Team Work's Neal Santos

In typical Santos style, Neal answered a few of my questions but mostly left me wanting to know more. After getting out of him what I could, it was back to the best of Liberty City and at that point there wasn't much more I could say.

HighSnobiety: So what is your retail strategy for TeamWorks?

Neal Santos: Basically, the whole retail game is about to crumble so what I'm trying to do is first get people comfortable with my brand and used to buying my shit. Let's get familiar because when it crumbles if I keep it light and I keep it consistent, it will be alright.

HS: What's behind the TeamWorks mixtape? Who's involved?

NS: Basically everyone is involved. It's just music. People never forget when you give them something. So what I tried to work out is a little trade. Your contact, not too personal, not your phone number, but your email for a good solid 50 minutes of music that you probably won't hear on your mother's iPod.

HS: Who put the songs together?

NS: I chose the tracks, Marshall Law did the production.

HS: Is there a strong connection between the TeamWorks brand and music?

NS: Yes, yes, yes. Always. And video. There's more visual stuff coming, more viral video coming. That's this summer. Its word, power and sound. WPS. And Video. Word, power, sound, and video. And bikes.

HS: Would a TeamWorks record label be something you might want to do in the future?

NS: No, there's no record label. There's no need for a record label. Basically that's why I'm not even making cds, all my friends got a phone call like "Yo, here's a link." It's time to kill the middle man. And that's the nigga selling paper and cds and all that dumb shit. Fuck it, it's a wrap. Straight to download, you know? I'm trying to be sneaky and sneak on niggas' iPhones. That's what it is, that's what it's about - getting my logo on your computer. That's before getting my clothes on your back. Because by then you’ll be comfortable, it'll be familiar. That's why I put ID's on the tracks of the mixtape. You don't have to like the whole fuckin’ thing. I don't like the whole fuckin’ thing. Nah mean? But that's just a case of cooking and not wanting to eat. The only thing that I worked on that I really wear is my gold glasses for Supreme. That's just because that shit is crack. But other than that by the time something comes out I'm already over it. It's like that feeling of "I worked so hard on this party that I just wanna chill outside. Or walk down the block and smoke a spliff, or sit in the back of somebody's car and be like whatever man, let the drama go on, I already did everything that I could."

HS: So for this summer drop that's coming, what should people expect?

NS: I'm gonna be in the streets, I'm gonna take my big speakers out and be a nuisance.