Atlanta Episode 3 Recap: Scamming Season?

by Akeem Ivory | Mar 31, 2022 | Celebs, Featured

This one was cool. Going to rich parties and meeting weirdos. Season 1 was better.

As Earn (Donald Glover), Van (Zazie Beetz), Darius (LaKeith Stanfield), and Al (Brian Tyree Henry) navigate the European leg of Paper Boi’s tour, the crew is invited to a party hosted by a billionaire whose taking a liking to Al’s music. As they walk through London neighborhoods to get to Fernando’s home, reluctant as away Earn has to explain to Al why this would be a good look. Earn lays out the stakes of their invitation. “How many billionaires do you know?” Earn asks Al rhetorically. Establishing the value an investor relationship would bring to the table, access to money facilitating their dreams and ideas.

Upon arrival at Fernando’s place, It looks as if Earn was tricked by another white men who illustres a picture that is far from the reality. Expecting a home behide iron gates we see a ran down hoke that looks condimed whit the window covered by newspapers to block off anyone from seeing what lays inside. Earn knocks on the door and is greeted by a white women who looks to surprise to see them as they are her. But Will (Patrick Kennedy), the wealthy investor, takes them up a set of steps and leads them into a much swankier, elaborate home within the “decoy home.” Fernando (Daniel Fathers) explains that the house’s duplicity functions as a security measure that allows him to hobnob with “influential people from around the world.” Fernando flexes his wealth after Al is impressed by the in-house Nando’s fast-food chain, which, in true exclusive fashion, is free for all invited guests. “You the Nando Nando?” Al asks Fernando, but no, he just likes the peri-peri sauce and is wildly rich.

Van, Earn, Al, and Darius arriving to the front of Frenando’s home; Photo credit, Oliver Upton/FX

The crew is spilt in three different ways after getting into the party Earn and Van go with Will to meet an artist living in Fernando’s home. Darius ventures off to get a drink and also find the bathroom as Al stays to speak with Fernando. The two miscommunicate over their differing definitions of tree, and when Al tries to smoke some tree of his own, Fernando escorts him to his private poker room where they can smoke, drink, and gamble.

In the poker room, Al lights up at the table with a few older European men who inform him the game has a $20,000 buy-in. Al throws stacks of money on the table and, for a little dramatic flair. As the poker game commences, Fernando asks him about his beliefs in the divine and the occult, to which Al is unsure but confirms that he does believe in God. Fernando tells him of his own spiritual awakening, A story about a Black ghost that broke into his home and touched his spirit, leaving him covered in ectoplasm. Al laughs it off, likening it to a sex dream, but remains noticeably uncomfortable. After redirecting attention back to the game, Al wins a huge hand. Without celebration, Fernando walks away, and the other men at the table saunter off without a word. Al sits there confused. He won $40,000 from the game, and yet Fernando has disappeared when it is time to pay up.

On another side of the house, Darius is in the kitchen trying to get some gin, when an Asian woman attending the party assumes he’s trying to flirt and dramatically shows her ring to ward off a conversation. When he clarifies his intentions, the woman, Will’s fiancée, MK (Jasmine Leung), is rightfully embarrassed but unfortunately shameless in her apology. “I get hit on by Black men a lot,” she tells Darius. “Black guys love Asian women,” she continues. Darius brushes it off and they part ways on good terms, but a white man named Socks (Hugh Coles) tells Darius that he overheard the conversation and asserts that it was “fucked up.” Darius insists it was a “lightweight” offense, but Socks is more invested in signaling his solidarity with Darius as a Black man than actually practicing it. Drawing a crowd around Darius and exaggerating the details of the exchange, Socks declares to a group of hysterical white allies that what took place wasakin to 12 Years a Slave. Despite Darius trying to explain that it’s not that big of a deal, it’s too late, and when the white mob sees MK, they pounce on her without asking him what he wants. As it turns out, the performance of supporting him was nothing more than a license for white moral authority.

Atlanta' Episode 3 Recap: A White Party in London - Rolling Stone

Daruis shocked; Photo credit, Oliver Upton/FX

Meanwhile, Will introduces Earn and Van to TJ (Sheyi Cole), a young Black British artist he is financing. TJ introduces himself as a “multi-hyphenate” artist deal in all forms of art, despite the hype TJ’s work leaves both Earn and Van at a loss for words. As they look at one of his pieces, a photograph of an old white man in a Supreme sweatshirt and no bottoms, TJ calls them to note the “sadness” of the work. If there is anything particularly sad about the work, it is its lack of imagination. Will pulls Earn to the side to get his thoughts on TJ and his plans to invest in his idea for an influencer hostel. It’s obvious that Earn doesn’t think TJ is talented and worries that he might be taking advantage of Will. But, his unable to give Will a straight answer due to the fact TJ is watching him like a hawk every time he gets the chance to speak with Will.

Atlanta Season 3 Episode 3 Recap and Ending, Explained

Earn spotting Van at the pool; Photo credit, Oliver Upton/FX

Earn eventually finds Al, and the two vent about their rough nights. Earn faced with an apparent moral quandary, to protect that poor (but actually extremely wealthy!) white man from his own gullibility or let it continue to happen. Earn’s concern is partly selfish and misguided; he thinks TJ will make it harder for himself to access Will’s capital. The way Al sees it, sure, TJ might be scamming Will, but TJ is Black, and there are plenty of white kids scamming. As the words wash over Earn, he goes back to find Will but is stopped in his tracks by a framed photograph of three white men at the founding of Cape Town’s branch of the First Bank. Behind them, a Black man stands shackled in the shadows. Suddenly, Earn realizes the error in his thinking: The Black scammer is no match for white plunder. Thus when Earn finds Will, he decides not only to play along with TJ’s scheme but to get in on it as TJ’s manager. Will, of course, eats it up.

After Earn gets his piece of the pie, Al decides it’s time he got his. Seeing a Fernando’s most prized possesion is the tree he build his home around Al takes. a chainsaw to it to let Fernando know his going to pay what his owns. Earn stop Al from complete destroy the tree and on there way out Al makes a show of robbing the billionaire, ransackes Fernando’s home to make up for his debt.

Atlanta is a show that has teeth, meaning that their are so many underling layers within the story. In this particular episode the story take queuces from how older white people can feel threaten by a small group of black people, for example a white woman sees them from her window and cowers behind her curtains as she talks into a phone. Or how classism is another from of racism because its a system that seperate people based off differences in the case money. Also white guilt, the reaction Socks taking more offense to what MK told Darius when trying to reject him.

Mar 31, 2022 No Comments

Darius Bazley, Oklahoma City Thunder (SneakerReporter Top 10 PEs Series)

Featured

by Travis Singleton | Mar 28, 2022 | Featured, SneakerReporter Top 10 PE Series

Darius Bazley went from being an intern for New Balance to one of the NBA’s rising stars in Oklahoma City. Bazley has shown nothing but promise and growth in OKC when it comes to displaying his game. One of the things that Bazley has improved on in his short career has been his aggressiveness to the basket with ease. Watching Darius Bazley he continues to give you passion, energy, and sacrifice on the court on a nightly basis.

As his 3rd year with the Oklahoma City Thunder is coming to an end he was able to showcase his scoring threat against the Memphis Grizzlies dropping a career-high 29 points with 10 rebounds. On the year as of right now Darius Bazley’s averaging 10.8 PPG and 6.3 RPG. Look for Darius Bazley to take that next step in his career going into this offseason with his training as his ceiling is extremely high for success in the NBA.

Darius Bazley’s off-court style has always caught people’s attention. It has been his on-court style with some of the New Balance’s he has worn this season that have been breaking necks. This season Bazley has worn the New Balance (Two Wxy 1, Two Wxy 2, OMNI1 Low, Kawhi II) just to name a few in some crazy colorways that the public wishes they got their hands on. It looks like this season Bazley made it a mission to put the OKC Thunder on the map with some of the dope PEs in their color scheme.

New Balance is definitely on the rise and Darius Bazley’s one of the faces that will be leading the way for them with a star-studded lineup. Below you can check out some of the New Balance PEs that Darius Bazley wore before the 2021-2022 season that everyone wanted to get their hands on.

New Balance OMN1 “BZ Academy” Player Exclusive

New Balance OMN1 Low “Freshness” Player Exclusive

New Balance OMN1 “Phineas & Ferb” Player Exclusive

New Balance Two WXY “Bred” Player Exclusive

10. New Balance OMN1 Low “DB” Player Exclusive – Darius Bazley

9. New Balance Two WXY 2 “DB” Player Exclusive – Darius Bazley

8. New Balance Two WXY 2 “Neon Lights” Player Exclusive – Darius Bazley

7. New Balance Two WXY 2 “OKC Thunder” Player Exclusive – Darius Bazley

6. New Balance Two WXY 2 “OKC Thunder” Player Exclusive – Darius Bazley

5. New Balance Two WXY 2 “OKC Thunder” Player Exclusive – Darius Bazley

4. New Balance Two WXY 2 “OKC Thunder” Player Exclusive – Darius Bazley

3. New Balance Two WXY 2 “OKC Thunder” Player Exclusive – Darius Bazley

2. New Balance Two WXY 2 Player Exclusive – Darius Bazley

1. New Balance Two WXY “OKC Thunder” Player Exclusive – Darius Bazley

FOLLOW ME – IG (@SneakerReporter) TWITTER (@TravisSingleton)

(Photo by Zach Beeker/NBAE via Getty Images), (Photo by Mark Blinch/Getty Images), (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/NBAE via Getty Images), (Photo by Allison Farrand/NBAE via Getty Images), (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images), (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images), (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images), (Photo by Bart Young/NBAE via Getty Images), (Photo by Sarah Rice for The New York Times), (Photo by Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images), (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images), (Photo by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images)

Mar 28, 2022 No Comments

Union Announces Nike Dunk Low “Argon” Release Date

Sneaker Releases

by Akeem Ivory | Mar 21, 2022 | Sneaker Releases, Sneakers

The Union Los Angeles and Nike collaboration dubbed, the “Passport Pack” kickstarted last month with the release of the highly limited and exclusive Dunk Low “Pistachio.” Their partnership will now be expanding into 2022 with an upcoming Union x Nike Dunk Low “Argon,”paying homage to a rare pick-up Chris Gibbs purchased on a trip to Japan.

The “Passport Pack” essentially celebrates Chris Gibbs’s three homes: New York, Los Angeles, and Tokyo. Each colorway in the set is a modern take on a Dunk from the early ‘00s that helped lay the foundation for the Dunk to become the classic that it is today. Capturing the essence of global exploration, cultural inspiration, and personal evolution, this collection encourages you to get out and get what’s yours. Each pair comes with hangtags made to look like baggage claim tags housed in special boarding pass-themed packaging.

These Nike Dunk Low styles put a new spin on the classics that inspired Gibbs (owner of Union LA) years ago, hiding in plain sight behind a see-through synthetic, hastily-stitched grid pattern tearaway upper that encases the leather underneath, whose overlays are light and dark blue, respectively. The white paints the swoosh as it does the tongue and laces; orange tags and emblems mark the profile, displaying the retailer’s “UN/LA” and Frontman branding; and red threads are found along the edge of every panel.

Look for the Union x Nike Dunk Low “Argon” to be released March 31st exclusively at Union LA store and website, the retail price set at $150 USD. For a closer look at the Union LA x Nike Dunk Low “Argon” ahead of the release, see below.

Mar 21, 2022 No Comments

First Look: Kyrie Irving x Nike Dunk Low

Sneakers

by Akeem Ivory | Mar 21, 2022 | Sneakers

2022 has been a year for superstar Brooklyn Nets point guard Kyrie Irving, as the highest-paid part-timer in history. While his stance on not getting the vaccine is steadfast, that limits his accessibly for his team to have him during the home contest, couple that with his mindset on his 8 installments of his signature line with the swoosh being ‘trash.” The reveal of a special edition Dunk Low collaboration shows us that there is still loved between Irvin and the swoosh.

Thanks to the sneaker being leaked by @woganwodeyang we see that this Nike Dunk Low features a White leather base with Powder Blue overlays. Other details include a Pale Yellow ankle collar with graphic patterns and hits of Red on the heel branding and the Kyrie logo on the tongues tags and insoles. A White midsole atop a Pink rubber outsole completes the design.

Kyrie Irving’s love for skating and SBs is no secret, so it would only make since for this collabortion to come about. His recreations of some of his favorite Nike SB Dunks on his signature models such as the “Rayguns,” the Friends & Family “Yellow Lobster” SB Dunk Low by Concepts, and the 2006 “Day of the Dead.” This help to bring some Kyire’s personality on the court with him, so it would only be nature to bring Kyrie’s personaliy off the court in a model he loves.

At the time of writing, there’s no official word on this shoe’s inspiration or when it will release. However, Look for the Kyrie Irving x Nike Dunk Low to release in the coming months at select retailers and Nike.com.Check out more images below:

Mar 21, 2022 No Comments

The Nike Dunk Low Latest Model Added To The “Copy Paste” Series

Sneakers

by Akeem Ivory | Mar 21, 2022 | Sneakers

This Spring, the Nike Dunk Low will be added to the latest “Copy Paste” series lineup. A “Copy Paste” theme spreads its logos throughout its entire upper. Nike often falls back on overbranding in some way to create a unique colorway, this sneaker highlights one of their most familiar sports branding logo that appears on the tongue of the sneaker.

This newly revealed Dunk Low comes dressed in Grey hues constructed in a mix of mesh and leather materials.The tumbled leather overlays match said cool tone across the forward-half of the silhouette, while the rear portion opts for a much darker, greyer finish. Additionally, the Swoosh and lining are tinted down to a dark black, and the midsole/laces round out the colorway in white.

Highlighting the shoe are Nike logos copied and pasted throughout its entire upper while the “Copy-Paste” theme continues on the insoles.White laces and midsole with Black Swooshes and rubber outsole complete the design.

Enjoy an official look at these upcoming Dunks below, the Nike Dunk Low “Copy Paste” to release in the coming months at select retailers and Nike.com.