My Trip to Apt. 4B, a Taste of N.Y.C in L.A.
One of the favorite interviews and stories of 2016 came towards the end of the year when I went down to Apt. 4B, a boutique on Fairfax Avenue in Los Angeles pushing ‘90s Hip-Hop-inspired wears, and spoke with owners Moon and Monique. The couple was celebrating the store’s first anniversary and I talked to them about its beginning and future for Billboard.
Los Angeles' Apt. 4B Clothing Brings '90s NYC Street Life to the West Coast
4B is modeled after a ‘90s era 'hood NYC apartment and as someone who grew up in a similar style home and then spent several years as a resident in both Harlem and Brooklyn, I can vouch for the validity of their decor—from the floor tiling to the posters on the wall. Their execution’s top notch.But the best part was getting to know them. My fiancee and I plan on one day having our own company together, so hearing Moon and Mo’ talk about the dynamic of their working relationship gave me a look at what my future might look like. Though many say that you shouldn’t do business with your significant other, they seem to be handling it well.https://www.instagram.com/p/BNAFX2hhG0e/ “It’s not easy,” Monique said of working with her man Moon. “It’s not always fun. I don’t always like him. He doesn’t always like me. But we love each other and it’s worth it.” After laughing a bit, Moon added, “It’s extremely rewarding. Much more than partnering with someone random. Even the small successes are huge, because of that connection.” Inspiring stuff here, folks.
Los Angeles' Apt. 4B Clothing Brings '90s NYC Street Life to the West Coast
In their short time, they collaborated with and helped celebrate anniversaries for Bad Boy and Roc-a-Fella Records, finding ways to transform the shop into an event space at times. Moon had this great quote about thinking big and accomplishing goals:“If it’s something that we want to do, we do it. It’s good that we start with a huge, almost impossible idea. Then we start carving at the stone until we get to the marble statue.”
Read the full feature here. They talk about Jay Z popping up at 4B, the rap lyrics that embody where they are in their lives now, and their dream-chasing journey.https://www.instagram.com/p/BCWMimiDPOE/?taken-by=moniquecarmen