DGK Apparel
Dirty Ghetto Kids or DGK was founded in 2002 through a partnership of professional skater Stevie Williams and Troy Morgan. The two collaborated on a distribution company Kayo Corp. that was composed of Organika, Gold Wheels, Expedition, and the now infamous DGK. We carry a variety of DGK apparel and to check out our latest stock just click the "SHOP" link below, or keep reading to find out more about the company.
The last decade has seen DGK grow into a world wide brand due in large part to it's uncompromising dedication to "street themes" and skate culture. DGK can frequently be seen in hip hop videos by the likes of Rick Ross, Lil' Wayne, and Cee Lo Green, and sported by professional athletes like LeBron James.
DGK is known for it's edgy designs and collections built around catchy slogans like their popular "I Love Haters" and "Stay Smoking" lines. We carry a large selection of DGK decks and apparel. You can view our selection by clicking the link or read on to learn more about the formation of DGK!
Stevie Williams, or "Lil' Stevie" as he was known at the time was a mainstay at the legendary skate mecca of the late 80's and 90's, Love Park in Philadelphia. Stevie and his group of friends were treated like outcasts by a group of more established skaters at the park, who one day dismissed them to a photographer as not worth shooting because they were just "dirty ghetto kids."
Stevie's crew took the dis and flipped it, making it the name of their crew. It wasn't long before Stevie and the DGK crew took over Love Park. You can see a young Stevie and DGK member Josh Kalis skating Love Park in skate video classics like Transworld Skateboarding's The Reason '99.
Stevie's domination at Love Park lead to a sponsorship with the infamous Chocolate Skateboarding Team, who were considered the best in the business at the time. Stevie's mad skills earned him the last part in the Chocolate Tour Video and a sponsorship with Reebok.
After seeing how much success he had selling products with his name on it Stevie Williams decided to set out on his own leaving Chocolate. Stevie's partner at Gold Wheels, Eli Soto, introduced him to Troy Morgan in 2002 and Kayo Corporation was born and Williams launched DGK.
In a prime example of the fabled "American Dream" a one time homeless teenager has, with the help of the skateboarding community, been able to rise above adversity, and establish a world wide brand, from dirty ghetto kid to major player on the action sports apparel scene.
And although DGK has grown to be so successful Williams has pledged to always stay true to his skateboarding roots. He credits the skateboarding community in helping him achieve his dreams and he looks to grow and strengthen that community through DGK.
The DGK skate team is composed of guys that like to hang out together whether they are skating or not and they try to keep the focus on having fun instead of being to technical, which Williams feels like can alienate young skaters.
Williams credits the skate team for coming up with most of the brands popular slogans like "I Love Haters, and "DGK All Day" originated in playful conversation while the team was skating before being handed over to DGK's creative design department.
DGK above all represents overcoming adversity, reflected in one of their popular lines, "Negative 2 Positive."
Here is an interview Stevie Williams did with Transworld Skateboarding about the rise of DGK.
Here is an interview Stevie did with the Wall Street Journal in which he discusses the growth of DGK, the difficulties he has faced in being a black skateboarder, and overcoming adversity.
