April 29, 2009
Once upon a time -- about 20-plus years ago to be a bit more precise -- two heavyweights were introduced to the burgeoning world of hip hop: De La Soul and Nike. One a rap group, the other a corporation, both wielding powerful influence on the evolution of a then young hip hop culture. De La Soul injected the sea of gangsta rap with forward-thinking rhymes and colorful beats, while Nike introduced equally colorful and progressive sneakers that became staples in every hip hop-a-holic's wardrobe. After a few successful and well-suited collaborations between the two powerhouses in the past few years, De La Soul has debuted their latest, the fifth album in the Nike+ Original Run Series, titled Are You In? and available exclusively on iTunes. The 45-minute track, a collaboration with mashup duo Flosstradamus, is designed to flow with the pace of a seasoned runner. De La Soul’s Kelvin Mercer (a.k.a. Posdunous) talks sneakers, music, and the creative freedom of working with Nike as the group celebrates the 20th anniversary of their debut LP, 3 Feet High and Rising.


Now that Rafael Nadal has unseated Roger Federer as the number one seed, he's shifting into hot brand status, complete with a new look. Say goodbye to pirate pants and sleeveless tank. Since taking Federer at Wimbledon in July, the baseliner's management team is wasting no time in marketing his mojo in a
Adidas and Nike are facing off in a sneaker contest of Olympic proportions. As reported in the 
Jogging before there were iPods is like stalking before there was Google—how was it possible? Capitalizing on this aural fixation is Nike, who’ve commissioned some top athletes to coach runners while listening to custom-made playlists. Serena Williams’s mix boasts beat-thick tracks by Timbaland and Black Eyed Peas, while Lance Armstrong's favors riffs over raps with tracks by Weezer and Queens of the Stone Age, among others. The Nike Sport Music collection can be purchased on their