The newest addition to the burgeoning hip-hop scene in the greater Seattle area is a trendy new store in the heart of Seattle’s hip neighborhood, Capitol Hill. Laced Up is the culmination of all the hard work, perseverance and vision of Jaycee Coleman, a UW alumnus, and his co-owner, who goes by the name Cassius.

Entrepreneurial friends Coleman and Cassius met while attending Franklin and Ballard high schools, respectively. Their appreciation for “the golden age of hip-hop” and their natural talent as salesmen — or “hustlers,” as the two called themselves — led them to decide to open their own store.

“We didn’t see stores targeting us, and not targeting our friends,” Coleman said. With the proliferation of a mainstream hip-hop image entering big chain department stores like J.C. Penney and –––Nordstrom, Coleman and Cassius saw it was their time to strike out on their own and create a place for unique, quality hip-hop clothes, with designs done by local Seattle artists and independent clothing lines such as Undrcrwn, No Mas, Premium Label, Mighty Healthy and Alife.

The decision to start their own business was a long time coming. Coleman, who also works for State Farm Insurance, went to the UW business school and graduated in 2005. While attending the UW, he was a part of the Business and Economic Development program for minority-owned businesses. The program gives free business consultations and helps a prospective owner prepare a business plan.

“UW and that program were definitely a life-changing experience,” Coleman said, adding that the program was integral to getting Laced Up started. In addition to graduating from the business school, Coleman worked at Niketown for four years gaining real-world business and retail experience.

For Cassius, a life of sitting cooped up in classrooms and pulling all-nighters for tests was less than appealing. After a brief stint at Eastern Washington University, he started working at Macy’s and learning first-hand what it means to be a salesman.

“Macy’s taught me a lot. I learned how to network and negotiate,” Cassius said. Utilizing the knowledge they gained while following different paths, the plans for what would become Laced Up were put in motion.

After looking at available stores in Fremont and Queen Anne, 705 E. Pike opened up on Capitol Hill, and both Cassius and Coleman recognized the potential for their store in such a prime location.

Their business proposal for the store was denied by the owners in what would become one of many setbacks, but the two didn’t give up. They put their proposal in a second time, but were again denied.

Finally, on their third try for the retail space, their proposal was accepted. The first and biggest hurdle had been conquered, but still more setbacks lay ahead. The fixtures for the store arrived late and then were stolen from behind the store.

Persistence pays off, however, and while there have been many challenges, everything came together just as Coleman and Cassius envisioned.

“The hype’s been crazy,” Cassius said. The response on their MySpace page has exceeded their expectations. The popular hip-hop clothing and culture message board Niketalk.com also shows a resounding, positive response for Cassius, Coleman and the store, with users writing how the staff is quite nice and down-to-earth, and how good the clothing selection is.

And the store is only the beginning. Opening up the store was perhaps only the first step in the Laced Up empire. The two are already planning on releasing CDs later in the year featuring some of Seattle’s best local MCs, including Rik Rude, Lord Vintage and Kemetik (Coleman’s hip-hop alter-ego) and Cassius. They also plan to feature a rotating art gallery in their store, host club nights and even start their own magazine.

Coleman and Cassius also intend on giving back to the community. Cassius tutors fifth graders at his son’s elementary school. The two are even in preliminary talks with starting a Laced Up scholarship fund to help students with their own entrepreneurial aspirations. Coleman and Cassius are also looking into a youth sports team sponsorship as well.

As for right now, they are concentrating on the store itself and putting the final touches on the decorations. Portraits of Notorious BIG, Bob Marley and Eazy-E were just installed a few days ago and now adorn the walls.

“We want Laced Up to be a day club,” Coleman said. He and Cassius say they are creating a lifestyle, and at the end of the day, they are more concerned about selling a relationship than anything else.

“My philosophy is, know what you want to do in life and love doing it,” Cassius said.

For Coleman and Cassius, opening Laced Up is precisely that. It is their own corner of the world where they can share with similarly like-minded individuals who can gather to talk about the latest mixed tape they’ve heard or the newest pair of Bape’s to come out.

Reach contributing writer Garrett Troy at features@thedaily.washington.edu.