The Untouchable: Revisiting Pusha T's Victorious 2015

Virginia’s own Pusha T is far from the norm when one thinks about your traditional rapper. Making his way onto the scene as one half of the powerful group Clipse alongside his brother Malice (now known as No Malice) back in 1999, Exclusive Audio Footage was a project that would set the tone for who many have known to grow and love as King Push. Over the years, we’ve received unforgettable albums such as Lord Willin’, Hell Hath No Fury and Till The Casket Drops from the legendary duo, alongside a debut solo album in My Name is My Name. It’s safe to say that Pusha T is a product of his craft and he enjoys what he does, but there’s more to King Push than just music. Although many look forward to the New Year to reach newer heights, Pusha T has already set his own standard high after a successful closing to 2015, which will potentially lead to a larger 2016. Here is some of his most notable moments from the latter half of last year.

adidas EQT Running Guidance “Black Market”

Returning as a sequel to the inaugural off-white edition released back in 2014, the “Black Market” adidas EQT Running Guidance further cemented Pusha T’s relationship with adidas as one that will continue to grow over time. Along with having alternate ties with the three stripes by starring in its #OriginalSuperstar campaign with Pharrell and modeling for 2015’s fall/winter lookbook, it has created a relationship between brand and artist that has generated increased anticipation along with the pressure of being better than the previous product. Introduced to coincide with the release of his second solo studio album King Push – Darkest Before Dawn: The Prelude, this colorway was dominated in all-black with fish scales on its heel along with 3m reflective hits throughout to finish it off.

The Return of Intriguing Visuals

Whether as one half of the Clipse or as a solo artist, Pusha T has always managed to complement his lyrics with thought provoking and interesting visuals. In order to help increase the already highly anticipated King Push – Darkest Before Dawn: The Prequel, he released three videos along with a short film to top things off. A dark aesthetic hovered over all three music visuals in “Untouchable”, “M.F.T.R.” and “Crutches, Crosses, Caskets” that set the tone for the Jay Z funded short film, Darkest Before Dawn. With no feeling of letting up for the New Year, Pusha T recently dropped the visual for the track “M.P.A.” as well, which also has appearances from New York’s own A$AP Rocky alongside The-Dream, along with assistance on the hook from Kanye West.

King Push – Darkest Before Dawn: The Prelude

Many were impressed with his debut solo album in My Name is My Name and King Push is far from being considered in the same class as those who release disappointing sophomore albums. As a result, fans were allowed to follow Pusha T in his growth as a solo lyricist through King Push – Darkest Before Dawn: The Prelude. Released on December 18, the 10 track project consisted of features from the likes of A$AP Rocky, Kanye West and The-Dream to Jill Scott, Kehlani and Ab-Liva. Further cementing the project as one of Pusha T most thoughtful pieces is its artwork by DONDA. Its dark physical aesthetic plays along with lyrics of the same nature to bring it full circle.

Say Hello to the President of G.O.O.D. Music

Over time, G.O.O.D. Music has been known to be led by its founder Kanye West. As of recently, Yeezy appointed King Push with the role of president which was officially announced after months of discussions between the two. Accompanied by his manager Steven Victor to play the role of A&R, G.O.O.D. Music fans can only wait in anticipation to see the direction that the Kanye founded label will take in 2016. As Pusha T briefly described his role as manicuring the label while focusing on it being more business oriented, it’s presumed that quality time and effort will be the key to the label taking the next step in 2016. With heavy detail in the rollout of King Push – Darkest Before Dawn: The Prelude, it’s safe to assume that the bar will be raised this year with Pusha T’s follow up expected in April and Kanye West’s SWISH recently announced for February 11. Further ways that we may see G.O.O.D. Music takeover are additional albums from the likes of Big Sean or John Legend, a follow up to the group project Cruel Summer or the signing of music’s next big star.