BAPE Invades China

Damn, it honestly feels like I’m working at BAPE again; this is the second article I’ve written about the iconic streetwear brand in less than two weeks *Laughs*.

Admittedly, I’m a bit disappointed that NIGO officially left his brainchild back in 2013. The consensus seems to be that BAPE has lost some of its luster (Get it? Since the shoes are patent leather?...nevermind) since the former Ape General’s departure. However, BAPE’s new owner, Hong Kong fashion conglomerate I.T Group, have been making some commendable moves, proving that their acquired label still has global appeal.

Earlier this month, A BATHING APE debuted its first runway showcase in China, gracing Shanghai with a striking introduction of the 2024 Fall/Winter collection. Highlighting its respective sub-brands: AAPE, BAPE BLACK, BAPY, APEE, and MR. BATHING APE. This marks the brand’s third show. It would have been dope if they had one while I was there—just imagine your boy shutting down the fashion show with an exclusive shark hoodie on though!

Peep the full runway show below:

Lord Adarius

What’s good, everyone? I am extremely happy to release my final Original Story of 2023 featuring the forever-stylish Adarius Patton.  It’s not too often you meet someone with a name like Adarius nowadays, but this is simply an indication of the type of individual he truly is: very rare. 

The 31-year-old New York native and I have known each other for more than a decade. Despite having only one short conversation in person throughout the years, our mutual respect for each other has remained stronger than Gervonta Davis’ vicious left hook. 

Aesthetically, Adarius fits the bill of someone who works in fashion or somewhere within the entertainment industry. However, beyond the flashy threads and tats you’ll discover an F.I.T graduate who is spiritually rooted with a deep passion for inspiring those around him.

I recently sat down with Adarius to discuss his come up in NYC, working for Dior, worldwide travels and everything else in between. Enjoy!

FRENDY:  Adarius, this has been a long time in the making.  I remember almost a decade ago while I was walking on Broadway, you stopped me and stated that we were going to work together one day.  Here you are now with a feature on my site—I love full circle moments.

ADARIUS:  Facts!  I always reference the conversation we had that time.  It sticks with me till this day—definitely a full circle moment. 

FRENDY:  How are you?  I know you’re a busy man, globetrottin’ and what not.

ADARIUS:  I’m doing good, bruv.  [I’m] just working like crazy on so many things. Currently at Dior working with different clients. Outside of that, working on my YouTube channel, getting ready to move to London in 2025. I’m also building my own brand. 

FRENDY:  I’m genuinely happy for you.  We’ll definitely talk about your excursions and work-related happenings later on. Are you originally from New York City?

ADARIUS:  Yes! Brooklyn—Flatbush to be exact. But I also spent some time growing up in Florida.  So I’ve seen all types of crazy shit.  These last 11 years I’ve been in the Bronx which is so different from Brooklyn. It’s like I have a piece of home from all over. 

Young Adarius

FRENDY:  I spent some time living in Flatbush as well during my high school years.  For some reason, I always thought you were a Harlem cat.  Where was your favorite place to live?

ADARIUS:  Honestly, it has to be Brooklyn. It’s so rich in culture and history that it can’t be touched. I have some family in Canarsie so it’s always nice to be on that side of the parks. Plus, you can’t beat all the greatness that comes from BK.

Pop Smoke mural in Canarsie, Brooklyn

FRENDY:  Oh, most definitely.  I don’t know exactly when we first spoke but I was always aware of your presence in the SoHo area.  How’d you discover the Downtown scene?

ADARIUS:  Growing up I was always hanging out with older cousins and friends so they were always speaking on the Downtown scene. However, it was truly my uncle who put me on. He was a booster/hustler so he was always selling clothes out his trunk or in the neighborhood. He was the first person to introduce me to luxury and streetwear. I remember Von Dutch, ENYCE and Baby Milo like it was yesterday. 

FRENDY:  Shout out to your uncle, for real. My dad put me on to SoHo and I never looked back since. What were your favorite spots to hit up there?

ADARIUS:  West Broadway where the old BBC/Ice Cream store used to be. Right next to G-Shock.  If you're a student of fashion you know that area like the back of your hand. Everyone that was somebody always posted up in that area. It was the place to be—especially during Fashion’s Night Out. Also, my old stomping ground Opening Ceremony on Howard St, BAPE, & VFiles when it was VFiles. 

FRENDY:  That last line was funny *Laughs*. I feel you though.  Do you think SoHo has changed drastically post pandemic?

ADARIUS:  100%! I feel like SoHo has turned into the new forty-deuce. It’s like Times Square on crack! It just doesn’t seem genuine anymore from streetwear to the people posted on the streets. It’s like everyone is looking to be seen rather than to create. 

FRENDY:  I’m sure there are many people who share the same sentiment.  How often do you go back to soak up inspiration that only SoHo could offer?

ADARIUS:  Honestly, not often.  I sometimes try avoiding SoHo because it’s too overwhelming. If I do go, I’m checking in on my homies who are still working in the area or popping through to see what newness that are in the boutiques. I find myself going more to the Lower East Side [of Manhattan] for pieces now or just copping pieces from places I travel to. 

Katz’s Deli in the LES (Getty Images)

FRENDY:  You worked at the legendary Opening Ceremony store from 2017-2020. How was your experience there?

ADARIUS:  I miss it! Looking back now it’s a blessing to say I was able to be a part of that [establishment]. It was a hell of an experience from being able to meet so many creatives, work with so many brands that are major now, meet celebrities on a personal tip, and connect with the community.  There’s no better feeling than connecting with creatives and picking their brain. 

First floor of OC in SoHo

FRENDY:  Trust me, I totally understand where you’re coming from.  According to LinkedIn, you were a sales leader at the shop in 2018. I know it must have been tough to persuade customers into copping fire pieces when there are other equally stylish and knowledgeable sales associates on the floor. How’d you make yourself stand out?

ADARIUS:  My tactic was always to be myself. I’m a very personable person so I wasn’t trying hard to sell the brand, but more so focusing on getting to know the client. You can say that helped me majorly in my time there because so many stylists and celebrities appreciated that. They wanted a disconnect from the industry.  A sense of familiarity and normality.

FRENDY:  What do you miss most about OC?

ADARIUS:  I miss the people, the partnerships with the brands, the newness in clothes, and just being excited about the state of the industry. Now, I feel like New York in a sense has resorted to other places for inspiration. I miss when we used to be the source for it all.

Adarius w/ former Opening Ceremony coworkers

FRENDY:  About a week ago, Kai Cenat, the number one streamer in the world, gave you props on your style while he was rating his viewers outfits from Instagram.  Rapper, Lil Yatchy, was there and he showed you major love as well.  When did your love of fashion come about?

ADARIUS:  As a yute! I was always inspired by what I saw on TV, film, music and the streets. I looked up to people like Lenny Kravitz, Andre 3000, Pharrell, Johnny Depp and Taz Arnold.  Daring individuals who didn’t care what people thought and wore what they love. For me, fashion is art.  It’s an expression.  It’s a feeling.  It's a way of being.  Fashion creates character!

YouTube Thumbnail of Kai Cenat’s video

FRENDY:  How would you describe your style?

ADARIUS:  I remember when people used to ask me this question and I never had a definite answer. But now I feel as though the way to describe it is I see myself more as a chameleon. I don’t have a set look or sense of style because I do everything. My style is always evolving and changing. One day I’m inspired by Marlon Brando, and the next day I can be looking at a Gordon Parks picture and get influenced by that. 

Marlon Brando

FRENDY:  Are you big on designer pieces or do you prefer digging up thrifted gems?

ADARIUS:  I’m truly “Mr.Thrifty Nifty!”  That’s the nickname I’ve given myself because that’s all I’ve known throughout my life. Yes, I can buy designer clothes but I would rather not. It’s an incredible feeling when you can find gems around the world and wear them. It’s like clothes that are thrifted have a story to them. It’s rich in originality! 

FRENDY:  What’s one staple piece everyone should have in their closet?

ADARIUS:  Most definitely a nice coat. Whether it’s an overcoat or down jacket, I feel like it can make an outfit. I’m a sucker for outerwear. 

Adarius wearing a dope overcoat in Paris

FRENDY:  You received a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Management from the Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC.  How did that achievement aid in landing a job in the Fashion industry right out of college?

ADARIUS:  It took some time—especially graduating college in 2019 and then COVID happening. However, when the opportunity came about I was excited!  More so to create and open doors for other black and brown kids trying to enter the fashion industry. I think it’s important for us to be in places such as Dior, or wherever, to shake things up and let people know we are worthy and we belong here. We are the ones setting the precedent for fashion and what’s being heavily marketed so why can’t we be a part of it? 

FRENDY:  I totally agree.  Where did you intern during your senior year at F.I.T?

ADARIUS:  I didn’t get an opportunity to intern because I was working full time and going to school full time. I had limited time on my hands. But I feel like OC was like an internship for me. It taught me a lot about the industry, how it operates and what to expect of it. 

FRENDY:  What is your current role at Christian Dior?

ADARIUS:  Dior Sales Ambassador. I work at the 5th Ave location where I cater to new and old existing clients. Making sure I create the ultimate client experience that will keep clients coming back. Whether it’s taking clients to shows in Paris or Egypt, booking appointments to see the archive in Paris, down to having dinners at Cipriani.

Dior 5th Ave store

FRENDY:  Blessings.  What is your dream job?

ADARIUS:  My dream job is entrepreneurship!  I want to have my own creative agency, my own clothing brand, and be able to travel the world and document it for the world to see. 

FRENDY:  Your IG handle, @vacationboii, describes your life precisely. How often do you travel a year? It seems like every other month or so you’re in a new hideout spot somewhere in the world.

ADARIUS:  Yes, indeed *Laughs*.  I love traveling. It soothes my soul. I travel probably eight to nine times throughout the year. I already have next year planned and sketched in. It’s crazy because people are like, “Damn every week you go somewhere new. I can't keep up!” Traveling is such an experience that it sticks with you for a lifetime. 

FRENDY:  What are the top three places you’ve visited thus far?

ADARIUS:  Hands down Cape Town is one of my favorite spots. It’s beautiful to see Africa in a different light than what's depicted on TV.  London because it’s just fire. Lastly, Faro, Portugal because it’s low-key and peaceful. Looking forward to my trip to Japan for 3 weeks at the top of 2024. I know that will soon become part of my top three vacation spots. 

Adarius horse-riding in Portugal

FRENDY:  How important is it for you to take these yearly trips?

ADARIUS:  It is really important because for me it creates this urge to do better, be better, and live better. Moreover, it helps in creating. So much inspiration comes from traveling and seeing what’s out there. 

FRENDY:  You’re out here looking brolic. I have a feeling you’re in the gym as much as I am. What keeps you motivated on your fitness journey?

ADARIUS:  Staying healthy and living long. My family deals with health issues so I wanted to be ahead of the game and beat the odds. Plus, a lot of people don’t know I used to be 240 pounds, which is low-key traumatizing, so I can’t go back to that.  I feel like for people who have lost a significant amount of weight, the old you always stays in the back of your mind. You do whatever you can to not go back to something that wasn’t so pleasant. 

FRENDY:  What advice would you give to anyone who is struggling with inconsistent training habits?

ADARIUS:  Stay focused, dedicated, and motivated. Just know you will persevere, you just have to keep going and remain optimistic. Sometimes we are hard on ourselves more than others and that can knock us off our tracks. However, if you continuously breathe positivity into your life things will happen the way you designed it. 

Adarius in London

FRENDY:  What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned this year?

ADARIUS:  That the journey of living life is ongoing. It’s a never ending journey—you're going to learn something new everyday. You just have to be patient and know that things will happen on God's time. Regardless of your beliefs or mantras just be patient and manifest. Everything happens the way it is supposed to happen. 

FRENDY:  Taking a page from Ray J’s book, if you had only one wish that could be granted, what would it be?

ADARIUS:  I like this question *Laughs*. Ummmm…if I was young my answer would’ve been to teleport *Laughs*.  But now, I would say it’s to live out every dream that I’ve dreamt of. That’s to travel the world more, create projects for the world to see, and even produce music. Low-key, as a yute I always had the dream of doing something with music. I haven’t touched a studio but always been in love with music and wanted to be a part of it somehow.

FRENDY:  With your mindset, anything is possible.

ADARIUS:  Thank you, G! Anything is possible for us all. Also, big ups to you as well. I always admired your work ethic and relentlessness. When I said I told everyone about the conversation we had on the street that one day I was deadass. Your words stuck with me till this day. I remember you saying, “You're going to be somebody one day, just know you can’t do everything on your own, you have to have a team around you to help build.” Those words stuck and still ring an alarm to my soul.

Inconspicuous Dave

“Light but heavy.” This statement best describes the inconspicuous nature of Dave Singh. Although of slim build, Dave’s weightlessness is attributed to the way he maneuvers without attracting much attention, just like a feather carelessly floating in the wind. However, when one eventually catches a glimpse of him through their peripheral vision they will be instantly stunned by his immense star power.

The 31-year-old Queens native and I met through mutual friends more than a decade ago. I can count on one hand how many times we saw each other in person, yet our mutual respect never faltered. From the looks of Dave, it would be safe to assume he’s the stereotypical “bad boy” archetype who’s living a pretty wild life. On the contrary, he is a humble serial entrepreneur who is part of a crew that’s taking over the luxury reselling game by storm. (I mean, of course Dave likes to have his fun too…but that’s besides the point).

I recently sat down with Dave to take a peek into his adventurous lifestyle as we discussed his upbringing, various business ventures, friendship with the infamous “4GSeller” and more. Enjoy our conversation below.

FRENDY:  Gotdamn! It's been quite a while since we’ve seen each other.  Feels good to finally reconnect. How’s everything?

DAVE:  It's definitely been a minute, my G. All is blessed, actually—I’m feeling great. [ I ] appreciate this write up.

FRENDY:  The pleasure is all mine. Congratulations on all of your recent success!  Then again, you’ve always had a winning spirit from the very first day we met about 11 years ago.

DAVE: Things are for sure moving faster than I expected. I don’t know if it was the winning spirit or just the hungry spirit *Laughs*. Either way it’s kind of working out. 

FRENDY: I feel you on that. Love the humility *Laughs*. We became friends through the Areyo brothers and I know they’re from Sunnyside, Queens. Are you reppin’ the Q borough as well?

DAVE: Yessir—shoutout my brothers Matt & Andrew. I’m from Richmond Hill, Queens AKA  “Little Guyana.”

FRENDY: Most definitely shout out to them—they’ve supported me since I first started writing. I know you’re of West Indian descent like myself. I moved here from Haiti with my family when I was seven-years-old. Were you born in the states?

DAVE:  Yeah—born in Queens. My dad came here from Guyana when he was 17-years-old. Him and my mom met in NYC and have been together since. She's Puerto Rican, born in New York. So I’m half Puerto Rican and half Guyanese. 

Young Dave

FRENDY: Have you ever visited your roots back home in Guyana and Puerto Rico?

DAVE: Actually fucked up to say, but nah *Laughs*. I want to go with my mom and dad, but honestly, we are always so busy that we haven’t gone on a proper family vacation in probably 18 years. 

FRENDY: It’s all good! I’m sure y’all make it there sometime soon. As much as you love having a great time, you’re extremely business savvy. Did your parents instill that value in you growing up?

DAVE:  Without a doubt. My mom and dad are the reason for sure. 

FRENDY:  I saw a pic of your mom and dad at their very first cafe in Bloomfield, NJ. What impact did that milestone leave on you as a kid?

DAVE:  It was everything. I watched my parents scrape up every dollar they had to open it. I remember how happy my parents were to create something for themselves for once and not have to answer to a “boss.” It definitely inspired me to take risks for the bigger picture and not look at this on a transactional-scale. 

Dave’s Parents at their first cafe

FRENDY:  We’ll definitely discuss your own lucrative business ventures later on. I vividly remember your deep infatuation with import/tuner cars and bikes. When did that passion come about?

DAVE:  From a young age. Probably like seven-years-old. I had an uncle pick me up from my grandma's house for a quick ride in his new whip. [It was a] Mitsubishi 3000GT twin turbo. At the time this shit was dumb fast (to me at least). I remember that feeling when he hit the gas was insane. That was definitely the beginning of my love for fast shit. 

FRENDY:  An emotional connection, that’s pure.  Do you still have that electric orange souped up custom whip you were infamously known for riding around in Soho? *Laughs*

DAVE:  I actually sold it and the bikes. I drive a Tesla now *Laughs*. As I got older I just wanted something less flashy and more comfortable/practical. Signs I’m getting old I guess *Laughs*.

Dave’s old whip

FRENDY: Evolution, my brother. It’s such a wonderful juxtaposition because despite having such a flashy car, you’re a low-key individual.  With your splendid lifestyle, one would expect you to constantly showcase your various escapades all over Instagram.

DAVE:  Instagram definitely sees its fair share *Laughs*. I like to keep it that way though—low-key. I feel like the ‘less is more’ way works for me. Also keeps you guessing *Laughs*.

Photographed by @xmaximillian

FRENDY:  Facts.  You and your longtime friend/business partner Vincent Ferraro, notoriously known as “4GSeller,” are killing it in the luxury reselling space. When did you two become friends?

DAVE:  I want to say like 12 years ago now? We actually met on a model set for a mutual friend's brand. Shout out Dave Axelrad.

Dave, Vincent and friend at Cipriani

FRENDY:  Vincent was in the nightlife business before developing the shop. In fact, I did some digging and found out he modeled in a Kool cigarettes ad that I’ve seen all over the bodegas a few years back.  Were you in the same industries as him?

DAVE:  I wasn’t. I did like to go out though *Laughs*. If you knew Vince back in the day you were good in any club. 

Vincent in advertisement

FRENDY:  You’ve always been stylish, but I had no clue you had an interest in the business end of fashion. How’d you get involved with such a successful venture in luxury reselling?

DAVE:  It kind of just happened organically. I have been involved as much as I could with 4G since Vin started it. He’s always been there for me so I felt like the least I can do is help out. 

FRENDY:  That’s great to hear—friendship at its finest.  I read Vincent’s interview with the New York Times. I loved how he recognized you and the other homies who play an intricate role in the 4G showroom. He also shared that y’all give no fucks about haters or critics who complain about the pricing of the exclusive garments y’all resell etc. How exactly do you guys drown all of the noise?

DAVE:  My favorite thing to do is read those comments *Laughs*.  It’s all love though, we get it. 

FRENDY:  What I’ve learned is that opinions don’t matter. As long as your heart is in the right place, you can accomplish anything and win no matter what.  What role do you play in the 4G operation?

DAVE:  Vin is the mastermind behind the brand. I’m there to help bring his vision together. 

Vincent with NFL stars at the 4G showroom in Soho

FRENDY: I love the nonchalant attitude—it’s actually a key ingredient in succeeding *Laughs*.  Where can a person book an appointment for a chance to cop a very rare piece at the 4G showroom in Soho?

DAVE:  You can’t. It’s more of a referral only for the private showroom. But we are opening a public location in a few weeks on Sullivan Street in Soho. You’ll be able to walk into that location to shop. 

FRENDY: Nice, I know a lot of people are looking forward to that.  In your opinion, who’s the most stylish celebrity that stopped by?

DAVE:  That's tough to answer. Gervonta Davis is definitely the most effortlessly sick. He knows exactly what he wants and just throws that shit on. I’d say him or Terry Rozier. 

Gervonta Davis in a casual dope ‘fit

FRENDY: Intention is definitely key when it comes to dressing.  Besides Chrome Hearts, what other brands are you heavily rocking with right now?

DAVE: Enfants Riches Déprimés. Rick Owens. Anything Hedi Slimane. Those are my essentials. 

Hedi Slimane

FRENDY:  Are you involved in any business dealings outside of fashion?

DAVE:  I am. Cafes, interior design and some real estate. Nothing crazy but keeping busy for sure. 

FRENDY: ‘Nothing crazy’ *Laughs*. I’m happy to hear about your diverse streams of income—it’s inspiring.  When time allows, what do you do for fun?

DAVE: I have an (almost) one-year-old son. Lil Dave. Any free time I have I try to spend it with him. That’s my new found ‘fun’ *Laughs*.  

FRENDY: That’s beautiful.  You’re tatted up even more since we first met. Which tattoo artists are in your main rotation?

DAVE:  Mike Wilson and Rob Ryan. OG’s. 

FRENDY:  What’s your most meaningful tat?

DAVE:  They all have a story/meaning. I think it’s corny to sit here and tell you what means what but they are all really meaningful. Most are reflections of the darkest times of my life. 

Tatted up Dave, Vincent and friends photographed by @disposable_relly

FRENDY:  Totally understandable.  What can we expect from you and your crew in the near future?

DAVE:  More 4G. That's for sure. 

FRENDY:  Fire.  Going through all of the experiences that made you who you are today, what advice would you give to your younger self?

DAVE:  Don’t take life too seriously. Have fun and embrace the journey.

OMO III: Safe Haven

It is my absolute honor to present the third and final installment from my On My Own merch series. This exclusive piece takes shape in the form of an organic french terry pullover hoodie, which features my freshly dressed animated character and the infamous BAPE couch that was on my “second floor office” at Nigo’s former SoHo workshop. 

Since a picture is worth a thousand words, the hoodie’s artwork is self-explanatory to the thousands of patrons who have visited me during my time at the iconic BAPE store on Green Street. A ‘Safe Haven’ is defined as a place where someone goes to be safe from danger or attack.  It would be extreme of me to say the individuals that specifically came upstairs to see me were looking for refuge.  However, I must admit they always felt much more at ease after our intimate conversations. 

There’s truly nothing better in the world than inspiring someone to be their highest, happiest self. I feel blessed to have played a small role in the lives of individuals who have felt touched by my words or simple acts of kindness. I love y’all.

Shop HERE.

OMO II: The Hero's Journey

I am extremely happy to present the second installment of my #OMOFrendy T-shirt series titled, On My Own II: The Hero’s Journey.

The meaning behind the top’s name signifies the return to the source of all things: one’s self. It is said that the longest journey a person will ever take is the one 18 inches from their head to their heart.  The T-shirt serves as a reminder that nothing worthwhile can be achieved in life if we keep looking outside of ourselves for validation.

“If all is in my heart and mind, then I can do it on my own” - Frendy Lemorin

The T-shirt is scheduled to drop on Saturday June 4th, 2022. Click here to shop!

ALAUNI IN NYC

There’s a humorous meme circulating online that states “gorgeous gorgeous” girls have arguably the most unpronounceable names. I don’t know about all of that, but I must admit, many of the beautiful women—inwardly and outwardly—I came across have at least one “A” in their first names.  Case in point, Alauni Greig. To avoid any mispronunciation, the 24-year-old beauty specifically wrote how to actually say it via her Instagram bio: “ah law knee.” 

Now, Alauni is not just a pretty face. The LSU alumni is also steadily rising in the business marketing food chain.  After graduating from college in 2019, Alauni moved to the Big Apple where she abruptly landed an internship at Live Nation, which is the leading American global entertainment company that promotes, operates and manages ticket sales for live entertainment in the US and internationally.  If that isn't impressive enough, Ms. Greig left her internship at Live Nation for a position at publishing company Galison & Madpup, worked there for almost two years, got promoted in the process, departed and then went back to Live Nation as a full-time associate manager in their solution development department.  Woah! It’s safe to say that this St. Thomas-born baddie is on a mission.

I sat down with Alauni to further discuss her flourishing career, growing up in the Virgin Islands, life in the concrete jungle, and everything else in between. Check out our insightful conversation below:

FRENDY: Alauni, what’s going on? We’ve been following each other for some time on Instagram so it’s such a pleasure to finally have this sitdown. Btw, I recently found out we were born 10 days apart—big Virgo energy going on right now!

ALAUNI: Hey! I know, it’s about time we had this time together. Love the Virgo energy—I knew you had good vibes!

FRENDY:  Thank you, thank you!  On the gram you made sure your followers knew how to properly say your name.  Is it that hard for strangers to say it in person? *Laughs*

ALAUNI: You wouldn’t believe how many people just flat out try to avoid saying my name out loud when they meet me for the first time. I’ve gotten so many different pronunciations I decided to take it into my own hands and make sure people knew how to say it so they would no longer have an excuse to not to. I love my name and feel like the least people could do is learn to say it right. *Laughs*

FRENDY: Damn! I feel you—I’ve heard everything from Friendly to Fendi.  So I know exactly what you’re talking about. We don’t play around when it comes to our names. Let’s take it back real quick, what’s your fondest memory of living in St. Thomas?

ALAUNI: Oh, we’re going way back! I have nothing but good memories of living there.  I think my fondest memories are just of being surrounded by family. I have a lot of family there still and I miss being so close to them. But I do get to go back pretty often and be with them—we pick back up right where we left off. It’s like nothing has changed.

FRENDY:  That’s awesome. How old were you when you left?

ALAUNI: I was six when we moved to the United States.

FRENDY: Wow, I moved to the US when I was seven from Haiti.  Was there a main motive behind the migration?  Was it for the wide range of opportunities that the states provided?

ALAUNI: Wow, I didn’t know you were from Haiti! It was definitely for the wide range of opportunities—specifically better education opportunities. I didn’t understand why we were moving at the time, but now I appreciate the sacrifice my parents made to give my sisters and I better opportunities every single day.

FRENDY: Yup! Port-au-Prince, to be exact.  Did you experience a major culture shock when you moved to the US from the Virgin Islands?

ALAUNI: I honestly didn’t as much as my sisters likely did. I think my younger sis and I had it easy while it was a bigger adjustment for my older siblings since they had time to develop their character and culture more.

FRENDY:  Totally understandable.  Even though I came here when I was seven, I definitely felt like a fish out of water *Laughs*.  My first language was French so you know I was getting picked on by some of the kids in elementary school. I had to take extra classes just to get my English up to par. Growing pains for sure—but it was all worth it.  Builds character.

ALAUNI: I’d like to kindly say, f**k those kids. *Laughs*

FRENDY: *Laughs* My younger self just gave you a huge hug.  Speaking of your sisters, how many do you have?

ALAUNI: Three sisters! Two older, one younger and the best part? We all have names that start with “A”. We’re all pretty close in age so I’m sure you can imagine the chaos in my house growing up.

FRENDY: Y’all are the “A-Team” for real. How’d your dad deal with all of the estrogen in the house?

ALAUNI: I have no idea how he did it but he deserves a prize for all of the stress we put him through *Laughs*.  My mom deserves one too, but she might have been contributing to his stress also.

FRENDY: *Laughs*  That’s hilarious.  How was your experience at LSU?  I know they have a huge sports culture.

ALAUNI: I had a great time at LSU! The culture and the community there was like nothing I’ve ever experienced before. The school itself was great. I loved the communications school and all of the classes I took there. I also really loved game days in Death Valley. I’m not a sports girl but I turn into a whole different person when I see LSU playing.

FRENDY: When you’re around high octane energy, you have no choice but to get in on all of the excitement.  Why did you choose to go to Baton Rouge, Louisiana for school?  Was it your first choice?

ALAUNI: It was one of my top choices. LSU has a great mass communication program, which is what I was looking for, and I also really wanted a change in environment. Going to the South and living in Louisiana (where I had never been before) was the culture shock I needed to kind of open my eyes up. It also didn’t hurt that I got a great scholarship to go there. *Laughs*

FRENDY:  That’s a fact.  You majored in mass communication and double minored in sports studies and business administration.  Was there a slight chance of you becoming a sports agent? *Laughs*

ALAUNI: *Laughs* I thought about it for a second, and then I realized that sports is just not for me. So I have a bunch of sports knowledge just stored in my brain for no reason.

FRENDY: Why did you even think about it in the first place? What triggered the interest?

ALAUNI: It was being in such a sports-centric atmosphere. LSU (obviously) is known for their athletics programs, and I think I saw how much attention they got—I wanted a little slice of it *Laughs*. I quickly realized that it was not my scene when my sports studies minor required me to take a jogging class. Yes…a jogging class.

FRENDY: *Laughs* A jogging class? Wow, I think we broke a record in all of my years interviewing people. I’ve never had anyone mention anything about a college course that required them to jog.  I’m guessing you’re not much of a jogger?

ALAUNI: I really wish I was, but sadly, no. I am trying to get into running though—don’t ask me about how that’s going.

FRENDY:  I won’t—I’m a StairMaster guy myself.  What was your impression of NYC when you moved here right before the pandemic? 

ALAUNI: I moved here in May 2019 right after graduating college to be an intern at Live Nation. When I first got here I was so unbelievably nervous and intimidated by everything—the city, the people, even the train *Laughs*. But I’m glad I had a minute to adjust and figure sh*t out before the pandemic hit.

FRENDY: Not the train *Laughs*.  Which area of the city did you initially move to?

ALAUNI: I was in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn.

FRENDY:  Nice calm vibes there—depending on where you stayed.  Are you living in Manhattan now?

ALAUNI: Definitely didn’t have calm vibes where I was *Laughs*. Yes, I’m in Manhattan now living downtown and I’ve loved it so far.

FRENDY:  Was it hard getting accustomed to the fast paced lifestyle of the concrete jungle?

ALAUNI: No, actually. I think I picked it up pretty fast. By the time I was about to graduate, I was ready to get out of the slow moving south and into a quicker paced lifestyle—so I jumped right into it.

FRENDY:  Right after interning for Live Nation you worked for a company called Galison & Madpup, which is known for partnering with artist foundations to create puzzles, games, home decors, desk accessories, etc.  Since you worked there in the midst of the pandemic, how was business?  Booming, I bet because everyone was home.

ALAUNI: You’re absolutely right, business was insane during quarantine! It was a big test for my work abilities, that was my first “real” job and working throughout the pandemic was really tough.

FRENDY:  What was your most stressful moment there? And how’d you get through it?

ALAUNI: My most stressful moment was keeping up with the customer demand during quarantine. Our product demand was at an all time high and, obviously during that time, there were a bunch of supply chain issues so it was really stressful trying to communicate with customers that were already on edge with all that was going on in the world at that time. Thankfully, I was back home in Maryland and around my family at the time, they were such an amazing support system, and my team at Galison was unbelievable. They were feeling the same stress and we all came together to figure the best ways to get past it. 

FRENDY: I’m glad you guys thugged it out.  Did you leave Galison by choice?

ALAUNI: Yes, it was a really tough decision! A member of my current team at Live Nation reached out to me about an open position that she believed would be good for me, and once I did my research I was sold and applied. Thankfully, I got the position with an amazing company and team. I’m really happy to be back with Live Nation and love the work that I’m doing.

FRENDY:  I’m surprised you weren’t hired by Live Nation right after your internship with them.  What are your duties there now as an associate manager?

ALAUNI: That’s what I had hoped for, but life is crazy and everything happens—or doesn’t happen—for a reason. As an associate manager on the marketing team, I help come up with creative ways for brands to integrate themselves into live music culture. So for example, when you see your favorite brand at a music festival or venue, my team works to come up with “the way in” for the brand.

FRENDY: Sounds like a wavy gig for sure!  Congrats on getting the position—you deserved it.  I see that the company is already promoting upcoming festivals like, When We Were Young and The Smoker’s Club.  How excited are you to see that live events are making a comeback?

ALAUNI: Thank you! I can’t even put into words how excited I am. We got a little taste of it last year during the fall, but nothing will compare to this festival season. People are so eager to get back to live music experiences—myself included. I can’t wait to experience the vibe of listening to your favorite artist surrounded by fellow fans again.

FRENDY:  I peeped that you absolutely love checking out art galleries on your off days.  What’s your favorite exhibition thus far?

ALAUNI: One of my favorite activities! Hmm…I think my favorite so far was the Andy Warhol: Revelation exhibit that I went to at the Brooklyn Museum recently. I went with my roommate/best friend Kayla and we had an amazing time just enjoying Warhol’s work, and seeing new pieces that we hadn’t seen before.

FRENDY:  Yes, I was just about to mention Kayla. How’d you guys meet?

ALAUNI: Kayla and I have actually known each other forever. We went to middle and high school together, and just so happened to be moving to NYC around the same time and have lived with each other ever since.

FRENDY: Synchronicity at its finest.  Kayla is a great photographer—how dope is it to bounce off of her artistic vibe?

ALAUNI: She’s so talented—I’m her biggest fan! It’s amazing having her creativity so close by. She’s such an amazing asset to have around, not only for my career development but for my personal development too. 10/10 recommend getting yourself a Kayla.

FRENDY: Indeed!  We all need a ride or die in our squad.  What else do you do for fun in the city?

ALAUNI: Just overall explore! This summer I made it a mission to see parts of the city I hadn’t been able to before and get out of my comfort zone. I haven’t been that great about doing it recently since it’s so cold out, but I’m ready for spring time so I can start on my little adventures again.

FRENDY:  Since you’re not originally from New York, is it difficult for you to make new friends? Especially during the covid restrictions.

ALAUNI: I can’t lie, it was definitely hard in the beginning. I am so grateful to have had Kayla with me because she was also in the same boat of not really knowing anyone here. But, in 2021 when things opened up more I flourished socially and made so many new friends in the city. I can thank social media for that! I consider all of my internet friends my real friends at this point. *Laughs*

FRENDY: *Laughs* Sometimes internet friends are the ones that look out in real life. How are the fellas treating you in New York?

ALAUNI: No comment. *Laughs*

FRENDY: *Laughs* Fair enough.  Are you dating often?  Also, do you have a particular type?

ALAUNI: I wouldn’t say “often,” but I am dating here and there. I think the type is men who won’t traumatize me. And apparently that’s a big ask.

FRENDY: What do you mean by traumatize? *Laughs*

ALAUNI: Anything that I will potentially have to talk with a therapist about. *Laughs*

FRENDY:  What’s the best way a guy can capture your attention while walking down a crowded SoHo street?

ALAUNI: By saying something kind and not commenting on my outward appearance. It’s the little things—like when someone tells me to have a nice day, that’ll get my attention.

FRENDY:  What do you hope to achieve by the end of 2022?

ALAUNI: Tough question that I haven’t even asked myself! I hope to build my following on social media and be able to work with the brands that I admire. I would love to try out influencing and creating content that breaks through and doesn’t just clutter the feed.

OMO Frendy

There’s really nothing to explain here. The FRNDY LMRN “OMO” T-shirt is for all of my supporters—especially those from my BAPE days.

Head over to the shop to own a piece of history!

Hood By Air is Byke

Shayne Oliver’s brainchild Hood By Air has boldly returned to the fashion industry with its first official ready-to-wear collection starring none other than Naomi Campbell.

Aptly titled The Prologue, HBA’s forthcoming offering consists of three distinct sections: Mother, Veteran, and Merch. Naomi, being the Empress that she is, was picked as a spokesmodel for the initial portion to accent its essence.  “She is such a mother figure to so [many people in fashion] and has always been so outspoken about Black people in fashion, Black identity and Black creativity,” says Oliver to Vogue.  

Photographed by Luiz Alberto Rodriguez, Campbell is seen rocking pieces fundamentally based on function and utility such as: a leather puffer, leather motocross pants and a handy-dandy top equipped with zippers, straps, and belt clips (Playboi Carti must be salivating looking at those pics right now). Shout out to Carlos Nazario for a great job styling this one.

Since Shayne and ASAP Rocky made up, I hope to see these two collaborate on something major for the brand’s advancement. After all, he is a..Veteran...in HBA wear. (Damn, I’m nice).

Keenan

Out of the many people I’ve met during my eight years at Bape, Keenan Christian Lam is on the top 10 list of the most genuine and humble individuals I’ve had the pleasure of becoming friends with. 

The 27-year-old businessman and I were introduced to each other by our mutual friend Zachary Littman who frequently visited me at Nigo’s former NYC workshop. I established a great rapport with Zach so when he brought Keenan to my “second floor lair” we instantly clicked. Lam and I hardly kicked it outside of my old workplace, but kept in touch through social media. One major nugget I dug from my observation of him on Instagram was his undeniable love for food! 

A few months ago at my new gig, a familiar voice called out my name while I was monitoring the TSA line. I turned around, and to my pleasant surprise saw that it was the Colgate smiling epicure himself! Fortunately, foot traffic was minimal so we were able to talk for a few minutes and even caught a quick flick together. Prior to our impromptu reunion I haven’t seen Keenan in four years. 

Aside from acknowledging Lam’s exquisite taste in food, I didn’t know anything else about him. I was more than sure though that his backstory would be intriguing. I decided to hit him up and inquired about his participation in my #FrendyOriginals interview series. We didn’t have a chance to fully catch up when I saw him at JFK airport so this is the perfect chance to properly gain insight about his past.

Without further ado, indulge in my phenomenal sitdown with Keenan below as we discussed his upbringing, knack for cooking, maneuvers in the restaurant industry and involvement with KITH.

FRENDY:  How are you, Keenan? Man, we have come a long way since we first met nearly eight years ago.

KEENAN:  Frendy! Really good to hear from you, thanks for reaching out. Glad to hear you’re doing well. Just maintaining, you know?  The world is in a crazy place right now.

FRENDY:  The pleasure is all mine! Yeah, for sure—it’s nothing like we’ve ever seen on earth. I truly believe everything happens for the highest good though. This “downtime” allows us to really cherish life and appreciate our loved ones so much deeper. 

KEENAN:  I couldn’t agree more. We all need a good reset on life every now and then. We’re in the middle of two pandemics and I also agree everything happens for a reason. I’m speechless to a degree, but also confident that we’ll move forward as humans for the better.

FRENDY:  That’s a fact! We originally planned to start our conversation yesterday, but you were caught up with work. It’s good that you’re still shaking and moving during this time! If you don’t mind me asking, what was going down?

KEENAN:  Apologies about that—yeah, some things came up. I had to bring my pops to see a doctor in the city (all’s well, just a check up. Not Covid-19 related). Work wise, getting a jump on opening our KITH SoHo shop. The facade with the Nelson Mandela quote was beginning to be taken down in preparation for opening.

FRENDY:  I’m glad to hear your dad is all good. And man, you don’t know how proud I am of you and your movements with KITH. We’ll definitely get to all of that a little later on. I don’t think I ever asked but where are you from? I know Zach introduced us at Bape while you guys attended school in the city.

KEENAN:  Appreciate that man, regarding my pops and myself. I’m just trying to make moves with my head down. I’m originally from New York, born and raised. I grew up in Manhattan till I was three, then moved to Long Island and attended CUNY John Jay (shouts CUNY!). Moved to the city for school and that’s where I met Zach. Our dorm was split between a few schools. He went to LIM. We actually didn’t meet in the dorm but on a club line *Laughs*.  

FRENDY:  That’s hilarious *Laughs*. So wait, you guys didn’t even go to the same school? Wow, it felt like you guys knew each other for a while because the comradery was so strong. By the way, which club were y’all going to?

KEENAN:  *Laughs* Nah, we didn’t know each other. Couldn’t remember [which club] for the life of me *Laughs*, but I’m sure it was some college-promoted wack one. Man, we always talk about coincidence.  Zach and I had a bunch of mutual friends prior to meeting. We noticed each other when we got back to the same dorm. I don’t really remember having any dialogue with him until one day we were in the study room and I saw his “WHAT WOULD HOVA DO?” sticker on his laptop.  That’s when I said what's up.  

FRENDY: It’s a beautiful thing when the culture (I really don’t like saying that word) brings people together. What year did you guys initially meet?

KEENAN:  Agreed—any fan of HOV is a friend of mine! We met in the fall of 2011.

FRENDY:  Zach is such an awesome guy so when he introduced you to me it was no surprise that we got along so well. I think we met in 2012...I’m not sure.

KEENAN:  Yeah. Our semester started in the Fall of 2011, so we probably didn’t start hanging out for real until the following year. 2012 sounds right. 

Zach really was the best person/friend for me to meet in college. He was super passionate about the culture—about the energy that was coming out of SoHo. He literally dragged me around *Laughs*. Without him I for sure would not have been acclimated to Manhattan the way I did.

FRENDY: We all need a ‘Zach’ in our lives.  Are you guys still in touch?

KEENAN: That is a big fact. A homie that really takes time to understand you, appreciates your passion as well. Though he’s more technically versed in fashion and I with food, we always exchange our thoughts and teach each other the nuances of each world. We speak all the time. I’ve been smoking his ass in Call of Duty! *Laughs*.  Just kidding, that kid is a gaming beast. I’m still a super novice. 

FRENDY:  *Laughs* It’s all good, I was a big gamer myself (mostly played sports games though).  I’m sure you’ll smoke me in COD. When you moved to Long Island at the age of three, you hardly came back to roam the city during your adolescent years?

KEENAN:  I was returning frequently, mostly on weekends for Chinese school and seeing my family for Dim Sum (Cantonese style Brunch) almost every weekend until high school. My family’s restaurant is located in Chinatown so I only really hung out there. 

FRENDY:  Damn, you’ve been eating good all your life! Oh ok, I understand. I’m guessing you really never had the time to personally check out NYC hotspots since you were always in and out.

KEENAN:  I have a love/hate relationship when people say “eating good” *Laughs*.  It inherently means that someone is eating better than you—but I believe everyone should be able to eat well! (figuratively and literally) Everyone should have the skill to cook up and create. 

Yeah, my parents were really my only means to get in and out of the city so I never ventured outside of Chinatown as a kid. Saturday mornings meant waking up early, hit Chinatown for class, Dim Sum right after and then back to Long Island. This went on until I was about 13-14.

FRENDY: You made a great point! Everyone should be able to eat well. Nice, I’m hardly in Long Island—how was it like growing up there? Had a lot of friends?

KEENAN:  Yeah, man. I’m a firm believer that wholesome great food should be accessible to everyone. When I started to work in the industry I realized how simple good food should really be. 

Long Island was the goal for my immigrant parents. They came to this country at a young age and were raised in Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens and wanted better for their children. I feel super blessed to have had the comfort of living in the suburbs. It was my “norm” but as I grew up, I started to recognize the disparity of living there and the rest of the world. I grew up with mostly White and Persian Jewish kids. I was one of maybe 10 Asian kids in my elementary school. I Have a small circle of friends that I still talk to. One thing’s for sure, I learned A LOT about the Jewish culture. Somewhat learned to appreciate it on a high level though I was not a member of the society.  

FRENDY:  My parents and I are immigrants as well so I know exactly what you’re talking about. We came to this country for much greater opportunities. It’s amazing how your parents built such a strong foundation for you and your siblings from scratch!  I know you had a few Asian kids at your elementary school, but did you ever feel like the odd man out around your peers?

KEENAN:  Absolutely—I consumed a lot of Western culture growing up so I really wanted to fit in but I never could because of: 1. Not being White 2. I wasn’t religious. So I couldn’t fit in with White Christian/Catholics kids either. There’s a deeper sense of guilt and lack of belonging when you’re born into something you can’t change. I.e; if you suck at basketball and didn’t make it on the Varsity team, that is something you can work on, you know? You can drive yourself to be better. But I’m sure you know just as well. I couldn’t change the fact that I wasn’t White or religious. I didn’t belong in this community that was so heavily run by which church, temple or synagogue you went to. I also wasn’t close to many of the Asian kids either because a good amount of them were immigrants themselves too so we didn’t have much to connect on. I must admit that I am guilty of not trying to pull the others up with me. My parents knew how to speak English.  A lot of theirs did not.  

FRENDY:  I totally understand. Don’t feel guilty—you were young trying to figure things out *Laughs*. Which high school did you go to?

KEENAN: Yeah, bro. Adolescence—confusing times right? *Laughs*. I Went to Great Neck North High School. 

FRENDY: Very! A lot of the people that knew me back then can’t even fathom how much I’ve grown. I was a super shy kid...plus I only knew how to speak French. How was your experience at Great Neck North High? Did you feel more at ease in your surroundings?

KEENAN: I do remember reading about your upbringing. Never underestimate the potential of people who have less resources than you. If there is a will, there is a way! They don’t know about Frendy’s acting career! 

I was def more at ease as I grew up. Everyone’s just basically fucking around in high school so your immediate social circle was all everyone cared about. 

FRENDY:  Thank you, my brother.  Let’s fast forward a bit. So I’ve been glued to your Instagram stories and posts showcasing the incredible food you cook up. It gets my mouth drooling every...single…time. When did your love for whipping up delicious meals come about? Was it during your HS years or later on?

KEENAN: *Laughs* I’m glad, man! I’ve always been around food via my parents. I learned to value food as a means to make ends meet since my father was in the industry. Better food meant better business. Of course my grandparents were always cooking up so I was able to get my hands dirty and build technique. I truly was always trying to cook since I could remember. 

FRENDY:  That’s absolutely incredible. Do you remember the very first dish you ever cooked?

KEENAN: *Laughs* I think the first thing I was proud of was this curry chicken salad wrap I made as a kid *Laughs*. Shouts Costco rotisserie chicken yo!

FRENDY:  Jheez! I could use some of that right now. You stated earlier that you attended John Jay college, and from what I remember it’s a criminal justice school. Why didn’t you attend a culinary institution instead?

KEENAN:  To be straight up, I didn’t have great grades. I wanted to attend CUNY Baruch, but I went to John Jay first for 2 years then transferred. I always wanted to attend culinary school, but the cost of it was pretty jarring. I figured I would just watch a ton of YouTube [cooking videos] and practice at home. I worked throughout college in the restaurant scene so I considered my jobs to be my technical training. And hey, I was getting paid for it too! *Laughs*

FRENDY:  When there’s a will, there’s a way *Laughs*. That’s crazy, I can’t imagine you without having great grades. You’re such an impeccable “mover” in my eyes. It goes to show, just because you excel in class doesn’t mean you can thrive in the school of hard knocks. When did you begin your foray in the restaurant industry? 

KEENAN: I appreciate that—I’m far from where I want to be. I’m just trying to continue navigating the industry. I was fortunate enough to work in my dad's restaurant beginning at 13. I bussed tables and learned to do some bookkeeping on the back end. From there, my first job out of the family business was at Hakkasan NYC between 2012 - 2015. I really cut my teeth there.

FRENDY:  Hakkasan NYC is top notch. How was the interview process to get in there? Did you have to showcase your cooking skills?

KEENAN: It was interesting. They needed someone who could speak both Cantonese and English, but most importantly, understood the food. I was applying for a kitchen expeditor position so I was expected to liaise between the Chinese speaking kitchen and English speaking staff. I didn’t have to show any technical skill, just good understanding of kitchen operations.

FRENDY: Wow, shout out to your parents for enrolling you in Chinese school at a young age. I'm telling you, success is honestly designed. We all need a BIG vision in order to really live life to the fullest. So, from 2012-2015 you were working at Hakkasan. Was school even on your mind during that time? 

KEENAN: I’ll be honest, I am super grateful to be bilingual. I'm not completely fluent, but it's enough to get me by. Anything is possible. My father drilled me as a kid, constantly telling us how he came from nothing. Picking up pennies on Madison St in the Lower East Side/Chinatown as a nine-year-old kid from China, not knowing a lick of English…knowledge is power. I never wanted to do that you know? I knew I couldn't fall back on the family business. I knew it was there, but it’s an artificial net. That's why I was gunning to transfer to Baruch where I wanted to attend business school.

FRENDY: Respect for not taking the “safe” route. I mean, there’s nothing wrong with going into the family business.  However, you wanted to stand on your own two.

KEENAN: Yeah, I definitely wanted to have a sense of pride in my craft. 

FRENDY: Why’d you leave Hakkasan in 2015? I’m sure you had a great run!

KEENAN: It was a great run. For the first two years, we earned a one Michelin star rating. We were at the peak of our game, but then the brand pivoted towards nightclubs and hotels. I felt the passion wasn't there anymore with the team. We didn't earn any stars after year three. I also wanted to graduate from the environment. I still love the brand though—I think they're the best in class for elevated Cantonese dining in NYC.

FRENDY: I love your integrity. What did you end up doing after leaving? With Hakkasan on your resume, was it super easy to get another fine dining gig?

KEENAN: I left Hakkasan to help my father out for a little bit, then I was fortunate enough to land a management position with French boulangerie, Maison Kayser, in 2015. I wanted to learn a different cuisine. My good friend and colleague Dennis Apreza that worked at Hakkasan moved there and put me on. From there, I learned how to operate in a French run company. I Learned a ton about the culture! I was there for eight months, then got the call from RF!

FRENDY:  The power of allies, man. Incredible. How did Ronnie get to know about all of the moves you were making in the restaurant scene? Did you send your resume out to him first?

KEENAN:  Yeah, man. I really believe in the principal of keeping your circle tight—it’s important to put your people on. I believe in Karma too. This really has stayed true with me even now at Kith. Our brand name derives from “KITH and KIN” which is old English for “Friends and Family”. As well as the #JustUS slogan. Ronnie actually had someone internally reach out to me, I was recruited. I believe in fate somewhat…I wasn’t told by the recruiter who the client was. I actually never answer those emails. I just leave them in my inbox as a gauge to see what my potential is. But for some weird reason I was compelled to answer this one. I think I was sick of waking up at 4am to open the bakery *Laughs*.

FRENDY:  That’s right out of a movie! Again, nothing is a coincidence. There is a higher power guiding us to our bliss. We just have to calm our minds and let go! Most importantly, listen to our intuition—it never fails us. We’re all human, so of course the ride gets a bit bumpy from time to time, but we learn to appreciate the journey along the way. 

KEENAN:  No doubt. Yes, I am super grateful for everything. From the luck, the believers and the bosses. 

FRENDY:  I went on YouTube to do some research on KITH Treats and the very first video that popped up was from Insider featuring you! I didn’t even know you were KITH Treat’s General Manager. Congrats!

KEENAN: *Laughs* Yeah, that was from the days of our Nike x KITH pop-up. We partnered with Nike and Snarkitecture to build an experiential space with a footwear floor, customizable tee shirt station, and of course KITH Treats. 

FRENDY:  Were you initially hired by Ronnie to be the General Manager of his brainchild’s Treats department?

KEENAN: I was first hired to be the General Manager of KITH Treats Brooklyn. I say that loosely because at the time (2016), there was only one Treats door with five employees including myself. I was fortunate enough to be part of the company during one of many growth stages. Within the first two years we grew to four doors, including one in Japan. We had also partnered with other brands to do some pretty neat pop ups. You came to visit the one on Greene St that was a partnership with thriving sports blog, Bleacher Report. 

FRENDY:  Yeah, man. I remember that day vividly.  I appreciated the hospitality for real—met some cool people. What are some of your duties as General Manager?

KEENAN:  Of course, I wanted to show you the same level of hospitality you showed me when we met at the Bape store. I was running the shop’s day-to-day ops. Basically hiring, buying, menu development and a bit of business development. My main role was to roll out the concepts and experiences that HQ was creating. 

FRENDY:  Awesome, and that’s with no marketing courses! You said “was running,” are you still KITH Treats’ GM?

KEENAN:  I think it was my passion and interest in the culture that helped me understand the business side of things. We were creating experiences—and my interest in the sneaker and fashion world definitely helped. Shouts to Zach for making connections like you and giving me a lens into this “underground” world that was known as “hype culture.” I'm now the Director of Operations for KITH Treats. I’m still hands on with the retail doors as well. I like to keep myself planted into each level of the business.

FRENDY:  My man! All deserved. When asked in a 2017 Complex video interview: “what is the most important thing for a new member of the KITH team to know, in terms of working with Ronnie Fieg?”, Ronnie stated: “work ethic on a 1,000 and no matter what your job title will be, you’re going to be wearing many many hats. Expect many things to get thrown at you and you got to be resilient.”  How often do you deal with situations that may seem “unfixable”?

KEENAN:  I know exactly which interview you’re talking about. It’s the one with RF and Noah from Complex. Love that one. Everything is fixable. As mentioned before, something my pops instilled in me is, “If there is a will, there is a way”. 

Everything is new territory for us. If it wasn’t, we wouldn't be in the business of creating or trying to shift the culture. The level of work ethic and resilience is really just the ability to see situations through from point a to point b—and being able to understand the scenario. How you’re able to be a player or “mover” and influence that particular moment you’re dealing with. Learning the game. It takes work, but it is not impossible. You don’t know what you don’t know, but you have to be willing to learn. RF always told me: “shut up and be a sponge.” That is something that will live with me forever.  

FRENDY:  I remember the day Ronnie came through to the shop and then immediately proceeded to feel the quality of one of our latest releases. Knowing how meticulous he is, how hands on is he with everything from KITH’s apparel to cereal bar?

KEENAN: Ronnie is someone who is able to succeed off his intuition. He’s still very hands on—the entire brand is built off his vision and feel. He’s doing as much as he can while growing the brand and bringing us to new places. All the projects still pass through him from design, materials, roll out and campaigns. I, to this day, still run a majority of the business by him. I think at this point he’s built a team that he can trust to share the same vision and values as he does which helps with expediting projects. 

FRENDY:  Awesome. I know you guys are cooking up tons of new heat for the fans. Speaking of cooking—I mean, that’s what we’ve been talking about throughout our conversation—what are your top 3 favorite restaurants in NYC? And Why?

KEENAN:  *Laughs* Oh man...give me a second here.  In no particular order:

1. Tetsu: Brainchild of Chef Masa Takayama from 3 Michelin Star Sushi restaurant Masa in the Time Warner building. There is this beautiful open Kitchen with counter seating which is super engaging. The drinks are phenomenal. Service is on point, Shouts to my homie Ailin Yang the AGM! (need to confirm if she’s still there). It's a really comfortable environment with the perfect balance of privacy and engagement from the Kitchen.

2. Au Cheval: Their burger is to die for. It’s the same burger from 4 Charles. The basement has this really cool underground vibe, which is a good precursor to the main event in the dining room. Great sound system in there too. 

3. Hop Sing: Chinatown spot, unfortunately I think they're still closed due to Covid-19 but that is my Grandparents’ favorite spot. Really good home style Cantonese cooking. They’re famous for their whole poached chicken in this sweet vinegar and chili sauce. The service is really what makes it for me. No gimmicks, you chat with the servers about how their family is doing more than what their menu recommendation is. True family style.

4. Raku: They have two locations I think. One in the East Village and one near NYU. Their Niku Udon is out of this world. Made with an in-house udon noodle. Most restaurants buy their noodles from vendors but when you do it in house, you really get to control the bounce and flavor. The Niku udon broth is made with braised beef tendon and brisket. It’s the best broth in NYC hands down.

5. Frenchette: This spot has one of the best wine programs in the city. Some really fantastic natural organic wines. Their grilled Turbot is fire. Their whole fish is perfect to share family style. Something about the way French cuisine balances “not pretty” produce and refining them to be super elegant.

FRENDY:  I’ll have to check those spots out. Did Anthony Bourdain play a major role in your life as a foodie?

KEENAN:  Absolutely. I really wish I was able to meet him and be graced by his energy. He was the first guy to showcase Chinese food on a mainstream level. There's an episode where he goes to visit Chinatown’s Hop Kee with my mom’s childhood/elementary school friend Chef, Chris Cheung, who owns East Wind in Brooklyn. To see a White person appreciate Cantonese cooking proved that things that I once was embarrassed of eating in the cafeteria of my school had the potential for mass appeal. He gave me and minorities like myself hope and a sense of pride. Truly a legend. Rest in peace Tone.

FRENDY:  What advice would you give someone who wants to get into the restaurant business, but has no plugs in the industry?

KEENAN:  I feel like I’m not qualified to answer *Laughs*. Food is an amorphous idea. There is always a market for what you want to create. Be true and create what is dear to you, but do your homework and learn about the fundamentals. Like any other business, the restaurant industry is about showcasing products in your own lens. The exciting aspect of it for me is that food is always tied to culture so it's important to pay homage to its origins—but more importantly understand how these techniques and melds of flavor came to be. This will help anyone navigate and direct their business’ story with integrity. Then it will never feel like work. It should feel like constant storytelling, not work. The hours are gruesome. The energy is toxic. But you must love it.

Sneek Peek

In his late 2010 hit “6 Foot 7 Foot ,” Lil Wayne famously proclaimed, “real Gs move in silence like lasagna,” and my next interviewee really took that to heart. Like Weezy, Brooklyn native Sonny Martinez’s actions speak so much louder than words. As a matter of fact, he hardly writes captions for his Instagram posts because the visuals alone are undeniably eye-catching.  Whether he’s showcasing high-end threads, his all-inclusive vacation settings or midnight adventures, Martinez simply leaves a suitable emoji under the flicks/vids so viewers can fully bask in their lavish content.

Sonny aka “Sneek” and I became friends from his habitual shopping sprees at Nigo’s former SoHo workshop. The humble businessman’s friendly nature was truly refreshing, and it was always a pleasure talking to him about all things fashion on the second floor. I haven’t seen or spoken to Sonny in a few years so I decided to catch up with him during this plandemic (yes, I spelled it right).  Furthermore, this opportunity will give me a chance to know more about the inner workings of a man with such flashy exterior. 

Enjoy my insightful sitdown with Sonny below as I provide a “sneek” peek into his fascinating life.

FRENDY: What’s good, homie? Thanks for your time. We’ve known each other for about 8 years now and it’s great to see there’s no love lost.

SNEEK:  For sure.  I think Bape was just such an influential part in my love for art and fashion.  You being there just cemented that relationship. 

FRENDY:  Well said.  Which part of Brooklyn are you from?

SNEEK:  I was Born at Lutheran hospital and raised in Park Slope when it was known as “Park Slope Dope.”  Not the hipster hotspot it is now *Laughs*.

FRENDY:  *Laughs* I love Park Slope. That area of Brooklyn actually holds a very special place in my heart. My first love went to Bishop Ford HS...after class we used to kick it at the surrounding pizza shops.  Good times. How is it now?

SNEEK:  Unrecognizable. It's all brand new condos and pre-k centers, mixed with thrift stores and bars. I remember being on 5th Ave after school, running into Bobbys Sportswear and Jean Stop to see all the exclusive sneakers you wouldn’t find at Foot Locker. A lot of great memories.

FRENDY:  That’s awesome. Speaking of sportswear, your style is on point. When did your love for fashion come about? Did your parents school you?

SNEEK:  Nah man quite the opposite *Laughs*. I grew up an only child to a single parent so there was no money for clothes or kicks— just the essentials. I remember my first “name brand” sneaker (not Payless or Fabco) was a New Balance, and that was because of their considerate price points. 

I would say my love started with Hip Hop culture and 90s media. I remember watching Michael Jordan, Will Smith, the Wayans brothers, and just always examining and admiring their style.

FRENDY:  The power of love coupled with imagination can transform any situation. In your case, the inspirations you took in gave you something to look forward to. As far as being able to cop whatever you wanted in the future. Did you ever get frustrated about not being able to wear what you really wanted back then?

SNEEK:  Not at all. Luckily, social media wasn't a thing for our generation so what you had was what you needed and it stopped there. The artistic side of me always wanted more but I would express that in drawing, coloring, etc. I was the cliche 90s only child raised in front of the TV. I’ve always excelled academically, but my true passion has always been the arts.

FRENDY:  Which HS did you attend?

SNEEK:  John Dewey HS by Coney Island.

FRENDY:  That’s crazy, I went to Lafayette HS. I was on the basketball and volleyball  team—we played against y’all often.

SNEEK:  God bless you, bro *Laughs*.  Lafayette was rough.

FRENDY:  Bruh! Who you telling? The night before my first day of school, I couldn’t sleep at all. I eventually realized it wasn’t as bad as I thought. A lot of the Asian kids had it bad there though.  Ever paid us a visit?

SNEEK:  Lafayette was on the D train line right? 25th Ave stop?

FRENDY:  Yeah.  I think so.

SNEEK:  Well, I haven’t been to Lafayette, but the kids from there would visit me and my pockets on the train ride home *Laughs*. Luckily, it was never anything serious.

FRENDY:  Aww, man *Laughs*. Truth be told, I’m such a disciplined person now because I played organized sports there. It kept me away from trouble. You learn a lot by being in a group of goal-oriented individuals. How was it like in Dewey?

SNEEK:  Dewey was amazing to me—I loved it. We were an “electoral” school where you saw your counselor and built your schedule like a college so it set us up for success. I also loved how I was able to learn about so many cultures while being there. We had it all from the Chinese community to the Italian, the Russian, Latino, goth/emo, the skateboarders, you name it we had it.

FRENDY:  Just like Lafayette.  Were you studying a specific subject at Dewey? Like a mini major before heading off to college?

SNEEK:  I attribute that to Brooklyn—particularly Coney Island. All the communities are blocks apart so we’re forced to just learn and interact with each other.  That’s why so many creatives come from here and are so diverse and successful.

I was always art obsessed. The requirement for art electives was two quarters, half the scholastic year. By the time I graduated I had taken an art class for all four years straight. And from there I went to Kingsborough College to study Graphic Design and Illustration.

FRENDY:  My brother actually graduated from Kingsborough studying graphic design as well. What was the determining factor that ultimately made you major in Graphic Design? I know you always had a love for art, but some people would back out of it because of job security etc. You know, some would rather go the  “safer” route.

SNEEK:  I grew up poor so I didn’t really think that far ahead *Laughs*. I just wanted to do something I was happy doing. Sadly, art education is very expensive—the term “starving artist,” isn't farfetched. Art has remained my passion which I feed when I can while I found a career in retail.  And unlike some, I actually enjoy it.

FRENDY:  We’ll definitely dive into your career in a second.  Kingsborough is a two-year school. Which college did you attend after graduating?

SNEEK:  None because of finances. I had no desire to take a loan and be indebted. I actually had a pretty successful career in retail from a young age and I was happy with that. I still learn on my own through different mediums and outlets.  I had friends in SVA [The School of Visual Arts] and Parsons just slammed with crazy debts from tuition.  I made the decision to just avoid that.

FRENDY:  Smart move! Our lives are pretty similar. I wasn’t able to graduate from Brooklyn College because of finances. We both made a way for ourselves through determination. When did you start embarking in the world of retail? During HS?

SNEEK:  Yeah, my first retail job was Foot Locker at 16, and then Bloomingdale’s at 19.  Both definitely fueled my love for sneakers and clothes that much more. Till this day probably my two favorite jobs I’ve held outside of my current job with StockX.

FRENDY:  You must have been pretty hyped to work at a sneaker shop at such a young age! I bet Foot Locker was the first place you applied after receiving your work papers *Laughs*.

SNEEK: *Laughs* Man, it felt surreal just being around all the things I loved and having the means now to acquire them. I learned so much there that built me into the man I am today and I am forever grateful.

FRENDY:  What were some of the lessons you learned at Foot Locker?

SNEEK:  At Foot Locker I was the only Latino there *Laughs*. My coworkers were all Chinese and my managers were Russian and Italian. My co-workers were already heavy into what we all know now as reselling. Reselling has always been huge in the Chinese community even before options like the internet and consignment shops. They also put me on to all things in the culture which was already a passion of mine because of art and pop culture.

FRENDY:  What inspired you to get a gig at Bloomingdale’s? Did you want to dive deeper into fashion?

SNEEK:  At 18, I was already an avid shopper going around the city daily.  When I didn’t have work I’d visit Bloomingdale’s, Barneys, Bape, Stussy, Kid Robot, Supreme etc. I decided to apply with a “what if?” mentality and they actually reached back. It was bittersweet leaving Foot Locker, but it definitely was an amazing experience.

FRENDY:  No risk, no gain! Congrats on that feat. Was it hard for you to get adjusted working at an establishment that didn’t mainly sell kicks? 

SNEEK:  It was easy—I was already a customer and I had love for the culture. It’s funny because I was hired to work in Women’s Shoes and it was actually a blessing. It was the easiest sales, the best commission in the entire store, and it taught me a lot about an area of fashion I was completely ignorant to. At 19, I knew the difference between a Mary Jane and a Stiletto.  Not many men can say that *Laughs*. 

FRENDY:  *Laughs* sheesh. I don't even know the difference. How long did you work at Bloomingdale’s?

SNEEK:  I was with them for two years at the flagship on 59th. An amazing experience at such a young age. I just learned so much about fashion, business, women *Laughs*, everything. Definitely a huge part of who I am now.

FRENDY: Fashion and women...say no more *Laughs*.  When we became friends at Bape, you were still at Bloomingdale’s? 

SNEEK: We definitely were because I was known for all Bape everything at that time. I’m sure you know a good friend of mine, Jordan, creator of the forum BapeTalk2. A huge staple for Bape fans since news wasn't as easy to find as it is today. 

Jordan worked with me at Bloomingdale’s and sold me my Bape duffle I’ve used in all my travels. He worked downstairs in Menswear. I would go see him everyday just to talk about Bape and Streetwear. Great friends till this day.

FRENDY: It’s a small world...especially in the Streetwear industry. Was Nigo’s former Workshop your introduction to the SoHo area?

SNEEK: Not even to be honest. You have to remember I didn't grow up with much so the Bape price points weren't even in my peripheral *Laughs*. I started out small time buying 501s at OMG and graphic tees at Yellow Rat Bastard. Supreme and Stussy were the more affordable options, but I would go to Union here and there and splurge on some Ice Cream and BBC. We both know though once I was making decent money, you couldn't keep me out of Bape *Laughs*. 

FRENDY:  That’s a fact *Laughs*. So I’m guessing your nickname “Sneek,” derived from your everlasting love for kicks?

SNEEK:  For sure. Being Latino and growing up in Brooklyn, Hip Hop culture was just a part of our everyday lives. Having a tag name was a must *Laughs*. I remember watching Wild Style and seeing the legends talking about how they got their names, the things to consider, and it just came so natural. I’ve been lucky enough that it hasn't been copycatted too much *Laughs*.

FRENDY:  We all know you have tons of kicks. What’s in your top five rotation right now?

SNEEK: Due to COVID-19 my Prada slides are currently one through five *Laughs*. I have a pretty deep collection because I do like the general releases as much as the hyped ones. If I had to pick five though I’ll go with the Jordan 5 Off-White, Nike Dunk High City Attack 1999, LV Trainer Sneaker Boot (the ones that look like the Jordan 3s), Jordan 4 Cool Grey (too good, match with everything and amazing quality), and lastly the CPFM AF1 white/white, the perfect summer shoe.

FRENDY: That’s an all star lineup right there. Earlier you mentioned working at StockX. What exactly do you do there?

SNEEK: I am the Lead of the Streetwear department, so basically everything we trade that isn't sneakers comes through my team.

FRENDY:  Wow, that’s a great look!  It’s well deserved. How’d you land such a crazy gig like that?

SNEEK: Good friends, man. My boy Chico Dusty (aliases only *Laughs*) had been there for some time and felt like the opportunity was a good fit for me. Till this day I thank him because it has truly been a blessing.

FRENDY:  This is just a testament that energy never lies, man. Impossible is nothing when you remain yourself and get things done in an efficient manner. The dots will connect themselves.  How long have you been working at StockX?

SNEEK: This July makes a year.

FRENDY: Nice. What are some of the things you’ve learned so far from being at such a profitable organization?

SNEEK: At the end of the day, the company is still technically a startup with less than five years in. It's dope to watch something grow right in front of you to new levels. It also feels good to know that I’m doing something with a passion that's been in me from day one. And I’m sure it's evident to my peers and my team.

FRENDY:  What are your views on the current state of Streetwear?

SNEEK: I love the current state of Streetwear. I love that I see so many new and old faces just reinventing the wheel everyday. To make something as simple as a graphic t-shirt feel new and refreshing in 2020 is a true skill.  And even if it doesn't fit your personal taste, you still have to recognize the effort.

FRENDY: Since we’re talking about graphic tees, I’m really digging what you’re doing with your clothing line, Save Mankind. Can you tell me more about the brand? What was the inspiration behind it?

SNEEK: For sure, and thank you for the compliment. Save Mankind was an idea I had in 2013 for a lifestyle brand with humanity and community as the inspiration. My end goal is a making a brand that makes you feel as good about the message as you do about the piece. It hasn't been easy as I’ve managed a lot on my own. Plenty of trial and error and money lost.  But it's something I'm confident in and I have no intentions of giving up.

FRENDY:  It’ll all be worth it in the end—trust!   You’ve extended your personal brand with a podcast as well. I checked out some episodes of “Ight So Boom,” and it was hilarious. Just you and your boys kicking it...very natural. 

SNEEK: Thank you, bro. We started in February of 2018, and just like the clothing line, it's been a lot of trial and error. Thankfully, we have a great team between myself, Jae Yannick (the host), Tony Whiteman (the OG), and Travis Whiteman (the human bot). I think what makes us special is how we are just genuine fans and consumers of the culture. We are not on a payroll, we don’t get plugged or seeded product. We are just four friends who like to roast each other while trying to figure out what we need and what we hate *Laughs*.

FRENDY: *Laughs* The best formulas are always the simplest. I couldn’t end this interview without talking about your favorite emcee in the entire universe, Lil’ Wayne. What do you resonate most with him?

SNEEK: Oh man,  where do I start? *Laughs*.  It started super early, I want to say 99-00. This is the corniest thing I'm going to admit but I lowkey follow the zodiac pretty closely, and Wayne being only a couple years older than me (birthday three days after mine), I just felt a connection. The one thing I want people to take from this question is how important Lil Wayne has been not only to rap but to fashion and Streetwear. 

He gets clowned a lot now for his eccentric style, but he has by far the most iconic Bape photoshoots and videos. I would even dare to say “Hustler Muzik,” is where Bape became a household name. Sure Pharrell, Cassidy, Curren$y all wore it first but Wayne did it best. I could go on, but I don't want to bore anyone.

FRENDY: This is a silly question: so what’d you think of “Mr. Me Too,” by Clipse? *Laughs*

SNEEK: As a true Wayne fan it was comical because if you follow Wayne, you know he doesn't care about anyone's opinion.  So to make a song about his choice in clothes is pure comedy.  As a fan of Pharrell and Clipse,  it was just an amazing song with a great music video. 

In that whole drama the only people that lost out were the fans because of the great music we were denied. On his mixtapes he has two records produced by Pharrell that even today would be hits, but they never saw the light of day due to...clothes?

FRENDY: I feel you on that.  I really do admire Wayne for having such a “I don’t give a fuck about what you think of me,” attitude.  It’s really one of the keys to success—remaining true to yourself. 

SNEEK: If you want to be original, just be you. They can copy it all but there will always be only one you.

FRENDY: That’s a fact!  With all of the amazing things you’ve got going on, what’s up next?

SNEEK: Continuing the clothing, the podcast, and just keep building my personal brand and portfolio. I’ve been lucky enough to have partnerships with brands like Hat Club and create relationships with people like Dennis Todisco (creator of @Outfitgrid) and @Hidden.ny on Instagram. I just want to keep creating, inspiring and just be genuinely happy.

Peedi Party

In Pop Smoke’s menacing yet hypnotizing hood anthem “Christopher Walking,” the late east coast rapper savagely questioned the street cred of his ops. Well, one person that certainly isn’t afraid of “going outside” is none other than Peedi. No, I’m not talking about the former Roc-A-Fella records emcee Peedi Crakk (que linda ma!), but like the legendary Philly spitter, the Brooklyn bred hustler is running amok through his respective state like it’s his own property. 

Name any percolating event that’s going down in the greater areas of NYC and Peedi, aka Peedi Piff, is most likely the person that’ll welcome you to the party. Peedi and I initially met at Nigo’s former SoHo hotspot more than 10 years ago where he would frequently slide through with his crew. Believe it or not, we had our first conversation about a month before I eventually dipped from the store in 2015.

Peedi is a massive socialite who is constantly attending the biggest parties so I wanted to check up on him to see how he’s coping with this unbearable quarantine lockdown. Since he’s constantly on the move, this is the perfect time to catch him while he’s literally forced to remain still.

Check out the transcript of our conversation below as we talk about his upbringing, party hopping and future endeavors.

FRENDY: What’s good homie! Is your name really Peedi or is it just an alias?

PEEDI: Alias.  I no longer use my actual name, everyone uses “Peedi” now. So it’s rare to hear any other name. 

FRENDY:  How did you even get that moniker?

PEEDI: Through a close friend of mine. I used to work at his father’s store. He said I look like Peedi Crakk one day and it carried on over into high school. 

FRENDY: Really? *Laughs*. I don’t see the resemblance at all—maybe it was because y’all had similar styles back in the day. If you don’t mind me asking, what is your real name?

PEEDI:  That's a secret *Laughs*.  I’m in the process of getting it changed legally as we speak. 

FRENDY: I respect that.  It’s dope that we’re both BK boys. What’s your background though?

PEEDI:  Mostly Jamaican background. I’ve heard I have Dominican in there somewhere though.  I haven’t met that side, so I stick strictly to Jamaican. 

FRENDY: Nice. I’m Haitian but I’m pretty mixed as well. Have you ever been to Jamaica?

PEEDI: Crazy, I haven’t *Laughs*.  Not as an adult at least. I used to have a fear of traveling alone and I would get asked to go by myself. I wasn’t down for that though *Laughs*. 

FRENDY:  That’s pretty funny *Laughs*.  How was your experience growing up in Brooklyn?

PEEDI: Different.  Growing up there was really aggressive for me. I started off in East Flatbush and bounced around through Canarsie. I loved it though!  Its high energy, fast pace. I got sent to live in Queens midway through school by my mom. She said it would be better living wise for me growing up. 

FRENDY: I totally agree with you on that. I moved to the East New York area of BK when I was seven—and let's just say it wasn’t sweet *Laughs*. Tough areas build character for sure though. Which part of Queens did you migrate to?

PEEDI:  Rosedale, Queens. I think at the age of 10. Prominently Haitian neighborhood. Real quiet—complete opposite of where I was in Brooklyn. That’s where I learned to speak Creole. Not fluently, just enough though. Haitian parents hate speaking English for too long *Laughs*. 

FRENDY: Ayy!  You’re an honorary Haitian then. I’m guessing you didn’t have to worry too much about getting into trouble there. How was High School like for you?

PEEDI:  High School was different from what I expected it to be. A lot of it was violent, mostly due to the crowd I was around. I went to Martin Van Buren. Queens wasn’t as crazy as Brooklyn to me. They for sure carried their fair share though. 

During my sophomore year in High school, I started going to the Bape store after 9th period to catch a pair of kicks. One of my closest friends was gang affiliated in high school.  A lot of the people I met at first were in gangs. Good people (some), the stigma still carries. By the time I got to my senior year I was in school by myself. At first it started out as a group of us that didn’t necessarily know each other in junior high. We just gravitated towards each other due to being at the same place. 

FRENDY:  As they say, “birds of a feather flock together.” I’m glad you didn’t end up in any serious jam. And yeah, I do remember you coming to the shop with a bunch of fly guys back in the day. I could tell y’all were “up to no good,” but still cool people though *Laughs*. Are you still close with the old crew?

PEEDI: Yeah, I think you are referring to when I would come there after high school. I used to go more frequent before then. I met those guys towards my senior year and transitioned into a new group of people to surround myself with. I still speak to them though.

FRENDY:  Besides the fact that you were the only one left in HS, What inspired you to kick it with a new group of cats that wasn’t as “troublesome” as before?

PEEDI:  I was focused on income always and... females. So that was huge and I got with like minded people.  We started to throw events together. 

FRENDY: Financial abundance and beautiful women, name a better duo? I like where your head's at.  Would you say that your new set of friends introduce you to the party scene?

PEEDI:  Yeah, exactly. And they did for sure!  They had me sneaking out of the house on school nights to go to “18 for girls, 21 for guys” college parties. Then I would sneak back home to shower, and go straight to school. 

FRENDY:  Was your partying interfering with school? As far as keeping up with HW and projects due?

PEEDI:  Not really.  Senior year I kind of breezed on through. I only had 4 classes and lunch so I was out before noon. I was being lazy that year. I passed everything though.   By that time I was over school and on a different type of time mentally. 

FRENDY: It was time to turn up and get it! How was your relationship with your parents during that period? Did they instill that go-getter attitude as a youngin’?

PEEDI:  No, most of the things I know have been self taught. 

FRENDY: Interesting. Well, that just shows you were aware enough to know where you wanted to be in life (no Donell Jones).  How often were you partying senior year in High School? Did you carry on the tradition throughout College?

PEEDI:  Not much.  A Thursday here and there. When I graduated I started throwing my own. 

FRENDY:  Nice, so freshman year of college you started throwing your own events. Do you remember your very first one? Were you nervous about the turn out? 

PEEDI:  Yeah, the first one we were more anxious than nervous. We knew people would come; we didn’t expect it to have as big a turnout as it did. 

FRENDY:  Pleasant surprises are the best.  Did you throw the event in Queens or the city?

PEEDI:  [In] Long Island at a place called Rapture Lounge at the time.

FRENDY:  Let’s run it back a little. So during the latter years of High School you started heading out to Bape. Was that your first introduction to Soho or were you aware of the glamorous downtown area before?

PEEDI:  I’ve been to Soho before that in high school.  We would go walking around looking for garments.

FRENDY: I must admit, you were fresher than most since I saw you the very first time at Bape. We never had a full blown conversation but I felt the cool vibes. Soho has changed so much, from the stores all the way down to the type of individuals that kick it over there. What do you miss most about the area?

PEEDI:  Man a lot—Bar 89 for one . So much has changed in fashion and social media. I believe it was only MySpace and Facebook back then. I miss going to SoHo and eating at Wendy’s over by Broadway, I miss Atrium. There’s a bunch of experiences that have been taken away changing the aesthetics of the vibes of soho. Running into random people. 

I miss the old Bape squad, a lot of them went to Old Westbury. So I met them there, a few of my partners went there so that college was like a hub for us.  We spent a lot of “Thirsty Thursdays” at Old Westbury. Attending a few of their parties. A lot of our core came from there. I had to use that college back when you had to go to college to be on Facebook.  Now I’m just in and out of Soho.  I spend most of my leisure time in the LES. 

FRENDY: I hear you.  Which college did you attend? Or did you decide to skip it altogether?

PEEDI: I didn’t have the at home support it took to get to college. Long story. I tried York [and] they owned my pockets. I was too popular by then to focus so I stopped going. 

FRENDY: Trust me, I know exactly what you mean. I couldn’t finish school [Brooklyn College] because of financial reasons. The only thing that matters is one’s motivation to succeed and persistence. All things are possible when there’s belief. When did you first realize that you could utilize your popularity into a business opportunity?

PEEDI:  Out of high school.  That’s the first thing I used social media for. That’s why people knew me. 

FRENDY: What did you usually post? Your outfits or just the events you attended? Were you strategic about them…

PEEDI: I only promoted our flyers. There’s always a formula you use especially when something is good.

FRENDY:  That's a fact. You hardly post on Instagram now. What caused you to suddenly shift it to mystery mode?

PEEDI:  The content on the internet [is] flooded with garbage. Lies. The internet just got nasty....I also noticed when people miss you they pay attention to you more. You can overflow people with your thoughts, opinion, style etc. if you give it to them in increments, it hits harder. It’s like when you are always with your family vs when you’ve been away from them for a while, the love that is shown is different. People appreciate you more when you are not as accessible.

FRENDY: What do you consider as nasty *Laughs* ? 

PEEDI:  Just an overflow of nothing going on. Borderline porn in some cases.  Not knocking it, I just don’t want my sauce mixed in with that.

FRENDY:  Although you aren’t posting as much, those who personally know you are aware of your infamous party hopping.  How many events do you go to on a given night?

PEEDI:  Not even sure, it can vary honestly. I’ve had nights I’ve gone to three events and four clubs, and even done after parties. I started drinking red bull with whatever I drank after a while to keep up.

FRENDY:  What is your most memorable party thus far?

PEEDI: I would say between Kevin Durant's birthday party of 2019 and Rihanna’s Fenty after party Fashion Week the same year.  Both [were] crazy!

FRENDY: Sounds bananas, for sure. How do you get into these exclusive shindigs?

PEEDI:  Knowing where it’s at.  Whether it be through email, friend, or word of mouth. A lot of the time I know the people at the door through networking or they remember me from my past when I’ve thrown events. I connect with many different people. I've done so many different jobs and been in different situations in life.

FRENDY:  How are you dealing with all of the social distancing that’s going on right now in New York due to the COVID-19 pandemic?

PEEDI:  It’s calming.  It’s also slowing money—especially for those seeking new employment and other business ventures. I rather us be safe, but I am also ready for it to be over and continue on with our lives.  We are due for an intervention. 

FRENDY:  Facts! Speaking of money, how does one go about actually making money from throwing events? The amount of tickets sold or profit from the bar?

PEEDI:  It just depends on what you negotiate like my man Lenny S. says *Laughs*.  There’s always a contract involved.  You negotiate it. 

FRENDY: Diddy is notoriously known for throwing the most popping parties on planet earth. Has he influenced you at all in the way that you run your business?

PEEDI: Not at all. I have noticed how he host his events and seen similarities in the way I conduct myself when people are around people.  The live energy. Honestly, the party thing occurred because we were capitalizing on our popularity. The use of the women we had around us. 

FRENDY: I feel you. Effortlessly doing what you do best to make ends meet. Are you still throwing parties with your core group of friends or are you now working with marketing agencies?

PEEDI:  Right now, I’m aiming to get into film. Everyone has their own thing going on. I am hoping to curate my own events in the near future with some brands I have created relationships with. 

FRENDY: Producing films or actually acting in them?

PEEDI:  Mostly producing them. This first project I will play a role in it. I like off screen titles. One thing I’ve learned from back then the attention from people is a lot and can be overwhelming so I’m aiming for behind the scenes. 

FRENDY: Some people crave attention, but don’t know how to act when it's sizzling under the microscope. 2020 started off a bit shaky. What are you doing to remain focused during these trying times?

PEEDI: Man!  Honestly, the world is shaken the way I see it. We both have grown up and, I mean, if you look back at how vast the world has changed and the ups and downs. This will be corrected. 

I am always creating mentally. Keeping myself sharp. A guy I met recently that works for Disney said something to me that stuck. He said to never not keep your mind busy. Even if it’s not your field. Get it on a platform and create. Once you do that it’s evidence to show to companies. So I am mindful of what I put out. I joke a lot that helps me too. I know what I want. Also I have done a lot so remaining focused isn’t even a task. When I’m out I’m usually working a room. One thing I’ve noticed in the entertainment field [is that] a familiar face will always be in 1st place.

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:

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.