Welcome to the underground love / Mix-Tape Madness article section of RoxxxtTV. This area is reserved for those who just help support and promote the underground, such as Sticker StAsh Customz.
This weeks article will focus on two great people deep into underground music and huge supporters of local underground music even outside of their home state of Pennsylvania. Staiin and Ashley are the founders, owners and driving force behind Sticker StAsh Customz. Humble beginnings of just wanting to make stuff for themselves and close friends to support the artists and music they liked.
Unfortunately, they couldn’t find a market to buy from and if they did it was constantly sold out, so sparked the idea to make their own products for everybody and turn a passion into a profitable business. Along the way, while establishing a company name in the underground and mainstream underground doing decals and stickers for MNE artists and so many more great entertainers in the underground music industry they decided to form another project even while busy with a developing company.
Thus the birth of a brilliant idea to help promote underground rappers they listened to and show love to the fans out there that needed something to bump to. Good Vibes and High Times was their debut mixtape in what has become a full series of albums from the stash with the new mix-tapes Raw and Rugged Vol. 1 out now and Vol. 2 in the works. Sticker StAsh is family and supporters of what we call the underground and will definitely be infecting your ear drums and eyeballs withtheir work if they haven’t already. Thank you guys for the interview you are good people with good taste lol . I enjoyed being able to speak with you and can say you are both fam now more then you already where
BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR RAW AND RUGGED VOL.1 AND ANYTHING FROM STICKER STaSH CUSTOMZ
How did you come up with the idea of Sticker Stash customs and How did you two go about starting your business?
We both come from a background in graphic arts. She has wanted to do something similar to this for a very long time and I have always wanted in the music scene. Well, one day we noticed that we were spending a lot of money on eBay and Twiztid-Shop on ourselves always changing up our vehicles. Twiztid-Shop kept selling out and didn’t restock certain decals we wanted. That’s when we realized there must be a market for decals if they are always selling out and we are constantly are buying them. So why not start making them for ourselves and see if we can start selling them to an artist. In hopes of one day even making decals for Majik Ninja Entertainment! Now we needed a name for our company. With our two names combined (STaiin & ASHley) and we were only doing decals at that time, we came up with “The Sticker StAsh”.That’s why the spelling is always so important to us! We made sure that our logo was designed around that.
It didn’t take us too long after making just decals to realize that there was a big market for custom merchandise (especially in the underground scene). We needed to expand! I put my motorcycle up for sale and we bought the sublimation printing equipment, heat presses and a bunch of material to get started doing other custom merch. We thought since we don’t just offer decals anymore so let’s change the name up a little bit so people know we are more
than just stickers. That is when we came up with “Sticker StAsh Customz”! Within our first year, we have had the honor to work with some well-known names in the underground. The whole Majik Ninja Entertainment roster, Murder House Records, Kung Fu Vampire, Whitney Peyton (Team Underdog), Mickey Avalon and so much more great talent. That’s not mentioning all the local talent, Super’ RO (1 half of DreadEye), Solace In Tomorrow, Damian Grimm, Shatter Bonez, Scarecrow’s Curse and so much more. Our customer base reaches all across the country now.
What gave you the idea to start the mix-tape series?
Our first ever compilation album was “Good Vibes & High Times: Volume One”! At that point in time to me just seemed to be a lot of negativity going on EVERYWHERE. I thought, I just want to hear something upbeat, more on the positive type of music. Music you can smoke and chill too!
Now, I have a different series about to drop back to back called “Raw & Rugged” Volume One & Volume Two. 15 tracks each filled with talented artist, some you may never have heard of before and some are legends in the game! It’s a good way to promote artists and our company!
Any huge lessons you’ve learned in business that you think everybody should know before starting their own?
Yes, one, in particular, is to do ALL your research on what is involved in becoming a business or brand. There is a lot of detailed paperwork and tax information that no one ever mentions. When you are doing everything on your own with no investors as we have, every penny counts and can become very costly!
How did you pick the roster for your mix-tapes/do you have a certain process?
I have a basic theme or concept that I am looking for going into these projects, So I base my decision partly off of that. Quality is a huge factor as well.
It’s no secret you are into underground music, can you name a few artists you are bumping right now or that stay on your playlist?
Jelly Roll & Struggle Jennings! I cannot get enough of Jelly!! This cat named OverTime has got my attention! I stay bumping my Murder House Records family!! MHR4Life!! That whole crew is some straight lyrical Beast! “Blood Sweat and Fears” and “Lyrical Bloodbath” are my constant playlist though. Xtra Overdoze is a fucking monster! I just discovered Kurtis Tripp, I’m digging his style! And of course, I am banging my own projects!
You work with your wife, how does it feel to be a family run or Mom & Pop business with all this new buzz and growth over the past couple of years?
I would not want it any other way! My family is everything to me and love the fact that we can share our dreams and build this business together!! Our oldest of 5 children, Kaitlyn, helps us all the time with orders so it really is a “Family” owned business.
Since the mix-tape series has it affected your business, and how?
Yes, It has brought a lot of attention our way! We gained some new customers, made new friends, become family with some but most importantly, we brought you some NEW MUSIC!
Do you like being called a business family instead of called a businessman does this title go with what you guys are doing at sticker stash customs?
Its an honor to be called that. The family is what we are all about!
Do you have anything new in the works? Could you drop any hints?
Oh yeah! We have quite of few things in the works.
* Raw & Rugged: Volume One & Volume Two are about to drop back to back!
Be on the lookout for them!
** This hasn’t been announced yet but we already have some tracks started on
Good Vibes & High Times: Volume Two! We plan on a contest for artists to have a chance to be featured on an exclusive track with King Gordy for the project!
*** We are in talks with a label out of Kansas City, Missouri about possibly dropping a few projects hosted by DJ’s!
**** Plus always adding new merch and services to our steady growing business all the time!
Any tips for future artist, DJ’s, Freestylers, artists, entertainers, or business person?
Don’t talk about it, Do it. Let all your hard work, hours of dedication that takes to succeed speak for itself! If your drive is strong enough, you won’t go unnoticed! Never give up and stay focused. Do not let another person tell you that you cannot follow your dreams! Actions speak louder than words.
Last words for the fans and where they can get some dope merch or mixtapes at?
Stay true to yourself! And thank you to everyone who rocks with us!!
We are your 1 stop merch shop, be sure to check out all the tabs on
Any Shameless self-promo or plugs/shout outs?
I would like to first thank Bob Roxxx and Fat Boi from RoxxxTv for this amazing opportunity! You have a great thing going and glad to be apart of it.
To my soulmate Ashley, without you none of this would be possible. You are my backbone, My EVERYTHING! All of my family near and far that support us!
HUGE SHOUT OUT to George Vlahakis and Mike Winagar over at MNE for helping make our dreams come true! Murder House Records, We are proud as hell to call the whole crew our FAMILY! Scottie D from Faygoluvers.net!
All the artist that we have had the privilege to work with, in one way or another! To anyone and everyone who shows us love – even to the closet haters hoping we fail…
THANK YOU!!
It has be quite a ride and we plan on “sticking” around!
Staiin & Ashley Heaton
Sticker StAsh Customz
