The Truth About Reselling: Insider Insights Exposed | Yeezy Busta DSH #937

Summary

Digital Social Hour: The Truth About Reselling – Insider Insights Exposed | Yeezy Busta DSH #937

Host: Sean Kelly
Guest: Easy Busta
Release Date: November 30, 2024

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Introduction

In episode #937 of the Digital Social Hour, host Sean Kelly engages in a compelling conversation with Easy Busta, a prominent figure in the sneaker reselling community. The episode delves deep into the intricacies of reselling, Easy Busta’s personal journey, his philanthropic endeavors, and his perspectives on the evolving sneaker culture.

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Reselling and Sneaker Culture

Reseller Challenges and Market Saturation

Easy Busta opens up about the current state of the reselling market, highlighting the oversaturation and diminished exclusivity of sneakers. He articulates the dilemma many resellers face:

“If this shoe came out three years ago, you'd be drooling over it. But now, because it's three years later, you don't like it.” — Easy Busta [00:46]

He emphasizes the importance of not letting sneakers sit unused, advocating for their appreciation by others:

“I have a rule if I buy a pair of shoes, and I don't wear them in the first week I'm selling them.” — Easy Busta [21:50]

Reselling Ethics and Personal Values

Despite the challenges, Easy Busta maintains a principled stance on reselling. He differentiates between buying sneakers for personal use versus purely for profit, stressing the value of genuine appreciation over financial gain:

“I don't care if people wear fake stuff... my biggest thing is when people wear fake stuff and pretend like it's real and they know it's fake. That bothers me.” — Easy Busta [03:05]

He further elaborates on his approach to maintaining authenticity in the community:

“I wear my slides more than anything. And then I bought these Nikes... they're the most comfortable shoes I've ever worn. I wear them every single day.” — Easy Busta [28:26]

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Philanthropic Endeavors

Beast Philanthropy and Charity Work

Transitioning from reselling, Easy Busta shares his passion for giving back through charity. He recounts his significant project involving the donation of 20,000 pairs of shoes:

“I did one pretty big project a year ago, working on a few others behind the scenes.” — Easy Busta [04:15]

He details a transformative trip to South Africa with Beast Philanthropy, highlighting both the rewarding and challenging aspects:

“We went to South Africa, we went to Cape Town... There was some... really unsafe environments.” — Easy Busta [06:43]

Despite encountering dangers, such as threats from armed individuals, the experience reinforced his commitment to helping underprivileged communities:

“We were there for like an hour and just playing with the kids and, you know, giving them their new shoes. They were so happy.” — Easy Busta [08:58]

Impact and Future Projects

Easy Busta underscores the importance of impactful charity work, ensuring that donations directly benefit those in need:

“I want to make sure exactly where every penny is going. And it's not paying someone's salary.” — Easy Busta [05:20]

He expresses a desire to continue expanding his philanthropic efforts:

“I have a few other projects in the background. I started a digital marketing agency. We have some really amazing clients that I'm... working on a lot of stuff behind the scenes.” — Easy Busta [32:33]

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Travel and Cultural Insights

Experiences in South Africa and Beyond

Easy Busta speaks passionately about his travels, particularly his time in Cape Town, South Africa. He highlights the cultural richness and the stark contrast to his experiences in the United States:

“Cape Town is one of the most beautiful places on Earth. It is breathtaking. It is unreal.” — Easy Busta [09:50]

He emphasizes the importance of immersing oneself in different cultures to gain a broader perspective:

“There's so much more than just America. You immerse yourself in new culture and people, and it's... a wonderful thing.” — Easy Busta [10:13]

Influence of Diverse Cultures on Personal Growth

Easy Busta’s travels have profoundly influenced his worldview and approach to business and philanthropy. He advocates for continuous exploration and cultural exchange:

“I highly recommend you should go to Cape Town and you really get to see what... it's so beautiful.” — Easy Busta [10:56]

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Influence of Kanye West and Brand Storytelling

Kanye West’s Impact on Sneaker Culture

A significant portion of the conversation revolves around Kanye West’s influence on the sneaker industry. Easy Busta credits Kanye for igniting his passion for sneakers:

“The thing that got me into sneaker culture was actually Kanye. I was always a die-hard Kanye fan.” — Easy Busta [16:13]

He discusses Kanye’s unique approach to branding and storytelling, which revolutionized the sneaker market:

“Adidas and Yeezy, that partnership was just something that absolutely changed sneakers forever. Like, everybody became a sneakerhead after that.” — Easy Busta [18:00]

Evolving Brand Partnerships and Market Dynamics

Easy Busta critiques the dissolution of the Adidas-Yeezy partnership, explaining its impact on the market:

“Adidas kept all the shoes and they kind of did whatever they wanted with them, which recently, I think they started doing 60 off sales. Just to dump all the product.” — Easy Busta [22:18]

He reflects on the fleeting nature of brand collaborations and their long-term effects on sneaker values:

“A pair of Turtle Doves, which was the first 350 that Kanye put out with Adidas, used to go for like three grand. And you can buy the original one for around like, 600.” — Easy Busta [23:20]

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Personal Stories and Anecdotes

Face Mask Journey

Easy Busta shares the story behind his signature mask, which started as a form of trolling against a defamation threat:

“I started wearing a mask... And then I just never took it off.” — Easy Busta [01:28]

He contemplates the possibility of a future face reveal, linking it to his subscriber milestones:

“I always said that I'll do it at a million subscribers.” — Easy Busta [13:08]

Tennis and Personal Passions

Beyond sneakers and reselling, Easy Busta reveals his love for tennis and his admiration for players like Roger Federer and Taylor Fritz:

“Roger Federer is like the Kanye or the Elon or the Tiger Woods.” — Easy Busta [29:03]

He reminisces about his own tennis background and his friendship with Fritz, illustrating the blend of personal interests that shape his multifaceted identity.

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Future Plans and Closing Thoughts

Upcoming Projects and Continued Growth

As the conversation wraps up, Easy Busta discusses his ongoing and future projects, emphasizing the continuation of his charity work and the expansion of his digital marketing agency:

“I'm working on a lot of stuff behind the scenes. A lot of charity projects are coming up.” — Easy Busta [32:33]

Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

Easy Busta offers valuable advice to listeners, encouraging them to pursue their passions with authenticity and purpose:

“Make sure that it's coming from the heart. That's the most important thing.” — Easy Busta [04:41]

He underscores the importance of transparency and dedication in both business and philanthropic endeavors, inspiring entrepreneurs to balance success with meaningful contributions to society.

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Conclusion

This episode of Digital Social Hour with Easy Busta provides an insightful exploration into the world of sneaker reselling, the importance of authentic brand storytelling, and the profound impact of philanthropy. Easy Busta’s journey from a Kanye West enthusiast to a respected reseller and philanthropist offers a blend of entrepreneurial wisdom and heartfelt generosity, making this episode a must-listen for aspiring entrepreneurs and sneaker enthusiasts alike.

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Notable Quotes:

• On Reselling Ethics:
  “Just because in my head, why just have them just sit in the closet when somebody else can appreciate them?”
  — Easy Busta [21:50]

• On Charity Commitment:
  “I've always wanted to give back to the community as much as I could. And, you know, I'm blessed enough to be in a position where I could do that.”
  — Easy Busta [04:15]

• On Cultural Exploration:
  “There's so much more than just America. You immerse yourself in new culture and people, and it's... a wonderful thing.”
  — Easy Busta [10:13]

• On Brand Storytelling:
  “Adidas and Yeezy, that partnership was just something that absolutely changed sneakers forever. Like, everybody became a sneakerhead after that.”
  — Easy Busta [18:00]

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Listeners who missed this enlightening discussion can catch up by tuning into episode #937 of Digital Social Hour. For more insights and actionable takeaways, subscribe and stay updated with Sean Kelly’s in-depth conversations with industry leaders and innovators.

Transcript

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[Easy Busta]

Resellers and sneakers go hand in hand. Some people argue there's too many coming out and there isn't a story or it's not like, done the right way. If this shoe came out three years ago, you'd be drooling over it. But now, because it's three years later, you don't like it. It's like, what if I buy a pair of shoes and I don't wear them in the first week I'm selling them?

[Podcast Host]

Wow.

[Easy Busta]

Just because in my head, why just have them just sit in the closet when somebody else. Somebody else can appreciate them?

[Podcast Host]

All right, guys, got Yeezy busted here today. No Yeezys on, though.

[Easy Busta]

Not today.

[Podcast Host]

But you got the mask.

[Easy Busta]

Of course. Always had to.

[Podcast Host]

Since 2015, you've been wearing it, right?

[Easy Busta]

Yes, sir. December 15, 2015.

[Podcast Host]

Did you do that because you were calling people out and you didn't want to be safe?

[Easy Busta]

Well, to be honest, when I started my page, I never even showed any part of me whatsoever, let alone my face. And there was like this guy that threatened to sue me, but then I realized he couldn't sue me, so I just kind of was trolling him in a way, and I started wearing a mask. I cut up out of fake easies to troll him.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Easy Busta]

It was actually the same fake easy that he was wearing. So that's how it all started. And then I just never took it off and. Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

Wow. So you called him out for wearing fake easies and he wanted to sue you for what? Defamation.

[Easy Busta]

Defamation, yeah. He said, oh, no, everything I buy is legit and I have more money than you. And I'm like, all right, man, maybe you do.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Easy Busta]

People.

[Podcast Host]

People got really.

[Easy Busta]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

What's the word? When you called them out? They got really defensive, some of them. Right?

[Easy Busta]

A lot of them. Yeah, a lot of them. But some of them were cool about it. Some. Actually, most of them would reach out to me and be like, oh, I had no idea.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah, some people, I genuinely had no idea.

[Easy Busta]

But yeah, a lot of them got their. I mean, if it was like a rapper or celebrity or something, they would be like, oh, my stylist got them for me. I had no idea. I don't know if it's true or not, but, I mean, at least they reached out to try to.

[Podcast Host]

Right.

[Easy Busta]

You know what I mean?

[Podcast Host]

And why do you think people cared so much if they were fake or not?

[Easy Busta]

You know, it's. People have to maintain a Persona, you know, or an image. And obviously, if one thing's fake that they have, then what else is fake? You know, fair enough. And then it goes into the whole thing about, you know, fake clothes, then fake watches, fake jewelry, and then it's like, are they a fake person? Like, personality wise? You know, there's a few people that are like that.

[Podcast Host]

Right. Because if you have fake shoes, the odds of you having fake clothes and fake watches are probably high.

[Easy Busta]

Yeah. I mean, dude, honestly, I've said this a million times. Like, I genuinely don't care if people wear fake stuff, like, at all. Like, my biggest thing is when people wear fake stuff and pretend like it's real and they know it's fake. That bothers me because a lot of people spend a lot of money on items that they work really hard for, and I feel like the people that buy the real stuff don't really flex it as much. But I don't know. I don't know. I genuinely don't care if people wear fake stuff. People think I'm like, you know, like a hater. Yeah. But I've genuinely. I don't care.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah, I mean, there's some. There's some viral pages on Instagram, like Fake Watchbuster, and they probably think they're hating, but they probably have a similar mindset to you.

[Easy Busta]

Yeah, actually, he. He was the one that inspired my page.

[Podcast Host]

Oh, so he was before Easy Buster?

[Easy Busta]

Yes, he was.

[Podcast Host]

Oh, I thought you were the first one. Okay.

[Easy Busta]

No, he was the first. And I wanted to start a page called Fake Easy Busta, but the username was taken. I settled with Easy Buster.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Easy Busta]

And we're here today.

[Podcast Host]

But I noticed you don't really be busting people anymore.

[Easy Busta]

It's been a few years. Yeah, it's been a while. I really kind of focused on other. Other things that I'm passionate about. You know, I still love sneakers and everything, but the charity aspect for me was like, the most important. So.

[Podcast Host]

So that's your main focus right now, charity stuff.

[Easy Busta]

Yes. You know, I've always wanted to give back to the community as much as I could. And, you know, I'm blessed enough to be in a position where I could do that. Yeah, I did one pretty big project a year ago, working on a few others behind the scenes.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Easy Busta]

But yeah, man, that's, that's, that's my passion. That's what I really care about.

[Podcast Host]

No, that's cool, man. I'm working on opening mine up this year or next year and I'm just brainstorming where I'm most passionate about helping because there's so many different things you could do, I guess.

[Easy Busta]

I love it, man. Yeah, absolutely. I mean, make sure that it's coming from the heart, you know? Yeah, that's the most important thing. And yeah, if you're doing charity, let me know how I can help. I'm sure. Always willing.

[Podcast Host]

I think it'll be animal based. I love animals, dude.

[Easy Busta]

Love that.

[Podcast Host]

That's like my soft spot. Or maybe ocean.

[Easy Busta]

Okay, nice.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Easy Busta]

Love it, man. As long as you care about it and you love it, that's what matters.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah. I think those two are like, you can generally just see the results. Because my thing with charity is like, because I donate to some.

[Easy Busta]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

And it doesn't feel fulfilling. Like, it's like they just get the money and you don't see anything happen.

[Easy Busta]

Yeah, that is true. I mean, that's one thing that I am really careful about before I donate money is I want to make sure exactly where every penny is going. And it's not paying someone's salary.

[Podcast Host]

Right.

[Easy Busta]

That is getting paid $10 million a year to run a non profit. You know what I mean? Like, I, I'm always very selective and that's actually why I started with Beast philanthropy. And I'm sure you have a question about.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah, I saw the video where you donated 20,000 shoes, right?

[Easy Busta]

Yes. Yes. That was. That was one of the best moments of my life.

[Podcast Host]

That's incredible. So where did you go to do that, guys?

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[Easy Busta]

So we went to South Africa, we went to Cape Town, and we went to six or seven different. I mean, this was actually a year and a half ago at this point. I think we went to seven different spots, about what the closest one to Cape town was about 45 minutes. But we went to a couple different townships and some, like, ref. Refugee schools. Some. Yeah, it was. We went to a lot of different places, actually. Some pretty crazy stuff went down when we were there.

[Podcast Host]

Oh, yeah, like safety wise.

[Easy Busta]

Safety wise? Yeah. I didn't realize that it was. It was so dangerous in some of these places. You know, these kids are growing up in these really unsafe environments, and I had no idea that it was like that. So.

[Podcast Host]

So you saw some, like, kids with.

[Easy Busta]

Weapons and not kids with weapons. There was some. Some adults that were very questionable.

[Podcast Host]

Like, eyeing you up a little bit, like.

[Easy Busta]

Yeah, because, you know, we had camera equipment and, you know, we obviously didn't look like everyone who was there, just because, I mean, it's so random. It's not like you can just like, make an appointment to go to a township. You know, it's like we were in their space and that's, like, where they. They live, you know, So a lot of them were like, oh, who the hell are these guys that just came in? One of the days was pretty scary, actually. These two guys, they were very clearly inebriated. Walked up to us with a weapon.

[Podcast Host]

Damn. And like a machete or two.

[Easy Busta]

Guns.

[Podcast Host]

Guns out there.

[Easy Busta]

Guns.

[Podcast Host]

Oh, wow.

[Easy Busta]

Pretty scary.

[Podcast Host]

That's super scary.

[Easy Busta]

And we were just rushed into the car and we had to leave. And it was really unfortunate because actually, that was one of the. My favorite places we went. It was like this school for refugee children. Yeah, it was like at least 100 kids in a room that's half the size of this room. And the teachers were the sweetest, sweetest people. And, you know, we were. We were there for like an hour and just playing with the kids and, you know, giving them their new shoes. They were so happy. And then going outside and we had a drone yeah. And all the kids thought it was, like, the coolest thing ever, so we had to keep flying it up and down just to, you know, entertain them. And then, yeah, these guys came out of nowhere and we had to leave right away. Damn, it was sad. We were gonna at least spend a couple hours there.

[Podcast Host]

That's really sad, man.

[Easy Busta]

It is, yeah. But, you know, we were in their space, and we are there to help, but at the same time, it is. It is a different, different world out there.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah. So I got a role of security if I ever get out there, especially.

[Easy Busta]

If you want to go into the townships. Yeah, it's. It's definitely. Definitely eye opening, for sure, you know, because, you know, we're so blessed to live where we do. And I mean, to see kind of the. The way some of these people live. It's.

[Podcast Host]

It's definitely an eye opener. So part of my mission with the podcast, actually, is to expand internationally and get some stories from, like, people in places you've never heard of.

[Easy Busta]

I love that. I love that. Where. Where are you thinking?

[Podcast Host]

I haven't looked anywhere specific yet, but just like, any story that's not been told in the mainstream is interesting to me because I want to get their message out the way they live their lives. So I'm thinking tribal stuff, and definitely Africa's probably on the list.

[Easy Busta]

Yeah, it's. Honestly, I highly recommend going to Cape Town. It has a very special place in my heart, not only because of the project that we did, but also it is literally one of the most beautiful places on Earth.

[Podcast Host]

I've heard that, actually.

[Easy Busta]

It is breathtaking. It is unreal.

[Podcast Host]

You travel a lot.

[Easy Busta]

Yeah, I do.

[Podcast Host]

It's one of my favorite things to do in life.

[Easy Busta]

Me too. Me too. I. I always recommend people should travel more, you know, 100.

[Podcast Host]

There's only positives.

[Easy Busta]

Absolutely. You know, you immerse yourself in new culture and people, and it's. It's a wonderful thing, man. But, yeah, I highly recommend you should go to Cape Town and you really get to see what. I mean, there's a lot of stereotypes about Africa and, like, what it is. Right. And. But, you know, when you actually are there and you. And you immerse yourself in their culture, it's so beautiful, you know, and it's very different than what we have here. And, I mean, I just went to South Africa, which is entirely different than other countries within Africa, you know, but I definitely want to go back and do, like, a proper safari and, like, see other parts of Africa. I think it's unreal man.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Easy Busta]

Highly recommend.

[Podcast Host]

That's awesome. Where else has stood out to you from your travels?

[Easy Busta]

Well, I'm originally from Eastern Europe, so I love traveling in Europe. Croatia is one of my favorite places in the world.

[Podcast Host]

I've heard it's beautiful.

[Easy Busta]

It is unreal. I. I've been all around the world, man. I've been to Australia. I've been to parts of Asia. I love Japan. Tokyo is amazing. It's so much fun. I went to China. China was a lot of fun. Where else did I go? I've been to Sydney, been to Melbourne, traveled all around Europe. I don't even know how many countries I've been to in Europe. But, yeah, I mean, it's just so fascinating, and it really makes you think outside of the box. It's like there's so much more than just America.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

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[Easy Busta]

Like American culture. And we get the good. The good thing about America is such a melting pot of cultures, so you kind of. You kind of get to get a glimpse. But when you actually travel to that place, like, when you have Italian food here, you think it's good, and you go to Italy and you're like, our Italian food is not bad. But you're here and you're like, wow, this is how they really do it.

[Podcast Host]

That's what I tell people about Chinese food here.

[Easy Busta]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

It's like, whatever.

[Easy Busta]

Oh, it is. Night and day.

[Podcast Host]

Night and day.

[Easy Busta]

The only place that genuinely I thought was somewhat similar when I was in Shanghai was Din Tai Fun. Oh. And because I went to the original Din Tai Fung when I was in Shanghai, or I don't know if it was the original or the second one or something like that and genuinely tasted very similar.

[Podcast Host]

Wow.

[Easy Busta]

But everything else I had out there. Not even close.

[Podcast Host]

Shout out to the aria. They got Din Tae Fong in there.

[Easy Busta]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

It does taste pretty authentic.

[Easy Busta]

Oh, man. I think I want to go there right after.

[Podcast Host]

Dude, I'm down. I got five episodes today, and I'll be starving in, like, two hours.

[Easy Busta]

Let's run it.

[Podcast Host]

Let's run it. Bro. Do you think you'll ever do a face reveal?

[Easy Busta]

Um, you know, I Always said that I'll do it at a million subscribers.

[Podcast Host]

Okay.

[Easy Busta]

What.

[Podcast Host]

I'm sorry, how many are you out right now?

[Easy Busta]

Around 600k.

[Podcast Host]

Okay.

[Easy Busta]

I think if I posted more consistently, I'd probably get there pretty quickly. But I, you know, I'm gonna stay true to that. Actually, funny enough, when I was in. You're the first person I'm telling this, but when I was in Africa, I actually filmed 90% of it with my mask off.

[Podcast Host]

Oh.

[Easy Busta]

And that was going to be my face reveal. Like, that's what I wanted to do it.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Easy Busta]

But I didn't want to take away from the fact of, like, I didn't want to take away from what we were doing, you know, because I want. I didn't want it to. The video to be about me. I wanted it to be about giving back and what.

[Podcast Host]

Right.

[Easy Busta]

What we wanted to do. But I did mention in the video, once we get to a million subscribers, I'll show it. But 90 of the shots, I. I didn't have a mask on, so that was originally what I was going to do, but. But, yeah, I don't know. Maybe. Maybe I'll never do it. Maybe I will if I start posting on YouTube again. It might be inevitable, but I don't know.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah, because people probably think you're some Covid germaphobe I see right now.

[Easy Busta]

Yeah, it's pretty funny. Well, pre Covid, I was a weirdo for wearing a mask. Yeah, during COVID it was super normal. Now post Covid, I'm a weirdo for a mask.

[Podcast Host]

No, I would judge you if I didn't know you.

[Easy Busta]

Like, in a very different way. Yeah, because before people were like, why the heck is this guy walking around with the mask on? And then during, I just blended in with everybody, so.

[Podcast Host]

You must have loved that time.

[Easy Busta]

I wasn't really going out that much though, you know, but honestly, I know I hated it.

[Podcast Host]

I. Oh, you did.

[Easy Busta]

Just because, I mean, I wear the mask if I'm on camera or if I'm at an event. And you know, if I did like a sneaker con or something for nine hours wearing this on my face. I do have facial hair that gets sweaty when I'm wearing this, bro. Yeah. And then that, you know, I couldn't eat and so it's pretty brutal. But, you know, I. I know it's an inherent part of the brand and easy bust and what it is.

[Podcast Host]

So, you know, taking one for the team.

[Easy Busta]

Exactly, exactly. I'm not complaining.

[Podcast Host]

How do you feel about the current state of the Sneaker space. It's changed a lot since you got in.

[Easy Busta]

It has changed a lot. No, absolutely. I can't believe that. It's been almost a decade. Yeah, it'll be nine years in December since I, you know, started my page. And, you know, sneakers have just become a lot more mainstream and very diluted in the sense that, you know. Well, I'll. I'll take this back because genuinely I got into the sneaker game late, quote unquote.

[Podcast Host]

So nine years ago was late.

[Easy Busta]

Yes, because I mean, the OGs, like people like, you know, mayor or perfect pair, like the guys that have been collecting forever are the ones that kind of paved the way for sneaker YouTube.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Easy Busta]

And I was never a sneaker head, knowingly, if that makes sense. Like, you know, when I was in high school, I'd always wanted to. Like, I played tennis and soccer.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Easy Busta]

In high school. And I always wanted to have the coolest cleats or like the coolest, you know, whatever shoe Federer was wearing or Nadal, you know, I always wanted to have the cool shoe and that like, Nadal was like my Michael Jordan, you know what I mean? Like, so I always wanted to have like whatever shoes he was wearing, which was Nikes and they were called the court ballistics, I think. And. But the thing that got me into sneaker culture was actually Kanye. You know, I was always a die hard Kanye fan. I loved his music, loved him as an artist, and that's what got me in the sneakers, because I wanted one of his. I wanted one of his sneakers. I remember I try to get a pair of Red October's and What was that, 2014 or something worth a lot now, right? Yeah, they go for like 20 grand. Holy crap. But. But yeah, I. That's a shoe I always wanted and I never could afford. I bought it like I want to say five, six years ago as a trophy. I was really happy when I was able to buy those. Still haven't worn them to this day.

[Podcast Host]

Whoa. You think you'll ever wear them at this point?

[Easy Busta]

They're almost. They're almost like a trophy at this point. You know what I mean? Like, I almost want to buy like a used pair that I can actually wear. But. But yeah, I mean, you know, think things have changed a lot for sure. And I think it's for the better. I think a lot of people are getting into it, you know, like.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Easy Busta]

I mean, growing up in California, everyone was wearing Converse or vans, you know.

[Podcast Host]

Like, same in Jersey, to be honest.

[Easy Busta]

Really?

[Podcast Host]

Yeah. That was common out there.

[Easy Busta]

Like, where I grew up, it was not a thing to really wear Jordans or anything like that. So, I mean, everybody was wearing either flip flops, Converse, or Vans.

[Podcast Host]

I don't remember any Jordans where I grew up.

[Easy Busta]

And, you know, a lot of people are like, oh, well, I've been wearing Jordan since I was 18 months old. And I'm like, dude, I had immigrant parents that could not afford Jordans for their kid. And also, you know, I didn't grow up watching basketball, so I never really knew too much. But as soon as I got into it, you know, through Yeezys, like, that's kind of how everything started. I really started to appreciate it for what it is, because I love storytelling. That's one of my favorite things about brands. The reason why I. I like to invest in a brand or a product is because of the story, you know? So I think that that's one thing that's really unique. And then Kanye's story, from being this, like, rapper to fashion icon to designer, to being the first rapper to collaborate with Louis Vuitton, you know, like, because, I mean, obviously there's Run DMC with Adidas before, but he did a collaboration with Louis Vuitton that was nuts. And then he had his babe star that never came out. And then he had. And then he went over to Nike, and he changed the game. You know, right now, you know, things have changed a lot. I mean, Adidas and Yeezy, that partnership was just something that absolutely changed sneakers forever. Like, everybody became a sneakerhead after that. But I really started learning more and more about shoes like Nike, sbs and Jordans and appreciating the history and the stories behind each pair. And that made me a sneaker head, you know, So I was maybe like, 18, 19. But a lot of people are like, oh, well, you haven't been wearing sneakers since you were 8, so you can't be a sneaker head. But I think that that's wrong. You know, I think people can get into hobbies when they're eight or when they're 80. It doesn't really matter as long as they love it and they have an appreciation for it. And it's not just like, oh, yeah, I'm just wearing these because I want to look cool. It's more I'm wearing these because I'm a huge fan of the person that designed them. I'm a huge fan of the message it sends.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Easy Busta]

So I think that that's what it is. And obviously, you know, I started when I was 18 or I think I was 17 when I started my page. And you know, I mean, I've grown up a lot. I'm 27 now, so, you know, it's a lot of maturing. I definitely have learned a lot throughout the last nine years of doing this. But yeah, I mean, things have changed a lot.

[Podcast Host]

Absolutely.

[Easy Busta]

But in a good way. I think a lot of people say it's in a bad way and I'm probably going to get some hate for saying that, but it's okay. I mean, I think it's important for everyone to have the opportunity to wear what they like.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Easy Busta]

But also I think it's important to educate people on why they should like something and not just make it about money. Like, oh, these are expensive. Does that make sense?

[Podcast Host]

Yeah. And that was part of the negative stigma was those bots and those resellers. Yeah, they bought up hundreds of pairs and then the price went up. Right. And then they sold them.

[Easy Busta]

Well, you know, it's, everyone has a love hate relationship with bots. Right. Because you can hate on them all day, but then when you get one, you love it.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah. You know, I, I was trying to get into, but it was kind of complicated.

[Easy Busta]

It's not easy.

[Podcast Host]

You need a VPN and shit.

[Easy Busta]

So, man, it's not easy. I think I tried when I first got into sneakers because I just wanted to get one pair for me and it just didn't work. And you know the funny thing is is resellers and sneakers go hand in hand. Right. Because I mean, there is desire for highly sought after things. Right. That's just how it works. Supply and demand. So I mean, if things weren't selling out as quick as they should have been, the price goes down, nobody wants them. And now that's my problem with sneaker culture now is that now all these SBs are coming out that, you know, some people argue there's too many coming out and there isn't a story or it's not like done the right way. But there's also the other side, which is like if this shoe came out three years ago, you would be drooling over it because it was so rare and crazy. But now because it's three years later, you don't like it. It's like what? You know what I mean? So at that point, is it just the trend?

[Podcast Host]

Yeah, it's like logical at that point.

[Easy Busta]

You know what I mean? Like there's so many shoes and now I only buy sneakers that I'm going to wear. Like I have a rule if I buy A pair of shoes, and I don't wear them in the first week I'm selling them.

[Podcast Host]

Wow.

[Easy Busta]

Just because in my head, why just have them just sit in the closet when somebody else. Somebody else can appreciate them? And I started doing a live show every Saturday, and I always, you know, bless people as best I can. You know, I don't pay retail for everything either, but sometimes when I buy a shoe, you know, you know, sell it for less than I paid for to, you know, have somebody else enjoy it.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah. So did the value on these, like, tank when the Yeezy thing happened?

[Easy Busta]

Which one?

[Podcast Host]

When the Easy Adidas partnership disbanded, did the value of the shoes tank?

[Easy Busta]

So a lot of people thought that the value was going to go up, but because of the way the whole deal was structured, essentially, Adidas kept all the shoes and they kind of did whatever they wanted with them, which recently, I think they started doing 60 off sales. On, my gosh. Just to dump all the product.

[Podcast Host]

Damn.

[Easy Busta]

Because I think they were sitting on a couple hundred million in inventory.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah. Remember that?

[Easy Busta]

So, yeah. I mean, now Yeezys are very easily attainable. There are a few that still cost a lot of money, especially the Nike ones.

[Podcast Host]

So how much are they now? Like, 80 bucks?

[Easy Busta]

Depends. It depends. Like, you can get foam runners for, like, 80 bucks, like, which is, like, retail. You know, when the first foam runner came out, they were, like, $1,000.

[Podcast Host]

Holy crap.

[Easy Busta]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

They're down 90%.

[Easy Busta]

Yeah, but. But there's so many different colors and releases now. But I think there are. There aren't many shoes that never retroed, which means they rereleased.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Easy Busta]

Like the Oxford Tan Easy 350, for example, that was, like, one of the original four 350s. Those never rereleased. Or the Moon Rocks also never rereleased, but the Pirate Blacks and the Turtle Doves did. So it was crazy. Like, a pair of Turtle Doves, which was the first 350 that Kanye put out with Adidas, used to go for, like, three grand.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Easy Busta]

And you can buy the original one for around, like, 600.

[Podcast Host]

Wow.

[Easy Busta]

And you could buy the rerelease for, like, 300 bucks. So it's a pretty drastic.

[Podcast Host]

Drastic, yeah. I wonder if Kanye will be able to revive that brand to these higher prices.

[Easy Busta]

I mean, I don't know. I mean, he's doing his own thing.

[Podcast Host]

Now, so he's donwzi.

[Easy Busta]

Oh, yeah. Like, that. That happened. When was that? Like a year and a half ago. Something like that. I mean, he came out and said some crazy stuff. So Adidas just Dropped him.

[Podcast Host]

Wow.

[Easy Busta]

And. And then basically they were left with all the inventory, and they still had rights to the name, which is pretty crazy.

[Podcast Host]

That is crazy because Kanye started it.

[Easy Busta]

Yeah. Right. I mean, that's also another thing that you can go into with, like, brands, too. Like, Roger Federer didn't own his logo, his RF logo.

[Podcast Host]

Really?

[Easy Busta]

Nike did what? Same thing with Kawhi Leonard with his, like, lo. I don't know if he does now, but at first, like, Nike's like, no, we're not going to do that. Adidas essentially did the same thing with Kanye. But. But yeah, I mean, Kanye is doing his. His own thing, but, I mean, honestly, in a weird way, he did exactly what he wanted to because he wanted everyone to have Yeezys, and he was kind of getting throttled by the brands because the brands were saying, no, we can't make it readily available for everybody.

[Podcast Host]

Right. Reminds me of Elon Musk with Tesla.

[Easy Busta]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

He made the price point so affordable, where now you could get one for $20,000. It's crazy for a good quality car, honestly.

[Easy Busta]

Oh, yeah.

[Podcast Host]

That price.

[Easy Busta]

I have a Tesla. I love it.

[Podcast Host]

I have a Model 3. Yeah.

[Easy Busta]

Yeah. They're the best for the price.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah. I'm not complaining at all.

[Easy Busta]

100.

[Podcast Host]

You know, those used to be $70,000.

[Easy Busta]

Oh, yeah. It's crazy. I feel bad for the people that.

[Podcast Host]

That's me, but it's all good. I wasn't gonna sell it anyways. You know, I'm gonna drive it so the wheels fall off.

[Easy Busta]

100, man.

[Podcast Host]

It's all good, dude. Shout out to Elon and Kanye. They. They revolutionized their industries.

[Easy Busta]

Absolutely. And, you know, Kanye's had his moments for sure, you know, and said some.

[Podcast Host]

Crazy stuff, but, I mean, that's what makes him him.

[Easy Busta]

That's what makes him him. Yeah, He. He really is. I mean, I. There's a. And this is the thing. You can, like, someone not agree with everything that comes out of their mouth. You know what I mean? Like, he said some crazy stuff, but he was always. I think the way that he got so big and so popular and has maintained his relevancy over the years is he was so, like, anti cool. So whatever was cool. He'd do the opposite, and then he would make it cool.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Easy Busta]

You know what I mean? Like, back then, it was like pink polos and backpacks. You know, nobody was wearing polos with the collar flipped up.

[Podcast Host]

Right.

[Easy Busta]

But he made it cool, you know, against the grain. Exactly. And that's what he did his whole career, like, even 808s and heartbreak. Like, nobody would use an 808 drum because it was kind of corny to use it because it's just such a simple sound. But he revolutionized music through that album by using 808s. And then, I mean, even, you know, he made a gospel album and made it cool. Like, Jesus Is King is one of my favorite Kanye projects. I think it's amazing. And it's so funny because, like, nobody would ever view a gospel album as, like, cool or mainstream. You know, it's just something you'd listen to in church, or someone who's, like, very religious would listen to it. But he kind of went against the grain, too. But then I feel like, you know, he. He went through a phase where he tried to go a little too far against the grain.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Easy Busta]

And. But, yeah, I mean, he's back now. I mean, his new album was actually great.

[Podcast Host]

I didn't see it here yet, actually.

[Easy Busta]

It's good. Vultures, too. Is really good. I have some buddies working for him now, too, which is pretty amazing. Shout out. You know who you are. I love it.

[Podcast Host]

I will say, he is so entertaining. Anytime he goes on a podcast, I'll listen to it immediately.

[Easy Busta]

Oh, yeah. You never know what he's gonna say.

[Podcast Host]

You never know. I got to see him on Shannon Sharp. I think that'd be a great setting for him.

[Easy Busta]

Oh, wow.

[Podcast Host]

Speak his truth.

[Easy Busta]

That would be.

[Podcast Host]

You know, that'd be cool. People get comfortable on that show.

[Easy Busta]

Oh, yeah. That'd be interesting.

[Podcast Host]

So how. How big is your portfolio? Do you ever disclose how many sneakers you own?

[Easy Busta]

So, okay, so a few years ago, at one point, I had, like, maybe five or six hundred pairs of shoes.

[Podcast Host]

Holy crap.

[Easy Busta]

It was a lot. But not as many as, like, some crazy collectors that I know. I've sold a lot of them because, you know, I kind of made that rule where it's like, if I'm not going to wear this, I don't want to just keep it in my closet.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Easy Busta]

But, you know, what was great was sneakers actually kind of became like, a.

[Podcast Host]

You know, like an asset.

[Easy Busta]

An asset? Yeah. In the collectible world. Kind of like a Pokemon card, you know? So that was nice. And, you know, I just. But now it made me appreciate my seekers even more, because the ones I kept are the ones I really care about. One of the only ones that I kept that I have not worn, that breaks my rule is the Red October is. Because they mean so much to me, you know?

[Podcast Host]

That's like, a sentimental thing for you.

[Easy Busta]

Exactly.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah, yeah. It's like a milestone in your life almost, Right?

[Easy Busta]

Exactly. Yeah. I mean, I think now I might be at, like. It's crazy. Over 100 for sure, but still a lot. It's ridiculous. But honestly, I wear. I wear my slides more than anything. And then I bought these Nikes. I can't remember what they're called. They're like the Pegasus or something. They're the most comfortable shoes I've ever worn. They're amazing. I wear them every single day.

[Podcast Host]

I would wear slides everywhere if I could.

[Easy Busta]

Oh, yeah.

[Podcast Host]

But certain spots, you can't. Like restaurants. So I'm like, all right, yeah, put on shoes. It's annoying.

[Easy Busta]

Exactly.

[Podcast Host]

I love slides, though, dude.

[Easy Busta]

Like, no shirt, no shoes, no service.

[Podcast Host]

For real? You still follow tennis at all?

[Easy Busta]

I do.

[Podcast Host]

I'm big on tennis, dude.

[Easy Busta]

Oh, really?

[Podcast Host]

Who's your goat in tennis?

[Easy Busta]

So, I mean, it's inevitable that Novak Djokovic is the goat of tennis, but for how he revolutionized the sport, I think Roger Federer is like the Kanye or the Elon or the Tiger Woods.

[Podcast Host]

Right.

[Easy Busta]

Tennis.

[Podcast Host]

So graceful.

[Easy Busta]

Exactly. And he. I mean, he is incredible. But actually, my favorite player on the tour is Taylor Fritz.

[Podcast Host]

Okay. He's doing good this year.

[Easy Busta]

He's a good friend of mine.

[Podcast Host]

Nice.

[Easy Busta]

So, you know, always got to support the home team no matter what. Yeah. Him and I grew up playing together, actually.

[Podcast Host]

Oh, nice. So you were good, then?

[Easy Busta]

I was okay. He was substantially better. Better than me. I mean, clearly, he's a pro now, but. Yeah. I mean, he's. He works his ass off.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Easy Busta]

He's a grinder, and he deserves every accolade he's gotten in the last few years. I actually watched him win the BNP Paribas Open in Palm Springs.

[Podcast Host]

Wow. That was really cool, dude.

[Easy Busta]

He. Really cool moment. He actually got me four tickets to the final, which was pretty amazing.

[Podcast Host]

Nice.

[Easy Busta]

And that was like a childhood dream of mine to win that tournament. And I almost lived my childhood dream through him vicariously. Exactly.

[Walmart Advertiser]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

I love that.

[Easy Busta]

And. But, yeah, I was so happy for him, and he deserves it. And he. He's playing great, so.

[Podcast Host]

Playing amazing. He's the first American player in a while. That's given me hope.

[Easy Busta]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

Because I can't remember. It's been a while. Maybe. James Blake, Andre Agassi. It's been long time and erotic. But, oh, man. There hasn't really been a good American past.

[Easy Busta]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host]

10, 15 years.

[Easy Busta]

I mean, who do we have now? We have Taylor. We have big foe. Right, Tiafo?

[Podcast Host]

Yeah, Tiafo.

[Easy Busta]

And we got Eisner's old now, so he's Tommy Paul.

[Podcast Host]

He's probably walking out soon.

[Easy Busta]

Oh, is there? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. He's.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Easy Busta]

I mean, the guy's a beast.

[Podcast Host]

He peaked late, though. I will say that he did.

[Easy Busta]

He. He had a great run. And then we had Sam. Query. Who else? I don't even remember. But yeah, I mean, it's. It's pretty awesome to see. See someone that, you know, I played against when I was a kid beyond the.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah, that must be surreal because he's pushing top five now, right?

[Easy Busta]

He's. I think he broke top five at one point.

[Podcast Host]

Wow.

[Easy Busta]

But he's like. I think he's like 12.

[Podcast Host]

Holy crap.

[Easy Busta]

Which is still unreal.

[Podcast Host]

You know, my favorite player is Kirkos.

[Easy Busta]

Oh, yeah.

[Podcast Host]

He's a controversial one, though.

[Easy Busta]

He is, he is. I mean, I think that that guy is probably the most talented tennis player talent of all time, but he just mentally is not there. And tennis is 90 mental.

[Podcast Host]

If he didn't have those vices, man, he would be different.

[Easy Busta]

Exactly.

[Podcast Host]

But he also says that makes him who he is, so it's kind of hard to argue.

[Easy Busta]

That is true. I mean, tennis is a lot like poker, funny enough.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Easy Busta]

Or like boxing in the sense that it's so mental. Like you can be not as good as the person across the court or across the table or across the ring, but if you get in their head.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah. If you can outlast them, just annoy them. Because it's a five set match. It's a three, four hour match.

[Easy Busta]

Exactly.

[Podcast Host]

Like it's a chess game.

[Easy Busta]

I mean, all you have to do is just pick apart one little thing, either mentally or physically, and then they'll just collapse and then it's game over.

[Podcast Host]

And that's why Djokovic is a beast, because he's not the most athletic player.

[Easy Busta]

Oh, he's. Have you seen that guy do a split?

[Podcast Host]

Well, yeah, he's flexible. But I meant in the sense of like power and everything.

[Easy Busta]

Oh, yeah, for sure.

[Podcast Host]

But he just knows how to like dissect opponents, like you said.

[Easy Busta]

Absolutely. Yeah. He is. He is a beast. He is incredible. I mean, without a doubt. On paper. It's kind of like the thing with like Michael Jordan and LeBron. Right. Jordan is like the Roger Federer.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah, right.

[Easy Busta]

Kind of revolution. Revolutionize the sport and what it is. And then djokovic is the LeBron, like undoubtedly, you know, points wise and everything.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah. I didn't think we talked Dennis to that.

[Easy Busta]

I didn't think so either.

[Podcast Host]

What are you working On Next man, where can people find you? And the YouTube and everything.

[Easy Busta]

So if you guys want to find me, it's just at Easy Busta on everything. But, you know, I'm working on a lot of stuff behind the scenes. A lot of charity projects are coming up. I definitely want to do some more with Beast Philanthropy. Like I said, that whole thing changed my life. And, you know, it's. It's incredible. And every penny that I donated to that initiative, they actually matched and then doubled. So that's how we were able to get 20, 000 pairs of shoes.

[Podcast Host]

Wow.

[Easy Busta]

And actually, it's so funny the way. The way the whole thing started was my. My buddy Tariq. I got really close with Tariq from, like, Beast Camp. And, you know, I've been talking to him for years about doing a project, like a charity project. And at first, funny. The funny thing is, at first he was like, you just got to show up to North Carolina and just surprise Jimmy with, like, 50 pairs of shoes.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah.

[Easy Busta]

And we went back and forth, and we're like, jimmy's not gonna care at all, number one, because he doesn't care about shoes. You know what I mean? He will just give them away right away, because that's how he is. But. And then we started talking about, how about instead of giving it to Jimmy, we give it to some underprivileged kids? And then we're like, okay, where should we go? I met Darren, who is an absolute saint on earth from Beast Philanthropy, and his idea was, let's go to his home country, South Africa, and do it. And. Yeah. So I. I want to do some more stuff with Beast Philanthropy. I have a few other projects in the background. I started a digital marketing agency. We have some really amazing clients that I'm. I can't talk too much about, but it's been a lot of fun. So cool.

[Podcast Host]

We're linking below, for sure.

[Easy Busta]

Thank you.

[Podcast Host]

Yeah. Thanks for coming on, man. That was a blast. It's great. Getting. Good luck tomorrow.

[Easy Busta]

Thank you so much. It's gonna be a lot of fun.

[Podcast Host]

Awesome, guys. See you next time. Peace.