Introduction & Interview by Kelsea Kosko
Internationally known for his musical endeavors and as a professional skateboarder for Supreme, many of our readers (myself included) never realized Dave has been designing and printing with Gridlyne for several years, initially designing gear for Stone Rollers, and most recently for his new brand, God Gang (as well as simultaneously helping his mother produce a collection of swimsuits). Always on the move from one project to the next, Black Dave, as both an entity and as a human soul, truly and tirelessly embody the spirit and mentality of New York. You know, that mentality of like, sleep is the cousin of death.
Kelsea: So when did you start making your own clothing?
Dave: Well I have merchandise for my brand Stone Rollers, and I’ve been going at that for a few years now, definitely since I met Moe, that was like when we first started to take merchandise seriously. I’ve been working with him for a few years now. ‘Cause I was looking for that DTG shit, and he made that happen. I love Moe.
Kelsea: You grew up in New York right?
Dave: Yes.
Kelsea: What part?
Dave: I’m originally from the Bronx, lived there for about ten years, and I’ve been in Harlem ever since. I spent most of my years in Harlem.
Kelsea: Any childhood or early references like TV shows, cartoons, books, or traditions that still influence your creative process today?
Dave: Definitely, as far as TV shows, The Simpsons…I’m a big 90s’ kid, all that 90s’ shit. But Simpsons in the forefront, you know. Also funny stuff like you know, SNL, Seinfeld, all that shit played a role in the way I carried myself. A lot of sarcasm.
Kelsea: Some of our readers are likely already familiar with your skateboarding and music career; can you elaborate a little bit about your professional background and what you were doing before you started making clothing? You were doing Stone Rollers, but if I’m correct, that was originally a music project, and then you began making merch for it.
Dave: Right, [Stone Rollers] was definitely a collective. I also wanted to make sure I got the organic outreach first before I started asking people for their money. So, to me it was just putting out solid music, putting out solid content, being consistent, keep skating, keep getting to the people and then we started to make merchandise for ourselves; on the tip like we just made custom stuff for each other.
Kelsea: And then other people obviously wanted that stuff too.
Dave: Exactly, yeah. Everyone has their own method to how they go about it but I just felt like, that was the best for me. To keep it organic.
“Even if the shit doesn’t sell out or we don’t make large quantities, somebody can go back to the shirt and remember something nostalgic that was cool for them. ”
Kelsea: Also known as a creative risk taker, it makes sense that designing clothing in some capacity would eventually become another outlet for you. What were some pivotal moments or memories that sparked your decision to produce apparel?
Dave: When I started working at Supreme, in like 2010/2011, I really started to see the impact of merchandise and clothes and how much it meant to the kids just to have something in their hand that was reminiscent of a time. Not so much the shirt itself. You would get a piece of clothing and remember the certain place and time. I thought that was really cool; even if the shit doesn’t sell out or we don’t make large quantities, somebody can go back to the shirt and remember something nostalgic that was cool for them.
Kelsea: If you had the opportunity to style any one fictional or non-fictional human, who would it be and what would they wear?
Dave: Larry David. I’d put him in some camo pants, and a Yankees…nah not a Yankees jersey, I think he’s a Met’s fan actually…no he’s a Yankees fan. I’d put him in some vintage t-shirt, like a vintage rap or vintage rock t-shirt, maybe some gold chains and gold teeth. With a bucket hat. Top it off with a bucket hat. That’s Larry David. ‘Cause that’s my favorite person, ever.
Kelsea: Three places, artists, or themes, that are inspiring you right now?
Dave: Well punk rock has always been one of my biggest influences, more than hip hop. Just the DYI culture, and people not really giving a fuck and just giving it to the people, just giving their message to the people unfiltered. That’s always been my energy, whether it’s for my rap or anything.
Kelsea: Any specific artists, not just music, like fine art, local artists?
Dave: I go to a lot of art shows, and I keep in touch with the art scene, I forget the name of the big show I went to a couple weeks ago, but yeah I’m definitely always staying in touch. One of my boys Harif Guzman, he’s always kinda played a big role in inspiring the youth today in regards to New York City culture, doin’ art shows for the kids, not for the “kid” kids, the younger people. So that’s my boy.
“Punk rock has always been one of my biggest influences, more than hip hop. Just the DYI culture, and people not really giving a fuck and just giving it to the people, just giving their message to the people unfiltered. That’s always been my energy, whether it’s for my rap or anything.”
Kelsea: Places? I know it’s vague.
Dave: Nah, straight up traveling is the most important thing. This January I went through something really rough, I lost my best friend so I was really in a fucked up spot. We always had plans to go to Europe, so I just took a one way flight to Europe, and I spent like two months out there, and I spent my birthday in Paris. I was in Barcelona for about a month, too. It was so amazing to just get out and get that different change of scenery. And the coolest thing about traveling with me is that skateboarding is so universal. I did not know one person in Paris, I did not know one person. I just got a hotel and went out there, and as soon as I touched down I got skaters DM’ing me like yo, come to this park, come over to here, and they showed me around, showed me what’s good to eat, showed me where to go out, linked me up with a bunch of people to make music with out there. Skateboarding is really a universal language. And we [New York skaters] sleep on it, ‘cause we have a big, tightly, knit culture where we feel like we don’t have to get out of this shit. But people show so much love to New Yorkers anywhere we go. They envy us.
Kelsea: Could you reveal or hint at something you’re currently designing? You mentioned earlier you’re working on producing a bathing suit collection to help your mom, to help her launch a swimwear line.
Dave: Yeah that’s on the low, that’s on the low though. Big shout out to my mom and her brand. Honestly, let’s talk about that because I want that to be a thing. People shouldn’t be ashamed to help their parents do creative stuff, you’re never too old to branch out and say “boom, I wanna do this”. I’ve been helping my mom for years, and now she finally needed help with social media, she finally feels like she wants to sell merch. So I linked her up with Moe, they’ve got these great bathing suits coming out. And I’m excited for her, like I really am. She’s so happy, she’s so excited to make more, and it’s like, invigorating.
Kelsea: In addition the bathing suits, are you doing anything upcoming for Stone Rollers clothing-wise?
Dave: I’ve been putting out merchandise not for Stone Rollers; that was when I first started with Moe, but I’ve been doing stuff for my brand, which is actually a movement called God Gang, and God Gang is basically like, not a religious movement, but it is…we’re definitely pushing God, I just think there is so much dark, demonic energy on the youth that I gotta push God onto the kids, give out more positive energy.
Kelsea: I think a lot of people are in the same boat as you with that feeling. People are rethinking. There’s so much hate in media and culture regarding religion, and it’s been that way for a long time. But I think younger people are starting to look back at it and um…
Dave: Nah I agree with you. I’m not gonna lie, as skateboarding we rocked Thrasher, and Thrasher always has all this demonic imagery on it and we don’t even know what we’re wearing. But to me God Gang is not so much oh, this is your religion, so this one is good and this other one must be bad, it’s just the opposite of anything dark.
Kelsea: Religion and spirituality is something so highly personal, everyone can have their own idea and own way of going about it or whatever, and the idea to even group people into different religions or sects…I hate that idea; religion is a self-discovery, is what I’m trying to get at I think. You kinda figure out your own faith or ritual.
Dave: Exactly.
Kelsea: What is the biggest challenge or unexpected hurdle you had to overcome when you started to produce clothing, and any advice you could give to young aspiring creatives or designers?
Dave: My biggest challenge was keeping up with myself and staying consistent. When you’re putting out your own merchandise you’re being your own boss, right? So, no one can come and wake you up and say yo, do this job! Or yo, shoot these photos! So, we have to be on top of ourselves, and getting a team of people together where you can motivate each other, that’s the most important thing. Because sometimes we get too comfortable. Don’t base your stuff on anyone else’s stuff. Like if you wanna drop clothes every week, fuck it, drop every week. If you wanna drop every three months, but you know every three months you’re gonna have your photos, you’re gonna have all your merch done and samples done, drop every three months. Do the seasonal thing. It’s really just about what’s doing what’s right for you. Keep up with what you can handle.
Kelsea: Any emerging or established designers you look up to?
Dave: Well I’ve known Virgil [Abloh] for awhile, like probably since 2011. ‘Cause I used to skate for Been Trill, and Been Trill was actually him and Matthew Williams’s brand, Matthew Williams now does ALYX Clothing, ALYX Studios, so these guys have always been around me. You know it seems like in New York, almost everybody is having their own clothing brand nowadays, and that’s cool. Everyone has their own style, they have different people they cater to. They should have a place where everyone can support them, and I think that’s tight. But as far as people I’ve seen, to come in the game and go straight to the top, Virgil for sure.
“I wanna create an outlet for people to connect more, on a younger level, and speak more about what’s going on, about the pressure, about their insecurities, things that are bothering them. That’s really a goal for me. There needs to be something that’s marketed to the kids that is part of our culture that we see all the time.”
Kelsea: What is one goal or dream you hope to achieve by the end of 2019? It can be personal or professional.
Dave: Honestly, just happiness. Just happiness and stability. I had an injury recently, I sprained my knee. So I’ve been really focused on getting my mental and physical health all in the right place. I’m also a mental health advocate, the pressure is no joke. There was actually a YouTube streamer in New York who just passed away and he was 29 years old, a mother lost her son, the shit is sad. I wanna create an outlet for people to connect more, on a younger level, and speak more about what’s going on, about the pressure, about their insecurities, things that are bothering them. That’s really a goal for me. There needs to be something that’s marketed to the kids that is part of our culture that we see all the time.
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