Create, Motivate and Inspire featuring King Saladeen | Open Palette Podcast | Episode 18

What does it take to turn creativity into a global brand without losing who you are?

In Episode 18 of The Open Palette Podcast, host Brian Camacho sits down with internationally acclaimed artist King Saladeen for an honest conversation about purpose, perseverance, entrepreneurship, and the responsibility that comes with influence.

Known for his bold visual language and larger-than-life paintings, King Saladeen has built a career that extends far beyond the canvas. From murals and gallery exhibitions to collaborations with some of the world's biggest brands, his journey is proof that success isn't just about talent—it's about vision, consistency, and staying true to yourself.

Together, they explore:
• Building a career from passion
• The business behind being an artist
• Creating opportunities instead of waiting for them
• The importance of authenticity and community
• Turning obstacles into motivation
• What legacy really means beyond the artwork

Whether you're an artist, entrepreneur, creative, or someone chasing a dream, this conversation is filled with insights that will inspire you to think bigger and create with intention.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:04

Life is the canvas we paint. Yeah. Opening the dialogue, removing the barriers and restraint. Uh-huh. It's the open palette, insight, access, and the human story mode. The palette is open. Open now.

SPEAKER_01 0:22

Welcome back to the Open Palette Podcast, where art, culture, and community come together through real conversations. I'm your host, Brian Camacho, and this episode is brought to you in partnership with the Museum of Graffiti's Artist Studios. Big shout outs to our partners and big shoutouts to each and every one of you who've been tuning in week after week. We do appreciate the support and the love. We do ask that you hit that subscribe button. Make sure to like, comment, and share. Now let's get into today's episode. As today's guest is an artist, entrepreneur, and community leader who has built a global brand through creativity, purpose, and community impact. From his iconic JP money bearer to his create, motivate, and inspire movement, he has shown what possibilities, when vision, consistency, and authenticity comes together. Today we're talking about legacy, branding, and building something bigger than yourself. Please join me today in welcoming King Saladin to the Open Palette Podcast.

SPEAKER_02 1:14

Thank you for having me, man.

SPEAKER_01 1:16

Thank you. It's a pleasure. Thank you for opening up your space to us. Of course. And allowing us to open this palette. Of course, man. This was long overdue, brother. Long overdue. For sure, for sure. Well, let's get right to it, man. Let's talk to the people. Tell them a little bit about yourself. Who are you and where you're from for those who don't know?

SPEAKER_02 1:29

Um, well, I'm King Saladine, West Philadelphia. Um, artist, creator, entrepreneur, as you said. I try to dibble and dabble in other things now. I'm trying to get more into the art director space, but all over contemporary artist that has different, different arms that connect to different things. You know what I mean? Like creating toys and product. Um, I'm still working on the full like the actual name of what I do. Because I don't know. It's this is kind of like I'm dibbling dabbling in so many different things and getting those opportunities as well to the point where I can't just say like I'm a painter or I'm a, you know, so multidisciplinary artists for sure.

SPEAKER_01 2:06

Okay, we can go with that. We can go with that one. We can go with that. We can go with that. All right, we're gonna move that one now. Breto, make sure you put that one in the contract for him, right? But no, that's what it's all about, man. As you said, you are a multidisciplinary artist. You you do find yourself every other day or every other month tapping into something different. Yeah. For a lot of artists who who are in the spaces where they try to dibble and dabble, a lot of times they lose their sense of sensibility with their style, their messaging. But you're an artist who has owned that space and understanding that no matter what the medium is, this message, this representation, this stance of who King Saladin is, is always represented. Yeah. And that's very important. So I want to talk to that, how you're able to remain within that space, remain within the ideas of understanding your mission, your purpose for what you stand for.

SPEAKER_02 2:57

Um, well, I appreciate that for sure. Um, I think, I think me already having like hours and hours and years and years of like creating my own style with no school involved, no teachers that were like, don't do that, don't do this. You know what I'm saying? It's just like me involving to myself. I feel like that's how I can do different projects, different products, and all kinds of things, but still have that that same imprint, and you'll know it's my artwork when you see it. You know what I mean? I feel like it's just like it comes from me just knowing what I want to see and not letting nobody deter that. You know what I mean? From different company to collector to product, it's all the same, same story I'm trying to tell. You know what I mean? It's pretty much coming from nothing. It's actually taking every opportunity and trying to like knock that shit out of the park. You know what I mean? So I feel like that's really where it comes comes to.

SPEAKER_01 3:48

That's what's up. That's what's up. And we do see that in your art as you do represent not only yourself, but your community and your culture. Um, I want to speak to the bear that we have right here, the iconic JP the bear. Yeah. Um, it's an amazing piece of artwork. You've taken this not only from uh an idea, you've maximized this on all levels, whether it be through merch, whether it be through you know toys, canvases, prints, and etc. etc. But aside from what the people are seeing and what they're appreciating, there's a deeper message to what this bear is. Totally. I want to highlight that because not only is it within the bear, it's within the artwork that's right behind you. You make it a point to step up for your people. It's not about you, it's about the community. And that's important. Where some may see these characters and not understand that. I want to highlight that and speak to the importance of that for you. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 4:40

Um, so well, JP the Money Bear, that came from a very, very dark time in my life. You know what I mean? My best friend JP uh John Thompson passed away from brain cancer in 2020, 2013, I'm sorry. Um, and that was like one of those things that like kind of like super crushed me, man. It was like, it was either like I used it as motivation or I just was like gonna give up and be like another statistic in Philly. So I feel like that piece is like so endear to me because me and JP actually like sat in the basement and talked about all my different styles of art. You know what I mean? He was my number one supporter. Like, I ain't gonna say number one because my mom's my number one supporter. You feel me? But as your homies, yes, he was like one of those guys that was like beyond support. It was like he was gonna find the money to put up for me to get into a situation where it would it would heighten my art career or my knowledge or just anything that was like pointing into the right direction or like where he's trying to go, he was always there and always like the person that'll like, you know what I mean? I was always say this, he would rob the bank for my for my dream and his dream and his friend's dreams. So um I remember one day we was in the basement, I'm gonna kind of cut it short a little bit, but um I I started off doing abstract work, like the abstract big piece that you see here before we moved it. Um that was my thing because I felt like coming from the inner city, not having any kind of schooling, um, when I walked in these galleries, that's the art that I seen. So the stuff that was really inside of me was more character, graffiti, the stuff that I grew up on. You know what I'm saying? But when I walk into these spaces, I'm trying to fit in almost at that time. So he was always saying, like, bro, and he was like very well like rounded. He ate at five-star restaurants, he stayed at amazing hotels. So the American Dream project, I got introduced to American Dream. I mean, not American Dream, I'm sorry, the Dream Hotel from JP. It's the only place he wanted to stay, just based on the aesthetic. And he was just like, bro, you gotta stay here. You're gonna get ideas, you're gonna get this, this, that. So back to the story, me and JP was talking. He was just like, bro, I love your abstract pieces, but that don't really connect to us. I see that everywhere I go, in a restaurant. When I'm checking in a hotel, it's stuff like that. And I would have to ask the person, yo, who did that? So he's like, bro, you gotta come up with a logo, you gotta come up with your Nike sign, your Apple logo. So at that time, he's going through my books. I was working at the time, so I had the this black book that I would always just jot my ideas down. And um, he seen me recreating uh Takashi Mirakami's college dropout bear. Nice. But I made him Philly, I changed the eyes, I had Mitchell and S on him. It was wild. So he seen this, he was like, bro, this is crazy. I can see this on everything. But it didn't take until him passing away for me to really think about our conversations and really start putting energy into kind of like this one IP. But I wasn't thinking IP at the time. I'm just thinking like cool logo, people gonna know it. And uh it just it just turned into a world of a world of craziness, man.

SPEAKER_01 7:34

Well, definitely blessings to to JP. Definitely. We definitely, you know what I mean. Much respect to him for stepping up and being that person for you there. Definitely it's very important to have individuals like that on your, you know, on your team or by your side. Totally. You know what I mean, helping to push the movement. I want to get to the idea of when this all actually clicked for you. And and what I mean by that is the understanding and and where that line is getting drawn in the sand and where we're not hobbyists no more, we're more professional. This is it. This is the life that I'm gonna live based off of my art.

SPEAKER_02 8:05

Okay, so it's been it's been a lot of different transitions like that, right? So um I grew up playing basketball, so I I got a college scholarship to go play basketball in Kansas. So my first I'm I because I can't leave this out. My first kind of like, this is what I want to do is I left school on a c on a scholarship. A lot of people don't know that. I called home, I asked my grandma, I said, Grandma, I want to come home. And the summer before that, I started doing my t-shirt. So you ever heard of you? Oh, for sure, my scheme. I was gonna get to that one. So I worked, I worked for my scheme, but prior to working for my scheme, I was doing my own t-shirts because it was like that movement going on in the city, in the country, and the culture at that time. You know what I'm saying? So I'm like, damn, I get to kind of find my artistic identity through t-shirts, and it was gonna make me some money. All my friends wanted some, everybody in the neighborhood wanted them. Yeah, so at the time, I have this wave of entrepreneurship, right? And then I gotta go back to school. So now I'm back in the mode of like, you know, you ask your mom, send me 300. Yeah, I know she really don't got it. Yeah, this the first time I went back to school, I probably had about $3,000 of my own money from selling t-shirts all summer. Nice. And I was just like, it was just something in my stomach that was like, I can't just like go back to school. You know what I mean? So a couple months went past, and uh, I wound up leaving, leaving, leaving school. Coming home, you know, you play sports, everybody, bro. What you what you doing? You supposed to be in school. I'm lying, saying that, I got I'm getting transferred, but I had this idea in my mind that I would want, I wanted to literally get so good that people forgot I played basketball. So I feel like that was the first like stepping out on faith for me as an artist. Took that chance. But in the midst of that, you know, I didn't know anybody. I'm in Philly, you know. Now you're moving from t-shirts to hoodies, and that slows down. Um, I got a regular job, you know what I mean? Or I was running around with JP or just trying to figure it out. So years later, um I leave my job. 2011, July 4th. I left a job that I was working with, working for. I was working at a uh like a facility for kids, like almost like a almost like a halfway house for kids that's like not, it's like medium lockup. So it's like runaways, kids that's like super, not super violent, their placement pretty much. So I walked out, I walked out on July 4th, and it's like a whole nother story to that. I want to kind of like speed it up, but it's just really just like walking on faith, bro, and just like leaving situations that could have had me trapped. My biggest thing was um I was working with a lot of people that was probably 35, 40, 42, around that age, and I was like 26. So I was kind of like, I can't be trapped. I would hear the excuses all day. People can't make it the graduations, people can't make it the kids' things, they can't get their kids what they want. And I'm like, damn, I ain't got no kids right now. Yeah, I'm getting goosebumps. I remember I said, I remember I said, I don't have no kids right now, so this is the time to really do it. Right. I don't have no miles to feed, it's no excuses. It's and I left my job. And JP was one of them people that was like, yo, drop drop to my crib. He ain't believe it because he used to always call my job the plantation. He's always like, he ain't come out, come out New York with me. And I'm like, bro, I gotta go to work. Yeah, you going back to the plantation? I swear, bro, to the point where I used to hang up on him sometimes and just go to work like this boy tripping.

SPEAKER_01 11:26

Yeah, man.

SPEAKER_02 11:26

But he was planting that seed, like, bro, you so much better than just going to a job. People need to know you, bro. And from that, that was my first time really just like walking out on faith the second time. But I was a grown man now. You know, I was still a grown man in college, I was 19 or whatever. But this was more of a situation where I was back home. I'm living with my mom, I'm fed up, I'm frustrated. I'm like, God, I know you ain't had me live to be like living at my mom crib at 26, 27. Right. And I know how great I am. I did real estate before. I've done things. Any opportunity that I got, I killed it, or I learned how to kill it. But it was always like a timeline on things where it was like I did real estate for a while, and that was in the midst of me leaving school in this other job. This was in the middle. Trying to find purpose, trying to find a space. 2007, 2008, the recession happens.

SPEAKER_01 12:14

Right.

SPEAKER_02 12:15

But I'm rolling, yeah. I'm rolling at the time, bro. I'm I'm dog, I had flyers with one 1% uh home equity lines of credit. Come to me, Raheem Johnson. Bro, I thought I was gonna be selling mortgages for my whole life. It was my first hundred thousand dollars that I ever made as a young man. That's beautiful. That's what's up. So when that happened, it was like a time time span on that. But I stopped doing artwork in the midst of all that. So I feel like it was God having me go through the journey of figuring out, like, okay, him, you're not just a painter. You know what I mean? Which comes to the meeting that we just had. And I've I've I've closed, you know, million-dollar loans for homes and things like that. Got people's social security numbers from over the phone. So that's a comfortability and that's a skill set. That's a skill set, bro. We gotta clarify that. That's a skill set. That's a skill set, bro. Because you can be on the phone with people some people for an hour. And as soon as you get to the yo, can you send me over? And it's like, oh no, no, no, I'll call you back. I had them, bro. Yeah, so I feel like it was got like like sharpening my knife of everything that I was gonna have to do later on. You know what I'm saying? So I feel like it was a bunch of different moments if I didn't go too far.

SPEAKER_01 13:20

No, you've done amazing with that, and and I like how you segued into this idea of having to take a take on a real world job and and and real world experiences through other, you know, through other things. Because the importance behind that message is that what the skill set that you owned and you sharpened through communication, which is the key to success. That aligns you and allows you to understand how to articulate, how to carry yourself, right, and where to stand in these meetings as you are now as an artist. Right. This is all one and the same. Business is business. Business is business. It don't matter what the product is, it don't matter the space that you're in. What matters is you understanding the product and the the end result for what you have in front of you.

SPEAKER_02 14:06

And understanding your worth in the midst of the world.

SPEAKER_01 14:09

Exactly. Exactly. And and and yeah, let's let's speak to that. How did you as an artist begin to find that way? Once you you you've already stepped in the door, you got your feet wet. I'm an artist, I'm a thriving artist off of my work. That all sounds good. And a lot of times, artists get really excited by that idea, and from my perspective and in my opinion, get comfortable. And but what I mean by that is they see money coming in, they see their bills being paid, they're not seeing the bigger picture 10 years from now, right? Yeah, they have to understand that what they're putting out, it's valued not only for this moment, but for years to come as long as you protect that intellectual property. Definitely. What was it for you? How did you get into that space? And um, what were the steps that you took to get the understanding of that and then get to the point where you are today with this brand that you are pushing?

SPEAKER_02 15:03

Well, I can't, me personally, I can't take um all that credit. Okay, because I'm coming from West Philly, I know how to hustle, I know how to display my talent. I know, I know the codes, I know the certain codes, but business has to be taught. For sure. You have to be around people that are handling business. Right. You know what I mean? So I would say another another shout out to Orin. We, you know, just talking about it. Big shout out to Oren. My manager Orin. And um he taught me a lot, man. And he and just being around him and other businesses, you know, because him and his brother Wayne, they actually own the concierge service when I first started hanging around with them. So I'm seeing them do all kinds of deals and seeing how relationships are building these deals and making them go through so easy because they're actually like cool and they're friends, or they're friends of a friend, and somebody referred, and yeah, I'm not seeing none of that in Philly. You know what I'm saying? So we don't have those networks in these certain places, we don't really have those networks, bro. So um, I feel like just being around the right people, being around my team, they really, really open my eyes to like the IP and like how we can go from original painting to a print. Um, who's the who do I talk to when I want to start talking about making sculptures and toys? Right, trading cards, all these different things are different people and different ecosystems that I got placed into by my guy Orin. You know what I'm saying? Just as we talk and he as he's seeing my vision and as I'm expressing my vision of what I want to do and how far I want to go, he's like, I think I got a guy for that. You know what I mean? So it's really communication, it's back to communication and me not sitting on ideas or never asking questions. That's one thing that I always say to artists is uh, especially self-trained artists or just anybody, is like, don't be scared to ask them questions. Because people, you you hear, you know, you be in conversation and you might hear two words that you have no clue about. But a lot of people will just be like, uh-huh, yeah. They don't want them to know that they don't know. Right, right. I'm always like, hold on, real quick, hold on. What was that word you just said? Because I'm not trying to leave this conversation without being as on point as you, right? You know what I'm saying? And I want to give my full input. So um just always ask those questions, man, especially for people coming up from like like me, like from the trenches, like you know what I mean, from public school, like you gotta ask these questions, man.

SPEAKER_01 17:27

That's a fact. You know, like you said, there's so many different cliche slogans, you know, your network is your net worth, communication is the key to success. These things really mean something. Really? They really, if you really take that into consideration and you live by these models, you will definitely see a fruitful life ahead of yourself. Because not only are you understanding and respecting yourself, but you're respecting those around you and uh putting the and the value that you put on them, they'll put on you as well. Facts, you know what I'm saying? So definitely always respect those around you, respect the business and the creatives that are around you because it it really matters, and and especially when you're trying to build something and you're trying to make change in this world. Definitely. Um, and and change is what you're making out here, man. Definitely, bro. I'm trying, man. You're stepping up in a major way each and every time you you come out. Um, I want to speak to these projects that you've been working on and on in Philly. I know you did the the big mural on that warehouse as well as a basketball court. Is that correct?

SPEAKER_02 18:27

Um, so six in Spring Garden, we did one of the um, the one on the side of the warehouse. Correct. Um, shout out to Arts and Craft Holdings and Mural Arts in Philadelphia. That was a dope, that was like my first mural in Philadelphia. So that was like, that felt really good. And then I got to do the image of me and JP, brotherly love. So that was the whole theme that came from a picture that I had. I just pretty much turned it into the money bear theme. You know what I mean? But that was a picture that we had one day. He got me from uh work early one day and was like, hmm, come on, man, we're gonna go out and have some fun. We went out to this like uh like this lounge, but I never went to places like this. This was his thing, you know what I mean? They had pictures when you walk out. We had we was walking, it was like a real, real moment. Um and we did another situation with Under Armour, so that was the oval. So that was called the Elkhurt's Oval, and that's in front of the uh the Philadelphia Art Museum. So that's 32,000 square feet of art, just crazy. Like the aerial aerial view was crazy. It was dope. So um, shout out to Under Armour and shout out to everybody we work with on that too. And my bro Mike Morak. So Mike Morak's the Philly, the Philly mayor, you know what I'm saying? Right, I'm sure. So he was bringing in Under Armour to do something really dope for the community, and he threw my name out there. So I had to shout him out.

SPEAKER_01 19:42

That's great. Yeah, and um, speaking of brand collaborations, you had an amazing project that you did with Snipes, and and what I was most impressed about is how you brought your family in on that project. You know what I'm saying? Like that was cool. I want to speak to that because, like you, like I said, there's there's so many different opportunities, there's so many different ways to go about showcasing your artwork and tapping in with the people. Your main focus has always been family, yeah, bro. So that's that's dope to see. Like any opportunity, any way you get, you know, to implement your family into it, you're taking advantage of that.

SPEAKER_02 20:14

Shout out, shout out to Snipes, man. That was my son's first um first model check. That's what's up. That was crazy. I got him out of school early. He was so high. You still talk about it. And he was just like a kid in a candy store, bro. It was so dope. And I was like able to like really like coach him and like do this and stand, give him a little swag, little, you know what I mean? So it was, it was it was amazing, man. That was a really cool situation. And then we also had my birthday party the day of the launch. Oh, that's amazing! So that was so everybody came out. It was uh I I it was people I I was in middle school with that came, and I was just like, damn. Yeah, and they like him. I remember you used to always be writing on the books and da-da-da. And I'm just like, damn, it was such a moment, man. It was such a moment, man. So definitely shout out to Snipes and shout out to my man Nana. He killed it. He he he brought me on in that project, and he's over at Mitchell and S right now. So that's what I'm talking about, like those relationships, right? Where it's just like genuine relationships that people can bring you in once they know what you're worth and they know what you're gonna bring to the situation. Like they know that I'm gonna give my all in a situation if it's the right situation. You know what I mean? I brought my son in there, right? You know what I mean? It's like he's still on the y'all, it's still on Snipe's website.

SPEAKER_01 21:20

It's like it's deep, bro.

SPEAKER_02 21:22

It's like it's super deep. But that's one of the ideas that I had when I left my job. When I told you all those complaints about people not being able to go to their kids' graduations or their kids, whatever, and I'm sitting there like, damn, I gotta make this jump before I have kids. Then I don't have no excuse. Now I gotta do overtime on top of overtimes to make things happen. Yeah, so it was my my so family being first is everything, bro. Like, I'm just one of them, I'm just one of them guys that just was able to have like and blessed to have one of those amazing families from my grandparents and I knew my great grandparents. You know what I mean? It's like that's beautiful. It was it's like one of those. Joints, you know what I'm saying? That's what's up.

SPEAKER_01 22:02

Um, I want to speak about your uh programming that you have, which is create, motivate, and inspire. That movement that you've been working on, going into the schools, tapping in with the kids. It is very important to tap in with the youth, they are our future, definitely, and you definitely make it a point to stand there and kick it with these kids. Yeah, let's speak to the importance of that for you.

SPEAKER_02 22:20

So, I mean, importance is amazing. So, Create, Motivate, Inspire started about nine years ago, and it was just something dope from after seeing how Orin and his brother was operating in New York, they they fed the homeless every Wednesday in front of Madison Square Garden. For still do. But I seen that every week, and I'm like, and they put up in Ferraris, Lambos, and it's like they're not acting like, oh, just give them the food. I'm gonna stand over here. No, we had they have conversations with these people. Connecting with the people, they're people that's a fact that had downs and ups, and you meeting them in this situation, you know what I'm saying? But it's always like, I just was like, damn, I never seen nobody do that. And that that touched me to the point where I was like, yo, if I'm able to like ever make some money or like really people care enough to be like backing me, I'm gonna do something for Philly. I gotta do something for Philly, if it's for the kids or so, you know, feeding the homeless. So create motivate inspire started with actually just the name of my company. I needed a name for my company, I was sorting my business out, and then from near the philanthropy, that came after me working with Orin and Wayne, and then I got my family involved, my guys involved in Philly, and right now they they they taking it to a whole nother level. And I'm like able to step in when I'm when I can, and I'm bringing these corporations to do things for the community. So every this might be off the course a little bit, but every company that I work with, I'm like, yo, you gotta have something in a budget for the community. That's what you're saying. Like we just was talking on a call and you was here, right, and we're talking about what we're gonna do for the community, and I'm like, yo, we need a bigger budget. You know what I'm saying? I want to make this cool. I don't want to do something that's corny for the for the or I won't do it. Right. I'll just do it next year when it's right. You know what I mean? So it's like I need a percentage of my budget to go to something for the community. It gotta go like that because it's so many me's that don't have no opportunity, they don't have no uncles, they don't have no dad, they don't have no no no orans, they don't have nobody that's gonna be like, or no JPs that's like, damn, I see your gift. Right. Let me help a little bit. They might not have that. You know what I'm saying? So if I can kind of spark that and then do things for the community where they can kind of show their gift or show how talented they are, I want to do something like that. You know what I mean? So it's really just coming from a space where it's like, I feel like in this present time, we gotta we gotta work for later on. I kind of always want to do things that's gonna get me in heaven. I always think like that. All right, what's the best thing that God would be happy about? And and giving back is like you a nut if you don't give back. That's right. And you can. You know what I'm saying? So I mean, I'm just trying to do as much as I can. Hopefully, the budget's a little bit bigger.

SPEAKER_01 24:56

You're doing because words do matter. You're right, you're right. You're doing, you're right, and that's the key. The universe, we doing. So for sure.

SPEAKER_02 25:04

Um, and it's amazing, man. And shout out to uh Create Motivate Inspire 215. That's my brother Kev, that's PZ, that's a whole group of people that's like feeding the homeless every Monday. They're getting grants for other things while I'm doing my art thing. You know what I mean? And I'm bringing things back to them when it's like, okay, this company wants to do this, let's kill it. You know what I mean? So it's a it's a it's a it's a blessing, man. It's a blessing.

SPEAKER_01 25:26

So, man, congratulations on that. Thank you, bro. Thank you as well. Continue to keep pushing this movement. Thank you. Peace and positivity is what we need in this world for sure, man. For real. I want to speak to the idea of what your message is, or what you want your message to be perceived as when people are standing in front of your artwork. You know, they're looking at the artwork, they're coming up with their own concepts and their own ideas and emotions of how it how they connect to it. But what is your main purpose with the art and your message?

SPEAKER_02 25:55

I mean, what I want somebody to think about when they're standing in front of the art is literally just like, I want their ideas to flow. That's why I create. I want them to pick up things that I ain't even thinking about. And then they come back and ask me, yo, so what's this right here? Because I was thinking it was, and then I tell them, no, this is they're like, oh wow. I I was thinking, so it's to have people thinking, bro.

SPEAKER_01 26:16

That's amazing, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 26:17

To have people thinking, bro. Like, if you can have somebody stop in their tracks and look at something and they brain go somewhere totally, they're not think about bills, they're not think about their girlfriend, they're not thinking about none of the distresses or the things that weigh on a person every day, and you just kind of like um like imagining almost like being a kid for a second, you know what I'm saying? That's kind of like the energy that I want to give off when people see my artwork. Um, what my like a legacy type of question? Almost, I want what I want people to get from my artwork is like I'm gonna just keep it on 100, right? And I and I and I never said this kind of like I could do all types of shit, bro. Art was the cheapest thing. I used to still paint. Oh, trust me, I know. I mean, yeah, so writer, we come from that. So I know I couldn't rap because I'm in the hood, so it's only a few things. I could play basketball, bro. I can sell, I can, I knew I couldn't rap because I tried. I can't rap. And then create and then just like expressing myself through something, I could do it. And that was the cheapest thing where it's like, oh, I can get paint. So when that t-shirt idea came up, I'm like, all right, t-shirt's only $5. I could still paint, or I could go buy paint whenever I come up with some money. I can I can express with that. And it don't take $100, it don't take $50. So that was how it all happened, bro. So if it was something else, if I could have picked up maybe a guitar and that was cheap, or I don't know, I think I could do anything, bro. So I think like the art thing was really just in me because for one, my grandfather was an artist. God rest his soul. My uncle's an artist. He's the first artist in our family that ever went to college for art. So I'm like this hybrid boy. Yeah, he's like the boy that was studying art. He had like an art collective, he does poetry. He's from the 70s. So he that bull. Like, he'll break down and just do a whole poetry drawing. You'd be like, oh shit. He's a well-rounded artist. Well-rounded, you know what I'm saying? So, and shout out to my Uncle Steve. Um, I feel like it's always been around. Even in my my grandparents' house, um, all the artwork that was on the walls was from the family. Sketches, and it was all from my grandpa, my uncle, or somebody else that they framed. And I would ask these questions as a kid, like, yo, who did this? Oh, your Uncle Steve. And I'm like, damn, maybe I could try to do something. So it was that energy inside the house. That's amazing. That's creative energy inside the house. And my grandfather was a jazz player, so it's music, it's it's it's Duke Ellington, it's uh Sarah Vine, it's Frank Sinatra playing while walking through with all this art. So it's almost like we had a gallery, some kind of sound bar gallery is weird, bro. It's it's really, really deep, man. But I feel like that's where it comes from, man.

SPEAKER_01 28:58

You've embodied it all and and and a blessing the world with this this talent. So thank you for that. It definitely means a lot. I appreciate you, bro. If you if today was the last day you could paint and you can never paint again.

SPEAKER_02 29:09

Damn.

SPEAKER_01 29:10

Am I dying? Like, no, you're not dying. But just the fact that you can no longer paint again, your studio gets shut down. You just painting is not something you could do again. I'm painting in the house. I'm painting in the basement. Hear me out though.

SPEAKER_02 29:22

Oh, all right.

SPEAKER_01 29:22

Hear me out. Let me get this food because I'm about to throw the monkey wrench in this room, right? Okay, okay. If you could no longer paint again, and this is the last day that you can paint, are you satisfied with the body of work that you've put out? And do you feel it well round? It's all around representative of who you are.

SPEAKER_02 29:39

Nah. Ah, hell no. That's like that would be like me only playing half of a game and being like, yo, you satisfied at halftime? You got 30 points. I'm like, bro, I can go for 90. I can go for 90. I feel great right now. And I'm changing my shoes. There you go. It's like, so, so, nah, man. I feel like, I feel like I've done way more than I've thought previously when I first started everything. I just wanted my idea of being successful, bro. I'm telling you like this, was me selling two to three paintings a week. No, I think it was a month. It was a week or a month. Two or three paintings a week for at least $800. That was that was that's what I wrote down on on paper at one point in time. And then it just went crazy.

SPEAKER_01 30:25

So, what is the goal today?

SPEAKER_02 30:29

What is the goal today? Oh man, it's so many different goals. So it's really like, okay, so one goal is for me to be present as a as a father. That's that's a goal for me. For sure. With all this going on. Because no matter what, the the kids don't really care about they they like, yeah, you cool, dad. It's cool, whatever. But it's like those memories that they gonna have later on when I'm an old head, and they like, no, my dad was literally, he took us everywhere, he took us to the shows, he he put us in. I was modeling, that's what I want. So that's one goal, that's like one of my main goals. Um artistic goal. But for me to just be keep creating, keep creating and building my IP and dabbling into other other things, like you know what I mean, like art direction, um, working for brands and and painting nothing. Just my ideas. Like have having teams run around on my ideas and things like that, creating Disney World, creating amusement parks, like, like I think about all that stuff, bro. I think about like where my IP can go from what I've done physically. I've done all the physical products I think I can not know. I've done a lot of physical products, right? For sure. But I want to turn that into a world right now. You know what I'm saying? What does JP's friends look like? What does JP's sidekick look like?

SPEAKER_01 31:58

This is a self-portrait one, but I know you have another one over there with the whole group of your whole team, right? Like the one that's right here. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. That's called uh I got my five.

SPEAKER_02 32:06

We're gonna put that image up for y'all right here. Yeah, I got my I got my five. You know what I mean? That and that speaks on basketball, that speaks on confidence, that speaks on walking in other people's parks, knowing that you're gonna take this win. Maybe one of my friends might have put some money up, so you really can't lose.

SPEAKER_01 32:20

Yeah, that's a fact.

SPEAKER_02 32:21

It's just different stories, man. So it's so many different stories that I don't feel like right now I was able to tell because all these things going on right now was just opportunities, bro. So sometimes you gotta like put your story to the side for opportunities to be able to tell your story later and have people listen. For sure. You feel what I'm saying? So I feel like that's where I'm at right now.

SPEAKER_01 32:41

And uh, yeah, but to answer your question, nah, I ain't done at all at all. That's good to hear. That's good to hear. Stay tuned because we got a lot more work coming your way, y'all. Facts. Get your banks stuff, put that savings to the side. We got some great art coming through here.

SPEAKER_02 32:56

It's all an investment, man.

SPEAKER_01 32:57

You're gonna be y'all gonna thank me and these are assets, not liabilities. And I want to elaborate on that aspect, right? Because a lot of artists see the idea. I just want to sell, I just want to sell, I just want to sell. And and and I understand that we all want to make money, we all want to be able to survive and thrive. Right. But what artists need to understand is the value of their intellectual property, how to protect it, and how to maximize that. I'm gonna speak to the importance of that as well as understanding collectors, understanding the world of art collection and where how where that plays a major value and holds a lot of space because those same individuals that are purchasing your work can either make or break you as an artist. Right. And what I mean by that is that, and honestly, I'm probably gonna get some backlash for this because a lot of artists hate this idea of where people are purchasing their artwork to resell.

SPEAKER_03 33:52

Right.

SPEAKER_01 33:53

But the idea is that individual, if it's the right person, is reselling your artwork within the art market the right way, and is putting prominence on that artwork, is making sure that the appraised uh value for that artwork is set the right way, that artist wins as well. So understand who you're selling your artwork to, build that rapport, build that connection to know that if this individual is able to purchase this piece, a piece of who you are, that connection to you, that they're gonna respect who that who that individual is and that artwork. You are an individual artist who has a nice collection of you know, collectors. How do you work with your collectors and find that balance and respect and understanding across the board?

SPEAKER_02 34:38

You know what's so crazy? So as you as you're saying that, I'm thinking about all these different scenarios, right? So it can all be good and bad. Right. So with me, I've been blessed. A lot of my collectors, a lot of them are seasoned collectors, and you know, they have family, like they've been doing this, like their father, their mother collected. So they come from that. But a lot of my a lot of my collectors are just like first-time homebuyers almost. You know what I mean? Like, they're like, I don't buy art, I don't care about art. I heard your story. No, like they like, I heard your story and I fucking need it.

SPEAKER_01 35:15

Nice.

SPEAKER_02 35:16

Like, that's like that's like favor. That's just favor. You know what I'm saying? Because if you can have somebody just buy a piece of art that costs a nice amount of money and they've never bought art before, never cared, that's something. That's something that's beyond us. You feel me? Yeah, so with those collectors, is a little bit different. It's a little bit more of a hmm, they they they they hold it close. They don't want to give it away because they they're not looking at it as something that they're gonna like make money off of. They're like, I want this forever. If I felt something every day I look at it, I feel motivated, I feel inspired, like it's crazy. Then it's another collector that's like, okay, King Saladin's pretty hot right now. Let me try to see if I can get his piece for $10,000 less. And then I know some, I know I gotta buy it for $30,000 more.

SPEAKER_01 36:05

I want to elaborate before you continue to continue speaking. Okay, we're not talking about going and trying to find a way to penny pinch on these artists. Respect the artists, y'all. Yeah, respect artwork, but it is a business. But it's a business. So excuse me, so sorry, go for it.

SPEAKER_02 36:19

But it's a business, and also depending on how green you get an artist, you can get an amazing, yeah, amazing amount of work for five grand.

SPEAKER_01 36:28

Yeah, and and it's and it happens all the time. And and respectfully, hey, if that if that's the value of that work at that time, so be it. But definitely give that artist the respect as they're growing, as they're building their collection, their name, and their artwork, because that that matters.

SPEAKER_02 36:46

Um, so I'm gonna go into a little story of an artist that I know. And um, so you know, regular collectors, but the collectors are upselling in auction, which is a great thing for a second because now if you sold a paint for 30,000, somebody sold it in auction for 300,000. That's what I mean.

SPEAKER_01 37:13

Yeah, that's what I was speaking to them away.

SPEAKER_02 37:14

The artist gets nothing, right? But they do get the prominence that accolades, maybe a couple write-ups, right? And now your work is valued at 300,000.

SPEAKER_01 37:24

Correct.

SPEAKER_02 37:24

But if nobody else wants to buy a painting for 300,000, you're stuck. Because now you can't sell for 30,000 again because you mess up the whole ecosystem.

SPEAKER_01 37:34

Right.

SPEAKER_02 37:35

So that's why I was saying it's so good and it's so bad that it's like you might get out, you might get put out of your range too early. Correct. And then it's nothing for you to do but but kill your name. And that's just one of the things, situations that I never wanted to be in, because that's that's almost like when you more signing with galleries, though. Yeah, for sure. You know what I mean? Like the first gallery that I was about to sign with, I remember I was so green, bro. And uh, but I'm from Philly and I and I'm a hustler, so you can't just tell me anything. You feel me? Even even in the ballpark of me not knowing this ballpark, you gotta say a few things, then I'm like, okay, I get it. So I remember I was I'm not gonna say the gallery, whatever, but um, they was like they wanted to sign me to an exclusive. I remember um I did like a like a pre-show, five pieces I put in there. They all sold that night. I didn't know how I was gonna get paid because I'm coming from Philly. I thought they was gonna be like, oh, you sold the paint, here's the money. Yeah, it was like, oh, you give us three, six weeks, or I'm like, what? So the whole thing was kind of like weird to me at first. So then, you know, the the gallery goes on to say, um, so whatever you do, we need to pretty much okay it with anybody else. If you if you sell a piece to your uncle, we gotta okay it because it can mess you up or it might not be what we where we see you going. Right. So I said, so do artists get signing bonuses like a rapper? Like, like you gotta give me something to be like, let's go. Correct. It can't just be like, I believe in you. No, yeah, we're not just getting one off the hype. And I'm coming from selling t-shirts and paintings out my trunk. So I'm hand to hand. Yeah. So when you tell me I can't hand to hand and I can't do what I do, and it ain't no money involved, you gotta tell me something else. Right. You gotta tell me something else that's gonna really ignite this conversation. Yeah, so he was like, No, this is how it goes. Nobody's gonna take you seriously if you don't sign with a real with a real gallery. I said, I'm a walking gallery. And they stopped. They just didn't know what to say. And I was just like, I'm a walking gallery. I just came from Florida. I I I flew here to have this this conversation and show you this art. But when I go back to Florida, I got clients waiting, I'm selling t-shirts, I got little paintings. I'm dog, it was even to the point where I was selling wafer glasses. This is when like the uh the um the Ray Bans was like super pop. Everybody had the colorful Ray bands, bro. I was selling glasses on the beach and I was making hundreds of dollars weekly. Getting to it. So you can't tell me that I I gotta stop what I'm doing for you to sell a painting. It might not sell, it could sell. When it sells, you gotta wait six weeks. So, what am I supposed to be doing in the midst of this? They didn't have an answer for me, bro. And I was like, nah, I'm good, I'm okay. Thank you. I love, I love to hear this story, man.

SPEAKER_01 40:15

It is so important, man.

SPEAKER_02 40:16

And it's so crazy. And I met and I ran into this guy later on at I think it was like at a scope show. And because now, as I'm making money, I'm not buying Balenciaga and all this dumb shit. At times I board it. But the first thing is me putting money back into the business. Reinvest. I I spent, I think, my first $15,000 putting into an art fair. I didn't know if I was gonna sell anything, anything, bro. Do you know how that's scary? And I might have only had like 25 to my name, so that 15 was everything. It was like, but it was that walking on faith, it was that that putting my money where my mouth is, showing the world my what I got. Dog, I sold everything. That's what's up, sold everything, and it was like it was like, wow. So then I did be back. So what you said about being comfortable, can't ever be comfortable. Exactly. And ain't uh even when you in the NBA, you can't become you got a 35 million dollar contract, you can't be comfortable. Nope. That money go like that, man. That's a fact. And then when we start talking about business, we talk about taxes and then percentages and uh your manager and then we talking longevity.

SPEAKER_01 41:20

We ain't talking about overnight here, man. Nah, we're not talking about that. We talking legacies, we talking about, you know what I mean, names on them plaques on them walls, man. Yeah, man. You know what I mean? We want we talk about museums, we ain't just talking about galleries. It's deep, man.

SPEAKER_02 41:34

It's deep, it's deep. So it's really like it can go all types of ways, man. It's like everybody's journey is different. I just knew I didn't want mine's to be where somebody could tell me no, yes, come on, hurry up, slow down. I ain't I ain't want that, I just left a job. Yeah, I ain't leave a job to get into an art world job. Facts, especially when you ain't getting paid. Yeah, yeah. So I took it upon myself, you know, me and my team, and we just like like just went on our own, bro. You know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_01 42:02

Y'all, y'all been doing a great job, man. It's it's definitely showing through the work, it's definitely showing through the brand collaborations you've been putting out there, and obviously the work you do for yourself. You know what I'm saying? The brand collaborations is amazing because it helps leverage the marketing, the advertisement of your brand. Totally. And and enlightens and enhances your messaging and things in that manner. But with all that stripped away, you're still the artist. This artwork still stands on its own with the messages that we representing here. So thank you for remaining consistent within this space. Thank you for standing on purpose, you know what I mean? Standing for the community. Yeah, you are greatly appreciated out here. I appreciate that. Thank you very much. I appreciate that, bro. Before we get up out of here, do you have any parting words you'd like to leave the people with?

SPEAKER_02 42:45

Well, you already know my slogan is dream big, love what you do. Um, all right, so my last show was called Um Dreams Manifest. So, and it's right over there, right there. Um, so I'm gonna leave with this Dreams Manifest at our lowest points, right? Um, you can hear that and you can be like, Man, whatever. He lit now, so or he's doing good now. He can say that. But everything that I'm doing now came from when I was in my mom's basement. Literally, bro, in my mom's basement, messing up shit everywhere, paint everywhere, nobody, everybody like, yo, what the hell is he doing? Like, you know what I'm saying? But the ones who knew knew, and the people that can see a vision, they still around. That's a fact. You know what I'm saying? So I feel like if you're in your low lowest moment, I feel like that's like God showing you, like, okay, do you want to be comfortable? Do you want to give up? Or you gonna kind of like show me? It's almost like a like your dad, right? I feel like it's like your dad, like a good dad. Like a dad's gonna only give you but so much, they can't just be like, oh, take everything because you're not gonna grow into a man. You know what I mean? So it's kind of like that dad that's kind of like testing you, teaching you those lessons. Yeah, let me leave him, let me leave him in the park. Yeah. Just to let him understand that he needs to be next to me. Because when you get lost, you And you you're doing your own thing, and you wake up, you're like, oh, that you scared. Facts. But when you're supposed to be by his side, not wandering off, you feel what I'm saying? It's like it's a different understanding. So I feel like my thing was like, I think God wanted me to like kind of understand how how important and great I was, but I had to go through different levels because when I got here, it wasn't just gonna be painting. Like this is not just about painting. This is not just about, oh, let me come up with a cool concept today and paint it and put it on Instagram. Like, this is my life. Like this is my life. This is like my business, this is my IP, this is my family, this is how everybody around me is thriving. So I gotta be serious. This gotta be serious, bro. And it's gotta be like, just like Apple. You know what I'm saying? It's like a smaller, smaller situation. But I started in my mom's basement. They started in a garage. That's a fact. I was lucky, I was, I wasn't lucky enough to have a garage. You know what I'm saying? Yeah. But it's like it gotta start from somewhere, and you gotta always just stand on your principles, dog. Like, it's just certain things I'm not going for. I don't care how much money they offer me, bro. I'm just not doing it. I know my grandfather, I know my dad. That's a fact. It's just you know what I mean? You can't waver me with money or oh, you're gonna be famous. It's like I really don't want to be famous. I swear, listen, if I could do all of this and nobody knew me, I would love that shit, bro. That's what's up. But God ain't want it like that because I'm a face, I'm young, I'm I'm African American. They need to see this, they need to see somebody being able to be in control. When I was on that car, I wasn't just like, yes, okay, sure. No, I'm like, no, this is this don't sound right. This might not work. Take control of your life. They gotta be like that, bro. So dreams manifest at your lowest points, bro, and everything that you're picking up now at your lowest points, you're gonna need all that shit when you get to your certain, your your destination. I'm nowhere near my destination. You know what I'm saying? So I feel like I gotta take heed to what I'm saying every day as well, not just speak it. Practice what you preach. Gotta practice what you preach, bro, because every day is it, you know. Some days I wake up thinking about stuff and I'm like, really? I gotta check myself. Because I remember being in the basement hoping for a thousand dollars, hoping for $800, hoping or or getting that that opportunity to do a painting for somebody, and they give me $800 and I know that they work a job. So that $800 really means something to them. So when they see that artwork, they like, they gotta be like, damn, or they're gonna be like, Yeah, that's a fact. Bro, can you put some more blue? Like, you feel me? Because, you know, $800 to a person that makes $30,000 a year is a lot.

SPEAKER_01 46:38

For sure.

SPEAKER_02 46:38

You know what I'm saying? And $8,000 to a person that makes $300,000 is it's the it's just all a all one economic pool, you know what I'm saying? But in the midst of that, you gotta make everybody happy. Not everybody happy, because the things I create are gonna make me happy, and hopefully that makes you happy. Right. I could be talking all day about this, bro. Listen, don't give up on your dreams. Keep going. Listen, I ain't have no money, bro. So never have money, never let money be that thing where it's like, bro, I don't have no money.

SPEAKER_01 47:10

Money is not the motivation.

SPEAKER_02 47:11

Money is not the motivation, and it can't be the thing that holds you, it can't be your health thing. You gotta have purpose.

SPEAKER_01 47:16

You gotta actually have purpose, you gotta really stand on something. As you said, you gotta have principles, man. For sure, for sure.

SPEAKER_02 47:22

Because you because if you don't, your your career won't last long anyway. That's a fact, man. So they'll give you the the that one deal, and then it's hard. You'll be here today. Yeah, man.

SPEAKER_01 47:31

For sure, for sure. Definitely appreciate that, man. It's a pleasure having you here, man.

SPEAKER_02 47:35

You already know.

SPEAKER_01 47:36

Thank you for allowing us into your space, bringing us into your, you know what I mean, into your mind and your palate. For those tuned in, thank you once again for checking us out each and every week. Thank you for uh King Saladin once again for allowing us into his space. Stay tuned next week. We'll be right back at it, y'all. Peace.