INTERVIEW: Nigel Sylvester On Blending Hip Hop & BMX Culture, Nike Collab, International Bike Ride + More

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Breakfast Club Episode Featuring Nigel Sylvester

Episode Information:

• Title: INTERVIEW: Nigel Sylvester On Blending Hip Hop & BMX Culture, Nike Collab, International Bike Ride + More
• Release Date: August 7, 2025
• Host: DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, and Charlamagne Tha God
• Guest: Nigel Sylvester, Pro BMX Biker Athlete

---

1. Introduction to Nigel Sylvester

The episode kicks off with DJ Envy introducing Nigel Sylvester, a prominent figure in the BMX biking scene from Laurelton, Queens. Nigel shares his excitement about being on the show, emphasizing his strong connection to his Queens roots and the BMX community.

Notable Quote:

• Nigel Sylvester [00:43]: "Big Queens, big queens in the building."

2. Early Life and Introduction to BMX

Nigel delves into his childhood in Queens, highlighting how BMX biking was initially a mode of transportation for him and his peers. Unlike casual riders, Nigel's interest quickly shifted towards performing tricks and stunts, fueled by his imagination and desire for adrenaline.

Key Points:

• Grew up riding bikes to various local spots.
• Developed a passion for BMX tricks like jumping and grinding.
• His early creativity led him to build ramps using everyday materials.

Notable Quote:

• Nigel Sylvester [03:11]: "It was something about the feeling of flying through the air that became like, it was just adrenaline rushing me and I fell in love with it."

3. Cultural Influences and Representation

Nigel discusses the cultural influences that shaped his BMX career, blending hip hop culture with the sport. He emphasizes the importance of representing his community and making BMX more accessible and relatable to youth from similar backgrounds.

Key Points:

• Influence of hip hop and local Queens culture on his BMX style.
• Challenges of being a Black BMX athlete in a predominantly non-Black sport.
• Strives to make BMX relatable to kids from urban neighborhoods.

Notable Quote:

• Nigel Sylvester [08:18]: "Growing up in the hood, like, you ride bikes. You know what I mean?"

4. Turning Professional and Nike Collaboration

Nigel shares his unconventional path to turning professional in BMX, opting to create and share content rather than competing in contests. His breakthrough came through connections with BMX legends like Dave Mirra and Mark Losey, leading to sponsorships with Miracle Bikes and Nike.

Key Points:

• Initial interest sparked by watching X Games and professional BMX athletes.
• Chose the "free rider" route by creating content instead of competing.
• Signed with Miracle Bikes and shortly after with Nike at age 18.

Notable Quotes:

• Nigel Sylvester [06:19]: "Dave Mirror. He's like that Michael Jordan of BMX riding."
• Nigel Sylvester [07:27]: "I'm just doing my thing. Honestly, I don't feel any pressure."

5. Blending Hip Hop with BMX and Industry Challenges

Nigel elaborates on how he seamlessly integrated hip hop culture with BMX, creating a unique identity that resonated with a broader audience. He also addresses the friction he faced within the industry for being too aligned with hip hop, and how he persisted to carve his own niche.

Key Points:

• Natural fusion of BMX and hip hop due to personal background.
• Faced initial resistance from industry players who didn't understand his cultural blend.
• His content and collaborations, such as featuring hip hop artists, helped normalize this fusion.

Notable Quote:

• Nigel Sylvester [09:17]: "The industry was like, 'Oh, you're trying to be a rapper.' I was like, 'This is who I am.'"

6. Partnerships and Brand Collaborations

Nigel discusses his long-standing relationship with Nike and his latest collaborations, including his unique sneaker designs with Jordan Brand. He highlights the creative process behind his "bike air" sneakers, which feature pre-distressed elements symbolizing his BMX journey.

Key Points:

• Over 15 years of collaboration with Nike, starting at age 18.
• Initiated the "bike air" concept for sneakers, blending BMX aesthetics with athletic footwear.
• Each pair of his sneakers is hand-distressed, ensuring uniqueness and storytelling through design.

Notable Quotes:

• Nigel Sylvester [11:31]: "I was looking at the label just like this. I'm like, 'Man, it'd be so cool if we just turn the N to a B.'"
• Nigel Sylvester [28:13]: "Each shoe is hand distressed. So no two shoes have the same distress mark."

7. Go Ride Festival and International Expansion

Nigel introduces his "Go Ride" festival, an international bike ride event expanding beyond New York to include cities like Miami and Mexico City. He explains the logistics and inclusive nature of the event, aimed at uniting bike enthusiasts from diverse backgrounds.

Key Points:

• "Go Ride" is an international bike ride covering multiple cities within a set timeframe.
• Emphasizes community and inclusivity, welcoming riders of all ages and skill levels.
• Expansion to Mexico City demonstrates his commitment to global BMX culture.

Notable Quotes:

• Nigel Sylvester [24:31]: "This is the third annual Go Ride. We are hitting New York, Miami, and Mexico City within 30 hours."
• Nigel Sylvester [26:15]: "When you're in that pack with so many kids riding bikes, that energy is so contagious."

8. Partnerships with McDonald's and MTA

Nigel shares his journey from working at McDonald's as a teenager to securing an endorsement deal with the brand. Additionally, he discusses his partnership with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) to promote safety initiatives like "Ride Inside, Stay Alive."

Key Points:

• McDonald's was Nigel's first job, and he now collaborates with them on authentic campaigns.
• Partnered with MTA to address the dangers of subway surfing, promoting safety through BMX.

Notable Quotes:

• Nigel Sylvester [22:25]: "McDonald's was my first job. Now, we are collaborating on ideas and putting products out."
• Nigel Sylvester [32:33]: "We're facing this issue, would love to partner with you to combat this issue."

9. Overcoming Obstacles and Industry Education

Nigel identifies the primary obstacle in his career as educating the public about BMX and garnering respect for the sport. He emphasizes BMX's accessibility and potential as a powerful mode of transportation and self-expression.

Key Points:

• Continues to educate people on what BMX entails and its benefits.
• Aims to elevate BMX's status and open doors for future athletes.
• Highlights BMX as an accessible and universal activity.

Notable Quote:

• Nigel Sylvester [33:35]: "It's just educating people on what BMX is and showing the world how powerful the bicycle is."

10. Athleticism and Personal Philosophy

Nigel firmly identifies as an athlete, drawing parallels between BMX and traditional sports in terms of training and physical demands. He shares his personal philosophy of dedication, hard work, and living out his imagination to achieve success.

Key Points:

• Recognizes BMX as a rigorous athletic pursuit equivalent to mainstream sports.
• Values self-expression and dedication as core to his identity and success.
• Encourages younger generations to pursue their passions and work hard.

Notable Quotes:

• Nigel Sylvester [34:17]: "I'm legit an athlete."
• Nigel Sylvester [26:39]: "Just do what you love. Just work hard. I know it sounds cliché, but it's so true."

11. Upcoming Releases and Future Endeavors

Nigel teases his latest sneaker releases, including the AJ One Low Better with Times, which continues his tradition of unique, hand-distressed designs. He also speaks about the anticipation surrounding his upcoming "Go Ride" event and encourages listeners to participate.

Key Points:

• New sneaker releases are set to drop on August 16, featuring distinct designs.
• "Go Ride" event details are shared, inviting participants from various cities.
• Emphasizes community engagement and the evolving nature of his projects.

Notable Quotes:

• Nigel Sylvester [28:08]: "It just tells the story of things getting better with time."
• Nigel Sylvester [35:36]: "We're hitting New York, Miami, and Mexico City as part of Go Ride 2025."

12. Closing Remarks and Encouragement

Nigel wraps up the interview by encouraging listeners to pursue their passions, stay focused, and engage with the BMX community. He highlights the importance of authenticity and collaboration in his journey.

Notable Quotes:

• Nigel Sylvester [26:39]: "Just lock in and stay focused."
• Nigel Sylvester [35:36]: "Make sure you pick up his sneaker that comes out on the 16th and tell them about Go Ride again. This Weekend."

---

Conclusion: This episode of The Breakfast Club provides an in-depth look into Nigel Sylvester's journey as a trailblazing BMX athlete who seamlessly blends hip hop culture with extreme sports. His passion for BMX, commitment to his community, and innovative collaborations with major brands like Nike and McDonald's highlight his influence in making BMX more accessible and culturally relevant. Nigel's story serves as an inspiration for aspiring athletes and emphasizes the importance of dedication, creativity, and authenticity in achieving success.

Transcript

[Host]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[DJ Envy]

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[Nigel Sylvester]

Hold up.

[DJ Envy]

Every day, I wake up. Wake your ass up.

[Nigel Sylvester]

The Breakfast Club.

[DJ Envy]

Morning, everybody. It's DJ Envy. Just hilarious. Charlamagne, the guy. We are the breakfast club. Lauren LaRosa is here as well, and we got a special guest in the building. Pro BMX biker athlete, brothers from Queens, Nigel Sylvester, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome.

[Nigel Sylvester]

Yes, sir. Thank you. Big queens, big queens in the building.

[DJ Envy]

How you feeling?

[Nigel Sylvester]

Incredible. Incredible. God, what? We met this morning, so it felt great.

[DJ Envy]

There you go. Now, when we get brothers like you, I like to start from the beginning of how. Right, right. So you're from Laurelton, Queens.

[Nigel Sylvester]

Yes, sir.

[DJ Envy]

Which is north side. Which is the same side of Queens. I'm from. I'm from Queens Village. And growing up in Queensland, we all rode bikes, right? But we didn't ride to the caliber that you rode for. We rode to go to the park. We rode to go to the store, to bodega, to go to White Castle, to go to Linden, Springfield. We rode for all those places, right? We had to dodge the Brooklyn kids from trying to steal our bikes all the time. But you took a different route. So start with you growing up in Queens and how you got into BMX biking and taking it serious.

[Nigel Sylvester]

I mean, just like you said, right? We grew up riding bikes in that capacity to get from point A to point B. For me, it was like, during that point A to point B, I was like, I want to jump off this curb or I want to pop a willie, or, like, I was curious in that way. And that just. Man, it took me down a route of like, okay, like, how far can I take this, right? Like, how. How many steps can I jump down? I want to grind this bench over here. And once I started to discover that you can do it professionally, I was like, oh, this is what I want to do. I was sold after that.

[DJ Envy]

Well, what got you into that because growing up in Queensland, you know, sometimes we idolize basketball players. Cause we see em, right? We see Mark Jackson from Queens, Stevenson and all these other people. We see Rappers Run, DMC, Tribe Called Quest 50 and whoever it was, we seen him, DJs, Jam Master J, Clue, myself. But what got you in to say, you know what, I can do this professionally. What were you watching that says I want to do this?

[Nigel Sylvester]

I seen it on tv, right? I've seen X Games on tv, seen guys like Dave Mirra and Matt Hoffman and Ryan Nyquist. And these guys were flying through the air. They had their helmets on and their chest protectors and all the stickers on their bikes. And it was super cool to me. I was just intrigued. I was like, damn, I looked. That looks dope. And of course, like I would see like basketball players on TV and rappers as you mentioned. That was dope to me as well. You know what I mean? But it was something about bike riding that it just clicked to me.

[Just Hilarious]

It was different. How old were you when you really started taking it serious?

[Nigel Sylvester]

I was like 12 years old. Yeah. And I just always have a big imagination as well, right? Like, I'm just living on my imagination still. But even then I was like, man, like, it's something about this bike that I'm thinking about different things that I want to do and I'm going outside and trying it in real time, right? Just figuring it out. Like, I would take like an old tire and a board and make a ramp and like go back 30, 40ft and just pedal as fast as I can, hit that ramp and fly through the air. And it was something about that feeling of flying through the air that became like. It was just like adrenaline rushing me and I fell in love with it.

[Just Hilarious]

You built the. Like you would build a ramp?

[Nigel Sylvester]

Hell yeah, I'm building ramps.

[Just Hilarious]

Yeah.

[Nigel Sylvester]

I'm going to like Sinclair's park and the school and I'm grinding on like marble ledges and whatnot and anything I could find, I could jump on my bike, I would do it.

[DJ Envy]

Now, you also from Caribbean Descent?

[Nigel Sylvester]

Yeah.

[DJ Envy]

So what did your Caribbean parents say when you say, ma, I want to ride bikes? And the bikes that you're talking about are not the bikes from tss, Target and those type of stores. You had professional bike with professional pegs. Them bikes were a lot of money back then.

[Nigel Sylvester]

So how did, how did that work, man? Like, my mom, she didn't really like to watch me ride like any mom, she was like, I don't want you to see you Hurt yourself. Like, I'm afraid for you and things of that nature. But the thing that she did that I applaud her for, that she gave me the freedom to go out and try. You know what I mean? Like, she may have not wanted to watch me do it because she was afraid of me hurting myself, but she let me go out in the neighborhood and do my thing and let me hang out with other kids who rode bikes and whatnot. So that's what that was. And when I turned pro, she didn't really understand it at first, but it took her a minute. But once she got it, she was like, okay, cool. And was in full support of it. So shout out to mama.

[Host]

Sylvester, you've been working with Nike for over a decade now, right?

[Nigel Sylvester]

Yeah.

[Host]

It's been how long?

[Nigel Sylvester]

It's been over 15 years now.

[Host]

How old were you when you started working with them?

[Nigel Sylvester]

I was 18.

[Just Hilarious]

So, yeah.

[Nigel Sylvester]

It's crazy.

[Host]

Was that before you were pro?

[Nigel Sylvester]

It was right after.

[Host]

Okay, got you. Because I was gonna ask because when you were a kid, I saw an interview you did. You talked about when you were a kid. Nike was just sending you stuff, and I was wondering, like, at what point? Because, you know, social media is. It's not new, but, like, people understanding how to use social media in your lane, you're like, you're. You're one of the people that I think people look at, because we don't really know too much about black BMX bike riders. How did you know that? Like, do what you do to attract the brands that young, for sure.

[Nigel Sylvester]

So BMX has, like, a proper industry, right? Like, they're like, there's a. A way to turn pro. Like, and that way is pretty much like, it's either you ride contests and sponsors would see you, like, at these contests.

[Host]

Gotcha.

[Nigel Sylvester]

Or you can be a free rider, which is like, creating content, I would say would be the equivalent and, like, putting that content out into the world. And I took, like, the free ride route where, like, I didn't ride in contests, didn't care for that. Those contests never really came to, like, New York City and things.

[DJ Envy]

Unconventional way to turn profile.

[Nigel Sylvester]

Extremely unconventional and extremely. And I was actually on a tour. We went down to North Carolina to meet Dave Mirror, who was the dude. Not dude, but the athlete, the legend that gave me my first shot to, like, to turn pro.

[Just Hilarious]

Wow.

[Nigel Sylvester]

And when I. And when I met him, he just took a liking to me. And at this point in time, like, I would compare Dave Mirror. He's like that Michael Jordan of BMX riding, you know what I mean? So we were down there, met him. He's like, yo, I'm starting this brand. I wanna. I wanna sign you to the brand.

[DJ Envy]

So what's the name of the brand?

[Nigel Sylvester]

The brand's called Miracle Bikes. So he ended up signing me to the brand maybe four months after meeting him. And while I was on that trip, I met a gentleman by the name of Mark Losey. Mark Losi would end up going on to be the team manager of the Nike BMX program. So shortly after signing with Dave Mirror, Mark Losi was like, cool. Like, I'm at Nike now. I'm gonna sign you. So I literally signed. I turned pro and signed to Miracle Bikes and Nike all within the year of turning 18. That's fire.

[DJ Envy]

Was there any pressure for yourself? Because I know growing up, even watching television in the X Games, there wasn't too many black people doing it, right? So now you are kind of the black guy that does it. Is there any pressure knowing that all these kids are looking up to you because you are the one that looks like me, you're the one that looks like my brother. You're the one that came from the place that I came. Is there any pressure with that?

[Nigel Sylvester]

No. Cause there were black BMX athletes on a professional level before me, you know, and a lot have come after me. I'm just doing my thing. Honestly, I don't feel any pressure. For me, it's as far as pressure for that for me is more I put the pressure on myself to be the best. That's what matters to me at this point. Like, I'm here for a reason and I want to leave a mark that will stand the test of time.

[DJ Envy]

You were probably one of the first that really mixed the culture together, right? Cause usually when you see a BMX biker, you'd be like, that's not me. I like what they doing, but that doesn't represent me. Or if you see somebody, be like, ah, he doesn't wear what I wear. But you were totally different, right? Like, you, you were the. I don't want to say the hip hop BMX biker, but you were the hip hop biker. Like, you were the one that was like, your son. Looks like me, talks like me, listen to the music I listen to. So explain that a little bit in that breakdown.

[Nigel Sylvester]

I mean, I think it's similar to what you just said, right? Like, we grew up not too far from one another, so that was the environment, you know what I mean? Like, I'm watching, like my older brothers or Whatnot come through the block and rimmed up Maximas and Lexuses and whatnot. And like, I'm watching music videos on TV and I'm going to the Coliseum block to go shop, to go buy jerseys and warm up suits and fitted hats. I'll come from that. So when I turned pro, even just like BMX rider in general, I naturally mixed those two things together. Cause it's just. That's just who I was. Never was, but who I am. You know what I mean? So that's why it looks like. That's why it comes across like that. And it comes across real. It's not like forced or I'm not living outside myself or doing something that's not me.

[DJ Envy]

Was it difficult for you? Because during that time, it was. A lot of BMXs were so crossover, right? They were so Abercrombie and Fitch, but you weren't. So was it difficult to get deals and difficult to get placements in places you need to be because you weren't like the rest of them?

[Nigel Sylvester]

I definitely felt friction at times and especially within the industry, right? At a certain point in time, industry was like, oh, like you're trying to be a rapper or like, you're too hip hop for us. And I was like, what are you talking about? Like, this is who I am. So I think it took them a minute to. To get that. But what's also interesting, though, is like, for me, coming up, I'm watching BMX videos and guys are using rap songs and things of that nature in these songs. Again, like, they were black BMX riders or riders of color way before me, right? I just took it to another level, right? When you see me in a music video where, asap, Ferg. And people are just like, whoa, that's different. But at the same time, like, for riding BMX bikes, you know what I mean? Like, we cool. Oh, yeah. Ferg Rod Bikes. Fred was in one of my first videos back. I think it was like 2008, 2009 or something like that. Before he even started rapping.

[Host]

You could tell his fashion, too. He dresses a lot like females.

[Nigel Sylvester]

Yeah. I mean, like, it's just part of what we do, right? Like, just because you ride bikes doesn't mean that we're not into other things. It means that doesn't mean that we're confined to one space, right? You know what I mean? Like, nah. Like, it's just part of what we do. Growing up in the hood, like, you ride bikes. You know what I mean?

[Just Hilarious]

And that's good as you make it look relatable, though. Because, I mean, you make it more relatable because although bikers do more than just ride bikes to some kids, some kids may think that's, like, a category where it's, like, you know, not, like, for instance, nascar. You don't see a lot of black NASCAR drivers. You know what I mean? So to your point, like, what you do, you make it look more accessible and more relatable to, like, somebody growing up in Queens now or Brooklyn or wherever, you know?

[Nigel Sylvester]

And that's super important to me, though, right? Like, I want kids from those neighborhoods to know that they can do this, too. You know what I mean? Like, why not? You know, like, just because you're from a certain neighborhood or from a certain environment, certain situation, doesn't mean that you have to be confined to only doing certain things, you know? So, like.

[Just Hilarious]

Like rapping or playing basketball, right?

[Nigel Sylvester]

We can do way more. Yeah, we can do way, way more.

[Host]

Talk about a little bit about brand trust, because one of the things I thought was interesting, like, in your packaging, because Nike is very particular with their brand, but they let you do the bike right over the Nike. And I know that you also had that on a shoe, like one of your first shoes you did with Jordan, right?

[Nigel Sylvester]

Yeah. I love it. Look how cool it looks.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah.

[Host]

But, yes, it's fire, right? And even so, like, if y'. All. I was really researching yesterday, because I'm. I think what you do is so fire. But if you look closely, there's, like, a distorted text on this, right? Nike don't play about their branding. How was it for you? Was it your idea to say, hey, can we do the Nike AS bike? And were they just down, or did they come to you with that?

[Nigel Sylvester]

No. So when I did my first AJ one, my first collaboration with Jordan Brand was in 2017, and that's when the idea sparked. I remember I was sitting in, like, the Energy design room looking at one of the reference shoes that we were using, and I'm looking at the label just like this. I'm like, man, it'd be so cool if we just turn the N to a B. And at that point in time, we were like, no way. They'll, like, let us do it. So we just sat on the idea, and this is when I was still signed to the Nike side of the business. I signed to the Jordan brand side of the business in 2021. And the first shoe I worked on when I signed to the Jordan brand side of the business was I was. It was a friends and family shoes and Nike Airship, which is the first shoe that MJ Wo came into the league before the AJ one. And because it was a friends and family shoe, I was like, yo, maybe they'll let us do it now. So we did it, and then once we posted it online, it went crazy. I think it was because of the concept made so much sense, right? Like, people have watched me on my bike in the air for my entire career, right? So when you take something like that and then you. You bring it together with bike air, and it's like, oh, just makes so much sense. I think that's why it just took off. And now, like, all the shoes that I'm doing, they have bike air on it.

[Host]

Do you like resellers reselling your sneakers or not? Because some of it, like, the brick by bricks, it was like World War II out here.

[DJ Envy]

It was crazy. It went stupid.

[Host]

Yes.

[Just Hilarious]

Do you almost impossible to find you like that or.

[Host]

No? Because how do you benefit from resellers?

[Nigel Sylvester]

That's part of the culture. That's just part of the culture, you know, like, the fact that people want to pay two, three, four times over, like, the retail price for the shoe. It just says that. I mean, like, they're like, they love the product. They relate to the story. It has equity in it. You know what I mean? The resale game is a whole. It's a whole industry. You know what I mean? Like, people feed themselves and feed their families off that game. So shout out to the resellers, man, do y' all thing.

[DJ Envy]

I was reading something where it says, you know, when you were a kid, when most kids were going to Green Acres Mall or the Coliseum, you wanted to get on the train and go to soho.

[Nigel Sylvester]

Yeah.

[DJ Envy]

What was so special about Manhattan and soho during that time? That was like. You was like, nah, I don't want to do what y' all doing. I want to kind of do my own thing, right?

[Nigel Sylvester]

And that was probably like, 10th, 11th grade I started to like to do that. So my mom worked in the city, so when I was a kid, she would take me to the city to her job. So she taught me how to ride the train, right? And at a certain point, just like, man, like, I don't want to dress like everybody else. So I started to go further out to get pieces or clothes or things that no one else had. So I would go to, like, Supreme. And I remember going to supreme to buy, like, my first Nike dunks. Like, I think it was a T19S. It was an all blue Nike dunk. And nowhere on the ave had them. Nowhere in Green Acres had them. And it was that thing. It was. It was having pieces, having sneakers that no one else had. You know, I mean, you know, you come back to the hood rocking something. No, no, Scott. And be like, yo, where you get those from? So that was the thing for me.

[Just Hilarious]

Did somebody think you got it from Canal Street? That's the first thing somebody said.

[DJ Envy]

We ain't got them. We ain't got.

[Nigel Sylvester]

Where you get those from? We ain't never seen those before. But you look at the game now, and that's just normal, right? Like kids are leaving, whatever, going to wherever to get the pieces that no one have or to have or to be. To have that thing that none of your people's got, you know, it's just part of the game.

[DJ Envy]

Fly now also riding. When I was a kid riding, we didn't have helmets, right? We didn't ride. We didn't wear helmets, right? So what was the worst injury that you've got riding and what happened?

[Nigel Sylvester]

Y always could ask this question, man. I think people look at BMX and it's like, man, like, it's like the most dangerous thing.

[DJ Envy]

It can be other stuff that's dangerous, but slipping one trip, one missile, it's.

[Nigel Sylvester]

Just as dangerous as any other sport, Right? Think about a running back coming through the line is Ray Lewis right there ready to.

[DJ Envy]

At least he got some padding. His rules and regulations and you know.

[Host]

When to expect it. With the bike riding, it's like, it could not happen, but it could also happen insanely.

[DJ Envy]

I watched Nigel do something the other day, and I'm like, no disrespect. Nigel is getting up there in age. I'm like, his body ain't gonna heal.

[Just Hilarious]

If you don't get a jump.

[Host]

No helmet, no knee pads. I mean, I know it don't go with me.

[Nigel Sylvester]

This is the new gym that we, like, just dropped a couple minutes ago.

[Host]

Yeah. And this is like, probably mid to you. But I was like, whoa.

[DJ Envy]

My knees hurt watching it. So what was the worst. The worst injury?

[Nigel Sylvester]

I broke my wrist on my 19th birthday. That was terrible. For me, it was my first major injury. And from then it's just like bruises. You know what I mean? Like, my shins are all jacked up again. I've been doing this for so long. Like any athlete, you get to that point where it's like, man, you. Of course you can experience injury. It's part of the game. Right. And to your point. But also, like, yes, you like, you Know to expect that you're gonna get hit. When you're playing football, it's the same thing. Like, but you like you're trying not to. But same thing with bike riding, right? Like you're trying to land every single trick. You're not trying to hurt yourself, right? And it's a, it's a true art form, right? Like if you don't just go out and just jump off of something, like you work your way up to that, right? So if you're trying to go jump down 10 stairs, you're going to try two first, master that, then you go to four, six. So for the so on. And it's. Everything is very thoughtful, right? Like it's not just like I'm wake up today and to try like this thing I never tried before. No, like you calculated, right? It's all calculated. And by. And for me personally being as calculated as I am, I have I guess like limited the amount of injuries I had. And of course by like the grace of God. But you still do nado.

[DJ Envy]

Do you still enjoy riding it? Because I love it when you wake up in the morning, you can be like, I could take the Ferrari, I could take the Maybach, or I could take the bike. So do you still enjoy. But like now I'm gonna take the bike and I'm hoping.

[Nigel Sylvester]

Nah, I love it, man. I got the bike in the back of the wagon right now. You know what I mean?

[Just Hilarious]

Like do some tricks in Times Square.

[Nigel Sylvester]

Yeah, you just pull up sometimes and.

[Just Hilarious]

You know it's a big ass staircase in Times Square. You gonna go jump down.

[Host]

Cause you out there with the TikTok is the list.

[Nigel Sylvester]

Right, right. While they dancing around moving their content and whatnot. No, I still love it, man. I still enjoy going to the skate park. I still love being out there, finding spots, challenging myself in that way. Like, it's still my truest form of self expression is BMX riding. You know?

[Just Hilarious]

Is there a trick that you have not mastered yet that you feel like, yo, I gotta do this, this is on my bucket list. Like, what is that one trick that you're still trying to master?

[Nigel Sylvester]

That's a good question. There's always a trick that is in my mind, right? Because how I look at BMX fighting too, right? Like everything's rideable, right? So I go outside in the world, I may see a handrail that they just built, whatever, like a year ago. I'm like, I'll never. I didn't ride that handrail.

[DJ Envy]

I just like, I'm a.

[Nigel Sylvester]

This handrail I wanted to go hit that handrail. So it's always something that, like, I want to do, you know, I mean, and. And I love that, like, that's still a design.

[DJ Envy]

There's something special about folks who come through without being asked. Like your coworker surprising you with your favorite coffee just because. Or your friend handing you the aux cord the moment you get into the car. No debate, no fight, just positive vibes. That kind of love. It just hits different. And that's exactly the energy. AT&T is on with their new guarantee. If there's ever a network interruption, AT&T will proactively credit you for a full day of service. No calls, no emails, no jumping through hoops. It's just handled. It's like the universe saying, I got you. Except this time it's not the stars aligning, it's your network. And let's be real, that connection is everything. Whether you're holding down the group chat, checking in on your parents. Scrolling TikTok. Your network's gotta come through. And if there's a problem, AT&T is on the case. No stress, no drama, just real backup when it counts. Credit for Fiber downtime lasting 20 minutes or more or wireless downtime lasting 60 minutes or more caused by a single incident impacting 10 or more towers. Restrictions and exclusions apply. See att.com guaranty for full details. AT&T. Connecting changes everything.

[Nigel Sylvester]

You know what I mean? Like, again, I still love riding my bike and I still do as much as I possibly can. Yeah, my business has grown and things have changed. I got different responsibilities nowadays. But, like, riding is still at the core of everything that I do.

[DJ Envy]

You ever got locked up for it? Because I know, like, you. Sometimes y' all just be like, I'm gonna this bench. Public place, private place. You ever got locked up?

[Nigel Sylvester]

Yeah, I mean, you know, like, I feel like there's been times where BMX riding has been misunderstood and I've been misunderstood. So we'll be riding a handrail or riding a park or something, and it's trespassing, you know what I mean? And it's like at the end of the day, we're just expressing ourselves, you know what I mean? Like, we not hurting nobody. We not doing no drugs. We're not being violent. We're just expressing ourselves. And, yeah, so it's happened before.

[DJ Envy]

Now, growing up, one thing I always tell people about, especially New York skateboarders and bike riders, is that y' all will fuck somebody up, right? Cause a lot of times cars will Cut y' all off, bump into y'. All. And I'm like, that is the worst beef to have. Cause they got their weapons that they're riding on. Have you ever been into a situation like that where a car cuts your life and be like, man, we got to pull this guy out?

[Nigel Sylvester]

I mean, it happens in New York City all the time, right? Like, all the time. All the time. They don't care what car lane, whatever.

[Just Hilarious]

I be trying to hit y'.

[Nigel Sylvester]

All. Why, though?

[Just Hilarious]

Cause, man, y' all don't respect us.

[Nigel Sylvester]

What you mean?

[Just Hilarious]

Y' all got your own lane. And y' all always coming over acting like, you know, I'm like, they built lanes specifically for y', all, but y' all feel like the lane too small now. Let me go over here and try to jet in front of this G wagon.

[DJ Envy]

We needed more space.

[Nigel Sylvester]

We need space to operate.

[Just Hilarious]

And I'm trying to get the word straight.

[Host]

And you don't never look to the right when we turn in to the left.

[Nigel Sylvester]

It's just there's a lot of, like, bike hating going on right here.

[DJ Envy]

I know you, right? I ride bikes, so I understand.

[Nigel Sylvester]

I'm not of his caliber.

[DJ Envy]

I do exercise.

[Just Hilarious]

I've been riding a bike for exercise a long time. Where have you.

[Nigel Sylvester]

You from?

[Host]

Queens. And you ride bikes and now, Nigel.

[Just Hilarious]

Get up here now.

[DJ Envy]

I ride this type of bike. We've never seen a bike.

[Host]

Emmy post everything. I ain't never seen you post a bike.

[Just Hilarious]

Your thing is cars, Mr. Car Show Man. You ain't never. I ain't never seen you on no damn bike.

[DJ Envy]

I used to wear the outfit with the pattern in my ass and all that.

[Nigel Sylvester]

Robbery. He's a road biker.

[DJ Envy]

Oh, yes.

[Just Hilarious]

God, he's so funny.

[DJ Envy]

Christ. Now, talk about your partnership at McDonald's. I've seen that you used to work for McDonald's growing up, and now they pay you not to work there and just give you an endorsement deal. So break that down a little bit.

[Nigel Sylvester]

Is that incredible? Yeah.

[Just Hilarious]

It really is.

[Nigel Sylvester]

Yeah. McDonald's was my first job. I was 14 years old. I did two summers there, and really, I was just saving up money to get new bikes and new bike parts. You know what I mean? And then, like, once my business started to roll as far as me being a professional athlete, I decided I want to work with brands that I can relate to, brands that are authentic to me. And McDonald's has been on the list for a long time. And we just got the deal done, like, two months ago. We announced it, and thank you so much. But it's incredible for me to be able to work with brands, like, in the capacity that I do, that I'm able to not just be a face of a product or a campaign, but we're actually, like, collaborating on ideas and putting products out and putting campaigns out. Like, that means a lot to me, you know, and also it shows people that, man, like, even me coming from the background, I come from as far as a BMX athlete, non, like, non traditional athlete. I can do these type of things and play in these spaces, and it looks good. It's not just like, it's not whack. You know what I mean?

[Host]

Is there ever a celebrity now that pops up in your stuff and you're like, oh, wow, I saw Mookie Betts. Where are your cleats?

[Nigel Sylvester]

Right?

[Host]

And then they. Those are reselling like crazy, or resold like crazy. But it. Does anybody surprise you at this point?

[Nigel Sylvester]

It's all love, all of it. It's like surprising, you know, like, even when before, like the Brick By Bricks came out, I think it was like Braun had them on and Roman Reigns had him on in the same night. And I was just like, damn, this is crazy. You know, I mean, like, this product that I. That we collaborated on and created and put out into the world, like, people are really gravitating towards it. So, yeah, I feel. I saw this love and like, I appreciate it, you know, because they're fire.

[Just Hilarious]

Like, you know, even these. These are fire.

[Nigel Sylvester]

The birthday.

[Just Hilarious]

I'm still trying to get them. Your man gonna come in here with them on. I'm like, you got them in the box for me? But shout out to you. You also have your Go Ride festival. Is that. What'd you call it, a festival? It's a three day.

[Nigel Sylvester]

It's not a festival yet, but it's just. It's an international bike ride.

[Just Hilarious]

I think it's dope.

[Nigel Sylvester]

Yeah, it is.

[Just Hilarious]

And I see that you have expanded it to Mexico City.

[Nigel Sylvester]

Yes.

[Just Hilarious]

What made you want to do that?

[Nigel Sylvester]

Oh, you heard?

[DJ Envy]

Mexico, huh?

[Nigel Sylvester]

Shut up.

[Just Hilarious]

See, my husband is Mexican and black, so he not really full bread Mexican. But they always gonna ride on that because, you know, ice hopping out on niggas.

[Host]

Not on him or anybody he know. Cause they ride bikes.

[DJ Envy]

Right, Exactly.

[Just Hilarious]

So what made you expand in Mexico?

[Nigel Sylvester]

I didn't go comment on that. No. So this is the third annual Go Ride. The last two years, we did London to New York, right? And for anyone who doesn't know what Go Ride is, it is my international bike ride where we hit multiple cities within 24 hours. So this show's like, man, like, I want to take a different route and we want to extend it to three cities. So we're doing Mexico. We're doing New York, Miami and Mexico City within 30 hours. And I'll be in all three cities. We do a. We do a 15 mile bike around each of those cities. So I'm super excited for it. People are getting their bikes ready. Yeah, it's going to be a good time. I can't.

[Just Hilarious]

How do you join something like that? How does, like, so you. How do you, like, get other bike riders around the world to do that?

[Nigel Sylvester]

Like, just Pull Up. We just promote it and just listen. Everyone's welcome to Pull Up.

[Just Hilarious]

So you gonna be in the Envy and Envy Pull up this weekend.

[DJ Envy]

Envy this. I would. I might never be in Houston this week, but I definitely would. I would love to go on.

[Just Hilarious]

You think you'll last? That's 15 miles.

[DJ Envy]

No, exactly.

[Nigel Sylvester]

It's not even that bad, honestly. We have. We have people from all walks of life. Like kids, middle age, everything. Like, people are pulling up and riding. Like, when you're in that pack with so many kids riding bikes, that energy is so contagious, right? Like, it's not like you're on a bike ride by yourself. Like, you got kids popping willies and doing bunny hops and music playing.

[Just Hilarious]

These kids too.

[Nigel Sylvester]

Not how it's. It's amazing. It's like. It's nothing else. Like it. So, yeah, I mean, I'm looking forward to this weekend. If you guys in New York City pop out this weekend to go ride, or if you're in Miami or Mexico City, will definitely be out in the streets.

[DJ Envy]

What would you tell that younger kid right now that's watching you that wants to get into BMX biking? His parents probably be like, that's not a real job. Get a real job. What would you tell that younger kid right now?

[Nigel Sylvester]

I would tell him to show your parents my Instagram and show them that it is a real thing also, man, just do what you love. Honestly, bro, I live by that still. You know what I mean? I'm living out my imagination. I'm creating. I stay curious and I think that allows me to come up with these ideas. And I work super hard to get these things out into the world. So that younger kid, man, just do what you love. Just work hard. I know it sounds cliche, but it's so true. Like, I feel all you guys are sitting here right now because of that, right? Like, you love what you do, and you dedicate yourself to it. Even watching you. I used to watch you on Instagram all the time to see you up here. Now, even when you guys announced it, I was like, that's super dope for you. So congrats to that. So just. Just lock in and stay focused.

[DJ Envy]

Now with the sneakers, the new sneakers that you're releasing. Yeah, they come out on the 16th.

[Nigel Sylvester]

Yep. Now break the sneakers down.

[DJ Envy]

So the fours are Jordan fours, of course. Sold out. Crazy. Brick by brick was. Was, I guess, your mentality, if you had to do this brick by brick.

[Nigel Sylvester]

You had to build this thing brick by brick, man.

[DJ Envy]

Now explain the. The new collab.

[Nigel Sylvester]

These are the AJ one. Low, better with times, and it's modeled. This is the second iteration of my first AJ one we had. We did the same exact shoe in a high top, and it was a cream colorway. You see, like, the distress marks here basically tell the story of how my sneakers get distressed when I'm out riding with them. So my bike has no brakes in them.

[Host]

It's crazy.

[Nigel Sylvester]

So I use my sneakers to stop.

[Just Hilarious]

I literally just noticed that the front of it is already is, like, distressed, but it looks like a design.

[Nigel Sylvester]

Exactly. It decides, too. And each. And each shoe is hand distressed. So no two shoes has the same distress mark. So no, like, no one has the same pair in a sense.

[Just Hilarious]

Damn, Nigel.

[Nigel Sylvester]

But yeah, it just tells. It just tells the story of, like, things getting better with time, you know, like when you dedicate yourself, when you stay focused on something, like, it gets better with time, right? When, like, your favorite pair of jeans or your favorite vintage T shirt or a vintage car, you know, I mean, like, those things get better with time, and I really want to tap into that. I feel I'm at this place in my life right now where I've dedicated so much time to bike riding, so much energy to it, and it's only gotten better for me. And I feel like we all have that thing that has gotten better with time.

[DJ Envy]

When you do your deals with Jordan, do you decide what sneakers you want to do over, or is it one of those things you have to come to the table? Like, if you say, yo, I want to do the Concords over, or is it, like, how does that work? Because I noticed even with Jordan, some sneakers he ain't doing over. Nah, some he does. Even with the Jordan fours, you don't really have too many people that do the fours over. So how do y' all decide how y' all want to do it or how you attack designing a Sneaker for you.

[Nigel Sylvester]

It's a collaborative effort. You know, sometimes it's like I'm. I'm in a place where I want to do a certain silhouette. Sometimes the brand is like, this is initiative for us, and it's a collaborative effort. We come to the table, we'll decide what. What works for everyone and take it from there. You know, this. This one in particular, we had. We had designed it shortly after my first one came out. We assembled it so we had this in the chamber for years now, and it was like, man, it's time to put it out, because I've been. I've been wearing it for the past, like, three years. It was like, it's time to put it out. So that's how this one came about.

[DJ Envy]

Now, what's your dream, Jordan sneaker that you would love to do, that you was like, this is the one I want to do over after this.

[Nigel Sylvester]

Oh, man, there's so many. I definitely wanted to do like a 5 or 6 or 17. That's. I think that would be nice.

[Just Hilarious]

Somebody got to show me them. They the ones that the Mexican stepdads be wearing.

[Nigel Sylvester]

Oh, man. Which ones?

[DJ Envy]

No, for real, because, you know, it's.

[Just Hilarious]

A certain number where they start buying them up off the shelf like that.

[Nigel Sylvester]

Okay, I got to look at 17 right there.

[Just Hilarious]

Oh, see, I never saw them.

[DJ Envy]

They do look.

[Nigel Sylvester]

I mean, they all basketball, but some.

[Host]

Of them are, like, for girls. We have certain ones where it's like, they're all basketball singers, but we, like. I wear these, but I don't know if I would wear the 17s. I wouldn't know how to.

[Nigel Sylvester]

You might.

[Host]

Yeah. I don't know.

[Nigel Sylvester]

It's just about styling them the right way.

[Just Hilarious]

You gotta do a 12. Yo. 11 or 12.

[Nigel Sylvester]

12 is fired, too. 11 is fired, too.

[Just Hilarious]

Yeah.

[Host]

You ever shot your shot to try and redo one of them, and the brand is like, mm, mm. Can't touch that one.

[Nigel Sylvester]

Nah. And I hope that never happens.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah, yeah.

[Just Hilarious]

She always.

[Nigel Sylvester]

She's.

[Just Hilarious]

She's the queen of speaking things into existence.

[Host]

That's knock on wood. My bad, My bad.

[Nigel Sylvester]

Nah, listen, like, we're in a. We're in a very good place right now, man. We've put out. This is the fourth shoe I've put out in the past year. Um, and the streets have been loving all of the collabs so far, so I'm hoping that we continue on that trajectory.

[Just Hilarious]

Even about your shoe that you got now, the aj AJ One. AJ one, man. You say how you use your shoe to Stop yourself. Because you.

[DJ Envy]

You know, there's no brakes on his back here.

[Just Hilarious]

Shoes have come a long way. Like, you actually have, like, a distressed shoe. Yeah, I used to. What my son asked for, messing up with head runs, and he had brakes on his bike, and he was still stuck. So it's so dop. Dope that you're doing that. Like, that's dope. Because, yo, kids shoes are expensive, especially for y' all boys, man. Like, when all your feet grow big at a faster pace. And I ain't about to be. So I'm gonna buy some distressed ass shoes for my son so he ain't got the section.

[Nigel Sylvester]

That's actually a good thought, though, right? Because, like, who kind of taught to not mesh your sneakers?

[Just Hilarious]

Yeah.

[Nigel Sylvester]

And now we're selling sneakers that come distressed.

[Just Hilarious]

Yes. You should have me do a commercial.

[Nigel Sylvester]

I'm keep that in mind.

[Just Hilarious]

Shoot a commercial.

[Nigel Sylvester]

I'm gonna keep that in mind. In mind. It's also interesting, too, because the first one we did that came distress. It was one of the first shoes. I think it was the first shoe that Jordan brand ever done that has come pre distressed. So that also, like, set off a wave of a lot of distressed shoes coming after it.

[Just Hilarious]

How did you partner with mta? How did that come about? That's big to me. We all grew up on mta, man.

[DJ Envy]

Probably propping up the subway train. Exactly. Like, we got to hire. We got to get this guy with us. So he starts by trees.

[Just Hilarious]

You're the ambassador for the. The MTA's ride inside.

[Nigel Sylvester]

That's crazy.

[Just Hilarious]

I think that's dope.

[DJ Envy]

Yo, he seem good.

[Nigel Sylvester]

They hit. My line was like, we trying to do something.

[Just Hilarious]

I love it.

[Nigel Sylvester]

No, but no, like that. Like, the. The current campaign that's running with the mta. It's meaningful, right? There are a lot of kids that are getting hurt because they're subway surfing, and it's super dangerous. Right. Over Fourth of July, we've seen some unfortunate things happen. So when NTA approached me, said, listen, we, like, we're facing this issue, would love to partner with you to combat this issue. I was like, 100%. I believe in it. And we launched the campaign, what, two months ago, Reggie a month ago. About two months ago.

[Just Hilarious]

Ride alive and stay inside. I like that.

[Nigel Sylvester]

Ride inside, stay alive. So, no, it's dope, man. And for me, it's like, grew up taking a train from Queens to the city to go ride, like, the Brooklyn banks and meet up with my friends. So now I have to have the opportunity to partner with the MTA on a very positive initiative, man, it means a lot to me.

[DJ Envy]

And what was the biggest obstacle you faced throughout your whole career? With everything that you did riding? What was the biggest obstacle, the biggest problem?

[Nigel Sylvester]

I think I'm still facing that. It's just educating people on what BMX is, you know, and continuing to set the stage for it and, like, open the door, per se, you know, there's still a lot of people who don't know what it is or don't respect it in the way that it should be. So, again, it's just educating people on what BMX is and, like, showing the world, like, how powerful the bicycle is. You know, always say the bicycle is the most accessible mode of transportation in the world. Anywhere you go in the world, you'll see someone riding a bicycle. You can't go outside without seeing it.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah.

[Nigel Sylvester]

I think there's so much power to unlock, and that's what I'm. That's the mission I'm on right now.

[DJ Envy]

And do you consider yourself an athlete?

[Nigel Sylvester]

100%.

[DJ Envy]

Some people feel like an athlete is a basketball player, but they haven't seen some of the shit that y' all be doing.

[Nigel Sylvester]

Right.

[DJ Envy]

Cause that should be athletic.

[Nigel Sylvester]

Because I can't do it.

[DJ Envy]

Most of those people can.

[Nigel Sylvester]

I mean, listen, like, there's so much training that, like. Like, goes into it. And I was having this conversation yesterday. I was doing this interview. I was, like, at, like, in my younger days, I didn't consider myself an athlete, like, prior to going pro, but once I went pro, I got also signed to Gatorade, like, shortly after going pro. And they have a sports science institution in Chicago where, like, they'll bring athletes in and, like, pretty much test, like, your reaction, your stamina, all of the things. And I went there, and I spent the whole day there doing these different tests, right? Like, again, they had me on a treadmill. They had these tubes coming out, like, whatever. Um, and my results was like, man, like, your body is working just as hard as a basketball player or a football player. You're doing, like, you're on the same level as that. And that's when it hit me. I was like, oh, no. Yeah. Like, I'm legit an athlete.

[Just Hilarious]

Yeah.

[Nigel Sylvester]

Yeah. Like, my, like, vehicle is different. I mean, I'm like. My body operates in a different way, but I'm 100% an athlete first and foremost, for sure.

[DJ Envy]

There you have it, man. Make sure you pick up his sneaker that comes out on the 16th and tell them about. Go ride again. This Weekend.

[Nigel Sylvester]

Listen, go ride. 2025 is happening this weekend. We're hitting New York, Miami and Mexico City. Go on my Instagram, Nigel Sylvester for all the details.

[DJ Envy]

People gotta register, or they can just pull up.

[Nigel Sylvester]

They can pull up and register. When you get there, just sign a little waiver and we're gonna ride out and have a really good time.

[DJ Envy]

You starting in New York this weekend?

[Nigel Sylvester]

Starting in New York this weekend. What borough? In Manhattan.

[DJ Envy]

Manhattan.

[Nigel Sylvester]

Manhattan. Going to do 15 miles and then we jump on the jet. I'm going go down to Miami.

[Just Hilarious]

Trying to jump on a jet.

[DJ Envy]

Fly right off. Now her hair will be in Queens, and she trying to get the man stop playing.

[Host]

It's okay. He starts sweating, we don't want to talk about what starts flying.

[Nigel Sylvester]

Oh, man, y' all shooting in here.

[DJ Envy]

This is.

[Nigel Sylvester]

Let me not catch a straight.

[Just Hilarious]

I know, right?

[DJ Envy]

Ladies and gentlemen, make sure you follow him and go up and ride. And we appreciate you. And I love the fact that you represent the borough all the time.

[Nigel Sylvester]

Big queen. Shout out to the big queens.

[DJ Envy]

Queens get the money. Nigel Sylvester. It's the Breakfast Club. Good morning. Every day I wake up. Wake your ass up.

[Nigel Sylvester]

The Breakfast Club. Do y' all finish or y' all done?

[DJ Envy]

The best kind of help is the kind you don't even have to ask for. Like your friend pulling up on you on moving day with a truck, a speaker, and snacks ready to go. Well, that's the energy you get with AT&T's new guarantee. If there's ever a network interruption, they make it right by giving you a credit for a full day of service proactively credit for fiber downtime lasting 20 minutes or more or wireless downtime lasting 60 minutes or more caused by a single incident impacting 10 or more towers. Restrictions and exclusions apply. See att.com guaranty for full details. AT&T connecting changes everything.

[Host]

This is an iHeart podcast.