bringing back the boogie down: bronx culture & modern creativity

A Cultural Hub in the Boogie Down

A2: Amaurys, describe for the listeners exactly where we are right now.

Amaurys: Right now, we're at The Bronx Native shop at 127 Lincoln Avenue in the heart of the Boogie Down Bronx—the South Bronx. This is a shop designed not only to sell Bronx-based merchandise, but it also serves as a cultural hub. It is a place for artists, creatives, and entrepreneurs across the borough to come together, experience the culture, network, break bread, and have a great time.

A2: That's amazing. Every time I follow you on Instagram, I feel like there's a completely different event happening every single night.

Amaurys: There pretty much is. We try to use this space to the absolute fullest of its potential. This storefront was completely empty for about two years before we came in, so we had to make it work. It is a fairly small space, but we make the most of it. We host a lot of events, and other community members host their programming here as well. It ranges from community talks, book readings, and book releases to live music, spoken word, and open mics. We have even hosted website launches and teacher get-togethers. There is already a great deal of history embedded here.

A2: You've been operating the physical shop for about a year and a half now. The traction you've established is impressive.

Amaurys: The impact we've had in this immediate neighborhood, across the broader Bronx, and even outside of the borough has been incredible. It is something we didn't fully expect initially. It came as a direct result of hard work—putting total effort into building out the space and establishing the brand. That dedication generated massive traction and engagement for our shop.

From Anime Sketches to Community Advocacy

A2: Let's look back for a second. If you could talk to the 15-year-old version of yourself—say, a sophomore in high school—could he have ever imagined or manifested what you are doing right now?

Amaurys: Not really. Back when I was 15, it wasn't on my mind at all that I would be manufacturing T-shirts and designing cool concepts specifically for the borough. However, I always knew that I was going to be a creative and an artist because I was drawing my entire life. As a sophomore in high school, I was the kid drawing in the back of the classroom. I used to create my own comic books. I was heavily into watching and drawing anime during the classic Toonami wave.

A2: You were riding that Toonami wave? That was the ultimate primer to anime for our entire generation.

Amaurys: That is exactly how I started. Watching those shows after school took it from there. So, while I always knew I would enter a creative field, I didn't necessarily envision a venture that targets so many distinct lanes. This role requires me to be a creative, a business person, and a community advocate all at once.

A2: You have really become a central personality that people refer to regarding the modern culture of the borough. When was the first true "aha moment" where you realized this project was transitioning into a massive movement? And when you refer to the team, who helped you build the foundation?

Amaurys: My sister and I co-founded The Bronx Native together, and we now operate with a dedicated team.

The definitive turning point occurred at the beginning of 2017, around the first week of January. We received our very first invitation to be interviewed on BronxNet. It was our first time ever appearing on television. I was incredibly nervous, but we completed the interview, and immediately afterward, we looked at each other and realized this was a real movement.

We originally launched the brand in 2016. We started incredibly small with just 12 shirts, created an Instagram account, and began posting content. With anything I commit to, I want to execute it to the absolute fullest of its potential. That January television interview was the catalyst where I decided to go completely ham on developing the brand to make it as large as possible. 2017 ultimately became our breakthrough year. It was the year we secured our physical shop, got featured in The New York Times, and truly put the brand on the map.

The Bronx Renaissance

A2: I remember first discovering the brand back in 2017. What instantly caught my attention was your staggering creative output. Between the storefront, the core brand, your various sub-brands, and your own personal brand, you are operating like a true Bronx renaissance man. How does your individual identity overlap with the business?

Amaurys: Operating this business has naturally elevated my personal brand as a creative and an entrepreneur. In my personal pursuits, I am focused on expanding into motivational speaking engagements—inspiring the youth and speaking to anyone who feels held back by their immediate surroundings.

A lot of people grow up believing they are strictly a product of their environment and that their background limits where they can go in life. I want to preach the opposite message: you can accomplish absolutely anything if you are willing to put in the necessary work. I love talking to kids about entrepreneurship. Growing up, nobody ever explicitly told me that I could be my own boss, control my own income, or build a company. The standard advice was simply to go to school and follow a traditional path, which is perfectly fine. But entrepreneurship is an incredible journey. It is incredibly tough and demanding, but you have to love the process and pursue something you are genuinely passionate about. That is the core message we preach through our work.

A2: The landscape has completely shifted because independent creative options are highly viable now, whereas years ago it was considered highly unconventional. When you initially launched in 2016, did you have any local blueprints or peers operating on this specific level?

Amaurys: One of the primary reasons we built The Bronx Native was because we couldn't find anyone else executing this specific concept. Personally, I couldn't find any modern, well-designed apparel that captured the deep history and culture of the borough in a way that I wanted to wear.

If you look at the other boroughs, Brooklyn has an endless array of hyper-branded apparel, clothing lines, and global hype. Harlem has its own deeply established aesthetic. I remember thinking it was strange that the Bronx lacked that same distinct streetwear representation, especially considering that hip-hop and so many global cultural movements were born right here. The Bronx has historically been underrated and placed last.

I went to school for graphic design at the School of Visual Arts (SVA), so I had the design background. My sister was a fashion design student. We decided to combine our skill sets and attach the clothing line to a tangible community mission. We wanted to build the only storefront dedicated exclusively to Bronx merchandise.

Embracing the Underdog Mentality

A2: It is a steep climb to transition from wanting to wear cool local apparel to physically opening a brick-and-mortar storefront. Can you dive deeper into that underdog mentality compared to the commercial branding of the other boroughs?

Amaurys: I have always loved the Bronx, but I grew up hearing a tremendous amount of negative perspectives from people both outside and inside the borough. When I was studying at SVA, I was literally the only Dominican kid from the Bronx in my spaces. People would constantly joke or ask me if it was terrifying living uptown. I had to tell them that it isn’t scary—it's beautiful and culturally rich.

That environment made me realize I needed to find a creative way to show people what the borough is truly about, change the negative narrative, and firmly identify myself. Every area has its challenges, but it is all about authentically showcasing the reality. This is a beautiful borough filled with diverse, hardworking, and driven people who have consistently accomplished great things.

We embraced being the underdog, and that authenticity is working. We recently had a massive milestone where we were featured on a show on Viceland. We hosted the official screening and viewing party at the shop, which was a surreal experience because it was my first time seeing the final edited footage. We filmed consistently for three months out of the previous year to make that happen.

We have also hosted pivotal political moments, like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez campaigning directly inside our shop when she was first running for office. One of her very first campaign stops was right here at The Bronx Native before she had a massive platform. Now she has millions of followers and is holding a major position in Washington, repping the Bronx on a global stage.

The Bronx is experiencing a true cultural renaissance. We are rising up alongside a tight-knit network of local creatives who all started around the same time. We did early pop-ups with Joe from Espresso State of Mind back when we were all grinding in the trenches together. Our opening day DJ, DJ J Fuse, is still out here doing big things. We are watching a whole generation of local artists, musicians, and business owners rise together in their respective fields. 10 years from now, we are going to look back at these specific shop days and realize this is exactly where the foundation was built.

The Power of Authenticity and Execution

A2: It really comes down to capitalizing on major cultural moments in real time. I remember when Cardi B won her Grammy for Album of the Year; almost instantly, The Bronx Native had commemorative merchandise ready for the community.

Amaurys: We are living in the absolute best era regarding access to technology, digital resources, and social media. It allows us to design, manufacture, and drop relevant merchandise immediately. We tapped directly into an underserved market.

If you look at Brooklyn, absolutely everything is meticulously branded—from Brooklyn Industries and local coffee shops to Brooklyn-branded denim and dresses. They utilized their geographic identity as a massive commercial selling point, which eventually led to gentrification and a dilution of the original local touch. For us, the Bronx is the last stand. For a long time, popular culture didn't view it as trendy to proudly proclaim you were from here. Now, we are seeing a dramatic shift in pride. We were proud to be a pioneer brand pushing that message forward, alongside figures like Cardi B, Ocasio-Cortez, and Desus and Mero highlighting our community in entertainment, politics, and late-night television.

A2: It's a completely unprecedented shift. Growing up just outside the borough, I frequently attended community events and churches in the Bronx, but historically there was never a centralized brand where people could literally wear that local pride on their sleeve. It highlights how vital it is for creatives to execute their ideas immediately.

Amaurys: Execution is everything. I remember an event where a local creator came up to me and said she was frustrated because she and her sisters had planned to launch a Bronx-centered apparel brand years ago using the exact name "Bronx Native." There are many old-school creators who attempted similar concepts in the past, but the timing simply wasn't right.

We launched at the absolute perfect moment where the community mindset clicked collectively, and everyone realized they wanted to represent their roots. Now, you see new niche pages popping up constantly—from specialized local bakers to creators making custom Bronx stickers. It is beautiful to witness. The sustained success of The Bronx Native comes down to a few essential pillars: identifying a clear market niche, utilizing perfect timing, maintaining absolute consistency, and executing the vision without fear.

A2: That is an incredible blueprint for any creative entrepreneur. Amaurys, thank you so much for taking the time to share your story and congratulations on the continued success.

Amaurys: I appreciate you. Bronx native, we out here. Thank you!