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Draft:Ash Hudson

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Ash Hudson
Born
Albion Hudson

1972
Los Angeles, California
NationalityAmerican
Occupation(s)Designer, Entrepreneur, Photographer
Known forFounder of CONART
Parent(s)Anthony Hudson (father), Ola Hudson (mother)
RelativesSaul Hudson (Slash) (brother)

Albion "Ash" Hudson (born 1972) is an American artist, designer, entrepreneur, and photographer. He is best known as the founder of the streetwear brand CONART, and the brother of Saul Hudson, better known as Slash, the lead guitarist of Guns N' Roses.[1][2][3]

Biography

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Albion "Ash" Hudson was born in 1972.[2] His father, Anthony Hudson, is an English artist who created album covers for musicians such as Neil Young and Joni Mitchell.[2][3] His mother, Ola Hudson, who passed away in 2009, was an African-American fashion designer from Los Angeles who created outfits for artists including John Lennon, Ringo Starr, Carly Simon and The Pointer Sisters.[2][3][4] His older brother is Saul Hudson, known as Slash from Guns N' Roses.[2][3] Ash moved to Japan in 2013 and has since been working to revive the CONART brand, including collaborations with brands like X-Large in Japan and a collection in South Korea.[3] In 2019 he made a full recovery from an unspecified surgery. [5]

Career

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CONART

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Hudson is a graffiti artist and began selling graffiti designed T-shirts in front of schools in 1989 the age of 16. [6] After realizing there could be more profits in re-producing designs instead of selling one-of-a-kind items he founded the streetwear brand CONART (a blend of Convict & Art).[1][7][3][8] Conart became the first company to feature graffiti artists as the design talent behind the brand [1][7][3][9] and featured designs by artists such as Mear One. The brand blossomed to become a significant part of hip-hop culture, and is considered a pioneer of hip-hop-inspired clothing with the original graffiti gear being designed by Los Angeles graffiti artists.

Being created by someone with direct ties to both the art and music scenes, Ash was able to provide CONART with inherent authenticity and street credibility. He was able to use the perspective from his lived experience and creative mindset to develop CONART into a brand that provided a visual representation of the contemporary counterculture movements of hip-hop and graffiti, allowing people to express their identity through their clothing. [1][9] CONART thus gained popularity in the hip-hop scene, with artists like Cypress Hill, Beastie Boys, Snoop Dogg, and N.W.A. being seen wearing the brand.[3] The brand received media coverage in magazines such as Rap Pages and The Source.[3][10] By 1994, CONART reportedly had $1 million in orders and distributed to 470 accounts. [6] [8][11]

Album Cover Art and Tour Merchandise

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Ash has also worked as a designer of album cover art and tour merchandise.[2][3] He designed several album covers for his brother Slash, including It's Five O'Clock Somewhere.[2][12] and through CONART also produced items for A Tribe Called Quest, The Pharcyde and AC-DC. [6]

Social Media Influencer and Controversies

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At times Ash's social media posts in relation to Guns N' Roses and Slash have have garnered significant attention. Most notably in September 2015 he sparked a controversy with a Facebook post humorously referring to Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose as a "fat bastard" amid rumors of a band reunion.[13][14] The comment was made in the context of Hudson's frustration with persistent questions about a potential reunion and his belief that Slash and Guns N' Roses should focus on new projects rather than revisiting the past.[15][16] The remark was widely reported in the media.[14][15]

Upon learning that Axl Rose was offended by the comment, Hudson promptly issued a public apology and removed the offending social media posts.[17][18][19][20] He expressed regret for his words and clarified his respect for Rose and the band.[17] Later that year, Hudson was seen attending a Guns N' Roses concert and having his photo taken with Melissa Reese backstage, signaling a reconciliation and positive relations with the band.[13][21]

In a separate incident in 2015, Hudson attracted media attention when he publicly criticized his girlfriend on social media, accusing her of fabricating stories for attention.[22] The post, which described her actions as "fake BS," further highlighted Hudson's tendency to engage in controversial social media activity, though it received less coverage than the Axl Rose incident.[22]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "CONART". Discogs. Retrieved April 16, 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "Family - Slash". Slash Paradise. Retrieved April 16, 2025.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Kaufman, Matt (June 6, 2021). "Ash Hudson: Outfitting hip-hop's icons, finding new inspiration in Japan". The Japan Times. Retrieved April 16, 2025.
  4. ^ "Ola J. Oliver-Hudson". Los Angeles Times. October 11, 2009. Retrieved April 16, 2025.
  5. ^ "Slash's Brother Reveals Heartbreaking Surgery Photos". 21 February 2019.
  6. ^ a b c "SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ENTERPRISE : Making a Dime on Street Crime : Graffiti Finds a Legit Niche--on Clothing |". Los Angeles Times. 26 December 1994. Retrieved April 17, 2025.
  7. ^ a b "CONART : r/streetwear_aesthetic". reddit.com. 30 July 2024. Retrieved April 16, 2025.
  8. ^ a b "CONART | GWARIZM". garywarnett.wordpress.com. 16 May 2012. Retrieved April 16, 2025.
  9. ^ a b "Con Art | Saatchi Art". www.saatchiart.com. Retrieved April 16, 2025.
  10. ^ Hundreds, Bobby (May 16, 2012). "STREETS IS WEARING..." The Hundreds. Retrieved April 16, 2025.
  11. ^ "THE WEST | GWARIZM". garywarnett.wordpress.com. 16 May 2012. Retrieved April 16, 2025.
  12. ^ "Slash's Snakepit - limited fine art print signed by Slash - only 22 in existence". Matt's Guitar Shop. Retrieved April 16, 2025.
  13. ^ a b "Slash's Brother Called Axl Rose 'Fat,' Attends Guns N' Roses Show". Alternative Nation. September 14, 2015. Retrieved May 8, 2025.
  14. ^ a b "Slash's Brother Reportedly Rips Guns N' Roses Reunion, Insults Axl Rose". Loudwire. September 11, 2015. Retrieved May 8, 2025.
  15. ^ a b "Guns N' Roses: Slash's brother insults Axl Rose, doesn't want reunion". NME. September 11, 2015. Retrieved May 8, 2025.
  16. ^ "Slash's Brother Rants About GNR Reunion". Eddie Trunk. September 11, 2015. Retrieved May 8, 2025.
  17. ^ a b "Slash's Brother Apologizes For Calling Axl Rose 'Fat Bastard,' Says GNR Singer Is On A Strict Diet And Losing Weight". Blabbermouth.net. September 12, 2015. Retrieved May 8, 2025.
  18. ^ "Slash's Brother Apologizes for Insulting Axl Rose". Loudwire. September 12, 2015. Retrieved May 8, 2025.
  19. ^ "Slash's brother sorry he called Axl Rose 'fat,' rhymes with 'mastered'". San Diego Union-Tribune. September 12, 2015. Retrieved May 8, 2025.
  20. ^ "Slash's Brother Apologises To Axl Rose And Fans For Facebook Rant". The Music. September 14, 2015. Retrieved May 8, 2025.
  21. ^ "Slash's brother attends Guns N' Roses show after Axl Rose 'fat' comment". NME. September 14, 2015. Retrieved May 8, 2025.
  22. ^ a b "Slash's Brother Calls Out Girlfriend For 'Fake BS'". Alternative Nation. October 2015. Retrieved May 8, 2025.
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CONART official website

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