Shouts to my dudes at ThinkTank Marketing who put me on the list for the Adidas event commemorating the release of the MUHAMMAD ALI ‘Classics’ shoe designs. Just last week I previewed the offering made by Puma in homage of iconic Hip-Hop artists and I shitted on their production all the way. It was a disingenuous campaign by Puma sneakers, and worse still, a lousy co-branding effort with Music TeleVision to attach themselves to Hip-Hop in a place that they didn’t belong to because they never earned it to begin with. MTV tried to ride in on Puma’s ghetto pass and they both got booted from the DP Dot Com sneaker champagne room. Only Holy Grails allowed.
The three stripe brand, Adidas, at least does their homework. Where Puma traded their legacy in athletic footwear to come to the dance with posers, Adidas does an about face and reaches into their rolodex vault of classic artistic icons. I can see why COMBAT JACK fucks with these cats mostly. Adidas kept it real without pandering to, or making a mockery of their subject. The designs featured represented the greatest of all time in a most honorable way.
The first design I peeped was done by a graff artist named CEY.
CEY is a childhood hero of mine because he grew up in Queens, and he used to bomb out of the Union Turnpike layups. CEY, COPE, NE, MIN were all the kings of the Queens Boulevard subways. CEY also designed the first Adidas ads for RUN-DMC. As a matter of fact, CEY still puts in graff work and he invited me to visit the Fun Factory in Long Island City next month when he puts up a new mural. CEY is a classic cool motherfucker and I will never be above copping some fanboy shit for my archives.
The second design that was on display was done by another truly iconic pop artist in American culture who puts even ANDY WARHOL to shame. LeROY NEIMAN has been creating his impressionist influenced paintings for over fifty years. You have seen his paintings everywhere and you may not have even known dudes name.
NEIMAN has painted portraits of ALI previously for magazines and his brush strokes effortlessly capture the heroism and courage of one of America’s true heroes. That is the mark of a great artist when they can transfer the idea of greatness and majesty to their subject matter. I ain’t mad at you one bit Adidas, and your lazy, poser cousins from Puma need to take notes on how shit should be done.
CASSIUS MARCELLUS CLAY – ‘I Am The Greatest’
Cey is my dude. Tell him I said whaddup and to put me down. Do you know he designed the legendary “RUN-DMC” logo, amongst many?
Good stuff… I used to do what Adidas did ‘cept I did it on some Chucks. (Once.)
Never been another like Ali.
The 2nd design is kind of interesting but I imagine that you can only wear them with particular outfits if people actually wear those collectible sneakers at all.
Dope kicks. If you ask me on some historical ish adidas is KILLING Nike. They’re coming at it with that fly Euro swagger that made and keeps them classic materials…
Cey is a good dude. Met him a while back and hung out with him a few times. Another interesting factoid about dude, is that he was one half of “The Drawing Board” which was Def Jam’s graphic design arm. Any album made in the late 80’s-90’s that dropped on Def Jam Cey Adams held it down. He also did the intricate work of the Beastie Boys “Hello Nasty”. One sad drawback from the download era is the loss of the visual experience that came with the artistry and packaging of an album. The little JPEG you get when you download an album can’t compare to the experience of going through an album cover or CD booklet. If you ask me its helped contribute to the demise of the overall listening experience that once coincided with an album and made it more a disposable, ringtone commodity…
I worked next to Cey and Steve when I did my bid at Def Jam. PE “Fear Of A Black Planet” lp cover. I was there.
Def Jam stays with a Queens graff connect. I went to BTHS with this dude from SouthSide that tagged RAB and then I ran into him at some industry shit and he told me he was running Def Jam’s graphic arts department.
I still love the “Fear of a Black Planet” cover!! It works as a great t-shirt.
I remember Drawing Board used to do most of Bad Boy covers, basically errybodys cover. But Pen and Pixel stole their shine with the gaudy No Limit pieces. It’s interesting how Drawing Board began in a really haphazard manner. I guess you can say that Russell did look out, hopefully they got paid well.
“made it more disposable” . . . yup!
Those adidas are just ok. The concept is nice, but you couldn’t put them on your feet, collectible or not, kicks still have to be kicks, otherwise, what’s the point? Adidas seems to be throwing anything on shoes lately and about 10% of the time it works out. The only coppable pair in the materials of the world line so far are the italy ones. I honestly can’t remember the last time adidas blew my mind – unless it’s an undefeated or crooked tongues colab.
Adidas also recently tried some culture jacking with their ‘end to end’ thing that pissed off at least one real writer so much he went down and bombed their shit.
Also, just to hate. I haven’t ever read anything on here that shows you have credible knowledge/opinions about sneakers (proven by the fact that you didn’t even mention last year’s Yo! MTV Raps Puma Clydes, which are super fresh. However, those new Pumas you are talking about are whack). Best to stick to the irreverent rap jokes instead.
I am in love with Cey’s design. I would cop 2 pairs and wear those boys with every damn thing (including sundresses) like “say something,” until they fell apart. I don’t know why I am so in love with those damn shoes. They are beautiful.
^^ Kickless,
Glad you could take some time out of your day to join my thread.
Now you should prah’lee stick your head in your momma’s oven for talking sideways. My pedigree is unquestionable. You ain’t even smart enough to recognize that. If it appears to you that I am running slower than you it is only because I am on my fifth lap around this bitch and you just got into the race.
lowercase “a” in adidas! I learned that here last month.
Chuuuuch.
The Neimans immediately pulled me in. They’re going up on the wall if I can get my mitts on them (DP holler @ email) and would look perfect if I ever go as Purple Rain Prince for Halloween.
Check out Neiman’s work for Playboy. He’s the Norman Rockwell of that shit.
I dont know about putting Andy Warhol to shame….If you said that to any major art critic…they’ll tell you Neiman’s work resembles abstract rococo …another name for very well painted wall paper ….its not a good or a bad thing .However artists like Neiman in the face of people like Warhol and Lichtenstein , shit even DuChamp are trumped because they arent leading a movement. Warhol get his magnanimous dues because he warped not only the scope of the art world’s gravitas , but he also shook the foundations of social vocabulary and made true art of the “icon”. You have to remember Warhol was a true force because his work and his lifestyle encompassed the most significant social paradigms of his time. His life’s work is not only permanently ingrained in American visual stimuli, but it is also glued to our lexicon. Art is not just a pretty picture , and you cannot dismantle this giant….even my fellow art cynics in my field cannot refute it, trust me i have argued with them .
Yo Dallas man I need me a pair of those. I met Cey when I was interning at the ol’ Def Jam office. Cey was a real cool dude. He inspired me to get back to my love of art. Probably the reason I left the music industry all together. I’d love to go see Cey throw sumn up. Lemme know whats good.
P.S.
That Black August Hip Hop Project Concert is Sunday. Whats Good?
^^^^ If you don’t have anything real to say, why not just call me a fag and give your fingers a rest?
Kickless,
If I don’t have anything real to say??? Since this is your first day at this site you should sit the fuck down and shut the fuck up.
“Also, just to hate. I haven’t ever read anything on here that shows you have credible knowledge/opinions about sneakers (proven by the fact that you didn’t even mention last year’s Yo! MTV Raps Puma Clydes, which are super fresh. However, those new Pumas you are talking about are whack). Best to stick to the irreverent rap jokes instead.”
http://dallaspenn.com/weblog/?p=361
http://dallaspenn.com/weblog/?p=156
You don’t even know shit about ‘Clydes’ a/k/a suede Pumas with the fat laces. You prah’lee one of these little niggers that would get your shit bust open and sent home wearing plastic bags on your feet. You come to my shop you need to show some fuckin’ respect or at least know what the fuck you are talkin’ about.
“YEAH!” – the Big Levert looking dude in “Trading Places”.
^boy, 40 you a fool for that shit!
LMFAO!
^^^You wrote a whack post about sneakers and I called you out on it and you still have yet to prove me wrong. Oh, you made a post about a basketball player with a wikipedia-esque bite about shoes. Puma is a German company? Wow, thanks for letting all of us in on that in 2006 (which is already a while after old school Pumas saw a resurgence in the hood). I never said you didn’t know what Clydes are but you made a bunch of ridiculous claims that ignored RECENT HISTORY. Not only ignoring the dope mtv/Puma collab but also ignoring recent “disingenuous” work from adidas. Am I wrong?
And if you’d like to talk about respect. I grew up middle class too, my parents worked their asses off to get through college and spent all their money, plus a shit load of the bank’s to buy a house and give me a life worth something. I had the respect for them not to push drugs in my hood. I did drugs and at times sold a little weed to friends to smoke for free, but out of respect I stayed away from the felonies (at least until I turned 18) cause my folks didn’t need the headache of their child getting arrested on some bullshit like trying to earn street cred.
Oh, and I’m not little, I’m actually a big goon. No one’s ever ganked me for shoes nor my N95(look it up suckers), nor anything else – not even when I walk through bstuy to get home at 3 in the morning.
P.S. I’m looking forward to those good rap jokes, seriously. And if you wouldn’t mind, throw in some more of the disrespectful comments about gays, because I guess they don’t deserve the respect you do.
Kickless,
I never seent you in Bed Stuy evar. And Puma makes shoes for fags now. How’s that for recent history? The last good shit they had was a retro of the California’s and after that they got into that soft shoe homo shit you only see Euro fags wearing.
hey dallas,
thanks for the love and the kind words. it’s nice to meet someone that knows their hip hop history. stay up, cey
^ You already know it homey.