Five exclusive new Nike Sportswear City Destroyer jackets highlight great American cities and the history of football
This holiday season, Nike Sportswear introduces five exclusive limited edition Destroyer jackets paying homage to the cities of Detroit, New Orleans, Miami, Philadelphia and Oakland. Along with city-specific imagery and community interaction, the City Destroyers celebrate the football stars that embody the spirit of those archetypical metropolises and their football tradition. The number 51, which is found on many of the different metropolitan-themed jackets, pays homage to the uniform worn by Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman when he played collegiate football.
Since its introduction, the Nike Destroyer jacket has quickly become a coveted symbol of street smarts, discerning style and gritty individualism. Now, the connection between the Destroyer and classic Americana is even more definitive.
DETROIT
For this iteration, designers tapped into the city’s gritty cultural history to create unique embroidered graphics. The harsh black-and-white color scheme nods to the punk and hardcore music scene; the fleur-de-lis references the French explorer who founded the city in 1701; the number 3-1-3 is the area code.
MIAMI
For this iteration, designers tapped into the city’s flashy cultural history to create unique embroidered graphics. The orange color scheme references college and pro football teams of the region; the sunglasses and flames surrounding the skull-and-crossbones supply plenty of tropical heat; the anchor on the front alludes to the coastal and nautical geography.
OAKLAND
For this iteration, designers tapped into the city’s cultural history to create unique embroidered graphics. These designs were inspired the Bay Area’s cultural history. The sword highlights Oakland’s location on the silhouette of California; the black-and-white colors are a nod to iconic football teams in the region.
PHILADELPHIA
For this iteration, designers tapped into the city’s Revolutionary history to create unique embroidered graphics. The ink bottle on the front and the “stars and stripes” bandana worn by the skull reference the Declaration of Independence; the Liberty Bell is on the arm.
NEW ORLEANS
For this iteration, designers tapped into the city’s rich cultural history to create unique embroidered graphics. The fleur-de-lis patches reference the French influence on food, language and Creole traditions; NOLA is scripted in on the back in gold lettering in honor of the local pro football team.
“The Cannon” edition of the LEBRON 9 features a military-green theme which was inspired by Miami’s 2010-11 preseason camp at the military base in Fort Walton Beach, Fla. Like last year’s LEBRON 8 “South Beach” shoe, the LEBRON 9 “Cannon” edition will first be released exclusively in Miami as a sign of appreciation and respect for LeBron’s South Florida fans and community.
The first shoe to combine Flywire and Hyperfuse technology, The LEBRON 9 focuses on functionality without sacrificing style. Max Air 180 in the heel combines with Nike Zoom in the forefoot to give LeBron the cushioning he needs for quick response time. A midfoot harness and textile wings provide the stability, durability, and flexibility needed to lock LeBron in. The LEBRON 9 is strong but light, enabling him to be quick, powerful and explosive on the court.
“Through the lights, cameras, and action, glamor glitters and gold” - Nas
Over the past few years the Miami music and arts scenes have truly flourished. The Wynwood Art District area is flush with art galleries that are bustling during the monthly “Art Walk” festivities. It also helps to have a resurgence in creativity every Spring and Winter with Art Basel and the Winter Music Conference. While Miami is known for their established art and music staples such as Romero Britto, the MSG Cartel, Rick Ross, and DJ Craze, a ‘New Miami’ is surfacing with fresh talent and perspective. We’ve discussed some of the members previously in our “New Found Hype” article.
I want to shift your focus to a duo of directors,Luc “UnkleLuc” Alexandre and Andres “Personal” Antonio, whose moving portrait entitled “Goodnight Goodbye: A Beautiful Evening In A Closed Mind” takes you on “a journey through a dreamers mind.” This abstract video, left open to your imaginative interpretation, has a haunting narrative voice that guides you through the various stages of the subject’s world, accompanied by an apt soundtrack keeps your mind on edge. Watch this video twice. Not for the sake of views, but to attain a clear cognizance and understanding of what you just processed. It is definitely not what you initially thought it to be. Have fun with this rabbit hole, Alice.
This week, the LTD Magazine team brings you it’s inaugural music post dedicated to artists who are either not signed or might not be on your musical radar yet. We have an amalgamation of musicians that happened to all be from Florida, the state with the most concealed weapons permits, a.k.a. the Gunshine state. Mazel tov!
Willie Evans Jr. was dubbed as one of the next 50 important Hip-Hop artists by being picked for the “Rawkus 50″ in 2007 and, as of recent, now in the company of Homeboy Sandman & DJ Spinna at High Water Music. His first single is entitled “Communication” and features The Perceptionists’ Mr. Lif. This track draws you in immediately with that sweet soul sample juxtaposed with Will’s monotone flow that’s remniscient of Guru & DOOM. A few seconds into his first verse, Willie Evans Jr. makes sure to remind everyone that he has bars:
“Play me in the summer, drumming beats, bumming five decibels/I’m definite, with a skeptic I get eclectic/find a minute to mutter on front stoops, stupid all over the world/music is the universe, i’m trying to loop it.”
Check the track out for yourself:
Here’s a dope video of Willie & Paten Locke performing “Stay Classy”. Peep the visual steelo:
Moving on down to Miami-Dade County, we have the Free Love collective.
First up: Albert Vargas. He’s a singer/songwriter with an acoustic based sound that any City & Colour fan will appreciate. Here are the visuals for the lead single from his debut EP “Love, Love, Love”:
Next we have Steven A. Clark, not to be confused with the sportscaster Stephen A. Smith, who is another singer/songwriter with more of a rhythm & blues feel to the music. His single, entitled “Super Hero”, in which he attempts to dispel the belief in external super heroes who save you from your woes. In essence, Steven is telling you to stop the pity party and help yourself, that we can all be super heroes for our damn selves. Not your typical R&B song topic, right? Album is set to be released on February 16th.
Lastly, there’s Mr. Familiar, a collective of producers who have done work with Solange Knowles, Jim Jonsin, Rico Love, Timbaland, and more. They produced both the Albert Vargas and Steven A. Clark tracks posted directly above. Here’s a sample of their work with the newest member of Shady Records, Yelawolf:
Now that you’ve got through that musical gauntlet we’ve weaved, let us know what you think of these artists. Hit us up on Twitter @LTDMag and give us your opinions.
Our guide to the best boutiques around the country and the world. Map your cross-country sneaker roadtrip or just find a hookup for when you hit the tarmac in a new city.
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