Danny Trejo among those mourning LA streetwear icon Chris ‘Spanto' Printup

Los Angeles streetwear fans are grieving after founder of streetwear brand Born X Raised, Chris ‘Spanto’ Printup, died at 42 years old in a car crash in New Mexico.

Friends and family of the LA icon remember Printup for his love of the city and the community that raised him.

“He really was a man of the people. You know, it was crazy because you could get in a car with this guy and you could drive around Venice and you couldn’t go half a block without him being flagged down,” said Alex “2tone” Erdmann, friend and co-founder of Born X Raised.

Printup was born and raised in Venice, embracing the culture of a community that he felt was way too often misunderstood. He began Born X Raised after his family feared being priced out of their home in Venice after having roots in the community for close to a century, Erdmann said.

Printup, who Vogue reported is of half Apache and Seneca Tribe descent, was one of the few indigenous designers in the fashion industry.

Actor Danny Trejo remembers Printup as young kid in Venice who was able to change the direction of his life after finding himself in trouble with the law early on.

“He turned his life around, man. He became a legend, you know, he’s a local legend,” Trejo said in an interview with NBC4.

Born X Raised was involved in many collaborations with major brands and local sports teams like the Dodgers and the Rams. He had recently announced a shoe collaboration with Nike that was expected to release July 21.

Printup visited his alma mater Venice High School and gave each class of 2023 graduating senior a pair of his unreleased Nike shoes.

“I can name 20 kids that he probably kept out of prison,” Trejo said about Printup’s impact on the community.

Born X Raised was Printup’s pride, stemming from the culture that embraced him growing up in Los Angeles in the 80’s and 90’s.

“I think those were the two things that he wanted to be in life: he wanted to be known as Spanto and he wanted to save the people around him, and he did,” Erdmann said.

Source: NBC Los Angeles