I am well known in the skate community, but I have always preferred skating alone. Even though I skate with friends when we are filming clips, I would say 80 to 90 percent of the time, I pull up to the skatepark by myself and do not care about anything but skating. When I first started in China, it was never about social media or trying to impress anyone. It was about falling, getting back up, and realizing the only way to fail a trick is by giving up. That independence stayed with me.
When I moved to the Midwest later on, almost every skater I met had sharpened their style after spending time in California. We always talked about how much you can grow on a board out here and how much opportunity exists on the West Coast. Seeing that eventually pushed me to move to Los Angeles myself.
Back then, recognition came from pure skill. Today, you still have to be good, but social presence has become another layer in the process. You need online visibility on top of talent if you want sponsors or brand partners. It is not a phase the culture went through; it is how the landscape evolved.
Skating opened doors I never expected. A few talent agencies found me through my online presence and reached out to sign me. Those opportunities turned into major commercial campaigns for TV, billboards, and national ads. It still catches me by surprise sometimes, especially because growing up in China, I never fit the beauty standard. Being here helped me redefine beauty and gave me the confidence to accept myself fully.
Outside of skating, I run a full creative business. I have a bachelor’s degree in business and advertising, and before going full-time into my own work, I spent time in major media corporations. Now I provide creative direction, brand work, production, and consulting. I keep my business profile low-key online because I want people to know me first as an artist. But behind the scenes, I have built something I am proud of.
My taste in music evolved over the years. As a teenager, I listened to rock and metal, and I explored classical and jazz, but I fell in love with hip-hop later on. I listen to a wide range of hip-hop from R&B, trap, drill, Afrobeat, reggae, and dancehall. I also love a lot of underground Atlanta and East Coast artists. My last EP was a full sexy drill project. My music is intentionally melodic because that is the sound I resonate with.
The first song I posted online was a sarcastic, comedic skate rap moment that blew up. It was stupid in a fun way, but the hook stuck, and the reaction pushed me to keep creating. When I started releasing more intentional tracks, the hype did not follow in the same way. I tried doing more skits and shoots to push those songs, but it never felt like something I could stand behind. It is that classic struggle of creating for yourself versus creating for others.
Now I am committed to making what I actually feel aligned with. Views and likes mean nothing if you are not proud of the work. LA can be full of people who chase numbers or buy into the performance of it all, but I would rather stay grounded. I am choosing to keep putting out work that feels true to me.
And if you want to hear the latest chapter, my new single Come Outside is out now on all platforms. I just shot the music video for it. It feels like the most authentic blend of everything that shaped me.
-Lil Takeout for Dead Relatives.
