MySpace a place for friends

DJ Crooked, a Korean/American born in Honolulu, Hawaii but raised in New York City, is something of a phenomenon and an overnight success. Crooked has been DJing all his life but started taking it seriously in 2002 when he was approached to do a couple of weekly parties in the East Village of New York City. Since then, he's had the privilege of DJing in New York for clubs like Marquee, Lotus, Cain, Home,PM, Pangaea, and Show as well as Jet East and Cain/Cabana in the Hamptons. He has also performed in and out of the country from Winter Music Conference in Miami, NBA All-Star Weekend in Las Vegas, NV and Scottsdale , AZ to The Grand Prix Formula One Races in Montreal,Canada. DJ Crooked has spun events for celebrities like Diddy, Usher, Prince, Jamie Foxx, Naomi Campbell, Wyclef, Kelly Ripa, Drew Barrymore, Justin Timberlake, Prince, Paris Hilton, Toni Braxton, Floyd Mayweather and countless others. In 2006, DJ Crooked was contracted by The Light Group and moved to Las Vegas, NV where he held a DJ residency at LIGHT in the Bellagio Hotel & JET in the Mirage Hotel. In less than one year, Crooked had become one of the most premiere DJ's in Vegas and established one of the best club nights in the city, Mondays at JET. Currently, DJ Crooked still resides in Las Vegas and now holds DJ residencies @ TAO in the Venetian Hotel, LAVO in the new Palazzo Hotel, WET REPUBLIC in the MGM Grand Hotel and CHERRY in the new Redrock Hotel. Crooked also holds a monthly residency at STINGAREE and BAR WEST in San Diego, CA and travels readily every week all across the country. In 2007 Crooked opened his own clothing boutique in Vegas with his friends DJ Neva and Kennth Davenport near the Fashion Show Mall called KNYEW (pronounced “new” and stands for “Keeping New York Every Where”). After only a year, KNYEW has become a major staple for streetwear fashion in and out of the Las Vegas community. They carry exclusive brands like The Hundreds, Crooks & Castles, Kid Robot, 10 Deep, Dimepiece, Married To The Mob, Fuct, Triumvir, Frank 151, Free Gold Watch and many more. Log onto www.knyew.com for news, updates and stock arrivals posted personally by DJ Crooked himself.

In Las Vegas, spending your hard-earned cash at the Spearmint Rhino never gets old. That is, unless you’re DJ Crooked, who partnered up with fellow New Yorker, DJ Neva, and kimchi shoe guru Kenn Davenport to open the Knyew (pronounced “new”) earlier this year. “People were telling me to invest in a house,” says Crooked, “But I’m from New York. Who needs a house?”

Crooked pitched the boutique idea to Neva while they were both resident DJs at Sin City’s famed Jet Nightclub, and it struck a chord. “There was nowhere to go out here. It was a void. I would have to fly home to the East Coast for gear,” says Neva. Wasting no time, they set after the guy who could bring the project together.

“I knew them from the sneaker spot I was working at,” says Kenn Davenport of the DJs. “But one day they come in and they’re asking about the light fixtures instead of the new arrivals; that gave it away. I thought they wanted me to consult or get some contacts but really they were recruiting me.” Raised in Seoul, Korea, Kenn was exposed to the burgeoning footwear industry early on, and his impressive collection and knowledge have made him the go-to guy in Nevada’s small streetwear community.

With the people in place, Crooked and Neva parlayed their top-tier position in Lost Wages’ over-saturated nightlife industry. Considered marquee DJs around town and beyond, they are in a unique position, being both highly visible to the constant onslaught of visitors and friendly with the other DJs, whether resident or featured. “We do well because our clientele run in those circles,” Crooked points out. “So we have a network and resources where marketing is concerned. It opens doors to select the brands we want to work with.”

But the Knyew Boutique is not alone is widening the choices in Las Vegas. Stores like Undefeated have recently rolled into town, hoping to plant a little culture in the desert. Though it’s not a contest, Neva is quick to express: “Any boutique you walk into out here, if they are doing it right, you will get a sense of their culture. It’s all about looking fresh, always about style, having swagger. It benefits Vegas overall. We wanted to bring a piece of us to it, bring that New York culture. I mean, Knyew stands for Keeping New York Every Where.”

Located in Chinatown, the shop is just a jump from the Strip, making easy access for anybody patient enough to weather a casino cab line. But that’s a small price to pay to experience something as unique to Las Vegas as the trapeze act at Circus Circus. Filling the niche that it does, Knyew is bound to become LV’s destination for those who don’t rock button downs and hair gel to clubs, or drink “yards” of margarita from long plastic tubes.

Written by Graham Funke for Vapors Magazine Aug.2007

..DJ Crooked's Facebook Profile | Create Your Badge
..