LIKEbutter met up with MagicNarcosis at the Foundation in San Van for an exclusive session and interview. He killed the spot for over 2 hours, then opened up about the history of the Hoodlum Family, it's members, and his excitement towards moving to Port Carverton. After spending a long day with Magic, Lb feels fortunate to have captured one of his last sessions in San Van. Photography by BladderBoy.

Testing 1-2.

Ahem.

What's new with you Magic? How's it going?

What it duce-ski! Nothing much right this second. Just working on some music. Doing me. Doing me.

What's the music for? New vid? Dickin around?

On some carreeeeer shit. I gotta get my music up. You know how it goes.

Yeah, not enough hours in the day. Especially when you mix work with something you are passionate about. What's inspiring your music right now?

All music, but I'm more of a live instrument sounding kind of guy. Guys like DJ Quick, Dilla and Black Milk keep me going.

You play any instruments?

I play the computer! But I can play the piano a bit, as well as play the HELL out of some Air Guitar.

Nice - maybe we'll see you at the next US Air Guitar Championships. I'm picturing you in tights and a headband right now. Ahem. What software and hardware do you use to make music?

I keep that a secret. Usually when people know what I use to make music, they take me less serious. Like standing 6'7 300+ pounds, and then talking with this light ass girl voice of mine. All seriousness goes out the window.

So you do everything in Garage Band, and iMovie, got it.

No I use a Casio keyboard and a Kareoke machine to record my projects-thank-you-very-much!

Dig that. So a Hoodlum Family rap album in the works? Featuring Hitman? He has a wonderful way with words.

If you want the album to be titled "POOP" then let Hitman get all in that joint, yo. No HF album, but an instrumental tape from Hoodlum's own may emerge?

You drop it, I'll listen. Speaking of Hoodlum, how did Hoodlum start? Who were the founding members?

Hoodlum started October 22nd, 2007 with me and MackBoogie (CZARmeau back then) He was the first member. Then came Clayfighter, Kush Krash BOOM (x spartan elite x) MeanGoon and a guy named brando619. Me, Mack and Clay were the founding members. I decided to put a team together after gathering a few locals from around the way, you know? We all became chill. So we said eff it, Let's do it legit, you feel me? We were joking around on the names one day. We were originally gonna be "Hooligan" or "Hooligans". I wanted to be Fluffy Pink Bunnies to set that un-serious undertone. Joking around hahaha. The conversation was LITERALLY this, after all jokes... Clay - Well eff it, howabout Hoodlum? Magic - No. Clay - Ok.... how about Hoodlum? Magic - Ok we'll do Hoodlum.

Yeah Fluffy Pink Bunnies doesn't sound like much of a force to be reckoned with. Hoodlum got that covered. So the team grew over time. At what point did you realize that you needed to divide Hoodlum into smaller teams?

I had some issues on the homefront I needed to deal with and we had grown to an OUTSTANDING size of 35 members or so. I knew that if I left, the team wasn't gonna be so much the same as it was when I was around. We were a group of skaters with a loss of direction. Loss of direction = Separation. Separation = No Hoodlum. And doing videos with 30+ members for full lengths was a difficult task. I wasn't gonna let my homies separate and I wasn't gonna do 60+ minute full length team videos EVERYTIME. Clay had already started a sub-Hoodlum team called Vice. It was one of the factors that sparked the idea to create what we call 'Branches". So I figured that if I split these 30+ people into their own teams UNDER the Hoodlum Family name, everybody would be motivated to work as a team, and still rep our foundation. AND it would help with the video problem as well. Nobody would feel obligated to separate if they had their own teams to worry about. The dope part about that was, they were still Hoodlum at the end of the day.

What Hoodlum Family video are you most proud of? With so many members and branches, its gotta be a tough choice.

Grand Larceny. Hands down. Clay put SOOO much time into editing that damn video. 62 minutes of dope parts from EVERY Hoodlum member. Back when we were just Hoodlum Family. No branches. People and ourselves compared it to Fully Flared because of all the ROADBLOCKS we ran into. All of the last minute deadlines. All of the instances that ran Grand Larceny parallel with Fully Flared. By no means are we comparing it as far as skating. But the hard work, hell yeah! No other video I can compare Grand Larceny to except Fully Flared.

I am sure alot of hype, positive and negative, grew during production.

We ran into a lot of drama with different people. People saying we sucked. People telling us WE were the bad guys. People telling us we wouldn't drop that video. People telling us we basically couldn't do it. Our own friends kicking us when we were down about the video. Our rivals hanging their accomplishments over our head - they just put out a REALLY REALLY dope video (in my opinion) and took it to us. We owed it to ourselves to prove people wrong about how we get down. Larceny, our first video, was a mockery. They told us we sucked, so we gave em a suck ass video. Grand Larceny was the video that demonstrated what we had. We were NOT fucking around.

What did you learn from making that video?

I learned that no matter what you do, and how you skate, people are going to dislike what you do - regardless as to whether you skate good, or even better than them in some cases. I learned that at the end of the day, it's not the video that matters. What matters is that we stand together and fall together. I learned the truth strength of Hoodlum Family and what it is capable of. And that's unity. I learned our true strength.

Well you have surely shown strength by keeping the team together for so long. Not many teams can say that. Congrats. So how does one become a member of the Hoodlum Family? Do you decide? Is it up to individual branch leaders?

Most teams don't need to run anything by me due to the success and consistency of their videos and recruiting. All I ask of each branch is to stay active and recruit responsibly. Don't pick up guys because he can knock out some popless tricks, and don't drop a video unless you shed TEARS during the making of that joint. Some have gotten away with dropping distasteful videos and I didn't smack em. But come moving to Port Carverton, no bullshit allowed.

There are alot of guys out there looking to rep. What does it take?

Why? You asking to get on Hoodlum?

Ha! My shit aint good enough to hang with you guys.

If this was 08 I woulda kidnapped you already - smooooth thrown in the trunk.

I'm... flattered? So the skating scene seems to be migrating from San Van to Port Carverton. What's attracted Hoodlum Family there?

Cats killed every spot that you could roll a wheel on, man. Hoodlum destroyed SV. No more left. Word got to us about Port Carverton's madness so we decided it was time for a change, homie. We gon' KILL that city, too.

We hear that a bunch of new skate parks are blowing up in PC. Any plans for an official Hoodlum park?

Any plans?!?!??! 1954. I'm scared of their park. It's gonna be BONKERS. But the OFFICIAL Hoodlum Family park? You bet your pand pants wearing ass I'm gonna get that park crackin'.

Well hopefully I can afford a day-pass. I'm effing broke.

No worries, I got you. Hit me up and we'll sesh! Just bring Arizona Iced Teas.

I'll take you up on that no doubt. Is Hoodlum Family gonna drop another compilation from San Van, or are you holding until your move to Port Carverton?

Nooooo... No nooooooooo.. We're waiting for PC.

What will you miss most about San Vanelona? Favorite Spot?

Oliver Elementary. At the fence. Hitting up the bank. Lunch Tables along the top part of the elementary. And FOUNDATION!!!!

Yeah, I love those tables at Oliver too. Favorite trick?

Nollie front overcrook - nollie flip out.

Favorite obstacle?

Tables.

What's the last trick you learned?

Clayfighter taught me Smiths and Feebles. So Smiths and Feebles.

What trick is most challenging for you?

Switch Back Hurricane.

What's your board setup? Who are your sponsors?

Black Hostile 1.0 Deck, Busenitz Night Mission II's and Chocolate's Pinstripe wheels (Purple). I'm sponsored by no one yet... AHEM... COUGH COUGH...

What are your future plans for HF?

We kinda died down as Hoodlum Family a bit due to the boredom SV brings nowadays. I wanna light the fire up under Hoodlum's ass again and get us doing stuff again. We got it in us, we're just bored. Gonna recruit some members for Berry and Theory. So if you need a team and you can skate WELL, Film WELL, holler at me... AAAAND... Grand Larceny 2. Yeah, I said Grand Larceny 2.

He said it. Any HF newcomers we should look out for this month?

iRipper. Mr Sk8t. Circ-nvm. Seamonkeymadness.

Are there any teams or skaters outside of Hoodlum Family you think are pushing the boundaries?

Animal Machine. Rip City. Recession Free. DP. SSS as always. Skaters? Man there are soo many. It's hard to pick just 1. But if I had to pic I'd say Knexor. That dude is BANANAS! TNO always kills it. I love that dude, no homo.

What do you do when you are not skating, making music, or running one of the biggest skate teams on the planet? Male modeling? Saving baby seals?

I'm working on graphics and logos. I do photography. Edit videos for certain people. I do a lot a lot. Gotta make that money some kind of way.

You're definitely a creative guy. I look forward to seeing Hoodlum artwork on decks and tees. Hook me up. Before I let you go, are there any misconceptions or beef you'd like to clear up?

(can I cuss?)

(I won't judge you)

Nope. Fuck em. Fuck my rivals. Fuck my annoyances, fuck everybody that don't like me. I got tired of clearing up beef. Fuck em! If they can't just skate, chill and have fun type-stuff then FUCK EM. I got my fuck-em chucks on. Eating my Frito-lays down and drinking a bottle of TURNT UP. People who know me know I'm cool as hell. If you're against me, your loss. I got no beef but I damn sure ain't gonna be nice to those who dislike me. FUCK EM! You feeeel me?

If you could make any object fall from the sky and safely land in front of you, what would it be?

A ticket out of the hood that doesn't involve a hoop and net, rapping, or killing my ebonics talk to sound like an intellectual with intellect that intellectually intellects the intelligence's intel. And some money and shit, I guess.

Thanks Magic. Lb will look for you in Port Carverton.

Fasho! Hit me up!

Stay tuned for Lb#03 - Stevland will be stopping by our new Port Carverton office to chat.