Cormega and the BDD Interview, part 2

The BDD interview series was conceived with the intention of getting opinions on basketball and basketball culture from the perspectives of those outside the game's typical realm. For the inaugural edition, we reached out to Queensbridge emcee Cormega. In part one, he covered the Knicks and Allen Iverson's exile from the NBA. Part two concludes the interview by addressing fake vs. real sneakerheads, Air Jordan XX8's and Mega's next album, Mega Philosophy.

Photo courtesy of Cormega

I know you’re a sneakerhead and you had a line with Pro-Keds. How did that come about?

That came about through my guy Peter, who worked at Pro-Keds. Basically I just networked. I look at myself as a brand, not just as a rapper. I know that I’m a sneakerhead. Like, a real sneakerhead. A lot of these guys get it confused. They think they can buy Jordans and maybe an Air Max or two, and think they’re a sneakerhead. You’re not a sneakerhead; you’re a loyal customer to Nike.

A sneakerhead knows sneakers. I know Dominique Wilkins, in his prime, he played with Brooks sneakers on. Xavier McDaniel wore SpotBilt [by] Saucony, and he made those hot. Bird wore Converses and Magic wore [Converse] Weapons. Bernard King wore Converses and Jordan wore Converses as a Tar Heel. He wanted to wear adidas. Mutombo had adidas. Olajuwon had some fly Etonics. When you look at my shoe collection you’ll see Avias, you’ll see Reebok Pump, adidas, Nike, Pony, Puma. I’m a sneaker connoisseur so when the opportunity came for me to network with Pro-Keds, the guy was impressed with my knowledge of sneakers, especially with some Pro-Keds. I had some old school Pro-Keds that I brought to show him that they didn’t even have. He saw that SLAM Magazine did a story on me and had a picture of me with all my sneakers. They respected that and we just did a run and it just kicked ass. Everybody wanted them joints.

Now I gotta see what my next phase is. My wish is to do something with New Balance. I didn’t do anything with them [yet], but they showed me a lot of love. I definitely want to do a sneaker one day. The first sneaker I designed was actually an Air Max. When I went to London years ago, they took me to the Nike facility and let me do my own iD. I was going to try to mass produce those, but I never did, so I definitely want to do a sneaker in the near future.

What’s your latest sneaker purchase?

The latest sneaker that I purchased was a pair of shell-toe adidas. I wanted all-black shell-toe adidas.

OK.

Nope! I’m lying. (laughs) The latest sneaker that I purchased was the cool grey, number IX Air Jordans.

How many sneakers do you have in your collection?

I don’t even know. I know I have every Air Jordan out of all the numbers, except I’m not getting that XX8. The XX8 is, like, disrespectful to the whole lineage. They should have never done it.

I was going to ask you about that. Russell Westbrook debuted them in a game. They have the sleeve like the old Gary Payton sneakers.

Those shits are an atrocity. That’s like greed right there. As a sneaker collector, I was at ease when they said the XXIII would be the last one. Then they made the year ones, and I don’t take those as serious because those aren’t numbered. I have all the numbers.

Actually, on NiceKicks.com, they had a list of the rarest Jordan sneakers and I was shocked that I have a shitload of those. I have a lot of those. In Jordans alone, I have… I don’t know. I have close to 50 or over 50 Air Jordans alone. I know New Balance, I have dozens of those. I have dozens of shell-toe adidas, adidas Superstars. I have shitloads of Pro-Keds, obviously, because of my relationship with them.

I don’t even know how many sneakers I have, but I’ll tell you one thing. I’m feeling like a glutton, so what I do is I give a lot of sneakers away every year.

When he had a Twitter account, Gilbert Arenas used to give his sneakers away on Twitter. Is that something you’ve done?

I’ve never given sneakers away on Twitter, but what I do do, is a lot of the times I go back to the hood. I go back to Queensbridge or wherever I’m going and [there are] some dudes I give my sneakers to. Sometimes I might do a show and I might just say, “Fuck it,” and might give my sneakers away. Right now, I’m about to go to England. I’ll be out there within the next 10 days. When I go out there, the clothes I take with me I’m just going to give away, and then I’m always just donating clothes, like to clothes drives and stuff like that.

That’s something I typically do, but a lot of my friends that I grew up with are also spoiled by me because I always get spoiled with sneakers, and I get tired with sneakers and give them away, so some of my friends from when we were kids will still call me like, “I know you’ve got some sneakers you don’t want,” and I’ll just start laughing and be like, “Aight.”

I give away a lot of sneakers. I gave away a shitload of Timberlands, also. I like to give away stuff because I’m blessed. Like when you were saying what was the last sneaker that I purchased, you know why it took me so long to answer? Because I’ve gotten… Like, I got a pair of the Pennys. The Penny Hardaway Flight Ones, the ones that glow in the dark. Those are super rare. I just got those the other day as a gift, so when you say what was the last sneaker I purchased, I had to think for a second because there’s times I’ve been given incredible sneakers as a gift. That’s why I give away sneakers, too, because I’m blessed. And clothes. I get clothes from people.

As my friend told me the other day, he’s like, “You’re a tastemaker, Mega.” I never looked at it like that. My friend, he’s an artist. He’s an incredible artist, too. He goes, “Mega, you’re a tastemaker” and I didn’t even know what ‘tastemaker’ means, to be honest with you. My friend was like, “A lot of stuff that you do, people copy but they get the credit for it because they’re more popular.” Like, Penfield jackets were super popular last year and the year before that, but if you look in Prodigy’s book [My Infamous Life: The Autobiography of Mobb Deep's Prodigy], I have one on. The one in Prodigy’s book is the one that everybody was going crazy over recently, and the book’s picture was from 2008, so I’ve been wearing those for years. I was wearing the old school Gazelle-looking glasses, big glasses, before everybody. I was wearing Mitchell & Ness and the owner, Pete, was like, “Mega was like the first rapper that was strictly wearing my stuff.”

I could go on for days. Certain stuff that I’m liking, I wear it while I wanna do it and people will jump on it, so that’s why my friend was like, “You’re a tastemaker.” I think a lot of brands and companies, some of them see that and give me clothes and stuff like that. Being that I get free clothes, I like to give stuff to people because I get stuff. That’s how I keep from not being a hoarder. So I give, I receive and I give.

You mentioned Mitchell & Ness and you said you get a lot of clothes for free. Are you thinking of doing a clothing line since you’ve already done a shoe line?

I’ve actually done shirts before. I did a shirt, years ago, that was selling in boutique stores. A t-shirt. It was expensive, too. It was going for like $60 and it did fairly well. So I did a shirt and the Pro-Keds. I did a collaboration with a skateboard company called Raw New England. We did a skateboard, t-shirt and hat commemorating the 10-year anniversary of my first album, The Realness. Everything sold out. If somebody were to say, “Mega, give me your hat right now and I’ll give you $100 for it,” I would have to give them my hat. Like, there is no more. That shit did way better than anticipated. I did something with another company called 8 And 9 that has incredible shirts and stuff. I did a few things, though. Designing is definitely something I want to do.

What are you most excited for: the Knicks’ season, designing or Mega Philosophy?

Aww, man! Designing is definitely not going to be up there with those two. Mega Philosophy and the Knicks probably tie. I’m extremely excited about the Knicks, but the only thing is, I don’t know if the Knicks are gonna win it all, but Mega Philosophy – I can’t lose with that. I could bet my money on the Knicks and maybe they’d lose in the Finals or at least they’d lose in the playoffs, but with Mega Philosophy, I’m not gonna lose. I’m not talking about sales-wise. I don’t know what kind of sales [it will have], I’m talking about creative-wise, it’s an incredible process, and I’m not talking about from my point of view.

Artists, we never play our shit for other artists before it’s done. We just don’t [but] I played it for Roc Marciano, I played stuff for Saigon, Chuck D. [of Public Enemy], DJ J-Love [and] Craig G. I played it for my man Crook. He has that site AntiSellout.com. Some of the response was so good that I forgot… The response was so crazy that I got offended. My man was like, “Yo, this shit might be better than The Realness,” and it felt like blasphemy when he said that, like, “Is he kidding me?” Then somebody else said that shit, and then somebody else said, “This might be Mega’s best shit.” I’m like, “Damn.” So when people started saying that, I looked into it. I’m not saying it’s my best shit, but growth-wise, it’s not anything that people today have anticipated. I don’t know if you’re familiar with the song “M.A.R.S.” [produced by Large Professor; featuring Action Bronson, Roc Marciano and Saigon] that we leaked last year.

Yeah. I am.

The reaction to “M.A.R.S.” was so crazy, that shit had one of the biggest buzzes and feedback of last year. I’m talking about in rap, period. There were labels that were like, “I’ll give you a deal for that type of shit right there,” and “M.A.R.S.” isn’t even the best song on Mega Philosophy. It’s not even the second best, so I was like, “Wow!” I’m real excited about Mega Philosophy.

That’s all Large Professor, right? Is he on the mic at all?

Large Professor did all the production. I’m trying to get him on the mic. He’s like, “Mega, I’d like to get on there, I just want you to do all the rapping,” so as of now, Large Professor is not on it. I’m trying to get Chuck D. on my album because I’ve got a song where I’m talking about social things and who better than him [to talk about that]? I’ve got Redman on there, which is like an achievement for me. That’s my man; that’s my friend. I knew him for years, but as a fan, it’s also like, “Wow, I got Redman on my album.” The fans are excited about that. I’ve got AZ. People are used to that. I’ve got Styles P. I’ve got a song with Black Rob that’s dope. I’ve got a solo record with Nature that’s fuckin’ dope, and I think that’s all the features I have. Like I said, I might want to get Chuck D. on that. I might want to get one more feature.

I have a song where I’m talking about the [music] industry. Just remember that when I say I have a song about the industry. I guarantee you’ll come back to me on that one like, “Mega, you were right. The song about the industry is the realness.” It’s gonna work some nerves for some industry people.

One more question: You and Large Professor. One-on-one to 15 points. Who wins?
In basketball? I’m kickin’ his ass! That’s my man, but I don’t care!

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Nike-Sponsored Squads Set For Elite Event in 2017

Nike-sponsored schools will square off in a two-tournament event featuring college basketball's elite in 2017 (nikeblog.com)

It's not too early to look ahead to the 2012 college basketball season, which is three months away. But how about looking ahead to 2017?

Thanks to Michigan State Athletic Director Mark Hollis, the best early-season college basketball tournament won't take place in Maui or Madison Square Garden. This tournament will take place in Portland, and the star power represented by the schools is fitting given the star power of the sponsor they are celebrating. 

According to Andy Katz of ESPN, Hollis was able to receive commitments from 16 Nike-sponsored programs to play in a two-tournament event held over four days in November 2017. This is in celebration of Nike co-founder Phil Knight's 80th birthday, which is the following February.

The premise itself is enticing — having teams sponsored by the same company compete against one another — but it's the programs represented that will make college hoops fans' mouths water. 

The tournament will include a mix of blue bloods (Kentucky, North Carolina, Duke, Michigan St.), as well as power-conference representatives (Florida, Ohio St., UCONN, Georgetown, Texas, Oklahoma, Stanford and Oregon), and some choice mid-majors (Xavier, Butler, Gonzaga and Portland).

Let that sink in for a moment. No matter the combination of seedings, elite programs will have a hard road to win these two tournaments. Unlike other early-season tournaments, there is no Chaminade in the quarterfinals. Even the "mid-majors" are no one to mess with. This event is loaded from top to bottom.

That's what fans want to see. Why else would this event even be a topic of conversation five years early if it wasn't big? The third game of the year against Towson isn't circled on any calendars. If you think your team is better than Duke, and the team doesn't play in the ACC, then you're excited to play the Blue Devils and find out if you're right. 

This not only is a win for fans and for the teams — this should help boost the RPI at the end of the year — but imagine what this does for Nike. It's hard to say which is more impressive:  that Nike sponsors all of these teams or that, when Hollis came calling with the idea, everyone said yes. The king of sports apparel and marketing will have its name on the biggest regular-season basketball event of the year, maybe even the decade, while every player on the court wears its equipment. 

The only downside is this won't take place for another five years. It's unlikely these teams will plummet to mediocrity during the waiting period, so if this upcoming season is any indication, college hoops fans are in for a treat in 2017.


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Andrew Wiggins is a Youngster to Know

Andrew Wiggins sees something he likes. (Sholten Singer/Huntington Herald-Dispatch)

There’s no way to nail down whether or not a marvelous college basketball career will translate into a productive professional term. Adam Morrison – he of numerous award nominations and wins during his time at Gonzaga – is proof enough of that. Sure, he coasted through two title runs with the Los Angeles Lakers, but Morrison just finished toiling in summer league and, in all likelihood, will not play a minute in the NBA this upcoming season – significant or not.

Likewise, college recruiters lack a definitive deductive method to find the next Naismith or Wooden Award winner. But considering the summer that Andrew Wiggins is having, it’s worth knowing his name, at least.

The latest addition to the class of 2014 representative’s ledger is a strong showing at Nike’s Peach Jam. Facing some of the toughest prep-level competitors in the country, Wiggins averaged 8.9 rebounds and 21.9 points on 47.8 percent shooting while leading his AAU team, CIA Bounce, to a second-place finish.

In the tournament championship, Wiggins outkicked his averaged and went off for 28 points with 13 rebounds. If the numbers alone aren’t impressive, the Canadian small forward – who plays school ball for West Virginia’s Huntington Prep – did the work against Julius Randle, the No. 2 ranked player in the class of 2013. At 6’8”, 235 lbs, Randle has half an inch and 35 pounds on Wiggins. His size wasn’t an advantage on either end of the floor, as Wiggins also bothered him defensively.

Basketball runs in the Wiggins family. Andrew’s father, Mitch, logged six years in the NBA and has gone on record saying Andrew can’t hold court with his older brothers (Mitch Wiggins, Jr. played at Hillsborough Community College and Nick Wiggins will be a Wichita State Shocker this fall, after two solid years at Wabash Valley (Ill.) College).

Sibling rivalry and paternal direction certainly have places in Andrew Wiggins’ story. ESPN has the rising junior pegged as the No. 1 player in his class, and Jeff Borzello of CBS Sports already has Andrew slated to be the top overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft. Still, he's entering his third year of high school and has more to learn. His foul on a three-point shooter with 1.9 seconds left essentially lost his team the Peach Jam title.

He’s quick, athletic, and hyped – but with so much uncertainty, a couple highlight reels are all Andrew Wiggins has to his name right now.


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Nike Ad Chronciles LeBron's Path to a Title

By: Alex Skov

Well, that didn't take long. One of Nike's premier clients won his first NBA championship last night, and the shoe-company-cum-basketball-overlord capitalized by airing the above advertisement shortly after the Miami Heat clinched a five-game series against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Nike's connection with LeBron James extends back years, and to say that the company's admen have been waiting for King James to have some bling to compliment his crown would be an understatement. With the addition of a couple seconds' footage of a newly ordained champion, Nike rolled out an ad that follows James' path from Akron's St. Vincent-St. Mary High School through some perfunctory highlights from his early Cleveland Cavaliers days, before picking up steam by capturing moments from his coming out party as a major player against the Detroit Pistons in the 2007 Eastern Conference Finals then giving time to LBJ's first two ill-fated Finals appearances.

For one viewer in particular, it pays off. Needless to say, it works out alright for LeBron, too. The heft of the Larry O'Brien trophy, the tug of gravity on his championship ring -- it's the weight of the world coming off James' shoulders. New criticisms will surely replace old ones, and more titles will be expected with an initial championship secured. But for now, the young man will celebrate. So will Nike.


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