Clear

Clear

Obvious.

Rappers love stating the obvious. From shouts of “Luda!” to “This the remix!”, there’s no shortage of repetitive information in hip hop. This instinct has roots in modernity—the  further a song travels from the shelves of Hastings, the more likely it is to be disassociated with all of its additional parts (album name and cover, song title, even artist or features). By shamelessly plugging that information during the song, listeners have a pneumonic device to lead them back to the source.

Clear

To kick the ball out.

The Premier League transfer record for a defender has been shattered more times in the last two years than Jack Wilshere’s knee ligaments. The goalkeeper transfer record has been equally flimsy, lasting only a few weeks this summer between the signings of Liverpool’s Allison and Chelsea’s 80 million euro man, Kepa Arrizabalaga. These inflated numbers aren’t just due to a booming market—the evolving game of football is requiring more from these reserved players. Giving away possession by hoofing it down the field is no longer an option, and only a select few backline players worldwide possess the now-essential technical assets top clubs desire.