Oh and the peacock feathered suit was killer. See it, and our other favorite looks from backstage at the presentation, below.
“Fried Rice is a perfect representation of New York City’s Lower East Side,” she says. “It’s also representative of what I want to do. “As a self-taught artist like me without being recognized, supported, encouraged, or helped, there’s no freaking way. I want to give back. I want to build a community. This is a community where we can attract people from all over the world to celebrate diversity and different artists’ cultural backgrounds…so what can be better than Fried Rice?”
Wang has a wide range of clothes that fit most body types not only for style, but made for comfort as well. She is most known for her multi-pocketed, wide leg cargo pants. They often include adjustable and removable straps, pull ties for fit adjustment and lots of pockets. She also specializes in mixed pattern, colorblock garments such as stripes, grids and camo, and even funky hats.
Fried Rice has recently reached new heights. Over the past couple of years, Fried Rice has participated at New York Men’s Day during New York Fashion Week, the MADE x PayPal runway show at Brooklyn Bridge Park, hosted a panel for Hypebeast and UPS, a vendor at ComplexCon, and has had her clothes worn by Kendrick Lamar and Dave East. Wang also dropped her Spring/Summer 2023 collection, and plans to drop another summer collection later in the season.
Wang's creative process goes something like this: she imagines herself wearing something, designs it, has fun while designing it, avoids forcing anything and feeling happy with the outcome.
"The fundamental rule is that every single collection is never repetitive," she says. "Something more fun or equally as fun will come up. I think people will be happy and they'll always be surprised to see what's coming next."
As she stood up in the midst of our conversation, she took her signature black strapped pants off of the rack to further explain her visions with versatility. As she displayed the pants, she emphasized that she wants each piece to be worn for a lifetime and worn in a different way each time it’s put on – especially with the ability to remove and adjust straps on the garments. Fried Rice is made to be multidimensional and multifunctional no matter who you are or what you look like.
“It’s about giving back to the community,” Wang says. “Our audience are creative people, or at least have creativity in their heart. It’s people from all over the world. It’s about finding peace with what you put on and expressing yourself.”
The two riders were locals to the area and experienced bikers — Jeein Shin, founder of Comfortable Adventures, and Brandon Scott Herell, photographer and art director. The trip spanned from Seattle to Portland, weaving through both urban and natural environments, and taking advantage of the richness of the Pacific Northwest’s cultural and natural landscapes. The two were equipped with GORE-TEX, as well as some of the brand’s most well-known partners, including Arc’teryx and Nike.
GORE-TEX is known to be the crème de la crème of outdoor apparel, with revolutionary waterproof yet breathable fabrics, so it’s no wonder the riders were able to seamlessly transition from the city to the trail without sacrificing comfort or style.
Jacket DIESEL, pants RTA, necklace MARTINE ALI, earring VIVIENNE WESTWOOD.
Were you always around music growing up?
Yeah, my parents listened to a lot of African music, I was always around Afrobeats growing up. I feel like I always had those melodies in my head.
Was there a song or album that made you fall in love with music?
50 Cent’s Get Rich or Die Trying. I love Lil Uzi Vert vs The World and Playboi Carti, the self-titled project.
Jacket DIESEL, pants RTA, necklace MARTINE ALI, earring VIVIENNE WESTWOOD.
When I saw you the other week you were fasting for Ramadan. Has Islam always been a big part of your life?
It’s always been a part of me. I want people to listen to my music and be like, “okay, he's actually doing something different. He's preaching positivity.” I don't want to mislead people. So, at the end of the day, I just try to make sure it's positive.
Do you feel like it has an influence on your music and your creativity?
Of course. I feel like every time I create, I'm being influenced. Every time I create, I'm finding more about me. I'm learning more about Jeleel when I create. So, everything is flow. Everything is having fun with it. You don't got to sell out.
Has your faith ever proved to be a challenge in the music industry?
Honestly, it is sometimes a challenge because I'm not the example of a Muslim. I'm a Muslim, but I'm not the most devout. But I'm trying my best and Allah sees that. But of course there's challenges but you have to stick to your guns. You got to stick to yourself and know yourself. I know myself, I know what I want to do. I know who I am. I don't need to sell out or act like somebody else. I know my faith and I know Allah has a plan for me. And his plan is the best plan. And Jeleel loves everybody. All walks of earth, all religions, all people.
Jacket and shoes HERMES, pants LOUIS VUITTON, sunglasses GIVENCHY.
Nick mentioned that the ‘Jeleeeeel! Yeah.’ you sing on most, if not all, tracks comes from your mom yelling at you or something. Can you tell me more about that?
Yeah, I feel like I always heard melodies as a kid. Even when people were talking, my mom would be like, "Jeleeeeeel" and I could hear the melody in that. I don't know how. I don't know if I have synesthesia. I doubt it, but I could always hear melodies when people talk.
It was always stuck in my head 'cause my mom used to yell at me all the time, "Jeleeeeel go wash the dishes." And I would be like, ‘Okay mama.’ And it always stuck with me. So that's how it started. So, she be like, "Jeleel." I be like, ‘Yeah.’ Then, “Jeleel! Yeah.” You get it?
I've seen you doing some crazy flips on stage. Where did that come from? Is that something you've always been able to do?
Yeah, I always loved WWE, Jeff Hardy. And I loved how he was always doing crazy shit. I wanted to be that guy, too. I love Jeff. He's a G.O.A.T., but I love doing the flips. It was fun. I've always been like that. Jumping off the walls.
It definitely brings something else to performance. It gets the crowd going, for sure.
Yeah, definitely. But I really be performing though. I be really showing people, I'm really performing my heart out.
Jacket and pants HERON PRESTON, earring VIVIENNE WESTWOOD.
Going into this album, had your approach changed when it comes to creating music?
Yeah. Because I'm more than just a rage artist, I'm an artist and I want to show people that I can do this shit. ‘Cause people don't know. But I just can't wait. I just need to show people, Jeleel's an artiste, he can do this music shit.
What do you think sets this album apart from your previous work?
This album is more of a high energy album, and I am a high energy person, but my first album Angel from Heaven was more chill. But this album definitely shows more of a different side of Jeleel, too.
It's funny you say you're high energy because you are, but you also have this contrasting calmness to you.
Yeah, I'm calm too, bro. Everything's a balance. It's fun.
Was there a message you wanted to convey with this project?
With this project, I just want to show people Jeleel real and raw. It's unfiltered. I'm giving y'all my heart. There's no veil, there's no covering. Real, raw energy. It's Jeleel and he's not stopping it. I'm letting y'all know how I feel about songs, how I feel in the songs. I'm letting y'all know who I am as an artist. So yeah, I'm just showing everybody who Jeleel is.
There are some cool features on it, Ty Dolla $ign, Chow Lee, Denzel Curry. How did those features come about and what was it like to work with those artists?
Ty hit me up randomly, so I went to the studio. I didn't know what we were going to make, but he had a dude that had sent him beats and he was playing beats and I said, ‘Ooh, that one's hard.’ And we just cooked it up, (singing) ‘rollin' up in a fast car’. So yeah, that happened that way. He was just showing love.
Chow Lee, he's a homie. He's from New York, he's about to blow up. He'd been making more of the sexy drill sound, and I felt like he was the right person for ‘Confetti’. So, I just hit him up asking him to lay a verse on it.’ And he did that shit quick, the next day.
Denzel Curry's my homie. He been showing love. He's just like me. And I was like, ‘yo bro, I got to get you on this song.’
How do you hope your music will impact listeners?
I just hope people really listen. Because people think I'm a rage artist. You know what people think? They think, oh, Jeleel, that dude, he's a meme. He blew up on TikTok. He doesn’t make real music. So, I really hope people listen and be like, actually he's an actual artist. I'm doing different genres, but I'm happy because I want people to think I suck at music. I want people to think I'm trash because it's just going to prove them wrong.
