Katty Customs

Ice Cube’s Top 5 Storytelling Rap Songs Include Classics From Slick Rick, Snoop Dogg, And More

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A couple of years back, Ice Cube shared some of his storytelling inspirations with Uproxx for People’s Party With Talib Kweli. He popped back into Uproxx Studios in LA recently, this time, to sit down with Just Blaze and Katty Customs for Fresh Pair, and once again talked storytelling in hip-hop. This time around, he shared his five favorite narrative rap songs, which he called “the best hip-hop ever.”

Of course, Ice Cube himself wrote what has long been considered to be one of hip-hop’s top storytelling raps in his 1992 hit single “It Was A Good Day.” The second single from his third solo album, The Predator, “It Was A Good Day” peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and has been the subject of a running joke in internet culture of people trying to determine just which day Cube describes in the song (he maintains he had no particular day in mind, but that hasn’t stopped online sleuths from trying). It was also recently reproduced by Logic, drawing mixed reactions from fans — although the original artist liked it.

Somehow, Cube’s list of the best five storytelling songs does not include his own rap staple, but does have some old-school classics. Among them: Timeless, foundational hip-hop hits from Slick Rick, Dana Dane, Boogie Down Productions, and at least one left field take (it’s not really much of a story, after all).

You can find out which songs Ice Cube picked in the preview clip above; the full episode drops Wednesday, 7/26 at 3pmET / 12pmPT.

The First Time Jay-Z Called Bun B, The Texas Rapper Thought It Was A Prank

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In the return of Uproxx’s Fresh Pair, Port Arthur, Texas rapper (and secret Swiftie) Bun B breaks down his career for hosts Just Blaze and Katty Customs as they break down the custom sneakers they made for him based on that career. One funny anecdote involves the filming of the video for “Big Pimpin’” and Bun’s reaction to receiving a personal phone call from Jay-Z.

Near the 11:30 mark in the episode, Just recalls his reaction to listening to “Big Pimpin’” for the first time, Bun recounts how he and his UGK partner-in-rhyme Pimp C were tapped to appear on the record.

“I thought the call was a prank,” he admits. “It was a blocked number. I was like, ‘Who’s this?’ He was like, ‘It’s Jay-Z,’ and I was like, ‘Yo, stop playing on my phone,’ and I hung up.”

However, Bun picked up when Jay called back and thanks to Jay’s distinctive voice, recognized that it really was the superstar rapper. It’s a great story about how the early rap business still had a personal touch.

Bun also recalls Pimp C’s initial skepticism about the song, the surprise of its success after a prior single flopped, and Pimp’s hilarious reaction to being told to take off his mink coat during the video shoot in Trinidad & Tobago.

You can watch the full interview above and subscribe for more Fresh Pair at Youtube.com/UproxxVideo. Check out a YouTube short of the moment below:

Just Blaze and Katty Customs Return in Season 2 of ‘Fresh Pair’

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UPROXX, the popular youth culture and music platform, has announced the highly anticipated launch of season two of its original series, Fresh Pair.

UPROXX, the popular youth culture and music platform, has announced the highly anticipated launch of season two of its original series, Fresh Pair. The first episode is now available for streaming on YouTube.com/UPROXX Video and Uproxx.com, with future availability on WMX Hip-Hop on The Roku Channel (Ch. 1137). Hosted by Grammy Award-winning hip-hop producer Just Blaze and renowned sneaker customizer Katty Customs, Fresh Pair season two offers captivating interviews with some of the biggest names in culture, including hip-hop icons Bun B, Ice Cube, Rick Ross, and more.

Continuing the format that fans adore, each episode revolves around a unique “script” provided by a one-of-a-kind pair of sneakers. Katty and Just collaborate to design custom shoes inspired by the featured guest. The reveal of the customized sneakers sparks engaging discussions about the guests’ careers, personal journeys, and their deep connection to sneaker culture and streetwear style.

“One of the most compelling things about hip-hop as a genre is the sense of walking in an artist’s shoes through their storytelling and art,” says Just Blaze. “Fresh Pair goes the extra mile in its second season to deliver what fans look for across culture in that regard – emphasizing the music, the style and the stories of some of the biggest names in the game.”

Katty Customs added, “Fresh Pair challenges us in the very best way. We take every element of the design very seriously and dive deep into the culture to conceptualize, design and create personal classics for our guests. It’s the best feeling when they resonate and you get to hear their reaction. Then to get to hear the fan response – that takes it to the next level for me, as a creative.”

You can watch the full season 1 here.

The post Just Blaze and Katty Customs Return in Season 2 of ‘Fresh Pair’ first appeared on The Source.

The post Just Blaze and Katty Customs Return in Season 2 of ‘Fresh Pair’ appeared first on The Source.

‘Fresh Pair’ Returns With A Special Episode Starring Bun B

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Fresh Pair is back, baby! Sneaker artist extraordinaire Katty Customs and legendary hip-hop producer Just Blaze have teamed up once again — taking their sneaker customization operation to the city of Austin, Texas for a special live episode starring UGK alum, Bun B.

A renowned sneakerhead in his own right, Bun is no stranger to a fire pair of kicks, considering that and the fact that the Fresh Pair team was visiting Bun’s home state, Katty and Just Blaze had their work cut out for them and nailing the right design was of paramount importance. We won’t spoil the reveals for you here (it’s a lot more fun to watch) but we will say that Bun was beyond impressed with what Katty and Blaze cooked up, inspiring the legend to share never-before-heard stories from his come-up and lengthy career.

Throughout this 30-minute episode, Bun takes us behind the scenes of the recording of “Diamonds and Wood,’ as well as the production process of UGK’s classic, Ridin’ Dirty. Later, Just Blaze and Bun reminisce about their early run-ins with Rockafella Records and Jay-Z and address that iconic moment in the “Big Pimpin’” video when Pimp C rocked a mink coat in 100-degree weather.

With the many references and nods to Bun’s career that Katty and Bun crammed into this single pair of sneakers, the hip-hop legend was bursting with stories to tell. Catch the full episode above and try to guess Bun’s out of 10 rating before we hit the post-interview during the credits.

Jadakiss Names His “Top 5 Voices In Hip Hop”

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The fusion of streetwear and Hip Hop has existed since the inception of the culture. From those early days when Run-DMC was fully fitted in Adidas to Puff Daddy pushing Sean John to Kanye West dominating the fashion world with Yeezy, this merge is often seen as the very foundation of how Hip Hop is perceived by the masses.

This week, Uproxx premieres its new show Fresh Pair hosted by legendary producer Just Blaze and Katty Customs, a streetwear designer as well as sneakers restorer and customizer. Guests include The Game, T.I., Redman, EL-P, Jim Jones, Styles P, will.i.am, and Jadakiss.

(Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for TIDAL)

On the show, Katty and Blaze sit down with these artists to talk about important moments in their careers and then based on those conversations, the hosts create a one-of-a-kind pair of kicks tailored to the artist, specifically.

During Jadakiss’s appearance, Katty asked him to name his Top 5 Voices that he likes in Hip Hop.

“This show is amazing because nobody ever asked me who I think got the Top 5, or Top 3, or any type of voices,” said Jada. “And it took me a while—that’s like, education in music, just to know the different, sonically of people’s voices… Just somebody’s voice to add on what they bring to the table.”

“Just unique voices for me, as I start learning about it, I think Guru, rest in peace, he had an ill voice,” the rapper continued. “[Method Man], you know, when the Wu came, Meth’s voice was deep and raspy and he has an ill voice. Big, with that nasal…it sounds like he’s having a hard time breathing but that’s making his cadence extra crazy. Tone Loc, gotta shout out Tone Loc. Tone Loc’s voice was ill.”

For his fifth choice, Jadakiss had to give his final pick to the clearly recognizable stylings of Nas. Check out the clip and the trailer for Fresh Pair below.

Jadakiss Names The Top 5 Voices In Rap In The First Clip From Uproxx’s ‘Fresh Pair’

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While Jadakiss has long been considered one of hip-hop’s most underrated figures, he’s also got one of the genre’s most recognizable voices. His gravely tone has graced some of rap’s most beloved hits for nearly three decades, as demonstrated by his standout performance in The Lox’s Verzuz battle with The Diplomats, and he’s still a favorite go-to for a feature verse for contemporary artists who need his signature sound to bring some New York grit to their own work.

In the upcoming debut episode of Uproxx’s newest show, Fresh Pair, Jadakiss breaks down his own top five voices in hip-hop with hosts Just Blaze and Katty Customs. It’s a fascinating look into one of the most underrated facets of rap success from one of the most successful but underrated artists in the business.

“Nobody never asked me who I think got the top five or top three or any kind of voices,” he exclaims before settling into deep thought. “It took me a while… [to learn] how somebody’s voice can add on to what they bring to the table.”

He cites a few classic MCs as influences to his own unmistakable tone, but we won’t spoil it here. You can check out his answers in the video above and catch the full episode of Fresh Pair on Wednesday 9/28 at 3 pm ET / 12 pm PT.

The Game Challenges Eminem To A Rap Battle In A Clip From Uproxx’s ‘Fresh Pair’

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At the end of last year, it was announced that sneaker-customizer-to-the-stars Katty Customs would be teaming up with Grammy-nominated and multi-Platinum producer Just Blaze for Fresh Pair, a new show on Uproxx. The upcoming series — set to launch in early summer ’22 — features Katty and Just teaming up to make custom sneakers for some of the biggest names in entertainment. After the hard work of crafting the shoe is done, the hosts sit down with each guest to discuss their careers and how those careers inspired these unique, 1-of-1 kicks.

In a clip from the show — released today, along with a show trailer — The Game chops it up with Katty and Just Blaze. It’s here that he makes a stern challenge to Eminem, clarifying previous mentions of an Em-focused diss track by his manager, Wack 100 — which stemmed from The Game’s appearance on Drink Champs last month. In that interview, The Game claimed that he could not only beat Eminem in a Verzuz but that he is also a better rapper overall. His comments received plenty of criticism, and during his time on Fresh Pair, The Game responded to the criticism with tremendous nuance.

“I’ve always told myself that ‘you are the best rapper!’” The Game said after pointing out how the late Kobe Bryant was often compared to Michael Jordan. “Everything that we do, if you’re doing it on this level that we’re doing it at, is some type of competition. Usain Bolt ain’t running around the track by himself in the Olympics. It’s n****s trying to beat him and he’s trying to beat somebody.”

The Game added that his comments towards Eminem were to “challenge him” and “challenge hip-hop.” He makes it very clear that this isn’t about violence, it’s only about rap. Just Blaze then asked The Game why he’s taking aim at Eminem specifically, and The Game revealed that it’s tied to his longtime beef with 50 Cent.

“50 can’t rap,” The Game said. “So I gotta go a level up and challenge the better rapper, that’s why. And not to take nothing away from what 50’s doing, he can see it and tweet it, but he knows I’m gonna respond. Or he can go rap about it, but he knows he’s gonna lose that battle.” He later added, speaking of 50: “When it comes to rap, he can’t out-rap me. Your buddy can rap though, and nobody takes shots at Eminem off this preconceived notion that he’s better than everybody. Well, I want action and I want it today.”

The clip is paired with a trailer for Fresh Pair that reveals five of the eight season 1 guests — Jadakiss, Jim Jones, El-P, Styles P, and The Game. The show is set to air on Uproxx and Youtube.com/UproxxVideo.