{"id":3361,"date":"2012-08-07T22:41:06","date_gmt":"2012-08-08T05:41:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thegiantpeachnews.com\/?p=3361"},"modified":"2012-08-07T22:41:06","modified_gmt":"2012-08-08T05:41:06","slug":"futura-interview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thegiantpeachnews.com\/?p=3361","title":{"rendered":"Futura Interview"},"content":{"rendered":"

It’s been a while since we’ve done an interview on the site, but when we got the opportunity to meet the legendary Futura, we had to jump at the chance.<\/p>\n

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In town to promote his limited edition Hennessy V.S. Bottle, we didn’t know until we arrived at MUA in Oakland that we’d actually be able to sit down and chat with the artist himself. A million questions started racing around our heads about The Clash, the early days of NY graffiti,\u00a0 music,\u00a0 cycling, clothing and shoe collabos, Japan, design work, photography\u2026his body of work has shaped our vision of what is cool.<\/p>\n

Hennessy started this series of limited edition bottles last year with KAWS. \u00a0Futura, who politely introduced himself and his daughter Tabatha, began by talking about how the collaboration with Hennessy came about.\u00a0 “I get a call from them (Hennessy) to possibly be the next artist.\u00a0 I saw it as a great opportunity to have a really major company (work with me). Yes, I have collaborated with brands in the past, but in a completely different genre and marketplace.\u00a0 More of a street and lifestyle world”.<\/p>\n

He went on to talk about the connection between the streets and Hennessy, saying, \u201cCertain brands have become big (in the hip hop community) as a result of the language and the lyrics and the content.\u00a0 Tupac, Biggie\u2026you know, people who sadly are not even here \u2018put these guys on the map\u2019 in terms of that subculture\u201d.<\/p>\n

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Futura doesn\u2019t consider himself \u201chip hop\u201d.\u00a0 He jokingly said, \u201cI pre-date hip hop\u201d.\u00a0 But constantly having to categorize his work is getting old.<\/p>\n

I’m tired of having to explain who I am.\u00a0\u00a0 I’m grateful that Hennessy got it, and they allowed me this opportunity to work with them\u2026I have a quote here that says, “Pioneers leave directions.\u00a0 Proceed with Passion”.\u00a0 I have signed it.\u00a0 My signature is on this bottle\u2026one, two, three times.\u00a0 And coming from a position of wanting to become famous\u2026in 1970, I’m 15.\u00a0 I see the writing on the wall, and what about me?\u00a0 Who am I?\u00a0\u00a0 I’m an only child, and oh yeah, I’ve got nice handwriting\u2026look at that, “FUTURA”.\u00a0 So to see the continuation of that in a very purist form\u2026the purity of my tag, of my name, of my logo. To have bottles with my name on it, and to have photos taken of me with product?\u00a0 Let’s do it!\u00a0\u00a0 I’m very grateful for the chance.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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Of all of his accomplishments,\u00a0 Futura is proudest of his children.\u00a0 Raised in New York with frequent visits to France, they have both followed creative pursuits and are quite accomplished in their own right.\u00a0 His son, Timothy,\u00a0(13thWitness) is a photographer, videographer, and occasional Hypebeast blogger.<\/p>\n

His daughter, Tabatha, started blogging for Married to the Mob at 15 (she’s now 21),\u00a0 and just published a book in April.\u00a0\u00a0 She also writes a column called, “The Harsh Truth” for Complex.\u00a0 She is accompanying her dad on the road while he publicizes his Hennessy collaboration.<\/p>\n

My kids and personal life mean more to me than the hype around Futura the artist.\u00a0\u00a0 Quite frankly,\u00a0I don’t live there.\u00a0\u00a0 I’d like to think I’m much more humble than that.\u00a0 I’m much more understanding of how lucky I am to have good health, other things in my world that mean more to me than flashing or whatever.\u00a0 Having a longer view of life than,\u00a0“Let’s get paid”, and all of these clich\u00e9 things that are really embarrassing.\u00a0 Come on, where’s your moral play?\u00a0 At the end of all your hype, don’t you have a life to live?\u00a0 Is there anything there for you that means more to you than the fleeting superficial?\u00a0 I don’t want to say it’s insignificant because we do need money to support ourselves and move through life.\u00a0 I feel like we need only what’s required.\u00a0 Our ambitions don’t have to be in some unimaginable stratus where you lose track of what’s important.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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Futura will be traveling around the U.S. and to Paris, Tokyo, and Moscow to sign his\u00a0Hennessy bottle.\u00a0 He will be showing original art starting September 6th at 560 Washington Street, at West Houston Street, NYC.<\/p>\n

Check him (and the fam) out on the web:<\/p>\n

www.futura2000.com<\/a>
\nhttp:\/\/mttmnyc.com\/blog\/<\/a>
\nwww.13thwitness.com<\/a><\/p>\n

instagram:<\/p>\n

@futuradosmil
\n@tabathammm
\n@13thwitness<\/p>\n

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Hypebeast recently did a nice profile:<\/p>\n