Graham Thoms / "Trabajando 4" / INTERVIEW

LIVE Skateboard Media: May you please introduce yourself and where you come from? How did you get to come over to Europe for the first time, and where exactly was your video part in "Trabajando 4" filmed? Love how it’s distinctly split into two different sections, each one on a different continent with rap as the sole common denominator…

Graham Thoms: Aight, here it is! Born and raised in Chicago, been visiting Paris since '05, and now living here since '13.

I have French cousins who grew up here, so right away with eighteen years old I figured out how to solve the Euro equation. Paris has been a home away from home for many years, a dream to live here, and now I can finally say I am a resident!

"This solid network has been developed over several years of getting it in the streets"

Aside from this, my bro from home, Corey Henderson, and I have been traveling to the Mecca, Barcelona, every spring for the last five years. We have made a tradition out of this perfect plan, and our video project started naturally from documenting this trip annually. Along the years, we decided it would be appropriate to mix in Chicago, and then Paris, in the Barcelona video.

Starting off as just a Barcelona vid, now we have evolved the project to highlight a trifecta of the cities we turn up. We felt it is only natural and necessary to integrate the cities where we live and love. 

The idea is that the homies who don't get to travel will have a chance to see our international peeps on the other side of the globe, and be up to date with what we are doing. When we are in each different city, the people we are with are our local family. This solid network has been developed over several years of getting it in the streets.

In Chicago we have been raised with a great influence of street culture, with the older ones who proved us the importance of paying dues and setting the standard high. This is what has created all of the motivation along the history for us.

Now we are in a new generation and it is our turn to represent. Today we have the internet, easy and inexpensive international communication, and traveling is easier than ever. It is our turn to step up and make things happen and do whatever is possible, striving for the impossible, while never stopping the all-around progression.

Corey Henderson: I come from a small town right outside of the West Side of Chicago called Oak Park. There was actually a pretty good skate scene at the time so I spent much of my childhood skateboarding around O.P. with the locals before discovering that I could go skate Chicago! 

I actually saw Graham skate for the first time a 2005 video premiere for one of our local shops and I was blown away by the style, the filming, the spots, the music, and the general feeling, it just felt like it was instantly my favorite video. I had recently bought a Canon Optura and a scratched Baby Death lens from a homie and started filming around this time. Seeing this video along with another local video filmed by skateboarders a few years older than me from the same town called, “Street Killaz” showed me that it was possible to start making full-length skate videos. The beauty of it was that I could make a video with all of my friends in it present in a unique way without the struggles of asking people to film, hoping they use your clips, etc. I was able to cut out most of the ambiguity of being involved in skate videos by simply making them myself.

"One day I actually ditched class and filmed a trick of Jereme Rogers"

Fast forward to 2012, I ended up meeting Graham for real one night skating downtown Chicago and we filmed a line that ended with a sw backside flip up a 3 stair! At the time I had been studying Japanese for five years and was on track to study abroad for a semester while I was attending Columbia College Chicago, but then the Fukushima radiation spill happened and my parents would not let me go to Japan. So I put my Japan dreams on hold (they are still on hold), and decided to study abroad in Barcelona because I learned that many of my favorite clips from videos over the years had been filmed there so it was almost a no brainer. The Parallel footage really caught my eye because I had never seen such perfectly-sized and -placed manual pads, and those just seemed to be the best to skate. 

I went to Barcelona for four months with a goal of learning as much as Spanish as possible and to skate and get as much footage as possible. One day I actually ditched class and filmed a clip of Jereme Rogers while he was filming his “Mi Amor” video. I also met Tom Penny, Javier Sarmiento and a ton of local rippers at MACBA, for me this was already a dream come true. I would just hang out at MACBA or Parallel and skate and meet people who eventually I became close friends with.

G: We are doing this globally now, but always representing our roots and never forgetting where we came from.

We want to honor the communities we know, giving an opportunity for our bros in Chicago to see our homies and spots on the other side, and vice versa for our Euro fam to get to know Chicago before seeing it first-hand.

Skateboarding is one big family and everyone in it are cousins or brothers according to relevance. One of the most gratifying sensations is the pleasure to see your family uniting and spreading their power. This radiates growth and positivity, sharing and promoting strength and leadership.

"Always keeping in mind we are doing this for ourselves, the fun meter stays booming lit"

"Trabajando" is not just about the actual video or the players involved, it is more about the gathering of homies and the duty to give gratitude where deserved and spread motivation all around. The main drive and focus in the big picture is our passion for skateboarding around the world in general.

We are doing this all for fun and love, at the same time taking this very seriously since I have been doing this my whole life. It never comes easy with the expenses of budget, police, security, or injuries. We have a particular perception on it.  Where we come from skateboarding is illegal on the streets with consequences. We are regularly reminded of this by authority and are often treated like criminals. Cops, guards, and random heroes try to stop us from what we are doing. Normal to have haters when you are minding your own business and doing something you enjoy, but it only adds fuel to the fire.

One thing for sure is that the reward of fun, happiness, excitement, and satisfaction is always worth more than the risk. We have much appreciation and never stop raising up and pushing with the ones around us.

This is our life, so we call it "trabajando" (Spanish word for "working") kind of as a joke with truth. Siempre trabajando, that's how we do!

Corey: In 2014, I went back out to Barcelona on a two-month trip with on another mission which was to film another full-length. My homie Dave Gilbert was nice enough to let me crash at his place. One the first day at MACBA, he introduced me to Flo Marfaing and all I remember is there we were somehow filming a line within like five minutes of meeting each other. This was an extreme fan moment that I had to contain myself in because I had watched Lordz “They Don’t Give a Fuck About Us” more times than I remember and never expected to meet anybody who had a part, let alone film with one of them.

Dave Gilbert, and Julian Cochrane shared a sweet part in this video as well. Two English homies with super unique styles and heavy tricks skating to Real Estate.

The 2014 Barcelona trip is where the title “Trabajando” was born, it really made sense when the homie Adilson said it during a brainstorm of possible titles and it just stuck.

There is always work being done to go skateboarding, to continue skateboarding, to skateboard better, working on tricks, watching people work while we skate, working to create that moment of inspiration, the list goes on, but the word just seemed to encompass the feeling of what we were doing. 

LIVE Skateboard Media: What is the story behind "Trabajando 4"? Judging from the name alone, I figure this wasn’t Corey Henderson's first full-length video - what’s up with the rest of the Trabajandos?

G: Corey and I have been doing our annual Barcelona trip and every year filming a full-length, including the people and spots we interact with and enjoy.

While out there, we are on a strict program of heavy skating all day every day because the time is precious. Always keeping in mind we are doing this for ourselves, the fun meter stays booming lit.

Corey: It was during this trip that Graham notified me that he was going to be going out there during the same time as me with some homies from Uprise. We only got to film two or three times, but the vibes were amazing and not to mention he was a childhood inspiration of mine so it was like I was getting to film one of my all-time favorite skaters.

Even though I didn’t have a ton of footage, I wanted to make sure the section was jazzed and looking special even though it was short. I’m pretty sure after that Graham and I were determined to give our sessions more justice! You may notice that Graham’s section in each video gets longer and longer!

It was good however to get another taste of Barcelona and to know that with a little planning it's not out of this world to be able to skate in Barcelona with your homies. So each year, Graham and I planned better and we were able to get more and more footage each time.

G: We literally put an abundance of blood, sweat, and tears into this, some of the most hectic yet ultimate feelings! Never wasting a moment, working to the very last minutes before hopping on the Aerobus homeward bound [laughs]... We always joke around how we need more "trabajando".

We aren't getting paid from this, but the value of our street knowledge has made us hood rich! 

"All that is what really counts and is why we are unstoppable"

We have a simple approach: skate as many dream spots as possible... and our way going about it is quite complex since we explore two foreign cities VERY different from Chicago.

Often we are reminded how we are far away from home, but that just makes things more flavorful in every way. We explore Paris and Barcelona how we have explored Chicago our whole life, from corner to corner, the poshest high-end neighborhoods to the grimiest and poor hoods, never with limitations.

Corey: Around the time of making "Trabajando 3" in 2015, I wanted to make a video that was more part oriented so the end result would be something more cohesive. With a little more experience, I felt more comfortable in Barcelona and I knew how to get around to a good amount of spots. 

I had recently got the Lumix GH4 Camera so I was messing around with its HD slow-mo. I couldn’t decide one set style to run with, so I ended up mixing in some VX filmed by the homie Adilson. Graham was in Barcelona filming with some French homies for most of time we were there together but we got a solid week of filming in and we able to film the Trabajando part smoothly. Short and sweet, the night line at Uni is my favorite because after he landed it we started yelling about being professors at the Universitat, best vibes. That opening MACBA line too though, and switch backside flip was first try!

G: It is nice there is two of us, and quite practical. I have my street-wisdom, awareness and keeping sharp and with the quickness from all my activity on the streets of the Windy City; and Corey has his courtesy, camera skills, patience with the countless "guerra" situations, and the determination and effort to make the best ambiance and use of our time spent about. On top of all that he is a super talented skater, always giving suggestions and clever line or combo ideas, and also managing to make a full part of himself in each video.

We've got endless energy and motivation, the flame stays lit with us! All that is what really counts and is why we are unstoppable.

Incredible architectural urban environments, strong in history and culture, keeps our interest. We bring these communities and essences all together to make the best international street presentation how we know: purely ruff, rugged, and raw.

The concept is to blend the three cities in all aspects we are exposed to, basically to fully represent the lifestyle and show what we are about!

Corey: The fact that I had limited time in each city, and was also evolving in the way I viewed the Trabajando videos, made me want to put out a video that had Barcelona, Chicago and Paris footage in pretty much equal portions.

I also wanted to put in more time and effort into the Chicago section so there could be a few pure Chicago parts for the world to see.

I was also determined to put more time into the editing of the piece, so I actually ended up putting in about a year and a half editing "Trabajando 4" which was way more than any of the other ones which were usually done and on YouTube a few months after I would get back from the trips. This time, I wanted to do as much justice for everyone as I could, but we also know now that Graham was pretty much on the top of the waiting list at this point.

The summer of 2017, Graham actually came to Chicago a few times, and we went on a bunch super late night missions in the Loop, capturing most of the footage in the Chicago that's half of this part. We like to focus on the plaza spots because they are so fun to skate and when you are done skating, they are perfect to sit back relax at late at night. 

I’m not sure if I would ever move to Europe, but I will definitely keep visiting as long as it’s there for me to visit! I hope to one day be very good in French and close to fluent in Spanish, maybe then I will think more about moving! 

Corey: Almost every time after each session in 2015 when my homies and I were watching clips, Winkle would come and give me a million filming tips on each clip.

It was to the point where he really changed the way I film skateboarding, because he opened my eyes to a lot of nuance details that only a pro filmer can explain.

On top of dropping an insane amount of filming knowledge on me, when I was editing the video, we had long video chats where he would watch my edits on the phone with me, and once more he opened my eyes to things that I would have taken me a lot longer to figure out on my own. He had a serious and pretty direct influence on my filming and editing style in the sense that he basically helped me do a better version of what I was trying to do. Winkle explained and proved his points to me with endless examples. I was stubborn for some reason at first but after a while, I would start to hear him talking to me over my shoulder while I was setting the colors on my camera or choosing an angle and it would set me straight.

Winkle was also a huge part of the editing and arrangement of "Trabajando 3", and I think he really helped me make it hit. After editing my second video with him, I finally felt like I heard him talking to me enough while I was editing that I could edit "Trabajando 4" on my own into something he would have approved.

G: French Fred's work in "Menikmati" and "Sorry", to Lordz "They Don't Give a Fuck About Us", and a little later got hooked on all the Euro vibes and characters... Flo, Luy-Pa, Tom Penny, William Phan, Vassili Ritter, and all the rest of Paris prime back in our growing years. These were and continue to be all major sources of inspiration and also put up Europe as a dream destination.

"If I do something I go all the way and further, and the city of romance is my heaven on earth!"

Ibrahim aka. Ibra, the OG from Trappes who grew up skating La Def, Le Dome, and then all city, was my first French friend. He spent years 1999 to 2000 in Chicago, quickly adapting and centering himself in our Uprise fam. This was my guy when I came to visit my cousins in Europe for the first time alone with eighteen years old, back in '05.

He was not skating excessively at this period, since he had a gnarly accident getting hit by a metro some years before, but miraculously was still ripping a bit and holding it down. He was still very active in the skate community, with all of his friends nearby. He ran a clothing company and radio station called Elephant Print, with an international team of heavy hitters.

Instantly I was in the squad and he introduced me to all my first French skate knowledge of history, legends, and dream plazas. He linked me with his friends, showed me the maps, and then while out and about I made my way to learn and fall in love with Paris.

After my first visit, I got into work mode back home and just saved all my money for travels, and continuing coming back every year. Mostly I would stay with one of my cousins' and/or Ibrahim. This brought us to have a real brotherhood. 

Every time I visited, I dreamed of moving here, and eventually I was able to make that a reality! It took me nearly eight years to make it happen, always being held back by something really good or really bad in my city.

"The delivery man of Lordz video from France to Chicago [...] set off the spark!"

I wanted to come when the time was right, like this everything would be properly set up upon arrival and I would not risk having to turn back home shortly after the migration. If I do something I go all the way and further, and the city of romance is my heaven on earth! That might sound bit crazy for most Parisians to understand, but I have countless reasons and that is without a doubt! I live here now for over four and a half years and moved around a handful of apartments, but almost always had a roof thanks to my family and dear friends.

For the past two years I live with my original French bro, Ibra (fun fact: the delivery man of Lordz video from France to Chicago, what set off the spark!). Super ironic how it all worked out, but actions have reactions, and most all things happen for a reason. A little determination made things start rolling, and every day I give thanks to my quality family and friends who got my back!

Now I have been here a while, and I see the magic in everyone I have ever met in Paname. Always trying to go with the locals who explore the most, and who stay having fun!

Much inspired and thankful to participate with Parisii and DeParis particularly, and appreciate all the other local French edits, mags, sites, and projects.

"All of this love and attention is making the scene rise up and become how it is today!"

Corey has just had a euro taste, but surely can't get enough! Missions and everyday spot hunting feeds us, with the value of constantly giving appreciation for all who support their local scene!

Big shout out to all the active street skaters on the spots or along the way, and thanks to all the Paris skate shops, French companies, and the rest of companies who have invested in France, and the same goes as well for all the Barcelona community and industry! Special thanks to Nike France, Stephane and Bertrand for all the support to the Paris skate scene, steadily contributing and participating with a positive and constructive outlook! So many waves are created from all this care and generosity, which is a big plus and bonus to the community.

Bless to all the other companies making things happen, adding creativity, and giving support. Big ups to Luidgi for being a big brother and leader to so many of us, and looking out for the best interest for the extended fam and even the kids. Shout out to all the skate media for documenting what's been going on in Paris, and everyone else putting a hand in this! All of this love and attention is making the scene rise up and become how it is today!

Paris, Barcelona, and Chicago... All three cities are vibrant, possess infinite spots, and their attributes must be recognized. Part of the reason we make Trabajando is to document these magnificent environments and motivate people to get out of their home, and then to come back to their home with more love and a new, fresh perspective of gratitude.

Corey: 2016, I was gearing up to go back out to Spain but this time I was really in a VX-1000 kind of mood. I was just getting tired of the time it took to set up the GH4 for different situations, I just wanted to be able to film at a moment’s notice.

I also just enjoy the fish-eye, the colors, the sound, and the feeling of using the VX-1000 a lot more than newer cameras. I was lucky enough to get a broken one for free from a good homie, and got it fixed. I started filming clips on Chicago to get back in the groove. I had owned two VX-1000’s almost ten years earlier but ended up moving to the DVX, and HD cameras, so I had to relearn the camera.

The camera just reminds me of the videos that made me want to skate the most growing up, so to be able to make a video that looks like that is like a childhood dream come true, every time we get a clip on it.

I wanted to see the homies and myself in a buttery VX video, and this time Graham came out for a month while I was there and we stayed at the same apartment in Raval. We ended up filming double the amount of footage that we had gotten the previous year and had a ton a amazing times partying as well. We took a few special missions with Kevin Besset and Max Geronzi to some very rare spots. We also filmed with Flo and the Blaze Supply team for a week which was super fun.

"I want Barcelona to see Chicago as much as I want Chicago to see Barcelona"

The little homie Max Barker, his filmer Bryan, and my girlfriend Ariel came out for a week and joined us exploring the city. Graham’s part is super thug in "Trabajando 3". I had the disco vibes going.

Since I had put out two videos at this point, I knew at least a few people overseas were watching. I wanted the Chicago heads to check it out more too, so I decided to make a Chicago section to start off the video that attempted to show the local scene and some spots to make the city look more enticing.

I don’t just rep Chicago really hard because it’s where I’m from, I rep it because I feel like people would appreciate a lot of things about this city in regards to skateboarding if they just knew something about it, or had an image to put to it. So in the end, I want Barcelona to see Chicago as much as I want Chicago to see Barcelona. Graham can probably tell you better than I can about why this is so important to us, but when somebody from Europe comes to skate in Chicago, we treat them like family and make sure they have the best time possible.

LSM: Speaking of Paris, what was the filming process of the Paris section like? Does Corey just travel a lot or did he move to Europe for good at some point? Many of the most typical, classic Paris landmarks of spots in there. Do you guys just chill there and happen to document your sessions, or do you occasionally go on missions to skate some more cutty stuff?

G: Corey came to Paris for a month since we didn't have the synchronized timing on our stays in Barci last year. We valued this time quite seriously with our Traba method, but this take with the Paris rhythm!

"We have been highly educated by las calles, and this is our way of returning the favor"

Corey: Paris, to me, was a place that never stopped moving. Everywhere we went, there was never a dull moment in the streets. There was something to engage all of the senses.

The Paris skate scene is amazing as well, tons of really nice homies who are down to shred hard. I feel so lucky that Graham is so deep into the scene that he could introduce me to everybody, and like that I felt like I was “in”. When we skated we usually all skate the spot until somebody felt like they had something to film, and if I had a trick, someone was usually down to film it too.

I only remember making a few missions for specific tricks but it was mostly finding stuff and skating it.

Most of the homies spoke English and Graham was helping me speak more French so by the end of the trip, I was getting comfortable being in Paris and I can’t wait to go back. I can’t thank Graham enough for this experience. We filmed more than a part’s worth of footage in Paris just skating around with different homies, it was pretty chill. It’s my favorite vibe when everybody is relaxed and the tricks are still heavy!

Paris architecture inspires skateboarding in a such a unique way. I really love the styles of the local skaters, and how Graham has used it to train himself into even more of a tech machine. The full spectrum of spots, from rough to perfect, all jammed closely together, combined with the fast-paced Parisian mentality, and heavy industry presence in the city really showed me that the Paris skaters and scene have their own particular vibe that cannot be found anywhere else.  

G: Trying to speak and learn French as we go along, abiding by their ways and society, as we do the same in Barcelona with their Spanish language and form... Never gets dull and often becoming ridiculous.

The times have not been as expected, yet much better than we could ever imagine. Corey and I discovered Barcelona on our own separately, later as united forces, and now been continuing to build our Barca familia network. Always living with the Brazilians while over there, staying close to our OG friends consisting of Spanish locals, foreign transplants, "The North Raval" boys (French fam), and also find ourselves with new people we meet along the ride.

We weren’t in Barcelona last year at the same time, so Corey came to visit me afterwards to hit it in full effect and handle biz. Adapting to the French style, eating all the specialties, and mingling with the locals...

Our first week rained every day, but thanks to the amazing activity in Paris, we steadily had skate events or rendez-vous for Corey to learn the local peeps, and feel what Paris has to offer. This was a magnificent introduction for his first time in France. After the storm cleared, we hit the streets Trabajando style, how we do best. Every day a different spot, and often stretching it to the late hours, always extending the session for one more clip.

Countless time and unlimited determination! This is nothing but straight fun and excitement for us.

Along the way Corey got the chance to encounter plenty of French homies, meeting countless special and talented people doing big things! We were able to film a bunch of clips of the local potos, enough to make a section; and then something like ten minutes just of my tricks, so obviously we were able to make something with that. It was amazing and an abundance of ghetto fabulous street moments! 

After that trip, Corey held it down in the Chi continuing to film a bunch of the old and new local heads. I made many Chicago visits last year, every night with the priority to be downtown getting it in, as usual. We had no trouble making me an updated hometown part, even though I am living abroad! Easy does it baby, and always with more and more culture!

"This expression is the difference between each of the individuals, and is a representation of the big picture of the colorful canvas"

So grateful to have the opportunity to be able to do this, such a huge delight! Blessed to be from a bling city, so we made sure to highlight that! The "City of Broad Shoulders", we want to make sure people understand the quality of this hidden diamond in the rough we call home!

In the middle of the filming period for "Trabajando 4", luckily I was able to visit the golden city, Barcelona once again, and had the chance to clock a few moves just to represent what we dig! Obrigado to my host Adilson, the Brazilian bro, for providing his hospitality and filming expertise, making that possible!

Last year was the feature of the trifecta cities, setting a new pace. I have extensively been effected by our home away from homes, so this was my way of paying homage and giving a highlight to the cities I feel are the most exquisite. We have been highly educated by las calles, and this is our way of returning the favor.

Everything we do has a purpose and reason, and it all is rooted from the respect we have for our surroundings. Staying true to shredding is was what I offer back, and I will forever keep giving thanks!

We want to see more spots, along with elevated tricks at the classic spots. This a main point of our documentation motivation. Main spots are crucial to highlight because we enjoy and feel the importance to pay respect to the plazas who have been skated over decades long. We have unlimited respect to these landmarks, appreciate the history, and enjoy adding and keeping them alive. We do plenty of exploring to discover diverse and premium architecture, but never forget the original gems!

The more we go, the more we see and experience. Some beautiful, some ugly, but that is what keeps the burning drive. Never thought we would keep doing this for so many years, we just follow what we know and do best, always in the streets, and we continue without any hesitation.

LSM: What’s in the cards for you this year? Any plan to travel, catch up with Corey again, film more? Work more stuff around "Trabajando 4", or move onto the next one?

G: Paris is my home base, with frequent visits to Chicago and Berlin, Panama City in the winter, Barcelona in the spring, and always some new places in between. We don't stop moving.

My program is on lock touching many different ends of the spectrum, and Trabajando is always on the menu. Corey will be holding it down in the Chi, visiting Europe every year, keeping close with our frequent Chi-Town meet-ups.

Actually we keep doing the same thing every year, but continue to add and expand to the worth of the experience. Things for us just keep gaining quality with time, so we have no interest to change our plan! We have built our foundation, and now just keep growing it up! 

Big respect and thanks to Corey for making all of this happen. I have had great fun filming and also giving aesthetic, direction, and music suggestion from my passion of this game that we play! And thanks to the others in the film, coming from all levels of backgrounds, neighborhoods, and generations.

"Keeping it fresh has much importance"

Our clothing style, songs, and tricks have a wide and vast variety. This expression is the difference between each of the individuals, and is a representation of the big picture of the colorful canvas. We are all very different, and the true beauty is within. This has all been influenced by each separate culture we were raised in. In America, everyone has their own culture from their household and personal experiences, and it has been displayed by these attributes.

Growing up, it was never a question of function over fashion, always staying true to what we believe. Keeping it fresh has much importance. A clean set-up maintains a clear mind! This leads to positive situations and when the moments or opportunities arrive we are prepared and ready, this is how we came up. Going for it every time. 

Putting as much time as possible to the sessions, and always keeping in mind the three main elements of the street: hip hop, graffiti, and breakdancing. These traits in our videos may or may not be noticeable to the average person, but surely the secrets of the art lie within our craft.

Our favorite tunes and tricks relating to each part, consisting of all genres of movement, groove, tones, and colors. This is what makes our masterpiece pure streets.

Trabajando has been a constructive outlet to channel our creativity. Trying to bring together all the cultural influence and connections we have been blessed with over this lifetime of street exposure and to concentrate all that into one blast hit.

Since we don’t stop doing our thing, it is only natural we have made an annual release. First we were just doing it for Chicago and our homies in Barcelona, but now also showcasing Paris, an additional place of priority and primary stomping ground.

Now it feels it is the time to present the fiery mix to everyone around the world in a realistic but surreal way, because that's what it actually is! We have followed through to combine the three cities in a way where you can feel the overlap of street metropolitan energy. This culture we have created with our roots of the Chiraq, splashed with Spanish savagery, and now with the French funky touch as the icing on the cake! We pretty much try to skate the best spots available, and we hold these three destinations to be on the top of our list. If you don’t know, peep Trabajando and you will experience the realness!

"This is what makes our masterpiece pure streets"

 

The ongoing project started as a Barcelona vid with 1 and 2, "Trabajando 3" introduced Chicago to our European friends, and for the fourth it only was right to add Paris in the mash since I have been living here for several years.

Now it has transformed into a movement. For this video we made three premieres, displayed in each featured city. We just did the third premiere of "Trabajando 4" in Barcelona hosted by our KLAP family. First one in Chicago put up with ChicagOriginal, and second one in Paris with Pas Relou Gang and our homie Supe FMK, a local French artist and one of our main designers who helped with the flyers and new logos.

We just came back from two months in Barcelona, beginning to film for the upcoming fifth video. We will continue to work during my Chicago visits and Corey is planning to return to Paris sooner than later to keep the French activity documented and included!

We have homies and family all around the world, so we keep it moving in rotation to stay up and current!

"I want to share the impact that going to a skate premiere and rewatching a DVD had on me as a skateboarder growing up"

Time will tell what lies ahead for the next one. Whenever the moment comes that Corey and I unite, our forces stand up, and what is certain is that even when we aren't together we out here getting it. Never snoozing, never faking the funk, and welcoming everybody to join. No laziness over here, we are letting it be known. In it to win it, Trabajando is on!

Corey: I think I am going to put a lot of time into the production of the next video, more so than "Trabajando 4", so the video comes out even better!

I will however be putting out many edits in between that time. I am planning on getting more DVD’s and clothing out to promote "Trabajando 4" as well. I think there are actually a few extra montages I need to finish as well!

I want the video to hit the street like videos used to, instead of just YouTube, one conversation confirming you’ve seen it, and back to Instagram. I want to share the impact that going to a skate premiere and rewatching a DVD had on me as a skateboarder growing up, by doing it that way that we the community can share more memorable and impactful moments in our lives. 

Just want to give a shout out to my amazing, most down-to-ride girlfriend Ariel; without her support, I’m not sure any of the Trabajando videos would have happened.