Hitmaker Humanitarian Hopes to Transform Basketball Court into Sustainable Technicolor Oasis

AKRON, Ohio— As a teen, Filip Filipi used a burgeoning music career to jumpstart philanthropic projects that would lead him all the way to United Nations summits where he would repeatedly speak on behalf of vulnerable populations. Today, he returns to music, bonding beats with goodwill to transform a suburban basketball court into a technicolor oasis of sustainability that promotes sport and health for local youth.

The project was born out of a wish to memorialize the influence of friend and former manager, Zoran Djakovic, who had a profound impact on Filipi and many of his early philanthropic endeavors.

Djakovic, an ardent lover of basketball, grew up in nearby Parma, and cared deeply about the wellbeing of his community, especially the youth. He believed that sport could promote kindness toward others, as well as toward our natural world. The court was designed to keep this legacy alive.

Situated in suburban Akron, the court will be designed to utilize sustainable materials that bring forth vibrant and symbolic imagery tying sport, art and technology.

The construction utilizes Nike Grind Premier Surface Court materials, which aim to maximize performance while reducing negative environmental impact.
Surrounding the court are Strawberry Energy Smart Solar Benches, and all of the vibrant artwork on the court is created with eco-friendly paint.

Once constructed, the basketball court will be open to all youth in the Akron region, regardless of background, race or struggle, hopefully serving as a source of connection, and inspiration.

To accompany the album, Filipi is releasing a limited edition of branded merchandise through his new socially-conscious enterprise Maison Filipi.

All proceeds from streaming and sale of physical copies of the CD and merchandise will go toward covering construction costs of the basketball court.

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Hitmaker Humanitarian Hopes to Transform Basketball Court into Sustainable Technicolor Oasis

The project was born out of a wish to memorialize the influence of friend and former manager, Zoran Djakovic, who had a profound impact on Filipi and many of his early philanthropic endeavors.

Situated in suburban Akron, the court will be designed to utilize sustainable materials that bring forth vibrant and symbolic imagery tying sport, art and technology.

Once constructed, the basketball court will be open to all youth in the Akron region, regardless of background, race or struggle, hopefully serving as a source of connection, and inspiration.

To accompany the album, Filipi is releasing a limited edition of branded merchandise through his new socially-conscious enterprise Maison Filipi.

If we build it, the youth will come.

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