Photos by Owen Basher

Interview by Nnamdi Ihekwoaba

So what’s up? Growing up in Prince George’s county (MD), it seems that there’s an overall pride that comes with that. What was that like?

Yeah, it’s definitely a unique area. I’m very proud of our culture. I guess in just how different things are here compared to any other part of the DMV area. We’re big on style, clothes, shoes, and slang. It’s a very unique area in that sense and it’s very prideful about the things we contribute to the culture. It was a pretty sick area to grow up in. It was very diverse. A lot of people of color, a lot of different communities – like everything – different economic communities living together. You get exposed to everything.

How do you think that shaped your skating?

It definitely shaped my skating in an interesting way being that it’s so diverse. I grew up skating with people who came from different backgrounds. Some people came from pretty traditional homes, some people came from not so traditional homes but we all mingled together and it wasn’t a problem. It was pretty awesome being able to hang out with different people and expose them to different things and they exposed me to different things.

How did you connect with Carpet?

Well it seems like right around the time I started skating, the county started building a bunch of parks. So the skatepark scene definitely helped connect a bunch of different skaters. I actually met Ayman and Osama the very first time I went to my local skate park. It was probably like the second day it was built and they were there skating and killing it. But they didn’t know me, well we knew of each other then but I wasn’t any good at skating yet. I couldn’t really even kickflip or heelflip that well. Fast forward a few years later, maybe like three or four, they built the Laurel park which is [Ayman and Osama’s] local park and I started making the trip out there because Laurel is the best park in PG by far. They were there all the time and they kept seeing me progress, keeping up a relationship – saying “hey, what’s up” at the park whenever I’d see them. Then, when they started Carpet out of our homie Evan’s basement around 2015 or so…

… I remember that basement.

Yeah! In Hyattsville and I live in Hyattsville so I’d always see them around. I’d see them at Mt. Rainier or Melrose. Then I started working at a coffee shop right next to the house they were doing Carpet out of and they started selling skateboards inside the coffee shop I was working at. I was like “Oh! This is so sick!” I just kept seeing them and skating with them more. I guess when they finally started making enough stuff to start hooking people up, they asked me if I’d be down. I was like “Oh yeah! I’d love to ride for you guys!” – or not even “ride” for them at that point. It was more so just like rock some their stuff. I always thought it was the coolest stuff for sure. It still is the coolest stuff.

I know you lived on the West Coast for a few years, was that something you always imagined happening or was it more spontaneous?

After going out to SF for the first time on a trip – we actually went together in 2018 with Nnamdi haha…

That shit was sick!

After that trip, I definitely wanted to live in San Francisco at some point. Realistically, I didn’t think it would happen but I definitely thought to myself “oh yeah, at some point I want to live in the city”. It was the coolest place I’ve ever been to at the time. The fact that I got to live there starting the next year was pretty awesome. Definitely unexpected though.

For sure, it’s similar to an East Coast city. Was that something that was comforting at the time?

Definitely. I’ll say that I liked how San Francisco was kind of congested. You could get from the beach to downtown in thirty minutes. With the train, you could go all the way around the city. I liked how it was very fast paced and all connected. You could even get to the East Bay on the train in like thirty minutes. It reminded me a lot of the metropolitan area that we grew up in. I definitely did not want to move to an area like San Diego or LA where I had to be in a car all the time.

Was there a certain point that made you feel like you wanted to move back to the DC area?

Yeah, I started to miss the seasons. Growing up on the East Coast, seasons are a major part in how you perceive the world and how you perceive time. You expect it to be different outside at different points in the year. I always loved that. I love the fall and the change from spring to summer. I started to miss that a little bit. Also, Covid hit and it completely changed the vibe of San Francisco. Things were on lockdown, things slowed down a lot. The city was getting a little out of hand with public safety and public hygiene in certain areas. It just became something where me and my girlfriend, Christine, were just like “oh man, it’d be nice to get another change of pace” and start something different.

Being back and skating Pulaski a bunch, what’s it been like at the plaza?

Dude, it’s been awesome. It’s been sick to get back to skating the plaza. Before I moved to SF, we skated the plaza but not nearly as much. Back then, park police would still show up every now and again. It wasn’t the main hangout spot that everyone would link up at as much. We would all chill there but it was just a different vibe whereas now it’s super open, everybody links up there. It’s such a nice spot, I definitely missed it when I was living in SF. It’s nice to have a plaza to go to and do anything at, you know? Good ledges, good flatground, always run into good homies. Great spot.

That’s how it is, man. The plaza – not a lot of cities have that shit.

It’s truly a blessing. Moving away and not having it you’re like “damn”. You realize how much a blessing it is to have a central spot that everybody appreciates.

That’s what’s up. Any plans with Carpet in the future?

Yeah, we definitely have been working on a Carpet video, something to put out hopefully soon. Other than that, we’ve just been taking trips, hanging with the guys. They are making cool stuff. We’re really just skating though. It’s been great working with them.

It’s nice to be a part of something growing, rather than just kind of jumping on something that’s already happening.

It’s the coolest thing. Not that I’d ever expected to receive anything from Carpet becoming what it is but it is insane to see how big Carpet has become and those are our friends. Just all upsides, it’s truly awesome to be a part of that and I’m honored to be a part of it with my friends.

Anybody you wanna thank as we wrap this shit up?

Big shout out to you, Nnamdi. Big shout out to Owen. All the statue gang, statue crew my guys. Shout out to Xine for always holding it down. Shout out to my parents. Big shout out to Carpet, big love those are my guys. Shout out to Crushed Skateshop. Shout out to Dial Tone Wheels for holding me down and keeping me rolling. Anybody I might have forgotten, big love to you all too and thank you again for the opportunity.