Meet Chico McGee | Artist/Creative and Brand Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Chico McGee and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Chico, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I feel as though being a creative chose me. My brother and I were a curious kid’s and did everything. From fishing and golf to basketball and wrestling. I always felt as though I could be great at anything I put my mind to. I found out I could write poetry in 3rd grade and fell in love with words. When I found out I could make music myself, I never looked back. The older I got, the more I realized that was the path I wanted to take. Regardless of the level of difficulty or naysayers that comes with this line of work.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Being a creative is a gift I do not take lightly. Music was something that always seemed to come natural to me. I was raised on Motown, 80’s, jazz, reggae and latin music. All those different sounds influenced the music that I make today. It was a long road to make it this far but every step was worth it. I’ve been thru every obstacle and hurdle you can imagine, including being homeless. It only fueled my drive to make the best content I could. I started refining my image and stayed more consistent with posting on IG. That has gotten me noticed by some pretty dope folks and has elevated my brand to be able to do interviews like this. I dropped my luxury headwear brand Pinky’s Up in October of 2020 and things have been doing well. I sold out of my 1st drop and have been able to create custom pieces for a couple dope names in the music industry. I won’t name drop but keep your eyes open! Being a creative has taught me many lessons but one stands out a bit more than the other. You must have confidence in yourself. Anytime doubt creeped into my plans, things were delayed. Looking back, being confident in my self would have eliminated 90% of my problems. You gotta trust your dope. Live royal. Pinky’s Up

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Chico’s Sunday LA Itinerary:

breakfast at Sweet Chick’s on Fairfax

Shopping at Melrose Trading Post and at your favorite streetwear shops (GOLF, Supreme, etc)

lunch at Hachioji Ramen in DTLA, boba from Gong Cha

quick stop at Griffith Park to go see the observatory and the old abandoned LA zoo

Pacific Palisades bluff view for the sunset

Dinner at Geoffrey’s in Malibu looking out into the ocean

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Man there are entirely too many times in my life where the simple actions of others helped propel me to the next level. Countless thank you’s have been given out and will continue to be. As of recent, my brother DLo Steez, my producer Clark Bent and the owners/good folks at Blackwood Studios helped me elevate and step into my artistry in 2018-2019. They gave me a chance to write music for an upcoming artist and I established a lot more confidence in my own music moving forward. This little push helped me finalize the image I’ve been building up until this point. Iron sharpens iron, elevate your circle.

Website: https://lordvelveeeta.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chico.mcgee

Twitter: https://twitter.com/chicomcgee

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXjT-RqlGuldzkLN4JVa5Ew

Image Credits
Joe Nora