Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
The Stolen Snow Beach Pullover with Rob Markman
1 Playsin 17 hours
This week I am joined by Rob Markman, known for many things including his contributions to Hip Hop with his coverage. I talk to him about his first kicks and how it lead him down the path he is on. What its like to be a collector of many things not just sneakers. How did Hip Hop find him and if he tried all the elements. What got him into comics and how he has been able to incorporate everything into his content. Plus a ton more!
Follow Rob:
IG: https://www.instagram.com/robmarkman/
Twitter: https://x.com/RobMarkman
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/robmarkman
Follow The Pod:
Podcast Linktree: https://linktr.ee/myfirstkicks
Sign up for the Patreon: https://patreon.com/MyFirstKicks
Intro & Outro by Sango: https://www.instagram.com/sango_/
Recommended
Transcript
The Deep Connection: Hip Hop and Sneakers
00:00:00
Speaker
Because, like, i mean, the reason I said how is because, like, hip hop and sneakers go hand in hand. I mean, even recently they talked about, you know, Jay-Z's influence with the with the Air Force Ones. Nelly's influence with the Force Ones. That was a big debate that's going on. I don't know.
00:00:16
Speaker
I don't know how it's a debate, but you know i'm i'm from I got 100 guns and 100 clips. I'm from New York. Shout out to Nelly. like I get the debate. i get I get if you're outside of New York, what it but it's hard is hard to be like, when people be like, yeah, Nelly made the Air Force One. I'm just like, bro, this is That's ah iss a staple. It's like ah it's like you cop you got new socks and you got new Air Force Ones. like It was like... yeah And then also got half the shout out Baltimore for sure and what they did for the Air Force One and really, really, really cemented it. Big time. Tell the story the right way. But but but but but shout out to Nelly. i he He raised the price, I guess. He made it a little more expensive for us. It was like, damn, 115? What are you doing?
00:01:05
Speaker
What's good, everyone? Welcome back to My First Kicks, the podcast where I use sneakers as a through line to get to know my guest. This week, I am joined by the legend, the the man behind. This is not a podcast. This is just my thoughts. The man that went to see Hov three days in a row and the host of the best interview ever. Yeah,
00:01:28
Speaker
Wow. Welcome to the podcast, Rob Martin. Hey, man. Thanks for having me, man. I'm a fan of this. I've seen all the homies. Yeah. Like, man, S-Witt, Wayno. I just love what you do. So I'm glad. When you asked me to come through, I was like, yeah, absolutely. yo, huge honor, bro. Like, I've been, you know, following you. Like, I think the this is going you're going to get sidetracked by this, but... First time I ever seen you, and I knew about you, your journey, you're legend, but you were introducing a Wine?
00:02:00
Speaker
How do I say it? Oh, Wynn. I always say her name wrong all the time. I think it was the Genius Barbecue. That was my first time seeing her. Oh, wow. Okay. Yeah, that's when we was in Queens in the Knockdown Center. Hey, man. Clips performed that night. That was a long night. Yeah, it was. Shout out to Push. He was on a flight. But we did... That was like two years before that got... That was two years before the official Clips reunion. like to say we was at the... You was at the... You was there. At the helm of that. Yeah. That was a great night. mean, that was crazy. I remember... Well, my feet were killing me by the time Clips came out. But...
00:02:40
Speaker
that was like i've never seen them live and you know when crushed it because shout out to when she was she i've listened to her music for a hot minute because i have a discord yeah we're all just music files and we all just and they were like yo you gotta check you gotta check homegirl out and this is it before like the i think the freestyle that went popping Markman, Yeah. Rob Recently? or couple years ago? Rob Markman, She had a couple them. Yeah, yeah, man. Shout out to Wynn, man. That's that's home team. I super believe in her. She's super dope, man. I know she's working on something now, there's new music coming really soon. And shout out to Genius. That was a good night. The Genius Barbecue, man. We had a good time. And um yeah, Eclipse. I was working. Technically, that was a work day for me.
00:03:22
Speaker
But i kind of did everything I had to, I was like, yeah, when Clip's on that stage, leave me alone. Like, it's like, it's like church. I just need to enjoy this. Shout out to Pusha, shout out to Malice, man. That was a special night. That that was a bucket list night for me. That was a bucket list night for me, too. And then after that, ah it was the Rap Life ah Review Live. That's the first time I, like, actually introduced myself. And i was like, I need, I got to get you in my pocket. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, in the Apple Store. Yeah, yeah, yeah, man. Shout out to E-Ro, shout out to, so it's's a man, just the whole squad over there. Lowkey, yeah. Eddie, yeah. Nadeska, my girl Nadeska, man. oh You know, we got history, man, the whole squad over there. Nick, you know what mean? Yeah. ah But you're here to answer the question that I ask everybody each week.
00:04:07
Speaker
What's that first? What's your first case? What's that first pair of sneakers you absolutely needed to have? Air Jordan 8. Rob Markman- Air Jordan 8. Rob Markman- The Jordan 8 when it first came out, like not the rest, when it first came out, back when Jordans would come out, and we never thought we'd see them again. like when When it was gone, it was gone.
00:04:26
Speaker
I know the Aquas came out. I remember one of the Aquas. My parents wouldn't get me. If it was over $100, they wouldn't get it. so i mean First, like it used to be embarrassing. it used to be like I remember ah when everybody in my school has a pair of suede feelers.
00:04:46
Speaker
and They were like $49.99 or We went to VIM and my dad was like, well, what's the difference between these suede feelers and these suede Reeboks that are $39.99? You're getting the suede Reeboks. When everybody in my class had the suede feelers, I had the suede Reeboks. I remember one year they got me LA Gears. I was like, I can't do this. How were you? Y'all killing me. I was probably like in fifth to sixth grade with the LA gears. Markman, gears? Yeah. Rob but they were like, was going to say, I thought you was lighting it up. You was lighting the whole way up. Nah, nah, nah. It wasn't the light ups and it wasn't the pumps, but it was when they had the LA gear pumps out, but I'm like, nah, if we're going to do pumps, we got to do rebar, pump, and not. But they had me buy these LA gears and... Then after that, it was like, all right, I got them to get me. I you've been enjoying this week's episode with Rob Markman. And of course, if you want to help out the podcast, don't forget to like, subscribe, and leave a comment.
00:05:41
Speaker
If you leave a comment, it really helps out the podcast. And of course, I interact with everybody that leaves a comment. And if you're listening to this on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, do not forget to leave a review and rate that joint five stars.
00:05:56
Speaker
Really love you know reading the reviews and seeing the numbers go up on how many people enjoy this podcast. It's been a long time coming, and it's been a long grind. And, of course, if you want to help out the podcast and get the podcast a day early, join the Patreon, patreon.com slash myfirstkicks. $5. It's only one tier. You only pay it once a month. And it goes right back into the podcast. And it helps me pay for studio time and everything that associates with getting this podcast out every week. So please do not forget to help out the podcast by signing up for patreon.com slash my first kicks. But let's jump back right into the episode.
00:06:35
Speaker
Air Escapes, ACG Air Escapes, $79.99. I think the last sneaker that my parents actually got me were the Air Raids, $89.99, and they start creeping up. But I really wanted the Jordans, but they were like, nah. You love a strap, is what I'm saying. Yeah, yeah, yeah. This absolutely the strap ever. Yeah, I mean, Air Unlimited is like- Locked down. Yeah, yeah,
00:06:57
Speaker
So- Aqua 8s came out, wanted the Aqua 8s, they was like, nah. Then I thought I was going to get them, I thought i was going to finesse. We was graduating, so eight grade graduation, and my my best friend, shout out to Luadius, my best friend came, he had the gown on, and so we couldn't see nothing, but he had the playoff 8s. You know, because we graduated in June, so the playoff 8s, Bulls was playing the Suns, he had the playoff 8s. That was the first time I seen the playoff 8s. I said, yo.
00:07:25
Speaker
Yeah, my parents got these for graduation. So I said, man, I just graduated eighth grade. I'm like, Parents would not get me the eights. So it it was the eights that I wanted. And then that that forced me. That summer after eighth grade, I got my first job. hu Saved up to get my own sneaker, because I was like, I'm getting these. yeah But by the time I was able to save up for the, well it was like $139.99. Oof.
00:07:48
Speaker
the eights were gone. Right, yeah. They moved on to the next one. So the nines were out. So my first pair Jordans were powder blue nines.
Sneaker Culture and Personal Identity
00:07:55
Speaker
Powder blue nines. I mean, that's not bad. It's funny because I recently, I went on Threads because been trying to get a little bit more interactive with that. But I was like, what are people's top five Jordans? Just models. And I was surprised to see people be like, yo, nines. You said top five? Yeah, top five. Nah, see, 9's not even in my top five. It was just available. I just wanted the Jordans. And again, we ain't know nothing about retros. And man, them 9, them powder blue 9's dropped.
00:08:24
Speaker
And I got them from VIM on the corner of K-Ton and Flatbush. um you know Saved up my money, man. Copped them. And I remember the next day, it was like a snowstorm.
00:08:37
Speaker
I was going to school. I'm in high school at this point. Oh, I rock them bitches anyway. No. No, no, no. I put plastic bags on my feet. Walked to school, man. So as I got out of school, the first one in in Brooklyn Tech with the powder blue knives. You went to Brooklyn Tech? Yeah. Damn. Oh, man. Yo, that's crazy. I i i i failed that test, bro. I couldn't get it. Rob Markman, I passed by maybe, all i put it was like five points. I just made it. And it was really, it i was i was scheduled to go to Erasmus because I was trying to get into Edward R. Murrow.
00:09:08
Speaker
They didn't accept me. And so it was, a rat my grades weren't great. So it was my zone school, it was Erasmus. And I knew I didn't want to go to Erasmus. And then them test scores came in and was like my five points I passed. I was like, all right, Tech it is. Yo, that's crazy. But it's like, and I don't know if it was Brooklyn Tech known as like, you know, people who's just pulling up in like fresh gear at all.
00:09:29
Speaker
Rob Markman, Yeah. I mean, we got... I i think people sleep because yeah i you got to be smart being tech. You got to pass the test. But but tech got that like DCEP heavy. like did like there's ah There's a DCEP history in tech. I mean, you're also right there Fort Greene.
00:09:47
Speaker
Polo down, like yeah, yeah, yeah, kids has absolutely got fresh. I mean, we right across from Fulton. So it was definitely like- The big Macy's there, right? That Macy's was still there. Yeah, the Macy's was there. I think Albie Square was, I was there just at the end of the Albie Square era. I think maybe by sophomore year they took Albie Square down. But yeah, yeah, yeah. It used to get fresh in tech for sure. So I used to go to, went to college around there. So I went to City Tech. Right, right, right. And so that's where my first real, like traversing that block was like my first time seeing like Jordans in the back of a jewelry store. Right, right, right. Yeah, you know? Like that, that's like, to me, that's Brooklyn. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Fortin, man, it's nothing like it. Yeah, you get your chain, you get your Jordans from the same store. And it was real Jordans. Right, yeah. These were real sneakers. And it was a week.
00:10:33
Speaker
two Two weeks early? Yeah, you get them two weeks early. I mean, that was just the culture back then. ah you know I don't know how different it is now. Oh, it's gone, bro. Even when you listen to... like It's just certain shit. It's like a dog whistle. even um you know You mentioned the Hov concerts. um and ah I was with Shout to Memphis Bleak. Yeah, shout out. When Bleak said... um I went to Tom D's and they mad, Vane's out, copped the Jordans two weeks before they came out. Like that was just like, when he said that, we understood what he was talking about. We know about Tom, Dick and Harry's and we know about going and and and and getting them two weeks before they came out or having to pay a little extra or just having to hook up. Or sometimes they just straight up had them out. Like there wasn't, the penalties weren't the same for selling the shoe early.
00:11:14
Speaker
Markman, I mean, even now, like there was like a I don't know if you saw, there was like a report that somebody got. ah they like indicted off of or they got picked up for selling like Jordans like stealing Jordans bro selling them yeah off the truck yeah I mean they backdooring them like you know it's a dirty game and it's crazy i it like back then it was definitely a totally different world where was just like I think it was like the competitive part of it was the fun part of like, you know, oh, you ain't got these. Or how'd you get these early? Like playing that game, man, like it's such a lost art. i don't think people, I don't, there's no way to get that now in terms of just like, oh, Nike sent these to you. I mean, I got these early. These aren't come out. But like, a like Soulplay sent these to me. Shout out Soulplay. But like that, that happens sometimes.
00:12:04
Speaker
like in such of like a influencer way versus like back then it was just like, oh, you know somebody, you really tapped in. Yeah, yeah, nah. And you know, for for me now, the game is like, might cop something and um I might just keep them on ice for a while and and and let the rest of y'all wear it and then,
00:12:21
Speaker
come back out. It was like, you know what mean? Like, I broke out a pair of Laney Fives couple weeks ago and everybody's like, yo, I was like, yeah, was so nice for a minute. I think you had on, remember when I first met you at the Apple store, I think you had Great Fives?
00:12:39
Speaker
You had on something that I was like, I had to be like, yo, those are, like, it would they look fresh. i was like, damn. Yeah, the same thing, man. I just keep them on ice and I just break them out. Like, so, cause you talked about polo, I know you wear lot of polo as well. decent amount. Yeah, a decent amount. I mean, I don't, I wasn't going to be like were you rock? Like, i and I hate that question. But like... Yeah, I was never a lowlife. You know, and when you're from the culture, you know what that is. Like, I'm a polo head, I love low, but I was never a lowlife.
00:13:07
Speaker
That's a certain culture. That's a certain thing that comes with it. So respect to everything that they built. You what I'm saying? Yeah. Shout out to Thurston Howell the Third. Yeah, Thurston Howell the Third. But like, so growing up and in that area, especially like Brooklyn, like when does like actual sneaker culture really touch you?
00:13:25
Speaker
Late 80s. Mm-hmm. Rob Markman, Yeah, probably late 80s. But it was at graduation. It probably a lot through school or just seeing guys on the corner.
00:13:36
Speaker
um You know, seeing the original Gucci. I used to live across the street. The corner was busy where I was from. There was a lot of hustling on the corner. A lot of 88, you know what I'm saying? The Jordan 3s and just seeing what they were wearing.
00:13:59
Speaker
But i i I remember, and I didn't know what they were. I think the first pair of Fresh Kicks that I i got, and again, my parents got me, were ah the Adidas Ewing's before he launched to his own thing. Yeah, the, it's not the, is it top 10? Yeah, it might 10. They called it, they changed them to called it to top 10, I think now. but but yeah But it said Ewing on the tongue, I had the orange and blue.
00:14:21
Speaker
And I remember going to, school and and people always commented me on those kicks. So I was like, oh, I got something. Yeah. it It probably started then and then just kind of being in school and being with your friends and seeing what the the older dudes had, the dudes that was hustling, um and developing taste from there. and then you know And then the NBA and watching basketball and the stuff like that and seeing what was on somebody's feet. you know i Man, I remember the era of... of Like now we got HD, now we got way bigger screens. like we used to have yo we used to like sit in front of the TV just for the cameraman to catch the shot yeah of what MJ was wearing or what anybody was wearing. so But prop probably like it really hit for me. i probably really caught the fever like in 92.
00:15:05
Speaker
I think these are the time, yeah, ACG Escapes, yes Air Raids, Air Maestros. yeah um and And it was cool because it wasn't like just Jordans. It it was like, man, there's there's a whole...
00:15:18
Speaker
just slew of sneaker agassies. Like, you could go in any direction and kind of be fresh. Like, we wasn't stuck on just one thing. Yeah. The way that, like, I mean, retro sneakers, 90s basketball, like, that's always going to be a common, I think. Like, when I had B. Dot on, we talk about it. Just, like, the way that it... it really grabbed it grabbed people that to the point that now, when they i mean, now they're bringing back the the Gary Payton gloves. And like these are timeless shoes because of that tech was just so like ahead of the ahead of his light years. And I think it was competitive. like like Obviously, Jordan was king of the hill and the sneaker line was king of the hill. But again, you you would only get a certain amount of Jordans per year. right
00:16:05
Speaker
And you know, before retros, you had to come up with new designs. You had to be innovative with your designs. You know, i think... um The retro market, while it did great for the bottom line for every company, it it kind of killed innovation. Because because it was like, why are we going to spend money in in in new designs where we could still we could put out a a new pair of Jordan 3s every year? And then keep the cost low. ah you know You're just reusing the same things over. yeah I mean, I call that out all the time because I do miss innovation. I do miss... like you know nike being like i mean there's some cool stuff now but it's like it's like the way the people that collect sneakers don't really accept it like there wasn't like if the if the fly knit or a version of the fly knit during the 2014s came out like like now where it's like yo this is new like we've got like a woven texture thing right now and it's like brand new people be like, what the hell is this? you know like There was just shit on it. And I think that's what we see now because they're like, yo, they don't make it like they did in the ninety s We need, I mean, shout out to Skoola, but Skoola would be like, we need this takedown coming out. Whereas like from, from ah we need the the the son of the glove out. No, just make something new. The takedown era was crazy too. Man, I remember, man, the takedown era. I remember I wanted the Scotty Pippins, the air, what was it, the much
New Designs and Retro Releases
00:17:32
Speaker
tempo? Yeah, the much more. Yeah, with the air on the side. More and then much. More and much. We talked it. always get it confused. yeah It was the difference between the one way with the air bubbles all around and the one with the one air bubble. i yeah I had the one with that. I had to get the takedown. Times was hard.
00:17:50
Speaker
But yeah, man. like and And I still see some new designs and I applaud it. like ah Probably the last new sneaker that out that I copped that I was excited about, and I only wore them once. I got to wear them more. was um Was it the threes? The jaw threes? Yeah, jaw threes. Yeah, yeah, The little pink and purple colorway. I just thought that was interesting. That's the one with the on Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I just thought that was it. I was like like, I seen that and I was like, oh, we trying something new. Oh, we being bold. And of course, there was like the KD era. Right, yeah. You know,
00:18:22
Speaker
um LeBron 9s. I'm surprised we haven't seen more LeBron 9 retro because I felt like that was such a... Yeah, the last one they brought out was like they did the big bangs again. Yeah. And then they just sat. Oh, and then they did the Wash of Thrones. Yeah. Wash of Thrones and those just sat too. Yeah. So, I mean, the one thing about that shoe, and I do love that shoe, is that i have I have no arch on my foot.
00:18:44
Speaker
Yeah, have zero arch. I'm Fred Flintstone with it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm Barney Rubin with it. But like every time I've worn those, yo, my arches is just kill it. Like, cause there is no arch. So it's forcing my foot up. And I'm like, damn, I don't know how LeBron played in this. Like it's, it's a, it's definitely like a, you have to really get used to that shoe. But I do think it's great the way that like that's like innovation. Right. Like and so once we get to like the newer LeBrons, we're seeing them kind of like it. I mean, look, any Nike designers watching this because I know some people do watch this, but there's a lot of copying pasting going on. I'm going to be on. Shout out to Nike. Shout out to Nike.
00:19:25
Speaker
I ain't on nobody's seed list. I ain't never. After this, you might be. Yeah, maybe. But yeah, yeah, man. I would just want to see more. Yeah, some some of the newer LeBrons. Because I was excited. like The LeBrons, think 8, 9, 10.
00:19:43
Speaker
Maybe even up to 12. Yeah, I like the 12. I think I stopped at 12. And then think I pick it up back to 22s. Because the 22s had that double check. yeah I like that. That was dope.
00:19:56
Speaker
Rob Markman, but it's so few and and and far between. It's literally like hit or miss. um But yeah, I still get excited when I see a new the Jha3's super dope design. like I was like, I need these.
00:20:12
Speaker
You know, and and going on to other companies like you know the Anthony Edwards, I mean the 2s, the AE joints. um Man, I should have got a pair of these.
00:20:23
Speaker
Somebody should sent me a pair, really. that I'm excited, but the Wale joints. Yeah, the GT Futures. GT Futures fire. You definitely should have gotten a Wale joint. Yo, Ralph, what up? Where my camera? yeah That one.
00:20:36
Speaker
D'oh, for real? I ain't get a picture. Come on, man. I know y'all was sending them out, man. Come on, man. A'ight, man. Come Abdul. Abdul, what happened, Abdul? Nah, nah. But for those of us, I see things like that, and I'm like, a'ight. It gets me excited again. And then when it comes to retro shit, I mean, Air Unlimited is like...
00:20:58
Speaker
I copped these from Jimmy Jazz for $69.99 and I got every single color. I got the triple black, I got these, and then I got the white green joints. And excited. yeah like because Because I just always wanted these as a kid. So I don't really need this the the CDG pair or nothing like that. like i man I just like cool, calm. You know, the shit I couldn't get when I was a kid. Nah, yeah. I love... I mean, look. this stuff that's what That's what it is about like right now, about being a sneaker collector too, is like... yeah We just catching up. Like, we just being like, yo, we finally got money. All these no's, we turning them to yes. They come back out. Like, I remember when the Bacons came out. Oh, yeah. not Well, not the the Air Bacons. Yo, they're coming back out. I'm definitely getting a pair. I wish they had the Alah pair. They changed the logo, though. Yo, give me the Alah pair, yo. Yeah, those are so hot. The wild thing is that in real time, the end Bacons was because Tim Hardaway had those, feel Right, yeah. yeah
00:21:55
Speaker
It was just a fire shoe. And then it was a couple weeks after it came out that the controversy started. And that just made hotter. But it was already a fire shoe before the controversy. Yeah, the airbagers. Look, man, I need the Chris Webber back with the CW with the logo on the back. You know what I'm saying? Like, it's certain choices. Dunkin's are coming back. I mean, look, we all, well, Dunkin's going to be like, I'm hearing crazy price for those. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But like catching up to where we were able to heal our inner child is like, I do think it's super important, but like, bro, it's just like, it's just going to get crazier and crazier. Yeah, to an extent, man. As long as you're not
00:22:36
Speaker
Pay your rent. yeah like Make sure it's food in your fridge. Make sure your kids got back to school. My kids got have it before I have it. you know Certain things, man. but yeah Jumping in once again to remind y'all, I got merch. I got a My First Kicks t-shirt. If you are interested in buying on My First Kicks t-shirt, hit up the DMs. Hit me in my DMs. not hit up the DMs. Hit me in my DMs or shoot me an email at info at myfirstkicks.com. The shirts are $40 plus shipping. We can negotiate that within the DMs or email.
00:23:11
Speaker
Hit your boy up. I would love to get these shirts to you. I've been wearing this shirt for about the better part of three, four years now. It's been designed by my boy Chris Chaney and we want to design another one. He literally hit me up and asked me when we're going do another shirt. So Would love to get rid of this box of t-shirts. Hit your boy up.
00:23:32
Speaker
And let's jump back into the episode. Yeah, man. Man, I remember, man, shouting my pops, man. My pops was great, man. Took care of us, man. Got us everything we needed, everything he wanted. He just didn't see the value in clothes and name brand stuff. And I remember one time, my pops was in the hospital.
00:23:48
Speaker
And I knew he was getting out. It was just something, man. He was going to be out the next day. And I go to visit him and I'm sitting with him. And he was like, man, i just got to tell you, man, I'm um i'm really sorry. it was just random. and We weren't even talking about nothing. He's like, man, I'm sorry. I never got you the sneakers that you wanted.
00:24:06
Speaker
So I just started laughing. I'm like, what are you talking about? I was like, you know you're not dying. You're getting out of here tomorrow. Like, they're going to let you out tomorrow. It was almost like, I was like, bro, we're good. He was like, nah, but I know how I see now how an important it is to you. I'm like, listen, man, because I got disposable income. yeah You know, um and that that that's part of just my whole mission in life is like,
00:24:28
Speaker
doing the things that I always dreamed of as a kid. So music, hip hop, man, comic books. I work the comic book space. And as much as I get sneakers, comic books, you know what saying? Like I'm into comic books all that. Markman I was just going dab in with you on that too. Rob Markman Yeah. So for me, and you know, I'm at a place in my life where I can afford to do it. Like it's kind of just getting the stuff, healing you in the child or just the stuff that reminded me of when I was a kid that I always wanted as a kid that I couldn't get. I can get it now.
00:24:58
Speaker
And it's cool. it was relaxing to me. When, because like you mentioned, you know, you're working music, but like when at one point did it like click for you? Like, yeah, this is what I'm going to pursue. always knew it since maybe around the same time, 92, maybe around the same time. I was like, man, I want to do music. And I tried my hand at so many things. Of course, tried my hand at rapping. Mm-hmm. Rob Markman, Get that album. Yeah. Rob Markman, Drop last year. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. We'll never be this young again. Working on a new one too, Hey, let's go. Shout out to the Justice League. I was just on the phone with Rook earlier, so we're going to get some production. Let's go. Rob Markman, But yeah, 92, I was like, so started writing raps.
00:25:37
Speaker
i Used to do like graffiti, was never good at graffiti. um A couple years later, i tried to learn how to DJ. I wasn wasn't really
Rob's Journey in Music Journalism
00:25:45
Speaker
good at that. Rob Markman, Yeah, just going through the elements though. Because I knew I wanted to do it and and and then um I just didn't know what it was, but I knew I wanted to do it. And then you know when I graduated college, um I got the opportunity to write an album review for Complex Magazine.
00:26:04
Speaker
And um my career in the freelance capacity started from there. And ah you know i didn't i didn't think... I didn't know that journalists made that much money. I didn't know there was a career writing for the source. I knew the source had writers, but I didn't think I could feed a family or do nothing like that. And it grew, and by the grace of God, yeah. It snowballed. Yeah. I mean, yeah. Your music run is legendary to the point that recently Complex named you one of the... What number were you on that list? Yeah.
00:26:37
Speaker
I was a cool 35 out of 35. They had me out of the back of the train. know what I'm saying? We got to do something about that next year. I'm going to do my part. Make sure y'all do y'all part. 35 a little low. Come on, Jordan. Come on, Jordan. But that's not even what you do it for. There were years. They probably been doing that list four five years.
00:27:01
Speaker
And um I wasn't on it. And that that was the first time I was on it. um But you also look at the list and and and I'm secure on my spot because I do different things from, from you know it this this journey you know, it was the hip hop um media list. Yeah, media ranking. list. So those are some journalists, podcasters, personalities, streamers, um and and ah a lot of it, you know, no shade, but it's a popularity contest. Right, yeah. I'm going more for respect than popularity. I know how to get views. i' I've been working in this business for 20 plus years. right There's just certain things i won't do same for for the for the sake of a view or for the sake of virality. So um happy to be on the list. Also recognize that we all kind of don't do the same things or we're all in it for different reasons. But um yeah, Complex next year, man. 35? Cool.
00:27:57
Speaker
i you know yeah know We gotta move out. Yeah, gotta get upgraded. I'm in the back of the plane, man. I gotta, man, let's get this comfort plus. Let's get this first class going or something. You buy the toilet, now you like, nah, emergency exit. Let's get an emergency exit. Yeah, it's the seat that don't recline, like, the bathroom's right behind you. It's like, man, shout out to man. Shout out to Demas and Insano, Izzy, Noah, Brendan. Those are peoples, man. Joe Latuma. Shout out, shout out. Brendan's not there no more. Yeah. Nah, you said StockX, bro.
00:28:28
Speaker
Oh, shit. No, we talking a different Brendan. Oh, okay. I thought you were talking about- Yeah, you talking about Sneaker Brendan. I'm not the cool sneaker kid, man. How? I don't know. i don't you know I thought I was doing something out here, but it's going to change after this. the Yeah, definitely. Because like i mean the reason I how is because like Hip hop and sneakers go hand in hand. I mean, even recently they talked about, you know, Jay-Z's influence with the with the Air Force Ones. Nelly's influence with the Air Force Ones. That was a big debate that's going on. i
00:28:59
Speaker
I don't know how it's debate, but you know, i'm I'm from, I got a hundred of guns and hundred clips. I'm from New York. Shout out to Nelly. like I get the debate. i get I get if you're outside of New York, what it, but it's is hard to be like, when people be like, yeah, Nelly made the Air Force one. I'm just like, bro this is...
00:29:20
Speaker
is Rob Markman, it's a staple. It's like ah it's like you cop you got new socks and you got new Air Force Ones. like it was like yeah And then also got half the shout out Baltimore for sure and what they did for the Air Force One and really, really, really cemented it. Big time. Rob Markman, tell the story the right way. But shout out to Nelly. i he He raised the price, I guess. He made it a little more expensive for us. It was like, damn, 115? What are they doing?
00:29:44
Speaker
And then and then then you, he yeah I mean, you can really blame him for the fakes that we've seen throughout New York City, though. with the Because when the prices went up, that means people were really like, yo, yeah let me go hit the let me go hit the, you know, the Chinese. The canal. You know what mean? Yo, the fakes used to be wild. Also, like I feel like Dipset,
00:30:04
Speaker
because So much of it was like Dipset Harlem aesthetic, yeah like the the white on white with the with the Gucci print check, shout out Dan for Dan, or the white on white with the with the um red bandana check. You get all that in Canal, man. It was definitely a wild era, bro. That was crazy, bro. Yeah, yeah. customs. we The way that we were moving back then was wild. But, like I mean, Pick Your Shoes had ah had people. Pickyourshoes.com was like, I was on every day being like, yeah, Gucci check. like yeah the like Weird piping. Visible woman that is like eight different colors. Yo, the invisible woman. Yo, I wanted those so bad. Uh-huh.
00:30:48
Speaker
and I never got them. And looking back on it, I was like, I'm glad I never participated in this. Yo, that's a wild shoe. Yo, that is a wild shoe. If you barefoot, that's the wildest shoe. You fogging it up with just straight feet? Oh my God, you fogging up my glasses. Yeah, but that was the thing. It was like, oh, you're going to a cool pair of socks and you did it. like It was a great idea. I've never seen nobody pull the Invisible Woman's off. Nah, neither. It was a good idea. It was a good looking shoe. like
00:31:20
Speaker
And oh man, was so different. I've never seen nobody pull that off on their foot ever. Me neither. You look crazy every time stepping out with those. And they can't pull it off now because as soon as they put their foot in it, it's cracking. Yeah. It's cracking. But my favorite, like, if we're talking translucent shoes, Espo Dunks. Yeah. Those instant classics, like, that see-through on the middle. Like, that's that works. Like, let's go with that. Is this ah is a safe space? Yeah.
00:31:46
Speaker
I mean, it's going to the public. I don't i don't have that many followers. Let's go. No, no. I mean, come on, man. We're not going. But it's the right people tuned in. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I got a confession. Okay.
00:31:57
Speaker
Never owned a pair Dunks in my life. What? Yeah. Yo, let's change that. yeah I never had a pair dunks. I love dunks. Dunks are my favorite shoe. Wow. I'm an SB head, so dunk high, dunk low are my favorite shoe. You got to have a pair of dunks. You got to have a pair of dunks. I was just never, I never had a pair dunks. Most people don't believe me when I, but again, because I i was, a and it's not, it doesn't have to be an either or. No, yeah. But,
00:32:23
Speaker
I was like, ah, just one pair Air Force Ones. And to me, they they the function was different. But, you know, it was similar. I was just an Air Force One dude so heavy that the dunks had never really appeared appealed to me in the same way. Obviously, legendary. i'm not den not I just never owned a pair of dunks. No, yeah. Look, i so for me, i I look at it more of like a Jordan 1. I love Jordan 1s. To be honest...
00:32:48
Speaker
when it Even though Jordan 1 wouldn't crack my top five of of Jordan models, the dunk is like such a streamlined version of it that i I like how clean it is. And it just sits with any pants. It sits with shorts. like Super versatile. Versatility for me is number one. I need a versatile shoe because if it... like I don't know. i think I just growing up where you just don't have a lot of money, so you're just like... at least I can get a bunch of ah clothes for like $20 on sale and then you can get the shoes and then it just work with everything. It everything. Yeah.
00:33:21
Speaker
Speaking of Jordan 1s too, you know, speaking of Jordan 1s and bad ideas, huh We said the Invisible Woman. remember when they did the the patent leather Jordan ones.
00:33:33
Speaker
I think they were mids. The mids? It was like 2000, 2001. It was like early 2000. They did the mid patent leather. They did a bunch of them. was fiending for them. They were such a great idea. and they cracked, man. And they hurt my face. It just wasn't functioning. That was an OG cut? you thinking You're not thinking about the bread patent leather? Yeah, I think they were mids, though. they would ah they just dropped They dropped the...
00:33:57
Speaker
When they first did it. Oh, when they first did it, it was definitely like, yeah, it's Patton Leather. think when they first did it, it mid-Patton. I could be wrong. They going to correct me. In the comments. Comment below. Comment below. Let Rob know. Yeah. At him. I remember copping the Chicago ones, Patton Leather. Oh, man, I'm going to kill him with this.
00:34:15
Speaker
That one, yes, I do remember that one. was a better idea than it was on the footage. A lot of shit look good, and then when where you try to pull up, it's like, ain't quite pull this off. Where was you rocking it, though? like You was like outside with them? Yeah. I wasn't playing ball in Yeah, yeah. I'm trying to paint the picture of like where are you rock. You rocking into the office? You rocking into the- through my adventures. The the club, the office, the the you know listening parties. Yeah, yeah. We was outside then. Is there is there there's I was wondering ah this while you were talking ah like the is there an iconic shoe moment where it connected music and sneakers where you
Comics, Hip Hop, and Sneakers: A Cultural Intersection
00:34:59
Speaker
were like, I need to cop that shoe. Yeah, there's so many.
00:35:04
Speaker
Three times dope on their single cover, having the the the Jordan 3s. Yeah. Was a big one. um Man, Criss Cross with the sevens. Sevens.
00:35:16
Speaker
Oh, man. There's so many, man. um I remember um the first time they retro'd. Shout Nelly. Now we're going to give Nelly his props. Shout out Nelly.
00:35:30
Speaker
The first time they retroed the Concord eleventh yeah and Nelly had them, it was a VMA performance. And Nelly was rocking the Concord 11s and they look crazy, man. like That was fire. Hov rocking the fives in the Blueprint era, doing the VMAs.
00:35:52
Speaker
did did did There's just so many, man. like um And these are shoes you copped or you were like- Rob Markman, Yeah, I pretty got all of those. Except the Sevens, except the Criss Cross Sevens. That was the era when my parents was like, crazy.
00:36:06
Speaker
Fuck out of here. You know what I'm saying? Mine is weird. So it's my grail. And I don't know. if i don't know. Maybe this will. But like my. I have a couple. Nas and the Orchard Street.
00:36:18
Speaker
Bronx. Yeah. I need to. That's like my grail grail. And that's like I've told D this. I was like, if I ever make bread, that's going to be the shoe. Even though it's But like I might make happen. You know what mean? You know what mean?
00:36:33
Speaker
You know? Cause Nas my ghost. But uh... Rob Markman, shout out to Nas. Let's go, let's go. I feel like you wanted to debate that. No, I didn't. I love Nas, man. Nas, no, yeah, yeah. Friday night. Friday night. gotta be insane live. That was a crazy moment.
00:36:46
Speaker
Him and Hov, like, and Hov doing ad-libs on New York State of Mind and them trading verses. Like, that was crazy. I wish I was there. That was crazy. Just for that, I wish I was there. That's crazy. I love Nas. But the one that I actually bought is Tweed SBs. It's a dunk. It's like a grandpa castle. I mean, I know what dunks are. I never had dunks, but you don't have to Tweed SBs. For the listeners. For the listeners. For the listeners. For the listeners. But there's a rapper named Aesop Rock. I know Aesop Rock. I used to go to the New Eurekan Poets Cafe back in the day and the open mic and Bobbito Words, Aesop Rock used to be there. Absolutely.
00:37:28
Speaker
That's crazy. yeah yeah and so Not Aesop Rocky, y'all. Aesop Rock. But they have there's a video that where they both met. I think Peter rosenbergrut peter Rosenberg introduced them. That's funny. Yeah. um And so in the cover for, I think it's Skeleton.
00:37:43
Speaker
no ah No, it's the other one, the one before it, but he's wearing them in the booklet where all the the lyrics are. And I was like, I need those.
00:37:54
Speaker
Search for like five years and I got them on eBay for like $200. Fire. Retroactive. I don't know if I've seen it, but when i when I got my ACG, my Air Escapes, had to it was brown with the purple. Yeah. and um I think I had him first before I seen the video. And then Chi Ali had him in the Roadrunner video, I feel like so that like. I liked the sneaker because I liked it, but then when it was in the Chi Ali video, like my stock went up a little bit too in school. was like- You were like, all right, I'm on the right track. It validated again, man. Synonymous, man. the and then now I'm going ask this on the other version, so now we can jump into comics. But like is there is there like a ah comic crossover shoe that really... like like A moment where you were like, I got to get these.
00:38:44
Speaker
In comic books. yeah I feel like comics relate to...
00:38:50
Speaker
acknowledging us. facts You know what I'm saying? i mean I mean, the moment is is the Miles Morales, Jordan, one moment. i you know I think that's the ultimate crossover. Yeah, that's the biggest mainstream moment for sure. I was already adult when that happened, but I thought that was so cool. And I thought that was cool for kids. because i you know And my thing but in the comic book space is as kids, like, you know,
00:39:17
Speaker
We used to get comic books from the corner to store, from the Stop One, from the Optimo, yeah from the whatever, right? But what kid didn't want to be Spider-Man or Superman or or Batman or whatever?
00:39:28
Speaker
And I think there's this thing in pop culture that everybody who's in the comic books looks like a character from the Big Bang Theory. Rob Markman, You know what I'm saying?
00:39:40
Speaker
I think it's a stereotype that still exists but gets broken down more and more. Like, yo, it's us. like Even when I post my comic book content, like it's like yeah I'll get hit up. like Young Guru will hit me up like, yo, bro, like yeah, I got that one too. I love that story. Or Just Blaze will hit me up. Or Rook from Justice League or Pete Rock. so like There's so many of us that are into it, but it's just not shown as much. So I think that going back to it. so Rob Markman, that's why I think maybe in the 90s, in the 80s, coming up 80s, 90s, there wasn't that crossover because just wasn't acknowledged. But by the time we get to Miles Morales, by the time we get to Spider-Verse, by the time we see them Jordan it's like, oh, okay, they get it now. We here. What else would he be rocking?
00:40:26
Speaker
You what saying? That's a fact. For me though, it's like, so I'm i'm into comic books and anime. yeah And I agree with you. And i if you are watching this and you're from like this era, if you talk to people about comics or anime, or even sneak if you had a lot of sneakers at a certain point, people would be like, they would start bullying you. You know, you're weird, you're this, you're what, why are you doing this? Why are youre spending your money on this? And it was very like, we all just suppressed our love for this stuff. It's hard, it's hard to, I mean, look, I love it. I love that everybody now is a lot more open. Like, you know, we talk about comics in this space and people that look like us and we had just recently DreamCon happened and it's like the amalgamation of all this stuff, you know, and it's for for the culture, of the culture. And we need more of that. We need more representation. But like, yeah, back then it was just like,
00:41:16
Speaker
Nah, you don't know what you're talking about. Like, it doesn't it doesn't match. and you What are you doing? Or, you know, you got to be in the basketball. You got to, what is this? Oh, that's white stuff. Like, you know? And so, but for me, Slam Dunk. And in Slam Dunk, the anime, he's wearing Jordan Sixes. Fire.
00:41:33
Speaker
ah so And then later, Jordan drops ah Jordan 6 with the anime panels on it around it. 3M, all red, insane. But like, I think one thing that Jordan and you have to I have to give that brand like love because of that is they're they're the ones that do that first step in. yeah And then the rest follows.
00:41:56
Speaker
Yeah, you know, it's a amazing because I think it's everything that that brand represented. like And the brand had had always been first. You know what I'm saying? and In a lot of ways. and And it's funny, at least when it comes to hip hop, because Mike wasn't a hip hop fan, but the way that that hip hop embraced the sneaker, um you know, all my...
00:42:18
Speaker
you know, we talk about Nelly wearing 11s or... Usher with his Yeah, man. like like like we we associate a lot of times it with musicians just as much as what happened on the court. You know what I'm saying? they get it. They see that. Like, I know boys to men is getting... slinged right now. um But you know, Boyz II Men did rock them on the red card. Like, are they sneak? I don't know. I don't know, II Men, are they like really sneak ass? But you know- Did see the 11s? Yeah.
00:42:51
Speaker
yeah Yeah. Yeah. I mean, wouldn't rock them. um i said I said they were ripped for your pleasure. Oh, wow. They look like takedowns.
00:43:04
Speaker
Rob Markman, But when you talk about early seating and what that was, like, Boyz II Men did have a moment, because it was like, right? Because I think it was like, yo, we want to see somebody in a tuxedo with them. Rob Markman, Right, with them. Rob Markman, Yeah, like, when I got married, I had a pair space jams. I didn't rock them to the church because my wife was like, man, she was like, man, my mom was just going to talk. Rest in peace. But I was like, all right. So at the reception though, I switched to a pair of Space Jams and they weren't even mine.
00:43:36
Speaker
I just wanted to wear Space Jams and and shout out to my man, Mecca, man. oh ah Love you, bro. He lent me his Space Jams and I rocked into the reception. That's dope. Like you got ah the the way... The way that like, yeah, Jordan 11 is definitely, it's to me, it's, it's not I don't like that shoe. But I do think, I do love the- I feel like you to get that on. yeah I've gotten it on several times. I've gotten it on several times. I think it's an overrated shoe. But I do like wendy when people wear it to like formal events because I do think it that's he that was Jordan's vision of like, oh yeah, I want this to go with like a suit, you know? And so-
00:44:13
Speaker
I think the versatility of that is something that's like, oh, that's fire. But like overall for me is just like, I don't know. for me. so what's it? You've given it before, but so your top five Jordans. I've never top five. Oh, no? Nah. You're saving it for the book. Nah. My first book? Yeah, I get it though. Jordan Jordan fives, Jordan threes jordan Jordan 14s.
00:44:47
Speaker
a yeah But that's more sentimental. ah And then I have to put this up here, even though because of another sentimental name, Jordan 15s. Yeah. Wow.
00:44:58
Speaker
That's the first Jordan I ever owned. I think I saw you on Threads talking about the 16s too. You said that... Did you you just want the Cherrywoods and that's it? Oh, yeah. i said, this is the the the, so the recent collab with the Free the People. Yeah, yeah, I peeped that. Yeah, and I reposted it and I was like, the i was like it's these are the best Jordan 16s ever. And then I was like, nah, I'm lying. There's the Cherrywoods and the rest of these can get sent into the sky. I'm fiending for the Cherrywoods. I used to have the Cherrywoods. Man, I used to rock the cherry, I used to kill the cherry woods, because first of all, you did the shroud backwards. yeah You know what I'm saying? Like you rocked it on the other side, had the pop to it. Boy, and I had i had this burgundy velour. I knew I was going to say velour.
00:45:46
Speaker
Academics. Oh, academics. Academics. Oh, sweatsuit with with with the with the with the burgundy headband. I was killing it. You going crazy. Or so I thought. oh but And I had the breast 16s. My top five, Jordan, is a pro. Three's number one for sure.
00:46:03
Speaker
Eleven's is up there. Six's is up there. Yeah. um
00:46:13
Speaker
eights for like sentimental value. yeah And, um,
00:46:20
Speaker
I will go ones. Ones. Yeah. No fours? You said fours? Nah, I'm not a big fan of the fours. Oh, man. I'm not a big fan of the fours. Fours my faves, Yeah, I'm not a big fan. I like i like the fours, but it's not... I don't love the fours like everybody. like Like, to me, the threes and the fours exist in a similar space, and and and the threes do it... The threes give me everything that I need yeah that the fours have in in my life. I mean, yeah.
00:46:44
Speaker
That's the... That's why feel like the fours. the threes The threes are definitely like, like a because you don't see a lot of them. So you get the two, white white cement and black cement. And then that's kind of just all you need. yeah You can just drop those. i mean, true blues is cool. blues. Yeah, true blues cool. But they keep messing with that blue. It's like it's either light blue or dark blue, you know? like He's switching it up.
00:47:09
Speaker
And then um I love the fives. Uh-huh. But the fives kill my feet. Really? Yeah. I can't. I can't. Like if I'm out all day, I'm like a quick run. I can put on the fives. But if it's like an all day thing. Yeah.
00:47:23
Speaker
Yeah. the files just cause of that and that That don't hurt me. But the ah I only own two pairs. I only own two pairs of fives and it's the Off-White 5s. It's a totally different construction than the other 5s. So it's like, yeah, they're comfortable to me. yeah And it's funny because the episode before this, I had Izzy Izzo on. I just met him for the first time at the whole show. Duh. Shout out to my guy. i Man, I like what he's doing. Yeah. um And so like we we did an all-time colorway and model Jordan 5 top list. And so I had to put the fives on there, but i i put metallic i put the metallic off-white fives. yeah Because like the metallic all the metallic five is a classic, like that's a classic shoe. But for some reason, that off-white five, it just usurps it a little bit. And like I just think the versatility of it just like really goes hard.
00:48:17
Speaker
And I don't know. I just, but I'm also a Virgil stan. So don't, you know, like real quick too, because I hear you and I'm following you, but Izzy, you was dead wrong for that, for that polo rugby. Oh
Collecting Sneakers: Personal Stories and Community
00:48:28
Speaker
my God. You my guy with the polo rugby. Oh my God. That video. I mean, yeah, that video. He went viral with that one. That video, he caused a lot of problems with that video. But it's an age difference. It's a generational thing. Look, my polo experience is a lot different. I ended working for Ralph Lauren's daughter. I remember begging her for a polo rugby and being like, yo, hook it up, hook it up. Trying to get the exclusive shit.
00:48:56
Speaker
Nah, she gives me the polo bear sweater. and then i just get It's a different trajectory for me for that. Because for me, polo bear sweaters was like also super iconic. right I wanted the bed sheets. I wanted everything. I'm polo bed out, bro.
00:49:08
Speaker
like the polo the a polo bed out bro I'm like, yo, leave the bear alone. Yo, let the bear retire. Yo, he's good now. Let the bear retire, dog. He's good now. I don't need another teddy, man. It was like, because during the time where I asked for that, the Polo Bears was retired for a half minutes. Yeah, yeah,
00:49:28
Speaker
And they brought it back just just because I asked for it and it and it. Really? Yeah. That's crazy. Thank you. But also, you probably blame me. But they put that Polo Bear on everything bro. I'm like, slow down. I seen the, did you see, there was like a hot moment where I think it was either Chinatown Market or some other brand was using the polo bear and like, but dressing them up like in Supreme and stuff. And I was like, what are we doing? Like, all right, bro. Yeah, you gotta relax.
00:49:58
Speaker
You gotta relax. um I'm still, man. and And there's people who are way more deeper and slow than I am. So I don't like, I'm from Brooklyn like yeah and I'm from that era. And I know what that means, but, um, my grail is still the snow beach, man. yeah I had so, even when they re-released the pullover, like it just went crazy. The beams one, right? Or the and no, I'm thinking about the beams anorak. They re-released. Yeah. Yeah. The straight, the straight snow beach pullover. And, um,
00:50:30
Speaker
Man, I couldn't get my hands on it. So then then I'm like, right, I'm just going the resale. like A couple years later, I got got some breath, ran it into a nice contract. Oh, yeah. I said, oh, okay, we're going to pay the, don't know, whatever was. It was was like $35, $45, something like $100?
00:50:45
Speaker
something like yeah Yeah, so I'm getting these. So they had them on StockX. So I ordered on StockX. It was coming from overseas. I'm tracking the package, tracking the package. it gets FedEx stuck in Memphis like and and not moving from Memphis. I'm like, what is going on?
00:51:03
Speaker
Somebody stole the package. So they refunded me. So I said, you know what? All good. There's another one on here, bought another one. Yeah. Off of StockX. Ready for it. And then StockX hit me and was like, nah, we can't sell this to you. Basically, we determined, you know, when when it that it was fake. yeah da da da da I tried it again ahhhuh on StockX for another one. Because I'm like, and you know when you got money, it's like, yo, it's burning a hole in my, yo, but I need this snow beach, let's go.
00:51:31
Speaker
The second time um StockX was like, again, like, nah, this is fake. We can't sell this to you. Whatever, whatever. They canceled the order. Which I'm grateful for. right Thank you. like ah And we know StockX got their issues and got their problems, but that's the time when it actually worked. yeah yeah And i I was just like, I'm not meant to have it. And I gave up. um But, you know, I will have that snow beach one day, but... Yeah, ah I had it was sitting in Memphis and so somebody might be somebody in Memphis at the FedEx walked away with a good snow beach, bro. He definitely pulled that shit on and was like, yo, this is it. Yeah, they they they out there Memphis, man, rocking the snow beach, listening to the music. yeah You know what I'm saying? like
00:52:14
Speaker
And they whip, man. I'm like, but it's cool, man. Shout out to Memphis. Yo, shout out to... That man, yo, that's crazy. I can't believe... First of all, I'm pretty sure you could definitely cop one.
00:52:25
Speaker
and Somebody watching this hit Robin. I just gave up. I gave up. I don't know if he still got the money, but... Yeah, we don't got the money no more. I ain't... it was somewhere else like let me put a down payment on the house real quick i bought how bought like an x-men number one yeah you're like nine ah nine and above oh yeah the but what what really needs to drop though are those the sock knees the just blaze those are fine those are five shout out to just shout out packer shout out just that that's true like
00:52:59
Speaker
That shoot was so dope. I mean, it's hard to get a snow beach on top of that. But like, I'll take that as a consolation prize, you because that shoot was fire. Absolutely. Nah, absolutely. Nah, I want the snow beach. We're going to get it. We're going get it. Man, I might be 70 years old. Yeah. going to get it. We'll be like, Grandpa, why are you rocking so many colors? Yeah.
00:53:21
Speaker
Mind your business. yeah And then you take it off and it's a like a snow beach shirt. You got the whole full joint. I got the hat. I got the pinwheel joint. You know what I'm saying? And then I had a chance because my man out in UK was like, yo, because that's what it was. When I seen that was to be a problem, my man was like, well, I live.
00:53:41
Speaker
down the block from the Polesk in the UK, I could just get down there and get a few. So I was like, bet. I paid a conversion. But he he copped it, and he was like, bro, but they they sold out. All they had was the poncho. ahhuh And I was like, nah, I don't want to send it back. I was just about to ask you if you got the poncho, too. Nah, said send it back. Because my boy Cavalier, what he used to do, shout out Cav, but what he used to, don't know listen to Cav. Nah. Put me on. Please put me on. He's fire. But what he used to do was he used to sell his old polo and then sell his album with it on a USB drive, on a gold USB drive. Oh, that's dope. And so he had mad snow beach just on there. And I think he sold the poncho with the USB drive for like 400 or something like that. Sounds like my kind of guy. Shout out to Cavalier. Yeah, put me on. I got you. I'll send you something after this. But once we got into that polo era, bro, I don't know. The competition, it's competition within this space. It's like it's in everything. It's in everything. They just made copping polo a sport, copping sneakers a sport, copping streetwear a sport.
00:54:50
Speaker
You know what though? That's when I turned down. yeah like i'm I'm turned off by it. like i'm not like I want what I want, but when it become too crowded or too much of of a thing, to me it takes the fun out of it. yeah And also like i I wear everything. like i I cop to wear. like you know what I'm saying? and and I'm a collector, i I guess, but I wear my joints. yeah and um so once once Once it stops becoming fun, I'm just like, you know if it's stressful... like i'm I'm also 46 years old. like
00:55:24
Speaker
I'm not waiting online anymore. The midnight releases. and like I did that back and day. I'm not doing that no more, man. like Rob Markman, You know I'm over there too. Rob Markman, I'll catch it later. If it was meant to be, was meant to be. Or if I got the hook up. But yeah, I've never really been on a seating list or nothing like that. Rob Markman, That's crazy. We're going to get you on something. Rob Markman, Shout out to Derek. My man Derek, though, hooked me up with a pair of Puerto Rico shocks. Rob Markman, Yeah, that's fire. Rob Markman, So I was being Puerto Rican has its benefits. Shout out to Derek. Yo, Puerto Rico's been getting a lot of sneakers running. There was like Bad Bunny going crazy. All right, everybody got to get in on this. Yeah, but I remember that. I remember the era, again, going back to Air Force Ones, all the different Puerto Rico Air Force Ones every year, like going on a hunt.
00:56:14
Speaker
You know, I i used to have to hit three, four, or five stores before you found it. um and But yeah, I had all those early Puerto Rico Air Force Ones, like those were my joints. ah I'm like, i'm I'm super curious of like, where did, where do you feel like your collector gene, like where do you feel like it just like came from?
00:56:33
Speaker
ah one i I think is part of the hip hop. I think so many of us in hip hop are collectors. um Records, you know I'm saying? Maybe it was early on. Maybe it was my parents' record collection. And, and, and,
00:56:48
Speaker
you know and I don't know, we just used to keep stuff. so Yeah, used to keep a lot of stuff. I guess first it was toys, you know what I'm saying? And and and then records for sure, and then and then sneakers and and and comic books. um ah You know, I never quite thought about that, but but that there is a lot of um overlap with hip-hop. I think magazines, like...
00:57:10
Speaker
i got think I don't know, think we just collect, it's not like synonymous with hip hop and not everybody in hip hop is a collector, but there's so much collection in hip hop. I mean, maybe it dates back, if I would think, maybe it dates back to records and yeah samples and and and stuff like that. Yeah, I mean, like when I watch the, and because you you made me think about this, but like when I watch the Tribe doc, because I'm a huge tribe, like seeing Q-Tip's record collection behind him as he talks about breaking down the music and like,
00:57:40
Speaker
you thinking it I'm thinking about it just being like, how did he even find like this one section and then now he turned it into you know i Left My Wallet and Elsa Gow. How do you find this one section? RZA had Crazy Collection too. like How do you find this one small drum on this record? And you're like, I got 36 chambers off of this. Yeah. and And that's kind of what it was for me is like playing hip hop and then my mom being like, he and Big Papa.
00:58:09
Speaker
from the Souris B.I.G. and being like, oh, that's that Isley Brothers. What you know about that? And then going through my mother's collection and finding the original or finding like and finding a hip hop record that love and then it's like, oh, my parents got the original. yeah And then um I remember trying back in my era when I was trying to make beats and I was trash. But me and my boys had all saved up for an MPC and we all chipped in and copped an MPC. And each week you used to stay at one of our houses or whatever.
00:58:37
Speaker
And I would try to like recreate beats. So I remember um Jay-Z ain't no, speaking of Reasonable Doubt. like I remember trying to recreate that beat. I'm like, ah, it's a simple loop. Let me just see.
00:58:48
Speaker
And that record, like learning how to how to make that beat gave me such an appreciation for production. It's not it's not the hardest thing in the world, but it doesn't loop. right right Because it's they they played the original record live, so this's that the timing is off.
00:59:06
Speaker
You had to trigger it. You had to kind of load it up and then...
00:59:13
Speaker
dut the do du Like you had to just trigger the button like ah for three minutes straight. right and And that taught me like about making beats. And i remember like when I finally figured it out, I felt so accomplished. And then like a year later,
00:59:28
Speaker
um or i forget, I was reading something with like Jay and Jazz Owen and... and talking about how they made the beat and and how jay it was Jay's idea for the sample, yeah but nobody could loop it. So then he gave it to Jazz because he knew Jazz could figure it out and Jazz figured it out. Rob Markman 1- So, you know, I probably went on the tangent, but but it was it it was that. It was listening to hip hop records and then being like, oh, my parents got that record. Okay, let me see if I can recreate that beat. Yeah. That's, i mean, look, collective gene, man, that shit is, it's crazy. Cause like what, what I love about it is, is the way that when you have it, you know, you're trying to retrace like and get more information.
The Influence of Hip Hop on Knowledge and Culture
01:00:07
Speaker
Yeah. Right. So it's like, that's how I ended up falling in love with sneaker culture. Cause it's like, I got my first shoe and I was like, I want to learn more about sneakers. And it's just like, then you just start amassing the collection you're just like, yo, this is great. Like you're just feel, you're just like, knowledge is crazy. And like when, when I watch your videos, I'm like,
01:00:25
Speaker
Man, it's mad knowledgeable. You just pulling out references left and right and shit. I'm like, yo, this is crazy. Markman, I mean, it's just context. It's partly like the love for it leads you to want to learn more for it yeah about it. and And luckily that got me to where I'm at. like that That aided me. and you know it started, again, going back to samples, reading liner notes. You know what I'm saying? like Just soaking up as much information as as as you could. um But I regret some stuff, because I used to buy like every issue of the source. I threw a lot of those out. like You know what I'm saying? like like not
01:00:59
Speaker
Like looking back on it, like should have kept that. Or certain sneakers, I was like, damn, I wish would have kept that. Even though they were beat up, should have kept that. So there's definitely stuff that I lost, and now I'm trying to bring it back. It drives my wife crazy, because she was like, we don't have no more room for any of this stuff. Especially the comic books. Like the sneakers, I got different closets that they stash in, so she don't see it, so it's out the way. Out of the way, yeah. But the comic book stuff, she's like, dude, like, what are we doing?
01:01:27
Speaker
but And then you you end up having to buy a whole other separate apartment to put everything in there. but But I justify the comic book stuff, because it's my sneakers I wear, so yeah you know I don't know how much value there there is. And my comic books I read, but then you put them in a bag and a board, and and I'm like, hey, at the end of the day, man, if something happens to me and... and and Yeah, I can sell this. You know what I'm saying? There's a value here for sure. You over here telling the kids, look, first issue, first appearance of- No, no, no. I got a spreadsheet. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I got a spreadsheet and I got one of those comic collector apps with a catalog. That's great. stuff and the value of stuff.
01:02:00
Speaker
And then they know who to bring it to. I'm like, just don't bring it to any dealer. You're going to bring it to my man, Hank in Brooklyn, that bulletproof shout out to Hank. He'll do right by you. He'll help you figure it out. You know what saying? That's fire. We're towards the end of the podcast, but my last question deals with a little visualization. i want you to think back to, damn, we talked about like three sneakers when you talk when talk about your first kicks. Okay. yeah But the Jordan 8, Jordan 8, no, right? Would it be that the... The 9's were technically my first So like let's go Jordan 9 Now you're ah ah Think about you, your younger you He's about to get that box Now you're older you behind your younger self What would you tell your younger self as he opens that box That's funny
01:02:47
Speaker
rock them shits boy rock them shits hell yeah yo you doing it yeah you doing it yeah like because because i saved up my own money right yeah it was such a moment i vim i remember paying for it it was a lot of ones yeah you know it might have been 140 in ones and at least it wasn't pennies bro yeah and um and was the first one in school with him hey boy are you doing You're doing it.
Engaging with the Sneaker Community
01:03:15
Speaker
where Everybody know where to find you, Rob. Yeah, man. um You can hit me up on YouTube. um Rob Markman. Everything is my government name. R-O-B-M-A-R-K-M-A-N. Twitter, um Instagram, threads, all of that. At Rob Markman. Watch this podcast. Best interview ever. Watch his content. This is not a podcast. This is my thoughts. ah Check out the album as well. yeah And me, who is awesome. All social media this follow the podcast on my first kicks pod.
01:03:42
Speaker
Follow my no, wait, no. Hit up the Patreon. I'm going to Patreon first. Okay. $5. $5. Help me out. This goes right back into the podcast. It goes, gets me here, you know, helps me out. ah Copper shirt. I have shirts.
01:03:59
Speaker
Please, I just need you to hit me up because I'm not making a whole website to sell one shirt. So hit me up. $40 for shipping. Yeah. I'm doing my best. Yeah. I love the content. Yeah. yeah um And if you want to tell me your My First Kick story, hit me up. Info at MyFirstKicks.com. I'm kicking to myself. Do the outro. Peace. I hope you enjoyed this week's episode with Rob Markman. Man,
01:04:20
Speaker
I can't tell you how wild it is to be able to get a chance to talk to Rob and have him pull up to the podcast because I've been listening and watching him and checking out his work for such a very long time. So to be able to get a chance to really sit down with him, it it felt like...
01:04:39
Speaker
I don't even know how I ended up here a type of moment. But I hope y'all really enjoyed that conversation. um You know, Rob talks a lot about music and comics. So getting him to really sit down and talk about sneakers for a good bit, I i just settled right in and got really, ah i would say, in the weeds with him because...
01:05:01
Speaker
You know, I try not to do that with every single guest, but, you know, when somebody who is speaking on other things, very, you know, in-depth and and full of, like, knowledge, like, when they come on this show, I do want to show that this is also important.
01:05:21
Speaker
you know, that type of podcast, because when it comes to sneakers and I mean, sneaker culture, I'm the biggest nerd when it comes to that. And I talk about this for several years, you know, um,
01:05:33
Speaker
The podcast changed a ton of formats in terms of just like how I guided conversation and learned how to speak to people of different walks of life. And and some people may not be in the weeds with sneakers and, you know, can can't tell you what TPU is on a Dunkin', but like, you know, there are people who look at that same Dunkin' and remember the time that they were able to get that for Christmas or how that opened up a door for them where it got them into a place that they thought they wouldn't be, or even just put them on a path that, you know, puts so many opportunities in front of their faces. So I just wanted to be able to, to kind of, you know, if I feel the conversation is going that way, I will take it that way. And, you know, I know that the people that are listening to this, because a lot of majority of my, my listeners are,
01:06:27
Speaker
Very in the weeds with sneakers as well. But, you know, I'm still trying to get people who aren't so familiar with sneakers and, you know, aren't so, you know, I wake up thinking about sneakers literally every day. So, you know, I know there are people that are not like that or look at me like I'm crazy. But I do want to open up this podcast to...
01:06:50
Speaker
you know, be able to speak to people in both walks of life. And so after this episode finished, you know, Maxim was like, wow, ah you really went into Maxim, who ah is one of the co-owners of the podcast studio. He was like, wow, you really went like you guys were just going into the weeds with this one. I was just like, yeah,
01:07:10
Speaker
i I love it. I think, you know, hopefully Rob will come back and we can talk a little bit more. um And hopefully we get him on a seating because would be crazy as well. But...
01:07:21
Speaker
I think that this is the sneaker industry and the sneaker, like the way sneakers work is very, if you know, you know. And I think I, this past couple of weeks and a bunch of conversations, are just really kind to trying to like wonder and,
01:07:40
Speaker
you know, figure out what kind of big, uh, troubles I'm, I'm facing when it comes to getting the podcast in front of others. Uh, I know a lot of people who are listening are people who ultimately want to have their own episode as well. And so, you know, I'm, that is not a no, that is also, uh, I can't wait till you you pull up as well type of thing. Um,
01:08:05
Speaker
Because in my in my full belief is I want everybody to have an episode of My First Kicks. If you can help hold the conversation or you know you can you know talk to me about you know what really the stories and and what really you know made you love sneakers, I will always be there to listen and guide that conversation because I love those type of conversations. I have them literally once I talk about the podcast at an event or in person or even at my job. Somebody's breaking it down to me. Yeah.
01:08:33
Speaker
I don't believe that, you know, there is somebody with not no motion that can't get on the podcast or, you know, something like that. Like, I want to build out a community where we can have theres several different forms of walks of life being able to jump on this podcast and have a conversation. Because somebody somewhere will listen to that conversation and take something that will help them. along the way. And I feel that is the biggest impact that I can put on every week.
01:09:06
Speaker
And what I always, you know, justify as my why as to why I create this thing. And so and why i can ah why I create these conversations. And so when it comes to like, you know, the growth of the podcast and and the type of audiences that I'm commanding or, you know, trying to get in front of, I have to look at you know, introspectively of like, you know, what really made me, you know, listen to other podcasts or what really made me really want to tap in with a creator or what really made me kind of share this with with other people. And so I have these conversations with myself and other people and creators and and other podcasters like Deontay Kyle, And I try to make sure that, like, I'm steering this ship as best as I can because this is an uncharted territory, especially within the sneaker universe, that, you know, some people have a taste of or some people, you know, have an idea of what it could be or some people have reached the mountaintops and there's nothing beyond it. And so...
01:10:08
Speaker
It's so many untangibles that I'm facing within this ship that I'm building by hand on top of the water when I'm trying to traverse it. Like it's it's definitely something that i I'm falling in love with the process of, but also get flustered by the stagnation of some things. And, you know, I try my best. I put out as much as I can. i I'm as present as much as I can as well because working a full-time job and doing this as a full-time job, it's it's the biggest hurdle of like my entire career. And I've always you know been...
01:10:51
Speaker
upfront about it and I've always been you know very transparent about that I work a full job and then I do this after. And then you know that I have no sponsorships, that I'm relying on my ah my audience base and I'm relying my own money in order to put this out. so You know, my call to arms and my call to arms in every single capacity of like engagement, you know, collaboration and, ah you know, ah trying to create community and culture around this. It all stems from just a need for trying to figure this out, because this is one of those puzzles that I enjoy. doing and figuring out and helping others and inspiring others to try new things, especially with their own podcasts or whatever their own creative endeavors or, you know, trying to look outside of, you know, the current people that we all know and love and try to invite people that, you know, we only hear about passing and or, you know, may not even be associated with sneakers, much like Rob Markman. Like, but
01:11:53
Speaker
They it's all this is what ah the door I've opened for everybody is that sneakers connects everybody. Everybody has that one first pair. And so when I see other people definitely use the question because I don't own a question. i i definitely base the podcast, you know, as like this is the opener. But.
01:12:14
Speaker
what the meat of the the stories come from are are actually built from the information that is being given within the episode. So whenever I see iterations of it and people asking this question or trying to avoid saying it the way I say it, I just find it interesting. And then I can't say, i can't i can't ah deny that like, yeah, I'm paying attention because I pay attention to everything. I'm, I'm as online as I am offline. So it's interesting to see and kind of like take mental notes. But I will always be looking for collaboration more than I am looking for competition. And if you are you know if you are a listener, you you you made it to the end of here and end of this podcast, and you want to suggest me as a guest on other podcasts, or you want to suggest podcast guests,
01:13:09
Speaker
please feel free to do that. Comment on a clip. Message me in the DMs. like This is supposed to be extremely super active because without y'all or without anybody listening, then I would just be making this for me.
01:13:24
Speaker
And I could just put this on my own hard drive and listen to it like whenever I want to, like which would be insane. That would just be insane work. So I'm not doing that. And i will continuously put these out and build on...
01:13:38
Speaker
Whatever momentum I've been able to build. So I appreciate y'all for tapping in. Especially this week. This week was a very fun episode. And, you know, we got to do the Patreon shoutouts. But first, before we jump into the Patreon, and Patreon shoutouts. You can sign up for Patreon. Patreon.com slash MyFirstKicks. Don't forget, i have merch. I've been sitting on these shirts for a while now. I need to sell them.
01:13:59
Speaker
Because I would like to make new merch. If you saw the interstitial in the middle, please... I want to make new merch. Also, I want to prove that I can be be a valuable person within a collaboration as well. Because if I can sell my shirts, then that means I can do a collaboration with, say, Augusto NYC or like... ah carrots. If I can do my part, then people will... I can actually create cool opportunities. So help your boy out. Help me sell these shirts. I want to get rid of them. And I want to make new merch. So hit me up.
01:14:35
Speaker
Info at MyFirstKicks.com or shoot me a DM. So let's jump in into Patreon shoutouts. And you too can get shouted out. For the Patreon. Patreon shoutouts. Bye. Sign up for Patreon at patreon.com. That's my first case. But let's start out. We got Adam Neustadar. We got Ross Adams. We got Derek Lipkin. We got Jesse Jesse G. We got Plox. We got Derek Hawkins. We have Jordan Kaiser. Samia Grandpierre.
01:15:01
Speaker
Sean Hates You. Brett. AD Sneaks. And MDOT. think that's it. Yep, that's it. MDOT. Shout out. Shout out y'all for continuously supporting the podcast and sign up for the Patreon because all that money goes right back into the podcast. I do not keep a red cent from anything.
01:15:23
Speaker
And so... Continuously trying to make sure this podcast is good and great and amazing as much as I can. um if you By the time you're listening to this, I'm literally about to go shoot another episode. But I want to say, before we jump into the end slate and the end of this podcast, I want to say that I have a new Patreon. By the time this comes out, I believe, like either this next week or whenever I feel like putting this out, there will be a new brand new Patreon exclusive episode and I go off. I was extremely upset the other day when I recorded this. So if you want to hear me rant and about what's going on, I will be putting up one clip, one clip to push this episode and I think it's going to ruffle a lot of feathers.
01:16:12
Speaker
But Only patreon.com slash myfirstkicks patrons, $5 tier, will get to watch this episode in full. So this is going to be my little preamble for this. There's not going to be a sneak peek in here. i'm not going to throw it in here. Just letting y'all know, if y'all want to watch the next coming Patreon episode, which you will not want to miss, sign up for patreon.com slash myfirstkicks. Now,
01:16:38
Speaker
If you are new here or if you are a returning guest, a returning guest, if you are a returning listener, don't forget to check out these two episodes here. And if you want to subscribe to the podcast, hit that subscribe button. And don't forget, you know, what we say each week, wear your kicks. Peace.