S. Samuel
Rap mogul Jay-Z has finally opened up on his new Brooklyn Nets logo and what ultimately inspired the latest Big Apple sports fashion craze.
According to Young Hov, the design is influenced from local subway trains.
With this new Nets move, Jay-Z and Nets brass looked to the past in order to ensure the team’s place in the future. Vintage New York transit system signage served as their chief inspiration. “It was really a take off the old subway signs, if you look at the old subway signs they were in black and white. It was that strong, beautiful, iconic black and white,” Jay said. “I wanted to pick something that would stand the test of time and be here forever.” (MTV)
A few weeks ago, the buzzing logo was officially unveiled at a public gathering.
The Nets began settling into their new neighborhood Monday, unveiling new colors and logos at a sporting goods store on Flatbush Avenue, across the street from its soon-to-be-completed home arena, the $1 billion Barclays Center. “Hello Brooklyn,”‘ center Brook Lopez said. “I’ve been waiting a long time to say that. It’s very exciting.” Lopez was joined by coach Avery Johnson, General Manager Billy King, Bruce Ratner, the real estate developer and minority owner who was the catalyst behind the team’s relocation, and Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz. (Sports Illustrated)
While co-signed by many, the iconic image stirred a negative reaction from New York Post columnist Phil Mushnik.
“As long as the Nets are allowing Jay-Z to call their marketing shots — what a shock that he chose black and white as the new team colors to stress, as the Nets explained, their new “urban” home — why not have him apply the full Jay-Z treatment? Why the Brooklyn Nets when they can be the New York N——s? The cheerleaders could be the Brooklyn B—-hes or Hoes. Team logo? A 9 mm with hollow-tip shell casings strewn beneath. Wanna be Jay-Z hip? Then go all the way!” (New York Post)
Despite his controversial remarks, Mushnik later said he stood by his words.
“I’m never comfortable using that word [n*gger]. That’s the way I was raised. Shame on my parents,” a sarcastic Mushnick writes. “The ONE time I spelled it out – for accuracy – I was widely condemned as a racist. So either way, I’m a bigot. I know what’s in my heart and my head, the way I was raised, and the way I raised my kids. But you’ve painted me a racist. Good work, James. And good work, if you can get it.” As we pointed out to Mushnick, we never called him a racist — not once. We don’t know the guy and won’t speculate on his racial sympathies. What we do know is that he used the word “n—–s” in a column, which is an incredibly stupid, insensitive things to do — regardless of the context, or the race of the person using the word. (Village Voice)
Check out a Brooklyn Nets video below:
