"A Legend in His Own Right"

Takashi Murakami, or as most of you would know him, "the guy that did The Graduation cover art for Kanye"...or even as "the guy that designed the colorful Louis Vuitton Bags...lol, is one of the most thoughtful-and thought-provoking-Japanese artists of the 1990s. His work ranges from cartoony paintings to quasi-minimalist sculptures to giant inflatable balloons to performance events to factory-produced watches, T-shirts, and other products, many emblazoned with his signature character, Mr. DOB.

Takashi Murakami's work has been exhibited in prestigious museums all over the world, including the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Art; the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; and a recent solo retrospective exhibition at the Bard College Museum of Art. Through his work, Murakami has played with these oppositions in East and West, past and present, high art and low culture while remaining consistently amusing and accessible. His work morphs the worlds of popular contemporary Japanese cartoons and historic Japanese painting (he is classically trained, with a Ph.D. in the traditional nihon-ga style). His recurring character, Mr. DOB, appears on t-shirts, posters, key-chains, etc. world-wide and has even come to life in the form of one of these 3-D sculptures. Murakami has also curated "Super Flat" an exhibition of contemporary Japanese artists.

"I can't mention Kid Cudi & not give you a Ye' post"

Here’s the second drop for the Yeezy Tuxedo fitted that Hella Tight just released last night at their online shop. Oh yeah, & the bear glows in the dark.

"Crazy Flix"

Kanye x Amber Rose x Madonna ? Sounds like Nike & Louis ain't the only ones collab'n with Chicago's Favorite Son....

"Sneak Peak" of the Day

"I Got 99 Problems but my Kicks ain't 1"

It's not as if I can just ignore the release of arguably Nike's most sought after shoe since Jordan retired, The Air Yeezy. I mean....it's Kanye x Nike (LoL) but for $700 is this pair of shoes worth it? In the opinion of the sneaker junkies thats a no-brainer, however, to the regular person with a fondness for gymshoes this seems a bit extreme. Both sides have a valid stance on the situation but for the true collector these are more than just shoes, they are art.

The Air Yeezy was developed from a strong relationship between West and Nike. Partnering with Nike Creative Director, Mark Smith, Kanye was taken through the product creation process, the same way athletes have with Nike Design for the past 37 years. This creative partnership of Smith and West’s talents as designers yielded a unique Nike Sportswear sneaker worth the wait. “Kanye is a truly creative talent,” said Smith. “He’s a natural designer—partnerships like this always enhance the creative experience and the end product.” West agrees that the partnership with Nike has been exciting. “Nike is such an important brand to me,” said West. “Whether you are on the court, in the street, in the club, at school, Nike represents excellence, the standard in design. Growing up, we looked forward to the release of new Nike’s the way we would an album by our favorite artist. So the opportunity to collaborate on a design with Mark Smith and Nike Design has been a dream come true, and a great experience.”