2. Give us a brief rundown of your background

Originally from Southern California. I grew up in and around San Bernardino/ High Desert, so I guess you could say I was the typical IE white boy. Growing up I was always surrounded by cars. My grandfather was a mechanic and my father was a mechanic and has his own shop in San Bernardino. During summers I would work with him around the shop, and I started to develop a love for hotrods and muscle cars. Later, we did the whole father/son thing, and we started to build hotrods together. We currently completed a 1969 Chevrolet Caprice that has close to 1000 hp. On the other side of the coin I have always drawn and painted my whole life until I was 3-4, so it only became natural that I combine the two together and start to become a car designer. I lived in IE until shortly after high school. Then I moved to L.A. and attended Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, where I majored in Transportation Industrial Design. I graduated in 2004 and went to work for Honda R&D in Torrance for a few years designing motorcycles. After finding out the corporate route was not for me I struck out on my own for a year and freelanced. There I learned the true meaning of hustling. Because if you don't hustle you don't eat - you don't have the security of that steady paycheck.

3. You're currently Head Concept Designer at Rockstar Games. Tell us a bit about what you do over there.

Last summer Rockstar games approached me to come aboard and work as a concept artist on their games. I now hold down a 9-5 there art-directing the vehicles that you see in games. And at night I still ramp up and get my freelance on. I love working for Rockstar. They give me a lot of creative freedom in the games that I work on. Plus they give me freedom to go out in the field and work as a freelancer as well. And even though they are a corporate company they don't have half of the bullshit that I have to put up with in the auto industry. I still work as a contractor for some oem companies but that's as far as I get. Keep that shit at arm's-length at all times.

4. Now I don't know if it's necessarily coincidence, but being that Rockstar's HQ are on Lafayette in New York, it's evident of the "street wear" influence on how the company is run and marketed. Give us a little background on that.

Well the HQ are in downtown New York on Broadway. Which is around the corner from Lafayette in New York. So yeah, I'm sure that has a strong influence. But It seems we take a little bit more tactful approach when it comes to marketing and promoting for a game. In the past we have teamed up with Retail Mafia for a collaboration with that game for the Warriors. That consisted of  a special collection of clothing that we did that was inspired by the game. We have also used Alife and other similar companies in the background of a game to give it a more authentic feel. Everyone knows that Rockstar has the attitude where we do as we please. So it makes sense that we come with a little bit more aggressive marketing.

5. What's your take on the current state of "street wear"? How does that translate into what you are into?

Current take on street wear seems to be like everyone else's opinion. It seems like everyone is over all-over print. And that's an easy thing to say. But the truth of the matter is it opened up a lot of doors and inspired a lot of different industries to use that design in what they do. And there is not a fucking thing wrong with that. Roland Sands is using monogram all over print on the graphics of his motorcycles. And that shit looks sick as fuck. And at the same time you have companies like Neighborhood that are inspired by old chopper biker apparel. So you have real chopper builders inspired by street wear and street wear  designers inspired by choppers. If you are a true designer then you will be creative enough to evolve and progress what you are doing into something more creative than what you did last season. And look to other industries or cultures for inspiration. Bottom line: get of hype beast and crack a book. I have been a big fan of street wear like any other typical kid in So Cal. I grew up writing graff  and wore brands like Fuct, Fresh Jive, Haze, and Gat. So it was a natural progression for me to be inspired by the current or past state of street wear. And I have done a some car design projects in the past that are inspired by street wear and fashion. Its always been in the past that the car design industry was inspired by fashion and architecture (BMW/Fran Gehery). I cant wait to see fashion/street wear be inspired by cars.  And don't get me wrong, the car design industry has its share of problems as well. People think there's a lot of biters in street wear??? Shit work in the car industry…Shits fucking nuts.

6. Top 5 favorite brands?

Neighborhood, The Hundreds, Fiberops, Commune…I wouldn't say it is a brand but Camillo Pardo designed some pretty rad modern pit crew jackets inspired from the old GT40 Lemans pit crew uniforms…Kinda into that right now

7. What are you listening to right now?

I'll always have Fu Manchu and the Clash in arm's reach. Manic Hispanic…. My guilty pleasure is Rich Boy right now (sorry)….When I work I listen to more mellow shit Ladyton, New Order, Pete Rock Cl smooth

8. What was the first car you've ever WANTED?

Hmm..66 Nova wagon…hammered on 18' boyds tri fans…

9. What was the first car you've ever HAD?

86 El Camino. Slammed….Black on black with Billet specialties wheels

10. You were head designer for the Reactor Mustang project that, basically, swept most of the top awards at last year's SEMA show, including beating Chip Foose out for two awards. How did that project come about? How did that feel beating out someone you looked up to for so long?

I wouldn't say I beat Chip…That's impossible…The guy is truly amazing. But we did get our share of recognition last year with the Mustang. The project was a collaboration between myself and Roush Racing and the Ring brothers. I met the Ring brothers 3 years ago at SEMA when they had their 65 Mustang fastback. The car was pretty sick because they used a whole new approach to building. Most hotrod builders shave the whole car and change the look and feel by giving it a minimal approach. The Ring brothers build and add to the existing architecture of the car  to give it a more functional feel. A lot of things we are inspired by are F1, sport bikes, Bauhaus and German design. Anything but other builders….

11. What can we expect from you in the future? Any interesting projects?

I just finished doing something big with Honda but I cant say too much about that right now. Me and the Ring brothers are doing a 69 Camaro for next SEMA. And my boy Cope is going to do a 63 Impala that looks to change the game. And a ton of other vehicles for SEMA going on right now…From Ford and Chrysler in collaboration with others after market companies …

12. Any shout-outs and props?

I would of course like to thank Mom and Dad for getting my main inspiration and hard work ethic. My best friend and partner in crime for SEMA Casey Scranton. Andy Meeh for being the biggest jerk in the world. And of course the SoSos and Fism family…….