Just recently the highly anticipated Cactus Jack Air Force 1 sneakers by Travis Scott were released on a number of websites. The hype came from the limited supply and unfortunately some many people missed out on snagging a pair for themselves. This has been a trend with all of his sneaker releases like the “Sail” Air Force 1s, and “Travis Scott” 1s. The sneakers sell out almost immediately and the resale price is anywhere between 2 times-6 times the sale price.
The Sail Air Force 1s are beautiful and unique shoes from toe to heel. To begin with, this is a pair of shoes you can wear with just about any outfit because of the basic off white hue. The shoe is lined with 3m ( material that reflects in iridescence when you take a picture using the flash) which makes these shoes look almost cosmic in photos. My favorite feature about this shoe is the customization factor. You have the option to change the Nike swoosh and the patches on the shoe laces. This invites the opportunity for individuality; every shoe has the potential to be one of a kind. It also opens the door for a number of original fashion ideas for each consumer. Even the bottom sole is worthy of mention. It has a gum bottom, donning a very distinct shade of brown that compliments the sail color way perfectly.
The Cactus Jack Air Force 1s, so far have been the most unique and the appealing. This shoe consists of 3 different shades of blue and muted beige inspired by his Houston roots. I have to respect that he pays homage to his hometown through his sneaker color scheme. It gives the sneaker more meaning. The zipper feature on the shoelaces was inspired by the Nike Glove which includes a zipper at the top. As of right now, these are selling for almost $900 because of the limited supply. These sneakers are one of as kind and I don’t anticipate Travis Scott designing a pair like this again, which is why the resell is incredibly high. Hopefully I can snag this pair but WE WILL SEE.
Monthly Archives: November 2019
RCL 7: Will smartphones lead to our demise?
Will smartphones be our downfall? To this I say absolutely. The most recent census shows 42.63% of the world’s population owns a smartphone. While this seems underrated, it truly is an astoundingly high percentage. Having immediate access to just about anything eliminates the need to think and something that may take five minutes to complete seems like an eternity for people so accustomed to instant gratification. It is becoming a clear issue when dealing with sustained effort or simple patience; young people, especially the millennials don’t have the capacity for either. If they can’t figure it out in a moment’s time, it wasn’t that important in the first place, and if something takes too long, why bother? Unfortunate, but true in many cases.
Another issues that derived from the smartphone is the use of social media. Helpful and productive in many ways but in excess can be dangerous. So many people nowadays rely on media posts and blogs and they never check the validity of anything. A movie coming out called The Mandela Effect, deals with this exact thing. Someone says or posts a rumor that sounds believable and it immediately catches on. Before anyone even cares to realize, its as though history has been re-written. Something insignificant but a clear example of this is the cover of the Monopoly Box. Everyone “remembers” the “Monopoly Guy” with a magnifying glass by one eye. How can we recall this if it never was real? Someone said or posted this and just as explained, it changed everyone’s memory.
If you haven’t noticed yet, the information we have access to isn’t always true. Stories and ideas are planted online and have caused mass hysteria. Approximately two months ago someone posted on a website that an asteroid was hurling through space and directed at Earth. It was supposed to impact our plant this month. Things like blogs and snippets of information thrown out into cyberspace can be harmful; mostly because we believe it without question. But what if something else spreads like wildfire, something involving the U.S and rival countries? Our impulsive reflex to accept is as fact is dangerous. The meaning behind this picture, or as I interpret it, is that what we see on our phones is fact. And whatever the media chooses to present to us, they know we will bring it into our worlds and perpetuate its existence. They control what we believe.
The spread of disinformation can crumble our country . A false statement can be said, a false allegation can be made, a false topic can be introduced, etc. and even if it is lately deemed false, the seed has already been planted. The lie is the first thing everyone heard so it is the last thing everyone will remember. Hypothetically, what if someone formulates a rumor that Russia wants to nuke us and creates fake statistics, doctors some videos, and makes fraudulent proclamations? Mass hysteria hits, government reacts and war begins. This is the abridged version, and a little extreme, but it could happen.
Look at North Korea, the government and the people are brainwashed to hate the U.S. They pray for us to get bombed one day. Why is this? Because of censorship and the implementation of false news/media flowing throughout their socialist country. And why do we hate them? Because we are told of the atrocities committed by their dictator in news feeds and on social media. Do do we really know what’s going on over there? All we know is what comes from the media and the internet, we truly don’t know as individuals what is actually happening. Now, when it comes to N. Korea, stories and sources have been authenticated, but this serves as an example that we gain much of our knowledge from reading something on the internet and never actually seeing it for ourselves, yet we believe it, have opinions about it, and even speak with authority about it. How can any of us speak with authority about anything we haven’t seen or experienced ourselves? That is what the media and technology has produced in us. Instead of spreading the nonsense, we need to start questioning it; we must stop believing everything the media tells us but instead, challenge it and seek the truth. History cannot be rewritten, it must maintain its integrity. Media and technology have no right to corrupt this. And although the phrase, “history repeats itself” is always received with negativity, I don’t think it does in this case because we need another Enlightenment-esque period or something. BUT… will we ever discover what truth really is? Haha that’s for another time. Enjoy reading this and please give me your feedback on this topic.
PSA: This is just my take on our current state of the media/technological revolution that we are currently living in. Yes I think we are living during a time of rapid technological advancement, therefore I consider it a revolution, don’t argue with me.
PAS 7: Travis Scott Hot Remix
Very recently there have been rumors regarding a new Travis Scott remix for his song “Hot” with Young Thug and Gunna. This song has been heard playing in numerous clubs while Scott has been seen enjoying the fruits of his labor. Most of his fans are not at all surprised with the news because collaboration between Scott and Young Thug is nothing new. They have collaborated on several big hits over the years. However, a remix is always exciting, especially when it involves two major names in the rap game.
While the rumors circulate, fans are always on the prowl searching for a chance to hear the song before it is released. More often than not, the news songs are leaked through an underground website and true fans have access to the song days or even weeks before it was intended. I am definitely one of these fans, and even though we miss the anticipation and excitement of hearing it for the first time in all of its grandstand, it still is pretty cool to know about something before anyone else; it’s like being part of an exclusive club with only a select number of members.
Beyond it’s availability, the song itself is everything that was expected. It is HOT HOT HOT. From the title to the sharpened beat, to the addition of Scott, the song does not disappoint. This track has been on the Billboard’s top 100 for several weeks now and judging by its growing fame, it will definitely climb to the top of the charts.
The song is a solid 9 out of 10. It is fluid in its harmonies like before and with Scott’s ad libs and full vocal contribution the song has new life. Because his verse takes some time to air, 3 minutes into the song exactly, you might find yourself ignoring the other verses and just waiting for his, but once you listen a few times, you realize that Scott’s addition isn’t he best, it just perfectly balances the other parts and brings it all together. When compared to the original now, it feels like something is missing. Scott filled that void because this remix is one of the best recently made.
Young Thug’s part and Gunna’s is much longer than Scott’s but once Scott, who only raps for one minute, runs on the beat, the true star is revealed. Young Thug and Gunna are very talented but Scott has a quality about his presence and his lyrics that is unmatched. In my opinion, in his one minute, Scott stole the show.
Travis Scott is rapidly evolving by altering his flows, harmonies, lyrical themes and approaches which is creating a more versatile artist. It is as though he is following in the footsteps of another talented musician, Drake who is arguably the best in the rap game to date. With every new song, new album, new remix, or even stage appearance, Scott is either reinventing himself or perfecting what he’s already done. Travis Scott is one of the most relevant rappers of this generation and through the efforts we see him making musically, he is making sure he stays relevant for much longer.