Legends In My Mind: The Lightsleepers
For the longest time, I thought the meaning behind The Lightsleepers’s tagline, “Don’t Sleep” was a message for all the insomniacs to never stop hustling while the rest of the world was sleeping. However, after interviewing Kavet the Catalyst, I learned the real meaning behind “Don’t Sleep” which means to always stay open to everything & take the positive from every situation, even if you don’t like what someone is doing, doesn’t mean they don’t have something of value to offer.
The Lightsleepers brand originally started as the name of Kavet the Catalyst’s radio show on KTUH; throughout the five years Kavet hosted the “Lightsleepers” show, he created one shirt to promote his show & after leaving radio, Kavet began creating more shirts which naturally progressed into another creative outlet. Since majority of Kavet’s friends were graffiti artists, they gave him designs & eventually led to releasing 4 -5 designs a year along other merchandise: hats, beanies & stickers.
The Lightsleepers is an innovative & proactive brand that continues to produce some of the best Hawaii hip hop events, which began after seeing a lack of quality events. The Lightsleepers are helping to shape & influence the hip hop scene with their BEATROOT events which showcases the forefront producers from Hawaii, DJ battles, emcee battles + their Blackbook Battles.
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The Lightsleepers is one of the few brands that lives their lifestyle & believes everything comes down to music; the purpose of The Lightsleepers brand isn’t to become famous but for their shirts, hats & stickers to become an extension of their music, a way for people to learn about the music & vice versa.
Some of The Lightsleepers short-term goals include expanding their brand’s presence on the mainland with specific brick & mortar shops located in LA, Seattle, San Francisco & New York; another immediate goal for The Lightsleepers is being consistent with their mixed tapes: when you purchase a shirt, you get a Lightsleepers mixed tape. The Lightsleepers are in the process of opening their very own shop, which will be a game-changer, they’re planning to make their store interactive & a place that cultivates the arts: art of rhyming, DJing & emceeing.
I’m excited to see what the Lightsleepers have in store for the future, I’m confident they’ll achieve every one of their goals & continue to influence the Hawaii hip hop clothing & music scene. Be sure to follow the Lightsleepers on your social networks to stay up to date with their latest events & you can always witness them spinning music at the monthly Eat The Street events in Kaka’ako.
“Success is who you can help & how many lives you can affect positively.”
— Kavet the Catalyst
Originally published on January 16, 2013.
