Speak's Guide To Style And The Best Labor Day Ever

Image via Complex Original

On Who To Invite...

Persians. Bad Arab bitches. They will bring the Hennessy. Persians love Hennessy. They love to party and to get trashed off Hennessy and EDM. If you’re in LA, there’s a legendary hookah bar called Habibi Cafe. In LA, bars close at like 1:30, 1:45, but Habibi Cafe stays open till 6am, because they don’t serve alcohol, but they don’t get mad when you bring your own. You go there, get fucked up until 6am, then eat some, like, lemon chicken and rice.

On The Type Of Food To Prepare...

Man, carne asada. That’s a very Southern California thing, a very Mexican thing. Basically that on any holiday too, you know, like, 4th of July, St. Patrick’s Day, the Storming Of The Bastille Day, whatever. I haven’t seen a lot of carne asada spots out here [in New York]. But in LA, you go down to the carne groceria, which just means, like, "meat market", and you get marinated chicken, which they marinate in orange juice, or you get carne asada. They’ve got cow brains and shit, but just get the grilled steak.

On the Fourth of July, I did almost twenty pounds of each, chicken and steak. But that was when I had EBT, that was before I had money. Well, I technically had money, but the county didn’t know about it. So I just put it on the EBT card, and I fed the whole hood. That’s just what you do, that’s the paternal Mexican instinct. So just get that and go in on the grill. Refried beans, rice, corn tortillas and flour tortillas, because we like options. But then if you have more American friends, like, on the Fourth I also did Polish sausage, no homo, and I did hamburgers which I made myself with ground beef, chunks of cheddar and chunks of bacon. I cooked for about 8 hours straight.

On What To Drink...

I don’t know how typical Americans celebrate Labor Day, but for me, it’s like, Tecate, Pacifico, Corona. Mexican beer. If you’re trying to ball out on a budget, just get the big cubes of the Bud Light or the Bud Ice. Those go a long way. If I’m really trying to ball out, Modela Negra. The dark beer, or Bohemia. Tequilla too.

On What To Wear...

In Southern California, the weather is always between 75 and 80 degrees all year round. I think we got, like, 10 days of rain all winter. So in summertime, I wear kimonos, swim trunks and Air Max. People sometimes try like clown me for wearing swim trunks, but they don’t realize that I’m wearing these fly ass Tommy Hilfiger trunks or baller Polo joints. Polo still makes incredible swim trunks, even if they’re a little questionable in other areas. Growing up, I could never afford it, but I liked East Coast preppy swim trunks. You know, yacht wears. Swim trunks, polos, you know? That shit makes me feel like I’m on a fucking cruise ship. It makes me feel like I’ve got a 40 foot schooner out in the marina. I’m ready to go to the Hamptons or some shit.

On What To Wear In More Formal Settings...

I would still find a way to wear swim trunks. But really, jeans. I’m a simple denim guy. Levi’s 501’s. Good ol’ fuckin’ American denim. I’m also a hoodie guy, and I see you’ve got the dertbag shirt on. I support Phil to the max. One of my favorite sweaters is the “Nahfuckit” he did. He makes quality hoodies, so I’ll rock his hoodies, but over the hoodie, you do a Mexican serape or a poncho and you’ll be lookin like fuckin’ Zoro. Zorito, little Zoro. And my dad is from Mexico City, so it was never a style thing, he always just had them. So in winter when it got a little chilly, he would wear, like, no shirt or a wife beater with a Mexican blanket over himself. With, like, the Virgin Mary or a donkey on it or, like, an Aztek warrior sacrificing his chick on it. That to me is style.

On Footwear...

Sperrys, or Rockports. Get yourself some deck shoes. Although, I’ve been turning heads with the classic [Nike Andre] Agassi shoes. And right after I started doing that, they reissued them! All summer long when I would do shows, I thought I was Andre Agassi. I had my hair real big and I would wear tennis shirts, Ocean Pacific swim trunks, a headband and the Tech Challenges. The white ones that are splattered with pink. There’s pictures of me on Tumblr with hella rebloggs of me lookin’ like that. Then Nike was like, “We resigned Andre! We’re going to re-release all of his shoes!” And I was like, “Ahhhh fuck.”

On Trends...

I just rock things I like. Me and the UBT guys, we grew up outside LA, so we were never worried about what dudes were wearing on Fairfax. We called that, like, Fairfax sneaker rap. Dudes were in their Crooks & Castles, and we were like, in serapes and stuff we found at thrift stores. Especially during the winter when it gets a little breezy. And then I started wearing that shit to shows, and in LA, people know who I am so...well, it’s not like “OH MY GOD!” but people will be like, “Hey can I take a picture with you?” And then the next week I’ll do a show and some kid will be wearing that. And I’m flattered by that, but at the same time it’s weird because I never thought about fashion. People just thought we were weirdos. As long it doesn’t get to the Tyler [The Creator] level for me, with kids wearing the whole look all the time. I don’t ever want it to get like that. That will make me feel weird.

On Current Trends Within Hip-Hop...

I think it’s kind of silly, the leather and stuff. I mean, for A$AP Rocky and stuff, I’ll never give those guys the thumbs down because that was their shit coming up. I’m sure when they were coming up, that was a part of their branding. “We are Harlem, but we also like fly Euro shit.” But like anything, it becomes bastardized. That’s all trends are, you know? It’s just funny to watch these older rappers, and they know who they are, dressing like that. Like dude, why are you running around dressed like a Mortal Kombat character? Like, dude, go home to your fucking kids. It’s funny though, ‘cause remember Judas Priest? He wore all the leathers, and people thought they were these macho tough guys, and then it turns out the lead singer was gay his whole life. But yeah, I just think that whole thing is kind of silly.

On His Hair And Haircare...

My hair has taken on a life of its own, really. The only cutting I’ve done to it is just thinning it out because it gets really thick. There’s this guy in Palm Springs named Rich Cuts, and he’s the only one allowed to touch my hair. He only cuts, like, celebrities’ hair when they come into town. I’m me with or without it, but it makes me feel like a European soccer god. That’s where the whole “Speakinho” thing came from. It got so long that I had to start wearing headbands during shows, or like, thin elastics under hair. And that’s what all the soccer starts do. Soccer swag is off the hook. The hair is probably more famous than my music or anything creative I’ve done. But it’s kind of symbolic to me, because I started growing it when I quit my last job, when I had to clock in and stuff. Sort of like, “I’m going to do whatever I want and be successful at it, because success doesn’t have a look.”

I want a shampoo endorsement so bad. So bad. I want to be endorsed by Mixed Chicks. I support Mixed Chicks products because I’m someone from different cultural backgrounds. Probably Mixed Chicks leave-in conditioner, or, people are going to laugh but, during the summer my hair gets dry so maybe Head & Shoulders. I’ve used it before. I’ve got the best hair in hip-hop. Beyonce’s hair is not real, Lady Gaga wears a wig and Two Chainz, well, his shit just looks so crusty.

On Leisure Life v. Cozy Boys

I don’t really know what the current style is in California, but I’m all about that leisure life. Maximum comfort at all times. Yams and them are all about Cozy Boys, but we won’t wear a lot of sweats out in Cali. It’s too hot. Just look like you’re about to pop a bottle of champagne at the marina or at the beach in Santa Monica. Sneakers on with no socks. I’ve never worn flip-flops, but either sneakers or no shoes ‘cause I’m a child of nature.