An Interview With Gangcorp Videographer, Naquan Rollings

Intro & Interview by Adam Abada
Photos by Mac Shafer

Gang Corp is an organically formed group of friends, born of their love for skating and curiosity for the world, and aided by social media — but not governed by it. Fort Greene native Naquan Rollings just released their second full-length video, Black Business, which is their best yet. We hit him up to try and get some insight into the ingredients and process behind Gang Corp doing what they do.

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Where are you from, and how old are you?

I was born in Fort Greene, Brooklyn. I actually just moved — I live in East New York now. I’ve lived in Brooklyn my whole life. I turned 21 last September. I’m getting old super fast. I still feel like I’m 18.

When did you start skating?

That’s always a weird question that I can never really answer. I remember when I was around 10 years old, I had a board but didn’t take it seriously. If it wasn’t for my sister, I don’t know if I would’ve gotten into it. She’s 10 years older than me. When she was in school, she knew about Supreme and all that stuff. She kind of put me on, I guess you can say.

She always wanted a skateboard and my grandma ended up getting her one of those fake ones from Target. I would just ride around on it. I thought I was never gonna try all that trick shit, but I guess the more I was on it, the more I wanted to. I would start meeting people around Fort Greene who skated. I lived right across the street from the park, so anytime people came to skate it, I would hear it from my window, then would go outside and check it out.

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Anarchy Town

“A disc jockey, prison guard and a lumberjack walk into a vape lounge. A lounge team member looks up and says: ‘I know you folks. You must be coming from Human Resources Online’s list of the worst professions in 2018, ranked in terms of average salary and advancement opportunities, right?’ Before they can answer, a pro skateboarder wanders in behind them.” — Boil the Ocean explores the dynamics of skateboarding’s shrinking middle class as we approach the 2020s.

It seems Michael Jordan has been watching Josh Velez’s past couple parts.

Dudes skating Everson between piles of snow: “…Or Get Off The Pot” is a new Syracuse edit from Lukas Reed.

Village Psychic had a couple nice pieces on their site recently. First, they caught up with contributors to Transworld, old and new, to get some recollections on the mag, and they also got Tony Hawk on the horn about where he (as someone who has had the widest range of endorsement deals in existence) draws the line on corporate sponsors.

Thrasher posted the interviews and photos from their feature on the Chrystie vid.

Even a bunch of dudes from Germany who haven’t grown tired of skating the same downtown spots summer after summer aren’t resistant to T.F. West’s magnetic pull. “Transit Ride” is a half New York / half L.A. mini video by Paul Herrman. (And also confirms that you aren’t really dating yourself by pointing out Gang Starr in the most oft-skated to rap artist conversation.)

Spring is for cab flips. Zach Moore’s part in Skating Is Easy is now online.

“If I saw the spots he skates waxed, I’d just think it was rollerbladers.” Thrasher uploaded the raw files to Brandon Westgate’s “Bog Town” part, filmed primarily (all?) around his home in New England.

Brad Cromer is the latest guest on The Bunt.

Yet another reminder to watch Minding The Gap if you still haven’t summoned the nerve to type in your card # for that free Hulu trial… Free interviewed the film’s director, Bing Liu. They were slow to get to it at first too, but became instant fans once they watched the film.

Ricardo Napoli’s video, Ciao, is premiering at The Woods in Williamsburg (48 S 4th Street) tonight at 7 P.M. You can watch his last video, Making It Happen, here.

Spot Updates — 1) The ledges on 110th and Central Park West had chunks taken out of all of them by the city. 2) Haven’t seen footage of it in a bit, but recently received an email tip that Queens’ Broadway Park is currently fenced off for construction.

QS Sports Desk Play of the Week: Haven’t had Russ on here in a minute.

Quote of the Week: “You know what, his style isn’t fake. He’s just ugly.” — Stafhon

A nice Monday morning mix from Roctakon. Listen while you sit alone in a smoke-filled cafe before skating, watching your past lovers cry ♥

Too Hung To Huck

Truck + mixtape dropping soon

These “new old” clips can be hit-or-miss (often miss), but Tombo’s 2000-2010 one that dropped late last week is an incredible document. It encapsulates the entire first decade of east coast skateboarding in this millennium — brown pants, first-wave cellar door searchers, Justin Barnes cameos, I-Paths, ABC Ledges, etc. Also, why does it still feel like Brandon Westgate has been 20-years-old for the past 15 years?

It’s that time of year when the Barcelona clips really start to roll in. Spencer Hamilton, Dana Ericson, Brian Delaney, Nick Ferro and Wade D. went out to the land of zero skate spots and came back with a sick clip for Grand Collection.

Who Kid has the best part of 2018 so far [with no skate footage.]

Yeah, there’s plenty of novelty clips of dudes skating in Timbs, but this guy hardflipped a triple set in a pair. Honestly can’t wait for the QS x Timberland SB collab.

Jesse made a throwaway iPhone/skatepark clip, but even he admitted it kinda sucks ;)

Our bud Adam Abada wrote an article about the skate scene in Ghana for MC.

Chris Mulhern dropped 6 minutes of loosies in anticipation of his upcoming full-length.

I mean…there’s gotta be an easier way?

Much respect to Uru out in Japan for distributing and spreading the word about QS, Alltimers and other hot skateboard brands in the far east. Skateboard Story has an interview with him about his operation.

Yo, shout out to the damn Nine Club for bigging up the Louie and Tiago remix. FRANKLY, us around the office felt it was among our best work in recent history, but it didn’t seem to get the traction we were envisioning for it. Glad to see it put some smiles on some faces out there. Tell a friend to tell a friend to tell a friend.

Watching Drake take money from people in the backwards version of the “God’s Plan” video hasn’t gotten any less funny in the past three weeks.

QS Sports Desk Play of the Week: Fuck the NCAA. Respect to the players.

Quote of the Week: “Quartersnacks? Is that like a pun about fat quarterbacks?” — Girl on the Street

Just about had it up to here with this winter bullshit…

End of the Year Fall Off List

Been slow around here, as recent injuries have taken their toll on office morale, but December is always busy. QS holiday 2017 tees are now available at Supreme Soho and Brooklyn. Arriving at other shops this week and next. Online soonish?

Probably one of the most fried concepts for a recent skate video, but in the best way possible — Kyota Umeki filmed an entire skate video on a Nintendo 3DS with a fisheye taped to it. 90% of it is filmed within like, five blocks of the L.E.S. Park. I also have “Groove Is In The Heart” stuck in my head now, great.

The crew behind Newark’s Shorty’s spot (R.I.P.) was allotted a piece of land by the city, in which they have begun to build a bowl. They’re looking to raise money for supplies, concrete trucks, etc. to speed up the project. If you’ve been to Shorty’s even once, please donate whatever you can so they can continue forward with the Shorty’s spirit ♥

People are insane. They don’t wanna see you shining on a nollie crook in Tribeca.

Bobby Worrest has a comprehesive interview with “The Nine Club,” with a detailed discussion re: the lost art of skate spot politics and east coast aversion to wax. (His favorite Bobby Worrest part is also “Looks Ok To Me.”)

“The single biggest casualty of single parts is there’s no extra bullshit.” Abada has an interview with The Secret Tape, the guy who owns every hardcopy skate video besides the premiere copy of Photosynthesis.

Genny, Nik Stain, Andrew Wilson, Nolan, etc. with an iPhone clip from Portland.

Pat Buckley has been posting a bunch of Dobbin Block-era photos of Caddo, Frankhouse, Mraz et al. over on Tumblr.

A minute-and-a-half of 2017 Brian Wenning footage, who is apparently back on DC.

Harry Bergenfield has a six-minute, half-New York throwaway clip up now. A lot of clips have been starting off with fights lately, huh? Angst still running strong ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Kept forgetting to link this one: Miami’s Andrew skate shop crew on the west coast.

^Someone tell 2005 Erik Ellington that this thick shorty is looking for him, insofar as the pork pie hat guy doesn’t get to her first.

Well, this video is going to be pretty fucked

It gets better every time you watch it. Shout out Australia.

QS Sports Desk: Imagine if the Knicks did a subtler trust the process-esque strategy instead of doubling-down on iso-Melo and then trying to force the triangle onto the modern NBA for the past decade? Eh.

Quote of the Week:

— Charles Rivard

Happy birthday Future. No clue how we’d get through life on this planet without you ♥

U Bum Links

Photo via Brian Caissie

As long as you walk outside and hear “waaaaaa waaa waaa” coming from car speakers every thirty seconds, the summer is going to keep getting extended. This Insta remix of QS office fave, Ruben Spelta, should help you stay stoked for the rest of the week — though why not use, like, an actual M.J. song. Euros, man.

New York is a big place and it’s always refreshing to watch videos dominantly filmed outside of the L.E.S. Park/Williamsburg/Columbus Park groupthink bubble. Angel Fonseca’s new 17-minute video, “Stay Fufu,” chronicles the extended fam of all the locals at the Bronx Courthouse.

This is the exact opposite of Dime’s “Speed Challenge.”

German fashion and art mag, 032c, profiled Jason Dill and Fucking Awesome.

A question that has gently been whispered among conspiracy theorists for years now: Did the United States government fake Tony Hawk landing the 900?

“As I watched I began to wonder if he had any right to film and share what he did. Then I remembered his tenure in LOVE, his legacy of videos, and what it’s like to be a skateboarder in a space.” Nice to have another skate website with actual words on it in this day and age. Our bud Adam Abada started a site called Stoke of the Week, which is, simply put, a weekly log of what single skate video got him psyched that past week. The first edition is re: Brian Panebianco’s “Love Park Photographer” short.

..aanndd here’s a teaser for Chris Mulhern’s upcoming Love Park doc, “15th & JFK.”

Transworld interviewed the nerd behind Bob Shirt.

Fred Gall and Taji ventured out to an abandoned building in New Jersey that contains a natural full pipe. Avid QS readers might find it familiar ;)

A French New Wave rendition of a “Summer Trip to New York” montage. Or something? And some guys from Spokane did a …Summer Trip to New York™.

A 8mm film test montage in New York with some familiar faces and a song I muted after .3 seconds, but I’m partial to any Skooly and Thug collaboration, so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

QS Sports Desk: Shout out Lebron. Sorry for rooting against you so many times. #2011mavs4ever. (Don’t read the replies unless you want your blood to boil.)

Quote of the Week:

So stoked that the Muska Epicly Later’d and the Tom Cruise coke movie drop the same week :)