Vini Jr had on the Travis Scott x Air Jordan 1 Low “Pink Pack,” one of the more sought-after releases from Cactus Jack’s ongoing Jordan run. It’s a shoe that’s an instant grail among collectors since dropping. Pairs move fast whenever they surface on resale.

Jay-Z, meanwhile, was in the Virgil Abloh Archive x Air Jordan 1 “Alaska.” It’s one of the most talked-about releases of the year. It wasbuilt around Abloh’s original deconstructed design language in an icy, all-white colorway.

Between the exposed foam tongue and the branding, it’s a shoe that carries serious weight in the sneaker world beyond its retail price.

It’s not every day two figures from completely different corners of pop culture end up sitting together like this. One is a global soccer star fresh off big moments on the pitch, and the other is a hip hop mogul who rarely needs an introduction.

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Vini Jr x Jay-Z

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Seeing both pairs in the same photo is a moment on its own. Jay-Z has already made the “Alaska” a regular in his rotation, wearing it courtside at Madison Square Garden during the Knicks’ playoff run earlier this year, turning heads every time he showed up in it.

Vini Jr’s pick isn’t any less notable. The Travis Scott Pink Pack has carried serious hype since it first surfaced. Also it’s rarely spotted out in the wild like this, making the sighting feel even more special for anyone tracking the pair.

Two icons, two grails, one hangout. It’s the kind of pairing that instantly gets sneaker Twitter talking, and it’s easy to see why this photo spread as fast as it did.

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The post Vini Jr And Jay-Z Link Up, Both Rocking Rare Jordan 1s appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

The pairs on this list weren’t forgotten because they were bad. They were forgotten because the sneaker world moves fast and the loudest drops always win the headlines. Each of these collabs deserved more than they got. Here are the 10 most underrated Jordan Brand Collaborations of all time.

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10. Doernbecher x Air Jordan 5 “Isaac Arzate”

The Doernbecher Freestyle program has produced some of the most meaningful sneakers in Jordan Brand’s entire catalog. The 2013 Air Jordan 5 designed by Isaac Arzate is a very underrated entry in the series.

Arzate suffered a cardiac arrest on a basketball court in January 2012 at the age of 13, and the shoe he designed during his recovery at OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital channeled that experience into every detail.

Glow-in-the-dark panels, laser-etched artwork, and hidden messages across the upper made it one of the most technically detailed Doernbecher releases ever produced. It rarely surfaces in broader Jordan collab conversations.

9. Vogue x Air Jordan 3 “AWOK”

Jordan Brand almost never goes outside of sports or music for its collaborators. When it does, the results tend to be either forgettable or remarkable, and the Vogue AWOK Air Jordan 3 lands firmly in the latter category.

Anna Wintour’s involvement gave the project a legitimacy in fashion circles that Jordan Brand had never previously accessed, and the design reflected that ambition. Tweed uppers, metallic accents, and “AWOK” stitched on the heel made it one of the most visually unusual Air Jordan 3s ever produced.

Most hoopers had no interest in it, which was somewhat the point. The shoe pushed the AJ3 into runway territory and proved the silhouette could hold its own in a completely different world.

8. Nina Chanel Abney x Air Jordan 2

Nina Chanel Abney’s work sells for five figures in the fine art world, and her 2022 Jordan Brand collaboration brought that energy to a $300 pair of Air Jordan 2s. The High and Low editions featured her signature angular figures, vibrant color palette, and bold typography across the uppers, turning the shoe into wearable art in the most literal sense.

The collaboration also included an apparel collection with hoodies, jerseys, and sports bras that extended the project beyond footwear. Jordan Brand rarely collaborates with artists from outside the sports or music world, which made the partnership unusual.

In sneaker circles, the AJ2 silhouette consistently gets overlooked, which kept the collab from getting the attention it earned.

7. Aleali May x Air Jordan 1

Aleali May’s Air Jordan 1 collaboration from 2017 was one of the most creatively material-forward Jordan collabs ever made. It arrived during a period when AJ1 drops were reaching a fever pitch of attention.

The shoe combined corduroy, satin, and chenille across the upper in a way that felt genuinely experimental for a silhouette that tends to lean on leather. Its women’s-first positioning meant it received less mainstream sneaker press coverage than it deserved. Despite being one of the most thoughtfully designed AJ1s of the decade.

Resale values climbed significantly in the years after release as collectors caught on. But the cultural credit still hasn’t fully arrived.

6. Quai 54 x Air Jordan 5

Quai 54 is the world’s premier streetball tournament. It’s held annually in Paris and deeply tied to the intersection of basketball culture and global street style.

Jordan Brand has supported the event for years with exclusive apparel and footwear. The Air Jordan 5 collab is one of the strongest entries in that ongoing series.

The 2021 pair featured West African-inspired patterns on the insole and lining, a translucent sole, and red accents that echo classic Chicago Bulls energy. It’s a shoe with a genuine cultural story behind it that extends well beyond any single market. In the US, it was almost entirely slept on, which makes it one of the cleaner pickups in the entire AJ5 collab catalog.

5. SoleFly x Jordan Spizike

Miami-based boutique SoleFly built one of the most interesting early Jordan Brand collab stories in the catalog, and the Jordan Spiz’ike was where they really announced themselves. It was released in 2012 to celebrate the boutique’s second anniversary.

The shoe drew on Miami Hurricanes colors and brought a distinctly South Florida sensibility to one of Jordan Brand’s most unconventional hybrid silhouettes.

The connection runs deeper than most people know: SoleFly owner Carlos Prieto’s brother-in-law is Michael Jordan. That gives every SoleFly collab an authenticity that most boutique partnerships cannot manufacture.

4. Dave White x Air Jordan 1 “Wings For The Future”

British artist Dave White had built a reputation in the fine art world for his large-scale animal paintings before Jordan Brand came calling in 2011. The result was one of the most visually distinctive Air Jordan 1s ever produced.

It features a hand-painted lion illustration on the upper that referenced the Jumpman’s own lion imagery while adding White’s expressive brushstroke style.

The shoe released in extremely limited quantities and was tied to a broader art collaboration with the brand. Outside of dedicated collector circles in the UK, it barely registered in the broader conversation. Looking at it now, it remains one of the more creatively ambitious Jordan collabs ever produced.

3. Vashtie Kola x Air Jordan 2

The Vashtie x Air Jordan 2 is one of the most historically significant collabs in the entire Jordan Brand catalog, and almost nobody talks about it. Released on October 2nd, 2010, it marked the first time a woman had ever designed an Air Jordan.

It was a milestone that opened the door for every women’s collab that followed, from Aleali May to Nina Chanel Abney. Vashtie, a downtown New York City DJ, director, and designer, built the shoe around her

Violette clothing label, choosing a lavender upper with deep purple trim and metallic silver accents. It also happened to be the first Air Jordan 2 collaboration ever, predating Don C by five years.

2. Don C x Air Jordan 2

Don C has been a fixture in Chicago’s fashion and music world for decades. He spent years as Kanye West’s manager and co-founding RSVP Gallery alongside Virgil Abloh before launching his Just Don label in 2011.

His first Jordan Brand collaboration came in January 2015 with a quilted blue leather Air Jordan 2 that felt completely unlike anything the brand had released before. The quilted upper brought a luxury, almost furniture-like texture to a silhouette that rarely gets collab attention. The result was one of the cleanest Jordan partnerships of that era.

He followed it up with an Arctic Orange women’s and kids’ exclusive in 2017. But the blue original remains criminally underappreciated.

1. Public School (PSNY) x Air Jordan 12

Public School NY designers Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne brought one of the most refined and fashion-forward approaches to a Jordan silhouette that the brand had ever seen.

The first Dark Grey colorway dropped in 2015. It was followed by three city-exclusive editions in Wheat, Olive, and Bordeaux in June 2017. Each was released via Nike SNKRS Stash in New York, Paris, and Milan, respectively.

Premium uppers, tonal monochromatic builds, and PSNY branding on the tongue gave the Air Jordan 12 a quiet luxury treatment it had never seen before. Retail was $300, and it still flew under the radar. One of the most underappreciated Jordan collabs of the entire decade.

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This continues Nike’s ongoing run of Kobe Air Force 1 Protro releases tied to major moments in his life. This time, the tribute shifts away from basketball entirely. It leans into Kobe’s well-documented love for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

A light leather upper anchors the design, keeping things wearable rather than loud. Red baseball-style stitching runs across the seam connecting the mid-panel and heel, a detail also seen on the matching Kobe 5 Protro. That same stitching nods directly to actual baseball construction.

A snakeskin-textured Swoosh brings back the Black Mamba reference found throughout Kobe’s Nike lineup. On the heel, an oversized “8” continues a detail seen on past Kobe Air Force 1 releases, honoring the number he wore during the first half of his Lakers career.

Kobe’s connection to the Dodgers goes back years, with photos of him at games alongside his daughters becoming some of the more heartfelt images shared after his passing. Tying that memory into the Air Force 1 Protro line feels like a natural extension of Nike’s ongoing tribute efforts.

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Kobe Bryant x Nike Air Force 1 Low Protro “Dodgers”

This Air Force 1 isn’t dropping on its own. It launches the same day as the Nike Kobe 5 Protro “Dodgers,” giving fans a matching two-shoe release built around the same color story. Together, they form a fuller tribute to Kobe’s connection to Los Angeles sports.

It’s worth noting this isn’t an official Dodgers collaboration. The colorway draws inspiration from the team’s road uniforms without using licensed branding or logos. Nike has taken a similar approach with past team-inspired Kobe releases.

The shoe will be available through Nike and select retailers, including Foot Locker. Adult pairs run $150, with grade school sizing also expected at a lower price point. Given the pairing with the Kobe 5, expect plenty of collectors chasing both pairs together on release day.

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“Ooh, I don’t know,” she remarked, later speaking about her baby girl. “She’s so perfect. Like, I would. But then I’d be like, oof… That day was the best day of my life, but the most painful day of my life, too. So, I don’t know, I don’t know. We got to wait for her to get a little older. We got to revisit it… I will say this. I’m either gon’ be one and done or I’m gon’ have a tribe… It depends. If this business venture come through that I’ve been praying on, I’ll pop them out… I really wanted a girl real bad, so I got what I wanted.”

Elsewhere, Big Mama spoke on feeling amazing about being someone’s mother every day. But she also revealed she had planned to have an unmedicated water birth, but pulled out due to how painful it was.

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Latto & 21 Savage’s Relationship

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For those unaware, 21 Savage wants another baby with Latto. He recently shared a special message for her on Instagram while reacting to her snaps from her “Okayyy” music video with Doja Cat. “Can we have another 1 pleaseeeeeeeee [three heart-eyed emojis],” Savage wrote.

We will see if they take it slow or if they both get some serious baby fever. In any case, fans are very happy for the couple and are wishing them the best on this parenthood journey, wherever it takes them.

Elsewhere, Latto is still as head-turning as ever, as fans praised her new bikini pics following childbirth. With a tour on the way too, it’s been great to see her balance personal joy with career success. Hopefully that balance continues no matter how big their family gets.

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As caught by Bars on Instagram, Don changed the handle of his alternate IG account from @octanemountain to @activate_nitrous. This falls in line with his “Nitrous – Octane” world tour’s title. Not only that, but Toliver also took to his main account’s Instagram Story to share the alt page and get fans ready.

“Here we Go,” he wrote. “no better time than now.”

Speaking of that tour, the Cactus Jack artist has a whole 37-date second leg of it to go on in North America and Europe. It begins in just a couple of days, specifically on Tuesday (August 4) in Sacramento.

So some fans hope Nitrous will come out at some point during this run, which will wrap up on November 24 in London. Maybe that’s wishful thinking, but it seems like he’s been preparing for this second drop for a long time.

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Don Toliver’s Nitrous

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What’s more is that, according to some speculative fans, Don Toliver may have teased a Nitrous feature. In various social media posts celebrating the success of Octane, he shouted out Drake by quoting his “Ran To Atlanta” collab with Future and Molly Santana, as well as using it as the background music for these IG Story posts. One of them flaunted how Octane remains one of the best-selling rap albums each week, and so does ICEMAN.

Drake and Don Toliver have commercially dominated 2026, so a first-time collaboration this year could make a lot of sense. After all, they are both adept melodic crooners with a lot of versatility, and they have colleagues like Travis Scott in common.

As for a release date for Nitrous, none are in sight at press time. This will follow the high-speed and woozy direction of Don’s catalog so far, a trend 2024’s Hardstone Psycho crystallized. Hopefully it’s an even better project than the one fans have been bumping all throughout this year.

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The post Don Toliver Kicks Off Rollout For New Album “Nitrous” After “Octane’s” Success appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

As caught by Livebitez on IG, Mayweather captioned her Instagram Story post with “my friend,” tagging the artist. Previously, Jaidyn and Kai had posted close videos together on social media, although this seemed to be more promotional or strictly platonic.

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That’s because of how Bandz responded to Blueface’s mother accusing him of clout-chasing. “This is exactly why I told [Jaidyn] not to listen to y’all and to listen to me,” Karlissa Saffold remarked on IG. “That little boy was using her for clout. Now look at him, up over there… With NBA YoungBoy’s ex-girlfriend, moving onto the next little clout button. I told you not to let that little yellow boy use you. Y’all don’t listen to me, though.”

“Funk him Jaidyn he couldn’t even get in the club,” she wrote. “I was right again why [typo] don’t listen to me. He don’t like @yayasworld either.”

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In response, Kai accused Saffold of begging him to go on Jaidyn Alexis’ dating show. “Man ain’t nobody used Jaidyn,” he wrote on Instagram, as caught by BlueRockTeaTV on IG. “We was vibin & that was my ppls before alladis & still is [fingers crossed emoji]… but don’t act like you wasn’t trynna use me for that damn love show & kept blowin me up about it. u don’t talk about that tho.”

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Kai Bandz Responds To Karlissa Saffold

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To be clear, none of this outright confirms whether any of these people are in a relationship. We’ll see where the gossip train goes next.

Elsewhere, Jaidyn Alexis is still dealing with Blueface drama, and on the other hand, so is Yaya Mayweather concerning NBA YoungBoy. As for Kai Bandz, we will see if this relationship with Yaya lasts and how else he will address his dynamic with Jaidyn.

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The post Yaya Mayweather Hints At Kai Bandz Romance After Jaidyn Alexis Rumors appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

As caught by 2Cool2Blog on Twitter, the New York superstar took to the stage along with the newly wedded couple to perform his hit “I Get Money” as Hali and Jade jumped excitedly. The point guard rapped along to the song, and he made sure to emphasize Fif’s “I run New York” line. As such, you can see plenty of New York Knicks fans in the replies clapping back.

Haliburton led the Pacers to winning the Eastern Conference against the Knicks last year (and beat them the year prior in the playoffs). But Tyrese suffered an injury in Game 7 of the NBA Finals that many fans believe secured the Oklahoma City Thunder’s victory. He clearly still holds onto that Knicks victory, even after they won a championship this year while he was recovering from an injury.

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Tyrese Haliburton & 50 Cent Partying

Depending on how this NBA season goes, maybe Hali will reclaim dominance or Jalen Brunson and company will shut that down. Speaking of Brunson, he was at Spida’s wedding, which is ironic with all this context in mind.

For those unaware, 50 Cent’s praise of Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers in the past got him in a lot of hot water with New Yorkers and Knicks fans. After all, he should be supporting his home city against all opponents in their eyes. To be fair, this was during that Knicks series last year, so Fif had to give respect to those who beat his city.

We will see if this leads to more trolling between Hali and New York, as it seems like the Knicks found a new villain to root against last year. The Trae Young saga was fun, and now 50 Cent has added more fuel to the next challenger’s fire.

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The post 50 Cent Performs “I Get Money” At Tyrese Haliburton’s Wedding appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Some hosts really liked it, while others found it disappointing, underwhelming, or odd in other ways. However, as caught by CY Chels on Twitter, they all agreed the Philly MC gave a great performance on the cut.

Marc Lamont Hill and Ice thought “Nightmares To Dreams” was fire, but Parks asked if it’s weird or not to remix your biggest song. Budden agreed with him, with Parks saying it’s “not bad” but asking who else has redone their biggest song. Hill said there’s more precedent for this and that this feels more like a cover or an update, which Ice, Mona, and Ish agreed with.

But Joe wasn’t having it. Mona said it was odd to remix such a culturally significant classic, although she said Meek did a good job with the reimagining. Ice spoke on Mill’s independent journey and maybe wanting to garner more interest via this remix, comparing it to album sequels.

Parks said there could be another type of beat for the reimagining, and that the new song feels a bit diluted by not living up to the original. Joe Budden emphasized his Meek Mill fandom but argued the new song is nowhere near as intense or skillful as the original, and that it came too soon. However, he did praise the beat switch. Budden also wondered how this will play in a live setting, especially in comparison to the original.

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Meek Mil & Joe Budden

Joe Budden has criticized Meek Mill before, such as his Too Good To Be True collab album with Rick Ross. But this conversation shows he’s still a massive fan, just one with higher expectations as a result.

The JBP has also talked about Meek’s relationship with Jay-Z as of late, as recently as this February. Although this goes into some common criticisms of “Nightmares To Dreams,” it’s just one part of overall positive fan reception.

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The post The Joe Budden Podcast Argues If Meek Mill’s “Nightmares To Dreams” Is “Weird” appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

The Bronx femcee took to Twitter earlier today (Sunday, August 2) to react to this clip. More importantly, she denied she’s the woman in the video, and a lot of fallout ensued.

“Now where the hell I’m at in this video ?” Cardi asked. It doesn’t seem like she’s responded in any other way at press time, but some subsequent developments may become relevant in the future.

willwyd apparently posted another video of an alleged Cardi fight, but Twitter took it down. “GIRL DATS YOU IN DAT BANANA YELLOW WIG GETTING YO S**T PEELED BACK FCK YOU MEANNN????!!!” willwyd allegedly wrote. “HERE GO ANOTHER VID.”

“YALL KNEW TO KEEP IT CUTE & MASS REPORT THAT WAS YALL BEST BET,” willwyd shared in another tweet. “THIS AINT NO AKBAR OR BIA BIG WILLY & WILLNATION BANGS. YALL GOT THE RIGHT MFS.”

Folks reacting to this whole situation on the social media platform shared more alleged fight videos. It doesn’t seem like any of them have been explicitly confirmed, but that isn’t slowing down the debate.

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Cardi B’s New Song

Elsewhere, the mother of four will likely keep responding to not just Internet chatter, but also more serious beef with her opps. Most recently, Cardi B’s new song “Ah Ha” led to reignited tensions with Akbar V after Tia Kemp mocked her with the song when Akbar pulled up to her livestream.

Cardi said the song doesn’t target Akbar, but a response to V is coming eventually. As such, the timeline is full of debates and divisive discussions right now.

We will see if she has anything else to say about these alleged videos or the online hate against her. It wouldn’t be surprising given Cardi B’s history of clap-backs. But these are debates about physical confrontations, and hopefully we don’t get any more alleged examples of those.

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The post Cardi B Reacts To Viral Video Of Her Allegedly Getting Beat Up appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

The story behind this release ties back to March 8, 1998. Michael Jordan played his final game at Madison Square Garden as a Chicago Bull.

He wore the “Chicago” Air Jordan 1 High that night, scoring 42 points despite bloody feet from an older pair. That game later became one of the defining moments of ESPN’s The Last Dance.

Jordan Brand is also tying this release to something happening right now. The New York Knicks just won the 2026 NBA Championship, giving this drop a second layer of meaning tied directly to the city. Knicks superfan Fat Joe was even tapped to debut the shoe earlier this summer.

Getting early hands-on looks like this unboxing is rare for a release still weeks away. It suggests pairs are already circulating ahead of the official launch, whether through samples or early retailer allocations. That kind of leak usually only builds more anticipation heading into release day.

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Air Jordan 1 Low “Last Dance in the Garden”

The design leans on the classic “Chicago” color blocking fans already know. A white base carries red and black woven textile overlays, detailed with a floral pattern throughout. Metallic gold outlines the Nike Swoosh on both sides of the shoe.

Knicks blue and orange show up on the lace loop just below the “Nike Air” branding. The original Air Jordan Wings logo appears stitched into the heel, also finished in the metallic gold.

This will be a full-family release. Adult pairs run $140, big kids will be at $120, little kids come in at $80, and toddler sizing is priced at $65. It’ll be available through Nike SNKRS, Jordan Brand stores, and also other select retailers starting at 10 Eastern on release day.

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