It's Puma YO!

It looks like PUMA is back at it again, this time releasing some more PUMA Clyde sneakers that will be available to the public at the PUMA flagship stores come September 15th.

After the success of the YO! MTV Raps PUMA Clyde's in September 2006, it comes as no surprise that 4 new Clydes are being released honoring Doug E. Fresh, Big Daddy Kane, MC Shan and Dr. Dre and Ed Lover:






PUMA, in its own way, is showing love to each rapper and radio/ television personality and the impact that they've had on culture and how they continue to serve as change agents. Be it a party song like The Show or The Bridge, which started the trend of "dis" tracks, to Set It Off and daily doses of The Ed Lover Dance (1989-1995) and movies such as Who's the Man?(1993). It's about time and I thank you.

It's PUMA YO! and they're doing it BIG time!

It's Puma YO!

When a good thing goes bad!

I was having a conversation with a few self-described sneakerheads earlier this week and we were discussing the state of the sneakers. Now, let me preface this by saying that I've been passionate about sneakers since 1983, and I know alot about sneakers and their importance towards fashion, but I'm always up for learning more.

The conversation began when a young man by the name of Chuck said that he was really excited and looking forward to the King's County Jordan Spiz'ike's (pictured left) released today, Sat., August 18th. His boy Juan, who happened to be wearing some classic Puma Baskets in white and navy blue, was quick to say that he liked the colors, but the Spiz'ike, to him, appeared to be a "thrown together" sneaker that was made for people that were not into sneakers before 1999, or made to "throw people off".

As someone that looks at all sneakers with a critical eye, I, too, think the entire Spiz'ike line is thrown together and doesn't possess an ounce of creativity. In it's rudimentary styling, my 7-year old daughter could have come up with a better mash-up of the Air Jordan 3, 4, 5 and 6. Yes, I'm that confident in her skills!

Chuck argued that the Spiz'ikes showed Jordan Brand's creativity and the good folks at JB continue to "bless us with hot kicks in great colorways." He continued to gush that the releases thus far, the retro 11 low LS's, the retro 1s and the 5s, were "on point and show that Jordan Brand is paying attention to what the streets want." While Juan agreed that he liked the 1s and the 5s, he said that the Jordan 11 Lows were, "straight up garbage and the colors are whack!"


"If Jordan, himself, is involved with picking the colors, I have to question his taste in colors", said Juan. He continued by saying, "maybe his divorce and the loot that Juanita is gonna get is messing with his eyesight?" Chuck quickly retorted loudly stating that, "Dawg, MJ is the king of fashion and brought flavor to basketball sneakers!" "He's the one that told the peeps at Jordan Brand to put patent leather on his kicks...,and what happened after that? Every motherf**cker copied Jordan. Shoot, look at what DADA and AND1 did? They dropped kicks with patent leather!"

While it may be hard to argue with two sneaker-fashionistas as Chuck and Juan, they know what they like and while some folks will have already run out and bought themselves a pair of the King's County Spiz'ikes, there's always a thing called buyer's remorse that seems to have afflicted the culture as online stores such as Vintagekicks.com and eBay.com are filled to the gills with a plethora of sneakers.

Well, rest assured that things have to get better before they get worse. Just like the stock market, what goes up.....must come down.

When a good thing goes bad!

Is Vick going down?

If you're alive and somewhat plugged-in to what's going on with Michael Vick of the Atlanta Falcons, it doesn't look good for homeboy.

Word is that his boys have changed their tune to save their own hide and are telling all of Vick's business, not only regarding the dog fighting, but also all the "other" improprieties.

My words to Vick would be to stand up and take ownership, but I highly doubt his legal staff is giving him such advice. What is it these days? Deny it to the end and even when evidence is provided, deny it some more.

In other Vick news, Nike has decided to be shelve the Nike Air Vick Vs and the entire ad campaign that was due August 23rd. This isn't the first time Nike and ad agency Wieden+Kennedy have been asked to distance itself from dog fighting.


In 2003, the Humane Society asked the company to pull "The Battle," an ad produced by Portland ad agency Wieden+Kennedy promoting Nike's Air Zoom Ultraflight basketball shoe. The 60-second spot -- featuring NBA stars interspersed with scenes from street basketball games -- reportedly showed a second-long image of a pit bull and Rottweiler growling at each other.

I've been thinking more and more about what may be going through Vick's mind right now and all that I can come up with is him asking himself how he got himself into this mess. My thoughts and prayers are with homeboy.

Is Vick going down?

The new Weapon

It seems that these days, the new weapon of choice is no longer a pair of the Magic or Larry Bird Converse Weapon, rather its a so called 'smart device' produced by Research In Motion a.k.a. RIM.






When did the Blackberry become so popular? Well, it seems like things got rollin' in 1999, when the first Blackberry was released and immediately became popular, not only in the board room, but also the 'hood.

Nowadays, fools are straight up using their Blackberry as the weapon of choice. First it was Naomi Campbell and today it's Foxy Brown (real name Inga Marchand), beating up a neighbor.

Word is that Foxy turned herself into NYPD yesterday and faces charges of felony assault, menacing, harassment and criminal possession of a weapon. She was arraigned and released on $5,000 bail.

Peace & Pounds go out to Foxy as she deals with this case and the move to her independent label, with distribution through Koch. BKLYN Stand UP!!

The new Weapon

Caffeine Fiend

The first time I heard this song I was in the A (that's Atlanta for those of you who don't know) and Greg Street previewed it on V-103.3 FM. I said that Joc was back at it again, dropping another club banger/ rollin' down the street bumpin' it in your car song.

Check out the video and spot all the "streetwear" fashion statements and the occasional fake pair of kicks. Yes, I went there! Some fakes were spotted in this video. See if you can spot them.

Caffeine Fiend

Tony Soprano's Kicks

I received a telephone call earlier today from my sources at HBO that James Gandolfini, better known a Tony Soprano from the Soprano's, is going to Sonny Vaccaro in the film 'ABCD Camp', due to be released next fall.

Gandolfini will serve as Executive Producer for the film and he'll produce the film through his film company, Attaboy Films.

I'll keep you posted regarding my appearance in the film.

Tony Soprano's Kicks

Syke Nikes

With emerging technology and folks' ability to knock-off any and everything these days, it's no surprise that a plethora of fakes sneakers are for sale in a 'hood near you.

Rest assured, I've never knowingly bought a pair of fake sneakers, but I have had someone give me a pair of fake sneakers as a Christmas present. To this day, I haven't had the guts to tell the person that the kicks that they gave, albeit them being good looking sneakers, are more fugazi than Milli Vanilli.

Check out this story posted in the NY Daily News about a trucker that was stopped on the Tri-Boro Bridge with a truckload of fake Nike sneakers.

And now, for the fake sneakers in question that were give to me as a present, I present to you the fake Air Jordan X:

Click on pictures to enlarge.

Syke Nikes