CULTURE

Nas Is Really, Really, Really Into ‘Ghostbusters’

To celebrate the upcoming all-female reboot, the rapper-turned-mogul has put out five different Ghostbusters collaborations. That’s more than there are Ghostbusters.

by Faith Cummings

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The rapper Nas is not in the business of repetition—he’s expanded his reach to TV, in his capacity as a producer on Baz Luhrmann’s upcoming hip-hop period piece The Get Down, and he’s even created a VC firm (Queensbridge Venture Partners). But he’s not completely against nostalgia. For one, he loves Ghostbusters.

“I wanted to do something that’s unpredictable,” Nas said at the launch of his Italia Independent x Ghostbusters collection this week. “Many of us [rappers] have been creating our own clothing lines; style has always gone hand in hand with our craft. But I’ve felt that much of what I’ve seen thus far has been pretty similar. So I wanted a completely different approach, which is why I was really intrigued by this Ghostbusters collaboration.”

Released when he was just 10, Ghostbusters has apparently left an enduring impression on the hip-hop artist. In fact, he is such a fan that he engaged five different brands for his Ghostbusters-branded ** collaborations—along with the Italia Independent sunglasses, there are New Era snapbacks, Monster headphones, Fila sneakers, and Tokyobike rides. (Colette is the driving force behind the partnerships, as one of two online retailers selling the full lineup, along with Ron Herman.)

But where Nas undoubtedly was the most involved is with the apparel offerings through his brand HSTRY, which he launched in 2014. A Ghostbusters black coach jacket, camo-printed flight pants, and a slew of graphic t-shirts (WHO YOU GONNA CALL?) all come in at under $125.

HSTRY x Ghostbusters

Nas recently attended the Met Gala as the guest of Public School, but his style sensibility is rooted in the 80’s. “I’ve always loved my Pumas, my Adidas kicks,” he said. “And it grew from there to headbands and sweatsuits, Bally shoes and all of those ‘80s styles. That started it all for me. That was the best decade in my estimation, and I really did think I would be that guy forever—I guess in a lot of ways I still am.”

Not that he hasn’t grown with the times. Even a diehard like Nas can appreciate the all-female remix of the Ghostbusting crew. “You never know what they’re going to do with a reboot,” he said. “Going with an all-female cast is really great and feels very fresh and modern to me. It feels like the right thing to do in 2016.”

HSTRY x Ghostbusters

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