Kanye West may have been the busiest celebrity during NBA All-Star weekend. With NBA All-Star and New York Fashion Week taking place during the same weekend in New York, West took the opportunity to use his music to promote his new line of sneakers, the Yeezy Boost.
Kanye’s weekend started on Feb. 12 with the unveiling of his fashion line with adidas called the Yeezy Season 1. The outfits appeared to be inspired by post-apocalyptic films such as Mad Max. During the show, Kanye took a moment to rant about the limitations of cultural expression as Beyoncé, Jay Z, P. Diddy, Anna Wintour, Russell Simmons, and his wife and crying child, Kim and North, looked on. Some panned Kanye’s presentation, but he deserves a bit of credit for his continuous attempts to push boundaries.
About two hours later, Kanye served as the headlining act for Roc Nation’s first annual Roc City concert in New York’s Flatiron District. Kanye rapped a slew of his hits and brought out Big Sean, 2 Chainz, and Pusha T to warm the crowd at the outdoor concert where the high temperature was 19 degrees.
On Feb. 13, Kanye personally delivered his new sneakers to two unexpected sneakerheads at the Adidas Store. Later in the evening, Kanye made an unexpected trip to Irving Plaza for the Drake and Nas NBA All-Star concert presented by Sprite. About 15 minutes into Drake’s set, Kanye walked onstage holding a gray box. He handed the box to Drake, who took out the new Yeezy Boost and glanced at them for a few seconds before laying them on a speaker. The sneakers remained on the speakers until Drake left the stage.
Drake may or may not be a fan of the shoes, but Kanye received a free endorsement by placing the sneakers in Drake’s hand while he was on stage. It was a savvy move that signified Kanye’s approach to the entire weekend.
Every major celebrity in basketball, fashion and music converged on New York for NBA All-Star and NYFW. But Kanye was the one celebrity who stood out among the star-studded pack.
In six months, you may remember Steph Curry winning the NBA 3-point contest; Zach LaVine’s amazing dunks; or Justin Bieber holding hands with Naomi Campbell during her fashion show. But it’ll be hard to forget Kanye’s spirited raps while in the freezing cold; his crying child who wanted nothing to do with his fashion show; and the debut of his clothing line that may make some feel as if the rapture is near. Throughout the entire weekend, Kanye has forced us all to pay attention. That’s a big victory for any celebrity who is in a room, or city, full of celebrities.
