WalkerWear_Barrel_BrothersComing back on the scene has been a real experience. People often ask me why I decided to relaunch Walker Wear and the most practical answer would be because I had an itch creatively, I thought the timing was right and wished to extend my portfolio. That would be true, but the most important factor is that I wanted to be a part of the process to bridge the gap between generation x and y.

Music and fashion have always been two of the biggest forms of self-expression. Music can take us right to that time of where we want to be or tell how we feel by listening to our playlist, and fashion is undoubtedly the best form of drag. It can tell us how we feel, show our attitude, and gives a sense of who the person is without words.

Originally, I started out in entertainment on the fashion side. I would make custom clothing and go on to work with and style some of the greatest artists, athletes, MC’s and singers, in a time when it was all still coming together. It’s surreal because my comrades and I were truly living the dream, young ones just being creative, doing what we loved, and building a multi-billion dollar industry much bigger than ourselves. I am not sure if any of us knew how big Hip Hop would eventually become, but we did identify that we could create a nice lane and grab a piece of the pie. In this magical time, known as the “Golden Era of Hip Hop”, everyone worked together, routed for each other, brought something different to the table, respected each other, and worked together hard to elevate the culture.

Walker Wear was born out of necessity. We started our clothing brand because there was a demand; there was something missing. I started making clothing close to ’87. There weren’t any options that were being presented to us for our lifestyle at that time. We wanted pants that would fit over our Timberlands, deep pockets, with a little leg and crotch room. Walker Wear solved those problems. We offered style, comfort, durability with earth tones to create classics. I think that consumers gravitated to us because we spoke their language. Soon, our name became symbiotic with the music world, and we took it serious. When we worked with a music artist, we wanted to meet them, hear their music, and get a sense of their style and know their direction to make sure that there was compatibility. There were artists that we actually didn’t work with, because we thought it would confuse our consumer. As a brand, we understood the importance of clarity and knew what we represented and always wanted that messaging conveyed through the music artists that we worked with (whenever it was in our control). #authenticity

In continuing that same spirit today, we worked with The Barrel Brothers on their first video, ‘Blue Yankee Fitted‘ which was a perfect fit for us, for a few reasons. First and foremost, they can spit. Their album is dope. They both have raw talent. When you listen to their skills, they set the bar high lyrically! Here’s a few verses…

(Skyzoo) New giddy in the room and they saw it from the deck/ half a pound watches/ walker wear sweats, the logo of the city, double down on that line/ in the top by default, I don’t count past five…
from the grey bottom era and one of just a select two/ that never change what he waves when all the rest do

(Torae) They don’t respect humble all niggas see is the shine
So I design lines illuminating they mind
Greatest of modern time they tell you different they lying

Okay, I also have to talk about their originality. They don’t sound like anyone else, and better yet, they’re not trying. They have a different flavor than the usual suspects, and even though they both have their own individualistic talent, together, it works in perfect harmony. From the visual, the ‘Blue Yankee Fitted’ video was so dope because it was so New York, showing the city grittiness, with a vibe of the ‘hood shit where dreams are born and the hustle begins. On the fashion front, we were able to style them in classic coaches jackets, hoodies, and plaid button ups that blended so well together with the visuals and music flow, that it added to set the tone for that video. Yeah, I’m proud that the Barrel Brothers were the first artists since our resurgence to represent the W’s their video. Even though we’re moving forward and things are so different in so many ways, some things will stay the same; talent and authenticity. Real recognizes Real.

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