Kendrick Lamar’s Sneaker Collection Is Cool (But Also Has an Important Social Message)

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Ready for some new kicks? Images of Grammy-winning rapper Kendrick Lamar’s Kendrick Lamar x Reebok Classic Leather collection have surfaced on the French site Sneakers.fr, reported Complex on Thursday. This is his second collection, with the first, named Kendrick Lamar x Reebok Ventilator, having hit shelves in July for about $142 a pair, Hypebeast reported. The new collection will be released on Jan. 16, according to Complex. The shoes are expected to cost about $98 per pair, according to HipHopDX.

Just like the first collection, the second present an anti-gang violence theme, which is a message near and dear to Lamar’s heart.

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“Reebok has a history of helping kids in the community realize their potential is limitless,” Lamar said in a press release, according to the Root in December 2014. “I saw what the brand was doing, and I wanted to be a part of it and make it even stronger. It’s as simple as that. Kids that listen to my music are looking for inspiration. It’s important that I continue that message in anything I represent.”

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The tongues of the upcoming pair read "neutral,“ but the two shoes feature opposing colors that represent opposing gangs. Blue is the color of the Crips and red is the color of the Bloods, which are two infamous gangs that run the streets of Lamar’s hometown Compton, California.

Lamar worked hands-on with designing the first collection, saying that it was time not money that was important to invest, according to an interview with Complex in April.

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In the new collection, the heel of the left shoe says "blue” while the right shoe says “red,” both in their respective colors. Two sets of shoelaces are included with each pair, one gray and the other is red and blue, HipHopDX reported.

The insoles also rep Top Dawg Entertainment, which works with Lamar and Schoolboy Q, and Lamar’s logo.

Lamar has a history of giving back in efforts to bettering his past community. In May, he was named a Generational Icon for California, MTV reported. Some of his efforts include giving back thousands of dollars to sports and after-school programs, according to MTV.