What's Happening Now: A Detroit Lion
I first heard about Maurice Malone and his bold streetwear designs a couple of years ago from my girl Karen. She was filling me in on all she had seen at a menswear trade show and she couldn't stop talking about the young brother she met who designs "jeans for your ass," as it's stated on his signature label. Soon after, I was sent a small black and white catalog of his gear, complete with a type of mission statement expressing how he came into [Black] consciousness and what he hoped to gain [spiritually] through his clothing line. He had t-shirts with defiant messages – "Jesus was darker than me," "I'm tired of your lies and your pork" and "Fear Allah"-and some of the fattest rugged denim I had ever seen.
Since that time, Malone has been hustling to get his wares out there. He recently built and opened his own retail store, The Hip-Hop Shop. It's been described as a hip-hop shrine complete with music, art and apparel. But that's not all. Malone has built a DJ's booth in the back with different DJs dropping by on weekends to mix while folks shop. In fact, Malone himself is known as DJ Soul Finger and is one of few underground hip-hop party promoters in the Detroit area. He is also planning to hold open mike sessions so that local MCs can come in and test their skills. Malone is truly a keeper of the culture.
So next time you're in the Motor City, slide on over to Maurice Malone's Hip-Hop Shop at 15736 W. Seven Mile and soak in the vibe. If you can't make it to Detroit, call (646) 367-1946 for further information.
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