After 9 years in prison over weed, KC man transforms trauma into empowering brand
Tyreese Gray once had to give up his life due to marijuana charges. Now he uses his business, Hater Free, to empower.
“It pretty much meets the personality of any individual who is above the drama, above the hate, and they are looking to be the best version of their self,” said Hater Free’s strategic creative consultant, Shawn Don.
Gray’s story is a part of his brand, as he uses marijuana to promote his brand. With the purchase of apparel at pop-up events in Missouri only, customers 21 and over can get one-eighth of a gram of cannabis free, Don said.
Gray chooses to do this to connect with audiences that reflect himself, he said.
The story behind the brand
Hater Free Apparel was founded in 1999, inspired by brands like FUBU and Phat Farm, Gray said. He and his friend, Jason Cockren, started in Gray’s mom’s basement in Kansas City, Kansas, screen printing T-shirts.
“It took us all day to print 24 shirts, but then we would get out in the streets and sell them all in like 30 minutes,” Gray said.
The brand name took inspiration from Houston record label SuckaFree Records, he said.
“We hater free because the world is full of hate,” Gray said.
They tried to open their own store location in Kansas, but quickly realized the challenges that came with designing, manufacturing and running a retail store, he said.
“I had to worry about other things that I just wasn’t used to, so I decided to just put my product in stores that already carry clothing,” he said.
They used to partner with local stores like 7th Heaven, the Wax Factory, and Keep N It Real Records, said Gray. They also had partners in Dallas.
Charged with conspiracy
Gray traveled for the brand, going to California often, a state with legal marijuana at the time, he said. He got his medical usage card in the state and began indulging, said Gray.
“I never thought nothing about it,” he said. “I’m thinking it’s going legal everywhere, but it was only four states where it was legal at the time.”
Eventually, Gray got caught discussing traveling with marijuana and was tried and charged with marijuana conspiracy in 2011.
“It was a prosecutor over in Kansas at the time, Terra Morehead,” he said. “She was trying to stick it to me. Like, I was just like this big kingpin drug dealer.”
Known for her harsh practices and a high-profile wrongful conviction, the prosecutor was later found to have committed misconduct in other cases and was asked to hand in her law license in 2024.
Gray served a total of nine years, seven months and three days in prison, after taking a plea deal to avoid 20 years.
“The whole time I’m going to court, the marshals used to always tell me, ‘Yeah, marijuana is going to be legal in about 10 years, but you’ll be done with your time by then,’” he said. “They was making a joke of it. It was crazy.”
Gray was bitter and just couldn’t believe that he had to serve so much time, he said.
“I didn’t meet nobody in prison that had as much time as me for marijuana.”
But Gray took the deal was because his mother feared she wouldn’t make it to see him free if he had to serve 20.
“My mom was like, just take the 10. She said, ‘I’ll be here for 10, I don’t know about 22,’” said Gray.
When he got out, all that was on his mind was rebuilding his brand. From doing shows like Fit Check for Kansas City’s Hip Hop week to doing pop-up shops at festivals like Cannafest, he said he takes every opportunity for growth.
Now, the brand sells more than screen-printed t-shirts. They make hats, socks, hoodies, tank tops, sweaters and more.
He’s embraced using social media to promote the business, which was a challenge to learn after being locked up. Now, through Kansas City’s Hip Hop Week, he’s been able to continue spreading the word.
“It’s just inspired me a lot,” he said. “Seeing all the people around here that are influencers, already doing stuff that I didn’t even know about.”
