Posts made in November 2021

Willow Smith and Harry Hudson – X8 Eyewear

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Gen Z Icons Willow Smith and Harry Hudson Unveil an Eyewear Collection – the First Project of X8

X8 is a new venture company building a creative hub for artists and avatars who will meet In Real Life (IRL) and The Metaverse.

Gen Z stars Willow Smith and Harry Hudson are the faces of X8 Eyewear, the brainchild of X8, a paradigm shifting, creative projects platform, and seed-stage venture fund based in New York, Seoul, and Singapore.

X8 Eyewear draws its inspiration from psychoanalyst Carl Jung‘s Animus and Anima, a theory in analytical psychology that describes the feminine and masculine duality of our unconscious minds.

X8 created a 23-piece collection that transcends gender labels with fluid cool oversize shapes and architectural flourishes.

“I was honored to join the X8 Anima/Animus campaign because I loved the messaging of gender fluidity and the duality of masculine and feminine energies that I believe exists inside every one of us. I had so much fun shooting this concept with my dear friend, Harry,” said Smith, who is an actress, singer-songwriter, and talk show host known for her progressive personal style.

“I was inspired by X8’s creative vision of two forces working together in harmony with one another. A lot of my music has been about balancing the light, dark and the masculine, feminine energy of life, so that idea of true duality really spoke to me and made me want to be a part of this campaign. Also, shooting with my friend and genius Willow was too much fun,” said Hudson, 21, a singer-songwriter famous for documenting his battle with cancer on social media.

While this is Smith and Hudson’s first foray into working with eyewear, it isn’t for X8, which was recently co-founded by Won Lee, the former CEO and CCO of Gentle Monster USA—the South Korean eyewear company—overseeing its rapid rise as one of the biggest eyewear brands in the world.

ABOUT X8
X8 is at the nexus of all things creative (fashion, art, entertainment, technology) and the future. It is Co-founded by Won Lee from South Korea who, outside of his tenure at Gentle Monster, has had an eclectically creative background developing hospitality projects with mega real estate groups such as CBRE, Prodigy and Soho House, as well as a $50M Media/Light Art project in Jeju Island, South Korea, and Nikhil ‘Ra’ Sharma, an Indian entrepreneur, producer and creative projects specialist who has also had a diverse background working with brands such as Louis Vuitton and Chanel Beauté, producing shows with talents such as David Bowie and Prince, Executive Producing a film by Oscar nominated director Fernando Meirelles, and working on projects with personalities such as Silicon Valley icon Sean Parker (Napster, Facebook, Spotify) to Fashion photography legend, Ellen von Unwerth.

Lee (Creative Director, Real World) and Ra (Creative Director, Metaverse) will be working as brothers in arms to morph the present into the future; the real with the virtual. They will oversee two core teams—an artistic, creative, manufacturing team in South Korea; and the Metaverse, NFT, Gaming, AI, Future Tech Studios in India.

X8 is actively developing the X8 Neo-Circus (X8NC), a members-only creative hub/platform for artists, celebrities and influencers in Jeju, and Decentraland: the first decentralized metaverse. This will go hand in hand with a secret character-based NFT project driving the platform. All X8 products will be showcased and sold in X8NC—in both physical and digital forms.

X8 has collaborated with Xelpmoc Design & Technology, a BSE/NSE listed company (XELP:IN). They will join X8 to build X8M (X8 Metaverse) in India to develop and invest in technologies to scale the X8 proposition globally. The core team of X8M are Sandipan Chattopadhyay, Suman Bose and Monce C. Abraham. Sandipan is the founder and MD of Xelpmoc; the co-founder of MoneyControl; and the ex-CTO of Just Dial. Suman Bose—Director and Chief Evangelist at Xelpmoc—was the former Managing Director of Siemens Industry Software. Sandipan and Suman will spearhead the tech and investment strategies for X8M. Monce C. Abraham—Director at THEV—will be focusing on operations and growth strategies for X8M. Abraham, at 24 years of age, was the youngest individual ever to head Marketing and Research at IVCA (Indian Private Equity & Venture Capital Association).

X8’s mission is to empower those who dare to dismantle the past, unsettle the present, and create a new and more exciting world for all. “We do not think in boxes,” say Lee and Ra. The founders see a world which will be driven by cross-industry innovation where an electric car can be built from the ground-up. Such a universe brings together fashion/textiles design, digital art, sustainable materials science, AI tech, rocket science and automotive engineering and Metaverse gaming. “We are driven by a passion to discover the unknown and see the world through the eyes of the new generation and beyond. Today, we may be considered a special projects and venture capital company. Yet our vision is set on tomorrow. The future will define us.”

X8’s venture fund is led by Lee-Woong Yeol, Honorable Chairman of Kolon Group, South Korea. A visionary, Lee has invested in a wide array of businesses and ideas with an intent to create a think-tank. He coalesces solutions, services and products of the future.

Other X8 ventures include the following: 1) SLFF Kaimin—a brand by the New York designer Kaimin—whose futuristic cyber goddess looks have been worn by some of the most outlandish women in entertainment including Björk and Lady Gaga. 2) KLAW—a new sneakers collection for the “universal activity of walking”. 3) 1PEACE—a conscientious fashion and textiles brand that upcycles deadstock for new use.

Bastille – Give Me The Future

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Give Me The Future, Bastille’s wildly ambitious and brilliantly bold new album, is set for release on February 4th, 2022. To celebrate the announcement, the band released their new single “No Bad Days,” accompanied by the official video co-directed by Dan Smith on October 19th.

The album is a tribute to humanity in a tech age and reflects on the strangeness of living through times that can feel like science fiction. Exploring both the opportunities of new technology and the dark side of online living, it’s as playful and fun as it is thought-provoking, as dystopian as it is dance floor-friendly, and as electronic as Bastille has ever been.

Songwriter, Smith, came up with the idea pre-pandemic. The album was already underway and the band on hiatus from touring when the world shut down, forcing interaction solely through screens.

“Working on these songs in such an apocalyptic period, with everyone stuck at home, glued to screens, fed into the feeling that what is real and what is not has become pretty difficult to discern sometimes,” says Smith. “We’re in the age of deep fake, fake news and lying world leaders. But online, you can be anyone. What that does to our sense of self and to our relationships is huge, and it’s fascinating.”

Give Me The Future takes us into a fantasy wonderland free from restrictions. Each song is a different danceable dreamscape, a place where you can travel back and forward in time to be anyone, do anything, and embrace a new wave of automation. This enables the listener to get lost inside their imagination. The album is laced with references to the world of sci-fi film, literature, video games and virtual reality.

It’s a record that takes the idea of the limitless possibilities of the future and journeys from a joyride of escapism on the uplifting “Thelma + Louise,” a tribute to the iconic feminist film on its 20^th anniversary, to 80’s New York with the artist Keith Haring on the bright and whistling “Club 57”, and to a hospital bed in Australia for the devastating but hopeful new single, “No Bad Days”. Co-directed for the first time by Smith, the music video for “No Bad Days” is set in a modern laboratory and sees Dan playing a character using machinery to try and resurrect a lost loved one. Nodding to the classic technological tales of Metropolis, Ex Machina and The Matrix, the video paints an emotional and intimate story.

“It’s really satisfying to have finally directed and I’m really proud of the little film we made. I grew up with film as my main obsession, so this was a bit of a dream. I learned a shitload, and it was good to be challenged in a new way,” Smith states.

The song has disco bass lines, orchestras of synths, guitars, gospel, spaceship sounds, euphoric strings, vocoders, talk boxes, a choir of roadies, and a host of beats. The title track, “Give Me The Future” tips its hat to Phil Collins and The Police, “Shut Off The Lights” is a sonic love letter to Paul Simon’s Graceland, and “Stay Awake” nods to Daft Punk and Quincy Jones.

Having thrown themselves into co-writing for other artists in recent years, for the first time ever on a Bastille album, the band inched open the door to collaborators. Although primarily produced by Smith and long-term production partner Mark Crew, the band also worked with a handful of writers and producers to expand the world.

“Distorted Light Beam” was co-written and produced with Ryan Tedder who has worked with Adele, Paul McCartney, and Taylor Swift, as well as contributing as a sounding board and executive producer for the album.

“Thelma + Louise,” “Stay Awake,” and “Back To The Future” were co-written with legendary songwriter Rami Yacoub, who has worked on Britney Spears’ “…Baby One More Time” and Lady Gaga’s Chromatica Album. They also worked with British writers Jonny Coffer, Plested, and Dan Priddy to bring the album to life.

You’ll also hear the voice of award-winning actor, musician, writer, creator, producer, director, and activist Riz Ahmed on a spell-binding and evocative spoken word piece called “Promises.” Ahmed’s piece was a response the album and brings its overarching themes into sharp focus.

Over the course of their previous three albums, Bastille have cemented a reputation for building whole worlds around their releases, often doing so with innovative, award-winning creativity. Give Me The Future is no different, this time accompanied by a fictional, but familiar, tech giant called Future Inc., the creators of an invention called “Futurescape,” a device which allows users to live out their dreams virtually. It’s weaved through every element of the campaign and can be seen in the videos for all three singles: “Distorted Light Beam,” “Thelma & Louise,” and “No Bad Days.”

Sonically diverse and conceptually adventurous, Bastille’s fourth album, Give Me The Future pushes the band into exciting new frontiers. The record serves as less of a judgement on current life, but rather a reflection on where we are and perhaps where things could be, “I’m just observing the truly weird times we’re living in and having fun responding to it through these songs,” Dan says. “As the final track “Who Knows What the Future Holds… Don’t Matter If I Got You” says, this is happening, whether we like it or not. Finding happiness in the moment is surely the aim, whether it’s in the real or virtual world.”

“You don’t predict the future, you imagine it,” says Future Inc.

GIVE ME THE FUTURE TRACKLISTING:
1. “Distorted Light Beam”
2. “Thelma + Louise”
3. “No Bad Days”
4. “Brave New World” (Interlude)
5. “Back To The Future”
6. “Plug In…”
7. “Promises” (by Riz Ahmed)
8. “Shut Off The Lights”
9. “Stay Awake?”
10. “Give Me The Future”
11. “Club 57”
12. “Total Dissociation” (Interlude)
13. “Future Holds” (feat. BIM)

A Manager’s Guide To Navigating Business Expansion

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Business expansion is an exciting time for any manager, as it’s a sign that things are pushing forward and that success has been realised. Of course, there are some more complex elements that need to be navigated so that you do not set up your expansion incorrectly and have to suffer the fallout. Today we are going to step through a guide to expanding your business so that you don’t get wrapped up in the chaos and can make some measured steps toward the future.

Furnish your office with modern hardware

Old and inferior hardware is going to take your team longer to do their jobs, without optimised tools that can make work faster and even more enjoyable. Quality laptops, Epson WorkForce Printers and access to any other company devices are a great place to start. Now that your business is expanding you want to be bringing hardware to your office that is geared toward productivity and output. If you are not sure what your team needs, ask them to come up with a wishlist and highlight what is the ‘must have’ and what is the ‘nice to have’. Business expansion comes with access, so don’t skimp on this process!

Stay aligned with your business ‘why’

Growth is not an excuse to abandon your core ‘why’, but a time to actually double down on your brand ethos. Companies will make the unfortunate mistake of changing too quickly and too permanently so take the time to revisit your business plan and be methodical. Swift change can alienate you from the long-standing staff that support you, and your faithful customers and clients might not recognise you either. You don’t want this to happen ever, especially not when you are going through a comprehensive business expansion. Before any expansion plans are set in motion, sit down with your business plan and reassess how and why you are going to grow so that you can do it effectively.

Consider outside help

There is no shame in finding the right people to assist you in your business expansion, especially as this is a specialised project and a period you will want experienced help with. You might consider a change management consultant or you could even choose to hire some mid-level employees that will free up your more senior staff to help out. As a manager, you are most useful when you are thinking strategically and working on the business and not necessarily in the business. So if your business expansion is being haphazardly managed because you are on the frontline, then you need more hands to assist you and your big plans.

Celebrate the moment

Yes, there is lots of work to come – but make sure you take a moment to celebrate this incredible journey your business has been on. As a manager, your team is going to look to you to understand how they should be responding to growth, and you want to be exhibiting pride and excitement at the prospect of expansion. You could do this with a team lunch at the pub, a special night out, or even give the team a half day. There are so many options and you don’t have to limit your celebrations to just one. Celebrating the moment will also strengthen the morale of your team, which is going to be important given the change that lies ahead for everyone.

Navigating business expansion comes with a number of pressures and priorities. Work hard to establish and stick to a plan and remember to get counsel from outside help and the team who helped you get to this great position.

Doja Cat at French Montana’s Birthday

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Doja Cat Joins French Montana at Drai’s Nightclub for Epic Birthday Performance

Actress Zoey Deutch was also at the iconic nightclub to celebrate her birthday

Fresh off her epic performance at Day N Vegas, megastar and headline maker Doja Cat surprised fans at Drai’s Nightclub last night when she showed up to cheer on superstar artist French Montana during his birthday performance.

Montana, a Drai’s LIVE resident performer, will release a long-awaited collaboration with Doja Cat on his fourth album, “They Got Amnesia,” which is expected to drop later this week on Friday, Nov. 19. Looking glam with a cropped wavy pink ‘do and a black bustier paired with ripped jeans, Doja Cat smiled widely while cheering on Montana’s explosive full-length show from her own VIP booth.

Drai’s celebrated Montana’s birthday with a personalized cake, oversized cutouts of his face, sparklers, and more presented by the Drai’s Dolls. Montana, who turned 37 on November 9, took the stage around 2am to perform fan-favorite hits like “No Stylist” and “Unforgettable,” as well as one of his newest hit singles, “FWMGAB.”

Drai’s was the site of a second birthday celebration last night for critically acclaimed actress, Zoey Deutch. The stunning actress, most recently seen in Netflix movie, “Set It Up,” and popular Netflix series, “The Politician” Deutch was joined by a group of friends to celebrate her 27th birthday. Her festive group enjoyed premium bottles of Champagne and Casamigos while taking in Montana’s high-energy performance.

Drai’s Nightclub is open Friday through Sunday from 10pm to 3am Tickets and VIP table reservations are available on the website.

Halle Berry – GirlTrek

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Academy Award-Winning Actress Halle Berry to Serve as 2021 National Race Captain for GirlTrek’s Black Family 5K

Back for the fifth year, GirlTrek’s Black Family 5K encourages families – blood or chosen – to get out in nature and take a Thanksgiving walk or hike. The Black Family 5K is a hallmark end-of-year celebration in the GirlTrek movement celebrating fitness, family, and fun. This year, Academy Award-winning actress Halle Berry will serve as the Black Family 5K National Race Captain.

Watch Halle Berry’s video announcement here .

“GirlTrek is honored to have Halle Berry join the Black Family 5K. As one of the fittest celebrities in Hollywood, she constantly raises the bar for Black women’s health and wellness,” said jewel bush, GirlTrek’s Vice President of Communications and Public Relations. “She’s proof that Black women can unapologetically practice self-care, healing and that taking care of our bodies is an obtainable lifestyle. We grew up being motivated by Halle Berry’s inner and outer beauty. She models our very mission to create a revolution centered on self-love by mobilizing Black women everywhere to put ourselves first by practicing radical self-care through moving of our bodies and spending transformative time in the outdoors.”

With a career spanning three decades (DIE ANOTHER DAY, JUNGLE FEVER, LOSING ISAIAH, BULWORTH, SWORDFISH), Berry continues to break down barriers acting in a multitude of critically acclaimed, diverse roles and most recently adding the title of director to her already impressive filmography. She is set to make her highly anticipated directorial debut in her new film, BRUISED, in which she also stars. The plot follows a disgraced MMA fighter who must fight a rising MMA star, while journeying to become the mother her child deserves. The film first debuted at the 2020 Toronto Film Festival and was acquired by Netflix and is set to release on the streaming platform on November 24, 2021.

Berry has garnered praise not only for her roles on-screen, but for her philanthropic work with a range of organizations focusing on women and children and underserved communities. She is an active supporter and chair member of the Jenesse Center in Los Angeles. The Jenesse Center was founded in 1980 and assists victims of domestic violence and aims to change the pattern of abuse in the lives of women and children. She previously partnered with Michael Kors’ Watch Hunger Stop campaign and the United Nations World Food Programme to raise awareness for building a world with zero hunger. Berry has supported a vast amount of charities and organizations such as, Revlon Run/Walk, Make-A-Wish Foundation, Afghanistan Relief Organization, Stand Up to Cancer, Love Our Children USA and Clothes Off Our Back and Black Lives Matter.

In 2020, Berry founded rē•spin which is a platform created to provide broader access to health and wellness content and products through inclusivity and conversation. Rooted in discovery and learning, the heart of rē•spin is its global community connected around the core belief of a holistic mind, body, and soul approach to wellness.

WHO: With 1.5 million members and growing every day, GirlTrek is the largest public health movement and nonprofit for Black women and girls in the United States. GirlTrek inspires and supports Black women to live their healthiest, most fulfilled lives through radical self-care and daily walking.

WHAT: Academy Award-winning actress Halle Berry will serve as GirlTrek’s Black Family 5K National Race Captain.

WHEN: Thanksgiving weekend: Most walks will happen on Thursday, Thanksgiving Day and others on Friday and Saturday morning.

HOW: Register at blackfamily5k.com . The Black Family 5K is supported by Release the Pressure, a diverse coalition of health care organizations and heart health experts including the American Medical Association (AMA), AMA Foundation, American Heart Association, Association of Black Cardiologists, National Medical Association and Minority Health Institute who are dedicated to partnering with the Black community to improve heart health.

Hosting a Black Family 5K walk is simple and free. Register at blackfamily5k.com to create an official race kit for your family complete with official T-shirts, customizable race bibs, victory medals and more. Don’t let distance stop you. If your family doesn’t live near you, you can still participate by planning a virtual Black Family 5K. Hop on a phone call, FaceTime or send pictures to the group chat while everyone goes for a walk.

Khamari – Doctor, My Eyes

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KHAMARI RELEASES NEW SINGLE “DOCTOR, MY EYES”

LISTEN HERE

“It’s challenging to strike a perfect balance between lyrical vulnerability and catchy songwriting, but this is exactly what Boston native Khamari accomplishes with every song.” – Pigeons & Planes

“Khamari makes music that is personal and intimate as well as relatable and engaging.” – Ones To Watch

“His mellow R&B sound is a dream.” – Fashionably Early

“There’s so much melodic and textural variety that you’ll still be finding little gems after repeated listens.” – Daily Chiefers

Today, Los Angeles based, Dorchester raised songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist artist Khamari releases a new song “Doctor, My Eyes” – listen HERE. Both sonically and emotionally, “Doctor, My Eyes” finds Khamari in an introspective space as he documents the weight of feeling too much and losing self-awareness. The new song is produced by Khamari, Trackside and Johan Lenox.

‘Doctor, My Eyes’ is about looking for perspective. When I wrote it I had moved from Boston to LA and was trying to make sense of my life. A lot of things were shifting too fast to keep up with, but things I hoped would change stayed the same. I got put on to this Jackson Browne record, and the story resonated with me. That’s where I got the title. It’s about him being desperate to make any sense of his life and experiences. Then a friend played me Incubus, the song ‘Mexico’. I knew I wanted to lay out these thoughts over a guitar that intimate. In the outro my grandfather is the voice that gives me advice because he’s always been an anchor for me.

A multifaceted artist, Khamari grew up in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston, MA. Skilled as a vocalist, pianist, and guitarist, and growing up playing instruments ranging from the French horn to the violin, he left Berklee School of Music in 2017 to become a musician full time. Khamari’s music is distilled from influences ranging as wide as The Beatles, Stevie Wonder, Sly Stone, Frank Ocean, Kid Cudi and Mac Miller.

In 2019, Khamari released his debut EP Eldorado which took listeners on a journey through his inner struggles, his relationship issues, and honest vision for himself as an artist. This introduction was met with abundant praise, landing the cover of Fresh Finds on Spotify, additional playlisting on Apple Music FEELS, Amazon’s The New Black and Breakthrough R&B, and as cover artist for Tidal’s Pop: Rising. Pigeons & Planes named Khamari a Best New Artist for the month of December 2020, stating that Eldorado “allows you to disengage from the world around you and pulls you into his own personal but relatable stories.”

His next step is to continue the hunt for the intersection of timeless musicality and contemporary style, all without losing the honest accessibility which made him relatable from the start.

Coolest Ski Destinations in Europe

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Spotlight on Switzerland and Italy with our recommendations for the trendiest hotels to enjoy the destinations.
Kloster in Switzerland means Alps, Cortina stands for the Dolomites.
The two hottest ski destinations this winter are Kloster and Cortina, two very unique alpine villages loved by celebrities and those who adore the slopes.
Cortina is Queen of the Dolomites, charming Italian elegance with amazing apres-ski. A storied history with distinguished guests like Churchill and Loren.
Kloster is an Alpine resort village in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. Popularity with celebrities since the 1950s.
Both destinations have a wide choice of properties (hotels and private chalets) to meet the needs of every type of traveler.
But for people who love the mountains in the winter and summer and aren’t keen on showing off, two specific properties stand out – Silvretta Park Hotel and Grand Hotel Savoia Cortina.
The two iconic properties are both centrally located in the villages and well known for having the best views of the destinations.
Grand Hotel Savoia with its beautiful terrace has a direct view of the Dolomites. The property features 132 guest rooms and suites, two restaurants, and a spa with an indoor pool The property reopens on 3 December for the winter season. Starting rate is 290 Euro per night for two, including breakfast.

Euphoria.LGBT Unveils A New Campaign

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Euphoria.LGBT unveils a new campaign inspired by the Pronouns for Transgender Awareness Week

Euphoria.LGBT, Inc. is launching a new tagline, “Become who you are,” intending to synthesize the message from the transgender community to the world. The quest of the transgender community to recognize, accept, and embrace their true identity is an inspiration for each of us to dare to become who we are. This message is intrinsic to the transgender community but touches a much wider audience, from LGBTQIA+ people to all others who walk this earth. Because of miseducation and external pressure, many are scared to express who they truly are and spend their life misaligned with their soul. “Become who you are” is an invitation for everyone to live with honesty, acceptance, and courage.

To endorse this inclusive brand message, Euphoria’s first campaign is inspired by the Pronouns. It features first names from different cultures. Inside each of these names is highlighted one Pronoun. Sometimes the pronoun appears to be aligned with the original gender of the name and sometimes misaligned with it. The campaign is an invitation to respect the transgender community and everyone’s unique ownership of identity. Gender transition often starts with a pronoun and be thought of as the opening words to a story of self-acceptance and becoming oneself.

Euphoria.LGBT is a tech ecosystem for the transgender community to alleviate the great pains associated with gender transition. Euphoria’s platform includes Solace, Bliss, Catharsis, Windfall, Clarity, and Devotion. Each app offers a pragmatic solution to a specific facet of the odyssey that is transition and provides critical support and nurtures the trans souls in their courageous journey.

The transgender community is estimated to be between 2 and 6 million souls across the United States, with the global population estimated to be close to 160 million. This community is often misunderstood and stigmatized because of a lack of education in our society.

Robbi Katherine, Euphoria.LGBT Founder: “Pronouns are foundational elements of communication for every human being. For the transgender community, pronouns offer an acknowledgment of one’s truest self. These words are often the first and perhaps the most enduring reflection of the transgender soul. Pronouns are more than just words; they are portraits.”

Champion Collaborates with James Wiseman

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To kick off the ‘21-22 basketball season, Champion Athleticwear and the NBPA are partnering to honor the champion that lives within each one of us by highlighting the community of champions who helped professional basketball player, James Wiseman, accomplish his dream of playing in the NBA.

As Wiseman said himself, “A champion can be bred in any city – what it takes to be a champion is a community to help them rise up.”

The collaboration, Champion Rewind, includes a unique apparel capsule featuring art inspired by Wiseman’s origin story and a giveback initiative that will award five community organizations each $10,000.

Consumers and fans can now head to https://nbpa.com/championrewind for more information on Champion Rewind as well as to enter and propose Community Champions to win $10,000. Whether coaches, mentors, trainers, teachers, directors of non-profit sports organizations and more, Champion and the NBPA are looking for Community Champions who are defined by how they carry themselves on the court and beyond.

And on November 25^th, consumers can shop the full capsule on Here!

The capsule collection is designed by artist and fellow Memphian, Jamond Bullock, and will feature a line of Reverse Weave Hoodies and Heritage Graphic Tees.

Strick Land Album Release Party

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By Krish Narsinghani, Yash Thadani

Strick, American rapper and singer, recently released his new album “Strick Land.” As a North Carolina native and an affiliate to Young Thugs infamous label Young Stoner Life, the artist wanted to paint a picture behind his album’s influence. If you’re already familiar with the “For Sale” rapper’s past, then you know the result is an eventful evening at an intimate boujee venue. For this specific album, Strick and his team held the party at a beautiful private art gallery in West Hollywood (known as Linc) and produced by The P.M. Firm. The ambience was unmatched with two rooms with varying vibes for all personality types. The initial reaction walking into the venue was refreshing. The first room had one section where women were embellished with paint across their bodies, while the other room displayed the new merch drop.

360 Magazine had the opportunity to sit down with the producers behind the new line, Jelani James and Jessica Raven (of companies JW Capital & Holding and Amber James), who worked directly with Strick.

“This is a family thing.. tied in through Young Thug’s dad, Big Jeff. There is no third party. It’s direct to manufacture. Strick has been really involved in every step of the process – making sure that his designs are in line with the album and the fits hit right. He wants to make sure everything has a certain aesthetic before being released.”

Nostalgic to say to the least. A room with vintage Pac-man, arcade style basketball and lemon pepper wings brought back memories of those middle school days.The real climax was when the DJ started playing songs from “Strick Land” with guest appearances from Nav, Metro Boomin and Asap Rocky. It’s safe to say this was a night to remember.

More on Strick:

Strick is a robust and multifaceted recording artist hailing from North Carolina and currently splitting his time between Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Best known for honing his skills as a clever wordsmith and adept songwriter, Strick has garnered a reputation for tapping into his diverse professional background both in business and in the U.S. Air Force to elevate both his business acumen and genuine creative output alike.

After relocating to Atlanta in 2012 and founding his own branding agency for aspiring musicians Foundation 86, Strick moved to Los Angeles to pursue his own career as an artist. He then landed his first official placement on Kanye West and Juicy J’s “Ballin’,” leading him to work with artists such as Travis Scott, Jeremih, K. Michelle and Wiz Khalifa. In 2016, Strick earned his first platinum record “coordinate” off Scott’s Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight album, further igniting his hunger to continue developing his skills as a songwriter. That same year, he went on to join Young Thug on several tours, including the Hi-Tunes tour (2016) and the Hi Horse’D tour (2016/2017). Later, he was invited to join Young Thug and J. Cole on the K.O.D tour (2018), and Young Thug and Machine Gun Kelly on their co-headlining tour (2019). Most recently, Strick partook on the Justin Bieber Big Tour (2019).

In July 2017, Strick dropped his debut EP, Risk=Reward. In 2018, he released January’s Risk=Reward 2 and April’s Pairadice, going on to ink a deal with YSL Records and 300 Entertainment. He appeared on Young Thug’s 2018 Slime Language compilation, with their collaboration “STS” going on to be streamed in the millions. Making his label debut in 2019 with See You When I Land, followed by The Machine mixtape series and “Yacht Club” with Ty Dolla $ign and Young Thug.

He appeared on Young Thug’s 2018 Slime Language compilation, with their collaboration “STS”. “Moonman” featuring Kid Cudi and Young Thug is featured on the Billboard #1 album Slime Language 2. Additionally, single “WokStar” feat. Skepta is featured on the Billboard #1 album Slime Language 2. Next up, Strick is preparing for Strickland, a full-length album to be released in 2021. With features from Young Thug, Ty Dolla $ign, Gunna, Swae Lee + more, this album paints a holistic image of who Strick is and what his world looks like through his eyes and ears. Strick is a college graduate, veteran, and corporate executive turned artist who is eager to present you his unique experiences through music.