Today we’d like to introduce you to Jimi Stone.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Jimi. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Growing up in the midst of gang culture, graffiti, nerds, and skater kids in Los Angeles, as well as the beginning of a digital age, is what makes me who I am today. I always had a love for illustration, music, and fashion as a kid. Heavily influenced by my stylish mother, who used to do freehand sketches in her free time while blasting 94.7 the wave lol. & Of course, My pops who showed me work ethic and why Jimi Hendrix was the goat. Being the youngest of 4 also gave me early insight to things most at my age might not of had interest in. From skateboarding, anime, and hip hop, I got my bros & sis to thank for that. By the time I reached middle school, I knew every lyric on Jay Z’s Reasonable Doubt, had seen every episode of Dragon Ball Z, knew how to troubleshoot PCs, and had been in multiple fights lol. The dynamic of being around and influenced by so many different walks of life and age groups.
In 6th grade (2006), I was heavily into skateboarding, rap, and punk rock culture. I had also started to do graffiti. By 8th grade, I had become one of the head members of a crew called, The Quick & Dirty and would skate and take pictures for the Brooklyn Projects team on Melrose. This is when my photography, music, and graphic design interests started to really peak. We would have cyphers, write music and compare verses, produce, create merchandise from sweaters to pens, and create videos of our graffiti to post online anonymously. Eventually after I graduated High School and continued to get older, wiser, and didn’t want to deal with the repercussions of the graffiti lifestyle anymore, I began looking for ways to do the things I love and make some money off of it.
At the time, I didn’t think I was good enough to pursue professional skateboarding and my mom was always pushed how important it was to continue my education. I was decent at making clothes, but my photography skills were just okay in my opinion and I wasn’t in the position to pay someone who I felt was better to shoot my designs. So after some soul searching I decided to go to college for Photography and Video Production because I felt like they were technical art forms I needed the most help in.
When I finally began creating the concept for Rich Minority, initially I wanted to defy the narrative of “picking a lane”, but I also wanted to create a home for all types of creatives. Being able to remove the middle man and have someone for everything under one company. A Rich Minority music artist having their music video shot by a Rich Minority director while wearing Rich Minority clothing. Smooth. I’m still far from where I would like to be and it has been a long, bumpy road, but I am grateful for the progress I have made and don’t intend on stopping any time soon.
Has it been a smooth road?
Definitely not lol. I don’t think anything worth having in life ever comes as smooth as you would hope, especially in the creative field. From struggling to find someone to let me use their studio time, borrowing cameras, having cameras stolen from me and having to reimburse friends prior to buying my own camera that was also stolen THEN the next one breaking smh. The beginning was very rough. Working with clothing manufactures who gave ridiculous pricing but not yet understanding the market. Not making enough sizes or overstocking inventory. There has been MANY setbacks and challenges I have had to overcome in multiple fields, but without those experiences I wouldn’t be able to operate my business at the level I do now. It’s all part of the learning experience and I’m still learning. I created all of this on my own so it’s a process. I never take failure as a reason to quit though, just means to adjust, elevate, and develop new strategies.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Rich Minority Studios – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
The definition of a minority is a relatively small group of people, especially one commonly discriminated against in a community, society, or nation, differing from others. We represent those who aren’t afraid to embrace their own characteristics and dismiss opinions of the “majority”. The potency of our art, design, musicians passion is how we define the term “Rich”. Our mission is to help creatives deemed as outcasts escape their doubts and unleash their full potential. This brand was created based on the pain felt when surrounded by countless multi-talented individuals who could not seem to find a path. We want to create that path.
Rich Minority Studios is currently a multimedia company specializing in Visual Arts & Fashion. Our visuals consist of both commission and commercial work as well as in house creations. We create music videos, commercials, graphic art, editorials, documentaries, short films and more! We also have a in house fashion line that consists of original designs as well as sourced and reconstructed vintage garments. As of now, we are mostly known for the two genres but we are working on managing and releasing music from affiliated artist soon as well.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I love this city. What I like most is probably the amount of food choices haha. I also love that there are so many creatives from around the world here to connect with. BUT, that can also have a negative effect. Not only is there a lot of genuine creators who are here to innovate and push art forward, but there are also a lot of people who are only in it for the clout. To be around “celebrities”, or to be cool on the internet. That’s lame to me. Especially when they’re are people who really put everything into creating and never get to see the light just because the next man, who copied their whole style, got more shoutouts lol. Constantly having to filter through who really has a love for the craft and the people who are clout chasing is the curse of LA. But being from LA, gives you those extra senses.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.richminority.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/jimi.stone
- Other: www.instagram.com/richminority
Image Credit:
Jimi Stone, Sacred Phenix
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
