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HYPERTRASH QUARTERLY CARS X CHAOS FALL 2020 / VOLUME 1 / ISSUE 3 PUBLISHER / CREATIVE DIRECTOR NATHANAEL NAPOLITANO EDITORS JAMES SINGER RHYS HAYDON KYLE BARNES JOSHY ROBOTS DAVID CZARNECKI NATHANAEL NAPOLITANO WRITERS/ PHOTOGRAPHERS NATHANAEL NAPOLITANO JAMES SINGER RHYS HAYDON KYLE BARNES COLE MANESS TRENT WHICKER MICHAEL WRIGHT DAVID CZARNECKI DORIAN VALENZUELA ANDREW THOMPSON BEN BERTUCCI JOSHY ROBOTS HARRISON BOYCE RICHARD PARDON HOYCE LADIA TY MILFORD SOHKA TAO UCHE ILLUSTRATIONS JAMES SINGER JOE SUITOR JORGE SIXTO-SANCHEZ NATHANAEL NAPOLITANO MEDIA SPECIALIST JOSEPH DOLL ADVERTISING DIRECTOR GTFO CONTACT OR SUBMISSION HYPERTRASHMAG.COM @HYPERTRASHMAG COVER PHOTO: Nathanael Napolitano 1964 Ferrari 250 LM Aluminum Body. Maranello, ITALY Hand built the old way. Because sometimes the old way is best.
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DRIVING WHILE BLACK ( AND WHITE ) WORDS
UCHE + JOSHY ROBOTS In the shadow of George Floyd’s murder at the hands of police, wellmeaning White people have come out of their comfortable slumbers to find themselves unsure of what exactly allyship requires. They’re marching alongside Black people in ways and numbers never before seen in America’s long-standing fight for civil rights; showing up and declaring support for the Movement for Black Lives in outwardly public ways. And while much of the momentum has already translated into policy reform, Black folks are generally pleased, if not skeptical. Based on opposite ends of the West Coast, automotive creatives Uche and Joshy Robots have been working out the ways car culture and race intersect. Uche recently got a call from Josh while out on a taco run. They unpacked a few experiences behind the wheel, sussed out the state of Driving While Black in 2020, and explored what can be done to push for positive social change.
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LADIA
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THOMPSON
OSHY ROBOTS: When I got into the Porsche community, you know down in the Bay Area, there’s a couple Asian folks, some Brown folks, but basically it’s a White man’s game. I knew that going in — if I didn’t know it intellectually I certainly knew it subconsciously — and I still jumped in. It wasn’t bugging enough that I was like, “Um no. No I can’t be a part of this.” I think the thing that’s changed for me is recognizing that my choices have consequences; I get into a car scene that’s mostly White folks, the consequence is that I’m going to be surrounded by White folks. So I shouldn’t be surprised or bugged when that comes to fruition. The change is like, now, actively having these conversations in order to end up with consequences I’m cool with. If that makes any sense. Basically the way I move through the world is self-centered and hedonistic, so I’m trying to dynamically change the Porsche community. Because the 6
shit that gets recycled, the shit that middle-aged White men come up with is tired and boring. I want to be a part of a community that’s interesting and dynamic. And that requires diversity of thought and culture. CHE: Honestly man, those are dope feelings. Your overview of like, “Hey this is my position within the Porsche community. I want to bring change. More conversations, a community that’s more diverse.” That’s cool, and I think you can do that and it’s easier now than it has been in the past. The more you speak on these topics and they get out and people see it, it’ll influence and spread like, “Okay cool, here’s a guy named Josh who’s doing this now,” people are gonna follow that and new perspectives are going to fall into place, I think. It has to happen. It should have been done a long time ago, and yo, what better time than right now. It’s only a matter of time, honestly.
Well the thing I struggle with are the blindspots. Like that image that Hypertrash published in the second issue, that’s a blindspot, right? A Black dude with locks stomping a cop car with a skateboard in his hands. But because of your experiences as a Black man, the negative stereotype that image amplifies immediately jumped out at you. It’s something you don’t see if you’re not tuned in. I get frustrated when I go out on drives and see all the same faces. Because of my blindspots, I can only take mental stabs at why that is. But the fact that there are so few Black and Brown folks out here carving up canyons suggests there’s something I’m not seeing. Right? Because I know cars are fun — that driving them is fun. So… what am I missing. For me personally and maybe others, it’s when you hear the word Porsche, you almost instantly think money. Another thought too is that you probably have people of color out there
MOMENTUM
I hear you. Let me explore two of those avenues. Black folks I’ve seen in the Porsche community seem to be more comfortable leaning into style and stereos, rather than driving hard and ‘gettin it’. Which is rad in its own right. But I don’t see the same sort of liberty to get buck wild. The other thing is it isn’t just about Porsches. I see very few Black and Brown folks in the old sports car scene in general. In Northern California there’s probably 200 or 250 people who regularly do vintage rallies. Of them I have one friend who’s Black. He rips a 2002 Bimmer. That’s a fucking dope car and a fun car to drive, and not necessarily expensive, though he has Porsches too. I guess the missing piece for me is the police factor, the danger factor. I mean that shit… fuck, dude. That topic alone… being pulled over, bro? Like damn. Yeah, is that something that slows you up? Makes you think twice about having fun on a drive? Honestly man, like since I first really got into cars. Just the idea of getting pulled over in general. Being in L.A. right? Having a modified car is almost
THE FACT THAT THERE ARE SO FEW BLACK AND BROWN FOLKS OUT HERE CARVING UP CANYONS SUGGESTS THERE’S SOMETHING I’M NOT SEEING. an auto-invite for police. So me as a driver, I’m extra precautious. And that shit fucking sucks. It’s not a good feeling that you already feel nervous, they might trip on me because of misperceptions, because I’m Black, in a modified car. And then you talk about 2020? Fuck dude. We’re seeing it everywhere now. We’re getting shot. We’re getting killed. So now I’m like, “Fuck. I hate this, I don’t want that level of anxiety. What if I get pulled over?” Not knowing how police might feel due to the protests and stuff. It’s crazy to think about. Protocol for me was always like, fuck dude — take off my hat, radio off, hands on the wheel, windows down, shut the engine off. All the steps to not look suspicious. In my mind and at this point? Police can feel any which way they want to feel, and you can be fucked over. You never know what you’re going to get. But you do know that you’ve got not one but two targets on your back right out the gate before you hit the block.
BOYCE
who truly are interested in Porsche motorsport. Canyon drives, track days, whatever. We probably just haven’t seen much of it, at least I haven’t. What’s cool and what I’ve noticed in recent years are peeps like Tyler, the Creator and Frank Ocean who are heavy into the BMW E30 chassis. That’s influence right there. For me personally, one of the ways I decided to express my love for automotive was through apparel, right? You do it too. Clothing, certain merchandise, it brings it to a level of, “Okay cool, I can plug in to this type of car culture because I’ve seen it, people are wearing it, there’s different content around it.” That speaks to people I guess. Seeing more of that happen might make people feel it’s more accessible.
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And it’s just like… is that a feeling that I want when I’m gonna link up in Seattle with Josh. Right? That’s gonna be a long-ass drive from L.A. What if I get pulled over? Is that gonna kill my vibe? Are they gonna harass me? What’s the experience now gonna be? No one’s really talking about that, at least from a car enthusiast perspective. At least not yet. Has it crossed my mind? Absolutely. That’s what I’m saying though. You wouldn’t just be like, “I’m itching to go drive, I’m going to go run up Angeles Crest.” That’s not even on the menu. The number of things that could be entering my head if I get pulled over? That’s a day ruined. Angeles Crest and all these hot spots… my thing now is I should probably be with a group of people, my buddies, one behind me and one in front so I’m sandwiched in between so they’re not trying to run my plates. If they do I’m gonna feel hella nervous, you know? I always have. I’m not a criminal, I have no record, that’s facts. But getting pulled over in this season is just not something I’m trying to think about man. I had a conversation two weeks ago with a couple middle-aged White guys around here and we started talking about how there’s a culture among car folks — especially modified sports cars and whatnot — when somebody pulls off because some shit broke, everybody pulls over. Even if you’re not mechanically inclined. Everybody pulls over to try and get that person back on the road. And just the opposite happens when somebody gets popped by the cops, it’s Pirate’s Code, right? Whoever falls behind stays behind. As White people, we’ve had the privilege of not tripping about this stuff because we don’t have to. These situations don’t become life-threatening. Not true for everyone. So what can we do to switch it up? When somebody gets pulled over, everyone pulls over. 8
Right? Somebody gets pinched, the whole caravan doubles back, just like when someone’s car breaks. That does a couple things: it lets the cop know, “We’re watching you.” And, “We’re not playing the game.” Maybe it changes the relationship there? And gives security to whoever gets pulled over. Because chances are in a caravan, it’s the Black or Brown person getting pulled. Putting that kind of energy out there… that could be something. At very least give people more confidence to go out and drive. I think so. Especially on a caravan session? I think it would show people who are of color, not only is this a real concern, but the people that I’m
driving with actually do care about me. To even position it like that. That shows support. This whole experience this year with allies. People speaking up for people of color, for Black people right now. You just described one way with the car community, everyone pulls over. Someone gets popped, Black or Brown, anyone of color, we all pull over. That’s something that you’d never imagine happening. It’s dope knowing that more people are aware of how we feel now. We’re not calling attention to us, nah, it’s just that this has been a real fucking thing. I’ve been pulled over before. I understand, pre-2020, this cop is probably going to posture and give me a ticket. Cool, let me be as fucking polite as possible you know?
Not give them a reason to pop my hood, or trunk. Listening to you ask, “What do you think we can do?” That’s crazy. On the flip side though, there also might be the type of driver that just wants to drive by themselves. I have to go in a group now? What do you do then? When I get pulled over now, do I automatically launch my Instagram Live just in case a cop tripps on me? That’s the drill in 2020, right? Fuck. I didn’t have to do that shit before. Now I have to? It’s so fucking crazy now. Who knows how the police might feel. Do you think that’s what it is? And that now you have the technology to put the cops on the spot, there’s some accountability there. It’s no accident that all of these instances where cops are getting called out, there’s video evidence of what went down. Black and Brown friends and family have been telling stories of Driving While Black and Driving While Brown for ages. And I’m just like, “Fuck that sucks.” But it stops there. It stops at, “I can’t believe that’s your experience. Fucking nuts.” There’s no next step of, “What can I do to help change this, because it’s unacceptable.” And now there’s at least a couple fissures there, there’s momentum. Dude I saw a sticker for the first time, when I had just moved back to Koreatown, walking past a bar called Break Room 86. Posted on the wall, I noticed someone actually made a Driving While Black sticker. And that was two years ago, right? Daaaaaaaamn This is such a weird — — they’re callin’ it — — they’re callin’ it out like never before. And then just two years later
it’s like, okay this is fucking real. But honestly, overall, within the Black community especially, if you don’t start shit, there won’t be anything going down. So nothing has changed from what we were doing before. At least for me and my perspective, I’m always going to be cool. I’m not going to blow my lid. I’m not going to mouth off to a cop. Because what if they are going to be cool with me, just let me go? I’d rather have that happen and not get fucking fined for my car being too low, than being, “Hey, Black Lives Matter right now — stop fucking with me.” And antagonize them. Again, who knows how they might be feeling, bro. They might just be cool, I don’t know. Am I still sticking to the same protocol? Just being chill? I kind of have to, bro. I want to live and drive off. You know what I mean? Well it’s also not your fight. You didn’t break it, you don’t gotta’ fix it. As they say, “White people come get your people.” And you too, dude. All this that’s going on, people are out there in the streets protesting, people in different cities and states are protesting, the only thing I’ve seen was a cop taking a knee with us. But I don’t see cops protesting against the violence. I don’t see cops saying anything like, “Yo, we actually are good and it’s really the blue line that can’t be crossed that’s preventing us from being extra good,” right? Well cops that speak out get shut down by their own people. That’ll end a career quick. Not to say that there isn’t some shadyass police out there, it definitely fucking exists. Have I encountered that? Thankfully not. I’ll say, at least for me, I’ve always had a heightened awareness of where I’m going at all times. My parents, thankfully, had a good moral system. They’re not from the U.S., which isn’t to say they’re better, they just had a different kind of ‘How to
Conduct Yourself’ kind of code. That’s how I was brought up. Stay away from trouble. Don’t get caught up. Mind your Ps and Qs and you’ll be okay. You’ll be alright. But that’s not the case for everybody. But wouldn’t you say that, fundamentally, there’s two things going on at once: there’s the shit that you got to do to stay alive, and for your life to just be cool, avoid the trouble the state brings down on folks. And then there’s the question of like, “What’s this all about, anyway?” What is this about. I’ll say personally in the weakass ways I end up interacting with cops, it’s usually like I wasn’t looking out, and one caught me. Right? Is that
GETTING PULLED OVER IN THIS SEASON IS JUST NOT SOMETHING I’M TRYING TO THINK ABOUT.
that can go in a million different ways. My personal experience has been very different living in L.A. and growing up out here. Versus those that might be from other parts of the city. And we can name a whole list of cities that experience way different levels of police than, say, where I came from. But what is it? I’d say too it’s just people, man, and media, putting out negative imagery and negative rhetoric about the inner city, and the word urban, and fucking all kinds of dumb shit. The myth-perception of people of color and Black people — that’s been going on for years. So if anything it’s just changing the image of how we are looked at. Why is it when I watch TV, a Black program, that’s when I start seeing Black commercials. But if it’s… fucking… Home Improvement… I’m not seeing Black commercials, right? Oh no no no no Black people don’t improve their homes what are you talking about —
cop stopping me from doing 90 on the interstate? That cop isn’t making this freeway any more safe. That cop’s collecting taxes. That’s why I say there are two conversations happening. There’s a conversation that you get to have, which is like, “How do I stay out of this fucking mess.” And because I’m not busy stressing about state-sanctioned violence, there’s a conversation that I get to have which is like, “Why the fuck do we even have these institutions that don’t make us any safer. They just make us feel safer.” In fact, who gets to feel safer? White people? Black people don’t feel any safer when the cops come around, oh no. It’s very much so, man. The joke is, ‘to protect and serve’. But who are you actually protecting and serving? And
— It’s crazy! Things like that people probably didn’t feel before, that we feel. We’re not getting these roles. Maybe we are, but not enough to change perception. It’s all negative perception of Black people, Brown people, Asian people. Even right now, my curiosity is like, we’ve been dealing with negative perception for years. But how are the White people who aren’t racist or wrapped in political insanity right now, who are chill, just living their life, how are they feeling these days? Well there’s that crazy ‘ah-ha’ when a White person realizes there’s such a thing as Whiteness. And they get really fucking pissed. “That’s not a thing!” Just because you’re the dominant culture… doesn’t mean there isn’t a there, there. Because you get to call the shots, you get to decide who’s on the Home Improvement commercial. Ugh.
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We have a long road ahead of us. A lot of work ahead of us. Obviously I think in a nutshell, these conversations, it’s what’s going to help. One of the biggest things I can say with the whole 2020, everything that’s been going on, people are more open now than before to educate themselves. What I’m afraid of is like the liberal White neighborhood, every house has a Black Lives Matter placard on their lawn. “Okay, we’re good. All of us are good well-meaning White folks, we’re going to sleep easy tonight. We’re good.”
UCHE
For me, honestly bro, I haven’t even seen that. I haven’t got a visual of like, “Wow, this is what people are putting on their lawn.” Not to say it’s not happening… but damn. Should I question it? It feels very different. Things happen for a reason. I don’t know. I hope that when people are taking that kind of action it’s genuine, it’s not just to be politically correct.
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So you’re not taking it for granted, is what you’re saying. I’m definitely not, but I wouldn’t be surprised if people are doing it to get back into a comfort zone of solidarity. Like some false solidarity. It’s our black squares on Instagram, right? And then that shit settles out, until the next Black person’s murder is caught on video. And that, I guess, is why I’m heavy on the actionable shit. Hey let me throw another thought at you — the way that I’m thinking about this. There are two types of drivers who are affected in two very different ways by this: there are Black and Brown drivers, and then there are White drivers. So maybe there are two tracks to affect change. What can White drivers do? Like we were saying, change the culture around how we drive. What can Black and Brown people do? How about tell their stories — make dope media that sets out the welcome
mat for other people of color. For me, my entree into this world came from similar welcome mats. One, a story by a dude with a 911 from Minnesota who had wanderlust. The other was about a fella with a mint green 911 with serape blankets in his vintage buckets. Wanderlust and wild style. People need to see themselves reflected back. How about we start some sort of automotive media company, owned and operated by Black and Brown folks. Fucking Los Angeles is full of stories that aren’t getting told. Take the power out of the hands of middle-aged White men and put it into the hands of historically underrepresented folks. I think… if you’re asking me what my thoughts would be about something like that… Yes. (LOLing) Sounds good, how’s that supposed to happen… I think honestly? Baby steps. Honestly
Well you hit me up too, right? I put something out there, and you responded by saying, “Dude this is dope.” That was fully organic, you know? A mutual respect for each other’s work and viewpoints, common wavelengths. I think the same thing applies to anyone else. After this conversation, I can reach out to my friends, “Hey man, there’s an outlet now that’s actually speaking to this shit. That speaks to what we’ve gone through.” There’s this new horizon of unity. And diverse community. And allyship. And support. To continue to enjoy what we love doing. So I think the reality of it happening and the reality of meaningful content getting out there, that’s just a DM away now. Part of my problem… it’s like ‘the well-meaning White boy’s awokening’, right? I got White boy ants in my pants. What I’m looking at is like, “Holy shit, here’s a possible solution, let’s go at this 100% pronto.” No. Take a deep breath. Chill. Lay some foundation, let’s figure this out, let’s do it healthy. Don’t stress, these problems aren’t going anywhere. I got a buddy up here in Seattle who owns a production company, I’m having conversations with him and he’s like, “Oh shit I gotta’ go out and make films about Black and Brown people and women and tell all their car stories,” and my response to him is like, “No, dude, what you gotta’ do is empower Black and Brown filmmakers and female filmmakers, to tell their own stories.” And I think part of the tension there is maybe the way this works, the way it unfolds, first things first is White guy with resources tells Black and Brown and female stories, then that
starts to build a bridge to uplifting, you know what I mean? I don’t know. My instinct is like, “We know what we need to do let’s just fucking do it. Let’s hand over the power.” That’s a great idea, dog. That’s, wow. That’s so important right now. And just in general. Sharing the knowledge. Like, I just met Nathan [Hypertrash publisher], right? This dude owns a print mag and a media outlet. But if he feels empowered, let me tell my stories, let me show people how to edit. How to post content. How to film shit. It’s empowering people to do the same thing. It’s not just, “Come to me.” It’s sharing the knowledge. Has the Black community been doing that as well? We’re talking about being financially educated. Acclimating to technology. Progressing overall as a person, as a human. If other people who have more leverage are sharing the knowledge, dude, that’s a huge turn of the tide. But there’s also like an institutional problem. If a marque like Porsche
WANDERLUST AND WILD STYLE. PEOPLE NEED TO SEE THEMSELVES REFLECTED BACK.
CHUNG
it’s outreach. Like really getting out there. The tools are like Instagram. Easy. And reaching out to people, “Hey, you want to talk?” What me and you are doing right now. This right here, it wouldn’t happen unless you hit me up, right?
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came around and said, “Hey we want to make a film. We realize the moment we’re in and we want to uplift stories about Black and Brown people.” And my buddy was like, “Oh that sounds dope, let’s do that.” That’s good. Here’s what’s better: if Porsche comes to my buddy, again because he’s a well-meaning White dude they already have a relationship with, and he responds by saying, “I got a better idea. Let me connect you with some Black filmmakers.” Isn’t that where we should be? It’s not just about ‘eachone-teach-one’ about how to get into this space, Black and Brown folks already know how to do this. Hand over the power. The power comes from those relationships. Hand over the power. Just give it up. I sound like a madman… but… You hear commentary, “Because I’m Latino, I have to work four times harder in the corporate structure, or entities that thrive off of Latino or Black or Asian culture.” Why am I
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having to work harder to make this run like a well-functioning machine? If companies start investing in people of color, it’ll be the biggest positive change I’ve ever experienced in my lifetime. Truthfully speaking, to be heard you have to work extra extra hard. Just to have a voice. To finally break through. Handing over the power, beyond ‘eachone-teach-one’ is definitely a bonus. Personally speaking, and as one of my goals, is like Nike for example. I legit want to contribute. It’s a real goal and story I want to share. I saw Kaepernick do it. I’m hoping that within their corporate structure, they’ve altered their creative teams to hear these kind of stories, my story too. More so than before. It’s not for personal gain, it’s a goal. It’s a dream, realized. Because people understand, you know what I mean? I really want to achieve this creative collaboration. And when it does, I’m hoping decision makers there won’t be a non-person of color feeling like, “Aw fuck it. No. I’m not going to give him a chance.” I’m hoping there’s
enough diversity within Nike now where the decision makers look and feel the way I do? We’ll see. I wonder too if part of it, I mean going back to selfishness and hedonism, if part of convincing folks that this is important comes back around to changing the dynamics around drivers and the police. The ‘rising tide raises all ships’ kind of a thing. If changing the dynamic, shifting it from a cat-andmouse situation to a… like let’s be real, a lot of these fucking cops are drivers
I’D LOVE TO BE PULLED OVER BY SOMEONE WHO LOVES CARS TOO.
It’s not that people of color feel like, “Take away cops’ jobs.” If police change the way they filter out the bad cops right out the gate, you wouldn’t have an explosion of ACAB. You wouldn’t experience that. You’re now changing how you train your cops. Have more compassion. Have more empathy. Have more understanding. Be in the community. Immerse yourself in the community. You’ll understand why we feel the certain way we feel. That would alleviate so many problems. Until that happens, there’s gonna be this tension. And I don’t know if from the police’s perspective they’re even willing to do
that. At this point I don’t know. Yeah I’d love to be pulled over by someone who loves cars too. That’d be a perfect scenario. That person wouldn’t pull you over, they’d give you the thumbs-up. And what a world that would be.
the keyword there. The negative misperception. “Oh shit, this person has tinted windows and you’re of color? Fuck, dude. You’re up to something.” Until that actually gets washed away through better police training… that’s probably what’s going to cause the change.
Where we’re not looked at as the rebellious modified car tuners anymore. “It’s a cool car. They’re responsible. They’re not doing dumb shit.”
We shall see.
Well you’re not a threat. I hate to pick on stereotypes, but you see a middleaged White guy in a vintage Camaro, that motherfucker’s not getting pulled over no matter what he does. What’s that about. Because that guy is only out there having a good time. Isn’t that what we’re doing? Isn’t that what we’re all doing?
Is it getting cold?
You would think. Honestly we’re just having a good time out enjoying our machines. It’s profiling. That’s
Yeah man. I’m gonna grab this food. This was definitely a good time.
Naw naw… But no, this is a dope talk. Let’s definitely have it again. Like soon. Hey, I appreciate you. Dude I appreciate you too, man. This is important. 3
@joshyrobots @rotary_engine_wave
PARDON
themselves. Shifting the conversation down to a human level. And that makes Black and Brown people safer behind the wheel. Wouldn’t you know it, it also makes White people safer behind the wheel, right? And also you end up with a lot fewer cops feeling like they need to pull over people in sports cars out having a good time. Instead go out and solve crimes and shit.
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