous faces and the go-to brand for stylists throughout Europe. Renowned was first created in the halls of Dean’s Akron, Ohio highschool when the budding designer started making clay pendants bearing the future label’s logo and handed them out for his friends to wear. From there Dean transitioned to T-shirts and other streetwear staples, eventually capturing the eye of artists like Nicki Minaj and Tyga.

Telfar

If you’re looking for one of the most fly unisex brands in the streetwear space right now, look no further than Telfar. Founding in 2005 by Telfar Clemens, the label has always prided itself in its inclusive aesthetic, positioning itself as one of the first (and best) labels to focus on entirely unisex collections. There is a certain level of elegance to the pieces out of Telfar thanks to a reimagining of athleisure that brings the divisive aesthetic straight into the world of fine art.

Telfar tries to push the envelope with each collection and manages to look cool and contemporary while they do it.

Union Los Angeles

Union has a long and storied history that begins in the streets of New York City in 1989. How the store and label came to be associated with the city of Los Angeles — where its thriving — could be an article all its own. The thing about Union that so many Angelenos and streetwear aficionados around the world have come to appreciate is the store’s commitment to expert curation by owners Chris Gibbs and Beth Birkett — which always shifts with the current trends, while also fostering an identity that is undeniably their own.

The Marathon Clothing

Founded by the late Nipsey Hussle, The Marathon’s threads are directly inspired by Nispey’s own distinct style and grew organically out of the artist’s own merch line, which began with a Crenshaw t-shirt company that quickly became a must-own amongst streetwear heads. The brand is still going strong, recently selling out a collection of face masks and dipping their toes into the weed game with their own custom strain through their sub-label The Marathon Cultivation.

Western Elders

Western Elders combines the colors and designs of West African culture with traditional New York streetwear for a collection that’ll make your outfit look straight out of a Spike Lee joint that was never made. It’s stylish and culturally resonant at the same time.

NLE Choppa quickly rose to fame thanks to his “Shotta Flow” track which was released at the top 2019. Since its release, the song was remixed by Blueface, a remix that landed on NLE Choppa’s Cottonwood EP, as it was also turned into series with NLE Choppa returning three more installments in the “Shotta Flow” series. Continuing work on his Top Shotta album which is set for release this summer, NLE Choppa returns with his latest single and installment in the series, “Shotta Flow 5.”

Released with a matching visual directed by Lyrical Lemonade’s Cole Bennett, NLE Choppa’s “Shotta Flow 5” begins with the young rapper waking up to an intruder in his closet. Approaching it, he fails to find the intruder there but grabs his weapon to scope out the rest of the house for them. Finding them downstairs he quickly fires at the individuals while realizing the intruder was just a version of himself with an afro. Journeying into his kitchen, NLE Choppa is then attacked by toy soldiers, an encounter he overcomes by throwing hot Cheetos at them. After that encounter, he runs into his mother’s room to complain about the intruders but her main concern is whether or not he washed the dishes. NLE Choppa leaves room to do the dishes but lands in more trouble after his mom catches him unnecessarily chopping up some fruit.

The song also arrives after NLE Choppa took on Lil Baby’s “Emotionally Scarred” for a remix of his own with “Different Day,” a track that found him alone in a hotel room and a parked car while showing off money and sneakers.

To hear “Shotta Flow 5,” press play on the video above.

NLE Choppa is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Lil Keed and Gunna won’t let a little thing like gunplay at their video shoot stop them from forging ahead with the release of their latest collaboration, “Fox 5.” The two Atlanta rising stars put out the song itself today with a press release promising that the video, which was interrupted when gunfire broke out mid-shot, would arrive later today. Meanwhile, Young Thug boasted that his own YSL team was responsible for the gunshots, although he wasn’t clear who they might be shooting at.

The song finds the two rappers trading boastful verses over a rumbling Supah Mario beat, threatening their enemies with some impressive-sounding arsenals. The title comes from their assertion that they “ain’t goin’ on Fox 5,” instead opting to handle their problems through good, old-fashioned street violence. While Gunna warns his foes that “We got ten hundred-round choppers” and sneers that they “used to steal copper,” Keed ignores side talk from anyone who isn’t affiliated and/or about that action: “What the f*ck a p*ssy boy had said? / I don’t know if he ain’t speakin’ sign language.”

“Fox 5” is assumed to appear on Keed’s upcoming tape Trapped On Cleveland 3, which has a presumed June release date. The video is scheduled to go live at 3 pm EST. Stay tuned.

Listen to Lil Keed’s ‘Fox 5’ with Gunna above.

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

In 2009, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences expanded the number of Best Picture nominees from five to ten, indirectly leading to “Best Picture winner The Blind Side,” before revising the rule again two years later, so that the number of films nominated was between five and ten. There were only nine nominees for the 2020 ceremony, and eight the year before. But guess what? They’re changing the rule again.

Beginning with the 94th Academy Awards (held in 2022), the number of Best Picture nominees will be set at exactly 10. No more, no less. What would have been the 10th nominee last year? Portrait of a Lady on Fire? Us? Uncut Gems? Knives Out? Joker for a second time? That’s the kind of chaos the Clown Prince of Crime can get behind!

The Academy also announced new efforts to improve inclusion, both on- and off-screen:

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, on the brink of fulfilling its “A2020” goals that were prioritized in the wake of the #OscarsSoWhite controversy of five years ago — specifically, of doubling the number of women and people of color among its membership — has announced the next phase of its equity and inclusion initiative, “Academy Aperture 2025,” tying Oscar eligibility to representation and inclusion standards, starting with the 94th Academy Awards, the one that will celebrate the films of 2021.

For the full announcement, click here (there’s nothing in there about Paddington receiving a lifetime achievement award for being A Good Bear — I checked).

It’s been three full months since the NBA season went on hiatus amid the COVID-19 pandemic. But with many states relaxing their social distancing measures and attempting to enact full-scale re-openings, it’s clear that Americans are tiring of their isolation and are eager to get things back to a sense of normalcy.

The only problem is that the pandemic hasn’t shown many signs of going away anytime soon, as several places have shown spikes in cases in recent weeks. Regardless, the NBA is moving full steam ahead on resuming its season at the end of July at the Disney World Resort in Orlando.

Last week, the NBPA approved a plan that would include 22 teams finishing out an eight-game regular season, followed by the playoffs, in a venture that would require everyone involved to be quarantined in the bubble location for three-and-a-half months. Despite the vote, it’s slowly coming out that not everyone is thrilled with that idea, especially given the added civil unrest that has gripped the nation amid the George Floyd protests.

According to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, there is a growing contingent of unnamed players who believe it’s “bad optics” to restart the season with so much going on in the world.

“What message are we sending by agreeing to this during this time?” a black player told Yahoo Sports. “We’re out here marching and protesting, and yet we all leave our families in these scary times and gather to perform at a place where the owners won’t be at? What type of sense does that make? We’ll be going backwards. That place isn’t that magical.”

Sources said several players have been reluctant to express their views in fear of opposing the superstars who are adamant about playing if proper safety measures are in place.

Then there is a faction of players that is noncommittal on a return because it hasn’t received enough feedback and information on how the league plans to facilitate a safe haven, sources said. Portland Trail Blazers forward Carmelo Anthony expressed this very concern to Ernie Johnson in an NBA Together Twitter Live session.

Despite their trepidation, it’s been made clear that players would be allowed to skip the restart, although those who do not choose to participate in Orlando would not receive pay, a reality that puts disproportionate pressure on the league’s lower-tier players to show up. Still, a lot can happen between now and the end of July, and with some players noncommittal about the return, the rosters in Orlando could look significantly different than we might expect.

(Yahoo Sports)

During a scathing segment in his surprise Netflix special, 8:46, comedian Dave Chappelle ripped into CNN host Don Lemon’s call for celebrities to speak out during the Black Lives Matter protests over the murder of George Floyd. And in a surprising move, Lemon actually agrees with Chappelle’s criticism.

While the special was less comedy and more about Chappelle addressing recent events (the title 8:46 refers to the amount of time that officers had their knee on Floyd’s neck, causing his death), it was still a true to form display of the comedian’s searing social commentary. After seeing Lemon criticize celebrities for not speaking out more, Chappelle unleashed his thoughts.

“Answer me: Do you want to see a celebrity right now?” Chappelle said. “Do we give a f*ck what Ja Rule thinks? Does it matter about celebrity? No, this is the streets talking for themselves, they don’t need me right now. I kept my mouth shut. And I’ll still keep my mouth shut. But don’t think my silence is complicit… Why would anyone care what their favorite comedian thinks after they saw a police officer kneel on a man’s neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds?”

By the time Lemon hopped on to CNN this morning, the clip of Chappelle roasting him was all over the internet, but the CNN host wasn’t mad. In fact, he agreed with Chappelle’s fierce criticism of older establishments that have failed the Black community, and he was honored to be a part of the special. However, Lemon couldn’t help but notice the irony that Chappelle was doing the very thing that Lemon had asked for: speaking out.

“His special is called 8:46, he’s talking about this issue, and I think it’s great that he’s using his platform to talk about this in the way that he can,” Lemon said.

You can follow the link to watch Lemon’s reaction below:

(Via CNN)

UK singer Jorja Smith’s debut album Lost & Found arrived two years ago, earning her a distinction within R&B for her affinity to jazz-infused percussion. Fans have been anticipating a follow-up ever since, but Smith has responded with just a handful of singles. Now, the singer is exploring her roots in jazz by offering a cover for Blue Note Records, a veteran jazz label founded in the 1930s.

Smith returns with “Rose Rouge,” a cover of a 2000 song first penned by the French jazz musician St Germain. The original version is purely instrumental, so Smith plays around with her vocal range as she repeats the lines, “I want you to get together / Put your hands together one time.” Though the lyrics are sparse, Smith’s voice is at the forefront of the track as she croons the lines in contrast with the swell of accompanying brass instruments.

The cover arrives ahead of Blue Note Records’ compilation project Blue Note Re:Imagined. Along with Smith, the compilation includes music by Shabaka Hutchings, Alfa Mist, Poppy Ajudha, Jordan Rakei, Nubya Garcia, and others.

Other than a duo of songs released for a Triple J performance, “Rose Rouge” is the singer’s first effort of 2020. Smith’s latest single was the 2019 collaboration with Burna Boy “Be Honest,” which saw both an acoustic release and a hip-swinging remix.

Listen to “Rose Rouge” above.

Blue Note Re:Imagined is out 9/25 via Blue Note Records. Pre-order it here.

Dave Chappelle’s surprise stand-up special regarding police brutality and race relations hit the web late Thursday night and addressed a number of different topics, including one of his own most infamous jokes. But he also spent time addressing a major story from the sports world in 2020: the tragic death of Kobe Bryant in a helicopter crash.

During Chappelle’s 8:46, which is a reference to the length of time George Floyd had a police officer’s knee on his neck while he died in custody, the comedian covered a wide range of topics regarding race relations. One of the more somber moments involved Chappelle discussing how he felt Bryant saved the country by distracting people from a different tragic moment in the spring of 2016.

Bryant’s last game saw him drop 60 points and upstage the Golden State Warriors winning a record-breaking 73rd game to end the regular season. It also happened in a moment where the city of Houston was reeling from a police shooting that killed five officers and injured others. Chappelle described watching both and how the intense interest in Bryant’s final game impacted how people reacted to the shooting of officers at a Black Lives Matter rally.

“The night those nine police officers were killed felt like the end of the world,” Bryant said. “And the only reason it wasn’t the end of the world, in my opinion, was at the very same time that was happening Kobe Bryant was playing his last game as an LA Laker. And as scary as all that shit was, I kept flipping back as Kobe was dropping 60. And he did. Oh, and he did.”

Chappelle made specific reference to Laura Ingram’s request that basketball players “shut up and dribble,” something many players like LeBron James have rebuked in the aftermath of her racist claim that athletes can’t be politically active. Chappelle pointed out that he feels that night he watched Bryant “dribbling and saving this goddamn country from itself.”

Chappelle then considered Bryant’s death in February, which happened the morning before the Grammys were scheduled at Staples Center. He said he skipped the ceremony because he was heartbroken his “hero” was gone.

“I loved Kobe Bryant. Died the day I won a Grammy, he died. That’s why I didn’t show up at the Grammy’s, because Kobe died,” he said. “They had both of his f*ckin’ jersey numbers hanging up. Eight. Twenty-four. That’s my birthday. I cried like a baby.”

You can watch the full 8:46 special above.

A steady stream of Juice WRLD songs and guest appearance has been trickling out since his death in December of 2019. The latest is a featured appearance on “Go,” a new track from 16-year-old Australia rapper The Kid Laroi. Juice served as a mentor for the young rapper while he toured in Australia in 2018 and 2019.

The song is accompanied by a video that features footage of the late rapper. It begins with Juice talking to Laroi, telling him, “[We’ll] make a hit for your birthday, I’ll give you a verse.” He added with a smile, “That’s a $200,000 gift, lil bro.”

Ahead of the video’s release, Laroi shared photos of himself and Juice, accompanied by a message in which he appreciates and thanks the late rapper: “it’s been a little over 6 months since you been gone, and it still doesn’t feel right. before we even met you were my favourite artist, and I still think everyday how cool it was that I got to b damn near family with my idol. you took me all over the world on a f*cking private jet and showed me a whole different side of life that not many people get to see. from all the months you let me live at your crib, to all the nights I spent watching and learning from you in the studio, to all the concerts and tours I got to witness.. I got to learn from a real life legend. it’s not even in my character to write long ass sh*t like this but f*ck it our song is about to come out and I just wanna say how much I wish you were here with me to enjoy this sh*t. we all love and miss you back here.”

Watch the “Go” video above.

---

View Entire Post ›