Shawn,
Like many others have shared, we as individuals and as a brand owe a large portion of our growth over the years to you. Starting out we didn’t have the recognition or honestly funds to afford vendor spots at some larger shows, but you not only “hooked us up” as you always did but you helped guide us and offered un paralleled support while we worked to navigate the “hustle” that you embodied so well. In a time where trends and popularity come and go almost daily you were truly a pillar and an industry giant from whose shoulders small brands like us could build and find success in the lane that you dedicated so much time and effort to create for us. In the car community you were genuinely an OG and set the standard for everyone around you.
More importantly though you were a friend. We will never be able to say thank you enough for turning our business relationship into a genuine friendship over the years. Every weekend we all looked forward to pulling up early (as you know early for us was usually about an hour late) to the show and always taking a solid 30 minutes amidst the madness to catch up and share some stories and talk some shit. To the point it almost became routine as we always knew we would see you next weekend, next show, next season. This routine now makes us proud to have shared that time with you, but also regretful and heartbroken that some time may have been taken for granted with the assumption there would always be a next weekend and next show.
Sharing stories and memories has been therapeutic these last two days, but beneath that we all share a quiet dread knowing that the first time we roll up to an ACES meet, or Junkfood meet (our literal favorite shows) that it will become real. It will become real the first time we don’t get our arrival homie hug, and real the first time we don’t get to share some laughs and goodbyes at the end of the event and a quick “see you next weekend”. We wish we could “see you next weekend”, but instead we will take a little longer to set up our booth, we will talk to customers and friends a little bit more and we will most importantly take a minute to let all of those people who we will “see next weekend” know how much we care. And we all hope you know, just how much we cared.
Keep Hustlin’ Shawn “Money” Baker, and we will do the same. Rest in Peace.
With Love and inexpressible Gratitude,
Brenden, Tom, Brandon and Chris… your Formative Homies
What a great testimony to the friendship you and Shawn shared. I’m sure your words will be a comfort to his family!!!
What a wonderful tribute to a member of the family that I never had the honor and privilege to meet. It’s so sad to look back and realize the could, shoulda, woulda… A life taken too soon that has left many who are near to me in a very altered and sad state. R.I.P. Shawn