Merch Is A Flat Circle
Playboi Carti, NBA time traveler.
If you are unfamiliar with the speaker-immolating work of Playboi Carti…
Pitchfork called his most recent album “a dizzying, inspired, vibes-driven, 30-track flood of everything,” while the New York Times pondered, “Is Playboi Carti Rap’s Next — Or Last — Superstar?”
Additional context is unnecessary. He is an Atlanta man with elaborate facial piercings who makes very loud, enjoyably maximal music that encourages children to destroy arenas and me to disassociate in Whole Foods.
“Maximal” means different things to different folks. I too enjoy the Skrillex mixtape and look forward to whenever 100gecs decide to Gallagher watermelon the entirety of recorded music again, but I didn’t come here for discourse.
I came for the official Playboi Carti x Mitchell & Ness x Fanatics x Complex NJ Nets throwback jersey that goes on sale tomorrow.
*Connor O’Malley voice* PREMIUM BRANDS!
Of course I appreciate the Rap City: Tha Basement-era fit tribute.
Even more so, I appreciate the NEW JERSEY (important distinction) Nets, and Y2K hoopers in general.
There are multiple Keith Van Horn Starting Lineup figures / bobbleheads in my apartment at this very moment, alongside a rubber duck Allen Iverson and a Gumby wearing his #3 jersey; when I texted my boy about Iverson’s Amazon doc he replied “finally, tech investment in AI that matters.”
Musically and sartorially, I am nestled directly between the cheeks (ayo) of this product launch’s very particular Venn diagram.
But for an artist whose music has been pushing sounds forward — or at the very least, capturing “today” in all of its overloaded brainrot glory — I was taken aback by Carti’s ‘00s nostalgia move, in a way I was not expecting.
A throwback… to throwbacks?
In this economy?!?
The 76ers are bringing their old unis (and Hip Hop the mascot) back, all while today’s players continue doing things heretofore unseen.
But the snake will forever find its tail delicious.
And if they do a warm-up shirt, my PayPal is ready.
Naomi Scott, “Cherry” — more sports! The Smile 2 star continues a microtrend (at least as far as my algo is concerned) of charming, mall-coded soccer vids. Addison Rae for FIFA, let’s goooooo…
RZA playlist for Supreme (love that “97 Mentality” is in here)
Wale & BNYX® “Mirroronnabenz” (Benny EP also v good)
Zukenee, “KINO DER TOTEN” (NoahSoCold gone medieval)
Ocean Of Illusions, “Doomed” (if u like Cookie Monster metal this goes)
MF DOOM design sketches — incredible archive material and background detail from KEO XMEN, graf legend (and Lethem brother) behind DOOM’s earliest graphics. Love this one comparing consonant heights to fighting philosophies (“There is no rigid set pattern or rule, letters adapt and improvise situationally. Like you don’t box a short, aggressive, southpaw brawler the same way you would a tall, rangy, orthodox technician. You’d get knocked the fuck out…”) as well as the tacit acknowledgement that behind every iconic record sleeve, there’s somebody vectorizing ink scans and schlepping tech packs.
Buy The Brutalist sweater (might have to)
The Garbage Pail Kids Movie 4K Reissue (“unsettling 1980s nightmare”)
thick-coins.net (“Nickels are too thin we need a much heftier coin”)
Frasier’s Fumbles: A 2026 Pin-Up Calendar Of My Favorite Frasier Exes
Playlists updated…