What is your map at home (title, year, etc.)

I’m not actually sure. It was just a map that got blown up to be the backdrop at an event. I think they just found a map with “Detroit” in big letters, like it is behind me. It’s about 8ft long by 5ft tall and printed on corrugated foam board. It’s literally the centerpiece of my living room.

It’s actually three, maybe four, pieces. I gave one piece that covered the Eastside to a friend living there and another piece to friend in Southwest Detroit. I kept the piece that meant a lot to me.

Where did you find/acquire the map?

This was given to me by the Display Group. I was co-chair of American Heart Association’s charity ball and it was part of the decor. I asked what they were going to do with it after the event and they said they’d probably just throw it away. I could fit three pieces of the map in my car after the event.

What made you hang it on your wall? What stood out to you? What details do you enjoy about the map?

Where I grew up is on this map and where I lived (at that time) was on the map too. It was a sign.

And I do love maps. When I look at this map though I don’t see lines, I see memories. I see railroad tracks. I’ve been down every street on this map.

So, I founded the world’s largest weekly bike ride, called Slow Roll. I made the Slow Roll maps for 10 years. There have only been a few times when we got in trouble for what we do. In Hamtramck we caused a major issue with hundreds of people’s cars getting ticketed or broken into. The Hamtramck mayor even wrote about it after. So there is a Slow Roll sticker on the city because I say that’s the closest I’ll ever get again to Hamtramck because it’s too much work.

What in your background has drawn you to maps?

I love maps. Growing up my parents couldn’t afford for us to travel, so maps were my way to travel.

When I did the commercial with Apple, I had never traveled and that opened so many doors. After traveling more places, maps became something different to me. I never realized how important it was to travel and experience other places. It’s mandatory. If you don’t see the world then you haven’t been shaped by global theories and philosophies.

Now when i look at a map instead of admiration, its motivation to go and see that place.