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The heat of the summer proves the perfect timing for one of the year’s hottest releases. Long awaited, the adidas Mutombo is set to return in retro fashion on August 24th. While sneakerheads are counting down the days to cop the first colorway, MICK (formerly Mick Boogie) and DJ Jazzy Jeff debuted two pairs in cartoon fashion on the cover of their Summertime 4 mixtape. We caught up with MICK and Jeff to discuss their new tape, 1993 and the upcoming retros.
Nice Kicks: The Summertime 4 mixtape finds you debuting the Mutumbo retro in cartoon fashion. How did that wardrobe choice come about?
MICK: I’ve done a lot of mixtapes, projects and events for adidas and we’ve built a great relationship. When I heard they were re-issuing the Mutumbos this summer, it seemed like an awesome cross-promo opp for our Summertime brand. I called Jon Wexler and we made it happen!
DJ Jazzy Jeff: Plus, I like Mutumbo because he had a brief stint in Philly playing for the 76ers back in the day.
Nice Kicks: Both of you are rocking the retros on the cover. How does the adidas Mutombos reflect the summer season?
MICK: Jeff and Will’s classic song says it best: “Basketball courts in the summer got girls there.” What’s more summertime than good hip hop and some outdoor, neighborhood basketball? Our other influence was White Men Can’t Jump.
DJ Jazzy Jeff: Mick definitely can’t jump. At all.
MICK: I can jump. A little.
Nice Kicks: What do you remember about the sound and flavor of hip-hop when the Mutombos originally released?
DJ Jazzy Jeff: Well, 1993 was the middle of the golden era in hip hop, when it was all about the summer. Some of the songs we chose are what we heard on the radio everyday back then.
MICK: I remember “93 Til’ Infinity” was still a new song then, and now it’s timeless. I also remember buying Midnight Marauders and going crazy.
Nice Kicks: You’ve both worked with adidas Originals before. What adidas models stay in your summertime rotation?
MICK: My current fave is the BAPE x UNDFTD x adidas ZX5000. Oh, and the Torsion Allegra.
DJ Jazzy Jeff: For me, it’s the adidas Top Ten.
Nice Kicks: If you could pick out one more adidas Original to pull out of the basketball vault to get the retro treatment, what would it be?
MICK: I’d love to know what shoe adidas had in the top secret vault when they were pitching Michael Jordan back in the day, before he signed with Nike. That was probably an amazing sneaker.
Summertime 4 is available for free stream via the player below.