SNS Presents: Puma Cell Alien OG sneakers with YBN Cordae.

SNS Presents: Puma Cell Alien OG with YBN Cordae

After the initial release of the Puma Cell Alien OG, and for the drop of the anticipated second drop, which includes two new colorways, Sneakersnstuff linked up with YBN Cordae in Los Angeles, to bring his DMV swagger to Venice Beach. The Puma ambassador is a vital style connoisseur and sneakerhead, which makes his partnership with the German sportswear brand a match made in heaven. Well known as part of the YBN collective, and somewhat on the more conscious spitter spectrum of rap, the North Carolina native has a soft spot for the golden era of rap, and early ‘00s naming Talib Kweli, Mos Def, Rakim, Biggie, and Pac as inspiration. For the Puma Cell Alien OG, we tapped our own SNS photographer Are Bernard to welcome YBN Cordae to our new home-turf in Venice, highlight the latest Puma sneaker and talk kicks, music, and life.

The Puma Cell Alien OG is now available at Sneakersnstuff online and in-store.

SNS: You were born in Raleigh, North Carolina, and raised in the DMV – talk us a bit through your childhood and teenage years. Who is Cordae Dunston, and how did you get into music?

YBN Cordae: Being born and raised in Raleigh North Carolina and later in DMV, it kind of really molded me in what I am today because when I was young, I moved around a lot. I went to literally seven different elementary schools, so that made me have an always outgoing and extrovert personality because I had to make new friends. And DMV has such a dope sub-culture within itself, as far as fashion, music, comedy, is really a renaissance going on over there. With my southern upbringing from North Carolina as well I kind of mashed those two together and I guess that’s how you get Cordae Dunston.

And I got into music through my stepfather who used to always play Jay-Z, Jay-Z is my all time favorite rapper. Jay-Z, NAS, Big L. So I was listening to them in the car and then going home and YouTube them to find more. And on YouTube, with the lyric videos, I could literally learn the lyrics and study them.

SNS: You once found a bunch of sneakers, which weren’t yours, in your house (!). We learned that you resold and made some money with them to fund your rap career. When did you realize that sneakers and fashion have an important place in your life?

YBN Cordae: Sneakers and fashion always had an important place in my life. That’s really how I got my studio, by trading and selling sneakers. Because I’ve found that was a real capitalist movement going on with sneakers, like with Sneaker Con and things of that nature so it’s really like peanut butter and jelly as far as music and fashion and I’ve always been a fan of all sneakers.

SNS: Why the mad love for Talib Kweli and Mos Def? Why Blackstar?

YBN Cordae: You gotta have love because they are Hip Hop. They are the embodiment of Hip Hop. I loved seeing what Mos Def did with the hunger strike video a couple of years ago. He is just so for the people, for the world, for the culture. They are just Hip Hop.

SNS: You are currently writing your own history, clearly developing further and further with every project. Now you are working with an iconic brand like Puma. How important is “drip” for you?

YBN Cordae: Working with an iconic brand like Puma just steps my drip up. Drip is very important for me. When I’m in creative mode, when I’m in grind mode, I like to step down my drip a little bit. When the music is done I like to drip. Because it’s another form of self-identity, to explain who you are based on what you got on. You can kind of tell what kind of cat you are dealing with based on what they got on. So it’s super dope.

SNS: In your opinion, what’s the best way for your fans, that want to achieve something similar than you, to create a buzz around their music, art or up-and-coming streetwear brand?

YBN Cordae: Start from the ground level and work your way up. I did open mics. If you have a clothing brand, go to pop up shops, give it to, not necessarily Instagram influencers, but also local influencers. When I was in high school I would release music to the basketball team, or I would shout them out in a song cuz’ they were the influencers, the cool popular kids. They were the ones that everybody would follow. So just take your time on it. Become an expert on your craft.

SNS: With popularity, money and fame come satisfaction, are you ever satisfied or what are your goals and dreams?

YBN Cordae: No no no. I’m not really satisfied yet. I feel like I haven’t tapped in what my full potential is or even tapped into what I’m about to do. I know what I’m about to become, what I’m about to accomplish. So far I haven’t done anything yet, compared to what I’m about to do.

I’m grateful and thankful. And I realize I am blessed that I already did what 90% of the world wants to do, but now it’s just like - get to the top. Just further doing it, you can’t become complacent, cuz’ complacency leads to declination. You just got to keep going. And my goal and dream are just to become the best, the most influential in the most positive way.

SNS: You once mentioned that YBN is like a dream team. How do you fit in with your lyrical approach? Also, in the current rap scene, where is your spot?

YBN Cordae: We are like the Warriors, that’s what I always compare us to. And I am Kevin Durant. Like a man that took as to a whole another level. We all started it together, and it’s all about us getting better, us growing as a team.

I don’t know where my spot is. I’m carving in my spot. The top spot, that’s where I want to be, that’s what my spot is about to be.

SNS: It is often discussed that there is a disconnect between the old and the young heads. Discussed by you also in “Have Mercy.” You literally studied the history of rap, Rakim, Biggie, Pac. You also read a lot, from Harry Potter to W.E.B. Du Bois. What fascinates you about history overall and rap history?

YBN Cordae: I’ve always been a history head, just in general. As far as rap, as far as music, as far as black history and just history in general, that’s always been my favorite subject in school. Because I feel like in order to better prepare for the future you got to study the past, cuz’ history tends to repeat itself. And it has always been interesting to me to learn about people who came before me. Even with my family history, I’m interested in that; I got to learn more about that.

SNS: What’s your take on the current streetwear scene, and the sneaker hype? Do you like it? Are you up for crazy shopping sprees?

YBN Cordae: I don’t know. Streetwear scene is in a really dope place cuz’ a lot of dope stuff is coming out. But the Hypebeast it’s an all-time high, it’s crazy. And then, again, it’s a lot of dope gear, a lot of dope clothes out. So what is a hypebeast? I don’t know. I like it, though. For my shopping sprees, I’m always at the Puma store, for real.

SNS: YouTube plays up. Sales up. Streams up. Dr. Dre collaborations. What’s next for YBN Cordae?

YBN Cordae: What is next is this album, The Lost Boy. It’s about to change the game; it’s about to create a wave in the most positive, beautiful, dopest way ever.

SNS: The internet is a strange place, and reading YouTube comments is hilarious, from the outside. Are you reading comments? And can you laugh about it the same as we do?

YBN Cordae: Oh yeah, I read YouTube comments. I see every comment, I promise you. I’ve seen every comment ever made about me. What is a good and bad thing, I shouldn’t do that, but at the same time, it’s just funny to me. It depends on the type of person you are if you can do that. Me, I’m not a very sensitive cat, I take everything with humor, cuz’ I’m a funny guy myself. So Instagram comments, YouTube Comments, Twitter comments. I see all of those and laugh my ass off. I’ve been dying at it! I love it. I love it. I love it. I love it.