Fans of both Drake and soccer were left equal parts confused and impressed earlier today, after the 6God posted a string of images to Instagram flaunting the bright pink away jersey of Italian football team Juventus F.C. Strangely enough, we also noticed Ronnie Fieg was rocking the same jersey this week.
Impressed because, as always, Drizzy dazzles with his matching shirt and sunglasses fuchsia combo; confused because this is definitely not the first football club to which he's pledged allegiance. The Canadian rapper has been seen at the Etihad Stadium taking in a Manchester City game, spotted wearing the jerseys of Barcelona and AC Milan, hanging around with Bayern Munich's Jerome Boateng, rubbing shoulders with Arsenal players, and he even trained with (and scored against) ex-Chelsea star Didier Drogba.
Now it may seem like Juventus is just his current team of choice, nothing but a passing fad, but if we look a little closer then it becomes apparent that it's not really about the soccer for Drizzy.
His adoption of the London music scene is well known, and he's even now a big fan of Italian clothing label Stone Island - the number one brand worn by football casuals on British terraces since the 1980s. Drake wearing this bright pink jersey is just the flavor of the week, and his latest effort to involve himself with European culture, or at least show everybody that he's a worldly rapper. Although the name on the back is likely a clue - does Drake have some particular fondness for Juve midfielder Paul Pogba?
It's unclear exactly when and where it started, but hip-hop and grime artists from all across Europe are now donning the very latest jerseys of the continent's elite soccer clubs. Skepta rocks England shirts, Pusha T was seen repping AC Milan and Snoop Dogg has been spotted wearing a fair number of different colors. Check out any of the videos featured in this article about French rap and you'll notice jerseys from Real Madrid, Barcelona, PSG, Chelsea, and any other club which has had lots of success and all the riches that come with it. It's a move away from the grounded, retro-obsessed fashion tastes of ordinary football hipsters and is another way of worshiping the wealth and power celebrated in rap music for centuries.
Now Drake wants in. If you do too then you can pick up the stylish Juve shirt modeled above for $70 over at the adidas web store.
If you needed any more convincing why you should buy the shirt, here's why you should wear more pink.