[Music up and under throughout]

My name is Jose, I’m 24 [truck honks in background] and I’m from the Bronx.

Edgar, from Brooklyn.

Jessica, 30, Brooklyn.

Tanner, I’m 18 and I’m from Portland.

I’m Paul, I’m 46 years old, I’m from Hong Kong.

Multiple voices: Brooklyn.Brooklyn. The Bronx. Harlem. Harlem, United States of America! 

Multiple voices: I own my own business. I’m a pharmacist. I want to be a psychiatric aid. I’m a broke college student.

What motivates thousands of boys and men, and the occasional woman, to spend hours waiting in line on a weekly basis to buy…a t-shirt?  

Every grown man has a hobby, right?

Why I love it, just 90’s in New York. 

I just kind of like the simplicity of the shirts.

But is it just a t-shirt? Or does it represent something more? 

Multiple voices: This whole thing is about street culture and culture in general. 

Everybody is a hypebeast. That’s what everybody has in common. Or everybody wants to resell the items. 

What’s the biggest markup you’ve ever gotten on something that you sold?

Um, probably a K, a thousand, for a shirt.  

Why do you think so many people come out here for this? 

The name. That’s what everyone is coming for. The name. Could be any little thing, put the name Supreme on it, everybody want to buy it.

How would you explain Supreme to somebody who doesn’t know what the brand is?

The most hip brand in New York City.

Probably the biggest streetwear brand in the world. They strive on exclusivity.

I think Supreme moves the culture forward.

This is Relentless, a series of personal stories about the pursuit of farfetched ideas, unusual aspirations…or that perfect pair of sneakers. We’re putting motivation under a microscope to investigate why certain people choose to spend their limited time and resources on a specific project. What’s it like to stick with something even when others think it’s foolish, or impossible? 

To start, we’re investigating fandom and specifically people who are devoted to one New York City skateboard and clothing brand: Supreme. 

To receive an update when the series launches, sign up at our website, TheRelentless[dot]org and check us out on Instagram at TheRelentlessPodcast.