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The Real Sneaker Mayor with Zellnor Myrie
0 Playsin 15 hours
This week I am joined by current state senator and mayoral candidate Zellnor Myrie. We speak about his journey with sneakers, what it was like collecting kicks for him. How one trip to Yonkers created the itch for more. The flip that switched to want to create change. How the Knicks hurt us, why Mayor Adams spent money our money on them. What he is trying to do and what he is running for mayor for. Plus so much more!
Where to find Z:
IG: https://www.instagram.com/@zellnormyrie
Website: https://www.zellnor.nyc/
Podcast Linktree: https://linktr.ee/myfirstkicks
Music by The DoppleGangaz: https://thedoppelgangaz.bandcamp.com/
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Transcript
Childhood Memories and Aspirations
00:00:00
Speaker
I feel like maybe it was the Flint that had come out. Like, i I forget. I don't know what year. If you said a year, I can probably break it down. And I remember coming home and just like begging my mom. Yeah.
00:00:15
Speaker
Mommy, I gotta have these. Like, please. i What's the story? what's this Did you come up with a story where he's like, listen, you know, I'll do, I'll wash the dishes for three weeks. And mind you, I'm in middle school being a goofball. yeah right like I have really good grades in elementary school.
00:00:35
Speaker
I get to middle school, you know, you're going through puberty, you're trying to talk to girls. Yeah. ah I'm clowning around in class, so my grades are abysmal. And here I am begging ah for some J's.
00:00:48
Speaker
And my mom looked at me and she said, Michael Jordan is a thief. What? What? I said, well, first of all, like, why you got to go? Like, why are we taking it? like why we And let me tell you why he's a thief.
00:01:02
Speaker
He's charging one hundred and fifty dollars for these sneakers and I will never buy them for you. And the only way you're going to get some Jordans is if you get a job.
Introduction to 'My First Kicks' Podcast
00:01:17
Speaker
What's good, everyone? Welcome back to My First Kicks. This is episode 221, and this week I bring to you, I don't know how to introduce you, to be honest. yeah But welcome to the podcast, Zellinor and Myri. Yeah, no, it's good to be here. Most people call me Z and write in conversations, so let's just be Z. Welcome to the podcast, Z. I'm excited.
00:01:38
Speaker
It's hard that there's somebody in the suit. But... but But ah you know for people who are not familiar with you, you know how about you introduce yourself? Yeah, so I'm a state senator. I represent central Brooklyn. This is where I was born and raised.
Running for NYC Mayor: Insights and Strategies
00:01:52
Speaker
And I am running to be the next mayor of New York City, which is an exciting thing. um It is a humbling experience traveling all around the city. And of course, I know where I grew up, where I represent, places that I've been around.
00:02:06
Speaker
ah But I've learned a lot ah in the past year. i opened up an account. to explore a run literally a year ago early May and ah been just hitting it hard, hitting the campaign trail hard. it's ah It's a wild existence. Yo, first of all, so, you know, told you earlier before, was like, I'm getting hit with your ads like crazy, which is fine. Like, I'd rather be informed. Correct, correct. I think that, ah to to be real, I think um the though your ads are better than getting those flyers in the mail because,
00:02:36
Speaker
Because you don't look nobody looks them. Nobody looks. you take you And even if you do look, you're taking maybe 0.2 seconds. And you're like, oh, another ad. Trash. yeah And they look exactly like the Citibank ones. You're just like, this too this is a lot of color. It's glossy. It's the whole. It's like, nah. Take people where they're at.
00:02:55
Speaker
yeah Yeah. And ah but I was going to say, because before I jumped on here or before I came down here um on the city bike, shout to city bike. Shout out to city bike. Yes, yes. ah But ah you did a recently ah Che Osei, right? Yes. Che Osei? Or is it Che O? Che. Che. My bad. yeah um Sorry, Che. Sorry, Che. YouTube did a you that a ah collab post, a video, social video. That was really dope. I thought it was something that like ah a lot of people need to understand that like you're trying to take down somebody. and it's like
00:03:28
Speaker
and and it And a combined effort is better than no effort at all. you know And it's different in this, like historically, we have not had ranked choice voting in this city. And I'm sure we'll get into that. This is a whole whole thing. yeah But um historically in politics, it's you against the other person um or you against the
Political Dynamics and Ranked Choice Voting
00:03:45
Speaker
field. And then y'all duking it out and you're tearing everybody down because there can only be one. yeah And that is the case, that there can only be one. But we allow in the city system for you to rank.
00:03:57
Speaker
And that can engender some coalition building. You can build some teams so that you're not tearing people down because you need their voters to be supportive of you as well. And we got one particular guy in the race yeah who I'm sure we'll talk about.
00:04:11
Speaker
thought you were going to be like, he shall not be made. I'm sure we're going to talk about him. yeah um But who has no business being in City Hall. And so if we're going to collectively try to make that happen, it makes sense for us to team up.
00:04:24
Speaker
Yeah. I mean, It's very interesting. Very interesting time in general. you know And if you're before, you know we will get into the question before you know
Importance of Local Government Participation
00:04:34
Speaker
we jump into that. I think that like it is important. You must pay attention to local government in your state, your city, wherever you can.
00:04:43
Speaker
Because you know we're gonna we we've got we can make choices. We can help make choices. We can be part of the problem. I was going to say part of the problem. i meant part of the solution. It's part the solution. Part of the solution. Yeah, part of the solution. um But you're here to answer the question that I ask everybody each week.
Sneaker Culture and Personal Expression
00:04:57
Speaker
And that question is, what's your first kick? What's that first pair you absolutely need to have? Yeah. ah So I'm going to talk a little bit about the first pair that I remember. um That like, you know, because we got, I grew up, my both my parents are immigrants. Yeah. Both of my parents worked in factories when they got here. Yeah. My mom did not have bread. Like, you know, we was,
00:05:19
Speaker
We were struggling. Yeah. So I remember the first pair that I was like, oh my goodness, like i'm I'm on now. Shacknosis. Let's go. Couldn't tell me That was a moment. Nothing. I had, and remember, I had, you know, we we we had the three quarter denim shorts. Yeah.
00:05:36
Speaker
Like the crisscross joints. Yeah, yeah, yeah. The cross colors? Yeah, the cross colors. Like, I was on 10. Had my Shacknosis. And so I would love. Don't tell me you the shorts backwards on Nah, didn't have the short-term bag, because I was doing crazy. But I had the VHS for the young kids. I had the VHS of the Criss Cross video. Jump, jump. I was going crazy. I really thought I was the man.
00:05:59
Speaker
um And I know they just retroed, but I'd love to- And now he's a president, so you we're gonna hopefully we get more colorways instead black white. Exactly, exactly. And so like you you know i I have some sentimental attachment to to the Shacknosis, and I You know, but I'm a big, as you know, we got, I got some sixes on now. I know you've been, you've been pounding the pavement with these sixes. Yeah, I've been pounding the pavement with these sixes because, you know, for me, it has to be a mix of, because I go to church too. And, you know, I'm a person of faith, of course, but like I'm going to church to meet voters. Right. And so you guys can't pull up.
00:06:37
Speaker
anything too crazy in church right so i feel like i can still get away because these are clean enough yeah like that i can i can pull it to church but then i can still be at the subway i can still be doing um doing my thing so so the question would be what is a pair you would be like all right i'm just gonna i'm just gonna just gonna go crazy yeah yeah in church mean you can wear
00:07:03
Speaker
Like if there was no, like remember when in the NBA they lifted the team colorway band? Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. What would that first pair you'd be like, all right. Oh, man. um I think like, look, I think I could get away. I think I can get away with some Concords. Okay, okay.
00:07:29
Speaker
that like, it's still- yeah You could do a cap and gown. you can I could do a cap and gown. I could do cap and gown. Well, you know, the blue is a little, yeah, I could do, could do a cap and gown. Or gammas, maybe gammas. Gammas, yeah. was like, if I do some gammas, the blue might pop a little, the cap and gown, because it's all black, but then like, it's not, it doesn't pop enough, right? you still need to pop, you still need to pop. So like, I still, I still, because we lift in the band now, right? So if I'm doing the Concords,
00:07:59
Speaker
they could still, you know, as the inspiration for the shoe, according to to to the lore. yeah um You know, these are tuxedo. right you know like And so, you know, I think I can think i could get away with some Concords. Well, all right. So if a sneaker customizer is listening to this and they're like, hey, we want to help you out.
00:08:18
Speaker
We'll dull the 11 shine on it, you know? So it's not popping. Yo, let me tell you this. And I've had a personal struggle with this. Yeah, yeah. All right, so obviously NBA players, all sports players, they got PEs. Yeah.
00:08:32
Speaker
You Brunson had on the Kobe 6 Yeah, well,
00:08:37
Speaker
the the What, the Ricks? Or are you talking about the... No, no, no. Last night. Was it last night? Last night had the Statue of Liberty. I tried to delete this for i mean from from my entire memory. I went i went immediately to sleep after that game. It's a funny story. um So my wife, like she understands how I get watching these games. yeah And so she was initially like, all right, so do you want to like go out to watch it? I said...
00:09:02
Speaker
I cannot be around people. Like the stakes of this game is too high. like and you know, i'm out if I'm out, I gotta engage and people wanna. So was like, okay, I'm gonna watch this.
00:09:14
Speaker
And um she's like, okay, I'm gonna step out. Cause I like, already know things are like that. They're little too tense. And as soon as the game was done, I just like straight to sleep.
00:09:29
Speaker
yeah i like to I like tweeted something angry about um Eric Adams putting up these street signs yeah before the like, what are we doing? What are we doing?
00:09:40
Speaker
What are we doing? Because like I work by that block. Yeah. And so I pass by on after game one. I, I, My favorite chicken spot, Cauldron Chicken. If you ever been okay you've never been, go.
00:09:51
Speaker
Sorry, this is super New York-centric. But it's one of the bets for $12.99, best chicken I've ever had. okay right So on that block, I look up, and I'm like, there's a campaign sign on there. I'm like, he didn't do anything the first game. And last game, he got me even more mad. So...
00:10:07
Speaker
I was like, I'm about to go there and tear it down. so
Growing Up in Brooklyn and Sneaker Influences
00:10:11
Speaker
It's such a bad, um like, why would you do this? I think I tweeted, like, yeah take these signs down now, and then I had to go to sleep. You're celebrating too early. You're like, what are we, like, this is It's like, do you remember, what but game was it? I don't know what team was it, or it could have been the Knicks, I don't know. But they won one game, and we're going to the Eastern Conference Finals or whatever, and they released balloons.
00:10:34
Speaker
Do you remember this? Oh, my goodness. I was like, what are we doing? the way's like you do like This is just, it's out of pocket. So um so anyway, so but the PEs that he had on, I've always been envious. Like, yo, know man, I wish I could have some PEs.
00:10:52
Speaker
But now, as an elected official, like I can't have PEs because then people are going to be like, oh, you're in the pocket of Nike. Oh, man. oh, he has this big sneaker. like you day And so I'm always like, man, it's good. be at these, like, what's the ah with the town halls whatever? Exactly. like So let's talk about... Right, right. I would like to bring up to the to the ah to the chambers of that ah he's wearing P.E. He has player editions on.
00:11:19
Speaker
Will you stand up to Nike? Will you stand up? And so, like, I have to, you know, all right, maybe in my post-political life, yeah I'll be able to have some custom um stuff without any any conflicts of interest. But let's talk about like growing up, because you grew you grew up in Brooklyn. like I mean, you talked about not having all the money, but the family didn't have any money. Growing up from immigrants, like I'm also a child of immigrants. Is that the right way to say that? I don't know. yeah but but ah So what was that like? like were you At what point did sneakers really hit you? Also, before because I before forget,
00:11:52
Speaker
Shout out to Nick Engvall for putting you on my radar. Shout out Sneaker History. That's that's the fam. um that like That episode, super dope. and like And I was like, I got to get you on. yeah so I appreciate Thank you, Nick. Appreciate you. Appreciate you.
00:12:06
Speaker
So ah I grew up in Flatbush. Rent Stabilized Apartment. yeah And it's funny, I talk about this now, um and as a legislator, I've helped control the laws for rent regulation and and all this stuff.
00:12:22
Speaker
But when you're growing up and someone says, where you live, you don't say, i'm I live in a rent stabilized apartment. This is did like this is just where we grew up, right? I was Flavish and Maple. yeah um And ah i went to public school. i went to school in Crown Heights.
00:12:34
Speaker
And it was predominantly black and Caribbean. yeah And so you know we had all the same cultures. It's really a ah community of immigrants. And I remember going to school not being self-conscious about what I was wearing because I wore uniform all throughout elementary and middle school. yeah So the only thing...
00:12:54
Speaker
that could differentiate you was what was on your feet. Right, exactly. That was it. And so- That was the difference maker. That was that was it that was the difference maker. That could make or break you so quick. That could make or break you. And so like you could, you know, there were other accessories like when Jansport was big, right? Like, um and maybe you had the latest Jansport. And like for, for again, O-Heads,
00:13:16
Speaker
I can't believe it. I'm a geriatric millennial. um with you know You know how it goes? You know, we had like the the strings on the jams board. And if you had the multiple joints, like, okay.
00:13:26
Speaker
um But that wasn't too bad. The sneaker stuff was like, ah, so I remember coming home in middle school yeah one day. um And I feel like... Maybe it was the Flint that had come out. Like, I forget. I don't know what year. If you said a year, I can probably break it down.
00:13:45
Speaker
And I remember coming home and just like begging my mom. Mommy, I got to have these. Like, please. I don't What's the story? what's this Did you come up with a story where he's like, listen, you know, I'll do, I'll wash the dishes for three weeks. And mind you, I'm in middle school being a goofball. So I have really good grades in elementary school.
00:14:11
Speaker
I get to middle school, you know, you're going through puberty, you're trying to talk to girls. ah I'm clowning around in class, so my grades are abysmal. And here I am begging ah for Js.
00:14:23
Speaker
And my mom looked at me and she said, Michael Jordan is a thief. What? what so I said, well, so first of all, like, why you got to go? Like, why are we taking a damn money? Like, why are we?
00:14:35
Speaker
And let me tell you why he's a thief. He's charging $150 for these sneakers and I will never buy them for you. And the only way you're going to get some Jordans is if you get a job.
00:14:48
Speaker
Oh. So here I am um having to go back to school in some knockoff Air Maxes. Oh, no. The ones that just say, yeah? Yeah, bro. The Roosevelt Avenue ones? Devastating. and that So I'm trying to make up, you know trying to be cool, and we got like some really whack joints.
00:15:11
Speaker
And that feeling was not... you know like I say this half and just now. right when you're When you're a kid, it's like, The world is done. But it was like, even though my mom could not afford to get me that at that time, she tried to get me something new right? Like, tried to put me on somehow.
00:15:31
Speaker
But, like, that's my sneakerhead origin story. yeah And I was like, yo, once I get a job and once I start getting a bit, this will never happen to me again. I swear to myself. It will never happen to me again. like, I'm going to be different. I'm going to get on it. And you know, my first job at Old Navy, I was 17.
00:15:51
Speaker
um I was a denim expert. Shout out to the D.E.s. You know what I'm saying? um yoall there we a didn know oh This is going to be a random This is a random poll There was one time and it was only for like A small moment but Old Navy Sold raw denim Yes, yes. and Why does nobody remember this? Yes, no, this was the time I remember because I was like very, very into this. And like whatever, um I was obsessed and we're we're really now detouring. You know, if you were a denim expert, like your pride is in how smooth your wall is.
00:16:21
Speaker
And so I hated when people didn't ask for their size. This is just obsessive. And I'm like, I'm standing right here. You was out here. I'm like, oh, my size? You out here causing trouble. I'm like, yo, I spent two hours folding this, organizing it. I'm here. And then people just come snatching joints. I'm like, uh. Anyway, so when I got that, I think I ran and got some nines or something that I was like, whew.
00:16:49
Speaker
I have arrived. I have arrived. um And that's thats how things started. I always say like it's like the the cartoon step into the doorway. You're like, hey, I'm here. Yes, I have arrived. Did yeah did that spark the bug where you were just like, now
Sneaker Culture and High School Experiences
00:17:07
Speaker
I'm... So I love asking this. where When did sneaker culture actually like start like reaching to you? Yeah, so for me it was...
00:17:15
Speaker
so i so So I got that in high school, I was a senior. um and then as a freshman in in in college, freshman, sophomore, this is like back in the day when you were like ah hunting on eBay for stuff. And that- The misspellings. Yeah, misspellings. I just put Nike Dunk, right yeah or like Dunk.
00:17:35
Speaker
Exactly. And this was like back in the day when It's crazy to see colorways now that we would have clowned during that era as like, those are variants, bro. Pickyourshoes.com. Yeah, pickyourshoes.com. Like, this is like, nah, bro. Color kicks. Yeah, yeah, yeah. This is terrible. But these are the things that come out all the time. So I remember just spending hours and hours and hours. You're watching the bids and just being psychotic about it. It's not like I'm getting lot of bread. And so I'm really trying to game out. Yeah, you're just like, all right, now I got the moment. I can get these. Now I got the Let's go. Let's make it happen.
00:18:15
Speaker
I remember I showed up. This was the retro of the Great Fives, the like whatever one it was back in the late I think that was 2016. six No, this is pre... No, this is... i think I was still... 2008, Yeah, it was like 2008. It was like 2008.
00:18:34
Speaker
Okay, boom. So you're coming out. I'm like, god I'm going to online. you know I'm going online. i can't like I can't afford the resale yeah of this, right? it Was this the the Nike Twitter links? Is it that? Or was this just straight Nike.com? No, this was like straight... This was me...
00:18:50
Speaker
this was me going on a Saturday morning to a footlocker in a mall. On the line. Sorry, on the line. Let me make that. On the line.
00:19:02
Speaker
Waiting. Don't worry, it's not the only time I've ever been mixed up. I said like online, online, and then they're like, i' I'm thinking online. On the line. yeah All right, so I'm like, I'm going to be smarter than everybody else, and I'm going to pull up at 5 a.m., the first bus.
00:19:19
Speaker
Yeah. First of bus. so I get off the bus and I'm happy like, yeah, nah, see, I got on you. I'm up on you. I guess it's already 10 people online. It's already 10 people online. But okay, great. It's still dark outside and we have come up with a system.
00:19:39
Speaker
was like, okay, we ripping papers. yeah You were here first, you were here second. Fantastic. yeah Great. So we you know we chopping it up. Everybody's online. did Bro, the second bus that comes...
00:19:55
Speaker
mad people get off the bus. So now it's pandemonium. yeah Is this Fulton? No, I went to Cross County Mall. Oh, I don't know where that was. So that's in Yonkers. Why'd you go so far? Because I thought I was smart.
00:20:10
Speaker
I thought I was going to avoid... The city crowd. Yeah. Like, I'm going to go. I'm going upstate. I'm going upstate. I said, yo, I'm going to go outside. I'm going to right outside. And I'm to avoid the city crowd.
00:20:22
Speaker
Not knowing that there were so many people that were like, I'm going to go right outside the city. like So everybody gets off the bus. yeah Pandemonium. People start fighting.
00:20:33
Speaker
Cops are called. Shutting down. And I was like, all right. All this is nice. I'm still getting my sneakers, bro. Like, I don't care. I'm getting my sneakers. So I, like, went up to the front of the line. I was talking to the employees. I feel so bad for whoever this Foot Locker person was. Yeah. Because I was like, I've been here since 5 a.m.
00:20:54
Speaker
Like, I'm going so hard. And they, like, they probably just saw, like, this kid is so unhinged. Yeah. um Like, let's just let him get. And get these. And that was the last time. I told myself, yeah this is the last time that I'm ever going to wait on a line for a pair of sneakers.
00:21:10
Speaker
Record scratch. Yeah.
00:21:14
Speaker
It was not the last time. You really think that you can keep watching this episode without like, subscribing, or leaving a comment? Come on, man. And also, if you've been listening to this episode, leave a review.
00:21:27
Speaker
But back to the episode. but that true A true sign of addiction. yeah It was not the last time. But that is... you know that that sort of i earned my stripes in this nigga culture. mean, you did. Because like...
00:21:38
Speaker
I don't think of i because like people do go out of town for that. Right. But this is a release that you could have stayed in. I could have stayed in. I was like, did you go to like downtown? Nah, nah, nah.
00:21:48
Speaker
Like Fulton Street. I think you could have gotten. probably could have. I probably could have. i but But that was your that was your first time seeing somebody like people were actually camping out for a pair sneakers. correct. And I was like, oh, all right. Now this is.
00:22:01
Speaker
This is real. yeah And, you know, because up until then I had just been, i been avoiding it by trying to order stuff online yeah ah you on the internet. Right. um and this was the first time I was like, okay, so it gets ah get yeah get get serious out here and i want part of it.
00:22:21
Speaker
So you got them. And then what was it like going to school with it? Oh, I mean, because I was, I think I got, i was trying to like make the Fresh Prince colors. um And so yeah I like got, I think I had like a purple tee and got some short, like,
00:22:40
Speaker
And I was the man, in my mind, yeah the man. And like these had just dropped. They're so clean. um And it really, and and it's not like I didn't have at that point yet a sneaker reputation. Like I had, you know,
00:22:55
Speaker
i think maybe help yeah yeah was yeah I think I had just like before that I had the like the De La Soles, the Lowe's, the Yellow. um Wow, really? Yeah, yeah,
00:23:07
Speaker
Come on now. oh And so like I had, i had and and and for some people, this is also a sneaker thing. Yeah. There's the language that sneaker heads speak. yeah And like you can peep something and be like, oh, no, those are cold. yeah um And there are also sneakers that like even if you're not a sneaker person, you look at them and they're you're like, oh, wow, these are like you have some personality. yeah And so I had, you know, the De La Soul is I think are an example of that.
00:23:31
Speaker
So I had a reputation already. or but Just to cut, because you were you a big De La Soul fan? I wasn't the Oh, were just like... Yeah, this was just like... these are I had i had a real serious SB run. Yeah. um That's what got me. That's what got me. like that That SB... like Getting into SBs... yeah like i felt like if you were... Because my thing with with sneakers is like if your entryway is Jordan's... like The Jordan community is so just kind of like...
00:23:58
Speaker
You weren't there. Like, everybody, every single time. yeah You weren't there when the 95s dropped. You weren't, oh, the bread ones were, you know? Like, you weren't there. Like, it's always you weren't there. But with SB, like, the SB community was like, oh, you should check this out. ye that Dinosaur Jr. Oh, do you if you don't know who they are, you should probably listen to their music. Like, there it was always very, like, we had conversations. Right, and there was always, there was cultural connection, right? Like, my, it's funny, when I got um the Jedis,
00:24:27
Speaker
my dad My dad is the reason why I started watching Star Wars yeah to begin with. yeah And so I remember like showing him for the first time and like breaking it down. He like lit up.
00:24:40
Speaker
I thought you were going to give me the opposite. thought you were going to like, son, I don't know what you're
Sneakers as a Cultural Bridge
00:24:45
Speaker
talking about. No, no, but he was just like, wait. I don't know why I made myself sound like Obama. But all right. But yeah, you don't, these are not conversations I usually would have with my dad, but he was like, those are really bright laces. Yeah. The neon. And I was like, well, you know, it was lightsaber and this and that. And he was like, oh, you know, anyway, so that was the, I was on a good, good. First, I'm very jealous.
00:25:09
Speaker
Jedis are like, they're out there for me. I love those. Silver boxes. Yes. yeah Silver boxes. Different. Oh, man. And like, this is an eBay hunt, you know, whole, and you think back, I think a lot of people do in the in the culture, like things that you could have and should have copped in the moment. yeah. And then the time, and it's like, oh, if I had only. i still I still kick myself for passing. Well, one, I always say this.
00:25:33
Speaker
ah I sold a pair of Syracuse SBs, right? I let them go because I needed to pay my next bill. No, I needed to pay my Nextel bill. It was going to get cut off. The chirp? The chirp. The chirp? You had the chirp? I had the chirp.
00:25:46
Speaker
ah And then I passed up on a pair of Dooms for $250. Like, DS. DS? DS. Size 13. Dooms. $250. And I was like, I don't can't do it. off Right. right like That's the whole thing. like At the time, it seems like this is absurd. There's no way that I can pay this.
00:26:04
Speaker
And then now you're like, oh, If I had the money I had, if I was making the money I'm making now, it's not a lot. right If I'm making the money that was making now, back then, I'd probably we have everything. It would be ridiculous. It would be ridiculous. Because you see, I mean, even on some of the retros, you're like...
00:26:21
Speaker
Come on man, yeah you know, whatever Anyways, don't get me started youre on retro and choices that we have made i think that have devalued oh you're not a you're not a fan of the, as they they just recently said Tokyo 5s are coming out? like like I am happy for our younger counterparts who are now participants. yeah um But this is, I guess, to the to the larger question on sneaker culture and who has access and who doesn't and the commercialization and you know all this other stuff.
00:26:56
Speaker
I don't want to get too in the rabbit hole on that. I think it's just I'm salty. that you but But I think it's, well, I don't know if it's, or are because like, i not to zoom forward, but like, are you still buying sneakers now? Because I know you you're in your profile you say retired sneakers. Yeah, so I've had to slow down. right um But you're not a finish, you're a... No, I'm not fully at the game. Okay. Yeah, I'm not fully at the game. And I'll like, like I'm saying ah i'm still like entering the raffle.
00:27:24
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, know what I'm saying? And like if I win, I could tell my wife like, babe, like I was in the, I wasn't, you know, like there was a chance. I didn't think I'd know and the moment Usually I've never, usually, usually. ah And so, and when I hit then it's like, all right, like.
00:27:43
Speaker
Look, I got the got them. I got, I got, I got them. I got them. so, so, so I'm still, you know, where I can, but I, I'm not like, I don't spend an inordinate amount of time. My, so,
00:27:59
Speaker
I'm, I'm, so my thing is like, or the theme for that I've been talking about this year is all about bridging the gap between the younger kids and the old, the older, the longtime followers of this. Right.
00:28:10
Speaker
And how do we bring that? Cause I feel like it's such a disparity between the two. Um, I went to Cincinnati for this drop and, and it's cool to see. Yeah. Yeah. The unheard of. Shout out Phil. Clean, clean, clean. Uh, grandma's couch 2.0. Um, But he, you know, we, he always involves ah children and like, he gives back, he gives all, he gives like a, he gives like a good amount of like ah kids, pairs of the sneakers so that they have them. yeah And he, get they get this talk to people that he brought in.
00:28:39
Speaker
um This time it was only ah female content creators or women content, women content creators. And so they, they were just like, that's like, My thing is how do we continuously get people into sneakers or the culture part of it instead of it just looking at and being like, these are just two things that we just put on and, you know.
Sneaker Day in the Senate: Impact and Community
00:28:58
Speaker
So let me let me tell you something that I did on on that front. So I remember the first time that I wore J's on the Senate chamber. Yeah. Like in the Senate chamber.
00:29:10
Speaker
And for those unfamiliar, right? So I serve in the state Senate. It's the... Upper house of the state legislature. You know what I'm saying? Show some respect. Show some respect.
00:29:21
Speaker
i got elected when I was 31 to the state Senate. it and so I was, the average age was 55 when I got in. yeah I remember the first time I walked in to the Senate chamber, I had my pen on and one of the sergeant at arms, people, you know, that's supposed to like where are you going, young man?
00:29:42
Speaker
I said, I'm going to my seat. This is where I was just elected. I'm supposed to be here. I'm supposed to be here. Where are you going?
00:29:53
Speaker
and so that that just being present in the chamber alone as a young person, as a young black man, yeah um that had already started to shift the culture. okay yeah But we had at the time also a culture of just hard bottoms. yeah nothing but Nothing but hard bottoms in the chamber.
00:30:10
Speaker
and So I'm respecting COVID happens. yeah We still have to go up and pass laws and react and do all the things. right So we're all masked up.
00:30:21
Speaker
I look crazy because I hadn't gotten a haircut. um So beard is full out. that ah um But I have on some sixes, yeah not these.
00:30:33
Speaker
And I'm like, i'm it's this is a once in a century pandemic. this is how y'all gonna take me. y'all not gonna kick me out the chamber. And I've been wearing sneakers in the chamber ever since. and It always starts with that one.
00:30:48
Speaker
And I said, all right, so let me, if I'm doing this, and there were some other people, um some other colleagues that started wearing sneakers as well. I said, why don't we make this official and make a day sneaker day? Yeah.
00:31:01
Speaker
And encourage everybody, not just in the Senate chamber, but everybody. And so I introduced a resolution that said, on this day, it will be sneaker day. Mm-hmm. And bro, everybody in the building, I'm talking janitorial staff, Senate, Assembly staff, Governor staff, people were so hyped.
00:31:22
Speaker
And so we had the full range. People who I didn't know were into sneakers who were coming out like, oh, Jackie Robinson, Dunks, people that I- was like, you got those? was like, all right.
00:31:34
Speaker
Okay. Okay. but also just like regular sketchers. And I was going up interviewing people and I said, all right, so tell me what you got on, why you got it on. And to be like, they'll be like, pull me close and say, I can't believe we haven't done this before.
00:31:53
Speaker
It was just so much more comfortable. yeah and And now you take any random day, you go up to Albany, the state's capital, and you will see everybody just like wearing their sneakers, being expressive.
00:32:06
Speaker
And that to me is the power of our sneaker culture now. yeah I had on the floor of the Senate, we have people get up and speak about the resolution.
00:32:18
Speaker
This was in the middle of budget fights. I'm telling like there'd be blood on the walls, Republicans, Democrats, where everybody's going for everybody's neck. On this resolution, everybody's talking about what sneakers mean to them and why it means like it was so dope it was like one of the best they say and there there's one particular republican on the other side he represents half staten island like he's pulled up to the chamber and yeezys and like all like all sorts of like yeah and talks about what it means That's what the power of this and what you have done with this podcast and like, you know, what we're is trying to bridge that yeah story and see how this brings us together. And it doesn't always mean that you got to come with like grails on, right? like does like Like, you like wear what you want.
00:33:04
Speaker
And it's dope. I think that it's like. The way self-expression, you know, when you talk about going to school in a uniform, like self-expression, that ability to have that moment to be like, I'm gonna express myself. I can only, you know,
00:33:19
Speaker
Like that's that's what the, my my thing was always shopping at Old Navy. So shout out to you yeah for probably helping me and me getting you mad ah to keep the cost low, but I'd still get a fresh pair of kicks. right and you know So like learning how to do that or or just learning how to be expressive of yourself. and And now, you know, it is hard because with social media, it's a lot of just people being like, I want to be like this person or, you know, we've slimmed it down. Right. Right.
00:33:46
Speaker
you know you talk about going to school pre-internet days. like i was thinking I was talking about this recently where it's just like you the dopest or freshest person that you saw in school was inspiring you, but it wasn't like, I'm gonna copy you. i I'm gonna dress better than you. Correct, you know correct.
00:34:01
Speaker
Yeah, bringing that to the Senate is like, I mean. You gotta start lining in You gotta be like Fresh Prince with the seal We might pitch you know We want some like air forces that are just like you know Put that little New like new York seal on the hill was just thinking about that That would be dope And then ah then it's not like the player edition conundrum Because everybody got Everybody at it no you got it You got them too What would be interesting and i don't know if i could pitch this on here yeah a sneaker ball
00:34:34
Speaker
then State Senate level Or just the House level That would be amazing I'm with it like like that that would be Write it into Congress let's do it i'm on I'm on it Priorities priority yeah yeah yeah After
00:34:48
Speaker
but so you know you talked about a little bit about your journey so like at what point did you just like when did you start buckling down that's like cause you know you talked about being in the sneakers and then you know you weren't really you were a knucklehead yeah Goofball in
Career Shift to Public Service
00:35:05
Speaker
school. So at what point, what was the turning point for you where you're like, i kind of I want to make change or I want to be part of a change? So you know my first couple of years in high school, I was still finding my way and figuring things out.
00:35:18
Speaker
And I was like, yeah I got to go to college. So like I like ah got to get right. I go to Fordham University for undergrad. And I actually- From Brooklyn?
00:35:29
Speaker
Yeah. So- And so my dad So my mom Like a lot of our stories Our family stories Are complicated Yeah My mom and my dad Split when I was very young So my pops was in the Bronx And my mom was in Brooklyn Yeah so i spent a lot of You know I had dual citizenship Yeah That MetroCraw was powerful, man. Yeah, I was running. and ah so there were a lot of times where I would like stay with my pops you know and figure things out. and yeah So I'm in Fordham. I'm covering the basketball team for the school paper.
00:35:59
Speaker
I actually thought I was going to be a sportscaster. I thought you were going to be like, I was going to be a hooper. Nah, bro. I would never die. I was going to go to the league. Could have been me. Could have been me. But I'm here writing, man. You know?
00:36:13
Speaker
Cause you lucky. Right, right, right. I would be out there. So so i was covering i was covering basketball, and which also fed my sneaker stuff, right? yeah But I thought I was going to do that. I interned at WCBS TV. I ah really, you know, this was what I thought my path was going to be. And when I graduated, I what took a community service trip to South Africa.
00:36:37
Speaker
and I went to Joburg, but then I went to the neighboring Soweto. yeah And it changed my worldview. yeah you know I said, okay, this like the the sports stuff is cool and good. And it's like I'm hyped now. I was in like the Giants locker room as a you know little intern PA assistant like looking around like, yo, this is amazing. yeah know like These are heroes.
00:37:00
Speaker
I'm like, is this going to be amazing when I'm 50? Yeah. yeah I don't know. yeah Like probably. Eli or Eli Jr. Jr. Tell me about it. Eli Jr. Jr. Right. This going to be some 20 year old hot shot. Yeah. Who's going to be at like, look at this old dude. you know what I'm saying? Like, so um I said, I came back from that trip.
00:37:20
Speaker
This the great recession. No job. Yeah. But I still had all this will to do something good. So I started volunteering for a local community board.
00:37:33
Speaker
I have all the time in the world, so I'm going to every single meeting, yeah taking notes. I'm doing all the stuff that no one else wants to do. So I'm walking the blocks, I'm looking at the cracks, reporting them, yeah calling 311, really seeing how local government works.
00:37:47
Speaker
And the chair of that community board happened to be hired as the chief of staff for a city council member. And he said, Z, I've seen you around. You know, you come to every meeting.
00:37:58
Speaker
why don't you come intern for us? Yeah. So, okay, cool. Yeah. I'm not doing anything else. And I'll see city government on a different level. I stay there within a couple of weeks. I'm hired full time as the press and legislative director.
00:38:12
Speaker
Mind you, I'm 22 years old. yeah like that me Crazy title. I have no idea what I'm doing. But that's how I learned. And I start seeing, oh, okay.
00:38:22
Speaker
So this is how government works. And this is how you draft a bill. And this is the impact that it has. and you know that like it was that I was going to community board meetings now as a staff representative of a council member. yeah And so when I'm hearing the needs from the community, like people saying, all right, I'm a tenant. I keep showing up to court.
00:38:40
Speaker
They know what their rights are. I don't know what my rights are. Something's wrong with that. I go back to the boss and I say, we should draft the tenant bill of rights and people should know what their rights are. yeah And then seeing it actually happen and go through, I said, ah, okay.
00:38:54
Speaker
But then I got disenchanted. I was like, actually, i saw some things that I didn't like. A lot of bogus stuff behind the scenes on politics. And I said, I'm up out of here, actually. and it's like But I also feel like that's something that we in any job we owe we always see. That's right. it's like We see something, we're just like I don't want to play the politic game to make this make this happen. right like For example, you know i worked in this candy store. Everybody's heard my story. But I worked at a famous person's candy store. And you know there was a moment where I did not... they were We didn't have a manager.
00:39:32
Speaker
i was I had no boss above me. It was just me. And then it went straight to like the GM. like yeah There was no inventory manager. And i so I said, hey, I would like to be the manager.
00:39:44
Speaker
They were like... No, we don't think you really want it. And I'm just like, why? It's because I didn't play the game to be like, oh, I'm your trusted right hand man. Correct. you know Correct. so yeah Now I was running into some of that' the the same issues where you know I just didn't feel like I was being recognized or appreciated. I'm doing all this work. Right.
00:40:03
Speaker
So said, all right, let me go. i got my master's in urban studies, went back to Fordham. And in that program, there was a a class that taught you about land use law. yeah And as I'm going through the class, I'm listening. I'm like, hold on. The lawyers actually have ah really important role in local policy and urban policy.
00:40:25
Speaker
I can make a difference that way. i don't have to do politics. I can do, and so I applied, like, took the LSAT, went to law school. Wow. yeah like And, you know, had this whole public interest thing. In law school, I was working for the Cornell Legal Aid. I worked for the Capital Punishment Clinic. Like, um I was doing moot court, all these things.
00:40:47
Speaker
I get this opportunity to work at a law firm, ah one of these big, fancy law firms in the city. wasn't Salino Barnes. It was not Salino and Barnes. R.I.P. though. R.I.P. though. all i p though, right? Now I got the song in my head. Because what is it now? Because what is it? It's is is just Salino or it's just Barnes?
00:41:06
Speaker
I think it's just Salino. Salino? Just Salino? Just Salino? But yeah, Salino and Barnes, injury attorney, 100%.
00:41:18
Speaker
a Man, we all have branding so strong. yeah That and 877-393-4448. Yeah, come on. um i was just Kids just randomly, top dog law firm. Oh my God. I just was in the car yeah with my friend this morning after played basketball.
00:41:36
Speaker
And I was like, these commercials are insane. I mean, it's just more outlandish by the second. yeah And I just found out that it's not just here in New York. Oh, really? all across the country. Really?
00:41:46
Speaker
yes Yes. Yes. Fact check me on that. Fact check me on that. ah And I couldn't believe it. OK, so anyways, we get inside. Imagine he's like, t that's actually like TDE. It's actually Top Dog. It's like, I'm running TDE and I got SZA and all of them. But I also got this law this law firm, you know. so So I work at this law firm, a really prestigious law firm, um and then I get an offer to work there after I'm graduating from law school.
Navigating Law and Politics
00:42:16
Speaker
So my path is like pretty pretty set. My third year of law school, i have a moot court argument where I'm like in the actual federal court, yeah actual federal judges, but it's a it's a fake case.
00:42:29
Speaker
I finish. I do my thing. One of the judges comes off the bench and he says, what are you doing after law school? I said, well, I'm going to be working at this fancy law firm. yeah And he said, I was so impressed by your argument. I'm going to offer you a federal clerkship on the spot now. wow And the reason that this is remarkable is Hundreds of law students apply to a single judge right every single year and they usually only take two.
00:42:52
Speaker
So I get this offer and I'm like, yeah, nah, we on. Yes, of course. so so So now- Yeah, all I can picture is like, you ever see the the Tiger Woods where he's like, bring it in. Yeah, he's like, bring it in, big dog. So I'm like, yeah, we're we're good, your honor. ah And so now so now i have it bracketed in my mind. I'm going to graduate law school.
00:43:12
Speaker
I'm going to have two years at this fancy law firm. Yeah. And I'm going to have this one year prestigious clerkship. And then i'm going to be able to go off and do whatever it is I want to do. Trump gets elected the year I graduate from law school. Whoa. Tomato, tomato, tomato And I'm at the law firm and just thinking, what am i doing with my life? Yeah.
00:43:38
Speaker
I'm thinking back to my previous public service, the thing that animated me to want to help and serve the community. Donald John Trump is president. Yeah.
00:43:50
Speaker
And the guy who's representing the community I was born and raised in is a Democrat that is caucusing with Republicans. Yeah. Who's given his vote to the Republicans. Mm-hmm. So I'm asking people like, all right, are you going to run? you going to run? Because I had stayed involved. You were like government ah so yeah it's adjacent? Yeah. yes i was like So i yeah I was working a million gazillion hours at the law firm, but I would still go to a community meeting. I would still, you know.
00:44:18
Speaker
And so I knew people. And I said, yo, you got to run against this guy. Like, come on. Donald Trump is the president. And everyone was like, yeah. The thing is, he's been around forever and he's Eric Adams' as protege. Right.
00:44:32
Speaker
And I'm like, what? And? like Yeah. like So no one wants to do it. Yeah. said, all right, let me see what it would take to do it. Here's the problem. The election was starting. The election was September of 2018. Yeah. This fancy federal clerkship that I got in this very unique way, September 2018 is supposed to start.
00:44:52
Speaker
So I had to choose. Yeah. Yeah. And it was a really tough choice because because one path is, you know, here's a pretty guaranteed you know path to success. I'm from Flatbush.
00:45:05
Speaker
Like, this is our my key out. I'm going make money. you get mama crib. oh You know, that the the whole thing. Or take a chance at winning, make significantly less money.
00:45:18
Speaker
but be able to make the changes. yeah So I decided to do this. Sat just like this across from the judge who made the offer to me. and I said, judge, thank you so much. gave back the... era He had to get to pull the Tiger Woods back. right I said, but I i got to run. And to his credit, to his credit, he leaned back and he said, I'm disappointed, but not in you. I'm disappointed that I'm not going to have you as a clerk. right If you don't do this, you're going to regret it the rest of your life.
00:45:47
Speaker
So I ran, won, that was seven years ago. And here we are. Yeah. that's so That's like a that's a mentorship moment. yeah Right? Like that was a moment where he could have been like, I could push you down. Correct. But instead, he gave you something to be like, now I have no regrets. Correct.
00:46:06
Speaker
Exactly. Yeah. So like that propels you so much forward into pursuing where you want to be and where you're you're you're going now. and So that's beautiful. Yeah. i'm i'm very I'm blessed, man. I'm really blessed. that So like, I mean, dumb question. But Were you still collecting sneakers during that time? Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, I mean, I was still doing it, you know? And, know, I was, again, not with the same proclivity, but I was still, you know. Well, first of all, I don't know how much time you had. Like, you just said that you were doing everything. You literally just said you were doing everything. So then how did you squeeze collecting? I was still on it because was a funny story talking about lines.
00:46:47
Speaker
So i went to I went to Cornell Law School. um So I'm ah i'm upstate. And although they wouldn't consider themselves upstate that central New York, um you know, that's a topic for another podcast. um where Part two. Yeah, right, right, And there um there were some SBs that came out, and and I can't believe I'm blanking on the name now.
00:47:07
Speaker
What year? Or what month? This was 20... this was twenty
00:47:15
Speaker
2016 2016 they this um they are forest green and tan it has the tree on the gold dig on the tongue not gold diggers uh i can't believe i'm blanking on this but that that's a that's a tape box yeah yes uh and it's a collab with I'm blanking.
00:47:35
Speaker
It's not the, I thought it was a gold digger. Then it had like GB in the back or something like that. how like go it um So they were like, i shall yeah, yeah, yes, yes, yes. Please, please. We we will, we will confirm this.
00:47:47
Speaker
Yeah. um So I took the bar exam early. i took it in my third year. um It's a high, right? Yes. It's a high. It's a high.
00:47:59
Speaker
All right, hold on. I got to pause because it had some dramatic flair to it. um So it was a high. I took the bar exam in February 2016.
00:48:13
Speaker
I did a program where you could take the bar early and you can then intern the rest of the way. So I did have a little bit of time. Yeah. And these came out and they were limited release and, you know, skate shop.
00:48:29
Speaker
And there was a skate shop in Ithaca. Yeah. That had it. And I like, to I camped out for him. You camped out during all this? I camped out for him. um Camped out for him.
00:48:40
Speaker
And I got him. I can't find them. Yeah. Okay. All right. So now we're going to have to like, we'll edit it in post or whatever, however y'all, however y'all say it. And so I was still like, I was still doing some crazy stuff. yeah um That's so like,
00:48:57
Speaker
where I don't even know where to start. because So, but so like how do you how did you manage to do that and camp out?
00:49:09
Speaker
And then, like were you are you are you ever tired? Yeah, I mean, I'm i'm to'm i'm tired right now. um But you like you you push through and also it's a form, as you know, it's a form of release. Yeah, it is. For me, you know, like I it it is ah particularly like, come on, you in law school and all you're doing is talking to other law students like, OK.
00:49:29
Speaker
I don't wonder if like you would be like, are you able to just be like, hey, I'm in the sneakers. Or is everybody just like, no, I gotta study for the LSATs. There are people, I mean, yeah law school respectfully attracts a particular type of person. ah and so there is a lot of you know competitiveness and like getting down to the, but like there they' are also people that like I have best friends now, you know people who came to my wedding, et cetera.
00:49:57
Speaker
um No one was quite into sneakers the way that I was yeah law school. And so this was a space that I could enjoy myself. So like, do you find that? Because I feel, are you separate? Like, are you, I don't know, this is sound weird. yeah Are you living a double life? like
00:50:17
Speaker
No, so so the the beauty now is yeah one, there's some other people, some other colleagues of mine in the state legislature that are also very into sneakers. My brother, is Senator Jamal Bailey, who's from the Bronx, like is really about that. this he's sending you god like like we are i got the force i got i got him we have they're like four of us that are on a group chat and that like if there is a release and like we somehow forget like somebody catches it and it's like yo um it's about to be 10 o'clock like get the app open um like because it's it's that time and so we got but people in the senate people in the assembly um who who are on that so
00:50:54
Speaker
it helps. And now that I've done like a public thing, we've done sneaker day, there ah people are now like, now it's wild. yeah Because people will come up to me and they don't look in my face first, they look in my sneakers first. Now you're getting checked Now I'm getting checked by people that are not sneaker heads.
00:51:09
Speaker
I'm like, how dare you? um But that's that's that's what the work piece is. So I don't have to live a ah double life because people know that you know this is part of who we are. Yeah. I meant more like back then.
00:51:20
Speaker
like Because you're you're you're hanging around with law students, but then you're like, I'm going to go. Yeah. like I didn't tell anybody I was camping out. Yeah. You know what mean? Until I got them. Because if I would have camped out and not got them,
00:51:32
Speaker
They would have been like, you are fool, Ray. You are a fool. So I did. was low. I was low. I was low. that yeah That's it insane. That's a great story. yeah like I'm sorry. I will find the pair. i will i We will get it. We will get it.
00:51:47
Speaker
My Google search has to be a little bit more specific. I do. It's like, so just just to be clear, what I'm thinking is it's the green shoe with like the tan. Yes. Correct. And it's a high. Yes. And it's high. Yep. I'm trying to think. I cannot believe. And I thought it was, I keep calling them, I think because i think it's because I call them gold diggers, but I think they're called like tree hunters or something that. Yeah. Something like that. i and of Of course, going to remember once we're done with this. Immediately. Immediately. Like i mean that. boom So, ah you know, you talked about your journey like that, ah getting into, you know, government and...
00:52:19
Speaker
I feel like I'm saying that correctly. But I'm very curious, because now we're starting to see a movement of younger people jumping in and stepping up. Because like you said, in 2018, that's when we started seeing AOC and everybody started talking, like, we need to take this seriously. So I'm curious of, are you seeing more of that? There's an initiative that's going on now where it's like, I forgot the name of it, I'm so sorry.
00:52:50
Speaker
But there's a group of younger people trying to help other younger people win elections in their state. Yeah. Yeah, there's a bunch of groups, organizations.
Encouraging Youth in Politics
00:53:02
Speaker
One is Run for Something. Yes, that's what it is. And Amanda Lippman is dope. She just came out with a book. She's a constituent of mine right now.
00:53:10
Speaker
ah And it is part of this, because you know how politics are. And it's not it's not actually unique to politics. This happens in every industry. There's a lot of gatekeeping. yeah i'm A lot of gatekeeping by of old guard. Yeah.
00:53:22
Speaker
Welcome to sneaker culture. I can only imagine, right? so they it's not about like, all right, let me help you help you be better and serve and do the things and and be great. And i've always like I've never understood this dynamic because you know,
00:53:37
Speaker
If you are helpful, like you could be the big bro. like you know when if if ah If you helped me to become who I am, i'm giving you I'm shouting you out everywhere I am. I'm like, look, this is like this is the homie. This is big homie. like this I would not have- Got the cosign. Yeah, got the cosign. But everything is so competitive. but So it's the same thing in in politics where you want to run and people tell you, you got to wait 15 years.
00:54:01
Speaker
like i like I remember when I ran for state senate- yeah There were people that said, well, why don't you try running for this very smaller, more um less impactful thing first before taking the shot? I said, why? I'm born and raised here. yeah I have the same interest, impact. These are my friends, my neighbors, my teachers.
00:54:19
Speaker
ah like let's give And also, y'all have had it. And we are where we are today. right yeah We're in the conditions today. yeah So perhaps, perhaps... we should try something different. And i have seen that change. And there's so many young colleagues now.
00:54:36
Speaker
I was a staffer. I was just in the Bronx today um with council member Kevin Riley, who's our age, who we were in the Bronx Young Democrats together. wow um And we were both staffers together. And now he's the council member.
00:54:49
Speaker
Like this is... We're seeing that change. We're seeing that change and it's exciting. It's very exciting. It becomes more accessible for our young people. I didn't grow up seeing anybody my age be elected to office.
00:55:02
Speaker
Nobody. yeah But now there's a whole generation of kids. I i met some young men today were like, yeah, we're trying to get like you, bro. I said, yes, you will. Yeah, yeah get it yes, yes. That's exactly what we want. yeah So it's good. It's dope to see. that That's really dope to see and dope to hear, too, because like we are we're in a in a I feel like we've been in such a standstill of just like nothing but old people running things. Right. And so we are going to get old ideas because, I mean, if you talk to like if we talk to our parents. Right. And you'd be like, hey,
00:55:34
Speaker
you know we should probably get a computer i don't know you know that's the that's what I feel it should be like why do we need my mom will be like why do you need a computer I'm like and then I had to be like because they need us to use it for school to write essays like and then you have to give that but you can't do that with like government yeah but and but this is and but this is the dynamic exactly and let me also say it isn't most of the time, ill intention. yeah This is just what they know. This is just what people know. It's what happens to all of us. There will come a point where you and I going to be seeing some younger folks do something and we're going to be like, what is this? yeah
00:56:12
Speaker
like I don't even see that. It's already happening to me. like Sometimes I'm walking the street and I'm like, oh, is this what it is this what happens? when like yeah like I'm looking at stuff like, okay. like If you like it, I love it. but I went to ComplexCon last year.
00:56:26
Speaker
I'm going this year. But it was a lot of Playboard Cardi fans. And i've I've never been in that atmosphere. It's a lot of black, a lot of like high heels. and Not high heels. Platform like boots.
00:56:39
Speaker
And I was like, if you love it, Yeah. You got it. Like, you got it. Yeah. But that's the thing is like a lot of people our age, there are, I would say 60% are like, so like you're doing it wrong.
00:56:50
Speaker
And you're just like, you can't just let people try. Let them try. Like, go, like, go for it. It's like, it's not my ministry. Yeah.
00:56:58
Speaker
Go for it. Exactly. You're not hurting anybody. You're not hurting anybody. Great. And how how much more important is that when it comes to helping people to have affordable housing, affordable health care, safe streets, safe subways, after school, all that.
Ambitious Plans for NYC's Future
00:57:13
Speaker
Like we got to do some some different things, even if it hasn't, you know, everyone tells you what's not possible. Why? Why? like what Like one of the things that I have proposed um'm as I'm running for mayor, I say I want to solve every shooting.
00:57:25
Speaker
want to solve every shooting. yeah And everyone's like, Well, every shooting is so unreal. Well, why why should we accept gun violence? Exactly, yeah. You tell me that.
00:57:37
Speaker
I don't. Let's do everything. Are we always going to get it right? Are we going to be perfect? Of course not. No, but attempt needs to be made. Come on now. Because if you're just ki cutting yourself off short, then if there's no attempt... If FedEx is trying to deliver the sneakers, right?
00:57:53
Speaker
And they they're still going to put... the thing on the door. You're going to see that sticker. You're going You're going to see the sticker. And then it's on to you. Right. you So it's like, come on, man. Let's do something different. Yeah. ah I mean, shout out Merrill. He gave me some questions I wanted to ask you. But one of them was housing. You touched on a little bit. yeah And I've seen your ads. But like,
00:58:12
Speaker
my i want to My question is I'm noticing a lot of people moving out of New York. yeahp right So that's that's stopping us becoming from native New Yorkers. right So what ah what is what are what are you trying to do to make people stay? This is like one of the biggest things and issues confronting the city is that people can't afford a place to live. And you hear this all the time.
00:58:37
Speaker
And people often assume, well, this is just a certain class of people. Everybody that I speak Everybody that I speak to. The median rent in this city is $4,000. It's crazy.
00:58:49
Speaker
$4,000. Is that a studio? Yeah. It's like this is you go and you know, it's it' slightly lower in Brooklyn, slightly higher in Manhattan, in between in some of the other boroughs.
00:59:01
Speaker
But this is completely out of reach for mad people. Yeah. My wife and I want to own. and We born raised here. It's the same elementary school. Same. I want to own too. So yeah. We want we want to own. Yeah.
00:59:14
Speaker
The average cost for home ownership in the city right now is $900,000. And that's the average. There are places in the city where it's usually, you know the block that I grew up on, all the homes on the block cost 1.5 million and up now.
00:59:29
Speaker
Wow. I don't got it. We don't got it. We don't got it. So make sure you subscribe so you can help me. Yeah.
00:59:37
Speaker
Help me get one of these houses. We don't got it. And so people people make choices based on that. And they make very rational choices. They go to places that they can afford. That's bad for everybody for a number of reasons. One, we lose the tax revenue.
00:59:50
Speaker
If you're not spending the money in the city, you're not have contributing to the tax economy here in the city, then we have less money for schools, less money for subways, less money for programming. ah But it also changes the fabric of the city. and ah You want people to be able to come here like our parents came here to chase opportunity. No one guarantees you the outcome here in the city, right? Like you they like we cannot guarantee you the outcome.
01:00:12
Speaker
But if we could say you will have a fighting chance, you'll have an opportunity. That's what I want. An attempt will be made. An attempt will be made. So I have a very bold plan. I want to deliver a million homes over the next 10 years. And that's another time where people sit up in their chair. A million.
01:00:28
Speaker
Yeah. We have to be bold. yeah That's the only way that we're going to get to a real solution. And so I want to use a lot of tools to get there. But that's a really big thing for me. ah Because if you can't afford to live in this city, ah then none of the other stuff really matters. Yeah. the the art I always say, I mean, we've heard it before, but the city is a luxury. But like the we've been we are able to do a lot of things. But some people will only be able to...
01:00:57
Speaker
you know, work to live, live to work, like which one is it? You know? ah And so it's ah it's a tough thing to to navigate. us Also having a sneaker collection, it's even tougher. You know? Storage. I mean, no, no. if the If I ever got to storage,
01:01:12
Speaker
I gotta stop right right I've always said this Because even though it is bad right now right It's manageable But I've seen people be like Yeah or Joe LaPuma Shout out Joe LaPuma But he recently said he was like I have have two stories I like two Two, that's, the and he said, set it and forget it. I'm like, yeah, you're just paying, you're paying, first of all, you're paying your rent and then now you're paying storage. And then on on top of that, you're buying sneakers. Right, right, right. it it's still I'm living my life wrong. That's what all I'm hearing. Exactly, exactly. But we're towards the end of the podcast and I wanted to ask you another question that deals a little visualization. yeah um i want you to think back to when you were a young kid opening that box of the Shacknosis, right?
01:01:52
Speaker
ah Now you're you behind your younger self. What would you tell your younger self as they open that box?
Reflections and Encouragement
01:01:58
Speaker
Wow, that's an excellent question. um I'd tell my young self that this moment, opening up the box, hearing the wrinkling of the paper, of paper yeah the smell of the new shoe, ah that that was going to bring you a lot of joy for the rest of your life. And to not be discouraged that you wouldn't have this smell for quite some time. Yeah.
01:02:26
Speaker
um until you started working. yeah ah But that it would not only give you some personal joy, ah but that you're going to be able to use it as a connector with so many other people. I was just on my just on my way here. I was out in the Bronx on Hunts Point, you know, talking to people in the subway.
01:02:41
Speaker
And I had at least two people pointing. was like, I see you in the Jays in the suit. Like, no they know nothing about me, know nothing. I'm running to be mayor of the greatest city in the world. And the one thing that they noticed was that I had sneakers on. Yeah.
01:02:56
Speaker
Nothing else does that. yeah And I would encourage my younger self that this was going to be the beginning of a beautiful journey. I think so too. You know, the the way that people use sneakers as a through line, the top the reason why I made this podcast, it's something that, you know, you can connect to people on a different level because no matter where you are, where you're from, you know, that's that sneaker, that story, that sneaker and your story come together. That's right.
01:03:23
Speaker
Just changes through whatever model, whatever. But appreciate you pulling up. Let everybody know where to find you and and hit that ballot. Yeah, that's right. So firstly, i really appreciate this. If you want more information on my campaign,
01:03:43
Speaker
Here in New York City, early voting. begins June 14th. Election day is June 24th. Make sure you come out and tell everybody that they got to vote. The last mayoral election four years ago, you know how many eligible voters came out?
01:03:58
Speaker
The percentage, 22%.
01:04:02
Speaker
22% of people who were eligible to vote decided who the next mayor was going to be in the primary.
Conclusion and Social Media Promotions
01:04:08
Speaker
So let's step up. Make sure you tell your people vote and vote for me. Number one, do not vote for Andrew Cuomo yeah anywhere on your ballot.
01:04:18
Speaker
Not even. He's definitely not getting, not even a. Come on now. I might, I might black out. Hell no. Yeah, exactly. You know where to find me. I am who is Hassan. Also, it's for me to follow the podcast at My First Kicks Pod.
01:04:30
Speaker
And if you have been listening to this, make sure you hit up the YouTube. ah My first, no, youtube.com slash my at My First Kicks. And, you know, we say each week, wear your kicks.
01:04:42
Speaker
Peace.