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GL Joe and two friends- GL Joe, in the center.
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GL Joe, Matthias St. John and Nick B.
GL Joe
By Ferrari Sheppard
By now, if you don't know who the Cool Kids are, you must live in Antarctica. Moreover, if you haven't seen their music video or heard their music at least once online, you probably don't have access to computer, which explains eveything. The Cool Kids are the highly anticipated, ultra-swagger rap duo from Chicago who gained notoriety after there smash performance at 2007's SXSW. GL Joe, the man standing in the center of the photograph above, directed the Cool Kid's first music video for their single, "Black Mags", which debuted on MTV in the fall of 2007. I caught up with GL to ask him some random questions and to my luck, he was eager to answer.
StopBeingFamous: Where did you get your signature pink hat?
GL JOE: Haha. It's not pink; it's an orange Reebok hat. I got it from Village Thrift, the only place I can afford to shop at. I usually retire a hat after three months but since I got this hat I have yet to find one to take its place. It's been with me on many adventures for over a year now.
SBF: What's your birth name, GL?
JOE: Back when I only filmed skating my first camera was a Canon GL-1. Then I got a GL-2. So I had two Canon GLs and people started calling me GL-Joe but my real name is Joseph Louis Esquivel.
SBF: Do you prefer digi or film?
JOE: I’m a digital man. I’ve only shot with film twice and am too poor. I love the feeling you get from video, though. That feeling when you watch it and you feel like you were really there. It’s more intimate and you can do so many on the spot things with it; and when you’re really broke the tapes are easy to steal.
SBF: How did you end up shooting Black Mags? What was the budget like? Were there any limitations?
JOE: I became friends with Evan and Antoine (The Cool Kids) from going out and filming parties. I’ve been filming them since their first shows. They decided I should do their video. Interesting fact: The beat for Black Mags was made while Evan and I were filming on shrooms.
I only had 2k to shoot the video and it all went to equipment. I did the video for free and it was the biggest mind fuck ever. I didn’t sleep for days and literally felt my brain fizzing. It was awesome.
Also Jake Z was the DP (Director of Photography) on the video. No one is better than him. Too bad he is too busy now to come and do free videos but look out for Casey B, he is the next big DP.
SBF: What was the worst injury you sustained while skating?
JOE: I’ve broken ribs, dislocated knees, broken ankles, fingers and tail bones but the funniest one is this lil’ video me and the Dark One made:
SBF: Who do you admire professionally?
JOE: I'm not professional at all but the people I admire are Emilio and Matt Roan from DPM ( Dance Party Magic, a DJ team, which consist of Matt Roan and E-six). They helped me out a lot. I don’t think I would have been able to survive without their help. They also taught me that when you move up a notch you have to take care of your friends and the artists around you.
Also Ranadeb Choudhury aka Ron from Chrew'd (www. 247hh. com). His entire marketing and managing team is showing me the ins and outs of this industry even though I hate it all. But this is the game I’m going into so I gotta learn how to play it.
SBF: When you first saw the Black Mags video aired on television, where were you?
JOE: I have yet to see it on TV. I mean, I watched it On Demand but that doesn’t really count.
SBF: Did your life change dramatically the day after the video came out? Did you have groupies?
JOE: I had a girlfriend at the time. So I couldn’t indulge in groupies.
My life was the same except that I was excited about my first video being done and I got more free drinks. I don’t expect anything to change until I get my fifth video done and I am still getting the thumbs up. Then I’ll have proved something. Although, when I go on skate trips it’s a little different now. Little kids ask me tons of questions and being on the other side of the camera is a little weird. I got a compliment from Justin Timberlake on the video; heads were high in the clouds that week.
But I did get my first small goal done which was to have one video on MTV but MTV sucks so bad now. I would rather never have another video air on that channel ever again. I remember when MTV was for kids like us.
I also had more drive to live out a childhood dream. I still can’t believe I’m getting to do what I’ve always wanted to do. It’s unreal.
SBF: Besides the equipment, you say the video was done for free. Did you think about compensation after you knew the video was a hit?
JOE: I knew it was going to be a hit from the beginning and I didn’t even think about compensation before or afterwards until I found out Chocolate (Chocolate Industries is a record label) was selling the video on iTunes.
I learned two things from that: Never trust a man with a number for a name and get paperwork done on everything.
SBF: Would you say you regularly try to avoid the spotlight or are into being seen?
JOE: Half and half. Sometimes I go out and I’ll have anxiety and just hide in a booth and observe people. Sometimes I’ll go out wanting to meet everyone.
SBF: Your Myspace headline reads, "I have camera, show me your butt." Who is that statement directed to? (Ha)
JOE: That is directed to anyone who wants to be filmed. I love filming people, especially filming intimate secrets. Those are the greatest treasures that no one will probably ever see. Well, not for at least another 5-10 years.
SBF: What projects are you currently working on?
JOE: Right now I’m working on videos for Mic Terror, Jason Tyler and a couple more Cool Kids videos.
I also have a handful of side projects; mainly involving doc stuff. Some of these series I would want to show in a gallery at some point. It’s all great stuff but won’t be ready for a long time.
SBF: Any non-cliche advice for artists out there trying to make a name?
JOE: Whatever I could tell people has all been said before. Nothing new. Just really keep going for it even if you live three to a bedroom, all scraping change together to get bread, peanut butter and jelly while alternating sleeping spots and all you do is constantly work and experience things while trying to make rent.
Also, be prepared for cold showers. End of interview.
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 GL, drunk?
 Yes, GL, at work.
 Matt Roan
 GL, and Matthias St. John for Franco Shade
GL, watering the lawn.
Related Links:
GL Joe
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