Love Chicago, Leave a Message

For one of basketball’s biggest weekends, StockX is launching a week-long charity campaign in collaboration with Chicago’s Common Ground Foundation. Before the basketball world heads to Chicago, we caught up with StockX friends new and old and asked them to leave a love voicemail for the windy city.

If you want to learn more about what they all love about Chicago, scroll down to read their full voicemails. And if you want to help us give back to the game’s host city, head to stockx.com/charity/ASW2020 and make a donation. Remember that every donation gives you a shot at winning exclusive pieces from Don C, Union LA, Hebru Brantley, Melody Ehsani, Vic Mensa, Awake NY, and Easy Otabor. Not only that, seven lucky winners will receive the ultimate prize of a custom designed RIMOWA case filled with all of the collaborative pieces and a pair of sneakers.

Don’t get caught sleeping, donate ASAP.

Hebru Brantley: Hey Chicago, it’s me, one of your favorite children, Hebru Brantley and I just wanna thank you. Thank you for being the city that taught me to pursue my dreams, that taught me creativity. Thank you for all the years of countless inspiration from your architecture to the views on the lake, that warm embrace, that cold breeze. Thank you for always being there to catch me when I fall, support me when I needed it, and push me to be the artist that I am now. Without you Chicago, I’m nothing. Thank you.

Melody Ehsani: Hey Chicago, it’s Melody Ehsani, I was just thinking about you and how you’re truly the heart of our country. You have such an iconic heritage of basketball, and music, and Oprah, and your skyline, that architecture, the food. I love you, Chicago.

Louis De Guzman: Hey Chicago, it’s Louis De Guzman. I just wanted to say thank you and to tell you how much I appreciate you. You’ve given my family and I a place to call home. A place that provides unending inspiration and that I stand by with pride. A place that’s given me the structure, motivation, and the courage to evolve my art and work. To reach beyond your beautiful skyline and to share it with the world. For me, you brought together a team that shares the same passions and end goals. A group of people who taught me the true meaning of comradery. Beyond LDG, you put me in a place where talent and legends in the making are never hard to come by. You brought us together to create an identity for the culture and to set a precedent for it’s future. Thank you for catching wind and establishing me as one of your own. I promise you that we’re just getting started.

Trey White: Hey Chicago, it’s Trey White. I just want to thank you for everything that you’ve provided me and all the young creatives in the city. You’ve provided all of us with an opportunity to learn, grow, and build a platform. It also has provided us with a competitive environment that pushes you but also when you fail you have a learning opportunity instead of being kicked out. A lot of the people here will teach you how to be a human to one another while also finessing the world. People like Joe Freshgoods and stores like Notre are giving people the keys to succeed. I love Chicago for not having a suited door that holds back people that want to succeed. Thank you, Chicago.

Vic Mensa: What up, Chicago. It’s me, your very own, Vic Mensa. I just wanted to give you a call and tell you how much I appreciate you. There would be no me without you. Your concrete, your fire, your drive, your soul forged me from the fire, made me in your image. I know people like to call you haterville, *chuckle* I don’t see it that way. You raised me to love myself and love my city and I’ll always be grateful to you for that. Always.

Ed Tinoco: Hey Chicago, I’m just calling you to remind you of the time that we spend together, I always have a great time. Having you around me always forces me to challenge myself and be creative and what you do to people is inspiring and contagious. I’m very thankful to have you in my life and all the time that we spend together. All I ever want to do is make you proud and ya know I’m very thankful that you’re always keeping me grounded even though we don’t see eye-to-eye. Throughout the years you’ve always been supportive and always bring new opportunities to my life. It’s not easy dealing with you especially on your cold side but I’ve gotten used to it. All I really wanna do is keep growing next to you and just become the best me that I can be and I know that you will always be there for me. I love you Chicago, bye.

Mario Smith: Hey Chicago, it’s Mario. Thank you for introducing me to some of the greatest artists in the world and thank you for allowing me to be able to have learned from them and to contribute to the art in this city and to help nurture other artists. I really appreciate you, thank you.

Benjamin Edgar Gott: Yo Chicago, it’s Ben Edgar calling to touch base. Most creative city in the world, the coldest city in the world in more ways than one. The inspiration and the muse of everything that I do whether I know it or not. Hit me back when you get a chance.

Brandon Breaux: Hey Chicago, I just want to say thank you. Thank you for all of the love, thank you for all of the lessons and all of the happiness in my life that made me who I am today. Ya know, i don’t understand it, I didn’t understand everything that happened when it happened but as they say hindsight is 20/20 and everything that i was given from this city has made me the person I am today so I just want to say thank you. Peace.