2WIN$ Are Counterculture Personified
Since they were kids, twins han6out, and nit3tym have had passions for skating, music, and fashion.
Escapism for twins han6out and nit3tym meant pursuing various artistic mediums like fashion, music, and becoming “street rats” on skateboards. As kids, they spent most of their time skating in the Los Angeles streets to avoid hardships at home. They have always been perceived as cultural disruptors but couldn’t always acquire the resources to pursue their visions. Now 25 years old, they call themselves 2WIN$ (pronounced “twins”), an acronym for “The World Is Not Safe.”
2WIN$ recently released their first single and video of “FIGHT.” While seeing their distinctive hair and tattoos may seem like a misconception, the song is not about literal fighting. Instead, it recalls the battles they’ve overcome by being themselves their whole lives — spirited, Mexican-heritage multidisciplinary artists. Their experiences embody the punk-rap sound of resilience, youth leadership, and creativity. Despite receiving a skate sponsorship at eight years old, life didn’t get any simpler for han6out and nit3tym. With that, they took measures into their own hands to bring their many visions to life.
“We started skating at around six years old,” nit3tym says. “We wanted to be pro skaters; that was our whole thing. We got into music in middle school, and in high school, we got into music. Clothing came with skateboarding in about sixth grade. We were growing up in Highland Park at the time, and all of our friends were older than us, and they were running skate shops. They liked us because we’re twins. We were messing with this brand called Mainline Skateshop in HP, and they started giving us a lot of free boards and clothing. That started a little flow for us at the time.”
Skate culture and fashion are heavily intertwined. 2WIN$’s dedication to becoming professional skaters also came with an aspiration to start their clothing line for skaters and artists disrupting societal norms. Today, their high-end street fashion brand, FUCCUUWANT, is acclaimed for skaters and non-skaters. The label name was born in Virginia Beach when they were fed up with being perceived a certain way. Their newest collection, PENTHOUSE KINGS, includes punk-style graphic tees, hoodies, slacks, khaki shorts, gloves, socks, and hats. Each piece, especially the bottoms, is movable and functional for those who skate.
han6out and nit3tym often get mistaken for guys who only listen to punk and rock music. However, they grew up skating to rap and hip-hop artists like Jeezy, T.I., and Lil Wayne. “I think that we just wanted to evolve that with street shit,” says han6out. “We have this new look that we feel comfortable enough to show the world, and everyone’s starting to like it.” Since the brand was created four years ago, notable artists and celebrities like Teezo Touchdown, Swae Lee, Billie Eilish, the Clermont twins, and more have rocked FUCCUUWANT.
In addition to the few influences that have shaped their childhood, 2WIN$ gets most of their inspiration from their friends, family, neighbors, community members, and fellow artists. They’re also a part of an artist collective called 10c41, where designers, videographers, stylists, professional skaters, and friends come together to create projects and have fun while doing it. Their creative process is consistent whether they work alone, as a duo, or collectively. Although their music and fashion are whimsical, their progress often arises from a place of humility.
“We breathe first, then we listen to some jazz music and calm our vibes,” says han6out. nit3tym interjects, “We break everyone’s character. We make sure everyone feels food, no one has anxiety, and the vibes are going right.” han6out continues, “I’m breaking my friends’ characters by making them laugh at first and making sure the energy is comfortable.”
Although han6out and nit3tym are twins, they emphasize the importance of their individuality. In 2018, they went viral for their hairstyles that distinguish which twin is which. They were galvanized when they found photos of their father with unique hair art. han6out is known for his spiderweb hairstyle and nit3tym for his checkerboard look.
“We’re just being ourselves,” says han6out. “It sounds so cliche and corny, but we didn’t have a phone until we graduated from school. I wasn’t on the internet; we didn’t know about Instagram or Twitter. When we came into the game, everyone already liked our style and everything we were doing. So it was naturally us just being and doing what we want.”
Looking into the future of 2WIN$, han6out, and nit3tym aim to keep doing organic work, continuously evolve, and let people know that the world is not safe.
