Illegal Civilization
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Skateboarding, Film production, Apparel |
| Founded | 2008 |
| Founder | Mikey Alfred |
| Headquarters | North Hollywood , United States |
| Products | Apparel, Skateboards, Accessories, Video content |
Illegal Civilization (IC) is a skateboarding brand and film production company based in North Hollywood, founded by Mikey Alfred. The enterprise markets apparel, skateboards, accessories, and produces video content. Beyond its core skateboarding focus, Illegal Civilization has expanded into creating music videos, documentaries, and original short films.
The company maintains close ties with the hip-hop group Odd Future and chronicled the making of Tyler, the Creator's albums Wolf and Cherry Bomb. Mikey Alfred, the founder, co-produced Jonah Hill's first feature film Mid90s, which includes appearances by Illegal Civilization skateboarders Sunny Suljic, Ryder McLaughlin, Olan Prenatt, Kevin White, and Na-Kel Smith.
History
Established in 2008 by Mikey Alfred alongside his associates, Illegal Civilization initially gained traction by producing skate videos and selling t-shirts in North Hollywood. Alfred, at age 15, met Tyler, the Creator through skateboarder and rapper Na-Kel Smith and became the official videographer for Odd Future. Touring with artists like Tyler and Frank Ocean helped elevate the brand’s profile.
In 2016, Baker Boys Distribution took over distribution duties for Illegal Civilization’s merchandise. The 2020 skate video Godspeed, directed by Davonte Jolly, was well-received by critics. After its debut, skateboarders Alex Midler, Kevin White, and Zach Saraceno were elevated to professional status.
In May 2022, these three riders parted ways with Illegal Civilization amid reports of unpaid wages exceeding one year. Subsequently, Alfred gathered a new lineup of lesser-known skateboarders for a fresh video project named Hell Week. Conflict emerged when Alfred limited access to footage shot with company gear and requested a substantial fee from skateboarder Lando Magik for its release. This disagreement contributed to additional departures from the team.
Filmography
In 2017, Illegal Civilization premiered a short film featuring Mac Miller. Later that year, they debuted their original mini-series Summer of '17, showcasing members with guest appearances by rappers Tyler, the Creator and Aminé.
Feature films
- North Hollywood (2021)
Short films
- Spark of Life (2011)
- IC1 (2012)
- Tyler the Creator's Making of Wolf Documentary (2013)
- IC2 (2014)
- Tyler the Creator's Cherry Bomb Documentary (2017)
- IC3 (2018)
- Godspeed (2020)
Mini-Series
- Summer of '17 (2017–2019; 3 episodes)
Collaborations
- Featured in Season 4 of HBO’s Ballers in 2017.
- Launched three sneaker models in partnership with Converse in August 2018.
- Collaborated with Lil Wayne on a t-shirt tied to the 2018 release of Tha Carter V.
- Participated as cast and crew in Jonah Hill’s film Mid90s, accompanied by a promotional merchandise line released through A24.