For many, finding a way to solidify a legacy is a difficult task. This is mainly because there is sometimes a constant battle of searching for a balance between professionalism and self-expression. For the up-and-coming star, Mr.Yuck, that is a trivial matter. Boldly leading the way for young African-American artists, he knows that anything is possible. This extremely talented individual is making huge waves in the fashion and music industry through The Polar Movement.
Who are you?
I have many names. My name is Haslyn Damani Parris Jr or Mani, but my stage name is Mr. YUCK. Mr. Yuck is an acronym for Mic Ripper Your Under Cover Killer. I am a Journalism Major with a concentration in Multimedia Journalism.
How did you get started with The Polar Movement and how did that all come about?
Well the story of how I got involved with the Polar Movement is quite interesting. Darren Freeman, who is actually the founder of the Polar Movement, is my roommate. I transferred to A&T my sophomore year and he wanted to market Polar by sponsoring me. He knew I did music and he wanted to sponsor me as an artist. I started off as a model and through that I was able to promote more and more. I became the face of the brand. Once I and Darren sat down about the company’s future, I became the vice president. That’s where I am at today.
What does POLAR mean?
POLAR is an acronym. POLAR means Positive Outlook about Reality. Pretty much, we want to teach through our clothing. All of our pieces have their own little message.
What is usually the topic of discussion behind each piece of clothing?
Lately, it has been very afro-centric. We have been promoting black excellence. We have our Power jackets that relate to all of the events of the world. The Power jackets sort of look like the old Black Panther Party jackets. People feel like apart of a cult when they wear them. I feel like that’s cool. Today, it feels like a lot of black fashion is frowned upon but our Power jackets are changing that. It is really a positive message. It makes everyone feel that they a part of something.
Is POLAR only limited to fashion?
No, Polar is not only limited to fashion. Polar Clothing is Polar Clothing. This is the apparel aspect of it all. Polar has now changed to Polar the Movement. It’s funny because it was just going to strictly be about fashion but the movement is bigger than the clothing. The movement is what moves everything. We have hip-hop, art, fashion, and the people. The Polar Movement doesn’t have a technical membership. The Polar Movement is anyway who is wearing Polar and understands the importance of the cause.
What are some events Polar has been a part of?
Well we have been a part of a lot events. The last event was the Black Renaissance art show. That was an event we presented with the NAACP. That was a very big show. Actually, right now I’m on a small tour in North Carolina called the “No Difference Tour.” We plan to do a HBCU tour in the future.
What has been some challenges that has faced your brand?
The biggest challenge was that everything we do comes from our pockets. We don’t have a big machine mass producing our clothing. We are promoting our brand ourselves. We are not paying for a big promotion team. We have to create everything and do everything. It takes a lot of sacrifice. We work our butts off to pay and provide these things. People don’t understand the stress. Sometimes the risk doesn’t seem like it’s worth it, but you have to believe the impossible is nothing.
What advice do you have for students or people in general who are pursuing a similar path?
It starts off in the mind. First, you have to think how is this going to change the world. When I came into Polar, I wanted to create a line of high fashion like FUBU. I wanted to create something that was cheap but still had high quality.
What are you hopes for the company in the future?
We have a lot of different goals. I want to make The Polar Movement a music label. I want this to be the sub-label of the independent label. We also want to have our clothing in a bunch of stores. Also, by next year we want to have our clothes in every boutique in North Carolina. We want to be that big force like Supreme or Bape. We have a lot of goals. It is going to take a lot of patience, sacrifice, and grinding; but I think with our team can do some amazing things.