Published: Monday - June 11, 2007
Words by Arnold T. Pants
Sneakers have featured heavily in hip-hop videos over time, and there have been a rash of songs about sneakers. The Pack on Vans, Nelly on AF1s, and obviously, RUN DMC on "My Adidas" are some of the more notable examples of artists paying homage to a specific style or brand in a most explicit fashion. More materially, most of us are aware of the artist driven lines RBK has produced in recent times and the cool odes to rap and punk and metal by Nike's SB division. Over the years, I have collected a few of the more interesting shoes related to musicians, my al-time favorite (in my possession) being the DC collaboration with Goldie's Metalheadz drum and bass label.
Given my affinity for gear and kicks, it should come as no surprise that I am drawn to songs related to sneakers and, well, gear. In this vain, the Mitchell Brothers, an act off Mike Skinner's The Beats label, have served me well. Their debut, A Breath of Fresh Attire, was released in 2005 and remains one of my favorite albums of the last few years. "Harvey Nicks," the lead single of that album, is a tongue in cheek critique of the snooty shop attendants at the upscale British department store Harvey Nichols. The track features the supremely talented Sway, and all three MCs (the Mitchell Bros are Tony and Teddy) offer humorous tales of shopping escapades. The brothers Mitchell return to gear as a central topic on their sophomore effort, titled Dressed For The Occasion, and released their first official single and an accompanying video last week.
"Solemate," combines the two best things about the Mitchell Brothers: an ability to dissect relationships and an affinity for clobber. Driving around London in sneaker themed mini-cars, the video has the boys celebrating their obsession with classic Reebok trainers. Sure, the overt references to Reebok models might irk some, but the Mitchell Brothers are so genuine in their love of kicks that it hardly bothers. The song has also spawned a few great remixes, including one that has a blazing guest appearance from Grime MC J2K. It is basically the new gold standard for sneaker music.
What I like most about the song is the celebration of the everyday shoe, what some sneaker collectors might call "GRs" (general release). Before the notion of limited editions and special make-ups surfaced, this is basically all we had. The Mitchell Brothers are all about just having a fresh pair on. Stripped of the pretensions of sneaker collectors and "heads," the Mitchell bros just want to be "Dressed For The Occasion." What does that mean? Well, probably just a good night out at the pub, a few pints and a bit of gash. For us, it means they will continue to make music with universal appeal, wit and an eye to dressing with a bit of style.
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