Moguls In Motion: Darryl Harvin

What’s going on, B.O.M.B Squad? Been a minute, ain’t it? Okay, so we’re gonna start diving into some major figures in the realm of entrepreneurship.

First, I want to start off by saying that it’s very important for us Black people to stick together and do everything we can to support one another. No one else will do it for us, and if they do, they’re probably just trying to use us for their own personal satisfaction or career gains. We’ve seen it happen many, MANY times before but that all stops today, as we will be taking a look into a founding father of the B.O.M.B brand as well as several of his own businesses, which will be discussed more in-depth in the “Behind the Biz” tab on the site.

Darryl Harvin hails from Neptune, New Jersey. He was adopted when he was just four days old but sadly, his adoptive mother passed when Harvin was coming of age. He then went on to live with her family in Neptune, including her daughter; now his new “sister”.

Harvin didn’t have it all too good as he was growing up. He found himself getting into various street activities such as stealing cars, robberies, and burglarizing homes with his crew of friends. He once got kicked out of his family’s house after stealing his sister’s car and getting into more trouble, even leading police on a chase through Neptune. Soon after, he would end up serving three years in Monmouth County Correctional Institution before he was even 21.

Harvin (King Grovey) posing in one of his crooked crown sweatsuit sets

However, as it usually goes, this stint in jail was a huge turning point for Harvin. He stated: “Once I got out of jail, I was done with the criminal life and I wanted to be successful,” he said of his release several years ago. “I wanted to do something with my life and be responsible and able to help my family”. And so, he did. Harvin would go on to create the Jersey-based streetwear brand “Crooked Crown Apparel” after working various jobs to support himself and his family. “I soon realized that working nine to five for someone else’s business wasn’t for me,” he said. And personally, I couldn’t agree more! (Just lost my fourth job…)

Harvin didn’t have a lot of money growing up and his family didn’t really wear name-brand clothing, especially designer brands. But he’s always loved fashion and it’s been a great source of entrepreneurial inspiration for him. Crooked Crown started out as “Grove King Apparel”, named after the Green Grove section of Neptune, Harvin’s stomping grounds. This is also what inspired the “King Grovey” stage name for his music. Harvin explains how the name change came to be:

“I changed the name to Crooked Crown Apparel in mid-2021 because I feel like everybody is a King or a Queen in their own right,” he said. “Life hands us certain situations that can make us feel lower than what we really are, but while your crown might be hanging crooked, you’re still royalty at the end of the day.”

I don’t know how anyone can read these words and not feel what he must’ve felt during the entire curation of this iconic brand. Harvin would go on to register to manufacture clothing in New Jersey and secure a reseller’s license. He maintained the status of selling high-quality clothing at an affordable price compared to his contemporaries.

Although, Crooked Crown is in essence, a streetwear brand, it is more closer to a movement to help progress the culture further. The clothing is important but the overall message Harvin is trying to push is much more important to the bigger picture; “offering hope, inspiring others in the struggle to turn their lives around, and giving back to the community”, as quoted by Harvin.

Harvin and Crooked Crown have been getting lots of positive feedback since the brand was formed. It is also worth mentioning that Darryl is also the CEO of his own record label, Crooked Crown Records. He is also an avid photographer and aspiring filmmaker. His photography company is Crooked Crown Visions, another imprint of the Crooked Crown brand itself. Harvin has so many things planned for the future. When asked about his endgame as far as the clothing brand goes, Harvin responded:

“I’d ultimately like to be one of the top five clothing distributors in New Jersey and for people to know what the Crooked Crown Collective is all about,”. He continues, “I want to provide people with the guidance, resources, and chances that I didn’t have coming up and also help teach them how to be successful at something they love, whether it’s clothing, music, gaming, or some other area of interest.”

Wow. Phenomenal words and an equally impressive work ethic. Harvin became the co-founder of B.O.M.B Magazine along with Marquis Terrell (Shiloh Ci) in early January of 2023. It is his most recent venture as well as getting into filmmaking with Ci and his film production company, Solare Films, LLC.

"My Crown May Hang Crooked, But It will never fall"

Finished "Crooked Crown" Merchandise

We at B.O.M.B and beyond wish Harvin nothing but the best. Much glory, success, and blessings to him, his team, and his family. This has been another piece by B.O.M.B. Magazine. Stay tuned for more bomb content and subscribe to our newsletter to stay up-to-date on everything Black Culture! Follow us on all our social media and let us know what kind of content you would like to see more of on this site.

Follow B.O.M.B on Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/bombmagazineofficial/

Follow Darryl Harvin/King Grovey: https://www.instagram.com/king_grovey/

Visit Crooked Crown Visions: https://crookedcrownvisions.com/

Crooked Crown Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/crooked-crown-llc-21471a273/

Follow Marquis Terrell/Shiloh Ci: https://www.instagram.com/mrmogul999/