1. For those who don’t know, tell them who you arr, where you’re from. And what yo do !
FRISCASSO’s the name, Born n Raised n the San Franpsycho Mission District to be exact. The question is what don’t I do, not what do I do. For those who don’t know, I’ve been investing and opening businesses for over 20 years. When you look at Rappers & Entrepreneurs in our region, and see them Opening clothing stores, starting clothing brands, buying print shops etc, chances are they probably grew up seeing me do all those things and more. Over the years seeing me promote at any and all events in The Bay Area and beyond, as well as watching me on MySpace, twitter, Facebook, Instagram etc. Everything they are doing now I’ve been doing for over 20 years, 99% probably won’t give me credit and openly say I’m probably one of the people who inspired & gave them the idea to do some of the things are doing now but chances are I am the one who inspired & gave them the idea to.
At 16 I started investing buying my own Silk Screen print shop equipment, at the early age of 20 I opened my first clothing store in San Francisco, we carried many of Bay Area Artist CD’s, as well as there t shirt Merch so I had Nor Cal Artist through on a regular basis. Probably around the age of 18 i started investing in Jewelry equipment to make custom jewelry. Then I believe around the age of 21-22 I opened up another clothing/custom jewelry store and website in San Francisco. Fast forward some years to 2016, I opened up my current clothing store “Key to the City” located at 5240 Mission st a block up from Geneva. This December will be my 5 year anniversary for this location, but now through the years I have learned more trades and offer more services at my store. I also own a clothing brand called “Hustle Relentless Clothing”, and I now have a $25,000. Dtg machine set up, and $50,000. Commercial embroidery machine set up, and have also flew to another state to learn how to make gold teeth. So aside from being a clothing store we offer custom silk screen printing, Dtg printing, embroidery, custom jewelry, custom gold teeth, and custom airbrushing. As well as having contracts from the biggest clothing brands in the United States, this is some of the contracts I have Starter, Mitchell and ness, Diamond Supply, Dope, Reason Brand, Hudson, G shock, 9five eyewear, Jordan Craig and more so we have been established as one of the top clothing store in San Francisco. Now that I live in Las Vegas I opened up a new shop out here, H365 Printing and embroidery. So I own “Key to the City” in San Francisco with a website www.KeyToTheCityOnline.com and I own “H365 Printing” in Las Vegas with the website “www.H365printing.com. As well my custom jewelry business titled “Friscasso the Jeweler”, and aside from all that I own my own record label “Relentless Hustle Records” and recording studio here in Las Vegas. On the music grind I’ve been featured on over 30 albums, dvds, mixtapes etc as well as releasing a full length album, Ep, and a bunch of singles. So like I said the question isn’t what do I do? but what don’t I do! So aside from my owning all these businesses, and over $100,000. In equipment I also have knowledge in many other trades. Northern Cali and the world can stay sleepin on me but truth of the matter is I am one of the most talented, gifted and hard hustlin dudes in the world.
2. Before you turned this into i a successful business and lots of dollars, was this a regular hobby or has this always been a passion for you ?
Originally I had no plans to do any of this, i never gave any of this a thought besides tap because a lot of friends rapped so I was always around it. I was breezing through life running the streets, partying, gang banging, n hustlin. Some random day posted up on 24th st in the mission district I was on Capp st with some homegirls that was gang bangin n sellin dope and they alll knew I used to draw cause I’d draw up tattoo designs for the homies in the hood, but they found out about some non profit organization that taught Screen printing classes for free to keep us out the streets, alive n outta jail n the homegirls told me about it. So I walked a block over to 25th n mission n went n talked to them, they let me in the program. Institute familiar de la Raza “estudio Ollin, was the name of it. So I started going and just gettin keeper in it, and eventually learned how to print t shirts with my own designs. So I started making “Frisco”, “Mission”’, “24th st” shirt design n selling them in the hood. So from there I stayed learning for years and investing in my own equipment. So that was the birth for me, and they also had a jewelry class there as well. So eventually I started taking jewelry classes and started selling custom jewelry and investing in jewelry equipment as well. So so everything I’m doing now all came and sprouted from that, for over 20 years I’ve been investing in print and jewelry equipment, and everything paid for more jewelry classes from a world renowned jewelry school and eventually met a random dude on Instagram who offered to teach me to make gold teeth, so around 6 years ago I flew to Durango Colorado and learned to make gold teeth. So originally just drawing and being in the hood was my passion, I never though of my future or what I wanted to be.
3. What did you want to be when you grow up. Did you ever think you’d hit with this ?
I never thought of being anything, when your young, dumb, misguided and or misinformed and or lost in the streets you don’t think about what matters and or your future. Product of your environment type shit, I grew around Ballers, and gang bangers. So naturally without a second though, what is normal to you?!
4. You make working for yourself look easy. Was it always easy ? What would you say is the hardest part ?
I make it look easy cause I’m really that talented, that motivated, and self driven and that smart. You can honestly say God blessed me, I know I’m something special. There isn’t many that can master all these talents and succeed like I have coming from The background I come from. Gang Bangin, sellin dope, going in and out of jail, high speed chases, being shot at regularly, being investigated. With no college, no business classes, no investors, no mommy n daddy money to pay my way, and no mentors. Just my own thoughts, plans, guidance, motivation and moves. It’s been my own choices that got me this far, blood, sweat, tears, hustle & sacrifice. I’d say the hardest part now is being away from my San Francisco store “Key to the City”, running a store from another state is hard. That store is my baby, I literally built it from the ground up. Removing walls, building walls, fitting room, installing laminate floor, new lighting etc. I really rebuilt it from the ground up. Luckily my Mom “Momma Sco” stepped up to help me run it some time after I moved to vegas, if it wasn’t for her stepping up and helping run it now I would have shut it down. All the first years Open I ran it myself everyday, making sure everything was perfect to my standards. But I’m glad my mom stepped up because it gave her something positive to do and be apart of, but still especially in these times. That’s one of the hardest parts, running and owning the shop while living out of state.
5. What’s your favorite part about doing what you do ?
I don’t know exactly, I love creating dope shit, love succeeding, and working for myself. Working for other people and having to answer to other people sucks, so I love having the choice to do what ever I want to do. It’s great not having to worry about some one bitching at you for whatever reason if you fucked up, or did something wrong. There Ian no one to bitch at me, or boss me around. I am the Boss!
6. How did it all start ? Can you tell us a little bit about you start and the grind ?
I didn’t reply to this question cause I pretty much went over how I started in question 2 so you can probably erase this wuestion
7. Who is your biggest supporter ? What’s keeps you grounded and held down ?
My biggest supporter, I don’t know. I guess my Family, and what keeps me grounded and motivated is Family as well as myself self motivating. If it wasn’t for Family I’d probably be dabbling doin some other thug shit in the streets still. Also I’m doin what I can to get closer to God, and trying live as righteous as possible these days.
8. How did you get your business off the floor and in peoples face ? Do you have any advice for young entrepreneurs?
In the beginning Id make flyers, go to any and every event I could. Wether I was setting up a booth to sale product or just to pass out flyers, shake hands n network. But even now the formula is the same, all of the above, as well as use any social media to promote, sale products and build a fan and customer base. Get billboards, radio advertisements if you can afford it or got a connect, get celebrity placements, etc.
My advice planing is good, but don’t over plan. I’ve seen many people plan and plan and plan, and never do. Or you can say aim but never pull the trigger, meaning you can’t just plan you have to do. So just fucking do it, those who succeed in life aren’t afraid to fail, you can’t hit your target or work to get closer to hitting your target if you don’t pull the trigger. And some people I see they do, but they take to long. They aren’t consistent enough, so plan and do. Plan and do, plan and do, don’t fucking plan and lag waiting for perfection just fucking do. Build brick by brick, takin from long and over planning isn’t good. It’s better to have a bunch of small wins building up to your goal then to have barely any movement.
9. If folks want to follow your movement and support , where can they do that at?
Instagrams:
Personal: @friscasso
Custom jewelry: @friscasso the jeweler
My store: @keytothecity415
My clothing brand: @hustlerelentless
My print shop: @h365printing
YouTube: Friscasso
Tidal: Friscasso
Google play: Friscasso
iTunes: Friscasso
Spotify: Friscasso
Key to the city
5240 mission st
San Francisco ca 94122
H365 printing
4601 w Sahara ave Suite D
Las Vegas Nv 89102
10. Is there anything else you’d like to elaborate on?
To the people……Stop dick riding, and start supporting real talent!!
11. Special shoutouts ?
S/o network for taking the time to support. I appreciate you and all who really support me and my movement. Thank you