Rikers recently appointed VP of Marketing for Koodoo Clothing.

What is Koodoo?

Koodoo is an deer of Africa that has enormous horns. It’s known for the bravery and leadership, as Koodoo is the strongest of its kind that fights back against predators to protect its group.

Who works for Koodoo?

It’s a group of disciplined talents. At Koodoo, everyone has their own nickname, like King, Greater, or Royal. Koodoo is also our family name. The animal koodoo lives in Savanna, as you know, in Savanna there are predators like hyenas, cheetahs, leopards and lions. We see ourselves as Koodoos in New York, because in New York, there are giant fashion companies that are as powerful, and dictating the market and consumers, and are just like predators.

Koodoo has a strong purpose and vision that it will outdo the predators one day. You’ll be surprised how organized we are, and professionally we work. We do intensive trend researches from fashionable countries across Europe, Asia, and America. Our creative team comes up with amazing designs that we already know its going to be groundbreaking.

Finally, we are creating our own style, which is unique and high quality, that trendsetters will love to wear.
Who is Rikers El?

Rikers, just a kid born in Brooklyn, New York who like every other normal kid liked hot wheels, played football and snuck into the movies as a teen. I always wanted to work at an airlines but circumstances gave me an opportunity to enter the marketing world where I found my niche. I dared to dream big but realized dreams are fantasies, you have to apply yourself to turn dreams into reality. I was nicknamed Mr. Guerrilla Marketing for my work ethic and brand building capabilities. I’m just addicted to the game.

What’s happened in your career that makes you feel this was the industry for you?

Hard to really say. I’m a progressive addict, a window opened and I went through it. I had many options in life, stay in the street, develop my writing skills or turn my passion to making things happen blossom. I started my fashion career in sourcing aka large scale clothing manufacturing. Me and my friends put together a news paper, the first hip hop paper called Four Korners News, basically the blue print for hip hop weekly. I know this because I was a freelance writer for the Source magazine as well. During it all I still kept finding myself back into clothing brands, I eventually landed the top marketing position at Stall and Dean; and Rucker clothing lines. I was also Music Editor for Beyond Race Magazine. I gave J Cole his first cover and we were also the first main stream magazine to state Drake would be a star. But again clothing kept pulling me back in, mind you I’m a guy who don’t even use an iron so how and why I thrive in fashion… I have little to no clue. haha. ‎

What makes you stand out in the Fashion Industry?

My niche is I believe I’m a great people person, I’m very blunt, sarcastic but honest, giving and unequivocally matched work ethic. For instance at one point I was Music Editor for Beyond Race Magazine, Senior VP of Marketing for Stall and Dean; VP of Marketing for Rucker brands. I was manufacturing active wear for Adidas as well as Outerwear for Apple bottoms brands. I did peer mediation and mentoring with my spiritual brother Sharieff Clayton at Abandon Nation all at the same time. A publicist friend just one day called me Mr. Guerrilla Marketing because I did all this without any college, just a High school diploma. I surround myself with good people, great friends who are designers, stylist, self motivated and it pushes me to even be ‎more proficient in my craft besides that, I hate to lose. That alone can be the main reason I stand out.

Who in the industry today, could you see yourself working with and why?

Not sure to be honest, I’m like a rogue angel. ‎I mean with koodoobrand, this is a new venture, new challenge, fun ride. In the past I did wardrobe, music video and placement with everyone from Kanye West, Chris Brown, Jay Z, Kanye West, Eminem, 50 Cent, Dipset, Chamillionaire, Twista, Diddy. I guess today I would say someone who is not on the radar yet. It’s kind of more rewarding to work with a empty canvas. When I worked with 50, Kanye, diplomats, Eminem, Cham even Chris, they didn’t blossom yet. I gave Kanye his first major publication cover at 4korners news, he was just producing and I was at Stall and Dean. I said this guy got it…. so it’s kind of like that now.

What trends do you see being huge this Spring/Summer 2016 Season?

It’s about colors as usually, but people still have the taste of boutique type wears but I do see the rebirth of athletic ‎and team apparel. Last summer I seen more and more kids matching their kicks to basketball jerseys, that shows a lot of kids wanting to do their own thing. ‎

What should people expect from your upcoming 2016 lines?

Koodoo were going to continue with the true to fit clothing but the clothing will stay fun, like we did the happy Panda that received crazy feedback, the anonymous tops. One thing about Koodoo is when want our clothing to stay fun. Like I always say, life’s not so serious. The thing is Koodoo is three collections in one. Playground, that’s more streetwear/ sneakerhead inspired designs. Blackout is more boutique inspired clothing, European fits, colorways are predominately black and white. It’s more targeted the mature consumers and then their is Koodoo. Koodoobrand is the name of the company, Koodoo collection consist of things the designers just comes up with to really be honest. At Koodoo everyone has that type of freedom so the designer can just plug designs either is be cut and sew, to polka dots… it’s whatever he feels for the moment long as it fits a capsule and makes to the factory on schedule. haha.‎

Is there anything you would like our readers to know?

Kind of simple, it’s a motto I’ve been using for many years. Successful people do, what unsuccessful people will not do. You can’t wait for it to happen, gifts do not just fall out the heavens. You have to be proactive in your quest to turn dreams into reality. ‎

Last but not least, HYPE wants to know…What’s your CRAZIEST “Where they do that at?!” moment…

Funny but not so funny… I was in Cabo, Mexico and one night you hear all this noise. I’m like OK, wake up to the news where they murdered a local cartel boss. Next day, they find the police chief dead. I’m like, I could of gotten this in Brooklyn. lol. Everyone was nervous, but for some reason, I had more fun. I was like a kid in the Willy Wonka Chocolate Factory at the resort because everyone was going to another location, but I was like nope… we’re staying here. lol.

Interviewed By: Daja Marie @RealDajaMarie

About Rikers:

Rikers, better known as the “Guerrilla Marketing Mastermind,” is the Senior Vice President of Marketing for Rucker Brands, recently appointed VP of Marketing for koodoo clothing. Rucker Brands holds the namesake of the world Famous Rucker park on 155th across from the legendary Polo Grounds. Rucker was most recently dubbed the Wall Street of Playground basketball and top 27 athletic venues on Earth (www.bleacherReport.com). It holds the respect as the proving ground for Basketball players globally.

In the past Rikers held the helm at EFF LLC, which holds the licenses of some authentic vintage clothing lines in the U.S.. At EFF, which controls the license for the Stall and Dean, Blue Route, Draper and Maynard, Ivy League schools as well as Oxford the brands; Rikers directed the marketing for companies of a combined worth of over $150M. He has outfitted the likes of Jay-Z, 50 Cent, T.I., Sean Combs, J Holiday, Chamillionaire, Eminem, Fat Joe, Young Jezzy, Trey Songz, R. Kelly, Busta Rhymes, Twista, Rick Ross, OJ The Juiceman, Dave Chapelle, Juelz Santana, Cedric the Entertainer, Martin Lawerence, Kanye West, Chris Brown, Derty Den, Trey Songz, Shaquille O’Neal, Lebron James, Carmelo Anthony, DJ Drama, Waka Flaka, Bun B and Tony Parker to just name a few. Rikers was responsible for marketing direction, branding, and future of every in-house brands.

An astute writer, Rikers was key component behind creation of 4Korners News which was the first monthly hip hop inspired news paper to hit stands. For several years he functioned as Sports and Music Editor assisting many artist at the onstart of their careers including Kanye West, The Diplomats, Joe Buddens, 50 Cents and Saigon. Shortly after he was appointed Music Editor of Beyond Race Magazine where his responsibility was to locate up and coming talents through out the world. Rikers and Beyond Race discovered up and coming artist Drake, Mayor Hawthorne, J Cole, Nikki Minaj, Melanie Fiona, Derty Den to name a few. Beyond Race was the first publication to name name Drake and JCOLE as artist to take of.

Rikers is also a clothing manufacturer with over 20 years of experience and generating over $5B in retail gross from various companies such as Starter, Stall and Dean, Adidas, G-III, Reebok, Apple Bottom, and FUBU.

The title Mr. Guerrilla Marketing is a title well earned and one not easy to give up.

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