E52: The Gabe Niles Interview

Gabe Niles has been a stalwart of the Tidewater region’s eclectic music scene for over a decade, combining his diverse influences to produce feel-good music that crosses and transcends genres such as dance, pop, hip-hop, soul, and latin-jazz. One of the founding members of RBLE (Rebel Entertainment), Gabe Niles has worked with the likes of Kamau, Diplo, Erykah Badu, and producer Rick Rubin. In 2015 he gained wider acclaim for his work producing D.R.A.M.’s break-out album #1Epic, featuring the hit song “Cha Cha”, released under Atlantic/Empire. Together with singer and instrumentalist Sunny Gicz, the pair independently released the innovative albums Free Candy (2013) and Peace of Cake (2018) under the moniker Sunny & Gabe. Their work quickly gained them an international following and has been featured in ad campaigns for Coca Cola and Toyota. You can find him DJing under the handle djsupladies, hosting exceptional visual art and music focused events. - Hamilton Perkins Collection Bags. In 2014, Hamilton Perkins founded Hamilton Perkins Collection, an independent brand, designing and producing unique and award winning bags and accessories from recycled materials. Hamilton Perkins Collection exists to create timeless limited edition bags made from recycled plastic water bottles, pineapple leaf fiber, and billboard vinyl. The result is that no two bags are ever the same. Our first design, the Earth Bag Premium, was created so that our customers would not only carry a bag that was stylish but carry a bag they could be proud of. We surveyed more than 1,000 consumers to obtain their thoughts and feedback for each component of the Earth Bag Premium, which soon became one of our most popular designs. Perkins was the winner of the Virginia Velocity Tour hosted by the Governor of Virginia, and the recipient of a HUD Community Development Block Grant. The non-profit B Lab honored Hamilton Perkins Collection as a "Best for the World Overall" B Corporation in 2017. Hamilton Perkins Collection has been featured in Forbes, Fast Company, Money Magazine, and The Washington Post. The brand is currently offered in nearly 100 leading department stores and specialty stores in the United States, Canada, and Europe.