G-Unit Riderz Talk About Stunt Riding, Growing Up With 50 And How To Avoid Breaking Your Wrists!

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Courtesy of Global Grind 

The legendary G-Unit Riderz recently rode into the GlobalGrind offices to show us what it's really like living life on the edge. The street motorcylce team, made up of Bryan Chin and brothers BJ Santiago and Moe Santiago, have consistently brought the best of the best in terms of stunts, tricks and speed.

They've been featured in a number of 50 Cent's videos and perform all over the country. The guys give us the dirt on how they first got into riding, growing up with 50 and what really goes into being a stunt biker! Also be sure to check out a video of the G-Unit Riderz at the Amber Rose party at the Tropical Paradise Nightclub. 

GG: When did you guys first get into riding?  How old were you and how did you get introduced to it?

BJ: Since we were 15, that’s when we got introduced to motorcycle riding.

GG: Who introduced you to it?

BJ: It came from 50 Cent. He always rode bikes and it was just like one day we got a ride on the bikes and we’ve just been hooked ever since.

GG: So when did you guys actually get your first bikes?

BJ: The next year. We scraped up a few little dollars and got the wrong bikes.

MOE: We got the wrong bikes.

GG: What was the wrong bike?

MOE: The Katanas 600, the worst bike you could ever buy. The worst.

BJ: Yeah, that’s what they hit us with, was the Katanas. From in the back.

GG: How’d you go from just riding to doing stunts? What was the first step?

BJ: Well, the whole thing with the whole motorcycle situation was it was basically on a race scene. So they used to race in Queens, you know doing it Brooklyn too. So it was really the racing scene that was going on, just hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of bikes gathered at one time for this event and you know sooner or later somebody takes off and the wheel comes off the floor. So it’s like, “Oh I like that!”

MOE: Back then it wasn’t so high and technical and complicated as it is now.

BJ: But you know, you seen the little wheelie thing and we tried that and we liked that.

GG: You guys are like the Z-Boys of motorcycles.

BJ: Yeah, we’ve been here. We’ve been around awhile.

GG: You were actually a part of the evolution of stunt riding?

BJ: Yeah, we’ve actually seen the sport evolve through many different stages. Like, you’ll have people that start today and it’s like they’ll start straight off in college. It’s like they never even went through Pre-K. 

MOE: First, second, third grade. We went through all the stages to get where we at today.

GG: You said you grew up with 50 Cent, what was that like?

BJ: Well, you know, 50’s just 50. Just basically the way he is right now. Same person. So you know, it was fun. We have a very good relationship and we’ve remained good friends throughout the years. So it’s a nice thing.

MOE: Same way, same personality. Very good person too.

GG: So of the three of you, you guys and 50, who would you say is the best rider?

MOE: Oh now we are. He even said that to this day. We got it from him and we took it over from him and we’re better than the master now.

GG: Have you guys ever had any bad accidents though?

BJ: Well, I mean we took a couple spills. Couple bumps and bruises. I mean, fortunately, we didn’t break any bones or like any serious injuries. But you know, it comes with the territory. A little head hit, a little road rash there. That’s been the most extent of it, for us, fortunately.

GG: So no totals?

BJ: No smashing into the cars or none of that. We’ve been fortunate, because a lot of people don’t make it. A lot of people – you know, throughout the years we’ve seen a lot of serious accidents, you know it’s a hazard with what we do. Even if you’re stunt riding or just regular riding, just motorcycles in general causes a threat. Especially on New York streets.

MOE: That’s a fast way to your grave.

GG: Are you guys just lucky or is there something you guys do different? Are you more cautious?

BJ: Yeah, we’re very cautious in what we do. We try to maneuver and control the environments and it’s like riding on the streets of New York you kind of learn how to ride the streets of New York. Because you’ll have other riders that come from different states that’ll come to hang out with us and cannot deal with New York streets. They don’t even want – cause it’s too much, it’s just too much.

GG: Would you say that your particular style, not just with riding but stunts as well, has really been developed from growing up in New York from living and riding in New York?

But you know, the New York hustle and bustle, it’s the same way as you’re walking. If you’re walking on 42nd you gotta move out of the way and you gotta walk, walk, walk, walk. We ride the bikes the same way. So we ride aggressive and take control of the machines.

GG: That actually leads into my next question, which is what’s your favorite place to ride?

BJ: Well, we like Florida because of weather purposes. But there’s no place like home. Say what you want about New York but there’s no place like home. We love New York better than any place else.

GG: What’s your favorite song to ride to?

BJ: One of my favorite artists that really gets me hyped up on the motorcycles is Busta Rhymes. Because he has so much energy and he just makes you lose it.  We got a couple of different G-Unit anthems because people always expect us to say, “Oh, we ride to G-Unit.” No, we ride to different things. Sometimes when I’m in a certain zone and I put the iPod on I listen to Kenny G.

GG: Really?

BJ: Yeah, I love Kenny G. I got my headphones on and I’m listening to Kenny G. Get’s your mindframe on and calms you. It’s crazy.

MOE: I like Blink-182.

GG: Who’d you guys look up to when you first started riding?

MOE: It was a rider – he’s been in the game for a very long time – that’s Wink 1100. Also another good friend of ours. And he has actually been doing the stunt thing for like a very, very long time so it’s like we basically came up under him, you know, as teenagers, 15, 16, 17, we looked up to him. Until we was able to plant our feet firm enough where we want to branch off on our own and create our own situation.

BJ: And today, they call him the godfather of the stunt game.

GG: What do you guys think about Evil Kenevil? Is that a whole different world?

BJ: That’s a totally different world because what he do I won’t do for obvious reasons.

GG: What’s the sketchiest but coolest stunt you think you guys have pulled off? What’s really tricky?

BJ: To me one of the coolest stunts to ever get pulled off is the wheelie with no hands. Because there’s a lot that goes into it – it looks easy when you’re doing it, it’ll make your jaw drop when you actually see it, but what goes into it is much more technical than what you see. You see finished product but you didn’t see how many times you let the handlebars go and you fall back, you know what I’m saying? So you kind of have to learn how not to fall, there’s a lot of counterbalance involved. So it’s a very technical trick.

GG: (To Moe) Would you say the same thing?

MOE: Well, I have the handle bar wheelie. That means your feet over the handle bars and you pop a wheelie, then you go into a circle as you’re popping the wheelie. So with your two feet over the handle bar, you wheelieing and then you go into a circle.

GG: So you do a 360.

BJ: No, you doing circles, with an ‘s.’

MOE: So both feet over the handlebars, into a wheelie, and then into circles.

GG: And how heavy are one of these bikes?

BJ: About 500 pounds.

GG: Would you say it’s more strength or more knowing how to work the bike?

BJ: Knowing, by far.

MOE: That’s very important.

GG: Doesn’t have to do with size or strength then?

BJ: Not at all. We got another guy on our team, his name is Chin, and he’s a very skinny dude. Very tiny, very skinny, very frail and he gets busy.

MOE: He jumps over the handle bars, all of that.

BJ: Busy on that bike!

GG: So this goes back to the accident thing but what’s the most annoying comments you’ve ever heard about how dangerous motorcycles are? What do your folks and relatives say about it?

BJ: Well, I mean, they pretty much support what it is we do….because we’re gonna do it anyways (laughs). But, you know, sometimes you have a lot of people that express a lot of concern as far as, “Ohhh, be careful, you’re gonna kill yourself.” So, you know, you have a lot of older people, like in the streets or whatever, that are just fixated on that concept.

MOE: My father always told me, try a car, try a car. Leave the bikes alone, try a car.

BJ: Yeah, but it’s the same thing with cars in accidents as it is with motorcycles, if not more.

GG: Would you say the danger aspect is something you get into with bikes though? Or do you just love bikes for the sake of loving bikes?

BJ: It’s an adrenaline rush. It’s a big adrenaline rush. You got people bungee jumping.

MOE: Sky-diving.

BJ: Yeah, it’s exactly like that. People sky-dive and bungee jump because you feel like you’re on top of the world, you feel like you’re free. On a motorcycle it’s exactly the same feeling. It’s like you’re free, no holds barred.

MOE: All your problems run away.

BJ: Yeah, that’s just how it feels on a motorcycle.

GG: For people who are interested in getting into riding, do you have any tips or advice?

BJ: Well, definitely take your time. You have to respect the machine and learn the machine.

MOE: And helmets first.

BJ: Yeah, helmets first. Wear your gear, you know what I’m saying, because you will take spills and falls and there’s actual ways to fall, if you have to fall. It’s complex, there’s a lot to it, but the more seasoned riders will know that versus the newer people. Because you’ll jump on a motorcycle and you’ll see us doing something and you’ll think, “Oh, I can do that too.” And then you jump on the bike and you’ll tear your ass up and the bike.

GG: What’s the most common mistake you see with new riders?

BJ: Hit the throttle.

MOE: And no control.

BJ: People think you have to like really hit the throttle to get a response out of the motorcycle.

MOE: Give it all the gas.

BJ: For instance, everything is “vroom vroom vroom!” So you know, you think you got to hit the throttle but the throttle is very sensitive, the slightest little – and that bike is flying. So a lot of people get on and heavy on the throttle and let the clutch go and the bike flip. We’ve seen people flip the bike and break their wrists.

GG: They didn’t let go?

BJ: Yeah, they didn’t let go. They just hit it so hard and it just bam! And crack goes their wrists.

GG: What do you guys have coming in the future. I heard you have a mixtape coming out with DJ Rob Lowe.

BJ: Yeah, DJ Rob-Low. We’re getting ready to work on a mixtape – actually we’re in the studio tomorrow doing vocals for it. Yeah, so we’re going to come out with a nice little mixtape, some nice songs, some nice G-Unit things among other things. Bring something new to the table because, you know, it’s never been done before.

MOE: So stay tuned for that.

BJ: Yeah, why not (Laughs).

GG: What else have you got coming up?

BJ: We’re going to start shooting for a reality show. We’re gonna start shooting for that next month, we’re coming out with a trailer. Also, we’re gonna great a game app for the Iphone with 50 Cent. You know, something fun and crazy for the Iphone. It’s in the development stages right now.

MOE: Also, a movie is being talked about, as we speak with 50 Cent.

GG: About riding?

BJ: It’s a little bit of everything. You know, 50, his brain is just crazy.

BJ: Exactly. He’s trying to make it around the theme of “Point Break.” You remember the surfer dudes? Realistic.

GG: Well, that goes back to the whole adrenaline rush thing, trying to catch the biggest wave.

BJ: Exactly. There’s also a couple situations with iTunes, as far as clinics, we’re gonna be doing “how-to’s”. So we’re gonna have like a one minute clip where we’ll show you like what do you do if your bike runs out of gas. And you can buy that for 99 cents on iTunes. Have it to your phone and we’ll show you different things until it gets more advance. So that’s something we’re about to start working on, start shooting for that. 

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