The streets of Commune 13, where El Duke rose to fame, has long been one of Medellin’s most dangerous neighborhoods. Contested by rival gangs, the neighborhood has the highest murder rate in the city while also being the most militarized. Young teens are indoctrinated into a lifestyle of violence early and forced to take sides among the various roving gangs. Crossing one of the “invisible barriers”, which change frequently, means risking your life.
Duke’s lyrics and message ran against conventional wisdom – a message of peace, respect, and a mission to lift residents out of perpetual poverty to achieve something much greater.
Duke was an inspirational community leader. His actions backed up the words in his music, founding the La Kamada hip hop school and volunteering his time on the streets to improve the neighborhood and and offer an alternative to children enticed by criminals and street gangs.
Duke’s message was clear – pick up a microphone and not a weapon.
In the early hours of October 2012, Duke was murdered by gang members in the very district that he was trying to save. He was killed for his message of hope, respect and peace – and for the crime of helping provide the youth in Medellin with and escape route from poverty and gang violence to better lives in pursuit of their dreams.
The Clothing
Míguelo Romano is an urban clothing brand made from the highest quality materials. If this project is funded, we will develop a line of shirts and hoodies with the image of El Duke and the phrase “paz y respeto”, or ‘peace and respect’ in English. The prints will be designed by Fabian Higuita, one of Medellin’s most respected graffiti artists.
The clothing is street fashion and includes t-shirts, hoodies, jackets and jerseys. Designed for the urban gentleman who values his appearance, our clothing lines have a great fit and use only the highest quality fabrics. Hoodies have vintaged lambskin leather details along the zipper, pockets and elbows patches.
Blade Resistant, Bullet Resistant
Embracing technology and advanced materials, the Duke collection includes clothing that use state-of-the-art fabrics that are resistant to both blades and bullets while remaining very light-weight and comfortable. The intention is to create protective streetware that will provide peace-of-mind and security against would-be criminals.
Within the last month, the clothing has recently been featured on NBC News, Colombia Reports and El Colombiano!
See more information including how to get the brand @Kickstarter