Last week, Nike Sportswear held an advanced screening of Spike Lee’s documentary on Kobe Bryant, “Kobe Doin’ Work“. Held at 21 Mercer, they transformed the store into a mini sized movie theater complete with popcorn and nachos! You got the perks of the theater but the luxury of someone bringing it to you and no sticky floors here folks! 

 Spike Lee was in attendance and introduced the film. For the next 83 minutes we watched Kobe at work. The film followed him during the Lakers face off with the San Antonio Spurs in the Spring of 2008. Wearing a wireless mic and 30 cameras from all different angles on him the viewer gets an intimate look at Kobe on the court and in the locker room. Kobe narrates the film and shares his thoughts and feelings during the game, after the game and about the game. He talks about how running out onto the court before the game still gives him “goosebumps”. Watching the game Kobe gives you the inside scoop on how certain players play and what to watch out for. He laughs and jokes along the way, talking trash in Italan to teammate Sasha Vijacic, Kobe calls his team “the United Nations of Basketball” with teammates hailing from so many different Countries. After the game win or lose he always reflects what could have gone better on the court. Although not the coach, he was portrayed as a mentor and leader amongest his team. And really when you got the skills to pay the bills and the years of experience like Kobe, this makes complete sense. 

Continue the read to watch video of Spike Lee doing Q and A, words straight from Kobe and info on Spike Lee’s documentary on Michael Jordan!
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With neon brights, fanny packs, and bike hats making a return this Spring, it’s safe to say that Retro is the new black. From Fruiton in Las Vegas, to the Retro Kids in New York, it seems that everyone is trying to bring a taste of the old skool to fashion. When you think back to the era of Freshness, circa 1989-1993, a certain style comes to mind, one that celebrates bright prints, body-hugging spandex, and fly sneakers. This was the booming era of hip hop, and the era of a new breed of young, Black filmmakers who made it their mission to bring images of the urban life they lived to the big screen.

Directors such as Spike Lee, John Singleton, and Reginald Hudlin released a good number of films in the late 80s’ and early 90s’ that were not only blockbuster successes, but also positively portrayed themes such as urban life, love, and family. Even though these directors did focus on the nitty-gritty of day-to-day life in the hood, including race relations and gang violence, they still found a way to keep things light-hearted. One of the biggest ways these directors were able to show that the hood could still be fun was fashion!

Fashion heavily influenced the overall cinematic look and feel of these films. Kente and a slew of other African prints superimposed onto bright neons defined the ballers on the courts in White Men Can’t Jump. Wesley Snipes’ flipped up bike cap, in live colors, became a staple on and off the court. Similarly, House Party stood out more because of the Hedlin’s attention to detail– Kid N Play’s flat-tops were some of the highest I’ve ever seen, and Sidney (the female lead) was decked out in doorknockers and matching bright yellow harem-leg overalls. Peep her outfit in the famous “dance-off” scene below, can it get any fresher than this?!

Even better was when fashion became an active plot point. Spike Lee’s Do The Right Thing used Buggin Out’s stepped on Jordans (the brand new 4’s, now christened the “Spizikes” because of their importance to the film) as the launching pad for exploring racial tensions in Brooklyn.

Come Summer ‘09, I’ll definitely be popping some of the 90s best into my DVD player to brush up on my Retro Fresh look. And you better hope my Jordans aren’t stepped on!