South Central L.A. gang capital of the world. There aren’t many options growing up in this tough environment, despite the lack of opportunity some refuse to settle, and manage to rise above it.

Streetwise, founded in 2003 by Manny Rivera an innovative graffiti writer who played a major role in establishing one of L.A.’s top graffiti crews. Manny was later introduced to hustlin’ where money came fast, but deep inside he knew he had too much talent to end up as a statistic; he stopped and his pursuit for knowledge began. He read endless books on how to get rich, where he discovered the recipe for success and began to apply it. He wrote a plan to create a successful clothing brand which would inspire and motivate those who come from the struggle.