Through R.B Umali’s lens, Mixtape became one of the most iconic skate videos of all-time. Documenting Zoo York’s team at the height of the brand’s most visible era as an East Coast staple brand, he captured golden tricks, clips and moments that are still widely discussed today first-hand.

Working in close partnership with Eli Gesner to produce the video and document skaters, like Harold Hunter, Robbie Gangemi, Peter Bici, Jeff Pang, Danny Supa, Anthony Correa and Hamilton Harris must have felt unique and special in this era. But what was it actually like from his perspective at the time and now over 20 years later looking back?

Thinking about that we had to hit him up to have a chat about it and we were hyped to discover he was down to have a deep dive into his and our favourite pieces of footage from this stone cold East Coast classic ’90s video.

Find out how he collaborated with Eli Gesner to produce it, what it was like filming Harold Hunter in New York post-KIDS film fame, R.B.’s favourite tricks, clips, trips, sections and music in Mixtape, his thoughts on the resurgence of late ’90s skating and fashion today, his opinions on documenting the early days of skaters on the original Supreme NYC team, the return of The Brooklyn Banks, skateboarding’s rise from the underground to the mainstream and his behind-the scenes stories on a series of standout moves from the video and more.

Read it below to find it all out for yourself.

 

 

The Mixtape VHS – Front Cover

 

 

Hyped to finally chat with you about Mixtape in-depth. So, I reckon the intro with Roc Raida of the X-Ecutioners is one of the most unique skate video openers, that sets the tone for the whole video. But what was it like to film?

Filming the intro with Roc Raida was a day I will never forget. Roc Raida was the DMC DJ Champion at the time and I went up to shoot it at his house in Yonkers with Eli Morgan Gesner and Betsy Blakemore who produced a lot of music videos at the time for Rawkus Records and Zoo York Media Group.

Eli directed the entire scene and we shot it in Roc Raida’s basement. It was such an authentic environment and he was so humble and amazing to work with.

It was Eli’s idea to use the JVC Force “Strong Island” instrumental with Kool Keith from the Ultramagnetic MC’s “Big Shot on the East Coast” sample scratched over it. It was important for us to have something that sounded East Coast and underground for the real hip hop heads who know what’s up and Roc Raida crushed it.

He also did his “Rock The Bells” routine for us twice so I could have double angles. He was so precise and on point that when I laid the two takes down on top of each other, the cuts were identical to the frame.

 

 

 

 

Sick. So the visual theme of a Djing scratching as the footage is being fast forwarded, rewinded and slowmo’ed throughout the video gives the overall feel of a DJ playing a record. What was the response like to this type of aesthetic at the time?

I didn’t know how skate video nerds like myself would respond to editing like this. I was a purist myself at the time when it came to how skate videos should look and I did not want to go overboard with it.

 

 

 

 

Non-linear video editing was a relatively new thing at the time and I never had a chance to edit like this. I am sure some people may have thought we overdid it but I thought because of the music soundtrack being scratched so heavily in the background that it would work. And for the most part I didn’t hear any negative criticism about it.

 

 

Fat Joe, Mixtape

 

 

Glad to hear it. The intro, rapper freestyle footage and music were recorded from the Stretch Armstrong & Bobbito Show but why did you use those sequences and those rappers and did you know they were going to become the icons that they became?

By the time the video came out in 1998 most of the rappers like Fat Joe, Wu-Tang and Busta Rhymes were already Hip-Hop superstars.

 

 

Method Man, Mixtape

 

 

I was a huge fan and avid listener to the Stretch and Bob show and could not believe some of the footage that Eli was sitting on.

I jumped on the opportunity to use these unseen historic moments as the soundtrack and backbone to a skate video.

 

 

Ghostface Killa, Mixtape

 

 

Definitely. Harold’s role in Kids elevated him to superstardom. What was it like seeing him achieve those levels of fame and what was the most fun and the toughest thing about filming him for Mixtape and getting those clips?

After Kids came out Harold Hunter became a NYC icon.

He was everywhere and everybody wanted a piece of him. It was hard filming with him sometimes because he would be trying something really hard and stop to say hello or take pictures with someone every few minutes in the middle of a session. And a lot of times he would just disappear and other times he would pop up out of nowhere.

 

 

Harold Hunter, Head Bopping with a Boombox

 

 

Everybody knew him and everybody loved him. From movie stars to models to rappers and skaters. If you knew anything about the scene in NYC at the time you knew and recognised Harold.

 

 

 

 

That’s dope. The music, the fashion and the skating in the video, typified the 90s in New York for skaters at the time. But what do you think about seeing the resurgence of those styles, tricks and fashion coming back into vogue so strongly now, 30 years after its release?

Seeing the resurgence of these styles today in the way kids are skating and dressing is dope! It is cool to see skaters like John Shanahan and Aleka Lang in their city streets ripping in a way that would have had us all amazed 25 years ago.

 

 

The Mixtape VHS – Back Cover

 

 

I know some people that would criticise them for not being around when it was fresh but it is cool to see how influential our golden era was to the newer generations. And if that is what you are into and how you want to skate and rock your gear I am all for it.

 

 

Agreed. So a lot of skaters in Mixtape went on to represent Supreme in some way. What was it like to see the evolution of Supreme and the skaters you documented be instrumental in its rise?

Supreme has always looked out for skateboarders in the city. It is amazing to see how far the brand has evolved and that they are taking care of so many people. We had no idea that our crew would be so instrumental in the growth of the brand. Everybody just kept it real and looked out for each other. It is great to see it still happening on a global level.

 

 

Peter Bici: Backside Ollie, New York: Mixtape Era: Zoo York

 

 

Supreme was just our local skate shop and we all hung out on the block every afternoon and into the evening. Lafayette Street was a super fun scene back in the day. There were other cool shops like Liquid Sky and XLarge, and the building connected to Supreme at 274 Lafayette was filled with Model and Talent Agencies. We would see superstars walking in and out of there all the time and sometimes scouts would come out and offer us jobs.

 

 

Interesting. So I know you and Eli took on two sides of the project, but at what point did you realise you were good at working together?

I met Eli skating at the Banks and at Union Square before I even knew he was the mastermind behind the art direction of Zoo York. I really looked up to Eli and was lucky to learn so much and meet so many legends through him. The first couple times Eli and I went out together he would shoot stills while I filmed video and a few days later I would see his photos from our sessions in the sickest layouts for Zoo York ads in Big Brother magazine. Because we got along so well and had such a great dynamic, while having a good time I knew we would be great working together.

 

 

Amazing. So did Zoo have much oversight on this video or did you both have the ultimate authority to make the videos that you wanted to make?

We made this video when Zoo York was just us. It wasn’t owned by a corporate licensing company or operated by goofballs who know nothing about hip hop or skateboarding, so we had all the control and ultimate authority.

 

 

That’s tight. What do you think about the return of The Brooklyn Banks and have you been down there to film yet since it has been reopened and reconstructed?

I am so happy to see that the Banks are coming back. I have been filming down there a few times. For events like Go Skateboarding Day and with the fine people at Gotham Park and Super Skate Posse who are helping promote and support the growth of our culture to the new generation of skaters in our community.

Steve Rodriguez is a good friend of mine who is a key figure in bringing the banks back and also the first person to ever take me skating there on my first trip to the city as a 17 year old skate rat from Texas. Steve has recently told me some great things that they have planned for the Banks. I have also seen that new bricks have arrived! Hopefully by Go Skate Day 2025 we will see a brand new area of the banks for us to enjoy.

 

 

For sure. What was your favourite trick to film at The Brooklyn Banks for Mixtape and why?

I always liked filming tricks over the wall. They would be the most rewarding as it could take a long time to get something worth using waiting for traffic to clear in between tries.

Javier Nunez’s Switch Flip or

 

 

 

 

Quim Cardona

Nollie Varial Flip are the first two that come to mind as favourites.

 

 

 

 

But I could also film Keith Hufnagel do Frontside Ollies around the planter at the little banks all day and never get tired of watching that.

 

 

Keith Hufnagel, Mixatape

 

 

The video is one of the greatest street skating videos but there is more than a handful of skate park footage in there, why did you think it was important to include transition in the video?

We tried to keep most parts in the video to only street footage. There is a skatepark section at the end that was shot on the first Zoo York US Tour and there is also some skatepark footage in the Friends and Family section from skaters that didn’t have full parts.

I was influenced by skate videos I grew up watching that had skatepark sections like the Plan B / World and Girl/Chocolate videos and I think it was important to show some transition skating in the video to help dead the old school myth that East Coast Street Skaters can’t skate tranny.

 

 

 

 

OK, sick. Most of the rappers became legends in their own right. But now skaters like Tyshawn are big names beyond skateboarding. What do you think about the evolution of skating’s popularity considering it was so underground throughout the 90s?

I think the evolution of skating’s popularity is great. Skaters are some of the most creative athletes you will ever encounter. And to see its acceptance on a mainstream level and also from within the industry by welcoming skaters from different gender identities and sexual backgrounds is something that was long overdue.

 

 

Vinnie Ponte – Dope NY Line with the Rolled up Camo’s

 

 

I laugh now at all the people who told me that I was wasting my time as an outcast who was infatuated with a silly little fad. And now skateboarding, breakdancing and playing video games are actual sports on TV and in the Olympics.

 

 

100 percent. So Flushing Meadows has been a mainstay of NY-based skate videos since the 90s but what is your favourite trick you filmed at Flushing Meadows for Mixtape and why?

It is amazing that Flushing is still being skated. My favourite tricks at Flushing that I filmed were after Mixtape.

 

 

Peter Bici, Flushing Meadows

 

 

But for Mixtape I think my favourite would be Peter Bici’s opening line… because of how fun it was to skate and hang out with Peter and the opening to that dancehall Busta Rhymes track just gets me every-time. I think that is my favourite song in Mixtape.

 

 

 

 

It was a banger. Where was your favourite place to skate in New York in the 90s and where is the place you like to shred the most now?

My favourite place in the 90’s was the little banks, BAM on Flatbush, or maybe skating flat on the north side of Union Square. Now all I need is a good curb to slappy or an empty skatepark with good flatground. I really like what they did with the skatepark at 108th Street and Riverside Drive but that is kind of a trek for me to get to. There is also another new skatepark way out in Brooklyn that I have been meaning to skate but it is also kind of far from me.

 

 

Cool. So out of all of the individual clips you filmed in Mixtape, which stands out the most to you now and why?

I’m gonna pick two. Harold’s line at Time Life where he says “I never did that trick in my life!”.

 

 

The Harold Line

 

 

Or the clip at the Zoo Demo at Out of Bounds Skateshop in NJ where Anthony Correa and Danny Supa do back to back tricks over the picnic table. Both of those clips just captured the moment for me personally and still bring a smile to my face when I watch them and recognise how lucky I was to be there at that time and in the moment.

 

 

 

 

Sick. Speaking of memorable clips in the video, Robbie Gangemi’s 50-50 Grind up that rail is still gnarly to this day. Considering  a lot of skaters grind up rails now, do you think that trick played a role in stepping up that type of skating and what was the response like to that one at the time?

Before Robbie grinded up that rail in Boston I think only Sean Sheffey had skated a rail from head on like that. I remember calling it “Sheffey Style” when anyone skated a rail like that. I think Robbie definitely left his mark in skateboarding when people saw him roll away from that one.

 

 

Robbie Gangemi – 50-50 Grind

 

 

So many people were hyped on that trick as the ender in his part and also so many other bangers that were sprinkled throughout his part like the Hardflip you are about to ask me about.

 

 

 

 

Robbie Gangemi’s Hardflip on the Brooklyn Banks is timeless. What was it like filming it, why did you choose that angle and how long did it take him to do?

It was a great session at the Big Banks that day and it was a real treat to be the only one filming it. Vinnie Ponte, Huf and maybe Gino and Ben Liversedge were also on the session.

I chose that angle because I wanted to see the whole bank and the front of Robbie’s body when the board was being flipped to avoid anybody who might question that it didn’t flip and may have just been a Pop Shove-it. It didn’t take Robbie too long for that one. Less than 20 tries.

 

 

Robbie Gangemi – Hardflip, Brooklyn Banks

 

 

Rad. Looking back the in-studio footage from the Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito show, features glimpses of names and numbers on pagers, it really defines the era. But looking at technology now, which piece of tech from now would you have loved to have back then that would have made your life easier as a filmer and why?

Ha ha I would have been the man if I had an iPhone 16 Pro Max in the mid 90’s.

 

 

Method Man – Mixtape Pager Scene

 

 

Imagine. So what was the impact of the release of Mixtape and did you think at the time that it would be immensely popular or was it just another project that you were working on for Zoo that grew into this piece of cult iconography with time?

The impact at the release of Mixtape was mostly positive. I think it took a few months for it to resonate and get distributed for us to realise the impact it really had. I was very proud of what we made but also wanted to keep it going and make more videos.

 

 

Hamilton Harris – Mixtape Intro

 

 

After I made “Peep This” the next year I saw Ari Marcopolous in front of Supreme and he told me to “just keep going”. Hearing that at such a young age from somebody as influential as Ari really resonated with me. I ended up making “Heads” the year after that and did not want to stop.

 

 

That’s dope. A lot of the B-roll in the video features hilarious street antic moments. What was it like being in this era, with these skaters and seeing that level of street hijinx with such an energetic crew and what were some of the most memorable moments for you?

I really wish I wasn’t so cheap and stingy with the consumption of my 45 minute batteries and 1 hour Hi8 tapes back in those days. I would have captured so much more! Being in that era with such an eclectic and charismatic group of skaters was something else. I can’t talk about some of the most memorable moments. You had to be there. Any time we had the whole crew together no matter where we were are times I will never forget.

 

 

Harold Hunter, Wilding out

 

 

New York looks like nowhere else at night. What was your favourite night line or single to film in Mixtape and why?

Anywhere in Midtown was my favourite place to film at night. All of the street lights and traffic with fairly empty sidewalks.

 

 

Danny Supa, Night Line

 

 

The midnight session where we had the entire team in black hoodies following us in a car throughout Times Square was the best.

 

 

Gangemi, rolling in New York with the Boombox, Mixtape

 

 

What were the toughest parts of filming in New York at the time for you and why?

For me the toughest parts of filming in New York at the time was during the winter months because I had just moved to the city from Houston Texas and my skin was still soft. I was lucky to have my motivation and drive to keep me warm.

 

 

Cool. So this era was so influential, elements of it have returned now. Do you have any advice for the new generation of skate filmmakers on how to make original work, that will stand the test of time?

My advice to the next generation of skate filmers on how to make original work would be the same three words that Ari Marcopolous said to me in front of Supreme that day… “Just Keep Going.” Also to not let anyone tell you what you can or can’t do. We didn’t care what people were thinking and we just made what we wanted. At the end of the day that is how you will make something great. By simply making it.

 

 

Agreed. So were there any points during the production of the video that were tough between you and Eli or was it smooth sailing the whole way?

It was pretty much smooth sailing the entire way with Eli and I. There were a few late nights in the editing room though. The only disagreement I can remember was the beat that Robbie Gangemi lands his 50-50 up the rail on. I remember Eli wanted it to land on a different beat and I was so adamant that it should be where it ended up. I think Eli changed it to where he wanted it on an earlier edit and after he went home for the night I put it back to where I wanted it. Haha “sorry I’m not sorry about that boss!”

 

 

Amazing. Are you working on any projects or plans or video parts you would like to mention?

I have a couple skaters and projects in the works but nothing that is concrete or that I can let out there right now. But I am never not working on something.

 

Is there anything that you would like to say about the making of Mixtape that I have not mentioned before I let you go?

Making Mixtape did not even feel like a job or a big production. We were simply out in the streets doing what we loved and were lucky to have captured our era and put it in the time capsule that I can’t believe is still loved and watched by so many.

 

 

 

 

Any last words R.B.?

 Thank you to everybody who still gives us praise on this little VHS tape we made 27 years ago.

If you have a chance you can see some artefacts from the making of Mixtape alongside pretty much every other influential skateboard video at the “Recording The Ride” Exhibit at The Museum of Moving Image in Astoria Queens. It is something no skate video nerd should miss.

I believe the exhibit is up until February 2025. Shout out to Michaela Ternasky and Jacob Rosenberg for including The Zoo York Mixtape as one of the featured videos.