Converse has unveiled the All Star Anthem: a single track featuring a collection of original music that explores influences and mashups from across the globe, featuring emerging creators and artists from more than 20 countries. The anthem, now available on Spotify, was produced by Brazilian hip-hop artist Marcelo D2 and Latin Grammy winner and producer Nave Beatz. 

The anthem is a celebration of Converse music projects from around the world that was created with an aim to challenge Converse’s All Stars – a grassroots network of emerging creatives – to ‘connect with the unexpected’ and produce original music that celebrates their creativity, culture, and self-expression.

The campaign kicked off in Summer ‘23 across Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Eastern Europe, with Converse unveiling a series of unique and unexpected local music creations and collaborations. The works ranged from artists in Chile using sounds from space to create an astronomic track to Serbian All Stars putting a modern spin on gospel paired with the traditional bells of Belgrade.

The Brazilian Carnival became a backdrop for further creative inspiration as Converse welcomed members from its global All Star community to the Brazilian festival. Set to the beat of one of the world’s most diverse cultural moments, the All Star group collaborated and produced four original, genre-bending tracks that explore an unexpected collision of influences that mixed traditional sounds like Brazilian Samba with Mexican Bolero. All Stars were given the opportunity to work with industry mentors including Marcelo D2, known for his mastery in mixing the rhythms from Brazil with global hip-hop beats, and producer Nave Beatz.

“My role was to unite the different skills and perspectives of the All Stars brought together in Brazil, and help guide them through the creative process,” said Marcelo D2. “I bring ancestry and modernity together in my work, and it was fascinating to lead this generation of artists and amplify their voices and music as they explored their own unexpected mashups.”

South African rapper Steero God and DJ Ginelio added Mzansi’s flavour to this diverse tune.  All Star rapper Steero_God jumped on the beat to express the drive and passion towards creativity and the heritage of African giants who inspired the current generation of creatives to keep creating new forms of art boldly. Listen to the Converse All Star Anthem here.

“I have been following Nave Beatz and Marcelo D2’s music from a long time ago though movies. Having them mentor me on this global track was really life changing, a full circle moment for me. The creative process was so very interesting especially how we were feeding off of each other’s creativity. DJ Ginelio added a lot of great input to the track which I highly valued. I was astonished when I heard Janvi, Lux and Broodoo Ramses jump on this dope beat.  I made sure I matched the energy they put on the track,” said South African rapper Steero God.

The campaign continues with the release of the All Star Anthem across all streaming platforms accompanied by a visual asset on Instagram designed to engage and inspire others to explore their own creativity. It’s the latest music project from Converse, which has a long history in the space, dedicated to empowering the next generation of artists, musicians, and creators.

“Championing self-expression is at the heart of our brand,” said Andres Kiger, VP, Marketing, Converse Global Partner Markets. “This campaign reflects the innate creativity that exists in communities around the world and what can happen when they are given the space to create with an open brief. As this project has continued to grow, Converse has been inspired by the more than 20 original music tracks that have come together to form the All Star Anthem and hope this can be a spark that inspires other creatives.”

To hear the Converse All Star Anthem and tracks from around the world, consumers can visit the Create Next Music Project Spotify playlist here.

For more information, please visit @converse.za.