Jovani Hernandez Today, after a five month hiatus, YEEZY MAFIA posted on its Twitter account.
To the uninformed, YEEZY MAFIA began in 2016 as a group of sneaker resellers located across the globe. Over time, the cohort became a trusted source in all things adidas YEEZY, gaining recognition from Jon Wexler, former General Manager of Kanye West’s empire.
This is the beginning pic.twitter.com/ZKXfzAvH4z
— YEEZY MAFIA (@theyeezymafia) April 7, 2023
Ye was in the crosshairs over the final quarter of 2022, clashing with some of his biggest corporate partners. On October 25 of last year, adidas announced that it had cut ties with Ye, citing antisemitism as the reason. YEEZY MAFIA tweeted “THE END ?” on that same day accompanied by a picture of the YEEZY BOOST 350 V2 “Zebra,” one of the most popular releases from the adidas YEEZY partnership. With its business so closely tied to the former “Mr. West,” the international group took a break from its sprawling social media presence.
“I was quite close with Ye during the events that [led] to the hiatus, so YM were not really in position to comment about anything,” admin for YEEZY MAFIA’s Twitter account shared when asked for comment. “[We] also had to lay off most of the YM team.”
Rumblings about a reunion between Ye and adidas have circulated the internet since at least February. Neither institution has commented on the rumors’ validity, but adidas CEO Bjørn Gulden fueled the fire by praising Ye as “one of the most creative people that have ever been on the planet” back in March. The Three Stripes also hasn’t figured out what to do with the $500 million worth of unsold YEEZY inventory it still holds. Mending things with Ye would help them financially, but what effect would teaming up with him have on the brand’s public perception?
YEEZY MAFIA, for one, is looking forward to what’s to come: “I’m optimistic about the future though. Regarding adidas, I have nothing to say about it, let’s wait and see.” The group’s return message, however, refers to “community activities” and not a reunion between Ye and adidas, according to the admin.
Elsewhere, countless netizens have chosen to boycott the German sportswear behemoth for its decision to terminate its deal with the YEEZY frontman. Many of these same naysayers have enjoyed rumors of Beyoncé severing ties with the Three Stripes on her IVY PARK label. “Creative differences” were cited as the reason behind the rumored breakup, but it’s also important to note that the IVY PARK x adidas catalog lost over 50% in revenue in 2022, according to the Wall Street Journal.
If adidas YEEZY restarts, it’s likely the partnership’s original terms will have been renegotiated ad nauseam.
Whatever happens, the world will be watching.
