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Kanye West Explains Why The Yeezy Foam Runner Is The Future Of Sneakers

Kanye West and Joe Rogan linked up on Friday for a long three-hour conversation that covers a whole plethora of topics. Throughout the conversation, Kanye began by talking about his Presidential bid and why he felt like it was so necessary for him to run for President of the United States. From there, West spoke about his artistry and what he has been able to accomplish in both music and fashion. Of course, this led to a lengthy discussion about West’s sneaker design and some of the backlash that surrounds them.

Kanye was at his most excited while talking about the Yeezy Foam Runner which became infamous on the internet thanks to its peculiar croc-like design. At the 1 hour-22 minute mark in the interview clip below, Kanye speaks on the design for the Foam Runner and how it was fully realized by another talented designer, who was recently brought into the Yeezy brand.

“I designed this thing, we call it the Foam Runner, and we built a factory for it in Cody and you can make these in 25 minutes. And what I’m saying about design, I was talking to one of the awesome designers we just got over at Yeezy. We’ve got this amazing crew. We’ve got guys that Nike sued us for, and one of these guys, I was trying to hire him for two years, he had to go surf for a year, and now he’s in,” Kanye divulged. “When he does his cad drawings, it’s like one shot one kill. Sometimes you design stuff and you have to re-do it five to eight times. His first one is so close to being ready for market because he sketches in a certain type of way.

“I’ve been saying I want to get rid of laces and we still have shoes we sell with laces because it’s a popular shoe and people love this shoe. And it hurts me. I feel like Steve Jobs trying to remove buttons off the side of the next [iPhone,]” West continued before explaining what makes the Foam Runner unique. “If you guys look at most sneakers, you have a tongue and it goes this direction. This is the reason [the Foam Runner] is one of the most important sneaker designs because it’s ergonomic. I remember putting it on and being uncomfortable because I’m so used to how a Jordan fits with my jeans. I remember talking to Kobe about making sneakers that have to fit with jeans.

Kanye West

Brad Barket/Getty Images for Fast Company

West went on to note that this shoe was a gut-feeling for him and that he truly feels like the sneaker can revolutionize the way we look at shoes in the future. Kanye has always been one for innovation, and it’s easy to see just how important it is for him to continue pushing boundaries with the Yeezy brand. After all, it’s this philosophy that has made him into a billionaire.

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DJ Akademiks questions if Lil Durk will get bond as the racketeering case goes on

Lil Durk’s legal battle is about to take another big step, and DJ Akademiks is already sharing his expectations for what could go down when the rapper returns to court in November.

Durk is in custody, awaiting his next VICAR case in which authorities say he was running a criminal enterprise. His next trial was set for October 5, but recent developments have called into question when those proceedings will occur.

Durk’s murder for hire trial recently resulted in a not guilty verdict in November. Regardless of that outcome, he remains in custody because the separate racketeering related charges remain unresolved. Durk’s attorneys have asked for the new hearing and have been ordered to appear by U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services, which also must submit a fresh bail report.

Against that backdrop, legal commentator Bradford Cohen had previously suggested Durk could eventually get bond. That view ties in with Durk’s not-guilty verdict in the earlier case, and the argument that the outcome could make it harder to sustain the remaining allegations.

DJ Akademiks sees things a bit differently. In a recent livestream, Akademiks predicted that Durk would not get a bond at the Nov. hearing. He believes the charges will stick and cites the seriousness of the allegations in the VICAR case as his reasoning. He also doesn’t appear to expect the rapper to be released from jail anytime soon as the case moves forward.

Akademiks’ prediction concerns the bond hearing, not Durk’s chances at trial. Durk’s legal situation remains unresolved for now. His recent acquittal has altered the circumstances of his arrest, but the separate racketeering case still looms over the rapper as both sides prepare for the next phase.

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DJ Akademiks Resurrects 2015 Drake vs. Meek Mill Beef With Alleged Nicki Minaj Backstory

DJ Akademiks is digging up hip-hop history buried for 10 years as he offers his supposed explanation for how the Drake/Meek Mill feud came to a head in 2015. The back-and-forth between Akademiks and Meek Mill has resurfaced the conversation. Akademiks returned to the long-running Drake-Meek beef on his stream last night, saying a comment by Nicki Minaj had something to do with what happened between the two rappers.

According to Akademiks, Meek and Minaj were shopping at a designer fashion store when they got to the register. He says that when Meek told her he didn’t have the cash to pay for Minaj, she allegedly told him he would never be Drake. Akademiks also claims Minaj left the store on her own, and then Meek went on X, and what happened next started the infamous feud with Drake.

The account remains an allegation, not a confirmed explanation. The information provided has not been independently verified, and ultimately only those involved, including Minaj and Meek Mill, could confirm the story’s authenticity.

The beef between Drake and Meek Mill started in 2015 and has become a staple in hip-hop conversation. Meek struggled after the fallout, while the beef became a defining moment in Drake’s career. However, the two eventually made up and collaborated on “Going Bad,” signaling a return to a more cooperative relationship despite the rivalry’s tension.

Now that Akademiks and Meek are throwing shots again, the events of 2015 are back in the conversation. By reflecting on the feud, Akademiks has added another possible piece of context to a story that has been a hot topic in hip-hop for years.

Whether his version of events is what actually happened, however, remains unresolved. Currently, the designer-store story isn’t factual, but it is Akademiks’ version of the events surrounding the beef.

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