Frank The Butcher Speaks On His Love For Streetwear and Butcher’s Block Series

“When my brother died and I woke up the next morning, it was a beautiful sunny day. I felt like it was an insult. I felt like God was playing with me. That’s when I realized the world does not stop spinning, so let me go out here and get it and follow my dreams,” explains Frank "The Butcher" Rivera.

May 28, 2005 was a day he'll never forget. At the time, Frank was a local legend known by many for his keen taste in the finest of footwear and streetwear. While the death of someone's brother may cause many to become bitter, and angry, Frank channeled that energy and used it to build his brand.

Since then, he's taken his movement to another level. Getting the nickname “Frank The Butcher” by friends in the industry, Frank takes pride in giving people an inside look with many famous streetwear brands and rising rap acts on his show “Butchers' Block.” Speaking with XXL's The Good Life, Frank touches on his blog series, collaborations with New Balance, and more. —Christian Mordi (@mordi_thecomeup)

XXL: Who is Frank The Butcher, and where did that nickname come from?

Frank The Butcher: I had kids early, so I was off to work early. I have been with my lady 20 some odd years now, married 12 years now. I had my first daughter when I was 19. So I went to work, for real, at a young age. I was welding, factories, sheet metal. So while all of my friends were out enjoying themselves, the joke was, I was the blue collar guy. Like “Frank the Welder,” and then it landed on “Frank the Butcher.” It was a joke, but it stuck and I kept it.

When did you know you wanted to make fashion a profession?

It all came down to one day. May 28, 2005. My little brother got killed in a car accident. He was my best friend. I had a young family at the time, working in the factory with sheet metal. I had a passion for fashion, I had a local radio show, I was heading in that direction already at the time. When my brother passed, it was so tragic and sudden, that it made me re-evaluate what I was doing with my life. I realized tomorrow is not promised. Do I want to spend it breaking my back, or do I want to man up, and figure things out and do things I didn’t know were possible.

When my brother died and I woke up the next morning, it was a beautiful sunny day. I felt like it was an insult. I felt like god was playing with me. That’s when I realized the world does not stop spinning, so let me go out here and get it and follow my dreams.

You first spread your wings appearing as a co-host of the popular street culture podcast The Weekly Drop. Tell us about that time period in your life?

That was step one. I was blessed enough to be invited to the show. The show was in motion like a year before I got on. I was a perspective they didn’t have. I joined on and I was like the voice of the hood. I was invited on the show to be a host, and the first guest I bought on the show was Thirst the Howl.

I think that was my entry into being a voice for the culture. We all participate, we all play ball, but we all aren’t on TV. When you get on that platform is when things change.

You now are a go-to guy in the game in regards to your opinion on fashion.  Do you take pride in being ahead of the curve? 

I do I take pride in that. I really take pride in the fact that people see me as a valued opinion. That shit don’t happen overnight. We all feel like our voice should be heard, you're Chris at XXL and me over here, but when other people start to respect it, when your peers start to invite you to the big boys table, it means a lot. When people you respect begin to reach, visible or not advice, solidifies that you are doing the right thing.

I move with integrity, and my work reflects that. If you know me for 10 minutes, you know I only do what I want to do. Its not about having an attitude, I just don’t move for anything. I don’t swing at every ball I see, but when I do, I'm swinging for the fences; home run.

You were a brand manager/designer for Concepts. Tell us about that time period and your collaborations with New Balance and how that came to pass. 

Concepts was a blessing. The people over there are still my friends. That was the first time I was able to speak directly to shoe brands from power companies. The owner really respected me and let me do my thing.

See a lot of people sleep on Boston. People call it an "off market." People don’t realize that the shoe companies are in my backyard. Timberland, Clarks, New Balance, Reebok is here; Mitchell & Ness. I have a direct pipeline to the best brands in the world. When I work with New Balance, it isn’t totally through email or Skype at best. I am in the office, I can develop a different relationship. I can learn more, its hands on. I can also react quicker and be more responsive to edits and design elements. I am blessed with my location. The Kennedy collaboration is considered one of the best New Balance collaborations, ever. It is a testament to me being able to deliver what the vision with us and New Balance was.

You also do collaborations in music as well. You have synergized your brand and created mixtapes with Statik Skeletah, Mobb Deep and street wear brand Milkcrate Athletics and more. How did you branch into that realm?

I think when people see my work in fashion or sneakers and music, there is a distinction between the two, but to me their isn’t. I live at the intersection of fashion and music. Music is my passion. I am Puerto-Rican, I never listened to a lick of Spanish music. That's who I am, rap music. I think my partners know that I do sit at that intersection. Everything I do stems off of music. All this fashion shit I deal with, its off the strength of me following Big Daddy Kane, Slick Rick with the jewels and Kane looking smooth with the Dapper Dan. All I do is an extension from the music scene. People like Milkcrate Athletics, Aaron Lacrate, he is like me, music is an extension of what he does. He owns Milkcrate Athletics the brand, but is a revered DJ and producer. He is a great dude.

I am actually working with my brand Business As Usual and doing a collaboration with Reebok. This shoe will drop in April. It also will come with a snap-back and bucket hat with Mitchell & Ness that matches the shoe. Alongside that shoe is album with my production partner Paul Mighty. On the album we have Krondon, Chase N Cashe, CurT@!n$, Termanology, Roc Marciano and more.

You now are Creative Director for the Boston-based Boylston Trading Company. Tell us why you decided to venture out and build with them. 

It was time for me to spread my wings. I have a large appetite for creating. The situation cam about where I had time to continue to do what I do on the fashion side, and still have the time and resources to develop the things I do on the music side.

What are your thoughts on the current state of sneakers?

I feel like many of my peers do, whether its the Clark Kents, or the people at nicekicks.com. We all feel the same, that the quality could be better. Its a matter of supply and demand at this point. It is so many factors that determine the quality of a shoe—prices, economy—and it effects us. Its a combination of them trying to grow their business and other factors. I feel disappointed with the climate about shoes. Today, I feel like the sneaker culture is back at the fever pitch again, the way be people want these shoes can be borderline dangerous. There is an element that these companies are taking advantage.  They can develop a shoe, in a cheaper way and sell it to you as a premium, and we buy them. So yeah, when I compare my shoes today from 10 years ago, I am absolutely disappointed in terms of quality and execution. Its terrible but we continue to buy. We are apart of the problem.

So you telling us the only way to stop it is to stop buying as much?

You gotta think about it, if someone drops a faulty product, if people acknowledge it verbally, but it still sells out every time it drops, where is the need to change? Why is there a need? There is no need. People can complain, but actions speak louder than words.

Tell us one brand that is making some incredible sneakers and one clothing brand that people are sleeping on.   

I have a friend, who was actually a designer at Black Scale in the beginning named Rob Garcia. He has then moved on to start En Noir. When you see Kanye and everyone wearing leather sweatpants, that’s his creation. It is obviously trendy and popping, but this guy Rob is intelligent. He is really talented. On the low, he has hit us with the rope a dope, because hes pulling people in with these amazing pieces, Kanye wears his pants with Timbs, Pusha wears him as well. What he has coming though, is going to set him up for the rest of his life.

Shoes, I find myself wearing a lot of Converse lately. They have been doing a lot of good things. For me for awhile, it wasn’t cool. West Coast guys wore it, and it kind of represented the other side. But today in fashion, I don’t see that, there are no sides anymore. Those who weren’t on to that brand will begin to look and be like, there’s some shit over here.

You have collaborated with Bolyston and Mitchell and Ness for the vintage Jerseys. I have seen basketball retro jerseys make a little noise last summer. You think there will be a re-emergence? 

It's already here. When I was working on the project, people were like, "Baseball jerseys?" Then leading up to the release of the jersey, athletic wear became popular again. We saw hints, but I knew it was coming full circle. Did it come back the same like when Fab was heavy in jerseys? No. But I think its still building. It is here to stay. I think it wont be as baggy, more tailored, but at its core, its back.

Now you are in the second season of your show “The Butchers Block.” For fans now familiar with the movement, shed some light on that.

Its a reflection of who I am. I love rap music, clothes, and I have a knack for talking. The show is a culmination of all that. It gives me a chance to link and discuss things on a platform with people I know and respect.

Whats next for Frank The Butcher?

I have an ongoing relationship with Reebok, so there will be multiple projects. Maybe two or three sneakers this year with them. I will also be doing work with my brand B.A.U coming with some new stuff in Spring 2013. Just continue pushing the culture.