Nike remembers the customer who put them on the map.
"Biz Markie was the first rapper we did a shirt for," he remembered. "He spotted us, looked around, saw some things he liked, chatted with us, beatboxed for us. Next thing you know, he said, 'Make me a shirt. I'll wear it. I'll put it in a magazine.' I was the best with portraits, so I did the shirt and he wore it in Black Beat magazine. He put Shirt Kings on the map and all the other rappers came behind him and wanted something. Run DMC’s Jam Master Jay, Big Daddy Kane, Salt-N-Pepa Heavy D all became customers. For Hip-Hop, there were really only two games in town: Dapper Dan and Shirt Kings. Dap’s outpost on Harlem’s 125th street and Shirt Kings in Queens."
The recognition ceremony is free to the public but by ticketed admission only. Tickets are available at Eventbrite.