Durant’s relentless work ethic is well noted and fundamental to the KD1 design. From the age of nine he has been a “gym rat” through and through and the KD1 includes design details that reflect Durant’s determination. His strong work ethic has carried him from his amateur basketball playing days to life now in the league. Nike collaborated closely with Durant to create a signature shoe with performance and design at the forefront.Nike designers met with Durant to get to know his personality and sources of inspiration. The KD1 has many storytelling elements including:• A postage stamp inspired design on the left tongue because Durant’s mother worked at the post office; a security badge is included on the right tongue for his father who worked as a security officer
• Symbols and numbers on the left outsole represent locations meaningful to Durant
• Elements that represent the hard-work ethic that he puts into his game, such as “1 hr defense drills, 1000 toe raises, grandma brings dinner to the gym” and “I never quit”
Rap mogul Jay-Z isn't known for keeping his fans waiting. The rapper usually releases material relatively consistently but there's been some delays with his forthcoming album, The Blueprint 3. While many thought the hold-ups were strictly creative, they may actually be tied more closely to the business surrounding the album. The set has been billed for over a year as Jay-Z's last under his current contract with Def Jam Records. The rapper has already secured a lucrative deal for his next three albums with Live Nation but it appears there may be a war going on over who will release The Blueprint 3.Island Def Jam chairman Antonio "LA" Reid told MTV.com, "We still have an arrangement with Jay-Z. He and I are really good friends, and we enjoy working together, and we're hoping we could figure it out. If we can't figure it out, it won't lessen my interest in his record and in his career. My relationship with him goes much deeper than what company it's on. To me, the Blueprint 3 is an important album, however it comes out. If it comes out in a cereal box, it doesn't matter to me. As long as it's one of the great records of our time."Reid added, "I wanna know that artists like Jay-Z and business people like Jay-Z can have a 40-year career. I wanna see the first hip-hop artist have a 40-year career. I wanna know that hip-hop has the legs, and it wasn't a trend in music. It wasn't something that can come and go, but it will stick around and last. No different from rock music, no different from pop music."No release date has been set for the project.
The Boston Herald is confirming initial reports that Arkansas police seized approximately 500 pounds of marijuana and $6,500 in cash from Fabolous' tour bus over the weekend. The story initially broke via the Arkansas Courier, ThisIs50.com and several other Hip Hop Web sites and blogs.
The Courier reports drivers Edward Thimas and Robert Morris both blamed the rapper for the stash, which was found in a locked compartment on the bus. Neither Fab nor any other rappers were present on the bus at the time of the arrest.
According to police reports, the pair said they were returning from the NBA All Star in Phoenix, Arizona and en route to pick up an unnamed rapper from Boston. Both men were arrested after giving conflicting stories to authorities. Thimas and Morris were arrested on drug possession and other charges; Morris received a bond of $200,000 while Thimas' bond was set at $75,000.
No official statement has been released from Fabolous’ camp about this incident, and he is not believed to be a suspect in the case.
Damn. That's alotta weed...
DMX Could Face 8 Years In Jail
DMX, also known as Earl Simmons, may be charged with felony aggravated assault.
He’s serving a 90 day sentence for several charges and was placed in lock down earlier this month.
FOX 10 has learned that while in lock down, Simmons apparently assaulted a Sheriff’s detention officer.
If convicted of these new charges, his probation could be revoked and he could be sentenced to 8 years in prison.
Via: The Pulse & hiphopdx
The New York-based owners of Sears Tower want to know if adding silver will bring in some green.
Sources said the owners are considering an expensive paint job, recladding the tower in silver. Since its opening in 1973, Chicago's iconic tower and the nation's tallest building has been adorned in classic black.
A brighter look could draw fresh attention to the tower, which has struggled to hold tenants against newer generations of office buildings. Silver could figure into a broader effort to "rebrand" the building and highlight its advances in energy efficiency.
The owners, who include New York investors Joseph Chetrit and Joseph Moinian, could seek what's known as a silver LEED rating, bestowed by a group that promotes environmental advances in buildings. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design rating is third best after gold and platinum, but nonetheless an achievement for a building that's 36 years old.
To improve the tower's energy efficiency, the owners have been working with Chicago-based Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, specialists in both supertall buildings and environmental design. Smith, formerly of the firm Skidmore Owings and Merrill LLP that designed the tower, declined to talk about the project.
A spokesman for the owners said the Sears has a strong record of becoming more ecologically sustainable. "We are actively looking for even more ways to save energy and improve the building," he said. "We are still examining our options and any details at this point would be speculative."
Switching to a lighter tint to complement the silver could cost $50 million, "and right now there's not enough money in the universe for that," said a source familiar with the tower.
Long-term elements of the Sears work include plans to add a building, perhaps a hotel, next to it at Jackson and Wacker. The tower's owners have been working with well-connected local partners, including U.S. Equities Realty Chairman Robert Wislow and the zoning law firm ofDaley & George, to prepare its plans. Wislow couldn't be reached Tuesday, and Daley & George partner Jack George declined to comment.
This would be cold as hell. But the way the economy's looking, there
Via: The Chicago Sun-Times
To celebrate the up and coming release of Resident Evil 5 Microsoft have officially announced their rumoured red console. It will be released on the same day as Resident Evil 5 (March 13th) and comes as a bundle with the following:
- Matching red wireless controller
- 120GB hard drive
- Resident Evil 5
- Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix
- Exclusive Resident Evil Premium Theme
- Xbox 360 black wired headset
- HDTV-ready component HD AV, HDMI and Ethernet cables
It will be sold in select retailers accross the globe and it’s said to be just abit more expensive than the elite.
Daaaaaaaaaaaaamn. I've never played Resident Evil in my life, but I would to start to get this joint. So sick.
Via: Onsmash
