We recently connected with Christian James and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Christian thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s jump back to the first dollar you earned as a creative? What can you share with us about how it happened?
The first time I generated revenue from a creative work of mine believe it or not, I was in second grade. I was going by the name Reckless, and my friend was going by the name Big Ben. Him and I recorded a mixtape called “Young, Fresh, and Fly” and printed up 30 CD’s ourselves, stuck them in plastic jewel cases and got permission to setup a table out in front of Semmi’s, a popular neighborhood Deli know for there chicken wings and mambo sauce. Our music wasn’t that great production wise, so people were mainly buying CD’s to support our hustle and fuel our decision to dream big, but once we realized they would pay the five dollars we were charging for a regular cd, we got a sharpie and signed half of them and sold them for two dollars more. We sold out our inventory in just a few hours.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My name is Christian James, and I’m a visionary. I’m an artist, and an entrepreneur. I’m a health enthusiast, and I believe that there is only One God. I fell in love with music through seeing my uncles’ love for music. I remember riding in his 1993 Mercedes Benz on a warm summer day, him turning the radio on and hearing rap for the first time. It was the first time realizing my ears had taste buds, and my first time hearing such sweet sounds. Experiencing the joy and enthusiasm this music brought to someone I loved so dearly, I set out to explore my talents and as fate would have it, I would end up spending the rest of my life and most of my time falling in love writing and crafting songs that would bring this same type of experience to as many people as I could. Along the way I met friends that became family, and linked up with many different people on different projects, one of which being a clothing line which we’re actively branding today. We’re actually in the process of manufacturing our ‘ Six Pieces’ collection which is a limited edition run of only ‘six pieces’ that occurs seasonally. Articles in these collections will never be created again, and the price tag reflects the rareness. You might pay $300 for a shirt and $1,500 for a hoodie that’s in the ‘6 piece ‘ collection, but I assure you the quality rivals brands like Chanel and Balenciaga and comes with comfort that will be coveted by onlookers. My music provides a positive alternative and a more realistic narrative than what we as a people are constantly exposed to through mainstream music. You get an unfiltered experience of love, life, pain, hardship, hope, and struggle, without romanticizing the violence and toxic relationships. As artist we have a moral obligation to tell the story of our time, of our people, as accurately, and honest as possible, from a position of reflection, and growth. At Earlydoesit we also take a holistic approach to the clothing line, sourcing only natural materials that breathe just like we do. We’ve spent the last few years in a time capsule re-purposing, re- branding, and re- configuring ourselves and our mission, we’re super excited for all of the hard work we’re about to see pay off in huge and unexpected ways.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
There was one time when Earlydoesit was in its incubator stage. I was fresh out of high school with a thirteen page business plan, I had just developed the first website, drafted the different contracts I would need to legally form my partnerships and I was moving into phase one of my marketing and advertising strategy. Everything was going beautifully, you could feel the buzz building around what was going on in our section of the city, we were moving low key but you can sense the unity and the power radiating from every ones energy focused and moving towards one ultimate goal, it was going to be larger than life! Yet, life proved larger, and it was happening. It seemed like it was happening to everyone, everywhere, all at once. Fresh out of high-school, I didn’t have the management skills, or the problem solving skills to navigate my own problems let alone everyone else’s! So as I watched my hopes, dreams, and aspirations crumble, I made a decision to focus on myself. We must help ourselves first before we can help anyone else. I salvaged what relationships I could in the aftermath and worked on trimming the fat off of my magnum opus. Seven years of constant failure and fine tuning has led me here today with enough faith to say with absolute confidence, “It’s time”.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
The mission had always been to inspire. We want to inspire people to do what they love, and love who they love, unconditionally. We operate on pure motivation, drive, determination, and faith. No matter what happens in life you have to keep trusting that everything will work out according to your most noble, hopeful, and beautiful thinking. Get active. Get up Early. The fields are ripe. Now is the time.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://earlydoesit.com
- Instagram: @propanejameswon
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556752066699
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKqf0AXmft8
Image Credits
Christian James