Beats By Dre + Naomi Campbell

Limited Edition 24-Karat Gold Beats by Dre

By: Maggie Maloney | Photographer: Courtesy of Beats by Dre

July 29, 2014

Despite the fact that the 2014 World Cup has come to a close, World Cup fever is still very much alive. In addition to taking home the official World Cup trophy, each player of Germany's winning team received a special edition gift from Dr. Dre, who collaborated with Naomi Campbell to create the 24 karat gold headphones. 

In a commemorative gift along with the headphones, Beats by Dre released a Naomi Campbell portrait, with the supermodel looking every bit the trophy dressed by Tom Ford and Christian Louboutin, shot by the legendary British fashion photographer, Rankin. 

Campbell notes: “Working on the Golden project with Beats by Dr. Dre was so much fun” and for the model and avid soccer fan, “The shoot was loud and energetic…I even got to practice my football skills! The Golden project is the perfect way to celebrate the German victory and I’m glad to be a part of this campaign.” 

View the beautiful Naomi Campbell above and grab your own pair of champagne gold Beats By Dre (unfortunately not 24 karat, but still dope) here.

BERZERK

BERZERK

Em's Latest Track on MMLP2

By: Ben Mueller

September 3, 2013

Eminem scurried out his newest single “Berzerk” this past Tuesday before dust could settle on the announcement of his new album The Marshall Mathers LP 2. From the very beginning of the single’s video—the moment a cassette tape is placed in an enormous 80s boombox—it’s clear Em has every intention of his comeback being a throwback. The track is Beastie Boys incarnate and reaches even further for its Billy Squier crunchy-guitar backbone from “The Stroke.” But layered, often noisy production threatens to get in the way of what we have waited so long for: them sweet-ass Shady raps.

Hip-hop pioneer Rick Rubin produced the track and is also executive producing the new album—along with the obvious Dr. Dre., Rubin is known for his stripped down approach to record-making, most recently with Kanye’s brutally raw Yeezus. Although “Berzerk” has Rubin’s trademark rock influence all over it, it comes as a bit of a surprise that pop music’s “busier=better” trend (e.g. Imagine Dragons’ chart-topping “Radioactive”) seems to have snuck in over Em’s polished rhymes. Squawky guitars, trill hi-hat, and an obscene amount of vinyl scratching during the bridge and chorus threaten to drown out the vocal in a sea of treble.

But thank god that vocal is so damn good. If there’s one thing Slim has proven this past decade, it’s that he’s bottled up his secret stuff and can spit it back at will—comeback (Relapse) after comeback (Recovery). What “Berzerk” has in common with The Marshall Mathers LP is Shady’s classic shades of irreverence: “I’m ‘bout to bloody this track up, everybody get back/ That’s why my pen needs a pad cause my rhymes on the ra-aaag.” Later, he wakes up in a Monte Carlo next to “the ugly Kardashian.” Celebrities! Menstrual references! The snotty Em we know and love. But when the rapper’s less hyped single “Survival” better places his raps front and center—and is in service of Call of Duty: Ghosts no less—it’s wise to anticipate his new album with a cautionary excitement. In other words, don’t let yourself go quite yet.