If you’re feeling a little overwhelmed, songs without vocals are appropriate to reconcile the feeling. This week’s instrumental playlist is to unwind yourself, help you work on your creativity or just unravel the deep ends of your mind. Enjoy the peace and ambience of our personal favourite tracks.
The BaeWatch Series: Zamaera
Our BaeWatch this week is the feisty twenty-two year old rapper and singer-songwriter from Subang Jaya, Zamaera who recently performed at SneakerLAH 2017 featuring her second release “ Wanita” a few months after her breakthrough in the rap industry this year with her killer debut single “Helly Kelly”, repping Subang Jaya that stayed on the MET charts for six weeks straight. Zamaera’s versatility with her sultry vocals and ruthless bars in both Malay and English language is an evolution of her freestyle approach to the genres of R&B and Hip Hop. She has collaborated with acclaimed Malaysian rapper, Joe Flizzow and SonaOne. To top it all of, this bae also competed in Red Bull Blend 2016 last year, a rap cypher competition and named runner up, against 50 all male competitors.
How did you got into the rap game? Has it always been a dream of yours?
“Growing up, music had been an important part of my life and the environment I was brought up in really encourage being expressive so I would say songwriting was something I’ve always leaned towards to since a very young age.”
You recently went on your first Asia tour, how was the experience overall with two talented local artists, Airliftz & Alextbh.
“Surreal. Looking back, I’m still in disbelief that the tour happened. Mostly because Airliftz, Alex, Lyssa (best drummer ever) and I were barely acquainted before the tour but somehow, we clicked in an instant. All of them are so funny, talented and charismatic in their own way which made the experience very vibrant and enjoyable.”
Hip hop and street lifestyle both comes in hand. Tell us how your personal style reflects that.
“I would say hip hop and urban fashion are my current go to styles because the most exciting thing about streetwear is that it really defies certain guidelines of dressing which sometimes turn out to be iconic trends. Basically, when it comes to fashion, I like it when there are no rules.”
What are you trying to convey as a rapper?
“To relate, excite and inspire.”
What are your thoughts on the current hip-hop scene progression in Malaysia?
“It’s expanding into a wide array of talented artists and interested listeners. There are people who listen to hip hop now and don’t automatically associate the genre with the preconceived notions that it’s all about gangsterism, drug abuse or scantily-clad women. Hip hop began as a tool of expression for a subjugated society and I’m happy to see us Malaysians adopt the nature of that by touching on very real life situations i.e Aman Ra’s Budak Flat. People resonate to that because they feel the same way.”
What are your struggles as a female rapper in the male-dominated industry? Do you feel like you have to prove yourself more on behalf the minority of female rappers?
“I think the challenges I’ve faced as a person has taught me to not live in the opinion of others which leads to understanding that everyone has their own struggle regardless of gender and thus not needing to prove myself to anyone else except me.”
What advice have you learnt from other rappers in the industry?
“To never give up doing what you are most passionate about. That, really allowed me to reflect within myself and my surroundings eventually resulting in songs like “Helly Kelly” and my newest single “Wanita” which I’m particularly proud of to create an anthem for women, and men too, to remind that women are role models.”
What is your advice for new upcoming rappers from your own experience.
“Talent can only bring you so far. Nurture that talent. Read more to write more. Expand your vocabulary. Invest in yourself (time and money). Allow someone who has more knowledge to teach you so you can learn because even the greats never made it just on their own.”
Who are other ‘Hypebaes’ you adore and why?
Dato Seri Vida is the ultimate hypebae! A canny businesswoman that never fails to make me laugh when her videos pop up on my Instagram feed. She’s been through many challenges in life and yet is such an optimistic person. I would love to meet her one day. And Nana Haleeq, her discipline towards fitness is very motivating. She is definitely body goals.
CROSSOVER x OBSCR “Adore” Collection
Crossover has teamed up with the sportswear fusion brand OBSCR for its very own apparel line after the long wait. Jem, Founder of Crossover and OBSCR team members, Ethan and Bryan, who have been known for years and in once talking they shared the mutual desire thoughts and fortitude of cloth making. So, the first come in mind party to team up is OBSCR. The baseline while approaching designs is “back to origin”, they decide to take down the sportive element from OBSCR and initial wordmark of Crossover then rematch into the silhouettes. The project come in a petite range, there are Cryptic Pullover, Cryptic tee, Cryptic short & sock. The key piece of this project is the pullover, which manifests the signature of OBSCR’s reflective technique printing with Adore fonts at the back and stacks the wordmark of Crossover beneath. The painting and the Polaroid symbolizes the work of traditional and modern digital art. The painting is a chaos of clouds which interprets to reality how we use the sense of sight to admire clouds in the sky just like how we should admire a piece of painting or any form of artwork. Besides, the matching sweat short and tee are made for tendency uniform, the simple choice of daily wardrobe.
These essential collections will be available at Crossover Mid Valley, Crossover Sunway and Crossover Online Website from 27th October 2017.
The Chuck You’ve Been Waiting For “Converse Chuck Taylor II Flyknit”
Since Converse is part of the Nike inc the brand is often allowed to borrow some of technologies from Nike on its sneakers. It doesn’t have access to Flyknit just yet, but the brand does have some knit shoes coming out. The Converse Chuck Taylor 2 is seen here in new knit iterations featuring vibrant colours inspired by lighting arrangements at concerts. While the model doesn’t have Flyknit, it does have another Nike tech: Lunarlon foam appears in the sockliner to give the shoe a smoother ride unlike the traditional Chucks.
The Converse Chuck Taylor II Flyknit will be available only at JD Sport Pavillion.
Portland Trail Blazers’ Star, Damian Lillar Bounce Back In Latest adidas Dame 4
adidas release Portland Trail Blazers’ star Damian Lillard’s fourth signature sneaker, The Dame 4; features a full-length BOUNCE cushioning system and a grooved pattern traction outsole made for the quick moves Lillard makes on the court. The first set pays homage to the team Lillard has spent his entire NBA career with this far. The shoe features a sock-like comfort for movement stability. Along with a ventilated mesh upper and maximizes breathability while the supportive lace cables reinforced fit. Both models are constructed with adidas’s signature Bounce cushioning, allowing for better shock absorption.
Dubbed the “Rip City” colourway, sees the team’s red, white, and black combination colours on the mesh upper. The second “Legacy” colourway sports a cleaner look, an all-white iteration with a gum sole.
Get your Dame 4 pair now retailing at RM500 here or in retail stores.
The Fastest Marathon Shoe, Nike Zoom VaporFly 4% New Colourway
Nike Zoom Vaporfly 4% is proven to be the fastest marathon shoe than the previous version, Nike athletes Geoffrey Kirui, Galen Rupp and Suguru Osako, Edna Kiplagat, Jordan Hasay all wearing version of this shoe have won their races. The latest colourway drops in Bright Crimson. The performance runner is finished in a Seamless Flymesh upper with black accents tied down by Flywire cables, along with lunarlon cushioned supported by reinforced rubber. These runners comfort maximising ZoomX midsole and a full-length carbon plate to reduce energy loss during toe bend.
Expect this colourway to hit Nike official webstore and Nike retail stores, Thursday 26 October.
mastermind WORLD x G-SHOCK Frogman Diving Timepiece
mastermind WORLD has now revealed another new pairing which finds the much-hyped brand working with timepiece stalwarts G-SHOCK. Adding to a long and illustrious list of collaborators for mastermind JAPAN, this most recent hook-up sees the pair collaborate on reworking the Casio imprint’s Frogman watch.
With mastermind JAPAN having previously collaborated with G-SHOCK on other several releases, the new link-up marks the first time that the mastermind WORLD diffusion line has paired with the brand taking on one of the company’s signature watches.
Known as a quality diving timepiece with a focus on impact resistance to counteract underwater pressures — the collaboration sees a renewed focus on the Frogman’s aesthetic qualities. In addition to its high specs A sleek black colorway accented in luminous red with mastermind’s signature skull and cross bones logo ensures that the watch has as much form as it does function.
House in a specially-mad presentation case, the mastermind WORLD x G-SHOCK Frogman watch will be available for purchase on 27th October through Isetan The Japan Store in Kuala Lumpur.
New Balance 574 Sports Returns With In A New Colourway “Triple Red”
In addition to the Fall-inspired Wheat colourway of the New Balance 574 Sport, the modified classic now surfaces in another tonal offering.
This New Balance 574 Sports takes on the Triple Red colour scheme that may or may not have already died quite some time ago. The shoe features a synthetic nubuck upper with mesh detailing on the ankle and tongue. The “N” logo on the side panels is also done in red along with the midsole and outsole.
If you’re still a fan of all-red sneakers and you like the New Balance 574 Sport then you can pick up this Triple Red colourway at selected retailers now for RM469.
Snoopy Stars in UNIQLO’s Second KAWS x PEANUTS UT Collection
UNIQLO is back in the game and this time around today they’ve announces that it will release a second Peanuts collection for the UT (UNIQLO T-shirts) range with New York-based artist, KAWS.
UT is a key component of UNIQLO’s LifeWear range, and fuses fashion with authentic pop culture and art graphics from around the world as a tool for expressing the personality and values of wearers. LifeWear is innovative, high-quality clothing that is universal in design and comfort and made for everyone, everywhere.
KAWS is internationally renowned for his whimsical artistic aesthetic. The first KAWS × PEANUTS collection was a global sensation on its debut in April this year for the unique graphic settings created for Snoopy and his friends. The collection centerpiece is a casually cool Snoopy in an all-black hue.
Also available will be Snoopy plush toys in large and small sizes that feature KAWS’ signature cross-out eyes and are made with fabric that the artist himself selected. The collection will include women’s items in response to popular demand so couples and whole families can fully enjoy the fashions.
The worldwide rollout begins on Thursday, November 23. Items will be available for men, women, and kids at all UNIQLO stores and at the uniqlo.com online store.
NikeLab’s The Victorious Minotaurs Air Force 1 By Italian Fashion Designer, Riccardo Tisci
Nikelab teams up with the renowned Italian fashion designer Riccardo Tisci, an expert on fashion forward styles to celebrate his contemporary yet elegant touch to the basketball sport. The Victorious Minotaurs collection combined streetwear with Nike performance apparel which offers an off court collection also inspired by Greek mythology and the age-old tenet of good versus evil. Tisci played with the Air Force 1’s toe box and designed incorporating the American flag features on the toe box a new NikeLab x RT logo, also done up in red, white and blue – an ode to the NBA’s legacy.
The NikeLab X Riccardo Tisci – The Victorious Minotaurs and Air Force 1 will be available at nikelab.com on October 21.
