Some of our favorite chart-topping hits were inspired by random occurrences in everyday life, and for the first time, Naomi Campbell learned that her snarky response during a conversation decades ago led to Gwen Stefani’s “Hollaback Girl.” The Platinum-selling 2004 single was included on Stefani’s solo debut studio album Love. Angel. Music. Baby and boasted a The Neptunes production with Pharrell Williams also snagging a songwriting credit. In a recent virtual interview Naomi Campbell, the megaproducer surprised the supermodel with a story about how she inspired the international hit.
Frank Micelotta / Staff / Getty Images
“The other thing I wanna say, too, before I forget is Gwen and I have a song called ‘Hollaback’ and that chorus came from a conversation when you were like, telling somebody, you ‘ain’t no hollaback girl,'” recalled Pharrell recalled with a smile. “You were like, ‘I’m sorry, I have a name. I’m not no hollaback girl.’ And I thought that was so amazing and that ended up being the chorus to the song.”
“I don’t know who I was talking to,” a surprised Naomi replied. “I guess they deserved it.” You never know who may be listening to your conversation and making it into a Grammy contender. Check out the longtime friends’ exchange below as well as the music video to Gwen Stefani’s catchy “Hollaback Girl.”
Everybody has an opinion about polarizing rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine — and a lot of them aren’t positive. Hip-hop’s most aggressive antagonist believes he doesn’t deserve the infamous “snitch” label, however. Tekashi 6ix9ine Gives His Take On Snitching In an interview for “TMZ Live,” Tekashi 6ix9ine challenges the idea that he snitched or ratted out his […]
Today, Mayfield took to Twitter with an odd story about how he encountered a UFO alongside his wife. Immediately after sharing the story, fans made jokes that Cowherd would swoop in and actually roast Mayfield with some snarky retort. In the end, that is exactly what Cowherd did as he went on his show and said that he prefers quarterbacks who don’t speak openly about their alien encounters.
“Joe Montana, Troy Aikman, Terry Bradshaw & Tom Brady have never seen aliens. I would prefer my guys don’t talk about it,” Cowherd said. Based on the way he phrased this, it seems like Cowherd is well-aware of the meme and just wanted to give Mayfield a hard time for something that doesn’t really matter in the grand scheme of things.
Hopefully, Mayfield doesn’t take too much offense to this whole thing, as we know that Cowherd just likes to troll at this point.
The time has finally come for Drake fans. The Toronto rap boss’ OVO producer 40 has lit up social media with the perfect amount of hype to get Drizzy supporters amped about his newest music pack dropping. 40 Gets Fans Hyped For New Drake Music Drake himself took to his Instagram to let it be […]
New York rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine might have found his match in Lil Nas X. The hip-hop star has come forward to address getting trolled on by the Grammy-winning rap heavyweight. Tekashi 6ix9ine Tries To Stop Rumors 6ix9ine went to his Instagram page and kept things 100. Tek tried to prove he not only isn’t following […]
According to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, Gordon and the Seahawks decided to part ways, and now, Gordon will be taking his talents outside of the NFL. He will now get to play in the Fan Controlled Football League which boasts the talents of Johnny Manziel. Quavo is also a part-owner in the league.
Fan Controlled Football is a unique venture as every single play call is dictated by the fans. So far, the first few games have been fairly entertaining and the league is looking like a solid place for some players to redeem themselves.
Only time will tell how Gordon fairs in this league, although we most certainly wish him the best of luck in this brand new endeavor.
Unless you haven’t been paying any attention to Hip-Hop news over the past couple of weeks, you’ve likely heard about Jay-Z’s lucrative business endeavors regarding Ace of Spades and Moët Hennessy as well as his latest Tidal deal with Square, Inc. As he continues to manifest his classic “I’m not a businessman, I’m a business man” bar from 2005, Jay-Z has made roughly $600 million from business deals alone in a matter of weeks. If you’re absolutely shocked about Hov’s recent increase of wealth, you’re not alone. Even Lil Uzi Vert is blown away by Jay-Z’s recent money moves.
After news broke earlier today about Jay-Z took to Twitter to announce that Square, Inc., owned by Twitter-cofounder Jack Dorsey, has acquired a majority stake in TIDAL at a reported value of $297 million, Lil Uzi Vert couldn’t help but reflect on the magnitude of Hov’s latest business deal.
“Damn near 300 million on a weekday and Hov still said it was a weak day,” Uzi tweeted out to his followers this afternoon. He concluded his reaction with “Insane,” a one-word summary of Jay-Z’s business acumen that we can all likely agree with. While it was great to hear from the 4:44 artist himself earlier today on Twitter, one can’t help but get excited how all of these developments inspire Hov musically.
Right now, the biggest names in modern footwear are not the athletes that the sneakers are designed for. Don’t get us wrong, Jordan is still the biggest name in footwear, and considering how fire a fresh pair of Jordans still looks to this day, we don’t imagine another name is going to surpass it anytime soon. But big names are coming close, and none of them are known for their skills on a court — you’ve got people like Kanye West, who has now realized his dream of making a pivot from the hottest rapper in the game to the hottest sneaker and streetwear designer with his Yeezy Brand, Pharrel Williams, who has been toiling away at Adidas for a minute now with his Hu line, J Cole who seems to be constantly pumping out Pumas, and Beyonce who seems to be making tremendous leaps with each drop of her Ivy Park line.
The most exciting sneakers to drop right now are coming from hip-hop and no name is more exciting than La Flame — yes, we’re talking about Mr. Cactus Jack himself, Travis Scott. Together in partnership with Helmut Lang, Nike, and Jordan Brand, Scott has been dropping some of the most hyped sneaker releases of our modern era of streetwear, offering remixed designs of the aforementioned brand’s most popular silhouettes draped in Scott’s signature aesthetic and vibe.
Over the last three years, Scott has dropped 14 sneakers and today we’re here to rank every single one of them from worst to best. Let’s dive in.
14. Travis Scott Jordan XXXIII Army Olive
GOAT
Amongst fans of Scott’s sneaker collaborations, these are absolutely hated. Some people feel that hate is overkill, arguing that these are slept on but they still deserve their spot at the bottom of this list. It’s not simply that they’re bad — this army olive mesh upper and brown suede heel panel is a pretty solid design for the XXXIIIs — but it’s just so boring in comparison to everything else Scott has done with Nike.
It feels mean to place any Scott shoe dead last, but it’s hard to argue that this is better than any of the other shoes on this list.
Find the Travis Scott Jordan XXXIII Army Olive at GOAT.
13. Travis Scott x Playstation Nike Dunk Low
Nike
Originally, we ranked this one last. It’s a the threeway collaboration which coincided with the release of the Playstation 5, whuch just felt like tacky branded overkill. But the more we look at the design, which is actually kind of dope and borrows from the OG Playstation’s look for its colorway, the more it grows on us. We really don’t like the Sony branding on the heel (Playstation logo can stay) but we can’t sit here and pretend that the Jordan XXXIII is somehow better than this sail and light blue upper, with its charcoal grey reverse swoosh and embroidered branding.
Find the Travis Scott x Playstation Nike Dunk Low at StockX.
12. Travis Scott x Helmut Lang Low Top
END
Before Travis Scott started lending his aesthetic to classic Nike and Jordan silhouettes, he linked up with Italian designer Helmut Lang for a sleek all-black high-top and low-top sneaker. Featuring a nylon upper with leather and velcro straps across the heel and upper, the Travis Scott x Helmut Lang was made in Italy and features graphic bull imagery on the tongue and Helmut Lang branding on the heel tab.
It’s… okay, definitely a step up from the XXXIII and Playstation Dunk.
The Travis Scott x Helmut Lang Low Top is currently unavailable on the aftermarket.
11. Travis Scott Nike Air Max 270 React Cactus Trails
GOAT
You’ll notice that Scott has a definite preference for Nike’s more retro silhouettes, so the Air Max 270 Cactus Trails is unique in that this is one of the most futuristic-looking Cactus Jack sneakers released yet, thanks to the aerodynamic design of the 270. It’s ironic that it’s also the most aged, with a yellowed midsole and a messy mix of textile, nubuck, and TPU Overlays over a dirty cream colorway.
It really earns its moniker “Cactus Trails,” this is a grimy, dusty mess of a design.
Find the Travis Scott Nike Air Max 270 React Cactus Trails at GOAT.
10. Travis Scott Nike Air Force 1 Low White
StockX
Travis Scott’s long and fruitful collaboration with Nike begins with this take on the Air Force 1. Released in celebration of the 35th anniversary of the silhouette, this white canvas take on the AF-1 dropped at ComplexCon 2017 and featured interchangeable removable swooshes that were meant to evoke Scott’s trademark grill. The laces have a Cactus Jack logo covering them and the whole thing sits atop a contrasting gum sole.
It looks so different than the designs that would come to define Scott’s work with Nike.
Find the Travis Scott Nike Air Force 1 Low White at StockX.
9. Travis Scott x Helmut Lang High Top
END
The High Top version of Scott’s Helmut Lang sneaker is a massive improvement over the low. Featuring the same nylon upper with leather paneling and straps, the Helmut Lang high tops are super sleek, militaristic, and represent a Travis Scott era that feels like a distant memory. Not much to say about these that we haven’t said already with the low tops, this is just all-around a better design.
The Travis Scott x Helmut Lang High Top is currently unavailable on the aftermarket.
8. Travis Scott Nike Air Force 1 Low Cactus Jack
GOAT
The Cactus Jack Air Force 1 has always had a Sean Wotherspoon vibe to us. We know what you’re thinking, “WHY BECAUSE IT HAS CORDUROY” Yup, that’s exactly why. Do you really think this zipped corduroy lace shroud would exist without Wotherspoon’s Air Max 97, which dropped two years earlier? You’re tripping.
The AF1 Cactus Jack features a graphic canvas upper, a brown swoosh on the outer, a black swoosh on the inner, and sits atop a gum outsole. It’s a dope design, but it’s just a little too busy. A comfortable mid-tier release by Scott.
Find the Travis Scott Nike Air Force 1 Low Cactus Jack at GOAT.
7. Travis Scott Jordan 1 Retro Low Mocha
StockX
This low-top version of the Jordan I borrows the design of the more iconic high-top version with a mocha and black nubuck leather upper and that polarizing backward swoosh on the lateral side. The backward swoosh actually looks bigger here (it’s not) making the sneaker look unlike a Jordan I, that’s kind of cool. The medial side panel features Cactus Jack lining in university red, making another appearance on the tongue, with the Air Jordan Wings on the heel tab.
Find the Travis Scott Jordan 1 Retro Low Mocha at GOAT.
6. Travis Scott Nike Air Force 1 Low Sail
GOAT
This Sail colorway of the Air Force 1 was Scott’s second release with Nike and built upon the all-white colorway that preceded it. The canvas upper and removable shiny swoosh is still here, but this Sail colorway just works so much better with the gum outsole and canvas construction. It feels like a true transitional sneaker between Scott’s first Nike drop to the more earthy and worn designs that would come to define the Cactus Jack aesthetic.
Find the Travis Scott Nike Air Force 1 Low Sail at GOAT.
5. Travis Scott Jordan 4 Retro Purple (Friends and Family Release)
StockX
We considered not even including this sneaker, as it’s a close friend and family-only release and never had a retail release, but it’s just too clean to ignore. It’s also currently available at StockX, which means someone isn’t being a good friend (we wouldn’t have done you like that, Travis!). This moody Jordan IV features a suede upper in a deep purple with black accents and a grey lace cage.
It’s easily one of the best colorways we’ve ever seen of the Jordan IV period, it’s almost cruel this wasn’t released to the public. Scott has a few more friends and family colorways, but none reach this level of perfection.
Find the Travis Scott Jordan 4 Retro Purple Suede at StockX.
4. Travis Scott Nike SB Dunk Low Cactus Jack
GOAT
This is a totally personal take, but this pair brings up a lot of nostalgia for me. The bandana-inspired paisley overlays capture so much of the imagery of growing up in and around East LA. This sneaker looks like my childhood, filtered down into a shoe. The SB Dunk Low Cactus Jack is significant because it’s Scott’s first skate sneaker, utilizing Nike’s ridiculously popular silhouette, dressing it in a tan leather base with plaid quarter panels, paisley overlays, and canvas that tears away to reveal an earthy camo pattern that kind of resembles Nike’s elephant print (but isn’t quite that).
The design is rounded out by thick rope laces, the whole thing really captures Scott’s Cactus Jack aesthetic — muted, yet psychedelic.
Find the Travis Scott Nike SB Dunk Low Premium QS at GOAT.
3. Travis Scott Jordan 6 Retro
StockX
Released fairly recently at the end of 2019, the Jordan VI features an almost militaristic olive green nubuck and suede upper with a little stash snap pocket on the outer collar. At the time of release, it felt like this was the perfect music festival sneaker to hide your stash in. Now the idea of going to a concert seems novel. Scott rocked this colorway at the Super Bowl 53 halftime show, leading to its coveted status amongst sneakerheads and Travis Scott fans alike.
The design is rounded out by a glow-in-the-dark translucent outsole with sail and university red accent work. Scott has yet to drop something that tops this design since its debut release.
There were several times I came close to ranking this as the number one pick, and while ultimately I contend that it’s probably (probably!) not the best Travis Scott sneaker out there, it is my personal favorite. This use of Nike’s university red and blue here is just beautiful, with its blue Durabuck leather upper and a red collar and insole. Inspired by the Houston Oilers, Scott’s hometown team, the Cactus Jack Jordan IV’s are rounded out by a core black lace cage and heel panel with university blue speckles, and feature Cactus Jack and Jumpman branding on the left and right heel respectively.
I’m already regretting not giving it the number one slot.
Find the Travis Scott Jordan 4 Retro Cactus Jack at GOAT.
1. Travis Scott Jordan 1 Retro High Mocha
GOAT
It feels almost cliche to rank the Mocha Jordan I Retro High as Scott’s best, but this sneaker release has managed to become emblematic of Cactus Jack as a fashion entity now three years after its original release. The large over-sized backward swoosh looks very gimmicky by today’s standards (though we don’t know that it didn’t always) but that mix of mocha suede paneling again a sail leather upper with university red accents is still one of the silhouette’s best colorways.
Since this insanely popular drop, Nike has since borrowed this same exact color scheme for a stock Air Jordan I, which we actually prefer, since it doesn’t have the backward swoosh. But hey, that’s just us.
Find the at Travis Scott Jordan 1 Retro High at GOAT.
Tyler, The Creator’s artistry has grown in astronomical ways over the last few years. From Flower Boy to IGOR, Tyler has revamped his sound on numerous occasions and continues to be one of the most well-respected artists in all of hip-hop. His success has allowed him to get numerous brand deals, and his latest was with the likes of Coca-Cola, who are easily the biggest soda brand in the entire world. Tyler even helped provide the music for a recent Coca-Cola commercial, which is something that excited fans.
According to the On Thin Ice Twitter account, Tyler’s contributions to this commercial will actually be released as a real song. In fact, the track is called “Tell Me How” and fans can expect the new song to come out tonight along with all of the other big releases.
The name of the track fits perfectly with the song above, which uses “Tell Me How” as a refrain. Stylistically, this is one of those vintage Tyler bangers that fans remember him for during the early stages of the 2010s. With this new single coming out, there is a possibility that Tyler could have a lot in store for us, sooner rather than later.
Let us know how excited you are for this new track, in the comments below.
Ohio rapper Machine Gun Kelly is here for his boys. His drummer Rook, whose real name is JP Cappelletty, was walking around Hollywood when he got jumped and robbed this week. Machine Gun Kelly’s Drummer Robbed MGK paid a visit to Rook, who is confirmed as being okay in the hospital. Reports say two men […]
