Ever since my grade school days, I always enjoyed the sound of the cello more than any other instrument I played. It’s really astounding to see so many cellos as the centerpiece of this group in addition to their decision to cover a modern pop song.

I’m in LA for the next 48 hours with Nike Basketball to see what they have planned for the NBA All Star game. More on that soon…

Although images of the Air Jordan 2011 have been floating around the internet for a month or so, we’re finally given an official look at the shoe today. Here’s an in-depth interview with the designers of the Air Jordan 2011. As always the newest model in the Air Jordan signature line releases during NBA All-Star Weekend on February 19th.

Atlanta tattoo artist Russ Abbott from Ink & Dagger in Decatur, completed a full sleeve tattoo over a span of three days. His client, Adam Machin a fellow tattooer from the UK, sat for a total of 24hrs of tattooing.

The new Nike Basketball campaign features Kobe Bryant & his new shoe, the Zoom Kobe VI, as well as an array of guest appearances. The “movie” was also a collaborative project with esteemed director Robert Rodriguez. This is the 1st official trailer for the movie campaign, and I’m sure there’s more to come. The release date for the film is February 19th, 2011 during NBA All Star Weekend in Los Angeles.

I picked up my pair of Nike Zoom Kobe VI [Del Sol/Black] on release day from Nice Kicks, in Austin, TX over the holidays. If you’re a sneakerhead living in the US, you should get familiar with Nice Kicks. Located deep in the heart of Austin, TX, they’ve been serving The South for a few years now.

If the name sounds familiar, chances are you’ve probably stumbled upon their website, NiceKicks.com before, or you’re already an avid reader of the site. They manage to run a quality shop and update their world-famous website with up-to-date features multiple times a day. The owner, Matt Halfhill, must have a great team around him. He’s doing it right!

If so, share your story at the Marcus Troy & Nike Sportswear Mavericks microsite. I uploaded my maverick story and was surprised to see it on the site immediately. Maybe every submission is automatically approved, but it’s still pretty cool to see yourself digitally represented among movers and shakers. It seems that Marcus will choose a maverick to win a pair of his Bespoke Air Force 1 sneakers… too bad, bc I already have my own!

This dude Evan Roth just melted my face with his Girl Talk on Girl Talk mashup. This takes Girl Talk’s Night Ripper and beat-matches it with his previous album, All Day. Whaaaa?!?

One of my favorite bands ever, The Dismemberment Plan, has reunited for a brief East Coast tour that I’m sad I will miss. They used to come through Atlanta all the time and my college buddies and I would go to all of their shows in the Southeast. The Plan appeared on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon last night and they’re performance was just like I remembered, only now Travis Morrison has a beard and he mixed up the timing on some of his verses. I’d die for the chance to catch them this weekend in Washington, DC.

Rumor has it that they might be playing at The Roots Picnic. ?uestlove is a fan!

Carl Winslow!!!

Nike Sportswear x Steven Alan Air Zoom Toki

I’m loving the most recent collaboration between Nike Sportswear and New York-based designer Steven Alan. You can dress these sneakers up or wear them in casual situations without thinking twice. Alan’s signature “classic with a twist” aesthetic is applied to 4 classic silhouettes from the Nike archives; the Air Zoom Toki, Air Max Talache Low AC, Air Zoom Lava Dome, and Air Zoom Magma AC.

Alan’s process involved stripping each style down to its basic form, adding premium materials such as suede and canvas, and implementing functional details such as the Dynamic Fit ankle insert found on the Air Zoom Toki model. He finished the collection off by adding urban tones ranging from grey, black and white to caramel, dark cinder, and obsidian.

The Nike Sportswear x Steven Alan collection will be available at Steven Alan locations nationwide and at StevenAlan.com starting January 20, 2011.

I applaud Nike’s openness to allowing designers to redefine classic models in their own aesthetic. Maybe one day they’ll open the vault up to yours truly!

Check out the rest of the Nike Sportswear x Steven Alan collection after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »