Love him or hate him, you have to applaud Lenny Rivas for doing his thing. It’s hard enough for a kid from the hood to make it period, much less as a professional skater. Lenny did just that and is now living his dream, you can’t hate on that at all. We recently got Loco Lenster to answer a few questions, the following interview is the result.

48 Blocks: You're from SD, when and how did you first get into skateboarding?

Lenny: My aunt Lupe got me a little Toys R Us board when I was ten years old and I been grinding ever since!

48 Blocks: Being that you're from the hood, how did the people that you were around react to you skateboarding - did they think it was cool or did they diss it?

Lenny: They dissed it, they wanted me to do what they were doing-stealing, sellin’ drugs, and gang bangin’ but skateboarding kept me away from most of that.

48 Blocks: At what point did you get on DGK? The original pro team was Stevie, Marcus, and Henry, but it seem like you were on there from the start.

Lenny: Basically I went to the trade show right when DGK started and I gave Stevie my footy and he put me on the team! Then he gave me a ride home and when he shook my hand he had a hundred dollar bill in his hand! I was so hyped! To me that was a lot of money at the time! That day changed my life!

48 Blocks: Talk a little bit about It's Official, was that your first part? What do you remember about filming for that?

Lenny: I had some footage in the Gold video, but that was my first real part and what sucked about it was I had hella footage from Circa that they wouldn’t give up so my part wasn’t what it could have been had I had that footy in the mix.

48 Blocks: Obviously you've traveled all over tha map filming for videos, where are you favorite places to go and why?

Lenny: My favorite spot to skate is Barcelona and Miami because of all the amazing spots and the nightlife is crazy. 

48 Blocks: A few years ago, DGK set up shop in Atlanta and you've spent a bunch of time there. How does The South compare with SD and what do you like about The ATL?  

Lenny: Atlanta is tight but the spots out here are a lot different than SD, it’s rough and cold and there aren’t as many spots as there are in SD but the strip clubs out here are official!

48 Blocks: You went pro a few years ago, how did that affect your day-to-day life? Did anything change once you got a board with your name on it?

Lenny: Yeah a lot changed, I was able to support my mom and focus on skating more. It was a dream of mine ever since I was a little kid and now I’m living my dream.

48 Blocks: One of your nicknames is Loco Lenny, what's the craziest story that you have that you can share with us?

Lenny: Shit, I have so many but this one time in Miami with the DGK squad I was leaving the club with a half ounce in my pocket and I rolled up a blunt with this homie and as we’re smokin’ it the cops were watchin the whole time and they rolled up and arrested me. I spent 3 days in Dade county with some crazy Colombians for smokin’ a fuckin blunt.

48 Blocks: Obviously being around Stevie Williams for all of these years has influenced you, what's the biggest lesson that you've learned from him?

Lenny: Fuck bitches get money and stay motivated!

48 Blocks: Since DGK / RBK isn't going on anymore, what shoes have you been skating in and are we going to see you with on any shoe companies in the near future?

Lenny: Right now I’m keepin’ my options open but eS has been showin me love!

48 Blocks: You are into graffiti, what do you write and how often do you get up?

Lenny: I’m addicted to writing, that’s all I do. I write "LEN$TER LOCO DGK" and I hit it up everywhere I go!

48 Blocks: With Blood Sweat & Tears in progress now, what can you tell us about the video? Is there a set release date? How is your part shaping up?

Lenny: We have all been traveling all over filming for this video and I’m so hyped to come out with my first pro part. There’s no set release date for it but I can tell you everybody’s been killin it!

48 Blocks: Who are some skaters that you look up to and why? My nigga Stevie, Marcus, and the whole DGK squad because we’re family and we relate to each other.

48 Blocks: I don't know how deep you get on the internet, but I've definitely seen some people hating on you for pretty much no reason on places like the Slap Message board - are you aware of any of that, if so what would you say to those people?

Lenny: I can care less but that’s what happens when they see you come up, I LOVE HATERS!

48 Blocks: I know that you are friends with Kellen James, what's it like skating with him - that dude is straight up amazing.

Lenny: Yeah Kellen’s my boy we grew up skating together, it was me Kellen, Larelle, and Kashawn.

48 Blocks: Do you stay involved with things over at Kayo, do you come up with ideas for graphics or colorways on your pro model?

Lenny: Yeah I actually just came up with a graphic for a board and shirt so be on the lookout for a DGKxLEN$ shirt! I also started my own shit with my brother – it’s called Ghetto Celebrity! Be on the lookout! Coming to a hood near you!

48 Blocks: What's an average day-in-the-life of Lenny Rivas?

Lenny: Wake up smoke a blunt then go skate then I hit a club or just chill.

48 Blocks: What do you think you'd be up to right now if you weren't a pro skater?

Lenny: I would probably be up to no good.

48 Blocks: Any last words or shout outs you'd like to say to wrap this up?

Lenny: First off I would like to thank my mom, my brother Juan, Stevie, Nick L, Matt D, Kellen, Larelle, Kashawn, my nigga Lima, Marcus, Keelan, Jack, Dwanye aka D money, Brad aka PV, Spencer, Darren, Troy, Eli Soto, Chany, Rasul, Scuba Steve, Wade D, Brandon Turner, Smolik, Sid & Thurm A.K.A The Twinz, Ali K., ALD, My homies from my hood Puma, R.I.P Flaco, Sneaky,Gato, Munchie, Droopy, Slugger, Ratoni, Free wons, Soldier, Largo and the rest of my boys from National City! DGK ALL DAY Thanks to 48 Blocks for doing this interview!