Balmain designer, Olivier Rousteing announced through social media his upcoming collaboration with Nike Sportswear. Three photos were posted with his initials and the Nike logo in black in gold.  This will be some pretty classy sportswear, but what do you expect coming from one the biggest high fashion designers out right now. Not everyone is a fan of Rousteing doing these collaborative pieces, but lets not forget Givenchy designer, Ricardo Tisci didn’t disappoint with his latest Nike collection.

Rousteing holds a big part of fashion in today’s culture, so no matter his negative or positive critics, his eye for style is certainly admired.

Some of the apparel will include the NikeLab N98 Jacket x OR (Olivier Rousteing) and the Nike Top x OR. Judging from the pictures of pieces to expect, the collection will mainly involves black and gold on the shoes, jackets, tops and bottoms.

The Bailmain Creative Director is known for his sense of fashion, after styles from the brand have been all over the red carpet of huge shows such as the Grammy’s, Oscars and Golden Globe Awards. Kanye West and wife, Kim Kardashian-West were two of the first to be recognized in some of Balmain’s elegant apparel. You may have also seen Balmain in your school or city, due to the high fashion brand collaborating with H&M, selling out many different designs and pieces.

The collection goes on sale June 2nd, which is right before the European Championships, perfect to rock some new “cool and classy” sports gear.

Check out the high fashion, but sporty pieces below:

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The post Balmain’s Olivier Rousteing Collabs with NikeLab appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Beyonce has kept us captivated since the premiere of her visual album, LEMONADE over the past weekend. Now she’s back at it again this time with the kick off of her Formation World Tour.

After the premiere of LEMONADE, many speculated on the state of Beyoncé and Jay-Z‘s marriage, but Beyoncé put the talk to rest with her song selections throughout the course of the show and Hov was also front and center showing his support along with Blue Ivy.

The tour, which kicked off in Miami, Wednesday [April 27], featured an array of surprises, including Lil’ Wayne, 2 Chainz, Future and Yo Gotti opening the show to Beyonce “cutting it” on stage. But nothing compared to the amazing fashion Bey donned while doing what she does best: slay.

Bey debuted five brand new sexy bodysuits kicking things off in an amazing white Balmain leotard completely embroidered with French lace and featured gorgeous silk ruffle embellishments, with her sexy legs on full display.

On the opposite end of the fashion spectrum, while performing “Formation,” Bey rocked a custom all black Dsquared2 ensemble with sleek trousers and a cool jacket, topped off with a “Formation” music video-style massive black, wide-brim hat.

It wasn’t all high fashion all the time, as Bey debuted her new t-shirt design with her critics in mind.

Fans know that Bey always has the best fashion, the most amazing stages, and the most memorable moments and last night she proved that the Formation World Tour will be no different. Check out the amazing pics, right here.

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The post Check Out Beyonce’s Fashion From ‘The Formation Tour’ [Photos] appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Photo by Ryan Lyons/RESPECT.

It was a beautiful night on the rooftop of  the Wythe Hotel’s  bar  in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. We sat overlooking the entire city, engulfed in the rush of it all. Asaad’s decked out in all black; his head wrapped in a black bandana, O.G Jordans on his feet and leather En Noir shorts cover his legs. In between sips of a sweet moscato, we chat about future endeavors and the gritty hustle of the east coast. His hair is growing, but his beard is barely just a 5 O’clock shadow. It’s a slightly different aesthetic than we’re used to seeing from Philly, home of long beards, and wavy Caesar haircuts. There’s a new culture brewing.

Photo by Ryan Lyons/RESPECT.

Though Asaad’s surrounded by peers, he seems like he’s on a mission alone. He’s completely consumed by and passionate about his art. Sure, he finds time to dress in Balmain denim and rub Kiehls almond lotion on his skin, but that’s just the material glimpse of Asaad’s life, the glimpse that opposes his stories of a rough upbringing in North Philly– The period of his life he often mentions in his songs. Asaad’s upcoming EP, 006, is a supposed culmination of every work he’s put out before. According to him, the title holds multiple meanings: the age his father left home, his childlike outlook on life, and him coming in the game, as he says, “On some stealth James Bond shit.”

So, how’d  he get here? In 2012 alone , Asaad dropped some incredible bodies of work, each showing more musical progression than the last. One of his most poignant being the Dirty Middle Class EP. He mentions that he’s written for both Jaden and Willow Smith, using connections he made from being around the studio at a young age. Philly legend Black Thought is a mentor, and he’s been around for a lot of Asaad’s growth. His buzz has been growing in what feels like overnight, “I get a lot of calls from influential people. It’s great, but I like to take it with a grain of salt,” he says.

In his music, Asaad is like a hero from a vintage blaxploitation film. His raps are crude, yet inspiring. Materialistic, but gangster. Much of it is produced by him and his father. After reuniting, they decided to create a production company, Wasted Youth, where the music is crafted by his father and sprinkled with work from other musicians.

Listening to Asaad talk, there’s an obvious method to his madness, and a group of specific individuals he wants to inspire. “It’s high energy,” he says while overlooking the city, “And if people are receptive to it then they’ll feel it. If it shocks people than so be it.”

One day, Asaad hopes to be that hero for Philly. It’s apparent he wants to live lavish and chase beautiful women, but that’s not his only dream. “I just wanted to be the voice of Philly and show kids that you can be yourself. If you don’t want to shoot a gun, you don’t have to shoot a gun,” he says.

Photo by Ryan Lyons/RESPECT.

On his new 006,  He’s trying to get those kids to dream more. “The whole project itself is  just a dose of inspiration,” Asaad says speaking about his upcoming EP. “On the records, I just want the listener to really  understand that I come from North muthafucking Philly. The heart of North Philly.  The 1700-1800 block of Gratz Street.”

He’s inspired by many of the relationships he’s held in life. Whether it’s working relationships, his father’s absence during his youth, or even his friends and his neighborhood, he lays it all on the table like a deck of cards. The bad hand and the good hand. It’s obvious he’s willing to be the guy in the leather kilt who walks through the hood, spitting gems.

During his live show, in front of a smaller crowd during D.C.’s Trillectro festival, only a few fans knew all the words to his songs, but you can tell it won’t be like that for long. He pulls his friend Walt Fraze, on stage for their cold collaboration, “Holy Mountain.” These kids are raw and descriptive  of their environment. The energy feels right.

Asaad often represents his street now, way more than in his earlier work, Flowers. It seems as though after his first project, his market changed. On his record “ Black Kids Dream” he spits, “I don’t fuck with hipsters, I’m cooler with the thugs.”  But why? “Because of me,  my man from the street can talk to my other friend who’s a Billionaire. If I wasn’t here, that might not have happened, ” he says confidently. Even in North Philly, roses grow from the concrete.

Photo by Ryan Lyons/RESPECT.

The post The Rose That Grew From The Concrete: Philly Rapper Asaad Breaks Through appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.