NorCal and Shill
A podcast where NFT artists tell stories, hosted by NorCal Guy. https://twitter.com/GuyNorcal
https://twitter.com/norcalandshill
NorCal and Shill
OG - Collector - Throwback
Imagine a world where the art market embraces both authenticity and innovation. Join us as we chat with OG, an ardent supporter of the NFT space, who shares his transformative journey from skepticism to enthusiastic advocate. Highlighting his philosophy, "be cool, do cool shit, and don't harm others," OG inspires a shift from focusing on financial gains to celebrating creativity and integrity within the digital art realm. Together, we explore the creation of a global community that values digital identity and the innate power of art.
Our conversation takes an unexpected turn as OG opens up about a deeply personal experience with his daughter's health scare, reminding us of life's fragility and the significance of kindness. Through adversity, personal growth is fostered, and OG's stories reveal the unpredictable nature of both life and the crypto world. From humorous anecdotes to missed opportunities in the NFT landscape, we retrace his steps to finding purpose and connection in this dynamic digital community.
We also dive into the exciting prospects of supporting emerging artists and collectors. OG's passion shines through as he discusses innovative ways to boost visibility and engagement in the NFT space, utilizing platforms like 452b and championing new talent. This episode offers a celebration of community, creativity, and the shared journey of artists and collectors as we envision a future where digital art is recognized and valued across the globe.
https://x.com/OG_crookedwest
Who is this guy? Who is this guy? Who is this guy? Norcal guy. Norcal guy. Norcal guy. Norcal guy. Norcal guy. Norcal guy. Norcal guy. Norcal guy. Norcal and chill podcast. So it's chill time. Norcal and chill podcast. What the fuck? What the chill? Norcal and chill podcast. So it's chill time. Norcal and Shill Podcast. What the sh what the sh NorCal and Shill Podcast. So it's Shill time.
OG:NorCal and Shill Podcast. What the sh what?
NorCal Guy:the sh hey everybody, welcome to this episode of NorCal and Shill. Today we have OG, a fervent advocate for authenticity and integrity in both personal and professional realms. Og shares valuable insights from his diverse experiences, ranging from dealing with hardships to making impactful community service efforts. Og delves into his journey within the crypto art world. Initially skeptical, he became deeply involved after recognizing its potential as a transformative digital movement. His early setbacks didn't deter his enthusiasm, but instead fueled his dedication to supporting and connecting artists and collectors in this innovative space. Discussing life philosophies, og underscores his mantra be cool, do cool shit and don't harm others, stressing the importance of focusing on the creative process over outcomes. His passion for NFTs is not just about financial success but fostering a global community that values digital identity.
NorCal Guy:Og and I explored the potential in digital arts authenticity and discussed enhancing the NFT market sophistication. In closing, we exchanged thoughts on future collaborations and opportunities, reaffirming our commitment to nourishing the art and crypto communities. We wrapped up the conversation filled with gratitude, laughter and optimistic outlooks. Up the conversation, feel the gratitude, laughter and optimistic outlooks. Everybody. Please welcome OG. Og, welcome to the podcast. How are you doing today?
OG:I'm doing great. Buddy, I want to start by just saying I've listened to many of your podcasts leading into this and it was such a joy and I'm a little upset. I hadn't sort of become a fanatic listener earlier. Um, you know, the first one I listened to was bats, actually, and it was like hanging out with them. So I just want to applaud you. Uh, you've done such a great job championing artists, collectors I think unlike me, who's like loud and you know and fraud get out here you do such a wonderful job of supporting so many people in a sort of quiet, amazing, positive way, and so I'm so happy our paths crossed. It's been such a joy. I think we met.
OG:I invited you to, uh, lunch at the battery right yep, yep, yep yeah and so anyway, and then we hung in marfa and so I just want to say you know, I love when people are doing incredible stuff for the space. You and you know you would clutch together as well, but you have been such a wonderful supporter of so many artists and so many positive things in the space and bringing together wonderful people. So I just want to start with like, uh, thank you, I'm honored to be on the show. There's been incredible people on here and I'm hyped to hang with you damn.
NorCal Guy:Uh, I'm like lost for words now um, look at those beautiful pics.
OG:I say you, bro, I gotta give previous pre-guest, pre-show guest harassment of you the demands from this guest are on another level. I was scared about Twitter once we go live, but it was hilarious.
NorCal Guy:Oh man, good times, good times, oh man. So you're having a good day. I take it.
OG:You know I had a bit of a rough couple of days. I had a unimaginableable. They thought my 12 year old daughter had a stroke and she was examined on site on friday by, like, a pediatric doctor. Called 911, yeah, it was definitely like bad. I wasn't there anyways, but the whole day in the hospital she did like. So thank god, everything's okay. But you know, my mom had a stroke in november and my family's been dealing with a variety of other health issues and I think you know you just gotta.
OG:I always take it as like a reminder, like remember, do your best to be like kind and amazing and tell like that's why I started this show, like I don't know. You know, you never know when your next opportunity to share something lovely with somebody is. And I've had too many times in my life, for health or other reasons, where literally in a second, somebody I thought would be my whole life was gone forever. Even if they were still here, they were gone forever or whatever. So I think anyway it was a crazy experience. We're blessed. She it's this weird condition that exhibits like a stroke. She was all limp and paralyzed and I guess it just like this odd, super rare migraine. So other than that, though, I'm actually I have so many exciting things Other than the gunshot wound, doc, I'm feeling great. So joking is that you're not joking. Obviously that's like all of life, though you know, at any given point in life, life's never like everything's good or everything's bad. It's always there's like some fucking terrible shit. Sorry, am I like to curse? Yeah?
OG:yeah, for sure some incredible stuff and then some just run of the mill, you know, and so I always take look, the most important thing in our lives is our narrative about ourselves, to ourself, and I just always remind myself of all the like. You know, I've had some challenging times over the years, many most a result of my own ignorance and selfishness or stupidity. And yeah, I just think, you know, those times are the ones where you're called to change as a human being and in a way, they're the worst, but as a result, they're the best. And I wouldn't be, you know, I feel, the happiest on balance I've ever felt, and I wouldn't be here if I hadn't dealt with all that misery. So that's how I view all these things is like, instead of saying why me, I would say why not me, why not not me, why shouldn't this be me? And uh, and I actually just find that that leads to some lovely places yeah, for sure yeah you guys are crying already.
OG:bro, I love you man. I love you man, I love you more. Oh man, these pictures of you really fuck you with me. I actually love what you did For those who can't see. Right before the show I was hassling Nork Nork, I was trying to change the time of the show and I'm like only if you send me pictures of your feet. So I like didn't accept the calendar invite, just like kept saying no, and then finally so I send him a montage of random pictures of me. I'm like study these before the show to get in the mood. And he's put them up behind them.
NorCal Guy:so they're hilarious and they're they're rattling me, but I love it, it's a good one sure I got a screen on each side of me with the pics that he sent me being on display, and it's throwing him off now using his own his own weapons against him it's good, though it reminds me of a fun, some fun so what were your first thoughts when you heard about NFTs, crypto, art?
OG:I'm like a super fucking dummy. So like I first heard about crypto in 2012. One of my best friends college roommate, I swear this is true started the first venture capital firm, blockchain capital, and it's the second largest now and this motherfucker was telling me non-stop and all my friends, he's mining bitcoin at 25. I'm like, isn't this shit just for buying drugs, bro? And like I saw I bought some drugs and I was like, yeah, it's just for buying drugs, you know anyway, 2015.
OG:Some of my friends go out and he's like I'll underwrite you like 25k if you lose it. Put it in bitcoin, of course. All that made three million dumb me didn't go to the miss the dinner anyway. By 2020. I was like, okay, I have to get over the wall. And crypto yeah. So I've been doing a lot of work on crypto, which eventually culminated.
OG:I've been doing some investing in the cannabis space, but I was like, ah, this shit's impossible. I did two investments. I'm like too hard to make money. And one of my close friends who I'd done some investing with this dude, todd steinberg, was like yo, bro, and he's like older than me. He's like have you seen these apes? You got to check out these apes. I'm like apes. What the fuck are you talking about? I'm looking like holy shit, man. What the fuck is this stuff? So, but like nobody, I knew I'm older. And like even the dudes I know who are at blockchain, like maybe it's like analysts. A couple of them were like into nfts, but I don't know.
OG:You know, the weirdest thing happened to me. I'd spent a lot of my life like many people, with a bunch of plans, and I had a first marriage a whole life of like many people with a bunch of plans. I had a first marriage, a whole life of plans. Those went away and a first career. Then I had a second career, a second marriage. That all went away and after all that happened for me it was a really hard time, in all honesty, and I was like holy shit man. Like you know, I'm twice divorced. I have a job I thought I'd never have to leave. I left and and I finally, like lot had like sort of in my own head lost it all. I was like on the ropes financially, almost broke you know. Uh, terrible, unimaginable divorce. Like lost my career but all my assets were in this company so I couldn't compete with.
OG:I'm like what the fuck I'm like? And so I literally like let go. I was like here are my choices and I either have to like do some all these. And I swear to god, it sounds so crazy, but it changed my life. So I sat down on my computer december 26. My girl my daughters make fun of me had whiteboard crypto going at 2x play speed some. You know how I knew I was talking to somebody in the space once. I was like, yeah, I watch youtube. Yeah, so like what speed do you listen? I'm like this is my motherfucker right here, so I had 2x speed and I'm like, hammering on the keyboard, my daughters and my lady were like what is wrong and I don't know what happened.
OG:I have always been. I've been very blessed professionally and personally. Like blessed in that I get along well with people. But I mentioned this before in post is like I got along with them. But I'm like, why the fuck am I so weird man? Like why, why like, why do I need to do all this shit? Like it was. It was funny once my dad was like pounding on me old school and and I finally like broke down. I was like dad, you think I don't know that it would be easier for me if I was like mr, like, let's talk about sports and wear khaki pants and whatever the fuck. Um, so I just sort of accepted. And then I found this little weird world and nobody else knew it and something in my soul man, I'm telling you I had look old me would laugh when I was going through the worst of times.
OG:I talked to my therapist over and over. I kept having this vision of being at a creek, having my calling like, like vocation the word means calling actually and I literally kept having this. I swear to god that's true. I brought up with my therapist that was an extensive therapy which I highly recommend um and doing a variety of meditation, morning readings, and I had a lot of anger to deal with and I did used to do dumb shit because of it. So when things hit rock bottom, like I want to get into it, but I I was like in the middle of covid. I'm like I gotta get away and I booked a night in yosemite, went up by myself, was like on the phone with my therapist, like out of a movie. I'm like crying to my therapist on the way up, which it would have been embarrassing for me to admit that years ago, but I'm proud that I was willing to do that. And I get there and I check in and I hear a creek and I walk down and I'm telling you, bro, I can't. The fucking creek was there and so something has. Look, I come from, I was.
OG:I hate to say anything that sounds like I don't. I hate to say anything that sounds like I don't know how to convey information. I don't want to sound braggy but I like worked for Steve Cohen at a top hedge fund. I ran, I grew the last company I was CEO of to the largest private company in America in this space. When I say that, I'm proud of it, of course, but people were like, what in the fuck are you doing? And so for me, nfts has been the weirdest thing. I have ideas and a vision of what I want to accomplish, but I have woken up every day and I open my soul and I'm telling you it sounds so.
OG:I just show up at events. I remember, like one of my buddies, like I was going to an event like a year, so good. He's like, okay, what's the plan? Who you mean with what are you doing? Like, what are you talking about? Like, oh, what's your whole purpose? Like, what are you trying to accomplish? I'm like, nah, bro, I just like show up and see where the universe takes me. And so somehow the universe brought me to this and to me it's been the ultimate.
OG:Sorry to talk, I'm talking a lot, but it's been the culmination of, like my life. I've always been about like. I collected comics, I collected sneakers, I collected tattoos. I've been tattooed almost 240 hours. The power of the image to me is just so incredible. But I was totally incompetent at drawing anything and it just wasn't even an idea I could do art or whatever, and something about the combination of culture, art, financial markets and, most of all for me, community and wonderful. There's a bunch of trash, but there's the best human beings I've ever met, and so every day I'd show up and at first I'm like this trash, but I keep being powered by this like vision that this is what I'm here to do.
OG:So yeah so I went from basically being like what in the fuck scam? I got scammed for 30K in the first three weeks, but I kept going that's good.
NorCal Guy:So what are the best things about Web3 today? It sounds like the people to you.
OG:I want to say, but I think it's a much bigger concept um and I'll keep this answer shorter the um. I believe for the first time, you have this way of, on a daily basis, getting to first identify yourself, not based based on your age, race, gender, ethnicity, sexual interest, whatever. You can pick a picture that says here's who I am and what I rep with, and here's my words. And so, to me, what was the original promise of it was like digital identity, which I still believe in, but then this true global community where, for the first time for me, I'm like, even if I meet somebody for the first time, if they're like respected in the space, I feel like I'm like god damn, I feel like more comfortable with this person. So, to me, I think what it's about is the.
OG:The other piece that has to be mentioned in the same phrase is transparency. So check it in real life. If I show up, I tell you, yo norcal, like I'm a major player, I got like blah, blah. You don't know if I'm full of shit, if my watch is fake, if I'm a fucking clown. Oh yeah, I figured out. What I love here is if you're a good person and look, we're all flawed. If you're a good person, who's reasonable admit when you fuck up and have pure transparency where people see your wallets, your words and your actions? To me, this is a transformation where we have now in a real way, created a verification and trust system. We have, obviously, mathematical consensus, but we have now this other thing. So to me, the ability to create a true global community around an interest and then move and support that forward. So that's what I like best.
OG:So this guy, de birds 23, who's no longer around, but he's called nft's new friends technology, and to me it's like new life technology. It the reason is, all of a sudden, you, there's this whole new way, and I notice it more than ever the more I hang out with and like people in this space and then in real life people. It's like we're from two, the way we talk, not about nfts, but even to each other. It's so to me I think that's the most exciting part of this space. And then, obviously, what it'll do for artists and content creators. Yeah, like the day-to-day enjoyment comes from that, but what like gets me hyped is like yo, this digital art movement is going to transform so much and I want to be a big part of that and help support people doing the right stuff there, so that and and there's a there's a unique time and ability and I've been in this space long enough to build some like trust with some people. I think we're about, if we can do this right, it's gonna be so damn cool man.
NorCal Guy:So that's what hypes me up yeah, no I like that that's a a good way to put it. And yeah, everyone, every time I've met someone, um like damn, I really like get along with this person.
OG:Which is funny.
NorCal Guy:Yeah, we get along in the DMs and everything, but then you're like, well, it's just so open and definitely is. Bats was the first collector I met in the space. Did he stick you with a bill?
OG:He actually got me my coffee. He did, he did with a bill.
NorCal Guy:He actually, he actually got me my coffee. He did, he did. Oh, but yeah, it was awesome to you know, we're just like chatting, we're like talking like dude, what the frick is going on in this space like so weird, like we both don't know what we're doing it's like best in class yeah, for sure, but yeah it's. It's definitely been a great space, um. So where do you see digital art and nfts in five years and do you have any concerns as it expands?
OG:I have some present concerns about the difficulty to just simply purchase own store and like display right um digital art that comes as nfts or or inscriptions or yeah you know, um, so I have great concerns about that.
OG:I I also think I have great concerns that the. I do think, like, image matters, and if you tell people you're an nfts now, you might as well tell them you're a degenerate, scumbag piece of shit who's gonna, like, reach in their pockets, probably steal their money and their liquor. So I think digital art, though here's what, sorry, um, look, I think there's art. You know, pindar taught me, like art is anything an artist says is art, and I love that definition, and so, look, I agree that it's just art. However, I do think that being an expert in digital art in the future, digital art's a different thing because, just like tattoos, the medium is your skin. Something that works great as a tattoo can work shit not, and the vice versa. Part of the beauty of nfts is the contract or the blockchain and using that in artistic way. So what do I think the big future? So I'm I'm gonna be excited to announce something big in trad art I've been working on, but I don't think trad art should be the focus to me. Me, that's not. It's much easier to convince a rich hedge fund guy or tech guy to buy art, and so, to me, I think the future of digital art depends on the recognition of authentic and I know people don't like this, but I deeply believe it trusted curators who can de-risk digital art because, respectfully, 99.9 is or zero and um, and I think the future is.
OG:If you look at contemporary art, 100 artists and four galleries made all the money. But if you look at super publicly available data roughly I'm rounding it, but 100 artists and 100 collectors are what matters. So I go in with the assumption, whether I like it or not, wish it was different. You know, blah, blah don't matter. The fact is like art is a high end luxury good. There's a lot of evidence, especially as the space institutionalizes, that the top, top, top artists and projects you see this like. Look at Xcopy, the CryptoPunks. Cryptopunks have traded like 15 million in a month, in four weeks or something.
OG:So what I think is number one very few artists will be winners and we as a space and me personally, I'm going to keep trying to do everything I can to help others with the recognition. That's the current reality. Number two, though I think getting sales and getting traction in the rich tech and hedge fund people will get much more sales and will actually drag the trad art market up behind it. And then I think the biggest opportunity is the fight for just displays. Like right behind me is an incredible mural of Victor Reyes painted for me, but I mean, in the future, that shit should just be a screen, and like I could have NorCal's face looking straight back at him to fuck with him Like oh episode, it would be fun.
OG:So I think our job is that it's if you come to do this. Now, though, you come to this space and you're like, oh my God, everything is a scam. People are doing all this dumb shit. I can't even buy an NFT, so you're going to have to make it super easy for people to enter and trust that they can hold the piece. But, with that being said and my bags are incredibly invested in this space so please take with full this nfa. Dyr, fucking fuck around, find out. Um, look, I'm blessed. I was almost out, but I don't. I want to say this right, I'm not forced to be in this space for money, and, of course, I want to make money, but so I mean, I think that I'm here because I believe this could be the biggest thing I've ever been involved in and the coolest and I think this opportunity to reshape. I look at like my kids and it is so. I mean you talk to like.
OG:I talk to my dad or my older brother and I talk to my kids and it's like there's nothing to even talk about. Man Like this is the world, everything token. You're not going to get in a place without it. I mean the most like easy use cases. Even if everything access art, there's a few things that are just so much better and, as a bats pointed out in his interview on your show or his discussion, he's like look, imagine if you're nike and you can find out like the wallet of every one of your customers and then see what else they own and see what else they're doing. I mean so look, I think, my experience because I'm old and shit. I remember 99, I I started working, 98 at college and the internet was just like a thing it's so crazy to say I fuck, I feel right
OG:but we're real early. These things take forever to change. Having said that, there's some enormous signs of change already. The rat um, there's some enormous signs of change already. So I think like there's a few. Like obviously everyone knows about I always mispronounce rafiq and people's success. I think there's artists I love a ton of artists and there's somebody doing great. I think somebody like thank you x, though is, like you know, ahead of the game and how he's approached this and marketing. I mean the more time I spend with this motherfucker like he's where it's taken me years to get to. So I just think long story, extra long, is huge.
OG:Believer, have invested substantial amount of my money and all my time doing this been grinding 100 followers and yeah, man, I don't exactly know how, but I just know deep in my heart and soul and I know this is going to sound weird I think I sent you this like I'm gonna be a real nerd here a couple times in my life. Like sometimes I'm like you know, I sort of like I may be wrong, but I like see something and I only share this because, like it gives me hope that I'm right, like I better be right or I'm gonna look so fucking dumb dumb. So, with that caveat, on February 2nd 2020, I had been doing some work on COVID. There were eight cases and it was Super Bowl Sunday. So I'm sure, like the rest of you, I was researching COVID because I'm a fucking nerd and I was like, oh, my fucking God, like this thing is going to be catastrophe.
OG:And I wrote an article on it and shared it, um, with norcal guy. But I only share that because I'm like it doesn't matter that it's me, I'm just a person. I'm like yo, if you bet on me for marriage, I'd be like throw your money away, bitch, you know. But if you bet on me on some of this kind of shit, I'm like, look, I could be wrong, but I was pretty good at this shit, you know. And so I'm very hopeful. But I'm biased because I'm deeply invested. So, but I mean, that's my take.
NorCal Guy:Well, you're, you're by, yeah, I mean yeah, but you wouldn't invest in it unless you had the faith. What would you like to see more of in this crypto art space?
OG:I definitely believe that if you're not doing in real life personal connections, that the space you're missing a rise in not like interest in people getting together without like an agenda, but more time together. And at these events I'm going. I doxed in April 22 at New York. Sorry, nft conferences, but I always go to the conference and I never like buy a ticket, and so to me the best part is I'll buy a ticket, I'll buy a ticket. It's like hanging around, and so I'd like to see more of that. Frankly, I'd like to see a level of like professionalism. But that might be my own Like.
OG:I think like all markets require independence to be robust, meaning if everybody acts the same way. My old boss used to have a great analogy of why markets are independent. He's like imagine the top of a ship, like everyone's on a boat, and there's people milling around. If they're all over, their weight's distributed and they cancel each other out. If all of them run to one side, the boat can tip. And so I always say like look, I get you know, separating brain and heart when that, when those meme coins that were like misspelled company names were running, I don't know fucking why, but it was like a stab in my fucking heart because I'm like thinking of myself. I always like to say to people like remember, when you're dealing with other people, remember they have to go home and tell other people this story, and how are they going to feel like yeah, like fuck them hard and say go, embarrass themselves.
OG:But I was like how the fuck am I going to explain to somebody that, like a bunch of people made like 100 times their money buying a misspelled company name memes coin. You know name memes coin, you know so right, so, with my own bias, is what it says. I'd like to see the scams and the rugs go away. I would like to see a more sophisticated bifurcation of discussion of the market. Nfts is it's like saying, like cable is a piece of you're, like well, there's all kinds of different stuff on there. Like yeah, so I believe I think came up with die and jack in my show, like it was really thoughtful. But I want to see like people discussing the market and separating, like not grouping everything. I think that's easy, but yeah, I just think that the ease of access, criminality and sort of constant source of just terrible, like embarrassing behavior that people don't wanna be associated with, which can be avoided by separating art and other things. But that's what I'd like to see and more of your feet fair, fair.
NorCal Guy:So I I'm curious what do you have? A piece of advice or a mantra that you like go, that like comes back to you, that you like kind of live by?
OG:I thought you're going to ask me like advice for other people that I live by. Yeah, honestly, my mantra you guys see it, it sounds dumb. I had all these over the years but it's be cool and do cool shit and don't harm others. The years and. But it's be cool and do cool shit and don't harm others. And then, and then it ties to a world view I have which actually people think is sad, but to me it's the most beautiful thing I realized, which is we don't matter, you're nothing. There's eight billion humans, there's hundreds of billions of stars in the galaxy, hundreds of billions of galaxies. The only part you are is one tiny piece of this incredible, beautiful universe. So all that time you're sitting thinking, everybody's thinking about you or cares about your shirt, or nobody gives a shit, barely about anyone. And so that's beautiful, though, like that's freeing. And so my advice is be cool, do cool shit, don't harm others, because like you're hey right, surprise, shocker, ending, spoiler alert you're gonna be dead motherfucker at some reasonable short time interval.
OG:So the other big advice I'd say is like be curious. Or what I live by is like be curious and passionate, like when somebody says things you don't like. Be like, oh, is that right? I'm gonna go at least google it and see like motherfuckers just like, well, you know, be curious and passionate and then finally focus on process, not outcome. Outcome is not in your control. Obviously you're getting bad outcomes. You need to look at your process, but any given bad outcome and so all my hobbies have moved from what I call output-oriented like yo, I have this many motorcycles or I have this many wine, or watch or like I'm gonna to keeping chickens, gardening bees, fruit trees, yoga, walking, where I usually actually give away like 90 of what I grow, because when a fruit tree like yeah, you know you know where you live and so, like, focus on that and enjoy the process.
OG:Of course, we all want good outcomes, so, and then finally, just do your best with where you are, with what you can, and then, if it doesn't go back, well, you're going to feel like shit anyway, but you'll feel a lot less like shit if you're like, well, I couldn't have done anything else. Yeah for sure.
NorCal Guy:So if you could live or move anywhere, where would you live and why?
OG:I was like texting bats this because like, is it, you know the cat man do motherfucker? So, um, there's two ways I'll answer this. The one is with like practical reality of my constraints, which is I have two ex-wives and four kids and I want 50 custody, yeah, so the reality is I've actually in, I feel blessed that I mostly have the best structure I could imagine for me now, which is I live in norcal and I have this like, like I said, like gardening and chickens. Then I travel a ton, um, and go to great cities, like you know, hopefully new york this week and then lisbon and then so on and so forth. My honest, like theoretical answer is and and it would be fun, I think, especially as like a foreigner, but hands down to and Japan, I've been blessed.
OG:I used to travel endless for work, tokyo, I don't know, it's the only true first world country, like I mean Japan. Japan is God level for me. It's like, you know, quiet, nobody honks, honks. It's clean, the food's good people care about. I have to explain them. I'm like you don't understand, like somebody in america could be in a job and they literally don't give a fuck. And it's like these people are like does not compute. You know, yeah, tokyo. And then to me the second I went to. I did a semester abroad in london. London's incredible, because not only is it an incredible place, but you're like an hour from everywhere. You can like go have lunch in paris, like yo norcal. Let's like go have lunch in paris today. Uh, I don't know, that's pretty baller, that'd be awesome. Yeah, those would be my top two. And then my sort of secret, like not I'd last three days, because I always like, yeah, I'm gonna like well, the hikes do nothing. And then like two hours I'm like what the fuck's going on? Like I do love um, this island called.
OG:My parents are from the caribbean okay from a little island called saint kit, so I grew up spending like two to three months a year in the caribbean. I actually like sort of more vibe. That I think Canada where I was born, but there's an island called Virgin Gorda. It's just like magical, and so I can spend like a ton of time there.
NorCal Guy:That's awesome, so this is a good one. What is the best thing and the silliest thing you've spent money on? It can be in the space or outside the space can I do the one I texted you or no?
OG:yeah, yeah, let's do it. Well, I could do outside the space. I was like man, I I did not answer that one. I was like I did once when we were dumb idiots and we would bet each other, like in college, like anything for money, right, we, I paid it to 30 to eat the grill scrapings, which is so fucking dumb. But, as a matter of you know, we're all idiots in this space. Um, I was thinking about this. I'm like man, unless we have an hour and a half, like bass was saying. It's like I don't look, dude, if I want like to go back to therapy, I just stroll through my hidden folder and I'm like how fucking stupid. You literally parted with money for this fucking thing. So, um, the dumbest thing in the space I spent money on. Well, I don't, it's gonna sound like a diss, I won't say that one. Um, man, I, I bought a lot of nfts, bro, probably dumbest thing ever, did.
OG:No fair, fair oh I lost the most money on world of women, probably, oh true, and then and then nft worlds I almost did, but then they like did that. I lost the most money on world of women, probably, oh true, and then and then NFT worlds I almost did, but then they like did that high topia thing. I still sold two earlier, but it was much better and I made the most money on goblet town like ROI All right, all right, fair, all right.
NorCal Guy:So this is a good one. If you could commission a piece from two artists, which two artists would it be?
OG:I love this question. I think there's interesting answers and like the commercial impact and if they really collaborate. Let's take all the practical aside. Um, I know this is gonna sound like crazy, so I thought of like three for whatever reason. Okay, and the way I thought about it is like what artists do? I think are like top of the game but are very different and I'd be curious if they could make something like synergistic Number one, x Copy and Joe Peace.
NorCal Guy:Oh, okay, I can see, yeah, could see, yeah, yeah, yeah, that'd be a good then I used to do a lot where.
OG:So the original idea that money never sleeps it doesn't come off right because I have like a different thought. It sounds like some dj and shit, but the idea of money I never sees was from a 1987 movie called Wall Street where, like Gordon Gekko calls Charlie Sheen's character and is like yo, basically, I'm going to corrupt you. He's like you know, money never sleeps, pal, and I always thought it was. I worked in finance and I've seen a lot of people get really rich and I've seen how like it destroys their soul and I thought that the fact that Charlie Sheen like got his soul destroyed in the movie, then in real life, and so to me it's like a cautionary tale that, like money never sleeps, that we do. So that's a thing I did get many artists to work on.
OG:So I'd like that's a concept to me of like how money corrupts everything. If you're not, um, the other ones I thought of why am I blanking that? Um, uh, die with no number two, ultimate satire okay, die with the most likes and jack butcher. I know people would throw people in there, but die with the most likes and jack butcher, yeah, I think what's really cool about them. Jack's work has soul, but it comes from the brain uh-huh and it is a true, I finally get it.
OG:This motherfucker is a genius. It is like to be to make interesting social commentary, in my opinion, and make wonderful art. It's easy to mock and it's easy to praise the most difficult and beautiful thing in like a commentarian or what a commentarian somebody who's like daily comments on like culture is. You have to loathe it and find it sad and disgusting, yet celebrate it and celebrate how it connects us, and so I think, in their own ways, die does that without cross.
OG:Die is like grotesque, but it's not like here's seven dicks in your face. It's like subtle, grotesque and beautiful, and he like is the sweetest guy and you can see that in there. It's like you know this is terrible, it's tearing us apart but at the same time, like you know, it's bringing me together to be able to talk about ponderosa and all this stuff. I think jack's work is like jack was doing five videos a day, like just presenting his ideas visually, and I think the visual presentation of ideas is like incredibly powerful. That's why we all live in like memes and gifs and charts, and so I'd really love to see what the two of them would do. I had some more, but those I thought were yeah, that's good, that's good Interesting.
NorCal Guy:So what is one interesting fact about you that people might not be aware of?
OG:So I thought about this and I'm going to respond with something I didn't realize was potentially interesting and I never talk about much, but it came up at my birthday with some people. I told you my parents came from like a little island. At the time it was a third world island, st Kitts actually. Coincidentally, oss wife's family is from the same island and my grandma and her grandfather both had stores on the island. Oh, I'm like the two general stores. Yeah, it's a really funny. Um shit, I lost my train of thought. What were you saying?
OG:uh, the interesting fact about you yeah, my mom because they came from nothing like was like always pushed me for service, like to do community service, because I'm a criminal. Like it's funny when you have all these tattoos. You know, I know you saw Amidon's AI thing. I'm like the only thing that they show bias is like every motherfucker got a tattoo who's a criminal. Thing that they show bias is like every motherfucker got a tattoo who's a criminal. So I keep interesting fact because service work.
OG:So, starting in high school, I dedicated a thousand hours of commute to community service the most of my school and I was like and since then I've been dedicated to service work. I did a lot of service work in San Francisco. I was I was basically head of like the board of this, of this, like the fundraising board of Jamestown community center, which was for had programs for underprivileged, underserved, undocumented immigrants, like programs for their children, and then, starting in 2015, I got this thing super. So I was super anti-drug war for many years and I thought it really was basically like a war on people of color and poor people. Really, um, it was basically like a war on people of color and poor people.
OG:In 2016, 15, 15, um, I got introduced to a program that was made to reduce violence in prison and reduce recidivism. Ie like when people go to jail like a fulsome 55 end up back in jail because you're like pretty much screwed when you're. So I started doing this work where I go into level four Folsom prison. It's all convicted murderers and like the tops of gangs seven, eight, either seven or 12. Friday to 7. Pm, 7. Am to 7. Pm. Saturday at seven to 3. Pm. And you do like group work, small group work and one-on-one work in the level four prison in the chapel man, so I've been doing that. Me and my family contributed to some documentary about it that actually won South by Southwest in, I think, 2016, called the Work. I didn't find the documentary I'm glad it won, let me just put it. Find the documentary, I'm glad it won. Let me just put it at that, I'm glad it won.
OG:But so, um, yeah, so that's been something that um is just super important to me yeah, you know that, uh, I never talk about, or whatever that's amazing all the rated ones. But I only bring that up because it came up in passing and then somebody was like Holy shit, man, I didn't know that.
NorCal Guy:Yeah, that's a. That's a lot of dedication and amazing that you do that. That's really good.
OG:Dude, I swear to God. So I went in and you're in a chapel and I somehow ended up rapping in full surprise. You know I do freestyle rapping. I was super into it at that time. So I'm like, literally, and I have funniest voicemail from the program director. But the next time I went back in he's like yo, I heard about what you did up in here. I'm like, oh my God, I'm the reverse 50 Cent. I'm like coming into Folsom Prison and like street battling and going back to marin yeah, I like it.
NorCal Guy:Do you have any hot? Takes?
OG:um, probably not. I'm kind of fucking idiot. Um, I don't even know what a hot take is. You know it's funny. I was was telling the right beard, he's the same.
OG:I never even looked at like a Twitter analytic until last November. I honestly just like I'm a weird guy, like if you put constraints on me, like they just shave, I can't even like wear jewelry or whatever. So I don't know, I just constantly just sharing what I feel and what the universe is pushing me to feel, and I'd say my takes, my more general look, I think my whole vibe that I'm trying to share is like, hey, life is gonna not be kind, many bad things are gonna happen, many your own fault like me, and hopefully you don't make as many mistakes, but don't despair. Like you are giving an opportunity to become a better version of you, and so I don't know, I I guess my hot take is just like hey, man, like, stand back and look at your life and realize 99 of people and 99 of opportunities you see in your life are nothing. At best you'll get back what you put in. At worst you'll get a lifetime of problems.
OG:Right right, and so when I was younger, I used to focus on the upside. I always counseled people. I'm still living with the cost of mistakes I made a decade or more ago. When you're young and confident especially men, unfortunately, we're stupid with testosterone you think that if you get a mistake you can get out of the mistake, and so my hot take is, once you've gotten a mistake, there's only two outcomes bad and worse. And so don't get in that mistake. But once you're in there, don't expect you're gonna get some fucking cheery shit. It's how much pain and fucking loss. Let me minimize that. And so, um, I think people just don't they get. So what I?
OG:There's so many people who are what I call like a passenger in their own life. You know they're like watching themselves in the world, almost like they're. I've had this in my own life. I'm like you sort of see yourself doing it and it's just the hottest thing and it's not crazy. 99% of what we do you're not thinking about. You're like you know gallbladder right now, but I'm sure if you have a gallbladder it's doing fine now but so I think, just like, don't be a zombie focus.
OG:Remember it's fast, it's short, nobody really gives a fuck. Like, don't hurt other people, you've got problems if you do. Trust me, I know, and just do cool shit. Man, be cool people like in the world. I really I'm not religious.
OG:When my daughter was like going through that on friday, I made a quick post because, like several artists were like, um damn, you respond and I didn't. I was like, hey, I'm in the hospital and my 12 year old daughter saying, like thoughts and prayers, it's like, oddly, it's so fucked up to me it's the most viewed tweet I ever did. But I believe deeply in my heart that those like thoughts and prayers and vibes in the universe like change and I've been the experience on both ways and I so putting out like those vibes and just being yeah, being authentic and real. So that's my hot take is don't tarnish your reputation ever. Yeah, for anything.
OG:One mistake, it's gone and, at the end of the day, money, all that other shit don't matter. You have to lay in bed and look at the ceiling with those decisions you made, yeah, and you may be able to sneak it by other people. You may be able to tell the most convincing narrative ever. But in that bed, man, there's another person in your head, a person who knows every weakness, every little thing, and if that person's fucking coming at you, you know Yep. So like you gotta you know anyway. I hope that's helpful, for sure. Bitcoin Ordinals as well. I'm into Bitcoin Ordinals, bro, yeah.
NorCal Guy:So would you like to discuss any projects you're working on or talk anything about that?
OG:so, um, I had a project used to be called money click. It's, uh, really some lessons I learned from other things in the space trying to bring together, um, a variety of artists, collectors, builders, people who care about the space, um, and so I had two seasons and then moved into a permanent um community where we drop monthly drops. I'm right now in the process of reorganizing it, but I'm super hyped um 452b. Uh, I'm reconstituting some of the owners and have some interesting ideas about how to change. There's a lot of things that cause projects that require consistent followup to fail, and the biggest one is like you can't get rid of people. So I think there's some interesting things we're going to do. And and then I have a lot of very exciting collabs that we've been announcing. I did foundation curation I'm doing with Patrick Abaddon, 452b, me and Artie Hans did curation for NFC Lisbon. I have some really exciting announcements about. You know I've been blessed. My show is somehow crazy Enough to most watch Crypto Art Show currently, I think.
NorCal Guy:Yeah.
OG:It's like it's pretty crazy. So I'm blessed I think we'll bring on a partner there who supports what we're trying to do technology partners, um, and then man, just I have some really once I do this. I I was laying out, as I said, I think there's some really cool opportunities. I want to bring emerging artists to collectors in a way where you don't saddle the collectors with no disrespect, man, but with an illiquid piece like that's cool. But, like you know, one of the things is ultimately, unless you're dumb like me and just keep putting money in most people, eventually you have to sell shit to buy shit.
OG:Yeah, so it helps us all to have liquidity. It's one of the best parts of the space and so I want to, you know, ensure liquidity in market and help ensure there's liquidity in these emerging artists and support them. That when I help be part of any opportunity to curate artists, that 452b can go a level above anyone in terms of supporting them, bringing them forward, connecting them with collectors, featuring them, bringing attention to their work, so I'm super hyped. You'll get some announcements in the coming month and that's what I spend my time on that the show, and then really just being a clown demanding for pictures smoking weed, pulling money on NFTs.
NorCal Guy:I like it. It's a good life.
OG:It's a good life.
NorCal Guy:It's a good life, it's a good life here's a good life, sweet well, oh gee, I just have to say thank you and I'm very grateful that, uh, I've been able to meet you and become friends with you or the past, I don't even know how long it's been years, yeah.
OG:It's like at least a year plus now.
NorCal Guy:Yeah, and man, I thank you for coming on the show and joining me here today.
OG:You rock. What I need to do is just listen to you every night, go to bed to your suit.
NorCal Guy:These pictures are fucking amazing.
OG:Yeah, man, it's been a joy for me as well, and I'm honored and look forward to having you on my show. Who is this?
NorCal Guy:Who is this guy? Who is this guy? Who is this guy? Who is this guy? Who is this guy? Norcal guy, norcal guy, norcal guy, norcal guy, norcal guy, norcal guy, nor Outro Music.