#17talks

Rihanna Tells Angry Media Voices to "Shush" in New Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show Trailer

Exactly one month ahead of Super Bowl LVII, Halftime Show headliner Rihanna released the first official trailer for her hotly-anticipated set, which is notably the first to be sponsored by Apple Music. In the visual, shared on the Barbadian singer-songwriter’s social media accounts, Rihanna appears wearing a dramatic fur coat in the shadows of a spotlight, as cut-together soundbites from angry broadcasters and news reporters detail RiRi’s absence from the spotlight and long-awaited return. Amidst all the noise, Rihanna appears under the bright lights and tells the world to “shush” with one finger over her mouth, before a snippet of her hit Anti track “Needed Me” closes the clip. Stitched together, the many media voices say, “It’s been 2,190 days… It’s been over six years… Rihanna is who everybody is waiting for… The last album we got from Rihanna was ‘Anti’ in 2016,” leading many fans to speculate that the trailer is hinting at new music from the artist. In November, however, Rihanna shut down rumors of a new album at her Savage X Fenty show. “That’s not true. Super Bowl is one thing. New music is another thing. Do you hear that, fans?” she said. “The second that I announced this, I said, ‘Oh, my God, they’re going to think my album is coming. I need to get to work.’” Still, those still holding out for a possible new-album announcement will have to wait until the big game, which is scheduled to take place at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on February 12. Watch Rihanna’s first official trailer above.  

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Rihanna Tells Angry Media Voices to "Shush" in New Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show Trailer

In the Name of Virgil Abloh, Off-White™ & Chicago Bulls Announce Collaboration

In what the companies describe as celebration of "Virgil Abloh’s great passion for basketball and his city," Off-White™ and the Chicago Bulls have announced a collaborative partnership set to release in early Spring 2023. The resulting partnership will be the first major partnership for Off-White™ and an NBA team. Despite Abloh's unabashed love for the sport, the late Off-White™ founder never issued a proper collaboration with an NBA team. That likely would've happened pretty recently had Abloh not passed in late 2021, however: Abloh's longtime friend Don C was appointed as the Bulls' Creative Strategy and Design Advisor in early 2022 while his peer Daniel Arsham landed at the Cleveland Cavaliers. Surely, at least one of them would've tapped Abloh to mastermind a basketball-focused effort. According to a release, conversations between Don C, Abloh's family, and Off-White™ CEO Andrea Grilli led to the ensuing collaborative capsule set to release on February 2 through Off-White™'s website and Farfetch BEAT, the e-tailer's digital arm for exclusive drops (Farfetch owns New Guards Group, the parent company of Off-White™ and others). The collaboration includes four "limited edition items," comprising a hoodie, T-shirt, and two patched varsity jackets, all laden with a new logo that hybridizes iconography from all of the imprints involved. No product shots were provided as part of the announcement but expect a campaign to arrive by release date. Though Off-White™ never took on an NBA jersey or team logo before, it's held a longtime collaborative partnership with Jordan Brand, the multibillion-dollar sportswear brand that gets its name from the most famous player to ever sign with the Bulls. Jordan Brand will not be part of this forthcoming collaboration, however. The door isn't exactly closed there, so not impossible to imagine some sort of triple-branded footwear eventually coming out of this team-up. Though this NBA collection is new for Off-White™, major league sports are not. The fashion brand worked with the MLB for a divisive (and quick-selling) capsule in Summer 2021.  

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In the Name of Virgil Abloh, Off-White™ & Chicago Bulls Announce Collaboration

Kanye Secretly Married a YEEZY Employee

After months of laying low following disturbing anti-Semitic rhetoric and vocal admiration for Hitler, Kanye "Ye" West has emerged from the shadows with a secret wife. Ye's new bride is Australian architectural designer Bianca Censori and — get this — she's a YEEZY employee. Ye and Censori were first spotted in rare photos taken at LA's Waldorf Astoria hotel, as TMZ reported in early January 2023. In the candid shots, Ye and Censori quietly dined together, he in trademark oversized jacket and jeans, she with short hair dyed blonde. Especially from a distance, Bianca Censori more than a little resembles Ye's former flame, Kim Kardashian. Remember that Ye and Kardashian's divorce was only just finalized in November 2022 (and then realize that Ye's apparently already married again). This has been a consistent pattern for Ye, who dated voluptuous model Chaney Jones, herself a dead-ringer for Kardashian, for a few months in the middle of 2022 leading up to his anti-Semitic breakdown. Afterwards, Ye hung around with Monica Corgan and was even rumored to be linked to Candice Swanepoel, a model who appeared in a YZY SHDZ campaign. In the intervening months since Ye burned bridges with former business partners adidas, GAP, and his agency, he's aligned with white supremacists and far-right cronies like Milo Yiannopoulos and Nic Fuentes, who rode Ye's coattails to a swell of media coverage. As his outbursts grew more despicable, Ye was eventually booted off Instagram and Twitter — former friend and failing Twitter CEO Elon Musk reinstated Ye but suspended Ye's account after the rapper tweeted out an image of a stylized Star of David that held a Swastika within (Ye also made fun of Musk's physique). It all led to a disastrous appearance on Infowars, the despicable conspiracy-drenched program hosted by Alex Jones, perhaps best known as the man who was recently prosecuted for nearly $2 billion over his lies about the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary massacre. Ostensibly a promo for Ye 2024 — Kanye's second soon-to-be-failed attempt at running for President of the United States — the Infowars episode instead platformed Ye's deeply troubling anti-Semitic conspiracies, sympathy for Hitler, and similar outbursts. The whole thing felt like a desperate final bid for attention from a guy swiftly losing every ounce of goodwill he used to rely on. Afterwards, Ye disappeared; his new friends vanished, his public figure is forever tarnished, his support base has dwindled to only the deepest devotees, and his finances remain in deep decline. Ye's $53 million Malibu beach house remains empty, for instance, and it looks like Ye is camping out at hotels instead, hence why he and Bianca Censori have been out in public at the Waldorf rather than sequestered at home. The only tangible hint that Ye and Censori, the YEEZY employee, got married came from a January 13 TMZ report, seemingly based on both insider info and the new wedding ring spotted on Ye's hand in a recent paparazzi photo. Otherwise, both Ye and Censori are keeping mum. However, Ye's latest song, released during the anti-Semitism blowback, contains an apparent reference to Biaca Censori. Thing is, the wink was lost amidst all the self-pitying lines and woe-is-me messaging that Ye indulged in, as if platforming hate speech is somehow brave. Fans believed that Ye's song was titled "Someday We’ll All Be Free," but TMZ reports that the song was actually named "Censori Overload," an obvious reference to Ye's new bride. Choice lyric: "And the Bible said I can't have any more sex 'til marriage." It's always questionable when an employer begins a relationship with someone under his employ, let alone actually marries them. Extra questionable when the employee isn't put off by their employee's blatant adoration of Hitler and the Nazis.

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Kanye Secretly Married a YEEZY Employee

Telfar Is Dropping a Signature Wallet in 17 Colors

Telfar Clemens‘ eponymous label, Telfar, has built an enviable reputation. From a brand that sold one bag in three sizes to collaborating with Eastpak, Moose Knuckles and UGG, as well as taking to New York Fashion Week, it’s safe to say the brand has a chokehold on society with its inimitable identity. Now, the Telfar universe expands with the introduction of what many have been asking for: a wallet. Taking to Instagram, the brand has said, “we took our time AND DID IT RIGHT.” That’s because despite the demand it wanted to make the wallet as good as it could be, and so it has doubled down on its decision by crafting these wallets from premium genuine leather. Coming in 17 colors including a number of Telfar classics, the wallet also comes branded with the “T” embossing on the front. Inside are six card slots and a large cash and coin pouch, while closing the round wallet is a chunky chrome-silver-effect zip. Telfar’s wallet drops on January 23 at 12 PM EST on Telfar’s website, and will cost $144 USD. Take a closer look at the piece above.

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Telfar Is Dropping a Signature Wallet in 17 Colors

Wu Tang Clan and The Soul Rebels, Jill Scott, H.E.R. and More Join 2023 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival

The official lineup of the 2023 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival has been unveiled. Set to take place between April 28 and May 7 at the Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans, the expansive event will feature an impressive array of performances from Wu Tang Clan with The Soul Rebels, Dead & Company, Lizzo, Jill Scott, H.E.R., Jon Batiste, Ludacris, Gary Clark Jr., Leon Bridges, Herbie Hancock and more across 14 stages. Check out the full lineup below. Tickets are available for purchase now on the official New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival website.    

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Wu Tang Clan and The Soul Rebels, Jill Scott, H.E.R. and More Join 2023 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival

A$AP Rocky Drops Reworked "Angels Pt. 2" Music Video

A$AP Rocky is celebrating 10 years of his debut studio album Long.Live.A$AP. with a reworked “Angels” music video entitled “Angels Pt. 2.” Directed by AWGE and Sam Lecca, the visual sees a young Rocky with his crew along with unreleased footage and homages to the late A$AP Yams, who is featured with a halo above his head. “TODAY MARKS THE 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY FOR MY 1ST COMMERCIAL ALBUM,” Flacko wrote on Twitter. “I WANT 2 TAKE A MOMENT TO REFLECT & THINK ABOUT THE PPL I MISS & THE TIMES WE HAD. RIP YAMS & VIRGIL, THANK U 4 THE HELP ON THIS 1ST PROJECT. LONG. LIVE. A$AP.ANGELS -PT 2 AWGE EDIT OUT NOW!” Long.Live.A$AP. dropped on January 15, 2013 and featured guest verses from Kendrick Lamar, Schoolboy Q, 2 Chainz, Drake, Big K.R.I.T., Santigold, Overdoz, Yelawolf, Florence Welch, Danny Brown, Action Bronson, Joey Badass, Gunplay and A$AP Ferg, and produced some of Rocky’s biggest singles such as “F*ckin Problems,” “Wild For The Night” and “Fashion Killa.” It went on to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and has been certified 2x platinum since. Watch A$AP Rocky’s “Angels Pt. 2” visual above.    

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A$AP Rocky Drops Reworked "Angels Pt. 2" Music Video

Meek Mill Confirms He Is Dropping a New Album in Each Quarter of 2023

After ending off the year with a rap over of “Munch (Feelin’ U)”, “GOD DID” and more in Flamerz 5 and announcing 10 independent mixtapes starting from September 2022, Meek Mill has kicked off the new year with a subsequent announcement. The Philly rapper has taken to his socials to give fans a teaser on his upcoming projects for the new year. The Dream Chasers artist took to Twitter to announce his timeline of releases, confirming that he will be dropping a new “album every quarter.” The tweet linked back to an Instagram post where he shared snippets and previews of his songs and videos released in 2023. The post was accompanied by a caption stating, “‘Dream catching’ he movie date soon come#2023 first quarter leave a comment! I been loading up for a reason let’s ball!” No further details were given. Fans will just need to be patient and watch out for some of his highly anticipated releases in the new year. The rapper closed out 2022 with a much-praised performance in Ghana for the Afro Nation festival. Stay tuned for more info on what Meek Mill has up his sleeves this year.      

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Meek Mill Confirms He Is Dropping a New Album in Each Quarter of 2023

Pusha T and DJ Drama Have a 'Gangsta Grillz' Mixtape Coming

With 2022 all but complete, Pusha T has celebrated another landmark year as his rap catalog was bolstered yet again with the release of his critically acclaimed fourth album It’s Almost Dry. It scored Pusha T’s first appearance at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart and had the rapper remarking it as rap album of the year throughout 2022. Additional contributions from Pusha T came via NIGO’s I Know NIGO which also received much appreciation. Now, the next entry in his revered discography is said to be a Gangsta Grillz mixtape with DJ Drama. The news of this collaborative project came via Brian “B.Dot” Miller’s Twitter Spaces and follows Drama’s most recent project with Icewear Vezzo titled Paint the City, the first Gangsta Grillz tape by a Detroit rapper. Previously, Pusha T and Drama teamed up on tracks such as Drama’s “Boyz in the Hood” in 2016. Stay tuned for additional information to surface from the duo as a collaborative Gangsta Grillz mixtape is currently expected to release at some point in 2023.      

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Pusha T and DJ Drama Have a 'Gangsta Grillz' Mixtape Coming

'Avatar: The Way of Water' Passes Top 15th Highest-Grossing Film Mark With $1.37 Billion USD at Global Box Office

After catapulting past the $1 billion USD mark in just 14 days, the James Cameron-directed Avatar: The Way of Water is quickly joining the ranks as one of highest grossing films of all time. After bringing in $152.8 million USD in the Chinese market, Avatar: The Way of Water has grossed a total of $1.37 billion USD in its 18 days in theatres. This now puts the Avatar sequel in the 14th spot, just under Avengers: Age of Ultron. Avatar: The Way of Water is just 91 million USD behind Top Gun: Maverick‘s spot at 11. There are currently on five films that have reached the $2 billion USD mark which is how much James Cameron indicated is required to break even.

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'Avatar: The Way of Water' Passes Top 15th Highest-Grossing Film Mark With $1.37 Billion USD at Global Box Office

Cristiano Ronaldo Signs With Saudi Arabian Club Al-Nassr

After the termination of his contract with Manchester United last month, Cristiano Ronaldo has found a new home in the Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr. The news was announced by Al-Nassr on Friday. The deal covers the next two and a half seasons and will make the Portuguese soccer star$75 million USD a year. “History in the making,” the team said on Twitter. This is a signing that will not only inspire our club to achieve even greater success but inspire our league, our nation and future generations, boys and girls to be the best version of themselves.” According to sources close to the situation, Ronaldo has already completed the medical tests necessary to sign his contract and will undergo another round of tests next week. Al-Nassr is part of the Saudi Professional League, also known as the Roshn Saudi League, the top level of soccer within the Saudi Arabian league system.    

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Cristiano Ronaldo Signs With Saudi Arabian Club Al-Nassr

JJJJound and BAPE Reconnect for "A Timeless Ape" Capsule

Following a collaboration with PUMA, the archive page turned creative studio JJJJound now links up with BAPE once again for the duo’s second joint project. The star of the show is a new BAPE STA™ colorway which opts for a minimalist aesthetic featuring a 100% calf leather upper in white with signature STA branding in navy. JJJJound logos adorn the heel tabs and insoles while BAPE logos are featured on the monochrome white midsoles. The special-edition pairs come in custom blue BAPE camo packaging featuring gold foil co-branding. Other pieces in the collection include cotton fleece hoodies and sweatpants with “A Timeless Ape” screenprint graphics, T-shirts with full-color BAPE logo print, blue camo caps, and trucker hats. The collection is made in Japan with signature beige JJJJound labels found on each piece. “BAPE® is recognized for their bold streetwear collections and frequent collaborations; meanwhile JJJJound uses a minimalistic archival approach to design and collaboration. Merging those two approaches to create a timeless collection of streetwear memorabilia, the two labels decided to use navy tones to highlight the pieces and add both a sense of sophistication and streetwear authority to the designs,” JJJJound writes in the description. The collection titled BAPE® JJJJound II is set to launch January 7, 11 a.m. EST via the JJJJound and BAPE online channels as well as BAPE stores worldwide.    

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JJJJound and BAPE Reconnect for "A Timeless Ape" Capsule

Supreme Has Switched Over to Shopify

Supreme is off to a fresh start for 2023. It has just been revealed by dropsgg that the brand has changed up its online store from its previous platform to Shopify‘s eCommerce service. This switch is said to have a better bot prevention system and will begin operation next week. This news comes at the same time as the brand’s domain change from Supremenewyork.com to just Supreme.com. The former domain has been in use since the early 2000s and currently, all that visit the page are redirected to the newly acquired domain.    

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Supreme Has Switched Over to Shopify