11.15.2010 at 5:43 pm // Comments »

MAGAZINE | Pharrell Covers Paper Mag, Talks to Shepard Fairey

Pharrell Williams covers Paper Mag’s Art Issue. OBEY‘s Shepard Fairey, Guest Editor of the issue, interviewed him. Did you know Fairey designed N.E.R.D.’s brain logo? Fact.

Check out Paper Mag’s photos of Skateboard P and highlights of the interview below.

Shepard Fairey: What do you consider yourself? A musician? A designer? Or just a general creative person?

Pharrell Williams: I would just say, you know, just a kid with ideas.

On skating …

SF: It’s great to see everything you’re doing now. You’re kicking ass. So I know you skated a lot when you were younger. That was a big thing for me, too; it was what opened my eyes to creative cultures. You grew up in Virginia Beach, which was a big skate town. Do you think it was skateboarding that initially got you into what you are into musically and artistically?

PW: Yeah, because at the end of the day it attracted so many people of different cultures that you were bound to learn something from each other because you all have something cool in common, and that unified us as kids. And I thought it was amazing as a child that all my friends were so different, listening to all different kinds of music.

Billionaire Boys Club / Ice Cream

SF: I’m curious about your relationship with [Bathing Ape designer/music producer] Nigo, who I feel is like the Japanese Warhol. In Japan, in terms of the crossover between commercial projects and high-end art, there are fewer boundaries. How did you get into what he was doing with the [clothing and shoe lines] Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream?

PW: Well, he basically just gave me a shot. I came to his studio, he showed me some of his stuff, and I told him I wanted this, this and this. He told me to take it. I wore a lot of it, and finally he was like, “Hey, you wanna do your own line?” I was like, “Hell yeah,” and so the rest was history.

Brooklyn Machine Works

PW: It’s this iconic bike company  that’s over 10 years old, located out  in Brooklyn. They do a lot of dope collaborations. We did one with Supreme. You should see if you like the bikes — we would love to do a collaboration with you. That would be crazy. Like you know, an apparel line.

Artst.com

SF: So tell me about your art site through which you’re trying to showcase emerging artists, Artst.com.

PW: We just felt like every time we come on stage, there is always some dope artist saying, “Hey, you know, check me out, let me direct your next video, let me design your next T-shirt.” So we created the site because we wanted to give them a platform so they could not only be heard by us, but by the rest of the world as well. If you’re an artist, you can go on and find producers and someone to do your cover, someone to dress you for your shoot. I was just trying to provide a space for them to get visibility.

To shop for streetwear brands like OBEY and Billionaire Boys Club, check out our online Pop-Shops at SampleSaleShop.com. Membership is free. Gear is 50-80% off.

via Paper Mag

 Tagged ART, Billionaire Boys Club, Ice Cream, N.E.R.D, OBEY, Paper Mag, Pharrell Williams, Sample Sale Shop, SampleSaleShop, SampleSaleShop.com, Shepard Fairey, streetwear, urban fashion