NA’IM, THE INTERVIEW

NA’IM, 21

This interview was conducted in Ellenwood, Georgia in the bedroom of Na’im Fareed on May 31, 2022 at 11:47 PM. At 21, Na’im is sure of himself and his style. The needlessly bespectacled Neglect-All-Negative designer’s long ginger locs are probably the first thing you notice at first glance but upon further investigation, it almost recedes into the background. He’s tatted. He wears fun outfits. He dunks (sometimes). He works (always). He throws big pop-up shop events. He flexes his money, his girlfriend, his brand, and his charisma every chance he gets. He’s my brother. He takes up space and he’s looking to take up a lot more. Prior to the interview, I found myself thinking a lot about time and the direction our life and our decisions are pointing us towards. So I asked Na’im about that and he responded with much more. From fashion to fallen mentors to apologies to women to gratification to giants and the reality of feeling small, we discuss and we look to get better from here.

Najee AR Fareed: Who are you? How old are you? Where are you from? What do you do? 

Na’im Fareed: I am Na’im Fareed. I am a designer for Neglect-All-Negative. I was born in Kansas City, Missouri. Raised in Atlanta, Georgia. 

Najee AR Fareed: What is the first thing you fell in love with? 

Na’im Fareed: The first thing I fell in love with was probably drawing. Everyone in class telling me I was the best. Even in pre-school. Even in kindergarten. Everytime I draw, the whole class used to come around my desk and watched me draw. So yeah, I fell in love with that shit. 

Najee AR Fareed: Did you feel as though it was more so the validation of everyone saying you’re the best or was it the act of the drawing? 

Na’im Fareed: It was probably the validation. Drawing isn't my favorite thing to do anymore, but growing up, when you’re the best at something it makes you feel heard. Noticed and appreciated. Even if it’s just in that one class period. You know what I’m saying? 

Najee AR Fareed: Quick word association. Just say the first word that comes to mind. No thinking. First word, negative. 

Na’im Fareed: Neglect. 

Najee AR Fareed: Archive. 

Na’im Fareed: Na’im. 

Najee AR Fareed: Fashion. 

Na’im Fareed: Nan Couture House. 

Najee AR Fareed: House. 

Na’im Fareed: Crib. 

Najee AR Fareed: Alive. 

Na’im Fareed: Dead. 

NAF: Blessed. 

Na’im: Highly favored. 

NAF: Jump. 

Na’im: Lay down. 

NAF: Atlanta. 

Na’im: Decatur. 

NAF: What’s the most beautiful thing you have ever done? 

Na’im: Like made? Or an act? 

NAF: Anything you’ve ever done. However you feel. 

Na’im: [thinking] Damn the most beautiful thing I’ve ever done? The absolute most? I wouldn’t say it’s something I physically see, but the most beautiful I’ve ever felt… I should say… as far as in something I’ve created, it was probably my first fashion show back in 2019 I think. At this point it was probably about 3 or 4 years ago. It was far from my best work but that was my first time doing something that was in the right direction of what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I didn’t necessarily feel complete but I felt like I finally found at least one piece of the puzzle. 

NAF: Speaking of the puzzle, what are some of your goals? In the short term or the long term? Short meaning next year or in 2 years. Long term meaning 10, 15, 20 years out. 

Na’im: As far as short term goals, I really want to build my brand to where I don’t have to touch too much. I want to be more of a CEO rather than every part on the staff. I just want to be the boss so I can have other people handle the work for me so I can have more free time. I’d like to get a new spot. A nice new spot. I would like to get my passport. I’d like to invest a lot of money into my mom’s brand so she can finally have the funds to do what she really wants to do. 

NAF: Is that a short term goal or a long term goal? 

Na’im: Short term. As far as long term, I’d like to mainly just be happy. When I think 20 years from now, of course I love fashion, but what I love more than fashion is to be able to do nothing. To travel, to eat, to just relax. Fashion is cool, but it’s still work at the end of the day. Long term, I just want peace and happiness. However God sees fit, whatever I want, I need it. 

NAF: If you could be a song, what song would you be? One song. 

Na’im: I would probably be [thinking] “Trust My Lonely” by Alessia Cara. 

NAF: I don’t know that shit at all. 

Na’im: I was going through my music and I knew it was in there. The Pains of Growing is probably one of my top 5 favorite albums of all time.   

NAF: Trusting your lonely seems like an important step towards pretty much anything. I haven’t heard the song or I don’t know the song but trusting who are when you don’t have nothing or no one to fall back on is an important thing. If you could be a movie, what movie would you be? 

Na’im: If I could absolutely be a movie, what movie would I be? [thinking] I would probably be Hitch. 

NAF: Why do you say that? 

Na’im: Everyone knows rom-coms are the best genre of movies. In that movie, when I think of Will Smith, I think of him living a stress free life, until the climax of the movie or whatnot. He goes through his ups and downs but at the end he got his money and he got his girl. The nigga chilling. Shit seem cool. I didn’t see him going to work the whole movie. 

NAF: Well his job was to put men on with women without women knowing. Did Dad ever tell you about him and Hitch? He said that he wrote a story back in college about a misogynist-womanizer, who he based loosely off himself, getting his due through heartbreak. So that scene where Will Smith is watching that girl cheat on him and he’s like banging on the window and he’s going out bad, Dad said he wrote a scene somewhat similar to that. So he thinks his professor took his idea and sold it to Hollywood. He said that to me a few times. He said if I asked Grandma, Grandma would say they stole his idea for the movie. 

Na’im: What college did he go to? 

NAF: I don’t remember what he said. 

Na’im: Did he go to college in Kansas City? 

NAF: Yeah, probably. He has his master’s degree, he’s been to college a few times. 

Na’im: Dad has a master’s degree? 

NAF: Yeah. 

NAF: What are four physical items to summon you? If you put it into a hex thing and they need you to walk in through a portal? They mix it into a pot and you’ll pop up like magic. 

Na’im: I’ll say chapstick. My iPAD. My Cashleticz frames. My car keys. You looking at my phone? [laughs] 

NAF: huh? 

Na’im: I said, you looking at my phone? 

NAF: You always on your phone. What you said? Chapstick, iPAD, Cashleticz frames, car keys. Seems very vanity and accomplishment based. Let me not say accomplishment. Let me say utility based. 

Na’im: I go somewhere, I need my iPAD. My car is my biggest accomplishment till this day. I’ve been wanting my car fixed for three and a half weeks now. I was talking all that shit about that motha fucka last month too. Imma get a new car. Imma do this, imma do that. Now I just want my fucking whip back bruh, no cap. 

NAF: It be like that. A lot of times, niggas don’t know what they got till its missing. A lot of people say that life is a repetition of cycles, you’re caught in a constant cycle of different things. 

NAF: What’s something you always find yourself coming back to? Whether it be creative, lifestyle, women, whatever it is. A motif of your life, that you can’t even help.

Na’im: What does motif mean? 

NAF: Motif is generally used in fiction. Let’s say if you’re reading a book and there’s a black dog on page 5, page 15, page 20, page 22, page 25- 

Na’im: Something that’s reoccurring? 

NAF: Yeah. Generally the black dog is a symbol for something. When I said motif, I specifically meant in your creative world. Something that actively finds its way back into things that you are creating. Maybe, that’s the only answer that motif would fit into the definition. 

Na’im: Just one thing? 

NAF: You can say a few things. 

Na’im: I definitely always come back around to women. Always. 

NAF: Women in general. 

Na’im: Yeah. I always looked at women as my sin. You know? He smokes, he drinks. That’s my thing. 

NAF: A vice? 

Na’im: Yeah. I looked at women at my vice, when it came to Islam. I’d be like, “oh I don’t do nothing else besides talk to a bunch of women.” Even when I get out of a relationship or heartbreak or whatever it is and I’d be like, “oh I’m never talking to nobody again” but then it’s like boom look at that. Then I say it again then boom. Then I say it again then boom. So I feel like it’s always something about women at the end of day. Not on a negative page, but I feel like the need for me always comes back. But it’s almost like a sadness. I don’t want to say it’s a depression. It’s like a sadness. It’s not being content or satisfied no matter what. I could have a whole year feeling like I was on top of the world then boom, something could just click. Then I’m just satisfied anymore. I wouldn’t be happy anymore. I feel like that’s something that is something that just keeps reoccurring, reoccurring, reoccurring. It’s always been there. 

NAF: I get that too. I always bring up Serena Williams, I’ve probably said this to you before. She was talking about how the feeling of losing feels way worse than how good the feeling of winning feels for her. And that’s definitely true for me. I hate that it’s true, but that’s just the reality. When I feel like I’m losing at something, it feels way worse than it does good when I am winning. 

Na’im: That’s ‘cause I feel like I’m supposed to win, that’s why. I don’t feel like nobody owe me nothing but nigga… 

NAF: Serena is the greatest tennis player of all time, that’s probably why she feels that way too. 

Na’im: I remember something that always stuck with me and sometimes I be fucking hating how much of an impact Kevin had on me. Back when I was supposed to be a senior but I graduated early but it was the second semester, there was this one girl at the Y who was valedictorian and won like the MVP of the championship soccer game or something. She was doing a lot. Our circle was always accomplishing a lot. It was always a new goal, even when it came to Sam, Noah, pretty much the whole IJU. We was lowkey prodigies, you know what I mean? My brand just started kicking. I started getting some rappers in there. My first couple months out of high school. He was saying something about this girl, she was talking about this and that and the third. And when she walked out I was telling him about some of my accomplishments and he said, “all of this stuff doesn’t really surprise me. When you guys tell me these things, I knew that you could do it. That’s what you was supposed to do. I look at y’all and I see greatness. I don’t expect nothing else besides a win. He’s never surprised. Proud but never surprised.” And that always stuck with me. I think about it probably everyday, for real. I’m supposed to win. All these people look at me like I got all this but I think this is what I am supposed to have. This isn't my dream. This is the bare minimum. And then I even think about Kanye. Kanye saying all these niggas out here looking at what he got going like he just living the life, living the dream. And I’m like, nigga I’m living y’all dream. I’m nowhere close to my dream. And I’m like, “facts.” I’m probably only 2-3% in. And then I even think about when I asked you what the hell they meant when they said “the giant looks in the mirror and sees nothing.” I don’t think you remember but, on god, the reason I paused it and called is because you said that shit like 2-3 weeks before when I was in New York. You was talking like you don’t remember saying it. You probably just picked it up from when you be reading books and shit. But you said it when I was in New York. You was just talking, talking, talking, chatting and I you kinda just said “the giant looks in the mirror and sees nothing” and I was like I don’t know what this nigga is talking about. 

NAF: [laughs] I didn’t watch Jeen-Yuhs yet so I don’t know. 

Na’im: It wasn’t out yet. Then when I was watching it, I was kinda like wait a minute. What she (Dr. Donda West) mean by that? I was on google and everything. So when you told me, “it means exactly what it sounds like.” And it do mean exactly what it sounds like but I thought it would be a bit deeper. I wouldn’t say I exactly see nothing because I know what I’m doing is big, I know what I’m doing is huge, but when I look the mirror I don’t necessarily see the giant others are looking at but I see someone who is trying to be a giant. I wouldn’t say I see nothing, but I don’t see much. 

NAF: Generally when I see questions like this, it is about giving advice to your younger self, but what advice would you give to yourself 10  years in the future? What advice do you think your 31-year old self would need to hear? Or at least that you’d want to hear in 10 years? 

Na’im: That’s kinda tough. It’s generally the elder telling the less knowledgeable. Something that sticks with me now is that no deal is really that big of a deal. What is it, Najee? “The end is nothing, the road is all.” That’s something that I’ve just been living by for the past couple of years. Who knows, maybe by the time I’m 27 I'd forget about it and at 31 I’d need to hear it again. Just keep on going nigga.

NAF: I remember the first time I read that. It was in this guy, Rick Telander’s book Heaven Is A Playground. Rick Telander spent the summer of 1974 traveling the NYC streetball circuit. The whole book is about some talented 70s hoopers in New York who are trapped in self-destructive lifestyle patterns and making a lot of bad choices. This one guy, James “Fly” Williams, is literally the number one scorer in the country averaging around 30 PPG in Division I college basketball but he can’t stop doing drugs and he has the worst attitude ever. Towards the end of the book, his whole shit fall through and he don’t even make it to the league despite his talent. At the end of the book, Telander wrote this line and I literally wrote it down and put it everywhere. “The end is nothing, the road is all.” Nothing ever ends. 

NAF: This is also on that same tip. What’s the worst advice you ever got? 

Na’im: I get bad advice from people everyday. My entire life, I have never met anyone in the position I want to be in. Ever. Never. Till this day. I know some very famous and successful people. I’d say, the worst advice I can think of right now… I was a young nigga. It’s probably from Pierre bruh. It was when I first started my brand. I think I unfollowed him because of this. He DM’d me and said, “you shouldn’t give them so many options. Make them choose from this.” I was kinda like I’m five months into this and I’m already deeper in this than you’ve ever been. I wasn’t even trying to be a hothead, even though I was a bit more hot headed when I was younger. Gucci even gives you seven different colorways of a tee shirt. I understood what he was trying to say but I feel like it was the timing and the person that made that shit feel like some terrible fucking advice. If someone else said it, I probably would not even remember. It wasn’t even what he said. It was when he told me what he told me and who he is is who is he is, I wasn’t really fucking with it. 

NAF: [laughs] Sometimes people be saying not to give the customers options cuz they’re indecisive but sometimes options is what keeps them coming back. 

Na’im: Exactly. 

NAF: If you could apologize for one thing to one person, what would it be? 

Na’im: I’d probably apologize to Momma. Probably. 

NAF: Apologize for what? 

Na’im: Anytime I made her feel less than. Even not knowing that I was. I know she’s real emotional. She got real tough skin or whatnot but I know sometimes I can say something that comes off the wrong way. I probably said something too weeks ago and it came off the wrong way. Yesterday. Today even. Sometimes I be thinking about this thing I said. I was probably like Mohammed’s age (8). I wasn’t even crying or nothing. Momma wasn’t mad at me. I remember I said, “Momma, I wanna go live with Daddy.” She was looking sad as fuck. I wasn’t really stunting it for real, I was like 7-8 years old. But thinking back, she was looking sad because she been raising me by herself for the past 7-8 years and I’m talking about living with Dad. That’s crazy. And Momma probably looking at it like, “all this I’m doing and it’s still not enough.” Doing all that I want to live with someone who’s not even close to the same tier level? Probably just small little things that probably ruined her day. Maybe a couple times I ruined her day and didn’t know it.  

NAF: I think back to when I was at WD. For whatever reason I was having a terrible day and it was jummah and we walked up to the masjid. And Momma, she’s doing something. Some volunteer type shit. I’m walking with the rest of the high school boys to the back so we can put our shoes up and go into the musallah and I see her and I don’t say anything. Whatever I was upset about, it had nothing to do with her, I wasn’t mad at her but I somewhat mean mugged her. I was having a real shitty day about something I don’t even remember. She brought it up to me later that day, about it hurting her feelings that her son looked at her like, “he wished she was dead.” I think about that pretty often. I get what you’re talking about. 

NAF: Do you think you’ve ever died before? 

Na’im: Yeah. A couple times for real. I often say I am the same person I have always been. But I think what I really mean when I say things like that is that the person who I am is who I was always meant to be. Who I was at 18 was all part of the book of who I am at 21. Who I am at 21 is part of who I will be at 25. I remember the first girl to ever break up with me, I was so sad bruh. But it was probably the best thing that ever happened to my life, like mentally. I found myself and actually who I am. Through all of that, she was kinda teaching me lessons as we was breaking up. She was like “oh it’s cuz you did this” or “oh it’s cuz you did that” and even though it was high school, she was so emotionally secure in herself. I didn’t really think about anything ever. Whenever she would express her feelings, it would help me express mine. After all of that, when things ended, I feel like I finally took the next step towards being a man. I wouldn’t even say a man, I’d say it was a step towards being a fully functional human being. I feel like I was so insensitive and I had no passion for nothing. I didn’t really have a reason. I felt like I was 16 and I was the same person I was when I was 9. Know what I mean? After all of that, I really grew into something. I feel like I am 100% not who I was when  I was 17, 16, 15 years old.  

NAF: Speaking into that, what do you think is your point of discovery for yourself? The experience in your life that pointed you towards who you are? Would it be what you just mentioned? 

Na’im: Fasho. 

NAF: What would you say is an unwarranted love in your life? A love in your life that has not reciprocated or it doesn’t feel earned. 

Na’im: [thinks] I wouldn’t say I have one right now. Maybe when I’m kind to strangers who aren’t giving me the same energy. I can say a love that used to be unwarranted. Women. I could know them for a day or maybe 2. I had to learn to not overextend myself. Even with friends. You finally reach out to that friend you haven’t spoken to in a couple weeks that turned into a couple months, you reach out again. And you think they going through something. And you keep reaching out but they don’t ever return. You just gotta learn that everything doesn’t deserve the same type of love. Some people are meant to be left at a distance. 

NAF: What’s your dream collaboration? Creatively. 

Na’im: Dream collaboration. Absolute dream collaboration. Probably me x NBA. 

NAF: NBA? 

Na’im: Yeah. I would be doing something with the official NBA. After that it would probably be IKEA. Me designing furniture that would be in IKEA for a limited time. The NBA asking me to design jerseys for the season or something or doing a couple alternate Atlanta Hawks basketball court designs. Something along those lines. 

NAF: Next and final question, what’s next? 

Na’im: I almost just said perfecting my craft. But people ask me about my big break a lot and I be looking at them like they’re crazy. But the past few months, I have been feeling like I’m getting somewhere, like I’m being seen by the masses. In 2 or 3 years when someone asks me, I feel like I will say “2022 was definitely my breakout year.” I feel like I have my dreams on the ropes, I just need to give it the knockout punch. I feel like I’m doing everything right and now it’s about perfecting everything, smoothing the edges. I feel like I gotta take all of those things up a notch more. The next step is just getting better. 

published June 8, 2022