Author: Bradley Martinez
From a young age, Kenneth Carlos had a natural talent in drawing and throughout the years would perfect his craft. With a background in art and design, he would customise sneakers and apparel as a means of income whilst still in school.
In 2009 aged 19, Ken Carlos manifested his desire to become a tattoo artist. From humble beginnings to jumping around on the London tattoo scene and working at world famous Lowrider Tattoo, he has now started a new venture with his friend and business partner JP. “The Getaway” – a private studio, specialising in Fineline, Single Needle Black and Grey tattoos.
Now, for 2021, Footpatrol and Ken Carlos have come together for our next instalment of our ‘Communi T’ series.
Known for his fine lines, Ken now brings this signature style to Footpatrol in the edition of two t-shirts. With both featuring a reimagined gas mask on the front, the backs of the t-shirts are brought to life with two standout designs.
Footpatrol: Ken Carlos, welcome and thank you for joining us as our latest collaborator in the Footpatrol Communi-T project. How have you been?
Ken Carlos: Yeah I’ve been good man, surviving through these crazy times, you know just always keeping it moving. And thank you for giving me the opportunity to work on this project with you guys. It’s been a fun one. I’ve shopped at foot patrol since I was a young teenager, the one that was in St.Anne’s court with the shoes in the cages haha.
FP: You recently opened your own Tattoo shop, The Getaway. What’s it like to be able to have your own dedicated space to showcase and produce your work?
KC: Yes, so I’ve recently just opened The Getaway, a private studio with my road dogg and business partner JP in the heart of East London. It’s been a long time coming. So for those that don’t know us we’ve been in the tattoo industry for like 12 years now, working in different shops all across London. It’s a tough industry to get into but we chucked ourselves in the deep end, trying to get experience and learn off many great artists. To finally come together and open a space where we can go back to the roots of why we really love this thing, it’s been a blessing. And when people come through I think that can really feel the energy of all our 12 years of influence and development in the game.
FP: At which point in your life did you decide you wanted to become a tattoo artist, did you have any background in art?
KC: I’ve been drawing since I was like 3 years old man. So I used to do some graffiti with my homeboys, on the street and customising people’s clothes and trainers with their tag names, crew names etc to make money. I actually did an art foundation after college in Central Saint Martins, and they pushed me toward graphic design even though I was more into Fine Art. But my interest in tattooing was ingrained in me from early and led me in that direction. I had already started tattooing in the summer of ‘09 with JP before uni started, so by the time the term began, within the first two weeks I dropped out haha. I was hooked!
FP: Has that always been the goal or did you have other plans where you wanted it to take you?
KC: Opening our own studio has always been our long term goal, running in the background though. I think I always create new goals in my head, short term, long term, some have been achieved some are still running. But the studio was always one, it just had to be at the right time. We paid our dues, we tried to do it in the most respectful way within the industry. And to be honest, the never ending goal was just to be sick at tattooing. When you’re young you look up to all of these amazing artists, I still do. I’ve met many Jedi’s along the way and I always just wanted to earn the respect of my peers, my clients and hopefully become an old wise master myself.
FP: What about some of the pieces you have worked on over the years, is there one project that has stood out the most?
KC: That’s a tough one. If I had to choose one, it’s a backpiece I’ve just finished on my boy Kingsley Hayward. Bro is sick with the lettering and hand styles, I’ve been tattooing him for like 8years and we finally got to work together at Lowrider Tattoo London, shout out all of those guys. It tells a story of a typical day in our lives at a tattoo shop, exaggerated, animated. Kingsley himself as a skeleton character tattooing a sexy chick’s face but blown upscale for that powerful, striking look. The backpiece, if I could describe it, is an accumulation of all of my experience and knowledge so far, I tried to purely create something in my style that I’ve developed all of these years for him. We have similar interests. You know like elite rappers when they drop mixtapes, trying to flood the streets with that heat. And the people are waiting for their album. For me this is it, this is me like dropping my first album haha.
FP: What drew you to the aesthetic of Fine Line tattooing that you showcase in your work?
KC: So when I was 14 still in school, my boy showed me pictures taken by Estevan Oriol, the famous film photographer from LA. Film shots of the Boo Yaa Tribe, with SAMOA in old English on their stomachs. The way he captured them, it was gripping you know which led to me finding out about all of his other pictures of gangsters in LA stunting their tattoos.
It was just too real, of course I then found out about Mister Cartoon, he was the first real influence in my career as far as tattooing goes. I remember he had a blog on MySpace, talking about the history of tattooing and how you should do your research and pay respect to some of the OGs that laid the foundations for this fineline style before us. Me and JP we did just that, we saved whatever money we could for the first few years and flew over multiple times to LA, the Mecca of Black and Grey Tattooing. We got tattooed, hung out in their environments absorbing all the energy and history behind that style. That’s when I discovered people like Jack Rudy, Mark Mahoney, Freddy Negrete, Jose Lopez, Chuey Quintanar and more. All of those guys and their circles, those are the guys that drew me to this style I work with today. And my boy JP, he’s been with me on this journey and all through the trenches. We constantly push each other to always do more and try to take it to the next level.
FP: Walk us through the design that you have made for this Communi-T project?
KC: The Theatre Masks are a motif deep rooted in Fineline Black n Grey tattoo History. Smile Now cry Later, comedy and Tragedy, Life’s ups and downs, smiles and frowns, The agony and ecstasy, the gift and the curse, life or death. Whatever you associate these masks with, it is a powerful image we can all relate to.
Our complex minds can be a never ending cycle of changing emotions. 2020’s Recent events have seen us go through these emotions, happiness, sadness, laughter, anger and more. We step into this world knowing who we are, or with a mask on; and though things out of our control can affect our thoughts daily, ultimately life is what you choose it to be.
FP: So one question which we always ask our Communi-T collaborators. If you had to describe your work in 3 words, what would they be?
KC: Quality over Quantity
FP: We really appreciate you spending some time with us to talk about you passion and of course your Communi-T, before we let you go is there anything you want to share with the Footpatrol readers?
KC: Yeah man, thanks for all your love and support. Make sure you go and grab one of the tees releasing cos once they’re gone, they’re GONE! Check us out Instagram @ken_carlos and @tattoo_jp @getaway_studio stay safe live life.
Taking the sneaker community by storm over the last 18 months, the Nike Dunk has seen its fair share of in-line imaginations, classic colour ways and of course, collaborations. One of these collaborations that firmly cemented itself as favourite has to be Yoon Ahn of AMBUSH and her unique take on the Dunk High silhouette.
Having already seen releases in a perfectly clean black and white colour way, we then had the overly vibrant ‘fuchsia’ colour way but now, going that back to that original concept, we receive the ‘Deep Royal Blue’.
Much like Yoon’s previously teased ‘Chicago’ colour way, this latest take also seems to take inspiration from the Air Jordan family, namely the 2018 ‘Game Royal’. Featuring a similar form of colour blocking, the upper is constructed from a predominately royal blue and white leather upper whilst featuring a contrasting black swoosh.
Take a closer look at this next release from AMBUSH and Nike below and make sure to get your entries in for your chance to purchase!
PLEASE TAKE TIME TO READ THE BELOW!
Raffle Closed!
To enter, you’re required to sign up via the above forms, these WON’T be available in-store to sign up on.
In-store winners will be contacted via email informing them of their win. Within this email, winners will be given a set of dates in which they must collect their win from our London store. To collect, you will need to provide the winning email and a valid photographic government ID matching the winners name. NO ONE can collect on the winners behalf. Failure to provide this, or failure to collect within the given dates will mean failure to purchase your win.
To sign up to the Online raffle, you will be prompted to complete a pre-authorisation payment of the retail price of the product plus shipping costs. This will be held until raffle completion. Those successful will have their raffle win posted out to the address entered during sign up. Those unsuccessful will see a return of their funds, this can take up to 5 working days from when the winners have been drawn. The raffle is limited to one entry per household! Multiple entries will be cancelled!
Ever since the Waver Rider 1’s introduction way back in 1997, It’s helped cement Mizuno’s place within the running with thanks to their notorious ‘Wave Technology’. Fast forward 10 years and we arrived in 2007 where Mizuno’s ‘Wave Technology’ had continue to see improvements. So to celebrate this anniversary, Mizuno revealed the Wave Rider 10.
Continuing to celebrate this heritage and history of the Wave Rider 10, Mizuno have rolled out a host of inline colour ways and special collaborations with the likes of Beams and Wood Wood that highlighted this model as not only one for the track but also, a lifestyle favourite.
2021, see’s the introduction of two new colour ways to join this history. Both arrive in a black and a white colour way with both pairs utilising bursts of vibrant colour across the heel and outsole but not only that, an abundance of materials.
Take a closer look below and head over to Footpatrol.com to shop now!
Of recent years, New Balance have managed to build a strong portfolio of successful collaborations and one of those that has always been a stand out feature is with the fashion house, Casablanca.
Having teamed up back in early ’21, the duo reunite for another unique collection that see’s them reimagine two silhouettes they’ve previously worked on together. Focusing on the more modern day silhouettes within New Balance’s archive, Casablanca once again take on the 327 that was introduced via this first collaboration.
Similar in fashion, both silhouettes have been dressed in a super clean colour palette of white leather whilst deep greens and reds are the latest colours to don the the eye-catching Casablanca pattern that is laid out across the toe box and heel.
Look out for more launch information soon!
Since its return, the Nike Dunk has propelled itself into becoming one of the most sought after silhouettes of late and with the continuous arrival of new iterations, it seems this is only going to continue.
A silhouette that can so easily pull off a theme thanks to its simplistic use of colour blocking and overlays, Nike return once again for a women’s exclusive based around the citrus fruit, lemons. Quite similar to the recent ‘Pearl Orange’ colour way, the ‘Lemon’ upper is constructed out of a soft tumbled leather utilising a clean pairing of white and ‘Zitron’.
With a few design tweaks to make sure this latest version stands out from the crowd, a scaly like swoosh breaks up these tones with the introduction of a zesty ‘Opti Yellow’ tone whilst on the heel sits an embroidered Lemon motif. Always thinking about reusability, the tongue has been swapped out for a netting type material that seems to hark back to reusable grocery bags.
PLEASE TAKE TIME TO READ THE BELOW!
RAFFLES CLOSED
To enter, you’re required to sign up via the above forms, these WON’T be available in-store to sign up on.
In-store winners will be contacted via email informing them of their win. Within this email, winners will be given a set of dates in which they must collect their win from our London store. To collect, you will need to provide the winning email and a valid photographic government ID matching the winners name. NO ONE can collect on the winners behalf. Failure to provide this, or failure to collect within the given dates will mean failure to purchase your win.
To sign up to the Online raffle, you will be prompted to complete a pre-authorisation payment of the retail price of the product plus shipping costs. This will be held until raffle completion. Those successful will have their raffle win posted out to the address entered during sign up. Those unsuccessful will see a return of their funds, this can take up to 5 working days from when the winners have been drawn. The raffle is limited to one entry per household! Multiple entries will be cancelled!
When it comes to adidas and their ZX series, there seems to be no slowing down. Building on the creativity of the A-ZX series, this latest launch sees inspiration paid to the recently launched ZX ‘X-Ray’ with another take on the iconic ZX 6000 and flipping it inside out, playing on the current deconstructed trends.
Though flipped inside out, the three colour ways on offer are still instantly recognisable as ZX products. Subtle pastel tones that represent iconic ZX colour ways are still a main feature whilst new details like exposed foam and stitching can be found working their way across the upper. Further building on this inside out theory, a host of transparent materials can be found on the toe box and eyelets highlighting this special ZX series construction.
To celebrate this launch, we’ve teamed up with two creatives who’s day to day lives are built around this unique level of visual, textile design. Sit back as we catch up with Lisa and Sage and get a closer look at the XZ 0006.
Footpatrol: Sage, Lisa it’s great to finally sit down with you after all this prep and organisation it took for this shoot. How are you both?
Lisa: Hiyaa! I’m actually good considering this strange time we’ve been in and are all increasingly questioning our surroundings haha. I feel very grateful and curious and honestly I’m just taking things day by day. Celebrating the small things. So fun to be a part of this project, thank you for having me guys!
Sage: Hey, thank you for having me… I am doing good, feeling incredibly blessed at the moment. Things are very busy and hectic at the moment but I really can’t complain. People are going through very hard times at the moment so I am feeling blessed just to be in good health as well as my loved ones.
FP: Before we talk about the product I wanted to give the followers of Footpatrol a bit of an introduction on you both. Although you modelled and helped arrange the set for the shoot you guys are also designers/artists, could you tell us a bit about what you do individually?
L: I would probably best describe myself as a multidisciplinary textile designer and mixed media creative. I’m Currently doing my Masters in Textile design researching future sustainable textile techniques.
S: So I run a namesake clothing label SAGE NATION – as well as this I do creative consultancy for various other companies/projects.
FP: Lisa, your visual design we’ve seen pop up around London and your textile design is seriously unique. Where did you come up with the concepts that you have for both?
L: Aw thank you, that’s such kind words.
I wanted to translate the colour purple. Purple stands for mystery, independence and magic, so I chose to work with tech materials such as latex, reflective ripstop, coated textures, scuba and PVC that reflect colour and light depending on the day/night.
When it comes to my textiles design my focus is always about purpose, fabric manipulation and sustainability. I think respecting materials and having a deeper understanding is so important as a creative.
FP: In regards to your textile design, was the focus on sustainability or the creativity in materials you use?
L: Sustainability always comes first, it’s funny because I have this discussion often, it is truly about a mindset and behaviour and then creativity always follows for me. Sustainability and creativity is a relationship, and they can’t live without each other.
FP: Sage in regards to your brand Sage Nation, you were tipped by a few blogs as a brand to watch back in 2018 with your Nostos Algos capsule collection. How has the brand developed since then?
S: Since that time a lot has changed to say the least. I was only 18 when I put out that capsule. I have grown and evolved a lot since that time. The spirit of my design and output is still the same. I just feel it is more refined now. I am starting to value how important and informative that time was. Sometimes you have to look back to move forward, and I’ve been doing that more recently. I am still young and growing and I hope I look back at my work now in the same light I look back at the Nostos Algos capsule.
FP: Where did the idea for the brand come from, was this always the aesthetic you wanted to follow when you were conceptualising it?
S: To begin with the brand was formed from a place of frustration I would say. It was a way I could articulate myself through my craft. I use the brand as a way to express a constant stream of thoughts, ideas and solutions. I am someone that learns by doing, so I just had to start.
FP: How important is it for you both to be able to have an impact on sustainable fashion?
L: I would say it is very important to me but it can sometimes be very overwhelming because we live in a linear fashion economy and produce so much waste everyday. Often people aren’t aware of what it is to be a conscious consumer. I am striving to implement change in any way that I can and help push towards a circular fashion economy.
S: My approach to being more sustainable is within my design philosophy more than anything. I design products that I feel have a timeless spirit to it, my pieces are designed to become a part of someone’s everyday uniform and not distract from their life but instead enhance their life. My clothes are not for the ‘moment’. I do not strive to use recycled or reused fabrics, I find this approach can sometimes be counter productive through the process of manufacturing these fabrics it can actually be more harmful than beneficial to the system. I spend a lot of time really thinking about what fabrics are going to be the most durable and bring the most joy to someone’s everyday life. Through this approach I think the product will be more treasured and therefore more sustainable.
FP: Do you feel there is enough focus across the industry on the importance of sustainability or do you think this is an area that is still yet to grow more?
L: Fashion is such a fundamental part of our daily life whether we want it to be or not. Personally I don’t think there is enough focus and we need to pick up the pace but I think everyone is still trying to “figure it out”. However sustainability has such a wide scope of values and it’s great to see the brands that are: Having a zero waste approach, ethical production, upcycling and recycling or like Adidas using Mylo materials made from mushrooms which is soo cool!
S: I think it is definitely getting spoken about and highlighted enough in the industry now. The only thing that concerns me is when the idea of ‘sustainability’ is being monetized and becomes a marketing tool. Sustainability shouldn’t be given brownie points, it should just be the base standard that we are all striving for.
FP: Let’s move onto the XZ0006 Inside Out pack. Out of the 3 which is your favourite?
L: Blue!
S: Lowkey I think the pink ones are my favorite.
FP: I have to agree with Sage on this one, the pinks the winner for me too! Another thing I wanted to touch on also was the set for the shoot. With the concept of the shoes being inside out, how did you guys go about in piecing the set together?
L: It was great to collaborate with Sage on set and work together pairing textures with structures. We wanted volume and layers and honestly it was very playful and putting a spotlight on materials because they are all around us.
S: This set and concept was all about exposing the interior structure of something. I think it was really about appreciating materials that we might normally overlook or not notice. With experimenting with these types of materials you develop a new appreciation of materials in general.
FP: Guys thank you so much for all your help on this project and also sharing your stories. Before we let you go, is there anything you would like to share to the Footpatrol fans to create some buzz around anything either of you are currently working on?
L: Thank you for having me! I will be in the studio working on my final MA textile collection entirely made from surplus materials that will be showcased late summer. Xx
S: Thank you, appreciated. So I am currently working on SS22 which will be Collection 02. Very excited to get that out there. It will be the first collection to stock in stores globally.
Since the year of its release, the Air Jordan VI has been revered by many as one of the all time classics with the Air Jordan signature collection. It was while wearing with a pair of AJ VI, that Michael Jordan went onto win his first NBA Championship. The design was famously inspired by MJ’s German sportscar.
Since its debut year, the AJ VI would be found on a the feet of several pop culture’s iconic figures, and 30 years later, its bigger than ever.
Throughout the years, the AJ IV silhouette has been a canvas for many new colourways, retros and collaborations. In 2021, it’s no different. One of this generations biggest music artists, Travis Scott, returns with another release of the AJ VI to mark the 30th anniversary of the model.
The Houston born rapper, released his first version of the AJ VI in 2019, featuring an olive green hue with cargo stash pockets on the ankle and glow in the dark outsoles. His next version takes on a British Khaki approach. With a similar aesthetic to its predecessor, the up coming version features a premium hairy suede as opposed to its olive counterpart. Darker brown hues take on the canvas along the tongue, lining and eyelets. Bright crimson hits are used for the Jumpman logo on the shroud, heel tab and respective logos. Furthermore, translucent detailing are displayed on the tongue, heel tab and outsole. Finally another difference to its forerunner is the medial stash pocket, which features a zipped fastening whereas the olive release didn’t.
PLEASE TAKE TIME TO READ THE BELOW!
RAFFLES CLOSED!
To enter, you’re required to sign up via the above forms, these WON’T be available in-store to sign up on.
In-store winners will be contacted via email informing them of their win. Within this email, winners will be given a set of dates in which they must collect their win from our London store. To collect, you will need to provide the winning email and a valid photographic government ID matching the winners name. NO ONE can collect on the winners behalf. Failure to provide this, or failure to collect within the given dates will mean failure to purchase your win.
To sign up to the Online raffle, you will be prompted to complete a pre-authorisation payment of the retail price of the product plus shipping costs. This will be held until raffle completion. Those successful will have their raffle win posted out to the address entered during sign up. Those unsuccessful will see a return of their funds, this can take up to 5 working days from when the winners have been drawn. The raffle is limited to one entry per household! Multiple entries will be cancelled!
Having collaborated a number of times, it wasn’t until their 2019 LDV Waffle that this partnership cemented itself as a firm fan favourite. Endlessly paraded as ‘SOTY’, this quickly became a collaboration that everyone wanted.
For 2020, Chitose Abe and Nike return once again with their latest effort, the VaporWaffle. First debuted back in January 2020 during Sacai’s Paris runway show, the silhouette took on a similar architecture of the LDV Waffle. Focussing, on the over exaggerated hybrid approach, the VaporWaffle brings together the record-breaking Vaporfly and the 1983 Pegasus running shoe into one.
Much like the last versions of LDV Waffle in their stripped back black and white colour ways, this was the first introduction in a change of materials. Removing the layer of mesh, in it’s place was a padded nylon which is the same story for these latest colour ways of the VaporWaffle.
Take a closer look below and make sure to get signed up to the raffles for your chance to add this to your collection!
PLEASE TAKE TIME TO READ THE BELOW!
RAFFLE CLOSED!
To enter, you’re required to sign up via the above forms, these WON’T be available in-store to sign up on.
In-store winners will be contacted via email informing them of their win. Within this email, winners will be given a set of dates in which they must collect their win from our London store. To collect, you will need to provide the winning email and a valid photographic government ID matching the winners name. NO ONE can collect on the winners behalf. Failure to provide this, or failure to collect within the given dates will mean failure to purchase your win.
To sign up to the Online raffle, you will be prompted to complete a pre-authorisation payment of the retail price of the product plus shipping costs. This will be held until raffle completion. Those successful will have their raffle win posted out to the address entered during sign up. Those unsuccessful will see a return of their funds, this can take up to 5 working days from when the winners have been drawn. The raffle is limited to one entry per household! Multiple entries will be cancelled!
The YEEZY SLIDE ‘Core’ and ‘Resin’ feature injected EVA foam to provide lightweight durability, while the soft top layer in the footbed offers immediate step in comfort. The outsole utilises grooves for optimal flexibility and traction.
PLEASE TAKE TIME TO READ THE BELOW!
RAFFLE CLOSED!
To enter, you’re required to sign up via the above form, this WON’T be available in-store to sign up on.
In-store winners will be contacted via email informing them of their win. Within this email, winners will be given a set of dates in which they must collect their win from our London store. To collect, you will need to provide the winning email and a valid photographic government ID matching the winners name. NO ONE can collect on the winners behalf. Failure to provide this, or failure to collect within the given dates will mean failure to purchase your win.
When you think Hip-Hop connoisseurs within the UK, Ted Draws is the go to name. Having his own NTS residency covering all aspects of the genre that you can think of, from unknown artists from some of the most recognised eras, as well as busting out our favourite classics there isn’t a time you can’t listen to him!
As our next installment and guest mix for our Frequent Players channel we had the chance to spend some time with Ted to talk all things music, as well as talk about his career as an illustrator and artist having produced multiple pieces of work.
Take a look at our exclusive interview feature with the Hip-Hop Scholar himself whilst taking it back to the old school with these special guest mix feature.
Footpatrol: Ted Draws it is a pleasure to be able to welcome you to Footpatrol’s Frequent Players Channel! How has 2021 been treating you so far?
Ted Draws: Best year ever, …well better than last year anyway everything’s opening up again, summer of love ’21, let’s go
FP: Part of the NTS crew having hosted plenty of shows most, if not all showcasing your love for Hip-Hop music from every state, rapper, year, the UK essentially almost anything you can think of when it comes to the genre! Where did this passion for music come from?
TD: My Mum is a big Blues enthusiast/expert, she knows a song or artist after 1 bar of music, I think I inherited that type of ear from her. I was much more into the Soul and R&B she would play, when I first heard pop rap songs in the late 80’s, that was it for me, I was in. When I got older and started buying De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest albums, there wasn’t an obvious way to find out about similar artists, so I had to study liner notes for shout outs, and read Hip Hop Connection and The Source magazine cover to cover, so I built up a pretty comprehensive knowledge (until about 2001).
FP: Would you say your love for DJing stemmed from Hip-Hop?
TD: 100%, but more in the way the DJ can rock a party, or make a mixtape, rather than the DMC world champion scratch DJ type. I never had any decks, so had to focus on bringing the big tunes, instead of mastering how to scratch. I actually started DJing in clubs playing other stuff (Prince, New Wave, Electro, Grime, R&B), with a little bit of Hip Hop laced in, but it’s nice to have a radio show where I can go deep into the raw shit I love.
FP: Who were your earliest influences when you were starting out?
TD: DJ wise, I used to like Shortee Blitz as he would mix in older 90’s tunes that still worked in the club.
Mixtapes were big for me, DJ Premier: Crooklyn Cuts series, Tony Touch, PF Cuttin, The ‘5 Deadly Venoms of Brooklyn’ Mixtape had them all on there, played that to death, Evil Dee Soundbombing vol 1 was huge.
FP: I want to talk about your residency at NTS a little bit. I have listened to quite a few of your shows and always find myself finding out something new to listen to. How did it all come together to produce such an in-depth look in the Hip-Hop genre for the last 5 years?
TD: That’s the idea really, play something most people haven’t heard before. I get bored hearing the same songs, there’s more to Hip Hop than just the hits. I would listen to a different show that might play old tunes, and it would be all the same ones everyone knows, I wanna hear album tracks or B-sides. ‘Stretch & Bobbito’ was the show that probably influenced me the most, as they were doing that back in the day, you can find a bunch of their shows online.
FP: One thing I love is the start of the bios on your NTS shows starting with – Hip-Hop Scholar. I can’t imagine a title like that comes easy! Where did that amazing title come from?
TD: They gave me that title, but I like it, as it’s a quote from one of my favourite songs: A Tribe Called Quest – Steve Biko.
Phife raps;
“Did not you know that my styles are top-dollar?
The Five-Foot Assassin knocking fleas off his collar
Hip-Hop scholar since being knee high to a duck
The height of Muggsy Bogues, complexion of a hockey puck”
FP: Being the scholar that you are regarding the genre, are you able to name your 3 favourite MCs or is that too hard of a question to answer?
Nas
Pharoahe Monch
KRS One
FP: I know as well you also are an illustrator and have worked with Palace and Le Coq Sportif just to name a couple brands and have your own line as well on your website. Was this your first venture before DJing or have the 2 always gone hand in hand?
TD: No, I got into it from drawing with fabric pens on a white tee, to have something to wear while DJing, or drawing flyers for nights. Both my parents are artists, so I’ve always done it, but I didn’t fancy it as a job, because neither of them made a decent living from it. I always saw it as a way to stay in poverty. Turns out I have my Dad’s illustrative side and my Mum’s graphic side, so it’s going alright in comparison.
FP: In terms of projects you have been able to work on over the years has there been one that stood out to you the most?
TD: Yes, I did murals on the walls of Virgin EMI’s new offices in Kings Cross. 4 big walls based on the Virgin back catalogue, all with Posca pens. Had to get people in to help me get it done in time.
I love doing something big on a wall, takes me back to being a half arsed graffiti writer when I was a teenager.
FP: Ted it’s been great to be able to speak to you finally! Before we let you go is there anything that you want to share with the Footpatrol and Frequent Players listeners and readers before you go?
TD: Summer Of Love ’21, let’s do this. Also, Shop at Footpatrol, shout out all Soho crew, street drinks sessions.
