FAT COP XXL....Texas style (lean not included...)

I had a chance to chat with the creative brains of the brand FATCOP XXL (Phantom and Hek). These two Texans don't pull any punches when explaining why we all need to shoot a cop!!!!

How was it growing up in TX (pros and cons)?

Texas was a lot of fun growing up. For most of my life Houston was the number one drug import city in the US and we took advantage. Also being from Houston as a yungin’ you get the best of both worlds of having exposure to nature while still living in a big city.

Houston is definitely a city to be in what brought you to NY?

During high school we always had our sights set on new york. We went to an advanced arts high school with classmates like Beyonce and Brian Michael Cox and others. Everyone was real serious about their craft. I think about 90% of my graduating class ended up here at one point.

How is the graff scene in Texas?

Haha, the graff scene was cool. Coming up in the mid 90’s there wasn’t too many people to look up to in Houston and there were only a couple of graff mags at the time but there were some real dope writers down there and we were doin our thing. It was a very well rounded scene- everything from bombing to burners.

Are writing on freights more popular then walls and how do the two differ?

Back then we did both. Our yard was right in downtown Houston so its not like that countryside fr8 scene you might be thinking of. I probably painted more fr8’s in Brooklyn than anywhere else now that I think about it.

How often do you go home?

Once or twice a year

Texas has the largest reciprocity with there license to carry. How hard is it to get a license to carry in TX and are you for gun control?

Anyone can have guns in Texas, the license you refer to is for concealed handguns. As long as you got it on the passenger seat in plain sight its legal. Gun Control means using both hands.

Chopped and screwed or crunk and snap music?

What’s crunk and snap? R.I.P Robert Davis aka DJ Screw

How did you and your partners meet and how did you guys come up with FATCOP XXL?

We met in high school and we reunited up in New York a few years later. I was at sva with my boy gage who came up with the name fatcop and did it as school assignment. I really liked the name and after that amadou diallo incident I felt like we had to do it for real.

(our first shirt)

For the most part people want to be entertained and not educated. FATCOP definitely seems to have a message behind it. Could you explain what the message is and the goals you hope to achieve?

I agree, we’re not here to preach, we just wanna make dope fashions and stay true to ourselves and our community.

Are the any other themes that you are planning to explore?

Yea, every collection is gonna have new themes relating to this system that we live in. one theme we wanted to explore this time but didn’t was the idea of surveillance.

What events and/or organization are you affiliated with that carry the theme of your brand?

Check out http://www.myspace.com/peoplesjustice we’re really feelin what they’re about. We also support the Stolen Lives Project which is an ongoing list of all the names and stories of all those who were killed by law enforcement. There’s also this organization we recently came across called Cop Watch

What if any run ins with the police in the past has influenced the brand?

We’ve done dedication tees to the amadou diallo and sean bell murders but every little run in or stories we hear influences us.

Do you think that the police are being policed enough, and truly serving to protect?

We just did a shirt that says “Police the Police” and our motto is “ To Collect & Serve” need I say more?

What is the most haneous police brutality case that you are aware of that got swept under the rug?

The cops have a license to kill and get away with it. I’m not going to say that the murder of one man is worse than another but the details of some accounts definitely seem to stick out and stay with us more that others. My homeboy in high school was shot in the back face down by a cop. The cop was acquitted. R.I.P Travis Allen

How does having your own brand balance with working in the corporate world?

Actually the two go hand in hand. Being a designer for one of the top urban brands I learn a ton and it’s really helped me to grow my own brand.

Drop for the people on some ways that you think they can make an immediate difference in the community?

Shoot a cop.


tell a friend 2 tell a friend so we can BUILD!!!