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Out of The Box Vol. 2
0 Playsin 9 hours
This week I am starting the year off differently, I decided to recap the year I had in 2025 and talk about a lot of the lessons I learned this year. I reflect on how I started the year by interviewing The Kid Mero. I touch on getting to speak with some legendary people this year. How many amazing relationships I have been able to keep through out the year. I also touch on things I have seen through out my journey and a ton more!
Podcast Linktree: https://linktr.ee/myfirstkicks
Sign up for the Patreon: https://patreon.com/MyFirstKicks
Music by The DoppleGangaz: https://thedoppelgangaz.bandcamp.com/
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Transcript
00:00:00
Speaker
you but in the In the internet age that we we live in, it's a lot of flash in the pan and like, actually it's a lot of flash in the plan relationships and it's like, alright I got in, alright cool I don't need you, I don't need you, now I'm out, like I'm off of this, but I'm in this position and and when i had after this episode, like it kind of just like washed over me. where just like I'm in a position where these conversations last forever. These conversations, they're not just like, hey, you pulled it up and now I don't get to talk to you no more.
00:00:39
Speaker
Right?
Episode Introduction and 2025 Recap
00:00:45
Speaker
What's good everyone, welcome back to My First Cases episode 252 and this week I'm by myself. That's right, I'm doing a solo podcast to start off the year. I wanted to recap 2025 and get a chance to do an end of the year episode, which I kind of really wanted to do, but...
00:01:02
Speaker
I ended up interviewing Deontay Kyle and Big Ice Cup Cat and from the Grits and Eggs podcast. And i was just like, you know what? What's a better way to end the year off with maybe the hottest podcast that is out right now?
Influential Interviews: Deontay Kyle and Big Ice Cup Cat
00:01:16
Speaker
And got to to have like a real conversation with them and hear what they had to the to say from being a huge, pivotal like fixture in podcast right now. And...
00:01:31
Speaker
You know, Deontay has been such a thought leader and has been asking and saying such thought provoking things that it really inspired me to do my out of the box episode that that time when Mouse didn't show up for his episode by accident. Shout out to Mouse. That's not a shot. But that it really gave me the kind of the.
00:01:55
Speaker
the courage to to step back and be like, you know what? I can i can hold my own on an episode by myself. you know Got to talk for 45 minutes and this is probably going to be around the same length as i go through ah what I got to accomplish this year.
Creating a Conversational Podcast Environment
00:02:10
Speaker
and or this you i mean i'm recording this literally on New Year's Eve and I wanted to kind of just reflect on a bigger scale because you know when I get to sit down with a lot of these guests I don't really get to talk my shit as per se but
00:02:32
Speaker
I'm not there. I'm never in a capacity to do that. Right. I don't want to be in a capacity to do that. Like what I want to bring is an environment to have conversations where we're going back and forth. I get to learn about the person or like if I have on a guest again, i have to have I'm able to have a conversation with them. And so I love that aspect because.
00:02:58
Speaker
That's what I've always been missing and that's what I always love about sneakers.
Podcast Improvements and Return to Studio
00:03:03
Speaker
And this was my way of giving back to how much sneakers have brought me. But this year, when I really, really focused and honed down on making an effort for the with this podcast, it's just it' just has been crazy, right? So I just wanted to talk about how...
00:03:25
Speaker
crazy this year has been especially you know kind of going head on with doing in-studio episodes so you know you don't get any of the the zooms anymore you don't get you don't see this anymore and uh kind of just bringing this back to start off the year to just just not leave it behind but i want to just kind of like reset like i we always talk about the end of the year new year new me new year new shoes new year you know we forget about the last year a lot of these posts that you see on the internet nowadays are always like don't bring this into 2026
00:04:09
Speaker
I'm a big person of just, hey man, like these years, they don't necessarily have to be some sort of anchor that you bear every year and and it's not fun and you know you're you're just there wondering when's the foot of the ball gonna drop or
Learning from the Past: Annual Reflections
00:04:29
Speaker
this and that. I think that you have to have a different outlook when it comes to looking into the new year because we can always look at and say like, damn, man, I'm glad 2025's over. But twenty without 2025, won't have 2026. And I'm always of this idea that like, you know, tomorrow's not promised. Tomorrow's definitely not promised. And, you know, I learned a lot this year and let's definitely just jump right into it, you know.
00:05:02
Speaker
But first, I want to talk about this story I had in mind that I want to start off the podcast with.
Personal High School Challenges and Creative Growth
00:05:09
Speaker
So the story's about me, story's about me in high school, and I think that this is something that's been within my, like a common factor within my life. And it all starts in high school. And in high school,
00:05:26
Speaker
I was not like the greatest, and like with grades or any of these things. And I was a very mediocre student, but I ended up going to Washington Irvin, which I mentioned in last week's episode.
00:05:37
Speaker
was Washington Irvin, hell high. And I was of this train of thought of like, oh, if i do okay, I can transfer out of here. And every semester I tried, I tried to get up out of that school. And eventually,
00:05:57
Speaker
It just didn't happen for me. Like my mom tried, everyric like I think I even got like letters of recommendation to get out of that school to go to a school that was nearby my house and you know, zone schools, if you get zoned out there, then you gotta go. So I ended up having to go to school at Union Square, which is pretty far from where I lived at the time. I lived in the Upper East Side at the time. and This was when I first really was this like, you know, I always drew. i always had a a love for art, anime, and being creative just in general. And a high remember just like taking an art class and trying my best. like just do like i I remember just getting like, that's the only class I got A's because i was trying my best to like be creative, try these things. um
00:06:47
Speaker
I kind of like went up to the the art teacher and was like, hey, I know there's an art program in here and you know I'm not really assigned to a specific group because like in that school you had to have like you were in a specific you know house.
00:07:07
Speaker
Like there was like yellow house, which was like the science house. There was an art house. There was fashion. There was all these things. and I was like, oh, I want to be in the art the art class. I want to be in the art the the art house. So I went to the the art student the art teacher and I was just like, yo, how do I get in And i showed him these pieces. He's like, yo, you're pretty good at this. You should definitely you know talk to guidance counselor. Go to the guidance counselor guidance it with like ah a resemblances a resemblance of whatever a portfolio I thought would look like at that time. And I went to him and he was just like, yeah, with this, i wouldn't you you wouldn't you wouldn't be able to join the art house.
00:07:48
Speaker
The people in there are talented and you're not talented. Man, I'm like... I still remember this like it was yesterday, as you can tell. But it bothered the hell out of me. It bothered the fuck out of me. Because...
00:08:05
Speaker
I've never grew up with a ton of self-esteem or like with, you know, people that really pushed me forward during this time. Like my mom was always like on my back or thought that I should be doing more. And to hear that was crushing, crushing. The first time actually really like tried, i was told I wasn't shit. And that created this like,
00:08:34
Speaker
itch in my back of like, oh, not even an itch. It created this like weird like pinch in my back. It's probably the best word I could because i I just like pushed it to, I pushed all that creativity to behind myself. Like I didn't achieve anything in high school. Decided to pick a graffiti during this time and Almost got arrested, but that's the story for another time. Maybe when I get Mero back on the episode, I can tell that i high school story so I can hear what his thoughts are. But I picked the graffiti at that time and like in high school, and that was my rebellious stage. And I was just in love with art ever since then. And once I got out of high school...
Career Journey and Skill Development
00:09:21
Speaker
I was on the rap blogs, I was on rap forums, taught myself, and I was also on gaming forums of course, you know, game facts. But I taught myself Photoshop and that kind of scratched that itch for me. that That like learning how to create something from scratch, like I was doing art again and It's something that i never I never gave up, essentially, but it was something that I wanted to pursue and do.
00:09:51
Speaker
and And never would ended up going to college for it. I ended up going to college for print, which I've mentioned on here. Got a degree in like graphic communications project management.
00:10:02
Speaker
And to me, all my jobs and my career have always been... outside, more like adjacent to art, but never really scratched the itch for art. So let's fast forward to when i was you know working mtv which is now defunct apparently i was working at viacom during this time and i had to teach myself video um editing i taught myself video editing i was trying to figure a way to actually like keep my job during this time so that always scratched my edge of just like learning something new i'm just like okay cool i learned something new
00:10:46
Speaker
And you can fast forward all the way to now where a lot of these things i'm that I taught myself out of getting that first denial, that first brought me here, right?
00:10:58
Speaker
brought me to here right there there's like so many lessons that it took me until maybe this year that i had that i realized wow i really i really put a lot of things together to get here and i'll i'll even think i'll even tell you about like if you if you're ever wondering This is the craziest
Achieving Childhood Dreams
00:11:23
Speaker
story, right? This is the craziest story to me because I was just talking to Deontay about this. He recently had Ali Sadiq on. And when I was working at Viacom, was working at Comedy Central. was It was one of my first Viacom jobs there. And I remember telling him, I was just like, yo, Ali Sadiq, when he had his comedy special and he had his like half hour, on Comedy Central, I was working there and he did his like, this is not happening um story. I was working, I was the one that put uploaded that to the internet. Like I was the one that was working on that show. And so I was telling him about that and then I realized like,
00:11:59
Speaker
I had this moment where when I was a young kid, was living in Queens, and i remember finding Comedy Central for the first time. This is when we first got cable. And I remember falling in love with Comedy Central because comedy for me is one of like, it's the thing that that always put a smile on my face that always made me happy. And so...
00:12:23
Speaker
forever in my life. That's why I'm always down to throw put on a comedy show and use use the My First Kicks name to do you know comedy or like, or like i had we had one, what is it, the year before I threw a comedy show with Chris Chaney at Extra Butter. And so if I'm ever gonna have another, I'm probably gonna have another one next year, but I'm hoping to do more of those because comedy has always been part of my life. But flashback to me as a kid, I remember watching Comedy Central Presents And I ended up getting this job at Comedy Central.
00:12:56
Speaker
And I'm telling Deontay, like, yo, I remember sitting down watching Comedy Central and being like, yo, one day I'm a work there. I never said I was going to be a comedian. I always said that it's just like, I'm going to work there.
00:13:08
Speaker
And whatever that entailed, I ended up, like, making it happen. And it's a crazy realization. Because if you ever put your mind to something, it's going to happen. And this is how we end up with my first kicks, right? So...
00:13:27
Speaker
Beginning of the year, I decided to to kind of bank this episode that I had with Mero that I recorded in 2024 last year, 2024, in December. And I thought, like, you know what?
00:13:45
Speaker
After I finished that episode, I was like, you know what? I was telling D. I was like, you know what? I'm going to bank this episode and drop it in January. to make sure I start off hot, right?
00:13:57
Speaker
And
00:14:00
Speaker
I started off hot. I started off real hot. i think I think that was the first time i got text messages of, yo, I'm proud of you. Yo, this is crazy. i knew it. Like, I've gotten all those text messages. And then for Complex to repost the video where he's talking about his his cat peeing on his Freddy Krueger's, like,
00:14:29
Speaker
That was wild because Complex doesn't post anybody else's stuff besides their own. So for me to get featured like that was wild. i thought that Mero's episode was was kind of like this.
00:14:47
Speaker
How do I explain it? this There was a there was a way to To me, it was just like this crazy thing because i can't put it in words because I'm forever grateful for Mero to, you know, put the stamp on me, put to to give me mad love. And then on top of that, just like introduce me to ton of other people and kind of just like help me out because during that episode and after the episode, we were chopping it up and like,
00:15:22
Speaker
he like He like tapped in with me. And you can tell when like. Like. When somebody's always just like, oh, yeah, yeah, mess with your stuff, I mess with your stuff. Nah, man, if you watch that episode, run that episode back. In the beginning, when I go, welcome to my first kicks, he's like, welcome to my first kicks. He did the whole thing, and I was like, I've never even done that. like I'm like, yo, this is this is amazing. And to think that like an idea that i in this room like I came up with and was like, I'm going to this, I'm going to do this, and started with the recording and stuff like that, like
00:15:56
Speaker
To think that that got on his radar for him to be like, yo, I'm down is one is very dope. But I've also was just like I've known him for a the hot minute, but I never was like super tapped in to being like, yo,
00:16:15
Speaker
Please do my podcast. It was like, you know, when I think when I think something is going to go ah when I think something makes sense, I'm just going to go for it. And I met Mero in at the Bodega Boys Bronx Brewery.
00:16:34
Speaker
collab And ever since then, like, we'll tap in here and there. And when I finally was, like, you know, show I showed him. Over time, I showed him the progress of the podcast.
00:16:46
Speaker
And then the biggest thing was that I got in front of him. So he did a live show. And I was, like, yo, what up? And we were talking. And I was, like, yo, I would love for you to be episode 200. And this was, like, episode. I was on episode, like, one I want to say like 180, 170. This is like very like I was like 170, 180. And I was like, I'm going to I'm going to go for the the big swing. Right. And it led up to that and it led up to this crazy episode. And I'm forever thankful for that because he
00:17:24
Speaker
It catapulted. I would say, like, you know, the growth when I looked at I looked at, like, how I started the year in terms of just like Instagram followers.
Podcast Growth and Listener Engagement
00:17:33
Speaker
It was I was only at eighteen hundred. And then from there, like, it just went it went up crazy because people were just reposting and sharing everything. And that was the first time ever I felt like I ever tasted what it resembles of just like.
00:17:48
Speaker
a little bit of success on on Instagram so it's pretty cool and so and of course I'm not going to tap in to every single episode individually even though I know there's 52 of them that I did this year that this past year but of course I you know i got a couple just I'm just gonna call out after that Kid Marrow episode because like these are just very cool episodes like Trayvon bringing in Just like a bunch of dope sneakers that only a handful of people get to co or get to get them or got them from Slam.
00:18:24
Speaker
He got some super rare stuff in the building and this was just like a trend where people were just starting to bring sneakers in. while we got to talk about their journey and like so J Miles, Tiana, we got to tap in with sneakers and they brought a bunch of sneakers. And I thought that was pretty cool because it was very different. It was very different to the point where I thought I started just like I seen more people just like invest into what the podcast became. And i really enjoy that. I really enjoyed that.
00:19:00
Speaker
Because i've I'm going to say this, but and I've said this before, i always go into every every episode like, y'all have never heard me before. so Or you've never heard of this podcast before. So this is going your first episode. And so to me, when people are like, yeah, man, I've been listening. i This is an idea. like i'm I'm bringing some sneakers. like It's it's it's like dope as hell to me. Because...
00:19:28
Speaker
Having that journey of just thinking that nobody's listening for them people to change your mind that people are listening. It does give you a different perspective on the kind of impact that
Impact of Premium Pete's Influence
00:19:39
Speaker
you have. Right. Or just kind of the idea that people are actually listening. So it kind of just changes it. And then from there, the legendary premium people's up.
00:19:51
Speaker
And this was amazing. This was... i can't i can't i can't even put this into actual words, but... That like how I felt doing this episode or how I have felt since this episode. Because Premium Pete is such a gigantic legend.
00:20:11
Speaker
And especially in sneakers, like if you were on the forums, you heard about him. You've seen his stuff. Him, Dallas, Combat Jack, legends in the game, podcasting. Like like to me, insane, insane, insane. i' been i remember asking him...
00:20:30
Speaker
And he says it in this ah in his episode two years ago that I reached out and I did. ah but I bugged him like crazy. I bugged him. But I didn't make it seem like, hey, you're not messaging me. So f that. Like I wasn't I wasn't because I'm never that type of person. Like people don't see the email sometimes. People don't.
00:20:56
Speaker
Like, or you got like somebody checking your email so you don't see it or there's always the different factors. So I'm a big, hey, let me get in front of a said person and let's see if we can make this happen. Or, you know, if you have a paper trail and you're able to call back to it of like, yo, man, I reached out to you, would really love to have you on ah on an episode. It does go a long way. And this is advice for anybody. And this is in any capacity. If you reach out, for like a job or an like an opportunity you think you're you're the right fit for and you have an opportunity to get in front of that person I would move mountains to do it I would get in front of any and every person if like that is something that you really want to pursue or want to be a part of like that is
00:21:50
Speaker
I feel like it's the legwork that is missing, especially nowadays. People are quick to just do a DM and be like, yo, I'm good. I'm good. i They said no. That's a
Pursuing Opportunities Passionately
00:22:00
Speaker
no. Why? What are we doing? Right? Like, why am I going so hard? I don't want to seem thirsty, bro.
00:22:06
Speaker
It's just. Why are we were we doing this off of ego? Like, forget that. Just if you are so interested, if you want to make this happen, you have to go for it. And you have it's okay to to go to see it through and it just not work out. like But you got to the point that you got to see it through. And if you're afraid to just or you think you're better than that, like, I think you miss out more than if you ever have a chance to actually Make the thing happen. So if you are adamant, make sure you pursue that thing.
00:22:43
Speaker
But then back to Premium P. So Premium P pulls up. and He pulls up to Hidden Tiger, which is Status Selected Bar. And I was with Koda at the time. Shout out Koda, man. He's been crushing it this year. this this year the next year is going to be crazy. But I was with Koda the Friend and for his album release. And...
00:23:03
Speaker
We were chilling and premium people's up and I got to talk to him. And this was just like, a hey, man, I really would love to have you on the podcast. I reached out like he turned to me. He looked at me and he was and he was just like, oh, yeah let's make it happen. Don't worry about it. Let's go. Let's do it.
00:23:23
Speaker
And this led to him pulling up. And this episode was so dope. Just gems on gems. i I'm going to have him on again this year for sure. Because i feel like we only scratched the surface. But...
00:23:38
Speaker
This episode was a direct result of Mero's episode.
Growth Boost from Mero's Support
00:23:43
Speaker
And that's why I'm forever grateful for Mero to pull up on the pod to begin of the year.
00:23:49
Speaker
But since then, me and Pete have been tapped in and he invited me to his 50th and I got to witness Just Blaze DJ. Like being invited to...
00:24:02
Speaker
A legendary, a person that that i I definitely held hold in high regards in terms of just like podcasts, sneakers, like the like pursuing what he he knows he's passionate about.
00:24:19
Speaker
It's such a high honor to even be included. Right. And that is I'm forever grateful for that as well. So I think that once we got there, it was just like the ball is rolling. Right.
Brendan Dunn's Sneaker World Influence
00:24:32
Speaker
Because Brendan Dunn pulls up. We talking Aesop Rock. And after that, Brendan leaves Complex and if and causes a huge stir going to StockX. And i i got his last interview before that happened and I'm hoping to have him on again to talk a little bit more about his transition into StockX but getting to just to talk with him and be cool with him i think that he's always been this person
00:25:05
Speaker
that is held in the regard of there's like this mountaintop, right? And the mountaintop that that Complex has has kind of like ushered with the sneaker of the year list and all these things and being a media conglomerate that that really pushes their own people to the for the forefront as like the tastemakers, the main people that... that And look...
00:25:31
Speaker
In my opinion, I think we we there's enough space for everybody, right? I think that if you are pursuing this in any way, by all means, do not feel deterred, right? Yes, some people have cash flow. Some people are able to tap into audiences a lot faster.
00:25:52
Speaker
But if you want to move through with passion and you want to do this as more of a service and you know Scratch that itch, the itch that I mentioned earlier. You have to do it. You'll see success. You'll see ups and downs. You'll see one of the most honest thing I've ever heard is that when you're pursuing a creative passion in any capacity, you will have the highest of highs and the lowest
Embracing Highs and Lows of Creative Passions
00:26:20
Speaker
of lows. And I've been I've experienced both. You've listened. If you listen to the podcast, it's that the early days you've heard the lowest lows and now you're hearing some of the highest highs right this year, especially I'm just forever grateful for Brendan for his time, for for pulling up and chopping it up with me and just being able to just, we just bantered on the whole the whole episode and I hope people enjoyed it. I mean, it seemed like people enjoyed it because I still get messages from that being like, yo, Aesop Rock giving me quotes and and talking about Kamu Tao and all the Def Jug days and
00:26:58
Speaker
We got a lot more to talk about, so hopefully he pulls up. But that was really dope. I am still amazed that I was i got to tap in with DNA, A-Rab Lincoln, and of course, you know, Jason Faustino pulled back around.
00:27:14
Speaker
And during this time, it was it just wild that I got to go to Cincinnati for the first time because Phil got me to to come out and experience the Piggy Runners drop. You know, i paid my way to make sure I was there. I spent a lot of, like...
00:27:35
Speaker
2025 being really, really, really intentional with my money first and what I wanted to do with the podcast. Like I mentioned this in the last episode at the end, you know, started the year at because I was saying like, I banked that, that Merrill episode. I started the year being like, you know what? I'm going to go hard this year. I'm going to make sure y'all know about this podcast. And so,
00:28:04
Speaker
That's what I did, right? I went to Cincinnati. i I posted like crazy. Like, I'm still posting like crazy. I post every single day or close to every single day. And it's just been insane. But this was being able to go to Cincinnati and and talk to some people and people knowing who I am and getting to meet some people like KO for the first time there and really build relationships with some people. It's this's been really dope and and I'm forever thankful.
00:28:38
Speaker
I keep saying that. But of course we got to skip ahead because with Ben, i got the chance to actually have Phil and a bunch of the people That we're at the Grandma's Couch 2.0 on the podcast because the my first live episode failed to record correctly. And because I did not know what I was doing. I did not know.
00:29:04
Speaker
at all what I was doing with the equipment that we were rented. And I thought I did it. I thought I had. i had i was researching like crazy before I got there. And it all did not go well in terms of just like trying to make sure that I captured the live show with me and Sneaky League. It was our first collab.
00:29:24
Speaker
Well, hopefully we'll get to do another one again. And it just, it didn't, it didn't happen, but you know, quick thinking and shout out to Aaron and AD for helping me out.
00:29:35
Speaker
But I got to do more of just like a one-on-one interview before the full event happened. And that's what we got for the grandma's couch to release today.
00:29:47
Speaker
And I hope y'all enjoy that. If you haven't watched that, please go tap in. i got to talk about the shoes. got to talk ah to Phil. got to talk to Elena from Sneaky League. A bunch of other people. AD, Aaron, Michelle.
00:29:59
Speaker
I mean, Michelle. Melissa. Sorry. Melissa Chanel. That's why I said Michelle. Melissa Chanel. It was... A really dope, dope day. i was stressed out. I was super
Solo Episode Challenges and Personal Storytelling
00:30:11
Speaker
stressed out. I don't think I'll i'll put all of that on my back again. i know i I do like editing sometimes. I do like you know putting the show together. That's definitely the the main thing I like doing. And I like getting it done. But being the cameraman and the audio person, like doing everything, never again. Never again, never again. And you'll see why more because, but I do want to touch on
00:30:40
Speaker
It's the real pulling up to the podcast and sitting in with me. These guys are legends, like legends, legends, legends. These make sure you check check out, you know, two.
00:30:54
Speaker
It's two Jews, three black dudes or three black dudes, two Jews. Make sure you check out two Jews, three black dudes. So there review them, you review movies, review movies with the locks that,
00:31:06
Speaker
This episode was so dope. I got to, you know, share stories with Jeff and Eric. And I... um Ever since then, like, you know, we ah we run into each other or or I'll pull up on their lives and they'll shout me out. Like, I remember listening to their podcast...
00:31:24
Speaker
A waste of time, like, back in the day like, before I even thought about making my own podcast and being like, these dudes are the best. They're mad funny. And so to be able to, like, talk to them and have conversations with them and, like, I don't.
00:31:43
Speaker
There's no way I can formulate words into what that means because when you're creating, you're never thinking about the people that inspired you to create are going to eventually work with you or like you'll be able to talk to them and it's super interesting to where i'm like building up and i'm like working my way and i reach out and i'm like yo would love to have you on the podcast and then it happens and you sit down you edit the episode you make these clips and you're just like yo this is crazy this is this is something that like i never thought would
00:32:28
Speaker
happen and so shout out to Jeff and Eric man um After that, sat down with, of course, Zelnor Myrie, who was running for mayor at the time. Obviously, Zoran Mamdani won here in New York City, but he still... Zelnor is a state senator, and I don't think... Like, shout out to Sneaker History, because they're the inspiration for for putting Zelnor on my radar, because I didn't know people in Congress even...
00:33:02
Speaker
like sneakers so I was just like oh I should maybe I should try this and it happened and I thought we had a really great conversation and and getting to hear like what he was able to do and it has been able to change in the state senate has been really interesting and ever since then been Keep an an eye out on government. um But after that, I have to call out this episode. Shout out Tara, aka Compliment Rock. um This is one of my favorite episodes of the year. I have to say that, you know, me and Tara sit down and she really put a lot of things into perspective of like how to move within the sneaker industry and never to give up, really. Like,
00:33:52
Speaker
I ever since then, I've always been saying I've been doing this for service and or like this, like I'm doing this for service. Like, I think that is such an actual real thing where you if you do it out of the kindness of your heart, like or just out of pure passion, that it's a lot more more reward rewarding. It's a lot more.
00:34:18
Speaker
relationship building it's a lot more longevity and a lot of people in this new internet day or not old new internet in the in the internet age that we we live in it's a lot of flash in the pan and like actually it's a lot of flash in the plan relationships and it's like all right once i got in all right cool i don't need you i don't need you now i'm out like i'm off of this but I'm in this position and and when I had after this episode, like it kind of just like washed over me where just like I'm in a position where these conversations last forever. These conversations, they're not just like, hey, you pulled it up and now I don't um I don't get to talk to you no more. Right. These can be one of many conversations. Right. These can be this can be.
00:35:13
Speaker
a seed that like grows into several flowers right to to steal from J tips but I think that what I learned from this conversation has been spread throughout every episode since then because the perspective Tara gave on this episode changed a lot in ah changed a lot for me in terms of just like how I want to intentionally move within sneakers and how do I want how do i want to just maneuver around the space. And so
00:35:53
Speaker
that led to a lot more since then, right? Tara hooked it up with some Crocs, the Stephen Smith Crocs, and you know from there she put like, just tapped me in with a ton of people, got to tap in at ComplexCon, got to see her work, more of her work, because she is dope.
00:36:15
Speaker
And it's just been it's just been a hell of a time. It's just been a hell of a time. And of course, You know who came back after that, Bima. And shout out Bima, man. He's crushed it this year. He's been crushing it.
00:36:29
Speaker
And, you know, we had a really good conversation, which led to the start of my Patreon. And he ended off the year with him with his collab of the year list. And your boy is in that list.
00:36:44
Speaker
I got to talk about the awake fives. I'm in the video, which is crazy. I remember watching that video last year and being like, yo, this is so dope. You know, hope I hope maybe one day I'll be in it. I didn't think it would be the next following year. I'd be in the video and I gave my take and I'm forever grateful for how much Bima has helped me and been this sounding board because when it comes to podcasting,
00:37:13
Speaker
There's not a lot of people you can really tap in that have gone to the extent that Bima has been able to you know maneuver around this. like He's had a podcast on Amazon. He's had a podcast that he at Studio built himself. And he's interviewed a ton of important people that they're prominent voices in this. And so every time me and him... meet up, I'm always just like a sponge. I'm always trying to like learn more. I'm always trying to see what else I can do or or you know give advice if I can, if any other in any any other ah facet. And so me and him down and talk about
00:37:54
Speaker
Just the growth he got to see after his episode. Because he was on when he still had Claim of Stories. And then after he did Claim of Stories. After he did the episode. It was like a month after Claim of Stories ended. And so I remember just like...
00:38:13
Speaker
being so inspired by his journey and hearing how he was able to flip that into the success that he sees now. you I mean, we got to he's got to interview Jeff Staple at the Staple opening. He's done and he's he's done a ton of stuff since then. And you know ever since i feel like super grateful that like I've been able to tap in with him on such a incredible level. So, you know, we got to skip ahead because i have to talk about Mouse pulling up to the podcast and...
00:38:54
Speaker
I've been a a longtime fan of Mouse, and Mouse Jones is one of the most outspoken people you'll see on Twitter. In hip-hop spaces, especially especially, you know, he's always about, you know, saying ah what he has online, and we got to, like, I feel like the version that he came in on was just, like,
00:39:23
Speaker
the storytelling version and it was a fun time so I wanted to you know I have to shout out that episode of just being like what I took away from that as being just a dope dope dope dope conversation and and then of course The episode after that with Jixi where we went viral again on that one for the stuff we said about sneaker heads and how sneaker heads move within this space where it's not.
00:39:55
Speaker
It's not. I mean, her term of sneaker head sweet, sweet valley high was very interesting, but The way that when KO, well, when ATF reposted it, it just took off. People who were fighting in the comments about her thoughts on being a sneakerhead and what why being... why It was just crazy. It was something that I never thought would be coming from my platform specifically because I'm not the type of person that makes or ask rage baby type of questions. But I think that everybody has a way as to which you see sneakers. And I'm not here to invalidate
00:40:49
Speaker
you know experiences and or inval invalidate anything or feelings about the art form or love or whatever that you do within sneakers.
00:41:03
Speaker
But, man, people are passionate. And look, that's all good. That's all good. I love it. We love we we have to be passionate in order to love something, right?
00:41:14
Speaker
But I do think that like the infighting that we see across all the internet, whether it be inside versus outside, or you like you know jeans and sneakers, or it know Twitter versus Instagram, or sneakerheads being weird, or this and that, like I think that there is a level of respect that runs through everything, whether it be music or comics or anything like anything that is a passion or a hobby. Like,
00:41:55
Speaker
There has to be a level of respect for it. This is why I'm saying this specifically. There has to be a level of respect for the thing, for the culture, for the item, for the hobby. There needs to be a level of respect for it before you move on to disrespecting people.
00:42:16
Speaker
and And that can be in any way. That can either be... shots that could at people specifically for whatever they're into whatever like that but this is why i always say as long as you have a passion for sneakers i will always consider you a sneaker head i think that you gotta love it like you if if you wake up thinking like yo remember those grs from 2006 i gotta i gotta get those again i gotta let me look on makari like
00:42:51
Speaker
that's, that's like, a you know, that's the, that's the, the mental gymnastics you have to do to make yourself happy. Right? Like there is no workaround to those type of thoughts besides actually being part of the thing.
00:43:10
Speaker
And so, That was my take from that, and and i had to i had to to call that out. But ever since then, you know, i got to sit down with Anwar. I got to sit down with Mr. King JD, Key Nyada, Adir the first time we did...
00:43:30
Speaker
ah The most legendary episode I got this year as well with the cool kids. Like, come on. They sat down with with John Geiger. I did Jazz Array, which is the biggest, like, circle.
00:43:46
Speaker
Because talked about how she told me no in the beginning. And it took until now in proving myself, like, that I'm really about this to get her on. Like, it was...
00:44:00
Speaker
To me, one of the the craziest, I think I feel like my mouth was agape the entire episode because I was just there just talking to an absolute legend, right? And hearing these crazy stories of when like Sneakers wasn't really making a move and she she was doing her thing. like it's it's and It's insane, right? i mean And also, but look, um not to gloss over the Cool Kids episode or the John Geiger episode,
00:44:28
Speaker
John Geiger, shout out to John Geiger, man. I have to say, like, a person with such a gigantic name within the sneaker space, for him to open up his hotel room and let me, Aaron AD, sit in and record an episode, and he told such amazing stories, and I'm hoping to make sure he pulls up next next year as well, but...
00:44:54
Speaker
I got to say that, like, you know, for him to open up his arms and invite me in and build a relationship with me, I am forever grateful for that. I think that you find it very rare within when you get older, like making new friends is is a hard thing. It's it's It's actually something that I i i have like several conversations with myself about.
00:45:23
Speaker
And I think that as you get older, you we always talk about the people that we lose, but we don't ever talk about the effort that goes into making the new friends that we do have when we get older. right We're so skeptical about, you know oh, such and such friend did this. This is a red flag. Now I'm not going to tap in with this person because they had a similar red flag. Right?
00:45:45
Speaker
Sure. But do you do if you don't put yourself out there, you do miss out on that chance. Right. I think if you get scorned, then you have.
00:46:01
Speaker
every right to just kind of cut people off. But I do think you do have to have that. All right. One striking you're out, but you have to give that person one strike. You have to give them a chance to prove that they are here for something else that maybe the other person just did not have. Right.
00:46:19
Speaker
But I do have to touch on that it's is hard, its the extremely hard when you get you're older, you're you've you feel like you ran the gaunt through gauntlet with friends and people that you trust and love coming in and out and this and that.
00:46:37
Speaker
But John Geiger, he, a man has been through a ton of things. And hopefully maybe we'll talk talk to talk more into that. But he showed me so much love. And I'm forever, forever grateful for that. and And to be honest, a lot of these people that I had on this year have showed me so much love. And I am super grateful. Because...
00:47:03
Speaker
when I think about it, it is hard to make friends, right? It is hard to make friends. And then when you have a platform, sometimes people are just pulling up just to kind of just like get their shit off and then just never talk to you ever again. But as I said earlier, if you're if you if you're genuine with whatever you're doing, then I do feel like whenever you make something, you'll find people that just want to genuinely build with you. And so,
00:47:31
Speaker
If you don't think that that is a possibility, I implore you to just stick your neck out. put it Put it out there. Don't be as jaded as the person that you know maybe has come before you and and has these ideas that like, yo, I tried these, I tried this, I tried that, and kind of cut cut it off, cut this off, or cut that off, or cut this person off. And just you're not you're not able to experience it in a way where...
00:48:01
Speaker
Let's just say, like, you know, divine intervention is supposed to let you experience it. Like, you got to go through life through your own eyes and walk in your own shoes, right? And there will be advice from people, right? Jazz gave me a ton of advice. Jazz gave me a ton of advice since then. John's given me advice. Like, Meryl continues to give me advice, a ton of advice. He helped me with the Zelenor Myri episode. Like, these are things that...
00:48:29
Speaker
Like these are these are lessons and gems that you don't get unless you ask. Right. And or, you know, or unless you you and build that relationship. Right. I'm always down to just kind of be like, I'm the fool.
00:48:43
Speaker
Let me see if somebody knows the answer. Right. Or let me see if somebody knows they have a better pathway to this. Right. Or. or Let me just throw these ideas here and there and see whatever sticks, right? I'm always down to try new things. I'm always down. I mean, look, I'm doing a solo episode in my house, right?
00:49:02
Speaker
And I've never done this and I've been yapping for about 50 minutes. So it is things like this where you can scratch that creative itch. You have to scratch that creative itch, especially if you have it, right? Some people don't, but me, I do. And I feel like a lot of people that are our creators or creatives, they're they're trying to do that. So i gotta to say, you know,
00:49:29
Speaker
Big shout out to everybody for tapping in for that. I don't know why I decided to shout out everybody. But we got we gotta to move a little bit forward because we're going towards the end of the year. where We're stopping at the ah West NYC live show. this was the This is why I'm definitely bringing this one up because we did this one right. right We did this one right. Shout out to West. Shout out to Lester. Shout out to Adir this crazy idea to Kind of showcase the Clarks that they were dropping. Unique concept. Very low quantity as well. and And he blessed me with a pair. But we got this professionally shot with the homies at my friend's basement. Shout out Connor. Shout out Maxim. Because this was the right way to do it. And I'm hoping to do anytime I ever do a live episode. It'll be this way. Because...
00:50:26
Speaker
this it went on flawlessly if i don't have to deal with any of the production side we are golden baby we are golden right because i was not stressed i was ready to go i was in that i was i was cruising through the episode so i'm really forever thankful for having that opportunity to actually put pull it off right and Hopefully i get to do it again in Cincinnati. Hopefully we get to do like a live show with a with everybody and make this like a ah big thing. I'm hoping to get a ah better chance of doing that. But i I remember starting the podcast and being like, yo, I can't wait till I get to start asking people what's their first kicks live, right? Like,
00:51:13
Speaker
that That's the goal to hopefully tour it and do some dope stuff and have some great conversations, interact with the crowd. like I've been trying to interact with the audience ever since the beginning of the episode. Ever since the beginning of the podcast, I mean. I you know i always tell everybody, if you have My First Kick story, write in. So if you have a My First Kicks story, write in info at myfirstkicks.com. I read them at the end of the episode.
00:51:45
Speaker
And or i read them to the guest because this is supposed to be very interactive. Like. I want people to comment, share their stories. Hopefully I can share ah as many people's stories with the guests that I have on when we're hearing their stories. And i want to be able to, you know, put kind of like a compiled.
00:52:14
Speaker
story episode together where I can just like read off a bunch of episodes, read off read off a bunch of stories and then we can just like interact back and forth where i can just say, oh man, this is crazy. This is a crazy story too. Like, oh wow. Like, like,
00:52:29
Speaker
this reminds me of this story or, you know, I think that would be such a dope episode. Hopefully one of these out of the box episodes, I can do that. So please write in, please, please write in. It could be a comment, whatever, write in, please.
00:52:43
Speaker
um But, I didn't get to touch on ComplexCon at all, but make sure... And I didn't get to touch on BFF, but BFF episode is on Patreon, and I will do a ComplexCon episode with AD and Aaron and Mike. I think we're going to get all four of us.
00:53:04
Speaker
We're to do one of those on the Patreon as well. But I definitely want to just talk about how I ended the year. Because we are almost we are almost about to celebrate the new year. But
00:53:20
Speaker
this year ended on such a super high note. But I wanted to make sure i touched on some topics that i feel like.
00:53:32
Speaker
I've seen throughout the year and i don't know if this is necessarily something that that plagues the singer community or the podcasting community or just communities in general, right?
00:53:51
Speaker
I think that like when it comes to creating and being a creative in a space where would predominantly predominantly black culture or predominantly something that a lot of people of color have been partaking in for years and been doing this thing. I think that there is such a big magnifying glass on what anybody or anybody does that it's tough to maneuver. It's tough to maneuver. Everybody thinks that we're all in competition. Everybody thinks that there is no real moment for collaboration. And so what I do is i try to break the mold. I try to make sure that
00:54:39
Speaker
You know, I'm building relationships with other podcasts. I'm building relationships with people in the sneaker community. Like that is what makes me stand out because that is something that I felt.
00:54:53
Speaker
was always a part of this like the culture has always been about collaboration like if you think about the first ever clerks pack it was never a competition between all those stores right it was never a competition between union undefeated and stussy it was never a competition or like even the first artist pack it was never a competition between haze mr stash and futura i just think that We've gotten away so far away from what it was to really collaborate within the culture, within the community.
00:55:29
Speaker
And so when I first started this podcast, I did that. I reached out and there will always be moments of people realizing that,
00:55:41
Speaker
oh this person in front of me needs to prove themselves a little bit better. Like, you have to prove yourself within this. And do I think that that is good for this? Absolutely. yeah I don't know if you thought I was going to say no. But absolutely. I think that we do need levels to this. There there is levels. but But I do think that
00:56:10
Speaker
If I'm not on X amount level, then I should be self-aware that I need to get to that point. And so what I mean by that, I mean this year, 2025, was my effort for that.
00:56:29
Speaker
And it took a lot of effort to do that. And I am hoping to do more and hoping to continue to collaborate even more in 2026.
00:56:47
Speaker
But it did take a lot of effort to get to this point. And What i will do is always be open to conversate with anybody. Like, that is not, and in my opinion, and this may can may seem wishy-washy or whatever, but I don't think me going on somebody else's thing or me giving somebody else advice or or me doing, know,
00:57:19
Speaker
you know The X amount to kind of just, you know, help others is necessarily a cosign in the long run. Right. I'm not saying, yo, this my man's, but I'm saying, yo, you should probably check this out.
00:57:35
Speaker
And I wish we have more of that. I wish that. we had more people being like, hey, give this a shot, because that's what I am, right? I had so many people on this podcast that you've never heard of, Life of Tom, Akeem, or Akeem Studios, Akeem from Akeem Studios. I've had like, and this is like me trying to use the little bit of spotlight that I have to bring awareness to people, right?
00:58:06
Speaker
Have you ever heard Kaplan and Rockham until this episode? Have you ever heard some of these people that I've had on? Maybe maybe you've heard inklings of Jason Faustino here and there because he's such he such he does amazing work with Saucony. But did you hear about him through this podcast? And so i think what I love is... and not I think. What I do and what I do know is that I love putting people onto other people. And it's cool that like, hey, you want to interview every single sneaker person that you know Complex has ever, or me, have ever interviewed. It's cool. I don't know how many times you can get a different story out of them or a different conversation out of them, but what what is there for you at the end of the day
00:59:01
Speaker
Like, and that's the guy that goes for people who are listening. Like, what is that, what is what is in that right? Like, is it better to kind of be put on to new people and get like hear about them before they blow up or is it better to to hear like the journey that you've heard six or four times on ah on across the years right that's why when i have guests who've been on a ton of podcasts i ask them absolutely wild questions i've had like
00:59:37
Speaker
Beyond, beyond, you know, my first kick. So that question I'm always going to ask. But I think that we need to hear about the ups and downs. We need to hear about, you know, the things outside of sneakers that got them in to sneakers that helped them progress within sneakers. If we're going to talk to sneaker people or hear from sneaker people. And so...
01:00:07
Speaker
What I've always been doing is what I'm going to continue to keep doing. And I'm hoping that, you know, the community continues to push.
01:00:21
Speaker
That's it. This is ah for anybody that listens to this. Please put somebody on to somebody new, please. Because the only way we can grow is by so spreading awareness. And,
01:00:36
Speaker
We see so many people complaining about how the same types of people are becoming leaders or, you know, how easy it is to skip the line in social media or how this person is not doing X amount or this person is not pushing the X amount of people forward. And so if we continuously point the finger without actually doing the work, then we will never see the culture move forward. And so I am the person that will always do the anything to push the culture forward. I will be...
01:01:18
Speaker
The flag bearer, the light holder, the the person that's going to kind of like be unconventional in terms of what I want to see is what i want what I want to do is what I want to see. And I'm going to always do that. i'm a I'm going to always change the way that I see things or I'm always trying to like take chances or I'm ah always talk to somebody that's like super left field and be like, hey, pull up to the podcast. We'd love to have you on. Like what always bridges the gap for me will always be sneakers because that's always been my my through line for everything. And I wanted to start off the year with using my through line.
01:02:02
Speaker
to get to y'all. um And I appreciate y'all for tapping in. You know, i appreciate you for listening to this week's episode. And don't forget to help out the podcast. Head up to the Patreon, patreon.com slash myfirstkicks. And of course, hit me up, who is Hassan on all social medias. Follow the podcast at myfirstkickspod. Don't forget, write in. Write in. i would love to read a lot of these myfirstkicks stories. So write in, info at myfirstkickspod.
01:02:29
Speaker
dot com um if you want to send an audio file send an audio file i'll I'll play it on the episode and if you really enjoyed episodes like this let me know in the comments or in the comments Spotify's got comments YouTube's got comments and leave a review please please please leave a review Apple Spotify leave a review leave five stars it goes a long long long long way And if you want to check out more of the podcast, check out these two episodes here and subscribe, hit that button.
01:03:05
Speaker
And of course, don't forget, wear your kicks. Peace.