Welcome to the archive in the STAPLEVERSE
Yes, thank You,
I'm joerilla, the "Archivist" for the STAPLEVERSE and somewhat of a historian on the brand of Staple Pigeon due to my extensive collection of STAPLE items and the knowledge that I have. However, I am not an OG collector or a day one collector. I have only been collecting for 9 years. My belief is that storytelling is the oldest human technology. It is the way we communicate an idea to someone else. So let me tell you the "short" version of how I came to meet Jeff staple. I was asked to shoot an interview with Jeff Staple and Bun B by the boutique Phatkaps, out of Nashville, TN. In my excitement for the project and the opportunity to meet Bun B, I bluntly asked, "who's Jeff Staple?" I was filled in on Jeff's work and that the Pigeons I saw on shirts, hats, and Beats headphones were in fact, his brand. I thought nothing more of it other than, "cool, I love pigeons."
My uncle had always raised homer pigeons as a hobby, and as a young kid, I was intrigued that you could build a coop given the basic necessities w/ love and care for the birds, and no matter how far you take them away, they will always come back home. A lesson in life that would shape my relationship with STAPLE. The morning of the video shoot was nothing special. Drive to Nashville, stop at BNA Airport, pick up Jeff and Bun B, get them to the meet and greet, then to Vanderbilt for their interview. I was excited to meet Hip Hop legend Bun B of UGK. Arriving at the airport, we were met with Jeff's marketing manager and assistant, Anna, who informed us that Jeff had just landed and was coming from the terminal. As my eyes were scanning the lobby of BNA looking for Bun B so I wouldn't miss that initial shot of him arriving, my eyes locked onto a medium-built Asian man wearing a black varsity-style jacket with a mean cartoon-style pigeon head accompanied by a varsity font "S" and the number '75. To match, he had on some neck-breaking New Balance pink bottom shoes. He walked right past me and immediately started sharing travel day stories with Anna. The way he carried himself and his demeanor was alluring. I like to tell people that he had this magical glowing aura floating around him, but maybe that was just in my perception Lol! It took about ten minutes for him to stop mid-sentence and look over and say, "Oh, I'm sorry, I'm Jeff."
The day didn't go as planned. There were a lot of technical problems with mics and a hired video guy to help, so most of the day, I would capture footage of Jeff & Bun B trying not to eavesdrop on the amazing tails these two guys would share. During the downtime, I would question Jeff about his brands and ideas; just to make small talk, but what got me was the fact that this guy didn't seem like he was just there to sell his product. He was more interested in telling his story of the brand, how he was inspired by others, the struggles and grand ideas he had for it, and the culture. He seemed more like a teacher or a guru speaking about his strong beliefs about what he truly loved. The exact details of what was spoken to me that day will, for now, stay a secret jewel that I hold close to my heart. That chance meeting with Jeff Staple has completely altered the life path that I live today. It was more of a spiritual awakening for me, as weird as that may sound, and from that day, I decided that this man and his brand was what I wanted to be involved with, however, I could. And on a side note, it was cool to be able to hang with Bun B, also.
- Joerilla