One Block Down & Jordan Explores the Creatives of Paris

The One Block Down editorial archive is an ever-evolving resource detailing the cultures, movements and ideas that defined contemporary stylistic discourse. From unique takes on today’s leading pop-culture topics, to off-kilter stories that might have slipped through the net, our editorial archive is as fundamental as it is abstract.

Can you tell us a bit about your journey? Who are you, and how did you dive into your current field?

Hi! My name's Sweetcook. I'm a young bull from Paris who likes to bake. Actually, I started my baking journey only because I'm addicted to sugar, ahah, so I needed to make some cakes for myself and my friends.

What sparked the idea to start your own business or creative project? Was there a specific moment that drove you to pursue this career?

Honestly, at first, I just wanted to record my baking recipes and edit them like a Rap Music Video, just for fun. I was thinking about starting a little business but wasn't ready yet. Then I helped a friend of mine, Yassine, who wanted to sell sole Pastries in my neighborhood, « Belleville Zoo.» It was a nice and short adventure that confirmed that I needed to do my own business.I was inspired by different clothing brands on Instagram at the time, and I thought, maybe I could sell my pastries with nice photos and videos that are different from what others are doing.

What's a typical day like for you, whether you're at your spot or deep in the creative process? What parts do you love the most, and what challenges do you face?

My biggest challenge is being prepared and organized. I’m actually working on a project for a restaurant, and they asked me to bake much more than I’m used to. So quantity and organization are challenges. And of course, my next pastry drop, « SUKARO,» is on the way. Stay tuned!

Could you share the philosophy or vision behind your work? How does that show up in what you create or offer?

My philosophy of life is pretty simple: put your soul into your work, and people will feel it. Your happiness, your sorrow, everything depends on your state of mind. If you put your soul into your craft, you are being honest. And if you are being honest, you're being good.My philosophy is very clear. I'll do what I want and shock people like never before. It is much more than pastry; it’s the <Sweet Way>

How does your work impact or connect with the community around you?

That’s crazy, bro. I was just minding my own business. Suddenly, “sidequests” came to me, where people wanted to collaborate with me on different projects! So I knew that what I was doing was right. This year will be a year of collaboration with the city.

Any cool stories about the Air Jordan 4 or your experiences with the Jordan Brand that you can share?

My first pair of Jordans was a Jordan 3. I think it was a Red one, very flashy, ahah, just because I wanted to be like Kid Ink in one of his music videos, where he wears camo pants and red Jordans!

How has Paris shaped you? What's your take on the cultural scene here and how it's evolving?

Paris is a small city, but in reality, it’s actually big. What I mean is that there are a lot of things you can do and create as long as you take the different opportunities in front of you.

Can you tell us a bit about your journey? Who are you, and how did you dive into your current field?

Hello, My name is Josias Sitti. I'm 25 years old, and I work in design and direction. I've always been passionate about beautiful, weird things.

What sparked the idea to start your own business or creative project? Was there a specific moment that drove you to pursue this career?

I've always done little projects here and there for my friends, but I've reached a certain point where I want to see how far I can go with my own project.

What's a typical day like for you, whether you're at your spot or deep in the creative process? What parts do you love the most, and what challenges do you face?

I spend a lot of time in archives (books, documentaries, magazines, films, etc...) I've always loved that since I was a kid! When I'm not doing that, I'm drawing clothes or people.At the end of the day, I spend some time on my computer making technical drawings. The challenge is always to go further than previous ideas.

Could you share the philosophy or vision behind your work? How does that show up in what you create or offer?

I was born in Togo, where there are a lot of colorful objects (chairs, bottles, vehicles), and I've always been fascinated by these colors, so I try to transcribe them into my creations.

How does your work impact or connect with the community around you?Any cool stories about the Air Jordan 4 or your experiences with the Jordan Brand that you can share?

My older brother had posters of basketball players in his room, and I loved going in and just looking at them. He had a beautiful poster of Jordan.

How has Paris shaped you? What's your take on the cultural scene here and how it's evolving?

I love this place, but it can sometimes be too noisy. Paris is the best city in which to express yourself artistically, and I find that anything is possible and anything can happen very quickly!

Can you tell us a bit about your journey? Who are you, and how did you dive into your current field?

My name is Amy. I'm 25 years old and it's been 8 months since I'm djing now.I grew up in Paris and now live in London. I clearly have an addiction to drums and rhythms that I love sharing with my people through mixing or simply sharing music. My music taste is very eclectic and energetic. I grew up in a musical family with an African dad who mixed jungle DnB and Senegalese rhythms and lyrics.That's what created my passionate relationship with Afro-digital and electro-Caribbean music (and many other genres).

What sparked the idea to start your own business or creative project? Was there a specific moment that drove you to pursue this career?

I always enjoyed being the one who played music when I was chilling with people. I dreamed of being the DJ at a party but always kept it for myself.When I was a kid, every day on my way to school, I listened to energetic tracks with nice drums that I knew could influence people's energy. But that seemed like a dream that I didn't know how to access.One day, two years ago, I went to a fashion week event, and I was surprised that the DJ was playing some type of atypical music I was listening to. On that day, I could capture myself with more belief, hope, and reality.I straight away shared that vision with one of my big brothers who gifted me my first deck not too long after (big up Hamdy haha)

That's how I started my journey: with one deck, no teacher, and no tutorial because, with my ADHD, it was just a dialect I couldn't understand. I just trained, freestyling every day.My first goal was to play my first gig for “Fete de la Musique” in France because that's one of my favorite days of the year. I gave myself 1 month to be ready for it and I did it! It was not too difficult for me to start my own thing because I was already a freelance hairdresser so that was just a new way with the same focus and perseverance. I trusted my selection and taste I could capture in my head some moments that could happen that seemed so realistic and that's all I needed for the action next to it.

A specific moment that drove me to push my career was my first gig because I had no laptop yet, so no backup at all, and my USB broke on the day of my performance, like 4 hours before and I didn't have access to my music because my phone storage had problems deleting my music automatically.So, my USB was broken in two parts, and everything was gone, but my mindset was, “Even if it happened, I'm still going to play. Nothing will stop me from achieving this!"
I'm a girl, and I like to get ready, especially for my first gig back in the town where I grew up. I have a lot to prove, you know, but that made me skip my outfit for the show, and how I wanted to represent myself aesthetically.

I just started to run outside tryna find any tech corner shop that could help me, I was also broke so I had to negotiate a gentle price as well, that service was around 250€ on the market. I found a way to buy a new USB and get the storage off the broken one, just for 50€, then go back home download some more tracks, and play in time. On that day I felt like god tested me to see if I really wanted to do it and if I was brave enough. It made me prove to myself that I'm a fighter and a real DJ and I will do my thing.

What's a typical day like for you, whether you're at your spot or deep in the creative process? What parts do you love the most, and what challenges do you face?

I'm going to wake up and watch some videos I took of myself playing the night before, seeing what content I can create with them for promotion or just for the love of sharing.Then, listening to my music through videos is gonna make me excited to play and jump on the decks whatever time it is, even before feeding myself sometimes. I can play for a good 2-3 hours nonstop as soon as I wake up. Then I start to do my routine cleaning, walking my dog, etc. I also still do people's hair when I don't have any gig planned, but most of the time, if I have a free space I'm playing to get better, shoot content, organize a future set, download some new tracks, or do some music research.I do a lot of live-stream videos on TikTok and Instagram where I interact with people. I really love it because, in a way, it is playing in front of the public, so you have reactions. It's helping you to be a DJ better, and by interacting with the public, it’s creating a fan base as well. Also, it’s a lot of fun!

 
My favorite parts are when I find a new track and am excited to see which tracks I already have match the sound or imagine a crowd reaction when I play something.
Finding a nice transition that goes from one universe or genre to another but that still makes sense musically because of the nice blend.Or when you play music that means a lot to me and people tell me “This is so you” they're able to associate me with something that really represents me and makes me proud.

Could you share the philosophy or vision behind your work? How does that show up in what you create or offer?

My philosophy is love and empathy, that's what is tattoed on both of my arms and hands because anything I'm doing with them is based on love and empathy.
You share your music because you love it, for the love of sharing, of listening to it, of seeing people's reactions and feelings.With empathy, you observe the crowd and manage to guess how they would feel if you played something, why they would want to, how to make them happy, how to influence them or open their minds and make them discover some things they didn’t even know they would like!

How does your work impact or connect with the community around you?

My work impacts the community around me to do their thing, to not be scared or shy, and just DO IT! It’s giving them hope and more confidence.
They see me working hard while having fun because it’s a passion. It makes them believe that work always pays, that nothing is impossible, and that every human has his little power. He just has to believe and start the process.

Any cool stories about the Air Jordan 4 or your experiences with the Jordan Brand that you can share?

The Air Jordan 4 is actually my favorite shoe for skateboarding. I used to skew, and I had the best balance when I was wearing them. What a good feeling to dress nice and skate.

How has Paris shaped you? What's your take on the cultural scene here and how it's evolving?

Paris didn't really shape me because it was when I lived in London that I started to hang out in the night scene.So when I'm playing in Paris, people already know I'm going to make them discover some new music, most from the UK. Because I grew up in Paris, I know how to mix it with things they know to keep them comfortable and not lose the perfect balance.
A good set for me is If I can see people tryna Shazam my music.
My career has been evolving quicker than I expected and it's such a blessing because I was so frustrated to have started only at 24 years old. I have so many goals and It feels amazing to achieve them.I don't go to Paris anymore unless I'm booked for playing and it happened, in only a week I had 7 set bookings and for pretty good stuff, I’m also gonna play at my first festival with some of my favorite DJs & producers. So it's an amazing journey that I'm grateful for, it's making me explore my personality, showing that I’m a fighter, and trusting myself with my taste.Keep going until it goes the way I want and not giving up because sometimes it can be really hard and frustrating.

 
The DJ game is big there's a lot of concurrency, so you have gotta make sure you find your way to show your unicity.

Can you tell us a bit about your journey? Who are you, and how did you dive into your current field?

I'm Leo Kpodzro. I was born in 2001. As far as I remember, I've always expressed myself when I felt like it, so I would say I've been diving into this field somehow since childhood.

What sparked the idea to start your own business or creative project? Was there a specific moment that drove you to pursue this career?

My parents have always been supportive in what I undertook so I guess they were my first encouragement in my self-exploration.

What's a typical day like for you, whether you're at your spot or deep in the creative process? What parts do you love the most, and what challenges do you face?

A regular day for me would involve waking up late, around 11 AM, having breakfast or no breakfast sometimes, listening to some music, doing a bit of work at the atelier, meeting some friends, and chilling until the night, when I usually watch a movie or series. Sometimes, challenges are my time schedule between family, work, discipline, and enjoyment.

Could you share the philosophy or vision behind your work? How does that show up in what you create or offer? 

In my work, no matter which medium I use, my intent is to keep people's minds lit up about themselves and enlighten our inner humanity through visuals and thoughtful images from my subconscious and imaginary.

How does your work impact or connect with the community around you?

I guess it's just a feeling that gets you. Whether you are interested in visual art designs or not you can connect with it, also when I put on my painter cap, I try to choose meaningful subjects that resonate with me and what I go through and therefore have the ability to resonate with others.

Any cool stories about the Air Jordan 4 or your experiences with the Jordan Brand that you can share?

I just remember that wearing Jordans in high school was trendy and that my father was always buying us a brand new one for the first day of almost every new year, even though we couldn't really afford it because that was what we wanted.

How has Paris shaped you? What's your take on the cultural scene here and how it's evolving?

Paris is a center of activity that's always expanding. I guess I don't really think about all of it. I just work on whatever I feel like doing, and I focus on keeping pure intentions!

@freddyskitchen

Can you tell us a bit about your journey? Who are you, and how did you dive into your current field?

I'm Diadié Diombana, founder of Freddy's Kitchen, and a culinary artist. I've worked as a chef at high-profile spots like La Chope Des Artistes in Paris, and even as Madonna's Home Chef. My work blends my love for cooking and visual arts, with collaborations extending to brands like Nike and Diesel. Aside from cooking, I've also dabbled in modeling, intertwining the worlds of food and fashion.

I started my journey as a chef de partie and worked my way up, learning and growing with each experience.

What sparked the idea to start your own business or creative project? Was there a specific moment that drove you to pursue this career?

The idea of starting my own business came from my desire to express my creativity in the culinary world. I was inspired by my mother's cooking, and her ability to create delicious meals that brought our family together. I wanted to replicate that feeling of warmth and connection in my own way. I always aspired to work in high gastronomy restaurants, but I ended up realizing how extremely selective it was and restrictive as opposed to everything I wanted to experience and my background influenced. So, I decided to start my own culinary journey, blending my love for the visual arts with my passion for cooking.

What's a typical day like for you, whether you're at your spot or deep in the creative process? What parts do you love the most, and what challenges do you face?

A typical day for me involves recipe development, sourcing fresh ingredients, cooking, and presentation. I love the process of creating a new dish, from conception to plating. The biggest challenge is ensuring consistency in taste and presentation every time.

Could you share the philosophy or vision behind your work? How does that show up in what you create or offer? 

My work philosophy revolves around blending arts and food. I believe in creating dishes that are not only delicious but also aesthetically pleasing. This philosophy is reflected in my dishes which are a blend of flavors and visually appealing.

How does your work impact or connect with the community around you?

Through my cooking, I aim to connect with the community by providing them with a unique culinary experience. I also collaborate with various brands and participate in events to engage with the community.

Any cool stories about the Air Jordan 4 or your experiences with the Jordan Brand that you can share?

Certainly, I have a fond memory from my high school days that revolves around Air Jordan. I remember when I first watch Space Jam and started to realise how Michael Jordan was an example of discipline and excellence and it led me to start saving up for months to buy my first pair of Air Jordan. I felt like I was walking on air the day I finally got them. The shoes were not just a fashion statement, but a symbol of determination and hard work to me.

The next day at school, I wore my new kicks. The moment I stepped into the school, I could feel a wave of admiration and a bit of envy from my classmates. That day, I was one of the 'cool kids', and those shoes boosted my confidence like nothing else.

How has Paris shaped you? What's your take on the cultural scene here and how it's evolving?

Paris has shaped me in numerous ways. It's where I started my culinary journey and it has a rich culinary scene that fuels my creativity. The city's cultural scene is at a crossroads of so many influences and ever-evolving, and it encourages me to innovate and experiment in my work.

Photos by: @young_mamba 

Styling by: @keenandjg

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