Back in late May, HipHopDX spoke with Kevin Gate’s younger brother and Bread Winners Associate BWA Ron about future plans for his “Fuck Yo DJ” brand.
“The process is thinking about the mixtape name,” he said during the interview. “Once I get that name, I put my thoughts toward the songs I want on the mixtape. I believe I’m trying to drop a mixtape every month. Just have indie artists and more established artists. Just hoping to expand the ‘Fuck Yo DJ’ brand.”
According to Georgia – Texas transplant DJ Exklusive, BWA Ron has been using his trademark and brand without his permission.
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“I started noticing around May that Ron was wearing shirts with my brand on it with the BWA brand on the back,” he told DX over the phone. “I start asking questions like ‘what are you doing?’ He said that, he’s Kevin’s DJ. ‘They know me and not you and I can do what I want.’ I did the copyright and everything and he didn’t have a contract or proof of purchase or anything like that. You don’t even know who designed the logo. He said it was his and take him to court. It was so disrespectful.”
DJ Exklusive mentioned linking up with BWA Ron during a 14-show run as a tour DJ for promotion company We Do It Entertainment. During that time, he says Gate’s younger brother was transitioning from Gate’s videographer to show disc jockey.
“I was talking to him as a veteran because I like to see young DJs doing,” he said.
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The DJ alleged that BWA Ron asked him to send the logo to be used as a wallpaper on his smartphone. Shortly after, the logo was used on towels and shirts sold on his site. He sees this as pure disrespect because of the process it took to create the design. A process that he says required three graphic designers.
From April to 2015 to October 2015 is when I came up with the final design,” DJ Exklusive explained of the brand inspired by the A$AP Ferg and OverDoz track. “When I was getting ready to drop the brand, my mother died [on] Thanksgiving. She actually helped me picked out the final design because it didn’t have profanity. When Ron took it, it felt like a real slap in the face because you’re taking something that I invested in.”
DJ Exklusive said his lawyers sent a cease and desist letter to BWA Ron which was ignored and plans on taking further legal action. At the top of 2017, he plans on releasing his own official merchandise under the brand.
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“If he would have been more man about it and came straight out and say let’s do this together and make money, fine if it would have made sense,” he said, still soured from the entire ordeal. “Taking something that’s not his? Nah.”
HipHopDX reached out to BWA Ron and publicists and was told “No comment.”
Below are both DJ Exklusive’s trademark certificate and cease and desist letter.
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