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Kendrick Lamar Promotes Peace Between Gangs With New Sneaker

The rapper's Reebok collaboration drops July 18.

Kendrick Lamar is doing everything he can to bring red and blue together and put an end to gang violence once and for all. Back in September, the Compton rapper released the cover art for his single “i,” featuring two opposing gang members dressed in all red and blue — representing the Bloods and the Crips, respectively — forming hearts with their hands. 
Now, Lamar is bringing that same vision to his first collaboration with Reebok. The rapper revealed his new sneaker for the brand, and rather than making the pairs available in separate colors, Kendrick’s version of the Reebok Ventilators come with blue accents on the left side and red accents on the right — bringing these two gang-associated colors together.
The tongue of the sneaker features the word “neutral” in bold font, making Kendrick's ideology perfectly clear.
Gang life and the division of Bloods and Crips were omnipresent in Compton, Calif., where Lamar was raised. As one of the neighborhood's biggest success stories, he seems dedicated to making sure no further damage is done by the age-old rivalry.
The sneakers are set to drop July 18 and will run about $143 a pair.
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(Photos from left: Reebok, Mike Windle/Getty Images for Reebok)

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