Crep Protect is a Footwear protection brand that has taken the sneaker game by storm providing the UK with a brand that reps our values and culture even down to the name. J2k (Jason Black) is known to all of us firstly as a Grime artist that was a member of the Roll Deep Crew and also as a sneakerhead that has had heavy support and sponsorship from sports brand adidas. J2k along with his co-founder founded Crep Protect in 2013 and have been pushing hard to make the brand a household name world wide. Crep Protect’s latest project is their biggest to date, a 6 can collaboration with the NBA, we sat down with J2k to find out how this came about, why they threw a lavish celeb filled party at the Shard and what it’s like pushing a UK brand in the USA.
Jason, the brand has grown a whole lot since we first came across you guys at Crepe City 7 in 2013. For our readers, summarise some of the amazing projects Crep protect has been involved in since then.
Since then man, there has been a lot of things the company has grown massively within that time, entering new territories around the world like Australia, America and all through Europe, doing deals with the top footwear chains – Footlocker, JD Sports, Urban Outfitters – you know, Even down to the collaborations. Our biggest collaboration yet being this one, NBA. Every day is a new experience there is always new things and new ways to be proud of something. Sponsoring all the major sneaker events around the world is a big thing. Like Sneakerness and sneaker cons etc. Even doing trade shows like Agenda. Every day is something else.
In a cultural world of fashion, sneakers, and music, collaboration has been a massive way of endorsing our peers and shining a light on the connection between lifestyle and products. Tell us your views on why collaboration is still important in 2015.
I think it’s been important for the longest time, never mind just 2015, that’s one thing I always recognised from the beginning. Understanding the lifestyle that comes with the products is essential. At the end of the day I know what kind of people I am selling to, so I know what people are after. I know my consumers. I know my product isn’t the first shoe spray in the world but it is the best, if you get me. Like I used to go to Footlocker back in the day and get shoe spray. But there never was enough for both feet and by recognising that early, my product was better already in that sense. Once you’ve got a great product you need to showcase it though. It’s almost like an artist. It has to have a personality, you know what I mean? Being from the music background, I have been trying to collaborate with people who are considered “cool” like the culture movers/influencers. Having that network is an advantage, people really wanna back it so it’s definitely important, but you need to be able to do it on a bigger scale. Big companies are now approaching us, like the NBA collaboration was a surprise to us, from having the initial conversation to putting a proposal together then to having a meeting and then going back and forth for a year with them before it formulating into what it is today.
A lifestyle footwear protection brand and a national basketball association, explain the correlation and also the inspiration behind the project.
Well I mean the NBA has inspired me from young as me and my peers grew up watching games and that, I was into sports myself, I grew up playing football and played basketball on a recreational level. The correlation comes with the lifestyle attached to the game, off the court these players are celebs and influencers in their own right and indulge in footwear , fashion and lifestyle, which are the same core things that we promote as a brand on a smaller scale with me being an artist independently of the brand. So coming together with one of the biggest brands in the world and aligning Crep protect with that makes perfect sense.
What’s your favourite NBA team and why?
It’s gonna’ have to be the Bulls innit really. Just cos of the era I grew up in- Michael Jordan’s era you know, but currently I don’t really have a team. I just like watching sport, so there are a few players I would root for but other than that it’s gonna have to be the Bulls.
We saw the Six Cans at the launch party that was held at the Shard earlier this week. Why choose the Shard as a venue and what was the creative inspiration behind the impressive layout and impressive guest list?
Well obviously, we have had collaboration launch parties before, but with this one it was the NBA launch party so we had to up our game. When we first had to put this together I was thinking like “Rahhh… we got to go all out!” So we decided to hire the biggest place in London for it (Shard). Obviously this is a new big thing for us and like no one has done it before in the Shard. And also I believe that with a brand it is important to live an experience with your brand. You wanna’ be able to come out and have a good time with the brand. That’s it really. It is all about showing people you care.
And the impressive guest list?
Well I mean I just got a lot of my friends to come out and people I know to show their support really, and get it crackin’ you know what I’m saying?
The brand has been doing a lot of marketing and networking in the US. How receptive are our US counterparts to UK businesses and what are the challenges that you faced in the early days in the sneaker market?
Well I think it’s still early days in the US, we are both into protecting sneakers but we have different attitudes but I guess we just gotta’ adapt to that. We are just starting from the bottom and working our way up. Fundamentally we are trying to infiltrate the same business over there that we have here, obviously it’s different though as it’s a gigantic whole new place compared to here. We go to these events of theirs to be a part of their culture you know and to gain new relationships and speak to people.
How are the people over there ? Are they feeling it? Are they warm to UK businesses?
Yeah it’s cool, definitely! I feel like they like us even more so, when they find out it’s not from the US but rather it is from overseas. Some of them are like “Oohh is it from the UK?”, and It kind of intrigues them a bit more. Cos it’s overseas they love it you know. But yeah they are definitely receptive man.
Have you had any challenges over there?
Well yeah naturally I mean, it’s a big country isn’t it so it’s like hard trying to cover that ground. And also not even that but there is competition as well you get what I am saying? Other brands and things but it’s normal though nothing that has come as a shock.
Is sports going to be a big theme with the brand? We have seen the brand interact with boxer Brad “One Punch” Pickett, and also heard a few things about BMX ramps. What other sport related projects can we look forward to seeing?
Well I mean you know we have Ryan Taylor, he’s our brand ambassador, and so yeah he’s on our team now so you gotta’ check him out. But yeah sports is definitely a recurring theme with us. Nowadays sport is very blurry it all moulds together with celebrities. You see athletes wanna’ be all swaggy and cool and artists are living like sports stars so it’s all the same thing. That’s why they all hang out together it’s all the same kind of world. It just makes sense. I knew this from the beginning. We also have our resident DJ, DJ Melody Kane on our team to link the two similar worlds together you know.
The NBA and sneakerheads go hand in hand in America, thanks to OG’s like Michael Jordan, Patrick Ewing, and most recently Lebron James. Do you think UK/European sneakerheads today embrace basketball and sneakers in the same way? Or understand the connection?
You know you got the new generation who are just picking up new shoes purely because they are new releases you know what I mean? But then you’ve got us who can relate to a shoe and talk about the games to do with the players and the shoe. But you can’t blame the new generation you know cos there is a big hype about shoes and these guys weren’t brought up on the same players that we were. I feel like everything has got to evolve so you can’t really help that you weren’t born when Jordan was shooting a hoop you know, it is what it is. There’s definitely a lack of knowledge nowaday’s you know with the hypebeasts, but it’s down to the OG’s to educate and the youngers to listen.
Can we expect anything more from this partnership with NBA and Crep protect?
Yeah for sure man! We got some things coming up in December, but yeah I don’t wanna’ ruin the surprise just yet. But yeah there will be things being pushed forward. Onwards and Upwards from here!
What is your favourite basketball sneaker ever made and do you own it?
It’s obvious, it’s gonna’ be a Jordan. The 4’s are definitely my favourite.
IBasketball player that has had the most influence of your life?
I mean this is bait innit lol it’s gotta’ be Michael Jordan!
Other than more from the NBA collab, what is coming up for Crep protect in 2016?
More products, as we are always developing, I mean its mad cos the things that you see now have been worked on from a year ago. I know from an outside perspective there has been a lot going on towards the end of this year a lot of launches a lot of activations but this stuff that has been in the thought process from over a year ago, you know what I mean? so its the same thing now we’re working on stuff for next year now, theres definitely more dope shit coming more activations, looking to extend the product range. And theres work towards conquering all the territories so theres always work going on to make a footprint in a new part of the world, its happening now as we speak. its about growing the brand to be the biggest that it can be. My whole thing was that I wanted it to be global you know what I mean? That was the goal from early, my whole thing was that I wanted it be Redbull that was another goal like “this brands gonna be Redbull” and why not? Why not shoot for that?
The Crep Protect and Redbull Collaboration drops at select stockists and online from December 7th.
You can get a look at the upcoming collaboration along with the pictures from the Crep Protect x NBA Launch party at the Shard here. Follow Crep Protect on Twitter at @CrepProtect
