fbpx
Connect with us
Apply Now

Executive Voice

Sneakers & Hip Hop: SBCollector’s Story

Chris Robinson, known as SBCollector, is a renaissance man of the modern age. A sneaker collection worth multiple millions, the owner of his local skate shop and a bright future in the music world. I “sat down” with Chris (he’s in New Jersey, I’m in Chicago, but the internet closed the distance) and discussed his career, hopes and dreams. To understand the music of SBCollector, I have to dig into his past. A past paved by sneakers.

I asked Chris to walk me through his space, walls stacked high with shoe boxes, and display cases lined with rare and colorful sneakers. As he showed me around, he talked about his early days. “The first pair of Nike’s I ever purchased was when I was 16 working at McDonalds and I got my first paycheck. I went right to A&J Sneakers in Asbury Park, NJ and purchased a pair of White with a navy blue check Air Force One low-top, put them on, and wore them out of the store. It was one of the most satisfying things I’ve ever experienced.” I asked if he still had the shoes. He laughed, “I wore those things into the ground. My mom made me throw them out because they were totally falling apart.” But Chris doesn’t seem to have any regrets. He could wear a new pair of shoes every day for years.

After our shoe room tour, Chris took me into his studio. A back room equally as packed, but less with shoes and more with musical instruments, drum kits and big, bassey speakers. I asked Robinson to describe his sound for me. “It’s a blend. Old school hip hop made with newer technology, then run through analog systems.” He points to his gear. “I get obsessed with things. From shoes, to music stuff, the more that surrounds me, the more I’m inspired.” And inspired he is. I listened to his singles before our interview, and was struck by the fullness of the sound. Something new artists typically struggle with. I asked him about it. “Being in the sneaker world, I’m surrounded by culture” he says, “and I’ve gotten to know a lot of very talented musicians. I help them get a rare pair shoes, and they’ll give me tips on my music. I love to learn, and I just love making music.”

It’s easy to see where SBCollector’s influences come from, but, like everything he touches, he makes it his own. I ask him what his future holds. He looks out the window of his studio, reflecting for a moment. “I want my music to be a soundtrack to someone’s lives. I want some kid to get his first pair of AF1’s on his McDonalds job money and I want him to walk home in them, listen to one of my tracks, and feel like a million bucks.” I end by asking Chris if he remembers what he was listening to when he got his first pair of sneakers. He laughs, and says something, but the connection cuts out. I didn’t hear the song, but based on the look on his face, it was as influential as the shoes on his feet. You can find Chris’ debut singles on Spotify, streaming now. 

Continue Reading


Copyright © 2022 Disrupt ™ Magazine is a Minority Owned Privately Held Company - Disrupt ™ was founder by Puerto Rican serial entrepreneur and philanthropist Tony Delgado who is on a mission to transform Latin America using the power of education and entrepreneurship.

Disrupt ™ Magazine
151 Calle San Francisco
Suite 200
San Juan, Puerto Rico, 00901

Opinions expressed by Disrupt Contributors are their own. Disrupt Magazine invites voices from many diverse walks of life to share their perspectives on our contributor platform. We are big believers in freedom of speech and while we do enforce our community guidelines, we do not actively censor stories on our platform because we want to give our contributors the freedom to express their opinions. Articles are not commissioned by our editorial team, and opinions expressed by our community contributors do not reflect the opinions of Disrupt or its employees.
We are committed to fighting the spread of misinformation online so if you feel an article on our platform goes against our community guidelines or contains false information, we do encourage you to report it. We need your help to fight the spread of misinformation. For more information please visit our Contributor Guidelines available here.


Disrupt ™ is the voice of latino entrepreneurs around the world. We are part of a movement to increase diversity in the technology industry and we are focused on using entrepreneurship to grow new economies in underserved communities both here in Puerto Rico and throughout Latin America. We enable millennials to become what they want to become in life by learning new skills and leveraging the power of the digital economy. We are living proof that all you need to succeed in this new economy is a landing page and a dream. Disrupt tells the stories of the world top entrepreneurs, developers, creators, and digital marketers and help empower them to teach others the skills they used to grow their careers, chase their passions and create financial freedom for themselves, their families, and their lives, all while living out their true purpose. We recognize the fact that most young people are opting to skip college in exchange for entrepreneurship and real-life experience. Disrupt Magazine was designed to give the world a taste of that.