41-year-old Kansas City hip-hop artist Alan Wayne “The Pradagy” has been rocking stages since he was a teenager, but it’s still incredible that his new clothing brand is the official sponsor of the 19th Street Mainstage during the monthly First Fridays at the Crossroads.
“It’s truly an incredible experience,” Pradagy said. “Having our banners out here for the whole city to see every month during this celebration of the arts is exactly what the brand is meant to represent.”
Russ Hill, program manager of the Englewood Arts Center in Independence, walked near the main stage on the hot afternoon of July 5. Wearing a Namaste & Brand hat, Hill said he was drawn to the eccentric color scheme and the appeal to the arts community.
“When I first saw the bright colors, they immediately caught my eye,” said Hill. “I really enjoyed the fine details of the clothing and hats with the embossed pins and stamps. The patchwork is super high quality.”
Pradagy and business partner Andrew Beck officially launched Namaste & Brand earlier this year. In Buddhism, Namaste (nah-mah-stay) is a Sanskrit word that has multiple meanings, such as “The God in me honors the God in you,” or “I recognize your inner light,” “I bow to you.”
Their idea is to go beyond Pradagy’s hip-hop roots and use the principles of Buddhism to transcend cultures.
Lawrence Brooks IV
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KCUR 89.3
The brand’s original name didn’t sound quite so spiritual. “Namaste & Sh!t” was inspired by a fan who greeted Pradagy with those words outside a venue in Bastrop, Texas, about 40 minutes west of Austin.
Pradagy said the fan’s translation was obviously her own variation of the meaning of Namaste, but it worked nonetheless.
“She essentially said, ‘The good in me sees the good in you.’ That’s where my inspiration comes from, because that’s how I try to see people,” he said.
The encouragement from a stranger and the novelty of the sentence were intriguing – and gave him an instant sense of inner peace at a time when he was struggling with depression.
“It probably came to me at the lowest point in my life,” Pradagy said. “The rhythm of the word just sounded good, so when the young lady said it to me and explained what it meant, I smiled as if to say, ‘I understand. Namaste and all.'”
Although Pradagy is not a Buddhist in the traditional sense, he said that from that moment on he learned the principles of this non-theistic religion, which are based on moral discipline, and integrated them into his life and career.
“When I said that, it had a certain ring to it and it was a brainwave. It changed everything for me. I meditate when I am the best version of myself,” he said.
At first, he limited the expression to tour merchandise such as T-shirts, since entrepreneurship is fundamental to an independent artist.
“They sold so well and did so well that when I was on tour for a long time, I usually came home empty-handed,” he said. “At some point, the slogan became more popular than me or my music. That’s what stuck with me.”
Spirituality revives friendship
Andrew Beck said he first encountered Buddhist philosophy several years ago when a close relative, noticing that he was struggling with his mental health, sent him a book of Buddhist teachings.
Because of the Catholic teachings of his upbringing, he was initially skeptical about Buddhist principles. It was only after reading Jack Kornfield’s book “The Wise Heart: A Guide to the Universal Teachings of Buddhist Psychology” several times that Beck decided to engage with them.
“It broke down meditation and made it more understandable for Westerners who don’t understand it,” said Beck, who runs Beck’s Tessellation, LLC, a family-owned business specializing in custom tile installation. “Meditation is a way of life for me now, whether I meditate for five minutes a day or twenty minutes a day.”
When Beck saw a picture of Pradagy wearing an original Namaste & Sh!t-shirt on social media, he immediately recognized the phrase and reached out to his former Lincoln College Preparatory Academy classmate to purchase one.
“He brought me one for free,” Beck said.
A decades-old friendship was rekindled.
“When we started dating again, I felt like I finally had someone who understood me spiritually,” Beck said. “He was willing to grow and be open to other things beyond how we grew up.”
Lawrence Brooks IV
/
KCUR 89.3
Beck had already founded his own company and wanted to make something bigger out of the spiritual journey. But to do that, he wanted to polish the name.
“Namaste & Sh!t is catchy. But it’s kind of aggressive and direct. We can print Namaste & Brand on anything,” he said. They now sell merchandise with both versions of the phrase.
A new border
At The Bunker KC in Westport, people from all walks of life buy high-quality streetwear.
When Beck walked in wearing a Namaste & Sh!t hoodie while shopping with his teenage daughter earlier this year, the staff’s reaction changed everything.
“Both buyers happened to be there that night. They said they really liked the shirt and asked me where I got it,” he said. “So I did a pretty small sales presentation right there and then and showed them some stuff on my phone that we had been working on.”
Lawrence Brooks IV
/
KCUR 89.3 FM
The buyer, Drew Barr, is general manager of The Bunker KC. He said he immediately fell in love with the T-shirt because he has similar views on life.
“Everyone should take a deep breath and calm down a little, live their lives and relax,” Barr said.
Barr said Namaste & Brand has been on the store’s shelves for several months now, and even with recent changes to the logo and brand, the response from customers continues to be impressive.
“They did a great job with the product and the art on it,” Barr said. “People just walk by and say, ‘I like that so much.'”
Due to the positive response, Beck and Pragady are excited about the future of the brand.
“We are considering branding bonsai trees and dog bowls, and we just received some yoga mats,” Pradagy said.
In true Buddhist fashion, Pradagy said he takes little credit for his early success.
“It feels like I was the vessel that was able to bring it to life,” he said.
