TK Interview with The Skateboard MAG
I REPEAT! TK Interview with The Skateboard MAG! NOT ME! I just posting get for my cats that cant shell three bucks to buy the issue! Enjoy!
Who shot ya?
Ah, I can’t make nobody famous. But some
niggas on the north side of Long Beach.
What was it about?
Just wrong place, wrong time.
Did the bullets have your name on them?
Nah, nah. They was just shooting at the crowd.
was in Long Beach at this college party, but I was real low-key. By the time came, I guess they shut it down ‘cause somebody got in a fight. So as I’m turned around to go out, the dudes who got into it outsmarted the other niggas and went back to the parking Pot and put their cars there so they blocked the entrance with their cars- They were standing there behind their car with guns. My
was closest to their car, to the exit. So as I’m going to
car, with the crowd, they just started letting oft shots. I
hit, a couple of other people got hit.
Where’d you get hit?
In the jaw, in the arm, and in the thigh,
Three bullets?
Yeah.
What does a bullet feel like?
What’s so funny was, when the shit happened,
went into shock. ‘Cause I seen [the shooters] already. When they shot, I seen every bullet that hit me- So
trying to dip, I get low, and they hit me in the arm, in the thigh. I just jumped in the car and drove to the hospital. I just went into shock, mainly. So I’m freaking out,
mad, I go to the hospital next door, but they couldn’t work on me. There was a hospital next door, right next to the college, but it was a VA [Veterans Administration] hospital, so they’re not allowed to work on outside patients. So I’m sifting in the hospital, about to fucking die, and they’re like, “Yeah, you got insurance? ‘Cause we’re VA, and we’re not allowed to touch you.” I’m like, “Man, we gotta do something!” I’m sitting there, trying
ta!k, with a bullet stuck in my fucking jaw, So I had to wait
the whole time for the ambulance to come, and they had to take me to the old hospital up the street from where
grew up. And they didn’t work on me until the next day. So it was pretty crazy.
Were you afraid you were going to die?
Yeah. Because it was just lodged in my jaw, and I can talk perfectly fine, but I’m panicking, like, “I’m about to die!” The bullet was literally sticking out of my jaw. They were Pike, “Stop panicking, you’re not gonna die!” I was like, “I got a bullet in my face, one in my arm! What the fuck you mean I ain’t going to die?” They were sitting there like, “We can’t do nothing until we get your informat!on’ And after all that they’re like, “We’re not allowed to work on you.” And a nigga went to jail the next day after that.
Why do you think there is that negativity inherent in the African American community? Why is it that when
one of its members start to rise up in the community,
people try to cut them down?
I don’t know! It’s so funny, because the day ! appeared on that “Bam” show, muthafuckas shot my house up that night. Ask Mike VI He came by my house the next day and there was bullet holes a!! through my door, top of my house, shot my screen door up. I don’t know, man. It’s just wild. (Forl no apparent reason. Like who am I? I’m a skateboarder. It ain’t like I’m a gangsta rapper, and it’s over some rap. Black people just can’t ... I don’t know.
Does it still feel like people are out to get you?
No. Not at all. You know what I learned from going through that? You bring around you what you put out. And at the time, that’s what! was putting out. I was putting out a gang of negativity, I’m carrying guns, I’m hanging around the wrong crowd. That’s why I was bringing that attention around me. Like Pharrell always tells me, it’s bad enough that people don’t like me regardless. But don’t never give nobody no reason [to not like you}. Doing that type ot shit gave people a reason, and that’s what he told me. He really helped me to learn that. The minute I started listening to him, and listening to Andrew, and listening to Atiba, and listening to people who really got my best interests, felt much better within myself. If I’m at the skatepark, if I’m at the movies with my girlfriend, then I don’t have to be involved with that shit. I don’t have to be around Long Beach, I don’t have to be around LA. was stuck in a phase, deliberately hanging out in Long Beach, when I had no reason to. I bad to learn the hard way, dude.
When you talk about losing your friend, are you talking about Black Mike?
Yeah. It was gnarly man. ‘Cause I know he lost his life over nothing. It was pure jealousy, man. Everybody in the city knew we were just skateboarding. We weren’t no threat. We were just skateboarding. [Someonel killed that dude deliberately. People seen his face, they knew who that dude was. tPeople] knew what he was about, they knew what we did. People try to say ‘Oh, it was the wrong place at the wrong time:’ but I don’t believe that. He wasn’t supposed to go right now. Somebody deliberately took his life. It hurt, man. I don’t do drugs, I don’t drink, but that shit threw me for a twist. I didn’t know how to cope. To me, his death was just wrong. Like, my mom passed away, and I was like, “All right:’‘Cause I knew what she was doing. She was doing drugs, she was out there ... But I can never cope with his death, to this day.
That’s a lot to deal with.
But I can’t be mad, dude. I’m so happy I’ve been through everything I’ve been through, because I’m such a better
person now. You fgotta respect everybody, and that’s what I learned dealing with Pharrell. Because you don’t know what nobody is going through. So you just respect people. The minute I took that into consideration, I was good. I respect people. I don’t act like I’m better than anybody I don’t have an attitude towards anybody ‘cause I don’t know what that person’s going through.
Why did you quit Baker to ride for Element?
At the time, Baker was lust starting. It wasn’t for me to have money in my pocket, I didn’t care. I’m only fifteen, sixteen years old, I don’t need money. It was my tamily, dude. It was at a crucial point. My mom was getting our county checks and using it all on drugs. I went to Baker and was like, “If y’all could just give me $400 ...“‘Cause rent at the time was only like $700. I was like, “You don’t even have to give me the money, you could just give it to my grandma or make it payable to the rent ‘cause my family is stressing, and it’s hurting
me. I m seeing my mom struggle on drugs, father am t around, grandma’s stressing ‘cause we got ten people we’re taking care ot, all living under one root. I went to Andrew panicking, because it my grandma died, I’m gonna lose it. At the time he was like, “Dude, our company is small, I can’t afford to do nothing right now:’ I respect that. And I’m cool with the kid Jeremiah jVance] at the time. He knew my problems, and I guess he told Element. They were like, “Damn, he’s going through shit, and we’ve been wanting to tuck with him, but we didn’t think he’d leave:’ I guess I just lucked out. I left for my family. It wasn’t about me. I don’t need no money at sixteen years old, just give me a bag of chips and I’m happy.
How did you quit Baker?
I went back to Andrew and was like, “What do you think? jElement] offered me this, and it oould put my family right, and we’d be good:’ Andrew was just like, “Man, I’m not mad at you. You know we love you, and it that’s what you gotta do, that’s what you gotta do. No hard feelings. Call me this weekend so we can go skate:’ Just like thatl I love that dude, that’s what stuck with me when I left.
So why’d you leave Element?
7 Baker was my home, regardless. Al Baker, they let me do me. When I first got on Element, they were letting me wear the shit
I wanted to wear. The first ad when I got on was me and my family, on my front porch, in my hood. That’s me, They let me do me for a couple seconds, but after that, it was all their demands. wasn’t really cracked up to do that. Every kid in the world knows I’m on Element, and I know y’all pay me to wear Element clothes, but if I want to wear a Hoc-a-tella shirt, that’s me.
Was there a specific incident that got you in trouble?
I had got the cover of The Mag, and I had a white t-shirt on, and [Elementi flipped out on me. Like, “What are you doing? Who do you think you are? People on the team are complaining about your’ They ended up giving me a pay cut, really going oft on me. To the point where I was like, “Dude, I don’t need to be over herer I guess Bam spoke up, like, “Dude, what’s up with this kid? He thinks he can run the company?” Tosh was talking this...
What’s your relationship like with am these days?
I don’t know. I’ve been shot, I’ve been in }ail, and the dude ain’t reached out to me one time to say ‘How you doing?” I talk to his family more so than him. I don’t know what to say. I’m ongry. I thought me and Barn was better than thai. I talk to his dad and his morn, and they like, “Yeah, he’s just been busy ...“ I’m like, “C’mon dude, I almost lost my life. The least you could do was call me to see how I was doing.”
How old are you?
Twenty years old. Twinkie. That’s what we say.
What advice would you give to the younger kids out there skating?
First off, just look at my situation and where I came from. There’s always hope. You gotla believe with yourself, because if you don’t believe within yourself, nobody is going to believe in you. Always stay positive. Whatever you reach for you can grab. I would never have wished tor this shit, ‘cause I didn’t know! But I was always a positive person and felt like could do it. You always gotta have that in your heart. No negative crowds around you, you strivo for your goal, and don’t let nobody knock that down.
Who shot ya?
Ah, I can’t make nobody famous. But some
niggas on the north side of Long Beach.
What was it about?
Just wrong place, wrong time.
Did the bullets have your name on them?
Nah, nah. They was just shooting at the crowd.
was in Long Beach at this college party, but I was real low-key. By the time came, I guess they shut it down ‘cause somebody got in a fight. So as I’m turned around to go out, the dudes who got into it outsmarted the other niggas and went back to the parking Pot and put their cars there so they blocked the entrance with their cars- They were standing there behind their car with guns. My
was closest to their car, to the exit. So as I’m going to
car, with the crowd, they just started letting oft shots. I
hit, a couple of other people got hit.
Where’d you get hit?
In the jaw, in the arm, and in the thigh,
Three bullets?
Yeah.
What does a bullet feel like?
What’s so funny was, when the shit happened,
went into shock. ‘Cause I seen [the shooters] already. When they shot, I seen every bullet that hit me- So
trying to dip, I get low, and they hit me in the arm, in the thigh. I just jumped in the car and drove to the hospital. I just went into shock, mainly. So I’m freaking out,
mad, I go to the hospital next door, but they couldn’t work on me. There was a hospital next door, right next to the college, but it was a VA [Veterans Administration] hospital, so they’re not allowed to work on outside patients. So I’m sifting in the hospital, about to fucking die, and they’re like, “Yeah, you got insurance? ‘Cause we’re VA, and we’re not allowed to touch you.” I’m like, “Man, we gotta do something!” I’m sitting there, trying
ta!k, with a bullet stuck in my fucking jaw, So I had to wait
the whole time for the ambulance to come, and they had to take me to the old hospital up the street from where
grew up. And they didn’t work on me until the next day. So it was pretty crazy.
Were you afraid you were going to die?
Yeah. Because it was just lodged in my jaw, and I can talk perfectly fine, but I’m panicking, like, “I’m about to die!” The bullet was literally sticking out of my jaw. They were Pike, “Stop panicking, you’re not gonna die!” I was like, “I got a bullet in my face, one in my arm! What the fuck you mean I ain’t going to die?” They were sitting there like, “We can’t do nothing until we get your informat!on’ And after all that they’re like, “We’re not allowed to work on you.” And a nigga went to jail the next day after that.
Why do you think there is that negativity inherent in the African American community? Why is it that when
one of its members start to rise up in the community,
people try to cut them down?
I don’t know! It’s so funny, because the day ! appeared on that “Bam” show, muthafuckas shot my house up that night. Ask Mike VI He came by my house the next day and there was bullet holes a!! through my door, top of my house, shot my screen door up. I don’t know, man. It’s just wild. (Forl no apparent reason. Like who am I? I’m a skateboarder. It ain’t like I’m a gangsta rapper, and it’s over some rap. Black people just can’t ... I don’t know.
Does it still feel like people are out to get you?
No. Not at all. You know what I learned from going through that? You bring around you what you put out. And at the time, that’s what! was putting out. I was putting out a gang of negativity, I’m carrying guns, I’m hanging around the wrong crowd. That’s why I was bringing that attention around me. Like Pharrell always tells me, it’s bad enough that people don’t like me regardless. But don’t never give nobody no reason [to not like you}. Doing that type ot shit gave people a reason, and that’s what he told me. He really helped me to learn that. The minute I started listening to him, and listening to Andrew, and listening to Atiba, and listening to people who really got my best interests, felt much better within myself. If I’m at the skatepark, if I’m at the movies with my girlfriend, then I don’t have to be involved with that shit. I don’t have to be around Long Beach, I don’t have to be around LA. was stuck in a phase, deliberately hanging out in Long Beach, when I had no reason to. I bad to learn the hard way, dude.
When you talk about losing your friend, are you talking about Black Mike?
Yeah. It was gnarly man. ‘Cause I know he lost his life over nothing. It was pure jealousy, man. Everybody in the city knew we were just skateboarding. We weren’t no threat. We were just skateboarding. [Someonel killed that dude deliberately. People seen his face, they knew who that dude was. tPeople] knew what he was about, they knew what we did. People try to say ‘Oh, it was the wrong place at the wrong time:’ but I don’t believe that. He wasn’t supposed to go right now. Somebody deliberately took his life. It hurt, man. I don’t do drugs, I don’t drink, but that shit threw me for a twist. I didn’t know how to cope. To me, his death was just wrong. Like, my mom passed away, and I was like, “All right:’‘Cause I knew what she was doing. She was doing drugs, she was out there ... But I can never cope with his death, to this day.
That’s a lot to deal with.
But I can’t be mad, dude. I’m so happy I’ve been through everything I’ve been through, because I’m such a better
person now. You fgotta respect everybody, and that’s what I learned dealing with Pharrell. Because you don’t know what nobody is going through. So you just respect people. The minute I took that into consideration, I was good. I respect people. I don’t act like I’m better than anybody I don’t have an attitude towards anybody ‘cause I don’t know what that person’s going through.
Why did you quit Baker to ride for Element?
At the time, Baker was lust starting. It wasn’t for me to have money in my pocket, I didn’t care. I’m only fifteen, sixteen years old, I don’t need money. It was my tamily, dude. It was at a crucial point. My mom was getting our county checks and using it all on drugs. I went to Baker and was like, “If y’all could just give me $400 ...“‘Cause rent at the time was only like $700. I was like, “You don’t even have to give me the money, you could just give it to my grandma or make it payable to the rent ‘cause my family is stressing, and it’s hurting
me. I m seeing my mom struggle on drugs, father am t around, grandma’s stressing ‘cause we got ten people we’re taking care ot, all living under one root. I went to Andrew panicking, because it my grandma died, I’m gonna lose it. At the time he was like, “Dude, our company is small, I can’t afford to do nothing right now:’ I respect that. And I’m cool with the kid Jeremiah jVance] at the time. He knew my problems, and I guess he told Element. They were like, “Damn, he’s going through shit, and we’ve been wanting to tuck with him, but we didn’t think he’d leave:’ I guess I just lucked out. I left for my family. It wasn’t about me. I don’t need no money at sixteen years old, just give me a bag of chips and I’m happy.
How did you quit Baker?
I went back to Andrew and was like, “What do you think? jElement] offered me this, and it oould put my family right, and we’d be good:’ Andrew was just like, “Man, I’m not mad at you. You know we love you, and it that’s what you gotta do, that’s what you gotta do. No hard feelings. Call me this weekend so we can go skate:’ Just like thatl I love that dude, that’s what stuck with me when I left.
So why’d you leave Element?
7 Baker was my home, regardless. Al Baker, they let me do me. When I first got on Element, they were letting me wear the shit
I wanted to wear. The first ad when I got on was me and my family, on my front porch, in my hood. That’s me, They let me do me for a couple seconds, but after that, it was all their demands. wasn’t really cracked up to do that. Every kid in the world knows I’m on Element, and I know y’all pay me to wear Element clothes, but if I want to wear a Hoc-a-tella shirt, that’s me.
Was there a specific incident that got you in trouble?
I had got the cover of The Mag, and I had a white t-shirt on, and [Elementi flipped out on me. Like, “What are you doing? Who do you think you are? People on the team are complaining about your’ They ended up giving me a pay cut, really going oft on me. To the point where I was like, “Dude, I don’t need to be over herer I guess Bam spoke up, like, “Dude, what’s up with this kid? He thinks he can run the company?” Tosh was talking this...
What’s your relationship like with am these days?
I don’t know. I’ve been shot, I’ve been in }ail, and the dude ain’t reached out to me one time to say ‘How you doing?” I talk to his family more so than him. I don’t know what to say. I’m ongry. I thought me and Barn was better than thai. I talk to his dad and his morn, and they like, “Yeah, he’s just been busy ...“ I’m like, “C’mon dude, I almost lost my life. The least you could do was call me to see how I was doing.”
How old are you?
Twenty years old. Twinkie. That’s what we say.
What advice would you give to the younger kids out there skating?
First off, just look at my situation and where I came from. There’s always hope. You gotla believe with yourself, because if you don’t believe within yourself, nobody is going to believe in you. Always stay positive. Whatever you reach for you can grab. I would never have wished tor this shit, ‘cause I didn’t know! But I was always a positive person and felt like could do it. You always gotta have that in your heart. No negative crowds around you, you strivo for your goal, and don’t let nobody knock that down.
posted by Jay B. at 3:15 PM
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