1 00:00:38,212 --> 00:00:39,561 2 00:00:39,604 --> 00:00:42,129 3 00:00:42,172 --> 00:00:44,392 4 00:00:44,435 --> 00:00:45,784 Are you ready? 5 00:00:45,828 --> 00:00:47,047 Well, let me tell you something. 6 00:00:47,090 --> 00:00:48,091 This homeboy, this homegirl, 7 00:00:48,135 --> 00:00:49,919 on the spot. 8 00:00:49,962 --> 00:00:51,355 Let me ask you something. What's your name? 9 00:00:51,399 --> 00:00:52,704 - Dino. - Where you from? 10 00:00:52,748 --> 00:00:53,923 Money-making Manhattan. 11 00:00:53,966 --> 00:00:55,838 - And your name? - Rosemary. 12 00:00:55,881 --> 00:00:57,796 - And where are you from? - Money-making Manhattan. 13 00:00:57,840 --> 00:01:00,321 You all look kind of fresh. Tell me something 14 00:01:00,364 --> 00:01:02,366 about your fashion. What are you wearing? What are these shoes? 15 00:01:02,410 --> 00:01:04,455 These are a pair of Adidas with fat laces. 16 00:01:04,499 --> 00:01:06,022 That's the way we sport them. 17 00:01:06,066 --> 00:01:08,111 What do you call the fashion overall? 18 00:01:08,155 --> 00:01:10,940 - Fresh. - Word. Word. 19 00:01:10,983 --> 00:01:12,811 Let me ask you something. What about your fashion? 20 00:01:12,855 --> 00:01:14,378 What about your look? How do you describe it? 21 00:01:14,422 --> 00:01:16,250 I call it, you know, B-boy threads in a way. 22 00:01:16,293 --> 00:01:19,122 I got a Kangol on. Pair of Cazals. 23 00:01:19,166 --> 00:01:22,125 A pair of white-on-white Adidas with fat laces. 24 00:01:22,169 --> 00:01:23,257 How do you rock your hat, man? 25 00:01:23,300 --> 00:01:24,345 How do you rock it? 26 00:01:24,388 --> 00:01:25,824 I sport it fresh, homes. 27 00:01:25,868 --> 00:01:27,043 Word. Word. 28 00:01:28,088 --> 00:01:29,654 29 00:01:29,698 --> 00:01:31,439 30 00:01:31,482 --> 00:01:34,137 31 00:01:34,181 --> 00:01:35,443 32 00:01:35,486 --> 00:01:38,010 33 00:01:38,054 --> 00:01:39,142 34 00:01:39,186 --> 00:01:41,449 35 00:01:41,492 --> 00:01:43,277 36 00:01:45,017 --> 00:01:48,151 Being fresh is more important than having money. 37 00:01:48,195 --> 00:01:50,719 The entire time I grew up, it was like-- 38 00:01:50,762 --> 00:01:52,634 I only wanted money so I could be fresh. 39 00:01:52,677 --> 00:01:56,246 now hit me 40 00:01:56,290 --> 00:01:58,683 41 00:01:58,727 --> 00:02:01,208 Fashion is a whole other thing. 42 00:02:01,251 --> 00:02:02,992 When you're young, there's, like, 43 00:02:03,035 --> 00:02:06,126 a sense of wanting to express yourself, 44 00:02:06,169 --> 00:02:07,779 an importance and individuality. 45 00:02:07,823 --> 00:02:08,954 46 00:02:08,998 --> 00:02:10,347 47 00:02:10,391 --> 00:02:11,479 48 00:02:11,522 --> 00:02:13,220 49 00:02:13,263 --> 00:02:15,439 Hip-hop culture's not just about the music; 50 00:02:15,483 --> 00:02:16,832 it's also about a lifestyle. 51 00:02:16,875 --> 00:02:18,225 It's people who are free, 52 00:02:18,268 --> 00:02:19,878 who are exploring their creativity 53 00:02:19,922 --> 00:02:21,576 through a kind of free format 54 00:02:21,619 --> 00:02:25,971 of words, rhyme, language, music, or visual style. 55 00:02:28,844 --> 00:02:30,106 The hip-hop culture-- 56 00:02:30,150 --> 00:02:31,847 it had a boldness to it. 57 00:02:31,890 --> 00:02:33,370 You wanted everybody to know 58 00:02:33,414 --> 00:02:35,198 that you was down with this movement. 59 00:02:35,242 --> 00:02:37,200 You know, fresh to death like a million bucks. 60 00:02:37,244 --> 00:02:39,768 and MC Globe 61 00:02:39,811 --> 00:02:40,856 62 00:02:40,899 --> 00:02:42,379 63 00:02:42,423 --> 00:02:44,120 Come on. We were big dreamers. 64 00:02:44,164 --> 00:02:46,775 All of us. Hip-hop was based on the dream 65 00:02:46,818 --> 00:02:49,473 of getting it and coming up out the ghetto, 66 00:02:49,517 --> 00:02:52,520 and the light at the end of the tunnel was always, you know, 67 00:02:52,563 --> 00:02:54,435 the pot of gold, 68 00:02:54,478 --> 00:02:57,133 the clothes, the fashion. 69 00:02:59,135 --> 00:03:00,745 70 00:03:00,789 --> 00:03:02,443 71 00:03:02,486 --> 00:03:06,360 Don't stop 72 00:03:06,403 --> 00:03:09,276 Somebody said to me, "Your clothes are your wings." 73 00:03:09,319 --> 00:03:12,888 So, you know, if you want to fly, you know, these dudes want to be fly. 74 00:03:12,931 --> 00:03:16,239 So they gonna put on something nice, and why shouldn't they? 75 00:03:16,283 --> 00:03:19,155 And by doing that with the style that the street guys have, 76 00:03:19,199 --> 00:03:20,678 we--once we put it on, 77 00:03:20,722 --> 00:03:22,289 it's a whole different story. 78 00:03:22,332 --> 00:03:24,552 You know what I'm saying? We put on the clothes, 79 00:03:24,595 --> 00:03:26,815 and we take it to the next level. 80 00:03:41,569 --> 00:03:44,267 The animal kingdom and human being world, 81 00:03:44,311 --> 00:03:46,487 it's--they parallel crazy, 82 00:03:46,530 --> 00:03:48,010 and, you know, peacocks, 83 00:03:48,053 --> 00:03:51,231 the way they flare up to attract their mate, 84 00:03:51,274 --> 00:03:52,580 and certain animals, you know, 85 00:03:52,623 --> 00:03:56,671 change up their whole appearance. 86 00:03:56,714 --> 00:03:58,455 It's all about that flair, 87 00:03:58,499 --> 00:04:00,109 that--what you look like. 88 00:04:00,152 --> 00:04:02,894 How does it radiate off of you? 89 00:04:02,938 --> 00:04:04,374 And certain African chiefs 90 00:04:04,418 --> 00:04:06,246 were really ostentatious 91 00:04:06,289 --> 00:04:10,685 or really, like, out there with their whole--their garb. 92 00:04:10,728 --> 00:04:13,035 Like kings, and how they were painted 93 00:04:13,078 --> 00:04:14,993 in Great Britain. 94 00:04:15,037 --> 00:04:16,821 And look at the outfits they're wearing. 95 00:04:16,865 --> 00:04:19,041 They looked like royalty. They looked like kings. 96 00:04:19,084 --> 00:04:23,350 So wardrobe is-- it's always been a thing. 97 00:04:23,393 --> 00:04:25,743 You know? 98 00:04:25,787 --> 00:04:30,444 If you go through the history of African-American culture, 99 00:04:30,487 --> 00:04:32,576 particularly in the 20th century, 100 00:04:32,620 --> 00:04:34,361 style, fashion, clothes 101 00:04:34,404 --> 00:04:38,669 were always a very prominent part of people's identity. 102 00:04:38,713 --> 00:04:40,367 It allows one to sort of represent, 103 00:04:40,410 --> 00:04:43,195 define their own presentation to the world, 104 00:04:43,239 --> 00:04:45,328 so to speak. 105 00:04:45,372 --> 00:04:47,548 Even for people who maybe didn't have money, 106 00:04:47,591 --> 00:04:50,638 their own unique way of wearing something 107 00:04:50,681 --> 00:04:53,815 came to be a way for people to be distinct, 108 00:04:53,858 --> 00:04:56,687 to be identified in a crowd, 109 00:04:56,731 --> 00:04:59,168 to stand out. 110 00:04:59,211 --> 00:05:02,780 And I think over time, if you think about the role religion has played 111 00:05:02,824 --> 00:05:04,521 in African-American culture, 112 00:05:04,565 --> 00:05:08,351 going to church-- the opportunity to dress up-- 113 00:05:08,395 --> 00:05:12,312 it was expected that one would be dressed a certain way. 114 00:05:12,355 --> 00:05:14,575 That you would, you know, look your best. 115 00:05:17,229 --> 00:05:22,191 116 00:05:22,234 --> 00:05:24,193 117 00:05:24,236 --> 00:05:25,977 The term "Sunday best" 118 00:05:26,021 --> 00:05:27,849 came from a time in slavery 119 00:05:27,892 --> 00:05:29,503 when, in order for slave owners 120 00:05:29,546 --> 00:05:32,897 to be considered good Christians, 121 00:05:32,941 --> 00:05:35,987 they had to make sure that their slaves 122 00:05:36,031 --> 00:05:38,599 had at least one good outfit 123 00:05:38,642 --> 00:05:40,992 so that they would go to church on Sunday 124 00:05:41,036 --> 00:05:44,082 even though most of them were practicing other 125 00:05:44,126 --> 00:05:47,521 African indigenous religions. 126 00:05:47,564 --> 00:05:49,392 127 00:05:49,436 --> 00:05:51,220 Certainly, you did put your best on 128 00:05:51,263 --> 00:05:54,005 when you went to church on Sunday morning. 129 00:05:54,049 --> 00:05:56,312 When you got to church, you saw fashion 130 00:05:56,356 --> 00:05:57,531 merging with the music, 131 00:05:57,574 --> 00:05:59,184 because the gospel choir 132 00:05:59,228 --> 00:06:01,578 was always the thing to watch. 133 00:06:01,622 --> 00:06:04,451 134 00:06:04,494 --> 00:06:06,017 135 00:06:06,061 --> 00:06:08,411 This is a very important factor 136 00:06:08,455 --> 00:06:10,152 of how you see style 137 00:06:10,195 --> 00:06:12,372 in the religious environment of the church. 138 00:06:12,415 --> 00:06:15,418 Down in the land of Egypt 139 00:06:15,462 --> 00:06:18,987 If you talk about African-American culture, music especially-- 140 00:06:19,030 --> 00:06:23,513 jazz, blues, hip-hop, any sort of genre of music-- 141 00:06:23,557 --> 00:06:24,862 RandB-- 142 00:06:24,906 --> 00:06:27,038 there's always a unique clothing style. 143 00:06:27,082 --> 00:06:30,259 A unique approach to fashion that goes with that. 144 00:06:35,395 --> 00:06:39,616 In terms of how hip-hop and urban hip-hop 145 00:06:39,660 --> 00:06:44,055 and fashion and music have fused together to be a cultural influence, 146 00:06:44,099 --> 00:06:46,057 I think one has to look back 147 00:06:46,101 --> 00:06:49,017 and start with someone like Little Richard. 148 00:06:49,060 --> 00:06:50,279 149 00:06:50,322 --> 00:06:51,585 150 00:06:51,628 --> 00:06:52,890 151 00:06:52,934 --> 00:06:54,109 152 00:06:54,152 --> 00:06:55,415 153 00:06:55,458 --> 00:06:57,591 154 00:06:57,634 --> 00:07:01,551 Little Richard, to me, was an extravagant, 155 00:07:01,595 --> 00:07:04,511 outlandish black version of Liberace 156 00:07:04,554 --> 00:07:06,904 without the sequins. 157 00:07:06,948 --> 00:07:09,646 Little Richard was, and is still, 158 00:07:09,690 --> 00:07:11,561 an iconic symbol of freedom. 159 00:07:11,605 --> 00:07:12,910 160 00:07:12,954 --> 00:07:14,782 161 00:07:14,825 --> 00:07:17,088 Music can make you feel free, 162 00:07:17,132 --> 00:07:18,481 and watching a performer, 163 00:07:18,525 --> 00:07:20,091 and what he says in his lyrics, 164 00:07:20,135 --> 00:07:21,484 can make you feel free 165 00:07:21,528 --> 00:07:23,486 and give you a sense of your freedom. 166 00:07:25,749 --> 00:07:27,534 Considering all that African-Americans 167 00:07:27,577 --> 00:07:29,536 have experienced 168 00:07:29,579 --> 00:07:32,060 in American society over time, 169 00:07:32,103 --> 00:07:34,497 in spite of that, 170 00:07:34,541 --> 00:07:37,979 you know, this sense that if you look good, you feel good, 171 00:07:38,022 --> 00:07:42,592 is something that I think speaks to why fashion and style 172 00:07:42,636 --> 00:07:46,117 has been so significant over the course of time. 173 00:07:46,161 --> 00:07:48,468 This is the Bronx in New York. 174 00:07:48,511 --> 00:07:50,948 1 1/2 million people live in this borough, 175 00:07:50,992 --> 00:07:53,124 equal to the population of Houston or Washington 176 00:07:53,168 --> 00:07:54,691 or San Diego. 177 00:07:54,735 --> 00:07:56,476 It's the home of the New York Yankees, 178 00:07:56,519 --> 00:07:59,566 the Bronx Zoo, and the Grand Concourse. 179 00:07:59,609 --> 00:08:02,351 It has also become the arson capital of the world. 180 00:08:10,577 --> 00:08:12,622 my sister Nell 181 00:08:12,666 --> 00:08:14,668 182 00:08:14,711 --> 00:08:16,974 began to swell 183 00:08:17,018 --> 00:08:19,324 184 00:08:19,368 --> 00:08:21,065 185 00:08:21,109 --> 00:08:23,111 186 00:08:23,154 --> 00:08:25,505 I'll be paying still 187 00:08:25,548 --> 00:08:27,245 188 00:08:27,289 --> 00:08:29,639 The streets are where everything happens. 189 00:08:29,683 --> 00:08:35,384 It's where you can go and stake out a piece of who you are. 190 00:08:35,427 --> 00:08:38,126 In the '70s in the South Bronx, 191 00:08:38,169 --> 00:08:40,607 everything was burning. 192 00:08:40,650 --> 00:08:42,086 I particularly lived in a building 193 00:08:42,130 --> 00:08:43,435 where I was the only tenant-- 194 00:08:43,479 --> 00:08:45,176 my parents were the only tenants-- 195 00:08:45,220 --> 00:08:49,267 in a building that held 50 apartments. 196 00:08:49,311 --> 00:08:52,488 We had no heat, we had no hot water, 197 00:08:52,532 --> 00:08:55,752 there were killings up the ying-yang. 198 00:08:55,796 --> 00:08:59,626 Police brutality was worse than it is now. 199 00:08:59,669 --> 00:09:02,106 That's where gangs began. 200 00:09:02,150 --> 00:09:04,239 They tried to take over one of my division, 201 00:09:04,282 --> 00:09:07,764 but they didn't quite make it and we killed two of their guys. 202 00:09:07,808 --> 00:09:08,983 They tried to burn down my... 203 00:09:10,724 --> 00:09:12,900 We go, man, and we rumble, we fight-- 204 00:09:12,943 --> 00:09:15,859 whatever we do, our boys that, you know, get hurt, whatever, 205 00:09:15,903 --> 00:09:17,382 we pick them up and we keep going, 206 00:09:17,426 --> 00:09:18,514 and that's it. 207 00:09:18,558 --> 00:09:20,081 When we get home, man, 208 00:09:20,124 --> 00:09:22,039 whatever colors we've got or whatever, 209 00:09:22,083 --> 00:09:24,607 you know, we just take them, we throw them up on the pole, 210 00:09:24,651 --> 00:09:26,435 and see which one of their members 211 00:09:26,478 --> 00:09:28,872 is bad enough to climb up there to try to get them. 212 00:09:28,916 --> 00:09:32,006 It was extremely important on how you dressed. 213 00:09:32,049 --> 00:09:35,096 So you must, at all times, 214 00:09:35,139 --> 00:09:36,967 have black jeans-- 215 00:09:37,011 --> 00:09:38,403 at the time they were Lees-- 216 00:09:38,447 --> 00:09:40,928 and motorcycle jackets 217 00:09:40,971 --> 00:09:44,279 and, on top of the motorcycle jackets 218 00:09:44,322 --> 00:09:46,020 were denim jackets-- 219 00:09:46,063 --> 00:09:49,632 cut sleeves is what they called them. 220 00:09:49,676 --> 00:09:51,112 Our conquered enemies. 221 00:09:51,155 --> 00:09:53,505 Those are our conquered enemies right there. 222 00:09:53,549 --> 00:09:56,508 Enchantres Bronx, Royal Javelins, and Latin Eagles. 223 00:09:56,552 --> 00:09:58,467 The art of customizing-- 224 00:09:58,510 --> 00:10:02,297 hip-hop, for the most part, got that from the so-called gangs, 225 00:10:02,340 --> 00:10:04,516 or street families, without a doubt. 226 00:10:04,560 --> 00:10:07,824 I actually cut each of these letters out myself, 227 00:10:07,868 --> 00:10:10,087 put it on, and you have, of course, what's-- 228 00:10:10,131 --> 00:10:11,698 these are top and bottom rockers 229 00:10:11,741 --> 00:10:13,569 and a center patch. 230 00:10:13,613 --> 00:10:17,094 And all these conchos and doodads that I put on, 231 00:10:17,138 --> 00:10:19,662 these laces and these beads, 232 00:10:19,706 --> 00:10:22,447 this mink fur is all added on, 233 00:10:22,491 --> 00:10:25,189 and this was the classic outlaw look 234 00:10:25,233 --> 00:10:28,366 back then for the street gangs. 235 00:10:28,410 --> 00:10:30,064 This is handmade. 236 00:10:30,107 --> 00:10:31,761 - He made this himself. - Yes. 237 00:10:31,805 --> 00:10:36,113 There are stitches here with cowhide that he made. 238 00:10:36,157 --> 00:10:38,986 The patches-- you sew them on yourselves. 239 00:10:39,029 --> 00:10:40,074 Yeah. 240 00:10:40,117 --> 00:10:42,642 This all began with that movie, 241 00:10:42,685 --> 00:10:45,340 Easy Rider. 242 00:10:45,383 --> 00:10:47,908 A lot of people won't admit it, but it is the truth. 243 00:10:47,951 --> 00:10:50,171 You know, people saw that-- 244 00:10:50,214 --> 00:10:53,827 that gave you the sense of, "Outlaw, hmm." 245 00:10:53,870 --> 00:10:57,482 Most of the guys here are dressed like warriors. 246 00:10:57,526 --> 00:11:00,790 Uh-huh. 247 00:11:00,834 --> 00:11:03,010 And I hear you talking about your warlords 248 00:11:03,053 --> 00:11:04,054 and your war council. 249 00:11:04,098 --> 00:11:06,404 Who's the enemy? 250 00:11:06,448 --> 00:11:07,971 The establishment. 251 00:11:08,015 --> 00:11:08,972 Right on. There it is. 252 00:11:12,976 --> 00:11:14,804 The enemy around the Bronx now 253 00:11:14,848 --> 00:11:16,980 at this very moment is the policemen. 254 00:11:17,024 --> 00:11:18,895 Yes, this is a warrior thing. 255 00:11:18,939 --> 00:11:21,637 Yes, it is, and we're here to defend our brothers and sisters 256 00:11:21,681 --> 00:11:24,335 against people like them. They're very racist, man. 257 00:11:24,379 --> 00:11:26,990 If you're gonna communicate, communicate, man. 258 00:11:27,034 --> 00:11:28,949 And if you're gonna strike at us, we're gonna strike back. 259 00:11:32,953 --> 00:11:35,172 When the Bronx was burning, 260 00:11:35,216 --> 00:11:36,565 gangs were rumbling. 261 00:11:36,608 --> 00:11:38,132 I mean rumbling hard. 262 00:11:38,175 --> 00:11:39,829 One of the guys from the Ghetto Brothers 263 00:11:39,873 --> 00:11:41,570 who was a peacemaker 264 00:11:41,613 --> 00:11:42,963 named Black Benjy, 265 00:11:43,006 --> 00:11:45,530 he went out there to make peace, 266 00:11:45,574 --> 00:11:48,925 and another club-- a member of another club 267 00:11:48,969 --> 00:11:50,710 jumped out and said, "Peace my ass. 268 00:11:50,753 --> 00:11:53,713 Peace shit." And hit him with a bat, 269 00:11:53,756 --> 00:11:55,932 and then they just continued to hit him until they killed him. 270 00:11:55,976 --> 00:12:00,632 Cornell Benjamin, also known in the streets as Black Benjy, 271 00:12:00,676 --> 00:12:03,070 was ambassador for the Ghetto Brothers. 272 00:12:03,113 --> 00:12:05,768 He was beaten to death when he tried to intervene 273 00:12:05,812 --> 00:12:07,596 between two other gangs. 274 00:12:07,639 --> 00:12:09,206 Instead of retaliating, 275 00:12:09,250 --> 00:12:10,642 the Ghetto Brothers convened a peace meeting 276 00:12:10,686 --> 00:12:12,253 of all the gangs in the South Bronx 277 00:12:12,296 --> 00:12:14,037 at the boy's club on Hoe Avenue. 278 00:12:14,081 --> 00:12:15,996 Even though we had colors, we were a gang, 279 00:12:16,039 --> 00:12:17,824 we'd never look for trouble, man. 280 00:12:17,867 --> 00:12:19,521 I could understand if they beat up Benjy, 281 00:12:19,564 --> 00:12:21,349 but killing him is another thing. 282 00:12:21,392 --> 00:12:23,090 You took away one of our brothers' lives, man. 283 00:12:23,133 --> 00:12:25,483 The thing is, we're not a gang anymore. 284 00:12:25,527 --> 00:12:27,529 Peace! 285 00:12:27,572 --> 00:12:28,965 - I'm ready. - Right on. 286 00:12:30,445 --> 00:12:32,229 They made a truce, 287 00:12:32,273 --> 00:12:34,579 and the truce worked for a while. 288 00:12:34,623 --> 00:12:37,626 And so the whole mentality changed 289 00:12:37,669 --> 00:12:40,063 along with the atmosphere. 290 00:12:40,107 --> 00:12:42,936 Instead of the wars that we used to have, 291 00:12:42,979 --> 00:12:44,285 you know, club to club, 292 00:12:44,328 --> 00:12:45,852 it was, "I battle you." 293 00:12:45,895 --> 00:12:47,810 People would battle with their mouth. 294 00:12:47,854 --> 00:12:50,247 Right there on the spot, you had to spit. 295 00:12:50,291 --> 00:12:51,466 296 00:12:51,509 --> 00:12:52,815 297 00:12:52,859 --> 00:12:54,077 298 00:12:54,121 --> 00:12:55,252 299 00:12:55,296 --> 00:12:57,689 the highest degree 300 00:12:57,733 --> 00:12:59,866 than Rick Barry 301 00:12:59,909 --> 00:13:02,738 Like all the pretty girls 302 00:13:02,782 --> 00:13:05,567 like Earl the Pearl 303 00:13:05,610 --> 00:13:06,568 304 00:13:06,611 --> 00:13:08,004 305 00:13:08,048 --> 00:13:09,223 on the board, man 306 00:13:09,266 --> 00:13:11,051 307 00:13:14,750 --> 00:13:18,232 All these crews kept the fly style 308 00:13:18,275 --> 00:13:21,322 of, like, putting the name of their crew 309 00:13:21,365 --> 00:13:23,237 on their sweatshirt now. 310 00:13:23,280 --> 00:13:25,456 You know, it wasn't on a Lee jacket. 311 00:13:25,500 --> 00:13:28,329 But now they were more refined. They were clean. 312 00:13:28,372 --> 00:13:31,723 Some of the beefs were now settled on the dance floor, 313 00:13:31,767 --> 00:13:34,422 in the train yards, on the microphone, 314 00:13:34,465 --> 00:13:36,641 on the turntables. 315 00:13:36,685 --> 00:13:39,253 To hear the scratching, to hear the music, 316 00:13:39,296 --> 00:13:40,602 and to dance-- 317 00:13:40,645 --> 00:13:43,039 a music that we had never heard of. 318 00:13:43,083 --> 00:13:46,216 A music that described us-- 319 00:13:46,260 --> 00:13:47,827 described our struggle. 320 00:13:47,870 --> 00:13:51,221 You couldn't help but have to conform, 321 00:13:51,265 --> 00:13:53,354 for lack of a word, 322 00:13:53,397 --> 00:13:56,096 to the trend that was coming. 323 00:13:56,139 --> 00:13:58,272 Which was? 324 00:13:58,315 --> 00:13:59,882 Rap. 325 00:14:05,279 --> 00:14:06,889 I was in awe. 326 00:14:06,933 --> 00:14:09,152 I lost my mind the first time I went to the Fever 327 00:14:09,196 --> 00:14:11,763 to hear these rappers and to hear these battles 328 00:14:11,807 --> 00:14:14,331 between Busy Bee and Kool Moe D, 329 00:14:14,375 --> 00:14:16,072 Grandmaster Caz-- 330 00:14:16,116 --> 00:14:17,291 you know, up until that point, 331 00:14:17,334 --> 00:14:18,422 you had to use your imagination 332 00:14:18,466 --> 00:14:19,771 or whoever got the tape, 333 00:14:19,815 --> 00:14:21,251 to kind of tell you how it was. 334 00:14:21,295 --> 00:14:22,992 I remember back in the back park, 335 00:14:23,036 --> 00:14:24,298 you had Melle Mel, 336 00:14:24,341 --> 00:14:26,430 and you'd have KRS-One. 337 00:14:26,474 --> 00:14:28,258 You had them just back there just jamming. 338 00:14:28,302 --> 00:14:33,002 To me, it was just a natural party at the park. 339 00:14:33,046 --> 00:14:36,179 We didn't really know hip-hop was getting that big. 340 00:14:36,223 --> 00:14:38,573 You know, and even back then, it was all about fashion. 341 00:14:38,616 --> 00:14:41,489 Even the outfits that Melle Mel would wear-- 342 00:14:41,532 --> 00:14:43,534 it was outrageous at that time, 343 00:14:43,578 --> 00:14:45,493 but it was like, "Oh, he's a superstar." 344 00:14:45,536 --> 00:14:48,757 "Oh," you know, "he's a rapper." So that's what they do. 345 00:14:48,800 --> 00:14:53,066 You know, so he had a pass to wear all those crazy jackets and the cowboy boots. 346 00:14:53,109 --> 00:14:55,938 347 00:14:55,982 --> 00:14:58,636 and I get wild when I-- 348 00:14:58,680 --> 00:15:02,118 Back in the days, if you find any old Coldcrush flyers, 349 00:15:02,162 --> 00:15:05,513 you will see that those cats used to dress up. 350 00:15:05,556 --> 00:15:08,995 They would get suited for a lot of their events. 351 00:15:09,038 --> 00:15:12,694 I mean, Armani suits, you know? 352 00:15:12,737 --> 00:15:16,959 Gaiters and mink coats dripping to the floor. 353 00:15:17,003 --> 00:15:18,569 However, though, 354 00:15:18,613 --> 00:15:20,920 because of hip-hop being a new form of music 355 00:15:20,963 --> 00:15:23,096 and something that the youth catered to, 356 00:15:23,139 --> 00:15:25,750 basically everybody that was accustomed to wearing, 357 00:15:25,794 --> 00:15:27,274 you know, suits onstage 358 00:15:27,317 --> 00:15:28,928 just started, you know, dumbing it down 359 00:15:28,971 --> 00:15:31,234 to just keeping it just straight B-boy. 360 00:15:39,590 --> 00:15:42,985 The majority of hip-hop artists really just dressed B-boy style, 361 00:15:43,029 --> 00:15:44,465 where you've got on the Lees 362 00:15:44,508 --> 00:15:48,121 and you've got on your PUMAs 363 00:15:48,164 --> 00:15:50,340 and a BVD tank top, 364 00:15:50,384 --> 00:15:52,952 you know, with your Cazals and Kangols. 365 00:15:52,995 --> 00:15:55,780 It was all part of the hip-hop fashion. 366 00:15:58,044 --> 00:16:01,961 Hip-hop fashion was kind of derived through the music, 367 00:16:02,004 --> 00:16:06,443 and it was kind of a "We're not gonna follow the rules" 368 00:16:06,487 --> 00:16:09,359 mentality, both in rap music and in fashion. 369 00:16:14,538 --> 00:16:16,976 - - 370 00:16:17,019 --> 00:16:19,282 - - 371 00:16:19,326 --> 00:16:21,806 - - 372 00:16:21,850 --> 00:16:24,200 373 00:16:24,244 --> 00:16:26,986 A friend of mine 374 00:16:27,029 --> 00:16:29,684 I remember, in terms of making a statement 375 00:16:29,727 --> 00:16:31,512 and just really influencing me, 376 00:16:31,555 --> 00:16:34,471 seeing Run-DMC onstage. 377 00:16:34,515 --> 00:16:35,951 378 00:16:35,995 --> 00:16:37,300 379 00:16:37,344 --> 00:16:38,606 380 00:16:38,649 --> 00:16:39,868 381 00:16:39,911 --> 00:16:41,130 With their hats, 382 00:16:41,174 --> 00:16:42,131 their shelltoes, 383 00:16:42,175 --> 00:16:44,351 their leather pants, 384 00:16:44,394 --> 00:16:46,048 and bottom line, you were always taught in school, 385 00:16:46,092 --> 00:16:49,051 "dress for success" meant something else. 386 00:16:49,095 --> 00:16:52,359 And here they were breaking all the rules and winning. 387 00:16:52,402 --> 00:16:54,143 And I just remember that change in my life, 388 00:16:54,187 --> 00:16:55,536 and the sense of, 389 00:16:55,579 --> 00:16:57,451 "Everything I've been taught"-- 390 00:16:57,494 --> 00:17:01,411 was a farce to me from that point. 391 00:17:01,455 --> 00:17:04,849 What we wear onstage is just what all the youth wear. 392 00:17:04,893 --> 00:17:07,200 That's what, you know-- that's what all our fans wear. 393 00:17:07,243 --> 00:17:09,071 So dressing this way lets them know, 394 00:17:09,115 --> 00:17:10,507 "Oh, he's just like me." 395 00:17:17,775 --> 00:17:20,082 Being in New York, where there's, you know, 396 00:17:20,126 --> 00:17:23,216 so many people walking past each other on the street every day, 397 00:17:23,259 --> 00:17:27,002 you get a chance to-- it's like a runway. You know what I mean? 398 00:17:27,046 --> 00:17:28,482 All the streets were like runways 399 00:17:28,525 --> 00:17:31,441 for different clothing brands. 400 00:17:31,485 --> 00:17:34,792 There was always all sorts of different flavors in the hood. 401 00:17:34,836 --> 00:17:40,189 There wasn't one definitive sort of style. 402 00:17:40,233 --> 00:17:41,582 A guy from Brooklyn 403 00:17:41,625 --> 00:17:43,279 would have on Clarks, 404 00:17:43,323 --> 00:17:44,802 sharkskins, 405 00:17:44,846 --> 00:17:46,978 Cazal glasses with no lens in it, 406 00:17:47,022 --> 00:17:49,764 and a Kangol crease like I don't know what. 407 00:17:49,807 --> 00:17:52,288 That was a Brooklyn cat. 408 00:17:52,332 --> 00:17:53,594 He didn't have to say anything. 409 00:17:53,637 --> 00:17:55,596 You knew he was from Brooklyn. 410 00:17:55,639 --> 00:17:59,382 A guy from Harlem would have on, let's say, a velour sweat suit, 411 00:17:59,426 --> 00:18:03,082 and whatever brand the sweat suit was from, 412 00:18:03,125 --> 00:18:05,258 he would have the sneaker to match. 413 00:18:05,301 --> 00:18:07,086 Same with the Bronx. 414 00:18:07,129 --> 00:18:11,307 The Bronx was a mix of Harlem and Brooklyn together. 415 00:18:11,351 --> 00:18:14,223 Queens-- Queens had their own flow too. 416 00:18:18,532 --> 00:18:22,144 I used to go uptown to Apollo-- Amateur Night at the Apollo. 417 00:18:22,188 --> 00:18:24,494 You could be in that venue and you would know, 418 00:18:24,538 --> 00:18:26,801 "That person's from Harlem. 419 00:18:26,844 --> 00:18:28,890 That person's from Queens." 420 00:18:28,933 --> 00:18:30,152 You know, you would just know 421 00:18:30,196 --> 00:18:31,458 by the way they were dressed. 422 00:18:31,501 --> 00:18:32,981 And we were fresh. 423 00:18:36,202 --> 00:18:37,507 We were dipped. 424 00:18:37,551 --> 00:18:41,468 Just chilling, fresh-- fresh dipped. 425 00:18:41,511 --> 00:18:43,165 No money. 426 00:18:43,209 --> 00:18:44,862 No money in the pocket. 427 00:18:44,906 --> 00:18:46,777 Might have had 50� between us. 428 00:18:48,823 --> 00:18:50,912 The insecurity of not having anything-- 429 00:18:50,955 --> 00:18:53,567 it's the only time that you can showcase that you do. 430 00:18:53,610 --> 00:18:55,830 Like, if you go home, you got roaches, and every-- 431 00:18:55,873 --> 00:18:58,180 ten people living in an apartment. 432 00:18:58,224 --> 00:19:01,575 You know, the only way that you can kind of show 433 00:19:01,618 --> 00:19:02,837 that you have anything 434 00:19:02,880 --> 00:19:04,752 and feel some kind of a status 435 00:19:04,795 --> 00:19:06,667 is, you know, what you have on your body. 436 00:19:06,710 --> 00:19:08,277 What you have on your body is a reflection 437 00:19:08,321 --> 00:19:10,279 of how you're economically doing. 438 00:19:10,323 --> 00:19:11,976 You know, as a young man, 439 00:19:12,020 --> 00:19:13,195 if you got fresh, crispy gear, 440 00:19:13,239 --> 00:19:14,805 then you're getting money. 441 00:19:14,849 --> 00:19:17,025 If you dirty, you're not getting money. 442 00:19:17,068 --> 00:19:18,592 Everyone prefers to be clean. 443 00:19:18,635 --> 00:19:21,290 Everyone prefers to have, you know, 444 00:19:21,334 --> 00:19:23,249 different variations of clothing. 445 00:19:23,292 --> 00:19:26,382 So it's just a status symbol based on insecurity. 446 00:19:38,612 --> 00:19:40,744 Right now, we are standing on the iconic 447 00:19:40,788 --> 00:19:42,442 Delancey and Orchard Street, 448 00:19:42,485 --> 00:19:45,227 a historic location that many of us used to shop at 449 00:19:45,271 --> 00:19:46,272 back in the 1970s. 450 00:19:48,752 --> 00:19:50,624 As a documentary photographer way back then, 451 00:19:50,667 --> 00:19:53,888 I actually started taking some of my very first photographs 452 00:19:53,931 --> 00:19:55,324 right here on this block here. 453 00:19:58,284 --> 00:20:00,242 It's interpreted around the world 454 00:20:00,286 --> 00:20:01,635 as just being fly-- 455 00:20:01,678 --> 00:20:03,593 being unique, being special. 456 00:20:03,637 --> 00:20:07,293 You know, for many, they just see it as a strong style. 457 00:20:09,817 --> 00:20:12,298 What I see is pride and dignity. 458 00:20:12,341 --> 00:20:14,735 Individually, they took great pride in the way they dressed 459 00:20:14,778 --> 00:20:16,302 and the way they carried themselves. 460 00:20:16,345 --> 00:20:18,086 I wanted the world to see 461 00:20:18,129 --> 00:20:19,870 something unlike they were seeing before. 462 00:20:19,914 --> 00:20:21,916 That despite people's condition, 463 00:20:21,959 --> 00:20:24,614 they're still able to maintain a great degree of integrity, 464 00:20:24,658 --> 00:20:26,355 and it's shown by people dress 465 00:20:26,399 --> 00:20:28,662 and the pride they take in having clean sneakers on, 466 00:20:28,705 --> 00:20:31,621 having fresh gear on that was color-coordinated. 467 00:20:31,665 --> 00:20:32,796 That made individuals feel good, 468 00:20:32,840 --> 00:20:34,145 and it helped to resonate 469 00:20:34,189 --> 00:20:35,538 and inspire people globally 470 00:20:35,582 --> 00:20:38,280 to even want to dress that way. 471 00:20:38,324 --> 00:20:41,936 You couldn't get a discount anywhere 472 00:20:41,979 --> 00:20:44,634 except on the Lower East Side. 473 00:20:44,678 --> 00:20:46,680 This was like one big department store 474 00:20:46,723 --> 00:20:50,727 but stretched down seven, eight blocks. 475 00:20:50,771 --> 00:20:53,513 The one thing that they had 476 00:20:53,556 --> 00:20:56,037 that they could show off to the world 477 00:20:56,080 --> 00:20:58,735 was their clothing. So it was very important-- 478 00:20:58,779 --> 00:21:00,650 they may not have had the best apartment, 479 00:21:00,694 --> 00:21:02,870 they may not have had the best car, 480 00:21:02,913 --> 00:21:04,350 but they had the best clothing, 481 00:21:04,393 --> 00:21:06,090 and it was very important to them, 482 00:21:06,134 --> 00:21:07,396 because when they put that suit 483 00:21:07,440 --> 00:21:09,093 or that leather jacket on, 484 00:21:09,137 --> 00:21:12,227 or the mink jacket on, or whatever it was, 485 00:21:12,271 --> 00:21:13,707 they were king. 486 00:21:35,119 --> 00:21:36,730 For a lot of people 487 00:21:36,773 --> 00:21:39,167 who, you know, may grow up in the projects 488 00:21:39,210 --> 00:21:40,734 or whatever, they want to stand out. 489 00:21:40,777 --> 00:21:44,215 You know? So they wear loud colors. 490 00:21:44,259 --> 00:21:46,000 I think the colors in hip-hop 491 00:21:46,043 --> 00:21:47,915 came from graffiti. 492 00:21:47,958 --> 00:21:51,701 Whatever the cans of paint-- what colors were available 493 00:21:51,745 --> 00:21:54,661 for painting, those became the cool colors. 494 00:21:54,704 --> 00:21:56,837 You did your own thing. You know, you could 495 00:21:56,880 --> 00:21:59,492 paint your own design on the back of your jean jacket. 496 00:21:59,535 --> 00:22:01,711 You know, jean jackets were the first canvas for hip-hop. 497 00:22:03,365 --> 00:22:05,367 What was really, really popular 498 00:22:05,411 --> 00:22:08,892 was doing names on the side of your jeans, 499 00:22:08,936 --> 00:22:10,764 and that's what I was doing a lot of. 500 00:22:10,807 --> 00:22:13,027 People paid me to put their names 501 00:22:13,070 --> 00:22:15,029 on the side of their jeans. 502 00:22:17,510 --> 00:22:18,815 503 00:22:18,859 --> 00:22:20,121 504 00:22:20,164 --> 00:22:21,601 505 00:22:21,644 --> 00:22:23,167 506 00:22:23,211 --> 00:22:24,908 can't stand around 507 00:22:24,952 --> 00:22:26,040 508 00:22:26,083 --> 00:22:27,084 509 00:22:27,128 --> 00:22:28,303 510 00:22:28,347 --> 00:22:29,391 511 00:22:29,435 --> 00:22:31,262 512 00:22:31,306 --> 00:22:34,135 I just had to make 513 00:22:34,178 --> 00:22:39,967 You know, I remember coming across a Black Beatmagazine 514 00:22:40,010 --> 00:22:43,753 with LL Cool J on the cover, 515 00:22:43,797 --> 00:22:45,407 and inside, there was an article 516 00:22:45,451 --> 00:22:47,757 about his sweatshirt that he was wearing, 517 00:22:47,801 --> 00:22:51,848 which was, like, an airbrushed portrait of himself, like, as a B-boy. 518 00:22:51,892 --> 00:22:56,331 And it was painted by a guy named King Phade from the Shirt Kings. 519 00:22:56,375 --> 00:23:00,553 This is the shirt here that gave the Shirt Kings notoriety. 520 00:23:00,596 --> 00:23:05,209 When LL Cool J, who's a major, major, major star, 521 00:23:05,253 --> 00:23:09,039 you know, wore this shirt in every photo shoot that you could imagine, 522 00:23:09,083 --> 00:23:13,783 it took what we were doing in Southside Jamaica, Queens, all around the world. 523 00:23:13,827 --> 00:23:17,047 It made the world notice who we were. 524 00:23:17,091 --> 00:23:18,832 What Shirt Kings were about 525 00:23:18,875 --> 00:23:21,530 were drawing things that we saw, 526 00:23:21,574 --> 00:23:24,228 you know, in our community. 527 00:23:24,272 --> 00:23:27,014 We basically remixed them. 528 00:23:27,057 --> 00:23:29,320 We turned them into a joke, 529 00:23:29,364 --> 00:23:32,585 because this became our reality. 530 00:23:32,628 --> 00:23:33,847 You know. 531 00:23:33,890 --> 00:23:37,285 So we put Mickey on crack. 532 00:23:37,328 --> 00:23:38,982 When times are bad, 533 00:23:39,026 --> 00:23:43,465 a lot of people tend to gravitate towards art. 534 00:23:43,509 --> 00:23:46,599 Art takes your mind to another place. 535 00:23:46,642 --> 00:23:49,297 You know. Shirt Kings-- 536 00:23:49,340 --> 00:23:51,081 it allowed me 537 00:23:51,125 --> 00:23:55,521 to not become something else. 538 00:23:59,133 --> 00:24:01,396 Shirt Kings and Dapper Dan 539 00:24:01,440 --> 00:24:04,791 took your--whatever-- what we were thinking in our imaginations, 540 00:24:04,834 --> 00:24:07,010 they put it into reality. 541 00:24:07,054 --> 00:24:09,665 The belt that I'm wearing here, you know, 542 00:24:09,709 --> 00:24:14,104 this style stuff Dapper Dan was putting together on your shoe, 543 00:24:14,148 --> 00:24:17,064 Dapper Dan was putting together on your baseball cap. 544 00:24:17,107 --> 00:24:19,588 You know, the LV was on your baseball cap, 545 00:24:19,632 --> 00:24:22,765 on your pouch that hung from your neck. 546 00:24:22,809 --> 00:24:24,506 You know, Dapper Dan would use that 547 00:24:24,550 --> 00:24:26,334 where Louis Vuitton wouldn't. 548 00:24:26,377 --> 00:24:28,379 People who could afford it were going to Dap 549 00:24:28,423 --> 00:24:31,731 instead of Louis. You know what I'm saying? 550 00:24:31,774 --> 00:24:33,689 You might walk into Louis Vuitton and be looked down at, 551 00:24:33,733 --> 00:24:35,517 especially in the 1980s, 552 00:24:35,561 --> 00:24:37,650 so you go up to Dap, you feel at home, 553 00:24:37,693 --> 00:24:39,826 and he's gonna cater to your needs and take care of you. 554 00:24:42,568 --> 00:24:45,832 I believe urban luxury fashion started with Dapper Dan 555 00:24:45,875 --> 00:24:48,443 and people wanting to aspire 556 00:24:48,487 --> 00:24:50,097 to wear these luxury brands. 557 00:24:50,140 --> 00:24:52,882 They were unattainable at the time. 558 00:24:52,926 --> 00:24:55,929 And he figured out a way to make it attainable. 559 00:24:55,972 --> 00:25:00,150 What Dan did was basically do what we did with music. 560 00:25:00,194 --> 00:25:02,675 You know, we sampled songs, 561 00:25:02,718 --> 00:25:05,460 looped them, and made it our own. 562 00:25:05,504 --> 00:25:07,636 He figured out a way to do it in clothing. 563 00:25:07,680 --> 00:25:09,986 Hey, let me tell him a story. 30 years ago-- 564 00:25:10,030 --> 00:25:12,380 30 years ago, this whole block 565 00:25:12,423 --> 00:25:14,687 was full of Bentleys, Rolls-Royces, 566 00:25:14,730 --> 00:25:16,732 cars you never even heard of, 567 00:25:16,776 --> 00:25:18,560 to come see this man, 568 00:25:18,604 --> 00:25:19,779 because he was the first one 569 00:25:19,822 --> 00:25:21,476 taking designer clothes-- 570 00:25:21,520 --> 00:25:23,304 Gucci, Louis Vuitton-- 571 00:25:23,347 --> 00:25:25,088 and making suits and stuff out of it. 572 00:25:25,132 --> 00:25:27,264 Took the leather and did it--made pants. 573 00:25:27,308 --> 00:25:28,831 Everybody coming to get $1,000 pants. 574 00:25:28,875 --> 00:25:30,572 I couldn't believe it. I never bought a pair. 575 00:25:30,616 --> 00:25:32,226 I couldn't afford no $1,000 pants. 576 00:25:32,269 --> 00:25:34,402 But this is the first man that did this. 577 00:25:36,447 --> 00:25:38,798 The only way for us to make it in this business, 578 00:25:38,841 --> 00:25:40,974 which I realized early on, 579 00:25:41,017 --> 00:25:43,585 was, when you got raw goods, 580 00:25:43,629 --> 00:25:46,457 that raw goods-- if I have a roll of fabric, 581 00:25:46,501 --> 00:25:48,808 that fabric is anything I want it to be. 582 00:25:50,723 --> 00:25:54,030 Anything that a designer didn't have, 583 00:25:54,074 --> 00:25:56,337 I would embellish it for them. 584 00:25:56,380 --> 00:25:58,078 You know? 585 00:25:58,121 --> 00:26:00,950 I blackenized it. You know? 586 00:26:00,994 --> 00:26:03,910 I made it so that it'll look good on us. 587 00:26:05,955 --> 00:26:08,001 I took it where they would never take it. 588 00:26:08,044 --> 00:26:10,438 Louis Vuitton wasn't even making clothes like it at the time, 589 00:26:10,481 --> 00:26:12,179 you know? 590 00:26:12,222 --> 00:26:15,138 I didn't even realize the impact that it was having, 591 00:26:15,182 --> 00:26:16,836 because I just wanted to serve my community. 592 00:26:16,879 --> 00:26:19,055 I just wanted to serve the black-- 593 00:26:19,099 --> 00:26:21,928 I would be satisfied just with the neighborhood I was in. 594 00:26:21,971 --> 00:26:24,452 You know what I mean? Getting the respect from them. 595 00:26:26,367 --> 00:26:29,283 Back in the day, it was about high-end brands. 596 00:26:29,326 --> 00:26:31,198 If it wasn't the actual high-end brand, 597 00:26:31,241 --> 00:26:32,982 it was Dapper Dan. 598 00:26:36,203 --> 00:26:37,726 I got the seats done-- 599 00:26:37,770 --> 00:26:40,511 the whole upholstery in the-- inside my car 600 00:26:40,555 --> 00:26:42,949 done black and red Gucci. 601 00:26:42,992 --> 00:26:45,516 I kind of had him make me a shearling once 602 00:26:45,560 --> 00:26:47,736 with the extra-deep pockets, 603 00:26:47,780 --> 00:26:50,130 just in case I needed to have guns in them--nah. 604 00:26:50,173 --> 00:26:52,698 But that's what--you know, you could do those kind of things. 605 00:26:52,741 --> 00:26:54,525 It cost 2 grand. I thought I was the man. 606 00:26:57,267 --> 00:26:59,705 I was open 24 hours a day for eight years. 607 00:26:59,748 --> 00:27:01,707 We might take a little three-hour break, 608 00:27:01,750 --> 00:27:04,666 and for the rappers, I would have the gate down here, 609 00:27:04,710 --> 00:27:06,581 so all they'd have to do is pull the-- 610 00:27:06,625 --> 00:27:08,278 rappers or the hustlers come through, 611 00:27:08,322 --> 00:27:10,106 all they'd have to do is pull the gate up and roll in. 612 00:27:10,150 --> 00:27:12,456 And my policy was to run to the gate. 613 00:27:15,808 --> 00:27:17,766 Eric B. and Rakim, 614 00:27:17,810 --> 00:27:18,898 Big Daddy Kane, 615 00:27:18,941 --> 00:27:20,639 Biz Markie, 616 00:27:20,682 --> 00:27:22,466 Salt-N-Pepa, 617 00:27:22,510 --> 00:27:24,904 Guy, Teddy Riley-- 618 00:27:24,947 --> 00:27:26,862 Hey, Teddy, I ain't mad at you. I still got a check 619 00:27:26,906 --> 00:27:28,821 for $700 that bounced. 620 00:27:34,478 --> 00:27:36,698 What put the nail in the coffin is, 621 00:27:36,742 --> 00:27:38,700 first they raided me. 622 00:27:38,744 --> 00:27:41,442 Raided me broke. Part two was-- 623 00:27:41,485 --> 00:27:43,618 blank out anything I do on Yo! MTV, 624 00:27:43,662 --> 00:27:47,622 and you know, Yo! MTV gave birth to the rap game. 625 00:27:47,666 --> 00:27:49,624 You know? That was their coverage. 626 00:27:52,148 --> 00:27:54,411 He should have came out with a Dapper Dan brand. 627 00:27:54,455 --> 00:27:55,717 He definitely could have if he-- 628 00:27:55,761 --> 00:27:58,415 I think if he knew the business. 629 00:27:58,459 --> 00:28:01,375 Dapper Dan was Tom Ford before Tom Ford. 630 00:28:01,418 --> 00:28:04,160 He should have been hired instead of shut down. 631 00:28:04,204 --> 00:28:06,206 He really should have been hired as a designer 632 00:28:06,249 --> 00:28:09,165 for one of those elite clothes brands back then, 633 00:28:09,209 --> 00:28:12,778 because he had the foresight to do back then 634 00:28:12,821 --> 00:28:14,257 what they just started doing 635 00:28:14,301 --> 00:28:16,433 maybe ten years, five years after him. 636 00:28:19,480 --> 00:28:22,004 637 00:28:22,048 --> 00:28:23,614 638 00:28:23,658 --> 00:28:26,356 coliseum floors 639 00:28:26,400 --> 00:28:29,142 at Live Aid 640 00:28:29,185 --> 00:28:32,275 and the poor got paid 641 00:28:32,319 --> 00:28:34,669 I did speak 642 00:28:34,713 --> 00:28:37,367 but I'm not a sneak 643 00:28:37,411 --> 00:28:40,109 of a foreign land 644 00:28:40,153 --> 00:28:42,764 I cold took command 645 00:28:42,808 --> 00:28:45,767 close as can be 646 00:28:45,811 --> 00:28:48,117 my Adidas and me 647 00:28:48,161 --> 00:28:51,468 We're down forever 648 00:28:51,512 --> 00:28:53,732 when worn in bad weather 649 00:28:53,775 --> 00:28:56,604 650 00:28:56,647 --> 00:28:58,954 The most important thing was sneakers, 651 00:28:58,998 --> 00:29:02,741 you know, because if you had some wack sneakers, 652 00:29:02,784 --> 00:29:06,092 you just were--it was just a difficult time, you know. 653 00:29:06,135 --> 00:29:09,748 A lot of stuff was always built off, you know, your shoe game. 654 00:29:09,791 --> 00:29:13,403 That's what was important. You built your outfit off your shoe game. 655 00:29:13,447 --> 00:29:15,884 This is what I like to call sneaker heaven. 656 00:29:15,928 --> 00:29:17,799 I could wear a brand-new pair of sneakers every day 657 00:29:17,843 --> 00:29:20,715 for 7 1/2 years. That's a fact. 658 00:29:20,759 --> 00:29:24,806 When I was a kid, I asked my mother for a pair of sneakers one day, 659 00:29:24,850 --> 00:29:26,939 She bought me a sneaker called the Mark 5. 660 00:29:26,982 --> 00:29:30,029 Nobody alive knows what this shoe is. 661 00:29:30,072 --> 00:29:31,944 It was a Mark 5, and I thought I was the shit. 662 00:29:31,987 --> 00:29:33,728 Like, I thought I was the hottest guy in the world 663 00:29:33,772 --> 00:29:35,512 because my name was on the shoe-- 664 00:29:35,556 --> 00:29:38,167 my name is Mark-- and I went back to the block, 665 00:29:38,211 --> 00:29:40,300 and they laughed me off the block, 'cause it was like 666 00:29:40,343 --> 00:29:44,391 a $10 favor shoe or one of them crazy shoes, and I got destroyed. 667 00:29:44,434 --> 00:29:46,697 When it comes to getting fresh, when it comes to hip-hop, 668 00:29:46,741 --> 00:29:48,743 when it comes to anything, man, getting fresh starts with your feet first. 669 00:29:48,787 --> 00:29:50,136 I remember, I went to Catholic school, 670 00:29:50,179 --> 00:29:52,138 so you had to wear shoes every day, 671 00:29:52,181 --> 00:29:53,835 so me and my friend Zeke, 672 00:29:53,879 --> 00:29:55,271 we would fake sprain ankles 673 00:29:55,315 --> 00:29:57,404 so that we could wear one sneaker-- 674 00:29:57,447 --> 00:29:59,841 had the crutch and then wear one shoe, 675 00:29:59,885 --> 00:30:01,800 just to show that we got the newest Jordans, 676 00:30:01,843 --> 00:30:03,062 like, "Yeah, you see me-- 677 00:30:03,105 --> 00:30:04,672 you see I got that Jordan on." 678 00:30:04,715 --> 00:30:06,369 Shoes that you could get killed for too. 679 00:30:06,413 --> 00:30:09,808 There was one question you never wanted to hear 680 00:30:09,851 --> 00:30:12,375 when somebody you didn't know rolled up on you, 681 00:30:12,419 --> 00:30:15,639 and that was, "What's your size?" 682 00:30:15,683 --> 00:30:18,686 They would go like this: "Yo, what size you wear?" 683 00:30:18,729 --> 00:30:21,210 And if you were live, you would say, "Your size. 684 00:30:21,254 --> 00:30:22,211 "Why? 685 00:30:22,255 --> 00:30:23,691 "Yeah, your size. 686 00:30:23,734 --> 00:30:25,214 Why you want to know?" 687 00:30:25,258 --> 00:30:26,476 If you were live. 688 00:30:26,520 --> 00:30:27,608 If you was a chump, 689 00:30:27,651 --> 00:30:29,262 and a sucka, 690 00:30:29,305 --> 00:30:30,872 you'd probably be quiet 691 00:30:30,916 --> 00:30:32,787 and probably get punched in the face and get vicked. 692 00:30:38,575 --> 00:30:40,142 They would vick you for your shoes 693 00:30:40,186 --> 00:30:41,970 and, yeah, it wasn't a pretty sight. 694 00:30:42,014 --> 00:30:44,016 I actually--I did get robbed on Simpson Street 695 00:30:44,059 --> 00:30:45,495 one time, yeah. 696 00:30:47,584 --> 00:30:48,629 I was just leaving the JewMan. 697 00:30:54,026 --> 00:30:56,376 And these cats got the drop on me. 698 00:30:56,419 --> 00:30:58,030 I don't know what I was thinking about 699 00:30:58,073 --> 00:30:59,553 going up to the Bronx by myself. 700 00:30:59,596 --> 00:31:02,121 I knew a kid up in the Bronx who was like, 701 00:31:02,164 --> 00:31:05,559 "They'll sell these Air Force 1s that you don't see in Manhattan. 702 00:31:05,602 --> 00:31:07,430 Let's go get those." 703 00:31:07,474 --> 00:31:09,519 So we go up to JewMan, 704 00:31:09,563 --> 00:31:12,609 cop the white and brown Air Force 1s. 705 00:31:12,653 --> 00:31:15,090 After my mother gave me my allowance, begged my grandfather 706 00:31:15,134 --> 00:31:17,440 for an extra 20 cash so I can go get the shoe down at JewMan 707 00:31:17,484 --> 00:31:21,183 or whatever the case may be. It was always that for me. Always. 708 00:31:21,227 --> 00:31:24,273 You always wanted to be seen, and you always wanted everybody to know 709 00:31:24,317 --> 00:31:26,362 that you got that-- what we call swag now-- 710 00:31:26,406 --> 00:31:28,277 you got that flava back then, 711 00:31:28,321 --> 00:31:30,584 or, you know, you're dipped, you're fresh, you're the one. 712 00:31:30,627 --> 00:31:33,848 It was a competition just like everything else in the hood. 713 00:31:33,892 --> 00:31:35,763 The way the whole fat lace shit started 714 00:31:35,806 --> 00:31:37,504 was we used to take laces 715 00:31:37,547 --> 00:31:40,855 that came with the shoe, like Pro-Keds or Converse, 716 00:31:40,899 --> 00:31:42,726 stretch the shit out of them, 717 00:31:42,770 --> 00:31:45,468 starch them with starch, 718 00:31:45,512 --> 00:31:47,470 and iron them. It was a ritual. 719 00:31:47,514 --> 00:31:48,732 It took, like, a half hour. 720 00:31:48,776 --> 00:31:50,517 Right? To get your shit right. 721 00:31:50,560 --> 00:31:52,998 And then the way you laced them in your shoes 722 00:31:53,041 --> 00:31:55,652 was a whole different sort of science, you know? 723 00:31:55,696 --> 00:31:58,568 The manufacturers, when they laced their laces, 724 00:31:58,612 --> 00:32:00,701 they go the other way-- 725 00:32:00,744 --> 00:32:01,745 under and up. 726 00:32:01,789 --> 00:32:03,922 Us, we go up and under. 727 00:32:03,965 --> 00:32:06,968 And that's a very clear way to tell 728 00:32:07,012 --> 00:32:11,146 who's hip, you know, in terms of, like, street flava on the hip-hop tip. 729 00:32:11,190 --> 00:32:13,148 I've been on the cover of The Village Voice. 730 00:32:13,192 --> 00:32:15,846 Five-page article based on sneakers. 731 00:32:15,890 --> 00:32:17,065 I would say this shoe collection 732 00:32:17,109 --> 00:32:20,112 is worth over $1/2 million. 733 00:32:20,155 --> 00:32:22,636 Here we go, yo 734 00:32:22,679 --> 00:32:24,725 so what's the scenario? 735 00:32:24,768 --> 00:32:26,988 Here we go, yo 736 00:32:27,032 --> 00:32:28,903 so what's the scenario? 737 00:32:28,947 --> 00:32:30,731 - - 738 00:32:30,774 --> 00:32:32,515 - - 739 00:32:32,559 --> 00:32:33,821 'cause Bo can't rap 740 00:32:33,864 --> 00:32:35,344 741 00:32:35,388 --> 00:32:36,737 is first up to bat 742 00:32:36,780 --> 00:32:38,391 743 00:32:38,434 --> 00:32:40,349 In the late '80s, 744 00:32:40,393 --> 00:32:42,003 growing up in New York, 745 00:32:42,047 --> 00:32:44,658 you know, kids were into fashion, and hip-hop, obviously, 746 00:32:44,701 --> 00:32:46,660 influenced everything that we did. 747 00:32:46,703 --> 00:32:48,618 But, you know, at that point, 748 00:32:48,662 --> 00:32:51,534 it basically meant getting different, 749 00:32:51,578 --> 00:32:53,014 you know, designer labels, 750 00:32:53,058 --> 00:32:54,798 like a Polo or something like that, 751 00:32:54,842 --> 00:32:59,412 and wearing it in a particular way. 752 00:32:59,455 --> 00:33:01,849 You wasn't just a regular black kid rocking Polo, 753 00:33:01,892 --> 00:33:05,461 but we saw those things like New Balance, Members Only-- 754 00:33:05,505 --> 00:33:07,289 if there was a nigga in the hood rocking that, 755 00:33:07,333 --> 00:33:09,813 it's 'cause he saw them rocking it 756 00:33:09,857 --> 00:33:12,077 and then made it his own style 757 00:33:12,120 --> 00:33:16,472 and brought it in the hood, and then other folks emulated that. 758 00:33:16,516 --> 00:33:20,955 For us, that's kind of like a natural thing. 759 00:33:20,999 --> 00:33:23,436 I remember, at the Taste of Chicago, 760 00:33:23,479 --> 00:33:25,003 when I first saw Reggie Know 761 00:33:25,046 --> 00:33:28,136 and he had, like, the all-over print Polo 762 00:33:28,180 --> 00:33:31,618 with the camo pants, with the Wallys, with the fedora. 763 00:33:31,661 --> 00:33:36,362 and, like, a Lazarus chain, a gold chain, gold fronts. 764 00:33:36,405 --> 00:33:39,843 And I was still, like, sewing Izods on my shirt and stuff. 765 00:33:39,887 --> 00:33:42,194 I remember just that moment moved me so much 766 00:33:42,237 --> 00:33:45,197 and I just had to, like, get my fresh up to a whole nother level. 767 00:33:45,240 --> 00:33:48,113 I realized at that point, we wasn't, you know-- 768 00:33:48,156 --> 00:33:50,419 I wasn't in a suburb in high school anymore. 769 00:33:53,248 --> 00:33:55,076 When I was in school-- I went to Brown 770 00:33:55,120 --> 00:33:57,078 and I had a stipend-- the first thing I would do 771 00:33:57,122 --> 00:34:00,647 was go to Yves Saint Laurent. You know, I would, you know, 772 00:34:00,690 --> 00:34:03,345 take my stipend money and go to Louis Vuitton 773 00:34:03,389 --> 00:34:05,304 or Gucci. 774 00:34:05,347 --> 00:34:08,046 You know, urban young people 775 00:34:08,089 --> 00:34:11,223 are always attracted to or addicted to fashion 776 00:34:11,266 --> 00:34:12,963 because it is expression 777 00:34:13,007 --> 00:34:14,791 of aspiration, 778 00:34:14,835 --> 00:34:16,619 because you grow up in a world 779 00:34:16,663 --> 00:34:18,099 where fashion is so important, 780 00:34:18,143 --> 00:34:21,407 and a lot of people who are in hip-hop 781 00:34:21,450 --> 00:34:23,278 have aspirations, 782 00:34:23,322 --> 00:34:26,194 and aspirational is, "Can you go into that store 783 00:34:26,238 --> 00:34:29,154 and buy that brand?" 784 00:34:29,197 --> 00:34:31,460 When you think of Versace, 785 00:34:31,504 --> 00:34:33,288 Ralph Lauren, 786 00:34:33,332 --> 00:34:34,942 it seems like it's far away-- 787 00:34:34,985 --> 00:34:36,639 it's a dream, 788 00:34:36,683 --> 00:34:39,120 and somewhere where you would like to go. 789 00:34:39,164 --> 00:34:42,384 And those people could care less about you--you know. 790 00:34:42,428 --> 00:34:46,301 But it seems like if I can grab that and wear that, 791 00:34:46,345 --> 00:34:47,911 like, I'm living a fantasy. 792 00:34:47,955 --> 00:34:49,348 793 00:34:49,391 --> 00:34:50,479 794 00:34:50,523 --> 00:34:52,351 795 00:34:52,394 --> 00:34:53,613 796 00:34:53,656 --> 00:34:55,136 797 00:34:55,180 --> 00:34:56,442 798 00:34:56,485 --> 00:34:58,052 799 00:34:58,096 --> 00:35:00,402 800 00:35:00,446 --> 00:35:03,536 Lo Lifes originated from the Marcus Garvey Village 801 00:35:03,579 --> 00:35:07,322 in Brownsville and St. Johns and Utica Place in Crown Heights, you know? 802 00:35:07,366 --> 00:35:11,500 We're two separate boosting crews or getting-fly crews, you know, 803 00:35:11,544 --> 00:35:14,895 that came together and created a big brotherhood, you know, 804 00:35:14,938 --> 00:35:18,420 that influenced the world of fashion and hip-hop abroad. 805 00:35:18,464 --> 00:35:21,858 A booster is somebody who goes to any store, 806 00:35:21,902 --> 00:35:24,992 but in this case expensive stores, 807 00:35:25,035 --> 00:35:27,212 and steals. 808 00:35:27,255 --> 00:35:30,258 And then, you know, it might be a $600 jean, 809 00:35:30,302 --> 00:35:32,608 and you can buy it for $100 from him. 810 00:35:32,652 --> 00:35:37,047 Boosting is anybody who shoplifts. 811 00:35:37,091 --> 00:35:38,875 We were robbing and stealing and all that-- 812 00:35:38,919 --> 00:35:41,182 even each other. 813 00:35:41,226 --> 00:35:43,141 There were a lot of people where, you know, 814 00:35:43,184 --> 00:35:45,186 rob your whole house, man, for everything you had, 815 00:35:45,230 --> 00:35:47,710 and just the Polo. They're not taking anything else. 816 00:35:49,973 --> 00:35:51,584 I remember taking the train-- 817 00:35:51,627 --> 00:35:54,326 we'd take the train to go rush B. Altman's-- 818 00:35:54,369 --> 00:35:56,328 34th Street. 819 00:35:56,371 --> 00:35:58,721 Soon as the train doors open, 820 00:35:58,765 --> 00:36:00,680 everybody rushing into the store, 821 00:36:00,723 --> 00:36:02,464 racing to get the stuff. 822 00:36:02,508 --> 00:36:04,901 People running into the street carrying all these clothes, 823 00:36:04,945 --> 00:36:06,512 some clothes getting dropped, 824 00:36:06,555 --> 00:36:08,470 and you see superheroes coming out of nowhere 825 00:36:08,514 --> 00:36:11,212 trying to help, you know, and protect the store, 826 00:36:11,256 --> 00:36:13,171 and then we'd run back to the train station 827 00:36:13,214 --> 00:36:15,521 and run onto the train tracks and run to the next stop 828 00:36:15,564 --> 00:36:18,045 to get away. You know? 829 00:36:18,088 --> 00:36:20,874 I knew about Lo Lifes, but I didn't know to what extent, 830 00:36:20,917 --> 00:36:22,528 and then I met Thirstin Howl III. 831 00:36:22,571 --> 00:36:25,008 You know, he came out with all this stuff, 832 00:36:25,052 --> 00:36:27,185 and it was all Polo, 833 00:36:27,228 --> 00:36:30,666 and I was like, "This is crazy. Where did you get this?" 834 00:36:30,710 --> 00:36:32,538 You know, "I didn't even know Polo made this." 835 00:36:32,581 --> 00:36:34,975 It was an evolution of the fashion. 836 00:36:35,018 --> 00:36:38,196 It transcended from the likes of the Benetton 837 00:36:38,239 --> 00:36:39,545 and the Izod Lacoste. 838 00:36:39,588 --> 00:36:41,460 We were really attracted to those things 839 00:36:41,503 --> 00:36:43,505 before we were touching the Polo. 840 00:36:43,549 --> 00:36:46,204 And the thing with the Polo was they didn't sell it 841 00:36:46,247 --> 00:36:49,859 in no ghettos or your local, you know, stores in your neighborhood, 842 00:36:49,903 --> 00:36:52,079 and you had to go to the high-end stores 843 00:36:52,122 --> 00:36:53,602 on Fifth Avenue and all that, 844 00:36:53,646 --> 00:36:55,343 so if you went and you got some of that stuff 845 00:36:55,387 --> 00:36:58,781 and you came back in the hood, you was, like--you rich. 846 00:36:58,825 --> 00:37:00,566 You know, we living in the projects, man. 847 00:37:00,609 --> 00:37:02,263 I didn't even have furniture in my house, man, 848 00:37:02,307 --> 00:37:06,876 but I had Polo everywhere, you know? 849 00:37:06,920 --> 00:37:11,054 What you see is a classic case of low-life syndrome. 850 00:37:11,098 --> 00:37:14,797 This is, right here, the big Lo symbol right here, 851 00:37:14,841 --> 00:37:18,279 the big Polo, Ralph Lauren right here, you know what I'm saying? 852 00:37:18,323 --> 00:37:21,282 Represent right here, another little symbol--pow! 853 00:37:21,326 --> 00:37:24,154 Thank you, Ralph. 854 00:37:24,198 --> 00:37:29,421 Thank you for that cream Polo sweatshirt 855 00:37:29,464 --> 00:37:32,075 with the cream chenille letters across the front 856 00:37:32,119 --> 00:37:33,599 that I wore in college, 857 00:37:33,642 --> 00:37:36,297 shitting on everybody there 858 00:37:36,341 --> 00:37:40,432 Thank you for allowing me to shit on so many people. 859 00:37:40,475 --> 00:37:41,476 Thank you, Ralph. 860 00:37:43,783 --> 00:37:45,611 We were like free promotions for him. 861 00:37:50,268 --> 00:37:52,574 Tommy Hilfigers would show up in the hood, 862 00:37:52,618 --> 00:37:56,056 and open up a trunk with, you know, clothes, 863 00:37:56,099 --> 00:37:58,580 and hand them out to-- you know, it was like-- 864 00:37:58,624 --> 00:38:01,061 it was like the drug dealer, you know, 865 00:38:01,104 --> 00:38:02,932 giving you a free hit. 866 00:38:02,976 --> 00:38:05,021 And then you're like, "I want more." 867 00:38:05,065 --> 00:38:07,328 And so you're looking for it and you're buying it, you know. 868 00:38:07,372 --> 00:38:10,288 It was smart. You know, he knew what he was doing. 869 00:38:10,331 --> 00:38:12,638 You know, they knew exactly what they were doing. 870 00:38:12,681 --> 00:38:16,076 You know, they didn't pay Grand Puba, 871 00:38:16,119 --> 00:38:17,643 who broke all the Helly hats in 872 00:38:17,686 --> 00:38:19,514 and Hilfiger shit. 873 00:38:19,558 --> 00:38:21,951 They didn't offer official endorsement deals 874 00:38:21,995 --> 00:38:23,562 to any of these artists. 875 00:38:23,605 --> 00:38:26,042 But, I mean, Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren, 876 00:38:26,086 --> 00:38:29,132 they made a lot of money off these guys. 877 00:38:29,176 --> 00:38:32,092 Being a promotion walking around in the clubs, 878 00:38:32,135 --> 00:38:35,008 we were influencing the rappers in the golden era 879 00:38:35,051 --> 00:38:37,140 and, you know, them seeing us in the clubs, 880 00:38:37,184 --> 00:38:39,055 50 guys wearing the same shirt-- 881 00:38:39,099 --> 00:38:41,797 when the rappers was doing-- they were copying it, 882 00:38:41,841 --> 00:38:43,799 and they were doing it in their videos, 883 00:38:43,843 --> 00:38:45,888 and then that was, you know, going around the world. 884 00:38:45,932 --> 00:38:47,847 They were influencing the world through that. 885 00:38:47,890 --> 00:38:49,152 886 00:38:52,460 --> 00:38:54,636 887 00:38:57,770 --> 00:39:00,729 you're doing 'cause I'm about to ruin 888 00:39:00,773 --> 00:39:02,644 you're used to 889 00:39:02,688 --> 00:39:05,299 I'm making money, see 890 00:39:05,343 --> 00:39:07,257 ready for me 891 00:39:07,301 --> 00:39:09,695 I'm the new fool in town 892 00:39:09,738 --> 00:39:12,088 by the Underground 893 00:39:12,132 --> 00:39:14,308 you got on your shelf 894 00:39:14,352 --> 00:39:16,354 introduce myself 895 00:39:16,397 --> 00:39:19,966 With the explosion of hip-hop music in the 1990s, 896 00:39:20,009 --> 00:39:22,795 hip-hop starts moving into becoming mainstream, 897 00:39:22,838 --> 00:39:24,405 which means television, 898 00:39:24,449 --> 00:39:27,103 through music videos, through music television. 899 00:39:27,147 --> 00:39:29,497 We had Ralph McDaniels well before MTV 900 00:39:29,541 --> 00:39:33,022 documenting our stories, bringing them into our home. 901 00:39:33,066 --> 00:39:35,982 Every day after school at 3:30, that's what we watched, 902 00:39:36,025 --> 00:39:37,418 and that's when we started seeing it, 903 00:39:37,462 --> 00:39:39,377 and then we had concerts, 904 00:39:39,420 --> 00:39:42,728 we had television shows like The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air 905 00:39:42,771 --> 00:39:44,164 and In Living Color 906 00:39:44,207 --> 00:39:46,993 that now started showing the looks 907 00:39:47,036 --> 00:39:49,212 that were not just designer brands 908 00:39:49,256 --> 00:39:52,433 that we were used to seeing on Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, 909 00:39:52,477 --> 00:39:54,566 but now we're seeing brands that we can relate to. 910 00:39:54,609 --> 00:39:58,221 So there was a number of things that kind of catapulted this look 911 00:39:58,265 --> 00:39:59,135 to become mainstream. 912 00:40:00,659 --> 00:40:02,791 The music came and put a light on us, 913 00:40:02,835 --> 00:40:05,272 where we'd been dressing in the hood. 914 00:40:05,315 --> 00:40:08,928 But without hip-hop, there was no light looking in the hood 915 00:40:08,971 --> 00:40:12,453 to see what the fuck you got on. You know what I'm saying? 916 00:40:12,497 --> 00:40:14,281 Nobody was--"Yo, what these folks in the hood"-- 917 00:40:14,324 --> 00:40:15,891 nobody cared about that. 918 00:40:15,935 --> 00:40:17,197 They only cared about that 919 00:40:17,240 --> 00:40:18,938 by the time when it was here. 920 00:40:18,981 --> 00:40:20,505 And what did that do? 921 00:40:20,548 --> 00:40:22,681 That birthed the street wear culture. 922 00:40:31,994 --> 00:40:34,519 I mean, the first time we started seeing 923 00:40:34,562 --> 00:40:39,741 that urban really had some dollars behind it was through Cross Colours. 924 00:40:39,785 --> 00:40:43,136 Here was a brand that was actually started in California 925 00:40:43,179 --> 00:40:45,486 by a black fashion executive 926 00:40:45,530 --> 00:40:47,706 who actually came out of the surf business 927 00:40:47,749 --> 00:40:50,839 who realized that there was something going on, 928 00:40:50,883 --> 00:40:52,754 'cause he would come to New York all the time 929 00:40:52,798 --> 00:40:56,671 and go on the subway and visit Spike Lee's store in Brooklyn, 930 00:40:56,715 --> 00:40:59,195 and he was seeing how young men were wearing their clothes. 931 00:40:59,239 --> 00:41:00,719 I was doing business with a store 932 00:41:00,762 --> 00:41:03,330 called Merry-Go-Round Enterprises. 933 00:41:03,373 --> 00:41:04,940 I started talking to the buyers there 934 00:41:04,984 --> 00:41:09,292 about who their customers were. Who they sold to. 935 00:41:09,336 --> 00:41:12,905 It was mainly what the stores referred to as 936 00:41:12,948 --> 00:41:14,472 an urban customer. 937 00:41:19,389 --> 00:41:23,393 But for me, it was the African-American customer. 938 00:41:24,873 --> 00:41:27,659 I rode the subways in New York 939 00:41:27,702 --> 00:41:33,142 because at the time I felt rap music was coming from New York, 940 00:41:33,186 --> 00:41:38,147 and that was a definite lifestyle and culture 941 00:41:38,191 --> 00:41:39,888 at that time. 942 00:41:39,932 --> 00:41:41,411 They were wearing, like, jeans 943 00:41:41,455 --> 00:41:45,328 that were four or five sizes too big, 944 00:41:45,372 --> 00:41:46,765 and I--"Oh, that's interesting." 945 00:41:46,808 --> 00:41:48,854 They're using a belt to hold them on, 946 00:41:48,897 --> 00:41:51,465 so I thought, well, 947 00:41:51,509 --> 00:41:53,075 I could do something like that 948 00:41:53,119 --> 00:41:57,558 that--where it was a baggy silhouette. 949 00:41:57,602 --> 00:42:00,343 However, the waist was a waist 950 00:42:00,387 --> 00:42:03,259 that would fit that person's body. 951 00:42:03,303 --> 00:42:05,174 My medium was a large. 952 00:42:05,218 --> 00:42:09,222 My 32 was a 36 silhouette 953 00:42:09,265 --> 00:42:12,791 with a 32 waist for a bottom. 954 00:42:12,834 --> 00:42:15,315 No one is really saying, you know, 955 00:42:15,358 --> 00:42:17,317 "I'm designing for this customer, 956 00:42:17,360 --> 00:42:18,927 "I'm designing for this market-- 957 00:42:18,971 --> 00:42:20,538 "I'm designing for street wear. 958 00:42:20,581 --> 00:42:21,930 "I design from the ghetto 959 00:42:21,974 --> 00:42:24,193 for the ghetto, for the street," 960 00:42:24,237 --> 00:42:27,719 and those were all the thoughts going through my head. 961 00:42:29,155 --> 00:42:31,418 all about how 962 00:42:31,461 --> 00:42:34,377 turned upside-down 963 00:42:34,421 --> 00:42:36,205 I hired a marketing guy at the time 964 00:42:36,249 --> 00:42:37,903 by the name of David Stinnett, 965 00:42:37,946 --> 00:42:41,907 and I said, "Hey, why don't you call up, you know, 966 00:42:41,950 --> 00:42:44,039 "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air 967 00:42:44,083 --> 00:42:47,347 "and, you know, see if they're interested 968 00:42:47,390 --> 00:42:50,219 in wearing our clothes." 969 00:42:50,263 --> 00:42:51,438 And I'll never forget-- 970 00:42:51,481 --> 00:42:52,961 he came back and said, 971 00:42:53,005 --> 00:42:55,224 "Carl, you won't believe what's happened! 972 00:42:55,268 --> 00:42:56,878 "They love your stuff! 973 00:42:56,922 --> 00:42:58,445 "They were looking for something like this 974 00:42:58,488 --> 00:43:00,012 "but didn't know it exists, 975 00:43:00,055 --> 00:43:03,972 and they love it, they want more." 976 00:43:04,016 --> 00:43:05,583 Two or three nights later, 977 00:43:05,626 --> 00:43:07,019 there he was 978 00:43:07,062 --> 00:43:08,629 on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air 979 00:43:08,673 --> 00:43:10,805 wearing our clothing. 980 00:43:10,849 --> 00:43:15,114 Banks residence. Have a holly jolly Christmas. 981 00:43:15,157 --> 00:43:18,552 My brother, you got a problem with my lights? 982 00:43:18,596 --> 00:43:20,859 Why don't you come tell me that to my face, then? 983 00:43:20,902 --> 00:43:22,600 Hey, we can do whatever you want to do. 984 00:43:22,643 --> 00:43:23,644 It's your world, squirrel, 985 00:43:23,688 --> 00:43:25,864 I'm just trying to get a nut. 986 00:43:25,907 --> 00:43:28,388 And that was the beginning of it, 987 00:43:28,431 --> 00:43:29,955 and the next thing, 988 00:43:29,998 --> 00:43:31,609 In Living Colorcalled us-- 989 00:43:31,652 --> 00:43:33,872 "Oh, we saw your stuff." 990 00:43:42,141 --> 00:43:43,577 And then, later, what I was told-- 991 00:43:43,621 --> 00:43:45,318 "Well, you changed the whole spec 992 00:43:45,361 --> 00:43:47,363 of the young men's market." 993 00:43:47,407 --> 00:43:50,453 You know, "Fitted silhouettes aren't working anymore." 994 00:43:50,497 --> 00:43:54,109 So I think the industry began to change their specs 995 00:43:54,153 --> 00:43:58,548 where, you know, everybody else started doing larger sizes. 996 00:43:58,592 --> 00:44:02,030 '92--it was really '90, is when the baggy jeans started-- 997 00:44:02,074 --> 00:44:05,773 but '92 is when you know for sure it had impacted. 998 00:44:05,817 --> 00:44:09,603 Everybody's pants were big. 999 00:44:09,647 --> 00:44:12,345 I was probably about a freshman in college or so 1000 00:44:12,388 --> 00:44:13,955 when it was at its peak, 1001 00:44:13,999 --> 00:44:16,218 and this concept that there was a clothing brand 1002 00:44:16,262 --> 00:44:18,830 that united young people in thought, 1003 00:44:18,873 --> 00:44:20,135 as well as races, 1004 00:44:20,179 --> 00:44:22,355 was very intriguing for me. 1005 00:44:22,398 --> 00:44:24,662 The idea of offering clothes 1006 00:44:24,705 --> 00:44:27,142 that made you proud of your ethnicity... 1007 00:44:29,057 --> 00:44:32,191 Here was a time where women were really wearing 1008 00:44:32,234 --> 00:44:34,149 those same oversized clothes 1009 00:44:34,193 --> 00:44:35,934 just as much as the men were, 1010 00:44:35,977 --> 00:44:38,327 and I actually think of TLC 1011 00:44:38,371 --> 00:44:40,416 before I think of anyone else wearing Cross Colours, 1012 00:44:40,460 --> 00:44:42,331 let's say, and as being an influence 1013 00:44:42,375 --> 00:44:43,681 in wearing a men's brand. 1014 00:44:45,857 --> 00:44:47,685 No one really catered to the women 1015 00:44:47,728 --> 00:44:51,036 when it came to trying to dress us. 1016 00:44:51,079 --> 00:44:52,864 It was a male's game. 1017 00:44:52,907 --> 00:44:57,172 But I remember the first time I saw TLC wearing Cross Colours. 1018 00:44:57,216 --> 00:44:58,957 I was like, "Oh! Hmm! 1019 00:44:59,000 --> 00:45:00,959 Got my attention. Let me see." 1020 00:45:01,002 --> 00:45:03,048 Made me want to bring out more of the woman in me. 1021 00:45:03,091 --> 00:45:05,224 They really created a spark. 1022 00:45:05,267 --> 00:45:07,356 Like, "Wait a minute. 1023 00:45:07,400 --> 00:45:08,575 "I want to shine too. 1024 00:45:08,618 --> 00:45:10,229 I need some bright colors." 1025 00:45:10,272 --> 00:45:12,927 It became clothing for everyone. 1026 00:45:12,971 --> 00:45:16,757 It was celebrities loved it 'cause we embraced celebrities. 1027 00:45:16,801 --> 00:45:18,672 We embraced all the music artists. 1028 00:45:18,716 --> 00:45:21,283 And they--never was there any company that ever 1029 00:45:21,327 --> 00:45:23,416 reached out to artists and said, "Wear my clothing." 1030 00:45:23,459 --> 00:45:25,374 I think we were probably the first ones to do it. 1031 00:45:25,418 --> 00:45:27,333 So we were definitely onto something. 1032 00:45:27,376 --> 00:45:29,335 Cross Colours, within four years, 1033 00:45:29,378 --> 00:45:32,077 went from a zero to $100 million. 1034 00:45:32,120 --> 00:45:34,601 So the success of Cross Colours 1035 00:45:34,644 --> 00:45:38,213 then birthed a series of other entrepreneurs that decided, 1036 00:45:38,257 --> 00:45:41,129 "We want to create our own brands too." 1037 00:45:41,173 --> 00:45:45,612 So out of Cross Colours came this phenomenal group of individuals, 1038 00:45:45,655 --> 00:45:47,483 from Jeff Tweedy, 1039 00:45:47,527 --> 00:45:49,964 celebrity stylist June Ambrose, 1040 00:45:50,008 --> 00:45:51,792 Tony Shellman, who ended up going on 1041 00:45:51,836 --> 00:45:55,230 to launch several bands, from Mecca to Parish Nation, 1042 00:45:55,274 --> 00:45:56,710 April Walker, 1043 00:45:56,754 --> 00:45:58,756 and I can go on and on and on. 1044 00:46:05,066 --> 00:46:07,242 We wanted to get into the denim business, 1045 00:46:07,286 --> 00:46:10,637 and we did our research, and we found out that Guess and Girbaud 1046 00:46:10,680 --> 00:46:12,421 was manufactured in California. 1047 00:46:12,465 --> 00:46:15,685 So a friend of mine's, AZ, he found a factory 1048 00:46:15,729 --> 00:46:17,209 that was manufacturing Guess, 1049 00:46:17,252 --> 00:46:19,341 so he flew me out there, 1050 00:46:19,385 --> 00:46:20,778 and we stood outside the factory 1051 00:46:20,821 --> 00:46:22,605 till the workers got off of work, 1052 00:46:22,649 --> 00:46:24,216 and, you know, we didn't really know our Spanish that well, 1053 00:46:24,259 --> 00:46:28,002 so we was like, "Trabajo machina, mucho dinero." 1054 00:46:28,046 --> 00:46:29,308 So we kept saying it to a bunch of people. 1055 00:46:29,351 --> 00:46:30,396 They just kept walking away. 1056 00:46:30,439 --> 00:46:32,180 This one guy says, 1057 00:46:32,224 --> 00:46:34,008 "Oh, you want me to sew and you'll pay me more money?" 1058 00:46:34,052 --> 00:46:36,141 A Spanish guy, so he spoke English, 1059 00:46:36,184 --> 00:46:38,186 and he was--kind of was our linkage to everything. 1060 00:46:38,230 --> 00:46:41,276 He was a guy named Juan. So he put us up on the denim spots. 1061 00:46:41,320 --> 00:46:43,409 He showed us where to get the fabrics from, 1062 00:46:43,452 --> 00:46:45,150 and we just started moving and shaking. 1063 00:46:45,193 --> 00:46:46,412 So we took the New York hustle 1064 00:46:46,455 --> 00:46:47,848 and brought it to California. 1065 00:46:50,285 --> 00:46:52,200 We had a store on Crenshaw Boulevard. 1066 00:46:52,244 --> 00:46:54,812 Some entrepreneurs decided to come into our store 1067 00:46:54,855 --> 00:46:56,204 and rob our store at gunpoint, 1068 00:46:56,248 --> 00:46:57,815 and took all of our samples-- 1069 00:46:57,858 --> 00:46:59,294 took everything we had. 1070 00:46:59,338 --> 00:47:00,905 And at that point, we had a choice 1071 00:47:00,948 --> 00:47:04,212 to either stay out here or go back to New York. 1072 00:47:04,256 --> 00:47:06,214 So one day, we went to the Palladium, 1073 00:47:06,258 --> 00:47:08,260 and Cross Colours was in the middle of a fashion show, 1074 00:47:08,303 --> 00:47:11,654 and I saw Carl Jones, and I asked him, 1075 00:47:11,698 --> 00:47:13,831 "You know, Carl, how do I get my stuff in department stores? 1076 00:47:13,874 --> 00:47:16,094 I want to really get my brand out there." 1077 00:47:16,137 --> 00:47:17,922 He was like, "If you come to my office tomorrow, 1078 00:47:17,965 --> 00:47:19,575 I'll be willing to talk to you." 1079 00:47:19,619 --> 00:47:21,839 I came to his office, and within the first 15 minutes, 1080 00:47:21,882 --> 00:47:23,797 he was just like, "You know, I heard about your stuff. 1081 00:47:23,841 --> 00:47:26,017 If you need some help, I'd be willing to help you out." 1082 00:47:26,060 --> 00:47:28,889 Two weeks later, we had a deal, and he invited me to become 1083 00:47:28,933 --> 00:47:30,369 partners with him in the business. 1084 00:47:33,763 --> 00:47:36,679 He was very selective in who he gave his clothes to. 1085 00:47:36,723 --> 00:47:38,768 He gave it to the Biggie Smalls. He gave it to the Tupacs. 1086 00:47:38,812 --> 00:47:40,118 He gave it to more sophisticated guys, 1087 00:47:40,161 --> 00:47:42,468 where Cross Colours was more TLC, 1088 00:47:42,511 --> 00:47:44,296 Snoop Dogg, and things of that nature. 1089 00:47:44,339 --> 00:47:46,341 So we sort of made sure that 1090 00:47:46,385 --> 00:47:49,344 they sort of had a different vision 1091 00:47:49,388 --> 00:47:51,129 and the branding was slightly different 1092 00:47:51,172 --> 00:47:52,565 in how we market the brand. 1093 00:47:54,523 --> 00:47:56,743 I did a Karl Kani ad, 1094 00:47:56,786 --> 00:48:00,268 and that was the coolest thing that you could be involved in. 1095 00:48:00,312 --> 00:48:03,924 Like, who was in the next Karl Kani ad? 1096 00:48:03,968 --> 00:48:07,797 And it just made the dream accessible. 1097 00:48:07,841 --> 00:48:09,234 It made me feel like, you know, 1098 00:48:09,277 --> 00:48:11,149 if he could do it, I could do it. 1099 00:48:12,933 --> 00:48:14,848 He had a sophisticated level. 1100 00:48:14,892 --> 00:48:16,154 He understood clothing, 1101 00:48:16,197 --> 00:48:17,198 he understood tailoring, 1102 00:48:17,242 --> 00:48:18,373 he understood quality, 1103 00:48:18,417 --> 00:48:21,550 and he wanted the best. 1104 00:48:21,594 --> 00:48:23,465 There was a lot of learning obstacles for us. 1105 00:48:23,509 --> 00:48:25,728 We were young-- I was 22 years old. 1106 00:48:27,556 --> 00:48:29,471 I didn't make a lot of money back then. 1107 00:48:29,515 --> 00:48:32,910 You know, we was kind of learning the ropes a little bit. 1108 00:48:32,953 --> 00:48:35,129 Stores were afraid of this culture. 1109 00:48:35,173 --> 00:48:36,914 They really were. 1110 00:48:36,957 --> 00:48:38,437 They really didn't want this customer in their store. 1111 00:48:38,480 --> 00:48:41,092 You know, these stores was highly traded, 1112 00:48:41,135 --> 00:48:45,009 you know, white suburban and very traditional. 1113 00:48:47,228 --> 00:48:49,665 For a long time, department stores were fighting it. 1114 00:48:49,709 --> 00:48:51,929 At the time, we were called the urban designers 1115 00:48:51,972 --> 00:48:54,105 or hip-hop designers. 1116 00:48:54,148 --> 00:48:56,063 They couldn't break into department stores. 1117 00:48:56,107 --> 00:48:57,935 It was Tommy Hilfiger, 1118 00:48:57,978 --> 00:48:58,979 Polo, 1119 00:48:59,023 --> 00:49:00,328 all the big names. 1120 00:49:00,372 --> 00:49:02,069 The music industry is, you know, 1121 00:49:02,113 --> 00:49:05,464 making those names big and bigger 1122 00:49:05,507 --> 00:49:07,422 by constantly talking about them. 1123 00:49:07,466 --> 00:49:09,642 But, you know, when we get our own brands, 1124 00:49:09,685 --> 00:49:12,862 we're not, you know, being let on the floor 1125 00:49:12,906 --> 00:49:14,995 to even--to compete with that. 1126 00:49:17,693 --> 00:49:20,566 It was very difficult when I was running Karl Kani to even-- 1127 00:49:20,609 --> 00:49:22,742 for department stores to even look at our product. 1128 00:49:22,785 --> 00:49:24,874 Because they didn't know-- you know, 1129 00:49:24,918 --> 00:49:29,053 most department stores put a name to, you know, a product. 1130 00:49:29,096 --> 00:49:31,142 And at that time, it was men's sportswear 1131 00:49:31,185 --> 00:49:32,795 and men's traditional and men's suits, 1132 00:49:32,839 --> 00:49:34,493 and that was pretty much it. 1133 00:49:34,536 --> 00:49:36,625 So we came out with Karl Kani and Cross Colours, 1134 00:49:36,669 --> 00:49:38,366 they really didn't know how to identify it. 1135 00:49:38,410 --> 00:49:41,500 So what they did was, whoever wore the clothes, 1136 00:49:41,543 --> 00:49:45,504 Too Short or Snoop Dogg or anyone on the West Coast, 1137 00:49:45,547 --> 00:49:47,636 they considered it gang wear. 1138 00:49:47,680 --> 00:49:51,423 Then they toned it down and they called it street wear. 1139 00:49:51,466 --> 00:49:53,338 Then it became urban. 1140 00:49:53,381 --> 00:49:55,688 So imagine, you know, this buyer 1141 00:49:55,731 --> 00:49:58,038 who's never been to the streets in their life 1142 00:49:58,082 --> 00:50:01,041 all the sudden carrying a line that's considered gang wear. 1143 00:50:01,085 --> 00:50:02,695 And then you got to associate 1144 00:50:02,738 --> 00:50:04,349 what type of consumer demographics 1145 00:50:04,392 --> 00:50:05,393 was walking in that store. 1146 00:50:09,267 --> 00:50:11,051 You know, retailers would tell me, 1147 00:50:11,095 --> 00:50:13,662 "Your sweat suit is the same as Fila's sweat suit. 1148 00:50:13,706 --> 00:50:15,316 Why should I pay yours?" 1149 00:50:17,579 --> 00:50:19,059 I don't know if it was race 1150 00:50:19,103 --> 00:50:22,280 as much as not understanding 1151 00:50:22,323 --> 00:50:24,108 what we were doing, 1152 00:50:24,151 --> 00:50:27,111 and being into-- at the time, hip-hop period 1153 00:50:27,154 --> 00:50:28,982 the vibe was, "This is a fad. 1154 00:50:29,026 --> 00:50:31,854 It's not gonna last, from music to fashion." 1155 00:50:34,944 --> 00:50:37,730 I'd have black and white buyers say the kind of same thing. 1156 00:50:37,773 --> 00:50:39,906 They're like, you know, "Black people won't buy that," 1157 00:50:39,949 --> 00:50:41,516 or, "White people won't buy that." 1158 00:50:41,560 --> 00:50:43,605 That's what they would say. 1159 00:50:43,649 --> 00:50:46,173 People perceive me as, like, a wigger. 1160 00:50:46,217 --> 00:50:47,435 I would get that a lot. 1161 00:50:47,479 --> 00:50:49,481 So it didn't surprise me 1162 00:50:49,524 --> 00:50:53,354 when the buy side had the same kind of apprehension. 1163 00:50:53,398 --> 00:50:55,313 When the buy side of building my business 1164 00:50:55,356 --> 00:50:56,923 was kind of like, "Hmm." 1165 00:50:56,966 --> 00:50:59,360 Little cynical, like, "Hmm." 1166 00:51:02,102 --> 00:51:04,496 They really didn't want this consumer in the store, 1167 00:51:04,539 --> 00:51:06,237 but they had to, 'cause the demand was there. 1168 00:51:06,280 --> 00:51:09,370 And Carl Jones and Karl Kani created the demand 1169 00:51:09,414 --> 00:51:12,069 that you had to carry my product. 1170 00:51:12,112 --> 00:51:13,809 Wear your Karl Kani. 1171 00:51:13,853 --> 00:51:16,203 We were the first brands to have our own shops 1172 00:51:16,247 --> 00:51:18,118 in Macy's next to Ralph Lauren 1173 00:51:18,162 --> 00:51:20,338 and Polo and Tommy Hilfiger 1174 00:51:20,381 --> 00:51:21,426 and Nautica. 1175 00:51:21,469 --> 00:51:23,080 mr. Karl Kani. 1176 00:51:23,123 --> 00:51:25,125 Stores realized what the income of 1177 00:51:25,169 --> 00:51:27,693 and the outcome of this could have been and was, 1178 00:51:27,736 --> 00:51:31,479 so they took heed to it and put it and bought a lot of it. 1179 00:51:31,523 --> 00:51:36,876 1996, this was the start of the business making a transition 1180 00:51:36,919 --> 00:51:39,792 from being a mom and pop specialty store business 1181 00:51:39,835 --> 00:51:42,273 to being a department store business. 1182 00:51:42,316 --> 00:51:45,363 1183 00:51:45,406 --> 00:51:47,147 1184 00:51:47,191 --> 00:51:48,583 1185 00:51:48,627 --> 00:51:50,150 1186 00:51:50,194 --> 00:51:51,369 it's mine, it's mine 1187 00:51:51,412 --> 00:51:53,153 1188 00:51:53,197 --> 00:51:54,763 1189 00:51:54,807 --> 00:51:56,548 it's mine, it's mine 1190 00:51:56,591 --> 00:51:58,332 1191 00:51:58,376 --> 00:51:59,638 1192 00:51:59,681 --> 00:52:01,205 1193 00:52:01,248 --> 00:52:02,771 it's mine, it's mine 1194 00:52:02,815 --> 00:52:04,164 It was a crazy time. 1195 00:52:04,208 --> 00:52:06,035 It was like-- it was on fire. 1196 00:52:06,079 --> 00:52:08,037 Hip-hop was growing fast. 1197 00:52:08,081 --> 00:52:11,171 It was a movement going on-- fight the power. 1198 00:52:11,215 --> 00:52:14,000 Hip-hop was just exploding in every way and any way, 1199 00:52:14,043 --> 00:52:16,263 and so as far as the apparel was concerned, 1200 00:52:16,307 --> 00:52:18,874 it was kind of like there was no main focus. 1201 00:52:18,918 --> 00:52:21,834 It was just whoever had an apparel company 1202 00:52:21,877 --> 00:52:23,096 basically was part of the movement, 1203 00:52:23,140 --> 00:52:24,793 and they got to win. 1204 00:52:24,837 --> 00:52:27,970 It was crazy. It was crazy to be a part of it. 1205 00:52:34,412 --> 00:52:36,849 Yeah, Video Music Box Friday night street party. 1206 00:52:36,892 --> 00:52:39,765 your Uncle Ralph in the place. I'm out here in Las Vegas 1207 00:52:39,808 --> 00:52:42,724 at the MAGIC convention. It's the clothing convention. 1208 00:52:42,768 --> 00:52:46,337 MAGIC is where all the clothing stores and companies and all that come, 1209 00:52:46,380 --> 00:52:49,340 and they all, you know what I'm saying, come, the buyers come and cop, 1210 00:52:49,383 --> 00:52:52,604 and then they put it in a store near you, you know what I'm saying? 1211 00:52:52,647 --> 00:52:54,780 We went to this thing called the MAGIC show in Las Vegas. 1212 00:52:54,823 --> 00:52:56,564 We didn't have enough money to exhibit in the trade show, 1213 00:52:56,608 --> 00:52:58,479 or even walk into the trade show. 1214 00:52:58,523 --> 00:53:00,786 And we wrote $300,000 worth of orders 1215 00:53:00,829 --> 00:53:03,876 out of this little hotel room five miles away, away from the trade show. 1216 00:53:03,919 --> 00:53:06,487 We then come back-- we don't have any money. 1217 00:53:06,531 --> 00:53:08,141 We get turned down by 27 banks. 1218 00:53:08,185 --> 00:53:10,752 We go into my house, we take all the furniture we can, 1219 00:53:10,796 --> 00:53:13,015 we sell what we can. 1220 00:53:13,059 --> 00:53:15,583 The rest that we cannot sell, we burn in oil drums. 1221 00:53:15,627 --> 00:53:18,412 It takes about two weeks, because we wanted to get the furniture out of there, 1222 00:53:18,456 --> 00:53:21,850 and we move industrial sewing machines in there and we hire a staff. 1223 00:53:23,722 --> 00:53:25,724 We slept in sleeping bags next to those machines, 1224 00:53:25,767 --> 00:53:29,075 and for a year we would just crank FUBU out of the house, 1225 00:53:29,118 --> 00:53:31,469 and that started to populate the stores, 1226 00:53:31,512 --> 00:53:34,820 and the stores started to sell polar fleece and sweatshirts 1227 00:53:34,863 --> 00:53:36,778 in August in Texas. 1228 00:53:36,822 --> 00:53:39,085 And then people started to realize who we were. 1229 00:53:42,088 --> 00:53:44,873 FUBU was able to do 1230 00:53:44,917 --> 00:53:47,485 what Cross Colours didn't in terms of volume, 1231 00:53:47,528 --> 00:53:49,835 so while its predecessor at its max, 1232 00:53:49,878 --> 00:53:52,229 at its peak, did $100 million, 1233 00:53:52,272 --> 00:53:55,319 and that was in 1990, 1234 00:53:55,362 --> 00:53:57,495 less than seven years later, 1235 00:53:57,538 --> 00:53:59,714 you're talking about a brand that proved itself 1236 00:53:59,758 --> 00:54:02,064 at $350 million. 1237 00:54:04,284 --> 00:54:08,810 It went beyond just the local kids in the hood. 1238 00:54:08,854 --> 00:54:11,813 You know, the leaders in that that sort of really 1239 00:54:11,857 --> 00:54:15,252 naturally used the media 1240 00:54:15,295 --> 00:54:18,733 and used TV properly was FUBU. 1241 00:54:18,777 --> 00:54:22,389 I mean, although videos were being dominated by Karl Kani. 1242 00:54:22,433 --> 00:54:27,046 FUBU was clever enough to put a hat on LL in a Gap commercial-- 1243 00:54:27,089 --> 00:54:28,569 changed everything. 1244 00:54:28,613 --> 00:54:31,224 Just changed everything. 1245 00:54:31,268 --> 00:54:34,314 LL was always somebody who made his own rules 1246 00:54:34,358 --> 00:54:36,882 and, because he felt that the Gap at the time 1247 00:54:36,925 --> 00:54:38,405 didn't really respect the culture or him, 1248 00:54:38,449 --> 00:54:40,233 he put FUBU in the Gap commercial. 1249 00:54:40,277 --> 00:54:41,756 the Gap calling 1250 00:54:41,800 --> 00:54:43,192 resist the shopping 1251 00:54:43,236 --> 00:54:44,498 non-stoppin' 1252 00:54:44,542 --> 00:54:46,152 jeans poppin' 1253 00:54:46,195 --> 00:54:48,285 and city G-A-P gritty 1254 00:54:48,328 --> 00:54:50,591 By us on the low 1255 00:54:50,635 --> 00:54:52,898 The Gap ended up spending $30 million on that commercial, 1256 00:54:52,941 --> 00:54:55,161 and it became basically a FUBU commercial. 1257 00:54:58,773 --> 00:55:02,560 'Pac used to wear my clothes all the time, even before I met him. 1258 00:55:02,603 --> 00:55:05,911 So I wanted to meet this dude, man, 'cause, you know, 'Pac was all over the place, 1259 00:55:05,954 --> 00:55:07,434 so AZ, again, 1260 00:55:07,478 --> 00:55:09,567 he set up a meeting. 1261 00:55:09,610 --> 00:55:12,047 So we go up to 'Pac's room. The whole time we're in there-- 1262 00:55:12,091 --> 00:55:14,136 he didn't even look me in my face when I walked in the room. 1263 00:55:14,180 --> 00:55:16,269 He just said "What's up." He was typing a script to a movie. 1264 00:55:16,313 --> 00:55:18,489 As he's typing the script to the movie, 1265 00:55:18,532 --> 00:55:20,273 he's having a very intelligent conversation with me 1266 00:55:20,317 --> 00:55:23,624 about black culture, hip-hop, 1267 00:55:23,668 --> 00:55:25,191 things like that. 1268 00:55:25,234 --> 00:55:27,454 The only time he stopped typing 1269 00:55:27,498 --> 00:55:28,542 was when I asked him-- 1270 00:55:28,586 --> 00:55:30,414 I said, "'Pac, so, like, 1271 00:55:30,457 --> 00:55:34,548 how much would you charge me to do an ad?" 1272 00:55:34,592 --> 00:55:36,942 He stopped. 1273 00:55:36,985 --> 00:55:39,858 He said, "Man, I ain't gonna charge you. You're black." 1274 00:55:39,901 --> 00:55:41,468 I charge my people for nothing. 1275 00:55:41,512 --> 00:55:43,122 And the man kept his word. 1276 00:55:43,165 --> 00:55:45,254 Two weeks later, we was in New York. 1277 00:55:45,298 --> 00:55:48,040 We did the photo shoot. He was all love. 1278 00:55:48,083 --> 00:55:50,695 And ever since then, we became tight. 1279 00:55:50,738 --> 00:55:53,045 And Tupac was one big reason 1280 00:55:53,088 --> 00:55:55,482 why I helped my brand at--nationally and globally. 1281 00:55:55,526 --> 00:55:57,615 They worship him like a god 1282 00:55:57,658 --> 00:55:59,443 overseas in Europe. 1283 00:56:12,456 --> 00:56:15,502 I've seen an influence of hip-hop fashion 1284 00:56:15,546 --> 00:56:16,982 all over the world. 1285 00:56:17,025 --> 00:56:18,766 In Japan and places in Europe-- 1286 00:56:18,810 --> 00:56:20,072 all over Europe. 1287 00:56:20,115 --> 00:56:22,117 It's how they relate to the music. 1288 00:56:22,161 --> 00:56:24,685 They don't just listen to it; they embody it. 1289 00:56:29,690 --> 00:56:32,214 When you don't understand English, 1290 00:56:32,258 --> 00:56:36,784 what makes you go to buy an album? 1291 00:56:36,828 --> 00:56:39,526 The look, the fashion, 1292 00:56:39,570 --> 00:56:41,485 will transmit something 1293 00:56:41,528 --> 00:56:43,487 you can't explain. 1294 00:56:43,530 --> 00:56:47,316 I remember the pictures with the black suit 1295 00:56:47,360 --> 00:56:48,622 and leather. 1296 00:56:48,666 --> 00:56:51,538 The Kangol, the glasses, 1297 00:56:51,582 --> 00:56:53,018 and the Adidas. 1298 00:56:53,061 --> 00:56:54,585 When I was back in Italy, 1299 00:56:54,628 --> 00:56:56,369 like, you know, 15 years ago, 20 years ago, 1300 00:56:56,413 --> 00:56:58,545 I was one of the only kids, probably, in Italy 1301 00:56:58,589 --> 00:57:00,939 that was already listening to hip-hop music and rap music. 1302 00:57:00,982 --> 00:57:02,593 I was, like, you know, getting clothes, 1303 00:57:02,636 --> 00:57:04,551 and getting music from my friends 1304 00:57:04,595 --> 00:57:07,249 who had, like, the opportunity to go to New York and buy them 1305 00:57:07,293 --> 00:57:09,991 when it already was not yet popular in Europe. 1306 00:57:10,035 --> 00:57:12,907 And I always loved it, because that, again, is about freedom, 1307 00:57:12,951 --> 00:57:17,651 is about, you know, supporting the roots of the culture. 1308 00:57:22,351 --> 00:57:25,442 In the international market, the hip-hop culture's there. 1309 00:57:25,485 --> 00:57:27,835 There's demographic consumers there, 1310 00:57:27,879 --> 00:57:28,793 The clothes is there. 1311 00:57:32,274 --> 00:57:35,582 You cannot talking about hip-hop only in the U.S. anymore. 1312 00:57:35,626 --> 00:57:37,802 Hip-hop is not from the U.S. anymore. 1313 00:57:37,845 --> 00:57:39,978 It's come from Berlin. It's come from Tokyo. 1314 00:57:40,021 --> 00:57:41,980 It's come from Hong Kong. It's come from Paris. 1315 00:57:42,023 --> 00:57:43,242 It's come from everywhere. 1316 00:57:43,285 --> 00:57:44,765 It's only one world anymore. 1317 00:57:44,809 --> 00:57:47,115 One world for the money. One world for the music. 1318 00:57:47,159 --> 00:57:49,509 One world for the fashion. 1319 00:57:49,553 --> 00:57:52,425 Everybody got the same shit at the same time 1320 00:57:52,469 --> 00:57:53,948 everywhere in the world. 1321 00:57:53,992 --> 00:57:55,428 It's business. 1322 00:57:55,472 --> 00:57:57,386 So we don't talking about culture. 1323 00:57:57,430 --> 00:57:59,432 We don't talking about style. We don't talking about fashion. 1324 00:57:59,476 --> 00:58:00,912 We don't talking about music. 1325 00:58:00,955 --> 00:58:03,262 We're talking about marketing and timing. 1326 00:58:03,305 --> 00:58:04,829 If you are in the right timing 1327 00:58:04,872 --> 00:58:06,265 with the right marketing, 1328 00:58:06,308 --> 00:58:07,875 you're gonna do billion of dollar. 1329 00:58:07,919 --> 00:58:09,094 That's it. 1330 00:58:14,316 --> 00:58:16,710 I have an appointment with Russell Simmons. 1331 00:58:16,754 --> 00:58:18,016 Can you call him? 1332 00:58:18,059 --> 00:58:21,846 Okay, sure. It'll be one minute. 1333 00:58:21,889 --> 00:58:24,501 We currently represent maybe 40 artists. 1334 00:58:24,544 --> 00:58:27,068 They've all had some success. 1335 00:58:27,112 --> 00:58:29,593 Some more than others. 1336 00:58:29,636 --> 00:58:31,856 I think people, as they hear it more, 1337 00:58:31,899 --> 00:58:34,902 they understand it more and will appreciate it more. 1338 00:58:34,946 --> 00:58:38,732 A person that must be given a great deal of credit 1339 00:58:38,776 --> 00:58:43,737 is the man who was married to the fabulous model, 1340 00:58:43,781 --> 00:58:45,086 Kimora Lee Simmons, 1341 00:58:45,130 --> 00:58:46,914 Russell Simmons. 1342 00:58:46,958 --> 00:58:49,830 What Russell Simmons and Kimora Lee Simmons did 1343 00:58:49,874 --> 00:58:50,875 as a couple 1344 00:58:50,918 --> 00:58:52,441 was extraordinary. 1345 00:58:52,485 --> 00:58:54,400 Not only for the hip-hop culture 1346 00:58:54,443 --> 00:58:56,315 but for the fashion culture. 1347 00:58:56,358 --> 00:58:58,317 For the urban fashion culture. 1348 00:58:58,360 --> 00:59:01,015 What they created with their brand-- 1349 00:59:01,059 --> 00:59:02,974 the Phat Farm product was amazing. 1350 00:59:05,106 --> 00:59:07,021 The music culture smartened up 1351 00:59:07,065 --> 00:59:09,110 with a guy named Russell Simmons. 1352 00:59:09,154 --> 00:59:11,112 Here he comes with Phat Farm. 1353 00:59:11,156 --> 00:59:13,288 And then the people that surround him 1354 00:59:13,332 --> 00:59:15,595 saying like, "Man, how much they made off of that?" 1355 00:59:15,639 --> 00:59:17,031 Then you have all these different things 1356 00:59:17,075 --> 00:59:19,077 that's a domino effect of, 1357 00:59:19,120 --> 00:59:21,296 you know, knowing what our culture want 1358 00:59:21,340 --> 00:59:25,170 and how much money is made. 1359 00:59:25,213 --> 00:59:28,869 When mainstream American culture discovered hip-hop, 1360 00:59:28,913 --> 00:59:31,916 they began trying to sort of, you know, 1361 00:59:31,959 --> 00:59:35,789 sell bits and pieces of it in any way they could. 1362 00:59:35,833 --> 00:59:40,359 And this is when you got all of these, you know, 1363 00:59:40,402 --> 00:59:42,927 fashion labels associated with rappers. 1364 00:59:45,973 --> 00:59:49,455 At Rocawear, I would try to show a lifestyle that people would buy into. 1365 00:59:49,498 --> 00:59:52,458 That's what I was ultimately trying to do. You know what I'm saying? 1366 00:59:52,501 --> 00:59:54,416 I was like, I don't want it to be looked at 1367 00:59:54,460 --> 00:59:56,201 as, "We're good for urban or black clothing." 1368 00:59:56,244 --> 00:59:58,595 I wanted to compete with everyone else 1369 00:59:58,638 --> 00:59:59,900 in the world. 1370 01:00:01,946 --> 01:00:05,166 Rocawear was around well before Sean John, 1371 01:00:05,210 --> 01:00:08,735 but it wasn't until we saw the numbers of Sean John 1372 01:00:08,779 --> 01:00:13,131 that I think Rocawear was able to benefit from that. 1373 01:00:13,174 --> 01:00:16,134 By the time Sean John came on the scene, 1374 01:00:16,177 --> 01:00:19,398 urban brands were starting to become a bit saturated 1375 01:00:19,441 --> 01:00:21,182 in the fashion market, 1376 01:00:21,226 --> 01:00:24,403 and I think Sean John really injected the industry 1377 01:00:24,446 --> 01:00:26,231 with a new pulse. 1378 01:00:28,320 --> 01:00:29,930 I think, for Sean John, 1379 01:00:29,974 --> 01:00:33,020 you know, my whole muse and motivation 1380 01:00:33,064 --> 01:00:36,241 was what I grew up seeing in the streets, 1381 01:00:36,284 --> 01:00:39,548 what I grew up seeing-- going internationally 1382 01:00:39,592 --> 01:00:41,942 and how they reacted to my style, 1383 01:00:41,986 --> 01:00:44,553 what I was just seeing in my communities, 1384 01:00:44,597 --> 01:00:47,731 and taking it and combining it also 1385 01:00:47,774 --> 01:00:51,038 to what I was seeing on the runways 1386 01:00:51,082 --> 01:00:52,257 from all over the world. 1387 01:00:54,259 --> 01:00:56,261 It was the embodiment of swagger, 1388 01:00:56,304 --> 01:00:57,741 you know what I'm saying? 1389 01:01:00,526 --> 01:01:02,571 When Sean first started doing fashion 1390 01:01:02,615 --> 01:01:04,486 and having fashion shows, 1391 01:01:04,530 --> 01:01:06,880 they were some of the most extraordinary moments 1392 01:01:06,924 --> 01:01:08,186 during Fashion Week. 1393 01:01:08,229 --> 01:01:09,666 Everybody always asks me 1394 01:01:09,709 --> 01:01:11,929 why I started designing clothes. 1395 01:01:11,972 --> 01:01:14,714 See, I basically just wanted to look good, man. 1396 01:01:14,758 --> 01:01:16,760 You know, to be perfectly honest, 1397 01:01:16,803 --> 01:01:19,980 I always just liked looking in the motherfucking mirror-- 1398 01:01:20,024 --> 01:01:21,808 looking at myself and saying, 1399 01:01:21,852 --> 01:01:24,506 "Boy, goddamn, you look good." 1400 01:01:24,550 --> 01:01:25,943 With Sean John, 1401 01:01:25,986 --> 01:01:27,945 I didn't want to just make it a fashion brand; 1402 01:01:27,988 --> 01:01:29,773 I wanted to make it a lifestyle. 1403 01:01:29,816 --> 01:01:31,731 I wanted to make sure that we were able to go 1404 01:01:31,775 --> 01:01:33,646 from the block to the boardroom-- 1405 01:01:33,690 --> 01:01:35,343 that if you had a job interview, 1406 01:01:35,387 --> 01:01:37,476 you were able to represent yourself the right way; 1407 01:01:37,519 --> 01:01:39,347 if you were going to church, 1408 01:01:39,391 --> 01:01:42,002 you were able to represent yourself the right way: 1409 01:01:42,046 --> 01:01:44,004 fresh from head to toe, you know? 1410 01:01:44,048 --> 01:01:46,311 And so we didn't take no prisoners. 1411 01:01:46,354 --> 01:01:49,314 If Ralph was doing it, Gucci was doing it, 1412 01:01:49,357 --> 01:01:50,837 Sean John was able to do it. 1413 01:01:50,881 --> 01:01:53,448 And we wanted to do it just as good as them 1414 01:01:53,492 --> 01:01:54,536 or even better. 1415 01:01:56,800 --> 01:02:00,020 At that time, we were up against brands like Mecca 1416 01:02:00,064 --> 01:02:02,588 and Phat Farm and Rocawear, 1417 01:02:02,631 --> 01:02:03,937 and we were more sophisticated. 1418 01:02:03,981 --> 01:02:05,722 Again, the quality was better, 1419 01:02:05,765 --> 01:02:07,811 it was toned down as far as the coloration, 1420 01:02:07,854 --> 01:02:09,377 the fit was different, 1421 01:02:09,421 --> 01:02:12,424 and the price was a little more higher. 1422 01:02:15,732 --> 01:02:17,777 He said, "Hey, guess what. 1423 01:02:17,821 --> 01:02:20,737 "I'ma do urban fashion, but I'm not gonna do urban fashion. 1424 01:02:20,780 --> 01:02:23,740 I'm gonna do high fashion in an urban space." 1425 01:02:25,742 --> 01:02:28,962 At its heart, Sean John was about aspiration. 1426 01:02:29,006 --> 01:02:32,009 And so he did this high-low thing 1427 01:02:32,052 --> 01:02:33,575 at such a big level 1428 01:02:33,619 --> 01:02:36,796 and turned it into this global brand. 1429 01:02:36,840 --> 01:02:38,493 He also won the CFDA award 1430 01:02:38,537 --> 01:02:41,105 for menswear, which was huge. 1431 01:02:41,148 --> 01:02:42,497 I remember being at the company, 1432 01:02:42,541 --> 01:02:44,761 and, like, realizing how big it was, 1433 01:02:44,804 --> 01:02:46,675 understanding that he was the first African-American 1434 01:02:46,719 --> 01:02:48,199 to win that award, and you're at-- 1435 01:02:48,242 --> 01:02:50,549 you know, and he was a hip-hop artist 1436 01:02:50,592 --> 01:02:53,291 crossing over, winning, you know, 1437 01:02:53,334 --> 01:02:56,816 the most prestigious fashion award for the year. 1438 01:02:56,860 --> 01:03:00,080 Winning that award was bigger than Sean John. 1439 01:03:00,124 --> 01:03:01,429 It was bigger than me. 1440 01:03:01,473 --> 01:03:04,084 You know, when we won that award-- 1441 01:03:04,128 --> 01:03:05,651 as I said, we won that award. 1442 01:03:05,694 --> 01:03:07,827 It--we all won it together. 1443 01:03:09,916 --> 01:03:12,484 He was able to show that a music brand 1444 01:03:12,527 --> 01:03:14,834 can make major volume sales. 1445 01:03:14,878 --> 01:03:17,576 Now we're starting to see three-digit sales 1446 01:03:17,619 --> 01:03:20,144 from a music-inspired line. 1447 01:03:20,187 --> 01:03:22,886 That just kind of opened the floodgates. 1448 01:03:22,929 --> 01:03:25,105 All of a sudden, it became a free-for-all 1449 01:03:25,149 --> 01:03:27,412 and there wasn't a celebrity, urban or not, 1450 01:03:27,455 --> 01:03:28,848 that didn't get in the business. 1451 01:03:37,378 --> 01:03:39,772 Well, basically the start of Wu Wear, 1452 01:03:39,816 --> 01:03:44,733 my expectation of it was nothing other than really 1453 01:03:44,777 --> 01:03:47,562 self-expression and stylization-- 1454 01:03:47,606 --> 01:03:50,087 a stylization that was, you know, 1455 01:03:50,130 --> 01:03:51,828 there to accompany our music. 1456 01:03:51,871 --> 01:03:54,352 But I also wanted Wu-Tang 1457 01:03:54,395 --> 01:03:57,746 to be kind of like its own Polo or Tommy Hilfiger. 1458 01:04:01,750 --> 01:04:03,404 Outkast is like, 1459 01:04:03,448 --> 01:04:06,277 "I'm not gonna keep wearing everybody else's stuff 1460 01:04:06,320 --> 01:04:07,887 when I can have my own line." 1461 01:04:07,931 --> 01:04:09,671 That makes sense. 1462 01:04:09,715 --> 01:04:13,023 But then, if you don't pull together the right team, 1463 01:04:13,066 --> 01:04:15,112 that line is not gonna last. 1464 01:04:15,155 --> 01:04:18,245 And you know what? You might get real estate in that store 1465 01:04:18,289 --> 01:04:20,160 for 6 to 18 months, 1466 01:04:20,204 --> 01:04:22,946 but you're just taking away another designer's real estate 1467 01:04:22,989 --> 01:04:24,817 that's really real about it 1468 01:04:24,861 --> 01:04:28,255 and can give some good product. 1469 01:04:28,299 --> 01:04:30,605 You weren't gonna wear Shady. 1470 01:04:30,649 --> 01:04:32,564 You just were not. 1471 01:04:32,607 --> 01:04:36,524 I mean, there's nothing that made you think 1472 01:04:36,568 --> 01:04:41,138 that Shady was, you know, into fashion. 1473 01:04:41,181 --> 01:04:44,141 You know, as a consumer, you sort of just knew it was a-- 1474 01:04:44,184 --> 01:04:45,969 it was a money play. 1475 01:04:47,971 --> 01:04:49,276 They put a million dollars 1476 01:04:49,320 --> 01:04:51,757 behind all these different brands 1477 01:04:51,800 --> 01:04:53,411 and because they had a hot song. 1478 01:04:53,454 --> 01:04:56,022 You're as hot as your music 1479 01:04:56,066 --> 01:04:58,024 when you're a musician 1480 01:04:58,068 --> 01:04:59,896 coming out with a clothing brand. 1481 01:04:59,939 --> 01:05:01,941 They're not really serious about this. 1482 01:05:01,985 --> 01:05:03,900 They're putting out T-shirts. They're putting out this. 1483 01:05:03,943 --> 01:05:06,685 You're as good as your brand, as your music is. 1484 01:05:06,728 --> 01:05:08,730 If your music starts going south, 1485 01:05:08,774 --> 01:05:10,341 so does the clothing. 1486 01:05:13,605 --> 01:05:15,215 The fashion industry is fickle. 1487 01:05:15,259 --> 01:05:19,045 It goes up and down just like the economy. 1488 01:05:19,089 --> 01:05:22,222 What happened? A number of factors. 1489 01:05:22,266 --> 01:05:25,573 You had an oversaturation of brands. 1490 01:05:25,617 --> 01:05:28,141 You had brands moving too fast 1491 01:05:28,185 --> 01:05:31,275 into doing the department store business. 1492 01:05:31,318 --> 01:05:33,538 When all the urban brands started to hit, 1493 01:05:33,581 --> 01:05:37,063 the same stores that used to buy 90% of our collection 1494 01:05:37,107 --> 01:05:39,848 started ordering 40% or 30% of our collection, 1495 01:05:39,892 --> 01:05:41,850 'cause now it's a floor space competition 1496 01:05:41,894 --> 01:05:43,374 for newer brands. 1497 01:05:45,419 --> 01:05:47,987 If you're a designer and you really want 1498 01:05:48,031 --> 01:05:49,597 to stay true to who you are, 1499 01:05:49,641 --> 01:05:52,209 but yet you have a vig that you have to pay 1500 01:05:52,252 --> 01:05:54,646 or a partner who has another agenda, 1501 01:05:54,689 --> 01:05:55,821 you're eventually gonna clash. 1502 01:05:57,692 --> 01:05:59,390 We had a partner. 1503 01:05:59,433 --> 01:06:01,870 Our partner probably had never seen it 1504 01:06:01,914 --> 01:06:03,611 go so fast and so big, 1505 01:06:03,655 --> 01:06:07,267 so he wanted to drive, at the time, all the time. 1506 01:06:07,311 --> 01:06:09,966 And we were just bumping heads constantly. 1507 01:06:12,142 --> 01:06:14,492 People would offer me deals and I was turning them down 1508 01:06:14,535 --> 01:06:15,754 because I'm like, 1509 01:06:15,797 --> 01:06:19,062 "At 3%, 4% of my company? 1510 01:06:19,105 --> 01:06:21,281 "You mean, you're gonna give me 4% of mine? 1511 01:06:21,325 --> 01:06:23,196 That sounds like slavery to me." 1512 01:06:25,894 --> 01:06:27,679 When somebody's paying for your dream, 1513 01:06:27,722 --> 01:06:29,986 it's not your dream anymore; it's their dream. 1514 01:06:30,029 --> 01:06:32,292 I didn't like the way it was made, and then I didn't like, really, 1515 01:06:32,336 --> 01:06:35,208 what the perspective of it was, who it was being catered to. 1516 01:06:35,252 --> 01:06:37,645 You know, I didn't like big logos all day. 1517 01:06:40,213 --> 01:06:42,563 You can't just say a hip-hop king 1518 01:06:42,607 --> 01:06:45,349 is gonna become the next Louis Vuitton house. 1519 01:06:45,392 --> 01:06:47,786 Louis Vuitton was there over 130 years ago, 1520 01:06:47,829 --> 01:06:49,440 some 100-odd years ago. 1521 01:06:51,181 --> 01:06:53,618 Ralph Lauren Polo doesn't disappear 1522 01:06:53,661 --> 01:06:56,490 when a particular style of clothing 1523 01:06:56,534 --> 01:06:58,014 is no longer popular. 1524 01:06:58,057 --> 01:07:00,146 So you're talking about, you know, 1525 01:07:00,190 --> 01:07:04,063 the difference between companies that were able 1526 01:07:04,107 --> 01:07:07,893 to establish themself in a society 1527 01:07:07,936 --> 01:07:10,983 when African-Americans were discriminated against, 1528 01:07:11,027 --> 01:07:12,680 economically, in business and such. 1529 01:07:12,724 --> 01:07:14,378 I mean, in order to have a-- 1530 01:07:14,421 --> 01:07:16,771 I mean, Levi's been around, you know, for how long? 1531 01:07:16,815 --> 01:07:20,906 Forever, seemingly. Right, well, it would have been impossible 1532 01:07:20,949 --> 01:07:24,475 to have had an African-American label making jeans 1533 01:07:24,518 --> 01:07:27,826 as far back as Levi's in American society. 1534 01:07:30,002 --> 01:07:34,615 Unfortunately, they've not had the staying power. 1535 01:07:34,659 --> 01:07:38,445 Thanks to all our supporters out there too. One love. 1536 01:07:38,489 --> 01:07:40,404 Depending on the flavor of the day, 1537 01:07:40,447 --> 01:07:43,102 the mood of the month, you know, whatever we're into, 1538 01:07:43,146 --> 01:07:45,148 we wear it, we're proud to wear it, 1539 01:07:45,191 --> 01:07:48,194 but we put it in a different class of distinction 1540 01:07:48,238 --> 01:07:49,804 than other designs. 1541 01:07:49,848 --> 01:07:51,458 I think that has a lot to do 1542 01:07:51,502 --> 01:07:52,894 with a lot of deeper discussions 1543 01:07:52,938 --> 01:07:55,158 about self-esteem, 1544 01:07:55,201 --> 01:07:59,336 distinctions in class and race. 1545 01:07:59,379 --> 01:08:01,686 Brands are identifiers as to who we are 1546 01:08:01,729 --> 01:08:03,688 from head to toe. 1547 01:08:03,731 --> 01:08:07,083 And it's always like the grass is greener on the other side. 1548 01:08:13,611 --> 01:08:15,439 What do you know about this coat? 1549 01:08:17,528 --> 01:08:19,530 People getting rough with that coat. 1550 01:08:19,573 --> 01:08:21,836 Everybody wants that coat. It's an expensive coat. 1551 01:08:21,880 --> 01:08:24,012 I don't feel safe wearing it 1552 01:08:24,056 --> 01:08:27,407 'cause I feel like I might get attacked for what I have. 1553 01:08:27,451 --> 01:08:30,323 This coat right here? 1554 01:08:30,367 --> 01:08:33,761 rob people for these coats. They're expensive. 1555 01:08:33,805 --> 01:08:35,459 And the youth nowadays, like, around here, 1556 01:08:35,502 --> 01:08:37,722 like, in Harlem and the Bronx, Brooklyn-- 1557 01:08:37,765 --> 01:08:41,682 a lot of, like, the main tough areas, 1558 01:08:41,726 --> 01:08:43,554 this is, like, a big fashion, these coats are. 1559 01:08:43,597 --> 01:08:44,946 A lot of people get robbed for them, 1560 01:08:44,990 --> 01:08:46,644 get killed for them. 1561 01:08:46,687 --> 01:08:48,254 Some kid just got shot-- where was he? 1562 01:08:48,298 --> 01:08:50,126 - Bryant Park. - On Bryant Park for that coat. 1563 01:08:50,169 --> 01:08:51,779 Good evening, everyone. I'm Joe Torres. 1564 01:08:51,823 --> 01:08:53,868 And I'm Sandra Bookman. Just a short time ago, 1565 01:08:53,912 --> 01:08:57,655 police charged 16-year-old Corey Dunton with attempted murder 1566 01:08:57,698 --> 01:09:00,397 for opening fire on the ice rink in Bryant Park. 1567 01:09:00,440 --> 01:09:02,834 Sources say it all started with a fight over a coat 1568 01:09:02,877 --> 01:09:04,966 and ended with two people shot, 1569 01:09:05,010 --> 01:09:06,794 including a 14-year-old boy 1570 01:09:06,838 --> 01:09:09,754 whose family fears he might never walk again. 1571 01:09:09,797 --> 01:09:13,975 If you know, you seen it, it's all over the news-- 1572 01:09:14,019 --> 01:09:19,155 If I was to buy my son a coat that costs $600, 1573 01:09:19,198 --> 01:09:22,375 I'm gonna send him to school with a bulletproof vest. 1574 01:09:22,419 --> 01:09:24,072 Back in the days in our era, 1575 01:09:24,116 --> 01:09:26,423 you got beat up, your stuff got taken. 1576 01:09:26,466 --> 01:09:28,381 Nowadays, everybody results to this crazy thing. 1577 01:09:28,425 --> 01:09:30,383 Like, I watched kids get shot for jackets. 1578 01:09:30,427 --> 01:09:33,081 Like, you read about a kid getting shot for Jordans. 1579 01:09:33,125 --> 01:09:34,953 I mean, it's just crazy. It's--it's disturbing. 1580 01:09:34,996 --> 01:09:36,955 It's actually really, really disturbing. 1581 01:09:36,998 --> 01:09:40,306 The Air Jordan shoe frenzy started Friday morning-- 1582 01:09:40,350 --> 01:09:43,614 people waiting in line to get their hands on the shoes. 1583 01:09:43,657 --> 01:09:46,660 In Georgia, four people arrested 1584 01:09:46,704 --> 01:09:49,272 as they tried to get a pair of shoes. 1585 01:09:49,315 --> 01:09:51,361 Five cops spraying everybody. 1586 01:09:51,404 --> 01:09:55,234 Efren Espinoza just spent $180 for the Air Jordans, 1587 01:09:55,278 --> 01:09:57,715 but now, all he has to show for the shoes 1588 01:09:57,758 --> 01:10:01,109 are cuts and bruises to his head and chest. 1589 01:10:01,153 --> 01:10:02,807 I got an abundance of shoes, 1590 01:10:02,850 --> 01:10:04,548 so when I see a kid get robbed for a pair of Jordans, 1591 01:10:04,591 --> 01:10:06,289 or shot for a pair of Jordans, 1592 01:10:06,332 --> 01:10:09,509 sometimes I sit back and look, and I'm like, "Damn." 1593 01:10:28,485 --> 01:10:30,530 By the time we hit the 2000s, 1594 01:10:30,574 --> 01:10:32,880 it was kind of like, "Wow," you know? 1595 01:10:32,924 --> 01:10:35,840 You got to watch the trends because of all the traffic 1596 01:10:35,883 --> 01:10:39,409 and all of the activity that was happening online. 1597 01:10:41,193 --> 01:10:43,674 Before, what our influences were 1598 01:10:43,717 --> 01:10:46,242 were confined to what was at our reach. 1599 01:10:46,285 --> 01:10:51,159 And now, with the expansion and the power of the Internet, 1600 01:10:51,203 --> 01:10:56,077 I have access to every fashion, look, brand 1601 01:10:56,121 --> 01:10:57,470 across the world, 1602 01:10:57,514 --> 01:11:01,953 so I can be whoever I want to be. 1603 01:11:01,996 --> 01:11:06,044 We're in a space where they're exchanging so many ideas 1604 01:11:06,087 --> 01:11:11,310 that I think that we're getting back into 1605 01:11:11,354 --> 01:11:12,529 individual looks. 1606 01:11:15,358 --> 01:11:18,143 It's no longer, you know, like, 1607 01:11:18,186 --> 01:11:20,058 it's either urban or it's, you know, like, 1608 01:11:20,101 --> 01:11:21,842 it's punk or it's this or that. 1609 01:11:21,886 --> 01:11:24,062 You know, it's not preppy-- it's prep--you know, like, 1610 01:11:24,105 --> 01:11:28,806 all that stuff, to me, doesn't mean anything now. 1611 01:11:31,461 --> 01:11:34,202 In hip-hop fashion right now, 1612 01:11:34,246 --> 01:11:35,943 people are taking way more risks. 1613 01:11:35,987 --> 01:11:38,816 They feel empowered with a lot more freedom. 1614 01:11:38,859 --> 01:11:41,906 It's almost like the more risks you take, 1615 01:11:41,949 --> 01:11:44,430 the more respect that you get. 1616 01:11:47,128 --> 01:11:48,652 Everybody wants to be recognized 1617 01:11:48,695 --> 01:11:50,871 and everybody wants to be noticed. 1618 01:11:50,915 --> 01:11:53,744 I think what really changed fashion, for real, for real, 1619 01:11:53,787 --> 01:11:57,269 to where a lot of things are okay, was that-- 1620 01:11:57,313 --> 01:12:00,446 the world embracing homosexuality. 1621 01:12:00,490 --> 01:12:02,535 It's giving people that would never take the risk 1622 01:12:02,579 --> 01:12:04,145 in style and fashion-- 1623 01:12:04,189 --> 01:12:05,799 it's giving them the green light now. 1624 01:12:08,236 --> 01:12:11,239 People were scared to just express themselves 1625 01:12:11,283 --> 01:12:14,504 out of fear of being called a name, 1626 01:12:14,547 --> 01:12:16,767 or being considered to be uncool in some way, 1627 01:12:16,810 --> 01:12:18,377 or not accepted, or-- 1628 01:12:18,421 --> 01:12:21,249 or being, you know, bashed for a reason. 1629 01:12:21,293 --> 01:12:23,208 Certain people just assumed 1630 01:12:23,251 --> 01:12:25,210 because I like clothes, I was gay. 1631 01:12:25,253 --> 01:12:29,606 Now we've learned to just accept each other's cultures. 1632 01:12:31,303 --> 01:12:32,826 The new young guy, 1633 01:12:32,870 --> 01:12:34,698 he's wearing stuff that's out the box, 1634 01:12:34,741 --> 01:12:36,613 you know, that's off the block, 1635 01:12:36,656 --> 01:12:38,702 you know, that's stuff from across the pond. 1636 01:12:38,745 --> 01:12:41,269 He's wearing different-- different type of brands. 1637 01:12:41,313 --> 01:12:45,926 Swaggin' to the max 1638 01:12:45,970 --> 01:12:48,929 she be busy poppin' tags 1639 01:12:48,973 --> 01:12:52,716 that Dolce and Gabanna 1640 01:12:52,759 --> 01:12:54,152 To see everybody wearing 1641 01:12:54,195 --> 01:12:57,068 Rocawear, Sean John, and Phat Farm, 1642 01:12:57,111 --> 01:12:59,418 that, you know, became standard to me. 1643 01:12:59,462 --> 01:13:00,724 That was, like, normal 1644 01:13:00,767 --> 01:13:02,465 to the point where it was minimal. 1645 01:13:02,508 --> 01:13:04,641 I didn't want to do that. 1646 01:13:04,684 --> 01:13:08,079 It got to things like Prada and Gucci, 1647 01:13:08,122 --> 01:13:11,822 Ferragamo and Cavalli and Versace, 1648 01:13:11,865 --> 01:13:14,390 John Richmond, you know, Dolce and Gabanna-- 1649 01:13:14,433 --> 01:13:17,915 those kind of brands. 1650 01:13:17,958 --> 01:13:21,135 You know, back when I was running Cross Colours and Karl Kani, 1651 01:13:21,179 --> 01:13:23,573 the artists were talking about Cross Colours and Karl Kani. 1652 01:13:23,616 --> 01:13:27,925 So I think it's what was being preached to that consumer 1653 01:13:27,968 --> 01:13:30,188 and that audience that loves their music. 1654 01:13:30,231 --> 01:13:33,365 So now it's at a point where it's about Versace 1655 01:13:33,409 --> 01:13:35,585 and it's about those high end brands. 1656 01:13:35,628 --> 01:13:38,979 head on me like I'm 'luminati 1657 01:13:39,023 --> 01:13:40,720 Versace 1658 01:13:40,764 --> 01:13:42,461 is so sloppy 1659 01:13:42,505 --> 01:13:44,202 I think fashion is cycling, 1660 01:13:44,245 --> 01:13:46,378 and everything comes back around. 1661 01:13:46,422 --> 01:13:49,468 We're at a period where we're trying to buy Gucci and MCM, 1662 01:13:49,512 --> 01:13:52,253 and that happened in the '80s, for me. 1663 01:13:52,297 --> 01:13:54,430 You know, I remember that period. 1664 01:13:54,473 --> 01:13:57,607 And that's where we're at right now. 1665 01:14:00,044 --> 01:14:02,263 Most urban people really don't want 1666 01:14:02,307 --> 01:14:04,091 things made by other urban people. 1667 01:14:04,135 --> 01:14:07,138 They want things made by things that they can't attain. 1668 01:14:07,181 --> 01:14:09,532 They want to buy into a dream just like everybody else does. 1669 01:14:11,882 --> 01:14:13,405 I think we, as a culture, 1670 01:14:13,449 --> 01:14:16,277 we aspire to buy the Gucci and the Louis 1671 01:14:16,321 --> 01:14:18,105 and Yves Saint Laurent 1672 01:14:18,149 --> 01:14:22,240 because that represents to us success. 1673 01:14:24,590 --> 01:14:28,420 While urban brands were for us, by us, 1674 01:14:28,464 --> 01:14:31,902 we were never always loyal to the brands that we followed. 1675 01:14:31,945 --> 01:14:35,383 There's always kind of this cache of, 1676 01:14:35,427 --> 01:14:38,038 "I'm gonna go back to the reliable brands 1677 01:14:38,082 --> 01:14:40,519 "that I'm always used to because, somehow, 1678 01:14:40,563 --> 01:14:43,217 "those brands have much more staying power. 1679 01:14:43,261 --> 01:14:45,481 "They represent a particular social class 1680 01:14:45,524 --> 01:14:46,830 "that I want to be at. 1681 01:14:46,873 --> 01:14:49,397 "They represent the ultimate and luxury. 1682 01:14:49,441 --> 01:14:52,052 "And the urban brands, they don't represent 1683 01:14:52,096 --> 01:14:55,186 the same lifestyle that I aspire to have." 1684 01:14:58,798 --> 01:15:00,191 Young people want-- 1685 01:15:00,234 --> 01:15:01,801 they want power, they want status, 1686 01:15:01,845 --> 01:15:03,237 and they want wealth. 1687 01:15:03,281 --> 01:15:07,938 Hermes--you have a brand like that-- 1688 01:15:07,981 --> 01:15:09,896 you walk in the store and you see, you know, 1689 01:15:09,940 --> 01:15:12,551 75-year-old women, you know, like, 1690 01:15:12,595 --> 01:15:14,640 buying scarves and tea cups 1691 01:15:14,684 --> 01:15:17,556 and saddles, you know, for horses. 1692 01:15:17,600 --> 01:15:20,472 It's a classic heritage house, you know? 1693 01:15:20,516 --> 01:15:22,387 That young, tastemaker, cool person 1694 01:15:22,430 --> 01:15:25,346 is buying into a heritage and legacy 1695 01:15:25,390 --> 01:15:29,873 that, you know-- that people aspire to. 1696 01:15:37,489 --> 01:15:39,317 Everything comes down to class. 1697 01:15:39,360 --> 01:15:41,885 The class conversation is bigger than the race conversation. 1698 01:15:41,928 --> 01:15:44,191 Show of class is like, 1699 01:15:44,235 --> 01:15:45,845 "I'm high-class." 1700 01:15:45,889 --> 01:15:47,281 And that's what those brands are-- 1701 01:15:47,325 --> 01:15:49,240 Louis, Gucci, all that. 1702 01:15:49,283 --> 01:15:51,590 And that's part of the reason why 1703 01:15:51,634 --> 01:15:53,940 they're very skeptical about, you know, 1704 01:15:53,984 --> 01:15:56,856 working with musicians or rappers, 1705 01:15:56,900 --> 01:15:59,990 because we're considered to be lower class 1706 01:16:00,033 --> 01:16:01,469 than designers. 1707 01:16:05,561 --> 01:16:09,347 The organized industry of fashion 1708 01:16:09,390 --> 01:16:14,439 in, you know, America that I could speak to-- it suffers from a bad identity. 1709 01:16:14,482 --> 01:16:18,574 It wants to parrot what's happening in Europe. Right? 1710 01:16:18,617 --> 01:16:21,620 It has a self-loathing atmosphere, 1711 01:16:21,664 --> 01:16:24,754 where we're never as good as American designers 1712 01:16:24,797 --> 01:16:27,626 as the French or the, you know, the Europeans. 1713 01:16:27,670 --> 01:16:29,976 Why are we waiting for external approval 1714 01:16:30,020 --> 01:16:31,282 from this gatekeeper? 1715 01:16:31,325 --> 01:16:33,806 Like, fuck that. 1716 01:16:33,850 --> 01:16:36,635 The luxury brands love us. 1717 01:16:36,679 --> 01:16:37,941 I mean, all the ones that I talk to, 1718 01:16:37,984 --> 01:16:39,638 they love us. 1719 01:16:39,682 --> 01:16:41,771 They don't just walk up to me and talk to me about me. 1720 01:16:41,814 --> 01:16:45,209 I think I spend more time in folks who run fashion houses 1721 01:16:45,252 --> 01:16:47,254 and all the integral people there, like, 1722 01:16:47,298 --> 01:16:50,954 talking about, like, what they love about our industry 1723 01:16:50,997 --> 01:16:54,827 and the people they love. 1724 01:16:54,871 --> 01:16:58,048 Lately, a lot of people say, "Oh, yeah. "You have, like, you know-- 1725 01:16:58,091 --> 01:17:01,007 "you have a lot of hip-hop and rap and R and B representative people 1726 01:17:01,051 --> 01:17:05,577 "that love you and support you. They always come to your show since many years." 1727 01:17:05,621 --> 01:17:07,840 For me, it's inspiring because, you know, 1728 01:17:07,884 --> 01:17:10,582 these kids, I mean, they're really experimental. 1729 01:17:10,626 --> 01:17:13,846 They all come out. And I like people that's experimental. 1730 01:17:13,890 --> 01:17:15,195 I like people that are taking risk. 1731 01:17:20,766 --> 01:17:22,899 We're not like the traditional designers 1732 01:17:22,942 --> 01:17:24,509 that's come through these doors. 1733 01:17:24,552 --> 01:17:26,467 We have never studied under a Ralph 1734 01:17:26,511 --> 01:17:29,166 or came out of Helmut Lang and did things like that. 1735 01:17:29,209 --> 01:17:32,691 Like, yeah, our last design job was at Sean John with Puffy. 1736 01:17:32,735 --> 01:17:34,519 So, I think, even when we started Public School, 1737 01:17:34,562 --> 01:17:36,956 automatically-- street wear brand. 1738 01:17:37,000 --> 01:17:38,349 You're in this box. 1739 01:17:38,392 --> 01:17:39,742 And we were always like, "No, we're-- 1740 01:17:39,785 --> 01:17:41,395 "you know, we're trying to be-- 1741 01:17:41,439 --> 01:17:43,180 "That's not what we're doing. 1742 01:17:43,223 --> 01:17:44,660 "Right? Like, it has nothing to do with Sean John. 1743 01:17:44,703 --> 01:17:46,139 We work there." Or things like that. 1744 01:17:46,183 --> 01:17:49,099 We've always, you know, 1745 01:17:49,142 --> 01:17:51,231 humbly tried not to say Sean John sometimes, 1746 01:17:51,275 --> 01:17:53,103 depending on who you're talking to. 1747 01:17:53,146 --> 01:17:56,715 Not being ashamed, but you also want to be taken seriously 1748 01:17:56,759 --> 01:17:58,195 in those fashion talks. 1749 01:17:58,238 --> 01:17:59,849 Yeah, but at the same time, 1750 01:17:59,892 --> 01:18:04,244 you know, we owe a lot to our time spent at Sean John. 1751 01:18:04,288 --> 01:18:06,072 Oh, for sure. 1752 01:18:08,814 --> 01:18:12,600 My brand is 100% influenced by hip-hop. 1753 01:18:12,644 --> 01:18:14,690 Me, as the next generation, 1754 01:18:14,733 --> 01:18:19,216 because of the doors that Russell, Puff, and Jay opened, 1755 01:18:19,259 --> 01:18:22,393 it's only my responsibility that I have to do 1756 01:18:22,436 --> 01:18:24,221 what I did in music-- 1757 01:18:24,264 --> 01:18:25,875 it's got to be Ralph-level. 1758 01:18:25,918 --> 01:18:27,398 Mm. 1759 01:18:31,184 --> 01:18:33,709 Who's to say or give a definition 1760 01:18:33,752 --> 01:18:36,363 of what fashion is 1761 01:18:36,407 --> 01:18:38,844 or what category it should be in. 1762 01:18:38,888 --> 01:18:42,543 If it's great work, it's great work. 1763 01:18:42,587 --> 01:18:44,763 The freedom, like, and your mentality 1764 01:18:44,807 --> 01:18:46,765 sort of liberates everything, 1765 01:18:46,809 --> 01:18:48,549 because it's a mentality. 1766 01:18:48,593 --> 01:18:50,551 So if you feel free, then you're probably gonna 1767 01:18:50,595 --> 01:18:52,728 dress like you're free. If you dress like you're free, 1768 01:18:52,771 --> 01:18:54,730 then you're probably gonna be different than everybody else, 1769 01:18:54,773 --> 01:18:58,995 'cause it's untethered. It's not bound by popular, 1770 01:18:59,038 --> 01:19:00,257 or, like, trendy opinion. 1771 01:19:00,300 --> 01:19:02,650 And that's what freedom is, 1772 01:19:02,694 --> 01:19:05,784 is it's to be yourself. 1773 01:19:05,828 --> 01:19:08,091 Fashion is about authentic experiences. 1774 01:19:08,134 --> 01:19:10,180 So as long as there's authentic experiences 1775 01:19:10,223 --> 01:19:11,921 and people that are brave enough to have a point of view, 1776 01:19:11,964 --> 01:19:13,836 there'll be fashion. That's what being an artist is, 1777 01:19:13,879 --> 01:19:16,621 and that's what being a, you know, being a fashion icon is, 1778 01:19:16,664 --> 01:19:19,624 and having the ability to do something that no one else is doing. 1779 01:19:19,667 --> 01:19:21,452 If you do something that someone else is doing, 1780 01:19:21,495 --> 01:19:23,976 you're not fresh, you're not fly--you just copy. 1781 01:19:24,020 --> 01:19:26,022 What's fly is when someone comes in and does something 1782 01:19:26,065 --> 01:19:28,198 that no one else does or does it first. 1783 01:19:31,984 --> 01:19:35,814 To be fresh, to me, is, to be recognized-- 1784 01:19:35,858 --> 01:19:39,513 you know, be recognized for your individual style, 1785 01:19:39,557 --> 01:19:42,081 or be recognized for whatever it is 1786 01:19:42,125 --> 01:19:45,693 that you're putting on display. 1787 01:19:45,737 --> 01:19:49,132 And when you are fresh and you are recognized, 1788 01:19:49,175 --> 01:19:51,264 and people notice, 1789 01:19:51,308 --> 01:19:54,093 and, you know-- even before they notice, 1790 01:19:54,137 --> 01:19:56,922 when you know it-- when you, right here, know it, 1791 01:19:56,966 --> 01:19:58,228 you feel like Superman. 1792 01:20:03,624 --> 01:20:05,496 reefer chiefer 1793 01:20:05,539 --> 01:20:07,628 but me, I get it cheaper 1794 01:20:07,672 --> 01:20:10,109 rapping in the big cohiba 1795 01:20:10,153 --> 01:20:12,851 and swear that I saw Jesus 1796 01:20:12,895 --> 01:20:15,462 and goddamn I feel comatose 1797 01:20:15,506 --> 01:20:18,074 up in there I'm leaning for 1798 01:20:18,117 --> 01:20:20,772 Willie Beamen, ho 1799 01:20:20,816 --> 01:20:23,209 high, I might kill my brain 1800 01:20:23,253 --> 01:20:26,473 she talk too much and she should get some rain 1801 01:20:26,517 --> 01:20:28,649 you just fuss and complain 1802 01:20:28,693 --> 01:20:31,870 Hit the door and hit the block 1803 01:20:31,914 --> 01:20:33,916 the zombies still hunting rock 1804 01:20:33,959 --> 01:20:35,831 slinging down 1805 01:20:35,874 --> 01:20:38,877 Yo, check this out. I just got a call from my man. 1806 01:20:38,921 --> 01:20:40,836 My main dog Manny's in town. 1807 01:20:40,879 --> 01:20:43,360 When Manny comes to town, we got to take care of him. 1808 01:20:43,403 --> 01:20:45,884 He lost his luggage. We're gonna get Manny right for the night. 1809 01:20:45,928 --> 01:20:47,755 We'll go out to the club, we'll get Manny right. 1810 01:20:47,799 --> 01:20:50,410 So we set my boy up. Show you how I do my boy. 1811 01:20:50,454 --> 01:20:54,414 Oh, man. Manny. Manny. 1812 01:20:54,458 --> 01:20:56,242 Oh, this is gonna be tough. 1813 01:20:56,286 --> 01:20:58,070 Just got to do this, dude. 1814 01:20:58,114 --> 01:21:00,986 Dawg, I got you. 1815 01:21:01,030 --> 01:21:03,423 You know, Manny look like he had a long day. 1816 01:21:03,467 --> 01:21:05,512 so I'm a keep Manny nice and casual tonight. 1817 01:21:05,556 --> 01:21:07,906 You know what I'm saying? You look a little stressed out. 1818 01:21:07,950 --> 01:21:10,691 I'm a bright him up and brighten his day up a little bit like that, 1819 01:21:10,735 --> 01:21:12,389 Let me see what I can do with him. 1820 01:21:18,177 --> 01:21:21,093 There you go. There you go, Manny. 1821 01:21:21,137 --> 01:21:22,965 Got to keep him tight. 1822 01:21:23,008 --> 01:21:25,837 Make sure his head is nice and right. 1823 01:21:25,881 --> 01:21:27,795 He's just missing one thing-- hold on. 1824 01:21:31,756 --> 01:21:34,672 Right, so now, Manny's looking good. 1825 01:21:34,715 --> 01:21:37,066 Eyelashes is right. 1826 01:21:37,109 --> 01:21:38,850 Manny's out for the club tonight. 1827 01:21:38,894 --> 01:21:42,419 Me and Manny, we gonna go to Palladium, 1828 01:21:42,462 --> 01:21:44,160 go to House of Blues, 1829 01:21:44,203 --> 01:21:46,075 tour the city, go to Mr. Chow's. 1830 01:21:46,118 --> 01:21:47,641 That's what we do. Take care of my boy. 1831 01:21:47,685 --> 01:21:48,947 Me and Manny all night. 1832 01:21:48,991 --> 01:21:50,688 That's what it is. 1833 01:21:54,822 --> 01:21:56,912 My boy. 1834 01:21:56,955 --> 01:21:59,784 ain't no other way to run it 1835 01:21:59,827 --> 01:22:02,308 the chains, run the jewels 1836 01:22:02,352 --> 01:22:04,484 the bracelets, run the jewels 1837 01:22:04,528 --> 01:22:07,052 eating everybody's food 1838 01:22:07,096 --> 01:22:10,360 Snatching bend up for some move 1839 01:22:10,403 --> 01:22:13,102 with a jewel on us 1840 01:22:13,145 --> 01:22:15,756 hotter than a two summers 1841 01:22:15,800 --> 01:22:18,411 them twos on 'em 1842 01:22:18,455 --> 01:22:20,979 in they True Religions 1843 01:22:21,023 --> 01:22:23,634 they be too religious 1844 01:22:23,677 --> 01:22:26,245 on them stool pigeons 1845 01:22:26,289 --> 01:22:28,682 like I kill these bitches 1846 01:22:28,726 --> 01:22:30,510 and we be talking 1847 01:22:30,554 --> 01:22:32,164 1848 01:22:32,208 --> 01:22:34,558 we bad news 1849 01:22:34,601 --> 01:22:36,952 for slim odds 1850 01:22:36,995 --> 01:22:38,997 and long walks 1851 01:22:39,041 --> 01:22:40,564 1852 01:22:40,607 --> 01:22:42,740 nah 1853 01:22:42,783 --> 01:22:44,437 1854 01:22:44,481 --> 01:22:46,178 smell the rose 1855 01:22:46,222 --> 01:22:47,571 1856 01:22:47,614 --> 01:22:49,486 1857 01:22:49,529 --> 01:22:52,619 is being mic or just beginning