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Siempre Fresco! with Scrams
171 Plays29 days ago
This week I am joined by the legend Scram! We talk about the early days of New York and how sneaker and streetwear culture began. How Orchard Street was a huge inspiration to the lower eastside. How community in the earlier days was about connecting. He also shares a wild story about Angelo Baque's mother saving his life. We touch on the importance of gatekeeping and a ton more!
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IG: https://www.instagram.com/luisvasquezgallery/
Podcast Linktree: https://linktr.ee/myfirstkicks
Sign up for the Patreon: https://patreon.com/MyFirstKicks
Music by The DoppleGangaz: https://thedoppelgangaz.bandcamp.com/
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Transcript
Introductions and Life-Saving Story
00:00:00
Speaker
ah wait and yeah I know Angelo yeah for, he worked at Canal Jeans Company. yeah That's like my little brother. Like I'm not trying to like little bro, but I'm older. I know him. His mother saved my life in the past. What? how you got Tell that story, please. So he used to do these parties upstate and it was a sleepover.
00:00:19
Speaker
So they had a big property and everybody used to crash. But if you fell asleep or you got drunk, you know, everybody with you. yeah So I went and slept in the car.
00:00:29
Speaker
So wake up about five in the morning. I'm like, what the fuck? I was so drunk. yeah I'm like, yo, did I swallow a frog? My throat was killing me. So I'm moving and I'm just like choking.
00:00:43
Speaker
My uvula, this just sounds crazy. You know, a little punchy bag and back. It swole from, I guess, the temperature and it was making me gag. So I was scared. I couldn't breathe.
00:00:55
Speaker
So I'm banging on the house. Everybody's sleeping. She comes out. I'm like, what happened? i was like, so we went to the, she took me to the emergency room.
Guest's Background and Sneaker Culture
00:01:07
Speaker
What's good, everyone? Welcome back to My First Kicks. This is episode 253, and this week, I bring to you another special guest. Welcome to the podcast, Scrams. What's going on, champ? How you doing? Thanks for having me. Nah, man. I know I said I was going to this a while ago. I've been busy. We finally touched bases, so.
00:01:23
Speaker
Hey, man. I mean, well, first, shout out to Premium Pete for introducing us. you know I know Premium P for long time. yeah and i mean every long time is I talked about it ah before, but just like, you know, to me, he's a legend. And for him to like, you know, kind of take me under his wing and like introduce me to his people. no I know Premium when he was a criminal.
00:01:42
Speaker
Pete used to hang out in the projects. yeah So hey that's my history with Pete. We'll talk about it another time. But that's my guy. Salute to him. I love what he's doing as far as presence over presence. The way he treats his family is amazing. He treats everybody good. yeah Nah, yeah, it's been real dope, but for people who aren't familiar with you, about to introduce yourself. I'm going to say one thing real quick on camera. Pete, I need to go eat on Barber's Chicken Colored. Yo, same, same. That food be looking good. No chicken color looks mad good, man. chicken color looks mad good on his story. Yeah, so, yeah, I go by the name of Scrams, so I'm...
00:02:20
Speaker
I hate saying it we're a culture and all this. I just, it's what I do. I've been into this for a long time. I've been into sneakers since I was young where I couldn't afford nothing, you know, one pair sneakers a year. And then once I got my own money, like like maybe 91, working, you know, doing whatever, bagging groceries, even getting freaking money from the government, I went crazy. You know what I'm saying? Yeah, man. Let's just jump right into the question though. So I'm gonna ask you the question and that question is, what's your first kick with that first pair of sneakers you absolutely need to have i needed to have? to have?
00:02:58
Speaker
See, I'm privy to being around where everything came and it was still available. But one of the shoes that took me a long time to get that I wanted in my size was the Lennon Air Force One. Yeah.
00:03:08
Speaker
Legendary. And I wound up buying it from Flight Club. when it was like maybe an $800 shoe, my boy called the owner, and I happened to know the owner was this dude named Bill Spector.
00:03:19
Speaker
Big time club promoter, he was like, just give it to him for $200. And I still have it, because it was a 10. And it fit snug, and I never wore it. I still got the flight club receipt in there, still brand new, OG, London Air Force One still. That's crazy. Was it the the story from Clark Kent that got you? Nah, I just, so like you could tell i like wearing pink. yeah You know, my mother had breast cancer. She's still alive. So
Sneaker Stories and Cultural Influences
00:03:43
Speaker
I took it to, you know, wearing pink always as homage to her Nah, yeah. I mean, that's beautiful. Thank you. Yeah. The the the thing is about, but like Lennon Air Force Ones are like an iconic shoe.
00:03:55
Speaker
Bro, I had bought when they came out for KIT, right? Yeah, yeah. I was out there with my girlfriend at the time. She was complaining, what the fuck you going to get sneakers? You don't need sneakers.
00:04:06
Speaker
So like, what am I gonna do? So I found somebody reselling them. I paid $400 when I could have went and got them for 90 bucks. yeah The next day, the kid came with his uncle, I bought him. And then I get a call from my boy who oversees shit at KIF. He was like, yo, go to the front desk, give him an in. There's a pair that way in for free.
00:04:25
Speaker
So I spent $400, because I was miserable, because I couldn't get the sneakers, yeah because she wanted drink at the beach. and you know who's that ah No, we was in the found blue, we was by the pool. She was like i don't know, what the fuck you need sneakers for? You got a house full of sneakers.
00:04:40
Speaker
But I needed them. So I wasn't going back to New York without them. And I wound up going back with two pairs. Damn. That was the the Miami kid? yeah Yeah. That is crazy. Yeah, That is crazy. I mean, well, I'm very curious of just like how you've been, you know, how long have you been collecting within like New York? What what about it inspired you so much? What, New York or the shoes? but Both.
00:05:02
Speaker
Well, I'm from New York. So growing up, it was the drug dealers. But they wore new balances. They wore tonics, they wore avias, they wore spot belts, they wore sarkinis.
00:05:16
Speaker
Jordan's nobody, they didn't care about those shit when they came out. They weren't fly like everybody's saying now. yeah They wore starter jackets, they wore Woolrich snorkels, they wore Kango Bucati tweeds, they wore all that. And that's what I wanted. you know wanted So that stuff was still around.
00:05:33
Speaker
so And it wasn't it wasn't butters, beef and brocks, it was chuckers. right The leather chuckers, the brown ones, the black ones, that's what they wore. like So that's that's what I came up under. that's that's That forever be my favorite era for everything. Music, style, everything. Dope Boy Fresh.
00:05:50
Speaker
Dope Boy Fresh. I mean, but like yeah, you learn about that real early on when, you know, Run DMC, dressing like yeah And not only I wasn't even privy to run DMC because I grew up in Harlem. So I don't give a fuck about Queens back there, no disrespect. hey man It was about Rob Bass. Yeah, It Takes Two. yeah That was the number one hit that you played out of every car, every window. so then um my sister got a boyfriend, my older sister, and I stole a tape that was a BDP album. And I just fell in love with hip hop after that. that was Was that before Bridge is over? The Bridge is over. It was that around that time. again Then uptown, they were heavy into mixtape. Nobody was buying albums. So was Ted Smoove, G with a pole, double R, S&S, who else?
00:06:38
Speaker
Ron G. And then later on was like, and no, Doo-Wop was there too, but then it was later on, it was like the Clue mixtape way later on. Yeah. that mean... These are things that like, I mean, I'm a huge hip hop head. So just like hearing about it. I still got boxes of cassettes. I mean, that's insane, dude. I have about four shoe boxes of cassettes. That is. Mixtape, Stretch Arm and Barbito shows. Like i have i have all that shit. Like you taped them or? but I taped them. You taped the Stretch and Barbito? I taped everything.
00:07:05
Speaker
Oh, man. I hosted the show once and I don't even have that version. What? What? Remember when Bob and Stretch had their falling out? Yeah. so one of my old boys, this kid named Vaz, he used to run Footworks by Bito's store. So him and Ellie used to alternate weeks up there when Bob couldn't be in town. And he called me up one day and I just hung out there.
00:07:25
Speaker
And then like my dumb ass caught tags in the studio. yeah next week i recall I got that on tape. But Bob is like, shame on you for riding all over the studio. I'm sorry, Bob. That's crazy. So you write or
Hip-Hop, Graffiti, and Breakdancing
00:07:40
Speaker
you used to write? that's my That's why I got the name Scrams. Well, my name Scrams originally came from break dancing when I was little. okay ah couldn't of anything. You're hitting all the tenets of hip hop right now. I mean like i hate to say hip hop, culture.
00:07:54
Speaker
It's when I lived. It's where I am. It's like hip hop is something you live, rap is something you do. yeah you know I mean, people don't i don't. I mean, now I don't think people understand it like that.
00:08:04
Speaker
you You just had to be there. You had to really be there. And I'm ah fortunate to still be alive, looking healthy, young, and seeing all that shit come up. And there's, you know, the internet is a weird place. Everybody finds pictures and they posting it and saying they were there. But that's neither here nor there. but Nah, yeah. The... It's just been interesting too, because just like I do think that now we live in this world where there's like a ton of ah revisionist history. People be like, nah, this wasn't hot during this time. I'm like- Bro, you weren't old enough at the first time, so how are you telling me that? yeah
00:08:40
Speaker
It's just, it is what it is, man. But nah, I want to know about how did Graff find like Well, a Puerto Rican growing up in the projects? it's Mandatory. yeah So when my older cousins used to smoke weed with my my other boy named Victor and Manny, they used to go like to the roof. So they would be like, all right, we're gonna smoke.
00:09:02
Speaker
i didn't smoke, I was scared of my mother. i I tried weed at 27, I didn't want it. So they were like, all right, take this marker and just write all the way down, because the staircases were two separate staircases. And then you come back on and you'll bump into us and we'll be done smoking.
00:09:17
Speaker
So that's what I would do. And just straight all the way down and... Yeah. And were they done smoking when you get back out? Yeah, all the time. That's crazy, man. That's... Hey, I mean, that you worked on your hand style. Yeah. Every single time they they they did you. Yeah, that's why my hand style is a balance between Brooklyn and Manhattan. Uh-huh.
00:09:37
Speaker
Did you ever, like, go bombing? Yeah, but I never really cared for graffiti like that. My thing is always trying to get to the money. And... ah You wasting time risking the girl Jeff writing on walls. I do it now, don't get me wrong. so this day, I write i'll write i write my name. It's a bad habit. Shit don't die.
00:09:56
Speaker
But yeah, ah ah I love graffiti. I love watching it. you know All types. you yeah Yeah, I mean, but that's the one thing. When I found graffiti in high school, I was like super obsessed. so like I started writing like and I almost got arrested. but like that was the when i was just like, all right, I'm not. I've been arrested for graffiti. yeah yeah but i' got Bro, I think maybe about eight, 10 years ago, my uncle passed away at the funeral. I crossed street.
00:10:28
Speaker
I write on the icebox in front of the bodega. I look to the left, the fucking deeds are right there. They was like, you can't be serious. I'm like, yo, my uncle just passed. I was like, man. And he was like, nah, he come with us. They took me to the precinct. I was there for about three hours. And my uncles, my other uncles were there, my cousins. I was more embarrassed because i got arrested in front of the family. I would have went through the system.
00:10:50
Speaker
But in front of my family, though, for graffiti, so now the joke, whenever I come around, they be like, you don't got no markers now. I would have been like, yeah, I would have been. so Yeah. Walk a shame after that, bro. Every time they see you is over. They bust my child.
00:11:08
Speaker
My father's side of the family is funny. um Do you got any like like i want to know about collecting sneakers back in you know, like early because I only know about the.
Sneaker Collecting Then and Now
00:11:19
Speaker
The 10s, like the 2010s. Yeah, I know. but But I mean, it wasn't as hard. But like I tell everybody, like, you have to go out there and make these relationships. Yeah. Like I know everybody and their mother.
00:11:32
Speaker
But that didn't happen overnight. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I shocked. I spent money in every store. And I got cool with the workers. I got cool with the managers and everybody. I wasn't in an asshole. If didn't get my sneakers, I wasn't throwing a fit. And they were like, yo, what you need? I got you. yeah Like some stores, I would come with a six-pack. Some I would bring a pie and pizza. Some, that they like, used to hang out at A-Life early on yeah when I worked construction. So...
00:12:00
Speaker
My form is just like candy and then the Riverton candy store, whatever that's just called. Yeah, economy candy. Yeah, used to buy bags and like they used to see me in there and they' be like, oh, that's cool, that's nice of you. And like, so I would go there and then to buy the candy and and go to A-Life and know Orly Crew. Like before, you know, when it was Ricky and Chow were there like early on.
00:12:22
Speaker
Like I was going to A Life when they was on Riverton. Yeah, yeah, yeah. The other store. Yeah. When it was- Not the one with the backyard, right? No, the original one. Yeah, yeah. No, it wasn't on Riverton. think it was on, it was a block of Sweet Chick. Yeah. Lolo from upstate. Yeah, Lolo. Yeah. That was when it was like a storefront, storefront. Yeah, graffiti shit. They had weed upstate. I mean, it's not too much, but you know. I mean, they can't go back now. They closed up.
00:12:49
Speaker
But like that, hearing in those stories of like, I mean, Orchard Street, like, were you able, were you around when like Orchard Street happened? Or like, like when they had the Orchard Street store and then they did the the new dunk and stuff like that? Well, Orchard Street didn't have a store. See, Orchard Street, that's my family. The brand? Yeah, yeah. Like, I think I got the illest collection of that clothing right now. Yeah?
00:13:10
Speaker
Yeah. Like the owner's my man, that one passed away, a family just gave me a box of shit, that that's my family, Orchard Street. Like I love that brand. The fact that nobody could get it, you had to be like a friend of a friend. Like so I would go buy my stuff and they'd be like, can I get this? And they'd be like, for who? yeah And if it's somebody they don't deem cool, oh, you could get one shirt for them, we sold out. yeah Or we other homies is all accounted for. Orchard Street is my, this might be my favorite brand. as what I mean, that's super exclusive. there There's a third dunk. It never came out, too. ah The green and... No, that's the second one. That's the second one. ah Red and yellow. It was the ketchup and mustard, then the stamp of the fresco, and then there's the third one.
00:13:51
Speaker
What's the third one? It was like brownish and like baby blue, if I'm not mistaken. It never came out. Did you see that? Yeah. Like, that's that's family. That's Orchard Street, Greg unit.
Orchard Street and Exclusivity
00:14:05
Speaker
That's family. Orchard Street. I got an Orchard Street credit card. How? the how I was that cool with the credit card. Not a real credit card. But they made it, like, ah okay for the homies. You know what I'm saying? love that brand.
00:14:18
Speaker
See, like, that's, like, street wear to me. like that's That was high-end, like, kind of. Like, back then, like, his girl used to do videos. Mm-hmm. So she styled Jay-Z in the Pimper the Playboy one. I just broke out that shirt because I did an interview with the Kid Sneaker done. i don't really let too many people in my house, especially I don't know, but I let them in. Because he was cool with Greg, one of the founders. And he was more hype off the Orchard Street shit. Nah, yeah. I've had him on this podcast and we talk about... Cause like that's one of my grail dunks, like the Semper de Fresco is like one of my grail dunks. Like the, i for me it's always been a myth. Like I i i don't know if this is true, but I remember seeing a picture of Nas in them. And then- He had, with the Mets jersey. Yes, yes. All right. It is a real picture. I can't find that picture at all. I think I have one, but you can't see that shit. It was a Hot 97. Yes. Hey man, Angie Martinez, a pool table. Yes. Come on bro. Yo, yo. I live this shit bro. I'm here with you though. think might have it. I got a bunch of hard drives, but I don't know. Man, yo, that, see. I got that jersey too. I got to come over. How you let Sneaker Den get ah get in the house? and i And I'm actually like cool with you. We gotta figure this shit out. Yeah. But it was just like... i hope you've been enjoying this week's episode with Scrams. And of course, please, if you're watching this on YouTube, do not forget to like, subscribe, and leave a comment.
00:15:48
Speaker
And hit that bell to make sure you're notified about new episodes which drop every week on Friday. And, of course, if you're listening to this on Spotify or Apple, do not forget to leave a five-star review. And if you leave a written review, I will read it at the end of an episode.
00:16:06
Speaker
And, of course, if you want to go the extra, extra mile, I have a a Patreon. It's only $5. You get an extra episode every month. You get ah insight into the stuff that I'm doing outside of podcasts. And of course, I'm going to start doing a newsletter and stuff like that. But of course, patreon.com slash myfirstkicks. And we are going to jump right back into the episode. he Me and him have like this like love for that and flams. They're both my- The flams dub, I never had that pair. I try to win the Air Force One, I ain't winning. That 70 pairs, bro. Like, it's wild. And then I remember um there's cause I'm a size 13. So I know there's only like four pairs or less than four. It's like three pairs of size 13s. And two of them is like with his son. Cause his son is a size 13. Timmy. Yeah.
00:16:56
Speaker
hey Yeah. It's over for me. You can dream. Yeah. I don't think, but I've seen a size 13 Orchard Street and I was telling, I had them on the podcast and we were talking about it and it's like on Sotheby's. It's got like the paper, it's got everything with it. I mean, I got the the wanted poster somewhere, the magnet.
00:17:18
Speaker
Yeah. I got a lot Orchard Street shit. I mean, how did you? I got the fitteds. It's funny. They did the fitted and the logo in the back. Yeah. is the fitted hat and it says New Era in the shape of it and they, they you know, brought it to New Era and then New Era said, now we can't do that, whatever. Then New Era does it later on. Yeah.
00:17:37
Speaker
That's usually, that's the story. They did that with my man with the brand called Vandalay. Yeah. The OG. Oh, we can't do that. It's gang shit, whatever. They denied him. Boom, they put him out and he sued him. What? Yeah. Wait, the OG shirts like that was on Instagram for like a hot, hot minute? Here he's he's still- he I mean, he's still doing it right there. Yeah, it's Cobra Vanduulay. It was like first worn by Jadakiss, I think, right? No. No. Who was it that wore it first and it blew up after that?
00:18:02
Speaker
I forgot the name. I don't know, but i I don't think it was Jada. No? No. I feel like it was... I mean, Jadis is mad, though. Yeah, yeah. So... yeah How did you get so, like, in trench with, like, the sneaker and streetwear community within...
Authenticity and Relationships in Sneaker Community
00:18:16
Speaker
Because I knew everybody on the come up. Yeah.
00:18:18
Speaker
The goal in this shit is, especially New York, is not to be a piece of shit. Yeah. You got to be a cool person. Mm-hmm. And that doesn't mean kissing ass, that doesn't mean begging, you know, just be you. yeah And you establish relationships and that's how you, you know, you move. Cause New York, you know how is. You go outside, you go here, you bump into this person there, next to over there.
00:18:39
Speaker
And then, oh, this is my man over there. Like I remember when I went to first get Iraq clothes. I went to his crib and Vashi was sleeping on the couch. I'm like, the hell's this girl doing? that was this roommate, i didn't even know.
00:18:50
Speaker
And he gave me a bunch of shit. Early on. Still got the original glow in the dark of the year. Still got some stuff. That's wild. I still got a lot of stuff. I'm about to go in my storage unit tomorrow. I'm tired of paying that fucking bill, bro. Yo, I don't know. I feel like once you get a storage unit, you just start, you lose track of everything. Bro, I've been spending over 20 years, $300 a month.
00:19:11
Speaker
that You paying paying rent. More than that shit. I don't even look at that shit, bro. I just don't have space. have three bedroom full. Yeah? What is it what is it about like collecting that really like speaks to you? It's not collecting. It's just I want all the fly shit. Yeah? So I i know i can wear that when I want to. Right, yeah. like I'll buy something and probably won't wear the shit for years, but I know I have it. So if I go need it, I don't have to pay outlandish prices. I don't i could just always go in my closet, go in my storage, you know, and get it.
00:19:44
Speaker
But I mean, like... And when I'm thinking about it like now, because obviously obviously i got a bunch of sneakers too. um um i I cop way too much stuff as well. yeah But like when I think about it now, I feel like there's so much stuff that comes out every single day now. It's not like it was. Yeah, it does. Too much. yeah But a lot of shit is whack, to be honest. Yeah.
00:20:03
Speaker
you take me They tank the sneaker market. And it's not. On purpose, it's just too much shit. Everybody's chasing money. Like Sockany had it. camet Well, first it was New Balance. Then came A6.
00:20:18
Speaker
Then came Hoka and all that. And then Sockany came, knocked everything out. But everything resets always back to Nike. yeah See, every brand's opinion, in my opinion, yeah needs to just stick to what they they know for good.
00:20:29
Speaker
Don't compete with Nike. You're not going to win. Nike's the big bad wolf. If you stay in your lane, you'll be good. yeah i think that like, we we they everybody it's interesting too because like people be like, yo, but look, Nike stock is down and this and that. And you're just like, All right, let them do that. I'll keep buying the stuff. Nike will always win. Nike is the king. Yeah.
00:20:53
Speaker
Nobody is going ever mess with Nike. They can't get no athlete that that any other brand can never get an athlete that will ever compete with Nike. I mean, Adidas had like a decent run.
00:21:04
Speaker
Why? That's one person. And where he started it first. mean, yes, he did start at Nike first. All right. You know, I do. I do think that like there are. I agree with you, though. I think that like if you're if you're known for one thing and you specialize with that, you garner your your your your fan base through that shit that you should be able to. Look, look, look, a few years ago, Stan Smith came over and everybody went nuts for them. You couldn't find them. And then they burnt that shit. Mm hmm.
00:21:32
Speaker
Like, that shoe used to be a $40, $60 shoe. Now it's like $89. I mean, this is ridiculous. And it was like that for like three years where it was just like everybody's rocking Stan Smiths. You couldn't walk. like I'm talking about like. Everybody. It was high.
00:21:47
Speaker
Especially Williamsburg. Williamsburg was wearing a lot of Stan Smiths. That's a fucking, you know, it's a yuppie shoe. Yeah. So you got the hood trying to be like, don't know. But you know. Mm-hmm. Nike's number one. Yeah. the I mean, we definitely got to talk about like Awake and like me. We running into each other at Awake. and Yeah, I know Angelo. yeah for He worked at Canal Jeans Company. yeah That's like my little brother. like I'm not trying to like little bro, but I'm older. I know him.
00:22:16
Speaker
His mother saved my life in the past. What? how you got Tell that story, please. So he used to do these parties upstate. hu And it was a sleepover. So they had a big property and everybody used to crash. But if you fell asleep or you got drunk, you know, everybody fucked with you. yeah So I went and slept in the car. So I wake up about five in the morning. I'm like, what the fuck? I was so drunk. yeah I'm like, yo, did I swallow a frog? My throat was killing me. huh So I'm...
00:22:46
Speaker
I'm moving and I'm just like choking my uvula. This just starts breaking. You know, a little punchy back back. It swole from, I guess, the temperature and it was making me gag.
00:22:58
Speaker
So I was scared I couldn't breathe. huh So I'm banging on the house, everybody's sleeping. She comes out, like, what happened? i was like So we went to the, she took me to the emergency room and it was like if you'd kept on, it could ah you could have died from not breathing.
00:23:12
Speaker
Yo, that is crazy. So then boom, so I come back, right? Yeah. Talking shit, I'm in the pool after I get the steroid shot and I'm light on my feet. So a lot niggas talking shit, you fat fuck, this, that, and the other. So I like, let's race some money.
00:23:28
Speaker
So I get out the pool, barefoot, smoking everybody, winning money. Fucking catch poison ivy on my fucking kill roy That was the time Will Whitney was there for that. yeah That shit was crazy.
00:23:41
Speaker
Everybody that was like cool in the downtown scene, be there. like I got old pictures of me playing dominoes with ball, not even though. That shit was dope. Everybody, DJ Soul, just everybody from downtown, from Vashti. It was dope. you know That's wild, bro. That is wild.
00:24:02
Speaker
that like that That community, i don't know if we will see that again, in my opinion. you know like think it's happening and again, but not it will never be what it was. Right, yeah. Because a lot of community now, i don't think it's genuine. i think it's like, whatever what you...
00:24:19
Speaker
oh What is it? What have you done for me lately? Yeah, that's that's what I've been noticing a lot now, where it's a lot of people are... are I mean, we talk about transactional relationships a lot. Yeah. And I think that like... I don't want that shit, bro. yeah. And I tell people, use me. if i if If I can help you with something, I got you. I'm not going to charge you. I don't want nothing in the back because are supposed to do? You know?
00:24:44
Speaker
Like, I've... To be honest, if i got if I never got another pair of sneakers, I'm good. Yeah. I still can fucking put on. You know what I'm saying? I still got wild shit. Yeah. And I don't really care for that shit no more. don't make me happy. I like giving shit away. lot of times I wear my sneakers two, three times, give them away. Yeah.
00:25:01
Speaker
Clothes I give away all the time. And I still don't have no space. I'm about to... And I just, right now i bought these clear bags that are like this. yeah Like the moving bags. I got about 10 of them, brand new shit. I'm a sell that shit because I spent some money on that shit. And I still didn't get to my store. So when I'm done, I'm gonna like maybe 20 bags. Is there was there any movements that you like really tapped in on like early on?
00:25:25
Speaker
What do you mean? Like low, like being in the low. I know you, i know you were but I'm just saying. I'll put a picture every once in a while. I was big into that shit. yeah Polo, like, is my favorite brand. So to me, it's Polo. And now it's Polo, Nike.
00:25:42
Speaker
And I like wearing, like, you know, people like D-Sweatpants. These are from the from Scotland. Repurpose, Mara. They do a lot of shit like that. So I like to support everybody. Like I did back in the 80s, I got into Orchard Street. Right. That's how i got into Iraq. Like, the homie shit that, well, I'm going to what I want. Right, yeah. You know saying? Just because it's the homies doesn't make it cool. Nah, yeah. And everybody expects you to wear your homie shit by, but some their shit be whack. Some of their shit be whack. If they're your homie, you should be able to tell them this shit is whack, though. But, like, I'd be like, yo, thank you, but I'm not. I got a lot of shit given me that I give away. there Yeah.
00:26:18
Speaker
And some of the shit is whack. Somebody's going to look at him and be like, fire. Like Fresco said, tell your friends that their shit is whack, though. Yes. Shout out Fresco, man. I know him since his little kid, too. yeah I used to play ball and ah and get money over there on his side of town.
00:26:35
Speaker
Yeah. Man, I mean, I think that i like I'm also a proponent of like where your homie shit. the But, I mean, yes. You know, I think if they are the homie, you'd be like, yo, this does not fit me. Yeah, and that's another thing. Everything ain't for everybody. And you look like, some people look like clowns trying too hard. I know what's good for me. I know I'm a certain body type. I can't wear certain shit. I don't care how cool how expensive it is. It just ain't for me. My favorite shit to wear is a crispy white tee. Every few months, I buy a 60-pack. You know what I'm saying? not no City Lines. I was just going to say, which ones? No. I like hanging stuff. I'm big. I like thin. I don't like that heavy shit. Yeah, I mean, I like, I actually like the heavy stuff. I think, like, I did shirts, you know, I'm doing, what's the? Gilding?
00:27:26
Speaker
Comfort, comfort colors. Okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Those are, you know, they're a little bit, they're a little bit on the thick side. Paws. But like, though those what i what I definitely am trying to like, you know, touch on is just like the way that community was built then. when it was real community. Everybody knew each other. Without the internet, which like it made it made it seem like, you know. it' So double-edged sword, then there's good and it bad. Yeah.
00:27:55
Speaker
Like you would know to catch certain people were like Will Whitney. Mm-hmm. He worked at Nom de Gea. Mm-hmm. That might be before your time. No, I was, I i knew where was. Yeah, downstairs from Swatch. Yeah. And then they they lost their account, then they closed the store, then he ran to Ron Mercer. Mm-hmm. That block party was legendary. Yeah. Yeah.
00:28:15
Speaker
That made that block look like a stadium. Yeah. it was dope. I still got the ticket, got a ticket to come in. I still got the flies, all that shit, because I save all those little things. right yeah It was a good time. Everybody was there.
00:28:26
Speaker
That is crazy. That is crazy. i I also did not know that. Yeah, it was a dope shit. My era is, I did the Lambs guys. Me and the Lambs guys around the same age. I just met him recently. He's a good dude. Yeah, yeah. Scotty? Yeah.
00:28:44
Speaker
Now he was talking about how when he won those... ah What's his name? From the roots here. The Air Force One. Questlove? He was there. He won. I was like, that was you? Yeah. and I was looking at pictures because Chris is my man. Chris was a photographer. and Yeah, I met him back then, but he was he was a young kid. you know That, I mean, yeah, his collection is crazy, too. I can't wait to get him on the seat. but Oh, Chris? No. Oh, it's Lamp, Scottie? Yeah, Scottie, all of them. They said they would pull up. But the ah the I would do the run that they have on the papers for the for the the Air Force Ones. Yeah, yeah, I got He gave it to me. saved it because he knows I like that shit. Yeah. I still got, bro, I collect shopping bags, like paraphernalia from stores, all that shit, business cards, matches. I'm fucking hoard it, bro. Yeah.
00:29:31
Speaker
No, you call yourself a, what was it on the on the the undefeated doc? You called yourself a culture. They named you like a culture. i don't remember. just, yeah. I call myself. Culture icon. Yeah, yeah. Culture icon. I'm just me, bro. Yeah. I'm approachable.
00:29:46
Speaker
I just like to chill, bro. Nah, man. Yeah. I like to give back. Like the young kids, they I really was a little you know against it in the beginning, but now I'm just like, fuck it. Let me pass the knowledge.
00:29:59
Speaker
what it What was like deterring you from it? like what Is it the- Because a lot of people that put onto game run and tell the story like they was there or- Really? like it was Yeah, bro. i I'm going to need one at least one time this is happening.
00:30:13
Speaker
Just people stealing my pictures, cropping me out, putting on Instagram, you know i'm saying? Yeah, yeah. Taking my shit, watermarking shit. like i got I got boxes and pictures too. Yeah, yeah. I took a lot of pictures.
00:30:25
Speaker
I got digital and you know print. that's i mean yeah i mean I got pictures when I had hair. They don't know. Unless take the hat off, they don't know. You could have had hair under that. Nah, I got no hair. and I just shaved my face, too. Feels weird, bro.
00:30:41
Speaker
I had a beard for like two years. yeah I decided to get out. I was going to shave it all off, but I was like, I'm coming to show. I'm not coming with a bald face. I look crazy like a vagina.
00:30:55
Speaker
Like a straight baby. but I mean, that's very wild. Because like when i was when i when I hear that, when i like when like an OG is like, yo, like I'll put you on or not put you on. or like There's always a a moment of like people be like, yo, you're being a gatekeeper. why you now you know Why you not? We need gatekeepers. Yes. You know why? Yeah.
00:31:17
Speaker
to stop them from people doing fuck shit. yeah See, the internet gave everybody a platform. So now they don't got they can just say whatever the fuck. yeah And somebody is gonna believe them.
00:31:29
Speaker
That's what we in this world, where we in this era that like people would just be like, this is what this is what happened during this time and this is why. But like if you don't look it up and and check it out. And if I say something that way, he does, he blocks me. yeah So nobody can hear me correcting him. Yeah, exactly. Yeah, that fucking coffee was so bad. My mouth was so dry right now. I'm sorry. You want a water? Please. I got you.
00:31:53
Speaker
the You want to pause? No, we can keep going. All right. Damn, I'm going to have to cut this one out. But I think that like like it's it's a Thank you, sir.
00:32:06
Speaker
There you go. Yeah, my mom was so dry. I also need water, but I can wait. I can. ah Yeah, sure. I'll take it. It's the non-correct thing that we're starting to see less of.
00:32:19
Speaker
Like, people are not, people too scared to be like, yo. I think Angelo said it on his interview with Murrow. I think he think the term used cultural repur repurposing. Yeah. I think that's what he said. And it's happening right in front of our faces. Yeah.
00:32:33
Speaker
And another thing I have is collections of magazines. like got maybe floor of the ceiling of old school magazines. I've scanned a couple, I like those couple pictures, but I never put it on the internet. yeah People are putting it on and now it's time to tell a story about those pictures.
00:32:51
Speaker
Without without like any, like is it like random context? or is No, like like somebody in an old Gucci outfit or North Face and telling stories about it. Like, dogs, you wasn't there. Yeah.
00:33:05
Speaker
I mean, is it's ridiculous. Like, I'm an old head and there's a lot of shit that I miss that I won't speak on because I wasn't there. yeah Could I speak on it because I know people were there? Yes, but I don't.
00:33:17
Speaker
And i don't understand why people don't take that approach because I'd rather speak on things that I like i know. like I'd rather be like, you know or ask the question were like you know where I was just like, yes, I wasn't there for Orchard Street, but like I'm going to talk to somebody that was. That's great. That's my favorite brand, bro. yeah i was just in his He was just in town. I was hanging out with him.
00:33:35
Speaker
And right before Virgil passed, he was trying to bring the shit back. i don't know if you've seen him. He taped the wall the the shirt Jay-Z had on the wall. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And then after. And he was trying to bring the brand back. Virgil was trying to bring it back. like At first, yeah I didn't understand Virgil. thought he was like doing too much, trying to be hot. But now I understand him.
00:33:59
Speaker
And I was wrong. Like I thought you was just trying to imitate and copy shit. But he he didn't have time. yeah So he was doing a lot. And what he well he there was amazing. Now looking back.
00:34:11
Speaker
ah I got a CD to a bunch of his Air Force Ones, and my guy in Nike was like, yo, he was definitely checking you out. oh yeah We submitted, and he was like, I already was checking him out.
00:34:26
Speaker
Yes, because he he approved who got his shit. So that was dope. But there was a while, because then he passed away. So then I started getting the stuff after he passed away. Because they put a halt on the CD. Yeah. I mean, that's wild. the I don't know. Like, shit. I never, even though i had somebody on that got Sean Collard, he got the twos when he did the twos. ah And like, even the ah the thought of like getting a pair signed by Virgil or like given to me from Virgil would have been crazy to me. I remember I was, you know, Nike had like some shit where you could dye your sneakers and it do. And then it was like, oh shit, you've heard this friend. I'm like,
00:35:09
Speaker
You mean a Virgil's friend? Yeah. But he seen a picture or he was there, I don't know, of me talking with Angelo Virgil around. That's what he says. So I got to skip the whole line and they they they got to shoot for free. Yes, Virgil's friend. And then on the box it says Virgil's friend. What? Yo, that's why there's a sticker they put that wild. That's wild. the I mean, man, though you got you got you got ah any crazy, like what's a crazy like story, a line story that you may have?
00:35:39
Speaker
might sound crazy, but I don't do lines. You don't do lines? No lines. No lines of drugs, no lines of sneakers. It's just corny, bro, to me.
00:35:49
Speaker
yeah It just makes it... like I've went where people got online and I was just like, this ain't for What the fuck am I doing, bro? There's nothing I really... Sneaker-wise, I would wait online for. yeah I'd wait online for art. I bought some Futura pieces.
00:36:08
Speaker
Kaws shit I bought. I'd wait on online. But sneakers... I've always had a lot. Like I said, once I got my own money, I would buy three pairs. You know, because I didn't have it growing up. And then when I started shopping for some homies, I would buy five, six at a clip and the stores used to be like, take this for free. Like, and I'm gonna get mad after shit. And then when you're buying as many sneakers, you don't get a chance to wear them. right So it just pile up, pile up.
00:36:35
Speaker
And it's Sheesh. I wish I had the bread to do that back in the day. I couldn't... I couldn't i i was never the... I was working, you know. Then I worked... I did what I did. Then I worked construction. was making $75 an hour. Yeah.
00:36:50
Speaker
Sneakers is light. It's two hours of work. That is, yeah. That's light. I mean, I should have worked construction back in the day. Yeah, it was good. Because... I definitely am not doing it now. That shit kicks your ass, bro. My body still hurts sometimes.
00:37:05
Speaker
I mean, this is wild. the So, like, all right. So, you've done a lot of these. you've you've been You've seen community grow. You've been part of a community. Seen community fall apart. Seen community fall apart. So, like, you know, definitely want to hit touch hear you touch on, like, your work now that with, like, kids.
Teaching Design and Giving Back
00:37:24
Speaker
and Well, what I'm right now doing, I'm running after-school program called Kick A Knowledge. Mm-hmm.
00:37:28
Speaker
and we teach kids how to build decks. Now we got 3D printers, we're gonna have them colored sneakers, we teach them how to present. And the goal is for them to create a sneaker and we're gonna 3D print it for them.
00:37:41
Speaker
We just had Nike come to the school, both schools, I teach one in Brooklyn, one in Queens. Not really teach as much now, because I oversee the program, yeah but I'm hands on with like all the kids. Like I'm first name basis with all the kids, they call me Coach Riz, Mr. 6'7".
00:37:58
Speaker
cause They got all the res, you know. yeah is yeah The kids, they're amazing. And, you know, so it's kindergarten and fourth grade. But prior, we took, I think two years ago now, we took the school PS42 on the block of Awake.
00:38:13
Speaker
We took two classrooms to present at Nike. And they presented in front of people at Nike, bro. Like, I was about to cry a few times. Yeah. It was amazing how the kids, like this one little Asian kid, he said, put on my theme music. so like, what the fuck is going on? He came out to The Price is Right. This kid was a baby. This kid, he must be babysitting. And he presented, and it was amazing.
00:38:39
Speaker
It was amazing. Like, I can't you know post none of that shit because it's a quick skit, but it was amazing, bro. That is, that is one, that's fire. Yeah, I did my job. Yeah. I mean, the how does that feel to like bestow like part of- it feels great. It's the greatest reward.
00:38:59
Speaker
I love making people smile. Like, if I could make you laugh, i used to be a fucking- ah snapping on everybody. Growing up, everything was your mother. Growing up, day everybody, your mother sucks dick, your mother got fucking three nipples, or you was poor.
00:39:15
Speaker
like So I came up, but there's nothing you can tell me I haven't heard, bro. I just get snapped on by grown men. yeah you know saying Right sneakers leaning. I don't fucking no you think it's making you know. selling drugs, and I'm fucking going to school. Making fun make fun of you. yeah exactly That's crazy, bro. Like yes, we don't have money in now right now. yeah But you over here on the block, you making money, like it's different. school you mostly Yeah, it's different. So like I've been snapped on like jokes, that shit's old.
00:39:48
Speaker
So seeing people smile, laugh, good and bad shit amazing. But like when incorporating like your love for sneakers- like It makes it it easier. yeah It's an easy transition. Like I wore shoes like I wore those Mars, those Yard, whatever, like the new ones. yeah yeah yeah Kids were like, what are those? And these kids in second grade, kindergarten, making fun of these shoes. I'm like, these shoes are $2, I mean, not $2,000, $1,200. I mean, I didn't pay ah for them. I got them, you know, thank you Nike again.
00:40:18
Speaker
But they're making fun of me. Yeah. But then when I step out the real world, everybody's jocking them. You know? So that goes to show you these kids are pure. Yeah. They're not going to be biased to what it costs, what it is. They're going to tell you how they feel. Yeah. And that's the best the best reward. It is. It is. The the way that we, like...
00:40:37
Speaker
the The way that we see, or it has become about monetary value when it comes to like this thing that we like we love. it's it's it's but I mean, I've been but been guilty of it now. Like I said, you catch me in a white t-shirt, some gray shorts, no ankle socks, no socks, yeah high socks, whatever sneakers I want to wear. I've been through that, you know?
00:41:00
Speaker
i've been through that like you know But the greatest gift to have in my eyes is to be able to give somebody something. And that doesn't necessarily mean financially, physically, anything. You give somebody advice. And that's your blessing. That's your kickback. You get a gift from that if you're doing it genuinely. Exactly. Because a lot of people, not a lot of people, but there are some people that will take that as life. You said transitional, right? They'll be like, oh, so now you got me, right? Yeah, like I'm sure my man Angelo, everybody's harassing them for them Tims. Harassing them for them Fives.
00:41:40
Speaker
So... Hey, he had a hell of a year though. Those Timbs were fire. When I saw Dre with him, I was like- Yeah, it's dope that he gave Dre a pair. Dre deserves his flowers. Did you get a pair? No, I didn't get a pair.
00:41:53
Speaker
I'm not sure if I had wardrobe. I don't like those field boots. They're not comfortable to It's another thing. If it's not comfortable, I'm not wearing them. I got tons of Jordans. I'm not wearing them. Unless it's a four and it has to be a four or three.
00:42:05
Speaker
And they have to be a half size bigger because they're a little from the side. Everybody got the same. it's not. It's the shoe. It is the shoe. But it's just like, don't know. It's also the feet too. Like if your feet... If your feet is like a little bit wider. Yeah, I have wide feet. Like I just went to the outlets and I bought a pair Tim's.
00:42:27
Speaker
Fuck you outlets. They're the same price as the school. But asked for 10 and a half and they didn't have it. The 11 was too big. But he was like, try a 10 wide and shit fit perfect. Yeah. 10 wide helped.
00:42:39
Speaker
That's that. You got to have those. We need those variations. But we're not going to get that in Jordans. Nobody's going to be like, yo, let me get a Air Jordan 4 wide. Like... I wish. that was They wouldn't buy it, though. New Balance been doing that for years. years. For years. a year yeah E, double E, triple Hey, like, give me a five. No.
00:43:00
Speaker
Fives, I feel like fives. Fives are all right. Yo, the awake fives fit really good. Yeah. um I mean, that shoe was so dope. I think that, like... Yeah, I've seen it. Wait till you see the six. Oh, yeah.
00:43:12
Speaker
Yeah. Did you just spoil something? I mean, there's a bunch of pictures being leaked, and they're not the right color pink. Uh-huh. But... That's crazy. i mean, that is... helped part of the... I helped him with the first shoot, the ship.
00:43:30
Speaker
We yeah did a mirror on my way. i was part of the campaign for the blue colorway. We did a commercial with Jordan Brown. was dope. Yeah. To me, like i I want to interview him, but like him growing up in the same area as me like in Queens. Oh, yeah, that's dope. I was just like super inspired by him. Especially like, look, I i didn't. So I passed by Awake one a couple times because I used i used to really hang around Bowery, trying to make sure I was going to get people to know about the podcast and stuff like that. Did you ever go to my gallery that had on Bowery?
00:44:04
Speaker
Did I? It was called Barrio Art Room. I have. was a few doors down from Whole Foods. I was there for a year, but then cocksucker raised the rent too much money. Damn. What'd you have in there? Just art. I had people rent it out to do shows. It was it was a vibe. Yeah.
00:44:20
Speaker
I mean, it wasn't profitable, but it learned a lot. I was going to say. It was expensive. Art galleries are. Yeah. Like, what... Were you able to like bring in people that now blew up or like were you curated to the point where you were like, damn, I knew it? I mean, that I wish I knew what I know now. would did more. would created merch. I didn't take it that serious because i was too busy. Not that I took it not wasn't taking a serious, but I was the janitor. I was the fucking maintenance guy. I had to fix the walls. had patchwork. I had to paint after every show. So I didn't have time to be creative. and I was just tired. I was there every day a week. You know you were you are this construction guy for your own building. Yeah, everything. yeah everything excuse I would bring my dog there and I'd be there until 2 in the morning painting.
00:45:06
Speaker
Fucking 15 feet walls. It was 2,500 square feet. That's And I'd have to paint it white. And some of these asses would come in, use the wrong screws, wrong nails. Just push it right in. Fuck up the whole walls and break the concrete. I would have to patchwork all that shit, bro.
00:45:23
Speaker
I mean, I learned that. A lot of people don't know I worked construction 10 years of my life. They were like, what did Scram do? You know what I'm saying? I worked. I've done everything. Fucking working Bed Bath & Young as a kid.
00:45:36
Speaker
I did a bunch of shit. worked in ah and Times Square, the Warner Brothers store. I've done a lot of shit. I worked in a nursing home. I've done a lot of shit. Still going.
00:45:47
Speaker
I mean, look, you i mean you helping the kids out now, though? Yeah, it's it's the greatest feeling, bro. Yeah. I wish I could shout them out so they hear it. Some of them is wild, bro. But, like, Awake's impact on, like, the area, you know? I feel like, because, like, what I was saying, like, when I was younger. Yeah, the community. Yeah, when I was younger Soho, I used to do the loop. I used to do DQM, Supreme, right? And so, like, that died out, like, once I got out of, like, college and stuff like that. So I didn't know where to go.
00:46:20
Speaker
And then I ran into Ari one time and Ari was like- Which areri Ari? Ari, Menthol's Ari. And Ari was like, you got to come to Bowery. That's my guy. I've known him for a long time too. Yeah. I mean, he's a legend. Yeah. And so- And he's not afraid to talk too. Nah, yeah. He's good dude. Nah. I mean, he's always counterculture. He's always about to- And he's always he's always trying to bring in more people, you know? He hangs out with Kenny a lot. Kenny Estasia. Kenny, the- he owned The Sole E.T. and Sandwich Board.
00:46:50
Speaker
Yes. Yes. Good kid. Yeah. Very good kid. He's awesome. I have yet to go eat there. I got to go. It's banging. Well, I had it at a family food fest. Okay. Did you go to? Yeah, it was there. Right by my crib, man. That shit you're talking about, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. It was there. Yeah. And he had his little spot there. And he was just, those sandwiches are crazy. Those sandwiches are mad good. But, like, started hanging around Bowery. And I was like, oh, this gives me the vibe that I was missing. Yeah, everything moved over from Broadway to over there. It was a good time over there. Nah, yeah. And then Scars and all that, you know? Exactly. Yeah. The area is, like...
00:47:30
Speaker
it's like super reminiscent of that. And also, yes, the community is starting to like, you know, really tap in with each and every store that is in that area. and then Lambs and bo pulled up. Lambs got the block hot. Lambs, I think, was there before Awake, if I'm not mistaken. Yeah, yeah. But what i was saying, it was like, I passed by Awake one time and it was popping. And I was like, what is this place? Because you there's no Awake sign. well a lot There was a um scaffolding there for a long time. Yes, that too. You know, I was going to take a wake from my gallery first. Yeah.
00:48:03
Speaker
But we got off of the spot on the bowery, so we took that. and they didn't need as much work as our wake did. But like what he did with the store. Nah, yeah. It's fire. that he took His shelves, I posted the shelves because it's like... With the brackets? Yes. I'm like, yo, this is fire. Yeah, whoever they found that did a good job. I mean, it's crazy. My my favorite is the J.A. tags, though. Yeah. Shout out J.A., man.
00:48:28
Speaker
I mean, I don't know if he's... He's still doing it with Freedy. One of my close friends, this kid that came my brother, kid named Scuff. Yeah, love Scuff. J.A. is his right hand, man. I mean, that crew was going wild for a hot minute.
00:48:40
Speaker
XTC. He still writes. Yeah. ah But I barely see it now. Because he's doing high spots. like he's going He's going with a purpose, not just mom and everything. Yeah, because he tore up New York for years.
00:48:55
Speaker
years To me, nobody had more up to him. No. No. Even to the point where it was like, I mean, even Cheese, Cheese for a hot minute was like. No, bro. But like, Cheese went crazy, though. He did, but. He went crazy. Or Kiko. Kiko was up, too. I never heard of Kiko. No?
00:49:10
Speaker
No. definitely look up Kiko. No. ain't see it, ain't see I'm not looking up no graffiti on my phone. No? Nah, bro. You think Vandal Squad got you? No, I'm just not going to Google Kiko. never heard of Kiko, bro. It sounded like somebody's Spanish uncle. Yeah. Yeah.
00:49:26
Speaker
Man, i mean, what what what do you love seeing now? Like, I feel like a lot of the culture has started to fall, like, we'll circle back and, like, well people are paying homage to... Oh, like, Avarax and fucking North Face, all that.
00:49:45
Speaker
To be honest, there's nothing i don't want to say nothing impresses me, but I like where it's going, you know? But the brands don't put the same quality as they did. But I understand, like, shit changes. yeah Like, they're about to, day i don't know if it deaded this year, but Gore-Tex is dead.
00:50:01
Speaker
yeah Or it's about to be. There's a new shit they're saying that causes cancer in certain places. i don't how Yeah, I don't know if it's... how sucking so something i have certain places but not everywhere. don't make no sense.
00:50:13
Speaker
Unless maybe it's something to do with the weather. Who fucking knows? But a lot of shit is changing. And everybody gets mad. Oh, like fast boots. They're not made in Italy no more. Shit changes. Yeah.
00:50:25
Speaker
North Face is not made the same no more. There's no Kevlar. It costs too much. Like, everybody want them total phone pals to come going cost mad bread. They're going to be very expensive. Very expensive. And then what are you going to say? You don't want them now after you begged for them? Yeah. Then they come out and you're like, oh, now i'm not paying $280. Be like...
00:50:44
Speaker
I heard there's going to be more than that. That's crazy. That's crazy because, yes, I do understand that it's it's a shoe that you have to make a whole entire separate mold for and all that stuff. But you got to make it affordable somehow.
00:50:58
Speaker
How, bro? Of course. it was too what it was it How much was it when it first dropped? it was like Maybe $1. I'm not sure. it's like I never had this shoe. yeah Were you a fan of it?
00:51:10
Speaker
No. It was too heavy. I didn't love it. It was cool. I respect it, but it wasn't me. I didn't like phones when they first came out. remember when that shit came out. It was like $1.80, I don't know, whatever. was fire. It was like $160. But it wasn't for me. But my right-hand man, rest in peace, Mike, had them shits.
00:51:25
Speaker
He used to work in the go-karts in Coney Island, so he always put crazy, like he was loud with it. And he looked good on his feet. and is it sold And then it just like sold you on it? Just like- Yeah, but but it still wasn't me. I didn't dress like that, so I wasn't phoned, you know? but was if I'm still an Force One guy. Yeah.
00:51:42
Speaker
Still got a lot of Air Force 1s. Are you a a two pair, I mean ah to wear, white, white on white? I really don't like white on white like that. But yeah, I am like maybe one or two wears. Especially now, now they're cheap.
00:51:55
Speaker
I have so many pairs. I recently bought a pair because I needed a pair. Dude charged me $120. I'm like, what the fuck, bro? I'm getting one pair, not two. In my mind, I'm still thinking it's $60. Yeah.
00:52:07
Speaker
And I was just like, yo, shit done changed, man. That's why I knew shit was correct. 120 for a pair of white I thought I was getting two. i was like, no, I want one. He was like, nah, they're 120. I was like, but I needed them for alpha, you know Yeah.
00:52:21
Speaker
So that's a safe bet. If you're going on vacation, get a pair of Y&Ys, you just leave them there. Wait, you just leave them at the... Yeah. You just be like, right. Like I was just in Puerto Rico. I left the Aimex 97, the Puerto Rico ones. I left them there.
00:52:35
Speaker
Oh, that's okay. I don't know if I could do that. I feel like I packed with the intention of like... Nah, I leave everything.
00:52:44
Speaker
clothes T-shirts, underwear, socks. Certain shorts I'll bring back or certain dress up shirts like Guayabera, shit like that. White T-shirts, underwear socks, shit just stays. Sneakers, don't wanna carry nothing back.
00:53:00
Speaker
just You pull it up with a one bag, with a duffel bag, you just pack the duffel bag back and then that's it? Nah, just leave the shit in the trash in the hotel. do you know Whatever. just If it don't make it in the basket, it stays right next to them. That's wild. I've never heard. and like i've i've um'm the person that be like I'm the person that overpacks. So I always bring way more money. but I've learned over the years to pack. Yeah.
00:53:23
Speaker
Cause there be times yo, I be like, damn wait, I only got like two more days. Like if I know there's a Walmart where I'm going, like far from the hotel, like in Puerto Rico, I dare just won't bring white t-shirts cause i go buy a 10 pack there. Yeah.
00:53:36
Speaker
You know, so I have more room in my bag. i don't have to carry it cause I know I'm gonna leave this shit. Like socks and all that. Yeah. Just keep them. When I'm and on vacation, I can wear white, white on white fucking boxer briefs, food and looms.
00:53:48
Speaker
Just leave them shits there, bro. Man, I don't know if I could do it. I don't know if I could do it. I feel like I need, I feel like, I don't because I know there's like that mindset of, like obviously, if you you you know you'd be like, yo, I could just go to buy a whole new fit.
00:54:03
Speaker
Just go there with no luggage. When I go to Vegas, I really don't bring no luggage. I go shopping. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Because I always find shit that like in the outlets out there. I go to Comic Con and buy enough underwear to bring back.
00:54:15
Speaker
Certain places I won't. Miami, I can go shopping there. i know Shoe Gallery, Danny, for years has been holding me down. That store's been fired for years. They just moved. haven't went to the location. I just go there and shop. Because they'll have bigger sizes because Miami got a lot of big dudes. And I just get shit there. Same thing with Vegas, you know?
00:54:35
Speaker
I mean, Vegas is it's a whole beast of self, man. Like, I'm there a I went three times year, but I have family. My mother's out there and my sister. you Both my sisters. You was there for Compass Con too, right? No, I didn't You didn't go? No.
00:54:47
Speaker
I mean, it was fire. I was supposed to go, but then I didn't get my itinerary in time, so I was like, I'm not taking off of work. Nah, yeah. I mean... is it it Are you going to go next year?
00:54:58
Speaker
I mean, this year? My bad. Maybe. i don't know. I really have no business going there. like I'm not. Maybe now because I got the brand. shoutout to rex santa Shout to Shout out Teach. We coming for everything that's old. We're putting on quality, simple shit, no crazy shit.
00:55:14
Speaker
Quality first. yeah ah The goal of the brand is to open an actual rec center for these kids. Fire. So they have a place to get all that energy out so they're not fucking wearing them shiesty masks with the fucking bad breath and smelling like shit. These kids wearing hoodies in the summer. Like, what's wrong with y'all?
00:55:34
Speaker
Y'all don't got nobody to listen to. and It sucks to say, but it's the truth. Nobody cares about them kids. Yes. i said That's a big problem. and And I get it. Like Michael Jordan said, fuck them kids. But we need them kids because those kids are going to be us. Those kids are going to, God forbid, like if I had a daughter, he's going to be dating my daughter. know what I'm saying? Or vice versa. So we got to, you know, teach. So I want them, you know, to learn how to play basketball the right way, how to play Scalzi's. how to play check is a place where they can do their homework without being ridiculed from doing their homework.
00:56:07
Speaker
You know, so that's that's the goal of the brand. I mean, that's fire. That's fire because it's it's also, it's giving back, but you're also, you know, it's ah I have a shirt. he You know, he blessed me with a shirt and it's fire. The the brand is fire too. So like. It's it's it's not always about taking. Yeah.
00:56:23
Speaker
So it's okay to give. Yeah. It's okay to give. Our old time ah old timer taught me, it's called seed money. Seed money? Seed money. You plant the seed. Mm-hmm. When you do good, everything comes back to you.
00:56:36
Speaker
Good, you know, tenfold. Hey, I mean, we started off talking about how everybody just wants you know wants wants to see right now.
Building Connections and Shoe Preferences
00:56:44
Speaker
We want to see it happen right now. fine, bro. yeah If I was like that, I'd never be in the position. Like, you know, the good people I got at Nike, like, we didn't talk on an everyday basis. I i just said what's up to them. They reached out. We started talking. Like, I know his family now. He's my guy. Like, I don't like saying people's names and stuff, but he knows who he is.
00:57:04
Speaker
Great man. Yeah. I mean, that's that's love. That's love. And he tells me, yo, hit me if you want anything. I've never asked for anything. I mean, I'm also that person where it's just like, if I'm in that position, I'm i um just not asking. Because I can get anything if I want anything. Yeah.
00:57:20
Speaker
The people who know who I'm known to know that's true. But I'm not going to say their name too. But I just... I'm like... I'm not that dude, bro. Nah, yeah. I get what they what I'm giving. Yeah. And you got... I mean, you recently... The Romero's you got on. Yeah, these shit's just so comfortable.
00:57:37
Speaker
Cleed. Big cleed. It's like I said, only me wearing comfortable shit, bro. Can't wear them Jordan 1s anymore. They hurt your feet. Nah, I mean, look. Ain't on me. I'm on the Brooks right now. I'm on that Brooks. Yeah, I got the... um Shout out Peter Vary, man. The Respace colorway they sent me. Oh, yeah. The staple joints. How about wore them shits, right? To go to the party. I went the wrong date.
00:58:02
Speaker
Which day did you go? i was there both The day before it actually happened. The the the talk with Bima? No, before that when they had the opening party. yeah I don't know, Bima was there? so i Bima was the day the day before. so Bima had to talk the day before and then they had the party the next day.
00:58:20
Speaker
So I went the day before that. yeah went you And Nico was like, yo, yo. I was like, yo, what time? was like, yo, yo, a day early. Nico's my guy.
ReSpace and Cultural Memories
00:58:30
Speaker
know him for long time. I know Jeff for long time. Good people over there.
00:58:33
Speaker
They carry one of this brand that me and another kid had there long time ago, too. Oh, ReSpace. Yeah. Yo, know shout out ReSpace, man. That was- Survive. You could walk through the whole store from one side to- you oh magazines, books, market toys, all that. And it was like it was like a ah cultural hub. And it was cool. Nobody was like, yo, you want this? they were die yeah It was just your leisure. You'd be like, you just look around and then You don't have to talk to mine. Yeah. i
00:59:04
Speaker
I miss that. I miss that. Like, I mean, when I go to Staple, it is like, it's missing that the other stuff. Like, it's cool with the Staple stuff. I like what they did. They knocked out the Nagi ID room in the back. Yeah. It's just dope. Yeah. With the, like, the gallery part in the back or whatever. And now they got that, like, ghostwriter.
00:59:22
Speaker
I don't know if it's still there. got go over I ain't been there in a minute. Yeah. It's pretty It's pretty good. Mm-hmm. That coffee made you tired. Nah, it's just got my mouth mad dropped, boss. Delete that shit. But we're towards the end of the podcast, and I want to hit you with another question. It deals with a little visualization. we're going to think back to what was the pair that you had that you absolutely had to have? Oh, the Lennon Air Force Ones. My bad. Lennon Air Force Ones. Now, you're younger you youre you you're older you behind your younger self. What would you tell your younger self as he opens that box?
00:59:59
Speaker
Don't fuck these shits up. Get them shits once a week and stretch it because you're going to find them shits again. yeah So then they came out again. right So there used to be a page and it would be like 98 days since the linen came out. 99 days. It was mad funny. yeah And the only person that really got it was my guy Nike. He's like, yo, can you find out who that person is? Find their signs, whatever. And then when they came out, he wanted to see him. The page disappeared.
01:00:30
Speaker
So he sent me my pair and I bought more pairs. So the pair that I bought for $400, I could have sold it early on and made some money, but I was, and then they came out. They they were under retail. They probably still like retail now, but I gave Cheech a pair, my boy, because that's one shoe he loves. And it was a gift I gave Hey, man. love that. Like said, you got to give, bro. got to give, man. It's awesome. I love that. That's like the common thing. plusing I have fucking six pairs. Yeah, you did. Yeah. I still do. i bought a lot of pesos i was like that's a shoe because so that's a shoe i only knew about it because of the clark story which is the clark story the clark stories that he learned about the shoe and the only place that he could find have him was in maryland so they did he did the trip to maryland that was for a linen i think it was for a no it wasn't for a wasn't it for a What was it for? If you remember, what was it for? It was the other, the colors, the Be True to Your Shoot, like that whole program that people are posting all the pictures now.
01:01:32
Speaker
I think it was that. You think it it was the colors of the month? Yeah, shit. one? Yeah. Because remember- He got his pairs from Japan. Maybe it was that. Maybe I'm confusing the two together. Rest peace Clark. Shout out to- Yeah, rest in peace man. Magg Antonio, the wife.
01:01:46
Speaker
Oh my God. going to kill me, what the fuck? It's the wife's name. Oh my God.
01:01:55
Speaker
Well, whatever, when you Clark DJ, he was like, go say hi to my wife first. yeah And I would talk to her, she was the sweet, nicest person.
Respect and Personal Growth
01:02:02
Speaker
oh Clark, you definitely missed, I miss arguing with you all the time.
01:02:07
Speaker
you know he i used to like fuck with him, so I would send him a big pun verse. And he would send me a biggie verse, and we would argue all the time. Good guy. Just back and forth. Yeah.
01:02:19
Speaker
He used to love to argue, but not like not a disrespectful. Like, are you crazy, this Gramps? Good dude. Good dude, man. He was missed. And he treated everybody with respect. That's why fuck Clark.
01:02:31
Speaker
i'm um I'm still like, super regret was like, when I first ran into him at Conference Con two years ago, and like I was just being like, nah, I'll eventually get him down the road. But nobody knew. yeah you know Nobody knew. That shit comes and goes, man. Take care yourself, guys. Especially, man.
01:02:49
Speaker
Get that, come out through all that shit, bro. you It's all in the food that we eat. We gotta take care of ourselves. yeah Well, let everybody know where to find you. go' farm me yeahll find them they Don't me. Leave me alone.
01:03:05
Speaker
But I do have Instagram. It's funny, I changed my Instagram because my boy Mel, shout out Mel Atmos. It's one of the few people I listen to is like, yeah, you gotta change the Instagram. Because my Instagram used to be Dick Wolf.
01:03:22
Speaker
And it was kill it was funny because I used to have my girl at the time, like, yo, stay home for work. yeah So I'm like and i'll be like, I'll pay you day. And we should just order out, order breakfast, and watch that shit all day. And it came on, and we would laugh every time. It said, Dick Wolf. So he's like, I did, you put it in. I did it, and it stuck for a long time.
01:03:41
Speaker
But then I started getting, like, consulting gigs, and he my boy was like, yo, it's kind of hard sending Dick Wolf yeah so people to look you up and shit like that. So I changed it to my name. So it's at Lewis Vassworth's gallery. Yep, yep.
01:03:54
Speaker
And make sure you follow him. Follow me at WhoisHossa at social medias, all social medias. Follow the podcast My First Kicks pod.
Future Episodes and Collaborations
01:04:01
Speaker
Episode 253, my weight. Let's go. Nah, got to get down to 253.
01:04:07
Speaker
of Hit up the Patreon, patreon.com slash myfirstkicks. And about to talk I'm coming back again. Yeah. We're gonna talk some more shit. Cause I feel like we didn't really to touch on nothing. Pause. Pause. There's so much other stuff. Like one day you come to the crib and we'll figure this shit out and I'll just start like pulling out old shit you see. Like magazines, flyers, like.
01:04:32
Speaker
It's a lot of shit. And now it's not enough. Hey. going definitely pull up. Thank you. Thank you for pulling up. Thank you anytime, bro. yeah ah Pass it on to me to do the outro. Peace.
01:04:44
Speaker
thank you for listening to this week's episode with scrams look you know i had to start off the year with an absolute legend That's been every single part of New York and just, you know, he's a person that loves culture just like me. So I wanted to soak up as much as I could in this first episode. it was kind of, I went into it without knowing too much about him on purpose because I know Scrams is a legend and we've had several conversations.
01:05:13
Speaker
but I didn't want to like know about everything immediately when I first met him, when Pete introduced us. And so I knew that it would be a dope interview, a dope way to get to know him because he's seen so much. And so we kind of just like scratched the surface and, and that's what I love about doing episodes like this, where I'm just like blown away every time he's like, yeah, I was there or yeah, I saw this. And so,
01:05:42
Speaker
He has so much stuff that he's just has in his, that he was talking about in the episode where he has ton of stuff in his apartment where it's just street wear, sneaker, just history. And he invited me over to his house and I'm hoping to maybe either be able to do another episode where we'll do it at his house and We show off a ton of stuff or he brings some of it into the studio and we talk about it because these are things that.
01:06:17
Speaker
I feel needs to be highlighted by the people that were actually there and you know he was featured in the undefeated for video and so.
01:06:31
Speaker
He's been able to really bestow a ton of knowledge to everybody that he comes across. And please make sure you check out his his after school program that's helping a ton of these kids. And I love the way he has been, you know, bestowing a ton of this knowledge to these younger kids. and giving them more reasons to really dig into this and and learn about sneakers, learn about fashion, streetwear. That story where he told talked about that kid doing that that pitch.
01:07:07
Speaker
I mean, you could see he lit up when we would talk about it. So... Me and Scram sitting down, which is just going to be one of many. Because, yeah, I definitely feel like we just scratched the surface on that. Hoping to also get, you know, we mentioned it earlier, hoping to also get Pete back in the studio this year as well.
01:07:25
Speaker
Reached out to a lot of former guests to kind of just like, you know, that haven't been in the studio as of yet. And and it's going to great year, in my opinion.
01:07:35
Speaker
Started off very, very great. Yeah. I really ended up booking a ton of guests really quickly. um And so ah really appreciate everyone who has given me their time, you know, tapping in every week, every Friday or during the weekend or Mondays. I feel like a lot of people tap in on Mondays. um I think that like, I really put my neck out there with,
01:08:06
Speaker
The solo episode I did last week, but I appreciate a everyone that's hitting me up, telling me that I did a great job with it, telling me that they want to hear more episodes like that. I'm working on a way to see how I can incorporate that.
01:08:23
Speaker
um Also working on a way to you know bolster up the Patreon. I got an episode up there right now with Joe, aka Higher Learning. We talked a lot about Black Footwear Forum and, you know, I still owe two episodes about Portland and ComplexCon. And so going to get those up and then and think I'm going to be trying to roll it in those out of the box episodes onto the Patreon.
01:08:51
Speaker
um So if you're really interested in more solo episodes, please comment down below or shoot me a email and tell me how much you want to hear more of those because or even just sign up for the Patreon, patreon.com slash myfirstkicks because then for sure I know that I can like take the time and kind of like really make sure I'm dropping at least one of those a month and kind of, but like I said, bolster up the Patreon. I started off this year.
01:09:26
Speaker
oh well, well, first of all, let me backtrack a little bit. Last month, Ending off the the the episode, ending off the year with Deontay. I definitely want to call back to like my outros during that month and why I feel like I was very somber throughout there like ah through those episodes. ah you know month the December is like a weird month for me, and so if you got a hint of that during those outros, sorry. But it was also really cool to just like kind of go out
01:10:01
Speaker
on those episodes and i was getting like super overworked at work and and I wasn't in the greatest mind space but I still put out those episodes was able to go semi viral with a clip from Deontay about um creative Rex back in the day and so I am very focused on making sure this podcast is going to be extremely fun, extremely, you know, outside per se, much as like I have had did last year. But I'm not going wear myself thin because by the time I got to December, your boy was cooked. And so...
01:10:44
Speaker
I'm not going to be like putting myself super out there and and like going to everything as much as I could. But ah like like I did last year, I will take a ah ah step back. But if I'm invited to anything, I'm definitely going. And I want to be there. Of course, I will be there. Or if you want me there, um I will be there.
01:11:03
Speaker
But I will definitely be taking my time to make sure that I'm good so that by the time I hit December, I am not burnt out. So, like I said, really appreciate everyone tapping in this week, especially starting off this year, second episode.
01:11:23
Speaker
Can't wait for y'all to check out what I got going on this year. and But of course, you know, we got to jump right into the Patreon shoutouts and you can also get shoutout for Patreon.
01:11:36
Speaker
by signing for the Patreon at patreon.com slash myfirstkicks. And then, of course, we got to do Patreon shoutouts. So shoutout to Plox, shoutout to Derek Hawkins, shoutout to Ross Adams, shoutout to Derek Lipkin, shoutout to Jordan Kaiser.
01:11:49
Speaker
Shout out to Samia. Shout out to Jesse, Jesse G. And shout out to Adam Butler. Really appreciate everyone tapping in. One more away from hitting 10 subscribers on the Patreon. Please become a patron.
01:12:02
Speaker
All the money that from Patreon goes right back into the podcast so I can get this more, you know, robust. Definitely have some goals this year that I really would love to to hit.
01:12:13
Speaker
and i would love to keep this as self-produced as I can. um You know, not as much as being a one-man band. That's why I need some help. But really appreciate y'all for checking out this week's episode.
01:12:27
Speaker
And of course, if you want to check out more episodes, you can check out these two episodes here. You can subscribe to the podcast. And of course, you know what I say each week. Wear your kicks.
01:12:38
Speaker
Peace.