To celebrate this weekend’s 3/20 Jordan Countdown Pack release and as the first installment of the 23 Reasons Project, Chicago-based artist Kane helped lend his talents to the storefront of St. Alfred’s, located on 1531 North Milwaukee in Chicago. The amazingly detailed artwork features several icons from 1988, namely Michael Jordan’s Dunk Contest winning free-throw line dunk, the Air Jordan III in the colorway to be released this Saturday, a portrait of legendary designer Tinker Hatfield and also the title of Eric B. and Rakim’s classic album, Follow The Leader. A background of cement print caps off the well done work.

Beautiful painting.....honestly nice!!

My musical tastes range from the catalogs of Wu-Tang and A Tribe Called Quest to underground delights such as Erule and Sick Lyrical Damager. Suffice to say, I don’t stray too far from the 1985-’96 rap scene and ‘70s neo-soul compilations. And I’ll admit it—my introduction to Iron Maiden music came when my ex-chemistry teacher played it in class one day during lab. (This is the same guy who was later caught editing a sexual “highlight” tape that contained footage with over 30+ women that he had failed to gain consent from. And of course, dude didn’t have his own software, so he was using Photoshop and Moviemaker programming. On the school’s computers. This eventually prompted a case that’s moving through Wisconsin courts that questions whether one has to gain verbal consent to be filmed when it’s implied that your partner is consensually naked and sexually active with you. Sigh…only in Waunakee.) However, my murky background with the band does nothing to affect the faithful population that’s extremely interested in hearing that Vans is gearing up to release their third Maiden-themed product. This time around, the brand has freaked their infamous, high-rising SK8 Hi model with graphics from the metal group’s Egyptian-inspired Powerslave album cover. There’s no information available regarding release date or pricepoint.

So while I was under the impression his next album was going to be called something like Good Ass Job or something of those sorts, Kanye flips it and goes the love route. 808’s & Heartbreak will hit stores December 16th! And no, I have no word on the Love Lockdown single being released. I’d imagine today sometime though. But who really knows. Just sit and wait......