Patta x Converse One Star Pro '4 Leaf Clover'

Words by Offspring Community member @_jasmintaylor

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It is the scarcity of the four-leaf clover that makes it a novelty. Symbolising fortune, the four-leaf clover is just as rare as the talent that graces the world. As part of Patta and Converse’s latest collaboration, front lined by R&B/soul artist Erykah Badu who equally embodies and nurtures talent, the One Star takes on a new look inspired by the four-leaf clover and the qualities it personifies.

To support this campaign, four musically talented creatives from the Offspring Community searched for their favourite neo soul/R&B records and explained what it means to them, as a way of passing on their breadth of musical knowledge.

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A record store provides the perfect setting for a campaign like this, as it is somewhat of a hub for music enthusiasts. There’s an odd silence paired with noise, while the creatives intently search for a special record, softly flicking through the many on display, while music booms from the speakers overhead.

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Every so often, there were collaborative murmurs “You know this one?”, “Ahh yeah that’s legendary,” and nods of agreement from our community creatives.

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First, beat maker Depf (@depf__) selected the record Voodoo by D’Angelo. Describing it as one of his favourite R&B albums of all time, Depf appreciates the instrumentation on the record such as the live sounds, drums and guitars used. The drum patterns and guitar work of neo-soul and R&B music, as well as his father being a drummer, serve as a large inspiration for Depf’s beats.

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“When I make beats, I either start with my drums, synth keys or guitars. It’s just the grooves you find in R&B, I think you can match that to a lot of hip-hop... it’s just almost in my DNA really.” @depf__

To contrast, DJ Bhavzee (@djbhavzee) chose to share a newer R&B record with Giveon’s debut album Give or Take. Giveon’s music, and this album in particular, inspires Bhavzee because it reminds her of her own growth in her career. Bhavzee’s love for music and curiosity for DJing is what prompted her to start her career five years ago. From the moment she first touched the decks, she practiced every day for sixth months. Her passion for DJing meant working hard became enjoyable, which is what she believes makes you thrive.

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Another Offspring Community creative is DJ Rome, (@romethedj), who selected the record Romeo Must Die: The Album, which is the soundtrack to the film to which it shares a name. Rome picked this record due to the variety of songs included, such as Aaliyah’s Try Again and Joe’s Rose is a Concrete World. The record’s cover instantly reminded him of the film, which brought on a sense of nostalgia and reminders of what was happening during the period of the soundtrack’s release.

“There’s so many massive tunes to pick from: the original Aaliyah Try Again, Destiny Child’s Perfect Man, I don’t Wanna by Aaliyah, Joe’s Rose in a Concrete World. I've actually got this CD at home as well.” @romethedj

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Lastly, musical artist Vas Leon (@thisisvasleon) chose the record Promise, an album by Sade, where the song The Sweetest Taboo speaks to him on the importance of a journey. Vas Leon explained how the song itself embarks its own journey, beginning with percussion and later joined by instruments which couple together and build up to the introduction of Sade’s vocals. As the song goes on, different sounds merge to take you on a journey. Vas Leon believes that while songs and albums should both have journeys, the true importance of music is how it is used to express oneself and feel each other’s emotions and messages through song.

“When you hear a song for the first time, listening again will always bring you back to that space. This one brings me back to much, much, much younger me.” @thisisvasleon

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Depf and Bhavzee’s stories behind their chosen records highlight how inspiration and passion are keys to success. While Rome and Vas Leon’s commentaries suggest how music is used as a tool of expression and can transport you to different times and places. Each community member involved with this campaign is much like the four-leaf clover itself, and it is the celebration stories and talent such as theirs that the Patta x Converse Four-Leaf clover aims to uplift.

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Throughout the campaign, the talented Walee (@waldroid) played an integral role in capturing the creatives process of selecting a record and discussing their musical knowledge. Through his photography, you can see the physical connection between sneakers and music. Walee said it was inspiring to see how their love for specific records influence their own artistic vision, and “getting to work on this campaign celebrating the connection between music and style has been an unforgettable experience.”

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For myself, as a creative who spends almost all day and night listening to music, I appreciated how interviewing fellow members of the #offspringcommunity taught me more about the composition of music and key aspects of musical production. Furthermore, this was a fantastic opportunity to work on a campaign for brands I am very interested in, whose four-leaf concept for this shoe inspired me. The Offspring/Converse #springboard concept has been really useful for working on my own creative skills, such as interviewing and writing, and building my portfolio. I would definitely recommend other #offspringcommunity members to keep an eye out for more opportunities.

Keep your eyes peeled for more opportunities from Converse and Offspring to #springboard your creative career with live projects throughout the year.

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