Converse One Star '74!

Chalk this up as a very pleasent surprise.  I never thought we'd see a true Converse One Star for quite a while.  Which is kind of a double edged sword, because by all accounts the One Star line at Target is
doing very well.  Either way, the Converse One Star is back with a revised and re-issued 1974 edition.  Which recently went up at Converse.com as an exclusive shoe for the website.  You can pick up a pair for 70 bucks right now in the colors pictured below. 

That will do it for a wonderful Monday....okay so I am hoping it's a wonderful Monday.  Thanks for checking out the blog, don't forget to follow along on Twitter @TheConverseBlog   I'd really like to get my follow count up so hook me up with your follow Firday's this week! 

Interview with SUBMiT.

 

I think we can all agree that Converse and Music will be linked forever.  Examples include the release of the "My Drive Thru" track in the summer. Also there have been a bevy of collaborations featuring Kurt Cobain, The Doors, Black Sabbath, The Grateful Dead, AC/DC, Metallica, Pink Floyd, The Who, and I am sure there will be more in the future.  The majority of these releases have been Chuck Taylor All Stars with a few other models thrown in here and there.

Collaborations haven't been exclusive to Rock acts though, a few years ago Converse and Mos Def joined forces for a Chuck Mid and a Weapon release.  And I know we've all seen the Black Patent/Red Product (RED) Lupe Fiasco chucks in high and ox.  In fact I am sure there are others that I am forgetting.  

All of this brings me to the up and coming artist SUBMiT.  It turns out that the the resident of Marietta, Georgia is a fan of Converse.  I was fortunate enough to get an interview with SUBMiT and you will see below.

The Converse Blog:  I've read that you started out as a poet and then transitioned into a recording artist, how important has your foundation in poetry been to your music?


SUBMiT:  Yeah. I think that one of the things that a lot of people lack in their approach to hip hop and music in general is emotion. Poetry is possibly the most emotional form of writing. It's not constricted by counts or bars or measures, blah blah blah. It's very raw expression. I think that an artist has to learn to express him or herself without the confines of tempo, then it's easier to learn to rap within the beat rather than against it. The emcee's voice should be another instrument in the music, not just an overlay.


TCB:  How did your moniker, SUBMiT, come about?

SUBMiT:   I think that there is so much more power in the act of submission than it gets credit for. A phrase that I've come up with is that "There's rebellion in the submission." I want my life to be a submission to God, and His will for me. In that submission there is a lot of rebellion from the World's version of sanity. I came up with the name to remind me that God's the reason I do this. And I spell it with a lower-cased "I" to remind myself that things going on around me (I) are a lot bigger than me. There are plans that transcend what "I" do. I'm complicated like that. [laughs]


TCB:  Where does your inspiration for your music and life come from?

SUBMiT:   Lots of things. A song off my next collection is almost a word for word conversation that I've had. Actually lots of my inspiration comes from conversations. I mostly write about things I see. Life is inspiration for me. And you can't have life without God. So ultimately it all comes back to my faith. That's why I do this music thing.



TCB:  So would you say you're a Christian Artist or an Artist that is a Christian?

SUBMiT:  I've thought about that a lot. I think I'm more of an artist who is a Christian. I have lots of songs that stem from my faith but because of the light that I put them in, they're applicable to anyone. I really just write about what I see and who I am. If I see cool clothes, I write about cool clothes. If I see God, I write about God.



TCB:  You're on a desert island and you can only have one book, one cd, one video game, and one movie. Assuming you have the ability to use these items, what would they be?

SUBMiT:  Book…can it be a book series? The Circle Trilogy by Ted Dekker. There are three books; Black, Red, and White. That series gives the best illustration of the relationship between God and Man. And CD would definitely be The Cool, by Lupe Fiasco. In my opinion, its concept is so simple, that it's revolutionary. The stories he tells are literally timeless because the subject matter in the album is about he being cool always dies and comes back. That's a cycle in humanity that will go on forever. A video game? I'm not much of a gamer but I love Halo. I haven't played Halo 3 much, so it'd have to be Halo 2. Movie? I'm not much of a movie watcher either. My favorite movie always seems to be whatever I watched last so, Seven Pounds.


TCB:  So, I heard that you're a fan of Converse, what is it about the brand that draws you to their products?


SUBMiT:  I'm into vintage stuff. And there's nothing more vintage that converse. They've just always been around. They're literally a piece of American culture.

TCB:  Are you into Chucks or other Converse?


SUBMiT:   I used to be really heavy into Chucks. [laughs] I laid off for a while for a pretty childish reason. A guy that I really didn't like just kept mentioning them as his like "trademark shoe." [laughs] So that got me into other converse. I have Skid Grips and John Varvatos' Purcells but The 90's CONS are like my vice right now. I just got a pair of Run'n'slam 93's off eBay. I just like having what other people don't [laughs]


TCB:  Do you have a favorite pair? A Pair you're searching for?


SUBMiT:  My favorite pair? Hmm. That's like asking for a parent's favorite kid. But If I had to pick, it would be my all black leather Chucks. Those things are so beat up, they're the most comfortable pair of shoes I have. They have this extra comfort sole in them. They're great, but I'm looking for a pair of Aero Jams at a good price. They're so rare they end up getting to really high bids on eBay. I'm still working with a high schooler's budget, so I'm waiting for a good find.


TCB:  Now that Converse is in its second century, what would you like to see Converse do in the next 5 years?


SUBMiT:  I'm happy I'm seeing more retros. I was on the site today. The Odessa's are really sick. I know they brought back the Grandmama's a while back, but it seems that Converse tweaks the Chucks, Purcells, and Weapons a lot more than other sneakers. It's good that other sneakers are getting to have some comebacks.

TCB:  If you could do a collaboration with Converse, which Converse shoe would you use?


SUBMiT:  Definitely the Aero Jams. I love those sneakers. I'd really love to see some crazy solid color ways on those. I saw some all whites and about died. How sick would some all gold or all silver Aero Jams look? With some crazy contrast on the stitching, like red or purple. Those would be the sickest sneakers ever.

Check out SUBMiT's myspace page for more information and to hear some of his tracks.  You can also download his first two mixtapes Synthetic Authority Vol.1 and Vol.2.  I know there are more bands and artist out that have a special place for Converse in your heart...hit me up and we can do an interview on the blog too.  Thanks for checking out the blog and don't forget to head over to SUBMiT's page and take a listen...which is where I got the picture at the top of the page from.

The Converse Blog: My Drive Thru feat. Pharrell, Santogold, Julian Casablancas

NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. (June 9, 2008) - Converse, the creator of iconic shoes including the Chuck Taylor® All Star®, Jack Purcell® and One Star®, announced today that it had brought together the talents of Pharrell Williams, N.E.R.D., Santogold and Julian Casablancas as part of the brand’s Century celebration. The artists recently joined forces to create a brand new, all original music track, “My Drive Thru,” that will be distributed digitally free of charge to a global audience exclusively on converse.com and authorized Converse web sites around the world. The track will be released on Tuesday, June 10.


“I’ve always wanted to work with Julian and I’m a big fan of The Strokes. Santogold is super-talented and she cares about music so much that it’s not just about sound, it’s a visual aesthetic,” said Pharrell Williams, the track’s producer. “Working together on original music that crossed all of our inspirations was completely refreshing and I love the track. As for partnering with Converse, I only wear and support the things that I like. The Chuck Taylor is the golden goose egg.”


Converse has long been associated with the worlds of music, sport, art and fashion. The brand’s current Century celebration is largely inspired by its role in disrupting the status quo over the last 100 years. The Chuck Taylor shoe has been worn by musical icons ranging from Sid Vicious to current artists like Common and M.I.A.


“Converse has been embraced by an amazingly diverse group of musicians and artists over the years,” said Geoff Cottrill, Chief Marketing Officer of Converse. “As we celebrate the brand’s first century, we thought it would be fun to bring together Pharrell, Santogold, and Julian, to create new music together that bridges the styles they are known for. The results are everything we hoped for and we’re excited to add ‘My Drive Thru’ into the mix of music that fans will listen to this summer. We are also providing a platform for a number of emerging artists from around the world. The music industry is changing and this partnership is about the music and sharing it with fans for free.”


“As an artist that is just breaking, being asked by Pharrell and Julian to join them on this project was a dream,” said Santogold, whose debut CD was released in May 2008 to rave reviews. “My inspirations come from sources ranging from singers like Nina Simone and Grace Jones to bands like Devo. Working across musical genres was like creating a patchwork where I got to weave together various influences and allow them to co-exist in a fresh and original way.”


In addition to collaborating on the track, the artists also participated in the creation of a music video that will be released during the summer. The song will be promoted, in part through Converse print, outdoor and online advertising tagged Three Artists, One Song. The advertising features the three artists as well as a range of emerging musical talent from across the globe, including MGMT, Bradford Cox of Deerhunter and Atlas Sound, YACHT, Kid Sister, Eleanor Friedberger of the Fiery Furnaces, Frank Carter of Gallows; Does It Offend You, Yeah?, and Sophie of Care Bears on Fire.

My Drive Thru - The Line Up:

Pharrell Williams: He can see sounds. Pharrell Williams has already made history for being one of the most successful and prolific producers to emerge during the last decade. As a part of the beat-making duo The Neptunes, Pharrell and his partner Chad Hugo have helped A-List pop stars sell millions of albums and even earn Grammy Awards for the likes of Justin Timberlake, Nelly, and Usher.

N.E.R.D. Funk rock class is now in session. "N*E*R*D* is who we are. “It's our life," Pharrell would say in 2000, in describing the group that includes him, Chad and longtime friend and creative wunderkind, Shae. The three of them together combine for uninhibited explorations of sounds, emotion and truth, adhering to no agenda, subscribing to no rules. N*E*R*D* is the way they live their life, the way they see the world.

Santogold: Worth more than her weight in gold. Her genre of music can only be described as Santogold. She’s a true alchemist in the music lab where she’s crafted a liquid mix of new wave, Wall of Sound era pop, dub and twisted beats. Santi White’s singular sound doesn’t bow down to the expectations of mainstream radio. So if you’re listening, Pop music, here’s your cue.

Julian Casablancas: The underground front man. If you’re looking for synchronized dance moves, you’ve got the wrong guy. Julian Casablancas may front indie rock superstars, The Strokes, but he always lets the music take center stage. With an obsession for songwriting that’s borderline psychotic, it’s his infectious hooks that take the spotlight.