unszned — true art in motion.

He’s skated on some of the biggest stages in the world—the Essence Festival with Missy Elliott, the VMAs with Mariah Carey, and on tour with Usher—For him, skating has always been more than a performance. It’s survival. What started as a way to stay out of trouble turned into a creative outlet that saved his life. Meet “Unszned”. 

Born and raised in Killeen, Texas, now residing in Atlanta, GA. Unszned's story is about passion, grit, and the kind of purpose that finds you when you’re lost. Before the lights, the cameras, and the world tours—there was just a pair of skates and a second chance. Some stories don’t start in fame—they start in stillness, in moments where everything could have gone wrong. For Unszned, skating was that turning point.  

How long have you been skating, and what paved the way for your desire to begin skating?

I was always an average skater as a child—I think that was like everybody’s thing to do. I don’t think I really tapped into the creative side of it until I got to 11th grade, where my friend reintroduced me back into skating. You know, we all are mischievous kids at some point, and some of us get hemmed up, some of us get a slap on the wrist, and some of us just don’t get caught. Well, I just unfortunately happened to be one of the ones that got caught, and I got sat down for—I wanna say—about a year and a half. And it was kind of a different mindset. I had to realize this isn’t a path that I wanna go down. When I got released, it was on my birthday—a Wednesday night at Cascade. I was the right age, and something told me, “just go”, and it took off from there.

What do you feel has been the biggest challenge about your career as a skater?

The main struggle is creativity—everybody wants to be the next new move or the next new style of skater. But it’s nearly impossible because there’s so much history behind skating. Almost every move we see today has been done before us. So what separates me and maybe five others is—we’re not afraid. I’ll go out, throw a backflip, a soft flip—I’ll try any and everything. I’ll throw my body to the wind. Most people won’t.

Tell me how you got into the space of skating for celebrities. How did that begin for you?

I’ve always wanted to be an entertainer. Even now, I’m taking dance, acting, and stunt classes because I’ve always wanted to be on stage or on TV. My first job came from Doom Patrol, the Marvel TV series—I got that at 21, two weeks after I started skating seriously.

From that point, it just kept going. People started calling, and sometimes it’s not what you know, it’s who you know. Right time, right place—and I got the Usher call last year [2024]. I was going through some real-life stuff, in a bad place, and my best friend was like, “Come out and do this competition.” I won. Immediately after I won the competition, Usher’s team called me for the tour.

How long were you on tour?

I did the U.S. leg and the European leg. The first year, we were gone about eight months. The second round, I was gone three. I’ve also done the Essence Festival with Missy Elliott and recently the VMAs with Mariah Carey.

What is the key for these kind of opportunities to find you?

A lot of people call me because they know what I can provide. I’ve put in the time, blood, sweat, and tears and let my social media speak for itself. My page is full of skate videos. The difference between me and a million other skaters is that I don’t post commercial content. My name—Unszned—represents that raw, authentic feel of my creativity. 

Do you ever feel hesitant to put yourself out there—worried about how people might receive you?

No, not at all. If I can’t put out what I want, then you don’t need to be on my page. I’m not the type to chase credit either. People copy my moves all the time on Instagram—but I just scroll past. The ones who know, know.

Do you think someone can make a living as a full-time skater?

It’s possible—but it’s a lot of work. I just don’t want to limit myself to that one box. I’m more than a skater. People say “jack of all trades, master of none,” but really, everyone’s a multitasker. We all have things we’re good at—it’s about giving 100% to each of them.

How do you stay inspired to keep creating?

In skating, I pull inspiration from my friends—people who are breaking generational cycles, pushing limits. I research moves, but I also trust my creativity. I feel like I bring something new to the skating world, the same way jazz dancers brought something new to their craft.

I don’t need credit—I just want to inspire.

Whether he’s flipping on skates, acting on stage, or creating his own productions, one thing is certain: Unszned isn’t just rolling—he’s rising. He has recently expanded his creative palette and has started a production company where he has already directed 3 short films. His ambition and drive is raw, unfiltered, Unszned.