Joey Bada$$ Honors Capital STEEZ on XXL Freshman Cover

Now that we revealed this year’s Freshman class, let’s take a closer look at the wardrobe some of them are wearing. In particular, the shirt Joey Bada$$ is rocking that pays homage to Capital STEEZ.

The shirt is an illustration of Steelo, the Pro Era MC and close friend of Joey who passed away this pass December. In keeping him in his memories, Joey teamed up with Ecko designer Tony Whlgn to create a limited edition T-shirt. Speaking with Ecko, he broke down how the whole collaboration came together.

I had an opportunity to design a special 1 of 1 Ecko Unltd collaborative tribute tee with Joey Badass. It’s an honor to work with a Street wear Brand that I’ve grown up with that has been around for 20yrs. If you’ve seen the RIP STEELO MURAL I did about a month ago you’ll notice it’s the same artwork. We took that and infused Steez’s 47 Ideology and Balance to convey the type of MC Steelo really was. Also if you look closely you’ll notice the shirt is pieced and color blocked with the Rastafarian Red, Black, & Green for Steez’s Spiritual movement amongst the youth. We put a great amount of thought into designing this memento hope you enjoy. Look forward to more works from the two in the near future.

[via Ecko]

Previously: The New New: 15 New York Rappers You Should Know