We were going to ask about your original shop, 113th in Harlem, which recently shut, because the rent skyrocketed.
Because in New York, there's no renting law, the landlords could basically put whatever rent they feel is justified. Not what is around the community, what's it like. None of that. And for me to go from $5,000 a month to $25,000 a month for rent, it was just, especially for that area, it just was ridiculous. I just had a slumlord that was basically just trying to get over. And to this day, he's still trying to get over. I gave up the property. He's trying to sue me, bring me back to court saying I didn't surrender it. I was just dealing with a slumlord. I'm just happy that I'm out of that situation.
In a recent interview, you said that the closure of 113th was a blessing in disguise, because it meant that you could move on to new things. You've talked about expanding Black Ink. Is there anywhere you're hoping to open next?
Yeah. Like I'm not going to lie, 113th was, I didn't realize it, but 113th was like my ball and chain. It always kept me in one position, in one spot and I think releasing it and letting it go, it freed me up. So now I'm opening up shops everywhere. I just opened up in Houston. I'm about to open up Milwaukee. I'm working on Dallas. I'm working on Boston, I'm working on the DMV [D.C., Maryland, Virginia], Tampa, and one other town that I'm kind of keeping under wraps, but it's in New York.
You've got so much going on then.
Yeah. I try to keep busy, idle time is the devil's playground. So I like to stay busy, busy, busy, busy until I have to sleep, get up and be busy again.
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