It's March 25, which means that NIGO's landmark I KNOW NIGO album has arrived on basically every streaming platform imaginable, even CD.
And it wouldn't be a NIGO moment without about a dozen pieces of merch tying in with his latest record, including collaborations with KAWS, A$AP Rocky's AWGE collective and Pharrell's Billionaire Boys Club.
Most of it will be available during the I KNOW NIGO pop-up on March 26 — AWGE's TESTING-themed items are only available in-store at the Shopify New York space in Soho.
Given that Rocky was the creative director of NIGO's new album and accompanying pop-up, it makes sense that the merch that he personally oversees would be given place of prominence at the IRL event.
Expect the varsity jackets to fly off the shelves first, followed swiftly by the crash test dummy-branded hoodies.
Some I KNOW NIGO items already debuted on NIGO's Human Made web store, including the KAWS-designed T-shirt (which is basically just the Victor Victor dog logo but with X's in its eyes) and in-line tees and hoodies.
None of the dog-themed merch has arrived online — it includes food bowls and leashes laden with Victor Victor and I KNOW NIGO branding — but look for all of that stuff to arrive in-store at the NYC pop-up, too.
It's a veritable cornucopia of new NIGO, led by his first proper album in nearly two decades.
I KNOW NIGO's trappy tone, informed by the many collaborators handpicked by NIGO to join in, is a departure from the trip-hop sound that NIGO last explored in his own work.
But that's intentional, according to Victor Victor founder Steven Victor, who told Highsnobiety that I KNOW NIGO was a labor of love assembled over the course of a year.
Though its sound is wholly distinct from NIGO's aughts output, NIGO himself is wholly distinct from NIGO in the aughts. Thus, as Victor explained, I KNOW NIGO is gonna sound different, though it took a long time to get the finished product to meet NIGO's standards.
"NIGO's a genius, up there with Kanye and Pharrell," said Victor. "He puts out really, really, really good stuff. Everything's so thoughtful and considered."
Including his merch, apparently.
