Three 6 Mafia can add yet another career milestone to their list of accomplishments. As if being Academy Award winners was not enough for DJ Paul, Juicy J and Project Pat, they can now add designer to their résumé.
The group was tasked with helping the Memphis Grizzlies design their new City Edition jerseys. The team will debut the newly designed alternate jerseys on Friday (Nov. 11) when they go head-to-head against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The team gave fans a sneak peak at some of the players in the “dark mode” uniforms in several posts on social media.
Inspiration behind several of the jersey’s design elements are rooted in the city’s rich music and cultural history. The square font is said to be inspired by “local hip hop album art,” and the side panel on the shorts displays a series of M’s and G’s that “embodies the big style and swag of Memphis.”
Other nods to the city include “For The M” with a gold grill in the bottom left corner of the jersey, an M at the buckle of the shorts pays homage to the iconic M-shaped bridge, and the oversized bear logo is chromed out. The chrome additions are said to represent “the box Chevys and hustle of Memphis artists, whether selling mixtape cassettes out of trunks or delivering Memphis sound to the world today.”
The jerseys will appear 18 more times throughout the season, which includes a total of 12 home games starting with Friday. According to Commercial Appeal, it took three years and 20 different design variations for the final jersey to be chosen.
NLE Choppa also helped weigh in on the new designs. He previously worked with the team this season when he performed “Shotta Flow” as he walked the team onto the court from the locker room. Fivio Foreign had a similar opportunity to represent his hometown of Brooklyn when he performed for the Nets’ season opener last month.
Check out some of the jersey design elements below.