Patiently Waiting G
rowing up in the same neighborhood in Long Beach, CA, Terry Kennedy and Fuzzy Felix’s history goes way back. So it only made sense that when business came their way, they’d become partners. The crew’s third member, H.I.T., is T.K.’s cousin. “Fuzzy and I have been doing music together for a long time,” adds H.I.T. “The initial grind started with a record called ‘Drama’ that drove T.K. to take things to a new level.” After recording “Drama,” T.K., who is also a well-known professional skateboarder, was immediately excited about the song’s potential. The group tested the record on Myspace, and according to H.I.T., it drew in over a hundred thousand plays in less than a month. It was clear the group stood out from the average sound in their region. Coming from an environment where it’s typical to rock a red or blue flag by a certain age, Fly Society had a heavy burden to carry, but they
weren’t going to let it weigh them down. As upcoming Cali artists, it was normal for people to expect gangbangin’ records from them. “Coming from the West Coast people are like, ‘Okay, we know what y’all are about to come out with,’” says T.K., who in 2005 was shot twice while leaving a party in Long Beach. “But Fly Society is musically taking things to another level that nobody over here is even doing.” On the positive side, T.K. knows that Fly Society is one of a kind, and with their movement they see the hearts of people are being felt. T.K. continues, “We overcame so much and are still overcoming so much. A lot of people tell us they’ve been touched when they see our movement.” Fly Society understands what it means to hustle, and collectively they’ve learned the importance of branding. Alongside their music ventures, the trio got their feet wet in the marketing side with their self-titled clothing line Fly Society. Applying the concept of endorsements, they got rappers,
singers, athletes, and other celebrities to rep their shoe line, The Supras, which became widely popular. “We haven’t even made a big run on the music side of things yet,” T.K. says. “We were already killing it with our fashion. Look at a lot of these videos; a lot of artists have our shoes on.” Not only did Fly Society expand nationally, enlisting the representation of former Young Money affiliate Curren$y, but they are also locally revered. When listing some of the group’s famed Long Beach supporters, Felix proudly names Crooked I and Snoop Dogg as people who have recognized their work. As for the countless everyday listeners checking for the group, Felix says, “Musically a lot of people can relate to it because it’s real.” He adds, “When the label sees us, they see so much hope, and we’re gonna make sure we live up to it.” Words by Quinton Hatfield Photo by Kenny Ong
OZONE WEST // 17