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AJ Tracey on BRED, Britishness and The Beautiful Game
Whenever you hear AJ Tracey on the mic, you know he's representing West London.After bringing back UK Garage with Conducta-produced anthem “Ladbroke Grove” – a track that stamped his hometown with a Triple Platinum record –AJ and his West London friends and family have continued to set the pace for trends that the rest of the world have followed.Speaking from his home over Zoom, Hypebeast caught AJ in a reflective mood ahead of the release of his eagerly-anticipated third album. The rapper has been living it up in the build-up, where he's been shutting down tour dates all over the globe. But having just turned 30, AJ is at a different point in life to when he first blew up, with an increased sense of humility when talking about his journey so far.AJ’s meteoric route to the top of the UK ra...
YOASOBI Brought Tokyo Nightlife to Coachella
Journeying over 5,500 miles from the bustling streets of Tokyo to the barren desert of Indio, superstar J-pop group YOASOBI — Vocaloid producer Ayase and singer-songwriter Ikura — captivated the Coachella crowd last weekend with their tantalizing tempos.The unlikely partners first crossed paths via Instagram in 2019, forming YOASOBI (a Japanese word that translates to “nightlife”). “[We] try to immerse ourselves in the world of a story. This way, we can express a novel in the form of music,” they noted.YOASOBI quickly rose to local prominence thanks to their debut single “Yoru ni Kakeru” (“Racing into the Night”) going viral in 2020, topping the Billboard Japan Hot 100 for six weeks. However, they’ve since garnered a dedicated following worldwide thanks to their hit anime theme songs such ...
Our Five Takeaways After Driving the 2024 Rolls-Royce Spectre
We get it, there's a specific image when you're in a Rolls-Royce. The brand has become synonymous for elegance, luxury, timelessness and heritage dating back to the early 1900s. And it's not every day we get some serious seat time with one, but that's exactly what happened with the new Spectre.Announced back in 2022 and now making its way into owners' hands, the Rolls-Royce Spectre is the brand's all-new, all-electric two-door luxury coupé that's a far departure from the huge, hulking V12s of its near and far past. Beyond its striking looks and overwhelming presence, the all-electric RR is not all-show-and-no-go. Quite the opposite in fact: the Spectre's electric powertrain outputs the equivalent of 577 horsepower, 664 lb-ft of torque, and accomplishes 0-60 in 4.6 seconds. Technology behin...
Allow RiTchie To Reintroduce Himself
“I outgrew Ritchie with a T,” said Nathaniel Ritchie of the name he’s rapped under for ten years. “Now that I’m putting out solo music, I want to really identify with my stage name.”When the rapper kicked off his solo career last summer, he reintroduced himself as RiTchie – a switch inspired by fellow rapper Slauson Malone addressing him as “RiTchie” over text.Originally one-third of Injury Reserve alongside Corey Parker and Stepa J. Groggs – which then became ByStorm after Groggs’ death in 2020 – RiTchie has already amassed a substantial discography and devoted fan base from his work with prior groups. With a decade of Injury Reserve behind him and ByStorm still in the developing stages, RiTchie felt now was the time to unveil his debut solo project (itself 10 years in the making): Triple...
A Jury Didn’t Convict O.J. Simpson. Pop Culture Did It Anyway
The infamous man's obituary was written 30 years ago, in some ways. A Jury Didn’t Convict O.J. Simpson. Pop Culture Did It Anyway Liz Shannon Miller
Are the Glory Days of Coachella Behind Us?
From its origin as a music event inspired by Europe’s turntable resurgence to a bonafide cultural phenomenon that’s spawned major moments in fashion and music, Coachella should, ostensibly, be gearing up for its glitziest production to date as it nears its 25th anniversary. Originally launched in 1999 by the founders of production powerhouse Goldenvoice, the inaugural event drew in just under 40,000 attendees paying $50 USD a pop to the Empire Polo Club – still the festival site today By 2006, the polo club’s capacity was maxed out with around 120,000 fans in attendance each day, making it the US’s largest music festival.However, as Coachella celebrates a quarter-century, festivalgoers are debating whether the actual experience still stands up to its legacy. Coachella 2024’s April 12 kicko...
Nick Offerman Says Civil War’s Lack of Politics Is the Point
The Emmy-winning star tells Consequence that "If the film had political specificity, it would be a failure." Nick Offerman Says Civil War’s Lack of Politics Is the Point Liz Shannon Miller
Inside the Minds of Pro Skaters Eyeing the 2024 Olympics
In a little over 100 days, skateboarding will return to the Olympics after its 2020 debut, drawing in 80 athletes to compete across park – a hollowed-out concrete bowl with a kicker in the middle and a multi-height border full of rails – and street, a flat course dotted with handrails, ledges, and funboxes, kickers and more. Skaters in both contests will be judged on factors like the quality and difficulty of their tricks and their ability to use all of the obstacles on a course. With park, each will perform three individually-scored 45-second runs for a panel of five judges, with their highest score as their final mark. For street, skaters perform two 45-second runs and five single tricks. The scoring system for street has been overhauled for Paris 2024 so that now the best of the two run...
Hypeart Visits: Space Available Shapes a Sustainable Future Through Art-making
Nestled in Bali, Space Available emerges as a beacon of innovation, redefining our relationship with waste through art and design. Born from a quest for sustainability amidst the chaos of the fashion industry, Space Available's founder, Daniel Mitchell, embarked on a journey from London to Bali, confronting the global plastic crisis head-on. Out of this awakening, Space Available was born, evolving from a pandemic-induced pause into a force for change.Central to Space Available's mission is the Museum of Space Available (MOSA), a sanctuary where waste finds new purpose as symbols of creativity. Through MOSA, Space Available leverages Bali's physical presence to connect globally, using the internet to inspire collaboration and drive action. From the Circular Design Academy to the hands-on U...
Gary Card’s ‘People Mountain People Sea’ Is a Love Letter to Hong Kong
Ahead of Art Basel Hong Kong, Gary Card opened his first major solo exhibition at the city’s Oil Street Art Space – a community-oriented gallery space converted from a preserved heritage site. The London-based multi-disciplinary artist and set designer has produced work for fashion editorials and campaigns in the past, where he worked with notable names such as Louis Vuitton, Balenciaga, Comme Des Garçons, Gucci, JW Anderson, Vogue, and even Lady Gaga.The unique space is an amalgamation of contemporary and heritage that echoes its neighborhood, which is vastly populated both commercially and residentially. Inside this embodiment of contrasts, Gary Card’s People Mountain People Sea is perfectly situated as it explores the dichotomies between disposable and sacred objects via his arrestingly...
3 Body Problem Is About Saving Humanity. Does the Cast Think Humanity’s Worth Saving?
Benedict Wong, Liam Cunningham, Rosalind Chao, and more react to the show's biggest questiosn. 3 Body Problem Is About Saving Humanity. Does the Cast Think Humanity’s Worth Saving? Liz Shannon Miller
Here’s What We Liked About the 2024 Lotus Emira
It's coming. After its official launch in 2022 and subsequent difficulties getting it to pass the United States' strict EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) and CARB (California Air Resources Board) emissions regulations, the Lotus Emira has finally been cleared to be sold on our shores. Naturally, we had to experience one for ourselves.There's already a lot to like about the Lotus Emira. A sports-car at heart, its petrol-powered, supercharged, mid-mounted engine is literally music to petrolheads' ears, and its design is a breath of fresh air across an automotive market too hellbent on selling SUVs, crossovers, and hulking, metallic EVs. But the successor to the Evora has a lot to live up to, particularly with its just-under-six-figures price tag of $99,990 USD. We had a weekend with Lotu...
