“Across rue de Charonne” is an action shot caught in 5 mn with Dj Neil Armstrong, official Dj of Jay-Z’s Blueprint 3 Tour and Jeff Staple, founder and creative director of Staple Design. Take a walk through Bastille (typical Parisian area) with these two creative minds, sharing current projects during their trip in the City of light. The film was produced by R+I Creative. AGK
Interview and Photos: David Christian
So, where are you from?
Niagara Falls, Ontario.
Did you live there your whole life?
Yeah, up until I was eighteen. And moved out here, to Vancouver, then.
What was your reason for moving out here?
I just wanted to get out of that small, shitty town. Be in more of a skate
scene, I guess. Just to skate and pursue skateboarding.
Who did you grow up skating with?
In the beginning, when I was a kid, I skated with my friend, Alec Booth. We
grew up together with our parents being friends, and so I kind of knew him
my whole life. He picked up skateboarding. I skated mostly with him and my
buddy, Steve.
When I got a little bit older I skated for this skateboard shop
called Sud Skates and I mostly skated with that crew. It was based out of
St. Catherines, Ont., so I mostly skated with them in St. Catherines, and
stuff like that. I miss all those dudes. I don’t get to see them very much anymore that I’m
living in Vancouver, but we keep in touch, from time to time, through email
and stuff.
Who were some of the guys that you looked up to in your town, in your scene
growing up?
Mostly, a lot of the Sud Skates team, the older guys, before I even got on.
I’d see them around. Phil Shore, nice guy, he actually moved to England.
Chris Foote, he was older- mostly just guys that I’d see around at the
skateparks, and stuff like that. I just like the way those guys did their tricks.What kind of terrain did you guys have to skate growing up? Like, was there
a park, or mostly street skating?
Yeah, when I first started skateboarding it was mostly on the street with a
couple buds, just skating a local school up the street from my house with
manny pads and just random street skating. We got a park a few years after I
started skating in this town close by called Thorold South, and I pretty
much grew up skating that. And, actually, we got the Niagara Falls skatepark
the year that I moved out here, so I didn’t really get to skate there much.
Do you think that the skatepark is the centre of the skate scene in Niagara
Falls? Or do you think the kids are hitting the street much?
Definitely, the ones who love it are still hitting the streets, and the
parks, too. But there’s not a huge skate scene there, really. I can only
really think of a few main guys who really love skateboarding. There are
actually quite a few kids coming up there now, just ripping the park. I’ve
noticed over the last few times that I’ve gone back to visit that there are
definitely some kids who are getting progressively better.
What’s the scene like in Niagara Falls now?
Well, at the park, there’s a lot of bikers. And it’s kind of a small,
dirtbag-ish kind of town. A lot of my friends who I used to skate with are
still skating, so that’s good, it’s cool to see that they still love
skateboarding. I think the park is good for the scene, for sure. It keeps
people skating.
Devin Morrison is from the same area that you’re from. He turned me on to a
blog from out that way, alonelikeastone.com. Are you familiar with those
dudes?
Yes. Mike Todd is the guy who’s blog that is, and he’s just an amazing
person, really genuine. He had a skateboard shop called Cyril- that’s his
middle name. I got introduced to Mike through another friend of mine, Joe
Cleary, and those guys are fuckin’ really cool guys. They were definitely
mentors for me for skateboarding, and life in general.So, when you moved out to Vancouver, what did you notice as the biggest
difference between the scene that you had come from and the scene in
Vancouver?
My first impression… Well, I came to Vancouver in October and I had just
planned on staying a month. I came at the worst time because it was just
raining non-stop, like, for months straight. At the time I was just
beginning my life on my own, so everything was new. I had a new job; working
for this carpenter. So, I was just busy with working, and going home, and it
was dark and it was always raining, and I was like, “Wow, when the hell is
it going to get good!?” I had all these hopes and whatnot, but as soon as
the sun came out and it came time to skate, I would just go to the plaza
every day. And, just the whole scene, with the mountains, the ocean, and
just geographically. Just the variety of different things to skate. There
were so many more possibilities. There was just so much to take in at
first that I was blown away.So, when did you start to get sponsored? Were you sponsored when you moved
to Vancouver, other than just shop sponsored?
I first got hooked up with the East Coast rep. for Emerica and Es, who was
actually the owner of Sud Skates and he ended up hooking me up with Emerica
shoes. And, actually, I ended up going to this contest and met the guy who
repped Vans, so I ended up switching from Emerica to Vans. And then I came
out here, to Vancouver, and hooked up with Mike Pragnell and started to get
Osiris shoes. And then I found myself skating a lot with guys like Stacy
Gabriel and Judah Oakes, so I switched skating for Osiris and hooked up with
the guys at Timebomb and I started getting Etnies shoes. And that’s pretty
much where it progressed. And then I met Geoff Dermer and got on Kitsch. And
then Bones Wheels, and Independent, through Ultimate. I recently got sponsored by Quiksilver. Bones Wheels and Quiksilver were thanks to Jordan Hoffart, so big thanks to Jordan!What are your travel plans for the winter?
Right now I’m saving up for a Kitsch trip to China. It’ll be me, Geoff
Dermer, Stacy Gabriel, our friend Max Fine from Toronto, Derek Swaim, Kevin
Lowery, Brian Caissie and Jordan Mayfield. Our friend William is from China
and he’s coming with us and will be our tour guide. We’ll be going to China
in January. Thanks to Trevn and Judah for helping me out with funds for the
trip!!
What’s it like skating for a Canadian board brand?
It’s great, really. It’s nice to be involved, because, first and foremost,
Geoff Dermer is just a good friend of mine. So right away I wanted to be a
part of it. My friend Lee Robert gave my video part to Geoff, and he
actually gave me a call and asked me to be a part of the crew. And I’ve been
down ever since. It’s a good thing goin’.
What do you like to get up to in your free time?
Mostly just hanging out with friends, walking around or biking around the
city snapping pictures, or whatever. I keep my options pretty open. I don’t
usually make too many plans, I just usually go with the flow.
Tell us about how you found photography?
Being around so many photographers for the last few years, photography is
really interesting to me. It’s just cool to experiment. I look forward to
getting the rolls of film back. I just like the act of shooting pictures.
And with going on trips and stuff like that, it’s just nice to document
things. It’s fun. It’s just a little side passion. I think it’s good to have
passions and hobbies outside of skateboarding where you can just forget
about things and put your energy into something that’s interesting to
yourself.
So what’s up with the Kitsch video?
Well, there’s nothing set in stone, yet. We still need to come up with a
name. There’s a few guys on the team that need to a bit more footage. So, I
would say it’ll be coming out in about another year. But there should be a
teaser coming out soon, after this China trip. Jordan Mayfield is the filmer
for it and he’s doing a really good job. He’s really motivated. We’re all
really thankful that Jordan’s inspired to make this video, so we’ve been
going at it pretty strong over the last bit, so probably in the next year
it’ll be complete.
What do you see yourself doing after skateboarding?
Well, I need to finish school. I need to get my high school diploma. So
that’s definitely something that I want to get pretty soon so that I can
possibly go to trade school, or something. Possibly carpentry, but it’s
still up in the air right now.
What do you think you’d be doing if you hadn’t found skateboarding?
I would probably be working. Probably still be back in Niagara Falls. Owning
a truck… But I moved out to Vancouver, so it’s hard to guess about what I’d
be doing if that hadn’t happened. I’d probably just be working if I hadn’t
happened.
Do you plan on living anywhere else? Do you plan on moving to the
States to pursue skateboarding?
I don’t plan on moving to the States… But I don’t think I’ll ever buy a
place in Vancouver because it’s a lot of money, but I don’t see myself
moving back to Niagara Falls. I like British Columbia and living in
Vancouver, so maybe somewhere close to here. Possibly somewhere more
secluded, like somewhere in the country- that’d be the ultimate dream living
situation, like when I’m done working and all that stuff.What’s the biggest change that you notice when you go back?
Nothing. It’s the exact same every time.
How often do you get back to Niagara Falls?
Lately, I’ve been back two times this year. But normally I try to get back
there once a year, or so.
Overworked and underpaid is the new video from AGK, MOCtalk sits down with Trevor Nedea owner of Antigravity skate shop to ask a few questions.
MOCtalk: Why the name overworked and underpaid?
AGK: Well I personally feel everybody is overworked and underpaid, especially the MOCtalk crew. but everyone can relate even famous people like say Jay-z or a famous artist,
they touch so many people and that feeling is priceless so to say thier Overworked and Underpaid it works on so many levels, sure there will be debate but what is art without
debate?
MOCtalk: The trailer premieres at 4555, Where you had the premiere of your previous video entitled”Butter On My Bread” will you premiere the video at 4555 in 2010?
AGK: That would be amazing everyone has watched downtown grow so much, and Im proud to be a small part of that, I remember the Butter on my bread premiere was when 4555 first
started, Melanie Mullen and Kevin Davidson were such a huge part of that.
MOCtalk: AGK stands for Antigravity Kr3w, Explain a bit about AGK and the future of it.
AGK: Well AGK started when I was 17 me and my father opened a skateshop called Antigravity in the 7000 Mcleod plaza beside Tim Hortons, I was still in school and finished
a business course in college where I actually met Kevin Davidson which led to meeting the amazing crew of MOCtalk, I just always put my heart into everything we do through
skating, videos, our website(www.antigravitysk8shop.com) we just started a clothing company, a bmx team and a new store opening in fort erie early 2010.
MOCtalk: Alot of people talk about your website www.antigravitysk8shop.com talk about that.
AGK: My website wouldn’t be possible without the great work of Joseph Stracuzzi, His great work allows the site to look so good. The site is basically my interests
it showcases fashion, art, humor, skateboarding, film, updates on AGK and Moctalk. Its updated daily and there’s always new material on it. So make it your homepage
and stay tuned.
MOCtalk: Thank you for your time any shoutouts?
AGK: Thank you to the whole wonderful crew of MOCtalk being apart of this is such a honour, the entire AGK kr3w, Everyone who supports not only Antigravity skate shop
but every small business support Local! and my father Anthony Nedea who passed away this year without him nothing I’v done would be possible Thanks. AGK
HUCK recently caught up with HUF founder and pro skater Keith Hufnagel about the retail game, skateboarding and those special collaborations.
These days, it seems that skaters fall into either the fresh, hesh or flannel/Dickies sectors with little originality within each. But when it comes to standout style, Keith Hufnagel is one of the originators.
Since turning pro in 1992, Keith’s skill, unique-as-hell style, trick selection and on-board originality has made him one of those skaters that’s not only progressive but enjoyable to watch too. Hell, just watching Huf push down the street is enough to get you psyched.
In the early part of this decade, Keith’s career as a skateboarder had no obvious bumps that might lead him to seek out a backup plan or use his time for anything else but skating. But in August 2002, Keith Hufnagel added business owner to his job description when he opened the very first HUF store-a boutique-style shop specialising in hard to find apparel.
Today, there are two HUF stores in San Francisco and a newly opened one in Los Angeles. And as his stores flourish with limited edition collaborations and hard to find gems, Keith continues to push the HUF line to new levels of innovation, originality and style.
HUCK: So you grew up in New York City. How did you find yourself living in California?
I moved to California when I was 18 back in 1992 and I ended up going to college at San Francisco state.
What was the transition like?
I mean, I was pretty much obsessed with skateboarding at the time so San Francisco at that point and time was the capital for it. So for me, it was awesome. San Francisco had a New York feel to it. I could pretty much skate everywhere and all of the best skaters were there at that point, so it was pretty much a dream come true more than anything
How did HUF come about?
In the beginning we wanted to host a lot of our friends brands and carry harder to find brands all under one roof. You know the Nike SBs, Supreme, Stussy, Adidas; those kinds of things because it wasn’t really like that in San Francisco. At that point, it was all scattered around the city. We also wanted to bring the New York feel to San Francisco. So we had a lot of the local New York brands in our store and that was kind of how it started.
It’s crazy how you transitioned from pro skater to business owner, what was that like?
Basically, in my early days I could just skate everyday with no worries and just do whatever - go out skating, take photos, hang out with friends, play golf. Now I have a real job with employees and all that where I have to perform. There’s so much work. Having this kind of job is a real job. You have lots and lots of responsibilities that you have to fulfill everyday. It’s a little more intense than being a pro skater.
It’s almost like, ‘Why would you even want to do it? You’re still a pro skater; you can easily keep doing what you’re doing.’
Exactly. I guess if you can do it while you’re doing another job, you can have your career last longer and turn it into another job. It’s like what do you do after you’re a professional skater? What’s your talent after your talent has disappeared?
Did you open HUF with that idea in mind…a career after skateboarding?
Yeah, it was definitely something where it was like, ‘ok, let’s build something and this is something you can lean on after you’re done skateboarding and have something to do’. Skateboarding is the absolute best job in the world but it’s also, if you don’t turn it into anything, a dead-end job. Unless you make so much money that you can retire which isn’t for everyone. There’s probably only a handful of people out there that can probably retire from skateboarding.
Going to work everyday is it full time? How do you juggle the business with being a pro skater?
I have people now who pretty much run the stores so I don’t really touch that. And then I just deal with the brand and my skating. So when you’re feeling good, you go out and skate and then come back and deal with your work. You just have to do it, whenever you’re feeling it, go skate!
Did you have any idea that HUF would grow into a full-on brand?
You know, you’re always making t-shirts, to hats, to sweatshirts, to pants to button ups. You know it was a very grassroots way of building a brand. It was very slow and soon everything just evolved.
What are some of the challenges of running a business in a shitty economy?
It’s really just comes down to keeping it fresh and keeping your customers coming in really. It’s definitely a change from when we started the business. It’s a whole new path to make sure you can continue sales, bring the right product in, bring other brands in and not buy too much or too little. There’s the whole strategy to it.
Have any of the collaborations been weird when it crosses over to your sponsor’s territory?
I’ve had those conversations with my sponsors and it’s more of just a shop thing and they’re all cool with that. And at the same time, we do a lot of collaborations with my sponsors whether it be Real, DVS or whatever.
If you dont know who Angel Cabada is you should prob read this. Hes the creative mind behind Kr3w and Supra. He Started off with the clothing brand TSA for those die-hard skate fans you will remember that brand and video, With Tom Penny and The Muska killing it. Here’s a interview from Sneakerfreaker. AGK
From the neo-classic Skytops to the gold 14k Chad Muska model that sold out in a nano-second, Supra has managed to spontaneously combust in a market place swamped with black, lo-fi blando-sneakers. Even more surprisingly, they have done it with challenging designs that are as ostentatious as they are original, sporting multiple buckles, gold chains and blinding patent on sky-hightops. The story behind the brand is virtually unknown, so we were very fortunate to pin down the main man, Mr Angel Cabada for an hour or so of freewheeling conversation. He’s an elusive cat, a dog lover and a native Californian. In the space of less than three years, he has somehow built one of the most daring footwear brands out there, and we wanted to know, how the hell did he do it?
Hey Angel, I’ve been trying to do my research on the internet and you’re a complete mystery. So tell me about the Angel Cabada story…
I grew up in Orange County, California, pretty much all my life. I fell in love with skating and things just fell into my lap along the way. I mean I have had some normal jobs, I worked at McDonalds for fucking two hours and I left on my break. I worked at Taco Bell for about a week, I worked at Track Auto for a little while, that was kind of fun. And then I realized that it was time for me to try to make clothes with my friends and I don’t know, I just learned as I went. I still skate too…
Good for you. You haven’t broken too many arms or legs yet?
I’ve just fractured my ribs. I’ve dislocated a few things, but it’s amazing I’ve never broken any bones. Knock on wood.
What was the first enterprise you actually started under your own steam?
It was at least 16 or 17 years ago. The first brand I started was called TSA. That lasted for about ten years before I split up with my partner, and in 2002 I started doing KR3W, which I’m still doing under One Distribution, which is actually the umbrella of KR3W and Supra Footwear. Supra only launched in 2005, so it’s fairly new, still a baby.
I know what you mean. What is the essence of Supra?
Supra is a Latin word that stands for ‘above and beyond’, that’s where I got the word from. Names are very important and it has to sound right. So that’s that.
Has the success exceeded your expectations so far?
I don’t know man, I think we’re just getting started. I mean, I’m happy and I’m satisfied that we’ve caught everybody’s attention and people are loving our stuff. I was hyped to see Little Wayne and Jay Z wearing Skytops at the BET awards recently. A lot of people are embracing the shoes, it’s all organic, it’s happening on its own.
A few retailers told me they had long queues and international calls about the shoes. That level of hype is normally associated with Nike more than anyone else in terms of consumer interest. Did the reaction to that shoe in particular take you by surprise?
Yeah of course it did. This whole thing is still taking me by surprise. But at the same time, I’ve been in it so damn long it’s kind of like… I’m at the stage where I’m jaded you know?
I know exactly what you mean (laughs). Well it’s still a remarkable achievement. It has to be an amazing positive for the brand?
I just live one day at a time and try to be myself. With the first batch of gold shoes, people were scared because the shoe’s really crazy. But, by the time they actually came out, they were hot! Everything that we put out has been sold right off the shelf. The last 413 silver edition sold out in 30 minutes. The feedback we get from the stores is that they’ve never had a shoe that sold that fast. Ever in history. So I’m hearing all this stuff, yeah I’m super amped, but I think the thing that really hit me the most was seeing Little Wayne wearing Supras.
So are you tempted to increase production? Or do you think there’s a fine line between selling out quickly and kids being able to get the shoes that they want?
This is the deal, we make stuff, some stores pre-book, and there are some people that don’t. Our brand is still fairly new, but now I think they are realizing that every time a customer comes up to their store and asks for a pair of shoes and they don’t have it, they just lost profit. I’m not going to give you numbers but we overbought 50% of our pre-booked orders and by the time our shipment came in, we’d sold out.
Does that success make you nervous that Supra is about to be imitated by other brands?
No. Chad called me from Bread and Butter (Barcelona tradeshow) and he said he saw four Skytops pretty much knocked off to the T. At the same time, I’m not mad at them, it’s a compliment. But you know, there’s only one Supra Skytop and that’s our shoe and if people want to go out and buy the fake one that’s on them.
Yeah, I agree, but being copied like that would still piss me right off. I also wanted to ask you about the NS range. It was pretty experimental with all the buckles and shit. Can you explain a little about the range?
That was just something we added on top of what we wanted to release, but it was hard to drop it in a skate store, because skate was barely embracing Skytops at the time. So we wanted to take it to more fashion driven trade shows. We did everything in black and white during the time that everyone was doing fruit colors, camouflages, astro turf, tennis balls, basketball material etc. We just tried to stay away from all that stuff.
Well, it’s out there and it works.
They’re retailing at 200 bucks! People aren’t flinching, the numbers have quadrupled since the first delivery and we have a whole new NS line coming out for spring, so look out, we’ve got some heat coming. We’ve got a Skytop 2 coming out, Terry Kennedy’s shoe and new designs, there’s nothing like them and they’re not a knock off, they’re original Supra material.
Aside from the way they look, the thing about Supra that immediately impressed me is the quality in the manufacturing and the materials… they just look tight.
Thank you. Josh and I go to the factory four times a year to see the samples. My team goes there to double-check on everything and make sure things are on point.
Will you stick to black and white for NS?
We got some more patents and some foiling. I guess I could tell you about them, the catalogue’s already out. We have a burgundy patent leather and a grey suede, I won’t tell you exactly what suede, but it’s gonna be hot.
I just saw the first Supra Tuf model as well. Is that a new type of material you’re using?
Yeah, the leather we have is custom made for us and outlasts normal suede by ten times. Your bottoms will wear out before you wear that leather! I can’t explain the whole terminology, if you want to see it go to supratuf.com and you’ll get the whole story. They’re weather resistant, waterproof, they’re breathable, and it looks good.
You mentioned before that you’ve got a very hands-on role in the company. Can you elaborate on that a bit further?
Are you asking me what I do?
Yeah. I mean in a really practical way, what do you do on a week-to-week basis?
I’m a thinker. I think a lot, I daydream a lot, think of ideas, constantly talking to my designers. I’m a shop-a-holic, I love shopping so I tend to shop for therapy. And I have a dog.
I know… What kind of shopping?
Clothing, shoes, watches, books, art, whatever… anything I can get inspiration from. I get massages, I travel, chill, skateboard, basic stuff everybody does.
So you must work pretty hard as well? (laughs) I think you missed my question before. I’m just wondering what your actual role within the company is?
Well… When people ask me what I do, to be honest, I never tell them anything. I introduce myself as Angel.
Well I think that’s about it Angel. Is there anything you wanted to mention to our readers?
I’m thankful, and I wanna thank everyone out there that’s supporting us and embraced us and thank you for calling me and giving me the opportunity to be in your magazine because I love your magazine.
Hey, thank you. (blushes) I’m looking at shoes all day long and Supra is one thing that I’ve seen coming through that is original, and I appreciate that. It’s not something I could have predicted, but I got to hand it to you. I don’t mean to blow smoke up your ass…
Thank you. I still pinch myself every fucking morning to see if I’m still dreaming! Also can I thank YJ aka Josh, LB, Mama and my pig.
Sure thing!
You’ve partnered with Steve Aoki and Samantha Ronson and Chad Muska of course. It seems genuine to me and I think kids are responding to the fact that they’re close to the brand and they’re a nice fit with what you’re about. Are you a little cynical about the way some brands associate themselves with celebrities?
No comment. Everyone does their own thing. I just know that for me personally, I have to make this connection and the people that we have given stuff to are actually our friends. We’re not paying money to place the product. They’re my friends. Like I said, we don’t pay an agency $20,000 a month to place our products (laughs). I mean, you couldn’t pay me to put something on that I don’t like. I think that’s how they feel as well and I appreciate that. I don’t want to mention any names.
It is a baby but it’s… got big balls already, but we’ll get to that. The experience you had with those two labels must have been a really good grounding before Supra.
You know, I’m having a hard time hearing you because the damn dog over here is barking. Sorry. What was that again?
OK, I was thinking Supra is widely known, but most people out there wouldn’t be aware of the origins of the label.
Well to be honest, I was actually going to do KR3W footwear and then I kind of sat back and thought about it, and it would have been a big conflict of interest with people that we work with. So I re-thought it one more time and then I had to explain it to my partners because I had already dumped like 100 grand on sampling and they just looked at me like I was crazy. But as far as the concept and where it came from… I don’t know. I’ve been around shoes all my life and I just felt I wanted to do something to complement the clothing we make, plus the shoes out there were a little chunky for me.
At first, people looked at us like we’re fucking nuts for making these fucking Skytops and people laughed… But you know what? I’m laughing all the way to the you know what, you know what I’m saying?
Story by Joe La Puma:taken from COMPLEX magazine
Kid Cudi: It’s exciting, man. I’m just ready to try new shit. I’m a dude who likes to create music with good feeling. I live like a chameleon through music. It all depends on what the beat tells me to do; that’s why you’re always gonna get passionate hooks, because I’m feeling the beats and the emotion behind the drums and melodies.
Kid Cudi: I was briefly, and then I started to record and just make shit. That’s when I realized I’m going to be OK. Shit is going to come together as it should, don’t worry about it. I didn’t come in the game to just do that one joint, you know what I mean? I came in the game to have multiple hits.
Kid Cudi: I don’t really have any fear about the business; my biggest fear is getting wrapped up in the illusion of fame and Hollywood and shit like that. Getting wrapped up in the worldly things like drugs and the excitement of being famous. I have a vulnerable enough past that it could propel me into that world. I don’t want to be caught up in it. I want to do something while I’m here. This is hell. All the shit that’s going on around us, this is hell.
Kid Cudi: Man, I was always the ugly duckling; I never got attention from girls like that. So now that it’s happening, I’m kind of hip to it. I know half of these bitches wouldn’t be talking to me if I wasn’t Kid Cudi, and I’m not no fool, you know what I’m saying? I wasn’t born yesterday.
Kid Cudi: I just don’t want to get wrapped up in that world, so I keep to myself. I’m more like an actor-celebrity, rather than a rapper-celebrity. Actors keep to themselves, they’re very reserved, you only see them at premieres and shit like that. I’m not that dude who always wants to be seen and shit and goes to these industry events-I’ll go out if need be, and that’s what it is.
Kid Cudi: “Weird” itself, even in the dictionary, is just something that is different and unexplainable. A weirdo is someone who follows their heart. I’m definitely weird, ain’t nothing wrong with that.
Kid Cudi: My dad was Superman to me. He was the coolest. When he died of cancer, it was like my world was destroyed-I just went from seeing my dad normal to seeing my dad sick and then seeing my dad where he couldn’t even recognize me. My heart crumbled. I cried, but it wasn’t because I was sad, it was because I was pissed, like, “What the fuck?! Why?” But that’s when I started to want to express myself through words and rhymes.
Kid Cudi: [Laughs.] Yeah. After my father died, I used to have some really bad nightmares that any kid would have when a relative passed away. My mom tried, but there was nothing that could fill that void, even to this day. It was night terrors, more intense than nightmares, and I never got help for them-I had to fight them off myself because I didn’t know what they were. It was these intense illusions of my mom dying or me dying and nobody caring, shit like that
Kid Cudi: Not in the obvious way. Going through all that heartache and loss made me super-sensitive-not to where I want to cry all the time, but I’ll want to snap. There’s a lot of anger still in me, and it transforms into sadness through song. The day that I can say I’m truly happy will be my day of peace, like for real for real. Until then, I’m on my grind.
Kid Cudi: I was working at this restaurant in Cleveland. There was this white dude in his 40s who was cool as shit and would tell me, “You’re funny and people like you. You need to move the fuck out of Ohio and just do this.” My uncle told me I could come out there and stay with him in the South Bronx until I got on my feet. I’d never met him; this was my father’s older brother, the last of my father’s siblings, so I wanted to make that connection anyway. I moved in 2004 with my little demo and maybe $500.
Kid Cudi: Yeah. I didn’t have a job for about the first five months there, so I had to make that $500 stretch. [Laughs.] I didn’t have any friends and I didn’t know anybody, so my thing to do then was to go to Times Square and just walk around. I wanted to be a New Yorker so bad.
Kid Cudi: It was like growing into a man: “All right, let’s see what the fuck you’re made of. Let’s see you be a man now, mama’s boy.” It was a whole other journey. My uncle that I lived with passed in 2006. We were actually beefing because he forced me out the house when I didn’t have another situation set up, so I was bitter. I never apologized for it, and that kills me. That’s why I wrote “Day ‘N’ Nite.”
Kid Cudi: If he wasn’t there to let me stay with him those first few months, there would be no Kid Cudi. It fucked me up watching him go, but it was like, “I have to fulfill this destiny now for sure.” Things were moving but they weren’t solidified yet. I had “Day ‘N’ Nite,” we were just getting started, and I was like, “This shit has got to pop off.” I wasn’t taking no for an answer.
“Day ‘N’ Nite” didn’t blow up at first. Even those fans new to the Cudi bandwagon know the song was written in 2006-and while it was racking up hits on MySpace, and eventually as a single on A-Trak’s Fool’s Gold label, radio didn’t get around to it until 2008. Thankfully, even in the survival-of-the-fittest cycle young rappers find themselves in, Cudi’s sense of self was healthy enough to wait for the world to catch up. And now, the world is waiting; after a few hours at his apartment, he abruptly mentions that we’re heading to Brooklyn to meet up with Kanye West, who’s in town shooting a video for Clipse’s “Kinda Like A Big Deal.” When we get to the set, Cudi yells out to Kanye-”‘Sup, Chief Broski!”- and ‘Ye reacts like he’s seeing a peer, not a protégé.
Kanye first called on Cudi to reference hooks for Jay-Z, and while in the studio, Cudi and ‘Ye went from working on The Blueprint 3 to Good Ass Job (the working title for Kanye’s next album) to 808s & Heartbreak. There’s a theory, and it’s a good one, that Cudi’s melody-heavy singsong style inspired Kanye to do 808s in the first place. Cudi’s assistance on the album includes co-writing credits on “Heartless,” “Welcome to Heartbreak,” “Paranoid,” and “RoboCop.” West doesn’t hold back when giving Cudi credit. “Me and Cudi are the originators of the style, kinda like what Alexander McQueen is to fashion,” he says. “Everything else is just Zara and H&M.” And with Kanye in his corner, Cudi has a significant advantage over most of his fellow freshman MCs-the one exception being up-and-comer Drake, who was recently signed to Lil Wayne’s Young Money imprint. As easy as it is for one to compare the two, Cudi makes clear that he’s solely focused on his own career, not the next man’s. And when it comes to music, this moon-man’s focus is out of this world.
Kid Cudi: I think it’s just that Drake and me are the most creative out of the new up-and-coming MCs. Me and Drake are here not because of anything other than two niggas that have their own flavor. I’m doing my shit, nobody else can do my shit. Nobody else can do Wale’s shit or Charles Hamilton’s shit. It’s like a bunch of Kool-Aid stands. It just matters whose flavor you like the most.
Kid Cudi: We’ll come together eventually, but I’m not trying to force this because there’s hype around us both. I want to work with Drake, yeah, but right now I don’t want to work with anyone who’s in the same creative realm as me. I’m still creating my own shit.
Kid Cudi: Drake had been wanting to do an official “Day ‘N’ Nite” remix early on. He was one of my earliest supporters; that’s why I fuck with Drake on another level than just being a new artist. His homeboy Oliver used to hit me up when I’d go to Toronto, like, “Yo, you gotta fuck with Drake.” Imagine if I would’ve let Drake remix “Day ‘N’ Nite” when he wanted to back in ‘07. That shit would’ve fizzled out; no one would’ve cared. Luckily we let it live and it worked out. We’re changing things on accident. That’s how I know this is my destiny.
Kid Cudi: Kanye is inspired by everybody around him. He’s inspired by life. So yeah, he kind of drew inspiration from everyone around him at that moment when it came to 808s & Heartbreak.
Kid Cudi: Well, I can’t reveal numbers. But they were completely fair in giving me my credit and shit like that. It was a good experience and it was definitely lucrative
Kid Cudi: I don’t want to transform into a fuckin’ zombie. Every time people come up to me I want to hit them with that smile and shake their hands sincerely. Let them know that I appreciate them approaching me and I appreciate them liking my music.
Kid Cudi: “Keep it up, young man.” He was always like, “Pick your head up! It shows confidence!” Now, with my confidence, because of my father and those moments, I remember why I’m here
Dan Arget
What part of Canada are you from?
I grew up in Woodbridge, Ontario but I’m living in Toronto now.
What’s the worst thing about that town?
Eventually all my friends I started skating with quit and moved on to more exciting things like homework or golf. For most of my teenage years I skated by myself getting McDonalds garbage chucked at me out the windows of Honda civics on a regular basis, often followed by verbal abuse. Common Gound skate park saved my life. Thanks for everything Glen.
Whats the worst thing about being Canadian?
Winter ofr almost half the year I guess but that couldn’t be any worse than being American, could it?
I heard you got a reputation for making photographers wait so you can take a sh*t. I like that.
I’ve got this problem with time management: my buddy Pat Maloney calls it “arget time”. Somtimes I’ll take a nap or just sit around till about 2 minutes before I’m supposed to leave my house. As soon as my phone rings with the “I’m outside” call, I scramble and usually have to take a sh*t, have a snack, than look for my keys or something like that so when I say “I’ll be right out”, there’s a good chance I’m still sitting on the toilet. Sorry everyone, I swear I’m getting better slowly– Very slowly.
What’s the best story?
I can’t think of just one time in particular, but I’m surprised I still have friends. Since we’re on the topic, at my old job driving a forklift at an electronics warehouse, I would get written up for taking too long in the bathroom only because everyday I would eat a gnarly sandwich from the coffee truck and as soon as I lifted one TV it was all over. One day O clogged the toilet so bad and the boss walks in the bathroom just as I’m trying to fix it. I’d never seen that fat little man so pissed almost as much as the time I forgot to put water in my noodle cup and I set the microwave on fire.
Tell me about your Slayer tattoo
It was my first tattoo. Ever since I discovered the joys of Slayer I haven’t been able to get enough, anytime, anywhere. I had the idea for a while and finally decided to get it done. My freind and fellow Slayer fan Chris David did it for me over some beers and of course a strictly Slayer playlist. I guess you could call that a Slaylist?
Arget FS Board
Does it make you feel tough?
Nah, it just makes me feel like listening to Slayer, does it make you feel afraid?
Do you think you dad thinks Slayer is a good way to represent the family name?
Probably not, he was pretty bummed when I showed him but I guess it’s too late.
Ever have sex on acid?
Nope but I think it’d be pretty wild.
Tell me any acid or drug story.
Back to the warehouse, the other forklift driver was one of those 35-year old dudes who lives in his parent’s basement and plays computer games all night. Everyday he’d show up on two hours of sleep and start going on about his new swords and magic spells. One day on break he offered me magic grass and I obliged without considering its effects. I got back to my forklift more or less cross eted, buckled up my harness and of course my next order was a full skidof speakers 30 feet upon the top rack. Have you ever seen it rain speakers? Never trust a f*cking wizard.
Do you like movies about gladiators?
Not at all, but I was really disappointed when Chad Knight blew it on American Gladiators.
Which of thse people do you like the least: Mitch Barette or Spencer Hamilton?
All of them Kill it.
How often do you wish you were American?
What the heck’s an American, eh? Well I’ll admit you have dirt-cheap beer, so cheers!
Photos: GILS
Interview by Chris Nieratko
Taken from KING SHIT MAGAZINE
For more of Chris, check out:
Blenderhead
AGK: Hey Blenderhead why exactly is your name Blenderhead and where did that originate from?
BLENDERHEAD:
The name came after a while of learning to mix. The first time I spun at a house party on Halloween around 3 years or so ago (as Jesus Lennon) I was given the name DJ Skull n’ Bones. Nice, but ….I passed on that one. Next I thought DJ Press Play. Made sense. However, there is a DJ Press Play in T.O. I heard him on the Edge. I like his style. Thinking again, I came up with Busker Decker…that one felt pretty good but something was off. So, while thinking and mixing tunes at home, I thought what is IT that I do? For years I had made mixed tapes. Song to song with hard cuts and usually some kind of theme. CDs happend and things changed. I was slow to upgrade. I had on of those cassette adapters for a discman and Realistic combo tuner/tape/record player from Radio Shack. One day I noticed that I could play two things at once. A new avenue appeared before me. Song to song with transition. Next was a mixer and three discmans then the CDJ’s and a drum machine I call the K-Hamilton. So, at first it was about blending songs together, sometimes I would hear it in my head. Being a passionate appreciator of the music, lyrics, and lives of Bad Religion a light went on and it hit me, blenderhead! Blenderhead is #4 on Against the Grain, in my books, an awesome album. To me, the lyrics to Blenderhead are fitting. Completely? Complimentary. I googled blenderhead and found that there was a punk band from Seattle. Finished now, similarly inspired i’m sure.
AGK: What is a Mixoligist?
BLENDERHEAD:
I like to play with words as well as music and other sounds. I felt that DJ was a little presumptuous. Originally a Disc Jockey was a person on the radio. Next, a DJ was a person that took parts of other songs(existing or their own composition) and made new songs. I was new to this form of expression and wanted to make a humble and innovative approach. Maybe i’ll be a DJ one day? Also, I like how the short form of audio mixologist, a.m., is similar to amature, roughly originally meaning “doing for the love of”. Yeah…music, I love it!
AGK: For everyone who dosent know what MOCtalk is about please explain what it’s all about and why people should tune in.
BLENDERHEAD:
You mean every one doesn’t know about MOCtalk? What the f*ck!!! 
Who’s doing the promo?
All right, seriously, if I can. MOCtalk is a monthly ( give or take a couple days) on-line variety talk show featuring original musicans/bands, visual artists, comedians and who knows what from the Niagara Region and beyond. The musicians/bands and the visual artist are interviewd/chatted with and their work and preformances are presented through out the show. Oh yeah…and I’m the host.
Why stream in? Thats up to you. I love being involved with the show. Check it out @ www.moctalk.ca
AGK: Who’s all part of making MOCtalk?
BLENDERHEAD:
Well…we all wear many hats. Episode to episode those involved change. Their is a core crew and many other people are involved in making MOCtalk possible. The MOCtalk Collective currently consists of you, Trevor Nedea (camera+), Cannibal Cam (camera+), Kev Davidson (D.O.P.++), jim the roadie (Tech+), Joe Stracuzzi (creator++), Anthony Stracuzzi (Guest/Audience Relations+), Brianna Stracuzzi (Stage Manager+), and Steve Pritula (photographer+).
I’d also like to mention Carl David Onofrio, Judy Lu, Todd Van Eyke, Paul Lacroix, Dean Tedesco, Elizabeth Senese, Peter Haverkamp, Lorenzo Medico, Wayne Corlis, Katie Webb and Joe Stracuzzi Sr. plus many more. It takes a village to produce a webisode. Cheers and Thank You to all of us that do this!
AGK; What’s the future for BLENDERHEAD/MOCtalk?
BLENDERHEAD:
Hum…? I guess we’ll find out? MOCtalk VII, VIII, and IX will be taped at fourTRIPLEfive on Queen St.
AGK: Who is Jim the roadie?
BLENDERHEAD:
It is jim the roadie that makes what I do possible. If it wasn’t for him I don’t know where I’d be. He slugs my gear around, stets up and tears down, books shows for me, does research and development for MOCtalk, is a source of inspiration, and drinks alot of my beer, but thats OK!
AGK: What do yeah think about AGK and what we do over here?
BLENDERHEAD:
I don’t really know what you cats do over there? I should come for a visit.I know your sk8in’, helping people sk8, and making sk8 movies and photos. jim the roadie used to sk8. I think he said something about getting a long board for surfing on concrete. I dig that you also have visual art on your web site.
AGK: For some die hard music fans what should people listen to that BLENDERHEAD loves?
BLENDERHEAD:
Oh!!! There is so much! Here is a sample of the musical joys that I’ve had and have the opportininy to expirience.
Classic stuff:
The Beatles, Led Zepplin, Pink Floyd, Social Distortion, Minor Threat, Fugazi, The Angry Samoans, Operation Ivy, Green Day, The Bouncing Souls, NOFX, Rancid, Face to Face, Strung Out, Pulley, Down By Law, Pennywise, Aimless Nonsense and of course Bad Religion to name a few.
On the dance/electronic/? side o’ things:
KLF, Goldfrapp, The Chemical Brothers, Fischer Spooner, NIN, Juno Reactor, Hallucinogen, Soul Coughing, Infected Mushroom,The Peace Leeches, Foxes in Fiction, and Gravity Wave. The last 3 are from Southern Ontario and kick ass!
Niagara local: The Anti-Q’s, The Waxbills, Townline, The Black Flies, A Sea of Gold and Burgundy, The Broken Lyre plus more and any open mic you can get to!
AGK: Whens the next MOCtalk shooting?
BLENDERHEAD:
@ fourTRIPLEfive on Queen St. in Downtown Niagara Falls on Fridays May 29, July 3, and July 31.
see you there.
AGK: Shoutouts?
BLENDERHEAD:
Hi Mom!
PHOTO: STEVE PRITULA
INTERVIEW BY: TREVOR NEDEA
Thanks to the internet, if the mainstream media’s programming just isn’t cutting it these days, you can create your own. That’s just what Joseph Stracuzzi did with his Niagara Falls-based project, MOCtalk.
MOCtalk (www.moctalk.ca), originally funded solely from the pockets of its creators, is an online television series that puts home grown talent at the forefront. Each episode, released monthly, is filmed live and features interviews with local musicians, entrepreneurs, artists, comedians, and more.
MOCtalk began as a dream for Stracuzzi, and with the help of a number of friends and experienced associates, the series was officially launched in November of last year. Now with five episodes under his belt, Stracuzzi has seen an overwhelming response of support for the MOCtalk project.
“On a daily basis, support mediums range from being stopped on the street with a handshake, to emails and online blog/community support,” he said. “Our host, Blenderhead, has even been recognized in public as far as Hamilton, Ontario. Online viewership ranges from local to international. Local musicians, artists, and filmmakers have been showing their support and inquiring to be a part of the experience; we truly appreciate and encourage this type of behaviour.”
Assuming the roles of MOCtalk’s creator, co-producer, sound technician, web moderator and on-screen graphic designer, Stracuzzi produces the series with the help of several key players: Kevin Davidson (Co-Producer/Director of Photography); Jim Agar (Tech Crew/Research and Development); Cam Schwartz (Camera Operator); Trevor Nedea (Camera Operator); and his own siblings Anthony and Brianna Stracuzzi.
“A group of friends and associates, with an amazing array of talents and equipment, organized themselves into a collective to independently finance and produce Episode I from my family home with Van Eyk Media, Brotherloose Films and the support of friends and family,” said Stracuzzi. “The MOCtalk collective’s first attempt was a success. The stream, however, was rather choppy. The online viewing audience heard bits of audio with frozen and fragmented video. Episode I was then brought into post production and uploaded to www.moctalk.ca. Since then, all episodes have been treated the same way.”The latest episode of MOCtalk, filmed in March, featured Thorold’s Rod Standish and Port Colborne’s The Spooky Scarecrows as musical guests, as well as St. Catharines’ Laurie Boese as the featured visual artist. Stracuzzi calls the series’ support for local talent a “labour of love”.
“We are all in some way musicians and artists ourselves,” said Stracuzzi. “In the beginning the show was a medium to showcase the works of people in our immediate artistic community. This community grew rather quickly and was extended to surrounding cities. Now we’re capable of supporting and promoting talent from a wider variety of mediums and locations.”
With more and more people turning to the internet for their main source of entertainment, Stracuzzi refers to the public’s growing interest in streaming video as a “short-form revolution” in which MOCtalk is fully engaged.
“I feel that today’s viewers would much rather spend half an hour online watching multiple short clips then sitting down in front of a TV and watching full-length programming,” said Stracuzzi. “This is simply due to the fact that such a wide variety of sources are virtually free and at our fingertips. I can only hope that more viewers, especially locally, would turn to our coverage of local events such as the Niagara Music Awards and any future events where MOCtalk is live on the scene.”
Each episode of MOCtalk brings in approximately 350 to 500 views within the first week of being posted online, says Stracuzzi. The collective has been working to build their live studio audience, growing from eight audience members for Episode I, to 50 to 70 in attendance for the soon-to-be-released Episode VI. MOCtalk films next on May 29 at 4triple5 Cafe, and extends an open invite to the public to join the studio audience.
“I describe the show as a ‘rolling sticky ball continuing to attach to everything it rolls past’,” added Stracuzzi. “With each episode the MOCtalk collective have been honing their craft and pouring their soul into each upcoming episode.”
KRISTEN DE PALMA
PHOTO: WELLER PHOTOGRAPHY
