WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.120 --> 00:00:01.760 Such an icon in your industry. 2 00:00:02.160 --> 00:00:05.000 So tell us more about who you are, what you 3 00:00:05.200 --> 00:00:07.120 where you come from, what you're all about. 4 00:00:07.200 --> 00:00:09.759 Let's private, private talk wants to now. 5 00:00:09.800 --> 00:00:12.599 Let's do it. So basically, you know, called Kanai. I'm 6 00:00:12.640 --> 00:00:15.240 from the streets of Brooklyn, New York. I was born 7 00:00:15.279 --> 00:00:19.440 in Brooklyn in the house without a doubt, you know. 8 00:00:19.839 --> 00:00:22.800 I was born in Costa Rica. My family migrated here 9 00:00:22.839 --> 00:00:25.320 when I was three years old. Moved to Brooklyn, and 10 00:00:25.399 --> 00:00:27.760 my dad came here to set up shop and set 11 00:00:27.839 --> 00:00:31.120 up a business and import my mother and my sister 12 00:00:31.160 --> 00:00:33.119 from Costa Rica and here we are. 13 00:00:33.439 --> 00:00:34.280 So what kind of business? 14 00:00:34.280 --> 00:00:37.600 Did he set up a printing service? Yeah, he came 15 00:00:37.640 --> 00:00:40.600 here and he set up a type printing service called 16 00:00:40.759 --> 00:00:44.119 after me and my sister, it's called Carl Varney Composition Service. 17 00:00:44.719 --> 00:00:47.960 And he was doing type setting for a lot of banks. 18 00:00:48.119 --> 00:00:52.719 This was before there was like computers and internet and 19 00:00:52.719 --> 00:00:53.600 all those type of things like that. 20 00:00:53.679 --> 00:00:55.039 You explain what type setting is. 21 00:00:55.479 --> 00:00:59.079 Type setting Basically you do letterheads for banks and you 22 00:00:59.119 --> 00:01:01.600 do their logos. You do all by hand, and you 23 00:01:01.679 --> 00:01:04.159 kind of like type out the letterheads and cut and 24 00:01:04.159 --> 00:01:06.599 paste it on a piece of paper. He xerox copy it. 25 00:01:06.959 --> 00:01:08.480 You kind of go from there and you had a lot. 26 00:01:08.439 --> 00:01:10.560 Of that's like the real true talent. Like it's a 27 00:01:10.560 --> 00:01:13.159 lot of time and work and very precise things. So 28 00:01:13.200 --> 00:01:14.760 it's like back in the day when people wouldn't want 29 00:01:14.760 --> 00:01:16.640 to do that stuff. It's like a delicate thing. 30 00:01:17.000 --> 00:01:20.120 Yeah, So he it was more like a businessman. So 31 00:01:20.480 --> 00:01:23.319 he taught me the ropes of like not working for 32 00:01:23.319 --> 00:01:26.280 any one to doing things for your own. And my 33 00:01:26.400 --> 00:01:28.799 dad was a very fashionable person, so you get his 34 00:01:28.879 --> 00:01:31.680 clothes made by a tailor back then, so he kind 35 00:01:31.680 --> 00:01:34.680 of showed me, like how you can make clothes without 36 00:01:34.799 --> 00:01:38.120 technically knowing how to sew. He had ideas, but he 37 00:01:38.280 --> 00:01:40.879 surrounded himself with people who didn't know how to do 38 00:01:40.959 --> 00:01:42.280 things he know how to do, so he didn't how 39 00:01:42.280 --> 00:01:45.400 to sew, so he hired sewers and tailors to make 40 00:01:45.400 --> 00:01:49.040 his clothing for him. So the process kind of segue me. 41 00:01:48.959 --> 00:01:52.799 In every great business person does we know it what 42 00:01:52.799 --> 00:01:54.400 our crafts are, but sometimes we have just have to 43 00:01:54.400 --> 00:01:57.159 outsource things that were just we know the vision. 44 00:01:57.079 --> 00:01:59.519 Yeah, for sure. So it kind of gave my segue 45 00:01:59.640 --> 00:02:02.200 into being in a business entrepreneurs. My dad had the 46 00:02:02.239 --> 00:02:04.599 model never working for anyone, do it on your own, 47 00:02:05.040 --> 00:02:07.560 find a way to make things happen. That's always been 48 00:02:07.640 --> 00:02:09.879 in my blood and my genius to do that for 49 00:02:09.960 --> 00:02:11.199 success in America. 50 00:02:11.960 --> 00:02:12.280 Nice. 51 00:02:12.639 --> 00:02:14.680 Yeah, that's really cool. So do you feel like that 52 00:02:14.759 --> 00:02:17.919 you've owned up to all of those things I did? 53 00:02:18.080 --> 00:02:23.879 Because you know, my dad was a fashionable guy and 54 00:02:23.919 --> 00:02:27.439 he like jewelry and flamboyant. He drove all the fancy 55 00:02:27.479 --> 00:02:30.280 cars and Cadillacs and the Lincoln's back then with the 56 00:02:30.319 --> 00:02:33.240 white wall tires. And my dad was the first person 57 00:02:33.280 --> 00:02:35.240 to have to actually have a TV in his car. 58 00:02:35.599 --> 00:02:38.599 He took out the glove compartment in his Cadillac and 59 00:02:38.639 --> 00:02:40.719 put a TV in the glove compartment. 60 00:02:41.199 --> 00:02:43.240 And back then, you don't no one ever did that 61 00:02:43.319 --> 00:02:45.960 someone You didn't even know what that was at that time. 62 00:02:47.360 --> 00:02:50.639 So it showed me the ropes in terms of break 63 00:02:50.680 --> 00:02:53.759 the rules, figure things out on your make this thing happen. 64 00:02:53.879 --> 00:02:57.319 So when my daughter, my dad and my mom's got divorced, 65 00:02:57.800 --> 00:03:00.199 we end up moving to inner City in East New 66 00:03:00.280 --> 00:03:03.520 York and Brooklyn, and that's when fashion became real to me. 67 00:03:04.080 --> 00:03:07.960 Let me tell you what happened. I went outside and 68 00:03:08.039 --> 00:03:09.759 I wanted to meet all the kids in the projects. 69 00:03:09.840 --> 00:03:12.080 Right, how old were you at this time? 70 00:03:12.719 --> 00:03:16.360 About twelve years old? And I thought I was really cool. 71 00:03:17.360 --> 00:03:20.199 I had whatever clothes my mother bought for me. And 72 00:03:20.240 --> 00:03:23.319 back then he's still clothing in the grocery store, okay, 73 00:03:23.479 --> 00:03:25.599 sneakers and T shirts at the end of the aisle 74 00:03:25.639 --> 00:03:26.840 the frozen food departments. 75 00:03:26.840 --> 00:03:28.599 So at that time, did you like make your own 76 00:03:28.639 --> 00:03:30.919 style with what you had or you just rocked what 77 00:03:31.000 --> 00:03:32.680 you got at the grocery store. 78 00:03:32.599 --> 00:03:34.800 Rocked the grocery store store. I thought I was cool. 79 00:03:35.000 --> 00:03:37.120 Hey, get it, it's all about swag. 80 00:03:37.639 --> 00:03:40.080 I thought I had swag. I had no swag whatsoever. 81 00:03:40.439 --> 00:03:42.960 I found out really quickly, so I went outside to 82 00:03:43.000 --> 00:03:44.520 meet all the kids in the projects. I thought I 83 00:03:44.560 --> 00:03:47.560 was cool. So I went out there and I thought 84 00:03:47.560 --> 00:03:49.960 I was chilling. So there was like sizing me up. 85 00:03:50.000 --> 00:03:52.120 There's like, oh, you did a new kid in the 86 00:03:52.159 --> 00:03:54.560 projects and moved into eight three. I was like, yeah, 87 00:03:54.919 --> 00:03:57.000 it's like, man, what kind of steaks you got on? 88 00:03:57.719 --> 00:04:02.919 I was like, these are skips. They was like, man, 89 00:04:03.560 --> 00:04:05.120 get the fuck out of here, and I'm just coming 90 00:04:05.120 --> 00:04:06.840 from the grocery stores. Bro, we get out of with 91 00:04:06.879 --> 00:04:11.520 that ship. I was stunned. I felt demoralized. They were 92 00:04:11.599 --> 00:04:14.360 laughing at me. I went home, cried to him, and 93 00:04:14.360 --> 00:04:16.160 I was like, Mom, I need some money to buy 94 00:04:16.160 --> 00:04:18.079 some clothes. These kids are laughing on my clothes. They said, 95 00:04:18.079 --> 00:04:20.000 you bought it for the grocery store. I need to 96 00:04:20.240 --> 00:04:20.759 My mother was. 97 00:04:20.759 --> 00:04:25.319 Like, boy, if you don't go get a job. She said, boy, 98 00:04:25.439 --> 00:04:29.680 go out there and job exactly right. I was like, okay. 99 00:04:30.160 --> 00:04:32.920 I refused to go back out there and be demoralized again. 100 00:04:33.040 --> 00:04:36.920 So I two weeks. I didn't go back outside to 101 00:04:36.959 --> 00:04:39.600 hang out with these kids. And I saw a newspaper 102 00:04:39.639 --> 00:04:42.319 truck and I said, kids going to the newspaper truck. 103 00:04:42.319 --> 00:04:43.800 I'm like, what are you guys doing? It said, oh, 104 00:04:43.800 --> 00:04:46.000 we delivered newspapers in these bills. He is actually looking 105 00:04:46.000 --> 00:04:46.639 for a new paper. 106 00:04:46.680 --> 00:04:48.360 Boy, if you want to do this, I was like, 107 00:04:48.439 --> 00:04:50.639 you can make money for living newspapers. They're like yeah. 108 00:04:51.240 --> 00:04:53.040 I'm like I'm in. All I want to do is 109 00:04:53.079 --> 00:04:55.360 findal money, make some money, get some of those clothes. 110 00:04:55.439 --> 00:04:56.680 They're not going to make fun of you anymore. 111 00:04:56.800 --> 00:04:57.079 That's it. 112 00:04:57.120 --> 00:04:59.279 You just what you wanted to floss it, that's it. 113 00:04:59.680 --> 00:05:02.120 Yeah, So I got the newspaper route. I just give 114 00:05:02.160 --> 00:05:04.399 a five thirty in the morning because you have to 115 00:05:04.399 --> 00:05:06.720 deal with newspapers for it before everyone went to work. 116 00:05:06.800 --> 00:05:09.000 What time school eight o'clock. 117 00:05:09.399 --> 00:05:12.959 I got five thirty delivering newspapers to make money. So 118 00:05:13.079 --> 00:05:15.160 fall I was able to save up. I bought me 119 00:05:15.319 --> 00:05:18.199 a pair of Pullmans and a campus will take a 120 00:05:18.319 --> 00:05:22.199 short set, and the Pullmans at that time of seventeen 121 00:05:22.240 --> 00:05:25.079 dollars and a campus set was like thirty dollars, so 122 00:05:25.160 --> 00:05:27.240 forty two dollars. I had a fresh outfit. Yeah. 123 00:05:27.279 --> 00:05:30.480 Yeah, So now I'm nervous one time. Yeah, if they 124 00:05:30.480 --> 00:05:32.279 don't take you're fresh to jest, you fucked. 125 00:05:32.399 --> 00:05:35.720 Now you had to go year to go back out 126 00:05:35.759 --> 00:05:37.480 there make these kids again. So now I'm fresh. I 127 00:05:37.480 --> 00:05:40.079 got some wine and white Pullmans, a white short set. 128 00:05:40.160 --> 00:05:42.240 I'm going back out there, and all the kids are 129 00:05:42.240 --> 00:05:44.639 sitting in the same spot they were right, So I 130 00:05:44.759 --> 00:05:48.759 walking there, It's like looking at me, like, ah, surely 131 00:05:48.800 --> 00:05:50.839 got the white and white pumas, the white short set. 132 00:05:51.279 --> 00:05:54.839 So now I was accepted. Yeah, that feeling of being 133 00:05:54.879 --> 00:05:56.959 accepted meant everything to me. 134 00:05:57.560 --> 00:05:58.639 Everything for sure. 135 00:05:58.879 --> 00:06:01.079 Now I felt like I'm one of the boys now, 136 00:06:01.279 --> 00:06:04.120 So that feeling I never want to lose it again. 137 00:06:04.279 --> 00:06:07.480 So I know, I think I knew that clothing is 138 00:06:07.519 --> 00:06:09.560 what made you stand out in the hood. It's not 139 00:06:09.560 --> 00:06:12.000 about how much money you got, because it was all broke, sure, 140 00:06:12.160 --> 00:06:14.519 but you have fresh clothes on to good money. So 141 00:06:14.560 --> 00:06:18.199 now I realized this could be my calling now as respect. 142 00:06:17.879 --> 00:06:19.680 Though a lot of people don't know what that would mean. 143 00:06:19.839 --> 00:06:21.920 They don't know anything about that. So this is the 144 00:06:21.959 --> 00:06:24.120 time when hip hop was just sort of coming up, 145 00:06:24.120 --> 00:06:27.120 and hip hop was always about bragging. But what you got, 146 00:06:27.160 --> 00:06:30.560 how much jews you got, everything like that, It's always 147 00:06:30.600 --> 00:06:35.040 about moving forward. So I figured, let me try to 148 00:06:35.079 --> 00:06:38.560 outdress these guys. All of my friends we used to 149 00:06:38.560 --> 00:06:42.319 shop at the same stores, so anytime we got something fresh, know, 150 00:06:42.600 --> 00:06:44.800 we never told anybody where we got it from. So 151 00:06:46.199 --> 00:06:47.040 we want to always be. 152 00:06:47.079 --> 00:06:50.920 I still people that they don't want to tell you nothing. 153 00:06:51.000 --> 00:06:52.319 They don't want to tell you nothing. 154 00:06:52.079 --> 00:06:54.199 Because they know it's so good. They're like, nah, because 155 00:06:54.240 --> 00:06:55.759 everyone's gonna copass. 156 00:06:55.360 --> 00:06:57.680 They tell you nothing. Right. So one day I thought 157 00:06:57.720 --> 00:07:00.920 about my dad's tailor. I was like, Wow, if I 158 00:07:01.040 --> 00:07:04.480 make an outfit with this tailor, none of these guys 159 00:07:04.519 --> 00:07:06.839 would have it because it's fresh. Because what we were 160 00:07:06.839 --> 00:07:09.480 doing back then, we were buying clothing two sizes is 161 00:07:09.519 --> 00:07:12.399 bigger because we run it bagging. But they weren't making 162 00:07:12.399 --> 00:07:14.399 clothes like that. So what I made my outfit with 163 00:07:14.480 --> 00:07:16.680 the tail, I made it more looser in the legs. 164 00:07:16.720 --> 00:07:19.560 When I wore that, everybody's like, oh man, that's fresh. 165 00:07:19.560 --> 00:07:21.240 Who'd you get it from? Where'd you get it from? 166 00:07:21.720 --> 00:07:24.800 I'm old school, I'm not telling about I ain't telling 167 00:07:24.800 --> 00:07:26.319 you nothing. So I was like, what want I make 168 00:07:26.360 --> 00:07:28.600 you one? And back in the nineties in New York, 169 00:07:29.720 --> 00:07:33.920 everybody was selling drugs. Drug dealing was almost legal back 170 00:07:33.959 --> 00:07:36.160 then because everyone was everyone's doing it, was doing it. 171 00:07:36.199 --> 00:07:39.519 So I decided I started selling clothing to all the 172 00:07:39.600 --> 00:07:44.759 dudes in the projects. Right, instead of selling drugs, I 173 00:07:44.839 --> 00:07:47.480 was selling clothing to the drug dealers and the projects. Right. 174 00:07:48.079 --> 00:07:54.000 But here's the key, the most important day that established everything. 175 00:07:55.920 --> 00:07:57.240 I was sitting in the park one day and I 176 00:07:57.319 --> 00:07:59.879 was bragging to these girls about I was making these clothes. 177 00:08:00.079 --> 00:08:02.639 These guys, they didn't believe me. There's a drug dealer 178 00:08:02.720 --> 00:08:05.360 named Joe. He was one of the biggest drug dealers 179 00:08:05.360 --> 00:08:09.639 in Brooklyn. He walked by. I was bragging I made 180 00:08:09.639 --> 00:08:11.240 the alpha for him. The girls didn't believe it, said 181 00:08:11.279 --> 00:08:14.040 tell them come over here. Then he comes over. She's 182 00:08:15.360 --> 00:08:19.120 she's like a girl named Keisha. She says, who made 183 00:08:19.160 --> 00:08:22.040 the Alpha for you? He said, Call made it? What 184 00:08:22.040 --> 00:08:25.560 what's up? She says? Can I see a jacket? He 185 00:08:25.680 --> 00:08:29.160 takes it off. Keep in mind, this is the most 186 00:08:29.480 --> 00:08:35.159 important day of my career. She looks at it. She says, well, 187 00:08:36.120 --> 00:08:37.879 if Call made it, how much name may know it? 188 00:08:37.919 --> 00:08:43.639 Then facts That's when it hit me. She was completely right. 189 00:08:43.679 --> 00:08:46.440 I wasn't owning it. I was just making customer. Had 190 00:08:46.480 --> 00:08:50.639 no name, no logo, nothing was it was nice clothing had. 191 00:08:51.559 --> 00:08:53.840 Didn't you didn't get the like props to know that 192 00:08:53.879 --> 00:08:57.080 it was caron. She's being a smart alec, but she 193 00:08:57.240 --> 00:09:00.679 was right. I didn't own it. That night I went home. 194 00:09:02.320 --> 00:09:06.080 This is the time when Miami Vice was out, Scarfaces 195 00:09:06.120 --> 00:09:10.000 came out. Every dude in the projects loved the movie Scarface. 196 00:09:10.840 --> 00:09:15.320 Everybody wanted to be like Tony Montana saying when she 197 00:09:15.440 --> 00:09:20.000 said that, I went home listening to Phil Collins in 198 00:09:20.080 --> 00:09:25.639 the air tonight, over and over and over again. Guess 199 00:09:25.639 --> 00:09:28.759 what I was thinking about a name from a brand 200 00:09:29.159 --> 00:09:31.559 because I wanted to be like Polo. I want to 201 00:09:31.559 --> 00:09:33.440 be at Rolph Lauren. I want to be a Tommy 202 00:09:33.480 --> 00:09:35.600 Hill figure. I want to be at Calvin Klark because 203 00:09:35.600 --> 00:09:38.200 that's the most crucial thing, is branding your name, because 204 00:09:38.240 --> 00:09:39.360 you have one shot. 205 00:09:39.480 --> 00:09:43.679 One shot, that's it. My dad changed our name to 206 00:09:43.679 --> 00:09:45.840 an American last name. We moved to the United States, 207 00:09:45.840 --> 00:09:52.840 to Williams. I was like, call Williams jeans m just 208 00:09:52.840 --> 00:09:56.759 didn't have a ring to it. Over and over. I'm 209 00:09:56.759 --> 00:09:59.480 listening to into Air tonight and my mother said, cal 210 00:09:59.559 --> 00:10:02.639 turn at me. He's paying the same song over and over. 211 00:10:02.879 --> 00:10:07.240 Pissed off. I was actually manifesting at the time, but 212 00:10:07.279 --> 00:10:10.919 I didn't know that's what I was doing. I used 213 00:10:10.919 --> 00:10:14.519 to do to a lot, meaning like anytime I get 214 00:10:14.519 --> 00:10:15.639 a pen in my hand, I used to write the 215 00:10:15.679 --> 00:10:17.559 same thing on a piece of paper over and over again. 216 00:10:17.960 --> 00:10:22.240 One night, I kept writing Carl. I was writing the 217 00:10:22.279 --> 00:10:25.120 word can I c A and I can? I was 218 00:10:25.120 --> 00:10:28.320 a question to ask myself, Can I do this? Can 219 00:10:28.399 --> 00:10:31.440 I be successful? Can I come from the inner city 220 00:10:31.480 --> 00:10:34.600 and build a brand and make other guys wear my 221 00:10:34.720 --> 00:10:37.240 brand on them. I didn't know the answer to that 222 00:10:37.440 --> 00:10:43.360 because it's never been done before. Then I realized, if 223 00:10:43.399 --> 00:10:46.679 I call myself, can I that name would have meaning 224 00:10:46.759 --> 00:10:49.879 to it every day I have to answer that question. 225 00:10:50.360 --> 00:10:53.519 Yes I can, Yes you can, Yes we all can. 226 00:10:53.679 --> 00:10:56.279 So I decided my name is wil Be Karl can I. 227 00:10:56.440 --> 00:11:01.639 And that's how streetwear was started. Else know the designer. 228 00:11:02.480 --> 00:11:04.879 No other brand could ever told you they started a 229 00:11:04.879 --> 00:11:07.759 streetwear before me, because it's not factual. We started off 230 00:11:07.759 --> 00:11:10.440 with energy and me just trying to figure things out. 231 00:11:10.480 --> 00:11:12.879 And that's how street where it was applemaned from the 232 00:11:12.919 --> 00:11:15.720 street Where, making people believe that if you could do it, 233 00:11:15.799 --> 00:11:16.600 I could do it too. 234 00:11:17.039 --> 00:11:18.200 Sure, that's a beautiful thing. 235 00:11:18.360 --> 00:11:21.440 I mean the fact that that's not inspiring, but it's 236 00:11:21.480 --> 00:11:23.399 just like it's your truth and so it's so much 237 00:11:23.399 --> 00:11:26.519 more beautiful than that. But the thing that's it's it's 238 00:11:26.559 --> 00:11:30.919 just so became so organically your truth of knowing from 239 00:11:30.919 --> 00:11:33.799 the thing from the you knowing what you wanted from 240 00:11:33.799 --> 00:11:36.759 your clothes, or knowing the reflection of what the truth 241 00:11:36.799 --> 00:11:38.720 that you wanted from the boys in the block or 242 00:11:39.000 --> 00:11:41.519 the girl telling you that where's your name at? You know, 243 00:11:41.759 --> 00:11:44.679 like the respect of not only that you made that 244 00:11:45.039 --> 00:11:47.960 item or whatever it was, but you made it fly, 245 00:11:48.720 --> 00:11:50.120 like you made it hot, like you know what I mean? 246 00:11:50.200 --> 00:11:52.919 Like that's such a big respect, especially in the time 247 00:11:52.919 --> 00:11:55.639 of like you said, like you start from nothing and 248 00:11:55.679 --> 00:11:58.279 you became something not only because of a belief that 249 00:11:58.320 --> 00:12:01.320 you had, but because other people talked about it that 250 00:12:01.399 --> 00:12:03.960 inspired you even more. So that to me is like 251 00:12:04.000 --> 00:12:06.200 I'm very big on energy and like the love, and 252 00:12:06.240 --> 00:12:08.440 like there's certain things that come just like in like 253 00:12:08.519 --> 00:12:09.480 intuition by yourself. 254 00:12:09.480 --> 00:12:10.840 You don't even know when it's gonna happen. 255 00:12:10.879 --> 00:12:13.919 And maybe that was your calling and obviously it was 256 00:12:14.000 --> 00:12:16.960 because you're still here after all this time. You've made 257 00:12:17.360 --> 00:12:20.480 a big you know, impression from the beginning, you're still 258 00:12:20.480 --> 00:12:22.440 here today, and that I think that that's you know, 259 00:12:22.519 --> 00:12:24.559 what inspires me is like I said, I've met you 260 00:12:25.399 --> 00:12:28.159 in twenty fifteen, you know in a way that you know, 261 00:12:28.200 --> 00:12:29.320 I knew. 262 00:12:29.320 --> 00:12:31.480 Who you were, but not who you were, you know 263 00:12:31.480 --> 00:12:31.879 what I mean. 264 00:12:31.960 --> 00:12:34.120 So it was like in you're very soft spoken and 265 00:12:34.159 --> 00:12:36.480 you're very like you know, to yourself, which is very 266 00:12:36.919 --> 00:12:39.360 you know, appreciative because you're an artist and your own 267 00:12:39.399 --> 00:12:41.759 you know, and your own respect. But I think that 268 00:12:42.320 --> 00:12:45.200 right now, like what I think attracted me more was 269 00:12:45.240 --> 00:12:47.879 because of your rebranding of not only just taking the 270 00:12:47.919 --> 00:12:50.720 sticks of who you were, but taking now into like 271 00:12:51.360 --> 00:12:53.120 being like, hey, I'm still who I am, but you 272 00:12:53.120 --> 00:12:54.919 know what, I'm doing this stuff and you're gonna still 273 00:12:54.960 --> 00:12:57.679 you know, because people are still wearing yourself, people are still. 274 00:12:57.480 --> 00:12:58.320 Talking about you. 275 00:12:58.080 --> 00:13:02.200 You've redone a lot of things, you know, But from 276 00:13:02.200 --> 00:13:04.080 the start, let's talk about, like who do you think, 277 00:13:04.120 --> 00:13:07.720 celebrity wise is who pushed your brand the most in 278 00:13:07.759 --> 00:13:11.440 the beginning? That made Carl Kanai? After you named yourself 279 00:13:11.679 --> 00:13:16.320 Carl Kanai and can you and obviously you can who 280 00:13:16.360 --> 00:13:18.080 pushed that for you? Like what was the you know, 281 00:13:18.279 --> 00:13:20.600 the segway after you named yourself and me that way? 282 00:13:21.000 --> 00:13:26.080 Yeah, you know our journeys. Who's been so real and 283 00:13:26.120 --> 00:13:30.600 everything's been God sent and everything's done without thought? I 284 00:13:30.679 --> 00:13:33.320 just did. We came out to La with a thousand 285 00:13:33.360 --> 00:13:35.840 dollars in my pocket, with a patha full of dreams. 286 00:13:35.840 --> 00:13:38.279 We opened up a store on Crunchhall Boulevard in the 287 00:13:38.320 --> 00:13:41.480 middle of South Central, two blocks away from them she 288 00:13:41.639 --> 00:13:44.399 hustle storey open them on Crunchshaw. Okay, my store is 289 00:13:44.440 --> 00:13:48.279 forty three twelve Crunchhaw Boulevard in the Merk Park. And 290 00:13:48.480 --> 00:13:50.799 we didn't know what we were doing, but we just 291 00:13:50.879 --> 00:13:53.240 want a mission to succeed. You had a dream, Yeah, 292 00:13:53.279 --> 00:13:56.679 and failure was not an option, you know, like we 293 00:13:56.759 --> 00:13:59.519 never thought about failure. We never thought this was not 294 00:13:59.559 --> 00:14:02.759 gonna work. So the first music artists that we met 295 00:14:02.759 --> 00:14:07.399 out here was Easy E, Doctor Dre at the Palladium 296 00:14:07.399 --> 00:14:12.000 in Holly. We met them and they were so receptive 297 00:14:12.039 --> 00:14:14.960 to everything we're doing. They were like, they want to 298 00:14:15.000 --> 00:14:18.039 rock out. Clothing was anyway, Yeah, yeah, it was new 299 00:14:18.080 --> 00:14:21.399 and it was different. So hip hop to me at 300 00:14:21.399 --> 00:14:25.000 the time didn't have any clothing brands that was representing 301 00:14:25.000 --> 00:14:27.200 that culture. We were that brand to represent the hip 302 00:14:27.240 --> 00:14:30.960 hop culture. No other clothing companies didn't embrace hip hop. 303 00:14:30.960 --> 00:14:32.639 They never thought hip hop was even going to last. 304 00:14:32.960 --> 00:14:34.759 Matter of fact, a lot of design it was. Yeah, 305 00:14:34.759 --> 00:14:36.519 they didn't eve want hip hop artists in their clothing. 306 00:14:36.600 --> 00:14:41.200 They thought that it would have whatever. Ye of course, 307 00:14:41.320 --> 00:14:43.960 But I embraced what we knew and I embrace that's 308 00:14:43.960 --> 00:14:45.759 who you were, That's who we were. We were just 309 00:14:46.080 --> 00:14:48.000 we were built from the cloth these other kids are 310 00:14:48.039 --> 00:14:52.240 built from. We all grew up insecurities. We all were scared. 311 00:14:52.639 --> 00:14:54.639 We didn't know what we were doing, but we know 312 00:14:54.759 --> 00:14:56.639 we wanted to succeed. We know, we didn't want to 313 00:14:56.639 --> 00:14:58.679 go back to where we came from. I didn't want 314 00:14:58.679 --> 00:15:00.799 to go back to the hood because there's nothing back there, 315 00:15:00.840 --> 00:15:01.360 of course, and. 316 00:15:01.360 --> 00:15:03.000 That's the respect of the entrepreneurship. 317 00:15:03.000 --> 00:15:05.039 I feel like, as we all know where it comes from, 318 00:15:05.039 --> 00:15:07.720 it stems from and there's no other way but winning. 319 00:15:08.159 --> 00:15:10.080 We're not taking anything else. We're going up. 320 00:15:10.519 --> 00:15:13.039 It's winning. But you know what's really crazy about it. 321 00:15:13.080 --> 00:15:18.279 I realized that that thought of me being demoralized with 322 00:15:18.320 --> 00:15:20.399 those guys making fun of me of the clothing is 323 00:15:20.440 --> 00:15:22.960 what pushed me to never want to feel that film again. 324 00:15:23.720 --> 00:15:25.879 So when I decided did I want to build a business, 325 00:15:26.240 --> 00:15:28.720 failure was not going to happen. Of course, I thought, 326 00:15:28.759 --> 00:15:30.039 pat it to that, so. 327 00:15:29.919 --> 00:15:32.120 We because you're investing in yourself at that time. 328 00:15:32.360 --> 00:15:35.440 Yeah, and you know, the key about Alexis was was 329 00:15:35.480 --> 00:15:38.840 double no thought. I didn't think about how I felt. 330 00:15:39.000 --> 00:15:41.480 I knew we had to move forward and gets stinc done. 331 00:15:41.720 --> 00:15:45.639 So as we went through easy the first big artist 332 00:15:45.759 --> 00:15:48.000 that we got to do a clothing campaign was Puffy 333 00:15:48.000 --> 00:15:50.480 p diddykay back in nineteen ninety one. He did my 334 00:15:50.519 --> 00:15:53.120 first clothing ad for me and we launched it in 335 00:15:53.200 --> 00:15:56.919 five magazine, No Sorry, Source Magazine nineteen ninety two, Carl 336 00:15:56.960 --> 00:16:01.919 Kinni the first ad and source Pdy White Baggy called 337 00:16:01.960 --> 00:16:05.519 can I sagged with the red shorts and fresh to death, 338 00:16:05.919 --> 00:16:07.840 and this whole look was totally new to all the 339 00:16:07.919 --> 00:16:10.919 kids on the streets. Everybody wanted this look that we 340 00:16:10.919 --> 00:16:13.360 were doing the originally the streetwear, so he kind of 341 00:16:13.399 --> 00:16:15.240 set it off for us and like from there it 342 00:16:15.279 --> 00:16:21.559 went from Puffy Tupac, Biggie Nas, Jay z Emine. They're 343 00:16:21.639 --> 00:16:25.320 just rolling and rolling and rolling roll. The craziest thing 344 00:16:27.639 --> 00:16:31.000 we got Michael Jackson to wear my clothing in nineteen 345 00:16:31.080 --> 00:16:34.559 ninety five, the only time Michael Jackson wore streetwear, it 346 00:16:34.600 --> 00:16:38.320 was called can I and Jordan these moments. I didn't 347 00:16:38.320 --> 00:16:42.000 realize how big these moments were in the process, not 348 00:16:42.080 --> 00:16:43.159 to reflect back to. 349 00:16:43.159 --> 00:16:46.679 Those days, you can understand that I'm realizing how big 350 00:16:46.799 --> 00:16:47.279 that was. 351 00:16:47.440 --> 00:16:48.480 Each moment was. 352 00:16:48.600 --> 00:16:52.440 You know, I'm in a moment in my life where 353 00:16:52.799 --> 00:16:55.120 you know, I was on a fast track to my 354 00:16:55.159 --> 00:16:57.360 business and I was really successful in my business, and 355 00:16:57.919 --> 00:16:59.879 like I said, I have no qualms of anything members 356 00:17:00.080 --> 00:17:03.279 But you didn't really realize and appreciate certain moments in 357 00:17:03.559 --> 00:17:06.519 your life because you're just in it until you really 358 00:17:06.519 --> 00:17:09.079 have time to set back and like reflect on those things. 359 00:17:09.079 --> 00:17:09.559 Do you were? 360 00:17:09.640 --> 00:17:12.799 Like, man, that's a big deal to a lot of 361 00:17:12.839 --> 00:17:15.799 people would never have those like monumental moments. But like 362 00:17:17.039 --> 00:17:19.960 Michael Jackson wearing the Only Street Where at that time 363 00:17:20.240 --> 00:17:23.640 for Karl and I like, that's an amazing monumental moment. 364 00:17:23.720 --> 00:17:26.720 Like not anybody can say that, obviously being the first time, 365 00:17:26.759 --> 00:17:29.680 but like, how did that make you feel after you 366 00:17:29.799 --> 00:17:31.640 reflected knowing that? 367 00:17:31.920 --> 00:17:32.920 How did that make you feel? 368 00:17:33.200 --> 00:17:36.000 Think about it? The King of pop who he is? 369 00:17:37.079 --> 00:17:42.000 Where my brand? Like I just know, like life's about 370 00:17:42.039 --> 00:17:45.720 destiny and goals. You gotta follow your dreams. And sometimes 371 00:17:45.839 --> 00:17:49.960 I think that the roll to the top sometimes could 372 00:17:49.960 --> 00:17:53.480 be perceived it'd be so lonely. Of course, not everybody's 373 00:17:53.480 --> 00:17:57.240 gonna get your vision. And I've lost I'm not going 374 00:17:57.319 --> 00:18:00.359 to say the word is lost, but I've disco connected 375 00:18:00.480 --> 00:18:02.839 with a lot of friends on the world to the 376 00:18:02.880 --> 00:18:05.519 top where I'm going because I knew I was on 377 00:18:05.559 --> 00:18:08.480 a mission. My goal is always I have a pivotal 378 00:18:08.519 --> 00:18:11.000 point when I get to I'm going to get there 379 00:18:11.079 --> 00:18:13.799 no matter what. If you want to join me on 380 00:18:13.839 --> 00:18:17.880 this journey, Come join me. I respect Nah, I never 381 00:18:17.920 --> 00:18:20.920 say cut nobody off. You know what I say? Time 382 00:18:20.960 --> 00:18:23.400 out for sure, mental timeout. 383 00:18:23.480 --> 00:18:25.079 I al would say like I can lead a horse 384 00:18:25.079 --> 00:18:26.799 to water, but I can't force you to drink it. 385 00:18:26.799 --> 00:18:28.640 It's one of those things, you know, I want everyone 386 00:18:28.680 --> 00:18:30.359 to win. If you're on my camp, I want us 387 00:18:30.400 --> 00:18:31.599 all to eat. And it's one of those things. But 388 00:18:31.599 --> 00:18:34.839 there's certain times that you really realize in certain situations 389 00:18:35.079 --> 00:18:38.640 who's really there for you and who's not. So you know, unfortunately, 390 00:18:38.640 --> 00:18:40.440 if you've got to be going to time out or not, 391 00:18:40.759 --> 00:18:42.839 you may reflect a little bit differently, but you know, 392 00:18:42.920 --> 00:18:46.559 it doesn't make you lesser any more important than you 393 00:18:46.559 --> 00:18:48.640 were a pivotal point in your life. 394 00:18:49.880 --> 00:18:56.839 Focus focus, focus, care less, do more, keep your emotions intact, 395 00:18:57.079 --> 00:19:00.240 stay on your goals. That's always been a model. And 396 00:19:00.279 --> 00:19:03.640 I realized that you're mental and your physical, all those 397 00:19:03.680 --> 00:19:08.519 things all coincide together for success because success is not 398 00:19:08.559 --> 00:19:10.680 meant for everybody. Of course, you know what I'm saying. 399 00:19:10.759 --> 00:19:12.799 People are envious enough to that they want it and 400 00:19:12.839 --> 00:19:14.599 they think that it looks so easy, but it's not 401 00:19:14.640 --> 00:19:17.160