Derrick Lambert just wanted some Whataburger. What he got was much more than an affordable fast food meal.
A group of women recorded the 40-year-old outside of the establishment in Arlington, Texas. Lambert is originally from Monticello, Arkansas, but has lived in Texas for the past three years. His calm ensemble in the clip featured a blue-striped Ralph Lauren polo, perfectly-creased jeans, and a pair of baby blue New Balance 574s. After reading that breakdown, I’m sure you thought they were hyping him up. Unfortunately, they were clowning him. The exchange made it onto X. And thus, the “I Ain’t Fresh?” meme was born.
“It was just natural, man. It was spur of the moment,” says Lambert in regards to his now-signature catchphrase. “They done made it like a national anthem. I'm also thinking about trademarking it and doing some merch.”
Shortly after the video was posted, thousands of people came to his defense on X. TikTokers provided detailed outfit breakdowns. Joe Freshgoods asked for his contact info. A few days later, Lambert doubled down. Another fire monochromatic fit hit the timeline featuring an olive green LRG T-shirt. On March 26, LRG posted an ad on Instagram starring Lambert in his crouched pose. The brand hosted him for a shopping spree at a Dillard’s in Dallas. On March 28, LRG and Lambert flew to New Orleans for a photoshoot on Bourbon Street. By nightfall, Lambert was sitting courtside at the Pelicans game, jeans still complete with a fresh crease.
It’s been a whirlwind of a week, to say the least, and it all stemmed from that 11 second clip on social media.
“It’s pretty cool, man,” says Lambert. “I would never dream of something like this.”
We caught up with Lambert to discuss his viral moment, working with LRG, starched jeans, and more.
We've all seen the video. Can you just explain what was actually going on there?
They were just trying to bash me while I was trying to leave. They edited it to their liking so it feels like I was trying to get their validation saying “I ain't fresh?” and that wasn't the case.
What did the video not show us? What’s the real story behind that?
It was something prior to that. They was still bashing me, but I was defending myself also. So they showed that part outside. I was really just tired and trying to go by my way.
The video has gone super viral. A ton of people have seen it at this point. But did you expect it to go viral like that?
It was messed up because like I was telling them, “Don't record me.” I don't play that. I don't like being on social media. So, no, I did not expect it to go the way it did. Not at all.
A lot of people defended you once the video got posted. What was your reaction to that?
Oh man, it was crazy. I don't have Twitter. I saw it on TikTok. My cousin sent me a message, so I called her and she was like, “Yeah, you went viral.” I said, “Oh my gosh, man.” I read the comments expecting them to be bashing me and they were defending me. Like every comment. So, I was heated that the video got posted, but I liked the reaction of people saying they were messed up and don’t know what they’re talking about. That was crazy.
Is that your usual outfit when you step out?
That’s my weekend outfit if I go out. You’re supposed to look nice, to the best of your ability. That’s all that is.
Is the New Balance 574 the go-to sneaker?
I just like the style. I'm an Air Max man to be honest, but I like the 574s. That baby blue look is a unique color. I saw that Polo that goes with it and thought it matched up pretty good. I don’t care about nobody’s opinion though. That light blue just stood out to me.
So are you always shopping for new clothes? Is fashion super important to you?
That’s just something I've always been doing. I might have something in my closet. I might go shopping and put something together. It’s just whatever I feel like.
What’s the common style like down South for people who may not know?
All kinds. Everybody has their own style. A lot of us dress like this, the way I dress, but I've been dressing like this ever since I was in junior high. I like my jeans starched with the crease. It’s a Southern thing, where I'm from anyway.
Can you explain the starched jeans? I feel like a lot of people in other parts of the country might not understand that.
They’ll look at you crazy. But that’s just the culture where I came from. That's a grown man look to me. When I was growing up, I saw grown men wear it like this. I took it and ran with it as a teenager.
Is there a go-to pair of jeans for you?
Levi’s. Can’t go wrong with some Levi’s 501s.
What other sneakers are you into?
I rock all of ‘em. I grew up wearing Reeboks and Air Forces. The New Balances caught my eye. I like a casual look. If something catches my eye, imma grab it.
After the first viral outfit, you came back and posted a second one with the LRG T-shirt. LRG put you in the ad on Instagram. They invited you to do the shopping spree and everything. What’s your reaction to getting all these opportunities off of one viral video?
It’s pretty cool, man. I would never dream of something like this. I just saw that shirt and knew I could rock it because I had some New Balances to go with it. LRG has some pretty good styles.
Have any other brands reached out to do something with you since the video went viral?
Yeah, a couple of brands reached out.
Did you ever get in touch with Joe Freshgoods?
Yeah, we had talked through text. He gotta get back with me to see if we’re going to do something together.
What do you want to do next to keep this momentum going?
Whatever the people want to see. I guess I’m going to have to turn into a social media person. [Laughs.]
This whole thing started because some people decided to come at your style. Unfortunately, that's something that's probably happening to a lot of people everywhere all the time. What would you say to those people that are getting bullied or made fun of for their style?
Nine times out of 10, they like you. It's like when you’re a kid and don’t know how to tell the girl you like her so you pick on her. I've seen people less fortunate bullying people who have things. So, it's weird, man. I've seen it all kinds of ways. But I'm not sweating nothing. I look over that.
Final thing, did you expect “I ain't fresh?” to become like a catch phrase on the internet?
It was just natural, man. It was spur of the moment. They done made it like a national anthem. I'm also thinking about trademarking it and doing some merch.
