New trends in underground rap aesthetics and footwear; Lana and Ethel Cain beef; hard drugs found on nuclear submarines; and more

Welcome Digest [3.23.26]

Welcome To March 23rd

Today’s Important Headlines

A new aesthetic is taking over underground rap covers

Paying homage to metal and psychedelic aesthetics, a growing number of recent underground rap covers, including projects from Che, Osamason, Nine Vicious, and others, feature colorful, maximalist collages filled with demonic, occult, and spiritual imagery. Recurring motifs include eyes, spirits, fantastical creatures, swords, and blood, with some online describing the visuals as reminiscent of a salvia or NyQuil induced hallucination.

You can now play any location on Earth as a Minecraft map

The tool, Arnis, is free and can generate areas as large as your computer’s memory allows. Using community-contributed OpenStreetMap data, it builds highly accurate Minecraft maps including streets, buildings, and vegetation without any AI. The project is distinct from the long-running BuildTheEarth initiative, a manual effort started in 2020 where Minecraft players aim to recreate the entire Earth block by block.

Developing footwear trend: shoes that change color

Shoes that evolve with wear are gaining traction. This shift reflects a growing preference for visible wear as a sign of quality and longevity, pushing back against fast fashion. Puma has introduced two colorways, Midnight and Ombré, featuring patent leather that gradually fades. Clarks’ Wallabees take a similar approach, revealing three layered colors as the leather upper wears in. ASICS has also released white skate shoes that slowly turn blue with use.

Two highly anticipated new art museums are opening this week

In Tokyo, MoN Takanawa: The Museum of Narratives opens Saturday, March 28, centered around a highly interactive experience blending digital media, music, animation, and live performance, with new seasonal themes introduced twice a year. In New York, The New Museum just unveiled its expansion this weekend. Designed by Shohei Shigematsu of OMA, the renovation doubles its space with a 60,000-square-foot, three-floor addition that brings new galleries, programs, and more.

Lana Del Rey and Ethel Cain are beefing

After an Atlanta venue promoted an “Ethel Cain vs. Lana Del Rey Drag Brunch,” Lana Del Rey commented, “Sadly, none of this is funny. She’s abusive and that’s all there is to it.” The remark adds to a series of recent jabs, including accusations of body shaming and a diss in a snippet from her upcoming album. The feud is also reportedly tied to personal tensions involving Jack Donoghue of SALEM, Del Rey’s ex-boyfriend and a friend of Cain.

British Navy submariners are rolling on ecstasy while deployed 1000 feet deep on nuclear submarines

More than 170 UK nuclear submarine personnel have tested positive for substances including cocaine, cannabis, ecstasy, benzodiazepines, and steroids over the past seven years. The rise is attributed to shifting attitudes toward drugs as well as their use as a coping mechanism for the pressures of military life. These submarines carry the UK’s most powerful weapons: Trident II nuclear missiles.

Headline curation and words by Mikail Haroon (@mvkail)

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Today’s inspiration supplement. Click through to view.

From The Archive

An extra piece of content from the Welcome Archive for Magazine subscribers only.

Simone Decker’s giant chewing gum in Venice was actually tiny pieces staged for the camera (1999)

In ‘Chewing in Venice,’ she placed small pieces of gum close to the lens and photographed them against buildings, using forced perspective to make them look massive. The work was shown at the 1999 Venice Biennale and only exists in the photograph.