We recently had the opportunity to sit down with Jason Black, better known as J2K, the visionary owner of HYPHNT footwear. Known for his influential presence in the Grime music scene, Jason has made a bold transition from being a renowned artist to a trailblazing footwear designer. During our conversation, he shares insights into his journey, detailing the challenges he has faced in establishing a fledgling brand and his aspirations for the future of HYPHNT.
Jason opened up about the initial hurdles he encountered, from gaining credibility with factories to navigating the complexities of production and distribution. Despite these obstacles, his passion for creating a brand with authentic cultural roots has driven him to persist and innovate. He spoke candidly about his mission to infuse the spirit of Grime culture into every design, aiming to craft shoes that resonate with the same energy and authenticity that defined his music.
As we delved deeper into his story, Jason reflected on the parallels between his experiences in the music industry and his current venture in footwear design. He highlighted the importance of staying true to one’s roots while embracing new challenges and opportunities. With a clear vision for the future, Jason envisions HYPHNT as more than just a footwear brand; he sees it as a movement that represents the multifaceted, multitalented individuals who shape and influence contemporary culture.
What inspired you to transition from the music scene to the footwear industry?
Well, to be fair, sneakers and music have become synonymous with each other over the years, dating back to the 70s, 80s, and 90s up to the present day. Rap, punk, and rave scenes have all birthed, showcased, and represented youth from the streets who all have their own ideologies of how the world is supposed to look, whether that’s expressing it through rebellion or style. For me, it was a natural transition, as I come from a culture that represents all of that. How I presented myself was just as important as what I was saying on the mic; it’s a language within itself. It gave you an idea of what I’m about before I even spoke.
I’m inspired by changing the narratives and treading new territories, from consumer to producer, as a founder you can catch out and about and reason with! I live the culture. I was born in it, I’ve been the talent among it, and I’ve navigated the business of it. I’m motivated by the urge to really represent the multifaceted, multitalented hustler and culture mover in the same way that a sports brand represents athletes. I know that nothing moves without us. Not even a sports brand can sell sports shoes without the influence of music and street culture. I want the HYPHNT brand to authentically do that, as it’s fundamentally from that.
How do you think your background in Grime influences your approach to footwear design?
Well firstly, I just want to state that Grime is a culture and not just a music genre just like HipHop, punk and rave is, I feel like a lot of people don’t give it that credit. Grime represents a UK style, language and a sound that youth culture resonate with, that now inspires the world, it’s who I am no matter what, I can grow, refine, have style inspirations outside of it but fundamentally that’s who I am and you can see it, it was always going to naturally inspire my approach to design. my mission is to create a premium feeling to what we came up on, the Reebok workout, Reebok classic, air maxes, TNs,torsions, air forces and so on… we’re the reason sports/lifestyle is even a thing amongst our generation, we came up mixing shirts and tracksuit bottoms, it’s unconventional. HYPHNT footwear is a sports inspired lifestyle shoe thats exists to elevate the streetwear look with premium materials and design whilst keeping a language that is still familiar, you can see the nuances of inspo in the Road Runner and the city walker, these to me feel like the brand staples that will come and go throughout the brands lifespan.
What challenges have you faced in this new venture?
The initial challenges I faced were with the factories. What I found is that it’s hard to get a factory to take you seriously as a new brand. They basically don’t trust that you will see it through with them or that you have the capacity to make a worthwhile production order. Some factories will just blatantly take advantage of you. For instance, I paid a factory last year to sample some designs and turn them around in 25 days, and up until now, I haven’t seen them. This was in September 2023! SMH! Others just took my money and didn’t deliver the final work, then had the cheek to block me on Instagram! I had to go through multiple factories before I got to a relatively happy place.
Another challenge came right at the beginning when we were just launching. I had to buy back all the stock from a retailer who made an order to roll out in all their stores but got bought out by another big retailer unexpectedly. I had to fork out for that and then find another space to hold it, as I didn’t have enough space at my lock-up. That was a whole drama and a blow, money-wise and strategy-wise, as part of the plan was based around the rollout with that retailer. But I had to protect the integrity of the brand and accept that, as I couldn’t allow the shoes to turn up on market stalls or, God knows, wherever!
Why do you think now is the right time for this move?
To be honest, this has been in the making for years. Initially, we were working quite leisurely for different reasons, but the reasons for wanting to do it then are still the same as they are now. I personally felt like the community needed something new. The politics around corporations and new drops, fakes, and the countless resellers have become so boring to me. I’m tired of jumping through hoops to get a pair of trainers; it’s just not me anymore.
It’s time for a brand with genuine DNA, created for us by us. I want there to be pride in wearing an independent footwear brand in the same way we’re proud to wear apparel brands like Cortiez, etc. We haven’t had that in the past! HYPHNT was born to reflect the modern sneaker wearer, from the block to the boardroom.
We need our footwear to move with us from casual to formal settings effortlessly. We believe our choice of footwear should elevate our look and step through every building, pavement, and stage seamlessly. We want to tell the story of what that looks like. The times have changed; we don’t just sit in one job for our whole life. There are so many opportunities to lend our talents to through our passion for creativity or just through pure necessity. The world has been volatile for the past five years, and tomorrow is promised to no one. So we felt it’s the perfect time for our brand to represent the movers and shakers bold enough to push our culture and industries forward.
Without revealing too much, what can we expect from Hyphnt in the near future?
We have new runner and court shoe designs getting ready to drop. I don’t want to give away too much, but I will say that I have listened to the feedback from the current drop regarding color and sizing. I’m excited that we’ll be able to get more females into the shoes this time around. We had too many disappointed ladies who couldn’t get their size, so I’m happy about that. There are more things to look forward to, but I don’t want to hint at them just yet, as they’re game changers. I’m hoping we can implement them in time for the next drop, so stay tuned for that!
Aside from the design aspect, we have some exciting events, partnerships, and series to look forward to, where we will showcase some amazing creatives and talent. We look to be very busy in the coming months. HYPHNT TO THE WORLD! One step at a time. Ha!
Conclusion
As our conversation with Jason drew to a close, it was clear that his journey from Grime artist to footwear designer is one of passion and perseverance. He has faced numerous unforeseen challenges to get here through the complexities of establishing a new brand. Yet, his dedication to infusing the authentic spirit of Grime culture into his designs has remained unwavering.
Through reflection the parallels between his music career and his new endeavor in footwear design were particularly enlightening. His mission to create a brand that resonates with the energy and authenticity of his roots is truly inspiring. He envisions HYPHNT as more than just a footwear brand—it’s a movement that represents the multifaceted, multitalented individuals who drive contemporary culture forward.
At Urban Syndicate we look to the future, it’s evident that Jason’s passion and innovative spirit will continue to propel HYPHNT to new heights and we can’t wait to share more of this story. We are excited to see how this brand evolves and influences the world of fashion and beyond. Thank you for joining us in this insightful Q&A, we have more to come very soon…
Want to see more? Head to the Hyphnt website HERE and follow them on Instagram (@Hyphntfootwear)
