August 15, 2025 • 26 mins
From swap meet hustler to multi-industry entrepreneur, Laquan "YP" Hunt represents the relentless spirit of Vegas beyond the neon lights. As co-founder of Certify Avenue, his journey exemplifies how authentic hometown connections can fuel diverse business ventures in an evolving city.
Hunt's entrepreneurial path began with a $20,000 investment at a local swap meet in 2014, selling t-shirts branded with the "CH" logo from his former music group, Certified Hustlers. This humble start blossomed into four brick-and-mortar locations, with his current flagship store strategically positioned in Town Square Las Vegas. Rather than following traditional retail models, Hunt transformed his stores into Instagram-worthy spaces designed for content creation – a shrewd adaptation to today's social media-driven consumer culture.
What truly distinguishes Hunt's business approach is his seamless diversification across industries. While maintaining his clothing brand, he launched Certify Films Home Entertainment, producing "The SHOT Series" – powerful documentaries featuring survivors of gun violence that have garnered over a million views on streaming platforms. Not content with conquering just fashion and film, Hunt recently entered the notoriously competitive spirits industry with "Lie by You" vodka, currently available at select Vegas locations with ambitions for casino distribution.
Hunt's timing couldn't be better as Las Vegas transforms into what many call "Hollywood 2.0." As a native Las Vegan with deep community roots, he possesses the authentic connections that outside entrepreneurs can't replicate. "Vegas is about to be crazy in the next five years," Hunt predicts, positioning himself at the forefront of this evolution with upcoming projects including feature films and international documentaries.
For aspiring entrepreneurs watching Hunt's remarkable journey unfold, his advice remains refreshingly direct: "Just start." In a city known for reinvention, Laquan Hunt embodies the next generation of Vegas success stories – proving that sometimes the most valuable cards to hold are hometown knowledge, creative vision, and the courage to place your bet on yourself.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to Vegas Circle Podcast with your hosts,
paki and Chris.
We are people who arepassionate about business,
success and culture, and this isour platform to showcase the
people in our city who make ithappen.
On today's podcast, we'resitting down with a true
certified hustler yes sir Makingmoves in the fashion film and
now in the spirits game.
We're diving into his latestprojects and getting his take on
(00:20):
the business scene in Las Vegas.
Let's welcome.
Co-founder of Certify Ave, mrLaquan, yp Hunt man.
What's up?
Welcome, welcome.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
So finally get a chance to sit down with you, man
.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
Bless you bless you.
Yeah yeah, a lot of the samefolks that we know, man.
Man, I've been watching a lotof y'all work too.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
We appreciate that man.
We appreciate that is to you,man, like we talked about over
the phone.
So many hats in the businessspace.
The brand is Certify Ave.
Certify Avenue Avenue.
I'm sorry, let's touch base onthe business as far as clothing
first.
So now you guys actually have aclothing store inside Town
Square in Las.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
Vegas.
Yeah well, actually it's likeour fourth store.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
Oh, that's our fourth store.
Well we're growing.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
As we grow, we get bigger.
We started at a swap meet 2014.
Okay, yeah, so we started in2014, the way it came from music
I used to do music okay and thename of the group was certified
hustlers that's what's up.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
Okay, so you were artists and that was your group,
okay artists.
Speaker 3 (01:18):
It was five of us actually.
One of us died in a caraccident and then sorry to hear
that just went away, but we usedto have t-shirts with the CH on
it.
That was like our brand.
We made all our clothing andstuff and so when the music kind
of tarnished out and faded outa little bit, I started doing
the clothing, because everybodywanted the shirts and stuff.
That's what's up.
I started in a swap meetselling shirts and T-shirts.
(01:40):
I probably made about $20,000in the swap meet.
That's what's up Not a lot ofmoney, but from there.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
It is a lot of money.
$20,000 is good.
That's your own brand.
That's my own brand From there.
Speaker 3 (01:50):
I got my own brick and border.
So from 2017, we've been justelevating.
Speaker 1 (02:10):
And that's a very hard great location to be.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
They're making so many changes in town square.
Yeah, it is actually.
They just built some condosover there and a great
restaurant over there.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
The guest house is yeah, shout out to my guys over
there guest house.
Yeah, those are my guys overthere.
Speaker 3 (02:24):
Yeah, it's growing over there pretty good.
Okay, what's the biggest?
Speaker 2 (02:27):
challenge.
When you open up a new store,right, you have your brand
identity.
Like I think you know there'speople that like your brand.
They go and seek it out andfind it.
But going into a new locationis it hard to kind of pull
people from a different locationinto a new more people walking
around and just like the way itlooks.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
Yeah, more of urban.
So since the social media worldbeen coming apart, I tried to
build a store like a socialmedia platform, so every spot in
the store you could takepictures and just do a whole
bunch of social media content,things like that.
So I'm trying to move towardsthat route a little bit more.
But fashion is fashion.
(03:02):
You know what I mean.
You can have fashion anywhere.
If somebody likes some garmentand things like that, you're
going to shop.
That's 100%.
This came from the Avenue.
You know what I mean.
It's not my brand, but I carryother brands as well too.
Speaker 1 (03:13):
And that's what I was going to ask you.
So do you guys actually designyour own clothing, basically
label?
Speaker 3 (03:19):
Yeah, yeah, we have our brand and then we brand out
with a lot of uh, blackcompanies out of throughout
america.
Speaker 1 (03:24):
so that's what's up.
Okay, so this is strictly blackowned.
Yeah, oh yeah, business andyou've got other other designers
and everything from that wholesetup, okay, wholesale with all
different types of designers.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
I love this man, yeah you know what's interesting man
?
Speaker 1 (03:37):
just to sidetrack for one second, shout out to my guy
, rashim turner.
That's based in atlanta.
That's actually how I met mywife.
He actually owned a companycalled Urban City Talent and
that was the whole idea ofputting a lot of businesses
together.
They had a fashion company.
I did a lot of stuff withBishop Down Wine from Chicago
and the whole nine, but I loveto be able to see you guys doing
that, man.
Yeah, it's a grind.
Speaker 3 (03:56):
It's a grind, but you know they say one thing people
love to look good and eat good,good.
So those are the two things,that two businesses that you
could kind of corner and keep alittle little wave going
throughout time.
You know what I mean 100%.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
How do you identify, right?
So it's not like there's apeople, like you said, fashion's
fashion People like what theylike, they wear what they want
to wear and if it looks goodthey're going to, they're going
to go and like it.
But you know who's the personwho's in charge of identifying
that look?
You know, as I'm like scouringthe country, finding new trends,
new people that aremanufacturing, and I want to put
it in my store because I wantto put my name behind it right,
how do you identify what that isand how do you keep track of
(04:32):
what those trends are kind ofmoving towards?
Speaker 3 (04:33):
I have a 15-year-old daughter.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
I have a 15-year-old daughter.
Actually, she's're a producer.
Speaker 3 (04:42):
Don't go too hip-hop.
Look like a producer.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
So we went in the closet and she styled me.
Speaker 3 (04:48):
So, yeah, I got a 15-year-old daughter and she's
crazy into fashion at 15.
The new kicks everything LikeI'm going crazy over there
trying to keep up witheverything that she wants.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
Yeah, and she'll tell you if it's whack too, man,
because kids, that's how you getto ask the honesty.
Kids is a trend.
You know what I mean it alwaysstarts with the kids.
Speaker 3 (05:05):
And once you get them locked in, I mean, they're your
fans forever.
Like you still listen toartists your first artist you
was listening to.
You're still a fan of them tothis day.
You never let that because it'skind of like your first love.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
Yeah, that's a good point.
They spend a lot more money too, because I went to the same
high school.
I went for 10 years, Right.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
Your parents.
Like I just said, I'm spendingso much money trying to keep her
flying and things like that sowe spend all the money to keep
going.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
So talk about brick and mortar.
What would make you transitionto just be strictly online?
You know you're touching basewith that.
What would make you want tojust do that?
Speaker 3 (05:47):
Or do you like the idea of being able to feel and
be able to be in?
You know the touch ofeverything.
I do like that, but I thinkonline is the way to go.
To be already honest with you,online is the world right now.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
Because of the capital too.
Yeah, Look at it.
Speaker 3 (05:58):
Yeah, and it's easy.
You know what I mean.
You can just ship right fromyour home or right from you.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
Direct to consumer.
Speaker 3 (06:04):
Right to the consumer .
So yeah, the Internet is socialmedia and TikTok and all those
things.
You can sell a million T-shirtswith just a good dance or a
good trend.
Speaker 2 (06:15):
You know what I mean.
Speaker 3 (06:15):
You'll take off, so the Internet's really awesome.
Speaker 1 (06:18):
Do you feel like at some point Certify Avenue, you
will be out of brick and mortarand just go shop online?
Speaker 3 (06:25):
I think this will be our last year, to be honest with
you as far as brick and mortarReally.
Because our whole brand isonline.
Now we're doing the productionmovies, we're doing podcasting,
we got a modeling agency, so alot of things is visual, you
know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
So it's visual.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
Click, click and it's done yeah.
Speaker 3 (06:42):
Click, so it makes a lot of sense visual click, click
and it's done.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
Yeah, click, click and you can cut on the overhead
too with the rent electricityeverything that's on there.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
I know it's not cheap at town square not at all and
you know.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
Do you feel like the clothing brand is a driver of
all of these other businesses,or do you think the other
businesses are a driver of yourclothing brand?
Speaker 3 (06:59):
well, at first I was the clothing brand that was
driving it, but then, five yearslater, after I tapped into the
movies, I'm going crazy becausenow I can product place all my
stuff in my movies.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
Good point.
Speaker 3 (07:12):
So if you see, once you watch my films and they some
really good films, really filmgood from Hollywood and
everything.
Everybody with the clothing on,from the females to the males,
have Certified Avenue.
Speaker 1 (07:24):
That's awesome.
You know what I mean.
Speaker 3 (07:25):
So so now I'm just product placement and with that
and I hit a million viewsalready.
So now the internet wouldreally be the great time to jump
on it, and you know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
That's what is that similar to not biting off Dame,
right?
That's what a lot what Dame didright as far as product
placement inside the movies,with Rockefeller and Jay and all
of them?
Speaker 3 (07:44):
Man, I'm a fan of Dame Jay Irv.
Yeah, I'm a fan of all thoseguys.
Master P, everybody killing it.
Speaker 1 (07:51):
That's excellent man.
So jumping into the films,right?
So Certify Film HomeEntertainment is the film
company, right?
You're a producer of that whichyou sent me one of the links
with.
I need to check out that newseries which we're going to get
into.
But talk a little bit about theSHOT, the SHOT series, okay.
Speaker 3 (08:11):
So basically the SHOT series is true stories from
victims of gun violence to liveto tell a horrific story.
So we sit them down kind oflike in a journalist setting.
Okay, they tell a story fromthe time they woke up to the
time they ended up in thehospital and these are people
that actually got shot.
Yeah, these are actual victims,survivors.
These are real survivors that'stalking to us.
That's crazy yeah, and so fromthere they tell us from the day
(08:33):
they woke up, from the time theywoke up to the time they ended
up in the hospital.
And you know from what Ilearned from interviewing
victims is they don't forgetanything, from the smell to what
they put on, just every littlething is is embedded in their
brain from that day.
Speaker 1 (08:49):
That's some trauma for real yeah.
Speaker 3 (08:51):
It's real trauma.
So and then I take that storyfrom the, from what they tell me
in that interview, I try tocomplete it to the T and film
production.
So in a small film I'm showingthe actions of being a survivor
of a gun.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
So like recreated with like their interview as
like a backdrop kind of deal,that's pretty cool.
Speaker 3 (09:09):
Well, the interview is after the show.
Oh, that's great.
And then I go get C-list,B-list actors to play the actual
victims.
Speaker 1 (09:17):
Oh wow, so you put it all together as a visualization
.
Okay, where can you?
Speaker 3 (09:20):
watch this at now.
It's on Tubi right now.
Look who and a lot of other.
Speaker 1 (09:25):
You said Look who Shout out to Byron.
Byron picked it up as soon as Ibrought it in.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
He picked it up.
He loved it.
Speaker 3 (09:31):
Shout out to Byron.
Actually he's waiting on thatsecond season.
Speaker 1 (09:35):
It's coming.
It's coming, that's excellent.
Speaker 3 (09:40):
He picked it up, man, when did first?
Well, not when he first startedit, but when he started putting
the energy into the.
Look who app yeah that's prettycool.
Speaker 1 (09:48):
What would you say is kind of the difference, right
as far as like distribution,between like a 2B, you know, a
Netflix, obviously Look, who'sgot their whole platform on how
they build out.
You know, being able to thewhole setup of Look who Shout
out to.
We had an interview with Byronso you can check out the past
episode, but what?
would you say as far asdistribution, what would you
recommend to somebody, or howthey would put out a film or a
(10:10):
series or anything like that?
Would you go straight toNetflix or what would you do as
far as Netflix?
Speaker 3 (10:15):
is the big play.
You know what I mean.
That's what.
That's my next step.
Yeah, cause of the eyes, orNetflix, because Netflix they
with Look, who and Tubi.
It's kind of streaming services.
So the more views you get, themore money you get but Netflix,
they're giving you the checkright away.
They're buying the film, they'rebuying the rights and you know
(10:37):
it'll take you to bigger, biggerplatforms.
So that's the way we're going.
I got a new season and I'mpitching it to Netflix and these
guys so Knocked on Wood.
Netflix and these guys soknocked on wood.
Speaker 1 (10:45):
Let's hope Netflix Can you talk a little bit about
what the season is.
Well, it's actually the secondseason.
Oh, for the second season.
Okay, second series.
Speaker 3 (10:52):
Every episode is a different story.
Got you?
Speaker 1 (10:56):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
So we're looking to be the new urban law and order
is what I call my episode,because it's a hunt.
I mean you can go anywherearound the world and you can get
stories from victims of gunviolence.
You know what I mean, no matterwhat background, ethnicity or
whatever, because guns— it'sthere.
Speaker 1 (11:16):
It's a real situation .
Speaker 3 (11:17):
It's a problem that we have around the world and in
America.
So I'm trying to tap into thatin an urban way so I can try to
get some of these youngsters toreally see the outcome of being
out there in the streets.
Because when you see theseinterviews, like they paraplegic
, telling these stories, Likethey only could talk from the
(11:37):
neck down.
I mean from the neck you know,what I mean and he's still
flying everything, but it's likeyou know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
One decision or wrong place at the wrong time.
Wrong place, wrong time.
You know what I mean For onedecision or wrong place at the
wrong time.
Speaker 3 (11:48):
Wrong place, wrong time.
You know what I mean.
And then another story is wrongplace at wrong times.
People was in the elevator andsomebody opened the elevator and
shot the whole elevator up.
Speaker 1 (11:55):
Oh man, and this happened in.
Speaker 3 (11:56):
Chicago, that's my hometown.
Speaker 2 (11:58):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (11:59):
So these are the stories that we're telling, and
it's crazy.
Speaker 2 (12:03):
And is that like kind of the plan right?
I know you're trying to go.
The goal is to get to Netflixright, yeah, that's where I'm
going.
When you're trying to pitchthese things to them.
How are they determining ifit's something they want to pick
up or not?
I'm not super familiar with it.
Do they track your viewershipand do they track what's your
engagement like?
What kind of metrics are theylooking?
Speaker 1 (12:19):
for.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
And how do you?
Speaker 3 (12:28):
drive those I.
That's what I'm trying tofigure out too.
I really don't know, but Ithink it's probably more of how
many views we got a millionviews on one episode, but it's a
season.
But we got a million views onone episode.
So trying to get the otherepisodes to get to a million
views, but we already at onemillion with one episode.
And I got a new season that'skind of more souped up than a.
You know what I mean we done.
Speaker 2 (12:47):
Graduated now so Okay , and how are you driving
viewership, like you know?
Because one thing I'll say yougot, you know, like you said, a
certified hustler.
You got a lot of hands, a lotof different pots and they all
have their own challenges oftrying to elevate them to you
know, certain levels ofcontinuing and doing all that
kind of stuff.
I'm actually looking for a PRright now.
It's a lot, it's a lot, it's alot.
Speaker 3 (13:11):
But once it's on Tubi , it's worldwide you know what I
mean, okay.
And once the views start goingon there, the show is
recommended.
That makes sense, so that makesit the algorithm go up and
everything the algorithm go upbut the algorithm kind of going
down because it's been out ayear now so nobody's watching
the same episode.
We're in post-production rightnow for the new season.
Speaker 2 (13:31):
And you can track it like in a daily, weekly, monthly
basis.
Speaker 3 (13:35):
Algorithm, all that, yeah, the payments and all that.
Shout out to Tubi, that'sexcellent.
Speaker 1 (13:40):
How'd you get into the film space?
Because that's a hard industryto be in, man.
Speaker 3 (13:48):
Actually I used to do music, like I say, and all of
our videos used to look likeshort movies.
Short films Got it.
So I always had this passion ofreally wanting to do movies,
but I didn't have enough moneyand the movies it's just.
You know, it's a lot to go intomovies.
Speaker 1 (14:01):
Very detailed, a lot, a lot.
Speaker 3 (14:03):
So the music kind of died out and I was like asking
people I want to do these movies, I want to do these movies.
I got with a couple local guysand it just didn't give me the
feel and I said, okay, let meget my money up, save some money
, hired Hollywood to come outand we did the first season and
it took off.
And going from there and you'reoriginally from Vegas, right,
(14:23):
born and raised Okay.
Speaker 1 (14:24):
So you know everybody , yeah, okay 2600 Marlitha King
Boulevard.
Speaker 3 (14:27):
Okay, that's what's up.
I'm actually in the works rightnow writing a film about that,
really.
Yeah, it's called God Bless theGang.
Speaker 1 (14:35):
Excellent yeah.
Speaker 3 (14:36):
With Too Short on the soundtrack.
Oh, that's excellent.
Speaker 1 (14:39):
It's so much going on in Vegas.
I love all this creativity wetalked about over the phone is
kind of your plan of kind ofshowcasing you know things that
are happening in Vegas.
Speaker 3 (14:49):
In the home base, in the home base Beyond the lights,
yeah.
Speaker 2 (14:53):
And you think these things are getting a little
easier.
You know we're trying to breakinto it, but now you have, like
AI.
That's helpful.
Now I have my cell phone thathas a pretty damn good camera on
it, you know now people are.
You know things they could dopost-ed editing from an AI
perspective.
Do you think that is helpingyou?
Do you think you're gettinginto the right, perfect time to
take advantage of a lot of thosethings?
Speaker 3 (15:10):
Well, not right now, because AI with films, you have
to have a lot of money.
You can't do that from a phone.
You can't do that from yourcomputer or anything to make it
the way it's supposed to be.
What they give you right now isjust enough for your apps and
things like that.
But as far as getting intoproduction and movie and films,
that's a lot.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
That's a whole different.
I get like 10 seconds on my AIvideos.
Speaker 3 (15:32):
That's a lot of AI and it gotta be really the AI
have to be built for that filmtype thing Got it.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
Okay, that makes sense.
That shows, I would have neverknown that, now that you broke
that down I.
How do you feel about Hollywood2.0 moving to Vegas?
I love it, man.
What I'm excited too.
That is beautiful.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
Perfect time.
Speaker 3 (15:50):
Man, I think God blessed me.
Speaker 1 (15:51):
Yeah, I think it was strictly for me, especially
because you were born and raisedfrom here.
Speaker 3 (15:56):
Yeah, I think it was strictly for me.
You know what I mean, so that'sgreat man.
Yeah, vegas is about to becrazy in the next five years.
Speaker 2 (16:02):
I can't wait to see you.
Speaker 3 (16:03):
Basketball team.
Yeah, I just want one.
I mean 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0.1 of it.
Speaker 2 (16:11):
Yeah, you know what I mean.
I would think people who havebeen here 10 years longer or
more are the people who arepoised to take advantage of it.
Speaker 1 (16:19):
Because a lot of people are going to try to come
here and try to take advantageof it.
But we got our roots, they'realready coming.
Yeah, it's hard, it's hard tobreak into.
Speaker 3 (16:25):
Yeah, they just write down Las Vegas Boulevard.
You ain't lying, yeah.
And then you got to go throughthe back rooms.
Yeah, you got to come all theway around.
You know it's growing crazy.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
Yeah, it's amazing.
We got to talk about this vodkaright.
So and I got to say it rightLie by you.
So talk a little about this man, the vodka industry, or just
liquor spirits in general is oneof the hardest industries to be
in and you pick a lot of thehard industries.
I mean that's where the bigmoney is.
(16:55):
I know it is.
That's where the big money is.
Speaker 3 (16:57):
Or if I'm at a small percentage, it'll trickle down
to me to give me enough to feedmy peoples.
But the vodka.
I hooked up with some cats outof Iowa.
My boy James he's in thebackground over there.
He put the whole play togetherfor me.
He's a brand manager for them.
Okay, nice, like same how.
(17:17):
You've been watching me doingmy thing and everything.
He's been watching from afarand plugged me with the guy
Brent and we did some promo forhim and then after that promo he
was on board so I showed himwhat I could do.
Speaker 1 (17:29):
Where is it at now?
How can you get the vodka?
Speaker 3 (17:32):
Right now.
It's only at Hacienda Liquorsright now.
Okay, Is that in Vegas?
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (17:35):
that's in.
Speaker 3 (17:36):
Vegas.
Okay, mariposa should be havingit soon.
Speaker 1 (17:43):
Shout out to Mariposa .
Yeah, Ifapping Ash.
Speaker 3 (17:45):
Okay.
So right now we're trying toget also Hattie Marie's, my boy.
Speaker 1 (17:50):
Oh, okay.
Speaker 3 (17:50):
Yeah, I had a meeting with him.
Speaker 1 (17:51):
I have not went to Brandon's spot.
Speaker 3 (17:53):
Oh, you got to check it out.
I've heard nothing but greatthings.
Speaker 1 (17:58):
My daughter love it.
Speaker 3 (18:00):
I heard it's excellent food.
Yams and the Mac.
Yeah, yeah, that's.
And hopefully with ourdistributor, if he get all the
way locked in, we'll be in thesecasinos and then it's over from
there or Walmart or Target, youknow what.
Speaker 1 (18:10):
I mean.
Speaker 3 (18:11):
Whichever one, I won't complain.
Speaker 1 (18:21):
They say like the toughest part.
You hear like 50 talk about,you know, not even getting on
the sidetrack about Puff andCiroc and all that stuff.
But being that it's notregulated, they say it's one of
the hardest industries becauseit's so controlled.
Speaker 3 (18:29):
It's like two companies that control the
liquor space.
And imagine how hard it is inLas Vegas.
That's amazing.
Speaker 1 (18:33):
Because we built the mecca of entertainment and
alcohol and everything we builtoff liquor?
Speaker 3 (18:38):
Yeah, but I think it'll be easy because I'm in the
backyard of my hometown.
Yeah, hometown, why not?
What's?
Speaker 2 (18:43):
kind of that process, one you start from
manufacturing, then obviouslydistribution has its own issues,
but then there's branding.
There's a lot of differentfacets to kind of building out
this brand.
Is it?
When you're trying to do it, doyou have to taste a lot of
different samples of what youlike?
How do you kind of go throughthat process of getting, like,
say, I want Vegas Circle on thisbottle.
How do I do that?
Speaker 3 (19:02):
You got to get with James.
Speaker 1 (19:03):
You got to have an end?
Yeah, but you got to have anend because it's definitely.
Speaker 3 (19:06):
I don't even know how I got in, but, like I say, god
always blessed me for somereason.
Speaker 2 (19:10):
I feel like I'm a good guy.
Speaker 3 (19:12):
So God always put me in positions to make miracles
happen.
So I don't even know how I gotinto it.
And three months, four monthslater, now we're right here
Cases.
We distribute into the bars andthings like that.
So everything is working out,but it's real good though.
Speaker 1 (19:27):
I'm going to try it.
Speaker 3 (19:28):
If you're a fan of vodka, you would definitely love
this one.
Speaker 1 (19:30):
Chris is a yeah, that's his water.
That's why I put it next to me.
Speaker 2 (19:34):
I like, look, because I do it because I don't want to
get a hangover, so I drinkAbsolute.
Speaker 3 (19:42):
Oh, yeah, yeah, I thought you were going to say
Tito's.
You know, tito's don't get youno air.
It does to me for some reason.
Yeah, I like Tito's.
I like Tito's too.
I like Tito's.
Is that better than Tito's?
Better than Waze?
I'm going to let you know.
I'm going to let you know forsure.
Yeah, yeah, you got to taste it.
Speaker 1 (20:09):
So, from your perspective, man like what's
clothing, film, liquor is awhole different space man,
that's big boy.
We're for real.
Yeah, where, where do you seethe opportunities you know
taking you?
As far as I know, there'sdetours that you probably have
been through that still goingthrough, going through all that.
But where do you see theopportunity?
You know, the biggest visionfor this is it coming out with
other brands that you want towork with.
Speaker 3 (20:23):
yeah, actually I'm really indebted to films.
Speaker 2 (20:26):
Okay, you know what I mean, that's the baby, but the
liquor is.
Speaker 3 (20:29):
that's my backyard.
You know what I mean.
I drink.
I'm from Las Vegas, you knowwhat I mean.
I love to have a good time andI love to have a great tasting
of drink to make me feel good,like you say, not having to hang
over things in the morning andthings like that, but filming
going to be the next JohnSingleton of Las Vegas.
That's what's up you know whatI'm saying, so that's where I'm
really going.
I got some.
(20:49):
We working on a lot of filmsright now.
Speaker 1 (20:52):
What's kind of the resume?
So I know about the Shot Series.
What's kind of your resume fromprior?
You know things that you'veworked on.
Speaker 3 (20:58):
The Shot Series.
Shot Series is my first one.
Right now we working on afeature film.
God bless the game.
I did some short films, uh,hide and seek, and I actually
got where I wrote a horror film.
But a wolf, a urban wolf, oh,you got a spin on that yeah so
it's really cool, though I giveyou a little taste of it.
Okay, the some friends are goingon a trip.
(21:21):
They buying some rugs from anold lady, but the rugs are made
out of old wolf's wolf skin,where Wolf is around in the
mountains and he's get a whiffof his brothers and his brothers
and sisters and take a turn.
Speaker 1 (21:36):
Oh, so you're ready to eat up the whole?
Yeah, I can already imaginethat sounds crazy.
Yeah, we working man.
Speaker 3 (21:40):
We working Certified films is definitely going to be.
Speaker 1 (21:42):
That's exciting.
Speaker 3 (21:43):
And I got a dope.
Sorry, I forgot to tell you adocumentary filmed in Indonesia.
Get out of here.
Yeah, okay, certify your hustle.
That'll be coming out this InIndonesia, in Indonesia.
Wow Okay, super crazy, superdope.
I gave y'all a little behindthe scenes, okay.
Speaker 2 (21:57):
Would love to see that.
Do you like to get into themovies or are you more like to
be production?
Speaker 3 (22:04):
Like.
Do you like to be involved?
Like so yeah.
I'm going to be all the way inthe mix going on.
I did enough films and watchedenough directors that I think I
got the hang of it yeah.
Speaker 1 (22:15):
That's awesome, the creativity man is just unlimited
.
It's a lot of fun, manespecially being able to
showcase, you know, people'svision and documentaries and
things.
Speaker 3 (22:25):
Those are ones I love because you can be able to
learn so much from people andyou can just tap into and get
you some insight on things notto do or be aware of 100%,
because a lot of things is 360around the world.
I agree it happens the same, Iagree.
Speaker 2 (22:38):
And we're in a world right now, where everything is
just content.
Speaker 1 (22:40):
Content, content content.
Speaker 2 (22:41):
People are just consuming it so fast.
Speaker 1 (22:43):
The more you can pump out yeah, and it's music.
I was just listening to musicin the car with my boy.
I think the song was a minuteand a half, but it was a fire
song.
But that's all you got.
Yeah, that's all you got is aminute.
Speaker 3 (23:05):
That's a good point, because we're younger than a lot
.
Three and a half, four and ahalf, you get six minutes.
Six minutes, teddy Grant,vibing, yeah, vibing, teddy's
killing it.
Speaker 1 (23:11):
You, right on that.
Switch the subject a little bitabout business advice.
Man, what's one gem of businessadvice you could give maybe a
young entrepreneur or maybesomebody that's building their
business on the side right now?
What would you say to them?
Just because you've had so manylayers to you Start?
Speaker 3 (23:26):
That's the first thing Start.
You know what I mean, because Ithink I set up for years just
thinking of all the things Iwanted to do, but never moved on
it.
The time that I started movingon it, before I knew it.
I'm here now making films andall that.
I can't even remember when Iwas.
You just have to start Whateverdream you're feeling.
Don't move on it.
Time is really short, lifespanis really short.
(23:49):
Everybody is making footprintsin the world, so yeah put your
foot down.
Speaker 2 (23:55):
You got a lot of ideas right, so do you when you
have them like, what like?
Do you ever like man, I don't,I shouldn't do that, or this is
the one that's like the rightone.
Speaker 3 (24:02):
I should do, because I feel like when you're creative
person, like you're but thisyear, my brother told me that I
need to slow down because, likethe prior prior years, I just
had put a lot on my plate.
Speaker 2 (24:12):
Oh, I'm going to do this.
Speaker 3 (24:12):
I'm going to think about it, but I don't like
nothing to just sit on my mindbecause, now I got another
problem on my mind.
Speaker 1 (24:19):
Yep.
Speaker 3 (24:20):
But, now I'm taking one step at a time, Like I'm
dealing with the liquor and thefilms right now.
That's it.
My brother got the clothing.
He's doing the clothingAssistant is doing the modeling
agency, so I'm spreading out thework so I don't have to be
hands-on.
Speaker 1 (24:33):
That makes sense.
That's excellent.
Things be flowing.
We always talk aboutrestaurants, man.
I know you talk about HattieMarie's a little bit, but what's
your favorite restaurant,especially being from Vegas, man
?
What's your favorite spot hereto go to eat at?
Speaker 3 (24:45):
I like Steakhouse.
Speaker 1 (24:46):
Okay, del Frisco's.
I think that's one of myfavorites.
Speaker 3 (24:48):
Frisco's is fire yeah , stk is all right.
Stk is always good yeah, I likemom and pop joints too.
I like Nora's.
Nora's is great too, yeah.
Speaker 1 (24:56):
Yeah, really good Tying a spot.
Yeah, Mm-hmm.
Speaker 3 (24:58):
Yeah, and I like hibachi spots too.
Okay, I'm a hibachi person.
Speaker 1 (25:05):
Second person to talk about.
H?
I sure love the vanilla riceman.
Have you been to vanilla rice'sspot?
You?
Got to check him out, man.
So he just opened up a placeoff of Charleston Hibachi spot
before.
He used to have a takeout onthe east side, if I remember
correctly.
But check him out.
Speaker 2 (25:19):
He brought us some food here.
It was excellent, excellent.
We're putting this episode outsoon, man.
It was great.
Big portions too, very goodportions.
Speaker 1 (25:27):
Anything we forgot to ask you, man, that you want to
leave us out on.
You got a lot going on.
Speaker 3 (25:30):
You're motivating man , I'm just working.
Man, shout out to Las Vegas.
You know what I'm saying?
We're about to be on the mapwith a lot of things.
A lot of people is working andgetting notarized and things
like that.
I agree.
Speaker 1 (25:47):
But that's our goal too, man.
With being you know people likeyourself that, that we are
really building the city, man.
It's not just a strip.
There's a lot of people out offthe strip.
Speaker 3 (25:54):
That's been building it.
Yeah, we built the culture allthe way around, even the gaming
culture.
We built that totally becausewe gave it all our money, yeah.
Speaker 1 (26:05):
He said even the gamer coach you ain not lying,
that's straight up facts, man.
Speaker 3 (26:13):
What's your social handles people can reach out to
you on and the business handlesand stuff.
Certified Avenue.
Yeah, and you can check out theShot Series.
Just Google the Shot Series,it'll pull up on all the
platforms.
It's an original series madeand brought to you by none other
than Certified Hustlers out ofLas Vegas, nevada.
Speaker 1 (26:29):
That's what's up, man .
We appreciate you hanging outwith us, man, and check us out
at VegasSoccercom.
Appreciate you, man, keep doingit Already, already.
That was excellent man.
Welcome to Vegas Circle Podcast with your hosts,
paki and Chris.
We are people who arepassionate about business,
success and culture, and this isour platform to showcase the
people in our city who make ithappen.
On today's podcast, we'resitting down with a true
certified hustler yes sir Makingmoves in the fashion film and
now in the spirits game.
We're diving into his latestprojects and getting his take on
(00:20):
the business scene in Las Vegas.
Let's welcome.
Co-founder of Certify Ave, mrLaquan, yp Hunt man.
What's up?
Welcome, welcome.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
So finally get a chance to sit down with you, man
.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
Bless you bless you.
Yeah yeah, a lot of the samefolks that we know, man.
Man, I've been watching a lotof y'all work too.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
We appreciate that man.
We appreciate that is to you,man, like we talked about over
the phone.
So many hats in the businessspace.
The brand is Certify Ave.
Certify Avenue Avenue.
I'm sorry, let's touch base onthe business as far as clothing
first.
So now you guys actually have aclothing store inside Town
Square in Las.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
Vegas.
Yeah well, actually it's likeour fourth store.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
Oh, that's our fourth store.
Well we're growing.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
As we grow, we get bigger.
We started at a swap meet 2014.
Okay, yeah, so we started in2014, the way it came from music
I used to do music okay and thename of the group was certified
hustlers that's what's up.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
Okay, so you were artists and that was your group,
okay artists.
Speaker 3 (01:18):
It was five of us actually.
One of us died in a caraccident and then sorry to hear
that just went away, but we usedto have t-shirts with the CH on
it.
That was like our brand.
We made all our clothing andstuff and so when the music kind
of tarnished out and faded outa little bit, I started doing
the clothing, because everybodywanted the shirts and stuff.
That's what's up.
I started in a swap meetselling shirts and T-shirts.
(01:40):
I probably made about $20,000in the swap meet.
That's what's up Not a lot ofmoney, but from there.
Speaker 1 (01:47):
It is a lot of money.
$20,000 is good.
That's your own brand.
That's my own brand From there.
Speaker 3 (01:50):
I got my own brick and border.
So from 2017, we've been justelevating.
Speaker 1 (02:10):
And that's a very hard great location to be.
Speaker 3 (02:11):
They're making so many changes in town square.
Yeah, it is actually.
They just built some condosover there and a great
restaurant over there.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
The guest house is yeah, shout out to my guys over
there guest house.
Yeah, those are my guys overthere.
Speaker 3 (02:24):
Yeah, it's growing over there pretty good.
Okay, what's the biggest?
Speaker 2 (02:27):
challenge.
When you open up a new store,right, you have your brand
identity.
Like I think you know there'speople that like your brand.
They go and seek it out andfind it.
But going into a new locationis it hard to kind of pull
people from a different locationinto a new more people walking
around and just like the way itlooks.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
Yeah, more of urban.
So since the social media worldbeen coming apart, I tried to
build a store like a socialmedia platform, so every spot in
the store you could takepictures and just do a whole
bunch of social media content,things like that.
So I'm trying to move towardsthat route a little bit more.
But fashion is fashion.
(03:02):
You know what I mean.
You can have fashion anywhere.
If somebody likes some garmentand things like that, you're
going to shop.
That's 100%.
This came from the Avenue.
You know what I mean.
It's not my brand, but I carryother brands as well too.
Speaker 1 (03:13):
And that's what I was going to ask you.
So do you guys actually designyour own clothing, basically
label?
Speaker 3 (03:19):
Yeah, yeah, we have our brand and then we brand out
with a lot of uh, blackcompanies out of throughout
america.
Speaker 1 (03:24):
so that's what's up.
Okay, so this is strictly blackowned.
Yeah, oh yeah, business andyou've got other other designers
and everything from that wholesetup, okay, wholesale with all
different types of designers.
Speaker 3 (03:35):
I love this man, yeah you know what's interesting man
?
Speaker 1 (03:37):
just to sidetrack for one second, shout out to my guy
, rashim turner.
That's based in atlanta.
That's actually how I met mywife.
He actually owned a companycalled Urban City Talent and
that was the whole idea ofputting a lot of businesses
together.
They had a fashion company.
I did a lot of stuff withBishop Down Wine from Chicago
and the whole nine, but I loveto be able to see you guys doing
that, man.
Yeah, it's a grind.
Speaker 3 (03:56):
It's a grind, but you know they say one thing people
love to look good and eat good,good.
So those are the two things,that two businesses that you
could kind of corner and keep alittle little wave going
throughout time.
You know what I mean 100%.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
How do you identify, right?
So it's not like there's apeople, like you said, fashion's
fashion People like what theylike, they wear what they want
to wear and if it looks goodthey're going to, they're going
to go and like it.
But you know who's the personwho's in charge of identifying
that look?
You know, as I'm like scouringthe country, finding new trends,
new people that aremanufacturing, and I want to put
it in my store because I wantto put my name behind it right,
how do you identify what that isand how do you keep track of
(04:32):
what those trends are kind ofmoving towards?
Speaker 3 (04:33):
I have a 15-year-old daughter.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
I have a 15-year-old daughter.
Actually, she's're a producer.
Speaker 3 (04:42):
Don't go too hip-hop.
Look like a producer.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
So we went in the closet and she styled me.
Speaker 3 (04:48):
So, yeah, I got a 15-year-old daughter and she's
crazy into fashion at 15.
The new kicks everything LikeI'm going crazy over there
trying to keep up witheverything that she wants.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
Yeah, and she'll tell you if it's whack too, man,
because kids, that's how you getto ask the honesty.
Kids is a trend.
You know what I mean it alwaysstarts with the kids.
Speaker 3 (05:05):
And once you get them locked in, I mean, they're your
fans forever.
Like you still listen toartists your first artist you
was listening to.
You're still a fan of them tothis day.
You never let that because it'skind of like your first love.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
Yeah, that's a good point.
They spend a lot more money too, because I went to the same
high school.
I went for 10 years, Right.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
Your parents.
Like I just said, I'm spendingso much money trying to keep her
flying and things like that sowe spend all the money to keep
going.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
So talk about brick and mortar.
What would make you transitionto just be strictly online?
You know you're touching basewith that.
What would make you want tojust do that?
Speaker 3 (05:47):
Or do you like the idea of being able to feel and
be able to be in?
You know the touch ofeverything.
I do like that, but I thinkonline is the way to go.
To be already honest with you,online is the world right now.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
Because of the capital too.
Yeah, Look at it.
Speaker 3 (05:58):
Yeah, and it's easy.
You know what I mean.
You can just ship right fromyour home or right from you.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
Direct to consumer.
Speaker 3 (06:04):
Right to the consumer .
So yeah, the Internet is socialmedia and TikTok and all those
things.
You can sell a million T-shirtswith just a good dance or a
good trend.
Speaker 2 (06:15):
You know what I mean.
Speaker 3 (06:15):
You'll take off, so the Internet's really awesome.
Speaker 1 (06:18):
Do you feel like at some point Certify Avenue, you
will be out of brick and mortarand just go shop online?
Speaker 3 (06:25):
I think this will be our last year, to be honest with
you as far as brick and mortarReally.
Because our whole brand isonline.
Now we're doing the productionmovies, we're doing podcasting,
we got a modeling agency, so alot of things is visual, you
know what I mean.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
So it's visual.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
Click, click and it's done yeah.
Speaker 3 (06:42):
Click, so it makes a lot of sense visual click, click
and it's done.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
Yeah, click, click and you can cut on the overhead
too with the rent electricityeverything that's on there.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
I know it's not cheap at town square not at all and
you know.
Speaker 2 (06:51):
Do you feel like the clothing brand is a driver of
all of these other businesses,or do you think the other
businesses are a driver of yourclothing brand?
Speaker 3 (06:59):
well, at first I was the clothing brand that was
driving it, but then, five yearslater, after I tapped into the
movies, I'm going crazy becausenow I can product place all my
stuff in my movies.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
Good point.
Speaker 3 (07:12):
So if you see, once you watch my films and they some
really good films, really filmgood from Hollywood and
everything.
Everybody with the clothing on,from the females to the males,
have Certified Avenue.
Speaker 1 (07:24):
That's awesome.
You know what I mean.
Speaker 3 (07:25):
So so now I'm just product placement and with that
and I hit a million viewsalready.
So now the internet wouldreally be the great time to jump
on it, and you know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
That's what is that similar to not biting off Dame,
right?
That's what a lot what Dame didright as far as product
placement inside the movies,with Rockefeller and Jay and all
of them?
Speaker 3 (07:44):
Man, I'm a fan of Dame Jay Irv.
Yeah, I'm a fan of all thoseguys.
Master P, everybody killing it.
Speaker 1 (07:51):
That's excellent man.
So jumping into the films,right?
So Certify Film HomeEntertainment is the film
company, right?
You're a producer of that whichyou sent me one of the links
with.
I need to check out that newseries which we're going to get
into.
But talk a little bit about theSHOT, the SHOT series, okay.
Speaker 3 (08:11):
So basically the SHOT series is true stories from
victims of gun violence to liveto tell a horrific story.
So we sit them down kind oflike in a journalist setting.
Okay, they tell a story fromthe time they woke up to the
time they ended up in thehospital and these are people
that actually got shot.
Yeah, these are actual victims,survivors.
These are real survivors that'stalking to us.
That's crazy yeah, and so fromthere they tell us from the day
(08:33):
they woke up, from the time theywoke up to the time they ended
up in the hospital.
And you know from what Ilearned from interviewing
victims is they don't forgetanything, from the smell to what
they put on, just every littlething is is embedded in their
brain from that day.
Speaker 1 (08:49):
That's some trauma for real yeah.
Speaker 3 (08:51):
It's real trauma.
So and then I take that storyfrom the, from what they tell me
in that interview, I try tocomplete it to the T and film
production.
So in a small film I'm showingthe actions of being a survivor
of a gun.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
So like recreated with like their interview as
like a backdrop kind of deal,that's pretty cool.
Speaker 3 (09:09):
Well, the interview is after the show.
Oh, that's great.
And then I go get C-list,B-list actors to play the actual
victims.
Speaker 1 (09:17):
Oh wow, so you put it all together as a visualization
.
Okay, where can you?
Speaker 3 (09:20):
watch this at now.
It's on Tubi right now.
Look who and a lot of other.
Speaker 1 (09:25):
You said Look who Shout out to Byron.
Byron picked it up as soon as Ibrought it in.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
He picked it up.
He loved it.
Speaker 3 (09:31):
Shout out to Byron.
Actually he's waiting on thatsecond season.
Speaker 1 (09:35):
It's coming.
It's coming, that's excellent.
Speaker 3 (09:40):
He picked it up, man, when did first?
Well, not when he first startedit, but when he started putting
the energy into the.
Look who app yeah that's prettycool.
Speaker 1 (09:48):
What would you say is kind of the difference, right
as far as like distribution,between like a 2B, you know, a
Netflix, obviously Look, who'sgot their whole platform on how
they build out.
You know, being able to thewhole setup of Look who Shout
out to.
We had an interview with Byronso you can check out the past
episode, but what?
would you say as far asdistribution, what would you
recommend to somebody, or howthey would put out a film or a
(10:10):
series or anything like that?
Would you go straight toNetflix or what would you do as
far as Netflix?
Speaker 3 (10:15):
is the big play.
You know what I mean.
That's what.
That's my next step.
Yeah, cause of the eyes, orNetflix, because Netflix they
with Look, who and Tubi.
It's kind of streaming services.
So the more views you get, themore money you get but Netflix,
they're giving you the checkright away.
They're buying the film, they'rebuying the rights and you know
(10:37):
it'll take you to bigger, biggerplatforms.
So that's the way we're going.
I got a new season and I'mpitching it to Netflix and these
guys so Knocked on Wood.
Netflix and these guys soknocked on wood.
Speaker 1 (10:45):
Let's hope Netflix Can you talk a little bit about
what the season is.
Well, it's actually the secondseason.
Oh, for the second season.
Okay, second series.
Speaker 3 (10:52):
Every episode is a different story.
Got you?
Speaker 1 (10:56):
Okay.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
So we're looking to be the new urban law and order
is what I call my episode,because it's a hunt.
I mean you can go anywherearound the world and you can get
stories from victims of gunviolence.
You know what I mean, no matterwhat background, ethnicity or
whatever, because guns— it'sthere.
Speaker 1 (11:16):
It's a real situation .
Speaker 3 (11:17):
It's a problem that we have around the world and in
America.
So I'm trying to tap into thatin an urban way so I can try to
get some of these youngsters toreally see the outcome of being
out there in the streets.
Because when you see theseinterviews, like they paraplegic
, telling these stories, Likethey only could talk from the
(11:37):
neck down.
I mean from the neck you know,what I mean and he's still
flying everything, but it's likeyou know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (11:44):
One decision or wrong place at the wrong time.
Wrong place, wrong time.
You know what I mean For onedecision or wrong place at the
wrong time.
Speaker 3 (11:48):
Wrong place, wrong time.
You know what I mean.
And then another story is wrongplace at wrong times.
People was in the elevator andsomebody opened the elevator and
shot the whole elevator up.
Speaker 1 (11:55):
Oh man, and this happened in.
Speaker 3 (11:56):
Chicago, that's my hometown.
Speaker 2 (11:58):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 3 (11:59):
So these are the stories that we're telling, and
it's crazy.
Speaker 2 (12:03):
And is that like kind of the plan right?
I know you're trying to go.
The goal is to get to Netflixright, yeah, that's where I'm
going.
When you're trying to pitchthese things to them.
How are they determining ifit's something they want to pick
up or not?
I'm not super familiar with it.
Do they track your viewershipand do they track what's your
engagement like?
What kind of metrics are theylooking?
Speaker 1 (12:19):
for.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
And how do you?
Speaker 3 (12:28):
drive those I.
That's what I'm trying tofigure out too.
I really don't know, but Ithink it's probably more of how
many views we got a millionviews on one episode, but it's a
season.
But we got a million views onone episode.
So trying to get the otherepisodes to get to a million
views, but we already at onemillion with one episode.
And I got a new season that'skind of more souped up than a.
You know what I mean we done.
Speaker 2 (12:47):
Graduated now so Okay , and how are you driving
viewership, like you know?
Because one thing I'll say yougot, you know, like you said, a
certified hustler.
You got a lot of hands, a lotof different pots and they all
have their own challenges oftrying to elevate them to you
know, certain levels ofcontinuing and doing all that
kind of stuff.
I'm actually looking for a PRright now.
It's a lot, it's a lot, it's alot.
Speaker 3 (13:11):
But once it's on Tubi , it's worldwide you know what I
mean, okay.
And once the views start goingon there, the show is
recommended.
That makes sense, so that makesit the algorithm go up and
everything the algorithm go upbut the algorithm kind of going
down because it's been out ayear now so nobody's watching
the same episode.
We're in post-production rightnow for the new season.
Speaker 2 (13:31):
And you can track it like in a daily, weekly, monthly
basis.
Speaker 3 (13:35):
Algorithm, all that, yeah, the payments and all that.
Shout out to Tubi, that'sexcellent.
Speaker 1 (13:40):
How'd you get into the film space?
Because that's a hard industryto be in, man.
Speaker 3 (13:48):
Actually I used to do music, like I say, and all of
our videos used to look likeshort movies.
Short films Got it.
So I always had this passion ofreally wanting to do movies,
but I didn't have enough moneyand the movies it's just.
You know, it's a lot to go intomovies.
Speaker 1 (14:01):
Very detailed, a lot, a lot.
Speaker 3 (14:03):
So the music kind of died out and I was like asking
people I want to do these movies, I want to do these movies.
I got with a couple local guysand it just didn't give me the
feel and I said, okay, let meget my money up, save some money
, hired Hollywood to come outand we did the first season and
it took off.
And going from there and you'reoriginally from Vegas, right,
(14:23):
born and raised Okay.
Speaker 1 (14:24):
So you know everybody , yeah, okay 2600 Marlitha King
Boulevard.
Speaker 3 (14:27):
Okay, that's what's up.
I'm actually in the works rightnow writing a film about that,
really.
Yeah, it's called God Bless theGang.
Speaker 1 (14:35):
Excellent yeah.
Speaker 3 (14:36):
With Too Short on the soundtrack.
Oh, that's excellent.
Speaker 1 (14:39):
It's so much going on in Vegas.
I love all this creativity wetalked about over the phone is
kind of your plan of kind ofshowcasing you know things that
are happening in Vegas.
Speaker 3 (14:49):
In the home base, in the home base Beyond the lights,
yeah.
Speaker 2 (14:53):
And you think these things are getting a little
easier.
You know we're trying to breakinto it, but now you have, like
AI.
That's helpful.
Now I have my cell phone thathas a pretty damn good camera on
it, you know now people are.
You know things they could dopost-ed editing from an AI
perspective.
Do you think that is helpingyou?
Do you think you're gettinginto the right, perfect time to
take advantage of a lot of thosethings?
Speaker 3 (15:10):
Well, not right now, because AI with films, you have
to have a lot of money.
You can't do that from a phone.
You can't do that from yourcomputer or anything to make it
the way it's supposed to be.
What they give you right now isjust enough for your apps and
things like that.
But as far as getting intoproduction and movie and films,
that's a lot.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
That's a whole different.
I get like 10 seconds on my AIvideos.
Speaker 3 (15:32):
That's a lot of AI and it gotta be really the AI
have to be built for that filmtype thing Got it.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
Okay, that makes sense.
That shows, I would have neverknown that, now that you broke
that down I.
How do you feel about Hollywood2.0 moving to Vegas?
I love it, man.
What I'm excited too.
That is beautiful.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
Perfect time.
Speaker 3 (15:50):
Man, I think God blessed me.
Speaker 1 (15:51):
Yeah, I think it was strictly for me, especially
because you were born and raisedfrom here.
Speaker 3 (15:56):
Yeah, I think it was strictly for me.
You know what I mean, so that'sgreat man.
Yeah, vegas is about to becrazy in the next five years.
Speaker 2 (16:02):
I can't wait to see you.
Speaker 3 (16:03):
Basketball team.
Yeah, I just want one.
I mean 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0.1 of it.
Speaker 2 (16:11):
Yeah, you know what I mean.
I would think people who havebeen here 10 years longer or
more are the people who arepoised to take advantage of it.
Speaker 1 (16:19):
Because a lot of people are going to try to come
here and try to take advantageof it.
But we got our roots, they'realready coming.
Yeah, it's hard, it's hard tobreak into.
Speaker 3 (16:25):
Yeah, they just write down Las Vegas Boulevard.
You ain't lying, yeah.
And then you got to go throughthe back rooms.
Yeah, you got to come all theway around.
You know it's growing crazy.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
Yeah, it's amazing.
We got to talk about this vodkaright.
So and I got to say it rightLie by you.
So talk a little about this man, the vodka industry, or just
liquor spirits in general is oneof the hardest industries to be
in and you pick a lot of thehard industries.
I mean that's where the bigmoney is.
(16:55):
I know it is.
That's where the big money is.
Speaker 3 (16:57):
Or if I'm at a small percentage, it'll trickle down
to me to give me enough to feedmy peoples.
But the vodka.
I hooked up with some cats outof Iowa.
My boy James he's in thebackground over there.
He put the whole play togetherfor me.
He's a brand manager for them.
Okay, nice, like same how.
(17:17):
You've been watching me doingmy thing and everything.
He's been watching from afarand plugged me with the guy
Brent and we did some promo forhim and then after that promo he
was on board so I showed himwhat I could do.
Speaker 1 (17:29):
Where is it at now?
How can you get the vodka?
Speaker 3 (17:32):
Right now.
It's only at Hacienda Liquorsright now.
Okay, Is that in Vegas?
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (17:35):
that's in.
Speaker 3 (17:36):
Vegas.
Okay, mariposa should be havingit soon.
Speaker 1 (17:43):
Shout out to Mariposa .
Yeah, Ifapping Ash.
Speaker 3 (17:45):
Okay.
So right now we're trying toget also Hattie Marie's, my boy.
Speaker 1 (17:50):
Oh, okay.
Speaker 3 (17:50):
Yeah, I had a meeting with him.
Speaker 1 (17:51):
I have not went to Brandon's spot.
Speaker 3 (17:53):
Oh, you got to check it out.
I've heard nothing but greatthings.
Speaker 1 (17:58):
My daughter love it.
Speaker 3 (18:00):
I heard it's excellent food.
Yams and the Mac.
Yeah, yeah, that's.
And hopefully with ourdistributor, if he get all the
way locked in, we'll be in thesecasinos and then it's over from
there or Walmart or Target, youknow what.
Speaker 1 (18:10):
I mean.
Speaker 3 (18:11):
Whichever one, I won't complain.
Speaker 1 (18:21):
They say like the toughest part.
You hear like 50 talk about,you know, not even getting on
the sidetrack about Puff andCiroc and all that stuff.
But being that it's notregulated, they say it's one of
the hardest industries becauseit's so controlled.
Speaker 3 (18:29):
It's like two companies that control the
liquor space.
And imagine how hard it is inLas Vegas.
That's amazing.
Speaker 1 (18:33):
Because we built the mecca of entertainment and
alcohol and everything we builtoff liquor?
Speaker 3 (18:38):
Yeah, but I think it'll be easy because I'm in the
backyard of my hometown.
Yeah, hometown, why not?
What's?
Speaker 2 (18:43):
kind of that process, one you start from
manufacturing, then obviouslydistribution has its own issues,
but then there's branding.
There's a lot of differentfacets to kind of building out
this brand.
Is it?
When you're trying to do it, doyou have to taste a lot of
different samples of what youlike?
How do you kind of go throughthat process of getting, like,
say, I want Vegas Circle on thisbottle.
How do I do that?
Speaker 3 (19:02):
You got to get with James.
Speaker 1 (19:03):
You got to have an end?
Yeah, but you got to have anend because it's definitely.
Speaker 3 (19:06):
I don't even know how I got in, but, like I say, god
always blessed me for somereason.
Speaker 2 (19:10):
I feel like I'm a good guy.
Speaker 3 (19:12):
So God always put me in positions to make miracles
happen.
So I don't even know how I gotinto it.
And three months, four monthslater, now we're right here
Cases.
We distribute into the bars andthings like that.
So everything is working out,but it's real good though.
Speaker 1 (19:27):
I'm going to try it.
Speaker 3 (19:28):
If you're a fan of vodka, you would definitely love
this one.
Speaker 1 (19:30):
Chris is a yeah, that's his water.
That's why I put it next to me.
Speaker 2 (19:34):
I like, look, because I do it because I don't want to
get a hangover, so I drinkAbsolute.
Speaker 3 (19:42):
Oh, yeah, yeah, I thought you were going to say
Tito's.
You know, tito's don't get youno air.
It does to me for some reason.
Yeah, I like Tito's.
I like Tito's too.
I like Tito's.
Is that better than Tito's?
Better than Waze?
I'm going to let you know.
I'm going to let you know forsure.
Yeah, yeah, you got to taste it.
Speaker 1 (20:09):
So, from your perspective, man like what's
clothing, film, liquor is awhole different space man,
that's big boy.
We're for real.
Yeah, where, where do you seethe opportunities you know
taking you?
As far as I know, there'sdetours that you probably have
been through that still goingthrough, going through all that.
But where do you see theopportunity?
You know, the biggest visionfor this is it coming out with
other brands that you want towork with.
Speaker 3 (20:23):
yeah, actually I'm really indebted to films.
Speaker 2 (20:26):
Okay, you know what I mean, that's the baby, but the
liquor is.
Speaker 3 (20:29):
that's my backyard.
You know what I mean.
I drink.
I'm from Las Vegas, you knowwhat I mean.
I love to have a good time andI love to have a great tasting
of drink to make me feel good,like you say, not having to hang
over things in the morning andthings like that, but filming
going to be the next JohnSingleton of Las Vegas.
That's what's up you know whatI'm saying, so that's where I'm
really going.
I got some.
(20:49):
We working on a lot of filmsright now.
Speaker 1 (20:52):
What's kind of the resume?
So I know about the Shot Series.
What's kind of your resume fromprior?
You know things that you'veworked on.
Speaker 3 (20:58):
The Shot Series.
Shot Series is my first one.
Right now we working on afeature film.
God bless the game.
I did some short films, uh,hide and seek, and I actually
got where I wrote a horror film.
But a wolf, a urban wolf, oh,you got a spin on that yeah so
it's really cool, though I giveyou a little taste of it.
Okay, the some friends are goingon a trip.
(21:21):
They buying some rugs from anold lady, but the rugs are made
out of old wolf's wolf skin,where Wolf is around in the
mountains and he's get a whiffof his brothers and his brothers
and sisters and take a turn.
Speaker 1 (21:36):
Oh, so you're ready to eat up the whole?
Yeah, I can already imaginethat sounds crazy.
Yeah, we working man.
Speaker 3 (21:40):
We working Certified films is definitely going to be.
Speaker 1 (21:42):
That's exciting.
Speaker 3 (21:43):
And I got a dope.
Sorry, I forgot to tell you adocumentary filmed in Indonesia.
Get out of here.
Yeah, okay, certify your hustle.
That'll be coming out this InIndonesia, in Indonesia.
Wow Okay, super crazy, superdope.
I gave y'all a little behindthe scenes, okay.
Speaker 2 (21:57):
Would love to see that.
Do you like to get into themovies or are you more like to
be production?
Speaker 3 (22:04):
Like.
Do you like to be involved?
Like so yeah.
I'm going to be all the way inthe mix going on.
I did enough films and watchedenough directors that I think I
got the hang of it yeah.
Speaker 1 (22:15):
That's awesome, the creativity man is just unlimited
.
It's a lot of fun, manespecially being able to
showcase, you know, people'svision and documentaries and
things.
Speaker 3 (22:25):
Those are ones I love because you can be able to
learn so much from people andyou can just tap into and get
you some insight on things notto do or be aware of 100%,
because a lot of things is 360around the world.
I agree it happens the same, Iagree.
Speaker 2 (22:38):
And we're in a world right now, where everything is
just content.
Speaker 1 (22:40):
Content, content content.
Speaker 2 (22:41):
People are just consuming it so fast.
Speaker 1 (22:43):
The more you can pump out yeah, and it's music.
I was just listening to musicin the car with my boy.
I think the song was a minuteand a half, but it was a fire
song.
But that's all you got.
Yeah, that's all you got is aminute.
Speaker 3 (23:05):
That's a good point, because we're younger than a lot
.
Three and a half, four and ahalf, you get six minutes.
Six minutes, teddy Grant,vibing, yeah, vibing, teddy's
killing it.
Speaker 1 (23:11):
You, right on that.
Switch the subject a little bitabout business advice.
Man, what's one gem of businessadvice you could give maybe a
young entrepreneur or maybesomebody that's building their
business on the side right now?
What would you say to them?
Just because you've had so manylayers to you Start?
Speaker 3 (23:26):
That's the first thing Start.
You know what I mean, because Ithink I set up for years just
thinking of all the things Iwanted to do, but never moved on
it.
The time that I started movingon it, before I knew it.
I'm here now making films andall that.
I can't even remember when Iwas.
You just have to start Whateverdream you're feeling.
Don't move on it.
Time is really short, lifespanis really short.
(23:49):
Everybody is making footprintsin the world, so yeah put your
foot down.
Speaker 2 (23:55):
You got a lot of ideas right, so do you when you
have them like, what like?
Do you ever like man, I don't,I shouldn't do that, or this is
the one that's like the rightone.
Speaker 3 (24:02):
I should do, because I feel like when you're creative
person, like you're but thisyear, my brother told me that I
need to slow down because, likethe prior prior years, I just
had put a lot on my plate.
Speaker 2 (24:12):
Oh, I'm going to do this.
Speaker 3 (24:12):
I'm going to think about it, but I don't like
nothing to just sit on my mindbecause, now I got another
problem on my mind.
Speaker 1 (24:19):
Yep.
Speaker 3 (24:20):
But, now I'm taking one step at a time, Like I'm
dealing with the liquor and thefilms right now.
That's it.
My brother got the clothing.
He's doing the clothingAssistant is doing the modeling
agency, so I'm spreading out thework so I don't have to be
hands-on.
Speaker 1 (24:33):
That makes sense.
That's excellent.
Things be flowing.
We always talk aboutrestaurants, man.
I know you talk about HattieMarie's a little bit, but what's
your favorite restaurant,especially being from Vegas, man
?
What's your favorite spot hereto go to eat at?
Speaker 3 (24:45):
I like Steakhouse.
Speaker 1 (24:46):
Okay, del Frisco's.
I think that's one of myfavorites.
Speaker 3 (24:48):
Frisco's is fire yeah , stk is all right.
Stk is always good yeah, I likemom and pop joints too.
I like Nora's.
Nora's is great too, yeah.
Speaker 1 (24:56):
Yeah, really good Tying a spot.
Yeah, Mm-hmm.
Speaker 3 (24:58):
Yeah, and I like hibachi spots too.
Okay, I'm a hibachi person.
Speaker 1 (25:05):
Second person to talk about.
H?
I sure love the vanilla riceman.
Have you been to vanilla rice'sspot?
You?
Got to check him out, man.
So he just opened up a placeoff of Charleston Hibachi spot
before.
He used to have a takeout onthe east side, if I remember
correctly.
But check him out.
Speaker 2 (25:19):
He brought us some food here.
It was excellent, excellent.
We're putting this episode outsoon, man.
It was great.
Big portions too, very goodportions.
Speaker 1 (25:27):
Anything we forgot to ask you, man, that you want to
leave us out on.
You got a lot going on.
Speaker 3 (25:30):
You're motivating man , I'm just working.
Man, shout out to Las Vegas.
You know what I'm saying?
We're about to be on the mapwith a lot of things.
A lot of people is working andgetting notarized and things
like that.
I agree.
Speaker 1 (25:47):
But that's our goal too, man.
With being you know people likeyourself that, that we are
really building the city, man.
It's not just a strip.
There's a lot of people out offthe strip.
Speaker 3 (25:54):
That's been building it.
Yeah, we built the culture allthe way around, even the gaming
culture.
We built that totally becausewe gave it all our money, yeah.
Speaker 1 (26:05):
He said even the gamer coach you ain not lying,
that's straight up facts, man.
Speaker 3 (26:13):
What's your social handles people can reach out to
you on and the business handlesand stuff.
Certified Avenue.
Yeah, and you can check out theShot Series.
Just Google the Shot Series,it'll pull up on all the
platforms.
It's an original series madeand brought to you by none other
than Certified Hustlers out ofLas Vegas, nevada.
Speaker 1 (26:29):
That's what's up, man .
We appreciate you hanging outwith us, man, and check us out
at VegasSoccercom.
Appreciate you, man, keep doingit Already, already.
That was excellent man.
Popular Podcasts
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.