In 2019 Syd slid into Lancey’s DMs. The designer had been admiring him from afar for a while, completely unaware that the rapper had been taking note of Syd’s movements, too. Minutes later Lancey replied, “My bradda,” and the bond hasn’t wavered since.
What came next was not just a link up of vision, but of spirit. “It was like talking to a mirror,” says the YearsofTears founder, whose bat-embossed leathers are an alt mainstay. Soon they were travelling the world – first to a Nigerian festival where Lancey was performing, then to Milan’s Men Fashion week for the 1017 Alyx 9SM show. They’ve been collaborating on visuals, music and style ever since – the result of which you can see and hear echoing through the streets.
Today the two represent the new Black, punk avant- garde, pushing the frontiers of culture forward – together. Propelled not by their own singular visions, but from the unstoppable vim that comes from meeting your creative confidante. In a world plagued by attention-generating gimmicks, the pair offer something different: considered, intuitive output that’s born from an authentic shared lifestyle. And we all want in – fast.
As Lancey tours his latest mixtape BACK2DATRAP, and Syd holds OSBATT events in Paris, Amsterdam, South Africa and more, the pair have continued to solidify their influence across the global underground – soon to rear up into the mainstream.
We sat Syd and Lancey down to reminisce on their four- year creative partnership, from pushing each other to their maximum XP, to the importance of longevity and creating legacy over virality.
