Young Poor & Angry Press

Whether it’s rocking a 40 hour work week, going to shows or creating clothes Gavin SP is one hard working cat. We caught up with the Florida native recently to discuss the inspiration behind his new spring line. The clothes are extremely hardcore and hip-hop inspired without being carbon-copy rip-offs of labels like Ed Hardy (which, lets face it are just rip offs of traditonal tattoo art a lot of people already sport anyhow…permanently.)  As well as the line Gavin is in the band Palestine (yes that crazy hardcore band with 5 singers that shreds.) Hard to figure out how one man can do it all…but somehow he does.

What inspired you to create the Still Proud line?

My main inspiration came from my involvement in the hardcore scene. Over the years I’ve played in bands, booked and promoted shows and did a bit of journalism in college, but by default I was drawn to clothing. Clothing has the ability to convey such a strong message in a very direct way and being that I’m an opinionated person with something to say, I decided to explore the world of “fashion” by starting Still Proud Clothing.

What is the theme of the spring line?

The central theme behind SP is to wear your pride on your sleeve and to stand up for whatever it is that motivates you in life. In the beginning, I set out to encompass the diversity within both the hardcore and hip-hop scenes but as of late I find myself leaning towards a broader vision, which can be evidenced via our latest line titled “Swing at the World.”

If you’ve seen the new threads, you’ll see a theme of self-empowerment intertwined with SP’s typical bold delivery. We all go through life constantly told to grow up, go to college, get a job etc. and somehow along the way we set aside our passion in pursuit of what the world thinks we should do. For instance, this is how a kid who may have a strong entrepreneurial side and loves hardcore music ends up being a lawyer or someone who’s naturally gifted at crafting skateboards ends up giving up and going to college to become a doctor.

My point with these 2 examples is that 90% of the public does not follow their passion. Instead, they opt for the path most traveled which often leads to a lot of should haves and could have beens and less happy, productive individuals. The name Still Proud represents holding on to what makes each of us unique and there is no telling exactly where we are going to go with each release, and I like it that way.

What drew you into the hardcore scene?

I was initially drawn into hardcore because it was music that actually stood for something. It was not concerned with radio play, selling records or making a career, it was all about the message, music and the fans. In my opinion there is not a genre of music that has as much sincerity, conviction and community bond as hardcore, although naturally things have changed a bit. There is a level of commercialization that has come into some factions but I think as a whole, it is certainly alive and flourishing and I’m stoked to still be a part of it.

Tell us about some of the bands you work with?

The bands I approach and work with are ones that I’m personally a fan of and have some semblance to our message. I have personally known Knock Em Dead and Thick As Blood through playing with them in mutual bands over the last 5 years, so it was a given that we would work together. Outerspace came into the fold as I’ve been a fan of theirs through their affiliation with Army of the Pharaohs/ Jedi Mind Tricks fame and they are a solid testament to independent hip-hop. The Legacy came into the picture as I’d been listening to them for years and approached them; sadly though they are no longer a band.

As for the other two, Pay No Respect and Lionheart: PNR was recommended to me by one of their friends and I was immediately blown away by their sound and the fact that they are unsigned. Lionheart, I had been in talks with the boys over the last six months. I was drawn to them because of the mentality that they convey and the seriousness of their work ethic. I aim to work with bands who are pushing the envelope in their respected genres and who are not just looking for handouts but want to build a mutually beneficial relationship, that’s very important to me.

Tell us about your band Palestine?

Palestine started off as a group of nine friends looking to have a lot of fun. Little did we know that it would draw a pretty big crowd and allow us to play with the likes of Madball, Death Before Dishonor, Sworn Enemy and Hoods to name a few, but I guess when you’ve got 5 singers, people will be intrigued. As of late though we are not really doing much as 1/3 of the band has gone in other directions but you may see us pop up on a couple of shows in the near future, stay tuned to our MySpace.

The “Can’t Stop/Won’t Stop” shirt, is that a Madball reference?

Madball is one group that made the statement but I’ve heard it from hip hop legend KRS One as well. I like it because it has footing in both genres and represents the mentality that you must have to be successful in life. No matter the odds or dirt being thrown at you, you have got to keep it moving.

Who are some of your favorite hardcore bands?

It’s to narrow down which are my favorites, but some of the ones I have found myself listening to a lot recently are With Honor, Hatebreed (old), Life Long Tragedy, Strife, Have Heart, the Carrier, Trash Talk, Trapped Under Ice, Reign Supreme, Terror. It’s getting tough nowadays as there are so many new bands coming out of the US, Europe or Australia that are tearing shit up. It’s certainly a good time for hardcore music, that’s for sure.

Who are some of your favorite hip hop bands?

This the realhard one, but I really like all of the artists affiliated with Army of the Pharaohs (Outerspace, Celph Titled, King Syze, Chief Kamachi, RA), Jedi Mind Tricks, Immortal Tech, Snow Goons, a majority of Rhymesayers artists (Atmosphere, Brother Ali, Gray Skul, POS, Grieves), B Dolan, Dilated Peoples, to KRS One, Wu Tang, Biggie, Big L, the Arsonists, Blackstar, Gang Starr, and the Roots. This is another booming industry right now and it’s refreshing to see such a tight knit group of artists keeping the underground scene alive.

What are your goals for SP in the future?

To me, I really think the sky is the limit but ultimately it all comes down to the fans support. Make no mistake that I have a wealth of ideas that I would love to get out there in as short amount of time as possible. Though my real aim is to grow smart.

For the short term, I’ve been very focused on building a foundation for the brand and a more consistent release schedule. I’m also working on broadening the type and quality of products that I put out, which I have already began to do with the latest release.

Beyond the short term, I would like to look at getting SP into some small boutique street wear type stores and to broaden my sponsorships beyond bands. There are other ideas I’d like to explore but I’ll keep those on paper at the moment. SP’s growth is all in due time though and I’ll take each step as it comes.

What can people expect when they order clothes from you?

Still Proud is an independent company run by one person. There is no huge budget or large profiteering going on here, in fact, most would probably look at the return and think it’s not worth it. To me though, this company is something I’m very passionate about and I have a lot of fun with it.

Besides working a 40-hour workweek I rise early every morning and go to sleep late at night to keep this ship afloat. When you buy from SP your money goes back into the company so that I can keep coming out with dope gear. I try to go the extra mile with each purchase and include promotional materials from record labels and I even scribble a little thank you on each tag, ha. If you have a question or drop us a comment, I’ll always hit you back as transparency is very important to me and I never forget my peoples.

Shout outs?

Thank you so for the interview and for anyone looking to support a DIY company, check the following links:

Blogsite: <http://stillproudclothing.com/>
Store: <http://stillproudclothing.bigcartel.com/>
MySpace: <http://www.myspace.com/stillproudclothing>
Facebook: <http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?ref=profile&id=100000221932262>
Twitter: <http://twitter.com/StillProud>

Edited by Stoney Wayne.