#17talks

J. Cole's 'The Off-Season' Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Chart

J. Cole is back on top of the album charts once again. Over the weekend, his newest album The Off-Season debuted at No. 1 with an impressive 282,000 equivalent album units and 2,000 traditional albums. So far, Cole’s album is the largest rap album of the year with its new releases more than doubling the first week of Rod Wave’s SoulFly album. According to Billboard, The Off-Season had the biggest week of 2021 for any hip-hop album, as well as the second-biggest overall record for the total of units earned. With its immense success, the album marks J. Cole’s sixth studio album that has reached No. 1 on the charts. The only album of his that has missed the charts has been Cole’s 2016, Forest Hills Drive: Live record, which debuted at No. 71. Cole’s new album features a total of 12 songs and includes guest vocals from 21 Savage, Morray, Diddy, Lil Baby and many others. In terms of production, Cole has tapped Timbaland, DJ Dahi and Jake One, just to name a few. Second on the list this week is Nicki Minaj‘s Beam Me Up Scottymixtape, selling 80,000 equivalent album units earned. This is Minaj’s fifth studio album. Moneybagg Yo‘s A Gangsta’s Pain falls from number one to three, while Dua Lipa‘s Future Nostalgiastays at No. 5. J. Cole took to Twitter to commemorate the feat. The artist is currently in Rwanda playing professional basketball. Check out his celebratory Tweet below. Sending a thank you from Rwanda! #1 album, I appreciate the love, i heard the noise from out here. the off-season means keep pushing yourself, I will do the same. ❤️❤️ — J. Cole (@JColeNC) May 21, 2021

101BARZ: ARCHITRACKZ STUDIOSESSIE

VIDEO: DIOR – RICHARD MILLE FT. JORDYMONE9, CHIVV & BOKKE8 (PROD. GIDEONITE)

Google Is Opening Its First Physical Store in Summer 2021

Google has officially announced that it is opening its first-ever physical retail store. The new space for the Google Store is set to be situated in New York City‘s Chelsea district and is expected to offer a series of engaging touchpoints for customers to experience the brand’s products and services. Customers will be able to extensively browse and buy a selection of Google hardware, including and not limited to the Pixelphones, Nest products, Pixelbooks and even Fitbit devices. Google will also allow customers to shop online and pick up in-store. The company wants its visitors to get the best out of their devices by making sure they will have access to the experts on-hand immediately. Those looking to explore the devices first-hand will have a chance to immersively learn about the products, whether they are curious about the new Nest display or are a longtime Pixel user. The experts are also there to guide users through one-on-one how-to workshops or help troubleshoot issues, fix a cracked screen or help with installations. Google has chosen the Chelsea neighborhood to house their urban campus. The store itself is expected to be a natural extension of the company’s longtime commitment to the city. There is currently no exact date regarding the official opening date of the physical store, but those interested can visit the retailer by summer 2021.

Gap Confirms YEEZY Line to Launch by End of June

Ahead of the arrival of its quarterly reports on May 27, Gap(NYSE:GPS -0.12%) has hinted at more details about its upcoming YEEZY line. Although little has been said by the group in the past, Business of Fashion now reports that Gap is confident that the line is “on track” to launch by the end of June this year. Gap has previously stated the financial importance of the collaboration, with Bloomberg revealing earlier this year that the brand hopes to make $150 million USD from the YEEZY line in its first full year. Since the collaboration with Kanye West‘s YEEZY was announced in June 2020, Gap has had a rocky year. The retailer was forced to close 225 stores in August — coming after an 18% decline in overall sales — before announcing more closures and more losses at the end of the year. As the arrival of Gap YEEZY approaches, keep an eye out for more details about the partnership and its official reveal. As well as Gap, J. Crew has also bet big on a high-profile designer to turn around its fortunes, with Brendon Babenzien joining the mall brand as Chief Menswear Designer.

VIDEO: FIGOGANG - MESSED UP

NOCTA Drops a "Colorful" Clothing Collection

Boy, Drake and Nike's enigmatic NOCTA line sure drops a lot of all-black apparel. Like, a lot. Finally, though, the duo are dishing up something a little different by way of the suitably strange-sounding "Cardinal Stock" collection. Cardinal birds are red, so it's especially unclear why this lineup of white, grey, black, and blue garments is named the way it is. Maybe it refers to the basic nature of the garments, how these versatile layering pieces form the building blocks of a casual wardrobe. Or not. At least we have some background on the brand's name, thanks to Japanese retailer atmos: "a nod to the artist's nocturnal creative process." Is that really what NOCTA actually means? Who knows. Well, no one's buying the brand for its name alone, considering that slick sportswear with a Drake cosign could be called basically anything and still sell out. Like previous drops, this NOCTA release encompasses a selection of low-key staples elevated by 3M details and the brand's still-unexplained logo motifs (feel free to explain "C.L." and "A.W.R.," please). Maybe it's too much to ask for to get some non-neutral-toned NOCTA items, but the blue bits seen here are a good start, kinda. Most of the rest is realized in the usual black and grey, with some tees and hoodies realized in white to really make getting dressed for "the artist's nocturnal creative process" that much easier. In case your evening wardrobe needs upgrading, mark your calendars for NOCTA's "Cardinal Stock" collection, launching at Nike stores and stockists like BSTN and atmos on May 20. Dit bericht bekijken op Instagram Een bericht gedeeld door BSTN Store (@bstnstore)

TikTok Might Have Just Hacked the Future of Job Applications

TikTok is reportedly launching a jobs service that will help connect its young user base with recruiting companies — and it's as Gen Z as you would expect. According to Axios, the app is currently testing the pilot program with a beta group of companies. Several big brands and organizations are reportedly already interested in participating, including sports leagues. The novelty about TikTok's potential recruitment platform is how it strays from traditional job applications. Rather than submit a resume and cover letter, users can post a TikTok video resume to the site. The idea is for users to give an elevator pitch or work experience summary via the video in a unique and creative way. While the platform won't be integrated into the TikTok app itself and will instead be a separate job listings webpage or app, candidates will still be able to post their resume videos to their TikTok profiles. Since it skyrocketed to mainstream fame last year, TikTok has been lauded for the way it's been able to tap into and showcase homegrown DIY talent. A TikTok jobs service could finally blow the rigid job application process wide open, creating a career ladder that's much more in tune with the generation entering the job market.

Video: Louivos – Onder de navel

Dissecting JAY-Z's Path to a Billion-Dollar Fortune

JAY-Z has never been one to shy away from taking major business risks. In the past week, the rapper and entrepreneur went from selling a majority stake in music streaming platform TIDAL to Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, to entering into the NFT world and filing for a trademark for a new entertainment company. Prior to this week, the hip-hop artist also struck a deal with LVMH to sell his Armand de Brignac champagne in early March 2021 for roughly $630 million USD. In the past decade, the rapper-turned billionaire has made calculated decisions, growing his prolific business portfolio tenfold. With regards to his billion-dollar net worth, Forbes has broken down JAY’s assets, revealing that roughly $425 million USD of his fortune comes from cash investments and stakes in companies such as Uber, milk-alternative company Oatly, insurance startup Ethos and Elon Musk‘s very own SpaceX. As of writing, his personal music catalog is reportedly worth over $200 million USD more than it was two years ago. Additionally, with wife Beyoncé, both have heavily invested in art and real estate over the years, amassing over $120 million USD in total. It would have been easy for JAY-Z to stick to music – but increasingly, he appears to be an outstanding example of the success that can occur when someone diversifies their portfolio. With his wide range of businesses stemming from his $20 million USD in JetSmart (aka Uber for private jets), acquisition of several high-end sports bars and restaurants and higher-profile projects like Roc-A-Fella Records, JAY-Z has shown that acquiring stakes across multiple industries will diversify income streams and reduce volatility since the investor is now more exposed to growth opportunities in different asset classes. JAY-Z has once described his brands as an extension of himself stating, “They’re close to me. It’s not like running GM, where there’s no emotional attachment.” Starting out in the music industry with his own label, the rapper slowly grew his music portfolio into the entertainment sector with Roc Nation and music streaming with TIDAL. He later expanded to other adjacent avenues in F&B with major investments in D’USSÉ Cognac and Armand de Brignac, where fans may have noticed overlaps between industry ventures. Finally, the business mogul does not get too attached to investments, pinpointing that the ability to take risks is a large component of success. Once the investor is well-established and familiar with the industry, JAY understands that the accomplishments should not be dwelled on. In fact, in recent moves, he appears to venture off by selling his stakes and moving “on to the next one” once he has made his money. The pattern is evident in his recent sale of TIDAL and Armand de Brignac, highlighting the rapper’s “what is done, is done” mindset. With his series of intelligent investments, JAY-Z has made a name for himself as both a music icon and a case study of how someone can build towards a billion-dollar fortune. It remains to be seen what else JAY has up his sleeve, but it is sure to turn heads.