At this point, it’s pretty safe to declare Kendrick Lamar the king of 2017. Top Dawg Entertainment’s most celebrated rapper dominated the Billboard charts for the majority of the year, and successfully drove the culture with a number of collaborations and sold out performances. And while the man they call “Kung Fu Kenny” continues to leave his biggest mark in the world of music, the Compton native is in the midst of a massive Nike deal that will catapult him into the world of streetwear and high end sneaker design.
Back in July, Nike announced an apparel deal with Kendrick that would see him create and promote a limited and unique series of branded pieces. This anticipated drop follows a highly publicized Reebok partnership that Lamar ran with for three years. A number of special edition shoes were released during this period of time, including Ventilators, Deconstructed Classics, and Leather Lux kicks. Much like PUMA and their joints with artists like the The Weeknd, Big Sean, and of course Rihanna, it’s safe to assume that Nike will be banking on the star power of Kendrick Lamar to move a ton of units.
Thankfully, Nike and Lamar’s first official release together won’t rely on name recognition alone. Judging from some early teases, it looks like Kendrick’s special edition Cortez sneaker will be armed with some colourful tinges and forward-thinking designs. In a recent visual leak, we can see that Nike is very much playing into the “Kung Fu Kenny” aesthetic which the rapper concocted for his latest, Grammy nominated album, DAMN.
Along with Chinese script, the forthcoming sneaks come outfitted with a candy red midsole, exaggerated swoosh logo, and a clever lace guard that reads “don’t trip”. You can check out the slick new crep below via Kendrick’s official instagram account. Unfortunately, there’s no word on when these pieces will drop, but you quench your thirst with another excellent Nike collab via Houston emcee Travis Scott.
