Today we’d like to introduce you to Hoodlum Paige.
Hoodlum Paige let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Wassup y’all, I’m Khalil Paige also known as “Hoodlum Paige” I’m originally from Baltimore, MD but I also grew up in Hampton, VA. I’m mostly known for being a model but as of recent, due to the pandemic, I’ve jumped into being DJ. Since being In LA, I feel as if I bring the east coast flavor and that DC, Maryland, Virginia essence to the Pacific. If I described my style I would say I’m a “hood more edgy Will Smith” that pours out charisma and charm that allows me to embody a feeling and connect with the camera, to produce engaging content. My first experience with modeling was in fourth grade when I modeled for Sears but didn’t pick modeling back up until 2017 when a few friends and coworkers who knew of my interests in fashion and my abilities on Instagram told me to go for it and then it took off from there. I’ve walked NYFW, worked with the Boston Celtics, Gatorade, as well as Friendly’s. I’m here to make my stamp on the world and solidify my position in this industry.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Some challenges I’ve dealt with is feeling like I’m not being supported by friends until they notice I’m on to something BIG. It makes me feel as if they support people they barely know instead of us creating a network and foundation to support each other in our endeavors. I’ve gotten over it now but I do from time to time think about it. Another thing I had to figure out that was a challenge would be learning the ability to be stern about what you want and what you are willing to do. KNOW YOUR VALUE.
LAST THING KEEP A TIGHT SOLID CORE OF INDIVIDUALS AROUND YOU! Know how to separate business associates and friends.
Please tell us about Voyou International.
Back in high school, I created a brand by the name of Voyou International which is a lifestyle brand consisting of clothing, music, and media. I wanted the brand to be called “HOODLUM” hence “Hoodlum Paige” but didn’t want the brand to be marginalized so I decided to translate “HOODLUM” into French and out came “Voyou”. I used French due to the generalization of the French being prideful and viewed to hold themselves in a particular upper echelon. The “International” derives from me watching old WWF matches and I was going to use intercontinental but it didn’t ring off well, so I switched it to “International” hence “Voyou International”.
The motto for the brand is “Doing What’s Best Can Be Deceiving”. If that went over your head, our mission statement is “to stimulate and connect with those striving to be prosperous solely by their own means. To break it down, people don’t understand you have to do what you feel you have to do to get the results you want. People will tell you that you should do things a particular way or that you’re doing things wrong but they can’t see that you’re doing what you feel you need to do to go where you see yourself. It may be because they are scared and don’t think it can happen but you know you can persevere through whatever is thrown your way to get to where you want to be.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Resilience, due to myself having to run into problems that may have discouraged me, something that gets me through is thinking about how far I’ve come and what I’ve been able to accomplish this far and continue to keep pushing.
Confidence, I had to be one with myself and always be willing to learn. I figured out what values and morals molded my personality and I used those values to make many of my decisions. I’m adamant about letting anybody take that from me, that’s what I’d consider being solid. At times this may make people uncomfortable but that doesn’t mean much to me other than they haven’t experience someone apply resistance to the conversation with something that was disagreed upon. My mother instilled a huge amount of confidence in me as a child, to make me feel like a king and I carry myself as one. Another quality is being good with people aka networking which is extremely important. Everyone wants to do things on their own including myself but I needed a team to help me through many situations I faced or opportunities that were presented due to me knowing someone or being at the right place at the right time. First impressions are important, people will either remember me or forget about me due to great or horrible experiences. So I try to make every interaction count.
Coming from where I’m from, we all have passions and talents but only a few take it to the next level and that’s what I want to inspire in others as well as the ones around me. My ambitions in life got me to the realization that with hard work resilience and patience anything can be accomplished. Voyou International is damn near an oath that I’ve taken upon myself.
Contact Info:
- Website: voyouinternational.
com - Email: khalilpaige2@gmail.com
- Instagram: @hoodlumpaige
- Twitter: hoodlum_paige
- Other: https://soundcloud.com/hoodlumpaige
Image Credit:
Paulina Galindo, Kristopher Carter, James Alexander, Johmarie Farquharson, Meg Johnson
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