College Life

Solo: The scary like damn, like I’m about to take the easy way out Fuck my life up or like to not fail physics just just like lets it go and it was some bullshit but like was it cool Honestly, it wasn’t that different to me I was like

 [Music]

Zeke: I’d like to welcome everyone to another episode of the Let’s Gather Podcast. I’m your host Zeke and this episode, I have a friend Solomon to talk about being a recent college grad, technology and streetwear. you can find his photography Instagram page under hvn_Solo. I like to give a content warning for any strong language used in this episode. And I hope you have a nice day and enjoy the show. 

Zeke: So I’ll like to thank you for joining the podcast.

Solo: Glad to be here man.

Zeke: All right. So first question, what would your origin story be?

Solo: Ah, I guess growing up in Brooklyn I guess was a call. Just, you know, you go to public school, middle school, elementary or whatever, you just continue to grow, figure out what you want to do figure out who you are and things like that. And I guess, my passion, I really learned it too, I guess, high school, late High School.

Zeke: So would that be a documentary movie, anime comic book?

Solo: I think it’d be this it’d be a podcast. Reasons is called this talk and shit like that. Like, what’s it called? Like, lunchroom table talks, basically. Yeah. I mean, in terms of how I would present it. It’s too many moving characters to be a movie. It’s like almost like Harder than explaining like Malcolm X’s life or something.

Zeke: Autobiography us.

Solo: Exactly, exactly.

Zeke: So with that in mind, you recently started doing photography when that started?

Solo: So like I didn’t start caring about pictures for like I always had like a little bit of care about pictures like you know, when Instagram came out in high school, whatever. Remember if you remember Amari, but me and him used to take like a lot of pictures after high school, or whatever, just trying to build your Instagram to wherever it could go, whatever. And so do you notice regular like iPhone takes better pictures? And then I started moving into me seeing like more cameras like people with cameras on my show what a pictures look a certain way and stuff like that. It wasn’t until like I graduated high school. Like I was working this interview. friendship and I had a few I made a major me some money so I decided to like get myself my first camera which was like a Nikon Coolpix summer 2016. I kept using that for will I didn’t really the pictures were I write way better than what my phone was taken. So I was happy with it. But it wasn’t until around next year, the next summer decided that I wanted to step it up. So around like going into 2017 September, I got like my first Canon 1300 D. And that’s when I started getting more serious with it.

Zeke: So with that, what kind of photography do you like to do landscape people?

Solo: Yeah, mostly. Um, so first when I started out like, like, I’m like, I wasn’t really trying to like ask people all the time Hey, you want to take pictures so you want to take pictures? So I just went out a shot what was ever interesting to me like going to different stores. As I know, and or just go into, like galleries, I would just take pictures of art and stuff like that. And then I started moving into people more because I find it more interesting. And I realized like what I really came into photography for because even before I got my Coolpix camera I started using Tumblr a lot. So I was seeing like the different types of pictures of like, my favorite artists and shit like that and just clothes and all that type of stuff. So I was like, photography was like the best way to combine all of that like still shoot, like the fly shit I wanted and whatever like that. But um, so basically, I started moving into people around October 2017 just taking pictures of whoever I could like my friends or my cousins or whatever.

Zeke: This nice. So with that you plan on expanding photography or just more like a hobby?

Solo: It’s a hobby. Hobby um so basically it’s been a hobby like I’ve been paid for it been like getting better in terms of like better equipment understanding my camera more of like updating my camera like twice since the 1300 D like actually once Yeah, and like updated lenses stuff like that so I’ll be getting paid for it but I don’t really like go out of my way to charge anybody yet because like my photography is not where I want it to be. But this summer I plan to start learning Photoshop you know, finally get on this and so I got free time out of it Lightroom Photoshop, all that good stuff. So I’m just trying to get it to a point where once I feel totally comfortable with it like and I know I can manipulate a picture to whatever I want it to be to make it look like how I want and I’m satisfied with that. Then I’m gonna be like prepared to say hey, I know I’m I’m so full of myself or at least understanding of my skills that I I could do whatever

Zeke: Nice. There. I know YouTuber named Peter McKinnon. His photography is on like a one. You can look at his stuff,

Solo: Got it got it got to check him out.

Zeke: Yeah, cuz since I used to do graphics I use Photoshop and stuff like that all the time. It’s not much learning curve, but once you get a hang of one, they have really similar

Solo: Yeah, I played around with Lightroom a bit I remember if I had like a trial version or something like it seems very similar to like full, like regular phone editing, just shifting around hues and shit like that. Yeah, yeah, definitely. There’s like definitely a certain way I will not look like I want a shout out like this guy knows named Gabe Sousa. I can get his Instagram later, but, like, one time in my sophomore year, um, so I found his Instagram through another friend in high school. was a car accident for a shoe and like, like what he did was crazy. Like he He also told me a lot in terms of like changing my lenses know what ISO and F stop to use and show like that. And just I’m continually building like going on YouTube figuring out how to use flashes just kind of figure out different things because every time I get put into like a new space for example somebody asked me to take pictures in like a concert or something like that like so like a new challenge like how do you figure out how to take the best pictures and just seeing other people’s work you get inspired to you know, do better.

Zeke: If you see somebody else doing , man I should of thought of that then makes you want to do better.

Solo: Exactly. (Inaudible) , saying like even my arm you remember Charlene? Yeah. Yeah, like she’s very good to like she’s very like technical. She understands her camera very well. So sicko like me or her like I like being around even Tyler. I like being around people just like challenge me to like step it up. You know, like, what’s it called? They’re taking great pics but and I’ve got to find my mean to like, I realized that as much as like, people are very creative and stuff like that, like, I’m creative too, but it’s almost like my theme in photography is like very dark, lit like one light type source images or whatever. Like, that’s my favorite. When it comes on, like very soft, like low ISO pictures. Like those are like really my favorite sort of like, I just want to develop my own lane.

Zeke: So since we’re talking about how we were, what kind is your passion?

Solo: I’m passionate about too many things, man, like this is like, was it cool? I like technology. Like I read articles about new shit all the time. Like, I like learning about rust. I like learning about 5g. I like learning about new phones coming out. I like learning about like storage devices and shit like that. And I like intern as an IT guy. But at the same time, I love streetwear I love what they call of fingers Learn about what new clothes came out love being on Tumblr figuring about oh, this is oh shit going on grey andt say oh, this is a 2005 t shirt or something like that, like, that’s my stuff too. Like, should I say for example when we was in high school like 20 around 2014 early years like before, Virgil I know you’ve heard of him right? Yeah, I’ll see you on the sneaker store. You know Virgil This was his early shit like you from Yeah, like like I just recently got this was close like something else for four years finally got it for new for a good price or whatever. For me, like what’s it like going back and find that old shit like people don’t wear and like I feel like I’m a drifter. In the sense of like, just like, Good old shadow. I’m not saying I’m like I’m as thrifty as I should be. And always trying to find the best price but like if it if I like the T shirt, like t shirts on my shit, like if I like a T shirt. It will definitely make me come out of pocket.

Zeke: So, we’ll stay on technology then we go to streetwear. So the technology How do you so what draws you to technology just like learning more about it? Or like how it works?

Solo: Definitely how it like works like my always like. So basically, even the idea we even get into technology was just like, I got a step cousin and he wanted to do video game design and like, was it quite honestly, I admired him a lot when I was little. So I kinda was trying to figure out and at the same time, you know, you’re trying to figure out what you want to do early as possible because you think about Damn, I got to go to college. I got to go to high school all that shit like that. Like fucking like, Damn, I gotta at least know what I want to do. Right? So I always just thought about computers. I was like, Damn, I want to see what what a computer look like when it opens up. I used to even in this little technology class I had in fourth grade or so. Like he’s tried like usually is bullshit. You know, you’re just on computers playing games or whatever. But one day he actually just tried to teach us some shit like he tried to show us like yo this is a CPU This is that and then I used to also like that show how things work I forgot I think it was it was on the same network or whatever you notice two guys who are like always crafty one has like a weird beard I forgot the name of the show I’m talking about anyway I forgot the name of it but anyways, that I’ve remembered that website used to in middle school ways to dead like gone it every morning before school, just looking up shit like, like I remember I looked up pixels, I was understanding like pixel pixels were like watching those videos and shit like that, like fourth grade. And then by like later high school I was um, what’s it called my dad Let me open up a computer and shit like that. And I was understanding Okay, this is this this is that. So like I’m not gonna say I was like always over the top like a new code or a new hardware super well, but I just knew that I liked it. Touching computers or whatever, even small computers, and looking at micro boards, and I was robotics wasn’t even really my thing. It was just more of the hardware of like whatever devices even opening up a remote or something like that. See what exactly. So I went to school for computer engineering, but then that changed in to me going into computer engineering tech, because I realized I wanted to be more hands on. And that was way too much physics and way too much in differential equations and all that shit like those like no, it’s not for me. So let’s differentiate between Computer Engineering computer generic technology. Yeah, there’s more. One is more dairy, more general one and more specific. My field is more about dealing with circuits. So literally my first few years is literally putting together circuits understanding as you go forward. They’re, you know, you do have to take some code. Like I learned HTML, I learned c++. Yeah, like that. And but still sickle is more. So it’s always about how does this circuit do something? How does the circuit allow an antenna to work? Or how does the circuit allow a motor to work or something like that? What’s the inner workings of this device? Or this microchip that allows something to do something else? So that’s literally what I’ve been learning and and even in it my T shirt like now it’s me and my learning how office works in terms of all these computers that they hand out and how they have their system set up. So do so does certain things or whatever means the businesses go. So yeah, that’s what I’ve been interested in, in terms of technology.

Zeke: So it’s more like you like more like the physical how everything connects physically now, like, if this happens, we’ll see what happens if we don’t make the change as well.

Solo: You Like I feel like computer engineering more lends itself to design things of that nature. Where technologists is more of hands on work more just being a good technician.

Zeke: So we made a decision was easy moves like nothing was easy.

Solo: Oh, it was scary, bro. You change majors in college that should scare you like damn. Like I’m about to take the easy way out Fuck my life up or like I’m about to not fail physics just like lets it go and it was some bullshit but like, was it cool? Honestly, it wasn’t that different to me. I was like, well, I can’t I went to college. I would just want to get my degree was the quad no half finish it you’re gonna end up having to learn like outside of school anyway, you’re gonna have to end up getting your own certificates. You’re gonna have to end up again, your own experience anyway. Yeah, I was like fuck, let me not let me try to lower my debt and just like, make it out.

Zeke: Yeah, I switched my major twice like most people know. So

Solo: What’s your major? Actually, you I remember you said business I think right.

Zeke: I didn’t know I wanted to do so I let my college is magically quick for me. So I got a business school then do accounting, and I got into, like, tech school then do tech. So I got in Baruch with the best plan with the SEEK program. So then I tried accounting and my mom kept asking me that do you want to do accounting it could be boring. So then I try cis because they the same difference of like, engineering. Uh huh. And then I got zero on my Python class in a moment also you know what I’ve been doing graphics is like me arches on minor just do marketing of two different skills. I was like heres marketing.

Solo: Definitely, I think that’s that’s very lucrative. Everybody needs ideas at this point especially in like a time like this you’re gonna need to figure out like is it like me My favorite thing right now is like watching commercials to see how businesses are going to change I mean like everybody like look at like stores are not gonna have to do some shit like they facetiming people like see you like do shopping for furniture like those like the whole way should gonna change it’s gonna be interesting.

Zeke: It’s definitely see we’re pushing more towards like, I guess isolation to like you’ll have to do as much physical work as we usually do. Good thing a bad thing.

Solo: I don’t think we’ll know for a few years to be honest. Like after I feel like even for this I feel like we really won’t know what happened. Until like, you know, who 10 years from now we get the documentary like this is what really happened during the when you were inside. You know me

Zeke: You had the memes like if you were on what they call it essentially worker during Covid-19 you’re entitled to a class action law suite.

Solo: Oh my god I’m gonna be tight man let’s see if I wish I was essential honestly sometimes I may I’m trying to stay in you know stay safe for my grandma stuff like that but Brian Miss outside like even though I wasn’t like very socialized say this idea of being able to go wherever I want just doesn’t match what happens if you go to New York Institute of Technology so I used to go to the Old Westbury campus on Long Island. So which was best for me because like I wanted to be away from home, or you know, still be able to bullshit and come to the city whenever I wanted so then it’s only a two hour hour change, right or whatever to get to the city. So I was like, that’s the best of both worlds. And then I’m frickin I’m moved then after I changed majors, like I realized I didn’t learn I learned that basically my major was only available in Manhattan canvas. Which was a Columbus Circle. You know, I saw I started going there

Zeke: Yeah, also I missed the outside miss the squads

Solo: But the so called even like even honestly, we’ll see cool if I could just like take a bike somewhere like just to not be on the train assumption I would Yeah.

Zeke: Yeah, need to get my bike fixed.

Solo: Bro I need a whole new bike. I need a stimulus check for a bike ride because all the cheap shirts sold out. Also called what and like early April I was seeing like $200 bikes no more than a Wells Fargo Bank now. We’ll use this as my opportunity now the honey bikes live for like $400

Zeke: Yeah, with the tech, tech tech. So yeah. I lost my train of thought, Okay.

Solo: You want to talk ah I think you said street wear.

Zeke: Yeah, we can talk about street wear.

Solo: Oh, yeah. So it was so close to it. Yeah. So like the T shirt like street wear started in like high school, like the ideal, you know, just like figuring out how you want to dress like and shit like that. And I feel like, even as much as somebody says it doesn’t matter, like even if, like, I feel like it’s always even if it’s not street wear or whatever, like that, whatever effort you put into choosing the T shirt or making colors match, like mean something to you. So like, what’s it called? And it always meant something to me in terms of like, I wanted to have like, nice shit, I guess whatever. Like this T shirt bro is like a dream to me. It was a fourth grade I could not afford this shit. My dad was not paying for this shit or whatever. So it was like so it was so amazing to finally be in high school like I would think I used to do I think Did you ever work as a tutor? Yeah, exactly. You from you get your little first bread. Physical. You do something smart with it or you do something dumb philosophical. I chose the dumb route like you bro. I’m young. I find We get to buy some shit or focus on it forever. I was like, I want to do that. And then we’ll see a call like luckily I got blessed I was able to do it that internship I told you about did it for two summers like the summer before and after I graduated. So we’ll say calls like a good little stack for 2015 that men allowed me to get a frickin your first ban when everybody was either scamming or just making $10 minimum wage for me. So it’s a call it was good to like, get that so I was on Tumblr. I was figuring out okay, I can I didn’t have to dress as expensive as everybody else in terms of like buying shit. I couldn’t afford it. I could buy like streetwear still feel comfortable in what I wear. Still no, it means something to this small community of people who flocked to it at the time. Like because even back then in 2014 like it was good to buy like supreme because, like 20 by 20 1620 No, by 2017 It blew up like people would never lie. For final for it and that’s actually due to this movie that everybody in supreme who like who’s around the supreme culture and like it’s all the new 2014 Kids plus or whatever is like there’s this you have you’re in a complex yeah so they basically how they blew the spot up basically they made a movie about the whole resale the resale environment that was happening and people realized you know, I don’t even got to like be nice I don’t even got to care about this shit I could just make money off of it or whatever. Yeah, but the people who who even even though there were people who always resold or only in it for the resell like those people were still part of a niche group. But now like that complex shit just blew it up. So but before then I was just able to buy these little shirts and shit like that and be different. So that’s what was my whole appeal to street awareness as I kept working, whatever I just kept, like being on grilled and my cousin put me on and just keep learning.

Zeke: For me, just like Iwear whats cool and comfortable. Cheap unless sneakers are the most important part.

Solo: Yeah, I know I saw you in there bro. Like I know shit change everybody for sneakers now everybody everybody reselling or something.

Zeke: When I got to college what I got money say less.

Solo: Yeah nah sneakers sneakers I understand sneakers like sneakers is definitely in the like the gateway for a lot of people into street wear like some people like for it to be through babes does some people folk with supreme to this sneakers that they made or whatever like that? Yeah, yeah it was a column that my way was just t shirts mostly and what I did basically was that I’m very specific like I’m like I don’t like everything. Like I hate early 2000s fashion you for me, like the baggy pants shirt and all that stuff. So I don’t like I try to like follow like was was cool to me like I love that. 2010 or to the around that 2010 era to 2015 was when everything was cool to me. So I basically go back and just try to buy everything that I didn’t even know was available to me then or I didn’t even know because like, like, I told this to the my group of high school friends All the time, bro we should have been in the city. Like you don’t understand what’s it called? Everything was happening 30 minutes away from us while we were either in school or in that friggin Park. You phoned me every day Exactly. She was bubbling frickin post malone was coming into this city for getting Rocky and them was out there and shit like that was just slacking. So I was like, like fuck that again education be exactly again. Shit getting our education instead of clout so, so so cool. I’m like, was it cool to relive those times or whatever, I guess in my own way, I just go back and buy all that shit and I just like love it because I know that Everybody’s gonna be biased. No anyway, like, I don’t even know it’s a new sneaker right now, but I know I think the frickin dunks or whatever. Like, I’ll really keep up with it like that people pick on me on and ask me like, Oh, you get in this I’m like, I don’t really buy new shit like I buy by ocean It doesn’t mean that it’s necessarily worn but like, yeah, like you show me.

Zeke: Yeah, definitely. I got my I got the um what you call it  gold toe,

Solo: The what?

Zeke: The gold toes the ones. Oh, okay, okay, okay. definitely not doing resale I was like these are mine.

Solo: Is that them? They’re yours. They’re yours. What’s your favorite shoe right now?

Zeke: Famous shoe quarantine shoe in the last hour with all the what you call it the LA own the New York athletes or like the early ones go once. Okay, okay. Why I go with the plant. sneakers, huh? No no

Solo: I think what’s the call you got to send me a picture of those I don’t know the planters by definitely no to LA for sure you tamaak

Zeke: Show me a picture right now is always showed again is a working class yes here. Okay okay yeah cuz please be nice maybe sneaker

Solo: Yeah go for the go for the little you go for the like the calm collabs I see you go for like collabs that you find cool.

Zeke: Yeah like it’s great to have a whole like maximum like over 400 and I buy things

Solo: There of course yeah of course I’ve never spent over four on on machinery

Zeke: Yeah so let’s go to those compared to the top gota trees I think it’s the same sneaker

Solo: Is a you know, it’s gonna hold a little value to.

Zeke: Yeah, gotta wear them out. Like you know,

Solo: Word you got to enjoy. I hate I hate them not like if I buy something it has to be usable. Even if I buy an accessory or some shit like look like I have a fucking hold on I have this domestics I still like I have this fucking of supreme fucking Poncho use it like I’m not gonna hold it it’s been in my frickin drawer does burn in a hole but I’m gonna use this shit like I don’t buy accessories for no fucking reason.

Zeke: Granted when this when the supreme newspaper came out, I was man my mom only got one newspaper.

Solo: She got one?

 Zeke: Yeah, but for my brother but we could have sold more but

Solo: It was reselling for like $20 right worth 40 Yeah, yeah, we’ll see quite honestly, I’ll be surprised I never catch those like I remember like I never even got the MetroCard when the year before I think but I did end up buying it for somebody just like a little gift or whatever but I bought it resell for a gift but even use it I was like, because those just like, because even if I did get it, it has to make sense. I got to be able to use it. Like unless I’m gonna frame it and hold it. Yeah, I worked Yeah,

Zeke: Yeah I tried to resell YuGiOh cards the elementary middle school

Solo: Hmm that was a big hustle. I remember was a call I had a friend who used to freakin like take them ships from like smaller kids.

Zeke: And sell it back to them like here you go.

Solo: Exactly I remember freaking whats it called that YuGiOh shit was big. But I resell to sometimes like I resold most of like, say for example, if I’m tired of a shirt, like I don’t think it’s like it matters to me anymore. I need money. I just go into like whatever I got and be like, let me see if I could sometimes I don’t always make a profit like sometimes if I really want something new and I may have like only half of what I need to get it I may resell some shit just to like get it out the way to add to that whatever I need to get it. Sometimes I do it like that, but I don’t really resell shoes and mostly maybe hoodies and T shirts. Usually,

Zeke: Yeah. nice move back to sneakers. Like one airforce ones fours are comfortable to the play ball and

Solo: You have a favorite airflow you said fours?

Zeke: Yeah, also

Solo: Which one?

Zeke: Was that is that it had a blue pair. I just got randomly this out. It was cool. And anytime I got on you lost the yellow black ones in the pipeline went up. I was like, oh my god.

Solo: Shit. I never hit on the Nike app. Honestly, I’ve only did the Nike app shit once for the first time that they did the whole off white tensions. I was like, bro, let me just get one. Just fucking one. I went that whole day. Did everyone get one because I don’t do the Nike app.

Zeke: Hmm. I don’t do the Nike would you do I think only stores out okay, cuz now, okay. Because there’s a footlocker and then theres um, you know, downtown Brooklyn. So the footlocker and theJordan store, usually go there. If not Stadium Goods or Flight Club to get them.

Solo: Also you never like copped on like I’m the release date now okay yeah here yeah Honestly, I lined up the last time I lined up for supreme was some years now probably 2017 like I don’t I don’t play that shit no more like I was there from I got my picture in hypebeast one time in high school because I lined up for the palace drop, like when the palace store first opened in New York and that was big for me because I got I was just starting to folk that palace, and like they and it was almost unattainable to get the shit wouldn’t have been worth it to me at least to get the shit when they dropped because you’d have to pay that extra shipping to get in New York. So super hype the first data shake came out then people fucked up the line. It was super raining. It was super cold. I wasn’t I was dorming at the time. I left my dorm at probably like 5am to get there and I was tight because I want my man to like dorm to he he went home to Brooklyn instead of going straight from Long Island. So he was out there even earlier than me. So I was like, Damn, he didn’t end up getting to go because they frickin shut down the whole line because people were skipping and do a whole bunch of dumb shit. And it was raining. It was cold. So I was like, Fuck, I’m going home.

Zeke: You remember um when Adidas had Arizona sneakers.

Solo: Yeah.

Zeke: (inaudible) I was working on a summer job at Baruch an two of my students they dipped. They they feel the missing they are we will come late tomorrow because um the sneakers coming out like sneakers?

Solo: Oh, yeah. It was like it wasn’t going they’re gonna release hella cheap though. That’s what it was. Yeah, it was gonna be $1 Yeah, shit was crazy. I think I know somebody in my school had them shits too. I was like, damn, you must have scratched for those.

Zeke: And then resell it was 200 I was like, What? Yeah, I’m gonna leave my job too like you know what. I’ll be back tomorrow.

Solo: This bot shit is annoying though, bro. People who have him play like I got this one friend who paid I think like six almost 600 for his, but like he hits a lot. He hits on box logos he hits on sneakers like he gets three pairs of Yeezys and shit like that. All of that goes crazy on.

Zeke: Got to play the game.

Solo: It’s too expensive. I always thought about it even I had an intern last summer who told me the same thing. He’s like, yeah, I put a few hundred on a bot then got everything.

Zeke: Like something light.

Solo: Like I barely put, I’ve never like damn, what’s the most I’ve probably spent on an item. Shit. I think a jacket maybe I just got the jacket and recently for five is very warm, user friendly, warm jacket, and that’s a sale because it usually costs like 1000 and change. So I was like, what’s the cause I was like, This is probably I’m also slowing down I guess as college has been winding down I’m slowing down because I used to go crazy like I used to buy shit every fucking like twice I’m like what’s it called I used to play in my that’s how he that’s what used to keep me sane in high in college like out of work and shit like that and I like planning out my purchases like I have this so like was it cool I’m not stressing over homework because I know muscle reward myself three times this month like that retail therapy like was fucking real resale therapy was fucking real for me I love that shit but cool down we got loans and shit now i mean i still I’m not dumb like I’ve started paying off part of my loans and shit but yeah yeah I went to school for free financial aid pay for everything I heard I heard they bless for so called I’m sometimes I’d be jelly but at the same time, the only reason I’m okay with because I got I got around 10 bands like total bands and debt so which is not even bad for like what’s it called like a premise but I want to hear exactly I want to the cheapest private school in the in New York basically. And I had a calm a scholarship like what’s your call? Um yeah it’s not even that bad or anything and I started paying off a lot of it so that’s why he’s down to that. What was the call? Yeah, you should know the reason why I’m okay with my decision even taking debt because my classes were tiny bro. classes were really tiny. I love that shit man I missed like Bedford I couldn’t go from you know as tiny as Bedford to even though my school is kind of huge. Yeah, I couldn’t go from tiny as 20 room classroom to big ass lecture halls. I remember when we went to like, field trips to go to you buff and shit like that those lecture halls like huge man. I’m shitting I know people figure it out eventually. But I’m glad like, I think the tiniest class I’ve ever had was like three people. And that was a core class. I loved it. I’m glad I was able to I could ask my professors 1400 questions, like as much as I wanted and shit like that.

Zeke: Yeah for me like these classes they like to 250 300 like freshman year.

Solo: Oh Nah, damn. Remember that, even though to call my class was like 20 people, I think my professor was teaching another or like there was three of similar classes. It was like three calculus two classes. So they ended up having to use a lecture hall and combine it with another thing to make the whole final but that was my freshman year, but other than that my class has been tiny.

Zeke: Yeah, that’s like 30 50 students not too crazy.

Solo: I like that. I like that personal touch I have.

Zeke: Me it’s all about talking to your professor so they know who you’re.

Solo: Exactly. I’m waiting on my grades right now. Man, I got these two classes. I’m kind of iffy about. I think I passed but honestly was it code for this semester since Um, I don’t know if you heard this but because of the whole Corona shit a lot of people their schools are either not even counting your average or Yeah. You get to pass fail yet. No, you still got to get a C so that’s so cool. Yeah and um as I think I can do it, I don’t think that that much. You know you anything happen.

Zeke: My last year my last semester of physics and um this marketing class I was taking online because physics was just like, it was it was a little difficult than high school but

Solo: Harder than Diallo?

Zeke: It was more that because he asked about two variables. And it’s like my last semester and I was like, I ain’t trying to do that much,

Solo: Bro. No frickin calculus. Okay, so when I came when I started college, this when I new engineer was going to be some shit. I started college. I came in with a few credits, right they accepted my AP lit they accepted my APS English and they accepted my calculus right? I started off taking calculus two and physics two. Yeah. So like, class lines, don’t have physics one and calculus two basically. Like there was no because I didn’t take that physics AP shit. This was so I was like, cool. My physics professor was like this frickin vet. He was an army vet. Like he’s one of like the first people to like fly a jet at a certain speed or some shit like that. So like his so he started off with very basic physics, but that’s the teaching style, like, blew my head, bro. Like, what’s it called? I said, I actually opened my textbook for the first time.

Zeke: Like, what is this?

Solo: Exactly? So I had to like because of him teaching it was not working out to read that shit and then ask questions or whatever. So it was that and calculus two and for both of those finals, like I spent part of my time calculating my mate my average if I get this many questions, right I could not lose my scholarship the first semester I’m here because that’s a 3.0 no scholarship. It was like I was like fuck. So yeah.

Zeke: So what do you got calculus on the AP test?

Solo: I think I got a four.

Zeke: Oh like me nice. 4 Yeah, I got a 3 in bio and then Baruch didn’t take it. I was like great.

Solo: City Colleges should take more of those shits, man they wildin,

Zeke: They change it after. Like my last year they changed it to three I was like what?

Solo: Wow. And now look at this class of 2020 they again bless they don’t have to take no AP’s.

Zeke: No, I mean, this is nothing new like this just gradually, man.

Solo: That’s how you notice this wasn’t really necessary. Oh, no.

Zeke: That’s why I took the SAT once.

Solo: I took the SAT’s three times like because I took it one. The first time I think I got like a 16

Zeke: It was out of 2400 for you?

Solo: Oh, yeah 24 okay. Yes, I took it first time I got a 16 I took it again. I think I like a 17 I was like, if I take a one more time I was I was. I didn’t study I was not in any type of prepared mode. It was like almost four or five months since I last took it. For the first time. I took it in like February and May. And then the next time I took it was like October, or some shit of 2015. Yeah, I like dropped heavy. I was I got

Zeke: I got 1460 and I was like cool.

Solo: Honestly whats it’s called. I’ll be looking back on all this shit it doesn’t fucking matter, man. Something you start to pay for it after your first time. Right. You have to pay. I had the waivers? No, no, you definitely. For the first one. I feel like after you go a few more times yet. I think you get three waivers. I think I don’t remember but definitely, probably pay for one of them shits.

Zeke: I got a waiver for everything else like this good being poor or not having money, folks?

Solo: I wish I got more money I got more financially I feel like they started dropping my ship but I heard another thing it’s gonna be bad as well people are on their tuitions are rising.

Zeke: Oh yeah CUNY is definitely rising

Solo: Yep CUNY is rising I feel what’s your call thing I talked to somebody they said they usually get school for feeling out to come out of pocket a little bit this next semester.

Zeke: And my brothers in CUNY I’m just like oh, that’s great.

Solo: Which one?

Zeke: My little brother

Solo: Oh a which CUNY?

Zeke: Oh, he’s in Baruch.

Solo: Big bro footsteps

Zeke: Yeah, he ain’t gonna Zicklin gonna Wiseman.

Solo: Oh okay,

Zeke: A better decision.

Solo: Hey, you gotta do what’s best for them.

Zeke: Like if I’m with the Wiseman, I kind of had the point. No, I mean,

Solo: I only had probably two 4.0 semesters.

Zeke: I didn’t have any. I just had 3.7, 3.6, 3.4, 3.4.

Solo: Yeah,

Zeke: C- in class C- in my summer class 3.8, 3.7 C+ in the summer class. 3.2, 3.7.

Solo: Okay, that’s not bad. I don’t I don’t remember when you did summer semesters.

Zeke: Yeah, I did too.

Solo: Oh, did you graduate early?

Zeke: Now graduate on time goes, Oh, my sophomore year, last my fourth semester, I had to take only take four classes because I couldn’t take my major classes or like, like the required business classes that I needed. Because I wasn’t in the business school yet. Catch up, and then I dropped a Python class I had to retake the classes. Retake another class make up.

Solo: My school really tried to fuck me when I moved to whats it called. So basically when I came in, right, they were telling me like, Hey, what’s a call? You can With these classes, so this is what you’re going to do right? Then there were another reason why I was attracted to move into the other thing is because they’re saying, look, you took so many of this shit, you’re basically going to be ahead. By the time you get over there. Like you took your physic you’re not going to take that again, you’re not going to never gonna have to take another math you took calculus, which is basically like the highest, which is a very high math for my major now. Yeah, calculus two. So I was like, cool. I’m really glad now like I’m missing a step or anything. I basically added a game already. So I went over there and then that the new advisor who’s like, also became a professor for like, two classes I had this semester, but I was like, Nah, they were they were wrong. They don’t know our curriculum over here. And I’m like, what, like, I ended up having to retake. I didn’t do another physics that’s do like a more Engineering Physics or whatever. And now sicko, ns sucked because he’s going to give us a midterm and a final barely any homework in between like no little test you know cuz you know you used to having like a buffer it says yeah they’ll be like okay I fucking up I need to understand this shit but not just midterm final no in between so and i think i got like I probably I wanted the highest scores in a class with like a 76 or like an 80 something

Zeke: You had to fail high like Dialo said.

Solo: That’s a facts facts when you curving that shit. Oh I love that curve nowadays though

Zeke: Love that (inaudible)

Solo: Nah they don’t always most professors don’t always curve man I probably had probably two or three professors at most two curves. But I never really needed I never really was I never hoped for curve really until now. Like now like was like Well, I hope for a curve or like some shit like that. But just waiting on these last grades and hopefully I’m a 2020 graduate.

Zeke: Maybe with us the alumni in this new job market.

Solo: Corona job market

Zeke: Nah I think I’m definitely doing a podcast happy to leave like to talk to people either have to have like a side hustle side online income moving

Solo: So there’s getting some interest getting some income that’s good.

Zeke: Not yet but like I’m saying the foundation.

Solo: Gotcha, gotcha no yeah, of course you’re gonna build small Nova Corps. I heard people didn’t like how to do hundreds of episodes before they get to like, you know, wrote Yo, did you hear what he just got, bro? I know you heard mill, though. It was like 300 ml.

Zeke: Heard at least 100.

Solo: I think I heard 300 bro. I don’t even know. But that’s crazy.

Zeke: Well, that’s 11 years of work.

Solo: 11 years?

Zeke: He’d been doing this in like 2009.

Solo: Exactly. Look at that foundation. And I think you’ve been getting paid for it before I think Yeah, I was paying them because you don’t have ads or nothing like it just YouTube revenue?

Zeke: YouTube revenue all that stuff.

Solo: Revenue. Yeah. Shit. Yeah, he was like the biggest viewers. I just watched the Ilan podcast. The second one. Yeah. So sicko. Damn, he deserves it he has everybody on this shit. Like he never runs out of guest.

Zeke: And it’s five days a week so

Solo: What he does it five days a week?

Zeke: Yeah, at least I think I know he does it multiple times a week.

Solo: Yeah, I don’t even like honestly I just watch whoever I think is interesting or sometimes I try to watch the people I don’t fuck with sometimes just to see what they say. Exactly. Yeah even though he does it that much Dan

Zeke: He also has the MMA podcast is a second podcast. Yes. Wow. Yeah, he’s gonna be he’s gonna be I. Yeah, he has a Spotify if he wants to

Solo: Go live Spotify if he wants he doesn’t care.

Zeke: That’s crazy. Okay, I get their problem.

Solo: What’s his What’s his platform though for the actual podcast and not the videos like what’s platform that I use because all I watch is should on YouTube.

Zeke: I think he is everywhere. Oh, Google podcasts? Yeah. Oh, now he’s going into a exclusive deal.

Solo: Everybody gonna be tight they can’t get his shit.

Zeke: If like at least at least like 10% of his audience goes to Spotify that’s still a profit for Spotify.

Solo: And Joe Budden is kind of tight and also kind of like happy that I feel like Joe Budden is happy that there’s a new bar set in terms of like, because that’s probably because that has to blow whatever Joe got out of the water. So I know like he’s like, kind of probably happy, like, Oh, so I know what we deserve. Like, I know like, we’re not Joe Rogan. But we were very close. I know he had he was sick, or at least I feel like that’s the good thing about a deal like that. Like that means that there’s a value set of what you could be if you reached that level. So now everybody who’s approaching I like now I’m one fifth of Georgia. Give me one fifth of 100 mil. I feel like that’s a very good thing about this space. I mean, I’ve been watching podcast for probably since whenever, probably since college started whenever, um, because I definitely follow Joe Budden from everyday struggle to his podcast. And then from there I heard about Charlemagne and you know that one brilliant.

Zeke: Yeah, (inaudible).

Solo: Exactly and then I watch Andrew Schultz flagrant podcast so yeah, I definitely like this space it definitely is definitely definitely a different type of person if you could listen to something for a few hours and laugh and sure like that and enjoy it. So yeah,

Zeke: The first podcast I listened to was from the Gaming Illuminaughty youtubers called on by The Black Hokage a UTxJGTheDon, The leader of the Flock like Gaming Ethos like all of them. That’s like the first time I was like, What is this 40 minute video people talking?

Solo: People talking like who know you fuckin enjoyed that. Yeah, I got I’ve been telling train and we’ve been like, honestly, I’ve been tried to like, I want to do it. I think the hardest thing about doing a podcast is just setting aside time and being able to meet up and show it that I feel like this zoom ship might just create like or like whatever video chat service I feel like this another thing to Corona Shawn is that it doesn’t have to stop like it don’t have to be you in the same place as people. Oh yeah, definitely.

Zeke: When’s it gonna hit? I was like, zoom. Isn’t and then he was like my main problem was face I am I have enough money for like studio space. And my school has like a radio station. But like is by you had to have like a weekly show and have a set schedule like since the way I’m doing it. I’m the only 10 episodes the season the seasons a year suddenly have like a set show because everyone schedules all over the place.

Solo: Got it. Got it. Got it. So you can make it shorter that is every week.

Zeke: Yeah, that’s how that’s why it’s happening. People could take two months in between a season and like pre court and then Edit and then like release every week so burnout or like what else sometime

Solo: It seems like you prefer to interview thing more than just like talking shit

Zeke: Oh no it’s this conversations go both ways it depends on how the house used to work because on the first one was more like bought me like for my friends like problem us is talking second was more interview there one was like interview conversation like somehow we are when we are asked questions that will go on the topic. Excellent question. Could you look at the topic and then four or five are they similar to that? Six was me my friend who does talk about mobile stuff so like yeah, that was one conversation. That is moving topics.

Solo: Definitely doesn’t I’m gonna have to ask you for more information man because I kind of want to figure out where can like because I don’t know if I want to do like just a voice recording thing. Maybe I could Do the zoom shit and see how that works out for me what’s the call to save it on my drive or something like that. But I think we’ll see a call like, even before like the podcast show like I made like the group chats I made after I closed a call I’m like lunchroom table luncheon chats like this is a call that’s the oldest things to me is like talking share with your friends or whatever like that. So I’d like to give it a try even if it’s like five episodes on definitely want to like learn more about how this works in terms of where you put it out and gain views and shit like that.

Zeke: I’m definitely gonna put out a PDF for people because a lot of people ask me, make it easy to make a PDF and then they can hang on to the website almost making the website for the podcast.

Solo: Yes, we’re gonna definitely shown that you can get some traffic means a lot. It means a lot.

Zeke: Yeah, so we need the PDF and they get to send it to people and then people asking questions after they read it. So this is hopefully like think off the top of my head what to do. Because I’m also learning and there’s a lot of things out there so far. Never have it all in one place. They could just barely see your thought process.

Solo: Gotcha. Gotcha. Yeah, I feel like definitely a quality podcasts are good because I feel like right now I feel like the people making the most money just depends on like your celebrity in terms of the podcasting world maybe I feel like as soon as as a kid growing like the spaces just gonna widen up and different types of things are going to go. Yeah, hopefully you get to, hopefully soon you get to sell out.

Zeke: Get that Susa spot I have many, many Apple because most of the people who listen to it so far Apple,

Solo: Okay, okay. Oh, so you seen the numbers were which? Okay, okay, I’m gonna go I’m not gonna ask you to give it a double.

Zeke: So I’m really hit 300 total views of everything. Yeah, there’s another episode. So that was cool.

Solo: That was good. That’s good. It’s good. Definitely, definitely.

Zeke: Almost all episodes are double digit numbers. So

Solo: Definitely, as long as I feel like what’s the quote, The best thing to do is even if For people who forget to just keep as long as you entertaining those five people or whatever whoever was there with you from the beginning is the best part

Zeke: That actually show you the website so far. It’s almost done. You can find that real quick. In this in Episode Six, I’ll show the preview a bit so you can see the progress bar to share my screen. So this will be like a landing page.

Solo: Like that graphic

Zeke: Nah. Oh, this. Yeah, I did myself.

Solo: Yeah, no, I remember you still have your card. I remember. So yeah, he was telling me. I gotta hit you for that.

Zeke: Let me know. And then we got Bob page. They got me (inaudible) Being like the highlighted episodes, Like highlighted moments these clips and we find it yeah this is beautiful in the contact and if you click on on any quick here or like episodes it’ll take you to this page where so far to season one oh by the home different episodes and then what they have right now there’s the main part and then we see a cover so we’re gonna go to church with like stuff like this help with SEO and stuff like that. That’s what we’re working on and then once I get it up, let people see and then go from there.

Solo: Appreciate this,

Zeke: And all this code. This is the CSS the,

Solo: What you was server using.

Zeke: I’m gonna use googling take a hosted Yeah, let me use Google Analytics. Okay, okay, how much is Google Analytics is based on how much you use it. Hmm So how much are you guys how much you pay? guy got it? Cuz I know costs cost no brainer

Solo: Gotta gotta search for me okay that’s good that’s good so you went to what about your domain Do you like own it yet or

Zeke: Nah i’m also buy for Google domains the total year so Okay, okay, okay, that was good

Solo: I appreciate this though man Yeah, Definitely definitely you gotta wonder if all that is clears up I got to sit down with you though.

Zeke: Yeah pick your brain like which what you’re doing in life

Solo: Exactly, exactly not Oh beautiful I did HTML one so I definitely see a whole CSS style there. I definitely have made my little website too for my photography wants feels like my projects but at HTML class but definitely definitely doing good good things.

Zeke: And then at work when the app when the app comes out Here’s another step.

Solo: Your app is definitely going to show you if you can show that you can get these people to your app. And can people go log into those definitely worth it too.

Zeke: So season two is more like refining everything I learned from season one in season three I’m gonna focus on expansion got it got it heavily sponsors.

Solo: Sponsors Yeah, I need I want to hear that annoying thing when you’re reading. I Bluetooth.

Zeke: Hey, have any blue shoe

Solo: Hey, it was so cool. You know we got hoodies we got hoodies for sale and I need you to go get those I want you to be I want to hear that you’re a little bit annoying just so I know you make your money.

Zeke: And they might get the merge to merge isn’t too hard. I just need to I want the people first thinking emerge.

Solo: Yeah, definitely also called a merge. Merge thing is like, yeah, you gotta have the audience first. Don’t just be a don’t just push the shit on him. Not anything people gravitate to the hoodie. and stuff like that the better gifts.

Zeke: I was given on wristbands right now in spades because this is the first one we’ll learn to get over sensitive people. 

Solo: Smart to groundwork is important. Yeah. Am I doing you’re doing good things?

Zeke: Well, let’s see. Fruits of my labor.

Solo: Yeah, I’m gonna get back to you. So I gotta hit the road. I gotta get out the house before I go.

Zeke: Cool. So, the last segment, so what would you name your origin story?

Solo: Now, hold on. He say that I feel to come up with this. Um, I’d say just, uh, I’d say getting inspired.

Zeke: Getting inspired.

Solo: Yeah, just like I hate to think of myself because I Oh, like even in elementary. I never thought myself as being creative or artists or anything like that, like I definitely feel like everything mentioned here I guess take some you get it from somebody else or you see something or you like no matter what it is even if it’s anime like heard about that through my high school high school friends is this show you get even if it’s not technically a word inspiration but you get it from somewhere so yeah absorb life absorb whatever it’s coming at you and you pick and choose what you like.

Zeke: And you want to do any promotions or anything?

Solo: Yeah my Instagram is at hvn_Solo, hvn_Solo yeah that’s my Instagram pictures are going to come back like I’m gonna form right now two pages static like it’s just shit I’ve had from sitting for like a few years. People told me not to get rid of a you know, I want to like start format and my page. I want it to look a certain way. So by the time I get to edit and stuff like that and see my pictures how one pictures are going to come up way more rapidly. So just check the story out for new pictures. Right now I’m just doing an archive series like in between this whole not being active ship, just to show like my picture from 2017 when I started, and I’m gonna end probably around where I started picking up on a story share in 2018. So I just thought I was gonna keep moving.

Zeke: Nice. Well, thank you for being on the show. 

Solo: Nah thank you man.

Zeke: Nice and be good. 

Zeke: That brings another episode of the Let’s Gather Podcast to a close. Again, you can find Solomon’s Instagram page @hvn_Solo. So for next week, I have my friend Zakari to talk about the importance of mentorship. I hope you continue to have a nice day and hope to see you there.

[Music]