Ye

Bap, Bap! Call me late and what have you, I don’t give a sh!t because this Burna Boy banger is way too fire for me to not write about.

Simply titled “Ye,” (don’t worry, it has nothing to do with Mr. West), the genre-bending jam is from the Nigerian superstar’s third studio album, Outside.  It was coined as the biggest song of 2018 by many prestigious Nigerian publications and the honor alone eventually led him to become the country’s biggest artist of that same year. "Ye is a song that essentially shows the unrelenting nature of Nigerians (where I’m from). We thrive despite the leadership and circumstances,” writes Burna Boy in an email to The Fader describing his hit Afro-fusion chune. “Everyone has big dreams that logically may or may not be achieved; Aspiring to have a Bentley, G-wagon regardless of their current situation. ‘I can’t come and kill myself’ is an expression that means, you can’t dwell on things that aren’t working out or looking good, you only have one life after all.”

Not only does “Ye” slaps, it’s also inspirational! Check out the song’s ballerific visual below:

Imported (Remix)

“Hi, my name is Frendy/And sometimes people call me Friendly.” Damn, I really disliked when that happened back in the day, but I’ve grown accustomed to it. Furthermore, the nickname describes my personality pretty well so there's really no harm done. R&B star 6LACK certainly goes through the same situation and, just like me, doesn’t mind the public butchering of his name because, as he states in Jessie Reyez’s Imported (remix), “they stubborn and my bank account is looking mighty fine.”

The talented Toronto crooner’s slightly tweaked single is from her highly anticipated debut album.  "You don't really know what songs are going to touch people, but I remember a day after releasing the original song, I did a show and everyone was singing it”, she says of the sultry banger to MTV News.  "It was mad cool that people only had a day to learn the song and it hit them already, you know? So to be able to put somebody as talented as 6LACK on it and be able to give the song a new life, is a sick opportunity."

You think she said “Black” or “Six-lack” during the interview? *Laughs*.  In any case, check out the tune’s intimate visual below, and be on the lookout for Jessie’s sonic body of work, which is slated to release later this year via Island Records.

The Maestro

I’m surprised there isn’t a picture of a specs-wearing Jacob Rochester grinning profusely under the word “maestro” in the dictionary.

Jacob is what you may call an artist’s artist. Not only does he create wonderful illustrations, the uber creative Connecticut native knows a thing or two about producing mesmerizing beats that can easily impress the most dedicated Hip Hop head. I was initially aware of Rochester’s incredible talent during the heyday of Tumblr, where his designs continuously popped up in the most prominent fashion and music pages. We eventually met at Nigo’s former New York shop, and kept in touch via social media.

Although having a budding business relationship with Jacob, we never really spoke to the point where I really got to know his story. This is why it’s such a pleasure to present our very first in-depth conversation below. Enjoy!

FRENDY:  You were the first person I thought of when I wanted a newly designed logo—thanks for a job well done!  How often do you get hit up for commissioned pieces?

JACOB:  Glad you liked the logo, man! I think it came out cool as well. I get hit up pretty often actually. I tend to go with what feels right in my gut when deciding who to work with. And I find it best to not take on too many projects at a time—it sucks to get bogged down and not be able to feel like I’m giving enough attention to a client.

FRENDY:  I totally feel you. Furthermore, you want to properly execute whatever piece you’re working on. Who was your first big client?

JACOB:  Yeah, exactly. And I guess it depends on what you consider to be “big.” I’d say it was working with Flatbush Zombies for the first time in 2015, but honestly it was more so because I was able to work with my good homie Phillip T. Annand on the project. That moment was huge for me personally because I had been following him & the Madbury Club for so long. To be able to work with such genius was mind boggling. And then I was able to see the poster I had created for the [Flatbush Zombies] show in person for the first time out in London on a study abroad trip, so that made it even crazier.

FRENDY:  Yeah, man. My fellow Haitian brother Phil is out of this world.  The growth of his entire crew is surreal as well.  I haven’t seen him post on Instagram for a minute!

JACOB:  Yeah, for sure! It seems like he stays low now, evasive I guess. Which is a dream *Laughs*.

FRENDY:  Are you working for a particular design studio?

JACOB: At the moment, nope! I’m doing freelance stuff on my own. I think I would be open to working for a studio because a lot of the work I admire from huge agencies or clients etc. come out of studios that I’ve been following for some time now. But luckily, I’m able to work at my own pace by myself. That may change in the future though, who knows.

FRENDY: You deserve all of the success, my man.  Speaking of winning, congrats on having your very own font published on Actual Source’s book, Shoplifters 8: New Type Design, earlier this year.  What’s your thought process when conjuring up a brand new typeface?

JACOB:  Appreciate it yo! Yeah, that was a great opportunity. It felt like a milestone in regards to design and working with Actual Source. Fonts are tricky for me actually, I’ve only designed maybe 3 fully-custom typefaces. And each one kind of came up sporadically when designing something else. For example, the latest one I built is called ‘Neola’ and it’s a monospace font. And the real reason I made it was mainly to set type on PDF’s for decks I make for clients.

I’m super particular with anything I create, and when it comes to fonts I tend to overthink even more than my typical work so it’s hard for me to start to be honest. When I get a solid idea of where the font should go it gets easier. It’s a fun process, though tedious.

FRENDY:  Incredible.  Did you go to art school at all, or are you naturally gifted with the strokes (pause) *Laughs*?

JACOB:  *Laughs* Nah, I went to Uconn for graphic design & before that I took a couple courses in footwear design in high school. Outside of that, I learned everything with the help of my parents. My mom was an artist as well so I always had a good support system. And then, of course, through observation & learning shit via the internet.

FRENDY:  Like Blue Ivy, Jay-Z and Beyonce’s first born child, it seems like you were instilled with the belief that there are no ceilings.  That you can do anything your heart desires, and it’s apparent as you are fulfilling your array of passions. How was life growing up in Connecticut?  Were your parents pretty lenient?

JACOB:  Yeah, I’d say so. I still keep that mindstate that if I want something, or want to learn something, there’s always a way to get to it as cliche as it sounds. Growing up in CT was cool, had a good circle of friends that I’m still super close with to this day. I think my parents had like the perfect amount of ‘strictness’ with me and my siblings growing up, they weren’t ever too overbearing and were always supportive of what we did. I consider myself lucky because I know a ton of people now that wish they had went a different route in school or whatever but weren’t able to because of their parents, or just taking what seemed to be a more stable route.

FRENDY: You are blessed indeed. My father really didn’t see my vision at first (and it’s all good), but thank God my mother always believed in my abilities.  Having a support system is key—even if it’s just one person giving you positive feedback.

JACOB:  100% man! I hate to hear when people are deterred from their dreams due to lack of support or confidence. But I guess that also comes down to having a passion for something too. You’ll stick to it if you know it’s something you want to do.

FRENDY:  Facts!  Look at us, we’re still here *Laughs*.  I’m not sure how many times we’ve actually met in person but I was surprised to see how tall you were.  Have you played any organized basketball?

JACOB:  Bruh! It’s funny you say that because just 2 days ago I was told I look like I’m 5’6 in my pictures. Which is hilarious to me. But nah, nothing too serious. I played AAU in middle school and played in high school, but kind of lost the ‘hoop dreams’ early on when I realized how much nicer kids were than me when I played AAU *Laughs*.

FRENDY:  Pictures can be deceiving!  Yeah, I’m not going to lie, I had hoop dreams as well. I played HS basketball, I was so in love with the game. But during my senior year, I just stopped to focus on my “TV Production” career *Laughs*.  Why’d you make such a big move all the way to Los Angeles and not a closer booming city like New York?

JACOB:  Yeah, yo! That’s honestly one of the worst realizations as a kid like, “Damn, I’m not going to the NBA,” after living & breathing basketball for so long *Laughs*. But yeah, I decided to move to LA after getting a job pretty much after graduation to work with Nas’ clothing line, HSTRY, which is based out here. I would've for sure moved to NY if that opportunity didn’t present itself though.

FRENDY:  Nas, the legend!  How’d you get the gig with his company?

JACOB:  That actually came up through an old mentor of mine, this dude named Jason Mayden who is a genius in his own right. I’m super thankful for that connection. But yeah, he pretty much knew the brand manager at HSTRY and made the connection when they needed a graphic designer. It worked itself out from there.

FRENDY:  When the hell do you find the time to sharpen all your swords because they’re pretty lethal! How do you prioritize your time in honing your lengthy skills?

JACOB:  Thanks, yo! I think it all comes from learning things super early on. My parents have old home video tapes of me on the drumset at like 2 yrs old and scribbling at like 3 etc. I just had a knack for things when I was young and acted on them. I think a huge part of it was also how I learned certain things, like I can remember being maybe 8 or 9 and just copying this artist Justin Bua’s work over and over. He’s the dude that has the black caricatures in his paintings that are hung in like every barber shop. But yeah, from his stuff to copying graffiti I saw, to pseudo-learning how to draw anatomy from Incredible Hulk comics or the AND-1 dude *Laughs*, I always had references that I found interesting to learn from. And from then to now, I guess it’s all the same really. I’m just sharpening each skill through repetition and further observation from other artists or musicians etc.

FRENDY:  At what age did you start getting serious about making music?  What compelled you to do so?

JACOB:  I’m not sure if I’d even consider myself serious about music now. I just always found it fun & rewarding to make music. I grew up playing drums in the church so it kind of made sense for me to move on to making beats. But I still see it as like something to do when I get tired of drawing or something.

I think it may have been when I first heard MF-DOOM & Madlib for the first time in like 7th grade from one of my music teachers. I felt like, “wow I definitely want to learn how to do this stuff.” It was around the same time my uncle put a cracked version of FruityLoops 3 on my computer at home *Laughs*. Again, super lucky.

FRENDY:  There are no such things as coincidences!  Do you record at home or pay for studio time?

JACOB: I hear you! And nah, just do things from home. If I took it more serious then maybe I’d try to work out of studios or whatever, but my small setup at the crib is all I need really.

FRENDY: I listened to a lot of your records and I see you have an affinity for using samples, specifically from reggae and soul records.  How extensive is your vinyl collection?

JACOB:  Yeah, that’s my favorite stuff. And I think now I’ve accumulated maybe a couple hundred, I’m fairly new to sampling from vinyl. I only started collecting a couple years ago. Before that it was the cliche sample-from-Youtube strategy *Laughs*.

FRENDY:  Hey, some of the biggest records today used samples from YouTube *Laughs*.  Your highest played song on Soundcloud is, “Maria I’m Smacked (Trust Me),” which reworks the intro of Travis Scott’s “Maria I’m Drunk,” featuring Justin Bieber and Young Thug.  What intrigued you so much about that particular part of the original tune?

JACOB:  I think mainly the chord progression in the beginning of that song intrigued me the most. And I just wished it was longer, with drums. I was going to take that down from my Soundcloud actually because it’s one of those things where you look back and wish you did certain things differently—which is how I feel about almost all of my work *Laughs*. But yeah, I think it still holds up today, kind of.

FRENDY:  Nah, please leave that song up ‘cause I need to put it in this piece *Laughs*.  Which musical artists do you enjoy listening to right now?

JACOB:  Let me check my ‘recent’ in Apple music.  I love this chick named Kadhja Bonet, her stuff is like modern-mid 70s soul, it's crazy. Also been playing a lot of DaBaby, Mach Hommy, Matt Ox, I always have Knxwledge on rotation. Weird grouping of artists, but that’s what I’ve been slapping recently.

FRENDY:  That’s an eclectic mix right there.  As far as illustrating, do you have a certain process to get in the zone?

JACOB:  A lot of my stuff is referential so it comes down to having an idea + references for me to start a piece. I don’t always stick to the references verbatim, but It helps when starting for sure. Other than that, I usually have a movie on in the background or music when knocking out an illustration.

FRENDY:  Who are your dream collaborators in any art field?

JACOB:  Working with Actual Source was a huge one for me, would love to work more with them. I’ve always wanted to have an artist-specific project like, for example, doing a full collection in the same way Raf Simons worked with Sterling Ruby or Brian Calvin. I think the ultimate dream would be doing a BMW art car. With music, I don’t know, maybe DOOM rapping over one of my beats would make everything come full circle *Laughs*.

FRENDY:  Hey, you never know who’ll come across this interview and connect the dots!  I stumbled upon one of your latest sitdowns which revealed that you are not fond of wearing heavily branded clothing.  What brands are you actually into?

JACOB:  Yeah recently, and I have no clue why, but I feel weird wearing huge logos. I’m not sure what that stemmed from but I’d much rather wear things that have more attention to detail. I like OAMC a lot, Sacai, Rick Owens, Tone Customs makes amazing bags & utility-accessories. I still love Palace a lot too as a brand, but I don’t think I’d wear much from them.

FRENDY:  The last time we saw anything related to your clothing line, Massive, was an Instagram post in 2016.  Is it safe to say that this ship has sailed?

JACOB:  Yeah, for sure. Massive was fun while it lasted, but when I moved to LA I just didn’t have the time or passion for it & just wanted to do something new that would be more specialized & detail oriented. I’ve just started another ‘thing’ called, a.Construct, that operates the same as Massive in a sense, but just has everything I’ve learned up until this point behind it. I’m able to make what I want with more knowledge & with a better understanding of how clothing works. It’s still a slow-moving brand, but I’m excited for what will come of it.

FRENDY:  Is a.Construct a one man operation or do you have a team of people working on the brand with you?

JACOB:  Nah, it’s all me for now. That way I’m able to have control over what I want to put out, and more so because a lot of times I’m lazy & just need time to make or think of stuff. Which is kind of how the whole brand came about, just overthinking and not trusting an idea. I use it as another outlet for ideas, which don’t always come consistently.

FRENDY:  What else do you have planned for the rest of 2019?

JACOB:  I think for the most part, just more of what I’m doing now: freelancing, making beats & chilling out. I recently worked with a brand out in Italy that should be showing a collection in June at Pitti Florence, so hopefully I’ll be out there in the summer. I’ve also been working on a bunch of paintings, would be cool to show them at some point this year.

FRENDY:  My man, this talk was phenomenal.  Thanks for your time. Any last words?

JACOB:  Bruh! Thank you so much for the opportunity, man. I’ll never forget those days mad long ago heading up to NY, showing up in the BAPE store like, “Yo, there’s Frendy!” *Laughs*. Really crazy how time flies, man.

Justiine

I am beyond honored to introduce the FRNDY LMRN community to the insanely talented Alternative R&B singer-songwriter, Justiine. Her sound emits nothing but positive and radiant auras. The 22-year-old budding sensation’s unique blend of R&B, Hip Hop, and Pop has already made her a fan favorite in her hometown of Atlanta. Now, Justiine is poised to reach a global audience with the release of her Project Twenty Two EP.

JULIEN:  What’s up! Welcome to the FRNDY LMRN fam, Justiine. Where exactly did you grow up in Atlanta?

JUSTIINE:  *Laughs* well I’m Justiine.  I’m from Alpharetta, which is pretty much the suburbs. There’s just a lot of high class drug addicts and drunk housewives—It’s really pretty, though! Growing up was interesting to say the least. I could write a book about all the great times and a sequel to it about all the horrible times. It has been a very long time coming, but I’m extremely excited and humbled to be where I am.

JULIEN:  What’s an average day like for you?

JUSTIINE:  I’m for sure an example of the cliché musician. I go with the flow. I typically wake up around noon and knock out my yoga for the day. Once I feel inspired, I might then go cook or pick up some food. I make sure to save time to play with my dog, and then I’ll go in the studio and make a beat or try to write to one of my producer’s beats. If some magic starts to flow, I’ll be in the studio for 8-9 hours. At some point, my team will force me to go to sleep. I wake up, and finish that song first thing in the morning.

JULIEN:  Can you explain your creative process?

JUSTIINE:  Candles and sage are an absolute must to set a vibe in my studio. Colored lights are a necessity. I make sure to set them to the vibe of the song that I’m working on. It sounds crazy, but it’s 100% necessary. I need to have my notebook, pencil, and sharpener to write down lyrics. Lastly, I must be alone during the entire process.

JULIEN:  What drew you to the music industry?

JUSTIINE: I’ve been singing my entire life — since preschool, actually. I performed in musicals and all that gross stuff. My brother, Chandler, started rapping when we were in high school. I followed his lead and followed my passion. The rest went down in history.

JULIEN: Who are your biggest supporters of your career?

JUSTIINE: My mom. My dad. He’s been there for me since I quit my job and decided to make a career out of music. I’m really lucky to have them as parents. They support all of my dreams and believe in me more than I believe in myself sometimes. My friends. Coke — better known as Coca Vango. I’m proud of his success and appreciate him for being a great CEO of Energy 7, the record label I’m signed to. He tells it like it is and has been helping me navigate through the industry since the very beginning. Oh, and my PR team is the best! My support group is fire.

JULIEN:  Your last sonic offering was called ‘Project Twenty One’ and your latest is coined ‘Project Twenty Two’?  Is there a hidden meaning behind the correlating titles?

JUSTIINE:  Well, my first EP ‘Project Twenty One’ was released when I had just turned 21. It’s one of my favorite numbers as well. This year, I decided that it’s only right that I put out ‘Project Twenty Two’ before it’s too late when I turn 23! The plan is to have an age trilogy, kind of how Adele did with her albums. Love that.

JULIEN: Do you like to collaborate with other artists? What is that process like?

JUSTIINE: I love collaborating with other artists. Collaboration used to give me anxiety. I would get intimidated, but after recording with Nessly and Salma Slims, I have appreciated my gift a bit more.

JULIEN: Have you ever dealt with anxiety due to a creative block?

JUSTIINE: Every day of my life. It’s hard getting stuck in the hole, and then you have to think about how you're in a hole. And then you have deadlines and fans that are waiting. It really makes you want to say fuck it! But it’s all worth it when you release a track it and everyone loves it. It’s always worth it.

JULIEN: What do you want to accomplish within the next few years?

JUSTIINE: I just want to be a better version of myself. I want to work with more artists, shoot more videos, travel everywhere. There’s so much I want to do, I could write a short story.

JULIEN: Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?

JUSTIINE: Thriving, living in LA, on a song with Drake.

JULIEN: What’s the best advice you’ve ever gotten from someone?

JUSTIINE: Ever since I was a kid, my mom has told me, “a part of finding out who you are is finding out who you don’t want to be.”

JULIEN: What advice do you have in general for young girls regarding self confidence?

JUSTIINE: Stop trying to be like everyone else. If you look different, that’s a good thing. A lot of these young girls put so much effort into looking the same. I used to do it, too. But no matter how hard I tried to fit in, I was still different. After a while, I embraced it and became more comfortable with myself. I don’t know. Being young is hard, but being a young girl is the worst. Just don’t be scared to be who you are.

Written by Sir Julien George

Canada Isn't Going To Like This

My congenial Canadian friends: if getting a high number of “likes” on Instagram makes your heart sing, then be prepared for it to drop all the way down to your ass. Facebook Inc’s infamous photo-sharing app is playing a suspenseful game of peek-a-boo with the testing of eliminating likes *Gasps*.

The experiment, starting this week, will hide the total number of likes on not only photos, but also your Red camera shot, one-minute Insta movie clips (my fault for the sarcasm).  Furthermore, the little hearts on Instagram will be removed from the permalink pages, profiles, and main feed. “We are testing this because we want your followers to focus on the photos and videos you share, not how many likes you get,” stated an IG rep at Facebook’s annual developer conference on Tuesday.

What’s extremely confusing though is that users will have the ability to see how many likes (or lack of) their post has acquired.  So, wait, people who usually feel bad about getting low number of likes are still going to be experiencing some sort of disdain? Moral of the story, don’t give a f#ck about what anyone thinks or say about you, and life will be that much easier.

The King of Thrifting

Two years ago I conducted an incredible interview with none other than the hypest of the hypebeasts himself Ang Nits. Since I dived deep inside the mind of a “user”—in this case, a bright-eyed individual who unabashedly buys highly popularized (and often criticized) gear for his own enjoyment—it’s time to finally hear from the “dealer.” Yup, you read that right, I’m talking about a dope garment slangin’, bandz getting reseller.

Allow me to present the culprit at hand Josh Dzime-Assison, better known as Dizzy. What makes the determined DMV native so unique is that he specializes in reselling sensational pieces from thrift stores. Dizzy actually has his meticulous thrifting ways down to a science. Don’t believe me? Simply head over to his Instagram page and you’ll find informational posts on how to properly cop and resell vintage threads: from refurbishing old boxes to send out packages, all the way down to clutch reminders like not forgetting to look through the bedsheet and hand towels section for hidden gems. (Earlier this month he bought a 1970s Yves Saint Laurent towel set for only $8. It was resold on eBay for a whopping $240.)

I recently sat down with the eCommerce expert to discuss his come up, fashion, business and future endeavors. Check out our insightful conversation below:

FRENDY: I could have easily named this piece, “The King of Reselling” because you are a Jedi master of flipping items, but I truly believe you’re even better at buying archival pieces for the low low.  When did thrifting become your thing?

DIZZY: I stumbled into thrifting as a teenager, maybe 14 or 15. I was a fanatical sneaker collector at that time. I remember going in a thrift store (before it was acceptable and trendy to wear used or secondhand items) and seeing some really dope older Jordans. One of my first thrift store purchases was a pair of original powder blue 9’s from 1994. I think I paid $10 for them, took them home, scrubbed them and they broke everyone’s neck at school the next day and on NikeTalk that night when I posted my outfit. I was hooked on thrift stores after that.

FRENDY: Jeez, only $10! A regular teenager back then wouldn’t think about hitting up a thrift store to cop some gear.  You were ahead of your time. Is it safe to say that you were introduced to fashion and style by your OGs at a real young age?

DIZZY:  I wasn’t really introduced to fashion by OGs, I grew up on 90s basketball and Eastbay. At that time, my focus was strictly sneakers, and the love for sneakers helped me develop my style and taste in fashion a little later. In high school, I probably already had close to 150 pairs of sneakers and I was starting to build a reputation on message boards like NikeTalk and ISS. That slight Internet buzz was fun, but the Internet was fairly new as far as understanding the power and reach that it had. So I was just beginning to tap into my influence at that point.

FRENDY:  Where exactly did you grow up in the DMV area?

DIZZY: I grew up in Adelphi, MD, which is Prince George’s County if anyone is familiar with the DMV area. Around 10th or 11th grade, my family moved to Silver Spring, MD which is a suburb of Washington, DC.

FRENDY:  I read that Maryland has a lot of county pride. When you tell people what county you’re from, it’s like telling them part of your identity. Do you believe that’s true? If so, what attributes have you inherited from yours?

DIZZY:  Yeah, there’s a little bit of that. It’s not as serious as the boroughs in NY, but people definitely want to know where you’re from. I think the issue comes from people that are from MD claiming DC and people from far suburbs claiming DMV. I think people just want to know that you’re actually from the area.

Growing up in MD was dope though because it’s a racial melting pot and an economic melting pot. I was able to see and experience so much in those younger years. I had white friends and black and hispanic friends. I had rich friends and lower middle class friends. It was just a really well rounded upbringing. I think it prepared me for how diverse the real world is.

FRENDY:  Amazing. Damn, I guess I watched too much of “The Wire’ growing up because I ignorantly thought the whole of Maryland was filled with violence *Laughs*.

DIZZY:  “The Wire” just showed some parts of Baltimore, which is like 45 minutes away from Silver Spring and an hour from Washington, DC. For the most part, those suburbs around DC are consistently some of the wealthiest counties in the country. I think Prince George’s county has the wealthiest black population of anywhere. So as amazing as “The Wire” was, it was telling a very specific story. I recently was in Colombia in South America and from what we see in movies and on TV, we just think it’s all cocaine cartels. When I got there, it was one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been. Same thing.

FRENDY:  That’s why we actually have to experience life instead of agreeing with force-fed information from mainstream media.  Speaking of which, in an interview with The Fader last year, singer Brent Faiyaz stated that Maryland is extremely competitive.  Have you experienced any sort of competition or haters downplaying your entrepreneurial grind out there?

DIZZY: I try not to pay attention to it. That’s everywhere though. People will tell you that same story in any city. I just always try to show love and it’s worked out for me. At times, I’ve struggled with the feeling that people were smiling in my face and hating behind my back, but that was something I had to get over and grow past. So now I just focus my thoughts and energy on things I can control.

FRENDY:  This is the same energy I carry. Your company is now based in New York.  What inspired the move there from your hometown?

DIZZY:  I’m actually back in MD now, man. I was in NY for 7 years. I originally left MD because I was able to have some success at a young age and I was curious to see how that stacked up in a big market. Everybody in this industry wants to be in NY for the opportunities, the relationships, resources. There’s just so many things that NY offers that you can’t get anywhere else in the world. So living and hustling in NY for those years was a great experience for me.

FRENDY:  What compelled you to actually carry out the plan of opening up your online shop selling thrift goods?

DIZZY: The plan started in MD. I opened the first consignment sneaker store in the MD area in 2007. I did the physical location thing for a little while and when that ended, I just continued the hustle online. I had always been selling, but before that I was selling on forums, from my blog (I was blogging heavily back then) and on MySpace. From there, the transition to an online store platform was pretty seamless.

FRENDY:  Why did you decide to shut down the physical shop?

DIZZY:  Unfortunately, someone broke into it and stole a lot of stuff. So dealing with the logistics of recovering from that and also repaying thousands of dollars to people for their consigned items was overwhelming to deal with at 21-years-old. So I just took a break from it and shifted directions.

FRENDY:  All things happen for our greatest good, even when we don’t even understand it at the moment.  I’m glad you kept your dreams alive. You have a vast amount of customers from all over the country. How did you build such a loyal and expansive following? Word of mouth or social media?

DIZZY:  I believe that 100%. Initially when I started selling online, I was running a really popular blog. Get Dizzy blog at one point was getting like 10,000 viewers a day. So I combined my sales platform to my blog, which was already generating crazy traffic.

After that, I think it’s just been about consistency. When you do anything for over 10 years without stopping, people take notice. I also try my best to do good business and make the transactions as personal as possible, which creates a bond and loyalty between me and my customers. I also sell on almost every platform (eBay, Grailed, Poshmark, Etsy,Instagram, etc) and I direct all those buyers back to my site. So that helps with growth also.

FRENDY:  Genius move.  How much research do you do when it comes to finding the perfect vintage shop?

DIZZY:  I literally go to all of them *Laughs*. I make a list depending on what area I’m in, then I hit them all one by one. The ones that are good, I start going more consistently. So over time, I’ve found about 20-30 stores in the DMV area alone that I shop at regularly. So my research is hands on. I go there and see each spot for myself.

FRENDY:  What are your thoughts on Tokio 7 in New York?  How does it hold up to your standards?

DIZZY:  I love Tokio 7. That’s one of my favorite spots in NY. I’ve shopped in there with ASAP Rocky, I’ve shopped in there with Nick Wooster, you name it. It’s an amazing spot to find crazy pieces for my personal collection, but it’s not a spot I would consider to buy and flip from. I’m a true thrifter. I find gems for $5-10 and turn them into $50-100 or even $500. So I like the thrill of the hunt and I enjoy digging. Tokio 7 is very well manicured, the items are carefully screened and handpicked, so it doesn’t provide me with the thrill of the hunt.

FRENDY:  I had a feeling you’ll love that spot.  I do as well. How does reselling differ from when you started back in 2007 and now?  Should people even enter the game at this point?

DIZZY:  I think this is a great time to get into reselling. The information and tools are all readily available. I used to have to buy every item based on my gut instincts. Now a reseller can literally compare prices live on eBay or other sites right from their phone to make sure their making a good purchase. There’s a ton of resellers out there now, which makes finding items a little harder, but if you have some knowledge and work ethic, you can kill it.

FRENDY:  What are you favorite brands right now? And why?

DIZZY:  I wear a lot of Saint Laurent, Fear of God and Chrome Hearts. Those are probably my favorite brands currently. I usually wear mostly black so they just fit my look. I like what Rhuigi is doing with Rhude. He’s been leveling up like crazy over these past few years. I really like Greg Lauren because of the way he fuses different types of pieces together. On the streetwear level, I like Human Made—Nigo is a legend so that’s self-explanatory. I’ll also always love Visvim. A lot of the pieces don’t fit my daily look, but I think Hiroki is a genius and his attention to detail is next level.

FRENDY:  As far as shopping for retro pieces, what sticks out to you the most?  How do you know that it will actually resonate with customers?

DIZZY:  The dope thing about fashion is that it’s cyclical. Styles and brands come back around, so sometimes you can predict those things. A lot of vintage shopping also plays on nostalgia. People want to buy things they had when they were a kid or wanted badly when they were a kid. For international buyers, they love a lot of iconic American cultural things like 90’s hip hop brands and beer brands, etc. Over time, after thousands of sales, you just develop a great view of the market and the type of items that are in high demand.

FRENDY:  I honestly appreciate your mantra, “Patience. Persistence. Progress.”  It’s practically embedded in your personal branding. In what areas of your life do you exercise it?

DIZZY:  That mantra literally defines the whole process for me. In life, in business, in relationships, it applies to everything. You’re always in one of those stages. It’s just a reminder to slow down, take your time and stay with it. A lot of people rush the process (no patience), or quit too early (no persistence), and then end up never progressing. The dope part about it is, once you make some progress, the cycle starts over again.

FRENDY:  Perfectly said.  For the most part, your Instagram captions are thought provoking and hilarious. One of my favorites is “rappers should have all their clothes taken away, if they can’t pronounce the brands,” written under a flick of you showcasing a first person perspective your own fancy threads. Do you think of these witty sayings on the fly or have them saved up on your notes somewhere?

DIZZY:  Thanks man. I realized that you have to find ways to showcase your personality on Instagram which is a visual platform. Everybody’s captions are either extremely literal or some song lyrics or something. So usually those captions are just tweets that I’ve posted earlier on Twitter. I try to keep the captions as random as possible with no relation to the picture. I think that just makes the comments even better.

FRENDY:  You love your friends dearly, always giving them roses while they can still smell them. “No matter what, squad gon eat.”  Have you ever experienced any sort of disloyalty?

DIZZY:  I have, but that’s life. I also might not have been the best friend either so I can’t point fingers. But with maturity you learn to realize that you don’t need 50 friends, you really only need 3-4 REAL friends. The friends that give you positive peer pressure and hold you accountable and have your best interest at heart. The ones that support your work like it’s their own. It just takes some life experiences to weed out the fake ones and find out who those real ones actually are.

FRENDY:  With so many lessons learned, will you ever end up opening your own brick and mortar shop again?

DIZZY:  I’ll never say never, but I think that lane is really congested right now. Round Two is killing it, but everybody can’t be Round Two. As the power of the internet grows and the way people shop and interact with items changes, the retail experience should change also. I see new stores opening every day, but they’re using an outdated business model. I can’t go too much into detail about what’s wrong with the model because I have some plans and tricks up my sleeve. I’ll be opening some brick and mortar locations in the future, but the concept will definitely be different. I’ll be in a lane by myself.

Move Me

I thank God everyday for giving me the strength to maintain my platform.  It’s been a long road, as many of my loyal supporters know, but I’m still here pumping out original inspirational work.  When the dust settles, people only remember you for how you made them feel, so it’s truly my duty to leave a lasting impression on those who’ve met me in person or stumbled across my site.

Speaking of moving content, allow me to present a banging tune, aptly titled “Move Me,” from one of my favorite producers in the game Mura Masa.  The genre-bending song, featuring fast rising British rap star Octavian, was released back in 2017 and I still can’t get it out of my mind.  One of the greatest perks of having your own website is that you can post whatever you want—even when they’re slightly dated. (Then again, impeccable creations are timeless.)

Check out the riddim’s equally captivating visual directed by Yoni Lappin below:

Three's Company

I was a bit conflicted upon seeing Pharrell Williams rocking Human Made sneakers in his GQ France cover shoot last month.  Obviously, I wanted to know how I could cop them beauties, but then again, they might have been an exclusive one-of-one pair gifted by his longtime comrade Nigo. Fortunately, they’re not!  

It was recently revealed that the shoes are in fact a collaboration between the two fashion icons and adidas.  Utilizing Pharrell’s adidas Solar Hu Glide model, the white and cream kicks showcase Human Made’s blue heart logo (P wore the red one prior), with splashes of 3M on its shoe laces, and of course the German design company’s three stripes logo at the tongue.

The only bad news is that the adidas Pharrell x Human Made Solar Hu Glides are only available at Human Made’s Kyoto store, which officially opens on May 3rd.  Hopefully they’ll make their way to the states shortly after!

B-Sides 2

Don’t call it a comeback! One of New York’s iconic music performance venues Webster Hall is slated to reopen on April 26 after a long and gruesome renovation period.

In honor of such momentous occasion, Webster Hall will serve as the host for JAY-Z’s much anticipated “B-Sides 2” concert (his initial “B-sides” performance went down on May 2015 at Terminal 5).  This will be Beyonce’s boo very first appearance at the historical East Village venue, which has a long roster of amazing musicians who are also scheduled to play over the next few months.

Unlike Jigga man’s first intimate “B-Sides” show, his upcoming gig will not have any perks for Tidal subscribers, as a limited amount of tickets will be available to American Express card members beginning Thursday (April 18) at 10 a.m. through 10 p.m. ET.  General admission for the legendary event will go on sale on Friday (April 19) at 11 a.m. ET via Ticketmaster.

Check out some footage from Jay’s first “B-Sides” performance below:

SOHO (Official Video)

“This is exactly what I imagined when I first heard the song,” commented a satisfying fan under the long-awaited music video for Jaden Smith’s The Sunset Tapes: A Cool Tape Story standout cut, “SOHO,” on YouTube.

Truthfully, the visual is everything we thought of when The Fresh Prince’s heir uttered—more like auto-tune sang— the acronym of NYC’s historic downtown district. Starting off with a shot of Soho’s story brick buildings (they’re plastered together like subway riders during rush hour), the clip swiftly shifts to a mountainous area, where Jaden and his significant other are preparing for a picnic.  Printed on their blanket (sorry carpet, us mere humans aren’t up on that level yet) is UK’s national flag, maybe he’s subliminally paying homage to London’s very own Soho region as well.

The music video continually time travels back and forth from the east to west coast, showcasing the 20-year-old polymath’s ability to woo his shorty whether on Calabasas’ grassy plains, or cobblestone streets of my favorite region in New York.

Check it out below:

New Flavors

I’m not going to hold you, Aime Leon Dore’s latest sneaker collaboration with New Balance is super clean!

ALD incorporates their vibrant aesthetic to the Boston footwear company’s 997 model with the addition of bright colors towards its rear (they alternate between the left and right shoe). Meanwhile, the midsole, outsole and toe box of the collaborative New Balances feature dark undertones, such as grey, beige and green sued.

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A post shared by Aimé Leon Dore (@aimeleondore) on Apr 8, 2019 at 7:28am PDT

The Aime Leon Dore x New Balance 997 is scheduled to drop this Friday at the brand’s New York flagship location (214 Mulberry Street, you’re welcome) and their online store at 11am.

Hey Julie!

The soberest duo in all of Hip Hop, KYLE and Lil Yachty, have finally unleashed the visual for their latest irritatingly catchy single, “Hey Julie!”

For those who are not aware, Lil Boat and the Super Duper lyricist initially combined their playful raps in 2016 to conjure up “iSpy,” which peaked at number four on the Billboard Top 100 chart. Yachty ain’t never lied when he stated that he and KYLE “stick together like piano keys,” in the aforementioned tune because their latest effort is another slapper, which yet again shits on their doubters. (more specifically, chicks who couldn’t see the vision back in the day.)

With the way they’re putting out hits, hopefully these two will eventually release a full album—Super Boat would be a wavy title. For now, check out the Lonewolf-directed clip for “Hey Julie!” below:

Splash Brothers: Patiently

What happens when five fast-rising lyricists come together for the greater good of Hip Hop? You get the highly eclectic rap supergroup, Splash Brothers.

The original Splash Bros, consisting of NBA superstars Steph Curry and Klay Thompson (yes, Klay is a superstar in my book—he’s dating the enchanting Laura Harrier), would be proud to hear the collective’s debut single, simply because they’re shooting 100% from the field coming out the gate!

Titled “Patiently,” the genre-bending tune is like a delicious bowl of gumbo, as it showcases the flavorful yet distinctive flows of group members Topaz Jones, Allan Kingdom, Brother KAMAU, Haile Supreme and SIIMBA SELASSIIE.

Indulge in the banger below:

Kareem's Pick: Celeste

Hey folks! I know it’s been a minute since I’ve been here. The issue is I only write about music that I feel, and it just so happens to be underground. Recently, I’ve discovered Celeste on the internet.

Originally from Los Angeles, Celeste Waite immigrated to Brighton, U.K. where she grew up and now calls home. On March 22nd, Celeste released her EP titled, Lately. Out of all five beautiful tracks, “Father’s Son” really caught my ear—It’s funny that she would call herself a son to her father with her being a woman. The song pulled on my heart strings, especially with the lyrics written below:

“Maybe I'm lonely, maybe you're lost
Maybe I'm an echo, or maybe you're a ghost
Could there be two of us?
Could there be two of us?”

Growing up without a father—at least for me—can have you feeling disconnected. It’s like you’ve been given a puzzle without seeing what picture the puzzle forms. I often wonder if some of my struggles and flaws are even my own. Were they the struggles and flaws of my father? His parents? Or even his grandparents? Who knows? At the same time, I wonder what cool things and quirks I share with him.

Enjoy the single’s Bob Harlow-directed visual below:

Written by Kareem Hilaire

Would You Like Paper or Paper?

A few days ago, while checking out at Trader Joe’s, I kindly asked the cashier to pack my groceries in a plastic bag. Surprisingly, he told me that they stopped using them altogether! I usually have my handy-dandy tote bag on deck for these types of situations, but since it was an impromptu appearance (with very little groceries), I thought why not?  Abolishing plastic bags, though, is definitely a smart move for the environment’s sake. New York is following suit, as it might be the second state to ban single-use plastic bags.

After numerous failed attempts by the New York State Legislature, lawmakers have finally reached an agreement to put the plastic ban in their budget—voting took place today.  The law, which was initially passed in California, is set to take effect in New York on March 1, 2020. It will include exemptions for fish, poultry, uncooked meat, trash bags, prescription drugs, and restaurant carry-out orders.

I guess we should all start saving the infamous “thank you” plastic bags for souvenir purposes, eh?

Feel That Again

Allow me to present a soothing tune from Hello Yello which just might serve as the new soundtrack for your moments of reflection.

Consisting of brothers Jaden (bassist) and Dylan (vocalist/guitarist), and their comrade Martin (drummer), the Oakland punk band’s “Feel That Again,” is filled with hypnotic melodies and a hook that stimulates the mind with past events we dearly want to feel “agaaaaaaaaaaain.”

Directed by Jack Paradise, the song’s visual mirrors its exact sunny sentiments.  Check it out below:

Liked what you heard?  Listen to Hello Yello’s recently-released Love Wins EP here.

Old Town Road

Yeehaw! You might have the sudden urge to cop Balenciaga’s latest Santiag Harness Booties, and go horse riding in Central Park after hearing this viral hit from Hip Hop (well, at least that’s what I think it is) newcomer, Lil Nas X.

Montero Lamar Hill sort of shares the same rap moniker as Nasir Jones—arguably one of the greatest lyricists to ever live—but their sounds totally differ.  The rising ATLien’s music boasts a trappy, genre-bending new age twang, which is accented in his western-influenced sonic offering, “Old Town Road.” Initially released in December, the “banjo hip hop smash,” as coined by Rolling Stone, is just under two minutes long yet sticks in your noggin like itty-bitty tape on Cardi B’s nips.  Heck, it even received a cosign from Justin Bieber via Instagram on March 24th.  Long before the Biebs displayed his approval, though, the “country rap” track debuted on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart and the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart all at once!  Furthermore, it was also made popular on Tiktok, the 4th ranked app in the App Store that allows users (mostly teenagers) throughout the country to create video clips set to music.

Check out “Old Town Road” for yourself below and decide if all the hoopla surrounding it is warranted:

While you’re at it, indulge in Young Thug’s very own revolutionized take on Country music, “Family Don’t Matter,” featuring Millie Go Lightly.

From France With Love

The second floor of the shop (if you don’t know which one by now, please unfollow me on all social media platforms) truly allowed me to be up close and personal with not only outstanding New York locals, but also a plethora of fascinating individuals from all over the globe. Marseille’s very own  Alexandre Meyrand is one of them.

Alexandre,35, was introduced to me about six years ago by our mutual friend Alex on an extremely slow day at work.  Usually when there isn’t much traction on BAPE’s main floor, my supporters, frequent shoppers, and many of today’s brightest stars would all scurry upstairs, find a comfy spot on the infamous ape head camo couch just to speak with me for hours on end without any major interruption. When they overstayed, though, I was forced to politely kick them out.

Meyrand and I, on the other hand, didn’t converse much when we initially met—but I easily sensed his genuine nature so we kept in touch via social media. Believe it or not, we never really had a proper conversation until now!

Check out the transcript of our very first full length dialogue where we spoke about his younger days in France, fashion, booming business, and hotspots in Marseille.

FRENDY:  What’s good, Alexandre?  Let’s get it poppin’!

ALEXANDRE:  Yo, bro! I am good.  It’s the end of the day here, but it was a great weekend in our sunny city.

FRENDY:  I know there’s a huge time difference between us.  I really appreciate you for staying up late to chop it up.

ALEXANDRE: It’s a pleasure to be featured here, my man.

FRENDY: I’m humbled, thank you. Before we get deep into our conversation, I must ask: is there a friendly competition between Paris and Marseille?

ALEXANDRE:  I don’t know if there is a friendly competition, maybe if you are talking about soccer *Laughs*. But I love Paris—it’s one of the best places in the world because of its architecture and history.  Marseille is also one of the best places I have ever lived.

FRENDY:  Oh yeah, that’s right.  The two cities do have a great soccer team. I’m not familiar with their players, but I know the superstars for each squad *Laughs*.  Marseille is known for its beautiful port and scenery, yet it is stated to be a victim of bad reputation...as far as violence.  Is that true?

ALEXANDRE:  Marseille is a big city so things happen, but violence is everywhere. I think that the media only show what they want to so that gives us a bad reputation.  And that’s wrong. Things happen in every big city and violence can be anywhere. What’s totally true is that Marseille is one of the best destinations in the world.  [There are] so many cultures here. So many good vibes.

FRENDY:  How was it like growing up in the second largest city in France?

ALEXANDRE:  *Laughs* The funny thing is that I didn't grow up in Marseille.  I was born in St. Etienne (a city close to Lyon), and I moved to the South of France in 2005.  I spent my first years in Aix en Provence (25 minutes from Marseille), and I’ve been living in Marseille for the past five years.

FRENDY: What was the reason you moved from St. Etienne to the South of France?

ALEXANDRE:  I used to work in a cool shop called Uptown, but I had the opportunity to move to the South of France for the opening of a big store called Corezone in Aix en Provence.  My ex-girlfriend was also living there...so that was an easy decision for me.

FRENDY:  Women always make matters easier *Laughs*.  How old were you when you moved to work at Uptown?  What was your position there?

ALEXANDRE:  I was still young and fresh *Laughs*.  I was only 21-years-old when I moved.  I was just a seller at Uptown, and had the same position for the first years I spent at Corezone.  When I moved to Marseille I became Store Manager and Buyer also (they had four stores).

FRENDY:  You started in the retail game pretty early.  When did your love for fashion come about? Was it through music or your own self-expression?

ALEXANDRE:  I always loved fashion and I was inspired by so many things.  Music is very important for me (you are right), I’ve been listening to a bunch of cool bands since my childhood (I’d like to thank my father for this).  Art, tattoos are also things that feed my brain. I’ve always wanted to have my own style.

FRENDY:  Which bands captivated you growing up?

ALEXANDRE:  Maybe the bands I have seen perform live first.  My father took me to a Marillion show at Le Zenith in Paris when I was 8 years old—when you are a kid in that big crowd everything seems so crazy! It’s still one of my best memories. I have also seen The Cure. I love their music, but their aesthetic is even crazier! The charisma of Robert Smith and all the fans that dressed like him in black makeup.  You between fear and the energy that they give you!

FRENDY:  Your senses were on overload due to all of the vibrant energy.  Who are your favorite brands currently? Does Hip Hop influence your lifestyle as well?

ALEXANDRE:  I have been listening to a lot of Rock, but I listen to a lot of Hip Hop too. Yes, Hip Hop has a big influence!  Most of the sounds we play at my shop now is Hip Hop.  I have so many favorite Rock bands including: Marillion, Tears for Fears, Genesis, The Cure, Metallica.  I grew up listening to Blink 182 (Travis Barker was one of my biggest inspiration as a teenager), NFG, Underoath, Taking Back Sunday, GC. As far as Hip Hop : Wu tang Clan, Future, Shyheim, Mobb Deep, Kanye, Jay Z, Kid Cudi, Travis Scott , Drake.

FRENDY:  Man, I’m not going to lie, Blink 182 was one of my favorite bands growing up as well.  So you are pretty flexible when it comes to your sonic indulgences.

ALEXANDRE:  Yeah, I can’t only listen to Rock.  I need motivation so I need to listen to different genres. Depends on the mood I am in when I wake up, but I never listen the same thing in the morning and end of the day.

FRENDY:  How’s the streetwear scene in Marseille looking like?

ALEXANDRE:  The streetwear scene is pretty sick these days.  You see a lot of people with great style in Marseille now.  The scene has changed a lot, maybe because of Internet, but Marseille was always into streetwear.  We have big scenes here: skate, graffiti in the whole city. A lot of budding musicians too. Marseille = Street!

FRENDY:  You said the scene changed a lot before the internet. How was it like before?

ALEXANDRE:  Yes, because if you wanted to have your own style, it was only easy if you were able to travel and bring back cool stuff. Most of the people were dressing the same, but the business of fashion has changed and it’s easier to find more brands to dress like your “icons.”  People are more inspired in Marseille now with the internet because they have access to so many things.

FRENDY: What are your favorite brands currently?

ALEXANDRE:  My favorite brands actually are Converse (only the 70s collection), the chuck taylor is a classic sneaker and I love its silhouette.  Sacai is a very interesting brand, and I love the work that Dr. Woo did on the last collection. Needles, FDMTL and Kapital are also brands I love, they are part of the whole Japanese wave. I still love Stussy because it’s real streetwear, and of course I love Goudron *Laughs*. It’s becoming a brand now, not only a store.

FRENDY:  Hey, I’m a living person and I’m a brand *Laughs*.  Nothing is impossible!  Whose style do you admire in the entertainment industry?

ALEXANDRE: Axl Rose, Travis Barker, Pharrell Williams, Scott Campbell, and Nigo.

FRENDY: Is there a particular meaning behind the name of your store, Goudron?

ALEXANDRE:  Yes, there is a story behind the name.  My brother ILK wanted to give me that name as a gift when I told him my plans to open a store. He said to me he saved that name for years in case he decided to make a brand later or a special project.  So I thought a lot about it and I accepted “Goudron,” because I loved the name too—it’s short, easy to say in any language.

Goudron color is dark also, and black means a lot for us.  We decided to add ILK in the project too because he is a sick graphic designer and a typographer.

FRENDY:  It’s always great to have friends that actually care about our projects.  No better feeling in the world than genuine support. Does “Goudroun” mean anything specifically in French?

ALEXANDRE:  That’s true, brother.  We are three partners and three very good friends. Yes, Goudron is like the asphalt, it’s something you walk on everyday so this is a part of the street.  And we represent the streets too by selling these brands.

FRENDY:  Perfect name. What was the process of building your own streetwear shop?  Was it an extremely difficult one, or did you already have the moving parts to make it happen?

ALEXANDRE:  It was not really easy.  I stopped working at Corezone because they sold the stores. I had different projects and we talked a lot with Seb (my other partner and one of my best friends) about opening our own store. I had the support of brands and people who knew me [at my old jobs] so we decided to go ahead and find a good location to build a shop of our own.

What we wanted to show to the city of Marseille and also the aesthetic was very important for us, like our floor for example.  It was one of the hardest things to do but everybody knows now that it’s us.

FRENDY:  Where is Goudron located in Marseille?  And what made you choose that particular location?

ALEXANDRE:  Goudron is in the city center, not in a main street but close to everything.  The thing that we always wanted is to be located at a street corner, that’s why we are here.

FRENDY:  Y’all have the whole aesthetic down packed!  How long did it take to actually open up the shop?

ALEXANDRE: Let’s say around a year to prepare everything...to rebuild the inside of the store, to work on the name, to create the logo and to start to communicate.

FRENDY:  That’s not a bad turnaround time at all. Did you guys cry on its grand opening? *Laughs*

ALEXANDRE:  *Laughs*  Yes, we had a cool opening and people were lined up for the first day so that gave us big fuckin’ energy!  We also did an opening party months after and it was dope! Everything that happened gave us motivation to go harder.

FRENDY:  What brands do you sell at the shop? How did you formulate a relationship with them all?

ALEXANDRE:  We only sell brands we love and believe in.  We are actually working with Neighborhood, Futur, Stone Island Shadow Projects, Harmony Paris, Edwin Japan, Levis Vintage, Converse, Grenson Shoes, Stussy, Asics, New balance (UK and USA stuff), Vans Anaheim, Goudron. I have known most of these brands in the past and some are friends that created their own line.  I have good relationships with people because I think that I am true person and an honest guy so this helps people to trust me in the project.  It’s important to be right with everybody.

FRENDY:  Amen, that’s how I became the brand I am today.  Treating people right really goes long way. I’ve been back-stabbed numerous times and it made me lose hope on the human race *Laughs*.  But I learned that I played a huge part in my suffering as well—the victim mentality. Now, I’m stronger, smarter, and kinder than ever! One of the reasons why I wanted to have this conversation with you is because I knew you were a good dude since Alex introduced me to you.

ALEXANDRE:  Thanks for these words, bro. I remember the first time Alex introduced me to you at the store.  He is still one of the best person I met in my whole life.

FRENDY: Yes, such a great guy.  Very kind, humble and considerate.  How did you guys meet anyway?

ALEXANDRE:  I met Alex at a dinner during a trip to NYC in 2013.  Kristi, a close friend, introduce me to him and since that day I knew that we must be friends.  He’s a very interesting person. We have a lot of things in common, same love for music, passion for tattoos, same love for fashion, and great minds *Laughs*.

FRENDY:  Word, and same names *Laughs*.  Birds of a feather, flock together!  Alex is tattooed from head to toe, so are you..literally!  How many do you have?

ALEXANDRE:  I can’t tell you how many, but there’s a lot *Laughs*.  I started getting tattooed at 19-years-old and I haven’t stopped. I am almost full too.

FRENDY: Do you remember your very first one?

ALEXANDRE:  *Laughs* Yes, it’s at the top of my left arm.  I had some old school stuff, but I blacked out my arm three years ago and got some cool stuff from [tattooist] Scott Campbell (white ink on black ink).

FRENDY:  I skimmed through Scott’s Instagram and realized that he also tatted up Travis Scott’s head.  His price must be pretty hefty, but well worth it obviously. When did you first meet him? And what do you like about his tattooing style?

ALEXANDRE:  I got my first tattoo from Scott four years ago in NYC.  I always loved his work, dollar bills sculptures, he has his own style of tattooing too—Scott’s lines are perfect.  I love the atmosphere of his Tattoo studio as well (decorated with skulls, reapers, roses). His scripts are crazy and perfect!  I love all the details and aesthetic around his work.

We did a big session the first time when Scott did my whole back (it took about seven hours and thirty minutes), and since then I have been friends with him.  He is a very talented and humble person. There is a real connection formed when you get tattooed for hours.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by scott campbell (@scottcampbell) on Aug 16, 2018 at 6:00pm PDT

FRENDY:  Are you planning on tattooing your face as well?

ALEXANDRE:  No, I will never do that.  I am not into face tattoos. Even if I have a lot of tattoos, this is another step in your life.

FRENDY:  Totally!  Like New York, Marseille is a melting pot of different cultures—no wonder why you like traveling here so much.  What are some of your other favorite cities to visit?

ALEXANDRE:  I love NYC so much, fam.  I got so many friends there!  I love London also, Los Angeles is so chill too.  Barcelona, Milan, Lisbon are also great cities…but there are still so many places I haven’t been.

FRENDY:  There are more street food trucks in Marseille than in Paris because, as one chef said: “the kitchen is very strict.”  What are some of your favorite spots to eat in Marseille?

ALEXANDRE:  We have a lot of good spots in Marseille and so many different kinds of food.  Here is a list of my favorites, Coffee spots: La fiancée (best cookies on earth), Deep coffee roaster, Le Café de La Banque (Paris in Marseille).  For a drink : Gaspard and Copperbay, Le Petit Bistrot, Le Café de L’abbaye. One of my fave restaurant is OTTO, an Italian restaurant. Always a good vibe there, fresh stuff and the boss Pierre Antoine is a good friend. He puts all his love in this place.  Other cool restaurants include: Sepia, La Cantinetta, La Marmarita, Fratelli, Pastis & Olives, Shabu.

FRENDY: Damn, whenever I visit please take me to all those spots!  Seems like life is less complicated in Marseille than Paris, all the way down to the simple yet delicious dishes. And people are said to be nicer in the South.  Why do you think that is the case?

ALEXANDRE:  I will bring you there, my man.  Life is less complicated in Marseille because its more relaxing maybe, it’s not the same way of life. I love Paris, but people are more stressed and always in a rush.  Plus, it’s harder to get a smile out of them too *Laughs*. But the city has so many beautiful places.

When you live in the South of France, it’s like you are on holidays most of the year.

FRENDY:  The Old Port is a major tourist attraction in Marseille.  Are there any hidden gems in the city someone like me can check out?

ALEXANDRE:  Yes, there are a lot of beautiful things to see here.  I will bring you to Le Vallon des Auffes, Notre Dame de La Garde, Les Goudes, and one of the best thing is “Les Calanques” (we might drop a t-shirt soon with them).

FRENDY:  Bet!  Man, you’re living such a wonderful life in Marseille. You’re well-traveled, have a successful business, great friends, and family.  What else are you looking to accomplish in life?

ALEXANDRE:  I just want to make Goudron bigger, have more projects with my partners, and also have kids in the near future.  I think I will be done after this *Laughs*.

Motion Picture Prince

Skater, Dancer, Filmmaker, Visionary, Loyal Black Boyfriend, oh and I can’t forget, Fashion God. These are just a few titles that boldly describe Anthony Prince. The Brooklyn-born multi-hyphenate has been flexing his creative muscles since I met him more than 10 years ago—and he still hasn’t sprained a ligament.

I left BAPE in 2015, and the only way I’ve kept in touch with many of the individuals I became friends with in Soho is through Instagram.  I’m not a slave to my home, but these articles can’t write themselves! I’m locked up, typing away in my studio for your reading pleasure (so happy that it’s not in vain).  Throughout last year when I did step out, I would frequently bump into Anthony at random places. “Yo bro, we got to have a sit down real soon,” is what I always told him, but it never panned out that way…until now.

Allow me to present my long overdue conversation with the buzzing 28-year-old entrepreneur where we discussed his childhood, come up in the video production industry, storybook love life, and future endeavors.

FRENDY:  What’s up, A! Thanks for taking the time out of your hectic production schedule so we can talk. How are you? What time did you even wake up this morning?

ANTHONY:  Yerrrr!  It’s always cool chopping it up with you. Schedule is a bit hectic at the moment, but all blessings. I woke up at around 6:00 a.m. today to finalize details for this project in Dubai which I’m very excited about!

FRENDY:  Damn, that’s amazing. It seems like yesterday when you were attending The Arts Institute of NYC, running around shooting so much visuals.

ANTHONY: *Laughs* I remember like it was yesterday seeing Cudi and you working [at BAPE], and meeting Ye for the first time. I’ve had so many amazing opportunities and moments captured all because I kept my camera on me everywhere I went.

FRENDY: Yessir, Downtown’s golden age *Laughs*. Time doesn’t exist when you’re in the moment and having fun. Speaking of Soho, when did you fall in love with the area?

ANTHONY:  I fell in love with Soho when my older sister would take me along to shop at Patricia Field on Bowery. I’d see the types of people shopping there and be inspired. In 2007- 2008, at around 15 I started running with this group called Juice Krew, which was just a bunch of kids that dressed retro, dance (Get Lite), sing, rap etc. I was the skater/dancer. We would always travel from Brooklyn to Soho.

FRENDY:  Yeah, I believe that was the first time I saw you skating around the city. Was your brother Brian a part of the crew? Because I know he’s pretty dope on the board. Also, what was the name of your skate team?

ANTHONY:  Yes, my brother Brian Prince was one of our best riders! The team was called CHC (Crack Head Central) C.R.A.C.K aka Creative Recreation at Ckost because we were breaking all of our boards like Terry Kennedy on Pharrell’s Ice Cream [skate] team.

FRENDY: Terry is a wild boy *Laughs*.  Who else was a part of the skate crew? Are you still in touch with them?

ANTHONY:  No, we don’t keep in touch with a few of the members because they went a different route in life.  But my blood brothers Brian Prince and Nino, and my boy Joseph still skate every now and then. Brian Prince is still amazing on the board and will bust a few tricks easily. Nino makes music now and It’s actually fire. Nino started off filming us and then we would edit together. He put me on and then I went to film school.

FRENDY:  Life is beautiful, man. That’s why we can’t even stress how things are going to come about because the universe has infinite ways to make miracles happen. It’s so dope that your blood brothers and yourself have such a great relationship. Which part of Brooklyn did you guys grow up in? I’m from Brooklyn as well, and I know back in the day you couldn’t just start skateboarding without looking like a madman.

ANTHONY:  We grew up in the Canarsie section of Brooklyn (Flossy 80s) *Laughs*. The skaters were considered oreos and would stay in the back of our hood (Seaview gas station). We’re Jamaican and unruly so when people saw us and commented about skateboarding, we’d be open to start conversing about it.

Pharrell made it ok for us to do so because around the time “Mr. Me Too,” ft Clipse was bumping heavy. It turned a new leaf in our neighborhood—you didn’t have to be gang affiliated or a “Shotta” (Jamaican gangster or dancer). Girls in the hood called me skater boy *Laughs*.

FRENDY:  So you’re saying no one really stepped to you guys for being “different” ?

ANTHONY:  People respected us already. It was more of people having someone they knew who skated to be able to make themselves more familiar with it.

FRENDY:  How many siblings do you have altogether?

ANTHONY:  I have about 22 siblings in total. My mom had 8 of us, five from a previous marriage (older brothers and sisters), and three with my pops who was a rolling stone aka a “Gyalis”. Separately, he has 13 other kids.

I interact with mostly the younger ones on my father side because they look up to me. On my mother side, we are all very close. She protects us so much that I had to break out of her house. Big shouts to her for finding the time in her busy work schedule to graduate college this year. ❤️

FRENDY:  Wow! That’s a whole football team! Shout out to mom dukes for real. Which HS did you go to? Most of the cats I knew who lived in Canarsie attended their zone school: South Shore.

ANTHONY:  We skated at South Shore because they had four steps with a good lead up *Laughs*.  My mom wouldn’t allow me to go to South Shore and I don’t blame her. I went to Talent Unlimited HS for Drama. TU changed my life and helped open my eyes to dreams people in Canarsie didn’t have access to.

FRENDY: Your mom came through with the clutch decision! Where is Talent Unlimited HS located?

ANTHONY:  Talent Unlimited is located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Very different from Canarsie, but it was the balance I needed. TU was very diverse, not only consisting of different races but the LGBTQ community was introduced to me. I realized that Homophobia was a norm in my culture and it challenged me to understand other people's perspective on the world.

My mom supported me because my older sister, Princess (hence the name), was a vocal major at Laguardia HS for the Performing Arts. I remember her going to Spain to sing. I’m sure she wanted me to have that same access.

FRENDY: I’m sure it was an eye opener for you. Is the school still open?

ANTHONY:  I believe it still exists and I hope to go back and speak. Maybe even start a program where young black boys can seamlessly enter the school.

FRENDY:  Seamlessly enter the school? Is it specifically hard for young black boys to get accepted there?

ANTHONY: There is less access to the arts in Canarsie. If there was an after school program in JHS that was connected to a HS, it would make a difference in the opportunities they seek.

FRENDY:  I totally agree. Growing up in Brooklyn after leaving Haiti, I always knew there was so much more to experience.  Being at the right places changes lives. Soho was my gateway to see it all. Exposure definitely is everything.  Did you attend The Arts Institute of NYC right after graduating from TU?

ANTHONY: I completely agree, and yes, straight out of HS that following August. Funny thing is I was in and out of court since graduation for a crime I didn’t commit. Little did I know that my case would last until college graduation. Cops said I did a shooting because I matched the description of someone with a red hat—that was just a classic example of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Film was a place for me to get away from it all.

FRENDY:  I had no clue you had to go through all of that. I’m sure everyone reading this conversation right now is shocked because you’re the furthest thing from a menace.  Besides dibbling and dabbling with editing during your skateboarding days, what inspired you to go harder in the field of production?

ANTHONY:  One thing that really inspired me was the process of trade. One hand shakes the other. Getting to be a sponsored skater is a prime example because if you skate well, and able to show the brand you wear in the same light…you both win. To an extent, there is money involved with the brand’s product but all you have to do is have the skills and that’s how you pay people. To this day I’m collaborating with people this way and bigger companies notice. Then you get the check.

FRENDY:  Very interesting, but I’m sure you aren’t filming just for a check.  What do you love about producing and shooting visuals?

ANTHONY:  I love bringing an idea to life. It’s crazy to dream something up and then see it in reality even better than how you visualize. Bringing a team together should be considered a superpower. Look at “Do The Right Thing,” the movie had an amazing cast, direction, cinematography, story, styling, makeup, hair...a great production team can shift culture. I see myself shifting culture with my debut film.

FRENDY:  Aw man, creating is why we’re all here on earth. When should we expect your debut picture to come out?

ANTHONY: My film is set for 2020. I’m spending time finding ways to recreate the narrative structure.

FRENDY:  Looking forward to it!  Speaking of which, how was your time at The Arts Institute of NYC?  Do you feel like it taught you everything you know now about filming and production? Or did your hands on experience triumph what you learned in the classroom?

ANTHONY:  AI gave me the tools to experiment with and a community of people who wanted to learn more about film. We were able to rent equipment and shoot whatever we wanted. I took advantage of that. In class, we learned about structure and what an ‘L cut’ was, but to me it was a reference because all of the best filmmakers broke the rules. They didn’t tell us that.

FRENDY:  As they say: rules are meant to be broken.  AI officially closed down in 2017, were you shocked by the news?

ANTHONY:  No, it was very expensive and they were taking everybody’s money. I started seeing less passionate students, teachers, and no real support before and after graduation. I graduated December 2012, and was depressed for the first 2 months because I didn’t know what to do. Fortunately, a close friend of mines built a recording studio with a backdrop and asked me to run the photo section.

FRENDY: Wow, the universe always provides.  When exactly did you conjure up your production company, Equator Productions?

ANTHONY:  My sister Emily who was gathering the paperwork for an LLC could not get “Crack Head Central” approved so we had to brainstorm. The one thing that stuck was ‘Equator’ because it’s the hottest part of the earth and the imaginary line that splits the world in half. When I went to film school in 2008, it turned into Equator Productions. That imaginary line over time grew into that median between all cultures—those things that unifies us all, being human.

FRENDY:  “Crack Head Central” was the name of your skate team, right?

ANTHONY:  Yes, CRACK, Creative Recreation at CKost because we would break our boards and rip our sneakers.

FRENDY:  On the homepage of your company’s site of there is a list of prominent clients displayed.  Which of them was the most enjoyable to work with?

ANTHONY:  Ashya + Nike, Ashya because I was able to help them develop their look and vibe visually so I had more creative freedom. Ashley and Moya are the creative directors/ designers behind Ashya and they have such great taste, designing concepts, and naturals at trend forecasting. They highlight cultures around the world via their brand and this is very similar to Equator. I love traveling with them *Laughs*.

Shouts to Anthony Bones and Thomas P. at Nike who trusted me with the vision to bring Rox Brown’s campaign for her AF1’s to life. During that whole shoot, life kept presenting these mini gifts that helped me bring the story together. The part where I reversed from the stairwell to the train station, I planned none of it.

FRENDY:  How do you pick projects to work on?  Is there a specific criteria?

ANTHONY:  I get a lot of my work from word of mouth, so it’s always a lot of socializing involved. When I can bounce back and forth with my collaborators on what the vision is, it’s usually a great sign. Can’t always gauge it that way but 75% it works *Laughs*. I like to work on documentaries, short films, campaigns and sometimes music videos (depending on the artist). I’m continuously working on my formats and defining the aesthetic, but anybody who want to allow me to play (with real creative control) gets my best work.

FRENDY:  I totally understand.  Who else is a part of your creation team?

ANTHONY:  In Equator’s core team its just myself and Ashley Cimone. We have a full roster of directors, editors, graphic designers, producers and retouchers that work with us on projects based in NY & LA.

FRENDY:  Yes, your partner Ashley Cimone is quite an artist in her own right.  How did you guys initially meet?

ANTHONY:  Soooo, *Laughs* I was at an Opening Ceremony event with a friend during Fashion’s Night Out in 2013, and she was there supporting her friends (William Okpo). I danced all night, but when I spotted her I had to speak or else I would regret it. My friend Domo, who is gay, decided he would lighten up the situation so I could get an in.  We walked over and he introduced himself. I was very shy *Laughs* but kept it cool, and he just was overflowing compliments while I thought them.

Finally she gave me her Instagram. I was worried she would think that I was gay and not take me seriously, but after two years trying to link up, she commented on one of my Instagram selfies: “that face”. I direct messaged her immediately after! We started talking like we knew each other and then exchanged numbers. That same day she came to my office at Wallplay in the Lower East Side and we became best friends ever since.

FRENDY:  Classic Boy meets Girl story right there *Laughs*.  I’m glad you stayed persistent!  When did you decide to add her to the roster of your production company?  What compelled you to do so?

ANTHONY:  It happened by accident *Laughs*. We created a monthly nude figure drawing class called ‘Sip & Sketch’ when we met. We understood that we could work together. Ashley was working for Net-A-Porter so she had a business background. I was having issues with the owner of Wallplay being indirect and passive aggressive. Ashley took it upon herself to interfere on one of her rants which landed us both into a meeting. She then wrote a contract for our split that allowed for me to have my first gallery show after I’ve fully moved out of the work space. That was in December 2015, and then In January 2016 I had about over 300 people come to my solo show. Top of that year, I got a call from Laquan Smith for New York Fashion Week and she handled my contracts ever since.

FRENDY:  Watch out Hov and Bey!  Besides the potential project in Dubai you mentioned at the beginning of our conversation, what else are you guys currently working on?

ANTHONY:  That project is good to go!  I’m heading to Paris on February 26th to shoot with Law Roach and Zendaya for her Tommy Hilfiger collection release during Paris Fashion Week.  Very excited about that. And we just shot Ashya’s AW19 Campaign, fashion film and documentary in India. I’m in post for the documentary at the moment, but it’s going to be crazy. The previous documentary will be featured in Nowness very soon but here is a trailer.

FRENDY:  You’re a major globetrotter.  What are the top three places you’ve ever visited?

ANTHONY:  Top three?! Jamaica (home), South Africa, Italy and India. Top three!

FRENDY: That’s actually four, but it’s totally fine *Laughs*.  Your passport is more tatted than you!  Let’s talk about your swag for a second.  You’ve always been fresh to death, but in recent years your fashion sense has quantum leaped into a higher dimension. What propelled your elevated style?

ANTHONY:  Damn, is it that good? Dude, you don’t have to feed my ego *Laughs *. I care less about what people have to say. I grew up in a Jamaican household and was encouraged to wear Diesel leather pants in the eight grade.

My three older sisters were the biggest source of inspiration because they were always fly and coordinated. I started getting hand me downs from my father and sisters from the 90’s which was high end fashion, a physical capsule. My dad had a rude boy, flamboyant swag and my sisters had all the dope denims.  Their wide hips allowed me to have enough room to sag *Laughs*. Over the years myself manifest itself. Now, I love fashion because it’s a way for me to communicate my feelings and personality. I’m giving people a cover to judge.

FRENDY:  Did you cop anything from BAPE back in the day?  Because I know you were a huge BBC/ICECREAM rocker.

ANTHONY:  Yes, I bought jackets, sneakers, pants and hoodies from them but was loyal to BBC/ICECREAM since BAPE sold it in store. Season Zero canvas hat BBC logo is my all time fave and the Hulk Bapestas. Skated in those until the bottom was worn out.

FRENDY:  Triple OG fashion head right here. You’ve modeled before as well, right?

ANTHONY:  Kinda sorta. I tried it because being a fashion lover brings you in front of the lens, but it didn’t really make sense until this ‘influencer’ world started coming to life. I will make an appearance in my film like Spike [Lee] though!

FRENDY:  Let’s get it!  One of your latest and greatest accomplishments was documenting the exciting BTS happenings ahead of Cardi B’s historical Grammy award winning night.  Where were you when you got the call for the gig? How did it come about?

ANTHONY:  *Takes breath and then exhales* Cardi’s stylist, Kollin Carter, hit me at the top of this year with a great idea. We talked regularly about a fashion film we’re planning, and then he told me about the possibility of getting Mugler to say yes to him pulling some archival pieces, which is huge! They said no to Rihanna and Beyoncé if I’m correct. I was at home and told Ash immediately! We were mad excited in the house, running around and screaming *Laughs*.

FRENDY: Crazy! I remembered you posting a series of clips detailing what went down on your Insta story.  Everyone on Cardi’s team worked super hard. What was your shooting schedule looking like?

ANTHONY:  I was there every step of the way. There was no real way to prepare but be present and understanding of Cardi’s space. She had so much pressure from dancing, making sure she can move in her outfits, and being human. To be Grammy nominated is a big deal. She and her team handled it very well and my IG story don’t do it enough justice. I respect the whole squad!!

FRENDY:  You’re constantly in motion. How often do you find the time to lay low, relax, and simply reflect on all the blessings that have occurred in your life?

ANTHONY:  I really love what I do so it’s hard to not do it. Most recently in India, I watched the sunrise from a mountain and just talked to myself. I felt free.

The NewNYer

Sincere Dennis’ moniker “The NewNYer,” is quite deceiving, simply because he’s been gallivanting the concrete jungle for some time now.  Honestly, I forgot where we initially met (most likely at a music event or BAPE) but what I do recollect is his warm, welcoming energy and uncanny resemblance to Kid Cudi back in 2007.

Sin is an underground New York legend who’s captured the pulse of the city for nearly a decade.  Ask any Downtown cool kid and they’ll most likely share a humorous story about bumping shoulders or chugging an ice cold can of Pabst Blue Ribbon beer at a Lower East Side pub with the forever-grinning photographer. Although he may seem like a party animal, Sincere strategically camouflages himself in festive environments, which in turn causes his subjects to feel at ease in front of the camera.

The Bronx-born stereoscopic shooter’s career is brighter than ever as he is now an official member of ASAP Rocky’s AWGE creative agency.  I recently sat down with Dennis to discuss his everlasting relationship with NYC, affiliation with the mob, creative endeavors and carefree lifestyle.

Check out the condensed transcript of our two hours long conversation below.

FRENDY:  What’s going on bro, How are you feeling today?

SINCERE:  Today is a good day.  I feel energetic, but out of it at the same time.

FRENDY:  You just came from the gym right?

SINCERE:  Yeah, a little work out. Not too long, I’m only in there for about 30-45 minutes.  I don’t need to be in there sweating my ass off.

FRENDY:  I got you.  So new year, new you?

SINCERE: Same me, just better health *Laughs*.  More healthy shit—no more Backwoods.  I got to chill on Backwoods. That shit takes a toll on you, it makes me feel fatigued. I’ll stick to oils and extracts.  You know, keep it easy.

FRENDY:  Man, you don’t know how much you remind me of Cudi.  This is actually the very first time we’re having a full blown conversation, and to my surprise, I see you even sound like him *Laughs*.  How often do you hear this from people?

SINCERE:  Not so often these days, but people are still saying it.  Like Ferg would see me and be like: “yo, that’s Kid Budi right there,” a whole other nickname, and I’m just like “you’re crazy, bro” *Laughs*.  I started hearing the comparisons around 2007-2008 when I first came Downtown.  That’s how people knew me, the dude that looked like Kid Cudi.

FRENDY:  How’d you find out about the Soho area?

SINCERE:  A girl brought me down here.  She was like “Oh, I’m going to go shopping—you should meet in Soho,” I was like “I don’t know, I’m from Uptown.  We go to 125th for shopping.” So we ended up going Downtown and I’m like, “I thought we were going to Soho?” She was like, “we are in Soho!” and I was like, “oh shit, ok.”

Kid Robot was the very first job I had in Soho. And then I worked at American Apparel, Urban Outfitters.  I deliberately put myself in Soho to be around the people that were moving and shaking in the industry. I knew the people I needed to be around were there.  I had to get away from Uptown. When you’re an Uptown dude that’s all you know. I remember one time leaving a party at Black Ink tattoo shop, and it was me, Rocky and Bari.  I told them I was about to leave to go Downtown to this party and they were like, “bet! let’s go.” We get outside of Black Ink and I guess Bari got a call or text message to go to this house party etc.  They eventually went about their own way and I went mines. They never really wanted to come Downtown and party. Trying to get Uptown dudes to come Downtown was like pulling teeth. Eventually, they got Downtown.

FRENDY:  What were the hottest shops on 125th at the time?

SINCERE:  Jimmy’s [Jimmy Jazz] *Laughs*.  Fuckin’....Atmos...that was it.  I didn’t know anything else—I barely even shopped, really.  A lot of my homies made clothes back then so I mostly wore their shit.  I do that to this day.

FRENDY:  So that means fashion wasn’t really your strong point?

SINCERE:  Yeah, I wasn’t really big on all that fashion shit because I ain’t have that money *Laughs*.  I didn’t have the money to do all that. I had my first apartment on 129th and rent was due! I just can’t be buying clothes.  I decided to stick with what I know.

FRENDY:  Which part of Harlem did you start kicking it in?

SINCERE:  On the East side.  Harlem was chill, those were the days I started coming outside and meeting people.  That’s how I met everybody who I know today. Harlem was an experience.  You got Teyana Taylor who I’ve known, for like, forever.  She’s been doing her thing for a while, now she has an album out etc. She just kept grinding with patience.

FRENDY:  Yeah, I’ve been following Teyana for quite some time now, since her BBC/Ice Cream days. I’m glad she’s getting such a great reception right now.  When did you first meet Rocky?

SINCERE:  I think we first met at Black Ink on 127th and 7th before it became what it is on TV.  I hate that place now, it’s not the same. Most of the original workers are there, but they have all these new characters now.  And I call them characters because they’re not the real people that built up the shop. Puma was my introduction to the shop. He told me to stop by one day to chill.  We really didn’t have anywhere else to go so why not.

I used to see them [the A$AP mob] at random house parties, community center gatherings and just jump-offs.  Once we realized we hung around the same group of people, we became cool. They see me as a familiar face and when we got to Black Ink they were like, “you family.’

FRENDY:  I may sound ignorant, but is Harlem close to the Bronx?

SINCERE:  Yeah, so when you get further up into Harlem, you get to the heights {Washington Heights} and then there’s a bridge where you can go to the Bronx.

FRENDY: Ok, cool. What year did you start thinking of getting into photography?

SINCERE:  In 2012 when the mob got big.  I was like, “shit, I need to find a way to document this.” Around that time I was taking pictures of the homies. I was hanging around Rocky, and the entire crew, and no one was taking pictures.  I mean there were a few people taking pics, but no one was assigned as their official photographer. It didn’t work out how I thought it would, but it was still fine, I still saw them all the time at shows, took pictures, said what up.

I remember a few times, they would come up to me and ask me where’s my camera.  There was a time where I got caught up in just wanting to enjoy and be a part of the experience.  They were asking because they figured I would be able to shoot for them. But at the time I was caught between two worlds: it’s either I’m this person that’s going to capture shit, or I’m going to be a person that’s just out here partying.

FRENDY:  What was the first camera you purchased?

SINCERE:  I had a Canon Rebel T2i.  I had gotten a Nike check for a commercial I did and I bought a camera.  That was it—it was either I take this serious or not. When I noticed there was a lot of people becoming photographers, I was like “shit I don’t want to do this anymore,” because now I’m battling to get the same image somebody else got.  We’re just taking the same pictures in a different angle. I just had to figure out a way. So years passed and I was still shooting digital.

FRENDY:  Photography propelled you to go out even more?

SINCERE:  Yeah, of course!  Because I was sitting at home with no pictures to edit.  Nothing to post on Instagram. If you go all the way back to my early posts you’ll see that I was making memes. I didn’t fuckin’ know what a meme was, but I was doing em *Laughs*.

FRENDY:  I actually dug deep into your gram and saw that you were experimenting with moving images many moons ago…

SINCERE:  Yeah, I was doing these little digital moving photos, like real subtle.  I never really liked still photos, I was always trying to make my photos move.  

FRENDY:  Because you’re a “mover” as well…

SINCERE:  Right, there is something about a photo not just being a still, 2D photo, you know?  So years passed, I got tired of digital. In 2012 or maybe even earlier, I saw this Complex {magazine} interview with Mr. GIF.  He does a lot of 3D work and he was breaking down how he was making these moving photos. I was like “shit that’s crazy,” because no one was doing that at the time.  Months past and I’m looking on eBay and I saw the exact camera he used to produced the moving images. It was only $25, I thought it was going to be like $300 or something like that!  So I bought it, it came, and I sat on it for like a year and a half. And then finally, I said fuck this digital stuff.

FRENDY:  Why did you sit on it for so long?

SINCERE:  I was probably working a crazy retail job that I didn’t want.  I was going out, but not in the mindset where I needed to take photos.  Someone is performing at a open bar? I’m going! But then around late 2012, I decided to start shooting in 35mm film.  In early 2013, I had all these rolls of film and I didn’t develop them until a year later. I went to this one spot in the East Village and they were the only ones that were able to do it right.  So now I’m editing these shits and they’re looking cool as fuck.

After that, I started going to shows and made sure I’m always up in the front. I always wanted to get that close up shot of artists.  No one ever sees me because I hardly have my camera out. I only take it out when it’s time to use it—I go up, snap, and then go back to enjoy the performance. I found a real balance in just enjoying a show and also getting some work done.  Soon after, I started putting them up on Instagram, but then I had to find an app that could keep the same quality. That’s one advantage I have over a lot of people who are shooting moving images, they can’t ever put up a great quality stereoscopic flick.

FRENDY:  When I see these other cats do it, their pics can’t compare to yours at all.  Your moving pics are just so damn crisp! You don’t have to give away your secret by the way…

SINCERE:  I don’t even know what it is.  That’s just the way I’ve always been doing it.  I tell people that I got it from Mr. GIF. I read his Complex {magazine] interview, I don’t even think it exists anymore. I tried looking it up on Google.  Now people are coming up to me asking so many questions. The actual form of photography is called stereoscopic and then lenticular is actually what I print out.  The prints are lenticular.

FRENDY:  What does that mean?

SINCERE:  I don’t know what lenticular means really *Laughs*.  It basically gives a 3D effect on prints.  It gives it that movement. As soon as I started doing that, which was almost a year and a half ago now, things took off.

My homie Jared, who’s my partner in all of this, found me on Instagram under one company’s comments asking them how to print these things.  We spoke but they weren’t really trying to help me. So Jared saw my comment and then replied saying that he was able to help me print the lenticular prints. He sent me a direct message and the rest is history. Since then, he’s been aiding me print all of my lenticular prints.  We had like 3 shows, we sold a bunch of pieces.

FRENDY: Congrats! There aren’t much pictures of you circulating online. Is that intentional?

SINCERE:  I’m just chilling. I rather my work be the face of me.  You don’t have to know who I am or what I look like to like my work.  People like my work and don’t even know what I look like.

FRENDY: What does AWGE stand for *Laughs* ?

SINCERE: We really can’t say what it means.  Honestly, I still don’t know what it means *Laughs*.   To me it’s just a rag-tag group that have met throughout Rocky’s come up.  I feel like he wanted to have a creative team but didn’t really quite know how to do it. Yeah, he has the rest of the mob but they all have their own thing going on already.  

We all make visuals, but I’m trying to stay away from directing videos right now.  I just think I need some more time before I make a video with Rocky. I have an idea that’s slowly coming along.

FRENDY:  Did you have any doubters in the very beginning of your shooting spree?

SINCERE:  To be honest, I don’t even consider myself a photographer.  For one, I don’t know shit about cameras *Laughs*. I just know how to use the ones that are in my hand.  I just do whatever the fuck I want to do. At first, when I started this Downtown thing, I considered myself a graphic designer. Like fuck it, I know how to use Photoshop….a little bit.  That’s it. And then I was like, oh fuck, Photoshop is not working so I started creating some t-shirts. That shit never really happened.

I never looked up to a photographer’s work and said I wanted to shoot like them.  I’m just taking photos. My inspiration come from watching movies. The way the lighting is in movies and how they capture certain angles.

FRENDY:  It’s the same thing for me as a writer. I didn’t major in Journalism in college or anything, I just love writing stories. Granted, I’ve been working on my craft for like 10 years. I know how to put stories and interviews together really well.

SINCERE:  You got to develop your own process.  There’s a lot of people doing journalism for these websites and they’re trash!  Like, they’re not telling me a story. They’re just telling me the information and the person to answer some questions.

FRENDY: Yup! I know you were a part of Rocky’s Testing album shoot. How was that experience?

SINCERE: We all went to capture content.  The way Rocky work is kind of similar to how we all operate. He actually booked a photographer already, but since we captured so much awesome content, he was questioning if he should use the photographer’s stuff or use the stuff that we got.

FRENDY:  Damn, so he already knew y’all would kill it.

SINCERE: Yeah, he just knew we were the gang, the creative team.  We were going to do what we do. That outing was my first time actually working with the rest of the AWGE team members. That was the first week of January in 2018.  I was like ‘damn, that ball dropped hard!” *Laughs*. As soon as that ball dropped, I got a direct message from Rocky and he said something about joining the home team. And I was like, “bro, I’m ready. Just let me know when.”

FRENDY:  You weren’t even expecting that?

SINCERE:  Nah, I was just doing my own thing. I think I just finished working at Milk {studios].  I was working there for like two and a half years. I was shooting festivals that Milk had partnered with, and some events at the Jam Room. Because of that, I didn’t have to work that whole summer.  All I was doing was just going to music festivals, events, just shooting. The owner of Milk really fucked with me and he wanted to keep me around.

Before I was at Milk, I was doing video and photography for Elite Daily 5 years ago.  After I got let go at Elite Daily I promised myself that I wasn’t going to go back to retail.

FRENDY:  What were some of your duties at Milk?

SINCERE: I had to know everything dealing with photography or not.  I had to deal with figuring out how to fix pipe leaks, if the ice machine broke I had to figure out why it broke, and then call a professional to let them know what’s up.  It taught me discipline and how to act fast. How to react to situations quick. I was there for a reason, I was there to learn some things whether it was about photography or not. It taught me how to move, how to talk to people.

FRENDY:  That’s great, you took everything in stride.  You just did what you had to with no complaints.

SINCERE:  Yup.  There were times I had to be there at 4am after a long night of partying.  It was crazy, man. The last thing I did for Milk was shoot Jonah Hill with Desus and Mero. They {Desus and Mero} do their podcast down in the basement every Friday, and they usually drop the episode on Monday.  They don’t usually have guests on their podcasts, but when they do Milk will try to get me to come and take photos.

FRENDY:  I see you’re not too active on Instagram, as far as posting new stereoscopic flicks.  Is there a particular reason for that?

SINCERE:  Yeah, I had to chill ‘cause now I don’t even have to do anything and I get followers.  I rather let that simmer.

FRENDY:  So you don’t think you have to keep the traction going?

SINCERE:  Nah, I don’t want to over concentrate the market. One of my homegirls from Sweden told me that I don’t have to post so much.  I could be active on my story, but I don’t have to post on my timeline so much. And I was like, damn, that kind of made sense.  And then that gave me another way to put out my personality and document where I go without showing my face. People usually ask me “are you going to post pics from the event you went out to last night?” and I say, “no, I was just there. I didn’t shoot that night.”  

FRENDY:  What does it take for your to bring out your camera then?  A super exclusive event?

SINCERE:  Just AWGE related or an event where I know a particular person is going to attend.  I have an unwritten list of people that I need to take photos of. Sometimes, I just want to burn through a roll of film and I just go out and take pictures of homies.

FRENDY:  How often do you take pictures now?

SINCERE: I don’t know, I just walk around with a camera in my pocket.  Like, nobody ever sees me with my camera out in my hand. When I take a picture of you I’m in the motion.  I see a moment, I strap up and get ready for the shot. And then I put it away right after. That’s it, I don’t want to be walking around with it on my neck.  I carry one at all times though.

FRENDY:  Are you still hitting up Soho like you used to?

SINCERE:  Not that much. I’m usually at the Lower East Side. I feel like its the new hub. Before it was Union Square, then Soho, now it’s just the LES.  We in the bars, we chillin’. My homies work at bars so I pretty much drink at a good price everywhere I go.  I’m more about chill shit these days.

FRENDY:  What does a day in the life of Sin looks likes?

SINCERE:  I just go outside.  I’m fortunate enough to get paid and wake up to figure out things.  That’s one of my perks at AWGE. They want us to grow as us and be able to have that time to not have to worry about where my next paycheck is coming from.  I’m able to pay my rent, I’m able to travel and just do my thing.

FRENDY:  You’re basically working everyday, just not in the conventional sense.

SINCERE:  Yeah, I’m still out here trying to find a way to create content for myself, related to AWGE, and Rocky.  

FRENDY:  What are the things related to AWGE?

SINCERE:  So, I’m not on tour right now but I’m still promoting the shows by posting flyers up on my Insta story, stuff like that.  And when I do go to a show I get my little content, make some GIFs. I’m still working, still doing something that’s contributing to the team. And even though I’m not on tour my posters are sold at the shows.  Like I’m making money for the team, from a piece that I have.

FRENDY:  How do you feel about all of the recognition you’re getting?

SINCERE:  I honestly don’t really care.  I don’t need people to be like “yo, that’s sincere!”  I’m good, I’m ok. I don’t need that energy. People ask me If I do music and stuff like that and I always tell them I don’t need that attention.  I would go crazy if I got it *Laughs*.  I’m from New York, that’s all they need to know.