ComplexLand Brands to Watch: Meet the Crate, the Queens Streetwear Brand Worn by Kanye West, J. Cole, and More

Terrill Kirk and Tyrell Oliver opened the Crate in 2014, one of the first streetwear boutiques in their neighborhood, because they wanted to bring something fresh to Far Rockaway, Queens. For those who don’t know, Far Rock is a distant New York City neighborhood that, Oliver admits, was never really known for its fashion like Harlem. But that’s why opening the Crate was so important for Kirk and Oliver. As two fashion enthusiasts who constantly took long train rides to shop boutiques in Manhattan or department stores like Hirshleifers in Long Island, they wanted to bring a proper stockist to Far Rock. 

“When Rell said, ‘Let’s do a clothing store on this block,’ it made sense to me. Because besides the sneaker store, I never bought clothes in Far Rockaway,” says Kirk. “So for me it was like, ‘Alright. If we could put something here, it would pop.’ There’s no way we could lose if we put a store here.”

But surprisingly, Kirk and Oliver’s customers weren’t interested in what the Crate stocked. Instead, customers kept coming in asking for its in-store merch that was worn by local rappers such as Chinx Drugz of the Coke Boys. It goes without saying that the classic milk crate has always been an endearing symbol since the birth of hip-hop. And when it comes to Far Rock’s contributions to that culture, many point toward Chinx and the late Stack Bundles as the biggest rappers to come out of the neighborhood. The Crate’s name comes from a Stack Bundles’ lyric: “Fresh off the block, I got the print of the crate on me.” And coincidentally, the store’s address, 1021 Beach Street, even reflects Stack Bundles’ birthday, which is Oct. 21.

But while these icons never had the opportunity to reach the masses outside of New York, the Crate did. What started out as a brand that popped off in Far Rockaway now has its T-shirts and sweatsuits worn by everyone from Kanye West to Issa Rae on Saturday Night Live. Therefore, it’s not hard to believe that the spirit of Far Rockaway icons helped pave a way for the Crate’s success.

“You know, Far Rockaway is like a rough area to grow up in and Chinx was asking us if we were sure about the idea [of turning the store into a brand] right before he passed,” says Kirk. “He really saw our vision. Because everywhere he was going, he was wearing the Crate stuff. At that time, we weren’t even making anything with impactful sayings or anything like that. It was just things that said “the Crate” all over them. But people just kept asking for it. Chinx saw the vision, so how am I not going to hold the torch up every time I scream ‘the Crate.’”