New York Red Bulls, a Major League Soccer team purchased by the famed brand back in 2006, will debut a new kit that honors the city and birthplace of Hip-Hop music and culture. The Freestyle Kit pays homage to the pillars of Hip-Hop just in time for the 50th anniversary later this month.
The New York Red Bulls Freestyle Kit comes in a graffiti-styled Black and white motif with various “tags” blasting the word Hip-Hop underneath the Red Bull logo on the chest. For those unaware, the kit in soccer (or football) is the uniform players wear on the field (pitch).
The New York Red Bulls Freestyle Kit honors the pillars of MC-ing, DJ-ing, graffiti, and beat-boxing and is also marked with a tag that notes that Hip-Hop is celebrating 50 years of existence on the hem.
“Representing a global movement that spans 50 years and has seen so many different styles and approaches. It had to be raw, it had to be authentic. It’s not about having all the fancy equipment or technology. It’s about letting all the imperfections show through, which in turn, makes it perfect,” Art Director Kevin Maulbeck said in a statement. “We decided on focusing on one of the pillars of hip hop – graffiti, more specially in this case, writing. Thought about the walls, doors and trains all around the area covered in graffiti and stickers. I hope when people see this jersey, they think it is raw, authentic, loud and true. It’s more than NY hip hop, but at its core, that’s exactly what it is: the local scene on display for the global audience.”
Director of Marketing Justin Baier adds, “It was important for us to celebrate a narrative and design that can be authentic and representative of the club, our values and our surrounding neighborhoods. Our third kit is our club’s offering to the celebration of the 50-year history of Hip Hop, its impact around the globe from artists of all different backgrounds and the importance it’s had on our local community’s culture and storytelling through the past 5 decades.”
The New York Red Bulls will don the kit for the first time on August 26 in perhaps the most anticipated MLS game of the year as Inter Miami CF and new addition Lionel Messi will lock horns on the field at Red Bull Arena.
To purchase the kit, click here.
To learn more about the New York Red Bulls, click here.
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Photo: Mauricio Gonzales / New York Red Bulls
