With new artists continuing to emerge in the rap game, it’s only a matter of time before up and coming artists break through and become the leaders of the new school. Catching up with one of the games rising stars, this week’s special guest for Ask a Sneakerhead is South Florida’s very own Bizzy Crook. Continuing to make his presence felt on the music scene, Bizzy is putting in work while showing that he is more than ready to take the rap scene by storm. Aside from his lyrical prowess, Bizzy also happens to have a passion and longstanding connection to sneakers as well.
From the shoes that jumpstarted his love affair with sneakers, to the kicks he likes to perform in, Bizzy also shares just how much of an influence Michael Jordan has on his music. Keep reading after the jump to check out everything Bizzy had to say and to check out some of his mixtape artwork as well. Be sure to check out Bizzy’s Soundcloud and Youtube pages to familiarize yourself with some of his work.
Nice Kicks: What was that one shoe that got you really hooked on sneakers?
Bizzy Crook: I always appreciated a dope sneaker growing up. I had The “Raptor” 7s and “Olive” 9s before I was 10 years old so I guess I owe it to my mom; but 9th grade year is when I started going hard. I started the school year off with the “Black Toe” 14s, next thing I know I was selling, and trading whatever I could find in my room to get some new kicks. Then came my SB era, which led me to get my first and only job I ever had at KFC. I figured I could get two pairs each check, and that’s exactly how I spent my check. My boy Dwight would pick me up after work every Saturday and we’d go straight to this skate shop. I worked there about a month, and then I just never showed up again. I figured I found other ways to cop kicks without serving chicken and fries, until this music thing got real. We would always ride out to DunkXchanges every time we were up. My boys would come through my crib with their kicks and we’d just spend hours negotiating sales and making trades. It was real. I Never did get those “Sea Crystals” though 🙁 #OneDay
Nice Kicks: When you’re rocking the stage, what’s your favorite pair of kicks to perform in? Why?
Bizzy Crook: My favorite sneakers to perform in, at the moment, are probably my Red Octobers. For one, I just come out feeling like YEEZUS. Like automatically ready to tear this sh*t down. It’s a statement sneaker. It saves me a lot of talk on the stage. I’d come out on tour with Wale wearing them and before I even said a word, they were all ears. They knew the mix. They mean a lot to me because of my so many failed attempts to get my hands on them in the past. The Solar Reds already broke my heart a bunch of times in the past and then the Red Octobers, I had kinda just given up. Like man I’m gonna just have to go drop bands on them somewhere when I’m rich. I gave up on them and went back to my regular scheduled life without Red Octobers and then the day I was leaving for tour with Wale, my manager Lani had just came in my room and casually given them to me. I tried to play it off and keep it cool, like Oh sh*t thanks bro, but inside it was a dream come true. So I get like a extra BOOST of triumphant bliss when I wear them on stage.
Nice Kicks: You reference Michael Jordan a lot in your projects and music, how has his influence played a part in both your music and style?
Bizzy Crook: I feel like if we’re not all trying to be the Michael Jordan of our field, what are we doing. All love to Bron, but I’m from Miami, I put out a mixtape called ’84 like a year and a half ago. It represented 1984, the year MJ was drafted by the Bulls and they didn’t even want to draft him. At the time he was a 21 year old rookie with everything to prove. Fast forward to today, he sure did, and no one foreseen it like him. He started at the bottom and is a living example that potential is infinite. So the ’84 mix tape is a collective of stories from my early beginnings, starting as a rookie on the journey to become the greatest version of me I can be.
Ask a Sneakerhead: Bizzy Crook Ask a Sneakerhead: Bizzy Crook
