Music

Every Sneaker From Beyonce’s IVY PARK Adidas Line, Ranked (Including The New Icy Park Collection)

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Kanye West may get all the credit for keeping Adidas on a competitive level with Nike, but over the past year, the three stripes brand has been working hard to prop up another huge name in cross-brand collaboration, a name that actually manages to best Ye from a pure fame standpoint. Watch out Ye, because Bey is coming up fast.

Beyonce’s gender-neutral athleisure label, IVY PARK, is a little over a year old now, but in that short time Bey and Adidas have built up quite the catalog of unique sneaker colorways, utilizing some of the Three Stripe’s most interesting silhouettes. Design-wise, Ivy Park has been taking a different approach than what Kanye is doing with Yeezy — rather than create entirely new sneaker silhouettes, the brand focuses on offering remixes of Adidas’ classic styles, offering sleek cuts, exciting material choices, and vibrant color palettes fit for an internet-breaking Beyonce video. A simple celebrity cash grab this is not!

Kanye may be the most successful music- turned designer for now, but with heat like this from Beyonce plus Rihanna killing it with Savage x Fenty, he needs to watch that throne. Let’s dive into every Ivy Park Adidas sneaker, including the latest winter-ready Icy Park collection, ranked from worst to best.

18. Ivy Park Adidas Superstar Platform

Adidas

The Superstar is hands-down one of Adidas’ greatest silhouettes, but it’s at the bottom of this list. Not because it’s a platform (no, that’s not a screen glitch, the shoe actually looks like that), though that doesn’t help. Because it’s… ugly. And not in that trendy so-ugly-it’s-fashion way.

It’s just straight-up hard to look at.

That’s probably why it wasn’t included in either of the first, second or even third Ivy Park drops. Instead, it landed last year as part of a collection that also featured other Superstar reimaginings by Jonah Hill and Sean Wotherspoon. It’s ultimately forgettable and remains a stain on a near-perfect record.

Find the Ivy Park Adidas Superstar Platform at GOAT.

17. Ivy Park Adidas Ultra Boost DNA Black

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I know I was just trashing on the abomination that is the Superstar Platform, but this triple black iteration of the Adidas Ultra Boost comes dangerously close to being just as bad. Released as part of an extension to Ivy Park drop 2, this sneaker has few redeemable qualities. A prime knit upper in core black atop a matching BOOST midsole, and a puzzling radioactive volt outsole, you can get all of this with a stock Adidas drop, so you’re getting little more than a name here, and paying the price for it.

Get the Ivy park Adidas Ultra Boost DNA at StockX.

16. Ivy Park Adidas Super Sleek 72 White Black

Adidas

Released last year as part of the second Ivy Park collection, the Super Sleek 72 White/Black suffers solely because it isn’t quite as good as drop 1’s Super Sleek, and nowhere near drop 3’s. The colorways are solid, but ultimately it’s going to be impossible to rock a pair of these without being reminded that they aren’t one of the three better colorways.

We’ll get more into the details behind this special silhouette when we talk about the original release. One annoying thing about this shoe is, it was originally called the Sleek Super, and everyone kept calling it the Super Sleek, and Adidas just quietly changed it!

Or did they? It’s a real Bernstein Bears situation with this sneaker.

Find the Ivy Park Adidas Super Sleek 72 at GOAT.

15. Ivy Park Adidas Forum Lo Core White

Adidas

The Forum Lo debuted in drop 2 of Ivy Park and since then the brand has shifted focus to the Forum Mid, which we admit is much better. . The Forum Lo features a leather and suede upper with a translucent bottom sole and a fastening strap. It’s easily the least flashy sneaker in the entire IVY PARK collection.

Is that a bad thing? Not necessarily. But if you can’t get behind a fastening strap, you’re not going to find a lot to love here.

Find the Ivy Park Adidas Forum Lo at GOAT.

14. Ivy Park Adudas Nite Jogger Maroon/Solar Orange

Adidas

When Ivy Park initially dropped in January 2020, this sneaker was criticized endlessly, and for good reason. It looks like a goddamn traffic cone thanks to its Solar Orange half and half colorway — with a toe box dipped in deep maroon.

This shoe is out there, but we respect Beyonce’s bold design here. They’re impossible to look away from. For better or worse.

Find the Ivy Park Adidas Nite Jogger Maroon at GOAT.

13. Ivy Park Adidas Super Sleek 72 Black

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Released as a short update to Ivy Park drop 2 in November of last year, this triple-black version of the Ivy Park Super Sleek is pretty clean but had Ivy Park opted for an all-black sole over the gum, we’d have bumped it up considerably on this list. The gum sole is nice, but it keeps this design from being the dominatrix (or Darth Vader, if you’re nerdy) sneaker it so desperately wants to be.

The wrinkled core black leather upper is accented nicely by some core black suede accents. Not the worst Super Sleek, but a bit far from the best.

Find the Ivy Park Adidas Super Sleek 72 Black at GOAT.

12. Ivy Park Adidas Nite Jogger Dark Green Frozen Yellow

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This Dark Green Frozen Yellow Nite Jogger suffers from the same problem as the Maroon iteration, only this one isn’t quite as ugly. Instead of a traffic cone, it resembles a Mountain Dew bottle — which is better, if only a little.

All jokes aside, this iteration sold out almost instantly when it launched as part of drop 2. Aftermarket prices have settled around $150 for this pair in 2021. Not a bad pickup if you want to Do the Dew.

Find the Ivy Park Adidas Nite Jogger Dark Frozen at GOAT.

11. Ivy Park Adidas Ultra BOOST Maroon

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When the first Ivy Park collection dropped, this felt like the signature piece. While it’s not our favorite, it’s still pretty beloved. Featuring a double Maroon colorway atop a Solar Orange outsole, this design nails the futuristic fitness vibe that the Maroon Nite Jogger couldn’t quite master.

Find the Ivy Park Adidas Ultra BOOST Maron at GOAT.

10. Ivy Park Adidas Nite Jogger Off-White

Adidas

So far the IVY PARK Nite Jogger’s have suffered from a half-and-half presentation that just doesn’t work, but this mix of Off-White (not that Off-White, but wouldn’t that be something?), Ecru Tint and Dark Green just works.

It also brings something new to Adidas’ usual Nite Jogger offerings with a brighter presentation and an alternate lacing system that really shows off the silhouette’s cool geometry.

Find the Ivy Park Adidas Nite Jogger at GOAT.

9. Adidas IVY PARK Ultra BOOST Hi Res Yellow

Adidas

While the second IVY PARK drop brought a lot new to the looks coming out of the label, it also acted as an opportunity to refresh the first drop’s best designs. This didn’t work for the Sleek Super 72, but this Hi-Res Yellow version of the Adidas Ultra BOOST knocks the original Maroon dip out of the park.

It’s every bit as extreme as the original, but the Hi-Res has some balance as well — with a gum outsole that matches up nicely with the blinding colorway.

8. Ivy Park Adidas Ultra Boost Icy Park White

Adidas

Released as part of Ivy Park’s winter-focused Icy Park drop, this triple white iteration of the Ultra BOOST is an improvement over last year’s all-black version. The Ultra BOOST isn’t quite as hot as it was six years ago, but this Ivy Park iteration is great, offering a prime knit upper with TPU overlays, a BOOST midsole, a rubber gum outsole, and Ivy Park’s comfort-focused draw-string lacing system.

Swapping out that hideous volt outsole for the traditional gum was the right call!

Get the Ivy Park Adidas Ultra BOOST Icy Park at Adidas.

7. Ivy Park Adidas Forum Mid Metallic Silver

Adidas

We’re happy to see Beyonce showing more love to the Forum Mid, which first debuted as part of Ivy Park drop 2. This shimmery metallic version was released as part of the Icy Park drop and features ankle straps, a multi-layered leather upper, and a luxurious silver metallic colorway.

As cool as it is, it’s our least favorite Forum Mid colorway out of the Ivy Park lineage.

Get the Ivy Park Adidas Forum Mid Metallic Siler at Adidas.

6. Ivy Park Adidas Forum Mid Cream

Adidas

Everything we love about the Forum Mid Metallic Silver in a more functional and stylistically conservative cream colorway. But as a person who has owned their fair share of metallic sneakers, I’m here to tell you that these, while tamer, will age so much better.

Metallic colorways go in and out of style, but cream is much more timeless.

Get the Ivy Park Forum Cream Mid at Adidas.

5. Adidas IVY PARK Sleek Super 72 Maroon

Adidas

Oh, how the mighty have fallen. This was our original number one pick, but as the years have gone on our perspective has shifted. That’s not a bad thing, it means Ivy Park continues to evolve, as this was the centerpiece of the original drop. The shape is IVY PARK’s most original, as it was adapted from Adidas’ Samba Silhouette to Bey’s personal specifications, and that mix of White premium leather and Dash Grey suede with subtle Maroon and Solar Orange accents works incredibly harmoniously.

The entire first IVY PARK collection might revolve around this same color scheme, but it never works quite so perfectly as it does here. We’re hoping the Sleek Super’s success inspires IVY PARK to dabble in more original shapes.

4. Ivy Park Adidas Super Sleek Boot

Adidas

We’re glad to see Ivy Park show a lot of love to the Super Sleek silhouette, it’s the brand’s most original design and to see it here in boot form as the centerpiece of drop 3 shows a commitment to giving us something new out of Ivy Park, rather than relying solely on Adidas’ stock designs.

With a cloud white, off-white, and core white colorway, this leather and suede boot sits atop a chunky gum sole, with braided bungee detailing around the heel.

Get the Ivy Park Adidas Super Sleek 72 at Adidas.

3. Adidas IVY PARK Forum Mid Green Tint

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The IVY PARK Forum Mid Green Tint was Ivy Park’s first go at Adidas’ Forum Mid silhouette and it’s still the best! In fact, it’s one of the best colorways to come out of the Ivy Park brand.

The shoe still has that leather and suede construction of the low top, but the fastening strap looks less out of place here and that Green Tint colorway is just too damn fresh.

2. Adidas IVY PARK Nite Jogger Ecru Tint

StockX

The Ecru Tint Nite Jogger isn’t only the best IVY PARK Nite Jogger, it’s the best Nite Jogger colorway Adidas has ever dropped. That’s high praise and, honestly, if this sneaker said “Off-White” instead of “IVY PARK” it’d be going for thousands on the aftermarket.

Be thankful it isn’t!

It looks like something that would come from the mind of Virgil Abloh, only without the gimmicky tags or production numbers. Clean, classic, bold, and damn near perfect.

1. Ivy Park Adidas Super Sleek 72

Adidas

A future classic in the making. This Cloud white, off-white, core white makeup of the Super Sleek 72 is now Bey’s greatest contribution to the footwear game. It took a few attempts, but Bey finally found a way to build on what she did with drop 1’s Super Sleek (Our original number 1) with this all-white iteration out of the Icy Park drop. The way it swaps the originals laces with thicker braided laces, the mix of luxe leather and premium suede — it’s just so damn clean!

Get the Ivy Park Adidas Super Sleek 72 at Adidas.

MC Hammer Showed Off His Philosophy And Science Knowledge And People Really Enjoyed It

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Perhaps you weren’t expecting deep talk from MC Hammer. And yet the “U Can’t Touch This” rapper recently shared an academic-style paper on Twitter that he said focused on the “visibility of philosophy of science in the sciences, 1980-2018.” After a follower tried to refute some of the claims he made in the article, MC Hammer expanded on his deep thoughts over social media.

Said Twitter user claimed philosophy is a “flirtation with ideas” while science is a “commitment to truth.” MC Hammer completely disagreed, which prompted him to write a detailed response. “You bore us,” he said. “If science is a ‘commitment to truth’ shall we [cite] all the historical non-truths perpetuated by scientists? Of course not. It’s not science vs philosophy … It’s science + philosophy. Elevate your Thinking and Consciousness.” He added, “When you measure include the measurer.”

After another user claimed his thoughts turned “Black males” away from science, MC Hammer doubled down on his stance. “Perhaps you read it too fast or comprehension is a challenge,” he said. “I CLEARLY and UNEQUIVOCALLY STATE That SCIENCE + PHILOSOPHY are compatible and I reject Science vs Philosophy. You are spreading non truths and disinformation. My support of STEM and Black in STEM is unmatched.”

Hammer’s deep thinking — as well as a long list of reading recommendations, including philosopher and historian Michel Foucault — caught people by surprise. Many showed love to the final part of his message: “When you measure include the measurer.” Many shared their reactions online:

Mac Miller’s ‘Faces’ Is Coming To Streaming Services, According To Longtime Friend And Producer ID Labs

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This fall will mark three years since Mac Miller’s untimely death. Since then fans have received a decent amount of posthumously released music from the Pittsburgh rapper, but the next one involves one of his most-celebrated mixtapes: The rapper’s 2014 project Faces is set to arrive on streaming services soon. The news was shared by Mac’s longtime friend and producer ID Labs, who confirmed the news on Reddit.

In a screenshot that was shared on Twitter, a fan wrote, “I think ID Labs said on this sub a few months ago that they were working on getting faces cleared for streaming platforms but it was going to take time due to clearing samples, maybe it’s finally getting done… hopefully.” ID Labs, who produced “It Just Doesn’t Matter” and “Therapy” from the mixtape, caught wind of the comment and wrote, “This is correct and currently happening.”

If the project arrives on DSPs later this year, it will be Mac’s second mixtape to be placed on streaming platforms. Last year, his breakout K.I.D.S. was added to the platforms in April to celebrate its tenth anniversary. The re-release came with two new songs, “Ayye” and “Back In The Day.”

Mac Miller is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Jay-Z, Lin-Manuel Miranda, And More Will Appear At A Virtual Event For Harry Belafonte’s 94th Birthday

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On March 1 legendary activist, singer, and actor Harry Belafonte will celebrate his 94th birthday. According to The Hollywood Reporter, a fundraising event through his organization Gathering For Justice will be held on February 28 to commemorate the big day, featuring a healthy collection of celebrity friends and fans. Among the names on the guest list are Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jay-Z, the latter who will accept the Gatekeeper Of Truth Award.

Belafonte’s event is sponsored by philanthropist and investor Robert F. Smith and his wife, Hope. There will also be performances, video tributes, and testimonials by civil rights and racial justice leaders, artists, athletes, and more. In addition to Jay-Z and Miranda, viewers can also catch appearances from Common, Danny Glover, Alfre Woodard, Chuck D, Bernie and Jane Sanders, Stacey Abrams, Aloe Blacc, Tamika D. Mallory, Rev. Al Sharpton, Tiffany Haddish, Usher, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and more.

Belafonte founded the organization in 2005 after learning of a 5-year-old Black girl who was cuffed and arrested in a Florida classroom for being unruly. Altogether, their goal is to build a movement to end child incarceration while working to irradicate racial inequities.

The virtual event will be held on 2/28 at 7 PM EST. You can read more information about it here.

Travis Scott Plans To Bring Back His Astroworld Festival In November

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Although the 2020 coronavirus pandemic has changed the way fans consume live music, Travis Scott still plans on seeing through his plans to bring the Astroworld Festival back to his hometown in 2021. The Houston rapper revealed as much to director Robert Rodriguez in an interview published on Vice.

In response to Rodriguez’s question about his post-pandemic plans for the festival, Travis confirmed, “Hopefully, we can bring it back at the end of this year. Around November.” While that may be the most optimistic outlook for the festival’s return, it’s in-line with Dr. Anthony Fauci’s prediction that some venues will be able to re-open in the fall, provided the vaccine rollout goes well enough to lower the levels of infection nationwide.

Unfortunately, despite the 2018 and 2019 festivals selling out and going well for Travis, the 2020 edition of the festival had to be canceled due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Travis also explained the effect that becoming a father has had on his art, saying, “Fatherhood influences my job. It has a huge impact. It’s a major inspiration… Storm, she’s just acting like a kid. She’s always interested, she catches on and learns things and adapts to things so fast. It’s so crazy, Stormi’s generation is way different from mine, and she’s way different from my younger brother and sister. Kids show you a different outlook on life, how they view things, the type of pressures they have and what makes them happy, what makes them move… You’ve got to use that properly.”

Read the full interview here.

Drake Lends His Star Power To Drakeo The Ruler’s ‘Truth Hurts’ Single, ‘Talk To Me’

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Drakeo The Ruler’s fortunes have changed a whole lot in a very short amount of time. After spending much of 2018, 2019, and 2020 in prison awaiting trial on gang charges, Drakeo was released in November, then released his mixtape We Know The Truth to general acclaim. Now, he’s secured the biggest look of his career to date, collaborating with Drake on “Talk To Me” from his upcoming album The Truth Hurts, due later tonight/first thing tomorrow morning.

On “Talk To Me,” Drake provides the hooks while Drakeo — yes, this as confusing to type as it is to read — raps, with both addressing the song’s theme of infatuation with a woman. There’s also some light tough talk, as Drake warns the potential love interest that he and his crew might have to get gully in the club. “We might slide on a n**** inside this club, girl, close your eyes,” he croons, somewhat paradoxically. Meanwhile, Drakeo plays aloof, reminding his sex buddy that “You can’t control me, why you acting like the police?”

Premiering the song on Apple Radio, Drakeo told Zane Lowe, “When I was in jail, I was supposed to do something [with Drake] already,” explaining how he actually forgot the song was in the works before he was arrested. “It was kind of crazy to me,” he observed. “I never thought none of this stuff would happen.”

Listen to Drakeo The Ruler’s Drake collaboration “Talk To Me” above.

The Truth Hurts is due at midnight ET.

Bobby Shmurda Had Two Songs Certified Platinum The Day He Got Out Of Prison

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For obvious reasons, today is a great day for Bobby Shmurda: After being behind bars for six years, the rapper was released from prison this morning. He actually has even more than that to celebrate right now: Today, the Recording Industry Association Of America (RIAA) has given him four new certifications, including a pair of Platinum ones.

His breakout single “Hot N****” (sometimes also known as “Hot Boy”) is now certified 5-times Platinum, indicating sales of at least 5 million units. It was previously certified Gold and then Platinum in 2014. His only other officially released single as a lead artist, “Bobby B*tch,” also earned itself a Platinum certification today. Meanwhile, Rowdy Rebel’s “Computers,” on which Shmurda features, earned a Gold certification today, as did Shmurda’s EP Shmurda She Wrote.

So far, Shmurda has had a big day since his release. Quavo made good on his word to pick Shmurda up from prison and did so with a private jet, sharing a video of them landing on Instagram. He also had a video call with his mother and had 50 pounds of oxtail cooked by her, per his request. After all this celebration, the rapper’s plan is apparently to focus his efforts on his music, as his mother has said.

Ice-T Recalls Being Insulted By ‘Racist Piece Of Sh*t’ Rush Limbaugh

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Right-wing radio personality Rush Limbaugh passed away on February 17, sparking an outpouring of reactions from true sorrow to celebration from political enemies. While folks on the conservative side of the aisle reminisce on how “funny” they think he was or use his death to whine about the results of long-decided elections, others are remembering how damaging much of his commentary could be.

Rap pioneer Ice-T, on the other hand, made his opinion known a long time ago and chose instead to remind fans of his old tweet telling them exactly what he thought of Rush Limbaugh. Quote-tweeting his own post from July of 2012, Ice-T recalled a backhanded slight he once received from Rush and what he believed it said about the outspoken host. “Rush Limbaugh said he was impressed I knew the word ‘tyranny,’” reads the old tweet. “He’s a racist piece of sh*t.” Judging by the fact that he exhumed this five-year-old tweet just days after the man’s death, it’s probably safe to assume Ice’s opinion hasn’t changed much since.

Ice-T has found something of a third life (after his second one as the perpetually befuddled sergeant Fin Tutuola on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit) thanks to his witty political commentary on Twitter. Recently, his comments about Trump’s second impeachment trial amused fans while his empathetic response to his father-in-law contracting COVID-19 suggests he’d be a more than respectable replacement for the departed Rush, should he ever decide to pursue punditry full time.

JID Calls Out Institutional Racism In His Poignant ‘Skegee’ Video

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While many view Black History Month as a time to celebrate the accomplishments of Black Americans, JID wants to call a little attention to America’s history of institutional abuse of its Black citizens. His new single, “Skegee,” is named for the city of Tuskegee, Alabama, a city central to both Black achievement and where the US conducted the infamous Tuskegee Syphilis Study from 1932-1972.

In the first verse, JID addresses the conflicting choices with which many Black Americans are faced: “You peep all the karma that come with makin’ the cream,” he rhymes, posing the dichotomy before pulling back the curtain to reveal the game behind the game. “Get your eyes cleaned for something you have never not, not seen.” An interview with former mayor of Tuskegee, Ronald D. Williams, also reveals insight into the city’s history.

In the second verse, he shows how these forced choices are the results of policy, not just tough situations that cropped up out of nowhere. Although JID says he was recruited to Tuskegee University, a prestigious historically Black institution, the name only calls to mind the 40-year experiment in which Black citizens of Tuskegee were involuntarily studied for the effects of untreated syphilis and denied treatment (or even information about the existence of treatment once it had been developed). While JID’s recollection isn’t entirely accurate (there’s no evidence that the unethical study deliberately infected its subjects), his song may very well be many fans’ first-ever introduction to the existence of such a study — and why it remains important to this day.

With so many Americans currently refusing COVID-19 vaccination, it’s important to understand why some of them might mistrust the government, knowing this history, as well as acknowledging how much work is left to be done to repair that broken trust if true progress is to be made.

Meanwhile, JID fans continue to eagerly anticipate his follow-up to 2018’s breakout DiCaprio 2. In the meantime, he’s had several standout moments on compilation albums such as Revenge Of The Dreamers III, the Judas And The Black Messiah soundtrack, and as part of Spillage Village’s fourth studio album and major-label debut, Spilligion.

Watch JID’s “Skeegee” video above.

Cardi B And Mariah Carey Make A Plan To Collaborate On Music — And A Bra Line

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Cardi B and Mariah Carey may soon have some new music featuring both on the way, according to their recent conversation in Interview Magazine. In the midst of a discussion about the differences between being a civilian and a celebrity, prejudice in the music industry, and the sexual awakening in pop culture since Carey’s heyday, the two made plans to collaborate on a song together — and on a bra line, after Cardi admits that she couldn’t find one that gave her the right mix of coverage and exposure.

After Carey asks Cardi “Do you have a favorite bra?” Cardi replies, “I don’t know because I’m not really a bra person. These titties be hanging. Even when I wear a certain bra, I have really big nipples, so I need a bra that shows my cleavage but could really tuck my nipples in. There ain’t none yet.” That prompts Mariah to suggest, “We need to do a bra line. We need that specialty line.”

The two then briefly discuss the music industry’s inherent prejudice against Black women, which is something Carey believes she and Cardi can fix. “We’re going to do that,” she vows. “We’re going to do our bra line, and one of these days, can we do a song together?” Cardi agrees, “I would love that. I would love to do a record that touches souls. You had me heartbroken when I was 11 years old and I didn’t even have a boyfriend.”

During the interview, Cardi also acknowledges her past job as a stripper, saying it made her feel “on top of the world.”

Read the full interview here.

Cardi B is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.