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It’s hard to believe it’s been almost 20 years since fashion designer Prathan Poopat and his consultant friend Flavio Girolami started Common Projects as an independent footwear brand in New York City. Launched in 2004, the brand’s line of minimalist sneakers quickly gained a following among the fashion set, not to mention celebrities and musicians like Frank Ocean, Nick Jonas and Jay-Z, among others.
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Common Projects is now ubiquitous on the soles of everyone from students to entrepreneurs to athletes (Tom Brady has been seen in Common Projects sneakers on multiple occasions).
Though it’s still based in New York, Common Projects manufactures the majority of its shoes in Italy, all handcrafted from genuine leather and other premium finishes. And of course, that signature stamp of numbers remains the only visible branding on the shoes.
ORIGINAL MODEL
Common Projects Black Original Achilles Low Sneakers
But Common Projects sneakers don’t run cheap. In fact, its bestselling Original Achilles Low silhouette will still run you close to $500 on sites like SSENSE above.
Fortunately, there are a few good Common Projects alternatives that you can find online, including similar-looking pairs starting at just $129. From sustainable picks to luxe finds, here are five top-reviewed Common Projects dupes to buy right now.
TOP PICK
Cariuma OCA Low All Black Pebbled Leather
Cariuma is known for its sustainably-sourced and produced footwear collection, and one of their best new styles is this pair of black pebbled leather shoes, which offers a slightly-more casual take on the Common Projects Achilles. The Cariuma kicks feature a grippy rubber sole, organic cotton canvas lining, organic cotton laces and a biodegradable, plant-derived insole for comfort and breathability. At just $159, the OCA Low deliver the same great looks for one-third of the price of Common Projects.
MUSICIAN APPROVED
Koio Capri Triple White Sneakers
Musicians like Joe Jonas love Italian footwear brand Koio, which makes a great Common Projects alternative called the “Capri.” The stark white sneakers are handmade in Tuscany from genuine leather, then set on a minimalist white rubber sole. A super versatile pair of shoes, the look can be preppy or formal depending on how you style them. They’re not cheap at $245, but still less expensive than Common Projects, with the same amount of craftsmanship and same streamlined aesthetic.
FAN FAVORITE
Thursday Premier Low Top
Footwear brand Thursday may be best known for their boots, but they also make a great Common Projects dupe with their Premier Low Top sneaker. Made from a smooth and buttery Italian nappa leather, the shoes feature the same low profile and tonal stitching of Common Projects, but at a wallet-friendly $129 price point. They’re easy to order and get delivered on Amazon too.
EDITOR’S CHOICE
Steve Madden Bondd Sneakers
$79.99
$119.99
33% off
The first time I tried on these Steve Madden sneakers at a menswear trade show in Las Vegas, I knew I had to have them in my closet. Unlike some Steve Madden sneakers, which can scream TRENDY, these ones are clean and timeless, with a surprisingly elegant aesthetic (especially in this gray suede finish). Also available in white and black, the Bondd sneakers are one of the best Common Project alternatives you can buy online, though they more than stand on their own as a pair of must-have kicks too.
ALSO CONSIDER
Clae Bradley Sneaker
From artists and models to musicians, all of our “in the know” friends own a pair of Clae Bradley sneakers. They’re some of the most comfortable shoes you’ll put on, with a cushioned insole and padded footbed that keeps things plush and light for all-day wear. Clae makes these leather sneakers sustainably too, with the LA and Paris-based company pledging to use at least 50% leather “sourced from a tannery that has achieved a Leather Working Group rating for energy use, waste production and water treatment,” per a product description.
For more product recommendations, check out ShopBillboard’s roundup of musician sneaker collabs and the best things to buy from Snoop Dogg’s Skechers collection.
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As promised, the Trump administration is making the deportations of immigrants their main priority, and though they stated they would only deport the criminals and lawbreaking non-citizens living in the United States, they’ve accidentally detained and deported law abiding migrants who’ve done nothing wrong other than being a shade too dark for MAGA’s comfort.
According to Raw Story, the Trump administration recently admitted that they “accidentally” deported Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia of Beltsville, Maryland, to El Salvador’s infamous super prison, Centro de Confinamiento del Terrorismo, after he was granted protection status in the United States in 2019, because a judge found it “likely than not that he would be persecuted by gangs in El Salvador.” Still, Garcia was rounded up by Ice earlier last month and on March 15, he was placed on one of the deportation flights to El Salvador even though he was to remain in the United States. It wasn’t until his wife recognized him in a photo, which featured prisoners being shaven and shackled at the prison in El Salvador that his family realized what had happened.
After his initial arrest, ICE called his wife, Jennifer Vasquez Sura, and instructed her to pick up their her 5-year old son, A.A.V. within 10 minutes and even threatened that the child would be handed over to Child Protective Services if she didn’t show up. As time went by, his wife didn’t know what happened to Garcia until she saw him locked up in El Salvador and decided to get a lawyer for the situation.
Once the family lawyered up and took the Trump administration to court over the matter, ICE admitted in a court filing that the deportation of Garcia was an “administrative error” as Garcia was once considered a member of the infamous MS-13. While the Trump administration did own up to their mistake, they are saying there is no way for them to retrieve Garcia from Salvadorian authorities as it is now out of their hands.
Still, the Trump administration is defending their decision to deport Garcia as he was once a high-ranking member of what is considered the most dangerous gang in the world.
Per Raw Story:
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt Tuesday said that Abrego Garcia was a leader of the MS-13 gang, despite his deportation being “a clerical error.”
“The administration maintains the position that this individual who was deported to El Salvador and will not be returning to our country was a member of the brutal and vicious MS-13 gang,” she said.
She said the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has evidence of his gang activity that she has seen and she also alleged that Abrego Garcia was involved in human trafficking.
If anyone knows anything about MS-13 it’s that when a member walks away from the gang in pursuit of an honest life, that usually means his or her death; the gang doesn’t take too lightly to quitters. That would explain why Garcia was granted protection in the U.S. out of fear of retaliation if he was to return to El Salvador.
With a wife (who is a U.S. citizen) and a 5-year-old son with whom he had built a life with, Garcia seemed well on his way to redemption until Donald Trump once again unleashed ICE on the Black and Brown immigrant community. Now that he’s gotten swooped up in the deportations, it’s anyone’s guess if he’ll ever find his way back to Baltimore, Maryland, where his family anxiously awaits.
On the bright side, officials for the White House are confident that Garcia will be okay locked up with other gang members who might feel a way about him walking away from the life.
“While there may be allegations of abuses in other Salvadoran prisons—very few in relation to the large number of detainees—there is no clear showing that Abrego Garcia himself is likely to be tortured or killed in CECOT,” according to DOJ.
Pray for that man, b.
What do y’all think about Trump accidentally deporting a man who was living in the U.S. under protected status and not attempting to get him back? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Kid Capri is coming for his coin. He says he was never compensated when his voice was sampled for the Martin show.
As spotted on HipHopDX, the legendary DJ paid a visit to the Bag Fuel podcast. While he discussed a variety of topics regarding his storied career, it was his reveal regarding the iconic comedy series that soon went viral. The introduction to the Martin show features his voice screaming “MARTIN LAWRENCE” throughout. He explained how he was never asked about it before it went to production nor was he ever paid for the usage. “They took my voice from Def Comedy Jam, sampled it, put it on the Martin show,” he said. “Never got no permission from me, never asked for my rights, nothing. This show been on eight different networks for 30 years. Now, if it was a money thing for me, I woulda been like, ‘Yo where’s my bread?’ I ain’t never did that.”
Originally premiering in 1992, the television sitcom would go on to run for five seasons. It also produced some of the most beloved characters in comedic history including Bruh-Man, Hustle Man, Sheneneh, Dragonfly Jones and Jerome. In 1996, Tisha Campbell (Gina) left the show citing that Martin Lawrence sexually harassed and threatened her. She returned to the show but requested that she film her scenes without Martin Lawrence being on set. The two have since reconciled.
You can see Kid Capri discuss the sample clearance issue below.
National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) president/CEO David Israelite joined the Association of Independent Music Publishers (AIMP) to give his annual State of Music Publishing address on Wednesday (April 2) at Lawry’s in Beverly Hills. In his speech, Israelite discussed hot button issues for publishers, including Spotify bundling (“we are still at war”), AI concerns, PRO reform and more.
Israelite started by sharing the NMPA’s data on the revenue sources for songwriters and publishers. It found that songwriters and publishers earn 45% of revenue from streaming services, 11% from general licensing and live, 9% from traditional synchronization licensing, 8% from mass synch (licenses for UGC video platforms like YouTube), 8% from radio, 7% from TV, 4% from labels, 2% from social media, 1% from sheet music, and 1% from lyrics. The NMPA says that 75% of its income is regulated by either a compulsory license or a consent decree, while the remaining 25% is handled via free-market negotiation.
On the AI front, Israelite explained that the NMPA is actively watching and supporting pending legal action.
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“We have not filed our own lawsuit yet, but I can promise you that if there is a path forward with a productive lawsuit, we will be filing it,” he said. As far as trying to regulate AI through policy, Israelite added, “We’re doing everything that can be done.” The NMPA is participating in both a White House initiative and a Copyright Office initiative, but he added, “If you are waiting for the government to protect your rights and AI models, I think that is a very bad strategy.”
Instead, Israelite said that the “most emphasis” should be placed on forming business relationships with AI companies. “When that date comes [that AI companies are willing to come to the table to license music], I believe the most important principle is that the song is just as valuable, if not more, than the sound recording in the AI model,” he continued.
During the speech, Israelite said he had a recent conversation with “the CEO of one of the major AI companies” who told him that “by far, the song [as opposed to the sound recording] is the most important input into these models. I tell you this because I am fearful that as these models develop, if we do not protect our rights, we will find ourselves in a situation where we are not getting as much or more than the sound recording when it comes to revenue…that is a responsibility of this entire community to fight for that.”
Israelite added that his “number one problem when it comes to revenue is how we are treated with these bundled plans,” pointing to publishers’ ongoing issues with Spotify. Last year, Spotify added audiobooks into its premium tier offerings and began claiming those tiers as “bundles,” a term referring to a type of subscription that qualifies for a discounted rate for music. Spotify claimed that it now had to pay to license both books and music from the same subscription price and subsequently started paying songwriters and publishers about 40% less for music, according to the NMPA. At the time, Billboard estimated that this would lead to a $150 million reduction in payments to publishers in the next year, compared to what publishers would have been paid if the tiers had never been reclassified.
In January, news broke that Universal Music Group (UMG) and Spotify had forged a direct deal that gave UMG’s publishing arm improved terms, effectively minimizing the harm caused by the previous year’s bundling change. Shortly after, Warner Music Group (WMG) followed suit with its own direct deal with Spotify for improved publishing remuneration. “I know in this room in particular, there is a great concern about what those market deals mean for the whole industry,” Israelite says. “I want to be very clear about this. I believe those market deals are a good thing, but until everybody benefits from the same protections about how bundles are treated, we are still at war. Nothing has changed.”
Israelite added later that UMG and WMG’s direct deals could be cited as “evidence” to support the publishers’ position during the next Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) fight, which will determine the U.S. mechanical royalty rates for publishers in the future. The CRB proceedings begin again in 10 months, and Israelite estimates his organization will spend $36 million in the next trial to fight for the publishers’ position. While he often noted that “we shouldn’t be in this system in the first place” during his address, Israelite conceded that despite his calls for a legislative proposal that would give publishers and writers the right to pull out of the 100-year-old system of government-regulated price setting for royalties, the “brilliant idea” is “next to impossible to accomplish.”
Israelite went on to detail all the ways the NMPA and others are still fighting back against Spotify over the bundling debacle. He noted that the Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC) “is doing a fantastic job of continuing the fight” against Spotify, adding that its lawsuit, which was dismissed earlier this year by a judge who called the federal royalty rules “unambiguous,” has “been revived.” He added, “[It’s] our best chance of getting back what we lost.”
Elsewhere in his speech, Israelite told the crowd of independent publishers that the NMPA has now sent three rounds of takedown notices to Spotify for various podcast episodes, citing copyright infringement of its members’ songs, and that “over 11,000 podcasts have been removed from Spotify” as a consequence.
The recent calls for performing rights organization (PRO) reform are also top of mind for publishers in 2025. Last year, the House Judiciary Committee sent a letter to the Register of Copyrights, Shira Perlmutter, requesting an examination of PROs, citing two areas of concern: the “proliferation” of new PROs and the lack of transparency about the distribution of general licensing revenue. This spurred the Copyright Office to take action, opening a notice of inquiry that allows industry stakeholders to submit comments, sharing their point of view about what, if anything, should be reformed at American PROs. However, some fear that the notice of inquiry could lead to increased regulation at the PROs, further constraining publishing income.
Israelite addressed this by giving publishers a preview of the NMPA’s forthcoming comments. “I will tell you today exactly what our comments are going to say,” he said. “It is very simple. Music publishers and songwriters are already over-regulated by the federal government. Congress should be focused on decreasing regulation of our industry, not increasing regulation of our industry, and to the extent that any of these issues are substantive issues. This should be dealt with between the PROs and their members. It has nothing to do with the Copyright Office. It has nothing to do with Congress. It has nothing to do with the federal government.”
Billboard Women in Music 2025 The Weeknd added yet another music video to YouTube‘s Billion Views Club, as the “Call Out My Name” visual surpassed the milestone. The achievement marks the star’s sixth music video to surpass one billion views. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news In […]

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Source: Getty Images / Susan Crawford / Elon Musk
Republicans had a bad night on Tuesday, but Elon Musk had an even worse night after failing to convince Wisconsin voters not to elect Judge Susan Crawford.
Elon Musk poured millions, $20 million to be exact, into the Wisconsin Supreme Court race, even going as far as to bribe voters by handing out $1 million checks to people. One of them leads the state’s College Republicans, and many say the handout was no coincidence.
Regardless of trying to throw money at the issue, Wisconsin voters rejected Musk and the Donald Trump-backed candidate, Brad Schimel. They voted for Judge Susan Crawford, dealing a significant blow to Trump and his buddy Musk, telling Phony Stark their votes can’t be bought.
Musk held a rally in Wisconsin ahead of Tuesday night’s pivotal election. He even wore a cheesehead, his of way of pandering to the Wisconsin natives, but it was all for naught.
After the results, Musk hopped on the platform he basically sold to himself to b*tch and moan about the results writing in a post, “The long con of the left is corruption of the judiciary.”
https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1907302751698084068
Social Media Lets Elon Musk Know He Lost
Musk’s post on X led to him being dragged onto the platform he reluctantly bought for $44 billion and subsequently ran into the ground, turning it into a hot mess.
“Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha Apartheid South African Nazi who spent tens of millions of dollars on the Wisconsin Supreme Court MAGA candidate loses. Suck on that, you fucking cheesehead,” one post on X read.
Another post read, “Dear Elon, Clearly, the people of Wisconsin think you are full of shit. But thanks for depositing $20 million in our economy and losing. Did I mention you lost? And people really really don’t like you? I mean really.”
We love it when Musk gets clowned, especially on his platform.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Amazon has put in a bid to purchase TikTok, a Trump administration official said Wednesday, in an eleventh-hour pitch as a U.S. ban on the platform is set to go into effect Saturday.
The official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the Amazon offer was made in a letter to Vice President JD Vance and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
The New York Times first reported on the bid.
President Donald Trump on Inauguration Day gave the platform a reprieve, barreling past a law that had been upheld unanimously by the Supreme Court, which said the ban was necessary for national security.
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Under the law, TikTok’s Chinese-owned parent company ByteDance is required to sell the platform to an approved buyer or take it offline in the United States. Trump has suggested he could further extend the pause on the ban, but he has also said he expects a deal to be forged by Saturday.
Amazon declined to comment. TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The existence of an Amazon bid surfaced as Trump was scheduled on Wednesday to meet with senior officials to discuss the coming deadline for a TikTok sale.
Although it’s unclear if ByteDance plans to sell TikTok, several possible bidders have come forward in the past few months. Among the possible investors are the software company Oracle and the investment firm Blackstone. Oracle announced in 2020 that it had a 12.5% stake in TikTok Global after securing its business as the app’s cloud technology provider.
In January, the artificial intelligence startup Perplexity AI presented ByteDance with a merger proposal that would combine Perplexity’s business with TikTok’s U.S. operation. Last month, the company outlined its approach to rebuilding TikTok in a blog post, arguing that it is “singularly positioned to rebuild the TikTok algorithm without creating a monopoly.”
“Any acquisition by a consortium of investors could in effect keep ByteDance in control of the algorithm, while any acquisition by a competitor would likely create a monopoly in the short form video and information space,” Perplexity said in its post.
The company said it would remake the TikTok algorithm and ensure that infrastructure would be developed and maintained in “American data centers with American oversight, ensuring alignment with domestic privacy standards and regulations.”
Other potential bidders include a consortium organized by billionaire businessman Frank McCourt, which recently recruited Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian as a strategic adviser. Investors in the consortium say they’ve offered ByteDance $20 billion in cash for TikTok’s U.S. platform. Jesse Tinsley, the founder of the payroll firm Employer.com, says he too has organized a consortium and is offering ByteDance more than $30 billion for the platform. Wyoming small business owner Reid Rasner has also announced that he offered ByteDance roughly $47.5 billion.
Both the FBI and the Federal Communications Commission have warned that ByteDance could share user data — such as browsing history, location and biometric identifiers — with China’s authoritarian government. TikTok said it has never done that and would not do so if asked. The U.S. government has not provided evidence of that happening.
Trump has millions of followers on TikTok and has credited the trendsetting platform with helping him gain traction among young voters.
During his first term, he took a more skeptical view of TikTok and issued executive orders banning dealings with ByteDance as well as the owners of the Chinese messaging app WeChat.
This story was originally published by The Associated Press.
Billboard Women in Music 2025 Last Friday is really happening, folks. We’ve been covering updates about the film extensively since June of 2024 when Ice Cube told Flavor Flav that the movie was gaining momentum. “We’re working on it. We finally got some traction with Warner Bros.,” he said. “They have new leadership. My man […]
Johnny Tillotson, the Grammy-nominated country and pop singer behind the iconic hit, “Poetry In Motion,” died on Tuesday (April 1). He was 86 years old.
The star’s wife, Nancy, announced the news of his passing via post on Facebook. “It is with a broken heart that I write to let you know that the sweetest, kindest man I ever met Johnny Tillotson, left earth for Heaven yesterday,” she wrote alongside a sweet photo of the duo laughing together. “He was my best beloved, Champion of my realm, Knight of my heart. Someone said that sometimes right in the middle of an ordinary life you get a fairy tale. The day I met him I got mine. He was funny, generous and kind. A gentleman through and through. He loved and was grateful to his fans, as he once said, they made every dream I ever had come true. Once again on his behalf I say thank you for that.”
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She added, “Johnny will be missed every single day for the rest of my life. He was simply the best. With all the love I have in my heart for a wonderful man gone too soon from this world.”
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Tillotson was born in 1939 in Jacksonville, Florida, and was a talented singer since his childhood. He signed to Cadence Records, and issued his first single, “Dreamy Eyes” / “Well I’m Your Man” in September 1958 at just 19 years old.
After releasing a string of singles, Tillotson quickly became a teen idol. His biggest hit came just two years later in the form of 1960’s “Poetry in Motion,” which peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart.
Tillotson’s first Grammy nomination was for his 1962 track, “It Keeps Right on A-Hurtin’,” which was inspired by the terminal illness of his father. The song was nominated for best country and Western recording, and has since been covered by several other artists including Elvis Presley, Margaret Whiting, Slim Whitman and Wanda Jackson. The track peaked at No. 3 on the Hot 100 and No. 4 on the Hot Country Songs chart.
His second Grammy nomination was for his 1965 track, “Heartaches by the Number,” which received a nod for best vocal performance. The song peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart and No. 35 on the Hot 100.
Overall, Tillotson was a mainstay on the Billboard charts. He achieved 25 entries and four top 10s on the Hot 100; five hits on Hot Country Songs; two hits on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and nine entries on Adult Contemporary.
Per Nancy’s Facebook post, Tillotson is survived by his wife, his brother Dan, his son John and stepdaughter Genevieve as well as his grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
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The hottest baseball player in the world is undoubtedly Shoehei Otani of the 2024 World Series Champions, Los Angeles Dodgers. And as Otani grows in popularity, so does his celebrity collabs with his latest for sports apparel company New Balance.
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With prices starting at $27.99 at NewBalance.com, the Shohei Otani Collection features premium sneakers, cleats, graphic tees, hoodies, jackets and other types of apparel. All pieces feature Otani’s signature logo, a black-and-white sketch of him rounding first base.
And if you act fast, you can score $15 off select shoes with promo code SHOES15 at checkout. But shop now, this deal is only good for a limited time.
Additionally, you can get free shipping on the Shohei Otani Collection when you signup for New Balance’s membership. Usually, it would cost an extra $9.99 for shipping and returns, but when you’re a member, it’s free. Best of all? Becoming a member at New Balance is free. Learn more about New Balance’s membership, including other perks and benefits, here.
Ahead, you’ll find out recommendations for the best items from the Shohei Otani Collection.
New Balance
Shohei Ohtani x New Balance FuelCell Ohtani 1 Trainer
New Balance
Shohei Ohtani x New Balance Graphic T-Shirt
New Balance
Shohei Ohtani x New Balance Signature Woven Nylon Jacket
New Balance
Shohei Ohtani x New Balance Logo Graphic Hoodie
New Balance
Shohei Ohtani x New Balance Signature Fleece 9-Inch Short
New Balance
Shohei Ohtani x New Balance Signature Woven Nylon Top
Meanwhile, Otani is also a big music fan, while he often walkups up to the plate to the song “The Show Goes On” by Lupe Fiasco. Maybe his next collab could be with the Chicago rapper’s clothing line with Maharishi, Nishigawa Iaido Club.
The Shohei Otani Collection is now available at NewBalance.com.
Want more? For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best Xbox deals, studio headphones and Nintendo Switch accessories.