Drake vs Pusha T: The Final Showdown
If you paid any attention over the weekend, you would’ve seen one of rap’s longest-running beefs reignite. On Friday, Pusha T released his latest album, which contained some not-so-veilled jabs at Drake in the song ‘Infrared’. Champagne Papi then responded in kind, dissing King Push and his G.O.O.D. Music brother, Kanye West, on ‘Duppy Freestyle’. Pusha clapped back with 'The Story of Adidon' and the gloves are off. The two have traded blows for years, and while the Toronto rapper might win in the clout stakes, Pusha’s badass-ness has us wondering if he wouldn’t come out on top.
But their rhymes are the least of our worries; we care about their shoes. So, we’ve taken their best colabs and pitted them against each other, battle-royale style. Who’ll come out on top?
Pusha’s EQT Running Guidance 93 vs Drake’s Air Jordan 10 ‘OVO’
Even though Drizz signed with the Jumpman back in 2013, Pusha’s EQT Running Guidance was first out of the gate in 2014; the OVO x Jordan 10 didn’t drop until 2015. Drake’s first Jay, coming in white and black iterations, may have had a banger of a theme song (we couldn't get ‘Jumpman, Jumpman, Jumpman. Them boys up to something’ out of our heads), but it’s hard to go past the detailing on King Push’s crep.
Sporting fishscales, cracked leather and an all-over white make-up, the shoe barely concealed its untoward inspiration. Hell, it was even packaged in a giant ziplock back with Pyrex-jug measurements printed on the wrapping paper!
WINNER: Pusha, by a mile.
King Push’s EQT ‘Black Market’ vs Champagne Papi’s Jordan 12 ‘OVO’
The Virginia rapper’s sophomore outing was a blacked-out version of his first shoe, and while we liked its nickname (a reference to the shadier side of the rap biz), Drake’s white Jordan 12 is hands down his best Jay colab ever. The white tumbled leather, the pebbled stingray leather, the gold on the eyelets and Jumpman logo – it all made for one clean 12. Not to mention that it fetches hundreds more on the resell market than any of his other colabs (or any of Pusha’s, for that matter).
WINNER: Drake comes back out swinging.
The ‘King Push’ EQT vs the ‘OVO’ x Clarks Originals Desert Boot
Pusha T’s third EQT reaped all the benefits of adidas’ R&D department, enjoying a Primeknit upper and squishy BOOST sole. It retained its predecessor's fishscales but washed them in grey. We’d seen it all before, yes, but the cool grey against the white foam looked pretty damn crisp.
Drizzy’s next colab was, on the other hand, completely different from his previous efforts. His OVO label teamed up with Clarks to bring us an owl-branded Desert Boot that took us all by surprise. They’re definitely on the luxe side, with their all-over ‘OVO’ debossing and gold logo, but it felt like branding for branding’s sake and not so practical IRL.
WINNER: Sneaker beats no sneaker, so Pusha takes this one.
Pusha’s final EQT vs the 6 God’s last shoe with the Jumpman?
While the Kingpin’s colabs may lack variation, they’ve got backstory for days, and that’s why we’re still interested four shoes later. His last EQTs, the ‘Bodega Babies’, are inspired by childhood summers spent in the Bronx, doing runs to the bodega for his grandma. And of course, they came wrapped in a brown paper bag.
The 6 God took to the strapped-up Jordan 8 in his usual black and white fashion, but that didn’t stop the punters – they still scooped up the OVO-branded ballers quick smart when they dropped.
WINNER: One had a good story, the other had OVO backing, but they both rehashed old ideas. We’re calling it a tie.
Since the album dropped, the two have gone head-to-head, and it looks like Push has the upper hand. But who won this battle? Pusha has inspired detail in his shoes; Drake has Drake. Pusha’s shoes are steeped in his influence, but Papi’s Jays could be anyone’s. We think Drake could’ve done better, and considering it’s all but confirmed that he’s jumped ship, maybe he did too...
OVERALL WINNER: Pusha T
Via Terry Richardson