Interesting email exchange about a post (An Urban Entrepreneur after my own heart)

Scraper Bike Fan says:

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "An Urban Entrepreneur After My Own Heart":
THIS IS CHAMP DA SCRAPER BIKE KING AND THIS ARTICAL IS TOUCHING AND MOTIVATING..CONTACT ME PERSONALLY AT scr..........

I reiterated my message to him and remind ALL OF YOU.....

My response;

Thanks for the comment on my blog! I want to encourage you to forward the link to everyone you know who loves to roll on scraper bikes. The reason is although Da Champ and I have different areas of design focus as it concerns bicycles, (Champ does wheel covers-me the whole bicycle) our goal is the same I believe, and that is to introduce the world to the way WE do it! Da Champ and his concept reminded my mid-30s year old mind that honest hustlers and urban entrepreneurs (legal) don't see what is around them, only that which is in front of them.

Champs story of where he grew up (poor neighborhoods,etc like me) further reminded me what I used to know, and had apparently forgotten, and that is, no matter what is going around you, ask yourself this question; what do you have that can make a difference that is right in front of you? With Champ, it was stuff from relatives back yard, and look where he is today? RYDZ by Marshall Taylor (my company) is rolling out our 1st proto-type bicycle design (called 'Illuminati') in 2 weeks and will have 5 (all hand built) by April 2009.

Names of the other 4 are as follows:

1) Low Down; A kind of inner-city dirt bike design I guarantee you have never seen.

2) Red Monkey; Mix between a .... and .... Bike. Rear wheel base is..well..CRAZY!

3) Iron Riders; Dedicated to the memory of the 25th Infantry Buffalo Soldier Brigade of 1892 (Google it, you may find it interesting)

4) Le Major Valante (French for 'The Flying Major) which was the nickname for the greatest forgotten American Sports Hero of all-Time, Marshall 'Major' Taylor (Google it)

With what Champ is doing and what I am doing, we will bring a inner-city vision to the bicycle industry. Sadly enough, the minority youth market is being totally ignored by bicycle companies and it makes me sick! IPODS, nice sneakers, hair styles, clothing, designer cell phones.....And they are riding around on junk?!

One reason Da Champ's concept has caught fire is because he knows, I know, and you know that in whatever we do, we like to look good, floss our RYDZ, and make them unique to us. How do you think Sean John clothing is doing $500 Million a year? BABY PHAT is doing $1 Billion a year? GMC is using MOS DEF to sell their cars to black folks? A Company I helped launch, Banneker Watches, has partnered with Jostens to sell High School Rings, etc? Jostens did this deal because they know that minorities have flair and style as well as BIG $$$ to spend and they don't have the flair to reach that market!

http://www.bannekerwatches.com/
http://www.bannekerjewelry.com/
http://www.jostens.com/

I promise you my designs are going to represent what I call 'Urban Funk'!