As a means of further expressing himself, he started playing his favourite songs on pirate radio with a group of friends. And to keep the repertoire fresh, Gee would often travel to cities like Utrecht or Amsterdam to buy records. It was at one of these record stores he met Edson.Edson grew up in the infamous Staatsliedenbuurt in Amsterdam West. At the time a breeding ground for the city's criminals, Edson was keeping himself on the straight and narrow through his love for playing football and fear of his mother's switch. She would teach him and his two younger siblings that being black meant having to work twice -if not three times- as hard as his white friends. Sometimes this meant waking up earlier and travelling further to go to school in a safer area, but this also resulted in self-reliance, a DIY mentality, and an understanding and familiarity with the city. A very talented football player, outgoing and affable, Edson was infatuated with Hip-Hop from an early age. And he would try to express that in any possible way, by rapping with his friends, doing graffiti, breakdancing, and trying to DJ at his friend's house. My Philosophy by Boogie Down ProductionHis sneaker addiction would go hand in hand with his love for Hip-Hop. When he was 16, he would watch a tape of the Boogie Down Production music video for My Philosophy over and over again. He would try to pause the VHS tape on the close up of KRS-ONE's shoes and figure out what they were and where he could buy them. He would then see that exact shoe again on the back of the Kid ’n Play album cover for 2 Hype. 

In '89, Edson graduated from middle school, and his parents let him go to New York on holiday with a friend as a reward. They stayed at a family friend's apartment deep in Brooklyn, and he found out that these were the Air Jordan III, and they had sold out everywhere. They did, however, have the Air Jordan IV, so Edson settled on those instead. Back home, he proceeded to 'break necks' everywhere he went, prompting questions like "where'd you get those!?" regularly. Edson became known on the streets as that guy with the Jordans, and it was the best feeling ever. Before New York, he just wanted cool new shoes he saw his favourite rapper wear. But after New York, he became an actual sneakerhead.