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BBC Ice Cream and Concussions with Key Nyata
150 Plays1 month ago
This week I am joined by Key Nyata, we talk about growing up in Seattle. Becoming a local celebrity at 16, what made him switch to rapping. Being a two sport athlete and how skate culture influenced him. The wild things he has done in his life. The differences in culture from the West Coast and East Coast. Plus much much more!
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IG: https://www.instagram.com/keynyata
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Music by The DoppleGangaz: https://thedoppelgangaz.bandcamp.com/
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Transcript
High School Dual Interests
00:00:00
Speaker
I grew up yeah in sports and once I got to high school i was really good. um So I was on varsity like that and how would i remember like on a day didn't have practice or something like that or something, the football coach seen me jump in a five stair like near the school and he got mad at me.
00:00:22
Speaker
yeah of course you know what the fuck are you doing yeah you have like what are you doing you can't be doing this shit no more and then my dad he was a coach on the staff he was like the defensive line coach or something like that and the head coach is in my dad to come tell me like you gotta stop skateboarding like if going skateboard you can't do it by the school like they're gonna say something to you yeah so that's just a moment of duality i was doing both at the same time eventually i had to kind of lean more towards football until i got hurt
Introduction to Podcast and Guest
00:00:55
Speaker
What's good, everyone? Welcome back to My First Kicks. This episode 238, and this week I bring to you another special guest. Yo, shout out to Sango for introducing us. Welcome to the podcast. Kiniyatta. Kiniyatta.
00:01:06
Speaker
Kiniyatta. ah thought it was Kiniyatta. You know, it's really either one. So then why you correct me? Because I like people that I fuck with to know the right way to say it. know what I'm saying? We friends, so you got to know the right way to say Look, man. i Yo, first of all, yes. Again, shout out, Sango. Absolutely. for For this. Because when we first met, man, I was like, he said he was like, yo, you got to listen to this. You got to listen. And you gave me he was like, you gave me the, no, it was this was like off the phone, right? think it was.
00:01:35
Speaker
And I was like, god damn, this motherfucker get nice. Yeah. And we was there. We was outside Kolkata Chai, just like vibing out. And I was like, i was like this crazy. what ah the The biggest thing, because I was like, I got to have you Because you were, when I told you the premise of the podcast,
00:01:52
Speaker
And then you like stepped away and you talking to your boy and I just hear you going, yo, I got these and had these I got. and I was like, I was listening. I was he's dropping and everything. i was like, yeah, you definitely pulling up because I got to hear these stories.
00:02:04
Speaker
So welcome the podcast. Thank you for having me, my brother. You know, I appreciate
Kiniyatta's Music Career and Collaborations
00:02:10
Speaker
it. um But for people who are not familiar with you, how about you introduce yourself? um my name is kenayata um rapper producer businessman you know um ultra ground records with denzel curry um that's my brand right now and also don't fold that's my own personal brand yes sir um Just drop that EP. Just drop that EP in April.
00:02:34
Speaker
don't Don't Fold 2. Don't Fold Volume 2. Yes, sir. Yes. Don't Fold Volume 1 came out the year before in about May. So, you know. And this one this one has, the name of that song?
00:02:46
Speaker
See, I'm terrible with trackless. But it's the one with everybody on it. uh headhunt yes headhunt man that one went crazy headhunt with me puya denzel shakewell and kill switch yes sir was that the same uh list of people that did the on the radar freestyle too no no no that was um this was just like a collective of homies like this is just our homies like um Pooja and all those guys, their label is All But Six and we're Ultra Grand Records. so But you know we all have history together going back in the music scene. So we just want to do like a collab.
00:03:21
Speaker
I mean, that's fine. We need more collaborations, man. I definitely think that we live in a like music world where it's the is least least collaborations now. You see it a little bit.
00:03:33
Speaker
and and in certain pockets i would say so you know um honestly at this point in my career this is the most collaborative i've ever been didn't really used to collaborate a lot when i was younger i mean i saw ah one of the craziest things when i was looking looking for your older stuff was that you collab with blue sky black death yeah yeah those are my guys yeah and i used to listen to them a lot they got some crazy beats yeah actually um I met those guys when I was in high school and we just started making music.
Early Music Influences
00:04:05
Speaker
thought it was crazy. like I used to skip school and like go to their house because they lived and like the poppin' area of the city. like you know It's called Capitol Hill. It's where all like the clubs and the bars are, the music venues and shit.
00:04:19
Speaker
Little boutiques. We had Stussy down there. um this This store called Goods and they used to live like up the street from Goods. So I would go to their house and just make music. That's actually where I met Nacho Picasso too. Oh really? That's sick. Yeah, you're you're originally from seat Seattle, Washington. yeah And ah it's just like, yeah, the I feel like it doesn't get talked a lot about.
00:04:42
Speaker
So yeah, you know, you know. But let me hit you with the question that I ask everybody each week since, you know, we already started to hear about, you know, you in the past.
00:04:53
Speaker
What's that first pair of kicks? ah What's your first kicks? What's that first pair of sneakers you absolutely needed to have?
00:05:01
Speaker
Cool grade nines.
00:05:04
Speaker
It came out when I was probably, I want to say, was in elementary school still, so I want to say maybe like fifth grade, fourth grade. That was like one of the first retro zone. Yeah.
00:05:18
Speaker
I wanted them really bad and and I was supposed to get them. And the day I was supposed to get them, I got in trouble at school.
00:05:27
Speaker
I'll never forget that shit, bro. Cause I got in trouble at school that day. And soon as my mom picked me up, she was like, yeah, nigga, you forget about them shoes. I was, I never got them.
00:05:37
Speaker
No, never got them. Hey, they came out recently though. don't even want to know more. Damn, What'd you get in trouble for? I don't I don't fucking remember. Something stupid, I'm sure. You know, young kid stuff. Yeah.
00:05:51
Speaker
Probably talking too much something. Who knows? hey I just remember I didn't get them shoes i wanted. That's crazy. I think it's just like that's you. I definitely I'm not a big nine guy, though, because to me, they're like boots.
00:06:02
Speaker
They're like, yeah, but they're like flyers. But they're not really boots. It's like boots. If you could dunk on a nigga in some boots. True. Yes. you know Yeah. mean, look cool doing it like the badge on the back.
00:06:14
Speaker
Badge that no other Jordan really has That that circle badge I feel like it's really underused in the Jordan brand Yeah, for sure So like when it's on the back of a Jordan 9 You're like, that's a Jordan 9 Yeah trying to remember their My least favorite Jordan 9s Which is probably a lot of people's favorites Are the Carolina Jordan carolinas yeah I like them, but they look the most regular to me They do I think it's just like because i mean Simple blue, little it was mostly white like it just It's basically a white shoe in my opinion like but I had them though, I liked them My joint is, i don't know you remember when they did the Johnny Kilroy pack. Yeah.
00:06:45
Speaker
And I've always wanted the LaToya, no, the Montoya, whatever the name, of the Montoya's one. It was the Knicks colorway. And I was like, man, I was trying so hard. I only was able to just get the Johnny Kilroys and I had to get them from Canada.
00:06:59
Speaker
Man, bro.
Transition from Sports to Music
00:07:00
Speaker
That's the one thing about being an adult and like growing up like in sneakers and stuff. Like now we can get all the stuff that we wanted. Yeah. So you try catching up and shit. Sometimes you got to get too much money, bro.
00:07:11
Speaker
Sometimes it's just not worth What what were you able to cop? What were you, i mean, without getting in trouble, what were you able to, what was the next thing that you were trying to get?
00:07:22
Speaker
Honestly, bro. I wasn't, so there was like, you know, we all grow up liking sneakers because, you know, it's just a part of the black experience. Like sneaker culture just goes hand in hand. So like I grew up with fly parents. So they had, they got me all the fly shit. Yeah.
00:07:42
Speaker
But I want to say, From like middle school to like early high school, I didn't really care about the same type of shoes as everybody else. I started skateboarding and doing all type of shit like that. So my focus went more over to like dunks and like rare vans and lacay's and you know just shit like that speaking language yeah you know that's that's where i was at yeah from like i say seventh grade to 11th grade and then maybe after that i started getting back into it
00:08:19
Speaker
But i still that's still part of sneaker culture though. It is, it is. it's just It's just a little niche where come from the type of shit I come from. Right, yeah. know What was that like like? Did you get like, with people were like, nah, not like that. don't talk to Kino more, man. nah, nah, nah. But niggas was like, bro, what are those? You feel me? you know And I had to explain, bro, these are skate shoes. you know like These is lacay's or these is some bands or some other shit that niggas wasn't used to seeing. yeah Having crazy colorways and niggas like, where the fuck, where you get them at? you know Yeah, ah when, i mean, because you have on, if you can't see, yeah, Key has on. Yeah, you know, we had pull these out today.
00:09:01
Speaker
I'll go ahead and give you the, There you go. Yeah, that's how we coming. Classics. Today, yeah. That's how we. Like when those first drop, was it just like... So i would like I said, I was in the skateboard and ice cream skate team. you know When you're a ah black skater from you know the hood, so to speak, that was what you immediately latched on to back then. Because you know we love Stevie Williams, we love Kareem Campbell, we love all that type of shit. Yes, sir. By default, right? But...
00:09:31
Speaker
The ice cream skate team made you feel like you knew them niggas. Because it's like you got a big cousin that act like TK or you got a or one of your best friends look like Jacob Walder. So you know what I'm saying? And then they're dressing the way that we wanted to dress. We couldn't afford that shit. So we at Bosswear in the mall.
00:09:48
Speaker
buying the knockoff uh bape hoodies and bbc hoodies and shit you what i'm saying but we wanted to be like that yeah so seeing that just made me more comfortable being that type of person in my neighborhood because i was probably one of the only ones not the first one or nothing like that but like one of the only ones there was a couple people i grew up with like yola he was one of them type of dudes and then were you know did his own thing dressed like how he wanted to dress might see him riding a skateboard you might see him you know what i'm saying so it was just like Seeing that kind of helped me develop my personality as who I am to myself type shit.
00:10:21
Speaker
and Yeah, I mean, their impact is, and DGK ice cream. Yeah, exactly. DGK ice cream, all that. It was real important. And i'm I'm definitely curious, because, like you know, I think Seattle is a big skate.
00:10:33
Speaker
It's a big skate state, right? So, like as you're a black kid wanting to get into skating, with what's like were you able to like mesh cultures at all? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Were people accepting of you?
00:10:45
Speaker
Yeah, but it's like, at the end of the day, it all comes down to what type of person you are. Like, if people already fuck with you, it's not like they finna stop fucking. Like, the homies might bag on you or some joke on you. Like, oh, this nigga on this white boy shit or something. But at the end of the day, they really fuck with it. Cause it's like, damn, this nigga do a flip. Like, nigga, I'll be skating through the like some...
00:11:04
Speaker
ride past some niggas or some homies or whatever like nigga do a kickflip or something you know some shit like that and not do it you know like so people fuck with it it's just it's just not off top R shit so like um the view of it can be i'm a little skewed I would say No, for sure. I think, i mean, I'm, and I mean, yeah, growing up, I remember the whole like, oh yeah, you into that white people stuff. Yeah, yeah, you know, yeah for some people like, I liked it though, kind of, because it's like, shit, at least I ain't like y'all niggas, you know what I'm saying? it A lot of people, you know, a lot of niggas is the same.
00:11:38
Speaker
so I just kind of like being myself. Yeah, and individuality, bro. Like, It's one thing I learned early on and I valued early on because I seen a lot of people like shy away from it. yeah And I always wonder why.
00:11:52
Speaker
Like you could be both. You could balance. That's what I always thought. So I did. And it's like, I mean, it's hard is hard to... because you have to you have to let people be themselves but it's hard when people are always being like when you're a kid it's harder be yourself yeah when you're a kid it's harder to be yourself here you're more so in the middle of hive mind activity and group thinking all this shit because that's just how it is when you're a kid everybody's close proximity we see each other every fucking day at school etc etc yeah it's harder to be an individual you stand out a little more when you when you own your individual yeah
00:12:24
Speaker
You got me a story of like where you showed like, you know, this not like where it's like you found yourself where you're just like, oh, yo, this is this is me. This is what we're talking about right now, bro. Like, you know, gravitating towards those certain things. I was, i was this is the duality of, you know, how this really works. I was playing sports and skateboarding at the same time. Like,
00:12:47
Speaker
um I grew up playing sports, basketball, football. My dad was a big football dude. This was, his football number was 98 and stuff like that. So, you know, grew up in sports. And once I got to high school, i was really good.
00:13:00
Speaker
um so I was on varsity and shit like that. And was, I remember like, On a day didn't have practice or something like that or something, the football coach seen me jump in a five stair like near the school and he got mad at me.
00:13:18
Speaker
Yeah, of course. was like, what the fuck are you doing? Yeah. you have Like, what are you doing? You can't be doing this shit no more. And then my dad, he was a coach on the staff. He was like the defensive line coach or something like that.
00:13:30
Speaker
And the head coach is in my dad to come tell me like, me you got to stop skateboarding. If going to skateboard, you can't do it by the school. like They're going to say something to you. So that's just a moment of duality. I was doing both at the same time. Eventually, i had to kind of lean more towards football until I got hurt.
00:13:47
Speaker
Oh, yeah I hope you've been enjoying this episode with Keenayata. You know, you can help the podcast greatly, greatly by liking, subscribing and leaving a comment.
00:13:58
Speaker
And if you're listening to this, please leave a review. I'm going to start reading reviews at the end of the episode, along with the Patreon shout outs. So to give ah give everybody a little bit more incentive just to help out the podcast, all these things go long way.
00:14:16
Speaker
You know, we've got some great guests coming. We've got in the future. I will never be stopping, but you have to have to be part of this by leaving a comment or liking or reviewing.
00:14:31
Speaker
All of this goes a long way. And If you want to help out the podcast tremendously with your hard earned dollars, you can join the Patreon at Patreon dot com slash my first kicks.
00:14:43
Speaker
I got two tiers, three dollar tier and a five dollar tier. Three dollar tier is just shout outs. Five dollar tier. You get all the extra content that I will be putting on there.
00:14:55
Speaker
much like the Portland trip ah episode, which will be with Aaron and A.D. Hopefully I get that recorded soon and um before complex on. Definitely. ah There won't be anything for the Detroit trip, but.
00:15:12
Speaker
Because it was very insightful and we talk about it, but next week's episode and do touch on it, so. Before we get even deeper and into this, let's just jump back into the episode. Oh, you got hurt? Yeah, that's why I quit playing sports. That's got to be tough.
00:15:27
Speaker
Yeah, I had a but really bad concussion. I was out of school for two months. almost flunked my freshman year. That's crazy. Like, yeah, concussions scaring me, man. Concussion shit was scary. um I couldn't be around light, like, for two months.
00:15:43
Speaker
how the hell would you just stay in like obviously my room darkness all day my room real would have maybe a candle lit maybe and that like i couldn't even watch tv i i i was you know i'm a kid so i like 14. i watched tv i ain't i had um i put the screen like on the lowest setting uh-huh so it would be like i could barely see it but i could watch it you know yeah because there's no light anyway so i watch it i was being an idiot though while i had a concussion i was doing some stupid ass i can't even lie and you remember it still i remember everything i did
00:16:18
Speaker
Cause you know, you're a kid bro. I was overselling it a little bit probably, but it was bad. I can't go to school. No, I, yeah like if I stayed around light for like more than 30 minutes, it was greasy. I was shut down. Crazy, crazy headaches. But I was probably stretching it just a little bit. I was doing shit I shouldn't have been doing while I had a concussion and I was at home for a long time.
00:16:39
Speaker
It was just for the dead way. yeah I ain't gonna say too much. no yeah I was doing a lot of shit i shouldn't have been doing. Oh, man. but That's wild. That was a good time.
00:16:52
Speaker
that's wild bro like yeah having a concussion i've never had well i don't know i've had one but i've definitely played a lot now you'll know yeah yeah yeah i know i know when i've like you know when you your bail rung bro yeah you'll know bro yeah there is definitely a moment i know where where you i've gotten hit and sold i've gotten a hit so hard that like the air out my lungs yeah that's different yeah that's totally i think that's the hardest like i've ever that is different that's a different type of feeling a concussion versus that is totally different honestly if I had to choose I'd probably choose getting a concussion really
Injuries and Life Changes
00:17:30
Speaker
Yes. Because I don't remember it hurting. Yeah. Yeah. How could I? Yeah, exactly. I don't remember it hurting. It's crazy. But I do remember when I got the wind knocked out of me and that shit was excruciating. Yeah. It felt like I was going to die. It does. So I would rather get knocked out or something, guess, maybe.
00:17:50
Speaker
But I didn't, I don't know. When I got my concussion, I guess I was knocked out or something, guess. To me, i got hit. There was a few seconds I don't remember. And then I got up and everything was like wobbly and dizzy and shit. And I just kind of...
00:18:12
Speaker
got off the field somehow. and I mean, did you, i was going to say, somebody play the next down? No, no, no, no. This was on kickoff. I'm pretty sure somebody came and helped me get off the field. That's crazy.
00:18:23
Speaker
I don't think I was limping, but I was like, noodle legging. yeah there is so have you got you got You would say you got hurt the most in football instead skateboarding.
00:18:34
Speaker
e I was too pussy in skateboarding. I didn't want to hurt my balls. jumped the five stair. Five stair is big. I'm black, bro.
00:18:47
Speaker
I'm athletic. like when That's what you seen tk and them niggas doing. like yeah That shit came natural. like When you're a kid, you run and jump off shit all the fucking time. it didn't That was no problem. It's just me trying to run and jump up and then grind some shit. I'm not doing that because then going hurt my balls.
00:19:03
Speaker
And I you remember Scarred. That show used to be out around that time. I used to watch Scarred. I'm like, I ain't going to bust my ball sack open and shit. I'm seeing niggas gashes all the way down there. I'm like, you this is gnarly, man. I don't want to do that.
00:19:18
Speaker
Hell nah. I'm going to do some shit I know I could probably do. I'll kick flip this five stair. That's all give you. You know what saying? about it. That's pretty good though. That's very good. You know? I could grind too. Like hubbers and like, you know, yeah the little a couple of ledges. Boxes and shit. A couple ledges or whatever. Yeah.
00:19:34
Speaker
I'm not doing no fucking handrails and shit. I can't do that. I can't do that. To this day, ah people people will tell still tell me I probably i ain't no real skater because I can't drop in. but i don't I don't understand that.
00:19:46
Speaker
Like when people be like, yo, you're not a real skater. Yo. Where are we going with this? I mean, to each their own respect, I just never learned how to drop in. Yeah. I was at the skate park and doing like, you know, you know, you'd be at the skate park shit, but there's parts where I don't got to drop in and I can still do everything y'all do. Yeah.
00:20:03
Speaker
So I done it a couple of times. I just never got comfortable with it Yeah. I mean, it's it's weird. That angle is weird. not fun. I don't like feeling like, I don't like, i didn't like it. It looks like if, if I, I mean, I've never tried it. I also can't skate. So, but,
00:20:17
Speaker
I would never say I'm a skater, so I can't say. i I know I'm not. I've tried keep going. I don't chronicalize my side. I don't say I'm a skater either. And when I talk to the homies, because some of my homies really do that shit. Shout out to homie 4-5-4, man. That nigga really skate. And he's a rapper and producer and everything, but he really skates. He's really good.
00:20:36
Speaker
So I'm not going to be coming rucking around like, yeah, I'm skater. I ain't done no skating in years. I used to skate. I mean, look, I love skateboarding. It's always going to be part, like, you know, you talked about that. Because, like, skating brought me to SB.
00:20:53
Speaker
Exactly. And then once I got into Nike SB, it was over after that. That's what I'm saying. It brought us to where we were supposed to go. Were you able to frequent the skate shops and create community? Goods was everything to us bro Did you just like Because I don't know much about the Seattle sneaker scene at all And even skate scene also But it's like I've always wondered what was that skate Were they welcoming? They all of that That's what they were there for
00:21:24
Speaker
like that's what they was there for You know, those guys were good people. um ah Alive and well took over after goods and shit like that was gone. Shouts out to Marcus and all those dudes.
00:21:36
Speaker
Great dudes.
00:21:40
Speaker
I remember when they first opened up Seaskate, they built this um really beautiful skate park down in by the Space Needle. It's still there. It's fucking awesome. That's fire. Yeah.
00:21:53
Speaker
Yeah, a lot of the outskirts, um little towns, poppin' skate parks, like the Renton Skate Park. That's where I, you know, was learning my stuff. And not learning there, but that's where I would learn i would take the shit that I learned and try it out there, you know?
00:22:11
Speaker
Federal Way, i think it's Angle Lake. It's a whole bunch just all throughout the city, you know? There's lot. There's just always a scene, you know? So yeah thankful for that. Shouts out to everybody that came up skating in the city, you know? I was skating in the city on Tony Hawk. Shouts out my brother, Kari Cash, rest in peace. um That's when the guy came up with skating. You look up one of my first music videos. He's doing a tray flip off of a big-ass ledge in a Let a Nick Smoke video.
00:22:40
Speaker
Hey, I'm a definitely yeah got like try to run that back. So shout out to him. Shout out to Mike and Rafi too. Hey, shout out to all in boy. Everybody. Yeah. that that's fire.
00:22:53
Speaker
Like that. I didn't get to be around a lot of skaters. but man like that is man it it was it was great for me because i got to be around skaters who were also like real niggggers so it's not like i was around somebody you know like these was took care of business at the same time no yeah for sure just get money they do you know it's like duality like that's that's what i appreciate about um my experience and just with the homies and all of that like
00:23:24
Speaker
we really custom type niggas we went in and let anyone dictate our experience yeah we didn't let the environment fully dictate our experience you know certain stuff is certain stuff you got to do what you got to do to survive and do what you got to do but at the same time we do what we want to do and we do you know we strive for the shit that we want yeah that was kind of the whole energy of everybody so that's i mean that's inspirational for sure because you know i don't know um how much hardship but i mean if you listen to your music you hear i don't get too personal man you know i don't always you know get super in depth but that's something i've been kind of opening up about and getting getting there so it'll you know the story will be told yeah it's not i mean i guess it's not gonna be told here
00:24:10
Speaker
No, because not that's too personal. No, for a lot. It's a lot of stuff. Yeah. The the idea is that, like, you know, well, not the idea, the the way that you move forward of just like, you know, where you are now, like and when does music kind of like take over for you?
00:24:29
Speaker
what you mean like when do you could like be like i you know you know obviously the injury is like all right oh yeah so okay after that um
00:24:45
Speaker
My dad wanted me to like, you know, he's like, all right, you're good now, right? You keep playing football. Oh, really? And I was like, nigga, I'm not playing football no more. Like, I'm cool, you know? and huh And um at the time, i was like getting into music and like making, not really making beats yet.
Music Beginnings and Raider Klan
00:25:02
Speaker
I was i um i wasn't making beats yet. I was,
00:25:05
Speaker
I had started making beats when I was a kid, like computer lab at the fucking community center. But we'll talk about that after this. Okay. um So I was getting in trouble. Like I got arrested um with one of my homies and my dad was like, you know, like, what are you going to Like, you're not playing football. You're not doing anything. Like you just got in trouble. blah blahh Yeah.
00:25:28
Speaker
So I was in trouble for like a couple weeks. I couldn't really do nothing but go to school.
00:25:35
Speaker
But my dad had this laptop. And ah one day I was just like, hey, can I use your computer? He never used it. Yeah. He just had a laptop just in the crib? Yeah. yeah That's all I think.
00:25:48
Speaker
But in that time period, bro, people wasn't really on, like. Yeah, they didn't know that. Like a grown man, like. This nigga was probably 40 by then. You know what I'm saying? He wasn't using the damn computer. No, yeah.
00:26:01
Speaker
He had it for whatever he had it for. But he I never seen him use that I was like, yeah, let me use that. And um I had this Logitech PlayStation 2 microphone.
00:26:12
Speaker
Hey, from Rock Band. Yeah. Yes, sir. I downloaded um Mixcraft in FL Studio. I taught myself how to make beats again because I knew how to make beats, but I started on Acid Pro 7.0. I was like 10 or 11, so I ain't really. yeah Yeah, so it was totally different from FL Studio.
00:26:34
Speaker
So I kind of knew what I was doing enough to where like in a couple days, like I had made a couple beats where I was like, all right, I can rap on this. Cause nobody would give me beats cause you know, just the niggas are talking about, oh I'm about to rap or something. We're in high school, like there's people that do stuff, but they probably taking it more serious than I was. they're like, oh whatever, you know?
00:26:53
Speaker
oh Actually I had asked Keyboard Kid for some beats. he He was not having it, but I wouldn't have either. Like I was literally like a 14 year old. No, just a kid. Yeah. um So I made my own beats and stuff.
00:27:08
Speaker
Started rapping and I would just put shit out on YouTube just for the fuck of it. huh. and then while i was like on this restriction type thing because i told you i couldn't do nothing but go home after school like i'll get picked up usually i'll take the bus home you know but they was making it a point to like no no freedom type thing no yeah you're just in the crowd yeah um so i would come home straight from school make a song and put it out every day bam and i did that for like i don't know a few months oh man yeah that's mad work yeah people started catching on
00:27:44
Speaker
internet shit. Like had some people in Chicago that I used to make music with. And then eventually ah connected with like Space Goes Purp and shit like that. And from there tour music.
00:27:58
Speaker
Damn man. That's crazy. I mean look that's the we we do shit on the internet now a lot. But that was like before. Yeah. Because there was people like popping locally at my age like in the scene at the time.
00:28:11
Speaker
But I knew how to beat what they were doing. Yeah. Because they weren't taking advantage of the internet. They were trying to, but it was staying local because, you know, we're local. We're kids. We only know what's around us. So I took it a little further and I was like, I'm going to follow people that are not from Seattle that are doing something and I want to see like what happens if I interact with these people.
00:28:33
Speaker
Yeah. ask I guess that was the formula. Yo, that's wild, though. It's like, yeah. I mean, because we always think about when we were like, yo, we got to get popping locally first before you move out.
00:28:45
Speaker
And then it's just like. I've seen it. I've seen it as an advantage. I've seen the internet as an advantage. Because, you know, at the time, we're watching like Currency, Wiz Khalifa, Lil B, all this shit happening. And I'm like.
00:28:57
Speaker
and The only act that was like a local celebrity probably out of all those three was like Wiz, you know? Yeah, for sure. um But the rest of them, like not to say Currency wasn't loved and where he's from, he always has been, you know, and Lil B is from Berkeley. They love him too, but their online presence was like more prominent than anything. Yeah. And to see how they...
00:29:21
Speaker
We're doing it. It seemed like the right thing to do. So at the time, I was like, I'm going just do that. And it worked. Yeah. I mean, it worked pretty instantly, too. Yeah.
00:29:32
Speaker
Like, whatever was going on in the city, I eclipsed it in like a year. That's why Blue Sky, Black Death and them niggas reached out to me. it probably wasn't even a year. it's probably a few months, bro. Wow. And was still I was still like a sophomore. Uh-huh.
00:29:46
Speaker
yeah That was crazy, dude. mean, look. beds and I was doing shows, selling them out within like a year. That's crazy, dude. That's fucking crazy. 15, 16. was having shows after school on Friday.
00:29:58
Speaker
The whole school comes to the show type. Yo, that is crazy, yo. That is crazy. like What does that even feel like? like Are you just like... Bro, I don't want to sound like a dickhead, you feel me? like I don't want to sound like I'm tooting my own horn or some shit, but that shit felt... I feel like I was a celebrity. When I was that young, like...
00:30:17
Speaker
That's why my path has been the way it was because I thought I already did it when I was 16. I thought I already made it. I thought I was this thing.
00:30:29
Speaker
I took a lot of L's thinking that I was already. you know Just not having the foresight of I didn't have no guidance in in that system, you know? So it's like there was no older homie like, make sure this or make sure that. Like the older homies I had, they were growing with me at the time. Like Nacho was like the only person to really take me under his wing and help me do this and help me do that. But he himself was going through his own things and being his own person. So it's like he could only teach me and show me so much. So I was still bumping my head and et cetera.
00:31:00
Speaker
But it was a great time, a great learning experience, and it has led to the reason I'm sitting here. Yeah, for sure. I mean, I was definitely wondering, like, how'd you get here?
00:31:11
Speaker
Like, how'd you get to New York? Because so, yeah, that's easy. um If you want to skip it during. No, yeah, yeah. It's a fragmented story, but it all makes sense.
00:31:25
Speaker
uh so high school i graduated at 17. and um i turned 18 maybe a couple weeks after graduation so right after i graduated my homies they're you know like a couple years older than me yola's a few years older than me he was like the older kid counselor at my boys and girls club growing up so that's how i know him i've known him since i was like nine whoa okay um so
00:31:55
Speaker
he had a crib out here in queens he was going to st john's he was already probably like a sophomore or something and um my other homie who was managing me at the time his name is wasami um he had just left from seattle to go to st john's like he was a freshman and they had this crib on 179th in jamaica queens and i graduated and he was already here managing me but you know i'm in raider clan at the time so i'm like i need to I'm not doing anything I'm just in Seattle So I remember I just called them and said Nigga finna move in your house So I did
00:32:30
Speaker
You're just like, i'm in, I'm out. They wasn't gonna tell me no yeah So I was out there and was here for a minute. And that was at the height of everything though. We was like beefing with ASAP and all them guys that time. That's really why I came honestly, because they told me I couldn't come to New York.
00:32:45
Speaker
oh yeah So I used to post my train stop and shit like that. I was on some dumb shit. That's wild. That's wild. was being crazy. i was being crazy i don't I actually don't know about the the beef between Oh, boy.
00:33:00
Speaker
Can you give me a little synopsis? Do you want a synopsis? Just a small, small little. so It's just a documentary. It's not really a synopsis, it's honestly. um Let's just say we were all very close at a point in time. It was going to be one big movement and then something happened.
00:33:17
Speaker
And our leader, Space Goes Perp, told us a story about what happened. And we all were on his side, obviously, and got really militant and was basically fucked them niggas. But we didn't ever get the full side of the story until years later. yeah um It turns out he may have been in the wrong a little bit.
00:33:37
Speaker
We didn't know that. yeah So, you know, that's just you know how the cookie crumbles. I was actually really close with ASAP EMs. Rest in peace. Yeah, before, like, all of the the beef stuff, like, he used to call me in class, and we would just chop it up. I had this fucking marketing class where he didn't really do anything, and me and my homie Hayes, we used to sit in the back of the class and just, like, talk shit, and then Yams would, like, call, and be like, bro, you gotta come to New York, da-da-da-da.
00:34:05
Speaker
you know and um i remember like when we started beefing heavy it called me and was like bro don't let this shit like get to your head like don't you know like don't take it too serious it's just between the headspace i was in at the time like i was a young nigga bro like imagine telling telling the why in that yeah i'm like bro fuck with you but i ain't fucking with you like this family yeah yeah you know i wish i would have had the foresight to like Listen to what he was saying.
00:34:33
Speaker
Because I never got the chance to actually make up with him. You know, he passed before we ever, because I remember um after he had gave me that call, like, you know, i started acting crazy.
00:34:45
Speaker
Just, you know, talking crazy to them niggas and whatever, because it was up or whatever. So he ended up blocking me on Twitter. I'm still blocked, RIP the homie. But man I i um recently met his mom and was able to talk to her and shit. So that like kind of gave me peace and shit like that. But everybody else from back then, they was able to meet him and make amends before he passed. I was the only one that wasn't able to.
00:35:11
Speaker
And it was ironic because out of everybody me and him was actually close you know we used to talk every day and pay people only probably believe me when I say that shit but don't have no reason to lie and I have a witness to it too so it's but um yeah man so that's the shortest version of that beef I can give you Nah, yeah. yeah but I actually don't know much about it, but I did know a lot of people that knew Yams, because he went to, when I worked at Dylan's Candy Bar, there was people that went to School of Future, which is the school, the high school that he went to. And so, when i I remember when he passed, like my Facebook was filled with just, I was like, damn.
00:35:50
Speaker
But yeah, I never, like i'm so, like my music is like what the music i'm always been into has always been like underground music like like i'm talking about like rhyme say or yeah so like i wasn't really tapped into the blog era and then the rise of like fool's gold and asap going crazy you know ready to claim going crazy i found denzel mad late like with like ULT. A lot of people. Yeah. So. Nothing wrong with that, bro. Nah, yeah. and in And then now I'm like, I'm more open.
00:36:21
Speaker
Yeah. You know? Because before I was like mad elitist with my shit too. So like, yeah, it's just like going back and like hearing your older stuff and stuff like that. I'm always like, I love finding new music. So yeah, it's just crazy. The fact that, yeah, that was a that beef, like, find about that beef right now. Yeah, bro. And now, like, you know, we're all, like, cool and shit. Like, we work with Ferg a lot. Now, me and Denzel, you know, i squashed whatever I had with whatever other members.
00:36:51
Speaker
It's crazy you were posting fucking train stop, bro. Yeah, i was on some different shit, bro. But it was a different time in life. Yeah. evolve. When you're young...
Social Media and Personal Growth
00:37:00
Speaker
It's just easier to be on bullshit yeah than anything else. Yeah, for sure.
00:37:07
Speaker
For sure. I know, like, you know, I recently followed you on Twitter, too, and you were posting, like, you said something about, like, was, like, about patience. You follow me on Twitter, boy. I be saying this is crazy. crazy nah but it's all it's all i think it's a lot of what you say is more of just like it's the way i tweet too like it's it's not directly at somebody it's never it's always just like a train of thought yeah and but the thing is about twitter is when you do something like that people think it's about them i don't have anybody in my life that's gonna do that so i don't be giving no fuck that's why i say the shit i say on there because
00:37:42
Speaker
Who gonna get a offended? And if they is, oh fucking well. Yeah. I mean, it is what it is. But it's just like the... You recently said something about like, you're not that type of person. i've trying to remember what it was. It was like...
00:37:55
Speaker
ah Either that, it was like you you were like, and it was something that that just connected with me too. Cause you were like, I'm not the the type of person that, something about like somebody wronged you or some somebody said something and you were like, i don't I don't need that type of energy or something like that. I forgot the the tweet. Context probably, I don't know. yeah But whatever it is, i was probably right. yeah yeah i do I just think a ah a lot of people need to, I think that's the best way to use Twitter. Yeah, just say what you got to say every alone, man. I think motherfuckers be using that shit to debate and do all this.
00:38:34
Speaker
I don't have time for that, bro. I got my, I learned my lesson when it comes to like debating on the internet and shit. Like that shit ain't about nothing, bro. <unk> For one, it's only going to make you mad. And if you're a real life or person, like like if you live real life and have experienced things and have punched a nigga or two in the face in real life, you don't like that because it just gets you all riled up and you want to go hurt somebody or something. So it's like,
00:38:58
Speaker
I'll just not engage or I'll say one thing and get my point across and then I'll go outside, actually outside, yeah and do some regular person stuff. Because that shit it ain't about shit, bro. Nah, it's definitely not.
00:39:11
Speaker
But speaking about al outside, i was, you know, we ran into each other at a, I think it was like a sweet chick event. You was outside. Is that what it was? That's what it was. Really? Yeah, it was. I know you was outside, but you weren't for that.
00:39:22
Speaker
I know I was there for that. It was like, yeah. oh yeah, we didn't run into Jameson. I'm like, what a sweet chick. but I said what up to you. And then after that, I see you after. So I knew you weren't there for that. I be disappearing, bro. No, yeah. But like, what is it like the differences between like Seattle, this outside culture in Seattle and the outside culture out
Cultural Differences: Seattle vs. New York
00:39:48
Speaker
here? I be seeing you. People call me outside. They be like, oh yeah, you be outside. I'm like, I want to know, you know. Niggas don't be shooting. Yeah.
00:39:59
Speaker
I'm sorry Seattle but shit we gotta get it together man oh yeah niggas don't be sure bro where I'm from everybody got a gun you know what I'm saying so
00:40:11
Speaker
You know, a lot of people do have them out here too. It's just not the same, bro. It's not the same. And I tell people this all the time. Like the energy just ain't the same as the energy over there when it comes to people carrying guns. Out here, I feel like if a nigga carrying a gun it's for a very specific reason.
00:40:31
Speaker
ah ah I'll put it this way. If I see an altercation pop off out here, a nigga might have to go get his gun. yeah Where I'm from, he already got it. He finishes up it on you. yeah You see what I'm saying? yeah that's a big day It don't sound like a big difference, but that is a big difference between gun cultures and how niggas interact with that type of stuff. And even the style of a person interacting with you out here is different. like On the West Coast, you might get pressed by somebody. and Where you from, this or whatever that.
00:41:03
Speaker
Over here, a nigga will kind of ask you the same thing, but in a nicer way and like try to network with you before they try to like rob you or do some shit like that. It just depends on what how you carry yourself and yeah what type of nigga you is, obviously, but like,
00:41:16
Speaker
that's been my experience more so like a nigga will try to network with me before he was like, oh, we're over there. It's like, you might get pressed. You at the fucking corner store, you wearing a hat or some shit. then you're like, nigga, where are you from?
00:41:30
Speaker
Nah, nigga, you from over here. where you you know, it's just- Who you know? have the catch The Kendrick interlude. Shit. I mean, yeah, but that's real life, bro. yeah You know, so it's more than just an interlude because I done been through that. And yeah. a lot of people that i know have been through that like i lived in la for four years and i love that lake you know i got family from there all type of shit but being from the west coast and moving to like over here yeah and it's just a different type of lifestyle like i carried every day over there whenever i'm there i still do but
00:42:03
Speaker
Over here, don't feel like I have to. Nah. It's not to say that I'm not. But, you know, I don't feel like i have to. Yeah. You know, I don't feel like if I leave it at home, I could probably die.
00:42:15
Speaker
But if I'm over there, I might feel that way. Nah, yeah. You're making me feel unsafe when I'm in L.A. now. No, it's not even an unsafe thing, bro. It's just... I do think it's about intention, though. It's just kind of part of what it is. It's intention, but...
00:42:30
Speaker
the did the the the randomness of the vote violent type shit and energy is... is it'll It'll bleed onto civilians easier than it would over here. Like, shit that I've noticed is...
00:42:45
Speaker
the op shit and all that they keep that shit compartmentalized over here like they keep it to themselves kind of they don't really let that shit get on to civilian life whatever it may be cops or whatever i think it's just niggggeras doing a good job of keeping shit to themselves personally that's what i think i don't know yeah you know what saying but i like it Hey. Shit, keep that shit to yo yourself. Keep it in your block. Keep it in your name. Oh, for sure. Like, what's the point of having it happen in the middle of freaking Union Square? You know.
00:43:14
Speaker
But in in a, hey? Yeah. It's going down to any place anywhere? Fairfax, yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah, for sure. oh Fairfax, Melrose, you're getting robbed. You might get shot at. All type of shit. yeah um Even though we weren't talking. i was My question was more about LA. I do want to say this. Shout out to LA because I love LA. I don't want niggas to be thinking like I'm trying to talk bad. No, I love LA, bro. It's just, you got to be honest, it's more dangerous than a lot of places. No, for sure. That's just what it is. Hey, you know, everybody's angry because of the traffic there.
00:43:47
Speaker
I don't know what niggas be mad about. I can't answer those questions. definitely bow I don't answer those questions because I don't know and I don't like to say too many things about shit I don't know. No, for sure. i'd like I like that but like to stick within the what I know realm as well.
00:44:03
Speaker
Nah, but I was definitely talking about like, you know, how the, and let's talk about sneakers and streetwear culture. How the differences between Seattle and- Very similar actually.
00:44:15
Speaker
you guys are obviously more high fashion and shit right we're we're we're like a good medium of comfort in high fashion okay yeah i would say yeah a lot of people will say you see how people can't dress but i don't think so i think that's very untrue it's the way that we dress is is just a little bit different because you know rain overcast yeah We experience all the seasons, but that's kind of like whatever our default, right? Right, yeah. So, you know, ah tech fleeces, gore tech jackets.
00:44:50
Speaker
Won't really do Timberlands. No? But you might see a nigga in some Palladiums. Okay. um Or some Timberlands too. You know, and it happens. Palladiums are slept on. Yes, I agree. Mac Dre, shout out Mac Dre for making Palladium popular on the West Coast.
00:45:04
Speaker
Yes, sir. you know you might see that type of stuff but we really wear everything it's it's it's it's really kind of the same when it comes to seattle and new york it's just we're we don't got no runway shit we not don't got no you know yeah when you go to like soho you're like all right it's cool i've experienced before so it's not a culture shock to me i get it and this is the place where you're gonna see that like you You got to expect that here. Yeah.
00:45:33
Speaker
Where we're at over there. You're going to see that too. Like, don't get me wrong. There is fashion stuff going on and it is happening. It's just not like here.
00:45:43
Speaker
It's not like loud. not like No, it's not loud. It's not everywhere. But if you see it, you go, oh shit. So fly shit. It's there. It exists for sure. It's just the way we do it is a little little different.
00:45:53
Speaker
Yeah. I mean, you mentioned culture shock. What what was the biggest culture shock out here to you? Hmm.
00:46:07
Speaker
People are very straightforward.
00:46:10
Speaker
That's what I kind of kind of like that. yeah appreciate it. um You mean like intention wise or just like? in general. Yeah. You know? People are very straightforward here. I appreciate that. yeah I don't got time for beating around the bush. Say what the fuck you mean, man. Let's cut through the bullshit. Yo, for real.
00:46:27
Speaker
It's cool to me. People think New Yorkers are mean, but I don't think so. think they're regular people that just don't got time to be bullshitting. Now we always in a rush. Yeah. Yeah. That's fine with me, man. We got something to do, man.
00:46:39
Speaker
Man, I'll say this. New York people, some of the best people I met. They'll go to bat for you if you don't ask them to. That's true. If they fuck with you, they'll die about you. You know, but just real solid people, you know? Yeah.
00:46:54
Speaker
I do think we we don I mean, New Yorkers, born and bred New Yorkers get the, everywhere else is like, oh, no, they're just rude and shit. You'd be like, I could get how it could be perceived as rude.
00:47:05
Speaker
You know, if you come from a place that like passive aggressiveness is a very high, you know, chance. Yeah. You can see a lot of shit is rude because people are used to like coddling motherfuckers and being kind of overly nice.
00:47:22
Speaker
But when you go to a place where nobody got time for that, yeah, you might think they're rude, but really they're just not trying to do all that extra shit. Hey, I mean, I'm definitely not trying to do any of that extra shit. I just think it's just. I respect it.
00:47:35
Speaker
the The idea of, don't know. I not try not to be passive aggressive, but it does. Sometimes it's it just comes out ah you and you'd be like, all right, did I really mean that? Yeah, I did.
00:47:47
Speaker
Never mind. Yeah. You just can't kind of keep it moving after that. Because is sometimes people, my my biggest thing, and i don't know if this, I think I feel like a lot of people relate to this, is just like, I just don't like stupid people. If people were being, people would just be like, oh yeah, just ask me the question.
00:48:02
Speaker
Don't ask me 10 questions to the question that you want to ask. Exactly, exactly. I don't like precursor questions either. Like, nigga will ask you a question to ask you another question. It's like, why didn't you just ask that question?
00:48:15
Speaker
That could have been the first question. You would have had your answer quicker and everything. Exactly. Try and butter me up for a question and shit. Like, what is you doing? Butter me up? I don't know. I don't get the intention behind it because i don't do it.
00:48:29
Speaker
So it's like, what were you going to ask me? I said no to the first question because it was just weird. But you I could tell by how you responded to my response that you wanted to ask a different question.
00:48:42
Speaker
And that was your precursor question.
00:48:46
Speaker
So now we're both sitting here, you feel stupid and I'm annoyed. Cause you just asked me some stupid ass shit that you didn't have to ask. You could have just asked the question you really wanted to ask.
00:48:57
Speaker
But no, now the conversation is ruined and I don't want to talk to you for a long time now probably. Like don't hit me up for some months. Until you learn how to talk to people correctly. Man, yo, have been so many times where it's like, you know, like you could smell the the stupid first question off of somebody. He'd be like, all right, this is going.
00:49:18
Speaker
Here we go. Yeah. And he's just like, what was the question? right, but what's the real question now? Just give me the real question. Like, oh, how did you do this or that? Or like, I'm pretty sure you probably get, you know, somebody's always like, so, uh, how do I, uh, they just ask you 10 questions before I'd be like, yo, can I get a collab with somebody? At this point, done got to, I'm so good at giving people a look, bro.
00:49:44
Speaker
Niggas know not to ask me a motherfucking thing. For what? yeah You know I'm gonna tell your ass no, just by the way I look at you. just You know he finna say no.
00:49:57
Speaker
Yep, sure am. I don't know this person. I don't know, I don't have no access to him. Even if they standing right next to me, I'll tell you some shit like that. Yeah, I don't know this nigga. I don't know, bro. Yeah, I'm just here today, man. Yeah, I don't know him like that. How long you been? Oh, not that long, man. Actually, I just met him yesterday.
00:50:16
Speaker
But why, thing is just like, yeah, ah why would you ask somebody you don't know to introduce you to somebody that they know instead of you just going to somebody, going to the person that you want to ask?
00:50:27
Speaker
Like, yo. And if they if they dub you, then that's it. You already, you skip that you skipped it. You don't have to do. People think it's going soften the blow when when when a motherfucker asks on your behalf.
00:50:39
Speaker
Truth is, I'm more likely to tell the homie no 10 times louder just because he's asking for another And he's going to laugh with me after I say it. Cause what the fuck?
00:50:51
Speaker
Oh man. yeah Just there like, nah. Really? Really? They'll probably tell you, bro. Just, you don't want me to do that. yeah You don't want me to ask him that.
00:51:04
Speaker
Cause he's going to have a mean moment with your question. yo Might end up as some content. Yo, know for sure. He might tweet about your ass. You talking, you get spoken about on the podcast about this.
00:51:16
Speaker
You motherfuckers. yo that yeah i've definitely been in uh in a couple situations like i'll be at you know events and stuff and somebody be like yo you know blah blah and then like yo you introduce me be like he's right there just go talk to him that's that's it i'm not like i'm not gonna i'm not gonna tell i'm not gonna be like yo this is this i don't know you like what do you want tell you people ask me absurd questions about people Just cause like I'll say, oh yeah, that's my friend. I've known him for 10 plus years or some shit.
00:51:46
Speaker
You know, we've been friends since this. Oh, so does he, does he put his pants on one leg at a time? like Does he jump into them bitches like Superman? What? I don't fucking, does he like, does he put his cereal in the bowl first or does he put milk?
00:52:02
Speaker
What? Do you think he would like, I don't, know What?
00:52:09
Speaker
I'm his friend. I'm not this nigga's underwear.
00:52:14
Speaker
What are we talking about? That's crazy. Nah, that's crazy. I don't know what's going on. People are bold, man. In the wrong way. i ah This was a precursor question because I'm about to ask you dumb question. i like i like All right. I'll accept this one. during your journey, right, while you're, you know, you're moving around, right, were you still copping kicks?
Sneaker Memories and Life Lessons
00:52:42
Speaker
Yes. Was there any standouts or like you got any stories or you of like must cops? You were were just like, yo, I'm glad I got these, you know,
00:52:55
Speaker
You know, I moved so many times in different places that I'd have lost a lot of shoes. Yeah, that's got to be tough, man. I had this one. Now, this is probably not like crazy special or anything, but it's just a pair of shoes that I really liked. Mm-hmm.
00:53:12
Speaker
had this one like limited edition pair of like Stan Smiths. Yeah. But they had like fucking polka dots on them. Oh, I think I know. I think, yeah. Oh, they were so fire, bro.
00:53:24
Speaker
They were so I was in a big polka dot phase for like a hot minute. Yeah. So like, I remember those. Yeah. There was, there was there was also a Converse that had like all polka dots that, don't know if you've seen that. you've seen it? Yeah.
00:53:36
Speaker
They're, I was, so like, I do know what Stan Smiths you're talking about. Yeah, it was blue. Yeah. white polka dots on the motherfuckers. I miss those shoes. Yo, find them.
00:53:47
Speaker
Find a pair. What size are you? 11 and a half. 12. Send it to to Key's Instagram. see you Please, please let me know. um is there Is there like... I had a pair of Carmine Sixes. Carmine Sixes. That's a classic right there.
00:54:07
Speaker
Moment of silence. Moment of silence.
00:54:11
Speaker
yeah the yeah is there Was there ever a shoe that you were just like, yo, know I got, these are the shoes I got wear on stage? Or were you like to complete a fit? Or is there something that you like, what what's like, what was that shoe?
00:54:26
Speaker
was recent. Yeah? Yeah, it was recent. It was in, uh...
00:54:34
Speaker
them to them sb force oh yeah sb jordan fours the navy and o the navy ones yeah clean clean yeah these are my favorite shoes right now Did you get, you got, you gone, that's it. That's, that's the, that's the, you're going to rock those out like continuously or.
00:54:53
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. I wear my shoes. Nah. Yeah. You know, I, I, I'm not, I can't be one of them guys, man. I like my shoes. I like them, but I'm aware of them. The, that to me was like the iconic, like that hit me hard. Like yeah when they did that, when they did the, s I liked it.
00:55:09
Speaker
Yeah. You know, I appreciated it because.
00:55:13
Speaker
It goes back to yeah the culture, bro. You know how many niggas that I skated with growing up that skated in Jordan, bro? Not because they didn't have, because they wanted to.
00:55:26
Speaker
Or because that was just the shoes they was wearing that day. yeah Jordan 1s, Jordan 4s, whatever the fuck. I was the opposite, bro. I was playing ball in SBs. You're crazy. Yeah.
00:55:39
Speaker
For real, bro. He was trying to break your English. Yeah. that after After, like, I would lace him tight. And then, yeah, I would play ball in SBs, bro.
00:55:52
Speaker
So, like, when I when i saw Kareem in the, like, in the, was it, no, was it the Kareem? I don't think he's he's skated in Jordans. I'm trying to remember who I saw was.
00:56:05
Speaker
Was it Lance?
00:56:08
Speaker
Shoot. I forgot. I think it might have been like, I saw one picture and don't remember who it was. It's a lot of niggas that I'm talking about. Yeah. But it was it was, I'm talking about like when I was when i used to get um Thrasher in the mail or like Skateboarder Mag in the mail. Might have been.
00:56:23
Speaker
And so like, I remember seeing somebody and i was just like, oh shit, you can actually skate and in Jordans. And i was just like, can play ball in SBs. Doesn't go both ways.
00:56:35
Speaker
Doesn't go both ways. Listen, I understand. I was reckless, man. understand, though. You're a kid. You play basketball on whatever you a college bro i was like i would go to college we would play ball outside playing with your life yeah i after he's playing with your ankle health i did because like after years after that i've had nothing but bad it i had to get ankle surgery see so it definitely was part of all the mess bees man yo it's great doing them ankles no favors be i definitely wasn't i think it's just like yeah i was just wild
00:57:10
Speaker
Like, and then i would, cause like I would work in them and then they would, then I'd be like, right, yo, let's go play ball. and then And didn't. Yeah. I should have just played ball in ball shoes.
00:57:21
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. That's a good idea. Yeah. What is there? Cause I definitely wanted to know. Cause like, you know, you're going to be going on tour soon or, or like, I know you got the album coming out, right?
00:57:33
Speaker
Maybe. I don't know. don't know. Are you, i know that, um,
00:57:41
Speaker
We just finished the ah Strictly for the Scythe album with ah Working on Dying. So that's Ultra Ground Records and Working on Dying collaboration album. Fire. There may be a tour for that.
00:57:55
Speaker
don't know them pits no pits gonna be just know that the album is amazing yeah it's insane yeah it's insane i mean you got those the two songs on on the last denzel album with a mixtape that was those joints was going crazy those are great those are great songs but this is next level ultra level
00:58:22
Speaker
So let me hit you with my last question before we get out here, too. There's a little visualization. i want you to think back to you know younger Key. you know And now your older Key behind you as he's about to open that box with... Well, no, he didn't get the cool gray nines.
00:58:39
Speaker
So... I'm trying to, what was it? Let's pick a shoe a young, ah a young key would get or got. Playoff 13. Okay. Playoff 13s. ah He's about to open that box the playoff 13s. What would you tell your younger self as he opens that box?
00:58:54
Speaker
Don't wear him to church or mama gonna whoop your ass. yeah You wore him to church? And she she got upset. Yeah. She said, if you don't put them damn shoes on, go put them church shoes on.
00:59:08
Speaker
I got to whoop him. you got a woman Cause I kept trying it, bro. I kept running outside in the Jordans. Damn. I wanted to wear them that bad. Damn. I mean, they're fine. They're in trouble.
00:59:20
Speaker
I wore the church shoes that day. Yeah. By force. Yeah. But I wanted to wear them playoff 13s. You were thinking about them playoff Crazy.
00:59:32
Speaker
Sure it was. Man, I mean, it's crazy to hear, you know, like your parents were that fly. Oh, yeah. Still are. Yeah. Shout out. Oh, my mom. No, yeah. Rest in peace, Pops. Rest in peace. And it will fly till the day died. Yeah, come on.
00:59:48
Speaker
i didn I didn't want to i don't know if I'd bring that up because I know I read that post, man. Oh, no, no, don't worry, bro, don't worry. It's okay, you know what I'm saying? like The thing about grief is you learn how to live with the shit. It's not like a button or something. It's not like if the button get pressed, I'm finished, it'll turn into a pile of tears and mush. I'm all right, you know?
01:00:09
Speaker
um It's just when you get when when certain dates happen and you're reminded of certain shit, you just feel some type of way. yeah but it's not like i'm walking around sitting here crying and i'm actually be more happy than anything yeah because the more time that passes it's like the memories they don't make you feel sad they make you happier that it happened yeah you know you kind of just cherish them a little more and think about certain stuff don't really be sad about that not no more i get sad like on birthday or father's day or some shit like that but like Even then, the sadness, it ain't like it lasts all day.
Coping with Grief and Family Memories
01:00:45
Speaker
Because I'll think about something good. And then I'll be like, damn, that was fun. You know, don't know. It's little complex, but yeah over time it don't really be that bad. No, yeah, I mean, but look, ah you know, I've had people pass in my life, but it's just like, yeah, losing a... Parent is, you know, it's a totally different... par totally I'm just now, like, getting to the to the stage of where I can be like that, like, okay all the time. Because, know, I used to just randomly just start crying or something, think of some shit, and I'll be fucked up for the rest of the day, but...
01:01:17
Speaker
You gain understanding as time goes on. Yeah, man. you know You know, time, I mean, time heals all, but not. don't even know if it heals. It just, it just goes. It's like growing. It's like you get ah your arm get cut off and you don't grow it back, but you grow a new arm. Yeah.
01:01:33
Speaker
Like in a different place. Yeah. So it's not, it's kind of. it's it's It can still reach. It works. It reaches things. You got another arm. yeah You don't just got one arm.
01:01:44
Speaker
Yeah. You know, you got another one still. is israel I just didn't know, like, and I mean, I'm definitely keeping this in, but it's just like, I didn't know if like a lot of your sneaker memories were, you know, attached to him. Definitely, for sure. I used to take that nigga's shoes as soon as I could. wore size type shit. So i would have to find shoes that I could put on two pairs of socks.
01:02:13
Speaker
You know what saying? Like I'll try it with the 13s sometimes. They never really worked though. Hey, I'm a size 13. You know what I'm saying? I can't even fake that shit.
01:02:25
Speaker
I'm size 12. Yeah. But like i could fit 11 and a half. And if I want to hurt myself, I could fit 11. I was just going say like I'm a 13. For the sake it. But you do sneaker head sizes.
01:02:38
Speaker
That's where you go. You can go one down. One down hurts, but yes, I'll fit a size 12 if I have to. And then 14, but I think I had to... Every time I'm like, oh yeah, I'm going to cop a 14. I'm going to settle for 14. I have a couple pair of 14s in my career. crazy. And so I cop them because I'm like... would never do no 13s. I don't just feel like that's just...
01:03:00
Speaker
It's too much space like but but you're like you're like I gotta get them like Cadillac sneaker. Yeah, and it looks weird on your feet too. Not if it's you know poor portions and all that stuff, right? I don't know it's just like I don't know why but like I'll like I have I have a pair I have the the Spider-Man Jordan ones right like this looks normal to me in my my brain. This it doesn't look crazy. No, but this is size 13 But it doesn't look crazy. Yeah.
01:03:24
Speaker
And then but then when I look at the 14, it looks like it's like it's like it looks like that. It looks like it's that much more. Ever seen a size 16 shoe? Yeah, I have. Go to Marshall's. so youll You'll see a size 18. Trust me, I know. You're just holding like, what the fuck is this? i I wouldn't wish that on nobody.
01:03:47
Speaker
You get Wemby feet. How you gonna get fly, bro? Look, how you gonna get fresh? Cam'ron voice. <unk> true i can't I can't even, I mean.
01:03:59
Speaker
The only tall, fly nigga that I ever seen, bro, is Bo Bo. That's it. He get he got he get fresh, bro. Because he be walking on runway, bro. He ain't never seen Bo Bo. I've never seen him on a runway. But look that nigga up, bud.
01:04:12
Speaker
He be putting that shit on. Because I thought Carl Anthony Townsend, he got it. that way Whatever. He can have it. He can have it. He can have it. Whatever. He can have it. I'm talking about really putting that shit on. I'm not about some NBA-mandated drip.
01:04:27
Speaker
Okay? All right. You a millionaire. You could dress. All right. I'm talking about really putting that shit on. Okay. Bo Bo. Only tall nigga, I say. Tall nigga. Now, a lot of them NBA niggas can dress, but I'm talking about tall, seven foot, whatever.
01:04:41
Speaker
Kevin Durant can't dress, but he don't try to. Yeah. He knows that he look crazy. Uh-huh. Bo Bo, however, somehow pulls the shit off. but Yeah. He looks cool. going to have to look it up. I'm going to look it up. I was just seeing some shit. I'm like, man, that nigga put that shit on, man. That's crazy. I got Yeah, nigga, man. Big, tall ass. Yeah, man. But imagine being like bull bull tall and you got an office job and you still got to get the drips off.
01:05:07
Speaker
ah probably It exists. I'm sure exists. It's tall motherfuckers doing regular shit, bro. I mean, they have to. Yeah. They have to. It's tall motherfuckers doing shit. Not everybody can make it to the league. No, man.
01:05:18
Speaker
Somebody going have to sit down. Yeah. You know? It's tall desk job, niggas, bro. They stand up and they taller than the whole everything. yeah You see all in everybody's business and everybody's. You don't want him to be your manager because you if they catch you- He's hawking shit. Yeah.
01:05:34
Speaker
Just walk through the little cubicles, see everybody's shit. He don't even got to come to your desk. Get back to work. yeah Shaq is your boss.
01:05:45
Speaker
Terrible. What you doing over there? Telling you, bro. My cameraman, bro, he like seven feet.
Concert Experiences and Meeting Kanye
01:05:51
Speaker
Shout out my nigga Corey. He not really seven feet tall as hell, bro. At least like six.
01:05:58
Speaker
You know what I'm saying? Everywhere we go. yeah but Everybody just leave. but I mean, you got the best point of view. Any concert, bro. Yeah.
01:06:09
Speaker
I was like, bro, what's going on over there? How's it looking? I can't see. I can't. I'm you know six foot, six foot one. I'd be having to stand on my tippy. I'm in a crowd, man. That's why don't do crowds, bro.
01:06:23
Speaker
I've never been a crowd person. No? Just VIP. That's why I tried to start a rap when I was a kid, bro. I don't want to be there. I want to be able to somehow be side stage or backstage. I don't want to be in the crowd because bro my first concert I went to, I paid my own money for.
01:06:40
Speaker
Me and my homie went to Wiz Khalifa concert. um Waking Bacon Tour. I'll never forget that shit because it inspired me to like actually take rapping serious. It was in the crowd.
01:06:55
Speaker
I don't like that shit, bro. bill I don't like that shit. i hit some I'll hit one of these. I don't like that shit. So from that moment on, I was like, yeah, I got to figure out some type of way where I can enjoy concerts and not have to bump into nobody. yeah I don't want nobody stepping on my shoes.
01:07:11
Speaker
I don't want nobody spilling no drinks on me. and None of that going on. So I got to be somebody important. yeah How am I going to do this? rap i'm just kidding but i definitely don't like crowds i mean that's crazy i think i'm trying to when i go to shows now bro yeah i don't always be backstage or side stage but i'll get tickets to where like you'd be like in the balcony yeah yeah yeah especially like terminal five yeah yeah which i i'm not a fan of but like i've never been on the balcony level on terminal five
01:07:45
Speaker
it's not that good i don't know but so i went to the clips i went to the clips out here at uh yes yeah yes i was in that via vip balcony oh excuse me okay i was in my house yeah the i mean balcony man i go i was smoking and everything that was a great time i saw az at the uh city winery though
01:08:13
Speaker
I mean, That was the greatest experience ever. and I was eating charcuterie board. I know, yeah. I had some wine. AZ was rapping How You Living. Uh-huh. You felt rich.
01:08:24
Speaker
I felt very rich. Yeah, that feels mad rich. I felt very rich, bro. You're just there like, yeah, that's got to be good. damn, I made it, nigga. This the 30th year anniversary of Do or Die. I'm 30 years old. Dad just turned 30, so I'm like, damn. I really, I looked at my wrist. I looked at my, like, like,
01:08:41
Speaker
if i If my 15-year-old self could see this, he'd be like, damn, who's that? i was like, yeah. This is one of the moments where you like, damn, that's crazy.
01:08:52
Speaker
Cause you know, that's one of the albums that like taught me how to rap. You know, i used to listen to a lot of AZ and Nas when I was a kid. The first, one of the first albums I bought with my own money was, um, still mad. Yo. Okay.
01:09:07
Speaker
Yeah. That's fire. Yeah. That's fire. You gotta get, I mean, you gotta work on that Nas feature. what
01:09:19
Speaker
i you get a no i wish yeah I wish, bro, you know, like that would be crazy. Just to meet Nas, you know what I'm saying? like I got to meet Nas.
01:09:29
Speaker
Yeah, nah, just to meet, bro. Cause I still be meeting people and I'm just like, man, you don't even know, bro. I hate being like a super fanned out dude, but like for some people,
01:09:41
Speaker
you just it's just like it just happens i never ever thought i'd be even 200 feet away from you bro you know and now you're back when i met connie and i got to talk to him i was like shh i just had to tell him like bro you mean so much to me like as a as an artist and all this extra shit i don't even remember what i said i just remember saying bro i got so much love for you man thank you for making music and he just looked at me said thank you bro And I gave him like a handshake, little dab, and that was it.
01:10:12
Speaker
so But that moment yeah changed my life. Because like, bro, that's the actual first concert I ever went to. I think it was Glow in the Dark Tour. I was probably like 12.
01:10:23
Speaker
My mom had bought me a ticket for Christmas, so she took me to see Kanye. That's crazy. um Because that was my favorite rapper at the time. That's fire. Shout out moms, yo.
01:10:34
Speaker
Shout out mom dukes. Mm-hmm.
Social Media and Podcast Reflections
01:10:36
Speaker
I mean, we're towards the end of the podcast, but so let everybody know where to find you. can find me on Twitter at Kenyatta, K-E-Y-N-Y-A-T-A.
01:10:46
Speaker
Same thing on Instagram. Same thing on TikTok, too, but don't review TikTok like that. um you know, I'm gonna do TikTok. I'm just kidding. I'm just kidding. I just don't really know how to use it like that. Yeah. so you know but yeah yeah yeah I'm on all platforms. you know Spotify. yeah All the musical platforms across the world.
01:11:05
Speaker
You can find me there. K-E-Y space N-Y-A-T-A. Yes, sir. Listen to that. Don't fold volume two. Don't fold two. Out now.
01:11:16
Speaker
Strictly for the Scythe. Coming soon. And ah you know where to find me, who is Hassel, also the media, follow the podcast, My First Kicks pod. Gonna kick it to myself, you know, do Patreon shoutouts and to plug whatever I gotta plug.
01:11:29
Speaker
So on to me. Thank you for listening to this week's episode with Keenayata. We talked a lot. We talked a lot. And it touched. went from sneakers to growing up in Seattle.
01:11:42
Speaker
That concussion story is crazy, first of all. And also his time skating and, you know, being black in society where you want and you know, that whole thing of being like, oh, yeah, you're doing white people stuff or something like that. It's just is interesting.
01:11:57
Speaker
As you can see, I'm recording this at my job. so ah You know, trying to make sure I stay ah to date with the Patreon shout outs and everything, because if you want to get a Patreon shout out, you know, I try to at least let people rock until Wednesday.
01:12:16
Speaker
But this is third Thursday, literally the day before this episode comes out. And so I wanted to get this out and get this in there. um But let's jump to the Patreon shout outs. Patreon shout outs. Start off with every week.
01:12:27
Speaker
You already know. Adam Neustadar. Then we got Ross Adams. Then we got Fresh Poetic, Derek. Shout out, Derek. And then we got Adam Butler, MSR.
01:12:41
Speaker
His podcast has been starting up, so make sure you tap into that. Got to give him that shout out because he helps me out each week. And also Jesse, Jesse G. um Very interesting episode.
01:12:54
Speaker
And my time at Detroit was also interesting. Very much put the battery in my back in terms of just like wanting to be a bigger voice and help others, especially within the industry, to say.
01:13:10
Speaker
And also just be of service in terms of just like getting these stories out, oh you know, Currently, lot of sneaker media or forms of sneaker media has mainly just been around the sneakers releasing, but not necessarily the stories of people who buy them. And so or create them or work within the industry. And so or even that or just even anybody that just enjoys sneakers like.
01:13:40
Speaker
That is something i hold near and dear to my heart that I'm able to bring. And we don't I don't just keep it to just people within sneakers, like bring it to everybody out around or part of like the outside culture that we all live in. You know, that's why I keep jumping on this episode is really cool.
01:13:59
Speaker
previous guest, Sango, who's, you know, just helped me tremendously ever since this episode. And it's just like hearing all these other voices talk about their love for sneakers has always been something I've been wanting to bring.
01:14:16
Speaker
Right. And ah feel very proud of myself. and from starting this in 2020 and continuously growing this over time, like It's been hell of a ride. And so, um and not saying it like, it's been a hell of a ride. All right, no episode next week. No, we're going to keep going until the wheels fall off.
01:14:37
Speaker
um You know, as I've said, Patreon is a tremendous help. I've been trying to put more time into that and just...
01:14:48
Speaker
build that out a little bit more. um So if you do want to join, and really means a lot. If you do patreon.com slash my first kicks, it would help the podcast grow because i can use that fundage to bring it back into the podcast. That money only goes straight back into the podcast.
01:15:09
Speaker
We've got shirts. um the help me yeah help the help ah Help anybody who's ordered a shirt previously. You are you will have been gifted the original shirt, the pre-order shirt.
01:15:23
Speaker
um Just as a thank you for being patient. And so please check your mail. And if you haven't gotten on that, but you ordered the first shirt and i and we sent you the OG shirt designed by Chris Taney, if we sent you that shirt, you will be getting the pre-order shirt as well. So be sure to check out your mail.
01:15:41
Speaker
Check your mail. And... Hey, man, like really appreciate y'all. Hope you enjoyed this episode. You know, we didn't really touch a lot about sneakers, but we did touch some sneakers we touched about.
01:15:53
Speaker
And so, you know, me and Key, we became real cool. And i really wanted to share his perspective and his stories with this episode and because that was like our first really, really like long conversation. We'd always have like small conversations and they were always super thoughtful. And so I really enjoyed this.
01:16:13
Speaker
But if you want to check out more conversations, much like the one that you just listened to now, check out these two episodes here or subscribe to the podcast using this button.
01:16:25
Speaker
And you know what we say each week. Wear your kicks. Peace.