J. KIDD OF OMO DA GANG - MILLIONAIRE DREAMING - SNEAKERHEAD SPOTLIGHT

The Sneaker Reserve sits down with rapper J. Kidd of OMO Da Gang to discuss sneakers and how the culture has changed.

“1 Mo for OMO.” That phrase will go through your head after you get a dose of OMO Da Gang, also known as On My Own Da Gang. They are the next up and coming rap group that will soon grace the radio waves with their music. Keep your ears alert. The Sneaker Reserve had the chance to sit down with J. Kidd, one fourth of OMO Da Gang, to get an inside scoop on his amazing sneaker collection. Check out the interview and just a portion of the heat that he rocks on his feet.

Be sure to check out OMO Da Gang's website, check out OMO Da Gang on Reverbnation and follow OMO Da Gang on Twitter. For booking, email wantedllc@gmail.com or call 404-604-1014.

J. Kidd of OMO Da Gang

After seeing your collection, I actually lost count.  About how many pairs of sneakers do you have?

I’m not really sure, but it's a lot.  I’ve given a lot of mysneakers to my little brother.  I’ve soldsome and have a lot more that I plan to get. For the most part, I like everything OG but will still cop anything thatI like.  I get the retros of the OGs too.  Just copped the Retro 4 Varsity Reds thispast weekend.  The brand doesn’t matter either.  I don’t just have Jordans.  I like Nikes, Adidas, Converse, Louis Vuittons,Ballys, Christian Louboutins, etc. 

When did your love for sneakers start?

I’ve been rocking sneakers since I was little.  I remember playing football in the same SpeedTurfs that are about to drop.  I grew upwhen all the originals were coming out, so I had to have them.  I remember the Larry Johnson’s (ReactConverse), the Kevin Johnson’s, Bruce Smith’s, Rod Wilson’s.  I had all the Barkleys, the Deions, the AirForce 1s, Air Raids, Melo 2s, Grape 5s, Black Laser 4s, the Aquas and LaneyHigh 5s.  It was crazy.

I see you can go on and on with the sneakers that you’ve worn throughthe years and it's no doubt that you know sneakers. Are there any recent releasesthat you’re looking forward to?

I wanted the Lebron 9 Elites in the championship pack but Idoubt that I can get my hands on those. It's a little disappointing but I really only wanted the red Elites in that pack anyway.  I'm not sure what was up with the MVPs.  I'm just not feeling them.  I’m also looking forward to the Gold Medal KD IVs.

Do you think Kobe and Lebron sneakers will reach the same status asJordans?

No, they probably won’t. Jordans have a classic look. They’re just clean.  Shoes todayaren’t as classic as before.  They’re morefuturistic now and sometimes just too much for me. I see that they’re bringing back some of the old Kobes like the Crazy8s.  Lebron has some classics thateverybody goes crazy over too, but they’ll never touch J’s.  At the same time, look at how the South Beach8s blew up.  I remember them being in thestores, sitting on the shelves when people weren’t crazy about sneakers likethey are now.

A lot of people say that the sneaker game is changing.  Do you feel the same?

Yeah, pretty much.  Youngsneakerheads are really just biting off of what everybody else is on and whatwe used to do.  They’re bringing outcrazy colors now too because that’s what society is into – pinks, yellows,neons.  I just stick with theclassics.  I guess the change happenedbecause that adidas and Polo era got old and people needed more to gratifytheir own value.  Sneakers were like $60then.  Now they’re triple the price.  People are starting to wear jerseys againtoo.  Remember the NBA jackets with thepatches all over them?  I bet they’llstart rockin’ those again too.  When Itried to wait for the Concords, that’s when I saw that the shoe game wasgetting crazy.  I thought I was gonna getup at like 5 or 6 in the morning and be able to get them.  Man,when I got to the mall and saw those lines, I couldn’t believe it.  I left and tried a different spot, but thatdidn’t work out either.  I still don’thave the Concords.  I waited about 8-9 hours forthe Galaxy Foams too.  The store didn’t even drop them on therelease date because of all the chaos. They held onto them until about three or four days afterwards. Didn’t get those, but I was able to get the galaxy KD IVs. 

Speaking of pricing going up, how do you feel about these resellers?

The sneaker game is a hustle for everybody.  I used to hold off on wearing my shoes, but I wear them more now.  You go through so much to get them, you mightas well enjoy them.  The reseller pricesare sometimes bogus.  I couldn’t imaginespending $2000 on some Yeezys.  The mostI’ve paid a reseller was probably around $400. I even paid $1300 for my Christian Louboutins. But $2000 for some $250 sneakers – that’s ridiculous!

You have a pretty good eye for your clothing too.  Do you make sure to match with your sneakers?

I always wait to find something to rock with mysneakers.  I don’t want the typical outfit that everyone else has on.  I never buy theJordan shirts and stuff like that.  Ilike to find some different, off the wall type stuff.

Do you rock your sneakers right away or stock them?

In most cases, I keep them on tuck. I bring my stuff outlater on.  People get their sneakers onrelease.  They rock them, kill them andgo through them.  When I throw mine on,they still look new.  Sometimes I maythrow them on right away, but I still don't wear them very often.  Yesterday I had my Space Jams on. 

And how about the other group members – are they into sneakers also?

We do music and stay fly. We’re all into sneakers to some extent. We trip and like to have fun and when you meet us, you can tell.  We’re not trying to be the killers and drugdealers.  We’re just us.  Check out OMO Da Gang. You can see our kicks in the videos.

J. Kidd of OMO Da Gang

 

 

OMO Da Gang