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Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant continues his Nike Producer Pack sneaker series with music producer Bink!
Bink!’s Nike KD17 collaboration is a love letter to his hometown of Norfolk, Virginia
Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant’s decision to feature legendary music producer Bink! in the most recent Nike KD17 Producer Pack shocked him. Before their joint studio sessions in the winter of 2023, the basketball star and rap beatsmith had no working or personal relationship. After those sessions with Durant, Bink! randomly got a cold call from Nike to inform him he would receive his own sneaker.
The quick bond between Bink! and Durant can be attributed to their shared passion for music, especially hip-hop. Bink! is known for grandiose, often soulful and hard-hitting beats despite staying largely under the radar after 30-plus years in the game. His résumé and discography span waves and generations. He’s crafted records with Jay-Z (“1-900-Hustler,” “Blueprint (Momma Loves Me)”), Drake (“You Only Live Twice”), Rick Ross (“Santorini Greece”), Dr. Dre (“It’s All On Me”) among many others.
The design of Bink!’s KD17 sneaker is a testament to the producer’s underrated and understated legacy. It features subtle flourishes that, when unwrapped, reveal Easter eggs related to his career, upbringing in Virginia, and personal history in music. Before the shoe was launched, Bink! spoke to Andscape about what it’s like to design a custom sneaker for one of the biggest brands in basketball footwear.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
How did the Bink! KD17 come about?
This was totally Durant’s idea. There was no pitch or anything of that nature. We recorded with 38 Spesh, Ransom, Durant and myself for a couple of days. It was a good session with a good vibe, but I didn’t think much about it. A few months later, Nike called me and said Durant wanted me to be involved with the Nike campaign. So I’m like, ‘OK, cool.’ So I’m thinking, ‘I wonder what kind of beat he wants for this commercial.’
I texted KD and said, ‘Yo, am I being catfished? Nike saying something about a Nike commercial.’ KD said, ‘Yeah, I’ll call you in a minute.’ So before Durant called me, Nike called me back, and I said, ‘So what kind of beat does Durant want?’ They were like, ‘Beat?’ I was like, ‘Yeah, what kind of music? What’s the vibe?’
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He was like, ‘He doesn’t want a beat. He’s giving you a shoe.’ He had to break it down and give me the backstory on the Producer Pack they did previously with Cardo Got Wings, Boi-1da and 9th Wonder. The Nike rep told me [The] Alchemist, Metro Boomin, and I would be the new recipients this year. It was flattering and startling at the same time.
How long have you known KD? How did you and Durant get introduced originally?
I haven’t known KD for too long. When we did the recording session, it was my first time meeting him.
Did he reach out to you, or how did that all come together?
38 Spesh reached out to me. 38 Spesh and Durant are close, so they orchestrated that together.
What was your reaction when you found out that it was a sneaker?
I didn’t know how to feel about it because I never had a sneaker. So I’m like, is this s— real? What is this? What’s going on right now? So it took a long time to kick in, you know?
So he didn’t give you any heads-up. You just got a call from Nike one day saying, ‘Hey, we need you to make a sneaker. KD selected you’?
That is why I called and asked him, ‘Yo, is this real or are you all playing with me?’ He didn’t even forewarn me, so I was like, ‘What the hell is going on right now?’
Once you found out what you were doing, what were the next steps in the process?
We started doing the layout last June. We started doing a bunch of Zoom meetings and stuff like that to assist me in designing the shoe.
Did they tell you what shoe you were going to be doing?
Yeah, they told me that whatever the design of the KD17, we would have full creative control in making our own custom pair of those.
How does it feel that you have a KD sneaker coming out?
Listen, bruh, I’m still really trying to process it all. It hit me a lot at the photo shoot in Cali, and it was just some really dope production. It was amazing.
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What are some of the elements that you added to your custom design? I noticed your signature on the side and an icon or logo on the back.
That’s a Virginia thing. That’s two up, two down, which is VA. That’s what we throw up to represent where we are from. I wanted to make it a Virginia shoe.
But I selected everything. The colors were a mixture of the high school I attended, Maury High School in Norfolk, Virginia, and then Norfolk State, which has a marching band I grew up adoring. I loved to listen to them at their football games. My mom would take me to the parades and the football games to listen to the band. And I’m just an earth-tone guy. It’s a mixture of those three things. That’s how I came up with the shoe design.
Very nice. And how about the ‘Easy’ on the heel?
Oh, that’s Easy Money Sniper. That’s KD’s stamp right there.
The ‘Humble Monsta,’ that’s you?
That’s me. That’s the name of my company on the bottom of the shoe.
Are there any other details we missed?
It has a beige sole with orange speckles, and brown denim is on the ankle collar. The detail that you may not notice is that the hands on the back of the shoe are a tattoo. It’s identical to a tattoo I’ve had on my arm for years. I sent them a picture of [my tattoo], and they put it on the shoe.
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And the translucent sole is so you could see the Humble Monsta? Is there any other significance to that? I also noticed the back almost looks like basketball leather.
Right. And that’s what it is. It uses denim, leather, and then almost like mesh. I love those type of shoes because they’re hard to get dirty. Wipe it down, and you should be straight, you know? You can have that shoe for a long time unless you’re that hard on the shoe.
You said you wanted to create a long-lasting shoe, and you’ve been involved in hip-hop for 31 years. Does the sneaker’s longevity tie in with your own?
I’m absolutely representing staying power. It’s a blessing to be in something this long, still relevant, and not lose a step.
And since you’re affiliated with Metro and Alchemist, it’s like three different generations of producers in some ways.
Alchemist and I are in the same class. We came in around the same time. Metro is the new blood, but I’m in great company, you know?
How do you feel about being affiliated with KD after just knowing him for a short time? He is obviously from the DMV area as well. Is he somebody you’ve been a fan of? When did he first get on your radar?
When he first came into the league, maybe a little before, it was a phenom to be that tall and handle the ball like you’re 5 feet 10. That’s crazy. I always thought he was a phenomenal basketball player, so for him to recognize me for my craft, like I recognize him for his, was an honor.
How many pairs will you keep for yourself and your family?
I’m making sure I get them all a pair, but I just need two pairs, one pair to put up and one to put away to never touch again.
It’s for the archives and the museum, right?
Yep, that part. It’ll be right next to my drum machine.