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Is New York Healing? with Damian Dickson
0 Playsin 15 hours
This week Damian Dickson of Kurve Studios is here to talk about art, sneakers, and being a creative. We touch on his thoughts on about fashion, being a creative. Also we talk about finding your audience, how he turned his mom into a sneakerhead. He shares some stories from collecting kicks over the year. What it is like being an immigrant and always showing up plus a ton more.
Follow Damian:
IG: https://www.instagram.com/kurveking
Website: https://kurvestudio.com/
Podcast Linktree: https://linktr.ee/myfirstkicks
Sign up for the Patreon: https://patreon.com/MyFirstKicks
Intro & Outro by Sango: https://www.instagram.com/sango_/
Backing Music by The DoppleGangaz: https://thedoppelgangaz.bandcamp.com/
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Transcript
Fashion's Shift to Brand Status
00:00:00
Speaker
Dressing badly has become so cool. they Listen, i that's going to be, I know a lot of people are going to give me help. I'm probably like, what is he wearing? like you but for them money even wear your own stuff you can't really But for the most part, like I feel like people like it's no longer about like personal style and like putting things together like yeah yeah people are just like this is this name this is this brand and this is this and i'm just wearing it right and it's like it's really wearing you but for the most part like people don't necessarily like take their time to like curate the outfits and things like that anymore it's just like i have this i have this i have this this is the name this is the this and this is from here yeah and it's like the value is
00:00:42
Speaker
the name of the company or I bought it here or it's from this country. And I'm just like, so that's the value. It's not the fact that you love it and it's it's a beautiful piece and you put it together well. It becomes like, this is from Japan. Yeah.
00:00:58
Speaker
And it's like Japan got some bullshit too, bro. Everywhere does.
Introduction to Damien 'Curve K'
00:01:07
Speaker
What's good, everyone? Welcome back to My First Kicks. This episode 263?
00:01:12
Speaker
three Hold on. No, no, 262. All right, I'm leaving this in. Fuck it. And this week, I bring to you another special guest. you want to Damien? Damien, Curve K. Yeah, i was going to say, I don't know. if i My family calls me Isaiah. Isaiah, where's that come from? It's long story, long story.
00:01:30
Speaker
But welcome to the podcast. are you know How you doing? How you doing? Thank you for having me. No, man. Shout out to D. D's here in the building. He he put this together. ah He wore ah a fire fitted. It's a fitted, right? It's not. The one that he's wearing is snap. We do new fittings. know you just do new fittings, too. But yeah. ah And you're wearing one right now.
00:01:48
Speaker
What'd you call it? The so Yankee? So they tell me don't do that for legal purposes, but... What are you going do? You say what I'm saying? But I call it the New Yankee. Yeah. um ah on On officially, like, the the official name of the logo is New York Healing. Okay. love that, my That's fire, though. That wasn't my idea. That my manager, my creative manager. He's super dope city. he's's he's um He's very creative, and he can make everything make sense. Look, I like that. To be honest, yeah, because especially and now you got my brain thinking, too, because it's like there was that, you know, that time ah everybody everybody says like, oh, yeah, blank is healing.
00:02:24
Speaker
So, yes, I'm familiar with that. um I think around so that the hat officially came out 2022.
Designing 'New York Healing' Hat
00:02:32
Speaker
um I had the, I've been sitting on the logo since like around the the pandemic started. Yeah.
00:02:37
Speaker
And when I, when I sketched it actually came pretty quick. I sketched it like two minutes. I was like, oh shit, this logo shaped my life. Anyway, now that I look back, now that I look back, I'm like, yo, this two minute sketch shaped my life. But anyway. Yeah. So,
00:02:51
Speaker
When I sketched it, um originally the idea that I had, you know, I'm from the Caribbean, but I grew up in New York and I'm a hat enthusiast. Yeah. And I got an opportunity to design a hat.
00:03:05
Speaker
And the first thing that came to mind was like, I need to make my own Yankee. Yeah. Yeah. You know, that's the hat. Yeah. You know, so. um So when the opportunity came and I told him, was like, hey can I please make a Yankee? They were like, we don't have the license to do that. Yeah.
00:03:19
Speaker
So I was like, damn, okay. So I sketched something up real quick. um We sat on the logo for like over a year, like a year and a half probably. And um when i when we finally decided to do something with it,
00:03:34
Speaker
I was calling it the new Yankee and my manager was like, yo, stop, stop doing that. Take that off your website. Which is still there. Yeah, it is. Because I went on there and was looking I was like, that's I said it. crazy like that. My manager told me this like four years ago now. He was like, yo, stop putting it on your website. Stop calling it that. You can get...
00:03:51
Speaker
You know, you don't want to invite problems. Right. Yeah. I know I recently I had. Well, last year I had or two years ago I had J Tips on and we talked about how the Yankees don't don't mess him. Oh, yeah. So which is crazy. Like which was which I'm going to get to that in a second. I'm a fan of his work as well.
00:04:10
Speaker
So when I, my manager was like, stop calling it the new Yankee. And I was like, so what I supposed to call it? Like, I'm like, he's like, just give it a random name. And he was like, I'm just going to say it's NY Healing. i'm like, you're going name a logo NY Healing?
00:04:25
Speaker
He was like, yeah, I was like, whatever. I don't know. Like, whatever works, I don't care. And It took on a life of its own. When we first put it out, I was like terrified. I was like, you they're gonna roast me on here. was like, the internet is gonna kill me. It was like, this is gonna be the fake Yankee, the boo-boo shit. You know how we grew up in New York, you know the culture. yeah You already know, like, gonna like, what the fuck, what's that? Can I, can I?
00:04:49
Speaker
Yeah, of course. i discuss I cursed a bunch of times already. So he's going to be like, what the fuck is that? Yeah, yeah. You know, so I'm like, my hat is going to be like, the what the fuck is that? Yeah. Not the water, though. What is that? So I'm like, yo, but i'm like i might make some low I might make a little bit of bread before they kill me. So i was like, you know what? like It is what it is. That's such a New York thought process, too. We put it out. so When we put it out, I'm not going to lie, was terrified. yeah I'm like, yo, bro, like...
00:05:17
Speaker
It's over. and we put it out and the reception was really well. yeah it was like really, really like way better i expected. i was like... oh shit, y'all like this? Oh shit. I was like, oh. I was like, okay, okay, that's dope, that's dope. So, the hat did really well and um feel great. You know, there was like, we got one, we got one. I was just like, we do. i was like, okay, cool, that
Evolving Creativity into a Brand
00:05:43
Speaker
changes things. Now the conversation has changed a little bit. But um for the most part, ah the experience since we put it out has been great. But my my my manager told me, he calls it New York healing yeah because um
00:05:55
Speaker
There was definitely definitely a transitional phase um in New York when the pandemic hit. The city was kind of like a shell of itself. I mean, if you're from here or you were here at that time, you know exactly what I'm talking about. you know It was three years ago, four years ago. It was like me it feels like eons ago. like It does. like yeah see It feels like such a different generation. but um Yeah, like my my manager definitely brought that to my attention. and um I was okay like, okay, let's roll with that. And it just stuck.
00:06:27
Speaker
It stuck and what's not broken don't fix it. I was like, yo, I'm a simple guy. I was just like, all right, cool. It works. Leave it. I love the kiss method. I'm going to call it what I want to call it personally between me and my friends and people who buy from me personally. But to the public, if that's what we're call it, by all means, what you got to do. That's cool. So I'm going you to introduce yourself in a second. But before we jump into that, make sure you hit that subscribe button. Hit that subscribe button. Subscribe. Subscribe. It goes a long way to help the podcast. the creators. Yeah, for real. Support the doers. If you want to leave a review, leave a review on the Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Make sure you hit that five stars. Definitely helps me out. And...
00:07:12
Speaker
I got a Patreon. Sign for the Patreon. $5. got an episode dropping this week. It probably came out by the time this drops on Friday with AD Sneaks. Talk about a ton of shit. So please make sure you help out the pod. It goes a long way.
00:07:26
Speaker
goes right back into getting me into the studio. But for people who are not familiar with you how about you introduce yourself? Hi, so my name is Damien. ah My creative name is Curve King. yeah um It has nothing to do with what people think it means, like Curve King. like It was just a joke between me and my friends because they were like, yo, you never answer your text messages. You never answer your phone. was like, yo, you always curve my call.
From Trinidad to Sneakerhead
00:07:53
Speaker
was like, yeah, I'm the Curve King, man. know mean? it just became, yeah that's what it was about. I it was because of the curve of your hat. It had nothing to do with my hats, my art, nothing. It was just a joke because I don't answer my phone.
00:08:05
Speaker
Well, I used to be like very antisocial and just not answering my phone. yeah I've changed a lot since then, but that's how that started. And people always thought it was like, because of my art, is it like a sexual thing? yeah yeah i was like, no, you... didn't um about to I was about to tell you there's somebody else with like a similar name, but I'm not going to get any the attention because no. they trust like I'll show you off camera, but that's crazy. But no.
00:08:31
Speaker
But um yeah, got e right my name is Damien. But they they call me Curve Gang. I'm an artist, a painter, curator.
00:08:41
Speaker
for art events. And I design hats. Well, now I can say I design merchandise. If you see what I've been doing lately... Oh my God. That varsity you got over here, insane. That's a sample, but I've been feeling like I have a point to prove in regards to my art, my creativity.
00:09:03
Speaker
um Fortunately enough, like as an artist, if you want something to exist, you can create it. yeah you know so like... A lot of things that I put out into the world is things that i would I wish existed. Yeah. You know, in terms of clothes and paintings and whatever the case is. yeah So I was like, yo, I need to take advantage of like the tools that I have. Exactly. and That's exactly what I do. so that That is, i mean...
00:09:27
Speaker
I feel like we've gotten in, mean, look, I've made this, you know? Yeah, like of course. yeah no like So I totally get where you're coming from. um I do feel like when I see other people easily discouraged of like, they're not getting where they want to go with their thing stuff like that, it's just kind of like, you kind of just really have to put in the work. You you can't expect that you're just going immediately become the next great thing. Like it does happen here and there, yeah but like, yeah you know, I always say that, like, I mean, we always, I've heard this a lot, comparison is a thief of joy. and But it's like, as long as you're doing something out of passion and you love it, the reward is going to always be that you're loving, like, the feeling that you're getting from it.
00:10:03
Speaker
So, yeah, and I agree with that 100%. Like, as far as I'm concerned, like, When I say I'm from the Caribbean, I'm like, I'm actually from, like, I'm not like a Caribbean, like my family's from the Caribbean. I've lived in, grew up, like, I'm actually from Trinidad, right? And I come from a very extreme environment where, it's funny enough, we're in a sneaker pocket, we're talking about sneakers and fashion and whatever.
00:10:28
Speaker
In my lifetime, right, I'm 33 years old, in my lifetime, I have been, like, there's but there's been a time my life where walking to the store, which is like a mile away, yeah with no shoes or socks on, that was normal. yeah I've done that. yeah i'm not even man I'm not even making that up. I've really done that. Now I have so many pairs of sneakers,
00:10:51
Speaker
And I literally just ordered three pairs sneakers this morning, right? And... What? What'd you get? I got the Laker 4s. Oh, yeah. I got some John Moran 3s. Uh-huh. And I got to check my phone. What's the other thing I got?
00:11:04
Speaker
Laker 4s, John Moran 3s. Oh, and I got the Aqua 8s. Oh, okay, okay. Yeah, I got the Aqua 8s. So, I was thinking to myself, like, look at, like, like look how the pendulum swings. Like, look how, like, I'm, like, I come from this environment where...
00:11:21
Speaker
Like, I had to walk yeah a mile to the store. Right. And if I didn't have any slippers, that was just normal. Like, you know, your feet get black, and you go back home, whatever. Now I have, like, the leisure. I can i can i can buy three pairs of sneakers today and not think about it. Yeah, exactly. Like, like I was just talking, I even forgot what I ordered. You know what I'm saying?
00:11:39
Speaker
And it's not even to brag. It's just, like, it just goes to show, like, how far I came in my life. And if this is the peak right now, To me as a 10 year old, like I've already won at life. yeah Because to be able to to get the opportunities that I've had so far in my life, um I would never have imagined like these things can happen for me. yeah You know, like we all have this this, well, we used to have this idea when were younger that these things happen, but they don't happen to people like me. You know, like, People win the lotto every day, but yeah not us. yeah yeah You know what saying? like It doesn't happen for us. So the fact that like my mom should be out if she's in a different city, and she'll put and ah and intentionally go to like a store she knows will sell my stuff yeah just to look at it. that's I mean, look, bro. When you think about that, it's like,
00:12:37
Speaker
Damn, okay. I mean, you know, you it's like it's says it it's it's just there's such a like a cool experience, a cool like a cool feeling you know to like to make your family proud and to kind of represent them the right way. And you know like when you think about how where we come from. Right, I was just going to say that. you know like we come from Being an immigrant. Exactly. We come from nothing. Yeah, yeah.
Social Media's Impact on Fashion
00:12:58
Speaker
And to be able to make something out of nothing, it's like, it's really a beautiful thing. And it's is' to say it is one thing, but to like really experience it, it's like my parents brag about me so much. Yeah.
00:13:11
Speaker
And... i i It feels good to make my parents proud and my family proud. and Even my siblings, like my younger siblings, like, yeah, that's my brother. you know So it's like it's just pretty cool. you know And it's just like, yo, bro, I don't take any it for granted because where i'm from, this is this is it's not a thing. No, yeah, for sure. You really rose up, man. Like I said, if this is it, like if if it's just like, this is as far as I go, yeah like...
00:13:42
Speaker
All right, well, like, I got an opportunity. Like, you know, like, I got to show my stuff. I got to live out part of my dream, you know? Like, most of us don't get that. Right, yeah. You know what saying? So, before we get even deeper into this conversation, because I know we getting real deep right now. we getting pretty deep pretty quick. Let me ask you the question that I ask everybody each week, and that question is, what's your first case? What's that first pair of sneakers you absolutely needed to have?
00:14:07
Speaker
Okay, so i got I got two answers for that. All right. So my all-time favorite sneaker that I love, think I probably loved it the day die.
00:14:18
Speaker
The original Jordan 9s. Yeah. It's my favorite shoe of all time. To me, it's just like the perfect shoe. Yeah. Love the shoe. I love the look, the style. It's just a great shoe. And then a shoe that I had to have...
00:14:31
Speaker
Like, I really just had to have. um is The year is 2014. I am about, what, 20, 21 years old. Okay. And this is the only time I've ever camped out for sneakers. Okay. And um the Yeezy Foams are dropping. Yeah. The Yeezy Foams and the so the Green Snake Skin 11s are dropping on the same day. Right. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, you know, I garnered enough, and ah you know, enough money to buy both of them. Uh-huh.
00:14:55
Speaker
And I waited in line from like 3 in the morning to like 10 to get both of them. Where where're at? This was one um on 34th Street. House of Hoops?
00:15:07
Speaker
Not House. I think they at the time, believe it was a Jordan store. Oh, Jordan 21. I believe they called it the Jordan store at the time. I think. It might be like a year later. Was it 2021? This is 2014. No, 23. I don't know why I said 21. 23. I think it was called like the 20... It was attached to the foot action. Yeah, it's a foot action. And then they kept changing the store around a little bit. Like I said, don't quote me on this, but I think in 2014, it was the Jordan store, if I remember correctly.
00:15:37
Speaker
andnna And um I waited hours And i think it came out in March, February If I remember correctly So probably around this time yeah And no it was cold And I waited in line for those And um Like at the time for me spending, I think the phones were like $250. Yeah.
00:15:58
Speaker
And the 11s was like $150 plus tax. And um at the time, spending $250 plus tax. So i think it came up to like $280 probably. Spending $250 plus tax on some sneakers for me at the time. Back to back too.
00:16:13
Speaker
And I, yeah, both of them both the same day. So I was just like, you know, like I said, I saved my money. I made sure. Because I was waiting for those. I was just like, I had love, like everything Kanye was doing at the time. And I couldn't get the Kanye. So I'm like, oh, they got foam? That's when they started. The next best thing. Yeah, they started pushing out those, that colorway, that Yeezy colorway like crazy. They had the Air Max one. Yeah, and then they had the Roshis. Yeah, they had the Roshis. I wanted the Roshis too. I never got them, but I wanted those too. And I was just like, that colorway was just like. That was fire. You could do wrong that year but they were just putting it out different stickers you could do no wrong and i remember like was like i have to get those phones you gotta make one you gotta make a hat that colorway that's actually a really good idea there you go we gotta bring it back that's the collab i'll take the collab on that definitely i definitely i'll have my first kicks patch i definitely i definitely have a meeting with you about that mean with the team about that but that's actually a pretty good idea because i really love that still have the easy for the fire now they're beat now i'm sure i still have them i'm just like i can't get rid of The glow in the dark is probably not even glow in the dark. Yeah, I definitely had those.
00:17:16
Speaker
And I was like, yo, these are it. I wore them shits down. I was going to every opportunity. It was an easy release. Every time, the time, when they were popular, was like,
00:17:29
Speaker
you know so popular I would wear them shirts every opportunity I got. Like, the Stacey and Levens are one of my favorite sneakers as well. But, like, the Yeezy, like, you know, it was just the talk of the town for, like, a good few months, maybe a year. You know, so if you had those, was like, oh, shit. Oh, yeah, you know what you're doing. Yeah, yeah. Oh, shit, he got those. So nothing crazy happened on that line? Because usually store, that store always had something crazy happen. So remember, like, when people started getting let in,
00:17:57
Speaker
You know, like, you know, there would just be people trying to skip the line. Yeah. Based on my memory, there were people trying to skip the line, you know, which, okay, that's expected. And then I think, like, a couple people came out and, like, if they were trying to sell on the line. Yeah, yeah, of course. Because, you know, like, some people were definitely not getting it. Yeah.
00:18:18
Speaker
And, you know, like, some people would kind of just take the opportunity to be like, oh, run that. Uh-huh. You know, but I didn't see it escalate, so I don't know if it actually... Listen, I got what I had to get, and I He's getting it, yeah. I'm not hanging around. You walked out with two pairs of sneakers. Exactly. So I walked out with two pairs of sneakers. I had one friend with me. Yeah. He got his two pairs sneakers as well.
Creating for Passion vs. Trends
00:18:40
Speaker
Hey yo We just got we had to get We just dipped I just saw like The commotion People trying to skip I was like I don't want to be around for this I got what I got to get Let me just get up out here Yeah And you know like So as far as I'm concerned Like The release was fine Yeah yeah Now if anything happened After I left Like you know like that just happened you know like yo hopefully they're okay today you know what I'm saying yeah did you so did you amass like a big collection early on or like did you have like cause I wanna know like when you brought it up to your mom like your mom sees that you've got more than two pairs or one pair of sneakers if she was like
00:19:16
Speaker
What's going on over here? So... So, like I said, i'm like I'm a simple guy. Yeah. Right? Like... Like, I'm not... Like... I don't have many vices. Mm-hmm.
00:19:28
Speaker
Besides, like, probably just buying sneakers. Yeah, yeah. And I've even pulled back from that a lot. Right? Mm-hmm. But, um... I buy sneakers, now I buy sneakers that I really want. I don't just buy it because I'm just like, oh, those are dope, I gotta get those to resell. I don't do that. I generally buy sneakers, I'm like, oh, like those, I'll wear those, I could, you know, whatever. And then a lot of times too, like, when me, I design a hat or somebody on my team designs a hat, I'm like, shit, okay, like, I gotta look for a sneaker match with this, whatever. I'm still old school, I still try match sneakers with hats and stuff like that, you know, like, I know that's not really a thing anymore. People just wear what they want.
00:20:04
Speaker
which is fine, but I still think like, hey, man, if you the standard, I gotta get some of the master hat, whatever. But for the most part, like,
00:20:15
Speaker
It's funny enough, i like my mother should be here right now. It's Saturday. She's not working right now. My mother should be here because I've turned my mom into a sneakerhead. Oh, yeah? Yeah, like, I see, like, I got these on right now. Right, right, right.
00:20:26
Speaker
My mom, like, I would give her credit. She embraces new ideas. Uh-huh. Right? So, like, when she sees something that's new and it looks different. Right. she Anything that's like she she embraced her like, oh, those are interesting. you like I like those. Unless it's like something Kanye made.
00:20:44
Speaker
Kanye upsets her. but I mean, fair. because i mean like yeah I was like, Ma, like I remember Kanye had the the basketball sneakers. Those are like those one of my favorite sneakers too. The Quantums. I feel like they didn't get to just do. like Everyone was gravitating. Shout out Sheck West. Everyone was gravitating towards everything else. He's the one that designed the shoe. But like, yeah, the Quantum, the Quantum, those are like, it's a great shoe. Yeah. Great quality, snug fit, super cool to look at. Like, I have like three or four pairs of those. Yeah, yeah.
00:21:14
Speaker
And I tried to get my mom like, just into Yeezys in general when they were cool. Uh-huh. And um she was just like, no Kanye, no. Kanye, no. No, no Kanye. Oh, she's been anti-Kanye minute. Yeah, she's just like, I'm not supporting that crazy guy. I'm just like,
00:21:28
Speaker
like, all right, right, whatever. You know what saying? Like, you know, you don't want to, like, you know, when she had a job and she was on her feet all day. Yeah. So I was like, me get you the home runners. Right, right, right. She's like, those are Kanye? No, no. I was like, all right. It was like, easy runners for her. All right. Okay, cool, cool, cool, whatever. But I've turned my mama to sneaker headlight. lot of times, like,
00:21:50
Speaker
when i'm buying sneakers like i'd buy her a pair like you know something random yeah and or like if she sees something that i have oh i like those i'm like okay i'll get you yeah and you know like so my mom's my mom's collection is actually going to the point where it's like um a few months ago probably we're in we're in march right now so probably like october she bought, she ordered um the casing like to stock shoes. Oh wow. She ordered one of those, she has it in her room. I was like, i was like, first of all, we're not there yet. Chill, you can stop what you think is under your bed. yeah We're not there yet. But she she got like, she got like some dope stuff and she just like, nah, I need one of those. those you like You know the sneaker walls? She called the sneaker wall. The sneaker walls, I need one of those. I'm just like, yo, we're not there yet bro, chill bro. You know, like that's awesome, though. But it's cool. Was it always like that, though? with um I want to know, like, in the beginning. you My mom.
00:22:47
Speaker
No, she wasn't always as a sneakerhead. Like, my mom was just like a shoe was a shoe. yeah Yeah. You know, like she didn't care about, like, design and like, I need a black shoe. I need a white shoe.
00:22:57
Speaker
I need a boot for whatever. Like, you know, that that's how my mom was. Right. Yeah. Now, like, now that, you know, like. I'm like a lot more mature and like I i i can kind of afford to buy her a pair of sneakers, whatever. Like she's open-minded because she used to assume everything that looks cool is out of our budget. Oh, yeah. You know, so like now that we're older. Yeah.
00:23:21
Speaker
And, you know, like I'm like, oh, you want these? I'm like, I got you. She'll be like, okay, cool. i like those. I like those. man I remember the first the first pair that I really got her into sneakers a couple years ago was... um The silver Like the metallic looking Adidas all need this You know You know that I forgot It's like some design forgot the name of designer But it's a metallic pair of Adidas And it has like the flap on it Oh, you know what I'm talking about. You probably can't think of a name, but I got her those. Wales Bonners. Yes. Yes. yeah Yes. so I got her pair of those and she was like in love with it.
00:23:58
Speaker
And then she was just like, she just started finding these niggas like, yeah. Did you tell her about Wales Bonners? She don't care about them. You got to tell her. She just likes. That's something she was like, though. She just likes cool shoes. Yeah. So like, and she's like me, like, like when it comes to like,
00:24:14
Speaker
clothing and sneakers and art, whatever, like, the story, ah for me, in art, the story's great. right I love to know, like, what what this is about. But in terms of, like, fashion and, like, sneakers and things like that, like, to me, it just has to be dope. yeah Like, i don' think that I don't go with the crowd. I i just i just, like, now granted, I do have some high-beat shit. Everybody does. it's But for the most part, like, I buy things that I genuinely like. yeah Like, I don't just, like,
00:24:42
Speaker
I don't just like, oh, yeah, those are hot. Those are coming out. I got to get those. Or nobody's going to buy them. I'm not going buy them. Because I remember... Last year, believe it or not, one of my most anticipated s sneakers that I was really looking forward to was um those blue 11s. They have like the off-white laces and shit. Oh, the rare Airs. Rare, the rare 11s. People shitted on those. I like those, yeah. People shitted on those. When I first saw like the the like sample pictures or whatever, like they released way in the red. Yeah, they showed the whole pack. was like, yo, those are beautiful. And I was anticipating them up until they dropped.
00:25:17
Speaker
And when i was get when i when I bought them, my boy was like, why don't you buy those? I'm like, because they're dope. I like them. He's like, nobody bought them. I was like, who cares? I like them. You bought them. I'm like, what do you want me to say? like there I think it's a beautiful shoe. yeah I like the shoe. I don't know when it turned around where people were like, a hot shoe is if it's sold out. So like yeah that's kind of why just said, like yeah I pulled back.
00:25:41
Speaker
A lot In sneakers Because It's no longer about Loving sneakers And you know like Just like Want it to look cool Or whatever the case is It's just about Yo do you have like The cool thing Yeah You know like Are you on trend Exactly And it's just like It's no longer about The love of sneakers And I'm I kind of hate that Mmhmm You what I'm saying? It's just like every shoe that is like popular, now I got to spend extra to get this. I'm just like, okay, like this this is really annoying. And then like a lot of times too, like
00:26:15
Speaker
Instagram fashion or social media fashion drives me crazy. Oh, for sure, yeah.
Critique of Superficial Fashion Trends
00:26:21
Speaker
Because, okay, not only when you get the shoe, like, okay, you have the cool shoe, but you actually had to have, like, a cool style. Yeah. It's not about just having the shoe and then you just...
00:26:32
Speaker
put a blanket over yourself. Like, you still had to have a little bit of style. know I'm saying? like You still got to come with it. Exactly. Like, I feel like a lot of people today, and I call it, like, social media fashion or style, trends, whatever. Like,
00:26:46
Speaker
dressing badly has become so cool. they Listen, i that's going to be, I know a lot of people is going to give me help. I'm probably like, what is he wearing? like you but for the money layer your own stuff it can't really But for the most part, like I feel like people like it's no longer about like personal style and like putting things together like yeah yeah people are just like this is this name this is this brand and this is this and i'm just wearing it and right and it's like it's really wearing you but for the most part like people don't necessarily like take their time to like curate the outfits and things like that anymore it is just like i have this i have this i have this this is the name this is the this and this is from here yeah and it's like the value is
00:27:29
Speaker
the name of the company or I bought it here or it's from this country. And just like, so that's the value. It's not the fact that you love it and it's it's a beautiful piece and you put it together well. It becomes like, this is from Japan. yeah And it's like, Japan got some bullshit too, bro. It don't matter. You know what saying? like i don't I'm not gonna, like I'm the type of person, I'm not gonna value it more because it's from, or because this person made it, or because it's this name. It's just like, is it a beautiful piece or not? Is it dope or not? you know like If it was nameless, would you wear this? yeah you know Would you love this? yeah So that's kind of how I look at like a lot of sneakers and fashion. And I've kind of folk fallen out of love with it because yeah that's what the culture is now. It's all about the name and the the the place and the person. yeah But I mean, i think that's just like the... Well, I don't know...
00:28:25
Speaker
Because, like, I don't know what what pulled you in the most. Was it the community and the conversations around it? Or was it the actual items that pulled you in? For me, it was it was definitely it would definitely be the items. like yeah Like, I'm very... I'm a very basic person. Like, I'm very, like, believe it or not, like, I'm very, like...
00:28:43
Speaker
is this cool or not does this look good or not yeah like when i see people wearing something and i'm just like this doesn't really you know like it's not really well put together like yeah but it's from this company i'm just like listen i know what i'm seeing my eyes aren't playing tricks on me it doesn't look it does it's not appealing yeah and it's like but do you Do you blame the person wearing it or do you blame the the the brand itself for its creation? I would definitely blame the person. Yeah. Because i think a lot of times brands, they have intention with with their designs. You know i'm saying? And some people, they just get caught up in the brand and not necessarily the intention of how it's meant to be worn or, you know, the type of, you know, fit it's supposed to have and things like that. Like, they don't care about that. They're just like, yo, this is this brand. Yeah. And that's just what it's about. I kind of kind of hate that. Yeah. I hate that. I mean, I always i always take it back to, remember I don't know if you remember, there was like a YouTube series and they used to be like, how much does your fit cost?
00:29:44
Speaker
and Trash. I know. and Anyway, listen. no no No, I'm not talking trash about that person in particular. you know Do what you can to yeah to amass your following, but I don't like stuff like that. Yeah. I'm sorry. I mean, I always hated it and i and And I do think that, like, the rise of that became, like, that that's how people started to be like, that's where I'm, that's what I need to do. So I'm 33, right? Yeah, yeah.
00:30:08
Speaker
I have a cousin. My cousin is 25. And um I told him, i like, he doesn't understand because he's kind of a little bit younger than me Like, there There was a shift in like fashion, like the way people dress around like 2017, 18, where everyone's on social media just scrolling, right? This is just a theory. This is just my personal theory. yeah This is what I believe. This is something that I observe. yeah People are scrolling social media, right?
00:30:37
Speaker
And, you know, like no one really cares what they're looking at. They're just scrolling. If they see something interesting, they'll stop. So... to get people to stop, people just started like... Dressing bull like bullshit?
00:30:50
Speaker
Not necessarily just dressing bullshit, but people started to kind of be more flamboyant. Yeah, yeah. You know, to to get your attention. Yeah. And that became... This is my theory. So do not judge... I don't have to... you don't have to think I'm right. This is just what I believe.
00:31:07
Speaker
people started to like, be like super like flamboyant and like, putting like all of these crazy pieces together that, you know, traditionally is just like, why would you wear like, a tank top with like, a blazer or something, you know, like something like that. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So like,
00:31:25
Speaker
people would do things like that and would wear like socks with like heels. You know, like trends, like things like that started happening. I remember that a lot on TikTok during the pandemic. It went crazy. Things like that started happening.
00:31:37
Speaker
And I was just like, it started happening so much that someone my age or someone older than me might be able to see the switch. But to my younger brother and my younger cousin and my little sister, that's all they've seen. So to them, that's like, this is how you dress. Like, this is the norm. And that's when everything just switched. And someone like me trying to like, court i'm I'm actually, i it's crazy. I'm not really coordinating too well today. yeah.
00:32:10
Speaker
I know they're going to roast you in the comments. yeah Check my page, man. he say He said, check my page. I got i get fits off. Listen, people, anybody that knows me knows. but yeah For the most part, like it's like they... It's become so normal, like, dressing, like, putting together like a ridiculous outfit. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That is just like...
00:32:34
Speaker
actually being intentional behind what you wear now, it's like, fuck is wrong with him? Yeah. He's wearing green with what a green pants and like, his his hat matches his shoe. Like, fuck is wrong with this guy? Fuck is wrong with him? Like, know what saying? Like, it's crazy. So it's just like,
00:32:52
Speaker
And it's just like, yo, bro. It's so funny because I've seen a lot. So there's been a lot of conversation and talk about like how sneaker heads can't dress and how certain people can dress. And and i to me, in my opinion, right. And obviously my group chat roasts me all the time. They tell me I can't dress on the show and I'm like, all right, whatever, bro. But at the same time, at the end of the day, know who I'm dressing for. I'm dressing for me. If I know I feel good, then I feel good. Right.
00:33:17
Speaker
And don't think that like the, I think that like if you're dressing for fashion and you're trying to be fashionable, then there is a standard to that. And, but like at the same time, it's like, you know, getting fits off is part of the culture and part of this. And you know, when you getting some off and you like, yo, I look crazy. I look fucking fire. But then, then there's that other side of it where it's like, some people are just like, you know what, what's going people commenting and going crazy. I got to get people talking. I got to, I'm going to put on this hoodie and then I'm going to put on like a baseball jersey over it and, and call myself pick my face. And then I'm going to roll my sleeves up and put like a wristband on. Like, it's like, yo bro, like why? Yeah.
00:34:02
Speaker
Why? But I know why, but at the same time, it's just like, that's, I just can't wait. i cannot wait. for like five years from now when this this wave is just over. yeah And people are just like, I see like at the beginning of this year, it's 2026, they was like, yo, we're bringing back 2016. was yo, I was like, yo, people about to start dressing. like They got some sense again. i was like, thank you God. Because I cannot take this all over the place style that has just taken over the internet. If you look at what the kids are wearing now, it's a lot of just black. and but a lot of black so it's funny enough that you say that right yeah so like with my hats yeah like if you notice like it's a sort ah it's like a big color palette nah yeah you got huge color palette so like i'm looking at this i'm very intentional as an artist as an artist right yeah you can have it if you like it i i am i i was gonna be like how much it's a gift it's a gift but so like so when you think about it right like
00:35:02
Speaker
I am intentional with the color palette. Look at the color palette. And even like, you know, the team that helped me design hats and whatnot. Yeah. We're intentional because it's just like, I am tired of seeing black everywhere.
00:35:13
Speaker
I'm not against This fine. But I need people to kind of be comfortable and get comfortable. you know i'm saying? Like get comfortable with with their style and things that they like. like Yeah. I have this, I feel like a lot of times people hide behind their clothes. Uh-huh. So it's like,
00:35:29
Speaker
I kind of study people a lot, right? So it's like whenever when I see someone that wears like a lot of black, a lot of dark colors, yeah whatever, it's like I feel as though like whatever it is that they're going through in their life, their personal life, they feel as though like we can see that on them.
00:35:47
Speaker
So there's this thing that people do where they hide behind their clothes, where they're gonna put on ah big black hoodie, big black jacket, you know, they're going to wearing the hoodie for no reason and they have a nice haircut, but they don't want people to see it because they feel as though whatever it is that they're insecure about or whatever it is that they're going on, whatever it is that they have going on, yeah a lot of times, like,
Intentions Behind Art and Innovation
00:36:08
Speaker
our subconscious makes us feel like we can, people can just see it yeah on you, you know? So it's just like, I was just like, yo, if people feel good,
00:36:17
Speaker
I want them to start wearing a blue hat, yeah a yellow hat, ah a green hat, whatever. like I want people to start feeling more comfortable and confident. And that's very intentional when I design clothing with like bright colors. yeah You know what I'm saying? like I want people to just- I've thought about it like that either. No, like no like it's it's really like a psychological thing. and it's like I read books i read books that like to kind of like study.
00:36:41
Speaker
like I never took classes or anything. i never went to school for it. But I definitely study the psychology of of people. And i incorporate a lot of it in my art. And it's all intentional. yeah You know I'm saying? Like I can easily like black hats sell. yeah I can make a thousand different variations of a black hat. and But ultimately like what I want, I want people to to to be, you know, like when you think about office space, an office space is usually white. Well, yeah. i I work in one that is like... Prison is gray. Yeah. Right? You go to certain types of environments, like certain food places, the the color palette is like red or whatever the case is. Like, colors have meaning and they and they they have effects on you. Right, yeah. You know i'm saying? So it's like,
00:37:29
Speaker
When you like just naturally, like think about it, like the back, the black in this room right now, it makes us feel safe. It makes us feel like nobody can get to us. right yeah If that was like white or see through, like the way we just feel just naturally inside would feel totally different. yeah just And it's the same room.
00:37:49
Speaker
But colors definitely have ah have an effect on people and it makes you feel a certain type of way. So a lot of times, black makes people feel safe. Yeah. did you Did you get that, like, instinctually when you first started, like, painting? Like, is it, is it like, were you, like, doing something and you were like, wow, this made me feel this way? So, yeah, naturally, ah I noticed things like that when i when I started painting years ago because you see, like,
00:38:15
Speaker
Naturally, like, I always understood that colors have meaning. Yeah. Like, colors have ah a psychological impact on you. If you're just in a room all day and it's black, one way or another, it's going to affect you, how you just feel. you know im saying? So, I always understood that, and I chose to be very intentional in my artwork, which is why i include a lot of colors, because...
00:38:40
Speaker
Like, if somebody's having a bad day and they walk into a gallery and they see my painting and they see all of these colors and and it could it could be a sad painting. It could be like some devastating shit. Yeah. But they're seeing colors and like neon and all of this and all of that. And they're just like,
00:39:02
Speaker
look at this shit. And then like their their mood changes a little bit. know saying? So definitely like colors definitely impact how, you know, like how we navigate the world and how we feel about ourselves and, you know, our mood and things like that. So me understanding that,
00:39:18
Speaker
I'm very intentional with the colors, which is why, like, I really love, like, you mentioned you you've worked you've um interviewed JTips before. Yeah. Like, which is why I love his brand. Because... um Yeah, it's very bright. It's very... Because it's colorful. and it It makes people wear colors. Yeah. And I'm like, yo, that's that's really dope because you can he can he can easily, he can easily like If he makes one of his dopest hats just black, that's gonna just print money for him. yeah he And I'm sure he probably knows that, but he's intentionally making people wear bright colors. yeah even when he had Even when he had the option to do a black hat, he would like cut it in half and do some weird style. Exactly, which which which which I think which is pretty dope. And i'm I'm assuming that he knows what he's doing.
00:40:06
Speaker
100%. You know, like I'm assuming that he knows that and he's intentional with the color. Yeah, he's super intentional with everything. I think that's super dope because, like, you're forcing people to kind of just be comfortable with themselves. You know, and believe it or not, like, for obvious reasons, that's helpful to society. yeah You know what I'm saying? Especially in this current day and age, man. Exactly, exactly. So it's like...
00:40:28
Speaker
Listen, bro, like you go into a room and you see someone with a bright outfit with a bunch of colors, even if you don't like the outfit, it naturally like you make you feel a little bit lighter. Yeah. You know I'm saying? So like understanding that concept and how colors work and how it affects us psychologically, I think, yes, it's very important. And that's why I love what he does and things like that. I mean, you're doing great work too yourself, you know? Yeah, I'm trying, I'm trying, man. I'm trying to i'm trying to get up there, you know what I'm saying? Like, um right now it's at a point where it's been taking care of me. yeah I can't complain, you know, like it's been great.
00:41:02
Speaker
You know, and i think we're definitely just scratching the surface. You know what saying? But like, For me, like, I, like, I want my business to get, like, I started a working my brother. He's not here today. He's supposed to be here.
00:41:17
Speaker
I started working with my brother. Yeah. And him, my brother, my creative director. mean, I said my creative director. My creative manager. Yeah. They've been coming up with a lot of the ideas. Mm-hmm. Like, I mean, I have a lot of ideas. lot of those are my ideas as well. Yeah. But like for the most part, like they're in charge of like a lot of the merchandise that are going to be produced and made. Yeah. For me, like I just want to create. I just want to paint, create pictures you know, come up with ideas. just want to be a creator. And then they'll take elements of my work. Yeah. and then they'll put that into the brand put that into a hoodie jacket or hats or whatever whatever it is that we do in the future you know like i just want focus on painting and you know making some cool art yeah and then you know like it's gonna my art is gonna create other things right you know i'm saying so yeah the like being a creative especially current during this time i feel like there's a lot of people that are
00:42:13
Speaker
I know I talk about the creator economy and how like, you know, that they, i feel like we've, we've created a way people before us have created a way that stuff should be like accessible, accessible, accessible, or be accessible at a certain point. um And it does create this like huge distance of gap of like, Oh, this is the type of quality you need to be at in order to get an opportunity or something like that. And so there's definitely like this huge ah gap in between like,
00:42:42
Speaker
you know, say your first hat, your first design, you know, like, and now you've, now you've changed the game because you got an opportunity with a a brand that not many people know, but people do know about feel great. And it's like, it's, it does like, now you're like, Oh, I'm gonna do hoodies. I'm gonna I'm do varsities. Like what but I say all that to say, like, what keeps you motivated to continuously try to try new things and do new, do like do more creative things. So,
00:43:11
Speaker
I feel as though like um like I was telling you off camera, like when it comes to creativity, when it comes to art, in terms of painting, fashion, music, film, whatever type of arts you can think of, people don't know what they want until you create it. Yeah. Right? Like 20 years ago, we would never have known that we would love a brand called Off-White. Yeah.
00:43:38
Speaker
no Who would have thought that we would like something like that? I wish we had time. I wanted to go real deep into this one. But yeah. So like when you like when you really think about it, like no one knows what people are going to gravitate to until we actually introduce them to it. So for me, like my mind is always like going like what can what can we introduce the world
Influence of Virgil Abloh
00:44:02
Speaker
to next? Yeah. You know, because we have all these ideas and a lot of times like we play it safe and we don't bring our, like our most creative ideas to life. And I think like, we're definitely doing the world a disservice. Yeah. You know, like we, we always shoot our ideas down before we even, yeah. And it's like, it's like you, you have to be bold enough to be innovative. You know I'm saying? Like in terms of like what you're, what you're creating, because,
00:44:29
Speaker
It can catch on. i Honestly, listen, in today's world with the internet, especially in America, yeah you can sell anything. For me, there's a niche crowd for anything. My man just made a podcast that's based on sneakers. And obviously, you're going to grow and it's going to expand, but there's a niche audience for everything. Yeah, for sure. Like...
00:44:51
Speaker
So that being said, it's like you start and you know you service those people. And it doesn't you don't you don't need every single person in the world to gravitate towards. now yeah But if they do, that's great. If it gets there, that's great. The more people, the merrier. But for the most part, like you know you you know who you're talking to. yeah you know That's all about intentionality, right? Exactly. If your intentions are pure, then the pure people that that can feel that will stick with it. Exactly, exactly. So it's like when I design a crazy hat with some bunny ears or a see-through hat or whatever the case is, like I'm like, this is for a certain type of, this is not for everyone. everyone i don't want the bunny hats to be the norm. I don't want to see everyone walking around wearing a bunny hat, ears, whatever. You know what I'm saying? but
00:45:35
Speaker
I definitely know that there's a good amount of people that would really appreciate this. yeah Something like this. yeah This is for them. yeah You know I'm saying? So... It's it's interesting. and I mean, me and Dee had a conversation about like audiences and when you create like, and I've said this several times on here, but like the, your options are basically, do you go to an already made audience or do you make your own? And I, and because it's like, and that not cause I know you about to, you about to go off right now, but um with something like this and the way I've explained it to a lot of people, people be like,
00:46:12
Speaker
oh yeah, you're just talking about sneakers. I'm like, nah, man, it's a lot bigger than that. It's a lot more about people's journeys. And this is actually like a real conversation versus me being like, so are you going to get, you know? Oh, no. you know Trust me. Listen, yeah I, based on my conversation before me coming here, like I knew it wasn't going to be like,
00:46:29
Speaker
So are you going to get these? news Like if if you heard these are coming out of my listen, bro. I can't. I'm here to talk about. Yeah. But I think it's just like the we already know what audiences already exist that are the algorithm is going to force it down. Everybody's throw. Yeah. And there are going to always be people that can jump into that and actually feel fulfilled. And, i you know, super happy for them. But when you are.
00:46:52
Speaker
always like thinking actively or like you're trying these different things and you want to try and you want to be different you want to or like you want to put these weird things out into the universe and you want to put out these weird ideas into the universe and you don't take that chance to do that like like because you're so intimidated of like oh nobody's gonna fuck with it he's just like nah you should put it out because people eventually will or like people you will find your people Have you ever seen the movie? Are you familiar with the movie Slumdog Millionaire? Yeah, yeah but i've I watched it on VHS a very long time ago. Yeah, funny I think it's like 15 or 20 years old. Yeah, yeah. but um
00:47:28
Speaker
So the movie Slumdog Millionaire, if you remember, um everything that the guy went through in his life yeah kind of helped him. like every How can I put it? like Everything that he's experienced...
00:47:45
Speaker
basically long story short was for a reason right exactly right and to to to drive the point home it's like for me like I've been through a lot of trials and tribulations in my life and where I'm at right now I can see like i always see why I went through that I'm like oh shit okay like if I didn't go through that then I wouldn't be able to navigate this situation yeah you know so my point is it's like For me, I was kind of forced to be innovative in terms of my art and my ideas and the hats and whatnot. Like, wanted to make a Yankee hat. That's what I wanted to do. That was the first thing that came to mind.
00:48:35
Speaker
And I wasn't allowed to. Like, but five years ago, six years ago, if you told me, like, I was hellbent on, like, I have to make a Yankee. Yeah. And lo and behold, the universe had bigger plans for me. So I had to make something.
Legacy and Innovation
00:48:48
Speaker
And we're just scratching the surface. Yeah. But one day, this i personally feel like this idea is going to outlive me. Yeah. You know, it's probably not even going peak in my lifetime. But for the most part, like. I wouldn't doubt yourself like that, but.
00:49:04
Speaker
um I mean, listen, if it peaks while I'm still alive, that's great. Yeah. But I, when I create, I'm like, this is going to live way beyond me. Yeah. Like, that's just how I, that's just how I see it. So I'm like, okay, like everything, it happened for a reason. Like I, I didn't, like I wasn't allowed to make the Yankee because I had to, I had to give y'all this. Yeah. I had to create this yeah for the world. And listen, it might be like,
00:49:29
Speaker
the the fake Yankee to a lot of people for the next five, ten years. But eventually, it's going to be like, oh, shit, yeah that's the that's that's the hat. Yeah. Like, that's the normal hat. Whether it's competing with the Yankee or not, it's going to hold its own weight. You know I'm saying? So, with that being said, it's like...
00:49:49
Speaker
In regards to, like, catering to an audience that already exists, it's like, if you look at my art, I'm not saying it's the most unique art in the world, but I, as as a young as a young black man in in America, like, i was I never had the privilege of, like, half-assing. Yeah.
00:50:13
Speaker
Right? So what I mean is it's like, What I mean is like, I always had to like, create something, something I've always had to, my back was against the wall, I had to make something new, and I had to put my best foot forward, I had to do it to the best of my ability. yeah Because if I don't, it's over. yeah So like, I was never given the privilege of like,
00:50:36
Speaker
We're going to support you because, you know, we like you and you're cool, whatever. It's like, no, it has to be good. Well, you have to make something good. But if you don't, <unk> we're going to let you know about it Like, that's just how I was raised. That's like, I was never given that privilege of like, it's okay, you'll get it next time. Like, no, like you have to do things correctly. right And because of that,
00:50:56
Speaker
When I create, I'm very intentional and I'm just like, I understand like most people, it's gonna take a while for this to catch on. But I create with the intention of like, when it does catch on, like I'm creating something that I know will catch on eventually.
00:51:11
Speaker
You know, it's going to take a while, yeah but it will. Yeah. and But I think that i think that that speaks more to longevity. Because, like, you know that, like, you're not here just to make something and then dip.
00:51:22
Speaker
Like, you're here, like, to create a legacy. Yeah, of course. Of course. um i always think I always think, like, even the pictures that I paint, like, I always tell myself, like, if somebody sees this for the first time ah hundred years from now, yeah would it still have the same impact? Yeah. I always think about stuff like that. That's the same thing I think when is with this podcast. you know so So like I think about stuff like that. i'm just like when I create, I always think like, how is this going age? Yeah. When I buy clothing, i buy clothes like with the intention of like, would I wear this five years from now? Yeah.
00:51:55
Speaker
Like would I like this five years from Right. Yeah. So like I think about stuff like that and it kind of forces me to think about that when I create, you know? So like. I, by a force of nature, like, i have to, like, kind of create my own audience, in a sense, of like, cater to, like, people that embrace new ideas. and you know, everybody else will catch on whenever they do.
00:52:19
Speaker
you know i'm saying? But, like, I... If I try to cater to audiences that already exist, that already love something else, for me, I'm going to fail. Right, exactly. You know, because I have too many ideas, too many new things that I need to bring into the world for me to try to force and confine myself and to create something that like, oh, yeah, this is what they like. So I need to make something that they like. No, like I need to show you something that you don't know that you like. Yeah. But I'm going to create it. And then when you see it eventually... When it gets in front of you. When it gets in front of you.
Importance of Brand Identity
00:52:48
Speaker
Oh, shit. I like this. I love this painting. I love this art. I love whatever the case You know what I'm saying?
00:52:54
Speaker
So, yeah, that's that. yeah i do think that like more people need to think that way because we've got we've definitely have gotten into this like like a funnel of like everybody kind of like is a more of like i'm not gonna this gonna be a bad word to say but like a slave to the algorithm and like of course you know like people are constantly and oh my god there's this like this big threat trend of like oh, you have time to scroll on TikTok. Why don't you just make a video? Like, bro, we don't need to hear about everybody. You know? Everybody doesn't need a voice to you. You know? Yeah, facts. And, well, one, take away Lil Yachty's mics real quick. I'm not mad at it. I'm not a fan. I'm not a fan. Yeah. I think Lil Yachty's probably a pretty cool person in real life. Maybe. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know him. I don't really keep up. I've met him. He's right.
00:53:47
Speaker
I don't keep up, yeah you know but I don't really care for the music or the fashion. That's just my personal take. I'm not a hater. yeah you know If he sees this, he'd be like, look at this nigga bum ass ass. Bro, i don't I don't have anything against you. as just I don't really care for it. It's just not for me. yeah you know I mean, sorry for singling out Lil Boat.
00:54:04
Speaker
Yeah, see, now I'm about to get jammed up. I wasn't even thinking about Lil Boat. It's only because, and I wish we could talk about this, but just to really jump on this, but you mentioned Off-White and Off-White and Costco and Virgil. Virgil is one of my biggest inspirations. saw that yesterday. And, oh my God, getting into conversations and fights about people not understanding the difference between licensing and how something gets into Costco and also that Virgil would have never wanted this. And like, I'm like,
00:54:36
Speaker
like i've had i've had like I've had several conversations about this um on Twitter, and people are not understanding that like what they're doing is diluting it and making it not as precious as it used to be. Of course. you know And i don't think that's fair, especially with somebody who's passed away to kind of just like, yeah, no, I don't, I'm okay with this. Now we have to go to older interviews to prove that. Yeah. This is things that he said, right. He's always wanted off white to be a luxury item. And that's why he sold it to, to 60% to LVMH. But like what, what I've always loved about Virgil and why he's always going to be inspirational to me is that he always pushed brown boundaries, right? He, he, he didn't cater to a specific audience. He made his audience. Yeah, and like... And he transcended. he he's Yeah, he's an inspiration to me. And granted, like, I'm a person like...
00:55:28
Speaker
Honestly, if I'm going to 100% transparent, I've never owned anything off-white. But I love the brand. Yeah, yeah, And I love what Virgil stands for because... i got a couple things. Because because he's he's he's the one that kind of... He didn't tell me this personally. But he's the person that kind of brought it to my attention that people don't know what they like yeah or what they love or what they will love until you create it. Yeah, exactly. So, like, I got... ah He didn't tell me that, but I got them mental entirely just listening to him and seeing the ideas that he brings to life, that he brought to life. And I'm just like, oh, like...
00:55:58
Speaker
if he didn't make this, we would have never known that we wanted a Jordan one that would all of this and all of that going Like we would have never known we wanted sneakers that looked aged and things like that. You know what saying? Like, so I'm just like, definitely. And even just to call out one of the innovations that I learned about. So you know how the dunks have like the extra lacing on top. Yeah. You know, it's crazy that those shoes are actually made so that you can go down to a woman's size.
00:56:24
Speaker
So the lacing, and no yeah, it's crazy. So you if you bought it, if you bought it and you you cinched up all the lacing, it'd go down a woman's size. That's crazy. And it's funny enough, a lot of times like we look at that stuff and we just think it's all aesthetics. yeah Sometimes there's usually like good reason. yeah like You ever see like a pair of pants and you're like, what the fuck is this for? You've been wearing these pants your whole life. And then you'd be like, what is this for? yeah And then you look it up, you're like, oh, that's actually for whatever reason. A hammer loop? And it's like, oh, shit, that's what that's for? I thought it was just so like, in case you're trying to get away from the cops, you hop over the gate, you get stuck so the cop can catch you. yeah Like, I'm like, yo, like, who would have ever thought like all of these things actually had functioning purpose? Yeah. You know what I'm saying? which is which is crazy. one Real quick, real I got to mention this because I saw the clip on Instagram. yeah You guys were talking, I i didn't see the i don't i in full episode, I got to watch it. But in the clip, you guys were talking about the Kali block, the Coliseum in Jamaica, Queens. They call it the Kali block? That's what called. I grew up, I grew up. grew up in Queens. I grew up in Queens from like...
00:57:34
Speaker
Yeah, but I never, I don't go to, I never been to Jamaica, Queens. I'm from Southside. I'm not from, yeah, so cousins. grew Southside. So the Collie Block. So, because I hear a lot of people on the, even on the internet, people talk about the Collie Block, right?
00:57:47
Speaker
And everyone talks about the Coliseum you know how you go there to do whatever and get whatever. Yeah. But nobody ever talks about the first time you go to the Collie Block, you turn the corner and you hear $40 in the back, $40 in the back, $40 in the back, buy one, get one free. That's a thing. Yeah. So every time, like,
00:58:04
Speaker
there's this's There's like the story. As you turn to the Kali block, there's this guy. He used to sell bootleg boot like um Air Force Ones. wow He had the black pair and he had the white pair. Now, granted, if you was anybody, you didn't dare want to be caught going in there for obvious reasons. Right, right. But the moment you turn onto the block...
00:58:24
Speaker
you would hear the speaker, he had it on like repeat on like a speaker and it just plays out loud onto into the block and be like, $40 in the back, $40 in the back, buy one, get one, $40 in the back, da da da, whatever. I'm just like, why does everyone always talk about the Kali block and no one ever mentions that? I'm like, yo, that's a thing. That's a thing. Like if you're from Queens yeah and you hear somebody's like, oh, $40 in the back and you familiar with that, it'll probably make you laugh because you're like, oh shit, what the fuck? I know what that is. So like, why is nobody, like, I always thought like, I've seen a few people on the internet talk about the Kali block. But they never mentioned And one mentions that. And I'm like, yo, bro, like, you don't gotta say like you was in there buying it. Like, you could just be like, yo, yeah, this existed. That's a part of the culture there. And you didn't have to buy it, but that is a part of the culture. Right next to the guy with the hot ass beef frities, there's a guy two stories down with a speaker that says $40 in the back. Come buy your Force Wants with $40 in the back.
00:59:21
Speaker
You know what I'm talking about. That's what I'm saying. I'm like, you can get different prices for Air Force Ones just by walking up and out of the way. Yeah, that's true. Every store is trying to upsell or downsell the other store, whatever. And then you got your man. If you're really not about it, you go buy fake pair for $40. I never did it, but I'm familiar with that Vita thing.
00:59:48
Speaker
all right, look, we about to get up out of here. So I got one last question before we get up out of here. There's a little visualization I want you to think about when he's about to cop those easy foams. Now, you're older you behind your younger self, right? What would you tell your younger self as he opens that box? ah I would definitely say, like, one, as a sneaker lover, like,
01:00:14
Speaker
For me, I think that was like the peak of like people that actually love sneakers. Not the peak, but like that was like the last stretch. Yeah. Of people that love sneakers actually getting the sneakers that they love.
01:00:27
Speaker
After that, it became just hypebeast and, you know, like just just getting the shoe just to have it And I would say cherish it and definitely like preserve it as much as you can because I love those shoes. Yeah. And I wish I could. I mean, I can still wear them, but they're so beat. Yeah. It's like I'm not going to wear it out to do anything. know what I'm saying? But like I would definitely kind of like go back in time and tell myself preserve because when I buy sneakers and I've always been like this, I wear them. Yeah, of course. They're meant to be worn. But now I have so many sneakers that you do the rotation they don't get destroyed because I have so many sneakers. you know I'm saying? But like.
01:01:03
Speaker
Back then, would have like one or two like really cool pairs and I would wear them shit to death. Now I got so many pairs. It's like even if I'm wearing a cool pair every day, I'm not going to wear this again for like. Yeah. Another like couple months. How many times a Yeah. next year, like who knows? You know what saying?
01:01:23
Speaker
yeah, I would definitely tell myself to a preserve. Yeah. Because the aftermarket is like, I think I looked it up on StockX like two weeks ago. Nah, it's crazy now. Yeah. Even the even the even the the Snakes in 11s, I bought the same day. I think it was like, my size was like 450. See, I would like a retro of the Yeezy foams, to be honest. I would love that. I think that's that's probably like the one pair of foams that would get me back outside to get them. Well, i don't know if I'd go outside to get them now, but like, I would definitely need to pop those. Let everybody know where find you.
01:01:52
Speaker
ah My Instagram is CurveKing. At CurveKing, Curve with a K. My website, if you guys want to check out my merchandise, my hats, my artwork, anything that's coming out in future, just go to CurveStudio.com.
01:02:08
Speaker
CurveStudio with a K. um Yeah, check out my work. you know I hope you guys like it. hope you guys got support. Yeah, please. Thank you guys for having me. This has been great. i'm Actually, I wish we had more time. I know. Yeah.
Podcast Engagement and Community Involvement
01:02:19
Speaker
Sorry. You definitely will be back because we had a great conversation. I appreciate that. Thank you. You know where to find me. Who is Hassan? All social media. Follow the podcast. My first kicks pod. These going out on tour. Make sure you check out oxymorons in a town near you and also in Vans Warped Tour. If you want to write in, hit me up. Info at my first kicks dot com. Write in. Tell me your my first kick story and I'll read it to a guest. And I'll also probably know Matt. Matter of fact, I'll probably read it at the end of an episode, but I'm going to kick it to myself to do the Patreon shout out. So peace.
01:02:51
Speaker
Peace. I hope you enjoyed this week's episode with Damien, a.k.a. Curve King. We got to talk a lot about creativity, what goes into that. He really went off on fashion and.
01:03:08
Speaker
It was a really good episode where I feel like I got a chance to spotlight somebody who I think is going to, you know, do a lot, especially with the voice that he's been given with the opportunity that he's been given and a lot of the trials and tribulations that he went through in order to get to where he is now. um We definitely got to talk about being a child of an immigrant or in his case, being an immigrant.
01:03:34
Speaker
and a child. so this is a very interesting conversation. And if you made it to this point, I appreciate you for tapping in this week. ah You know, this has been a hell of a journey. I mean, when I looked down, I was like, I'm i'm up to like 262 episodes. this is This is wild. So, you know you know, I always tend to reflect a lot about the journey that I've taken with this podcast and a lot of the ups and downs, and I don't take none of it for granted. So being a creative and being a podcaster and doing a lot of this stuff myself, like recording this video that I'm recording right now and editing every episode and editing all the clips, you know, just,
01:04:25
Speaker
do this for passion the passion that I have for sneakers, the passion for that I have for conversation and the passion that I have for podcasting. So you can hear me expand on that, especially on my episode of MSR radio with ah Adam Butler and ah and Paul.
01:04:44
Speaker
And i think that, you know, if you want to hear more of me speak that way out there definitely support um that episode and ah hopefully people have come from that episode to this podcast so and so i appreciate you um this has been ah a wild and crazy journey so And it's just starting, so you're going to see more of that. And i hope you stay here and tune in and continue to check
01:05:21
Speaker
check in with your boy um if you have a my first kick story if you're inspired to write in or leave a video or a voice message i would love to incorporate it into the episode into any future episodes of this podcast or even the patreon um which i will be plugging here shortly because i'm trying to make this a lot more interactive and trying to make this you know bigger like the community is part of this sneakers like i appreciate everyone just tuning in and listening but i want more people to actually be part of this like this is nothing without y'all
01:06:04
Speaker
And that goes beyond the Patreon. Right. This goes to anybody that subscribes to this podcast, listens to this podcast, and looks forward to this podcast every Friday. So appreciate you.
01:06:16
Speaker
want you to be part of this. Please write in. Please make a video. Please make a voice memo. um Of course, Patreon, if you want to sign up for the Patreon, it goes a very long way. Five dollars.
01:06:31
Speaker
It goes right back into the podcast. So let's do the Patreon shoutouts. And you too can be shouted out at the end of an episode by signing for the Patreon. Patreon.com slash MyFirstKicks. Only a $5 tier. You get a newsletter. Hopefully work my way up to monthly episodes. But right now it's being unlocked per the amount of members that sign up. So right now we're at 10 members. And so...
01:07:00
Speaker
I will be releasing or have released, depending on how I feel tomorrow, ah an episode with AD Sneaks where we talk about his book, the opportunity to get a book, and a lot. We talk about a lot of stuff that I don't think he has ever expanded on outside of other episodes. So please, sure,
01:07:25
Speaker
to tap into that. um And it's only on the Patreon and will only live on the Patreon. So let's do the shoutouts, Patreon shoutouts. Let's start off with Plox, Jesse, Jesse G. That's my boy. Adam Butler, definitely check out MSR Radio.
01:07:41
Speaker
We got Jordan Kaiser, the shooter. We got Samia, shoutout Samia. We have Derek Hawkins, Derek Lipkin, Fresh Poetic.
01:07:53
Speaker
We got Sean, newest and most recent paton patron. We got Ross Adams and Adam Neustadter. So shout out to everybody. Shout out to all y'all who's tapped into this episode. And if you want to check... Oh, wait. First... Oh, I was about to cut cut myself off. But if you notice, I was wearing the Climacool...
01:08:19
Speaker
Laced. I almost forgot the name. Climacool Laced. And these are awesome. They're super comfortable. When I was in Portland at the at the Adidas compound or campus, i don't know why called it a compound. ah The Adidas campus, I was trying to get a version of these, the last year's version, which apparently came out in like, you know, small, small,
01:08:46
Speaker
Release like a limited release and i was trying to get a ah pair with the I think the The three stripes were blue But Adidas actually sent me these and it's crazy to even say that But Adidas sent these over and I wore them on this week's episode I Really enjoy these and I'm gonna be wearing these a lot because these are very interesting and very comfortable a fully 3d printed shoe not really never been a fan uh of just like the the ones i've seen like the ones that we've seen um you know nikes like i don't like any of those air maxes but this is different like i think the versatility behind this shoe is very different and i thought about that last year so it was always compelling to me um
01:09:40
Speaker
it was I was definitely in the market for this. And so thank you to Adidas for blessing me with these. And let me, you know, get these before they even drop, which is crazy.
01:09:51
Speaker
Like, it's very dope. um And of course, you know, if you want to check out more of this podcast, check out these two episodes here or subscribe to the podcast by hitting that button if on YouTube. And of course, you know, what we say each week, wear your kicks.
01:10:09
Speaker
Peace.