Traditionally defined as someone who excels at both offense and defense in basketball, Two-Way Players are distinguished by their uniquely multifaceted abilities. At StockX, we consider a two-way player to be anyone who can excel at their job and display a sense of authentic style at the same time. Whether it be an athlete padding the stat sheet then hopping off the bus with the fit of the night, or an artist dropping bangers and collaborating on collections, a two-way player transcends expectations both professionally and stylistically in equal measure.
Check out our own StockX two-way players below:
Kanye West
Kanye West had a busy 2018. Despite distractions, Kanye released a solo album, a collaborative album with Kid Cudi, and produced three other GOOD Music affiliated albums as well. While every album didn’t do well, three out of five received critical praise, and most topĀ 10 lists included Pusha-Tās Daytona as one of the best of the year. Yeezy had an excellent year in shoes as well, releasing a new silhouette with the 500, dropping several new colorways in the 700, 500, and 350, and restocking several coveted 350 colorways. Despite what some may have called āflooding the market,ā adidas executives released a statement testifying the continued success of the Yeezy brand. He grew his living legend status through a commercially successful 2018 and his profound ability to create and dictate as a tastemaker deserves respect. Of late, his style is emblematic of the cool dad whoās ready to get some work done in the yard, play a game of basketball with his kids, and take a nap all in the same afternoon; a true two-way player veteran. Shop his style below:
Drake
If the phrase āChecks over Stripesā doesnāt ring a bell, then maybe youāve been sleeping under the biggest rock since Patrick Star. Drake has been a major Jordan and Nike ambassador for quite some time now. Yet earlier in 2018 the mega-star was making a strong campaign for team adidas. That all eventually came to an end once his latest studio album āScorpionā released. This year, the seven billion streams artist had not only an album that went platinum the same day of its release date but also one of the biggest tours of 2018, grossing a total of $79 million. It’s also no secret that Drake is known for his rare collection of Jordan Retros, but he instead chose to perform every show of his 2018 tour in a pair of custom-made Nike Air Max Plus’s. Drake has started to become someone not only focused on making his mark in music but also in fashion. This year his OVO camp has collaborated with Timberland, Roots, and the icon himself, Takashi Murakami. Drake and JordanĀ Brand also released two colorways of the Jordan Retro 8 OVO in February 2018. Lately, this two-way player style has consisted of premium tactical streetwear with a cozy track star vibe.
Shop his style below:
A$AP Rocky
In 2018, Rocky did things the same way heās always done them, just a little bit different than everybody else. The A$AP Mob head (always and forever RIP YAM$) dropped an album and a signature shoe, both of which were somewhat unorthodox. Rockyās album āTestingā was just as the title implied, with that pretty mother f#$%@ trying out different types of sounds to the joy, confusion, and disappointment of fans. While met with mixed reviews, the project landed on several album of the year lists. His release was also relatively quiet in comparison to what else was going on in the world of hip-hop at the time. Released on the same date as Pusha-Tās Daytona, the five-week rollout of Kanye West produced albums overshadowed the reception of Rocky’s album. Pusha’s beef with Drake didn’t help, either. Rockyās shoe, released with Under Armour, was also met with mixed reviews. Inspired by the Osiris D3, it struck a chord with those ingrained in the skate world while many others viewed the shoe as taking the chunky shoe trend to the extreme (’90s action sports pun intended). Still, Rockyās ability to take anything and make it look incredible is what ultimately landed him on our first Two-Way Players list. Whether itās a big coat falling off the shoulder or a well-fitting hoodie, Rocky takes his street looks to a whole different level. To get the look, pair a track pant with a hoodie thatās just a little out there and finish it off with a pair of Old Skool Vans. If itās chilly, add a flannel draped just off the shoulder.Ā
Shop Rocky’s style below:
Travis Scott
You might say we saved the best for last, because simply put, Travis Scott owned 2018. After dropping one of the best albums of the year with the consensus song of the year in “Sicko Mode”, Travis gained tremendous momentum to channel his musical success into fashion. Nike boys were in full effect as Travis released two pairs of shoes that aligned him closer to the Nike family than ever before. The stargazing artist released arguably one of the hottest sneakers of the year with the Jordan 4 Retro Travis Scott Cactus Jack, followed shortly thereafter with even more Nike heat by dropping theĀ Air Force 1 Low Travis Scott Sail, . Following his unexpected success in the sneaker game, Travis leveled-up by building an entire fashion line based on his Astroworld tour. In the world of high fashion, YSLās very own Creative Director Anthony Vaccarello handpicked Travis Scott to be the face of YSL’s SS19 campaign. If the world of two-way players, thereās no avoiding mention of Travis Scott. This year Travis’ style fully diversified. You can shop the platinum-selling artist’s style below.
Shop his style below:
