21MC

Photos by Bo Streeter-

Yego: 21MC (21st Century Maroon Colony) is a concept streetwear company from San Francisco. Our goals are to make tropical wear and promote tropical resistance culture. Back in slavery days and even “after”, a Maroon was an escaped slave that refused to give up their African culture and be someone’s slave. There were Maroon colonies all over the Americas, In the West Indies, in the U.S., Brazil; pretty much any place Europeans brought slaves, there were Maroons to fight them.

To be a maroon is to be constantly confronted with the reality of survival. Black people today still know all about that. The development of a reborn maroon identity is the first step of survival in the 21st century. 21MC is that first step.

We make Tropical Wear garments for the urban Maroon Colonies of the 21st century. The patterns, rhythms, textures, and colors of Africa and Her diaspora, passed on to us by our ancestors, inform the way we create our collections and the way we wear ourselves on the streets. By combining ideas and symbols of the past with our visions of the future we illuminate the Afro-Frontier of tomorrow.

So each collection 21MC creates, tells of our rebellions on the plantations from yesterday, and our survival in the cities of the beast today. For us, the luxury of hesitation and the uneasy comfort of the plantation or the corner is (still) no longer affordable.

Scheme:How long has 21 Maroons been alive?

Emeka: In theory 21MC has been around for a while, but it was only a year ago or less that we were actually able to solidify it as one idea and focus.

After living in Africa and the West Indies, we just saw so many connections around the Afro-Triagle, the triangle first traced by the slave routes. One point in Africa, one point in the Americas, and one point in Europe. We came back and felt like we had to do this, had to kinda rethink what it meant to be black in the U.S. or in the UK or Cuba or wherever. We had to show this, its therapeutic for us. We wanted to share these ideas and help to build a new Maroon culture and for us to take pride in ourselves. It helps us stay sane in the U.S., the beast we call we ironically call home in the 21st century.

Scheme: Who are the creators behind 21 Maroons? Is it just you two? Is there a team?

Emeka: Yego and I run the label but we have a strong group of friends who support us and develop the concept through everyday life. As the brand and the ideas get bigger we want to continue to network with all kinds of folks, artists, musicians, record labels, writers: anyone who’s passion runs in tune with our own.

Scheme: Where can folks find you? On the web (specific boutique sites you may sell on) Instores?

Emeka:Soon you will be able to find 21MC in most major cities here and abroad including west Africa. We are really close to releasing our stock list but until then you can cop the fits directly from our website! www.21maroons.com But right now you can also find them in LDRS 1354 in Chicago, Laced Up in Seattle, Blackbird in Seattle, but we add store to our list weekly.

Scheme:Tell me how each of your personalities play into the collection?

Yego: Um, well damn, we’ve known each other since 4th grade, been friends since like 8th grade, worked together when we were 19-20. So, its really like we’re brothers now. Emeka is definitely the organizer of the “getting shit done” department, I might be the igniter of a lot the visual aspects, but its definitely a partnership where the two of us have to do a lot of different jobs.

Scheme: What kinds of techniques are used in your collection i.e. screenprinting etc.?

Emeka: We do everything! The most important part for our first collection was to “remix” some of the printing techniques and textile methods found in Africa. We did a lot of hand done design work mixed within a little production. All the care labels were all hand done and as well as the scarfs and hoodies we got coming out next collection!

Yego: Coming up we are gonna be hand-dyeing garments, using gold foil, embroidery, screen printing, also we have a lot of plans for accesories in the near future. Weaves and more dyes in the future fo sho!

Scheme: How does music and what kinds of music influence your designs?

Emeka: There wouldn’t be 21MC without music baby! Music has always been a important part of maroon life! Besides maroon life music is the main influence that make 21MC complete as a label. We wanna be putting out mixtapes with our shirts soon.

Yego: Yeah, Emeka’s right on, music is very central to 21MC’s ideas. The rhythm especially, it holds really important histories within it, so we can find out more about ourselves through the music our ancestors made. Lately, the kinda interesting connection between dub/djing/hip hop/punk has had us thinking in a very particular state of mind, we are really appreciating the creative renaissance that happened within dub to go on to create the two types of music that have been so influential to us: hip hop and afro-punk. Also, we been paying a lot of attention to dubstep/grime, crunk, baltimore bass, balie funk, soca, and of course new hip hop.

Scheme: What specific things inspires your design?

Yego: I will give you one of those list type answers: Ancestors, the Future, Nas, Black histories, The 54 countries in Africa, Cadillacs, M.I.A., the West Indies, the 2005 Paris youth riots, Afro-American religions, Official Tourist and Kamau Patton, 6th and Howard, Fillmore and McAllister, Dutty Boukman, Marcus Mosiah Garvey, Emory Douglass, Maroons…of course, George Jackson, Black Britain, Linton Kwesi Johnson, Coco Fusco, Black Uhuru, Big Youth, and Afro-Surrealism.

Scheme:How does current events or whats going on in the world influence your creativity?

Emeka: We pay attention to what’s going on to people in the world, especially people in the 2/3 world. Nowadays what happens in a ghetto in Caracas, Venezuela has effects in Lagos, Nigeria, which then reaches the pockets of Black britons or folks in Mississippi or wherever. But yeah, we try to keep our eyes open.

Scheme: Do you feel like 21 MC is a movement?

Yego: 21MC is just a very small concept company, but we are serious about building a new Maroon culture that’s about liberation.