The Ian Isiah Interview with Throwing Fits

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Throwing Fits" – Episode: The Ian Isaiah Interview with Throwing Fits

Podcast Information:

• Title: Throwing Fits
• Host: Throwing Fits
• Episode: The Ian Isaiah Interview with Throwing Fits
• Release Date: June 5, 2025
• Description: Two grown dirtbags just tryna navigate the male zeitgeist. If you have any money you want to give us or any constructive criticism you'd like us to 360 degree tomahawk slam dunk into the trash can please email us: [e-mail].

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Introduction and Fit Check (00:00 – 08:35)

The episode kicks off with a vibrant and humorous introduction where the hosts welcome Ian Isaiah, lauding his fashion prowess and vibrant personality. The conversation quickly shifts to a detailed fit check, highlighting Ian's impeccable style and accessories.

Notable Quote:

"You're walking a billboard, right? In the best possible way. You make it look good." – [01:52]

Ian showcases his ensemble, including a Telfar suit, Balenciaga boots, and various jewelry pieces. The hosts playfully dissect his look, complimenting his ability to blend high fashion with personal flair.

Fashion Highlights:

• Telfar Suit: Ian emphasizes his daily commitment to the Telfar brand.
• Balenciaga Boots and Sunglasses: These pieces underscore his affinity for high-end fashion.
• Jewelry and Grills: Ian's accessories, including his African Market earrings and underground Brooklyn grills, reflect his dedication to unique and culturally significant fashion.

Music Career and "Big One" (08:35 – 15:00)

Transitioning from fashion, the discussion delves into Ian's music career, focusing on his latest single "Big One." Ian elaborates on the song's inspiration as his first coming-out track, blending elements of R&B, funk, and alternative sounds to represent his identity.

Notable Quote:

"Big One is really, I guess, my first coming out song... Do your big one. Like, fuck all these people." – [11:16]

He explains the provocative visual imagery in his music video, notably the prosthetic vagina on his face, which serves as a bold statement on identity and societal norms.

Key Points:

• Genre Fluidity: Ian expresses his reluctance to be pigeonholed into a single genre, embracing a mix of styles to convey his multifaceted identity.
• Visual Artistry: His music video is a blend of shock value and artistic expression, aiming to normalize queer identities through unconventional visuals.

"Doing Your Big One" and Identity (15:00 – 25:09)

The hosts introduce the concept of "Doing Your Big One," a term Ian uses to encourage authenticity and self-expression. This segment explores the challenges of living truthfully in a society rife with conformity and superficiality.

Notable Quote:

"Doing your big one means doing your big one. Stop capping. It's not working... Do your big one." – [13:17]

Ian emphasizes the importance of living authentically, advising listeners to embrace their true selves rather than conforming to societal expectations.

Discussion Points:

• Authenticity vs. Conformity: The hosts and Ian debate the pressures of fitting in versus standing out.
• Cultural Impact: Ian reflects on how his identity as a gay black artist influences his work and interactions within the industry.

Hood By Air, Telfar, and Cultural Influence (25:09 – 36:49)

A significant portion of the interview examines Ian's involvement with Hood By Air (HBA) and Telfar, two influential brands in the fashion industry. He discusses the philosophies behind these brands and their impact on contemporary fashion and culture.

Notable Quote:

"From the beginning, the first T-shirt was over $500. From the beginning, we were like, okay, well, this is not that. This is the. This is the culture." – [40:06]

Ian highlights the cultural significance of HBA and Telfar, emphasizing their roles in shaping inclusive and innovative fashion narratives. He contrasts the collaborative and community-driven approach of Telfar with the more tumultuous history of HBA.

Key Insights:

• Collaboration Over Capitalism: Ian advocates for community-focused brands that prioritize cultural impact over profit.
• Legacy and Evolution: Reflecting on HBA's legacy, Ian underscores the importance of sustaining cultural movements through education and innovation.

Church Influence and Personal Growth (36:49 – 51:06)

Ian shares deeply personal anecdotes about his upbringing in the black church and how it has shaped his worldview and artistic expression. He discusses the duality of strength and vulnerability he learned from strong female figures in his life.

Notable Quote:

"Black church women are the strongest superheroes in the world." – [50:00]

His experiences in church provided a foundation for his music and fashion endeavors, blending spirituality with creative expression.

Discussion Highlights:

• Spirituality and Art: Ian explores how his faith intersects with his art, providing both inspiration and a framework for resilience.
• Community and Support: The support from his church community has been pivotal in his journey, fostering a sense of belonging and purpose.

Future Projects: "Cinderfella" EP (51:06 – 65:39)

Looking ahead, Ian introduces his upcoming project, the "Cinderfella" EP, which parodies white pop music through a queer lens. He discusses the creative process, collaborations, and the EP's role in expanding his musical repertoire.

Notable Quote:

"Cinderfella is really just a parody of all white pop music that I really love, but in a more fun parody way." – [25:44]

Ian outlines his vision for the EP as both a tribute and a critique of mainstream pop culture, aiming to infuse humor and authenticity into his work.

Key Points:

• Parodic Elements: The EP incorporates parody to challenge and reinterpret existing pop norms.
• Collaborative Efforts: Ian works with new and old collaborators to diversify his sound and reach broader audiences.

Metropolitan Fashion and Industry Views (65:39 – 78:51)

The conversation shifts to the Met Gala and the broader fashion industry. Ian shares his perspectives on traditional fashion events, the role of black designers, and the importance of maintaining cultural integrity amidst commercialization.

Notable Quote:

"Everything that we thought can happen happened." – [40:21]

He criticizes the commercialization of fashion while praising initiatives like Telfar's inclusive approach and Hood By Air's cultural legacy.

Discussion Topics:

• Cultural Preservation: The need to preserve and honor cultural contributions within the fashion industry.
• Gentrification and Authenticity: Ian addresses the challenges of maintaining authenticity in a gentrified urban landscape like New York City.

Personal Life and Sobriety (78:51 – 93:56)

Breaking away from professional topics, the interview touches on Ian's personal life, including his journey to sobriety, shyness, and dating experiences. He candidly discusses the impact of his lifestyle changes on his social interactions and self-perception.

Notable Quote:

"I'm five years sober. I am definitely a new person who's a little bit shy as this new person." – [70:27]

Ian reflects on how sobriety has reshaped his identity, making him more introspective and cautious in social settings.

Key Insights:

• Personal Transformation: The significant changes in Ian's life post-sobriety, leading to greater self-awareness and emotional intelligence.
• Dating and Social Dynamics: Navigating relationships and social circles with his newfound clarity and emotional resilience.

Final Thoughts and Advice (93:56 – End)

As the interview nears its conclusion, Ian offers constructive criticism to the hosts and shares his philosophy on community-building and authenticity. He emphasizes the importance of inclusivity and the need for platforms to uplift marginalized voices.

Notable Quote:

"If you're not stirring the pot, you are pussy." – [92:44]

Ian advocates for active participation in challenging norms and fostering inclusive environments within creative industries.

Closing Highlights:

• Inclusivity in Media: Encouraging the inclusion of more gay voices in podcasts and media platforms.
• Community Empowerment: Building and supporting communities that uplift and sustain each other through collaborative efforts.

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Conclusion:

The episode featuring Ian Isaiah on "Throwing Fits" is a rich tapestry of fashion, music, personal growth, and cultural commentary. Ian's multifaceted identity as a gay black artist seamlessly intertwines with his professional endeavors, offering listeners profound insights into authenticity, community, and creative expression. Through candid conversations and memorable quotes, the interview provides a deep dive into Ian's world, making it an enlightening experience for both longtime fans and newcomers alike.

Notable Quotes Recap:

• "A band's journey is forever." – [19:08]
• "Doing your big one means doing your big one. Stop capping." – [13:17]
• "Black church women are the strongest superheroes in the world." – [50:00]

Follow Ian Isaiah:

• Instagram: @IanIsaiah
• Music Releases: Available on major streaming platforms.

Additional Resources:

• For more insights and updates, visit www.throwingfits.com.

Transcript

[Ian Isaiah]

Throw gang we are joined by the sultan of Seoul the baron of the big one he gets the poom poom popping Even if he claim a flat bush A spoonful of sugar helps you go down easy not from Boston but every night at tea party his dingling must be demented how the stream's going crazy Started from the bottom but now he's on top with the verse Getting bread and cheese when he's on the mic with that Jersey club can't put him in a box but he's serving cunts oh, you're not with his work at HBA how about you? HJD's nuts? Oh, you're not with his work at Telfar? How about you tell how far you're on these nuts? Isaiah was a prophet Now Ian gonna profit Finger on the beat he knows what's happening he's the initial one to ship like II captain He puts the ugg and sugar boots the house down his music makes the subs go woof Former creative director of Hood By Air, music director Telfar and musical artist with new single Big One out now, Ian Isaiah. Ian, how the hell are you? They get all the gay slang right?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

I don't know what you got right.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Did it feel so wrong?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

It felt so wrong but it feels so right. Hell, yeah. There he is. Good. I'm here. How y' all doing?

[Ian Isaiah]

Great.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Dude, you look fantastic.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Damn. Thank you.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Thank you for keeping your grills in. Oh, thank you so much.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Yeah, I'm going to keep the grills in for this interview.

[Ian Isaiah]

So it's going be long. Fit check with all the jewelry.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Let's.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Before we get into this amazing conversation that stands before us, let's talk about everything that you wore today. Ian, you can start wherever the hell you please because you got a lot.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Of clothes on today.

[Ian Isaiah]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Oh, this is my first fit check.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Yeah, exactly.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

No, like, in general ever.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

When I troll online and I see all the fit checks.

[Ian Isaiah]

Oh, yeah.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Never done a fit check.

[Ian Isaiah]

Damn.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

You don't get stopped on the street or you turn them down.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

You're, like, off somewhere in between.

[Ian Isaiah]

Okay, so what do you. What do you want to start? You want to start from the. From the cap for the chapeau?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Beautiful crown that I have on was made by the Ophelia icon in the making. Telfar is this whole suit that I have on.

[Ian Isaiah]

Are you in Telfar every day?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

I'm Telfar every day, every year. I'm also anything that I'm affiliated with every day, every year.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

You're walking billboard Right. In the best possible way. Right. You make it look good.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

I make everyone look. That's true.

[Ian Isaiah]

What's the biggest thing you've put in one of these back pockets? Because they are huge.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

You know what's crazy? I just put I'm late because I stopped to get pizza, but on the way out of. On the way out of the pizza shop, I put a like two bottles of water. And I was actually amazed on my way back to my car. Like, wow.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

You weren't dragging ass at all with two giant bottles of water in the back.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Sometimes you got to drag it.

[Ian Isaiah]

Yeah, that's true.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

You know what I'm saying? Shout out to Rue.

[Ian Isaiah]

What are the. The big old boots?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Oh, these are valencies.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Balencia on the feetsies.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

We love Balenciaga.

[Ian Isaiah]

And are you wearing anything underneath the jacket, like a T shirt or anything?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Oh, yeah. Damn, I like this. Hold on, I'm putting my mic down. For anyone that's not watching, listening to.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Us, this is why you getting sexy. Oh, there he is.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Another Telfar T shirt. I love Telfar.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

And we love New York as well.

[Ian Isaiah]

Medallion on top.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

These are my parents.

[Ian Isaiah]

It's gorgeous.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Beautiful family, you know what I'm saying?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

I rock.

[Ian Isaiah]

Your Rastafarian father?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Yeah, my Rastafarian father.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Wagon to Pops.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Wagon. The Pops.

[Ian Isaiah]

What are these sunnies?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

These are also Balenciaga.

[Ian Isaiah]

Okay.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

I don't go too far. I wear my friends and I wear Balenciaga.

[Ian Isaiah]

Are you excited for who's the new creative director Balenciaga?

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Pierre or coming over from Piccolo or something?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Yeah, good luck with that.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

That guy from Valentino, he got the Valentino guy. He lost.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Excited for whatever happens, for anyone's future.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

That's beautiful.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Hopefully there's a T shirt in there that I buy, but yeah, I'm excited. Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Okay.

[Ian Isaiah]

What about the timepiece on the wrist?

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Yeah.

[Ian Isaiah]

Now we're onto the hardware.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Wow. This is an Apple watch.

[Ian Isaiah]

Shout out Steve Jobs.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

You know what I'm saying?

[Ian Isaiah]

Oh, you got the calculator on there. Oh, no, that's your enter your passcode.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

That's my passport because, you know, I'm also a granny.

[Ian Isaiah]

What about. Okay. Jewel wise jewelry. Where do you want to. There's so much. Maybe you only highlight a few so you can get into the combo. But like, what is. You got the earrings, you got the rings, you got the grills, you got the chains.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Wow.

[Ian Isaiah]

That's just what's visible. I don't know about like nipples and like, you know.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

No, I don't. Do you Know, I'm not a hater, but I'm not into all of that.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Your body's a temple in that regard.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Is a temple.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Respect in all regards.

[Ian Isaiah]

You got a clip piercing in the big one video, though.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

And the body's a temple in all regards. And you know, you know, the. The piercing, honestly was not my idea. Shout out to Nick the director.

[Ian Isaiah]

Oh, really?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Yeah.

[Ian Isaiah]

Nick was like, yo, let's pierce that hood real quick. He was hood by.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

He was actually right. Hood by clit is actually really good. I should obtain that.

[Ian Isaiah]

You can take that. You can take that.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Yeah, that URL.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

If that Gmail is available. You know, I need to grab that.

[Ian Isaiah]

What about. Okay, you want to do earrings? Let's do earrings.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

All right. These I got from the African market. Everything I have on is by a black person. I got these from the African market in Harlem.

[Ian Isaiah]

Okay.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

That time I went with my ex boyfriend. Love him.

[Ian Isaiah]

We're still good with him. He's still valid.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

He's always valid.

[Ian Isaiah]

All right.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Everyone's valid.

[Ian Isaiah]

Rings. African market as well.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

African market. Yeah. Yeah. I don't do too much jeweler, even though I think it's time to get into a jeweler.

[Ian Isaiah]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Maybe you're due for some. Some refreshing.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Well, I, I. Yeah, I don't mind a refreshment. I just don't want to end up looking like a moissanite person walking around like all these moissanite artists, you know.

[Ian Isaiah]

Who you are, who did your. Your grill skis.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

My grills were also done by black people. These were done by underground grills, downtown Brooklyn. They're amazing.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

They did my girl that I got.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Oh, really?

[Unknown Speaker 2]

For my birthday a couple years ago.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

I love them.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

They're fantastic. Great value. Value on Lawrence Street.

[Ian Isaiah]

Can you get a full smile real quick? Because, like. Okay, because there's, like, details in the mowers and the canines, even.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Those are.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Yeah, yeah. There's, like. There's a Telfar logo in there. Some.

[Ian Isaiah]

Oh, nice.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

I actually don't know what. Oh, yeah, there's a. A Yankee. Oh, fire sign. Don't ask me too much about Yankee sports. I only bet on the knicks on FanDuel.

[Ian Isaiah]

Nixon 5, baby.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Go. Next.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Go, Nicks.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Hell yeah.

[Ian Isaiah]

Nixon 5. What about the panties?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

What about the panties?

[Ian Isaiah]

What are they?

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Yeah, tell us more.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Oh, like my panties?

[Ian Isaiah]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Oh, they're skims. Damn. They're not black.

[Ian Isaiah]

Oh, well, Kardashian had her, you know.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Yeah, I'm wearing skims.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

She's had black in her.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Yeah, yeah. I'm wearing well, I'm wearing skims.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

We love skims on this show. So I take back everything I just said that might have been disparaging or mean.

[Ian Isaiah]

All right, well, what about your bag?

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Yeah. Oh, my God.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Also Balenciaga.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Oh, that's a big. Oh, is that a hobo bat? How do we define that?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

That's like. I think it's, you know, just like, a tote bag. Okay. But it's also Balenciaga. I actually love Balenciaga. I don't have a problem saying you.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Accessorize with Balenciag very heavily.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Well, Demna, I think is a pretty good. Pretty good, good example of what, you know, more European designers should be white Europeans. Correct.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Gotcha. Have you met him before?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Maybe in passing, you know, during the HBA days.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

It was all blur.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Not for me, but it was, you know, it was a thin line between should we or should we not hang.

[Ian Isaiah]

Out with, like, the, like, break out with, like, with, like, European. The European fashion industry? Or like.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Well, for me, it was just like, should we. Or. Well, let me start here. I'm from the hood, you know, and my fashion experience was. No, no, no. I'm going to force you to understand what this T shirt means. In which we did. But in doing so, there's a whole European continent doing the same thing, but it just looks a little bit like us. So I could have been young and stubborn, but also, like. No, babe, I know what you're doing, sweetie. And I've seen what she's done. Oh. And I buy it all the time because it's amazing.

[Ian Isaiah]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

You know, so I do wear a lot of Balenciaga. It reminds me a lot of standing.

[Ian Isaiah]

On the shoulders of giants. Yes, Shane. Ian.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Yes. Demna is definitely standing on the shoulders of those giants.

[Ian Isaiah]

Absolutely. Those giant shoulders.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

All right, well, those giant shoulders.

[Ian Isaiah]

Fit. Check. Oh, you're sipping on some still water. Drink. Check. Complete. Ian, let's get into the meat and potatoes of the only podcast that matter. So.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Wait, hold on. I don't eat meat.

[Ian Isaiah]

You don't eat meat. Okay, let's get into the potatoes and the tempeh of the only podcast that matters.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Tofu.

[Ian Isaiah]

You know, fish.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Yeah, yeah.

[Ian Isaiah]

Let's get into the whole brains ghetto.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

I'm gay, though.

[Ian Isaiah]

Okay, I see what you're saying.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Yeah, yeah. I love you. Gay. Yeah, yeah.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Okay, that's news to me.

[Ian Isaiah]

Yeah, Shocker.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

All right. Definitely gay.

[Ian Isaiah]

We just went through the fit. Right? And even though you are 100% serving coochie, I'm a little disappointed you didn't wear the face today. Well, do you ever wear that on like the. From the big one music video? Do you ever wear that prosthetic when you're just like running errands on a random day? Or is it just like special occasions only?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Well, I'm trying to.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

It's okay. We'll buy you some time as you get zipped up and get situated.

[Ian Isaiah]

Don't worry the titties. Right.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Take your time.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

All right. Cuz he wanted to see the T shirt. I just want to say that.

[Ian Isaiah]

What do you wear the. Do you wear the prosthetic on like a random day or is it like you're. If you're just walking down the street spiritually?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Right. No, that was actually just for that event.

[Ian Isaiah]

Fish face. Call it that.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Are you gay?

[Ian Isaiah]

No.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

I don't think you're allowed to say fish face. Okay.

[Ian Isaiah]

I'm sorry.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Because you're demeaning women.

[Ian Isaiah]

Oh, I'm so sorry.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Right.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Who says I'm talking about women when I say fish face? That's true, that's true. But the clip face.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Yes.

[Ian Isaiah]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

The pussyclots. Yeah. In real life was just a one day event. It might come back. It shocked a lot of people. Jesus.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

How long does it take to put it on?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Five hours.

[Ian Isaiah]

Really?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Geez.

[Ian Isaiah]

And when you were running around the streets in New York filming the music video with that on, like, did you.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Get any crazy reactions to my face under the mask? Sure. But yes, also the people. So the reactions were crazy, but also it was very normal, which is why I shot it in SoHo, because my people get it. You know, a pussy face is mentally normal. It just might be externally a little bit of a. Whoa.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Yeah. I mean, there's a vagina on your head.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

So what? This is New York City. That's true.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Normal.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

There were many vaginas on other people's head, which was really my point.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Yeah, yeah.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Is that I'm not alone. And also that pussycloth is a real thing, just like everything else is a real thing. And free the pussy also.

[Ian Isaiah]

Absolutely. That's the beauty. New York, though, like that A lot of people, I'm sure, didn't even bat an eye. They're like, oh, yeah, yeah.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

It's also like fudge. You. You watch White Lotus. Look at this pussy face. Are you shitting me?

[Unknown Speaker 2]

So you're not trying to shock then because you seemingly like this normal, normalized reaction to the pussy clot.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Yeah, also I thrive in shock also. We're in a shock value era. Sure. It's like if it's not shocking.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Did it even happen?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

It did not happen exactly.

[Ian Isaiah]

When did the idea for that first come to you?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

To put a vagina on my face. When did the idea to put a vagina on my face first come to me? I was around three years old. No, actually, the song first of all is called Big One. And it's really. It's really me actually finally doing gay music. You know, I've done a lot of R and B. I've done funk. And, you know, unfortunately, all the writers were white, so I'm a gay alternative artist without even putting out actual gay music for my girls to go off to. So Big One is really, I guess, my first coming out song again of just, like, do your big one. Like, fuck all these people. We're already like 2. 2 many minorities in one bucket on our head every day. Do you have Big One? Fuck everyone.

[Ian Isaiah]

Do you like that?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Doesn't get it.

[Ian Isaiah]

You actually wanted to pivot the sound.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Yeah. For, like, gays and women to do their big one. And the biggest thing to ever do their big one was a vagina, in my opinion. Because women rule the world, mother. So it's just like, my take on what doing your big one looks like. That doesn't look normal to everyone. While also praising the vagina, but also praising being gay but also praising everything. That's not either of either of those things.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Ian, could you do me.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Sorry.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

No, never apologize.

[Ian Isaiah]

We had our time.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Ian. But if you could do me a favor, and obviously I don't need to know what this is, because you need.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

To know what everything.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

No, no. What I would say is, can you explain to all of the straights listening what the doing your big one means? Can you elaborate?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Okay. Because I think everything I just said made a lot of sense.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

It does.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

But doing your big one means doing your big one. Stop capping. It's not working. The people you're capping to are capping right back to you. This Uno reverse. It's not working in your favor. You look cheap. And the girl that you want, since we're talking to the straight.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Yes, we are in this scenario.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Are embarrassed. Yeah, do your big one.

[Ian Isaiah]

Do the big.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Do you, like, live your truth to some degree?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Live, like, live your truth. This doesn't mean it's not a sexual thing so much to live your truth. It's just like, stop capping. Like, just stop. It doesn't fit you.

[Ian Isaiah]

Right?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

And so doing the T shirt doesn't fit. The jeans doesn't fit. Maybe the player in the discord May not fit. Like, I get confidence, but do your big one. Strategies, my man. Strategies. Ladies like strategies. How do I know that I'm gay? I hang out with girls. They like strategies. You think it's about being cute. It's fucked up. You gotta learn how to be cute and be a grown man. It's like, where is the mindset? Damn. You spent all this time reinventing yourself and how you look to be cute. She's not your mother. The fuck.

[Ian Isaiah]

Like strategies.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

They love strategies. Okay? They like mindsets and strategies.

[Ian Isaiah]

Mindsets.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

So me too.

[Ian Isaiah]

And this was fully all. All the beautiful words and knowledge you just dropped is kind of embodied by your big one. The prosthetic on your face when you started, like, trying to explain that to people, did people get it or you just like, you're not gonna get. Until I do it immediately they got it.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Yeah. It wasn't that much of a shock in my world, you know, it was more of like a best fab, that's really cool because, you know, it's never been done before thing. And I did my research to make sure I wasn't copying or extending an inspiration too much. Because I'm a big believer in inspiration and being influenced. I'm gullible in that way. I'm. I can be influenced by any and everything. Like, highly influenced. But I really believe in a difference between influence, inspiration, and identity. You know, my identity is not. It's a combination of all of that.

[Ian Isaiah]

Right.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

To curate the identity that I want not so much of. Oh, I like this Gene so much. So, like, my identity is Gene. You know, I'm now going by Gene. My pronouns are Gene, Gene denim, Gene Denim, Gene, him. Yeah, but it's like, you know, it's like I, you know, I learned to separate this now, but it's like, it took a really long time to understand the difference between being so inspired, being so influenced, and also creating my own identity. Because you don't want to steal from the next person. Because then, no, you're just another capitalist cappy, Cappy.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

And you can't do your big one because you're living in cap. In a state of cap.

[Ian Isaiah]

You think you're doing a big one, but it's a mid one.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Wow. Mid one is damn. Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Yo, fellas, do your mid one. If you're listening, do your mid one first.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Send me your record.

[Ian Isaiah]

Hood by clit and mid one.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Send me your record after this.

[Ian Isaiah]

You just heard it up top. Wait, I do want to know, though. So you have said that big one in terms of the sound in terms of the message. It's like your first coming out song. And maybe that's so people, you know that the music is in four can finally understand it. But you've called it proper gay music. Just what's like this. What's the status just proper gay music today?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Yeah, that's correct. That. Okay, let's do it. Not so much that it's proper gay music. It's just proper gay music from my catalog of stuff. You know it. Because I'm a church boy at the end of the day. I love music, period. It. I don't care what's happening. You give me the microphone. I'm. I'm a jam. Whatever band.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Sure.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

You leave it up to me. I want to do a. A rock album. I can. I want to do. You can't stop. Music is a wave. You know what I'm saying? But I needed to make more gay music in my catalog. And what does that entail? That's a Boots, boots, boots. And. And just like living your trut. That's not your truth.

[Ian Isaiah]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

And.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Yeah, and your truth is properly gay in this respect?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Well, no, my truth is. Wait, what'd you say?

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Is your truth pro. Like, are you saying that your truth is like, make like this proper gay music. Your truth is making stuff that's properly gay.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

No, my truth is I'm also gay and. And it's really cool. And there are also a lot of people like me who know it's really cool and have a lot to say. And I stand behind Dolce, who says we just need more gay artists and more gay music.

[Ian Isaiah]

What about those that don't think it's cool, like the, like. Is homophobia still rife in music and in hip hop?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Absolutely, yeah. Yeah. I mean, you know, the white man is still running the show, unfortunately. And we're playing the game, but not the same game. You know, we're learning to not even deal with the white man. While I'm learning how to not even deal with the white man.

[Ian Isaiah]

Hell yeah.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

But I think there's a new. This new generation is so gifted that the terrible in betweens that are destroying the industry are starting to, like, weave out and hopefully, you know, things will get better. And I think they will. Because you can't stop gifts and you can't stop talent, especially in this new world of like, do I really need you?

[Unknown Speaker 2]

So you're bullish on the future. It's an onwards and upwards thing. Yeah, in music.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Yeah, absolutely.

[Ian Isaiah]

Respect forever when you're. Because you have like, Been genre, not genre fluid with, like, funk, with R B, with. Now kind of gospel, gospel with, you know.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

I mean, yeah, Music for me is forever. It's. I. I really don't go by the wave of. Of trying to be a superstar in this. Like, there's this journey. Follow me, fans on this, like, musical journey thing, because I'm always gonna do music. And I been blessed to also have a day job in fashion where I've learned that my visual presence and what I do visually is also just as important for people that don't understand music, who want to understand music, and who are also this new generation and hybrid of people who understand that they need that parallel to be anything.

[Ian Isaiah]

Right.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

And I've learned that in fashion. I've learned that in the beginning with Hood by Air, you know, Shane, iconic genius. He's the professor of anything that I know that is, like, outside of what I know. And when it comes to, like, style and when it comes to, like, system of, like, fashion and stuff like that, and all my best friends, like Akeem Smith, who's the greatest artist in the world. Telfar, who's one of the greatest designers in the world. Raul, who's one of the greatest designers in the world. Virgil, who passed. Who. Who was one of the greatest designers in the world. The whole beauty industry, which is iconic, and people act like they're not just as top tier, even though your girlfriend and myself included will run up a bag more than you'll run up your T shirt on Essence sale and private sale.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Well, because it's on sale, so.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

And the private sale. But, yeah, I think this new hybrid generation knows, and I'm calling them a hybrid because they understand immediately that, like, music and visual is one. And if it's not, choose your destiny between the two, if you love this world, because these worlds live together. So, you know, in h by era, we never did anything that was normal. Nope. So to say the least, you know, it looked like, yeah, we did amazing. Everything was insane. And every piece made sense. Even a T shirt, every piece of clothing made sense. It took us three weeks to make anything because it's just. It's the whole process. Everything just made sense, at least from our world. But when that was done, it was time to create the show, which was a whole nother world that, you know, performance art.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

I mean, honestly, we've been to HBA shows back.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

It's crazy. Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

And when Rocky walked, we were there.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Wow, that was. That was a really cool day. Day.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

That's iconic.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

I thought about that Day, the other day. I wish I was one of those, like, hey, tbt.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

You're a dying breed, bro.

[Ian Isaiah]

I got pushed by Kanye's bodyguard. Oh, cool.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Wow. That show. Oh, yeah. Kanye was at that show.

[Ian Isaiah]

Yeah, yeah.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Who wasn't at that show?

[Ian Isaiah]

I was sitting next to JR Smith and he was so high that I got. I got second hand high from sitting next to J.R. smith. Basketball player, the Nick.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

That's fine.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Yeah, yeah.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Oh, yeah.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Trying to get the pipe.

[Ian Isaiah]

That was a big moment. We're going to talk, we're going to get into. We're going to get into the hood bear stuff and everything.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

I have a quick question. To the point you made, Ian, about like that. That hybrid generation, almost like I think you alluded to choosing sometimes between music or fashion. Do you ever feel like you're being pulled in like too many directions and it's hard to focus?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Yes. Okay. At this grown age, I just realized that I was a multi disciplinary artist and saying it out loud because it's hard to focus on one realm when these are actual big realms and put your full focus on it. Which is why I bring them all together at the same time and make sure it's all one world and work with people who understand that it's all one world or people who want to bring other worlds into that world to make it a bigger world, if that makes any sense. But for me. Yes. Are you me? It's exhausting and exasperating.

[Ian Isaiah]

Do they help each other? Like, does your work in fashion affect or help you grow in music and vice versa?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. Even now, like in between my breaks of not putting anything on DSP platforms is a jingle on Instagram with numbers I've never had on my own.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Right.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Numbers that also come with a customer. So that's numbers and a merch. I'm not playing any big festivals when I go online and I see the work that I do with my friends run up the same numbers that labels want to see. I know there's something here. And it's an accumulation of adding a whole world in one. You know, I'm old. These kids are on TikTok, which is fire. You know, the intention span of people are. Well, the attention span is insane, but the musical attention span is even more insane. So I'm a part of the whole. Like, well, maybe you should just enjoy this minute and 49 second song. Right. This is my first time putting out a song in seven years and it's a minute and 49 seconds.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Sign of the times. My Friends.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

You know what I'm saying?

[Ian Isaiah]

Do you get nervous at all when you kind of jump to a new sound or new genre?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Actually, in the beginning, I. In the beginning of creating my new project, I was a little nervous. And that just happened for a few hours before I had therapy who reminded me, it doesn't matter. My nervous system should be not affected by too much of what other people think, especially when I still got to get it out anyway.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

True.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

So, no, I wasn't as nervous as I thought I would be, but in the beginning, I was. Because the new record that I'm putting out is nothing like what you may have heard from me before. You know, I may not hear the, you know, sensual songstress from the church this time around. Oh, my.

[Ian Isaiah]

We know she's an ep, but.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Oh, no, she's in the pew getting it on. No, she's definitely in there in the pews. But this time I'm. I'm unseen. Unseen. You know, this new EP that I'm working on, which is called Cinderfella.

[Ian Isaiah]

Okay. Cinderella.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Great. Pond.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Yeah. Well, it's really just a parody of all white pop music that I really love, but in a more fun parody way.

[Ian Isaiah]

A lot of good options, cover art, but it's instead of, like a slipper, it's the Balenciaga boot or something.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Not a bad idea.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

We'll keep workshopping.

[Ian Isaiah]

Art director, if you want to bounce.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

A bad idea, I'm thinking more Chinese slipper.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Maybe because of where I'm at right now.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Yeah, true. Influenced by your environment.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

You know what I'm saying?

[Ian Isaiah]

Next to a half Asian boy, not.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

No kidding.

[Ian Isaiah]

I'm kidding. There's new sound. So, like, you talked about the project. Cinder Fella.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Yeah.

[Ian Isaiah]

Will you be working with, you know, past collaborators that have been involved with your music before, like, you know, Dev Hines, Chromio? Or does new sound mean like new partners? Or maybe a little from Call Me Floral? From column B?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

New sound means. Yeah, sure. It means new partners. It also means old partners. It means anyone who wants to collab. I'm one of those people that are very Quincy about things. You know, if you are the person I'm texting you, if it's difficult, send me an audio. You're the only one that can do this.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Right.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

You know what I'm saying? But, you know. Yeah. New collaborators on this. I'm working with a producer, Nick, who is in Icon, Night Feelings. I don't know if you know Night Feelings, but he's a great producer. Great producer.

[Ian Isaiah]

He did he do Big One.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

He did Big One.

[Ian Isaiah]

Okay.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

So yes, he's iconic. And Pablo also worked on Big One, who doesn't have an Instagram yet. So you're just gonna have to figure out who Pablo is. But I love Pablo too. But it was us three in a room for a week and I was just explaining to them like, I'm tired of the white pop. Yeah, I'm tired.

[Ian Isaiah]

I know it's all crazy in there.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

So tired of white pop gay shit. So. Really? Well, so it.

[Ian Isaiah]

So it really is kind of a parody or send up of like the pop gay shit of. Of just white.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

It's a parody, a bunch of like, yeah, white gay pop shit, but just done by black, loud, proud gayness, like Hoobastank song. Oh, that's not an actual Hooper stink. So that was written by Cody, my good friend Sean. He's a great artist, but it's things that I have no business doing. But it also sounds amazing doing it because it's funny and it sounds great. And it's also. There's so many different takes on this. It's subconsciously also to tribute to Little Richard who, you know, the originator of anything.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Yep.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

You know, who had to literally explain in his later years and throughout his history of like, I did it first. And it's not about doing it first, but it's about how to do it right.

[Ian Isaiah]

Who did it best.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

And who did it best. So there's subconsciously some things there. With this record is also me expanding what I already normally do currently, like at work, at my day job. I like to call fashion my day job. I sing at night. But yeah, it's just incorporating everything so that I'm available to meet everyone and work more with everybody. You know what I'm saying? Because.

[Ian Isaiah]

Takes a village.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Sure, it takes a village, but it's not really for me. It's also like, well, I want to do this sound. Who's a cool producer that does this sound. Wow. Now I just met this person that does this sound. Let's crack them open and see what they got and expand on them and maybe they expand on me. You know what I'm saying?

[Unknown Speaker 2]

So it's a two way street that you want every working relationship to be.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Yeah, it's me expanding on music that I've never done before. You know, I love house music. There's some house records on there. There. It's basically me as Luther Vandross, but T Pain making a lot of noise and screaming with some un un for a long Time until you get sad on a hoobus thing kind of COVID and then remind you that I love the Lord and start singing another gospel house thing. Since everyone's like, why the. You don't do gospel house?

[Ian Isaiah]

Gospel house.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Yeah.

[Ian Isaiah]

Yeah, that's a good.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

And then I'm like, what the is.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Church in the club anyway? Right?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

You know, same thing.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Both got wine. Well, you know, amongst other things. And predators.

[Ian Isaiah]

What do you.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

What do you.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

If you're in the white church more than anything.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

I actually never been to a white church.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Thank God. It's very boring.

[Ian Isaiah]

Can we come. Can we come to church with you next Sunday?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

I would love that.

[Ian Isaiah]

What do your church fits look like?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Oh, they're all the same.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Really?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Yeah. What do you mean?

[Ian Isaiah]

What do you like? What do you wear?

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Church.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Yeah, whatever I decide that day.

[Ian Isaiah]

You don't like put on like a more conservative or more like dressy stuff?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

If, if I do that, then it's on Monday. Are you also going to know that I love the Lord on Monday? If I'm in a different look, that I'm a real.

[Ian Isaiah]

You would, you would pull up to church in like Telfar.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Hell yeah, it's pretty conservative.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

If you leave it to me, I'll dress the whole church in denim selfie.

[Ian Isaiah]

Yo.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Denim Telfair. Denim Telfar. If anybody from my church is watching this, please don't ask me.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

It wasn't. That wasn't a serious offer.

[Ian Isaiah]

Guys do church ladies low key get the hardest fits off of like anyone in New York.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Are you shitting me? Most, maybe 80. Whatever I said to you all a lie. 80% of my inspiration comes from a church woman. Right?

[Ian Isaiah]

Really?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

You know, I got fearing. I grew up learning music in church as a church, like just as a music school and then also going to music school and then also leaving music school to go to my after school program which was a hair salon my family had. We're going to talk about it. So. And I. And the school that I went to was also in a church. So I went from big breasted woman to big breasted woman for at least 16 hours of my raised on the teeth. I literally big breasted black women that I hold tight to my heart and they taught me everything I know the strongest women in the fucking world. And actually like just black women in general. But breast size, youngest breast size does not. I'm just talking about my experience.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Right.

[Ian Isaiah]

But for real, like do church ladies and church fashion like influence your day job in fashion?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Yes. They influence my life in general. So whatever I say in fashion I'm, you know, conjuring it from some black church woman.

[Ian Isaiah]

Right. With big tits, maybe influence you whether she knew it or whether you know it or not. Right?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Yeah. Because the black church woman is not so much just the fit. That's what you see. That black church woman that have on nothing and the mouth will destroy you. The attitude will put you in your place. Okay. You know, like she. There's no, like, there's a black. This is the strongest superhero in the world.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

God's strongest creature.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

It's crazy warriors.

[Ian Isaiah]

Honestly, as a gay man, do you ever. Did you ever faced any like, hatred or persecution in from like the religious side of things?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Yes.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

You come back.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

But those is what I usually say. And then I give them time to calm down and then we become the best of friends because, you know, in the end it makes them look even worse. True that I'm thriving. Right. You know, and the community that is just like me is also thriving inside the church and outside the church.

[Ian Isaiah]

But your philosophy is killed with kindness and befriend them always and show them that you are also a person.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

After you say you I believe, then it's coming. Then you embrace them.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

In the bosom of acceptance that you can show them how to.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

In which they do. Me now, I go to church every Sunday. I actually sing at my church every Sunday. I'll give you the link, please.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Yeah.

[Ian Isaiah]

Live stream or. No, we're gonna go. We're gonna go with you.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

We start at 9:30 in the morning.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

That's fun.

[Ian Isaiah]

A Sunday.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Easy. Oh, come on. You guys are cool.

[Ian Isaiah]

I'll study. I'll study, bike there.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

I'll see you at church.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

We're professional, dude.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

That's.

[Ian Isaiah]

Are you gonna play your new album? Album for any of the church ladies? Get their feedback?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Sure, yeah, yeah, yeah. I go to a hip church.

[Ian Isaiah]

Okay.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Yeah, yeah. All that, like, hater. Like all that, like, homophobia doesn't really happen in my church.

[Ian Isaiah]

Okay.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

No fire and brimstone.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Yeah. Yeah. Well, maybe at the barbecue.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Yeah. Okay.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

You know, we like to cook, but yeah, I don't do any. There's no homophobia around me, period. Even in my like, prayer place.

[Ian Isaiah]

What do you hope people are doing when they're listening to the new. The new project?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

I hope they're laughing and. But I also hope they're dancing. You know, I. And it's also. I say that I need to make gay music, but I also just want to make dance music also. All my music in the past have been Great. I love all my music, but a lot of it has been like, do Remy Fossilati. Do Motherfucker. It's like, meanwhile, I am in the club as well. I want to dance. And it's also an ode to like my early days in the club. Like with Venus at Ghetto Gothic and just being downtown at every venue that led us in. Downtown, screaming on the microphone because I don't know how to dj. That's all I can do for any.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Listeners that weren't around for that. Like those iconic parties. Like, how could you even describe that energy to somebody listening right now?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Because it was original energy of anything. You know, I support the trans community, not so much the transplant community. Oh, damn. It was the origin of a lot.

[Ian Isaiah]

Not the transplants.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Yeah. Protect the dolls, at least. Build a history and learn what the every everything is, you know, I hate to sound old, but I was there and it was iconic. It was the beginning of everything. That's the bomb now.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Right?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

It was the beginning of a format of what anything could be. Pre. Pre pronouns. True. Which I am all about for sure. But it didn't exist back then. Yeah, Pre insecurity also, you know, pre collective insecurity, I'll say that. Pre corporate insecurity also. But just like everyone truly, truly being the most corniest thing I'm about to say themselves. And it was just iconic.

[Ian Isaiah]

Do you. Have you ever felt. Because we were like, obviously like cis hetero straight fashion bros. We were like on the outside of the club looking to get in. Although I think I went to one Ghetto Gothic at a strip club that no longer exists on the west side Highway. Yeah, that's Westway. Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Westway was fire.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Venus was like. Venus is iconic still.

[Ian Isaiah]

Yeah, for sure.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

But she was also not just iconic at DJing and not just curating the party and being the queen of that party, but also she was just really bomb at finding these venues.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Yeah, yeah.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

That we were going have you. And just fuck it up.

[Ian Isaiah]

I mean, that energy of like, I want to say like 2016, when it was like hood by Air, rocky, ghetto gothic. All you guys, have you ever felt like a glimmer of that same New York energy since then? Since like 10 years ago? Or is that just such a moment in time that is never going to.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Be even like that 10 years ago?

[Ian Isaiah]

I think so, probably.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

When did Peso drop with Venus in the video and all that soap?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Oh, Peso.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

When did the soap drop? Oh, my God. That may have been 10 years ago. Do I find it the same now? Or even similar.

[Ian Isaiah]

I don't know.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Like, can it be replicated?

[Ian Isaiah]

So it felt. It felt so replicated. I should say unique. Unique.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

I think so too. I think it was unique. But I think it was just the beginning, like I said again. Or an origin of what things could be for something even bigger or what things could be prepared for. For when they got to this point now to make it even bigger. Because the same people I'm talking about are even more major today and they were around as well. So imagine their mindsets. I respect anyone I grew up with because I trust and know they know what the fuck they're doing and they know where they want to go. And that idea. I can also get behind them because of where they came from. And we both have that same example of what we want.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Not to date this whole group, but we're actually talking about 2011. Really?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Wow.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Wow. Date me. Date me.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Sorry. I mean all of us, really. But yeah.

[Ian Isaiah]

What do you. What do you think of the. This, like kind of Hood by a renaissance that guys like Cardi and everyone that's, you know, bows down to Playboy Carti 2025.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

I think it's very nice.

[Ian Isaiah]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

I mean, yeah, I think. Yeah. It's called respect, I think. Right. I can't tell.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

I think it's absolutely. Absolutely.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Okay.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

It's being flexed as like the pinnacle of style.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Cardi. You know, every time I had the opportunity, I was already home or had a curfew because, you know, I'm like six years sober. I don't really play those games at night.

[Ian Isaiah]

But you're working at night.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Well, maybe. I love Cardi. I love. I love. I love that. Yeah. Reincarnate also, Shane is still going. Yeah. The creator of Hood by Air has expanded beyond reach. So you will always see increments of Hood By Air. Hood by Air. You always see history. You always see history. But it's really cool that Cardi was.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Wearing as a song named after it. I mean, multiple songs.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Is there any part of you, though, that like when you guys were doing HBA in the moment and obviously we talked about these huge spectacles, was there any part of you or any part of you now that's like, I wish like this attention with potential consumers was there at the time or is that too capitalistic and class half empty for me to even mention?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

No, because it was going to happen anyway. That was their way in, was trying to capitalize over us. And also we were vulnerable. Like, what can we do? If you got money, let's Fuck with you. Because we have a major idea. And that's always been my game plan with anything, which is why I put out art. Whenever I put out art is when I get with someone who wants to get behind my idea and get together and make beautiful art. And I think, yes. But at the same time, we had a goal of making sure that culture, this whole thing is a culture thing. It's not just the brand.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Right.

[Ian Isaiah]

You know, was there a moment that you, like, could pinpoint your mind where, like, oh, this is more than just a brand. It's going to transcend just. Just being a brand. It is like a cultural moment or a culture in and of itself.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Yeah. From the beginning, the first T shirt was over $500. From the beginning, we were like, okay, well, this is not that. This is the. This is the culture.

[Ian Isaiah]

I'm so upset. I lost my one hood baby T shirt that Matthew Henson gave me.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Wow. Oh, my gosh. Shout out to Matthew. We love you, Matthew.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Shout out, Matthew.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

So legend now.

[Ian Isaiah]

So handsome.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Not now. Always.

[Ian Isaiah]

Always.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

He's just buff as fuck now.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

We love Matt.

[Ian Isaiah]

Shane once called me trade at the complex offices. Okay. I didn't know what that meant. So after.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

I unfortunately will not be explaining that to you.

[Ian Isaiah]

No, no, no, I know now. I know now. But I was like, matthew, what does that mean?

[Unknown Speaker 2]

It was lost on him as a young.

[Ian Isaiah]

He's like a young.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

We love Matthew. Matthew's iconic. He has did his thing and continues living legend. Living legend, Absolutely.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Please, come on the pod, Matthew. We beg you.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Time. Wow. Yeah. You need to get mad on here.

[Ian Isaiah]

Let's talk about, though, you know, the work he put in at Ghetto Gothic and how maybe you're not so much. You still have to dance. You still have to, you know, wiggle your hips and everything. What are Ian Isaiah's tips and tricks for just like the best night possible at the function.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Whether that's now or then.

[Ian Isaiah]

Right now.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Oh, right now.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

You really want to know that I'm the granny of the group?

[Ian Isaiah]

You're the granny.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

That's what Raul told us.

[Ian Isaiah]

Roll told us that he's the granny.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

No, no, no, no. Raul is the granny. Let's clarify that. He is definitely the granny, but there's a group of grannies.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Okay.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

He's not the only granny. I'm also the granny.

[Ian Isaiah]

The Golden Girls.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Yeah, yeah, basically. But as and as a golden Girl, I get really wild up. But you just have to know that that riled up is over soon. You know what I'm saying?

[Unknown Speaker 2]

You burn hot and fast like a star Supernova like the star that you.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Are social battery 62 at all times. I don't care who the fuck you are or where the fudge I am.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

His chargers broken, folks.

[Ian Isaiah]

What about back in the day? What was.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Back in the day?

[Ian Isaiah]

How could we keep it going?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

It kept going back. Back in the day, there was no stop. You know, back in the day we.

[Ian Isaiah]

It was west. Where?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

The highway. Yeah, it's right there. So like back in the day, I was bringing the battery to the cordless microphone in the club just to make sure Fat Man Scoop had a presence.

[Ian Isaiah]

Rip in this club.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Rip for sure. I always thought of myself as a gay fat man.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

That's fine.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Only at night. Like, only in the club.

[Ian Isaiah]

Yeah. Gay Man Scoop.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Yeah. Damn. You're. Let me know when this album come out. We need to do a feature. For real.

[Ian Isaiah]

Let's do it.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

You're really good. Or maybe you could write my Wikipedia. That sounds like a promotion. Yeah, you play good.

[Ian Isaiah]

The Gay Man Scoop era.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Wow. Yeah, not bad.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

So you're like. So you would be on like emceeing on the mic, just going, yeah, just mc.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Because I don't know how to DJ at all. You never learned? Not at all. And I was telling Read, I was telling Read that my joke all the time throughout all of these major DJs life was, you better not ever let me learn how to dj because if I do, it's over for you. I never learned. Now I do want to learn because I'm ready to jump.

[Ian Isaiah]

Don't just make my dog twist some.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Knobs, which I know I would be so annoying, but I'm in the era of actually being annoying, so I would have so much fun.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Do your big one.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Yeah, I'll do my big one. You know, also, if you want me to go out, you're gonna have to give me something to do.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Oh, you need an activity.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Not just dancing. That's not enough for.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

No, it's not enough.

[Ian Isaiah]

Making sure everyone's having a good time. Well, I guess that's what the deal is, right?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

No, I'm asking for a musical job, not a people pleasing, like a bag project.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

You want to be talent. You want to be, you know, introduced and hit the stage.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Well, no, I don't need to be introduced. I just want to jam and a bag of money. Yes, sure. But I also just want a jam.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Right.

[Ian Isaiah]

How can 2 cis hetero fashion bros. How can we get more invites to the downtown queer granny functions?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

You know what? That's the Problem right there.

[Ian Isaiah]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Trying to get in.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Oh, just. Oh, we just having to ask. It's a problem.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Definitely.

[Ian Isaiah]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

That's at least 700 years of history of that that you guys still don't get.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

When you put it that way.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

I feel so bad.

[Ian Isaiah]

At least 7,000.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

I'm sor.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

This is the forcing. This is the force. You're forcing the dark side of the force. The dark side of the forest, dude. I mean, date someone there. Have them bring you. How do you want your trade? Or a date?

[Ian Isaiah]

What's that?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

You want an invite or a date?

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Whatever gets us in the door, buddy.

[Ian Isaiah]

Whatever we need.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Interesting.

[Ian Isaiah]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Whatever it takes. We just want to be down.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

We want to hang.

[Ian Isaiah]

Desperate. We are to. To gentrify and capitalize off this.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

I love that.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Well, yeah, at least we're honest, you know, we're not capping.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

I love that.

[Ian Isaiah]

If we do get.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

If we do get the invite, if.

[Ian Isaiah]

You do get the inventor the date, you know, whether it's the cookout or the club or album lease, party, whatever. Maybe I'm. Maybe I'm featuring the album. I don't know.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Y' all coming to my. I'm gonna invite y' all to my Hell, yes.

[Ian Isaiah]

And then. Okay, once we're there, how do we mind our P's and Q's again? We're occupying queer space. We are not necessarily meant to be there. We're wearing, like, hats and, like, dad hats.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Okay, you know, well, I'm gonna suit. First of all, I can't give you these instructions. I will act like I don't know you if you start walking up in there. You don't know what's going on. I promise you. I'm black. Like, I don't know you.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Who invited these clowns?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Yeah, not me, but just be yourself, and if yourself got you in there, yourself will keep you in there.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

It's actually great advice.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

You know what I'm saying? That is just being yourself. Really? Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Put that on your tombstone. Dude, that's great.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

If I get one, you will know. I've been thinking about other options.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Cremation.

[Ian Isaiah]

Have you thought about, like, what your funeral would look like? Like, the. What the vibe is?

[Unknown Speaker 2]

I'll be a.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Well, it's a concert.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Yeah.

[Ian Isaiah]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Because all I know is funerals as concerts. Again, I come from the church. We don't even call them funerals. I go to a Pentecostal church at that. So it's emotional, dramatic, and loud. Everything's a homecoming, and we go crazy. Concerts galore. Every choir Singing. Every group is singing. God forbid this person was a musician of the church. This is a four hour event going.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Out with a bang.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

And since COVID they're now streaming these homegoing services that are final back. So, yeah, my.

[Ian Isaiah]

What'd your fit be?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

When I get there, when it's time to go to glory we going up.

[Ian Isaiah]

What would your fit be?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

For sure. Will my fit be.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Yeah, open casket. What's the fit?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Wow. I'm not sure. That's too naked. No, no, no, no, no. It'll be somebody, but it could be somebody old. I'm still young, so what if I meet somebody new? They got a new look.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

True.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

No. I'll leave it open.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

We won't have to worry about this for many, many years.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Yeah, yeah. No, glam takes years. You shouldn't. Ideas take years. But yeah, it's something to think about.

[Ian Isaiah]

All right.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Thanks for reminding me also of your death.

[Ian Isaiah]

Yeah. Of your mortality taxes. You know what I mean?

[Unknown Speaker 2]

That's.

[Ian Isaiah]

That's the last party though. And like, as a man that, you know, has been experienced in that realm, we want to know who's more fun to party with. Fashion people or music people. As a man spans both worlds. Even though they are one and the.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Same in my world, I think both are the same. Like it's. They intertwined so much to me that like, besides la, I will never ask you, what do you do? Like, you know, it's like I. People exhume that around me that where it's just like we just immediately go into like our likes or like our mutual. Wow, this is cool.

[Ian Isaiah]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

And this could be me standing on a corner looking up and someone else standing on a corner looking up, being like, this is cool. It's not necessarily your fit. Shout out to Thorn Fitz, the show that you're on currently, you know, but it's also art too, which is major. You know, it's just like everyone experiencing this person's idea tangibly. Right. Is fire to me, you know, Talk.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

To us about la.

[Ian Isaiah]

Yeah. When you're in la, you have to, it's. You have to do the small talk because why is that?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

I don't do the small talk. But unfortunately that's the language of a lot of the small Talk is in LA. So I was just using LA as an example of anytime I go to LA, by the. By 3 seconds, I'm being asked, what do you say? What do I do? Yeah, I, I answer them. But I also say, do you lead.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

With me right now?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

You know, I'm Also a clown. So it's like, you know, I can go anywhere from that. I also like reverse psychology and be like, well, what don't you do Also, you know, I'm, you know, I'm weird like that. So, like. But in LA is when I get asked those weird questions, like, excuse me, I'm small talk, small minds, you know.

[Ian Isaiah]

They'Re doing a small one, not a.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Big one, kind of mid one, for sure, you know. But it was also during an era where, like, I was afraid to say I am a multi disciplinary artist and not be nervous about how that was accepted because I didn't say I was bougie, I didn't say I know it all. I'm trying to not say that I work in many worlds because then you're either gonna ask me for my 1,099 or you're gonna ask me if I'm lying. So it's like, you know, the closest thing I can say is multidisciplinary artists.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

But that's not your fault. The multi hyphen thing has become like the people's Instagram bio now. Like, where it's like.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

It's crazy. Sure, sure.

[Ian Isaiah]

Could you live anywhere besides New York? You're such a. Yeah. Brooklyn boy.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Yeah.

[Ian Isaiah]

Where do you want? I mean, could you live?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Such a Brooklyn person. But I've lived. We. I mean, I've lived in Paris, Milan, with Shane for a while, with Hood by Air. I lived in LA also, which I love. I love la, by the way. I just want to mention that I really, really love la. LA would be my second home. Okay. Honestly, if it wasn't New York. But I'm anchored.

[Ian Isaiah]

Yeah. What are you anchored by? Family church.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

I'm anchored by family church and New York City. Like, I'm from here, your community. So I. This is really my community. When people ask me where you're from, I say New York because, I mean, I say Brooklyn. And then when they want to get even deeper, I can't really answer that too much because there's family everywhere in. In Brooklyn. Like everyone's in the way of me getting to my family or everything that I knew because they're all over Brooklyn.

[Ian Isaiah]

Right, but you're from Flat.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

I was born in Flatbush. Yeah, sure. And there's my grandmother's house in Flatbush, but my aunts and uncle or all the way in Crown Heights, there's another family in Brownsville, sheep's head vet. You know, it's like all of Brooklyn.

[Ian Isaiah]

Right?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

So it's one of those things where If I got in trouble, I'm in trouble. There's no way I can run. It's definitely Game of Thrones, right? There is no where to run.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

But the borough is your whole heart.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Yeah. Basically respect. Like, I'm one of those people that if I go.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

We live in Brooklyn.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Oh, fire. I'm so Brooklyn.

[Ian Isaiah]

Well, I'm from New York, so I.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Didn'T gentrify, but I'm so Brooklyn that if I go to Atlantic City and I hear any sort of twang in your voice.

[Ian Isaiah]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Immediately I think I'm in the South. That's how. Brooklyn.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Atlantic City.

[Ian Isaiah]

What are you doing at Atlantic Terminal? You're going to the Dave and Busters? Buffalo Wild Wings?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

No, no, no. Any of those things. No, no, no. I'm more of like a actual Brooklyn person. I go everywhere that has not been gentrified yet. Yet.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Asterisk.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Yeah.

[Ian Isaiah]

Crown Heights. Next up.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Well, hopefully not your family.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Hopefully not. Well, everywhere gentrified. I can't. I can't deny the transplants, again, are really inspired, but confusing inspiration with identity.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Oh, right.

[Ian Isaiah]

What do you think of people that are like, oh, I've lived in New York for 10 years, I'm a New Yorker.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

What do I think of them?

[Ian Isaiah]

Yeah. Is that valid or.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

No? I mean, what do you mean by you're a New Yorker?

[Ian Isaiah]

That's what they say. I don't. I don't know.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

It's like a. That's like a common thing.

[Ian Isaiah]

People post like, yo, I moved to New York 10 years ago. I'm officially New Yorker now.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Yeah, that's.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

They survived.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Yeah, great.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

You're a survivor.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

You are a transplant that has survived.

[Ian Isaiah]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

And now, I guess, respectively, because you're saying you're. You're. You know, I've been here for 10 years and I've survived. So I guess it's a respect.

[Ian Isaiah]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Double transplant.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Come to New York, everyone. There's so much space in New York is what I'm saying. My thing is. Let's call it what it is, yo.

[Ian Isaiah]

I think transplants and they moved to New York, they should go through a one year trial period where after one year, everyone that they. They've, like, kind of engaged with or interact with is. Is like, you know, get pass, fail Hunger Games.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Yeah, I like that.

[Ian Isaiah]

Are they contributing in a meaningful way? Are we going to give them the license to live here? Not immigrants, just like, you know, white college graduates.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Also doing narcissist events is not contributing.

[Ian Isaiah]

Oh, what. What's a narcissist?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Anything that involves your name and you made a candle for the community or any sort of cultivated thing that you. You've branded and you want to sell it in your neighborhood.

[Ian Isaiah]

Okay.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Not off. Get the. Out of here.

[Ian Isaiah]

Out of here.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Farmers marketing for green.

[Ian Isaiah]

Oh, is you all right?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

I'm sorry.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

No, it's cool, dude. You know, let's get positive.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

For thrift shops, this is throwing fits, right?

[Ian Isaiah]

You don't.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

You know, I don't get a lot. I don't get invited to a lot of things like this because my mouth gets a little. Little.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

That's why you're invited. That's why we want you here.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

I don't have any.

[Ian Isaiah]

Like, that's the church lady in you. Your mouth can.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

You know what I'm saying? Repercussions are my thing.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

It's your kink.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Yeah, it is. My king.

[Ian Isaiah]

There's a whole section of percussions. And now repercussions.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

You know, honestly, who's your.

[Ian Isaiah]

Okay, let's get positive real quick. Who's your favorite person in fashion to party with?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Wow. All my friends. Yeah. Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

But there's got to be a hierarchy amongst people. You know, who's the. Who's the best?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Telfar.

[Ian Isaiah]

Really?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Yeah. Telfar.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Living goat.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Really fun. Like, Telfar is also hilarious. Like, he's a real person. Like, we have fun all the time. We have fun so much. Where you think Telfar is a fashion brand? I don't. Telfar is a network.

[Ian Isaiah]

Fashion. Oh, he's a network.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

This is a network. It's. It's more of a TV network, if you will. More than it is. Oh, fashion thing. Because the worldwide ism of anything, Telfar is just based off everything. So Telfar is also a DJ who's an iconic DJ and plays only R B at night when he goes and plays and like, soundcloud cuts.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Of R B. And also laughs hysterically for 48 hours. I was only out for 12 of them. Like, he's really, really fun. He's really, really funny. He's really, really sweet. And he's just a good person to be around. We love outside of work in the club as well as everyone, but so far is one of my favorites because.

[Ian Isaiah]

We gotta get him on the pod for sure.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Yeah, yeah. He watches tv. He just knows what's up. He's. It's really a sisterhood.

[Ian Isaiah]

Do you watch tv?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

I watch a lot of tv.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Oh, yeah.

[Ian Isaiah]

What are you watching right now?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

I am. Well, it depends because I have a savior's complex, so I watch all medical, scripted Series. I'm not gonna say which one. No, Pitt's not the new stuff. The new stuff's cheap. Let's just say. Oh yeah, Grey's Anatomy, er, any Ryan Murphy, anything. Which I also think is a savior complex situation. Yeah. But then I also watch my near and dear shows like Living Single. Oh, Jamie foxx, anything from UPN9 Classics. That's who I think I am when I'm not doing music and I'm not concerned about a fashion project. I also think I'm a part of In Living Color somehow in my head, I always wanted to be a Wayne. Like the gay. One of the gay Wayne. Ian Wayne's family member. Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

One of them pops.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

One of the gay. One of many Waynes pops family members. I always want to be one of them, you know.

[Ian Isaiah]

Do you have a favorite one?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

I remember being so ignorant where I used to just call certain brothers gay because of the sweater they wore in the Wayne's Brothers show. Like that's how ignorant I was. But that's how much I love.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Right? You felt like you were like, I know they that's in the closet.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

You know that Mecca sweater in that gardenian sky blue that I saw on the Pantone app.

[Ian Isaiah]

You're the Pantone app as a kid, are you?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Me? No, I'm talking about now. Right. What shows I watch now.

[Ian Isaiah]

Right.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

I reference everything to my Pantone apparently. Everything.

[Ian Isaiah]

Do you think Telfar is fairly recognized by the fashion industry or do you think it's like overlooked by the powers that be?

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Bags aside, probably.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

I love repeating our mission statement. That's not really the mission statement. So don't quote me on this, but this is our idea that we. We stopped that a long time ago.

[Ian Isaiah]

Really.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Everything is owned by us. We make everything was there like a collaboration.

[Ian Isaiah]

We are all brand that fell through or something that affected that.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Or we collab. When the collab is we don't ask for anything from anybody.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

No handouts.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

You don't see us where you think we should be at because how dare you? There's no such thing as that anymore. We are for the community. The community pours into us. We pour into them. Stay your ass over there, Anna. We good? And any other. Any other platforms, any other fuck ass Bobs, we don't need it anymore. We've created what we need for our people and we're continuing. Continuing to create what we need for our people. And our people doesn't just look like me. It's just POV in general and just actual human beings in general. Are you guys setting up my people there?

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Are you guys setting a blueprint for the next generation of how to do it your own way and to retain ownership and not have to beg for handouts and co signs?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

And I don't want to say, yeah, I think everyone's trying to set this blueprint in general, we're just trying to do it.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

But you're succeeding. That's the key word.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

We are succeeding. And what I look what I think is succeeding and saying fuck you, we can do it without you, without repercussions. Well, actually honestly I'm more proud to be a part of it, but I'm also more proud to watch it happen because it's the first time I seen it even. I hope I air we weren't able to obtain this sort of.

[Ian Isaiah]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Compound community of anything can happen here. You know, everything that we thought can happen happen. And we knew it from our ideas and our like from like just talking and creating these ideas at work. But expanding this at Telfar and being able to do it in its entirely like entirety is. Has been a huge eye opener for me and it has shown me that, you know, there's fashion should be treated well at least for me. Fashion should be treated like a university. And it should be treated not so much like a Kanye university, which I love. Kanye school is really fire, but more in a university where it's like you're curating these people who already are looking for these jobs and it's so difficult to find them because they're not just looking for these jobs, they're looking for a community to be a part of these jobs. This is still fashion. Everyone's an artist in the building down to the pattern maker. These people have feelings. This is an emotional hub. So it's like it's really cool to. And not in a narcissistic way either, but more in like a commune way to be able to create a place for this to happen. Trials and error to happen.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

A rising tide is lifting all ships.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

A TV network, you know what I'm saying? Did also a store now.

[Ian Isaiah]

Yeah. Did a lot of these lessons come from people's experiences at Hood by Air where it you know, was kind of like on that. That trajectory and then who's to say what happened. But I don't know if like hoodbay or maybe like tried to play the game or tried to enter the pre existing system a little bit and then that was maybe contributed to the downfall versus Telfar is like, you know what, we're good, we're Staying over here?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

No, I just think the white man is always looking for a downfall so they can write a story on it. We played out. We did what we had to do. And what people don't understand, it was a collective of geniuses. If. Make a list of everybody that worked on Hood By Air and see what they're doing now. They're doing amazing things and they're continuing to lead the system, break the system and change the game. So it. Everything has its time. It's obviously not over. Apparently one of my. My. My kids. I call them the kids. But my. My homies. The little homies. The wians.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

That keep me up to date because I only troll online. That's as far as I'mma go.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Right.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

So the wians that keep me up to date, you know what I'm saying? They tell me everything in my closet is on grail. And I'm like, what the. I go on grill and people still buying Hood By Air. And I think that's really cool. People are referencing Hood by Air. I think that's really cool. Like, it's okay. It's. You should be glad to reference. I'm glad that you're referencing people that look like you. You know what I'm saying?

[Unknown Speaker 2]

True.

[Ian Isaiah]

Okay, so with. Kind of to close the loop on this, how do you think the Met gala and the invitees did this year? Black Dandyism theme.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Speak on it, granny.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

I am not allowed to talk about the Met gag.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

You got the one gag order you have. I am, no pun intended.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

So proud of the bun. Like the money that was raised for the gala.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

A record, right?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

31 mil, everything there was a record that night. But I am really proud of the money that was made for the Costume Institute, and I hope that money that was made for that Costume Institute also goes to the Black and peeled of the.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

I don't think it's.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

I don't think the Costume Institute. And that's all I can say about the Met because. You know what I'm saying.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Yeah, we. We're picking up what you're putting down.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

I'm. I'm actually. It was really cool.

[Ian Isaiah]

Was Telfar in? Is telfar. I haven't been yet. Is Telfar in the exhibition. I know, Raul.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Oh, yeah, yeah. We're in the exhibition as well. You know what's crazy? I've never been to the Met.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

You need a guest of honor.

[Ian Isaiah]

That's real New York. To the gala or to the Met?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Well, to the Godline.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

I think the Hood By Air, the. The Double sided boot. That iconic.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

No, we've been in that. Yeah, that's been in there for sure. The exhibition, during the Met. But we've also always kind of declined. Shane went once. Telfar went once.

[Ian Isaiah]

But like, I've heard it's kind of boring.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's not really my thing.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Smoking mirrors.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Yeah.

[Ian Isaiah]

You mentioned Granny's in bed.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Yeah, I mean, I'm watching her.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

You would go if you were invited, though, explicitly.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

I'm into glitz and glamour, don't get me wrong. I'm not like stubborn or a rock or anything.

[Ian Isaiah]

Granny's got to watch her story. Stories.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Yeah. You know, I'm just like, you know, it's not. I don't think, you know, can we, can we.

[Ian Isaiah]

Sorry, go ahead.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

No, just real quick because talking about the Met and you mentioned her earlier, you mentioned Dochi. What celebs right now do you actually think are like Dochi, carrying that torch of like, what you and a lot of your friends, like, start, like, who else outside.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

I'm saying Doji, because I don't know Dolce and the people. You don't want to hear me keep saying the people that I'm inspired by because I'm. I'm like inspired by my surroundings, you know, And I'll keep mentioning the same people because these people create universes that we all live in. And I'm blessed to be like, in the realm of these people and them in my realm as well, but outside of my realm and people that I want to meet and hang out with. Dolce.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Yeah. You shouldn't me. Her phrase is, we need more gay artists.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

What else do you fucking want? And she's just fab. She's beautiful, she's iconic. Like, I want to do music with her. She's right, you know, she's just it. She's bad. But also there's a whole list of more people, but immediately I just want to scream, doji.

[Ian Isaiah]

Okay.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Anytime I can.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

She's having a moment. It's good. And she's shouting out.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

She's having. It's not a moment. I think she's it. And she's gonna continue to be it because she's in charge of this vibe that you got that we all are controlled under. There's no puzzle. I believe in that girl. She's it. But yeah, there's so many more.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Okay.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

There's so many more.

[Ian Isaiah]

Yeah. We do want to ask just to, like, I don't know if, you know, you're involved at Telfar as you're the music director. What does that mean? What do you do?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Isn't that like a weird title? But so is anything. Anyone is. But this is why I'm a music director at Telfar and also a host at Telfar. Meaning like, also like everything you see online and you see me hosting there. I'm a music director there because Telfar Babak and Avina tba, which is the Goats of Telfar, gave me an opportunity to start a music program there, which is more of a extended platform for anyone that comes in contact with us to work with us. You know, just because you're a model, you happen to know how to sing. Come with me in the other room there's a studio and let's make music sick. So like I said before, the compound is more of a university. We don't just need a photo. We don't just need to laugh and make content. We don't give a. It's about everything is a major, everything is. Or a minor, but. But everything is everything. Right. And. And there I'm able to set up a music studio and have a music department and possibly a music. A Telfar music label in the future. But not necessary. The narcissism could stay somewhere else. You don't need to create a label to make good music. That could be cool, but, you know, come true. But yeah, it's just. Yeah. I run the music department at the fashion label Professor. I don't know if we do jingles and fun stuff.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Dr. Isaiah.

[Ian Isaiah]

Yeah. Dr.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Professor of music.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Yeah. Dr. Sugar, MD.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Catch him on the. In the pit.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Empty.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

So your straight guy impression, what is that?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

I don't know. What is that? No, no, no, no.

[Ian Isaiah]

That's how they're gonna introduce you on the. On the hospital.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Not straight. I am not straight. That.

[Ian Isaiah]

Do you listen to your own music when you.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Am I the first gay person to come on.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Hell no.

[Ian Isaiah]

Dude. Mentioned like three others.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Like it's such an inclusive universe that we built here on Throwing Fits, you know, who knows?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

I gotta get pressed to get me to only be the first gay person. From now on, this is up the.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Rosa Parks of gay podcast guests.

[Ian Isaiah]

You're the first gay. You're the first gay podcast throwing Fitz guest this week.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Yeah. Wow. Thank you very much.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

You're welcome.

[Ian Isaiah]

Do you listen to your own music when you do?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

I listen to what music?

[Ian Isaiah]

Your own music when you are.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

If it comes on a playlist, maybe, but not. I didn't put it on a playlist. Yeah.

[Ian Isaiah]

That must be tough, though, when you're Bouncing around genres. You're like, damn, I wish. I wish the R B stuff had come up. Not the switch, the rhythm.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

I'm not really good at creating sex. Playlist is because I'm also a musician, so, like, we could be. But I might like that chord.

[Ian Isaiah]

Oh, oh.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

You get distracted, then you get pulled.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

I get distracted quick off a chord. You know what I'm saying? And certain organs that are.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Oh, you know, no pun intended.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Everything works on a chord, right. For me, so.

[Ian Isaiah]

Well, God gave.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

I try to let the other person curate the music for me and share the playlist.

[Ian Isaiah]

They're the music director, definitely.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

I'm only the music director at work.

[Ian Isaiah]

Yeah, yeah. But then God gave man a brain and a penis and only enough blood to operate one at a time.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

That's science. And you're a doctor.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

God gave some men, you know, some men do.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Do you feel like, as a public figure, how does that, like, affect your dating life?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Wow, I'm a public figure.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

That's why you're on the show.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Not go outside. I am a myth at this point. I barely go outside.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

That's even sicker, dude. Okay, as a myth, does your reputation affect your dating life? Life.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Does my reputation affect my dating life? Maybe, but maybe not. Because I'm not on rye or anything like that. But I think my sobriety affects my dating life because after, like, 30 minutes of talking, you might think I'm over you because I'm just exhausted. Because you don't make any sense. But I'm trying not to judge you because, damn, this is a really good connection right now. Maybe when you calm down, we could it up. You know what I'm saying? Or do you want me to go with the flow?

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Right.

[Ian Isaiah]

Is it tough to date sober in New York?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

No, not at all. You just don't date in New York.

[Ian Isaiah]

Oh. Oh.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

You also just date to marry if you're grown like me.

[Ian Isaiah]

Right.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

You know what I'm saying?

[Unknown Speaker 2]

It's long term is what we're looking for.

[Ian Isaiah]

Yeah, you're looking for. Is he and Isaiah looking for love?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Long term is what we're always looking for. You know what I'm saying?

[Ian Isaiah]

Everything long.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

And we love connections. We love love over here. We do, but we also don't do. I'm not really a big hookup culture person.

[Ian Isaiah]

No, you're not.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

I don't judge. Listen, if you in the moment have your moment. Yeah. I will be having mine.

[Ian Isaiah]

You never did the apps at least.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

12 years ago.

[Ian Isaiah]

Okay, so it's coming.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Yeah. Right?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Yeah. Like at least. Yeah, during those days.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Different time.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Of course. Of course.

[Ian Isaiah]

Ian, you've said that beauty is your medium. We're fancy, love. We're fans of beauty.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

I love the research.

[Ian Isaiah]

What's the most beautiful internal thing about you? Because obviously the external is.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Everything I.

[Ian Isaiah]

Am besides physical features.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Wow. Thank you. And calling me cute. Yeah, I'm in a hat and sunglasses.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Yeah, we've seen your abs on Instagram, dog.

[Ian Isaiah]

Wow.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

By the way, what is the ab workout? Just real quick, how do you. How do you.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Oh, it's crazy. Oh, yeah, it's just a bunch of saved videos from all the heavy. I follow my Instagram that I'll be trolling, so I hate when people ask me, what's my regimen? Like, you just need to look at the folders and apparently I can't share folders.

[Ian Isaiah]

Who is the really jacked guy at Hood by Air?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Oh, my God. James. James Garland. James is iconic.

[Ian Isaiah]

He's huge.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

He's huge. He's still a great accessories designer and apparel designer. He. Of course he still does fashion. Everyone still does.

[Ian Isaiah]

But is he still.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Is he still.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

I think so. I haven't seen him in so long.

[Ian Isaiah]

Hard to not see.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

This is my, like, era of, like, getting buff the chest worker. I'm in my brawlic era. Like, I'm tired of the skirts. I want to look really bad.

[Ian Isaiah]

You know what that is?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Like a dress.

[Ian Isaiah]

You know what that is? You're turning into a big breasted church lady.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

You got pecs, dude.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

I love the way you bring it back to the one. I think you really are a musician. Honestly.

[Ian Isaiah]

I think so. Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

This is good. Maybe jazz at that.

[Ian Isaiah]

Maybe it's about the notes you don't play in jazz. Wait, so what's the most beautiful thing about you besides physical features? And then we'll ask you about your physical features.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Well, who says it has to be beautiful? I think. Well, you mean, like what people don't know that I think is beautiful? Why does it have to be beautiful?

[Ian Isaiah]

Beauty's your medium.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Okay.

[Ian Isaiah]

Yeah, that's why.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Well, I'm really shy.

[Ian Isaiah]

Really?

[Unknown Speaker 2]

In. In a always enticing, beautiful way.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Yeah. Okay. Like, I'm really, really shy.

[Ian Isaiah]

Is that like, I'm just a shy. Is that like you're protecting yourself?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Kind of. And I think it's new. It's. It's only been newly shy.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

That's crazy.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Newly shy. Very weird.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

You're going back into your shell. You're not coming out of it.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

It's very weird. I don't know what this is, but I am.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Is it being more guarded?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Maybe. I'm also again, five years sober. I am definitely a new person and so many different aspects. It's like everyone else reminds me of everything and I'm like, okay, I agree with it all, but I'm also a brand new person who's a little bit shy as this new person.

[Ian Isaiah]

That's. That is beautiful.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

That could be beautiful.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Yeah, absolutely.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

What else is beautiful? I love, I love lifting people up. That's my thing. I love.

[Ian Isaiah]

How do you do that with just like a gas them up, like verbally, just like, you look great today.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

No, I just, I just push them forward. For real. For real. Like My town, like Hood by air top. These are, these are not my brands. I, I, these are my close friends brands that I also have investment and I love with my dear heart and want to make sure these things are on top because I believe in the identity of these things. Like I have a, my, one of my gifts is lifting people up. Literally, like, if I wasn't a singer or if I wasn't an artist, I'll be a massive PR person.

[Ian Isaiah]

You can also lift them by benching them because you got.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Yeah, you're an umbralic error. So you can.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

I'm in the brolich earth, so I can literally push you up push day all week.

[Ian Isaiah]

What about your most beautiful. What's your favorite physical feature about yourself? Most beautiful.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

I'm not as vain as you guys think I am.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Like, no, we're not saying that. We're giving you an opportunity to.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

I do love hair.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Hair is my thing.

[Ian Isaiah]

I mean, that's, you know, I grew.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Up in a salon.

[Ian Isaiah]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

But yeah, hair is my thing. I live through hair. I talk through hair. One of my best friends, Jawara, is the hair God.

[Ian Isaiah]

Hair God.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Black, black gay hair girl. But I live through hair. Hair is beautiful to me. Yeah. What's like, expression is more beautiful to me than like an actual physical feature.

[Ian Isaiah]

Right. That's why we started with, you know, the internal.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Wow.

[Ian Isaiah]

The shyness. The new, the new shyness.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

I will cancel the external. Damn. The external is not hitting you.

[Ian Isaiah]

Spent.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

That's not what we're saying. You're saying that you're not sharing the folders. So where are we supposed to go?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Wow. And that's the problem is what I'm saying is that you stop looking for where to go. Stop. Stop looking for where to go. Be where you are.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

I'll just talk to James, the accessories designer and ask what his bicep workout.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Is well, maybe I want to ask.

[Ian Isaiah]

About not where you are but where you were when you spend a lot of time at your parents hair salon. What's like a memory or thing from your time in there. Maybe you like heard some women talking or whatever that stuck with you all these years.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

It was non stop rumors gel and quartet, gospel music, the three major and rumors again.

[Ian Isaiah]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

So it was just a lot of language that was insane to me that just clicked. It was like watching TV without an actual tv. Emotional outrage, honestly. And also art at the same time. It's insane to me the amount of like emotional outrage and art that can happen in 90 minutes within one client and one customer. It's like it's not just a scene, it's a full on makeovers are real.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

They're like a therapist. Right.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Like it's definitely. I've experienced that hands on that like you know. A black hair salon is also a therapy place in which I've seen. So that was my entertainment. Being under big breasted women coming to get their hair done and talk about where are before they all see each other again on Sunday. Including me.

[Ian Isaiah]

Yeah. Do you have a style phase that you look back on?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

I go back. I go back to everything that.

[Ian Isaiah]

What that makes you cringe. Were you like, oh, what was I doing?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

No, no, no. Cringing is not fun. It's like I like to have fun. I clown everything. My like I'm a clown, you know, And I pull my like energy from humor a lot.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

So is there a period of your life that you can look back and make fun of as this clown and.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Wear it that day? Because I'm more comfortable in the cringe.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Oh wow.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Than I am in trying to not be the cringe because that was a fab look. Let's do it again.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Will you judge like this fit even tomorrow? Like look back and be like that hat was maybe too much or anything like that?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Like no, no, no, no. I don't give a. If anything, I'll be trying to put this in a dry cleaning so I could wear it again. Me. This is exactly what I wanted to wear.

[Ian Isaiah]

What's your dry cleaning bill every month?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Oh my God. I've been dry cleaning lately. I think it's fab. It's either fab or really cheap. And they like me and I just like the price that I'm paying for everything that I do. But I love the dry cleaners. I am like very. That's again very mom and pop when it comes to dry cleaners. Like a lot of clothes that I get, I take it to the dry cleaners and like re alter the clothes so it really fits. Cute. Cute. But like I do a lot of alterations and the dry cleaners, like how much do I spend? I don't know. But we love the dry cleaners.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

A hem here or there?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Yeah. Rodriguez Cleaners on Irvin Ave. You know what's up?

[Ian Isaiah]

Give him a five star review.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Empty.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Ten star review.

[Ian Isaiah]

Give it ten stars.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

You know what I'm saying? Same day anything. Same day in me for you, baby day for anybody. Toro, genteel.

[Ian Isaiah]

Ian, what do you see the straight boys wearing this spring and summers that you like?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

What do I see in straight boys future? Is that what you really want?

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Just.

[Ian Isaiah]

Yeah, yeah.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Okay.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Or what was your question?

[Ian Isaiah]

I was thinking like fashion advice or like thoughts on what they're doing right. But maybe we go bigger than just.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Like what some of them are doing right is some of them are actually being themselves. And sometimes being yourselves means I'm showing my emotional intelligence out loud and am in love and my girlfriend is curating my looks. You know what I'm saying? Oh, I look really good because I'm in love and my girlfriend got me.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Because she loves me back.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

She loves me back and this is where she want me to look like. And so this is what I look like. That's what I actually look really good in it. So this is my look as opposed to someone who is a grown ass man trying to figure themselves out through cross dressing. Because that's exactly what it is.

[Ian Isaiah]

Okay, in what sense?

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Speak on it.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Be yourself. It shouldn't be that difficult to choose what you want to look like. Or be honest and say you can't choose what you want to look like because of the price. Not so much the look. It's. That's the fork in the road. Am I gonna buy this 500t shirt because everyone has it or I really like it? Or am I gonna buy this 500t shirt because I need this crop? Look, look. It's really going to do wonders for my alternate side when I have conversations at night at 2 Bros. Or at anywhere I am where I have to talk about anything that makes me feel like I'm not homophobic but trying to get pussy.

[Ian Isaiah]

Are we talking about guys that dress a little straight guys that dress a little zesty?

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Queerbaiting.

[Ian Isaiah]

Queerbaiting.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

I'm talking about straight guys who just are not sure of their look. Okay? Because dressing sexy and, and, and queer baiting is not. Not queer baiting or dressing sexy it's dressing sexy. Damn. If you look good, look good.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Okay.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

You know, don't embarrass yourself by not looking good by wearing things that you don't feel comfortable in. You know, the hottest straight thing you can do is be comfortable and be honest and not be ignorant. And the easiest way for you to be ignorant is to buy something that everyone knows you would not buy. Because you exuberate not being comfortable in this. And it doesn't mean you can't expand yourself. Confidence is not the T shirt, it's the mind. So it's just. It's just the person. I gotta wait for you to wear this out for me to be like, oh, you. Maybe you are a good person if I talk to you. Damn right. I gotta go by what you got on bad enough. We all know it's on sale and the private sale. You, me. But I'm all about elevating your style, you know, with all that said. With all that said, I mean, elevate your style, you know, heteros. It's not too late. You can elevate your style. Whatever that means.

[Ian Isaiah]

It gets better.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

It gets better. And all that means is buy clothes that fit you. Is really my.

[Ian Isaiah]

Like, fit your personality or fit your body?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Both. Is. This is the problem. It's like you have to buy things that fit your personality and then you have to buy things that actually really fit you.

[Ian Isaiah]

Or go to the dry cleaners and get that altered.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

And it's not mutually exclusive. Like you can find things that do both that accomplish this. It's not impossible.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Sounds easy. But why are you asking me this question? This is what I'm saying. It sounds very easy, but they don't do it.

[Ian Isaiah]

Yeah, we're. We're enlightened Straits.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Wow. I like. We love enlightened Straits. Another good Gmail and possibly good merch for someone who wants to start straights.

[Ian Isaiah]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Very good.

[Ian Isaiah]

Because there's nothing more hetero than talk about how enlightenment enlightened of a straight person.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

I'm with you. I'm with the enlightened straight. And then a hand point person next to you.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

That's true. Yeah.

[Ian Isaiah]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Ian, how much for comfort levels? You're not that enlightened. The Straits are not that in line to our comfort levels. But we're getting there.

[Ian Isaiah]

We're getting there.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

We're.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

And we're. And we're gonna lead them.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Yeah.

[Ian Isaiah]

Do you think the heteros are doing better?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Yeah, Yeah. I. With straight people. I don't have that many gay friends, you know. Yeah. I Support gays, number one. My, my, my people. I will fight for gays. I will destroy people for gays, you know, but yeah, most of my friends are hetero yns. Yeah.

[Ian Isaiah]

I don't know.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

But they're enlightened heteros because I've spent so much time with them and vice versa.

[Ian Isaiah]

And.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

And my gays, like, we're all. It's not that world. I don't live in that. Yeah, it's full osmosis.

[Ian Isaiah]

You feel still a responsibility to enlighten your grandchildren?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Yeah, yeah. My seeds, yes, but not university. I'm a professor, but I'm also just a driver who's going to take you to the water, but I'm not gonna make you drink it.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Right.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

You know, the example is not just me. I'm a product of. And everything that I've ever done for the past 20 years have been. Has been a collective idea with genius people.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Right.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

And getting white people to pay for that until we can pay for it ourselves.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

So it's like, that's what I think a system is. I don't follow whatever, you know, I don't want to lose any deals that I don't even have yet. But I don't follow, like, whatever the new school is telling these people to be or I don't follow what FIT is telling you to be just for you to wait till the end of the year to go. Talk to me. Who never went to fit? Shane Telfar. These are designers. They went to fit. I went to LaGuardia Community College and then I walked the out. Yeah, no, I don't know what I went in for. I went because that's just what you do after high school. You go to college. But then I left when I realized I was wasting my time and I was already in what I needed to do.

[Ian Isaiah]

What was your first, like, job? Where'd your first paycheck come from?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Urban Outfitters. No, that was the real paycheck. Before that, I worked at a record shop, but he was just paying me on the side. Love you, Berto.

[Ian Isaiah]

What Urban Outfitters were you at?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

I started in SoHo, actually, at the Broadway location. And then I moved to 14th Street.

[Ian Isaiah]

Wait, that was on, like, 2nd Avenue, like 12th street, right?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Yeah, yeah, I remember that one. Yeah, I moved to 14th street, then I moved to Brooklyn. And by then they. They weirded me out a little bit. By then I was drinking PBRs and listening to Matt and Kim for a little bit. Urban Outfit has me up for a good two years. Appropriate. Created the out of Me, I didn't mind because, you know, I wanted to expand myself. Never had white friends before Urban Outfitters, I'll tell you that. But when I got to Urban Outfitters, honestly, I. Honestly, that was when I learned to actually accept white people for who they are and know that there are a few that are the bomb. And we're still friends to this day. Because a few, they opened my eyes to so many things. It's crazy. Now I could build a wall if I wanted to. Urban Outfitters. I love urban office. And then, yeah, that was my first.

[Ian Isaiah]

Job, was partying with white people. Like a more intense experience than you might have. You might have assumed in your party.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Days it could have been. But white people, they just were more energetic in the wrong direction, which made it really fun, which made it very entertaining for me. Which made it more of like, no, let's hang out because you about to tear up this taco Tuesday. You know what I'm saying? I know you about to tear up this taco Tuesday. So just tear it. What band is playing? I'll come. Let's do it.

[Ian Isaiah]

You know the Moldy Peaches again?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Well, yeah. Well, then the transplant started coming, so I had no choice but to go to Williamsburg and eat pulled pork and jam. So.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Throwing a house of jealous lovers and.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Get, get down careful because that song will send me somewhere. The Rapture.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

That's the era that I actually came up in in like Urban Outfitters. Like the Rapture. Are you shitting me?

[Unknown Speaker 2]

I hit. I hit a nerve there. That was. That's one of your all time jams.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Honestly, I'm playing that today on the way home.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

You're welcome.

[Ian Isaiah]

What's the worst job you ever had if you loved Urban Outfitters? Like, you know, it sounds like you've had quite a few jobs in your time.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Wow. The worst job. You know, I'm so. I mean, I don't do worse jobs.

[Ian Isaiah]

Okay.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Yeah. After Urban Outfitters. I've worked for my friends and myself since then. And it's been 20 years. So hard.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Self employed.

[Ian Isaiah]

Lucky.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

But we've worked with people that we didn't want to work with. But that's right. That's the education of the job.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Also, is there anyone you want to put on blast that you don't give a about that you want to torch right now?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Anyone. But I think I'm trying to express love since, you know, we fell for somebody else. Trying to spread love for too long. Hello.

[Ian Isaiah]

Spread that baby oil.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

But I just try to explain. Just expand love and show love.

[Ian Isaiah]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

I'm not a hater, but if you ask me my opinion, please ask me on the side in a public space, because you can't be honest. It's going to be weird. Yeah, right, right, right. It's gonna be weird.

[Ian Isaiah]

Well, Ian, how much money do you make?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

That's not a good business. Not enough.

[Ian Isaiah]

Speaking honest.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Not enough.

[Ian Isaiah]

What do you like to spend your money on?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

I spend my money on beauty products.

[Ian Isaiah]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

And all inclusive trips to Cancun. Oh, yeah.

[Ian Isaiah]

What's your.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Yeah, yeah. That's.

[Ian Isaiah]

How many steps are in the skincare routine?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

It's not too many steps.

[Ian Isaiah]

Okay.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

You know, I am a black man. You know, it's not too many steps.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Good genes.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

But there's a lot of water.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Hydration is key.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Yeah. I don't drink alcohol.

[Ian Isaiah]

Right. Huge.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

And I go to sleep.

[Ian Isaiah]

That's huge.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

And I love hydrocortison.

[Ian Isaiah]

That's huge.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

And baby Vaseline is my. Oh, yeah, yeah. But you know, no Diddy. Well.

[Ian Isaiah]

But some. Did he.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

I know my regimen is really simple. You can get all of what I put on my face at the beauty supply store. But I support all of the brands that make cool things that may work for other skins. Like Topicals, which is a good, really, really good brand by a beautiful African woman who is tearing it over at Topicals. That works. Anything black. Trust any black skin product because they know how to get through anything that you're trying to get through.

[Ian Isaiah]

Have you made a big dumb purchase recently?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

That bag over there cost $2,500.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

God damn.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

My rent in Brooklyn is not 20 $500. I hope my accountant does not.

[Ian Isaiah]

You put an apartment on your shoulder.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Yeah, I hope my accountant does not see this.

[Ian Isaiah]

What's up with how many charms you got on this? On this?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Sure. But I'm into the whole, like, charm era.

[Ian Isaiah]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

It's like, damn, you want me. You're giving me another realm to express myself.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Gays love that. Yeah, I love that.

[Ian Isaiah]

Give a little boo boo.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

The novelty moment is so genius. And it's such a good market. It's such another brand new great market for fashion brands who are just not excelling in what they thought was going to excel. They can now personalize even more. More, make it even more compact and go talk to a smaller production place to just make it even cool. It's just a cool. I love this.

[Ian Isaiah]

Are you a big bad guy? Like, do you have a big collection?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Yeah, but I'm also just a huge functional, like a functional art person. So Anything cool that is not norm is so bomb to me. Like, if someone told me I wanted to be a designer, but I only want to design insane flash drives for DJs. To me, that person is the most genius person in the world. Whatever you hear online or anything, that person is a genius and that person gets it. And that person's gonna be a billionaire. Why? Because it's only gonna cost 30 cents to make what he wants. And that idea can run you whatever Klarner or whatever y' all use online to pay for it.

[Ian Isaiah]

Please don't after pay.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

You know what I'm saying?

[Ian Isaiah]

Thumb drives.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Please don't have to pay for any of your friends brands. Oh, that's crazy.

[Ian Isaiah]

I put my brand on Klarna.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Support your, your friends.

[Ian Isaiah]

Support the homies.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

And if they're not your friends and you were in the same party and you said, yo, I with you, that means you also with them. So support them.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

And that's why they sometimes have to use afterpay.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

That seating list is really rough. Yeah, the other side of that seating list is, damn, I'm trying to get my brand out there, but I'm losing all this money trying to get that. Don't even with me to wear my. Yeah, it costs a lot for seating. Buy, buy, buy your look. Invest in your look. Like investing in your look does not mean, I went to the thrift store and I bought this fab jacket and it's only mine. Investing in your look means, oh, I saw this brand eat this jacket up. I couldn't afford it then right after the Runway. But it finally made it to all these third parties. Like Essence again, private sale. I don't know why I keep mentioning Essence. Man, I love you, Canada. But you know, like any of third party things, if it gets there and you too late, you not really investing in your friend. If the opportunity shows up and it's at your price point, invest in that piece. You know, because at the end of the day, if you're trying to impress whoever you're trying to impress, maybe you're trying to impress the designer. You don't think the designer know the history and the tracking of that exact piece. You don't think the designer know that they haven't seen that piece in six years because they've been trying to sell it like it means. Means stuff to them. It means some something. And some things that you see on these websites, only one or three were made. So it's like it really means something to like these all designers, Rick, all the old and the new. Especially the new.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

To see that, oh, somebody finally bought my jacket.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Put up or shut up, guys.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Wow.

[Ian Isaiah]

But not for me. From the.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Whoever they bought it from. I already got the money for it. But it's just saying they. Someone's actually wearing my look again. I'm inspired it, you know, I think that's really cool.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

This is good advice.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Yeah, that's cool.

[Ian Isaiah]

Ian, what's the last money question? What's the brokest you've ever been as an adult? What was the situation?

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Cocaine in Atlanta.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

My drug days were definitely my brokest days. Yeah. Yeah. Because I was very vulnerable and really gullible. Also, you know, I treated drugs and I treated partying like cost. I have a Costco mentality. But it's also because, well, again, I'm raised by big breasted black women. You know, outside of the salon. We. The reason they're superheroes is because they do everything, including go to Costco's and tear it. You know, they're also moms, normal moms outside of their race. So, like that mentality of like buying things in wholesome and buying things and like, yeah, abundance was very difficult.

[Ian Isaiah]

I'm gonna party in bulk.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

It was disgusting. Cocaine is terrible. Oh, my God, those. Damn.

[Ian Isaiah]

Glad they're behind you.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Yeah.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

I am so glad they're onwards and upwards. I've learned nothing from that.

[Ian Isaiah]

Wait, what? All right.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Nothing from those days.

[Ian Isaiah]

Before we get you out of here and back into your whip, which is precariously close to running out of meter time, we just want to ask you one final question and the mayor.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

It's the mayor's fault, to be honest with you, because two hours is not enough to hang out in the city that I already paid to come over the bridge for. Like, who am I paying for transplants? Yeah, probably I'm not paying for transplants.

[Ian Isaiah]

Transplant tax. We do want to ask you just real quick, Ian, do you have any constructive criticism you like to give us?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

I think you guys are amazing. I think you need to add more gay people to your. To your repertoire at least once a week to make sure that you're keeping up with any sort of humor that's not gay.

[Ian Isaiah]

Send Shane and Sebastian away.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

You're asking me? I'm telling you. This is the advice.

[Ian Isaiah]

Okay?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

The advice is that I think bring more gay people here. More gay people with homophobic clients that come here just to mix up, stir the pot.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Okay, Gotcha, gotcha.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

If you're not stirring the pot, you are pussy.

[Ian Isaiah]

Never let them know your next move.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Yeah. You're pussy. But I think you guys are also. You're doing it right. Thanks. You know, like, also, it's not really so much about what I thought it was going to be about, like, throwing fits. It's really just about life. Or maybe that's just me as a rambling motherfucker. But no, I had a great time and enjoyed. We had a great time and I've actually. I actually just piggyback off of you guys.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

The pleasure was all ours, man.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

You know, I don't do like this, so it's really cool, honestly. True to hear.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

You're a myth.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Someone tell me what I do. Yeah, I don't give a about that. I'm trying to do the next thing.

[Ian Isaiah]

Yeah. Hell yeah.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

But I just find it cool that you guys.

[Ian Isaiah]

Thank you. Yeah, that means a lot. Yo, stream. Big one right now. Run it.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Let's run it up.

[Ian Isaiah]

What else we want to plug right now?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Yours.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Where can they follow you on Instagram?

[Unknown Speaker 1]

You can follow me on Ian Isaiah on Instagram. I don't really have a tick tock presence yet. Because you just watch. Well, yeah, well, honestly, if I start tick tock, it might end up looking like a whole Jamie Foxx show. I'm too animated and I like to clown.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

That's good.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

And I don't really have any limits, so. Oh, meaning if somebody wants to sponsor TikTok for me, then we can tear it.

[Ian Isaiah]

What is your TikTok for you page look like right now? Like, what's being served to you.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

You. Oh, my God. You don't want to know. It's like recipes from Trader Joe's.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

You are granny.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

There's some workout stuff and hospital. No, no, no, no. I keep that straight on the. The tv. But tick tock, you know, I keep tick tock real, real chill. I watch a lot of musicians, like, bts of them on set. I watch. That's what I listen to, is rehearsals of everyone.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Oh, okay.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

I'm old like that.

[Ian Isaiah]

All right, Ian, thank you for coming on to the Only Podcast Matters. Thank you for your time.

[Unknown Speaker 1]

Thank you for inviting me to the only Podcast that Matters. If I get invited to any other podcast, fight them.

[Unknown Speaker 2]

Yeah, you don't matter, but all right. Find us, take us out.

[Unknown Speaker 3]

Marketing is hard, but I'll tell you a little secret. It doesn't have to be. Let me point something out.

[Ian Isaiah]

Out.

[Unknown Speaker 3]

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