Today we’d like to introduce you to Khaleel Knight.
Khaleel, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My friends call me leel and the fans call me Mr.Wckd, leel or Khaleel it’s all the same shit really… I started Wckdthghts on my own in High school at Crenshaw High school, located in the Crenshaw district Right next to Leimert park which is all in south central Los Angeles.
I got the name from ditching class one day, walking the hallways alone and I just kept coming up with Wicked thoughts of different scenarios popping up in my head (good and bad) I had already knew at the time I wanted to start a brand but for a long time I just couldn’t come up with the name, then bam!!! It happened to me like I saw God or something….. I was like that’s it “Wckdthghts” that’s gotta be the name, me being a kid I thought taking the vowels out of the actual spelling itself was the coolest shit ever, over time I slowly started disliking it but I never changed it due to the simple fact that I never wanted to kill the kid creativity that started the whole idea in the first place.
I honestly loved clothes my whole life, or actually to put it in better words I just like being fly my whole life, I was already in to skateboarding so I just already knew the lane I was going to come at, even though I had no real clue on how the streetwear game was at the time, that’s just the natural direction my brand took, over time I just started crafting and molding that blueprint… Still not knowing wtf I’m doing half the time but I guess its working somehow, I mean I did good enough for yall to wanna listen, hahahahahahaaha!
Once I got my sense of direction and I knew exactly how I wanted to come at it I just never stopped! It’s been crazy but I’m still here… What a fuckin ride to say the least.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Hahahahaha, hell nah it wasn’t no smooth road, I have been through almost every emotion dealing with this shit, but it’ll always be ups and downs for a real nigga and that’s just something you gotta charge to the game. If you really want something, no matter how farfetched it may sound you’ll go through every obstacle until you reach the end of your journey on where it is you was determined to go. That’s just what we call being “reckless with passion” tho.
I feel like I could give you a hundreds of struggle moments along the way but just to narrow it down for the readers & listeners the most common problems that I ran into that I feel like anybody who comes from nothing at all getting into the industry trying to make a name for themselves or the team would be:
1. Not having the proper resources – Sometimes It’s not what you know but it’s who you know, in my opinion, networking & experience can get you a lot further in this game than a degree could ever (personal opinion) so don’t take it up the but, sometimes you just gotta jump into it head first and let faith stir the wheel.
2. No financial literacy/Background – Not knowing the backend on how to manage the doe, cause believe me! It’s going to come and when it does you have to be ready for it, otherwise YOU. WILL. LOSE. IT. and I think we’ve all been there before doing it independently it’s one of those situations that’s just bound to happen unless you have some type of financial support and if your one of the very few like me that just knows “Selfmade” taste better, it’s almost like you want to go through it in a sense. They say what doesn’t kill you, only makes you stronger.
3. Timing – Awww man, I couldn’t stress this enough, making clothes, when I say this is the most important ingredient to the formula this is like the key!!! I’m not even gonna get into this too much but let’s just say this if I drop a mink coat in the summer, chances are it’s not going to sale as good as it would’ve in the winter but if I put the production in too late I hate no control of when I can get those mink coats ready… TIMING IS KEY, TIMING IS KEY!!!!
4. Consistency – Let me ask you this. When you cook food and throw it fresh on the plate, how good does it look? But let’s just say you leave it there and don’t eat it while it’s fresh and it’s sitting for a good period of time it starts to lose its appealing looks and then you’ll be like I’m not eating that shit lol. Timing can def be cancer to consistency, so this is why I’m going to yell it out again just in case you forgot already. TIMING IS EVERYTHING!
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Wckdthghts is a brand based in Los Angeles, founded in 2014. With the culture of the community, South Central.
To give you something real. Start to the end, developing and perfecting our own style throughout, don’t ever be afraid to stand out. WTLA, PLAY2KILL, 13UNTIL
Stay true to yourself.
At the moment Wckdthghts is a solo operation so me being the owner I pretty much do everything, I love it tho it’s def made me sharp in a lot of ways but as the brand progresses, I know it can’t be like this forever. At some point, I’m going to need an extra hand, or maybe several more than likely.
I really don’t know what would set us apart from our peers tbh that’s not really something I worry about these days, I just try to worry about what I’m doing, how can I be great? that’s my concern so I don’t get caught up in anything that has to do with others.
Def prolly known for sure from the Klux busters campaign, that’s like us going gold in the music world hahhahaaha, yea we def went gold on that, no cap the whole roll out in itself is always fun honestly, it’s a lot of other shit too but that’s for sure the one.
What were you like growing up?
Ahh man, actually I’m glad y’all asked this question. I was born and raised in the district, Crenshaw District to be exact right near Leimert Park in the avenues in the heart of the 40’s shoutout my niggas nh!!!
So I was like not bad…. like gang banging bad or anything like that but at an early age I was just exposed to a lot of shit, it was easy to get into shit…. so hmmmm I’d say I was curious that’s a good way to put it, but I was also wise just cause I seen a gang of shit at an early age.
Like I said in the beginning, I was into being fly, I loved skateboarding and along the way, I’m not even gone front you for a quick second I was riding fixie bikes, that shit was fun, especially the little ride outs. We used to go up man I swear those was the days, critical mask, smashed up Sunday’s… I’m telling you I did it all! From partying at the kwitit parties off western until they got shot up to being danced on the sweaty floor at buffalo soldiers, I don’t know how if I’m even getting interviewed, but I’m glad I’m here.
Also for a hot second, I started gaming too a nigga almost went MLG, if I say my gamertag it’s pretty well respected In the COD world. 1v1 nuketown with the famous…. lol you couldn’t see me. The real gamers is on Xbox!
Contact Info:
- Website: Wckdthghts.com
- Email: [email protected]
Image Credit:
Christian Smiley
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