You may know him as “Five Cent” or the self-proclaimed “Hustle God”. You may have also seen international dancehall artistes Shenseea, Ding Dong and Prince Swanny rocking his clothing brand Zone Five Clothing.
But what do you really know about the entrepreneur who has been in business for nearly 10 years?
My partnership with The Athlete’s Foot is very special for me personally and the brand itself. Moving forward I hope to work with many more international brands such as Puma.
Speaking with Loop Lifestyle, the 29-year-old former Deighton Griffith Secondary School student answered 10 questions about his business.
Who is the Five Cent/Hustle God?
My name is Shaquille Drayton, most people know me as Five Cent HustleGod, which was given to me by my high-school teacher because of my admiration of the American rapper and entrepreneur Curtis 50 Cent Jackson. I’ve always had a love and passion for fashion. I’ve been into fashion from a kid which led me to create my own clothing brand Zone Five Clothing, but for me Zone Five is more than a brand, it’s a lifestyle, a way of motivating the culture through fashion.
What do you currently sell at Zone Five Clothing?
I currently have a wide range of various collections from jackets, t-shirts, sweaters, hats, bags and even everyday essentials like wallets and keyrings which are made from premium materials that I source from all over the world. Actually, most of our products have special built-in technology like our wallets with RFID Blocking technology, which helps prevent personal account information disclosure.
What led you to become an entrepreneur?
What led me to be an entrepreneur was that I always saw myself establishing my own business and fashion was always my passion so it came natural. Even though entrepreneurship is very challenging at times, I enjoy it. For me, it’s a lifestyle and a way of motivating others who look up to me to take on life’s obstacles and overcome them.
How do you manage your flagship store and your collections at The Athletes Foot simultaneously?
Being able to manage my flagship store which is the physical location for Zone Five Clothing and having my collections at The Athlete’s Foot is fun for me actually. I really love what I do so I just try to find more creative ways to balance both. I love that I’m able to interact with all types of people and make them happy while shopping for stuff they love.
My partnership with The Athlete’s Foot is very special for me personally and the brand itself. Moving forward I hope to work with many more international brands such as Puma.
How do you remain focused?
Being focused is something very important to me. Every day you might not feel motivated but that’s where discipline plays its role and I strongly believe if you’re focused, you can achieve anything in life.
What was your biggest accomplishment thus far?
My biggest accomplishment to date was hosting my own pop-up shop in Toronto, thanks to Tray Arts Studio, gaining the attention of Puma, and having artistes from all over the world wearing my brand, artistes such as Skepta, Shenseea, Ding Dong and Prince Swanny just to name a few and also securing a partnership in my hometown Barbados with The Athlete’s Foot, which has over 500 stores worldwide, and now retails my brand in their store as well.
Why do you often do community projects?
I think it’s very important to do community projects because it leaves a positive impact on people and also helps strengthen genuine relationships. Giving back is something very important for me personally as well. I love being able to help others grow and show persons in power how we can grow the nation by assisting each other. Also, my close friends help out with the community projects, and they actually own their own businesses as well which goes to show unity is power!
What do you do in your spare time?
In my spare time I just love to hang out with close friends, try new food spots and play football, but most importantly spend time with family and find new creative ways to grow as an individual and entrepreneur.
Are you currently working on any new projects?
I’m currently working on expanding the brand internationally while finding new creative ways to create products that can be passed on from generation to generation. My aim is to pave the way and create a platform for upcoming Barbadian brands to keep growing.
What is your main goal for 2023?
I won’t say I have an ultimate goal for 2023, but I just want to keep constantly growing both as an individual and entrepreneur while reaching my full potential in life moving forward.
