WORDSPJ Some
封面明星 - Prettyboy 做
創意總監 - Derrick Odafi & Jessica Rushforth
創意製作人 - Jessica Rushforth 和 Derrick Odafi
攝影師 - 芭芭拉普雷莫
視覺總監 - John Serunjogi
造型師 - Malcolm Yaeng
造型師助理 - Gloria Iyare
佈景設計師 - 傑西卡·拉什福斯
MUA - 祝福 Kambanga
STUDIO - 拍攝更多照片工作室
Syd, what are 3 character traits that give a good description of who you are?
S: I think one of them should definitely be ‘bully’, but not in a negative way. If I want something, I’m never going to stop, I’m going to keep trying to get it and be resilient and like a bully. I’m probably one of the most chill people you’ll ever meet. I don’t do too much, I always aim to have a good day, I’m optimistic, bully and relaxed. That’s the best way to describe me.
You are a true student of culture, what aspect of that are you studying now?
S: The most important thing to me right now is the way clothes fit. I’ve been studying a lot of designers, especially Hedi Slimane. The most important part of culture outside of clothes in general is just making sure that the people who care about what you’re doing are the ones that are catered to. All the kids that were in my discord, all those kids that I’ve ever bought, anything from me and any of those kids that I’ve ever done anything with me and my band or my brand in mind. Make sure I cater to them and put them first because they’re the most important people. I don’t care about bringing in new people, getting new fans. I don’t care about any of that. I care more about taking care of the ones that were already here because they’re going to bring more people here. It’s not going to be me to bring them. It’s going to be them speaking about it. That’s going to bring more people.
Prettyboy DO 的星光熠熠
就像第九期的“野火”一樣
當您想到 Afrobeats 時，尼日利亞藝術家很可能是您心目中的形象，我們知道他們擁有許多強大而有影響力的名字。開創性人物 Prettyboy DO 是當前來自非洲音樂強國的有影響力的藝術家名單中不容錯過的人物。這位出生於新澤西州的突破性藝術家提供了一種充滿活力和活力的聲音，不會讓您坐以待斃。這些聲音與他古怪的風格無縫匹配，從他在 COLORS 上的“Jungle Justice”和其他非常成功的單曲（例如“Same Energy”和“Chop Elbow”）的表演中，您可以清楚地看到這種創造力的反映。 Prettyboy DO 是一位走鋼絲的社會評論和實驗音樂的藝術家，將這些性格特徵歸功於他的環境和個人影響。 Prettyboy 本人和他的音樂一樣有趣，受 Dennis Rodman 和 Sisqo 等人的影響，他的個人風格和能量從頭到腳都與眾不同，從他五顏六色的頭髮到他富有表現力的風格感。
在他最近發布的最新項目之後，受聖經啟示錄啟發的名為“野火”的 EP； Prettyboy DO 已經能夠在 Afro-Pop 和 Rap 之間產生分歧，炫耀他的多才多藝，這使他與眾不同！被稱為 Alte 界的王者，毫不奇怪，他的影響力隨著音樂傳播，營造出迷人的氛圍。繼續他的旅程，這位歌手/說唱歌手似乎有一個明確的目標，那就是成為最偉大的人，一路上激勵人們，鋪平自己的道路。
WORDS Derrick Odafi
“音樂讓我成為一個男人。我一直熱愛音樂，即使是在孩提時代，但更喜歡音樂的時尚方面。大吉、馬斯、圖帕克…… ”
Necklace, Stylist’s own
Bracelet, Vitaly
Top, Stylist’s own
Skirt/Trousers, Yenesai
您對於倫敦的觀點是？
P：我經常來這裡，這次因為音樂而不同，我們現在起床了。我愛倫敦，我愛那裡的人，對我來說，這似乎很非洲。從某種意義上說，它就像家一樣。
倫敦和拉各斯有很好的聯繫，你覺得它是什麼？
P：首先，我們這裡有很多自己的人，這裡有很多非洲人。這裡有一種類似於拉各斯的整體氛圍，因為它非常繁忙，非常喧囂。但這裡是一個更高的層次，還有鬥爭。我愛倫敦，但與此同時，這裡的鬥爭很瘋狂，因為他們在這裡什麼都不說，只是內部的。
你在紐約也有經驗，那也是一個你真的必須努力才能做到的地方。
P：我想我所過的生活，我學到的一件事是你不能真的後悔。如果我有某種職位，我不能浪費它。倫敦很忙，就像地鐵一樣，你真的沒有空間，紐約就是這樣，就像 x2 不干淨，比倫敦更堅韌不拔。
回到音樂上來，你是說音樂找到了你還是你找到了音樂？
普：那很深。音樂讓我成為一個男人。我一直熱愛音樂，即使是在孩提時代，但更喜歡音樂的時尚方面。 Biggie、Mase、Tupac……我喜歡 Tupac，我什至有一個像他一樣的紋身。時尚在我的腦海裡一直很重要，同時也是音樂，但我從來沒有把自己看作一個說唱歌手，我把它看作是一種生活方式，所以我到處跳舞、振動、模仿。它的文化，尤其是它的時尚。當我年輕的時候，我可能想成為一名設計師。問題是，在高中時，我曾經寫過很多，詩歌等，陳詞濫調，但總是奏效。在大學裡，他們讓我用英語寫一首詩，我寫得很快，他們讓我把它讀出來，而且很長，每個人都喜歡哇。那個時候我腦子裡真的沒有音樂，但是那個時候 Drake 出來了，Rocky 出來了。我在學校表現不佳，我只是失去了我的女孩和心碎。然後我開始進入錄音室，但直到我覺得它很好而且那是在 2012 年我才發布任何東西，我沒有回頭。
這有點注定，這是一個過程，但你不知道這個過程是什麼。
P：是的，你不知道在遇到人的過程中會發現什麼。事情變大了。是上帝。這是上帝和工作。
除了音樂，你還會做哪些有創意的事情？
P：電影，我導演了很多音樂視頻。我可能會進入電影，這取決於我去那裡的雄心和意願。我真的很想現在開始。
你有造型師嗎？如果不是，它從哪裡來？
P：我只是在 Instagram 上，保存東西然後混合起來。
我們最喜歡你的項目之一是你的 2018 項目，你最喜歡創造它的時刻是什麼。
P：當我回到拉各斯時，我去了伯明翰和洛杉磯，那一次我決定放棄一個項目。然後我和我的表弟進行了一次談話，他告訴我“你必須放棄一個項目，放棄一些東西並了解你的聲音，就像你的單身人士正在流行一樣，你很興奮，但需要了解你的聲音”。太好了，一旦他說我很酷，讓我們走吧，讓我們開始吧。我有一堆我已經錄製好的音樂，去倫敦錄製 2 首歌。去拉各斯，開始和我的孩子們一起錄音，雨果，然後我們有兩個。現在我們可以舉辦一場表演了……我很生氣，我討厭行業政治，如果我們努力工作，你就能努力工作，讓我們去吧，讓我們抓住這個機會。我和我一起去參加一個表演行業 n****s tryna f**K 我很生氣。但演出結束後，我很生氣，我去了他的工作室，告訴他給我演奏一些東西，那個節拍讓我感到最快樂。拉起
What were some of the things you saw in your audience that gave you the confidence to do that?
S: I’m just down to take the risk, when I started Years of Tears, I just spoke to the mandem about it the other day. When I started this shit, not that they had no faith, they always had faith in me, but they had no understanding as to how it was going to go. Simply based on me building something so big. Byslik at the time was huge. I turned away from it to go do the next thing. It was hard for anyone to understand where I was going to go with it. But I always had my own vision. Even if no one else understands it, I know within time people will understand it. Turning away from that and turning towards Years of Tears was a crazy little era but it was just a risk. If I released and sold one item that’s good because I did something you know, I did something and I wasn’t gonna stop.
I’ve done releases where I haven’t sold a lot of things and I keep going every single time because at the end of it it’s not necessarily about this move that matters, it’s the next move and the one after that. I never really get scared about that type of thing and also my audience, they really showed me that they’re ready for anything I have to bring for them. They’re ready because I brought them a whole different swag and they immediately were ready for it. That’s one thing I’m very grateful for, my audience because they understand that I’m not gonna be the same forever, which means the brand isn’t gonna look the same forever, which is sick. Years of Tears now doesn’t look like what Years of Tears looked like two years ago. Two years ago it was straight leathers, nothing else. This year i’ve been using football tees and polos and denims, all of the above.
Where is the craziest place you’ve seen someone wearing your clothes?
S: I’ve seen someone on Friday prayers, I was just like, what? My mom wore OSBATT to the village. Mum’s wearing some clothes that I made in the Village I’m involved with, that’s flipping crazy to me. But yeah, I see it everywhere now, which is motivating, that it’s super sick, any party I go to, I know I’m gonna at least see one person. It’s not a conscious thing, but when I’ve seen them, I am very grateful. If I see someone wearing it and we’re close to each other, I would always try to tap them on the shoulder, like, yo, fuck with you for that. What they don’t know is that in them wearing it and feeling fly, they’re also helping me. I’m very grateful for anyone I ever see or anyone that’s ever bought this that I haven’t seen yet.
Matthew Williams is a friend of yours, what about being around his process would you want to apply to yours?
S: I remember when he invited me to the Alyx Fall Winter 23 show, in Milan. I went out there on a whim, like I literally got the call up the night before. I just booked my flight straight. I went there on a real whim. And when I meet people, I’m really quiet, especially if I’m somewhere where I want to learn something. So I got there and just watched the whole process of him having his show and how much went into it. I just asked him small questions here and there. And just seeing everything that he did, it really made me respect him on a different level. You’re just a man on your own, and you’re really doing all this stuff. That is sick to see.
Have you already started ideating for an Alyx x Years Of Tears Capsule?
S: That would be something still, I think I’m trying to stay cool for now. I work with my brothers, more than anything, but now that will be sick. I think the last time I sent him my collection was maybe December. I send him a collection and he told me he fucked with it, so it was nice. It’s sick to always get a bit of motivation from the people that you look up to. If you’re a footballer and Cristiano Ronaldo tells you you are really good at football, you will feel motivated and you’ll keep going. And then you keep pushing. Yeah, so whenever I have sent him any of my collection and they said he fucks with it, it’s motivating.
You recently went to China, what did you enjoy most about that experience?
S: China was one of those eye-openers. We live in the west and they’re feeding us things about China. While there is probably some merit to that, there’s also a part that they miss where they forget to tell you that China’s is its own country and allowed to have its own laws, they’re allowed to do their own thing they shouldn’t have to be just like us. When I went to China I expected to get there and it would be the most militant place ever. I even went to Wuhan, that’s where Covid started. I went there and it’s probably one of the most modern places I’ve been to in my life, there’s a lot of surveillance there, a lot. But we’ve got a lot of surveillance here and we’re still not safe whereas over there if you do anything you even steal a chocolate bar, you’re going you’re going to jail! China really opened up my eyes and understood that there’s a world outside of our world, they’ve got a whole different economy. There’s 1.3 billion people that do not need us in the slightest.
We need to get out there and really understand it and take it in. Whenever I travel, I try to understand everything. I was doing all the traditional Chinese things, I’d go out and be with my people from there. And I think that really made my experience really authentic and memorable because I saw the real China, I didn’t see the tourist China or anything like that. I’ve seen the westernized version of China. I went to Wuhan, Shanghai after and I could see the differences, I came back and I’ve got WeChat. It makes so much sense to me, WeChat is an app for everything.
“如果我還在做音樂，我認為自己是在尼日利亞從事音樂工作的山羊之一。”
我們看到您擁有很長的職業生涯並領導著新的藝術家。在接下來的 10 到 15 年裡，你在哪裡看到你自己和你的手藝？
P：10 年後我想在哪裡……該死，我會老[笑] 我看到不同的東西，但我認為自己是在尼日利亞在音樂上做這件事的山羊之一，如果我還在做音樂的話.如果我不是，我將擁有一位藝術家，但仍然是有史以來最偉大的藝術家之一。 10 年後我可能會拍電影。也許在我的腦海裡，我可能會試圖獲得奧斯卡獎。那時我認為自己是泰坦，一個家喻戶曉的名字——它甚至不會是我的藝名，而是我的真名。
令人驚嘆，希望製作能被世界記住的一代電影？
P：是的，只是想成為娛樂界的巨人。我不認為自己在商業上有什麼表現，但我會把手伸進去，我知道我會去拍電影。到那時，我認為我不會成為焦點，但我的電影會。
Dress, TRACY CUI.
Ring (Right Hand), KHIRY
Rings (Left Hand), AGMES
Nose Ring, ARTIST’S OWN.
Who would you like to sit down with someday and help you understand certain aspects of the moveable fashion space?
S: I truly wish I had the opportunity to sit down with Vivian Westwood. That was one of my biggest inspirations ever. I studied every single thing about Vivian Westwood, there’s nothing I couldn’t tell you about her. I used to meet people and just speak about Vivian Westwood.She really did a lot for me in a specific area. I started to understand. She taught me the political side of fashion. That no one really ever wants to talk about or would really want to delve into. Her putting the swastikas on clothes, but there’s a message behind it that she’s trying to send. One really important thing I’ve learned is that intention is more important than anything. If you intend on doing something and your intention is positive, then no one can say anything to you. Her intention with putting these clothes out, which are crazy, was to deliver a message.
Obviously, we live in 2024. People see anything and they just get offended straight away. I kind of want to emulate that in my next collection. It’s called No Man’s Land. No Man’s Land is a place. If you’re ever in a war, it’s a place between two enemy trenches or two just enemy areas. There’ll be a patch of land where no one really wants to go there because A, you will die, or there might be a mine and you will die.
This issue’s theme is based on the idea of Resistance, what does that word mean to you?
S: Resistance to me is a challenge man,If there’s resistance against you, push against it. David beat Goliath, God is stronger than anything. Resistance for me is just the challenge you have to overcome. 100% of the resistance in my life to this day and i’ve won every single resistance battle, just gonna keep going. Just win every single resistance challenge that’s put in front of you.
If you could only shed one last tear for something for the rest of your life, what would it be?
S: I want to be when I do my runway show. The final tear will be literally doing that runway. And when I walk down, after showing the looks and I can grab my hand and we can walk back to the back like that will just make me smile more than anything.
They’ll make me share the tears for her. Like being able to show my Mum, Your son actually did what he said he was gonna do.
“如果我還在做音樂，我認為自己是在尼日利亞從事音樂工作的山羊之一。”
