Buckwheat Commemorative "Giants of GenX" T-shirt

It ain't easy being a child star...

Look at what happened to (some of) the Bradys, that chick that played Kimberly on Diff'rent Strokes…and, oh yeah, Todd Bridges — Willis! 

Mugshots everywhere. None of them turned out great. Not all of them even survived! You know who did?

Buckwheat!

Despite a lifelong speech impediment that would make Gus's wife Bunny sound eloquent (look it up!), Buckwheat beat the child star odds, rising from the ashes of The Little Rascals to become a celebrated solo artist singing sensation in the early 80s…

…and a fashion mogul with his own line of jeans.

Unlike other child stars of the day, who penned their own personal cautionary tale in the pages of America's tabloids, Buckwheat emerged as a man of the people and a celebrity worth our admiration. A "keep your head down" pro devoted to his art and his audience, with no time for indulging in the 80s excess that took down so many of his peers.

Until that fateful night in 1983. When an assassin's bullet cut him down in cold blood on the streets of New York.

Do you remember where you were? Cuz I do! In my bedroom. Watching on a 19-inch Sanyo. A 14-year-old punk who stared in shock as they played the horrific footage of his assassination again and again…and again….and again. 

Just as any child must have done following the Kennedy assassination, I grew up that night. I shed a tear. And I learned that crazed lunatics like John David Stutts could take the life of a man who meant so much…to so many.

So today we honor one of the "Giants of GenX"…this man among men…this icon of unparalleled artistic genius, as we enshrine him in our "GenX Mall of Greatness," (patent pending) and remember him with our one-of-a-kind limited edition, collector's item T-shirt. 

I can still hear his beautiful voice echoing in my brain case…"Wookin pa nub in all da wong paces, wookin' pa nub…"

Wear it with pride. Wear it with dignity. It's what Buckwheat would have wanted.

As for the shirt...

Official Shirt of the "GenX Mall of Greatness" Induction Ceremony!

You've now found the staple t-shirt of your wardrobe. It's made of 100% ring-spun cotton and is soft and comfy. The double stitching on the neckline and sleeves add more durability to what is sure to be a favorite!

• 100% ring-spun cotton
• Sport Grey is 90% ring-spun cotton, 10% polyester
• Dark Heather is 65% polyester, 35% cotton
• 4.5 oz/yd² (153 g/m²)
• Shoulder-to-shoulder taping
• Quarter-turned to avoid crease down the center
• Blank product sourced from Bangladesh, Honduras, Haiti, Mexico, or Nicaragua

Size guide