Monstrinho turned us onto Charlie Malta, aka the Guice Mann a few months ago and we haven’t been able to get enough of him since. He’s an 18 year old red head from Ohio that spends his days drawing on shoes and attending Columbus College of Art and Design.

We were able to track down the Guice Mann via cyberspace to get this exclusive interview.

We’ll start with the most obvious question, why the name “Guice Mann”?

The Name came from constantly consuming orange juice and because of my orange hair. I got the name in 8th grade. Everyone called me juice or orange juice. Once having the nickname I decided to change the “J” to a “G” to be different, and over the years I switched it to Guice Mann because I thought it was necessary. I stay true to the game and sip all kinds of juices to this day. Gotta have your vitamins!

How old are you?

18

What city do you call home?

Willowick, Ohio

How do you get around town?

On my bike.

We noticed that you are enrolled at Columbus College of Art and Design. Are you digging your classes?

Class is cool, some of them. I’m taking drawing, painting, design, writing and art history. Design is my favorite class because we get to use our imagination and do our thang. As for drawing and painting, so far we have been doing lots of still-life’s which are not the best, but its all good. Art history is cool, and writing is the least favorite class i take.

What fuels your creativity?

Music, Movies, Emotions, and Food. I love all kinds of music and am open to listening to anything new. Movies are great to watch while makin kicks, because there are so many images in a film and sometimes that can spark some cool ideas. For sure emotions. Weather a girl is on the brain or if I got good news or bad news about something. Emotion definitely plays a part in my drawings.

How long have you been getting down on shoes with a paint brush?

At first I used straight up markers on the kicks, but I now do both paint and markers. I started using the brush method in 10th grade because I was taking a painting class.

Why shoes?

In grade school I played hoops. I spent all my cash on the newest kicks that were on the shelves. My love for shoes made me want to have my own pair that nobody else had. My mom was always mad that I spent my money on shoes. I was bored of the kicks I had, and I wanted to create something new. I drew all the time when I wasn’t ballin on the courts. So I put 2 and 2 together and made some kicks. Drawings plus shoes. So the first pair I made was for my brother Johnny for his birthday. I thought, he would love them and he did. He still has those kicks to this day, and in good condition. You can see that pair walkin the streets of NY on a daily basis.

What celebrities have you done shoes for?

Bands: Japanther, Matt and Kim, and Dan Deacon.

Rappers: Machine Gun Kelly, MC Mack, and K-Von The Great.

The ever so wonderful actress Zena Grey.

Cleveland Cavs Owner Dan Gilbert.

Have you ever done art (shoes) for any brands or companies?

Pepco Electric Company located in Cleveland, Ohio.

You have over 500 videos on YouTube, how long have you been making videos of yourself and sharing them with the world?

I got my first video camera for my birthday the summer before 9th grade. I always wanted a camera so I could film stuff. So since then I filmed a lot of my life and threw it on YouTube. So I have videos dating back to the 9th grade up on the tube. I really like filming myself and random things. I love to capture great memories on film. So I can show my kids one day how crazy I was when I was their age.

What do you listen to while you’re creating?

Japanther! Japanther! Japanther! They rule my brains 24/7! Other than them I bump that old school 90′s hip hop. I also enjoy listening to Die Antwoord, Kid Cudi, Ja Prawn, Machine Gun Kelly, Matt and Kim, Billie Holiday, Neon Indian and K-Von The Great. I also like to bump my hit single Electric Energy.

We know that you are doing a colab with Monstrinho right now, do you feel that collaborating with other artists is important?

Most definitely! Collaborating is very important. Collaborating helps me learn more techniques and helps me grow as an artist. Monstrinho is the man!

What artists inspire you?

My Brother John Malta, Alex Grey and Daniel Johnston. I love Buddhist and Chinese art as well. I like looking threw Native American picture books as well.

What goals do you have for the next few years?

To continue to improve my skills as an artist. Also to keep bangin out pairs of kicks. I’ve made almost 700 by now. Ill get to 1000 soon enough.

Do you have any advice for future artists?

Do what you love, constantly draw everyday and use your imagination.

Is there anything else about you that you would like the world to know about the Guice Mann?

I plan to live out in Cali one day, hopefully soon. My favorite energy drink is Rockstar Lemonade and Mountain Dew is my favorite soda pop.

There you have it, Q + A with the Guice Mann. For more information and artwork from the Guice Mann, please visit guicemann.com. You can also find him on Facebook, YouTube, and twitter. Oh, and if you work for Rockstar…you better track this guy down. He represents your drinks to the fullest and never leaves home without one.