Although Nike is suing the company behind Lil Nas X’s “satan shoes,” the company has no problem ripping and repurposing other company’s work for their own gain. The sneaker and sports apparel giant created a colorway inspired by the USPS shipping products, and the mail service isn’t too happy about it.
The new Air Force 1 Experimental doesn’t have the USPS logo, but it obviously rips the styling and colors to give the shoe its exclusive look. The USPS released a statement addressing Nike’s Air Force 1 Experimental, claiming that they are willing to “take whatever actions it deems necessary to protect its valuable IP rights.”
The statement states, “The Postal Service, which receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations, protects its intellectual property. Officially licensed products sold in the marketplace expand the affinity for the Postal Service brand and provide incremental revenue through royalties that directly support it. Sales of unauthorized and unlicensed products deny support to the hardworking women and men of the Postal Service.”
Because the USPS is essentially a government entity, Nike may find a hard time winning a legal battle against them. Then again, Nike has enough money to make it an interesting fight.
Lil Tjay released his sophomore studio album Destined 2 Winon Friday (April 2) with guest vocals from Tyga, Saweetie, Toosii, Offset, Moneybagg Yo, and more. As part of his increased press appearances to promote the new project, the Bronx rapper recently appeared on The Breakfast Club to discuss newfound maturity since the Rubi Rose drama, his local rap scene, and more. The teenager also divulged how music kept him out of prison by giving him a reason to stay out of trouble, declaring he “ain’t had nothing to live for” before.
Jerod Harris/Getty Images for West Coast Cure
“I was on the f*ck the world type shit when I was locked up, you know what I’m saying this was at a young age. So I was like, I already knew when I came home it was tunnel vision. Like, I could’ve sworn to anybody I was gonna make it,” he explained.
After being asked about how long his prison stints lasted, he continued, “I mean, I got locked up a couple times, different times like from 3 months to 5, 7 to a year.” Co-host DJ Esco then asked the young rapper, “What was the thing that changed you? Was it your momma crying, was it your music taking off? Was it somebody in the hood you seen?”
“It was the music. It was 100% the music, you know what I’m saying like what was the starting of me not giving a f*ck about other sh*t, you know what I’m saying. Cuz to be honest, the only reason why I was doing the stupid sh*t I was doing was cus I was f*cked up with no guidance and didn’t even have nothing to look forward to in life. I ain’t had nothing to live for,” confessed the “Calling My Phone” artist.
The passionate declaration from the young emcee is enough to push any hip-hop fan to tune into his latest project and explore what the New York rapper is really made of. Check out the full The Breakfast Club episode with Lil Tjay below if you haven’t already.
Earlier this morning, fans were blessed with a brand new trailer for Space Jam: A New Legacy. This was the first trailer for the movie to be released and if there is one thing for certain, it’s that this movie is going to have a lot of box office success. With LeBron James at the helm and numerous big-time guests taking part, this seems to be one of those movies that will have references that anyone can get into.
As far as LeBron’s inclusion in the project, many have already been making memes of the NBA star, while others have offered praise to LeBron for being so ambitious. Some of that praise even came from the likes of Lonzo Ball who played with LeBron in Los Angeles. As Lonzo said, the trailer is looking pretty amazing.
Lonzo knows all about LeBron’s film aspirations considering it was a big part of why James came to the Los Angeles Lakers in the first place. LeBron is a man of many talents and it seems like being a leading man is the next big thing on his career bucket list.
While many remain skeptical of the new Space Jam, it is clear that LeBron keeps winning and he will continue to do so for years to come.
Travis Scott is as big as most any brand out there. He’s dominating the hip-hop space, burning up the streetwear scene with his Cactus Jack label, making moves in the virtual world, and he’s even dabbled in the fast-food universe. So it should come as a surprise to absolutely nobody that now Scott is lending his dusty desert aesthetic to a spiked seltzer — another extremely popular cultural fixture.
CACTI is made in collaboration with Anheuser-Busch and is Scott’s answer to White Claw. Don’t be fooled (or charmed) by the sound of “agave spiked seltzer,” though. CACTI is made from water, fermented cane sugar, a hint of lime juice, and agave syrup — it doesn’t have tequila in it. It’s basically the same ingredient set as White Claw and Truly. But it’s made way sweeter by thanks to that agave syrup, which also means it’s about double the calories of those other brands.
The upshot is that at 7% ABV, it’s a lot stronger. You’ll feel the buzz after a single can — definitely a good thing when each serving is 150 calories.
CACTI is brewed in Los Angeles and available in just three flavors as of now — Lime, Pineapple, and Strawberry. It’s dropping in a 9-count 12-oz variety pack, as well as 16oz and 25oz jumbo cans (only available in Lime and Pineapple). We got our hands on a case and decided to see how it stacks up to the competition in the over-saturated spiked seltzer market.
Is this a legit attempt at a worthwhile beverage or a simple cash-grab?
The Packaging
Dane Rivera
Before we dive into each flavor, special mention has to be given to the packaging of CACTI. It matches Travis Scott’s dusty desert vibe perfectly, which helps to drive home that you’re drinking Travis Scott’s spiked seltzer and not something else. The cans themselves have a nice matte finish to them that would make Marques Brownlee weep with joy. It’s not the most important thing in the world but it really sets you up for a positive experience.
Before I cracked a can open I wanted to like it, just because I loved the way the packaging looked and felt. That’s kind of genius! But only really matters if the product delivers from a flavor standpoint.
CACTI — Strawberry
Dane Rivera
On the nose, the strawberry flavor is superior to every other flavor in the CACTI line. It’s akin to a basket of freshly washed in-season strawberries from the grocery store. Unfortunately, that’s where the association with anything remotely natural ends, because on the palate, CACTI Strawberry is a candied disaster.
Okay, maybe “disaster” is too strong but this tastes overly sugary. It’s no wonder why the strawberry is the only flavor to not release in larger size options — getting through a can feels like a chore.
While the initial blast of a freshly opened can is a bit overwhelming, once this flavor mellows out a bit it becomes a little more palatable. At its best (midway through the can, still cold), it tastes exactly like what a strawberry Jello-shot made with bottom-shelf vodka tastes like.
The Bottom Line
If you live for sweet drinks, this is certainly one of the sweetest spiked seltzers on the market. But if you hate Jello-shots, stay far away from this brew.
CACTI — Lime
Dane Rivera
Each of the CACTI seltzer flavors features a drop of lime juice, so they’re doubling-up on the lime here and it pays off! I was initially wary as to whether I’d like the Lime, as it presented almost no aroma when I cracked open a can. But I was pleased to find that this was a considerable step up from Strawberry.
The flavors just gel so much more harmoniously here, the lime juice and “natural flavoring” is the perfect complement to the blue agave syrup, resulting in a smooth, highly vegetal expression that really sets itself apart from other lime flavored seltzers. Where White Claw and Truly’s lime seltzers are spikey and tart, CACTI Lime is like syrup, it almost begs for an additional shot of a good vodka or tequila.
Which we’d recommend if a single can of CACTI wasn’t enough to get you buzzed. It definitely is.
Bottom Line:
The smoothest lime-flavored hard seltzer we’ve ever had the pleasure of drinking. Highly vegetal and grassy, offering a complexity unseen in the hard seltzer space.
CACTI — Pineapple
Dane Rivera
If I had to choose a single flavor of CACTI to bring home it would be… Lime, just because it’s more versatile. But if I’m ever reaching for a single can? It’s going to be Pineapple, which tastes the best as a standalone product. Cracking open a can reveals heavy tropical notes. It doesn’t recall the sharp tart qualities of pineapple so much as the rounder qualities of mango.
On the palate, CACTI Pineapple feels a little one-note — a bit like unripened pineapple — but the finish is sweeter and conjures a custom-made pineapple Jolly Rancher. The fact that this will get you buzzed is sinful, this is straight-up candy as an alcoholic beverage. And unlike the strawberry flavor, the sweetness here actually works.
Bottom Line:
Delicious. Sweet but not to its detriment. Among hard seltzers, and I’ve ranked them all, CACTI Pineapple lands amongst the very best, flavor-wise.
It’s been almost three years since Vince Staples delivered a project. Back in 2018, the the Long Beach native released his mixtape FM! to acclaim, but since then his musical contributions have been limited to guest features, like his most recent remix of Tiana Major9’s “Real Affair.” However, thanks to some recent comments from Killer Mike, we now know Vince Staples upcoming third album is near completion.
Killer Mike recently connected with Staples at a recording studio, where the Long Beach native played him the upcoming project, and after getting through a listen of it, Killer Mike had nothing but good words. “Every time I C @vincestaples my spirit is lifted,” he wrote in an Instagram post. “After hearing his new project I repeat and repeat he beyond “Gifted”. Love & Respect always! His mother raised a, G. God bless her his dad and his hood!”
Tryna see if I should start this third album or master my chili recipe.
Staples first announced the project in 2019, and did so in a very playful fashion. “Tryna see if I should start third album or master my chili recipe,” he wrote. Despite replying to that post with “Fasho the chili,” It’s now clear that the former was completed as well.
Hip-hop veteran Funk Flex had the Internet talking recently when he crowned DaBaby as the hottest rapper out currently. Such a topic is always polarizing among music fans, as there’s never a universally agreed-upon answer. DaBaby Earns Respect From Funk Flex North Carolina hitmaker DaBaby is coming off four Grammy nominations at last month’s award […]
DJ Khaled has been attempting to fuel hype for his new album as much as possible, and he hasn’t held back on the teasing. Last month, the iconic DJ shared that he’d already gotten vocals from H.E.R. and Post Malone in preparation for his sixth studio album, and he also shared photos of Nas and Roddy Ricch in the studio with him. Other artists that DJ Khaled has confirmed are involved in the project are Meek Mill, Tay Keith, and Lil Baby.
The album is supposedly going to be called Khaled Khaled, and while it’s unclear when exactly the project is going to drop, it’s undoubtedly going to garner a lot of attention. Are you excited for Khaled Khaled, or do you think it’s already overhyped? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
SZA released her critically-acclaimed debut studio album CTRL back in 2017, instantly becoming a cult favorite for listeners. Since then, fans of the songstress have eagerly awaited her follow-up project. She answered their prayers by beginning her sophomore effort’s rollout last summer with the single “Hit Different,” followed by her most recent hit “Good Days.” Previously the type to avoid social media, the 30-year-old has maintained a strong presence on her respective channels since she began releasing solo material again. Her Instagram platform has become the home of all her sultry photo dumps, treating fans to the racy shots once again.
Jason Kempin/Getty Images for BET
The Grammy-nominated artist shared a captionless photoset to her Instagram Thursday (April 1), racking up nearly 1.5 million likes since sharing the shots. In the cover photo of the set, the songstress rocks a blue letterman jacket with a midriff-exposing blouse paired with a mini-skirt. In another shot with the same outfit, she suggestively bends over to capture another mirror selfie.
In true SZA photo dump fashion, she added in aesthetically pleasing shots of plants, her–impressively, rolling a joint with stiletto acrylics on, and a studio session. Flip through the captivating shots below.
The last photo was a screenshot of an introspective quote, “I am a contradiction, I may disappoint you.”
Paul Pierce has been all over Twitter today and it’s not exactly for the best of reasons. Last night, the former Boston Celtics star took to Instagram Live and could be seen getting twerked on by escorts, all while smoking and drinking up a storm. While this shouldn’t be seen as anything out of the ordinary, many people noticed that Pierce is married and even has a kid, which makes his behavior just a tad peculiar, to say the least.
NBA Twitter was clowning Pierce all night long and the jokes extended well into the morning. Fellow NBA stars are also commenting on the matter, including Kyle Kuzma, who hilariously called Pierce a “sicko” for all of his antics.
Kuzma has an interesting perspective on Pierce considering his teammate LeBron James, is constantly hated on by Pierce. Over the years, Pierce has been roasted for his opinions on LeBron and with this latest IG Live session, Kuzma was able to get in a jab on behalf of his teammate, which is always a welcomed scenario.
As for Pierce himself, he has yet to comment on the whole ordeal although we’re sure he is facing the consequences this morning. Needless to say, it was all very entertaining to watch.
